Category: Bits + Pieces

Photo Field Trip

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Photography

I’ve written and erased this post about a hundred times and, for a bit, settled on letting the pictures speak for themselves in an effort to leave out any negativity. But, I always keep it real on here and I don’t want this experience to be excluded.
I had a great time, I did. I met some fantastically amazing people – some that I have met before, others that I felt like I knew because we’ve forged such a strong friendship already through instagram alone, and others that I met for the first time and loved.
Photo field trip was something that started as a small-ish gathering. I remember emailing the person in charge about my picky eating (I eat like a 5 year old, in case you didn’t already know) and she personally assured me that if I couldn’t find something I’d like that they would order me pizza. Not that I thought that would actually happen, but I liked the idea of it being small and personal. The event blew up, however, and not long after that email they opened up several other spots and what was once a not-so-big-event suddenly became a 300+ person event.
If you didn’t know anyone, ie. if you are not active in the instagram community, I imagine it carried the potential to be a lonely event. There was that same anxiety present as when you walk into the lunchroom at a new school and wonder where you are going to sit and who is going to talk to you.
I took several different classes; some were great and others were just okay. In the end, I walked away more stoked on the social aspect than the educational aspect.
I feel like this all has to be said because it has yet to be said. It’s not said to discount anyone else’s experience, as I too came home motivated and on “on a high”. I know others who did not, however, and that makes me sad.
In any event, I hope to return next year if for no other reason than to meet up with a handful of other photographers that I now call real-life friends. I also hope to return and put my nerves to the side and branch out and meet more people and perhaps make some of those that are less familiar with the community feel a little more welcome.

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A Rainy Day at the Huntington Gardens

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces

The last time I met Sisilia and Melissa at the Huntington, I thought I was going to melt. Literally, I thought I would be like a big wad of discarded gum on the sidewalk. This go-around, it rained. Luckily, it didn’t pour; More like a light mist that made all the colors pop and made it feel as though you were walking through some sort of mystical wonderland. Nothing like the storm that’s predicted to hit this weekend…Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!

A Celebration

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces

And just like that Willy turned another year older, another year wiser, another year handsome-er. We celebrated way back when, on Superbowl Sunday alongside my soon-to-be bro-in-law who also turned another year older, wiser, and handsome-er. The guys drank whiskey, Hooper continued pretending he is a firemen, Van pulled whosever finger he could grab to drag them to and fro, and us ladies talked about my sister’s upcoming wedding.

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Into the wild

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces

There was a stretch of time just the other week that I started to feel better and decided to push my body as hard as it would let me. We took day trips here and there and started to venture into the great wide open. Today, my back is cursing me. And so it goes, two steps forward, one step back. There is nothing quite like recovery; you certainly learn to listen to your body because you really don’t have any other choice.
In any event, it felt good to get out and watch the boys be as they are intended to be – – wild and free. If only my back had eyes so it could know what it is missing out on…

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To Nina's house they go.

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Motherhood, Parenting

Isn’t it the case that as soon as you drop your children anywhere, whether it be preschool or a friend’s house, you miss them. I’m continuously dumbfounded by the someone-please-help-me-and-take-my-children-for-a-few-hours and the I-can’t-wait-to-see-my-children-because-I’ve-missed-them-so-much way of motherhood.  
Twice a week, the boys go to my parent’s house during the day. I spend all day the day before looking forward to it only to be longing to pick them up when the next day finally arrives. But, I know it’s good; it’s good for me, good for them, and – I hope – enjoyable (maybe sometimes?) for my parents.  
I came to pick them up a little early the other day and decided to snap a few photos; little mementos of their days spent at their Nina’s and Gee-paw’s.

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Riding on bikes with boys

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Hooper, Motherhood

Have you ever rode a bike with a toddler? I remember my mom declaring that her back was never the same after teaching us to ride our bikes. We’re not there yet with Hoop; we’re still in the training wheel phase. But, in some ways, it’s equally torturous.
“What’s that, Mama?”
He stops riding and I practically walk in to his back tire cuz I’m riding his ass.
“Sounds like some sirens off in the distance”.
“I want to see”, he says.
“Sounds like they’re gone”, and we re-mount and ride along. I ride his ass because he’s going slow.
“Wook-at-dat, Mama!”
We stop to pick some dandelions. He sniffs them and there is yellow pollen that makes a Hitler-like mustache under his nose.
Re-mount. Ride his tail.
A few yards later, we stop again. This time, we pick up sticks. Then some acorns. I answer ten more questions about the various sounds he hears.
It’s so easy to get stuck in A to B mode. When he asks to go on a bike ride, which he does daily these days, I think about leaving the house, the route we’ll take, and how that route will lead us back to the house. His mind, in it’s beautiful infancy, works much different; it’s all about the space between… The sights, the sounds,

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the things he can collect. Hashtag: things you can learn from a toddler.

Slow down, Mamas, and enjoy the ride. I don’t walk so close behind him anymore.

