Advice For Friends Who Will Be Moms

Today is my baby's 5 month birthday.IMG_6558 He spent his first night away from home this weekend while mom and dad went to a wonderful friend's wedding.  My stepmother and dad were kind enough to keep Oliver, and it was nice to have a weekend away and be adults!  THANK YOU MISSY AND DAD!!!!  It was such a treat!!

For the last few months I've been mentally making a list of things I want to tell all my friends who will become mothers.  The funny thing is that there is not one single thing someone can tell you to prepare you for it.  People told me that before I was a mom, and I was like "well duh," but I still thought I knew what it would be like just a little bit.

My first dog Milly was the love of my life up until that time.  I lost her tragically, and I just assumed that it was similar to losing a child, or that I loved Milly as much as I would love a child.  While I am in no way discounting how much I loved Milly, because God knows that was a deep deep bond and love, the way I love Oliver is entirely different.  I did not know what it would be like, and there was no way I could have.

This is not exactly how I want to describe being a mom, but it's the best I can come up with.  I am lucky enough that I have never been truly addicted to anything.  I've always been able to walk away from vices with no problem.  With Oliver I feel like an addict.  It goes beyond a mental desire to see him.  There are times when I wake up at night and I just need to go be near him.  I have yet to sleep through the night, but not because Oliver is crying or I need to feed him.  I wake up at night just to make sure my family is ok.  I check on Jimmy, make sure Charlotte is snuggled in, and then look at the baby.  I assume it's like being addicted to cigarettes, but much much better (obviously).  As soon as I walk into his room in the morning and see that sweet smile it's like I got my fix and life can continue.  Hopefully someone out there knows what I am talking about and is not reading this thinking I'm just obsessed with my child, which I might be.

So here is my advice for my friends who will be moms one day.

The love you feel for your child will be the most powerful love you've ever felt, but it's ok if it takes a second.

I was scared to admit this at first because it made me feel like a failure.  I had it built up in my mind that Oliver would be born, I would look into his face and be stabbed through with a love unlike any I had ever known.  While that was true in some ways, it happened a little bit differently for me.

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This is a photo of me he first time I got to hold my sweet man. I believe the photo speaks for itself.  It was without a doubt the best moment of my life, and I was filled with all kinds of happy emotions.  I had wanted a baby for as long as I could remember.  I am 100% certain I was put on this earth to be a mother.  The strange thing is that in this moment my biggest feeling was gratitude, not love.  I was so grateful that this perfect child was born and entrusted to Jimmy and me.  I had the exact birth I wanted to have.  I was overwhelmingly grateful to my doctors and family for getting me through the 14 or so hours of labor and helping me bring Oliver into the world healthy.  The biggest surprise to me that I was filled with an overwhelming, awe inspiring love unlike anything I had ever known, but it was for my husband.

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I went into the hospital the night before so that I could get induced.  It was two weeks before my due date, and my blood pressure was so high they wanted to just get the baby out of me.  From the time we went into the hospital until the time Oliver was born, Jimmy never left my side. In my head there were five major things I was afraid of, and Jimmy and I got through them all together.  I would love to discuss those with anyone who knows me personally or wants more information, but I will spare you the exact details here :).

After I got the epidural, I was unable to move the lower half of my body.  Jimmy took over positioning my legs and back.  At points I got so tired I couldn't speak, and he spoke for me.  I have had one pillow my entire life.  I feel like I was a fairly easy patient, but every time I got flipped from side to side I needed that pillow and smell of home right next to my face.  Jimmy did it every time without asking.  When It came time for Oliver to actually be born, Jimmy was right there.  He helped me the entire time.  I was afraid that during the birth I would get annoyed or bothered by people who were trying to help me, but I did not.  Every time I needed help or reassurance, I just looked at Jimmy, and he was the strength that got me through.  There is no doubt in my mind that God gave him to me to be my life partner.  That day we became a team.

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During the days and weeks after Oliver was born, I learned to never doubt Jimmy.  When things got hard I knew he would be there with me.  When I cannot speak for myself, I can trust him to speak for me.  I never realized that someone could love me in that way before, or that I could rely on someone so completely.  It was the biggest and most delightful surprise of childbirth.

During the first few weeks of Oliver's life, I kept waiting to feel this love for my baby that would move mountains and blow my mind, but if I'm being 100% honest I was scared and tired.  I had no idea if I was doing the right thing or if he would make it through his first few days at home, and he was a fat healthy baby!  I just felt such overwhelming pressure to keep this child we created alive, and I didn't really let the joy in right away.

