So I know I have mentioned here and there about Jason and I’s new little photography meeting place and super cute retail dream, {Betroth} but have YET to post any pictures or really talk about it..exceedingly sorry! April was our busiest month for weddings, portraits and engagement sessions, and I have been devoted to editing, and staying on top of my work. (Those of who you are clients from April, thank you SOO much for your patience!!)

Luckily, I have an incredible husband who is pretty much the male version of me..(creatively speaking)..while I have been shooting and editing he has spent countless hours getting our store up and going these last few months. Its is everything it is because of him..and I am so grateful he put so much energy into this dream of ours. A little store housing all of our favorite little things. Photography, accessories, cards, clothing, CUPCAKES..and more:) We have been open for  a few weeks now, but are still getting things set up and are continually getting more merchandise in (ok..and staying up way too late making adorable headbands.) We wanted to have a great space to bring clients, as well as have a place to grow for the other things we love. We have a great team that shares  the space with us..offering other wedding services other than just photography. We will hopefully have our store website up by next week where we will have bios of everyone contributing..so stay tuned!! But for now, I just wanted to share some fun pictures so you can get a feel for what we are all about…its not just bridal..so come visit us!!! We are having a Ladies Night Out next week..see info below….

For the Facebook Invite showing what all the businesses are offering that night, click Here. Leave a comment if you think you can come, so we can know how many to expect!!! THANKS! xoxo..

Although I probably looked like a trainwreck..and something pitiful from a Tylenol Cold and Sinus commercial..I slowly made my way through the antique faire..Kyla in hand..picking up strands of vintage pearls and old frames..wheelin and deelin to find the best broches for my buck, and scavenging dollar tables for old barbie watches earring tidbits. There is something magical about leaving with tiny pieces of someones history..truly proving that one mans junk is another mans treasure… Today we walked away with 1.) New chair..of course…2.) Dress form mannequin for our store 3.) Ornate gold frame for a jewelry hangin project and 4.)A few bags of old jewelry to add to our accessory making stash at home. The day followed with our favorite Pizza in Lodi, 3 hour naps for everyone.. ( I always feel like Goldilocks when I nap in other peoples bed) I dont think I have taken a nap in like 2 years, so this was freakin incredible. Theres something about mothers day…where I feel like I have this invisible “get out of jail free card” where I dont have to do anything. I can be lazy..ask for someone else to cut up the kids toast or pass the sippy cup..Is that bad of me? Maybe I am just feeling a bit burnt out and just wanted a day to CHIll.  So whoever created Mothers Day, from the bottom of my heart…THANK YOU. Although I was feeling miserable 99% of the day..I felt soo loved by my sweet babies and darling husband. The day ended with coming home to Kylas present she made me at school last week, that she has been dying to give me. A jelly bean frame  with a picture of her in it, wearing her new favorite Hello Kitty yellow T-shirt. This is truly what mothers day is about.

I feel so blessed to now take part in the receiving end of Mothers Day. My whole life I have been the one gluing beans and macaroni to picture frames…..to see the excitement of my 5 year old handing me a homemade card and present…it just makes me want to cry…its so innocent and precious..it makes life truly worth living. I find that now that I have kids I call my mom ALLLLL the time…to tell funny stories of what the kids did and said..and when I literally just need to vent about how hard it is sometimes to raise kids and work from home….because she understands!!! My mom did it with us kids..back in her 20′s as well..before she did photography, she had her own appliance business where she fixed washers and dryers.. (for those of you who know my mom, you can appreciate this..especially if you can picture, or even remember this darling little blond haired girl with a wrench in hand, showin up to fix peoples machines.) She used to bring us to work with her in the appliance garage..stick us next to her in the washers.. (lid open-of course) and dangle toys around us to play with while she worked…this was WAY before Babies R Us came out with their 4 star bouncers and such…this was old school….workin girl..bringin home the bacon. I have always adored my mom and appreciated her..but now that I have kids of my own…I really “Get It”..we always joke around about how its the “Circle of Life”..and yes..sometimes we even sing the Lion King tune with it..

