“I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning… Every day I find something creative to do with my life.”

~Miles Davis

Ummm…so.so.so.adorable, right?!

Do you have a sweet baby boy?  Do you know someone who does?  This is a fabulous giveaway!!!  This giveaway is from designers {Polka Dot Posh} + {Ivy and A}.    The winner will get to choose any item under $20 from the Polka Dot Posh store AND will receive this adorable modern guitar bib and bloomer set from Ivy and A.  This adorable hat and bootie set was designed by the uber-talented Cassi of Polka Dot Posh.  She sells baby cocoons, hanging stork sacks, beautiful beanies, and if you are creative yourself–crochet patterns.  Check out her beautiful creativity and work.  Love her!

To win:

~simply head on over to both Polka Dot Posh and Ivy and A, come back and in one comment (not two separate ones), tell us which item you love from each of their shops.  Make sure to include your name!

For additional entries (you can receive one extra entry for doing each of these things):

~Become a follower of the Polka Dot Posh blog

~Become a fan of Polka Dot Posh on Facebook

~Become a follower of Polka Dot Posh on Twitter

~Become a follower of Ivy and A on Facebook

Make sure to come back here and leave a separate comment for each thing you did, along with your name.

Contest ends at 8 am on Friday, March 12th. 

Just check out this cuteness.  Can you even stand it?!

Both of these women are SO very talented.  I just love women that are creative businesswomen and moms, too.  Thank you to both Stephanie and Cassi for providing such generous prizes.  You both rock!!

Learn more about the mama behind the designs of Polka Dot Posh, Cassi…

xoxo,

laura

A special thank you to all the fabulous, adorable little cutie pies that were a part of our {mod babe} casting call!  We very much appreciate every single one of you who voted and participated in this fun contest!  You all are awesome!

The lucky winners of the Finley and Oliver + Laura Winslow Photography {mod babe} contest are…

and

“To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and undoubtedly inhabited.”

~Anne Buchanan + Debra Klingsporn

These wonderful parents-to-be are just so fun!  Mama was up for anything and was game for all of my ideas–I loved it!  She is so gorgeous and has such a perfectly round belly, don’t you think?  She even sported high heels–now that is commitment to the art!  He he!  She was a former dancer and was a natural in them.  We found all sorts of fun little nooks and crannies to photograph her in–I was loving it!  I am just so excited to meet their sweet Brooklyn when she makes her debut next month.  Thanks for a fabulous session–it was so wonderful to meet the both of you!!

xoxo,

laura

Yay!  I am SO excited to present to you the entries for the {mod babe} casting call.  Please only vote for ONE baby boy and ONE baby girl.  Only ONE vote per IP address and person–we are checking, and unfortunately, if more than one vote comes from the same IP address, it will not count toward the total.  Thanks for keeping this fair.

In the event that the winning baby does not sit up on their own by the date of the shoot, we reserve the right to contact the runner up and instead consider the winning baby for alternate shoots when they can sit up on their own.  Please refer to this blog post for full details. Thank you for understanding. 

*There are two polls–one for the girls and one for the boys.  Please continue to scroll down to find them.  Thank you!

**Voting ends at 5:00 pm on Saturday, March 6, 2010***

Our mod babes {girls} ~ in no particular order. 

Online Surveys & Market Research

“Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year:  The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.”

~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

One.  So hard to believe.  My sweet Addison is one today.  Everyone tells you how fast time flies, but it is hard to really feel what they are talking about until you experience it yourself.   I have a mixture of emotions today.  I am sad that my baby is growing up, I am happy for her smiling little face, I feel content that we made it through that first, wonderful year that is also filled with challenges–a year of many sleepless nights trying to help her figure out a sleep schedule, countless hours of nursing, teething and getting used to having two very young children.  See, though, it is hard to call these “challenges”, because as I write this I just see the amazing blessing.  All those nights spent up with Addison in the wee hours of the night nursing her each time she awoke were precious, quiet moments that I got to spend with her and only her.  Moments that I already long for and miss.  I *almost* want to wake her up some nights just to rock her.  Notice I say almost.  Sleep can happen when I’m old.  Right now I have my beautiful children.  My mind travels back to laboring with her and wanting so badly to bring her into the world with peace and love and calmness and being present.  Realizing as she lie next to me in the still of the night with her big, wide eyes staring back at me and not making a sound, that THIS is how it is supposed to be.  THESE are the amazing first moments of having a baby.  Not being drugged up, not tears and sadness, not fear and worry, not wires and ventilators or not holding your baby for ten days.  Addison, you healed me.  I saw that those first days can be relaxing and exhilarating.  You make me so happy and I feel so incredibly blessed to have both you and your brother.  I love the relationship the two of you already have–you one and Jackson three.  Wow.  I have a one year old and a three year old.  How did that happen?!  The past three hundred and sixty five days have been nothing short of spectacular, my love.  Here’s to enjoying the joy of a million more.

all the love in the world,

mommy

the details:

• Submit a photo of your 3-7 month old baby to laura@laurawinslowphotography.com by Monday, March 1, 2010

• Your photos must be recent (taken within the last 3 months)

• Only one photo per child may be entered.

