• Elijah and Tyler stayed up entirely to late every night
• The adults tried to stay up late but some (me included) failed miserably! 
• Game night had some fierce competition!  Simon lead off the games with a Spades lesson.  Later, we shifted to Jenga...and man...folks were serious about Jenga!  
• By far, the most hilarious thing was our failed attempt to stay up and watch the movie "London Has Fallen".  Let's just say, there was snoring in the first 10 minutes!  :-)

Take a moment to view a few sweet images from the day.  See the full gallery here. 

My Aunt was beaming in a beautiful gold dress. 

Everyone had a great time catching up as some of my Aunt's favorite soul music played in the background.  

The highlight of the afternoon was the wonderful surprise given by two of the sweetest little girls at the party.  They presented Jo-Alice with birthday cards made by hand!  So sweet!

And we can't forget a birthday kiss from Timmi and LaCarl!  :-)

It is a really cool place to visit.  While not large, if you are a fan of the game, there is plenty to enjoy.  While there, we caught the Dr. Julius Erving movie - which by the way was EXCELLENT!  The highlight of the day for Elijah was playing on the full-sized basketball court.  I have to admit...it WAS kinda cool.  My boy even managed to make a few buckets!!!  (He might have traveled but that's beside the point!)

One of E's all time favorite places to hang out is Edaville Railroad.  By the age of two, he became fascinated with Thomas the Tank Engine.  Now, at the ripe old age of 7, his obsession with Thomas has waned bit but he still loves to hang out at the park.  In the 6 years we have been visiting Edaville, they have expanded the park to include new sections with new rides and entertainment.  On our last visit, we spent much of the day in Dino Land checking out all the dinosaurs.  

Despite the uncooperative weather, we still managed to have a great time celebrating the end of summer.

-S

My experience: clean eating has clear advantages but it is time consuming and a lifestyle change.  To be successful, you must prepare, prepare, prepare.  For me, that means deciding upon meals for the week in advance of my grocery shopping trip.  Normally, I choose meals while walking through the aisles of the grocery store.  Being prepared means washing and cutting up all fruits and vegetables in advance of cooking as a time saver.  Failing to do the prep work in advance translates into hours spent in the kitchen on Sunday.  Being prepared means carrying healthy snacks with me at all times so I am not tempted by non-healthy options.

The verdict: After 21-days of clean eating, I have lost 5lbs, replaced my daily cup of decaffeinated coffee with a natural version made with dandelion, significantly reduced my sugar intake, increased my water intake and and cut down on processed foods.  More importantly, I feel better.  The dreaded sugar crashes that left me struggling to stay awake at my desk each day have dissipated. 

I'm continuing on the clean-eating path.  Now, there are some things I chose to re-integrate into my diet after the challenge.  Ice cream is a staple in my life and I won't give that up!  However, I eat it in moderation and savor it when I do.  :-)

Here are a few of the meals I have made recently.  Enjoy!

-S

Blackberries, mango and avocado salad with cashews and homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Homemade almond flour pancakes with fresh berries.

Another version of the berry salad with a side beverage: Kevita probiotic drink.

-S

A few weeks ago, my little guy and I joined the Hike4Life team for a hike around Franklin Park.  We had a great time exploring the trails and learning about the local wildlife from the hike leader.  By the end of the hike, we covered 3.2 miles in just under 3 hours.  My little guy met some new friends who were equally excited to explore nature.  We had a great time and plan to venture the the Blue Hills reservation for our next hike!

Love,

S

*Franklin Park, Boston's largest park, was established in 1885 as part of the Emerald Necklace park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.  Today, the park spans 485 acres and includes the zoo and the golf course. 

Full disclosure...vacationing with kids (3 boys under the age of 8 to be exact!) is not exactly a relaxing and stress free experience!  Parents know all too well the chaos that can ensue with children who've been traveling all day and not eating & sleeping on schedule. In fact, it can be downright stressful!  I certainly had many moments of frustration with my 6-year old throughout the week.  But I also had many wonderful moments.  Vacationing with your kids offers something immeasurable - time to connect minus the daily grind of cooking, cleaning, laundry, chauffering, etc. I spent time just playing with my son in the pool and at the beach.  There weren't any competing interests vying for my attention. For those 4 days and 3 nights, I did not have to divvy up my time between working, cooking dinner, washing the dishes and spending time with my son. The days belonged to my son and me...to spend however we chose.  As always, I like to capture those moments...not only for me but for my son to look back on and hopefully treasure as I do.

