Tonight, I discovered printstagram. I’ve ordered my 48 miniprints and can’t wait to get them! I think they’ll be fun for little projects, as well as scrapbooking.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I felt compelled to take photos on Mother’s Day. With my mom’s recovery, I’m realizing that I need to make sure I take lots of photos of the people who are important to me. Even when I feel lazy and just want to sit and chat and savor the time. It only took about 5 minutes to take the photos I took and I already treasure them so much.

These two have such a bond. Makes me smile and tear up all at once.

I had each of the kiddos get in a shot with Grammy. I haven’t made a point to do that in a while. The little ones still climb on her lap and snuggle, but the big boys not so much.

I did a series of engagement shots of Jared and Beth in the hammock and have wanted to get a family shot since Eli was born. I love how he’s holding his foot. Babies are awesome.

I love this photo. I know I look a little bedraggled, but I still love how candid it is and how the babes are all piled together. I could just squeeze them to pieces.

God bless!

For those of you who are going through difficult times that make Mother’s Day difficult, I’m so sorry. I wish I could give you a tight hug. The desire to be a mom, being a mom, losing a mom, missing a mom or child…many emotions associated with this holiday. I think of how grateful I am, but I also think about those who are struggling.

I recently photographed three generations of beautiful women. I call them “the 3 Ls and gator”. They are unbelievably strong women, who also happen to be rather ornery. They love to give each other a hard time and mess with each other. Fun evening with lots of laughs.

So pretty.

They brought their faithful guard dog Gator. Oh what a great dog he is!

I just love these ladies! What great timing for a session like this, to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Have a great day and God bless!

auntie em (emily) - I love your LO! The caption…’He’s awfully nice’ totally cracked me up! Talk about understated… hehehe! I think that little sweetie is so precious and adorable!!! That’s the best line ever!

Congrats Auntie Em! If you could please send me your address, I’ll pass it on. Thanks to everyone for participating in the blog hop!

I knew going into Jason and Amanda’s engagement session that it would be fun, lighthearted and wonderful. When I met with them this past winter to talk about their wedding, we could have chatted all night! They proved to be just the way I knew they would be during their engagement session…

Jason had the idea of a little Charlie Brown and Lucy action. I loved it.

Hello puddle.

So pretty.

I can’t wait to photograph their big day in August!

God bless!

I’m not sure if the show, “Clean Sweep” is still on TLC? But I have always liked the concept. So I decided to take that approach to my dining room. I needed a fresh start, but I think I was ignoring it because I don’t have the furniture that I want right now, and rather than make it the best it can be as is, I was choosing to just wait and live with it a mess.  I do this quite often in my home…if it can’t be perfectly the way I want it, I just ignore it. But since life isn’t perfect and we can’t always buy what we want, or even find the perfect pieces, why not make it the best it can be until the timing of everything comes together? I decided to give it a go. Here’s what the room looked like when I started:

Nothing horrible, just not pulled together. I know what I want and need in a dining room table and sideboard, but I haven’t found them yet. The table is going to be difficult to find, so I might as well settle with this for now.

Dining room spring clean and restyle process *b* list:

• Clear the room. I think clearing the room out, allows me to see the space more clearly and frees me to rethink it a little.

• Wash windows, screens, chandelier, woodwork & floors. Just getting everything out of the way and cleaning felt awesome. I use Armorall Auto Glass Cleaner and paper towels on my windows, and a drop of dishwashing liquid and a spritz of the glass cleaner on my woodwork, wood floors and to wipe down the chandilier. I don’t get overly agressive when I clean the chandilier, because it is really old and quite fragile. I can live with it being less than perfectly clean. I use a little bleach water on the screens and allow them to drip dry outside.
• Clear the knick knacks and wipe them all down. I took everything off the shelves and out of the cupboard and got rid of a box of things that I never use. I wiped every little thing off and restyled everything in the cupboard. A little update like this, made me feel so much lighter.

Before:

After:

I have so many dishes and serving pieces that were my Gram’s and I do love them and use them.

