{Photos} hanging out in kiddo’s room…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on July 21, 2011 in ohdeedoh, photography, Sayer's room, Uncategorized, vintage fisher price | 3 Comments

We’ve been hanging out in Sayer’s room a lot lately. I love to watch him play & tend to reach for the camera when he isn’t looking. It seems like his room is always changing to respond to how fast he’s growing & changing. I’ve got an ongoing documentation of the morphing of his space on flickr & added a bunch of new pictures this weekend. We’ve replaced a table & chairs with a vintage school desk & chair (from a local salvage yard)- the table is now in the living room. We have some new prints that Sayer helped pick out (by Blanca Gomez & Jayme McGown) & some new vintage finds- a Fisher Price school house & village (including a post office & fire station) – both from the late 60’s early 70’s. Well, I’m excited to say that my snapping of the camera & obsessive room documentation was was shared on Ohdeedoh yesterday! I guess it’s a good thing that we’ve had so many inside/rainy play days lately because I was ready to pass on new photos when asked.

Thanks to Sarah Rae Trover for writing a such a sweet post & to the kind people that left comments. You can view the rest of the room tour here. Wow, this week is shaping up quite nicely! How is your week going?

{Real Life} childhood friends…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 13, 2011 in brynne betz, childhood friends, photography, spontaneous photoshoot | No Comments

Do you have people in your life that no matter what mood you’re in- running into them always makes you feel happy? You know, the kind of people that you are so sad to walk away from & always hope to have an all night gabfest with? I met one of those people when I was in pre-school. Her name is Brynne & immediately I felt connected to her. I always had a sense from her eyes & smile, that she felt the same way about me. I remember the first time I saw her- although the memories are foggy, it’s the feeling I had that I remember most. The feeling that I was safe to be me, that I was understood, & that I belonged…just pure relief. Brynne & I have crossed paths several times in our lifetime & every single time I have had the same feelings come over me. We ran into each other briefly when were both in a strange sort of crossroad emotionally. It was comforting to see her & we exchanged email addresses. She lived in Mexico & I was living in our home valley. Years passed & one day I got a group email that she sent out with a picture of her in front of a computer photo booth, with a sweet little girl on her lap. I calculated the months & realized that we had babies within days of each other (& that I had a picture of Sayer & I that was almost identical)!

This is where facebook comes in. I’ve been so grateful to have reconnected with Brynne through this crazy social media crazed world we live in. She still lives in Mexico & she did have a little girl 2 days before Sayer was born. Even through the computer, she makes me smile. Saturday, I was lucky enough to enjoy a little visit from both she & her daughter, Sofia. She still has family in the area & is around for a short while. My daydreams of Sayer & Sofia meeting finally became a reality. I can’t even explain how nice it was to chat with her, mother to mother as well. That comforting, “I like you how you are.” feeling, is particularly nice when you are trying to figure out the whole parenting a toddler thing, I learned.

It warmed my heart to watch these two kiddos interact. I wonder if Sayer feels the same way about Sofia that I did about her momma at that age? It sure seemed like it.

These two girls made my weekend. I had an extra hop in my step, chattered 100 miles an hour, & still feel energized (with a sense of calm at the same time) from them coming over. I’m looking forward to some possible artistic collaborations in the future with Brynne (she is a writer) so stay tuned for that. It’s so interesting to me that the friends that offer me the most (daily) joy & support tend to live in different countries. We live in a crazy & wonderful world don’t we? Hope you all had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

{Real Life} childhood friends…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 13, 2011 in brynne betz, childhood friends, photography, spontaneous photoshoot | 6 Comments

Do you have people in your life that no matter what mood you’re in- running into them always makes you feel happy? You know, the kind of people that you are so sad to walk away from & always hope to have an all night gabfest with? I met one of those people when I was in pre-school. Her name is Brynne & immediately I felt connected to her. I always had a sense from her eyes & smile, that she felt the same way about me. I remember the first time I saw her- although the memories are foggy, it’s the feeling I had that I remember most. The feeling that I was safe to be me, that I was understood, & that I belonged…just pure relief. Brynne & I have crossed paths several times in our lifetime & every single time I have had the same feelings come over me. We ran into each other briefly when were both in a strange sort of crossroad emotionally. It was comforting to see her & we exchanged email addresses. She lived in Mexico & I was living in our home valley. Years passed & one day I got a group email that she sent out with a picture of her in front of a computer photo booth, with a sweet little girl on her lap. I calculated the months & realized that we had babies within days of each other (& that I had a picture of Sayer & I that was almost identical)!