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That joy came for me the first time he held my finger, stopped crying when I hugged him, fell asleep in my arms, and cuddled with us in bed.  It came slower than I expected, but when I started feeling that love it blew me away.  The first time Oliver smiled when he saw me I thought my heart would explode.

You Will Never Be Your Pre-baby Self Again, and that's OK!

This one took me by surprise, because I was pretty pleased with pre-baby Blayne.  I had a husband I loved, an unbelievable family, and friends I was thankful for every single day.  Life was great!  This is also hard to explain, but I am not the most important person in my life anymore, and that blindsided me.  I know it shouldn't have because it's a fairly easy concept to grasp, but like the love of my child, I didn't really get it before I met him.

For the first few months of his life I really struggled with the feeling that I would never again be able to enjoy things that I was passionate about before he was born.  Examples: Cooking, shopping for clothes, going to the movies, working out, hanging out with friends, going on trips or to concerts with Jimmy, and drinking ice cold beer. (I'm very serious about all of those things)

As time passed I figured out ways to incorporate all of those things back into my life, but none of them were the same.  Examples...

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Cooking.  I love cooking.  LOVE IT.  Before Oliver I would spend hours finding things online I wanted to make, and then go after work and spend a tremendous amount of time at the grocery store finding everything I needed.  If we ate at 9 or 10 it didn't matter... we had no children.  For the first few months I did not cook at all, and it depressed me that I lost such a major part of my life.  Jimmy discovered Garnish & Gather, a company that delivers a meal and everything you need to make it to a local drop off site.  Now I get to cook once or twice a week and it only takes 30 minutes!  I still get the joy of cooking, but's its totally different.

Hanging out with friends and drinking Ice Cold Beer.

Before Oliver I loved meeting my friends for happy hour or throwing big parties at my house where I could get everyone together.  I loved being the hostess and making big plans.  Now I can't meet for happy hour because the nanny leaves at three.  It's impossible to hide all the baby stuff, and I lacked the energy to get the house into party shape.  At first I was really sad about losing those things.

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I've wanted to start a company softball team ever since we started Beacham & Company, but somehow I waited until I was three months postpartum to actually do it.  I've had the best time setting up the team and organizing the games, and for one hour a week I get to drink beer, hang out with my friends, and focus on something other than being a mom, which has been a Godsend.  It's hard to think about anything else when the shortstop is hurling a ball your way, and it's just the break I need.  I get to go back into being a mom with my energy restored and refocused after just an hour or so break.

I've been able to reinvent the way I do all the things I love, but nothing is the same as it used to be, and I've learned to embrace that.

This Moment Will Never Happen Again, So enjoy it Now.

My friend Ginny has recently been posting a lot on Facebook about the "Busy Trap," or people who just overstuff their lives and don't have time to enjoy things.   Before I had Oliver, I was busy!  I had houses to shoot, friends to see, movies to watch (I like to see all the Academy Award Nominated movies), drinks to drink, and music to hear.  When people asked me how I was, I think my answer usually led people to think I was just very very busy, and I was.  Now that I'm a mom, I force myself to slow down and savor these moments while they last.  It's not to say that I do not feel stressed, or tired, or angry or even sad sometimes, but I am able to remind myself to let go of the small stuff and savor these very very important moments.

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Even if I have more children, I will never again have the luxury of laying on the couch with my one baby and watching him sleep, so I try to do it every day.IMG_6065

I will never again get to watch my family fawn over their first nephew or grandchild.

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God willing, we will not always be a family for three, but this is my life right now, and I want to enjoy and remember every moment of it.

 

For any of my friends out there who plan on becoming moms, let me encourage you with all my heart.  It's the best thing you will ever do.

Thank you all for your continued support.  You have no idea how much it means to me.

We're Having a Baby :)

Jimmy and I are so lucky to announce we are having a baby boy!!  He will be here May 25th (hopefully), which means I am 17 weeks pregnant . Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 2.53.11 PM

I wasn't going to blog about it at all.  I feel like it's such a private event, and I just wasn't sure I felt like writing about it.  I was at a Christmas party Saturday night and saw a lot of people I had not seen in a while.  They all asked me if I was ever going to blog again.  I can't really explain why I stopped for a while... I think I just needed a break.  I was exhausted from the wedding, and then was wrapped up in the newlywed life (which consists of happily gaining back a few pounds and drinking whatever I wanted-- wine, vodka, miami vices...), and then before I knew it I was pregnant! ;)  Jimmy and I realize how amazingly fortunate we are, and we are both thankful for that every day.  Anyway, at the Christmas party I realized it wasn't fair to keep you guys out of the loop.  We have been through so much together.  Figuring out my job, becoming a photographer, meeting Jimmy, getting engaged, and finally getting married.  It doesn't seem fair to stop right at the good part!  Thus, a pregnancy blog...