Here are just a few pics of the kids I snapped in Nana and Papas backyard today in Lodi..(nothin fancy:)these are the little loves of my life..

To every mother out there..I hope you felt loved and adored from your families today (well yesterday..it is now 12:30am:)..and have a true sense of  appreciation for the mommies that made us who we are today..xoxo..

An ultra girly BFF shoot with Elise+Liz…

An uber romantic engagement sesh with Frankie+Melissa..

And the darling  Jenni+Donnie….

Hope you are enjoying moments of sunshine wherever you are…:)

We left last Tuesday morning at 4am..so the kids could sleep for a majority of the 8-9 hour drive to Las Vegas..We were going for the annual WPPI photography trade show, and to visit my dad before we had a wedding to shoot in Arizona. It was originally just going to be me flying out to Arizona for the wedding, but we thought we would make a family vacation of it, save some money, visit some family…and enjoy the countless hours of family bonding. Jason and I have done the “Drive” to Las Vegas mannnnnnnnnnnny times. He lived in Vegas the whole time we were engaged, so we drove to or from Vegas at least once every other month to see each other. Not to mention the countless times we did it while we lived there for a year and a half. Its a tiresome, yet bonding experience that we came to love and tolerate …but it is exhausting… and every time we do it, we say its our “last time” driving…but because we are crazy and frugal we still drive it…almost every time. Anytime you leave to go anywhere with kids, you pretty much have to pack your life up in your car..there has to be enough snacks, entertainment, kid songs, and not to mention an unlimited supply of patience to make it from point A to point B. Jason is a rockstar and ALWAYS drives while the rest of us sleep, play with toys, and for me, play on my phone, or in this case, make accessories. I literally had no foot room on this trip because I managed to fit: 3 tupperware boxes of a broches and jewelry supplies, 2 Anthro bags of fabric, one purse, diaper bag, daytimer, and 2 vitamin waters..all on my lap or beneath my feet. I have a ton of accessories to make for our new little business venture, and figured I might as well be doing something productive to keep myself awake during a majority of the drive..and force myself to “sew” rather than just hot glue..:) I could literally write a NOVEL about our trip, but no one wants to read that so I will give you a few bullet points (i.e-rambling) of our week. Any teachers out there..I know I am never grammatically correct. I write how I think..try to refrain from busting out your red pen on me:)

-My daughter Kyla probably asked the phrase “Are we there yet” over a million times..in every language, and every voice decibel possible. She wanted to know our progress in miles, hours, and minutes..between every stop.She would even ask me, and then a second later re-phrase the question to daddy….this is where I would find myself taking deep breaths and reminding myself that patience is a virtue.

-The greatest thing about road trips is going into restaurants in your pajamas. If you stop in Bakersfield at Cocos..it is highly unlikely you are going to be running into anyone you know. We were totally that family in the corner booth… head to toe pajamas. This is funny and cute when you are a high school girl during spirit week or after a sleepover. When you are a grown adult, it just looks creepy…and lazy. Although our kids and obvious bed head were sure “Tell all Signs” of road-trippers-passing- through..I still felt the need to put a disclaimer sign on my forehead to make myself feel better. Kinda like when Prego girls want to wear shirts that say “Pregnant, not Fat”. We just want to get the story straight.

