Two months with baby Declan

Having a baby has a way of attracting attention while I'm out and about. Every one wants to know if I've been sleeping, while also guaranteeing me that it will all get easier soon. The truth is that it is a bit hard at times, which

One month with Baby Declan

Being pregnant for 9 months felt like a really long time to me, but as soon as our baby arrived, time seems to be flying by rather quickly. Perhaps it's the limited sleep that has made these past days feel like one. But as much as

Declan's Birth Story

I've always wondered what labor would feel like. People have described it as intense or something similar to painful menstrual cramps. During my 39th week of pregnancy, I remained in  a state of anticipation for the arrival of our

Anticipating the arrival of our first baby boy

When I first caught a glimpse of my baby on the ultrasound screen, I was 14 weeks along. I had those feelings of unbelief rush through me that there was a human moving around in me. It was so incredible, and now I get so

Thoughts on connecting to a new city

It was only two years ago when my husband and I loaded a u-haul with all of our belongings, no less during a morning in which it was both humid and pouring outside. The elevator in our building also decided to stop

Spring thoughts and exciting news!

Spring has been full of surprises – finding out our baby is a boy(!), experiencing the tiny kicks and movements of the baby, spending a last minute weekend trip in Austin, Texas, and hearing the news that we will be moving to

A Year of Experiences: My 2017 Bucket List (with Eventbrite)

For someone who is a perpetual daydreamer, I am always making notes about places to visit and experiences to have. Especially since focusing on a simple and minimalist lifestyle over the past two years, I have become much

My top ten favorite books from my 2016 reading lists

Although I make resolutions every year, I usually never manage to keep them. By the end of January, it's likely I have forgotten most of them. But somehow, through this medium of blogging, I've completed one resolution from

A "little" announcement

For the past couple of months, we've been keeping a "little" secret to ourselves, which is also why I've been absent from this blog and haven't been posting frequently on my Instagram account. It all began a week before Christmas

Our Christmas traditions

My husband and I grew up with different holiday traditions, so when we were getting ready for our first Christmas as a married couple, I remember one of the biggest differences was when gifts would be open. Do we stay up late

The Cardenas Family - A family photo session in San Diego

Last week I made a quick, 48 hour trip to San Diego where I got to take photos of my brother's family. We drove to a nearby park, as the sun was setting, to capture a few pictures. Since this was my first "official" family photo

Thoughts on becoming a creative

My journey of being more intentional about pursuing a creative lifestyle started about two years ago. Instagram became this creative outlet from the stresses of life and slowly evolved into a project of learning photography. Soon

A few of my favorite fall things

Autumn is always a special season to me. The heat finally begins to subside and the shift to brisk evenings, fisherman sweaters, hot apple cider, and pumpkin flavored goodies all make for a cozy atmosphere. I find that it is during this

All lives matter - my personal reflection on recent events

As you may already know, the past few weeks have been filled with many national tragedies. I've spent a lot of time sitting in front of the TV watching images replay, while various people are provided the platform to speak out

3 Reasons I made this year a year of reading

At the start of this year, I made it a resolution to read more books. Somehow this goal always makes it to my list, but this time I decided to share what I was reading on this blog by posting monthly book lists. I'm now in the

The travel bug that never leaves

Neuschwanstein Castle

Perhaps the title of this post could have used a bit more work, but then again, I've never been real good at one liners or attention grabbers, even though I know how necessary they can be in this digital age. But I wasn't going to let

Pursuing your dream and June's book list

Last month I read The Alchemist, Bird by Bird, and Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. Due to its small size, The Alchemist is a book that can be read in a few hours. Although the overall

Thoughts about the Instagram world

I know there are many comments and concerns regarding social media and its deceitfulness into perfection or a certain way of life. I've definitely wrestled with my own intentions regarding the promotion of my life or self on

My obsession with cloudy days

Cloudy days are my favorite days, especially the few moments before the sky makes its decision to pour. The overcast of grey provides a neutrality that highlights the textures and colors of the landscape below. Brick walls become much

Letter to doubt

Dear Doubt,

Whenever I'm alone or in a vulnerable state, you always seem to whisk right in and take over my frame of thought. 

Before I have time to really process with you, you've created such a heaping web of lies that I'm too naive to