This is where facebook comes in. I’ve been so grateful to have reconnected with Brynne through this crazy social media crazed world we live in. She still lives in Mexico & she did have a little girl 2 days before Sayer was born. Even through the computer, she makes me smile. Saturday, I was lucky enough to enjoy a little visit from both she & her daughter, Sofia. She still has family in the area & is around for a short while. My daydreams of Sayer & Sofia meeting finally became a reality. I can’t even explain how nice it was to chat with her, mother to mother as well. That comforting, “I like you how you are.” feeling, is particularly nice when you are trying to figure out the whole parenting a toddler thing, I learned.

It warmed my heart to watch these two kiddos interact. I wonder if Sayer feels the same way about Sofia that I did about her momma at that age? It sure seemed like it.

These two girls made my weekend. I had an extra hop in my step, chattered 100 miles an hour, & still feel energized (with a sense of calm at the same time) from them coming over. I’m looking forward to some possible artistic collaborations in the future with Brynne (she is a writer) so stay tuned for that. It’s so interesting to me that the friends that offer me the most (daily) joy & support tend to live in different countries. We live in a crazy & wonderful world don’t we? Hope you all had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on May 08, 2011 in Mother's Day, photography, Uncategorized, vintage photos | 15 Comments

I really love photography. My fondness for b&w photos goes way back & when I find cool vintage b&w photos, I get even more excited. Today I was digging through boxes in our basement, on a mission. I have some of my mom’s old photos- I had taken a stash of them when my parents moved. My plan was to frame & scan them eventually but haven’t looked at them in years. Today however, I was looking for pictures of my grandma & my mom for a “generations of moms” post.

But while I was sifting though the old album I found (which incidentally stopped before her younger brother & sister were born), I was immediately taken by some of the photos. Of course I’m nostalgic because I’m related to these people. But I’m also really struck by the photography. Compositionally & artistically, I find them interesting & beautiful. I love the stories that they tell. Originally I was just looking for “mother” photos, but the photos with my grandpa & uncle are some of my favorites & I felt compelled to share.

This post is a Mother’s Day surprise for my mom (because I know she reads this blog everyday) but I also think the photos are fun to look at even if you aren’t related to me. It’s a peek into history & the joys of everyday life- which all stem from motherhood.

Hope all of you mommas out there have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on May 08, 2011 in Mother's Day, photography, vintage photos | No Comments

I really love photography. My fondness for b&w photos goes way back & when I find cool vintage b&w photos, I get even more excited. Today I was digging through boxes in our basement, on a mission. I have some of my mom’s old photos- I had taken a stash of them when my parents moved. My plan was to frame & scan them eventually but haven’t looked at them in years. Today however, I was looking for pictures of my grandma & my mom for a “generations of moms” post.

But while I was sifting though the old album I found (which incidentally stopped before her younger brother & sister were born), I was immediately taken by some of the photos. Of course I’m nostalgic because I’m related to these people. But I’m also really struck by the photography. Compositionally & artistically, I find them interesting & beautiful. I love the stories that they tell. Originally I was just looking for “mother” photos, but the photos with my grandpa & uncle are some of my favorites & I felt compelled to share.

This post is a Mother’s Day surprise for my mom (because I know she reads this blog everyday) but I also think the photos are fun to look at even if you aren’t related to me. It’s a peek into history & the joys of everyday life- which all stem from motherhood.