 

To bring you up to speed I will answer a few commonly asked questions.

1. Are you excited to be pregnant?

Yes!  I'm more excited than I've ever been for anything in my life.  In fact... I'm pretty sure every decision I've ever made has been leading to this point.  It's everything I've ever wanted.  I am absolutely thrilled and thankful and excited.  I am not even that nervous, which I think is strange.  I'm just excited and can't wait for him to get here.

2. Is Jimmy excited?

Yes!  Jimmy was really hoping for a boy.  Now they can do all kinds of boy stuff together... like trains (Jimmy's favorite).  Jimmy is going to be a great dad, and he's been a very supportive husband... even when I've been throwing a fit.  It's the hormones, I swear.

3. How do you feel?

Fat.  I feel fat.  And my legs and back hurt.  Do I care?  Not really.  Yes, I very much enjoyed having a waist, and I hope to see it again some day soon, but as for now I'm enjoying the finer things in life... like frozen waffles.

4. What are you craving?

Oranges, orange juice, pineapples, ketchup, bbq sauce, salad, hummus, waffles (real and frozen), and hot tea.  I am actually a little disappointed that I haven't had any wild cravings at all.  I was sort of looking forward to that.  The strangest thing is that I normally crave Mexican food and french fries, but I haven't had much of a taste for them... which blows my mind.  About once a week I try some fries just to see if I like them.  They are ok, but I never crave them.  Yesterday, just to say that I ate something crazy while pregnant, I dipped a french fry in chocolate sauce.  It was pretty good, but tasted less like heaven and more like a french fry dipped in chocolate sauce.  I'm basically  a boring old pregnant lady with no good food stories.

5. Is the baby's room ready?

No, but it is cleaned out and empty.  The baby's room used to be my closet, which is actually a spare bedroom.  To get ready for him I got rid of half my clothes and shoes, which, other than carrying him around inside me for 10 months, I feel is the greatest sacrifice I could make for my child.  You think I'm kidding.

6. Are your parents excited?

Are they excited?  Are you kidding?  I've never seen a more excited group of adults.  He will be the first grandchild on both sides, so I'm sure he will be spoiled.  Yes.  They are all very very excited.

7. Do you know the name?

Yes, and we aren't telling.

8. Have you felt him move?

Yes.  On Friday he kicked me and turned over.  It was the best feeling in the world.  I wish he would start moving around more, although the doctor warned me against that. He said as soon as I start feeling him I will feel him all the time because he is a VERY active child.  I think he gets it from his daddy.  At our 12 week appointment he was dancing all around in my stomach.  If you've seen Jimmy dance you know it came straight from him. Great, now I will have two of them on my hands.  Better clear out the living room for a father/son dance party.

9. Does Charlotte know?

She does.  She likes to sleep right on the baby and protect him.  It's cute, except when she gets alarmed and kicks me in the stomach/the baby in the face.

 

For those of you who are into that sort of thing, here's a picture of our very active son.  Isn't he beautiful?

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-Blayne

 

 

Honeymoon Part II

Honeymoon continued... IMG_3187

Leaving Four Seasons Golden Triangle and headed to Chang Mai.

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Arriving at the hotel.

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Dinner at the Four Seasons Chang Mai.

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Bathtub surrounded by glass.

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Coffee and email updating on the porch.

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Welcome flowers displayed in our room.

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Pooling!

To be honest, it was so hot in Chang Mai that I was sweating in this picture!  In the pool!  It was well over 100 every day, but it felt like 120!  We decided to leave a few days early and head to Koh Samui.  We stayed at the Imperial Boathouse, which was fine... bit it was definitely NOT the Four Seasons.

 

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Exhibit A, naked lady glasses and plastic beach chairs...

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Jimmy and I decided to combat our shock over exiting the Four Season bubble by doing a little beach bar crawl.  Stop #1.

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Stop #2.

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Stop #2 Continued...IMG_3245

And post drinks, on the way to dinner, we had a nice little photo op.

