Swede at Heart

Oh Baby!

2008-08-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of shooting my first maternity shoot over the weekend. This is my gorgeous cousin who is expecting her first children. Yes, that's right, I said children. Plural. She is 30 weeks pregnant with twin boys. She is absolutely radiant. These are just a preview of her shoot. We set out at the golden hour and found a few quiet, romantic spots for photos. We also grabbed her husband (fresh from lawn mowing and painting the nursery) after we changed tops for a few family shots.

Shoe Love

2008-08-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

I admit I was not a "shoe" person. I was the gal who would buy one pair of clunky black shoes a season and wear them with every outfit. Special occasions would send me into a shoe tizzy and result in a frantic trip to Payless. Maybe now I watch too much fashion related TV, or maybe I'm disheartened by the casual-ifying of America, but I can't get enough shoes. Pointy toed, peep-toe, I'm weak in the knees! These gorgeous patent brown shoes are the shoes I alluded to in a prior post, they will be great for fall and neutral enough to go with several outfits. But this patterned pair, oh my. I wanted something to wear to a baby shower I'm attending this weekend, but I wanted something better than the sparkly flip flops I've been wearing. I will be wearing the dress in my photo on the side-bar. It's a simple turquoise knit, but with these shoes va-va voom! The strange thing is, with the casual way America is now, the rest of the guests could all be in jeans. I may end up feeling like I'm dressed for the Oscars, not a baby shower. But I will suffer on in my paisley pretties.

at least I don't have to share

2008-08-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

What to do when a trip to the mail box feels like a journey to the center of the sun? Pretend it’s January and make cookies of course! One problem though, I seem to have dropped ½ an eggshell in the batter…whoops…I guess we don’t have to share with the neighbors! (I did spend at least 30 minutes picking out eggshell. I had no idea how many bits and pieces could be created by 1/2 of an eggshell...)

Baking for my family can be a bit of a challenge between Rebekah's peanut allergy and Kristian's celiac disease(or intolerance to gluten). With this cookie recipe there is no worry of living without. I use a standard recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies and substitute a gluten-free flour and soy-nut butter for the peanut butter. OMG they are the most amazing cookies on the planet.

On another note, my website got a much needed face-lift this weekend courtesy of Amy of http://www.simplycreative.com/. She designed my original website and she did a wonderful job of updating it to match my current style. It is a little organic and a little whimsical. Thanks Amy!

Monday Musings, Tuesday's Thoughts and Lightning Strikes

2008-07-29T08:10:00.001-07:00

This post was supposed to be called Monday Musings, but my fried computer forced it to become Tuesday's Thoughts...

1. Oreos are from the devil. I think the serving size is one ROW, am I wrong?

2. Lightning striking your house is bad. It can fry your TV, VCR, computer monitor, wireless router, various plug-ins AND blow a hole in your wall. Who knew??
3. I miss beading. My jewelry and business has taken a different turn the past two years and now is 99.9% personalized work. While going to the funeral, I was able to work on my very special client's jewelry and she LOVES my fringe bracelets. So I rode to Northern Nebraska and back with this on my lap. Each of these beauties takes about 3 hours to sew.

4. We have a mourning dove that spends all day on our roof. I do not know where her nest is, or why she's there, but she's always singing her mourning song.

5. Volleyball camp is FUN! I can't tell you how fun it is to see Rebekah discovering volleyball. This is especially meaningful since it was "my" sport. :)

6. I actually have more thoughts than 5, but I think my customers would rather I save those for another day and GET.TO.WORK. :)
Blessings
Ann

A Legacy of Strength

2008-07-26T15:03:00.001-07:00

Ask any male member of my extended family and you will find that I come from a long (LONG) line of strong, independent women. Last week I lost the matriarch of that line. My grandmother went home to Jesus at the age of 97 years, 11 months. She was a very creative woman who helped support her large (8 kids!) family by painting. She also wrote poetry, played piano and sang beautifully. It's such a wonderful legacy passed down through the generations. I can see it continuing in my own daughters. As a way to honor her, all the daughters and granddaughters wore her hats to the funeral. She loved to wear hats, and was known about town as the hat lady. :) (I'm the one in the brown dress with the pink hat. I will have another post about the shoes...) This is a photo of me with my grandma when I was about 7-8 months old.

On the card from the funeral was printed one of Grandma's poems. I think it truly gives insight into her, as well as the long line of women who came after.

