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Hi, my name is Danielle and I love being a mom. Even though being a mom, has at times been the hardest job that I have ever had to do, it has also been the most rewarding. My kids are my life and I would bend over backwards to give them the world. I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to them. Just yesterday I legit started crying during a parent teacher conference, because my son’s kindergarten teacher was telling me how great he is and thanking us for being good parents. It happened. I’ll admit, I haven’t always been the most confident person. Hearing those words to me meant so much because, I have spent way too much time feeling like I wasn’t good enough at anything.
My family kind of fell apart when I was a kid and I definitely spent most of my youth and young adulthood trying to survive on my own, instead of figuring out who I really was or what I wanted out of life. My husband and I had our daughter at twenty four and five years later came our son. After he was born I found myself in a place where I was able to leave my job and stay home with my kids. It was a dream that I always wanted but I never thought possible. Unfortunately once I there, I wasn’t mentally and emotionally able to appreciate it. I had worked full time for eleven years before that while also going to school part time for nursing. So many things had changed in my life over that course of time.
My husband and I have been together since we were fifteen. We have built a house, become parents twice, lost three beloved dogs to old age and experienced all the aspects of growing up together. We were only 29 when our son was born and I felt like I still didn’t have a clue who I was or what I wanted out of life. It was really the first time that I ever had the choice to make my life something that I wanted instead of what we needed. I realized that I could focus on finishing school if I wanted to but, I also realized that I didn’t want to become a nurse. I gave it some time and finally decided that I should just follow my heart and go to art school like I had always wanted since high school. My family had talked me out of pursuing art which I had always regretted.
I finished college, got a degree in photographer and became a professional photographer. I have been photographing newborns, families and weddings for the past three years. I am finally happy! I feel like I am becoming the person that I was meant to be and doing the thing that I was meant to do. But, I have so many other artistic interests and loves. During the pandemic I dove back into blogging and making jewelry, crafting with my kids, drawing, painting, playing with my new Circuit and crochet. I was also spending a lot of time cooking, baking, making videos and being present on social media. But, when I went back to work this past summer I struggled to find the time for any of the things I was during during quarantine. Adjusting back to normal life was tough but, for the first time I felt happy returning to work so I realized all over again that I know my heart is truly happy with photography and I have found a career that brings me personal fulfillment yet allows me a lot of time at home with my family which is exactly what I was looking for. I want to be home with my kids as much as I possibly can but, I know that I need a little bit of me time too and I have found that balance which is my ideal life.
This page used to say some frilly stuff about loving to run and shopping both of which are still true but not the real me. I never wanted this blog to be so not authentic that my readers couldn’t see who I was. But, for a long time I was so unhappy that every time I tried to blog my words came out as sad and grumpy and not anything that anyone would want to read. So when I started this blog I made it super happy and all about my kids. I wanted to only share that side of myself but now I am ready to let myself be seen for who I really am. We all have ups and downs, life is a journey full of balance, that is the only truth I know to be the most real. I am not perfect, I am not Instagram fame, I am not Facebook popular, I am borderline geriatric on TikTok but I love blogging, I love making fun graphics for my kids and sharing recipes so here I am once again, writing.. another thing I have always loved to do. I hope if you are reading this that you enjoy this blog and all the little bits of our lives that I share.
xoxo, Danielle