The next day we went to the beach in the morning, which was beautiful! IMG_3244

And then we went into Chaweng for lunch.  We stopped at the coolest hotel for lunch, The Library.

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There was a red pool!

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We of course opted for a good old Carona... too many Thai beers.

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We then moved to a Thai Beach Club for a second beer and a Jello Shot :)

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As well as a polaroid with a monkey.  $5 well spent... especially after doing a little afternoon drinking!

The next day we went back to the Four Seasons... which we will explore in part 3 :)

Honeymoon... Part 1/2

We went to Thailand for our honeymoon.  We took a little tour through the Four Seasons hotels in Thailand.  Wife Perk!!!

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Four Seasons Bangkok

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After 2+ months of juicing to fit into my wedding dress, this was a welcome site!

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Pool side...

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Non-alcoholic health shakes ;) -- I can't shake them... HA HA.  Get it.

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We watched the woman carving these watermelon...  it was incredible.

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We ate cashew and chicken goo on top of pineapple that blew my mind!  Seriously the best think I've ever eaten.

Then we traveled to the Four Seasons Golden Triangle.

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This is us in a boat on the way to the tented camp :)

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Our tent.  That's a bathtub in the middle of the room!  It was over 100, but I forced myself to take a bath.  Do you blame me?  It was awesome.  I of COURSE had a cold drink in the bath.   Jimmy's mom taught me about vodka, soda and orange juice, with two limes, which is the best drink in the world.  The orange juice in Thailand is actually tangerine juice, which SO much better!  I drank about a million... well maybe less, but I was obsessed.  I'm thinking of juicing tangerines just to recreate the drink.

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Our bed and the view to the porch.  There is also a FREE mini bar beyond the bed, which was the source of the cocktails...  obvi.

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This was the pool.  To be 100% honest with you, this was my least favorite of the pools... but I mean... come on.  It was still awesome.

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This is the view of our tent from the path.

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View from the Burma bar.  Heavenly.Screen Shot 2013-05-30 at 4.12.41 PM

Couples massage on our porch.  I swore I would never do a couples massage, but it was so nice we did 3.  #spoiled.

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Jimmy on his elephant.  Lovin' it.Screen Shot 2013-05-30 at 4.13.35 PM

This may be our Christmas card next year... just sayin'.

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Boat ride exploring the town.

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Waiting for couples massage #2.

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Elephant bath time.

I will post more tomorrow :)

vacation... and a wedding update.

I just got back from a 2 week vacation.  I know... hard life, right? Screen Shot 2012-08-20 at 4.01.04 PM

The first part of the week we went to Lake Tahoe with my mom.

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The best part of the trip was that this little Charlotte Bear came.  We gave her a light sedative (she is prone to attack) before the flight.  She did really well!  Most of the flight she slept on a pillow between Jimmy and me.

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But she woke right up when we got to Tahoe! (See?  Attack mode.)

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Jimmy found us a really great house... it's the one there in the middle.  There were two levels of porches, and we had our own private dock.

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We spent a lot of time hanging out on the porch...

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And Jimmy always made sure we had music (and beer) on the dock.  duh.

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One of my favorite things we did was rent a boat and drive around the entire lake.

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I've never seen water that color in my life.  Mom heard somewhere that it is the color of Elizabeth Taylor's eyes.

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There was some amazing real estate at Lake Tahoe.

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The drinks weren't bad either.  We had SEVERAL Wet Woodys at Gar Woods.  

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DELIGHTFUL.

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By the end of the week we had it all figured out... we had two tubes with coolers in the middle.  We tied them up to the dock and looked out over the beautiful lake.

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It was a wonderful vacation, and we weren't finished yet!  We sent Charlotte home with mom, and Jimmy and I flew to Hawaii to meet his family!  (Lucky us).

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We spent three days on Maui.

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Jimmy insisted on going on a 5 miles hike up a mountain...  Those of you who know me understand I am not a hiker... (understatement).

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Luckily Jimmy's sisters had gone on a 10 mile run that morning and were more than happy to take it slow with me.  See how thrilled they look to be walking straight up the mountain?

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We made it pretty far up the mountain.  We were actually in a cloud.  Apparently the clouds in Maui get worse as the day goes on, so by the time we decided to stop the cloud was all around us.  Jimmy's mom and I had a nice leisurely walk down the mountain, but by the time we got to the bottom I was exhausted.

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You know who wasn't?  Jimmy.  He has more energy than anyone I've ever met!