-Vegas is home of the greatest sandwich in the world. There ..I said it. Restaurant-Capriotties. Sandwich-The “BOBBY”. 20 inches of everyday Thanksgiving glory. Ingredients-turkey, cranberry, stuffing, mayo. DO NOT EAT IF- a.) you are wearing your skinny jeans  b.) on your way to try on clothes c.) planning on eating anytime in the next 3 days. Its a belly buster and will make your thankful they only have this shop in a few states, because this sandwich is seriously addicting and will rock your world. (And no-I don’t eat the whole thing myself..Jason and I split it..C’mon now! Not to say I don’t want to eat it myself:)

-Vegas is home to my sweet daddy and  punk rock adorable 8th grade brother. They are worth every second of our drive..to even see them for a single moment…

-WPPI- An inspiring and crazy trade show that makes you feel so small in a sea of photographers..really pushes you to want to find your “voice” and create your “brand” in this huge market. It also reminds me of why I don’t do indoor studio pictures…I’m not sure what types of pictures I could do with a waterfall backdrop and stuffed rabbit props. Something about that is. just.not.natural.

-Kids+smokey casinos= relapse in the winter cough.

-Hotels are like Disneyland for my kids. One day we literally stayed in our hotel in Vegas for 6 hours before they went to bed. They had no toys, no cartoons..they were perfectly content jumping on the beds, playing in the closets, snuggling with us, eating pistachios and cheez- its on the beds. They just LOVE family time. If nothing else..one thing Jason and I have done well so far..is make our kids the affectionate little things they are, to embrace simplicity..and just enjoy being together. We didnt really do too much in Vegas during our few days there..a few meals with my sweet dad..but for the most time..we just burrowed in our room! Let someone else clean up for a change!

-Arizona-Stayed with my darling cousin Jazzy..whom I LOVE with all my heart. We photographed her friend Crystals wedding in a quaint little place in Mesa called “Lavender and Old Lace”…our first REAL out of state wedding..first of one of  3 for this year!

-While driving across the Hoover Dam at 2am back to Vegas..stargazing, going in and out of sleep, listening to my sweet babies snore, I decided that OFFICIALLY..the best music to listen to while road tripping is: The Avett Brothers, Dashboard Confessional, and the Shins. You just can’t go wrong. I was also thankful that it dark and the middle of the night, so  Jason couldnt see that I was pretending I was singing in a music video….. Dont pretend that you dont do that. You know you do.

-We thought we could do the drive from AZ to San Jose all in one night after shooting our wedding on Saturday. We thought we would switch off sleeping and driving and try to do the whole trip while the kids were asleep. I know..what were we thinking????? We made it to our friends house in Vegas by 3 am in the morning to pick up our dog Zooey..( they watched her ALL week)..we ended up totally crashing on their couches and sleeping til 7..because we were total zombies. We got up…had one last breakfast with my daddy, (partial pajamas), and made the 8 hour trek back to San Jo…After stocking up on Starbucks, gas, inevitable fast food, and a Light Brite and Mr. Potato Head from Target, we set out on what seemed to be..the last drive home from Vegas….for now at least:) We counted cows,talked about every type of animal known to man with the kids, answered a million and one of Kylas questions about life,watched Hayden spill his juice down his neck for the tenth time, and we all complained about how our bodies ached & we were so uncomfortable in the car..I even started counting the hours on my fingers..to see if we were almost there.

-When Jason finally hit the wall of exhaustion and let me drive the last few hours..I had a “MOMENT” while driving. One hand on the steering wheel, once hand clutching my Taco Bell bean burrito..peering through the 2%- visibility-bug splattered windshield….staring at my gorgeous husband, sweet kids & border collie in my rear view mirror…and I realized that while we were SO desperate to reach our destination…to “be” home…that we were in fact, already” HOME” . They are my HOME..and the LOVES of my life..I would do anything for them..and pray that I can be half  as significant in their lives as they are for mine.

There’s always an adventure with us Maxwells..thanks for comin along for the ride…hope you are enjoying being “home” today… wherever….and with whomever that may be…XOXO…

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1.)My second dream job would be a clothing/accessory designer for Anthropologie.

2.)I am severly terrified of public speaking.

3.) My favorite book is “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.

4.)My favorite drink at Starbucks is a grande soy chai. I might mention also that if I don’t have coffee before about 11am-I get migraines.and I’m grouchy. Its a problem, I know:)

5.)I have mini panic/anxiety attacks every time I am in a scrapbook or craft store. Too many ideas in my head, so little time.

