embracing the moment photo contest! enter now!

we are SO excited to kick off this week and announce our embracing the moment photo contest!

we believe that dressing your baby is an intimate & nurturing time of connection. our line supports and reflects that point of view, and our message to all new parents and seasoned parents is to embrace the moment. it's the simple moments that add up to a life time of memories.

share a favorite moment you captured with our belle&beanzer community, & enter to win one of two gifts from our holiday line. we are looking for special photos that capture embracing the moment with your baby. your images can be taken anywhere in the world. they can share any aspect of embracing the moment with your baby: touching, difficult, or hilarious. 

How to Enter

entering your embracing the moment photo in our contest is super easy & fun!

1. Fill out the entry form & upload your photo: Your baby must be 0-12mos at the time of entry, and you can submit your photo through our website, click on the green box on our homepage, or click here. or, you can submit your photo on our Facebook Fan Page, just click on the "win" tab.

Choose one favorite photo, and submit it just once. The ideal photo size is 100KB, if it's larger we will resize to fit properly. Photos are not expected to be professional quality, it's all about those real moments, but if your picture is too small, blurry, dark or bright, it will be hard for others to see and vote for it.

2. All qualified entries will be posted to our embracing the moment photo album on our Facebook fan page for viewing and voting.

3. Vote! You may vote just once for any one photo, so spread that word so your friends and family can vote for your photo!

Winning

The contest runs starting, today, Monday, 9/10/12 though Monday, 10/8/12.
There will be 2 winning opportunities:

1) Grand Prize winner will be selected by the belle&beanzer panel of judges and will receive one (1)
4 piece holiday gift pack

2) Winner by popular vote will receive one (1) two piece gift set from our holiday collection. 

all winners will be contacted and announced October 13-15th.

please know, the confidentiality of all families who enter are of the highest importance to us. only names, ages, photo & embracing the moment description will be posted

please see official contest rules and regulations for more details.

we are so looking forward to seeing all these special moments together!
can't wait to see your photo, please, enter now!

things are looking up: inspired moments

it's warm, sunny, and all you have to do is lay down in the grass,
reach out for the hand next to you, and look up. 

just. BE. right. there. 

…maybe you'll point out an unusual shape…

…you'll whisper, because you're respectful of the moment…

 

…your mind wanders, and it goes nowhere at the same time…

…you take a deep breath and really exhale. and suddenly, an idea hits you. it's a good one.
you feel the excitement churn in your belly. you smile. this is good.

i saw these on sweet peach and I've been looking at them all week. They are  Kathryn Kolb's photography, and I am HOOKED. There is no end to the many ways they inspire me.
I've got ideas for prints, business cards and watercolor artwork…
I want to hike, swim, garden and make mojitos! 

happy friday all! wishing you many inspired moments this weekend!

Loose yourself in a good story

I've questioned it, doubted it, and been flabbergasted by it. But, my allergies don't lie.

Spring. Has. Sprung. 

So, we brought out the deck furniture we wasted our time putting away, and we've been enjoying spring "summer-like" evenings outside together.

Ava surprised me and brought out the Eeboo Tell Me A Story cards. If you haven't seen them yet, they are beautifully illustrated story cards. Pictures only, no text. Each person picks a card and tells a piece, the next piece, of the story that is inspired by the card. It's different every time, and is SUCH an opportunity to really hear your children, and get a peek into those amazing little minds. 

Ours went something like this…

(yes, I picked the first card. It was a small witch in a bottle.)

once upon a time there was a witch, and she was HUGE. I mean, like, really, really big. Waaay bigger than everyone in her village. while this little witch did have a big kind heart, she also had a very bad temper. when she was mad, she stomped her feet, she plugged her big ears when she didn't want to listen, and shouted louder than anyone. and, when she stomped, the village rumbled, and when she shouted the homes shook. the villagers were upset, so they told the queen. and the queen said, "sweet little witch, you are a kind and good witch. but, your temper is destroying our village. if you do not stop, i will have no choice but to shrink you no bigger than my thumb" the little witch new she should not stomp and shout, but once again she became angry, and she did. the village streets cracked, the villager's homes shook and some fell, and again and three more times! and the queen told her,"sweet little witch, you are a kind and good witch. but when you loose your temper it destroys our village, and because you cannot stop, i must shrink you no bigger than my thumb," and with that, the queen cast a magic spell and poof! There sat a now tiny little witch. Into a bottle she went for safe keeping, and time to think...