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On Tuesday we flew to The Big Island and checked into the Four Seasons (Hualalai) there.  It was honestly the nicest hotel I've ever been to in my life.  We got real leis and mai tais when we checked into the resort. (We were all very excited- obviously).

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I think Jimmy was the most excited.

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We then promptly checked into the pool.

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Kate really settled right in...

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The best swim up bar I've ever seen!

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And the sunset was absolutely spectacular.  The trip to Hawaii made me feel incredibly lucky.  Obviously I am lucky that Jimmy works for the Four Seasons so we have access to amazing places like this... but the fact that I adore my new family, and they make me feel so comfortable and loved, makes me the luckiest girl in the world.  I had the best time just being with all of them, and it's really more than I ever dreamed of having.  I am so blessed to get to join their incredible family.

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Speaking of joining their family...  we picked a wedding venue!

Jimmy and I are having a very small family/extremely close friends wedding in Asheville, NC next April.

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We are having a welcome party at a farm called Claxton Farm.  The mountains surrounding the valley are so pretty.  We fell in love with the location as soon as we saw it.

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The reception will be at The Grand Bohemian in downtown Asheville.  Jimmy and I love the contrast between the really casual farm and the upscale/hip/funky vibe of The Grand Bohemian.  We are thrilled that we finally found places.  Thank you all so much for your love and support through this process.

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House Reveal!

Hi everyone!  Jimmy and I are going to Phish in Atlantic City this afternoon... Screen Shot 2012-06-15 at 2.45.01 PM

I wish we could get this POSTER.  It would look so good in my house.  Speaking of, I never showed you guys these pictures of my house.  They were taken right before Jimmy's parents came to visit.  I think it looks pretty amazing.

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What do you think?  I love it when my house is ready for a party!  I also love that picture of Jimmy and me (Taken Here) in the above photo. He gave it to me for my birthday last year.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Check out the Beacham & Co Pinterest board for fab bedrooms.

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Jimmy and I are ENGAGED!!!

JIMMY AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!

I could not possibly be more excited.  I am so in love with him and cannot believe I am lucky enough to spend every single day with him for the rest of my life.  I know you guys don't know Jimmy as well as you know me, so I wanted to tell you a little bit about him...

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Jimmy is the happiest person I've ever known.  Every single little thing I do is better when he is around.  He has the best attitude, and he just makes things more joyful.  He has this laugh that is my favorite sound.  It's so loud and infectious.  He makes me FUNNIER because I want to hear it.  He makes this really loud hoot and then doubles over and just starts laughing so much.  Sometimes, if it's really funny, he cries.  That's when I know he is happiest.  He once laughed so hard that he fell on the floor crying.  It's a trait he shares with the rest of his family.  I love being with all of them.  They are all just as happy as Jimmy, and when I am with them I laugh so hard that I cry too!

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That's the main reasons I got to all the Phish shows with him.  I clearly LOVE Phish... but I was really more of a "go when they are near Atlanta" type girl.  Then I met Jimmy.  He travels to see them all the time.  This Summer will be his 100th show.  We have been to tons of shows together.  All my family and friends say, "you've heard them so many times, how can you possibly want to go anymore?"  I want to go to see Jimmy's face.  It just lights up...  He gets so excited and dances around and just loves it...  and that is my favorite time.  I love seeing him happy more than I love anything else.  I would gladly go to a hundred more shows if I got to see him that happy.

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My other favorite thing about Jimmy is that he loves me the most in the world.  Sometimes when he looks at me it just makes my heart want to explode because I know how much he loves me without him even having to tell me... and I love him that much too... and now I get to be with him for the rest of my life.  He is the answer to all of my prayers.  I am the luckiest girl in the entire world... AND I KNOW IT!

Would you like to know how Jimmy proposed to me?

We went on a walk with our dog Charlotte.  We were on the trail at Westminster (where I went to high school) and Jimmy stopped at a bench.  I had no idea why he was stopping...  then he pulled this huge box out of his pocket.  He got down on one knee and said "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"  Then he opened the box and showed me the most amazing ring I've ever seen.

I said, "yes," and then I just looked at the ring and said, "is the for me?"  I think I was in shock! :)  The ring is so much bigger and so much more than anything I've ever dreamed of getting.  But you know the best part about it?  It's Jimmy's great great grandmother's ring.  I feel so honored that the Macauleys would trust me with something so important.  I will take such good care of it.  It is such a honor to be able to wear it.  A huge thank you to Jimmy's sisters and parents for helping him make such a great decision.

