[august break no. 8] - the edge of the sea. | newburyport, ma

whatcha gonna do when winter calls

and your flowers fall from the garden walls

i'll come hoome to you

you'll come home to me

my love will be your remedy

i'll choose you and you'll choose me

we'll be two daughters

dancing by the edge of the sea....

{c. simon}

Megan + Marley

part deux of the darling marley and her new found friend annie. we were determined to get down to sandy point on plum island. such a lovely place where the sky meets the sea at what seems like lands end. perhaps because of the long slow drive out to the point. but oh  so well worth it. i love the light out there. i love the tide pools and the bits of drift wood teepees scattered down the beach. this is the place we love to come during the winter and also our thanksgiving walk while the turkey cooks. it was high tide so we didn't get to the tide pools but still......so perfect. these shots were actually done on megan and marley's last day before returning home to kansas later that evening. so it officially was marley's third time at the ocean and i'm happy to report her first look at the sea was on plum island on her first day here. i love that. and clearly the joy on her face shows - she's a perfect beach baby. xo

to see more from our visit click here.

[august break no. 7] - it's a cinch. | newburyport, ma

once you get over the fear, then it's a cinch, she said.

and then she leaped into a mountainous and unexplored region of her heart.

{no. 115 - m. duval}

she's been asking for awhile now and we finally decided it was okay. i guess i thought she'd have to wait until the age i was to get her ears pierced. but really...... why? it's funny the way my mind thinks sometimes. she was very brave indeed and each frame shows exactly how she was feeling from moment to moment. from excitement to scared to pain to elation. she chose beautiful blue zircon studs -  her december birthstone. i think she looks beautiful. my sweet little girl. xo

she held it in until the very end so brave. i gave her a big hug and i could feel her body sinking into mine and the tears came. she really is happy to have earrings now. truly. xo

[august break no. 6] - what hurricane? | newburyport, ma

you do not have to be a hurricane to turn things around.

{loesje}

thankfully irene seemed to fizzle when she arrived in our neck of the woods. those that are struggling with her effects are in my thoughts. the ocean was incredible. on plum island - annie and  i lasted about 30 seconds when we got out of the car because the wind was so intense and the sand. yikes. annie and i couldn't see but bil braved it and went down to the beach. the waves were very powerful. we wanted to experience a bit of mother nature so we stopped by the seawall at joppa and did our own frolicking there. i danced my camera through the raindrops. here are a few quick snippets. xo

[august break no. 5] - i spy. | newburyport, ma

Marie-Antoinette: [referring to her hair] It isn't too much is it?

Leonard: Oh, no!

[august break no. 4] cotton candy and twirls | newburyport, ma

"We'll be friends forever, won't we,  Pooh?" asked Piglet.

Even longer,' Pooh answered."

{a.a.milne}

After 5 years of chatting and sharing and dreaming and building a friendship, I finally met Megan of Trees and Bees Photography and one of my The Maternal Lens partner. Proof that the internet is a powerful place. The very moment our eyes met at the airport I felt like I was meeting my very dear friend who has experienced a lot of my life with me. It was that easy, that comfortable. And our little girls, together finally, a dream come true. We knew they would immediately be friends. And just like that, a new friendship was born. Giggling, being silly, twirling and sharing secrets. This is part one of about 4 parts of wonderful shoots - shot at Salisbury Beach with sticky cotton candy, photo booths, and leap frog. {annie sporting her special dorothy shoes - a gift from marley from kansas. so special.} xo