• Happy New Year!

    Mama and Me matching Lilly

    Well, I managed to be late not only in sending our Christmas cards (which turned into New Year’s cards, and still haven’t gotten here!), but also in posting these photos. But I wanted to share them anyway, because Heather Johnson did a fantastic job and I love them all! You should definitely book a session […]

  • Baby Yoda cookies

    Baby Yoda cookies

    Do y’all watch the Mandalorian? If you do, you know that Baby Yoda (who is actually not Yoda and is known as “The Child”) is absolutely adorable. So when Toby sent me a meme thing he saw on Facebook about a way to make Baby Yoda cookies, I knew I had to get on that, […]

  • Thor hammer cake

    Thor hammer cake

    Toby was at boot camp for his 21st birthday and in Afghanistan for his 30th birthday, so when his 40th birthday rolled around, I wanted to do something a little special to mark the occasion, even though we had only just moved to Okinawa. Luckily, because the Marine Corps is so small, some of our […]

  • Okinawan sweet potato pie

    Okinawan sweet potato pie

    One of the things I was most excited about when we found out we were moving to Okinawa was the purple sweet potatoes, or beni imo. Then, mainly because I am foolish and was only shopping at the commissary and the local grocery store closest to our house, instead of going to farmer’s markets, I […]

  • Building a maternity wardrobe

    building a maternity wardrobe

    Have you ever tried something on and wondered who in the world designed such an ill-fitting, poorly executed excuse for a clothing item? Or perhaps you look in the mirror and wonder who said item could possibly fit? It happens to me almost every time I try to buy pants, but never have I had […]

  • Introducing Arabella Grace!

    Newborn photo by Alison Bell

    At the end of March, we welcomed the most beautiful blonde bombshell into the world. Arabella Grace is a warrior princess who loves to snuggle, kick her legs, and eat like it’s going out of style. She was just six days old when these photos were taken, but was awake for the whole session! The […]

  • Girls’ trip to Dubai

    girls trip to Dubai

    When I found out we were moving to Bahrain, Dubai quickly rose to the top of my to-go list. Toby and I visited not long after we moved, but it is also the perfect location for a girls’ trip. So when my friend Olga came to visit me, we decided to do a little getaway […]

  • Mermaid maternity vibes

    mermaid maternity vibes photo by Alison Bell Photography

    One of the best things about Okinawa is how beautiful all the beaches are. When I decided I wanted to have some maternity photos done, I knew we had to have them at one of the awesome beaches, for some mermaid maternity vibes. And our amazing photographer (another SEC-grad journalist!) found the perfect spot. It […]

  • Chocolate raspberry rose cupcakes

    chocolate raspberry rose cupcakes

    I wanted to do something extra special for Valentine’s Day this year, and since I have become pretty enamored with rose water, I thought chocolate cupcakes with pink raspberry frosting that look, smell, and even taste a bit like roses would be perfect! Can you think of a better Valentine’s gift than a dozen homemade chocolate […]

  • A wedding in Ethiopia

    A wedding in Ethiopia

    About three years ago, my brother visited Ethiopia and Kenya in December and met a girl. Two years ago, we met her for the first time for New Year’s in Dubai. And in late 2017, just after Christmas, we flew to Ethiopia for their wedding! Because we were traveling specifically for the wedding, we didn’t […]