• Take a break. I have mentioned “Use what you have Decorating” by Lauri Ward countless times and I still refer to her basic principles. It’s an older book, but timeless in concept. As I was linking her book, I noticed that she has a blog. Awesome! I will be checking it out. Here’s the link to her blog: redecorate. I didn’t immediately put things back after cleaning. I left the room and did a little photo editing. After an hour or so, I went back and sat on one end of the room and rethought what I was putting back. It took a while.
• Put the furniture back and don’t be afraid to try something different. Since I had nothing new (furniture) to put back, I wanted to use what I had a little differently. After putting the furniture in, I took another break.
• Shop your house. I knew I had things in the basement that I wanted to use to replace a few things I was tired of, so I went downstairs and looked around, then I checked the front porch and deck and actually found things in all three spots. By the way, my front porch was a disaster until yesterday. We always take things to the storage bay seasonally and when Tom brought the spring things back recently, I just hadn’t gotten around to arranging them. Plus, I had gone to an estate sale and brought home a wheelbarrow and another wagon, so it was really bad. Tom said it reminded him of Bernheisels (our local salvage yard, which I love btw).

I did have a little motivation to get the front porch all spruced up yesterday…more on that later this week.

• Rethink. Before I put a single thing back in the room, I asked myself if I still loved it and if it fit. I am tending toward a more simplistic style in every area of my life and I want my home to reflect that.
• Stylize. I love fresh flowers and my very favorite flowers are peonies. I bought a peony plant two years ago and last year it died. So I did what I know to do, ask if anyone on facebook has an abundance that they might be willing to barter for or sell. My friend Tracey Cate kindly replied and invited me to help myself! The power of FB and great friends!So prettyTracey texted me last night and said that her white peonies were blooming and that I was welcome to another bouquet! I am a lucky girl!

I am happy with the way the room turned out. Nothing dramatic, but in real life, it really feels so much fresher and pulled together.

I found a rug that I had originally purchased for my entryway, but it ended up being a little too big for the space…I think it works in the dining room for now? The only thing that I had intended to do, but haven’t yet, is to redo the wall hangings. I will need to give that some thought. I have an idea for a really large bold print, but I need to make sure it’s the right one.

I got so into the process while I was working in the dining room, that I continued with the living room. I haven’t photographed it yet, but I will try to get to it today and share soon. I’m happy with the way it looks for now too. Nothing new, just restyled and CLEAN! I also worked on the front porch yesterday and it looks fresh too! I hope to continue throughout the house, as I make it a priority! Nothing gets done if it’s not made a priority…we’re all busy, but we can make choices. I choose to run, I choose to work hard, I choose to make time for people, I choose to make time to read my Bible and pray, I choose to do lots of things that are important. We can’t do everything, but we can find balance.

I love this verse that I read this morning:

“A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away.” Proverbs 14:30

Have a great day and God bless!

Here’s a before photo:

I haven’t bought anything new (yet), but I wanted to refresh this room…you can see if you think it’s refreshed Tuesday : )

Earlier this week, Amber, Addie and I did a little photo session in the park. I was anxious to use this vintage suitcase I picked up a few weeks ago-

LalaLoopsies add nice color. I have no idea if I spelled that right, but I’m guessing those who know about them will recognize them and those who don’t, won’t know the difference!

Sunlight hitting her hair…love.

I think with a new baby brother who we have been taking lots of photos of, it was good to focus on Addie. Being a big sister is not always glamorous.

Don’t forget that you have until Monday to comment on the previous post for a chance to win Cakewalk Little Flyers!

Thanks for stopping by.

God bless!

A few of us on the October Afternoon design team are participating in a blog hop today featuring Cakewalk. More lovely papers and embellishments! I decided to make a layout that’s not about a birthday and it’s not a girly, even though at first glance the collection may look more feminine.

I think it works equally well for a baby boy layout. The stripes, chevron and stars are great for boys!

If you leave a comment on this post, you’ll have a chance to win Cakewalk Little Flyers-

Cute, right? I’ll announce the winner on May 9 : )

Thanks for stopping by, your next stop on the hop is the talented Jill Sprott.

If you want to refer to the complete list:

I think my working hours have caused Tom and I to be more creative about our time together. This past week, I spent a lot of time at the computer working, but I tried to take time each evening to relax a little. By Friday evening, I felt as if I could take the whole evening off for a date night, so I did. It was a dreary night, so it was perfect for a movie. We hadn’t been to a movie forever. Tom picked The Lucky One and we both enjoyed it quite a bit. Zac Ephron grew up… I didn’t know that : ) Anyway, all that to say, we had a sort of normal Friday night date night and it was great!