The Dreamer
You say I'm a dreamer
And of course it's true
I dream of the past and the
present too.
Some dreams I come up with
Are impossible schemes
And quickly I relegate them
Back to my dreams.
But then there are times
When a favorite scheme will
quickly take form
And become more than a dream.
The idea is strong and "heady"
I drop everything and work on it steady.
It's work, but it's pleasure-
Intriguing, provoking, a treasure.
Yes! I'm a dreamer, all kinds of things
Rolled into one-
Mystic, sad, glad and fun.
I'm absent-minded, sub-conscious.
Consciously right.
You can't make me over
Don't ever try.
I'll find a way to be
wild and to be free
Oh yes, I'm a dreamer
I hate to admit it
"It's me"

Just for Fun

2008-07-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile I have to make something just for fun. 99.9% of what I make is custom now so it's nice to take a moment to make something new. It features a hand stamped sterling silver pendant and has a sterling silver chain. This sweet circle has a whimsical tree design with a heart hiding in the branches. The text reads "love makes the world go round". My sister promptly claimed this as her own, so I will have to offer this one as a custom too! :)

Friends & Family

2008-07-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed in our neighborhood. After 5 years in our last house, we still did not know anyone's name nor did we have almost any interaction with our neighbors. They were primarily retirees and really had no interest in our young, growing family.

We were led to this neighborhood by a close friend. She raved about how friendly everyone was. We were not mislead! It is the kind of place where people who are considering moving up don't simply because they can't bear to leave the neighborhood. We have formed close friendships with several neighbors. One of these families is kind enough to take us boating occasionally during the summer. Last weekend was the first time Katie and her best friend (and according to them, future husband) went tubing. It was also the first time his older brother tubed. He went with Kristian first to get the hang of it. Look how squished the big boys are in the tube!

I love how tiny the little ones look in the raft.

To Jen: there are a couple houses for sale...you would fit right in!! :)

Are you ready to runway?

2008-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

We are! We are counting down the minutes until the next season of Project Runway premieres this week. Look out Heidi, Katie's working on her strut. :)

Faith Like A Child

2008-06-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

K is in a prolific drawing age. She came home from VBS a couple weeks ago and drew this for me. I knew what it was immediately so I asked her to explain it to me. She very succinctly told me how sin separates us from God, and Jesus is the only way to bridge the gap between us. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of their understanding of God, even at 5 years old.

Summer Fun

2008-06-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last night would fall into the category of halcyon days. It was one of those perfect summer nights where the neighbors come out to chat and the kids play until after dark. K was perfecting her cycling on her bike.

We investigated a new vegetable given to us by a neighbor. Maybe Nana will make zucchini bread for us!

I don't participate in flickr.com's self portrait challenge, but I love how K & I were caught in the reflection! I really was just trying to catch mister too-cool-for-school...

Hip to be Square

2008-06-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Oh I am so in love with this new necklace. It is now available on etsy. It features a 1" sterling silver open square pendant and a 14K gold filled circle pendant.

16 Father's Days

2008-06-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Daddy,
It has been 16 Father's Days since I last saw you. I remember our last Father's Day together. I took you on a date. We saw a movie that had swear words in it and we were both so embarrassed. Then I took you out for ice cream. It's one of my most cherished memories of you.

I wish you could see your little girl now. I know you wouldn't believe it from when you last saw me, but can you believe I got your hair? It's dark and curly, just like yours. It's my daily physical tie to you.

I wish you could see your granddaughter Rebekah and how she is long and lean just like you. She is passionate and stubborn just like you. She is fierce about her family and friends, just like you.

I wish you could see your grandson Kristian and how he is also a string bean. He is so athletic, just like you. We installed a basketball hoop this summer. I wish you could shoot hoops with him. He has your name as his middle name. I wish you could see how proud he is of that.

I wish you could meet Katie. She has your easy going personality. Everyone loves her. Her personality is infectious, just like yours. People love to be around her, just like you.

But Daddy? Most of all, I wish I could sit in your lap, just one more time. I imagine myself doing that often. I miss you Daddy. I love you so much, and I know I will see you again in heaven.

Love, your daughter,
Ann

Tiny Sentiments, Gold

2008-06-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

This new necklace is available now. It has 3 tiny & delicate gold filled pendants and swings from a gold filled chain.

insult to injury

2008-06-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

This is where I was supposed to be this weekend. However we decided (boohoo) that the trip was going to be too costly and to find a local triathlon to do. So this is how I actually spent my weekend. From insult to injury, literally, I fell, or as I like to say, I was falling, with style...I was returning a neighbor's puppy home and fell off the sidewalk. Lovely. I sprained my foot and pulled some ligaments. I was on crutches for a couple days, but now I can walk unassisted again. I swam today, but it will be a few more days before I can ride, let alone run. :(

