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5.19.14

longwood gardens

It’s no surprise in this tech-savvy world, that you can make connections and find friends all over the country and/or world. I joined an online photography forum (that’s a spin off from The Knot/Nest) back in 2007 that really got me to where I am today. Being a spin-off from The Knot/Nest meant most of the women were new parents and wanted to take better photos of their children. A good portion of the original 100+ ladies turned their hobby into businesses and we are still supporting one another today, 7 years later. For several years, a handful of us go to OBX in September for relaxing and catching up. It’s one of the best weekends and I look forward to it every year.

Enough rambling about that photo group and on to this post! A few years back, another forum popped up and I joined. While I wasn’t as active (it was during a time when I decided to step back from unnecessary activities, including the internet!), there is a good many girls that live in this area. We had a few get togethers and that sealed the deal, that I wouldn’t be leaving them! Luckily around the same time, a FB group was created and I’ve been able to keep up a little better that way. This February, the 6 of us featured at the bottom of this post, met up at Longwood Gardens in PA. I love being able to talk shop, laugh, smile, and maybe take a few macro photos while enjoying the company of these fine women.

Last week, I shared on the business blog a few of Audrey’s headshots but I saved more of the macro photos and behind the scenes here. I left Longwoods doubting that I was able to capture any macros that were worthy of sharing, since I don’t have the patience to adjust the macro, be steady, and all that jazz. I’m fairly proud of the ones that turned out. 🙂

Audrey is such a beauty. We ended up spending more time talking about eco-friendly/conscious ways than taking photos, but it’s been awhile since we’ve chatted in person! She has inspired me to start a series on this blog about ways we can make changes in our homes to be more eco-conscious! Be on the lookout soon!Michele (in the blue+white shirt) has a pass to Longwoods and captures beautiful macros. If you don’t believe me, go check out her blog. She means business when the tripod comes out, flash rings, tubes, and more. I have no idea what half the stuff she has but it’s fun to watch her work!Thanks to the old man that had an expensive camera on a tripod that I was sure would be able to take a photo in manual for us for capturing this. While he didn’t actually know what he was doing, at least this is in focus! 

Filed in: all things pretty | friends
5.8.14

my first completed quilt

It’s been several years in the making, but I have finally completed my first ever quilt. After the conversations Anthony + I had about my making us a quilt, it got my tail in gear on finishing the handful of uncompleted projects sitting in the cabinet. I began this quilt in 2011 (after seeing the design on Bijou Lovely – at the time there wasn’t a pattern but she now offers one!), realized I didn’t know exactly what I was doing when it came to the actual quilting part and put the unfinished piece away. My mistakes would mean the seam ripper + I would be BFF’s. That was a daunting task in and of itself. In March of this year, I decided to get my act together, pulled the quilt out, got to fixing my mistakes, and I finished it a few days before my mom came to town (which was my ultimate goal – to have it finished before she got to NJ!). I’m proud of this quilt and dream of the day when we have a child that uses it as a play mat. I imagine photos in a field with said child and maybe it becoming a lovey. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! In the meantime, I will use it as a lap quilt.

Filed in: friends
5.7.14

quick may update

It’s been quiet over here on the personal blog for almost 2 months – sorry about that friends. The month of April is always a whirlwind and fairly stressful time for us, with school finishing up, people interested in outdoor photos again (hello beautiful blooms and warmer weather!!!), my birthday, and the hubbub of normal life! This year was no different with a visit from my mom the first weekend, a jaunt over to Indianapolis for a photo workshop the second weekend, my birthday/Easter the following and several photo sessions and events mixed in.

Over the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sharing more about all of these happenings, some completed sewing projects + an update on our future. Thank you for coming over to this blog and reading my ramblings. I know it’s not much (and who knows, maybe no one really reads this anyways) but having a save space to write is important for me.

 

 

Filed in: the schmidt's
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May 8, 2014 - 8:53 am

Alli - I read it!!!!!!! I miss you guys and am trying to keep up with your lives, although I could do a much better job and feel a little out of the loop sometimes. Thinking about you both. Don’t stop bloggin!

3.7.14

pillows

I had an epiphany at the beginning of the year about our current pillow situation in the bedroom! We were sleeping on pillows that were easily 10+ years old which is extremely gross! I never even thought to wash them. With many hours of research, vacillating all the options, I decided to go with two different pillows. Anthony will sleep on his stomach most of the night, while over time I’ve switched how I sleep (I used to be a religious side sleeper but now I catch myself only being able to fall asleep on my stomach). With all of these things in mind, I took to the internet for help on the best organic pillows out there. If our heads are on a pillow for 7+ hours a night, I don’t want it to be chemical-laden. I’m willing to invest more money but that also made the decision long + excruciating as I wanted to make sure the pillows would be perfect!

