thoughts on thursday + some cute pictures of my children (surprise!)

Why is overgramming a thing? Why does a certain number of likes or comments or followers make us feel special or not? Why do we gram at all? 

I heard someone say today that instagram is just a place to show off what you've got. Whether it's things or your kids or your breakfast... & it got me thinking. Show off? That's certainly not what I'm ever going for. I love photos, moments captured. I choose to post our happy parts, not because every day is a walk in the park, our life is far from perfect, but I love it + choose to see it with a positive perspective, and share that side. I post pictures of my kids because I love them + think they're stinkin cute, I post pictures of my breakfast because it was as pleasing to my eyes as it was my belly. I see beauty all around me. When I share on Instagram, this blog, or any social media channel, it's because I love and enjoy my life + want to shout it from the rooftops! It's sad to think that anyone would consider that showing off or even worse, look at my life and see theirs as less than.
Why do we compare? Why do we get sucked into "the numbers"? I know i've allowed myself to fall victim to this thought process. I think it's definitely important to search our hearts and check ourselves for the reasons behind our posts, our words and otherwise, but i also think it's okay to share bits and pieces of our lives that bring us joy. God gave each and every one of us a purpose, yours is probably different than mine in a lot of ways, but I know one thing that we are all called to do and that is to love. Love God, love others, & love yourself.

When you're scrolling today, be inspired by others + encouraging to them as well! & when you're posting, authentically "overgram" the heck out of whatever it is that makes your days happy! Your life is beautiful, you are fearfully + wonderfully made. It's okay to share it.

sidenote: these pictures have nothing to do with this post really, aside from just loving them a whole lot. i saw this idea through pinterest for "entertaining toddlers indoors during the winter"...+ i thought, "ball pit! how fun!" abel actually thought it was fun for about two seconds + then he began throwing the balls one by one onto the floor + moved onto the next thing haha! lucy laughed at him per usual + otherwise didn't quite get it. maybe next year when they're 1 + 3 we will try again or on a rainy day this summer. until then, we will continue using these balls to learn our colors, throw around, cover the entire living room floor, and find in every corner of the house even though i swore i got them all picked up :) 

a Freshly Picked Review... Bring on the Moccs!

I am a such a fan of well made products, and an even bigger fan of advocating for them + spreading the word about my favorite brands, people, tips, etc. 

That being said, baby moccasins...

Whether you're a mom, aunt, friend, grandma or simply a person on this earth, you probably know that they are all the rage when it comes to baby shoes. 

They're cute, easy, comfortable + honestly go with   e v e r y t h i n g  . 

That my friends is especially true when it comes to Freshly Picked moccasins. They are darling as pie + i wish they made them in my size... although it's probably better that they don't, as i'd look ridiculous. 

Lucy is 6 months this week + getting your first pair of FP moccs is like a Salvaggione right of passage. She obviously had to have yellow ("Golden Rod" in the shop) because she loves yellow (or i do). We are very practical when it comes to buying things + the quality of these moccs makes them worth every penny. With littler babies who's feet never touch the ground, it's like buying shoes AND a teething toy... two for one! (haha, kidding... sort of). On top of that, they have "give" and can be worn for longer than a regular shoe. As fast as infants grow, this is a HUGE win in my book!

What about for Toddlers/Walkers?

Abel is borderline OBSESSED with his Freshly Picked moccs! When he got his first pair, he would NOT take them off. Which was perfect because he was a new walker + they were lightweight + easy for him to run around in while he was still learning his feet. He wore them inside AND outside. I wouldn't send him out in the snow in them, but during Spring + Summer they are perfect. His first pair fit for an entire YEAR, while he outgrew all of his other shoes. The red ones ("Cherry" in the shop), are officially snug now + we chose these neutral colored ones ("Beehive State" in the shop) to go with his usually bright colored wardrobe. 

Are they worth it?