• Photo cannot be a professional photo

• Once the contest deadline is met (March 1st, 2010) no more submissions will be accepted. Photos will then be posted to the blog for voting! Voting will be open for 7 days and only one vote per unique IP address will count.

• When the winners are determined (by the photo with the most votes, one each for a boy and girl) they will be announced and notified!

• Winners must be available to model for the Finley and Oliver commercial shoot on Saturday, April 3, 2010 in Gilbert, Arizona.

• Winner will receive a high resolution CD of 2-5 photographs from the shoot, the Finley and Oliver clothing that they modeled in the shoot, and will appear on the Finley and Oliver website, Laura’s blog and on Facebook.  Photographs of the winners may be used in additional advertising campaigns.

I can’t wait to see all of your beee-a-uu-tiful babes!!

xoxo,

laura

“Photograph:  a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art. ” ~Ambrose Bierce

Ready for some fun?  I am going to post a photo from my iPhone each Friday, just for kicks.  I heart my iPhone and love the ability to just snap candid moments of my kiddos without having to drag out my huge DSLR camera.  It is awesome, and so freeing!  I can just snap away right then and there.   It rocks!  Why not join in with me?  Whether it is a sweet, blurry moment of your children caught on camera that will be in sharp focus in your memories, a beautiful sunrise or a bit of your daily routine, why not take your phone and post a fun photo each week?  If you do, leave me a link in the comments section where I can see yours–on your FB, twitpic or your personal blog.  I would love to see them! 

This photograph was taken on a walk we went on this week.  It was just around sunset, and there is a beautiful area that we love to walk to where there are horses.  Jack and Addison love the horses!  There was just something about the light and the sun setting over the farm that caught my eye…

Have a great weekend, everyone!

“Friends are like cupcakes in my pantry of memories.”

~Anonymous

Okay, so I just NEED to find an excuse to have one of these babies designed.  Amazing!  Are you a fun bride-to-be looking for something that will cause your guests to talk about your reception for years to come?  Hosting a baby shower and want a wow-za centerpiece?  Planning your child’s birthday party?

Read on and drool.

My dear friends Vicki and Ray worked together to design this unique cupcake holder–it is suspended from the ceiling!  I had to share it with you because they design each holder custom to YOU!  That means no one will be exactly the same and you can work with them to create exactly what you want.  They make quite a team–Vicki is an architect and designs the holders and Ray builds them.  Seriously, I could never do that.  They have some serious talent, don’t you think?

If you are interested in discussing how you can have your own designed, just call Vicki at 602.909.6118 or email her at andersvl@hotmail.com.

I want you to just TRY not to think of cupcakes all.day.long. after checking out these gorgeous photographs from a recent wedding they designed this holder for.

A very special thanks to the wonderful Ali of Ali Broach Photography for generously providing her beautiful images.  All photographs in this post © Ali Broach Photography.  Thanks, Ali!

What is your fave type of cupcake?  All chocolate?  Red velvet?  Yummy!

I love this shot and how you can see it suspended from the ceiling…floating cupcakes!

Mmmmm….:)

So, so beautiful and unique, right?  Give Vicki a call to chat with her, pass this on to someone you know, or simply drool over the cool design and delectable cupcakes.  Anyone making a trip to Sprinkles now? 

xoxo,

laura

….Jamaica!!  Yay!  You will LOVE this adorable lemon bib with the soft minky fabric.  Just message me your address and we’ll mail it out to you.  Thanks, girlie!!  Thank you so much to everyone that entered–you all are awesome!  I am so happy you got to check out some of Ivy and A’s amazing clothing. More fun giveaways to come!

Here is adorable Bella modeling an Ivy and A peasant dress and a Dolce Vita Mia headband.  Don’t you want to buy this combo for your little sweetie’s next photo shoot? 

xoxo,

laura

“Just around the corner in every woman’s mind – is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume which will make an enchanting new creature of her. “

~Wilhela Cushman

Ummm….total and utter cuteness, right?!  Want to win this bib?  Read on…squeezably cute baby not included, sorry. 

I am in LOVE with the fabrics, designs and beauty of the clothing from Ivy and A. I recently had the opportunity to photograph some of her new line (much more of that to come soon), and let me tell you–heaven!!  Her clothing is just SO perfect to outfit your little girl in for her photography session.  Bright, gorgeous colors and just sooo magical–really!

Enter to win this fresh-squeezed lemony-goodness bib! The fabric is so crisp and fresh and it has the softest minky dot fabric on the back so that you little sweetie pie will be pampered!  Don’t have a baby?  This makes a beautiful baby gift!

Just visit the Ivy and A, check out Stephanie’s amazing creativity, come back here and leave a comment telling us which design is your fave.  Be sure to include your name!

**For additional entries,

~post a link for this giveaway on your Facebook page and tell me about it here

or

~retweet and come back here to let me know you did so

The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

I think it is so much fun to learn about the amazing women behind the designs.  Take a peek inside Stephanie’s world…