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!