6.)I cry. Alot. At little Things. Especially Music. Especially Carrie Underwood.

7.) My favorite photographers are Sarah Rhoads and Tanja Lippert.

8.)I firmly believe that I have the best friends in the world. I wish I invested more time in letting them know so.

9.)I hate socks. I never wear them. Ever. Not even when Im asked to. Not at bowling. Not in bouncy houses. Never.

10.)When I doodle, I draw flowers. On everything.

11.) I think that every good thing that happens in this life is not by chance, coincidence or luck. It is God. And God is GOOD. ALWAYS.

12.)My favorite place to take pictures is Napa.

13.)I’m obsessed with Thai food.

14.)My grandma Teresa died 5 years ago, and I still think about, and miss her every single day.

15.)I think there is nothing sexier than my husband in Jeans and a white T-shirt.

16.)I like to watch my kids sleep. Is that weird?

17.)I have 15 photography-wedding blogs that I read daily.

18.)My favorite movies are Garden State and The Notebook.

19.)I feel really socially awkward in a room full of unfamiliar people.

20.)I don’t like watching sports. Or war movies. Or Westerns. ZZZZZZZ….

21.)I like to pray through journaling.

22.)I collect vintage buttons.

23.)I truly believe that wearing a cute headband will add a spring to your step and is a simple solution to a drab outfit.

24.)I get really awkward when the camera is pointed at me. “What should I do-where do I look..ahhhh”.

25.)I secretly want to go try on wedding dresses one day because I have never tried a single  dress on ( I made mine for our wedding.. 7 years ago.) Who wants to play dress up with me???

26.)I shot my first wedding when I was 18.

27.)At the end of the day, all I really want, even above being loved, is to feel  appreciated.

P.S-excuse the low quality of these pictures. It’s point and shoot people..work with me here:)

Sorry for the blur in this next one. Vegas+ Tourist+Stratosphere margarita in hand=mediocre button pressing skills:)

After the best night of uninterrupted sleep EVER, we got our Starbucks, picked them up from their Bed and Breakfast, and were on a mission to find a few great “Sustainable Wineries”.. Jason and I don’t drink, so we thought we would just drive and take pretty pictures along the way..Our first stop was “Frog Leap” Winery-a hidden gem off the beaten path..that was breathtaking. I felt so elated being part of the wine tasting experience with Rob and Wendy, I decided to pay the $15 bucks and join. For those of you who know me, you know I don’t like the taste of ANY type of Alcohol-even the picture of us toasting champagne on our wedding day..my face has a sour-almost-going-to-gag-expression. When describing the differences between wine, my vocabulary is “white, purple, and it tastes like rubbing alcohol.” I decided today I would try my darndest to soak up the experience..”When in Rome”-Ron Burgundy:) I was actually pleasantly surprised that 2 of the 4 wines they served us were actually OK..only minor gag reflex:) The cheese they served rocked my world and I couldn’t help but notice that the beauty of this place was making everything taste better. We took only a few pictures on the grounds, but fell in love with this persimmon tree. We decided we wanted to come back with a couple or family and have this tree be one of the backdrops. It was sort of enchanting.  After staying there for most of the morning, we shopped around downtown Saint Helena, ate at “Taylors Refresher” burger joint, (which was on Diners, Drive -Ins and Dives-and always has at least 50 people in line.) Best Bacon cheeseburger ever..stopped at  a few places to buy knick knacks, cheeses and salami, grabbed a Pink Champagne &  Gingerbread cupcake from SIFT for the road, and headed back to our sweet babies.. It was seriously one of the BEST birthdays ever. Quality time with the Hubs, beautiful countryside, killer food, driving in the rain listening to Avett Brothers, coming home to excited kids, listening to a million sweet birthday messages, opening a few presents..and taking a bath with my new Red Velvet Cake Bath soak…It was truly the best birthday since my sweet 16…

Here are my sweet presents today. I scored.

