SOI | Swoon Over It » family

HE CAME. HE SAW. HE LEFT PRESENTS.

amandabyoung — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:08 +0000

I have to say it: experiencing Christmas with a little one isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever done before. The childish anticipation the night before. The glorious expressions the morning of. The unbridled enthusiasm while unwrapping presents. Everything about it is amazing. We were lucky enough to get to spend the occasion with my 2.5 year-old nephew who was all about Christmas. And tents. And fighting off monsters. But that’s neither here nor there.

On Christmas Eve, I even downloaded “Where Is Santa” for my iPhone (which is totally free, by the way), and we checked in on Santa. Unfortunately, it told us he was in Bangladesh, which I believe confused my nephew a bit. But the app was awesome and even provided an “estimated time of arrival” to our house.

On Christmas morning it was all about the presents, and boy what presents he received!

Does it surprise anyone that I bought my nephew an indestructible digital camera for Christmas? Better yet, I love that he immediately tried to look through it like it’s an SLR camera instead of looking at the live view screen (see image on right). So cute.

…and my favorite of the bunch [below]. I believe they were hiding from the monsters on TV. Ridiculously adorable.

Have you ever spent Christmas with a wee one? Were you as enamored with the whole thing as I was? There is just nothing quite like it, in my opinion.

[SNEAK PEEK] MARRIED: JENNA & RYAN

amandabyoung — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:00:13 +0000

It’s an interesting thing, you know, when someone in your family gets married. It’s so ingrained in me, so a part of me, to associate weddings with work. Not work like as in oh woe is me, I have to work. But work as in the loving what you do so much that you cannot imagine not doing it for your family. It’s a rough life, what can I say? So, being a part of Jenna & Ryan’s bridal party for me was an incredible treat, but it didn’t mean I was going to put away the camera [much to G's chagrin]. Well, at least not the whole time. I prepared things so I would have a camera under my seat at the ceremony.

Don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t running around in my bridesmaid dress and 4-inch heels trying to take photos either. I know when to step back. [Really, I do!] After the wedding was over, I sat back and questioned myself. Did I take too many pictures? Was I too intrusive? Should I have socialized with my friends and family more? While maybe yes to the last one, I don’t regret the way any of it played out. Being heavily involved in the wedding world myself, I know just how annoying the professional-photographer-guest can get [not them all, but many of them - you fellow photographers know what I'm talking about!]. And, I did everything not to be that girl. I kept my flash off at the reception until there was literally no light. Most of the time, I shot from my chair.

But, it was as I uploaded the shots later that night that I realized that I had not one morsel of regret. The smile on my brother’s face as he’s about to kiss his new wife. The joy in my SIL’s eyes as she plays with her nieces. The laughter on my mom’s face as she enjoys her last mother-son dance. These moments melted my heart. The photos from Jenna & Ryan’s wedding photographer are amazing. Like seriously amazing. Yet, I don’t regret what I did. Having captured those moments from my perspective provided me with unmatched satisfaction.

Here is just a sneak peek. Many more to come.
Ryan and Jenna, I love you with all my heart. I feel so blessed to call you family.

Have any of you ever worked at a family wedding? Or not worked and regretted it?

SHAMELESS PLUG

amandabyoung — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:27 +0000

I have to admit, one can never be sure about a new blog. Sure the first post or two is good, but does that have any indication that the blog will itself be good? No. Anyone can come up with a few good post ideas. But, when my editor/writer/designer/mother extraordinaire sister-in-law informed me that she had started a new blog. Well, I knew that was an entirely different situation.

How to explain? Erica is the kind of woman who writes thank you notes so well-written you get the sudden urge you should write her a thank you for her thank you. She knows how to make one laugh hysterically and bring you to tears within a few well-written lines of one another. She has the best design sense of, well, anyone I know. And, lucky for you, she now delivers it all in one easy-to-read place.

Presenting Mommy Needs a Minute, by my amazingly talented sister-in-law.

It’s not on weddings or events. But it’s on design, motherhood, life. Things we can all relate to.

Now I look forward to my next shameless plug being the announcement of her book deal out of this amazing blog. And no, I’m not kidding.
No book deals yet, but I think you’ll agree that the blog is worth it.

Enjoy!