Love,

-S

The invitations for the event were simple yet elegant with a brown and blue color-scheme.

The scheme aligned well with the atmosphere at Legal C Bar. I absolutely loved the space. There was plenty of natural wood that provided a great mix of warm colors as a backdrop for the photos.

When I first arrived, I immediately captured some of the floral arrangements adorning the tables. The floor-to-ceiling windows provided ample natural light to highlight the mason jars filled with green and yellow-hued flowers. 

The cake topper and favors provided a fun pop of color in the space.  I could not help but capture the bright pink favor boxes and ribbons from a few different angles.

The bride-to-be was glowing and excited for her special day! Despite the wedding being 6 weeks away, she was remarkably calm and looked so relaxed.

One of my favorite captures of the day is a photo of Melicia and Nicole, another one of my dearest friends.  The glamour-girl pose was hilarious and captures both their fun-loving spirits.

I truly had a blast spending the day celebrating a dear friend!

-S

We both love the park for different reasons. My son's favorite part is the basketball court. At almost 6 years old, my son does not actually play basketball, nor does he show any interest in the sport. Like most 6 year old boys, my son's favorite pastimes are planes, trains and automobiles. He loves the basketball court because it happens to be home to 10 - 15 communal toy vehicles for the kiddos to push, pull, ride or drive. On any given day, there are bicycles, ride-on cars and ride-in trucks being driven around by kids of all ages. These vehicles have been donated and are available for all children to use while visiting the park.  Children drive or ride around solo or sometimes in a conga line pretending they are stuck in traffic! In fact, one half of the court has been transformed into "streets" with lane markings for the kiddos to follow! 

Last weekend after some time with the cars, I convinced my son to take a walk around the park. In addition to the great toy structures and cars, the park also has walking trails that lead through the woods around the perimeter of the park.  Walking the trails, you get the feeling of being far away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. My son became so excited as we meandered through the tree-lined trails.  Halfway through the first trail, he found a "walking stick" and announced that our "hike" had commenced!  As we walked the trails through the park, I captured a few images of our time in the "great outdoors".  As we ended our first "hike" my son asked if we could find another place to hike on the weekends.  I replied...yes, absolutely...we can.

While the wedding is still several weeks away, Melicia had a chance to sit back and enjoy a day planned especially for her.  The event was hosted by Malaika, the Maid-of-Honor.  Guests were treated to a wonderful afternoon at Legal C Bar in Dedham, MA.  The food was fantastic and the specially selected drinks named in honor of the bride-to-be were a hit!  It was a wonderful afternoon to celebrate the start of a new chapter for Melicia.  Here are a few of my favorite "teasers" from the day!

Enjoy!

-S

Easter always marks the turn of the season for me. Although the weather patterns may still be a little cold and dreary, my spirit gets a lift from coloring Easter eggs. I knew I wanted to photograph some colorful eggs this year so I set out on Sunday to make a batch for a test shoot.  For this batch, I used food coloring. I added a tad bit extra vinegar as I wanted deep, vibrant colors. I let the eggs sit in the color baths for at least one hour. I was quite pleased with the results. The deep hued purples were one of my favorites.  I love the distressed look created by the wire egg holder. 

Shades of Easter...I hope you created some wonderful colors as well this year!

As a child, time was all I had.  I remember long, hot summer vacations spent playing…all…day…long.   Rollerskating on the tennis courts (the surface was so smooth, your skates glided across the courts at breakneck speed!).  Playing any or all of the various forms of organized ball games {insert: kick/foot/base/punch].  Those times were some of the best moments of my childhood.  Moments I will never forget.  

Much has changed since those days skating on the tennis courts.   My days are now spent juggling an amazing and sometimes dizzying collection of experiences called Life.   I realize it is all moving so quickly now.  

Some days, I want things to slow down...just a little bit.  Spending time behind the lens is my effort to slow things down…even if only for a moment.

-Soraya