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Support Local: Sperling Nursery

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Support Local

We love picking out plants. If you kept track of the plants in our home, you’d probably argue that we like picking them out more than we like keeping them alive; and you’re probably right. We typically opt for the succulents because, well, they’re harder to kill.
Sperling nursery, in Calabasas, is our favorite. They always have a large variety of high quality plants. Their prices are a little steep, but the quality is always great.
And they always have fresh popped popcorn. So, I mean, come on. Hands down, right? Nevermind those grubby little dirty hands I have to share it with… Click To Vote For Us @ Top Baby Blogs Directory!

Bits + Pieces

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces

Hoop got a haircut. He needs one every month or so it seems. Our friend Angela always does a great job // Willy convincing Hooper to eat his damn food. It’s still a struggle, at times // An orchid from my Aunt and Uncle that somehow we’ve managed to keep alive // A bruise on Van’s face. It happens // Walks with broom and dust pan in hand. We have clean sidewalks // In and out, in and out, all day long // Van got a haircut. We shave his head because his hair is much thicker // I’m trying to get Van to sit in the big boy chair so I don’t have to worry about lifting him in and out of the high chair. Currently, he squats. Hashtag: it’s a start // Hooper discovered we keep the candy in the bathroom cupboard for when he goes poop // Van playing a game of “mailman” by the front door // A cartoon in the late afternoon // A visit from the in-laws before Christmas. That’s Willy’s dad in the “Kum & Go” shirt. We went to Bob’s Big Boy where the guys tried with all their might to strain their necks and watch the game. Can you tell they’re related? // Raisins are Hooper’s jam // Ever since we got bunk beds, Hooper loves playing in his room  // Both boys, not fighting but sitting together watching “What does the fox say?”. They are obsessed. So much so they can sit by one another without killing each other // TV comas happen.
In other news, votes are scheduled to reset over on Top Baby Blogs and – as always – I would love your support. Voting is easy; simply click on the banner below and then click on the owl on the left side of your screen. And, that’s it. It takes two seconds and it means a lot to me. You can vote once daily. Much love.

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New Years

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Holiday

Memories have a way of washing over one another like the water washes over the sand; some remain at the surface while overs sink, buried by things heavier than them. As I close out 2013, it’s hard for me to remember how great our life was before October; before my surgery, before I had thirteen levels of my spine fused. I have photos and written tales written by a girl that was much freer than the girl I am today; she wrote funny tales of motherhood, I write about perspective because clinging to a positive one feels like all I can do some days.
I’m nearly three months post-op and it’s bittersweet.
Before my surgery, the three-month-mark was thrown out there as the potential time I could return to work and, thus, the time I presumed my life would be more or less ordinary. There was a time, when I was pregnant, that a confused patient hit me over the head from behind with the phone in the room. I think about that experience, coupled with the fact I’m still physically and restrictively unable to lift my children, and I now know that expecting to return to normalcy at three months was a lofty I’m-gonna-tell-you-what-you-want-to-hear-because-you-need-this-surgery tale from my surgeon. 
And so, while I feel better than I have thus far, I feel far from normal. My life is not normal. Some days my every thought is consumed by pain. Other days I feel better and my thoughts are consumed with a fear of overdoing it and returning back to the state of pain I just spent 5 days in bed recovering from.
I don’t have New Year’s resolutions this year. I’m not resolving to do anything, per say. Rather, I want to be happy. If that means nurturing my body more than I’ve needed to in years past, then so be it. If it means a change of perspective because my attitude is down in the gutter, then so be it. If it means keeping a running list of things I want to do with my family but I can’t because of my limitations, then I’ll do that too. I’m resolving to stay hopeful because I know normalcy is just around the corner and I’m using all the fuel left in my tank to get there.
I’ve been listening to music again and it’s been getting into my bloodstream and feeding my soul in a way it used to when I hurt – in other ways – in the past. When I was a nursing student, I had the privilege of caring for a man named Delaney Bramlett; a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. He died during the same hospital stay and he was magical. Two of my favorites of his are this one and this one. I hope it does for you, what it does for me.
And I hope all of you can stay happy and healthy in the New Year because beyond those two things – I’ve learned – you really don’t need anything else.
Photos taken on New Years Eve, spent on the beach with family. And thank you to all who left us comments wishing us well. I am finally feeling better… just in time to take care of Hooper who couldn’t make it in the door from preschool yesterday without laying down on our walkway and throwing up. Come on 2014, what else ya got?!