Hope all of you mommas out there have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

{Everyday Inspiration} cool kid…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on March 15, 2011 in cool kid, hats, photography, Richard Sayer, Sayer | 10 Comments

I have a cool kid. I often wonder where he came from & what it would be like to be so cool. His style is effortless & the way he just “chills out” is somewhat intriguing to me. Even when he is wayyy overdue for a haircut- he can rock the look. I was not what you would call a “cool kid”. I knew many & was even friends with some- but was never classified as one myself. Unless of course, a bad perm, glasses, braces, & a unique awkwardness qualified me in some way. I’m thinking this must be from his dad’s side. He’s also a total ham & quite a performer, which is a little more familiar to me. I have a feeling there will be many plays in our future. Needless to say, it’s always a fun adventure around here.

We’ve sort of developed a special language between the two of us that involves a camera. Photo shoots are something that we do together often- we’ve been doing it, just the two of us, for about a year (but as a family since he was born). It started out being “work” related. I would have him model my tees. But over time, it became more of an act of play. The kid knows how to work the camera & I love taking photos of him. The other day, we found this hat when we were going through boxes. He immediately snatched it up & started hamming it up. As with all hats, he prefers to wear them backwards. From this, a photo opportunity presented itself. What I didn’t realize when I started taking photos, is that the hat belonged to Chris’ best friend- the one we named Sayer after, Richard Sayer. Dick owned this hat when he was in high school – so it’s over 27 years old now. He is a professional photographer too – so these pictures of Sayer took on a whole new meaning.

Lately, Sayer has been turning the camera on me (by using his vintage Fisher Price one). He’s been interested in taking photos of things like shadows & lightbulbs too. Today he & Chris had a pickle party before Chris left to teach class- which is when I entered the picture. When I was explaining to him that he was made from pickles (I used to go through jars of them when I was pregnant) which is why he probably liked them, he then left the party to go get his camera. Which in turn, gave me the idea to go get mine. He wanted to take a picture of his little set up – then of me eating a pickle. Lucky for you, his camera doesn’t have film – so you don’t have to see me devouring my pickles.

My cool kid is growing up so fast & I find it fascinating & enjoyable. He has me laughing & feeling the need to write down what he says & does all of the time. While I’m seriously struggling these days with finding all of the time that I need for klt:works. I need to really take a tip from Sayer & just chill out.

{Everyday Inspiration} cool kid…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on March 15, 2011 in cool kid, hats, photography, Richard Sayer, Sayer | No Comments

I have a cool kid. I often wonder where he came from & what it would be like to be so cool. His style is effortless & the way he just “chills out” is somewhat intriguing to me. Even when he is wayyy overdue for a haircut- he can rock the look. I was not what you would call a “cool kid”. I knew many & was even friends with some- but was never classified as one myself. Unless of course, a bad perm, glasses, braces, & a unique awkwardness qualified me in some way. I’m thinking this must be from his dad’s side. He’s also a total ham & quite a performer, which is a little more familiar to me. I have a feeling there will be many plays in our future. Needless to say, it’s always a fun adventure around here.

We’ve sort of developed a special language between the two of us that involves a camera. Photo shoots are something that we do together often- we’ve been doing it, just the two of us, for about a year (but as a family since he was born). It started out being “work” related. I would have him model my tees. But over time, it became more of an act of play. The kid knows how to work the camera & I love taking photos of him. The other day, we found this hat when we were going through boxes. He immediately snatched it up & started hamming it up. As with all hats, he prefers to wear them backwards. From this, a photo opportunity presented itself. What I didn’t realize when I started taking photos, is that the hat belonged to Chris’ best friend- the one we named Sayer after, Richard Sayer. Dick owned this hat when he was in high school – so it’s over 27 years old now. He is a professional photographer too – so these pictures of Sayer took on a whole new meaning.

