Batman Dress

When I was pregnant, and we weren't telling anyone the sex of the baby, a dear friend made this amazing Batman layette set for us. Juniper has finally grown into it, and Mother's Day seemed the perfect opportunity to take it out for a whirl!

It's so gorgeous. Danielle hand-embroidered the bonnet with the Bat-signal. There are even little booties that say "BAM!" and "POW!" The bloomers have ruffles on the back.

She's pretty much going to be living in this until she grows out of it.

Photography fun!

I've been having loads of fun the past couple months since I started doing shoots!

 My favorite shot from last week's Mother's Day session.

As you can see, mostly little ones. It is the season for babies, and Mother's Day is fast approaching!
I've been having fun with my own little Bug, too.

She is the most photogenic baby.

And she has teeth now! That teething business is brutal. I would be upset, too, if the bones in my head were trying to force their way out through my face.

So many preparations still to make for our big move across the pond! In less than two months, we will be standing on British soil. It's kind of surreal to think about.

Introducing Bird Hearts Bug Photography!

After spending some time in front of the lens, I've decided to try branching out into doing some photography of my own! Mr. Bear spoiled me this past Christmas by getting me some photography equipment, and we turned the guest room into a studio of sorts. It started from a desire to continue with my pinup work as a compliment to my burlesque performing, but having trouble getting in with the pinup photographers. I figured why not set up a little studio and take my own pinup shots? DIY is kind of my thing.

 A Valentine-themed boudoir shoot.


My beautiful friend graciously allowed me to practice on her, and after a particularly productive afternoon, I had a collection of seventy edited photos for her to give her fiance on Valentine's Day. They were both pretty pleased with the results, so I'm heartened.
I'm hoping that there will be enough of a market at our next duty station for me to do more shoots. They're a lot of fun, and I'd like to be able to support my photography equipment habit! Backdrops are expensive.

Family shoot outdoors. The frost was so gorgeous that day.

My sweet chubby little pumpkin.


We'll see how it goes. I have a few more projects in the works, but I really have no idea how to go about marketing or building a clientele. I am enjoying the process a lot, though!

Check out Bird Hearts Bug Photography's Facebook page for updates! I'd be chuffed if you'd give it a like!

Junebug's Half-Birthday

So it's been six months since my life completely changed forever. It has been wonderful and amazing, and we're so in love with our little girl.

I was so puffy!

First family portrait.

She was so tiny!

We celebrated by giving her some of the homecanned applesauce we made a few months ago after a trip to Greenbluff. She seems to like it, though is a bit unsure.

My beautiful daughter.

She continues to be a delight every single day, and I'm loving watching her learn and explore her world.

The Results Are In!

Cheryll Kelly has won my home-canned apple pie filling in last week's online auction!

Congratulations, Cheryll!

I've put a pretty package together for you, and you should be receiving your delicious treat next week.

Thanks for bidding, and I hope you enjoy it!

  

Like the tags, label, and recipe card? You can get the templates for free from Lia Griffith!

They add a nice touch to those last-minute gifts. Not that I would know anything about that...

Virtual Bake Sale!!!

My friend Alice, who blogs at A Mama, Baby, and Sharpei in the Kitchen, is hosting a virtual bake sale today! Proceeds go to help her friend's family with medical expenses. You can get amazing baked goods, kitchenware, and cookbooks, and make a family's holiday season brighter at the same time!

The sale ends tonight at 9pm PST, so get your bids in while you can!

I donated a jar of my homemade, home-canned apple pie filling, made from apples I picked out at Greenbluff. It's sweet and delicious, and will make one 9-inch pie, and is also amazing on pancakes and ice cream.

Bid here on my apple pie filling!

Adventure Time!

Did you all have a lovely Thanksgiving, if you were in a country that celebrates it?

We got a surprise...

Mr. Bear got orders to Lakenheath, England!

So, basically, we have 7-8 months to get everything in order, and then we are moving across the pond, so to speak. Juniper will be about a year old(I'm hoping we'll still be here on her birthday so we can celebrate with everyone). We're very excited, it was our top choice on our "Dream Sheet" for postings. We expect to be there about 4 years, and oh, the traveling!

I haven't been to England since 2009, there's so much I didn't get to do that was on my list. I'm really looking forward to having years there. Junebug will be about five when we return to the U.S., so I'm hoping she'll have some memories of living abroad. And we'll probably have another child while we're there.

We have to get started on Ponyo's vaccinations so we can avoid the quarantine period, she would not handle that well. And we're definitely not going to be able to take Butters with us, which breaks my heart, so I've started looking for a foster home for her. I have several people who have offered to take our hens. Ah, the life of a nomadic homesteader.

My head is swimming! So much to do, to plan, to think!

I foresee a gigantic yard sale in our future.