Jimmy and I went over to Murphy's after the proposal, and so many people we love came.  It was sort of an impromptu celebration, and it was perfect!  We had champagne  and toasts.  Then we went over to Atkins Park to meet up with some of our other friends.  Everyone was so happy for us, and we were so happy too!!  I felt like my face was going to fall off from smiling so much!

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On Saturday we did the most appropriate thing EVER to celebrate: Jimmy Buffett!  It was such an amazing treat to have everyone with us.  We had members of my family and Jimmy's family, and Mac (basically Jimmy's brother) and some of his family there.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.

On Sunday we went to tell Ya.  Ya has worked for my family for 28 years (since I was born).  When we told her the good news her exact words were, "Praise Jesus," and "When are you having a baby?"  Some things never change.

After we saw Ya we went over to Jimmy's house.  We had dinner with Mac (who we love so much)... took the three remaining Jello shots from Jimmy Buffett...

... and watched Kenny Rogers on stage with Phish at Bonnaroo.  It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.  Thank you so much to everyone who made it so special!  Thank you to our wonderful families and friends.  We loved getting all the Facebook posts and notes of love and encouragement.  This will be the most fun year of our lives, and I can't wait to share it with all of you.

-Blayne

P.S. One of the first things I did was change the name of my pinterest board.  DUH.

Meet the Parents + Prettiest Kitchen!!

First up? Thank you all so much for your heartfelt notes and comments about me keeping the blog!  I really do love this blog.  I think every blogger hits a mark when they begin to questions the reasons why they are writing.  Based on all the feedback I got, I am going to make a few changes, but keep blogging.  I really do appreciate the support.  It means so much to me that you guys care. :)

Next??

Jimmy's parents are coming to Atlanta this weekend to meet my parents!

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That's a big deal!

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Ever since the famed "Meet The Parents" movie series came out, this whole process had gotten a bad wrap (or is it bad rap?  I don't know).

Luckily, I adore each and every parent involved, and I am confident the process will go swimmingly.

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I actually got a little preview of the meet at greet this Christmas when my dad and Missy met up with Jimmy's family for a quick coffee.  I was so pleased.  Everyone seemed to get along well.

This weekend they are meeting my mom for the first time.

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I'm really excited about that actually.  I talk about her all the time, so it will be nice for them to finally meet her.  I asked Jimmy if he thought they would be surprised by how much we look alike...  yes, I know my face is fatter.  Mom has a very tiny head!!

We are planning a nice weekend for everybody.  Both of our moms love to walk, so we thought we could take them over to Westminster for a little stroll around campus.

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Westminster is so pretty.  I am actually really looking forward to showing it to them.  I have been spending a lot more time over there now that Lindles and I are "training" for the Peachtree Road Race (i.e. taking the dogs for a walk until they get "too hot").

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My dad is taking Jimmy's dad to play golf at the Atlanta Country Club, and then we are going over to have dinner at Dad and Missy's.  I am really looking forward to that as well.

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That means the only thing I am responsible for is lunch at my house on Saturday.

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FREAK OUT!  ...  Or at least I was this morning.

Last Spring when I shot my house for Decor Demon, it looked like this...

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A year and  half later the house looks, well... lived in and "hom-ie."  I wish I could wiggle my nose and Bewitch my house back to "magazine ready."  Of course I can sweep and mop and put away... but you know what I really need?  FLOWERS!  Flowers make everything better!!  I can, of course, go BUY flowers, but I have no idea what to do with them when I get them home.  Flower arranging is an AMAZING TALENT.  Of course I thought of the best flower arranger I know, one of our top agents, Linda Williams.  She very generously offered to come over tomorrow and help me get the flowers together.  What a lifesaver!  I think she also understands that this is a really big deal to me.  It will also be the first time Jimmy's parents see my house... so it has to look it's best.  Obviously.

When I was on the phone with her I remembered to ask her about featuring her new listing (140 Churchill Drive) on the blog.  YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT.  It's one of the prettiest houses I've shot this year!  You have got to see the kitchen!

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See?  I told you.  To see more pictures from this listing, please click here.

Thank you Linda for offering to help me since I have NO flower skillz.

Wish me luck this weekend!  Any advice?

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Ski Trip Results (!!!)

Calm down.  I'm going to tell you about how my little "white lie" turned out on the trip. Screen Shot 2012-03-21 at 4.29.28 PM

That's me.  The one on the snow.  I was "resting my legs." ha.