The best part of the weekend? When my sweet son sat down next to me before going outside to play and asked me if there was anything he could get for me before leaving. Awww. :)

he eats everything with a fork and knife

2008-05-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

*photo copyright AP.*
Really. My sweet hubby eats everything with a fork and knife. And not just to embarrass me either! It's that European thing creeping into our daily lives. Donuts, pizza, muffins, ribs, crab. You name it, he would prefer utensils, thank you very much. I came across this photo of David Beckham the other day eating a caramel apple at an NBA game with a knife and fork! Maybe it will start a trend! Hmmm, maybe it's not so uncool after all...
~blessings

heart & soul

2008-05-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

Our families and children are our heart & soul. This necklace combines hammered texture on the round pendant with the smooth of the heart. Now available on my website here or my etsy here.

day in the life

2008-05-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

day in the life
Originally uploaded by Swede Life

Here's a snapshot that captures our day. Two cats, crazy kid, messy floor. That's the good life.

eyes are the windows to the soul

2008-05-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

i hope you dance

2008-05-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

To all you Mamma's out there, dance like no one is watching, but remember your little sweeties are. Give them a big smooch!

Things are pretty crazy around swede at heart these days, I will post more about these happenings soon.

Training has me thinking...

2008-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

So all this training has me thinking. Mostly because I have periods of time with only me, myself, and I. One of my reasons for doing a trialthlon is to set an example for my kids of lifetime fitness. I *try* to be careful what message I send to my own girls. I found this on a new blog I'm stalking called Sister Skinny. Click here to see their blog.

This & That

2008-04-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

So, it has been brought to my attention that I have been neglecting my blog. What have I been up to you ask? Here are the highlights. I've been:
1. Working out! Triathlon training has picked up. Austin is less than 12 weeks away so I have to get my 5 workouts a week in. I have been doing 2 runs, 2 bikes, 2 weights and 1 swim.
2. Making jewelry! (Shocking, I know) Business has been hopping with my online boutiques...which is fabulous!
3. Visiting Doctors! Katie had very intensive allergy testing. The prick tests proved inaccurate with her, so poor pumpkin had to have the intradermal (read:shots) testing. It was horrific, but we learned she is highly allergic to almost everything! Some things we knew (dogs), some we thought she was allergic to and is not (horses) and some we were surprised by (grass!trees!dust mites!)So rather than cloistering her we have opted for daily meds at this point. I just can't bring myself to do the shots yet...
4. Taking photos! I've been loosely working on my portfolio as time and weather permits. While I have purchased studio lighting equipment, it's not my forte so I am really hoping spring will come soon. I also got to take photos of my sweet niece who turned 13 last weekend and had a little make over. (I thought 13 was supposed to be awkward?) Her mom gave her a visit to a "real" salon for highlights and I surprised her with a make over with their very talented make up artist. (See Photos)
5. Not cleaning my house. That's one thing I have NOT been doing. So there.
6. Missing my hubby. I am just a lowly tax widow and I start really losing it about this time every year. I'm so thankful April 15th is on the horizon.
7. hmmm, I think I might be out of things to write...Jenn, does this count as a tag? :)

Leave me some love, I love comments. :)

I'm Ready for My Close-Up

2008-03-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was playing with my new studio lights a couple weeks ago, and dear Tiger was insistent on being a part of the shoot. Each time he was shooed away he returned and posed, looking expectantly at the camera. Below is a little peek of the shoot.

live.laugh.love

2008-03-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Between jewelry, photography, training and life, it has been a very busy month! (Did I mention that the kiddies have spring break this week? No? maybe it's because I'm in complete denial). I have a new design to offer this week, and it is available on ebay right now. Click here to go directly to the auction.

I'm really getting excited about the Austin Danskin Triathlon. Training is going really well. My training partner and I did a swim/bike brick workout yesterday and it felt great! We also separately did bike/run bricks this week to get used to the feeling of running on jello legs. Training is taking more time than I thought it would, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Austin, Baby!

2008-03-01T05:35:00.001-08:00

I did it! I committed myself and signed up for the Danskin Women's Triathlon in Austin, Texas this year. I'm nervous and excited. Woohoo!

Other than that it has been crazy busy around here. I've been making a lot of jewelry as well as taking photos. I do have a new spring necklace to debut this week. Be sure to check back!

Lunar Eclipse 2.08

2008-02-22T06:40:00.000-08:00

We were all very excited to see the lunar eclipse this week. It was a mostly clear night and we had a great view. I decided at the last moment to see if I could take a photo and this is what I got! I did not have high hopes for capturing the eclipse without a tripod or zoom lens, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only puzzle is what is that green thing behind the moon? Is it a ghost image? If there are any budding astronomers out there, please give me a hint!