Dancing Queen

Dear Isabel, 

Tonight after you finished your dinner, you hopped down from your highchair, ran into the living room and pointed to the outlet where the Christmas tree lights are plugged, saying "Tee! Tee!" (translations: 'tree')

When I turned on the tree lights, you laughed and squealed and stomped your foot. THEN you ran over to the landing of the stairs, where part of Daddy's guitar was sticking out.. You pointed to the guitar case saying "Dada! Dada!"  So (being unable to refuse his biggest fan) Dada walked over and got the guitar out, while you jumped/squealed/laughed some more, with - we realized - a guitar pick in your hand (where on earth did you find it??) and then you ran back into the living room, looking back at him to make sure he was following you.  You hopped onto the couch to sit next to him, then hopped back down and started a record to accompany him (Perry Como's Christmas btw -- this record accompaniment is your new thing).  Dada played Jingle Bells on the guitar (fast and fun), while we sang, and you twirled in circles, laughing, falling, wobbling, and loving every minute (but not more than we loved it).  I tried to take a little video on my phone, but had no memory left on it (naturally), so this little blog post will just have to do.  (btw -- your 'twirls' involve you standing in one place, with your head down, eyes up at us, grinning and turning in a circle until you're too dizzy to stand-- so silly and makes us laugh so much). 

I'd really like to imprint this little scene in my memory for..... oh I don't know... forever maybe? Can we do that?  

Ok good. 

Imprint -- done. 

Let's add these to the list of: traits and habits I hope you never ever lose -- your love of fun, music, dancing, silliness, joy and.... your insistence on getting those around you engaged and smiling.  Is that called charisma?  It's more than that :) But you get the drift I think.  

Muah!

xx

M

another photo from our visit to 34th street. that is not you (Izzy) on a dada's shoulders in the foreground fyi

Christmastime in the city // 34th Street Hampden

19 months

Dear Isabel, 

These pictures were taken on the weekend you learned how to hoist yourself out of your crib, lower yourself to the ground, and reclaim your control of naptime... ;)  I must admit that I felt a surge of pride when I saw what you could do... It's no small athletic feat, considering the crib bar is at your chin... Your determination, obstinacy, independence and fearlessness are traits that I hope you never lose. 

When I found you at your bedroom door, red faced and snotty nosed and banging for your freedom.. I had to keep myself from laughing and smiling.. It was a sight...One that I was not expecting... I thought we had another few months before you figured out how to do it.  

These days, you twirl and dance and spin when we play the Lonely Goatherd song from the Sound of Music record... You repeat almost anything, in your voice... You put your baby to bed, and say "nigh nigh baby"... you take our hands and lead us through the house to whatever it is you've got in your mind... if you see a schoolbus in a book, you run into another room to find your toy schoolbus... you do this for pumpkins, turtles, baby dolls... you understand SO MUCH and are talking constantly - fluent in your babble.. and adding more words to your vocab all the time.... we love your vocab... 'monkey' sounds like 'mama'... 'coffee' sounds like 'caca' (you and i make my coffee together most mornings).. you say 'milk', 'baba', 'nigh nigh'... 'no', 'bye', 'hello', 'yeah', 'please' is 'theee'.. 'cheese' is not far from that sound... you say 'dog'.. 'yogurt', 'gorilla'... 'blueberry' sounds like 'bebaby'.... if you find my cell phone, you say 'mama' and you bring it to me.. same with dada's cell phone.... OH and i cannot forget-- you sing the clean up song (to yourself!) when you're picking something up and putting it where it belongs.. it sounds like "neeeee nah .. neeee nah" ... your aunt cait and gigi taught it to you fyi... you love putting your dirty clothes in your laundry basket, helping me clean, helping wash dishes, and you will throw anything into the trashcan that we ask you (and some things that we don't)..... ;) 

You are our most favorite, most fun, MOST goofy and silly and sweet person..

xx

M 

the weight

it's hard to write a paper after having spent the previous night at the ER with your 18 month old for something that turned out to be nothing but was a terrifying something that 2 doctors could not assure you was nothing so herded you to the UMD ER  to see a doctor who is "superb".

it's hard to write a paper for a class when you've been skimming the reading all semester long with your mind on your new job, your burgeoning toddler creature, the photos that you need to have edited for your brand new clients, the bill that you forgot to pay....again..

it's hard to write a paper when all you want to do is curl up in your bed and sleep, because work today was exhausting, and the bedtime routine with your sassy little Isabelie was the cherry on top.. sealed the deal... get me my pajamas pronto she said... and make it snappy... 

it's hard to write a paper when you've been surviving on coffee and adrenaline and cereal... and Airborne... and bananas..

it's hard to write a paper knowing that tomorrow will be just like today, only you will probably be more tired, and more worried about the paper after not having done enough tonight. 

It's hard to feel that life is speeding by.. and I can barely catch my breath... and barely fulfill obligations... Nevermind fulfill them very well.  

paralyzed by the weight of it all.... it's all too easy to freeze. 

And I dyed my hair brown.  

WHY??!!

Which phase of the moon can I blame???  

#woof

XX

Cassie

Halloween & Lou Lou

Well there has been QUITE a gap between bloggy posts on this bloggy!  As it turns out, this has been the Fall from... whence we have so very little time for extra fun... New job + grad school class + photography side biz + a sweet & sassy & opinionated toddler creature.... I am freaking exhausted... have had a sinus infection since August... am in desperate need of a vacation and some yoga.... Woof.  