P1000576It turns out I had not over-exaggerated Jimmy's skiing ability in my head.  He actually was that good.  Show off :)

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Thank God I brought Ben along so I could let them do their own thing and ski at my own pace.

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See?  Two peas on a Pod.

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We all skied together a little bit as well.  It went much better than I expected.  Even though my legs were on fire and I kept making bargins such as "If I ever get down this mountain I'll never lie again," (hmmmm) I did excel at certain parts of the mountain...

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As expected, I really rocked the chairlift part of skiing.  I would sit back and pretend like I didn't care at all if we put the bar down, but as soon as we did I would throw my skis up there... so thankful for just a few minutes of relief.  As the boys discussed the next runs we would take, I secretly hoped someone getting off at the top would fall just to make the ride a little bit longer.

On the bright side, my legs and butt did get a nice workout, which is why I felt fine about doing this...

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Apparently beer tastes better if you feel like you earned it.

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The only slight issue I had was when I got too tired/frustrated/unable to ski and jimmy had to carry my skis so I could take a break.  I'm not sure my brother will ever let me live it down, but hey, if that's the worst thing that happened I'll consider it a success.

Other successes?

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Shots of rumple minze at the Village Cafe.

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Taking mom to the Mangy Moose.

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Tons of great meals in Jackson Hole... and of course tons of hot tub time at the Four Seasons.

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I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Speaking of being lucky (see that segue there) , you too could be lucky IF you enter our contest to win a FREE AD in the Beacham Series.

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Come on, don't make me beg.  Right now I only have 3 entries, so if you enter you have a GREAT chance of winning.  PLEASE PLEASE PELASE.

The deadline is Tomorrow... Thursday, at midnight.  Please please please.  Don't make me look like a loser (who has to get someone to carry her skis).

Fun things coming up on This Photographer's Life:

1. I'm giving away two FREE autographed copies of Historical Concept's new book "Coming Home."

2. We will have to chose a winner of the free ad!!! yea!!!

3. We have listed a beautiful new modern house (my favorite)

4. We need to ramp up to the next Beacham Series party, so that's always fun.

Tons of good stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned!!!

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That Dog is Such a Ham. Aren't We All?

Hey kids.  Did you all have a nice weekend?  I sure did.  I went down to spend time with my cousins in Warner Robbins.  I always feel better after a little family time. Yesterday my good friend Katie Oblinger did a photo shoot with Jimmy and me.  She is an amazing baby photographer and trying to get into couples photography.  She asked if we would mind being her "test couple."  Turns out Jimmy and I are really Hammy with the camera.

So Hammy that I forced Katie to iPhone picture me a picture from her camera.  I am sooo excited.  A lot of times when I take pictures for people and they ask me over and over when they will be ready I'm like, "just give me a little time."  Well, now I AM one of those people!  I am just sitting around twirling hair waiting to see those pictures!  Ha Ha.

While I am twirling I thought I would show you some pictures from the home of another ham...  this puppy!

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705 Norfleet, NW (Listed by Rachel Farmer) is home to one of the cutest dogs ever... and the fact that he loves being in pictures makes him even cuter.

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Rachel asked me to come take photos of this beautiful newer (2008) home located in the sought-after neighborhood of Springlake.  I was immediately drawn to the large front porch across the front of the home.  I was also drawn to the little dog hanging out on the front porch.  Can you see him?  It's the little white spot right at the bottom of the front door.

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This dining room opens right out on the the front porch.  It would be perfect for the type of weather we are having right now in Atlanta!

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This living room/office also opens to the front porch.  The wall on the right pops out and reveals a work space behind them.  It is such a great idea!

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There's my little friend again hanging out by the front door.  Don't you love that stairway?  The railings are beautiful!  I also like those stools a lot.

Kitchen

The kitchen in this home is amazing.  Those glass cabinets on the right are so cool.  I'm not sure I've seen any like them.  Check out the red knobs on the stove.  What a fun pop of color!

Family Room

This family room is located right off the kitchen... and guess what's to the right?

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This beautiful porch!  Is that perfection or what?  I know where I would be spending all my time!

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The master also opens up to it's own private porch.  Can you have too many porches?  In a word, no.

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Here we are on the master porch.  Since you all know how much I enjoy a glass of wine... wouldn't this be a perfect place for one?  I thought so!

To see more of this home, including the beautifully finished terrace level, check out the listing here.

