Tiny books, lots of happy

Right after New Year's I saw a little write-up about a company called Printstagram that made tiny books from your instagram photos. It was $10 so I thought why not? It took just a few clicks to choose which photos I wanted to upload and then I forgot all about it until they arrived today (from Taiwan?) and they're just about the cutest things you ever did see. They actually came in not one but three little volumes representing our 2011 year in instagram photos. They are even magnetic so they've taken up happy residence on our fridge. So fun! Now my mind is buzzing with possibilities...valentines, birthdays, little books of favorite things, future stocking stuffers...

$3.33 for each little book of photos. What's your favorite low-cost, high-happiness thing lately?

Yes, please

At first I dragged my feet. Maddy had a photo assignment and wanted to go into Boston to do some shots.  It kind of seemed like a hassle to me but G and Sam had a church meeting and she really wanted to go, so I thought eh, why not?

I should think why not? more often. Well, that and why not's more enthusiastic sister, yes, please.

Because if I had gone with my Saturday afternoon homebody instincts, I would have missed out on this:

Swan boats retired for the summer.

Maddy in sunbeams.

Witnessing weddings.

Glorious trees.

High wire walkers practicing. (!)

Take that, dragging feet. 

Outtakery

Just a few outtakes from this year's Christmas photo shoot...

Instead of my usual DIY self-timer method, I decided to splurge on having our photographer friend come and take them--especially since Lauren will be heading to college next year and we might not do it again for a while. 

What was especially wonderful? It was just a really fun afternoon spent laughing and playing--a nice family memory in itself. 

 ^We didn't want to drag the piano outside so we used piano music in a typewriter instead

And this one cracks me up every. single. time:  . . .

Chalkboards via Brooke at Playing Grown Up (but if you live near me, I'm happy to let you use mine) They have helpful little knobs on the back.

Photos by Nicole Barker

Ready for her close up

Hello, senior year! If it's late August, it must be senior portrait season (our school requires them to be submitted the first 2 weeks of September). We're loving the sneak peeks of L's photo session from last week:

We lucked out with a new friend who moved here recently who's a fantastic photographer to boot. Thanks, Nicole! Every gal should have the experience of being treated like such a rock star. 

(If you're in the area, check her out! She's really wonderful.)

somebody stop me!

Hi, my name is Annie and I am a blog addict. It seems I just can't stop adding new ones.

After admiring so many others' I gave in and started a catalog of my favorite home-related photos, ideas, recipes, and quotes. It's really just a digital place for me to put all those things that I used to tear out of magazines + put into files + then forget. The tumblr platform doesn't even accept comments but feel free to visit if you'd like to see the clips.  Or not.  It's called Gather.  And it's all about hygge and you know how I like my hygge.

You're probably wondering "what's next? a blog documenting Annie's breathing patterns? a catalog of her grocery receipts? her ideas for sculpting with dryer lint?" and to that I say, Maybe.  I don't rule these things out.  (I really am considering one more: a child development-dedicated site. What? I can stop anytime I want.  Really.)

* * * *

Meanwhile, I'm heading off to meet a lovely friend for lunch. {Actually Chrissi was my sister's friend growing up (and Matt's, too)} We caught up with each other again when we lived near each other in DC a few years ago and now she and her family are in Connecticut at Yale for a year.  She's an amazing photographer (see below); if you live in the area & are looking for someone to take some great photos, send her a note.  And her husband's a psychiatrist in the military so--who knows?--maybe they'll be headed close to you next.