Freshly Picked moccasins are WELL MADE + well worth their price.  They are 100% genuine leather, they hold up outside on an adventurous toddler, stretch with your child's foot making them last longer, are precious as can be + come in a zillion different colors. We usually wait until our littles aren't growing at super speed and are doing more than just laying around before we invest in ours so that they can wear them longer, but they offer Crib Moccs for tiny ones (0-3 mos) for a reduced price that are just as cute. Freshly Picked has wonderful customer service, the founder Susan is the sweetest, and they don't waste any time getting your order processed!

We LOVE this brand + the team behind it. 

^^^These are our WELL LOVED + still in GREAT condition first pair...one of my favorite things about them is the tiny footprint that takes up it's home on the sole. Go and getcha some!

**This post is sponsored by Freshly Picked, however all opinions are my own!**

Detailed information directly from Freshly Picked website:

100% Genuine Leather Moccasins

Freshly Picked moccasins feature a unique design with elastic at the opening. Our shoes are easy to put on, easy to take off, and most importantly: stay on your child’s foot. Our soft-soled shoes are made with durable leather and are suitable for infants and toddlers alike. Moccasins fit true to size and are available in children sizes 1 - 9.

These gorgeous moccs have been featured in Parenting Magazine, IN TOUCH, US weekly, People.com, Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Kourtney and Kim Take New York.

Each item in my shop is hand made in the U.S.A. and ready to ship. Please allow at least 48 hours for your order to be processed and ready to ship.

Freshly Picked (dot) Com

@freshlypicked on Instagram + Twitter 

FP Facebook

FP Pinterest 

happy birthday brother!

happy birthday to a very special person!

my little (except not really) brother tristan!

he is talented, kind, a great uncle, used to be my mini me but since he's 6' 4" now i think those roles are probably reversed. he's an incredible dancer and choreographer & i'm so proud of him for following his dreams + living in california to pursue a career in dance, however i miss him a whole lot! cheers to your last teenage year! i love you so much t!

+ here is a video of his choreography because wow!

it's a beautiful thing

lately i find myself in awe of the way God created us. pure, loving, non judgemental, kind... 

this isn't new information to me, but i feel like my heart has grown + that i've learned so much about this in the 6 months that i've had TWO children. 

your first child rocks your world in the very best way possible, your entire life expands in ways you never knew it could + you learn a whole new kind of love. having two children opens your heart in a different way, because not only are you loving another little life, but you get the opportunity to watch your children love each other, + it's a beautiful thing. 

since the day we brought lucy home, abel has been so sweet with her. even in her early days with us when he didn't show a ton of interest, when he did, it was so sweet + careful. he touched all of her toes + pet her hair, and he knew, without us telling him, that she was fragile and important to us. by the time lucy started smiling it was always for him, her first giggle was at him, and her face lights up any time he does nearly anything. he's there to greet her the moment he hears her wake + gives her love and kisses on the reg without any prompting. it's incredible. from early on, it's been like they already knew who they were to each other, and it's amazing to me to watch their love bloom on a daily basis. a pure + free love, the way God intended it to be. they don't think about loving one another, they just do. my wish is that we could all be this way.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Matthew 19:14

i think we could learn SO much from watching children interact. i get to see it on a daily basis + sometimes i really do feel like they are teaching me more than i'm teaching them + it blows me away. i'm so thankful to get the opportunity to see the world from their perspective, to see the wonder, to see love in it's purest form. thank you jesus.

Enhance your mobile photography!

It's been said that "the best camera is the one you have with you" and I say, "amen!" This has never been more true than today.

How lucky are we to live in a time where our phones are not only capable of taking photos, but on top of that, have apps on apps on apps available to go right along with all that picture taking?! Jackpot.

I get comments at least twice a week on my Instagram feed asking what kind of camera I use, and the answer is 95% of the time, my iPhone 5s. As much as I love taking pictures on my Canon, chasing babies all day doesn't always leave a free hand for a big camera, so my iPhone is SO handy for catching all those little moments that I'd miss otherwise. 

Today I wanted to share a few quick + easy photography tips with you that I've learned along the way! Get ready to change your mobile photography forever... 

First up! Lighting:

My personal preference for photos is light + bright. 