But we had Halloween, and seeing Isabel dressed as Wonder Woman was pretty great.  I don't see her doing the fluffy princess thing... So we went the superhero route ;) 

since i didn't take this photo, i probably shouldn't have added the watermark, but i'm too lazy to change it now.. double woof ;)

Also, last week I got to play dress up with LouLou Boutiques again!  Here's a little sneak/behind the scenes look at the holiday shoot... ;)  

XX, 

Cassie 

A trip to the National Zoo // Izzy's first

On Saturday we ventured down to Washington, DC for a couple of reasons... One of them being that I was dying to take Izzy to the zoo - the National Zoo.  

It was a lot of fun to get out of town and do something different for a change.  

"Makin' memories" as Will says. ;) 

And  of course, seeing Izzy's little face light up when she spotted a cow, and when she found the rocks that lined the walkways {pictured above}... Oh and she loved people watching.. 

But Izzy!! There are monkeys!  And elephants!  And.. so many otters and seals!!!

Ahhhhh, toddlers. They are such special creatures.  

Although we did have a really special monkey moment.. There was one - a gibbon I think? Just hanging out kind of on a chain link fence, less than five feet from us, staring out.  Seeing that monkey and Izzy just watch each other, and connect with eye contact was pretty darn neat..  

We also saw lots of otters.  

So many otters.  

It was a great day though, and that was just our first stop.... 

Next stop: Georgetown Lou Lou for a little window viewing!  

;) 

XX, 

Cassie 

Playing dress up // Lou Lou Boutiques

Sooo, last month I got to do something really fun... And it's been turned into something that is equally as fun.  An old friend of mine is the creative director for Lou Lou Boutiques, and when he emailed me asking me to do something for the store and a photoshoot, I was expecting that he would to ask me to take pictures, or something along those lines.  SO when he asked me to be the model {?!?!?!!} in one of their shoots, I was totally dumbstruck//flattered//and horrified....I've done a little bit of modeling, pre-baby, but not much... and definitely, have not done any sort of modeling post-baby... 

AND DEFINITELY nothing post-Hair-Cuttery-butchered up- bang job... 

{it was not pretty, trust me.. and oh yes,  bangs become especially nasty in this hot hot summer heat}

 I mean, I think that these dang bangs contributed to about 70% of my fear. 

Gross. 

Where was I? 

Yes, so anyway, my dear friend Manuel talked me off of that frizzy bang enduced ledge, thankfully. 

The actual photoshoot was SUCH a blast, because it involved getting to try on lots of fab jewelry and clothes, while spending the day with Manuel.  Hashtag, the perfect day.

Also he's got that creative genius thing happening.  In his sleep, he can put things together in a fresh// chic // modern // timeless// elegant way {and always with a wink}... he's amazeballs.  

{did I just use that word? whoopsie.}

SO.. now... the photos are being used in email blasts, on their website.. and this is best part.. A handful of the photos from that shoot have been blown up {size giant} to  head up the window displays in their 20ish accessory boutiques.. Richmond, Charlottesville, Fairfax, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Alexandria, Middleburg, Boston, Reston, Bethesda, Annapolis.... 

{Exqueeze me??}

So, contrary to my initial fretting.... My bangs {I guess} weren't too horrible, and I didn't ruin the Lou Lou shoot. 

Mission accomplished!

Here are some photos!

#HowMamaGotHerGrooveBack  ;)

XX, 

Cassie 

PS

All of that amazing jewelry {and the bag!} is available on the Lou Lou website, and in their stores. 

So go!  

Summertime Catch Up

this pic is from may! but i just came across it, and love it :) 

Whew!

So this old blogging hiatus has continued... This summer has proven to be really busy.. In all the right ways.  

We've taken a couple of nice little vacations {and there are some pictures here on the blog from one.. the others I think I'll share this week??}... And I've been putting most of my after-work, after babytime energy into my little sapling of a photography business!  {Anne Gassaway Photography}I love it!

Also also also.... I am starting a brand new job tomorrow... Leaving my old job was so tough in many ways.. I'd been there for almost four years.. Forming some close bonds, with I'd have to say, the most supportive colleagues I'd ever worked with..  But my new job sort of fell into my lap....and I couldn't turn it down. 

So tomorrow is the first day of the new jobby. Last week felt a little bit cray, trying to wrap  up everything at my old place... {and this was the sort of job where no one ever was caught up... so i tried my best to finally catch up.....hellloooo, can you say exhausting??}

Oh!  A few weeks ago, I also got to do a really really super fun photoshoot, where I was actually in front of the camera! Those pictures will be coming to the bloggy too. 

And if you're with me on Instagram (@_cassie_h)  all of this is obviously old news....

So anyway... Just wanted to start getting the blog things caught up with the real life things.. ;)

xx

Cassie 

young // wild // free

A swing built by grand-dad ;) 

xx

Cassie

Beachy Heaven

{more pics on Instagram, you can follow @_cassie_h }

Maybe my favorite week ever.  Beach times with my little pod. More on that later.... Just wanted to share some pics... The pool is calling my name right now.. {and so is Izzy actually ;) }

Don't forget that you can get 20% off anything at the Kerubins Baby Boutique online store, using the code HOMEANDSASS. See my blog entry from last week for photos and more deets about the company :) 

XX

Cassie