I know that working non-traditional hours are not uncommon at this point in time for a lot of people. I just think that even though so many of us are in this position, culture still dictates that weekends rule for downtime, so personally, I’ve had to make a conscious effort to NOT get in a rut about when we have date nights, or when we meet friends for dinner or socialize. I have learned that taking time during the week to get out and do things, and have downtime is pretty much essential. It’s just a mindset readjustment.

I do have to say that I love that I can do my editing work on my own schedule and don’t punch a time clock. I don’t know how I would ever work a 9-5 job again.

I recently photographed Taylor and I used one of the photos from her session for a 2peasinabucket photo challenge. I would love to have you take up my challenge and post your photo. Shooting from the hip and no look shots are one of my favorite things!

I did a little shooting from the hip on Saturday. I photographed Brandon and Kiley’s wedding reception and it was such a great time! They actually were married in Jamaica a week ago (or so), but they didn’t take me along for those shots. I tried to convince them to take me! But I was more than happy to photograph their celebration right here. It was such an awesome, fun event!

Tom and I took a drive to scope things out a little before the party and this sign made me smile.

The flowers were absolutely stunning.

This piece was huge…and so beautiful!

These two are so laidback and easy to work with.

This pose started as a funny little dramatic thing and then all of us at about the same time noticed it looked amazing!

Love this one.

J’s is such a great spot.

Milo arrived and kinda stole the show a little.

Brandon’s sister Brooke (Milo’s adorable Mom) is one of Jared’s high school classmates. She is such a delightful person!

I love capturing little people and older people at events like this…or anytime. I also like to photograph people totally relaxed.

The men of the family sipping a little scotch.

Kiley and Brandon were so drama-free as a bride and groom! LOVE that. They just seem truly happy to be married and celebrating with their loved ones. So happy for you two!

A little shout out to the vendors:

Venue: J’s Steakhouse The staff was so prepared and every detail seemed to be handled so well. J’s is one of my favorites places to eat in town!

Flowers: In Bloom. I recently photographed Jenefer and her sweet family and enjoyed working with them so much! Jenefer knocked it out of the park with her orchid creations for Brandon and Kiley’s reception. I heard many, many complements for them throughout the evening. She’s making some pretties for my front porch this spring and I can’t wait to see them!

Cupcakes: J’s daughter Ashley made and decorated all of the cupcakes and they were beautiful and delish! If you need cupcakes for an event, I would definitely recommend her.

Guitarist: Nick Leeland from Norfolk. He did a great job, so if you need a guitarist for an event, let me know and I can give you his number. He doesn’t have a website that I can find.

Have a great Monday, God bless!

Gorgeous bouquet by our local HyVee. The sweet quilt was Michele’s as a baby. LOVE.

So many things happened throughout the day that were just so serendipitous…I think we were all feeling God’s touch on the day. We pulled into the May Museum parking lot right behind a beautiful vintage Fleetwood sedan. I had to approach them when they were barely parked to see if they were open to having their car photographed with the bride and groom and they very graciously were all for it! I think they enjoyed it as much as we did. They were so, so sweet about it.

Connor (Steve’s adorable son) said this was his favorite.

This kid is such a joy. He rode with Donna and I to one of the locations and we thoroughly enjoyed conversing with him! Very insightful boy.

Talk about a charmer.

Technically not my best work, but I still like it a lot. What a great example of dedication to vows and love.

Uncle Henry was a charmer too.

Michele with her good friend’s boys. Can you tell she loves children?

Happened to catch this through a door window right before the ceremony.

Kate (Steve’s daughter) is a beauty. and sweet too.

The Pastor nailed it when he said he hadn’t ever seen a couple more delighted with each other. True statement.

I love that Connor went in the getaway car with them! I did not coach him on blowing bubbles either, it was all him.

Steve’s Dad with his siblings.

He fancied himself an FBI dude.

I wish this new family/couple many blessings. They are not only delighted with each other, but delightful people.

I want to give a shout out to

Church Ceremony: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fremont and their awesome wedding coordinator, Melissa Johannsen.

Flowers: Fremont HyVee Floral. I need to stop out and tell them how pretty the flowers were!

