Odds and ends

I have received so many sweet e-mails, phone calls, texts from you who are enjoying the blog. Thank you! I really wanted to just start this as a place to put my thoughts to the page, and keep this time from passing us by - regardless of who else actually cared to read it. So, I'm really touched to have readers and followers who are keeping up with us so regularly. I hope to keep it to more pictures, and less cathartic, long-winded posts (like the one I just posted), but thanks for obliging me on those too. Keep the feedback coming!

I've had a few questions that keep coming up, so thought I'd address them here -

Photos: My camera is a Nikon D-90, a birthday gift from my parents a few years ago that has already seen plenty of use. It takes amazing pictures and I've been so pleased with it. It also takes high-def video, which I rarely use (and am not sure I even remember how) but I suppose might come in handy very soon. I use primarily the kit lens (18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G) that came with it, which is fantastic and very versatile for every day use. I also have the 50mm f/1.8, which is great for portraits and not too expensive for a lens ($150 range). I shoot on manual mode most of the time, with varied results, but I'm overall happier with the quality of pictures when I'm fiddling with the controls myself (the Sweet Man Who Puts Up With Me would say, "surprise, surprise..."). When it comes to making things pretty I tend to take the more difficult route. It's taken me awhile to figure out how to get the best results from shooting on manual, and I am definitely still learning. I do not pretend to be any sort of great photographer; I've never taken a class but have loved learning on my own, through fiddling and googling over the past 3 or so years. Mainly I just love being able to capture pretty things, and love having this place to share them!

The nursery! The nursery! I promise there will be a full unveiling with pictures posted here soon. Needless to say I have lost track of the number of projects that we've had for this silly baby, but it has been so much fun for me to pour my creative energy into (Nicholas sings a slightly different tune in re: nursery projects). I know the baby won't care if she's sleeping in a crib or a laundry basket, but we are really happy with the space and will love spending time with her there. Some of you have already seen it, though it's continued to evolve over the past few weeks. We have been waiting on just a few details to finish it out, and I'm holding off on the pictures until then. I may post some teasers here beforehand though so those of you who have been pestering me for pictures, stay tuned.

Sharing the blog: Please share it with whomever you want! I haven't shared it too broadly - though I continue to realize I missed quite a few of you who I intended to send it to on the first pass, a bleary-eyed morning before we left for Fredericksburg. I'm refraining from sharing it with everyone I've ever encountered (i.e. facebook). But please feel free to send this on to whomever you think might enjoy it, and those who have come here through friends or received it despite my oversight - welcome!

Lastly, I fixed the comments section so that it's easier for anyone to post. I really don't mind not getting many comments here - I actually love hearing from you through emails, texts, etc. just as much or more - but since one or two people had mentioned it I thought it was worth noting.

Thank you all for coming along on this journey with us! We are so grateful for your support.