penny's room tour // a montessori toddler room

when we moved into our new place getting penny's room all set up was our first priority. i thought i'd take you on a little tour of how it's looking so far. we decided to keep it pretty similar to her room in our old house so that she would have a feeling of familiarity here. we've updated some things to make it a space that is inviting to her, and while still keeping in mind the montessori philosophies that we think are important. it's still a work in progress, but this is where we're at now...

some things about her space...

we repainted some metal hanging flower baskets and mounted them on her wall, low enough for her to reach, to hold her growing collection of 'lovies' // we also put a small coat rack at her level so that she could be in charge of putting away her own coat // we keep some toys hidden away in her closet and switch them out every so often. 1- it keeps down on the clutter. and 2- it keeps her engaged in her toys without needing to add new ones // we made a small reading nook with books easily accessible // this girl loves her dinosaurs & vintage little people, so they are always in reach as well // we are still successfully using a floor bed, the only change being that she now loves pillows. there were some tough nights due to the move, but things are going smoothly in that department again. we found that having a small lamp that she can turn on and off herself has really helped her feel comfortable in there

if you missed her first room tour you can see it HERE. she was so little!!!

snow day...

give us 2 inches of snow, and a day off together, and you'll find us pretty pleased as punch...

we are diamond eyes...

i've yet to really talk here about exactly why we made the move from charlotte down to atlanta, but the secret's out, so now i can share...

it all started with a text. "move to atlanta and be my second shooter." i wont ever forget when matt miller sent me that message. how my heart skipped a little beat, and excitement ran straight down to my toes. my first response, "yes". my second "if you're joking i will kill you". as you can probably guess by the fact that we now live in atlanta, he wasn't joking. yesterday, jan 22nd, marks the official launch of diamond eyes. this is something matt has been working on for quite some time, and i'm beyond honored to be a part of it. matt is a friend, a mentor, an insane photographer, and one heck of a great person to call my boss. take a few minutes and check out the new site, and if you're getting married, or your band is playing a show, go ahead and hire him. don't even think twice. and heck, if it's your wedding day you'll get me as your second shooter. really it's a win win kinda thing!

fun facts...

 *click the little diamond next to the photos for a great story behind each image.

*matt also shot our wedding back in '09. check it out!

*matt & danielle have a little girl, stella, who is penny's buddy, and ridiculously cute. follow his IG for more cute than you can handle!

*and one last thing, i'll still be taking on family, maternity, and newborn sessions solo. my calendar will just be a bit busier come wedding season!

sweet dreams...

tonight as we were tucking her into bed she said to me, out of the blue, "best friend in whooooole world" as she gave me a slobbery kiss and hugged my face. i could have died...

sure she may drive me crazy some nights with how she can procrastinate going to bed, but man, tonight it was all worth it!

10 on 10

i decided today that i'd like to play along in the '10 on 10' series that have been making there way around. however, seeing as i JUST decided this, i didn't actually take any photos today. so here are 10 on 9... i'll get my act together next month.