Reception: Clarion Inn Exceptionally helpful staff

DJ: Complete Music

Reception Decor: Luann Voss – She says it’s the first time she’s done a project of this size, but she did such a great job! Every little detail was perfect!

That’s it for today! Have a great weekend and God bless!

The winner of the October Afternoon 9-5 Tidbits is:

thearthurz - The Boardroom paper is my absolute favorite! LOVE how you used it at the top and bottom of the page. Gorgeous page!

Congrats on winning! Email me at beckynovacekphotography@gmail.com and I will get you all set up! Thanks for participating!

The winner of the 2peas blog hop and Shannon’s awesome workshop is:

Kelly_S_ - This is my first peas blog hop. Looks like fun! Thanks! peas username: scrap_crzy

Yay for you Kelly! I know you’ll enjoy the workshop!

Thanks to everyone for participating in the blog hops!

Today, I want to share Haylee’s 5 year photos…I photographed her as a newborn and many times between then and now. I love when parents are committed to documenting their children’s lives with photos. Haylee has a personality all her own! Love this girl!

It was a rainy day, so we had to be creative with locations.

I love this shot. Pretty girls.

I really love this one too…her little bruised up shins, her smirk.

Holy cuteness!

Have a great day and God bless!

Every time I run into Michelle at a tradeshow, I’m impressed with how easy she is to talk to, so it was no surprise that  she was such an awesome host for the day! We toured the impressive Meredith campus(very inspiring creative environment!), went to lunch with Michelle, Deb, Lindsey and Jennifer, then Michelle, Lisa and I stopped at a couple of fun shops, including Ephemera (photo of a vignette bottom left corner of collage). We came back to the office and Lisa did an informal presentation on her Project Life process. They have a group of PL ladies in the office who meet monthly to share and keep each other inspired to do PL. I was so pleased when Polly Maly walked in! I had no idea that she would be there and even though I’ve only met her a couple of times, I just think she is such a delightful person! We were on the same flight home from CHA a few years ago and I enjoyed chatting with her so much. On a sidenote, I know that right now, I simply can’t do PL, but if I decide that I can take it on in the future, I have lots of inspiration and ideas for it, thanks to Lisa! She does it so well! I was highly impressed. I do love the concept of PL and I think it’s awesome for documenting life. I threw in a couple of little photography ideas and it was a day! Lindsey did a blog post with highlights, which you can see here. The day went entirely too fast!

We just happened to take Tom’s truck on our little trip because one never knows if there will be the need to transport something large home. We planned to stop by Rescued Junk in Earlham on the way home, so we were prepared! This little shop is a must-see stop if you are in the Des Moines area. More on that in my *b* list. With my new and more disciplined self (thanks 30 bags/30 days), I have not been the buyer I once was. I still have needs because of the photography business, but I’m much more selective, so I left with just one little purchase this time…although I saw tons of things that I really liked and wanted…

I bought this little gem with a very specific purpose in mind. I’m taking Addie’s 5 year photos next week and I think it will be an adorable prop! After that, we shall see! So that is my little wrap-up of our fabulous day at the Meredith Corporation Office and road trip! It was such a great getaway with a good friend and good conversation and inspiration. I came home ready to get creative!

I’ve been planning this *b* list for a long time. I kept putting it off for some reason, but today is the day I am finally sharing some of my favorite junking destinations. I think I’m somewhat reluctant to share this, because for so long, I had the mentality of keeping my favorite spots secret. Now I realize that if you want your favorite spots to stay in business, you need to promote them. Right?

*b* list of thrifting faves.

Locals:

• Estate Dispersal Store. I’ve mentioned EDS many times on my blog, but I just want to make sure to list it, just in case you’ve missed it in the past. Denise is an absolutely awesome lady and this is her baby. She has thee best customer service of anyone I know. She bends over backwards to make sure that her customers have a pleasant experience and want to come back. If you are wanting details about where it’s located or when they are open, just click on the link above and I think your questions should be answered. This is a very special place, you never know when you walk through the door what you’ll find. It’s always a surprise. What isn’t a surprise, is how fair the prices are.
• Downtown Fremont shops.

             Yankee Peddler West: Vince and Kerstin have a very well curated collection of unique things.

Lots of great mid-century modern furniture, huge book selection,

amazing collection of art and travel items. They find

truly unique things that you won’t necessarily find elsewhere.

I found one of my favorite art pieces at YPW.

