#motherhood inspired
I’ve been waiting almost a year to be able to share photos of the time that my son and I spent on set, filming AMC’s Hell On Wheels. So with the final few episodes now airing and Cooper’s big debut revealed, I’m excited to finally share some stories and photos from our amazing experience.
Let me first say that there is nothing like being a part of the magic of show business…
I’m a thirty-something mom of two little boys and I live a three and a half hour plane ride from the nearest family. Starting a family was something that both my husband and I really wanted. I knew it was going to be tough, being without grandparents to help but I didn’t care, I wanted babies. I would stay at home and raise them, like my mom did, and he would go to work everyday to provide for us. The plan was in place. And after three pregnancies and the birth of two beautiful boys, our family was complete.
And I was happy. I loved (and still do!) being home and being a mother. It’s the hardest and most rewarding “job” there is in life. But what maybe I wasn’t so prepared for was how mentally and physically exhausted I would be some days. A cup or two of coffee in my favourite mug from The Top Knot Boutique and a glass of wine were things I looked forward to every single day.
After awhile, something started creeping in: resentment. I would watch my husband every morning: wake up well rested, get dressed up in a nice suit, take his travel mug of hot coffee and head with purpose to the office. He’d come home at 6:00 (or later) every night telling me of the nice lunch he’d had at a restaurant downtown or the beer he’d shared after work. All the adult things he got to partake in. Then there was me: feeling like if I had to deal with one more tantrum, change one more diaper, do one more load of laundry, or empty the dishwasher one more time, I was going to go outside onto the front porch and scream.
My heart goes out to all the families affected by the wild fires in Fort McMurray. On special days like Mother’s Day, a time for love and family, so many people are experiencing absolute devastation. Their homes and neighbourhoods destroyed and they have lost everything. I know that safety is always the number one priority and obviously lives are way more important than tangible items. But I don’t think we should disregard how important some things are to us too. How do you put a value on those sentimental objects?
It got me thinking about the contents of my home. If my home was on fire, and I could save one thing, what would it be? What’s something that no amount of money could replace? After only a moment’s thought I decided it would be a letter from my mother…
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Love always, xoxo
For the past year, I’ve been wanting to share a personal story. So here is goes: I am Canadian and my Mom, Nancy, was American. Growing up, we took frequent trips to visit her family in Texas. We had good times filled with warm weather, tons of Mexican food, church visits and shopping. Each time, she always brought me to her favourite store: James Avery Jewelry. I’ve been wearing one of their simple silver crosses for the past 18 years.
I wanted to share a little bit of the history from their website:
“Then craftsman James Avery opened his garage workshop back in 1954, he established a standard of doing all things well. A tradition continued today, the iconic Avery style is achieved through meaningful design and skilled craftsmanship. Careful consideration and attention to detail goes into everything we create. Our jewelry is made to last and be enjoyed by you for years to come.”
Or in my case, generations to come. When my Mom passed away last February at the young age of 57, my family and I headed to Texas to say goodbye and collect some of her things. My mom’s husband showed up to the church with a James Avery bag, full of their signature orange boxes and jewelry. I knew that she loved James Avery but I had no idea how much. And now these rings and necklaces belong to my brothers and I. They are the most precious things that I have to remember her by and they have now become family heirlooms that we will one day pass on.
A couple years before she died, she sent me a charm bracelet in the mail from James Avery with three charms. She included a letter and a catalogue explaining that she wanted me to start my own bracelet but that “it was a work in progress”. When I returned to Texas last year, I drove to one of their stores and made a decision that although she started this bracelet for me, I wanted to finish it as a tribute to us and the things that we both loved: music, books, ladybugs and of course, Texas. It was something that we made together in life and in death.
Through my photos, James Avery miraculously found me on Instagram and after sharing my story, I struck up a friendship with someone special from their company. She was gracious enough to feature the photo of my charm bracelet in their new Valentine’s Love catalogue. When I received mine in the mail last week, I cried when I saw it. My Mom would have thought it was just so neat that our favourite jeweller recognized us.
I wanted to feature a couple of new pieces from the catalogue. The script initial rings in “x” and in “o” and the Flowing “Love” Hook-on bracelet… the perfect pieces for Valentine’s Day. Their new line dedicated to Love is just so meaningful, whether is signifies the love of a spouse, parent, or child, it resonates with everyone. My mom always ended her letters in “Love always, Mom xoxo” so these sterling silver pieces are just another little daily reminder of her.