Honey….Thank you..I.AND.LOVE.AND.YOU.

Something that is always a bit sad to me however, is that selfishly..now that I’m older, It never really feels like Christmas time until Christmas eve. I am always trying to do things that make it soak in…Gingerbread lattes at Starbucks every day, Mariah Carey Christmas out of every speaker, holding peppermint and holiday Pine candles up to my noise for several minutes at Target…you name it. Maybe I’m trying too hard. Maybe I am always so busy with work around the holidays that the days go by so fast, I just “miss it”. Either way..these last few days have been truly magical..and that is because of our kids. Watching the pure joy they get out of the smallest things has put everything in perspective for me. My dad sent a bunch of Christmas presents to us in this large box, that has been kicked around the house the last few days. Last night, the kids went to TOWN with this thing. I don’t think I have heard either of them laugh so hard in their lives. It had become a fort, car, refrigerator, hiding place, bed…at that moment I remembered that kids are so simple, really. They want adventure, and they want to make messes. That is FUN. Yes, Tickle me Elmo and Dora-dancing-tippy-toes will steal the show on Christmas mornings-for real..but I know that without all of that-I could literally talk up these amazing refrigerator boxes to them, and they would love us all the same. Watching them play together..truly old school style, made me SO happy, you don’t even know..here are a few faves I caught:)

Another thing my kids love in the world of “messes”..is CRAFTS. Yes kids, the apple did not fall far from the tree for this one. Kyla needs crafts like I need coffee. We are both fine as long we know that we will get our “fix” somewhere in the day. We decided to start a tradition last year, of making most of our Christmas tree ornaments..A truly kid friendly tree that looks more like  a scene from Dr. Seuss rather than a spread in Martha Stewart Living:) It gets our kids involved and gives me YET another reason to bust out my hot glue gun..(I will post more pics of the tree and holiday decor later this week:) The kids were squealing at the opportunity to mesh feathers, popsicle sticks, and paper scraps with their stamp-pad-ink-smeared creations…it was starting to feel a baby bit like Christmas:)

And because we have tried to stress the importance of “giving” with Ky Ky this year, she wanted to make Christmas goodie bags for her friends at school. Seriously. The most rewarding feeling in the world is seeing your child DELIGHT in making things for others. How badly do you wish you were in her class and were one of her BFFS??? Goodie bag contents include: bouncy ball, pretty pencils, Crabby Patty Gummy Burgers (Spongebob lingo for all you NON-Nickelodeon folk), 1 pack of Old Maid or Go Fish card games, 1 chocolate santa, 2 reindeer cookies, and a glittery foam handmade flower necklace for all the girlies. Yeah. How bad do you wanna be 4 again………….Me too.

Thanks to auntie Liz and my dad..we have SEVERAL gingerbread house making kits in our house. Who knew that four walls, 5 bags of candy, and one pouch of liquid sugar could make two kids so blissfully happy. Lets just say, that we have decorated the same 2 gingerbread houses like 10 times. They decorate them, the next day eat the roofs and bushes off, then we decorate them again the next day. Its impressive really. I usually pride myself on the fact that my kids don’t really eat candy, but this phenomenon of gingerbread-edible-craftiness is just bigger than me and my motherly concerns:)  Today I had the kids by myself ..I felt exhausted, and they were wired. Mommy had no better ideas but then to give into the request of decorating the houses AGAIN. But this time, rather than being paranoid that frosting was dripping all over the rug, or that Hayden was feeding our dog Zooey gumdrops under the table, I just sat and watched. I couldn’t believe how much I had missed the other days while I was multi-tasking. After watching Hayden consume about a gallon of frosting, I suddenly realized the reason he has been up til 11pm every night this week. Hmm… mere coincidence I’m SURE:)

It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas in the Maxwell house. Darling Children, thank you for your joyful simplicity…