I also found cool vintage square luggage, antlers, bookends, wire baskets, and a pink chair recently.

Uncle Sam’s Antiques

Uncle Sam’s is very special to me. Kurt and Connie are the owners and they are

also my landlords. My photography studio is right above them and I

feel blessed to be where I am, with their support. Here’s the thing I love about Kurt and Connie and

their shop: Fun, whimsy, nostalgia. Their Christmas window is the best in town, no contest!

They recreate The Christmas Story in their window every year and it is awesome!

So fun!

Park Avenue Antiques

If you are looking for wood furniture, this is your place. My sister in law has the most beautiful pieces from Park Ave.

They do an awesome job of restoring, refinishing and building. They are known for large, bold statement furniture.

They are also known for their wire outdoor art. They have a huge selection!

I love to take photos outside the shop because it is always interesting! Cindy, the manager,

will tease me about charging me for using their sets.

The Junction

I really  wanted to keep this one shop “my secret”. Even though tons of my friends go

there and have forever! But I have to come clean and tell you about this one.

It’s a bargain lover’s paradise. You can find great stuff for great prices. I always find a little something

there! I need to stop by today while I’m out running errands…I haven’t stopped by in a long time.

In posting my local favorites, I know I run the risk of forgetting something that I really adore…so if I go about

my day and realize I’ve missed something, there may be a part 2. I’ve been jotting down my thoughts on this

for months, so hopefully, I’ve included all my faves.

One more thing I have to say in regard to my fellow downtown shop owners: they

truly care about the customers and are genuinely helpful and kind. I am

so proud to be a part of this community.

• Telebasta Estate Sales. Oh how it thrills me when I get a red flyer in the mail announcing an Estate Sale by Telebasta.  It’s rare for me to not find something that I need at their sales…and I think it’s in large part due to Norma’s styling. She has a gift for styling their sales so that you can really see things and see the potential. Very inspiring. They have a very distinct business rhythm that I find fascinating too…they have a team that have all been a part of this business for as long as I can remember and they work so well together and their customers trust them and know what to expect. LOVE that.Sea

Seasonal:

• Rescued Junk. This time I linked their FB page, so you can check that out too! Jamie, Donna, Tom and I went to our first Rescued Junk event in January. I was HOOKED! I can’t even articulate how awesome I think this place and everyone/thing associated with it is! I took tons of photos the first time, so here’s a little pictorialSuch a charming place! They are opening a second shop in Des Moines in early June called Silo. Can’t wait to see more from them. I like to support good and talented people!

• Farm Chicks This is right up there with my very favorite seasonal sales. If I could easily get things home from this one, it would absolutely be my favorite. It’s hard when you know you have to be able to take whatever you buy in your suitcase or pay to have it shipped. The whole experience is in Spokane is heavenly…from the accommodations at the Davenport Hotel, to the dining experiences: Anthony’s, Madeleine’s, Chaps and Clinkerdagger(sit on the patio), and beyond amazing vintage inspiration and shopping at the show. Can’t wait for June!
• Father’s Day weekend in Walnut Iowa. Tom and I stumbled across this divine experience in 2001 and haven’t stopped going since! My kitchen island, bedroom dresser, bicycle on my front porch and many other  favorite, favorite decor were found at this sale. I would hate to miss it. It’s become an event for Tom and I along with Donna and Jamie.
• Junk Bonanza  I had known about this seasonal sale for years before I actually attended. I think it’s among the best seasonal sales too. One thing I love about it, is that we can drive and take a pickup and trailer. Plus, we can stop at Ikea. My gray kitchen table on castors is from this Junk Bonanza, along with lots of other smaller treasures. We always find great stuff at this one.
• Santa Monica Flea Market. I’ve only been to this classic once, but I would love to go back. I bought one of my favorite chairs at this sale and had it shipped to Nebraska. I paid as much for shipping as I did for the chair, but I have no regrets. I bought the chair right enough, that it was worth it. That’s the thing about shopping away from home and shipping, you have to buy things right. Then you can sometimes justify shipping.

There you have it, my top choices for thrifting and antiquing. This list doesn’t seem that comprehensive and yet it’s been in the making for a long time and took most of the day to finish up! I hope it’s helpful!

Check back tomorrow to see if you won one of the two giveaways!

God bless your day!