Lately, Sayer has been turning the camera on me (by using his vintage Fisher Price one). He’s been interested in taking photos of things like shadows & lightbulbs too. Today he & Chris had a pickle party before Chris left to teach class- which is when I entered the picture. When I was explaining to him that he was made from pickles (I used to go through jars of them when I was pregnant) which is why he probably liked them, he then left the party to go get his camera. Which in turn, gave me the idea to go get mine. He wanted to take a picture of his little set up – then of me eating a pickle. Lucky for you, his camera doesn’t have film – so you don’t have to see me devouring my pickles.

My cool kid is growing up so fast & I find it fascinating & enjoyable. He has me laughing & feeling the need to write down what he says & does all of the time. While I’m seriously struggling these days with finding all of the time that I need for klt:works. I need to really take a tip from Sayer & just chill out.

{Good Read} Dr. Seuss…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on March 02, 2011 in Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss, good read, Nostalgia, photography | 11 Comments

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! We had a little birthday celebration of our own this morning with the Cat in the Hat. But tonight we will be reading some of our favorite Seuss books. I have been tripping down memory lane with some of these books lately. I recently bought Sayer, “In a People House” & “The Best Nest” which are two of my childhood favorites. I remember studying every picture & memorizing every phrase. “Sam the Firefly” is another one that evokes fond memories. Well really…. they all do!

I stumbled on the annual Read Across America campaign today & they have a great way to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? It’ll be nice to read with you tonight!

{Good Read} Dr. Seuss…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on March 02, 2011 in Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss, good read, Nostalgia, photography | No Comments

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! We had a little birthday celebration of our own this morning with the Cat in the Hat. But tonight we will be reading some of our favorite Seuss books. I have been tripping down memory lane with some of these books lately. I recently bought Sayer, “In a People House” & “The Best Nest” which are two of my childhood favorites. I remember studying every picture & memorizing every phrase. “Sam the Firefly” is another one that evokes fond memories. Well really…. they all do!

I stumbled on the annual Read Across America campaign today & they have a great way to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? It’ll be nice to read with you tonight!

{Fun} the big four- zero…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on February 18, 2011 in 40, balloons, birthday, cheesecake, color, Louis Armstrong, photography | 22 Comments

Today was a good day. I turned 40 & it wasn’t that bad. Actually… I liked it. I feel like I sort of earned it really. It feels good to know who I am & to have learned a thing or two along those bumpy roads to here.

One of the things that my birthdays continuously remind me of (other than the reality of gravity), is that I have some truly wonderful people in my life. – Remarkable people who make me feel so lucky & brighten my every day. I find that I’m surrounded by friends who always go out of their way to make me feel special & I’m genuinely touched. On a day like today, I want to give something back- something simple & sweet for those that I care about….

Mini Cheese Cakes

24 Vanilla Wafers

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

2/3 Cup Sugar

3 large eggs

3 – 8oz. Philly Cream Cheese (Original)

Large can Cherry Pie Filling

1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

* Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place one vanilla wafer in each.

* Beat sugar, eggs & cream cheese for 5 minutes until smooth. Add vanilla.

* Divide into muffin cups & bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Will crack and brown slightly.

* Cool and chill overnight.

* Mix almond extract into Cherry Pie Filling to cover “tiny” taste.

Put 3-5 cherries on each serving. Can be eaten with fingers or spoon.

Makes 24-28 cheese cakes.

I’m telling you – this is goooooood cheesecake. I’ve requested this cheesecake for my birthdays since the days of braces, rollerskating, & slumber parties. Tonight, was no exception. We introduced Sayer to the wonders of these little gems & tomorrow (as tradition dictates) they will be my breakfast. This secret weakness of mine lies in your hands now… enjoy! Thank you for your friendship- it means the world to me (& it’s not just the wine & cheesecake talkin’)…

{Photos} hanging out in kiddo’s room…

{Real Life} childhood friends…

{Real Life} childhood friends…

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

{Everyday Inspiration} cool kid…

{Everyday Inspiration} cool kid…

{Good Read} Dr. Seuss…

{Good Read} Dr. Seuss…

{Fun} the big four- zero…

Like us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter

Categories

Follow us on Twitter