I love love love crisp whites + pops of color. Within my home decor, clothing choices, IG feeds that I follow, pinterest boards, you name it... so naturally this carries over into my photography as well. The best way to get a beautiful + bright looking photo is to lose the flash + shoot in natural lighting instead. Outside (not in direct sunlight, as this can cast harsh shadows) or near a big window is the best. Shooting in natural light will make your subjects look as close to what they truly are when seen with the naked eye. 

There are definitely circumstances in which you need a flash or there is no natural light available to you, I mean... photo worthy stuff does happen at night + indoors too! In this case, I do use my flash if necessary + then turn my photos black + white in editing. This neutralizes the photo + rids it of any poor lighting, face shine, yellow tones, etc. Check out the difference in the photo below! Same photo, but the original photo just didn't pop. Simply turning it black + white, and playing with a little contrasting made this photo a lot more eye catching.

Next, composition.

I love photos that create a feeling; photos that capture a whole scene, and also like most... photos of people + things that I love. When getting ready to take a photo I like to think about why I’m taking it. If I know the feeling behind taking the photo, it's easier to portray that same feeling to viewers too!

---Don’t be afraid to take a step back. Leave the room and capture the doorway looking into the room that your child is playing in, or a baby sleeping on a king size bed, showing just how little they really are. There is something so special about looking into a scene from the outside, and showing more of the scene, gives a photo more context. Don’t crop out the fun wall or cityscape behind your subject; sometimes it's just as interesting as your subject itself!

--Don’t be afraid to get close up. So this feels contradictory, but it's really just another technique that is equally impactful. Zoom in on what it is that made you want to snap a photo. Was it your child's baby blues? Crop in so that it is clear what your focus is, detail shots are JUST as special.

 

--Try not centering your subject. Instead, let your focus point be just off center to the right or left, same goes for top or bottom. For example, when posting to Instagram, I often times will place my subject ON one of the grid lines, as opposed to IN one of the grid squares. 

--Look at your surroundings. Is there a trashcan behind your focus point? An unruly pile of unfolded laundry (hand raising emoji here), a lady picking a wedgie? (Again, guilty) no really... these are things that often go unnoticed until AFTER the fact, oops. Take a look around + check your scene!

--Use your surroundings! A colored wall, texture, lines… anything that adds a different element to your photo.

--Set yourself up at different angles. Instead of always taking a photo straight on, get on a chair, lay on the floor, see the shot from different views + create a fun perspective!

Editing.

I use only one editing app on my phone, but the mobile editing app world is your oyster. Typically I will just edit my photo in the Instagram editor before posting, but it can't always get my photo just right, and in that case I use Photoshop Express. 

Exposure. Highlights. Contrast. Saturation. 

The end.

As mentioned, you can adjust most of these straight from IG, but PS Express is my best friend when it comes to grainy/pixelated photos (this happens a lot if you use your front camera, which I try to avoid). Adjust "reduce noise" and it will smooth out your picture.

Print, print, print!

If technology failed us tomorrow (which it probably won't) but IF it did... would you lose all of your precious, captured moments? If I’m being 100% honest with you, before making it a priority this past year, I would've lost too many of mine! It's so easy to blog photos or post them to IG or Facebook + then never see them again. THIS HAS TO STOP! Print out those pictures people! There are SO many different ways to display + share photos in a tangible way. I've got framed pictures, photo walls + books, I've even ordered prints from Shutterfly that are just sitting in a wire basket on our coffee table... people LOVE thumbing through all of the pictures in there and I love that. Get those gorgeous images off of your devices and into your hands friends, you'll thank yourself later!

Well, that's a wrap! I hope one or more of these little tips made you say "Oh! Good one!" or "I'm going to try that." At the very least, I hope you got a laugh from the wedgie picker example... this REALLY is in the back of one of my Instagram photos... I'll let you go and find it though :)

Now, get out there + capture the moments that are special to YOU, because what really makes them special is that they are little snippets of your very special life! Have a wonderful day, XOXO!

Come try out your new photo techniques!