In the above photo, Anthony’s Organic Medium Firmness Cotton Pillow from Gaiam (they no longer carry it!) is on bottom, while my Organic Buckwool Pillow w/Zipper is on top. I ended up with the 16×19 size, and had to pull about half the buckwheat hulls out for it work best for me. We’ve been sleeping on these pillows for close to 2 weeks now and I am shocked how much better we sleep at night now!

Interested in knowing why I chose what I did? As I mentioned above, I did a lot of research on what types of pillows are best for the ways we sleep. Originally I purchased Anthony an organic cotton pillow from a company in CA and I got the wrong size. But not only that, it was super flat. I sent that back and purchased the cotton one from Gaiam. Anthony wants weight in his pillow but not a super soft or firm one either. The medium is the best alternative! I really wanted him to try the buckwool pillow but also knowing my husband well enough, he wouldn’t like the sound of the hulls moving about. Sure enough, the minute he saw mine, he said he was glad I didn’t get that for him!

Why the buckwool pillow? Ancient cultures have been using buckwheat to fill their pillows for centuries, so why not keep the tradition going, right?!?! The hulls move about in the pillow, conforming to the head, allowing maximum support and comfort for the head, neck, and spine. The combination of buckwheat and wool allows for air to circulate and keep your body cool. I also love that the hulls may be removed and easily cleaned by running them under cool water and air drying. That’s it!!! There are regular buckwheat pillows on the market, but from many reviews I’ve read, having only hulls could be loud. I’ve found that the wool addition keeps the pillow/hulls stable and not loud at all (this is coming from an individual that has heighten sound and smell senses!!).

More details on what the pillow is made of direct from the White Lotus website, “Our buckwool pillows are handmade with half the pillow filled with organic buckwheat hulls and the other half filled with New Zealand Virgin Lambswool..and is encased in 100% organic cotton.” I got my pillow made with zippers and it was the best decision. It came stuffed with hulls (which I’m happy about) but I did have to remove an entire gallon sized Ziploc bag of hulls for it to feel right! They aren’t going to waste as I have plans on making a smaller pillow of just hulls for traveling!

While I was researching pillows, I thought it would be time for a new duvet too, since we received our current one as a wedding gift in 2005! Once again, I knew I wanted organic and thought wool would be the best option. As of late, I’ve been waking up in the mornings drenched in sweat, even though it’s cool enough in our house (add in the freezing temps outside, keeping our heat around 67, + a fan going at night!). I think it had to do with our down duvet. I decided on an Organic Wool Comforter from Gaiam, as they were having a sale at the time! It’s heavy enough that it doesn’t move much at night, which is a true blessing for Anthony since I can be a cover-hog, + I haven’t been waking up sweaty!

If you are thinking of going green in the bedroom, I’d highly recommend doing lots of research on the best options for you and your family. Though if you are in the NJ area, I’d highly recommend checking out White Lotus, as they are based in Highland Park! Had I known that from the beginning, I would have driven up to their showroom!

Filed in: the green life
3.5.14

the quilt

After Hurricane Sandy hit, Anthony + I donated lots of things for the families hit hardest at the shore. One of the things that I convinced A to donate was his “prized” tiger blanket (picture something similar to this). I hated it from the moment he brought it home from work in college. Apparently how I convinced him to part with it was offering to make him a blanket. Over a year later and Anthony finally brought it up again (after forgetting completely about my promise!!!). After telling me “exactly” what he wanted – a thick, long, warm blanket, I was set to create something for him. But after doing lots of research, what he was describing was nearly impossible! Luck would have it, at the B&B we stayed at in Lancaster, there was a white handmade quilt that we used to keep warm. It was exactly what Anthony wanted, though not thick in the sense that he kept describing, he wanted something with weight/heaviness. I really wanted to just slip it into the car on the way out as it was perfect, but refrained from doing so.

I’d expressed all of these concerns to my mom for weeks (as she’s a seamstress herself) to get her opinions. When we returned home from PA, I told her all about this quilt. Then she mentioned how she has a quilt that her grandmother made that’s been in the closet for many years without use and she’d send it along. It needed a few runs through the wash to get the smell out but it’s perfection! Not only does it fit the bill of being heavy, long, and warm, it also comes as a family heirloom that’s at least 100 years old. It now resides on the back of our couch awaiting the evenings when we snuggle on the sofa together for a few moments.

One day not long after we received the quilt, Anthony told me I no longer had to make a quilt for us. While the pressure is off, I do have a quilt that’s in the makings for a while now that will be finished one day. I’d love to be able to pass down to future generations a quilt that I made! One day I tell myself.

Filed in: all things pretty | sewing | the green life
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May 8, 2014 - 10:38 am

my first completed quilt » kim schmidt - […] finally completed my first ever quilt. After the conversations Anthony + I had about my making us a quilt, it got my tail in gear on finishing the handful of uncompleted projects sitting in the cabinet. I […]