See you guys later... I will be trying to find other ways to occupy my time while I wait for those pictures!!

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Chicago (Architecture & Panic) + Showing a House = A Winner

To continue on my ADD rampage, today I am going to show you guys a few pictures of Chicago, where I went for Halloween weekend.

Jimmy and I went to Chicago.  Why?  Well, I'd like to claim it was for a romantic getaway, but that's a lie.  We went because Widespread Panic was playing there.  I had never actually seen Widespread before (YES, ok, I did go to UGA.... I'm just lame I guess), so we went up for the Halloween show.

What did I think?  It was really great.  I enjoyed the music quite a bit.  It reminded me of Allman Brothers (I can actually hear you groaning), which is a good thing in my book.

One of the reasons I liked the show so much was because we got to dress up.... awesome.  I've never been to any Halloween shows, so I was psyched for this aspect.  I was just going to be a regular indian until Jimmy told me about this Widespread song called Blue Indian.  No brainer (thanks to Adam for the sweet costume ideas).

Jimmy was the Gingerbread man.  I was hesitant about that at first, but once I saw how much everyone loved it it was really funny.

Another reason I liked the show so much was because it was in the Chicago Theater.  It was such a cool place.  It reminded me a lot of the Fox Theater.  See the window behind us in the first picture?  You could see the stage through it.

I took this photo from the upper balcony looking down to the lobby.  That chandelier was amazing.  The whole place had such a cool feel.

I stole this photo off the internet, but I wanted you to see what it looked like.

Im sure you recognize the sign from the play/movie.  Great night.  Great band.  I will for sure see them again.

We got to stay at the Ritz Carlton there.  It was an amazing hotel with truly exceptional service...  they delivered me a cappuccino in the business center and knew us when we got out of the cab.  I was extremely impressed.  The Ritz Carlton Chicago is managed by Four Seasons - so it is actually a Four Seasons Hotel rather than a Ritz.  Jimmy works for the Four Seasons, so we get to stay there for free.  Yes, I am really enjoying that girlfriend perk.

The VERY helpful concierge told us about this cool wine bar in the basement of the Seneca Hotel across the street.  Jimmy and I went over after we got in on Friday and had a glass of wine. I could not recommend it more highly.  It is in the basement of Francesca's.  I loved the feel in there, especially the exposed brick groin vaulted ceilings.

We also went to Garrett popcorn shops.  Go there.  You will not regret it.  I dont even really like popcorn, and we had to stand in a small line.  SO WORTH IT!  Go!

Sunday we went to RL, which is Ralph Lauren's only restaurant.  Jimmy and I both agree it was the highlight of the trip.  The food was fantastic and the people were beautiful.  No kidding, every person in there looked like a model.  There was black and white photograph everywhere, and the interiors were spectacular.

See?  Thank you so much to Linda Williams for recommending!

And finally... it's not like I could leave Chicago without the architecture boat tour down the river.  Yes we were sitting in freezing rain cupping hot chocolate, so no I did not get out my notepad and take down the names of all of these buildings...  you should be happy that I got any pictures at all!  I thought I was going to lose my fingers to the frostbite.  If you know what these buildings are I would love you to leave a comment at the bottom ant tell me so I can fill them in.  I know I could spend hours researching that, but it's Friday afternoon and I'm running out of time, so help a girl out, will ya?

These corn cob looking buildings are my favorite ones in Chicago.... I know most people hate them, but I don't.  So there.

Here is a picture of them from Saturday night.

I think they are parking decks... which isn't really that cool, but whatever.

It was a really great trip.  Chicago is my favorite city other than Atlanta, so I was happy as a little clam there.  Did you know they have a TopShop there?  They do, and it's amazing.  I'll be back soon.  For sure.

NEXT TOPIC: Showing a house.

Linda Williams, who recommended RL to us, is absolutely phenomenal at showing houses. She recently made a video of her showing 515 West Paces Ferry Road, a listing she shares with Glennis Beacham.  The house is stunning, and Linda does a great job showing it.  Do yourself a favor and watch the video.  You'll love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_Z03Fu-EwrI

Doesn't she do a great job?  I'm really proud of her and this video!

NEXT TOPIC:

It's time to choose a winner in the Melissa Payne Baker painting giveaway!

Ok, I am going to find a random number generator...

Congratulations Emily!  You won the Itty Bitty!  I will be in touch to sort out the details with you.

See you guys Monday!  Have a great weekend :)