…that little witch did not like being in a bottle, so she wrote a long letter and threw it out into the ocean for someone to read and come find her. it floated along until a tiny leprechaun found it. he was small like her, and had never been big. he thought she sounded sad, decided to come find her and be her friend…

…along the way, the leprechaun came across a great big castle. he did not see anyone in the windows our outside. but, he was tired from his long trip and needed a nap and some food. so, he decided to visit the castle to see if anyone was home and would give him some food and a bed to nap…

…when he was almost to the castle, he met a magic fairy, but she was really a princess and didn't know it. They made friends, and decided to go to the castle together. It turned out that the castle was HERS and she was the long, lost princess fairy of the kingdom! Everyone was so happy to have her home. They decided to throw her a big party. The princess and the leprechaun wanted to go find the witch and invite her to the party too…

…they found the sweet little witch, and she had been thinking about it and decided she was happier when she used all her bigness: heart and body, and she was very excited for the party. So, the princess fairy cast a magic spell and the witch was big again. She was big enough to carry everyone in the village to the party in her hands.

Everyone danced and had a lot of fun. 

Then End.

When is the last time you totally made up a story?

What is your favorite childhood story?

What's the best story your child has shared with you?

All the moments add up

Happy Friday! It's a super, BIG, fun weekend ahead! My little dream team and I are attending the Playtime show and the ENK show. We're walking the floor to check out space, layout and to get inspired. Then, we're out for drinks to discuss and brainstorm! I'm so excited to have a day with these two wonderful women. They have been rock solid in their belief in me, and what the brand stands for. They are crazy talented, and I have a feeling I'm going to want to move into my booth space by the time we're done designing it! Check out Monday's post for a full update. 

As I close the week, and look towards the upcoming weekend. I've been taking note of all those little moments that have added up to what was really a wonderful week. Because when you look back, do you really remember be stuck in traffic, out of eggs, or mail you forgot to send? Probably not, and if you are, start a new mental record! Perception is everything!

Jonah: (Holding up an Olivia pig and handing me Llama) mama, will you pway wif me?

Me: sure!

Jonah: (pig to llama) hi, I'm owibdia. You my friend?

Me: hi, I'm llama! Yes, I'm you're friend.

Jonah: I wuv you (pig kisses & hugs llama) come wif me, wets pway!

Me: (melting)

~~~~~~

Ava: But, I want to take care of Daddy too! Me and Jonah both want to!!

(after being told she was spending the night at her grandparents when Andrew got out of surgery)

~~~~~~

Walking into the market, a little cutie barely walking come careening down the aisle at me, laughing. A few minutes later, still laughing, I saw him nuzzling his mom as well. His mom now laughing too. Buckling my seat belt I faintly heard the now familiar laughter, and looked out my window to see this happy little guy in his stroller laughing, babbling and pointing. I was now laughing too, again. THAT was joy. I'm honored to have witnessed it. And proof positive you can literally share your joy!

~~~~~~

As we discussed new biz seed money

Andrew: Personally I see this as a much better investment of our money.

~~~~~~

Ava rolling in the grass, frolicking around as she giggles and displays the "beeauteeeful" white flowers (weeds) growing in our yard like Vanna White. All the while she's chirping, happily:

it's spring, it's spring! It's so much fun bc it's spring!!

~~~~~~

Andrew making me laugh so hard coffee dribbled out of my mouth and almost out of my nose.

~~~~~~

Geese proudly, if a bit arrogantly, but certainly with conviction of sense of self, crossing the road while 5 VIPs in cars (myself included) are forced to wait, take a moment and watch. We all  look at each other as we pass, waving, laughing and smiling.

~~~~~~

Jonah: Is that mine?? Is that my big one? Actually, I want a big one.

little head can be seen over the edge of the counter, as he excitedly bobs up and down on his toes trying to see into the bowls of yogurt Andrew can't fill fast enough

~~~~~~

Beautiful, surprise, 70 degree, sunny walk with Andrew, holding hands and everything.

What can you discover?

It's 5 days into the season of love, and we are not done yet!

Don't loose steam, go big with love this weekend!!

Maybe your circumstances aren't ideal right now or this weekend, I myself am cuddling
my sick baby, and our weekend adventure with our family to Vermont is off.
But, don't let that be an excuse. Instead, let it be your motivation to
embrace your moments where & when you can, and enjoy them fully!

Below is a page from my daughter's art journal. This was the first art project she started
on her own. She's been drawing pictures ranging from exotic animals, to fantasy narratives,
to her ever day - her home and family, and writing descriptions to them.
Every page in a while, there is a little note, like this one below.

Out of the mouths of babes, adventure is in the eyes of the beholder!!

What can you discover??

Have a beautiful weekend!!

Love, me