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Rewind, 2013

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Holiday

JANUARY
We celebrated 60 years of love and dedication between Willy’s grandparents and started potty training Hoop, who was showing signs of being ready. 
FEBRUARY
We dealt with what was in hindsight the worst of the terrible twos (it lasted a few months) and I opened up about how it took me longer to love and bond with Van. 
MARCH
We made what we both decided was the best decision in our lives to date and hired house cleaners. They come every other week and it’s the best money spent ever. I also wrote about falling in love with Van. 
APRIL
We made trips out to both Arizona and Palm Springs. It was the first, of what became many, trips to Palm Springs this year (most always for Willy’s work). We were happy when we got to tag along.
MAY
Potty training continued, with number two proving to be more difficult that number one. We also taught Hooper what a “ghost turd” is. I wrote about our struggles with Hooper’s eating and brought in an Occupational Therapist to help us. And we stayed at The Roosevelt Hotel during one of Willy’s work functions. 
JUNE
Willy and I welcomed our first niece, Zoe. We spent more time in Palm Springs. And I wrote about being wild and free, one of my more meaningful posts – for me – to date.
JULY
The boys pretended that they like each other; it was brief. We celebrated both my birthday and Van’s birthday; it was his first. It was not my first. 
AUGUST
Janet was in town and we hung out at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. I stopped breastfeeding and I wrote about the depression that followed. I also wrote about conquering the day and how hard it is – at times – to get two kids out of the house. If I only knew how difficult that would be after having back surgery…
SEPTEMBER
We drove down to visit my sister and her fiance, which also marks the day Hooper became obsessed with cats. He hasn’t stopped meowing or asking to be pet since then. We also met up with Sisilia Piring and her lovely family, marking the beginning of what has proven to be a beautiful friendship. And I finally got around to posting pics from Janet and I’s adventures to the Salton Sea, Salvation Mountain, and Joshua Tree. 
OCTOBER
I had my surgery this month and spent two weeks in the hospital. Before hand, we made it to the pumpkin patch, spent time with family at the beach, and took another trip to the desert. I also joined the Childhood Unplugged movement. 
NOVEMBER
I posted pics of the boys from Halloween, we celebrated Hooper’s 3rd birthday, and I shared a day in my life series over on Sarah Dyer’s beautiful blog. 
DECEMBER
I finally got around to writing about my surgery and my recovery. I also posted pics from Janet’s November visit.
Wishing everyone the best for 2014. Thank you for all your continued support, I’m so grateful for this little space of mine. 

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It was a Merry one, indeed.

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Holiday

This Christmas was more low-key than any thus far. We stayed close to home since I’m still recovering and quite limited. Every time I go out, I feel like I can practically see the gas in the tank running out.
But I’ll tell ya, nothing pushes your limits more than a best friend.
Janet and I met up a few days before Christmas to take the kids to see Santa at the local animal shelter (Sarah got

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to go too). Carla and Van weren’t having it and if you could see the amount of make-up Santa had on, you’d probably want off his lap too. The next night we grabbed a bite to eat and took the kids to the candy cane lane in Moorpark. And then, on Christmas Eve, we hosted a little brunch.

I have loads more pictures from Christmas day to upload, so I’ll share those next week. Happy Friday, y’all!

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Christmas 2013

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Holiday

Van pretending to be Santa | Finally got around to making Christmas cookies this year, thanks to my lovely sister | We’ve had lots of Christmas art projects. They last about 10 seconds and are, um, not quite showroom ready | We went to visit Santa, twice. The first time we waited in line until my back could stand it no longer, so we never quite made it. When we did, Santa got a good laugh out of Hooper’s note. Both boys were stoked on their candy canes. I’m not a fan of not being able to take your own photos with Santa. That’s dumb. For $20… I mean… (We actually saw Santa a third time at the animal shelter but I have yet to upload those shots, so TBC…) | We’ve been playing a game we call “mailman”. Because of my recovery and a husband that is clueless about Christmas shopping, I’ve done everything online this year. Needless to say, a lot of packages have

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arrived. A little someone likes to open the door and accept the package over and over again. It’s a game that entails a lot of doorbell ringing.

Oh ya, and Hooper has been picking his nose. A lot.
Feeling grateful to be feeling a bit better just in time for this cherished time with family and friends. Merry Christmas Eve. Hope everyone has a Merry and bright one tomorrow.

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A day with my best friend, part II

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces

It surprises me every year when we find ourselves at the beach in the “dead” of winter. This day was particularly beautiful; a warm 70 degrees and no wind. Sometimes the elements just come together when your soul sister is in town. After the beach, we grabbed a bite to eat at my of our favorite local joints. It was a day for the memory bank for sure; all of them, with her, are.
You can click here to see a little video Janet put together of our time at the beach. It definitely brought me through some dark days of recovery.

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My Everyday

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Photography, Van

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do

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that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Bits + Pieces

by Ashley filed under Bits + Pieces, Holiday

I told y’all I had some catching up to do… eating breakfast // eating shoelaces // public restrooms are scary // van & carla, a match made in heaven // new coffee table gift from janet // found a new spot to catch a great glimpse of the valley // tantrums // sarah // the outdoor bike that always makes it’s way inside // cozy coup // lining up cars // putting gas in the cozy coup // brothers.
And a few from Halloween…
Van was supposed to be a clown, but things have been crazier than ever and time ran out on us. Luckily I saw this post and I ran with it…

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