Valentine’s Day has a new meaning for me, as it was the very last time I ever spoke to my Mom. If you’re looking for something timeless and special to add to your jewellery collection please got to: www.jamesavery.com
xoxo,
Kiki
Shop the details: Script Initial Rings / Love bracelet / Nails: Flamingo TruShine Gel with Pop of Hearts and Love Letters nail wraps
I absolutely love family photos. Every fall, I round up the gang and despite complaining, arrange to have our family life captured in a moment. It’s always a bit of a race against time here in Calgary. The leaves change colour quickly with the cooler weather, giving you a small window of two to three weeks before they fall to the ground. This year I chose Kaley Hayward Photography: an awesome local Calgarian photographer that I will definitely use again next year! I love how bright and natural our photos turned out. She also caught some beautiful candid moments.
I love yearly photos for a few reasons:
1. If you do this in the same season, you will have a great snapshot of how everyone has grown in a year’s time.
2. It makes for beautiful photos to use to decorate your home.
3. Use these photos for your Holiday cards and photo gifts to family members. Check out Shutterfly for great options!
1. If you have young kids, do a mini-session! This was our first time doing an official mini-session this year and it was perfect! These sessions usually have a 20-30 minute time frame and it’s just enough time to get some great shots before your children run out of patience. It is also much cheaper than a full photography session.
2. Choose 3 colours for your colour scheme. For our photos this year, I chose navy blue, forest green and cream. Whatever you choose, try and get at least one neutral colour in there as it is easier to match. One bright colour is great too (think red!). I ALWAYS go to Joe Fresh for family photo coordination. This time of year, their stores are filled with cozy sweaters, plaid flannels and cute jeans… in my opinion the perfect combinations. It’s easy to coordinate and everyone will look casual without looking too dressed up. Jeans are always a great option for everyone!
3. Get your photos outside. The natural lighting and beautiful backgrounds are exactly what you want. A cloudy day is actually better than a sunny one for outdoor photos! No shadowed faces or squinty eyes to worry about.
4. Pick a prop! I wanted to have a few fun, matchy-matchy toque photos for our Christmas card. I went with Cooper Toques in cream, blue and sky blue for my boys and a Ryan Beanie in charcoal for my hubby. I love how cute it turned out! Check out my Etsy Shop to order some for your family or email me: kristinldavies@yahoo.ca
5. A couple little tricks for the mommas: wavy hair looks better than straight, make your smile stand-out with a darker shade of lipstick, and a little extra make-up will still look quite natural on camera.
If you’re looking for my outfit details, shop them on my previous post.
Now say cheese!
Love, Kiki www.harpers-hats.com
If you are dreaming of Italy but won’t be getting there
anytime soon, try one of their signature beverages this summer. When my husband and I were vacationing there
last week, this bright orange drink seemed to be
enjoyed by locals and tourists at every cafe, bar and restaurant we passed. On our second day in Venice, we pointed it out to our waitress and she promptly called it a “Spritz”. And you know the
cliché “When in Rome…” (or Venice, right!?) so we ordered two and gave it a
whirl.
We were soon hooked on this delicious and refreshing
beverage. I’d never tasted anything like
it in Canada before, so while in Siena, we commissioned our bartender to show us
how to make it and what ingredients we would need. Needless to say we did fill one suitcase full
of wine, lemoncello and Aperol for the journey home. The good news for you is that all these
ingredients can be purchased in North America too!
Spritz Recipe:
Prosecco –A dry sparkling white wine from Italy, made from
Glera grapes.
Aperol – An Italian Aperitif that was a sweet tangerine
taste with hints of bitter spices.
Soda Water – good ol’ carbonated water.
Fill your white wine glass half-full with ice. Add 3 ounces of Prosecco, then 2 ounces of
Aperol. Top with 1 ounce of soda
water. Garnish with an orange slice and
green olive! The ratio is always 3:2:1 so you can use that to make a smaller or larger drink!
Salute!
Kiki
Watch for upcoming blog posts on “How to do 10 days in Italy” and “Cinque Terre: The Italian Riviera” !
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents” – Emilie Buchwald
It’s been just over a month now since my mom passed away. As I adjust to living with the grief and trying to continue with my everyday life as a wife and a mother, I think of her constantly. What I miss the most about her is her voice. My mother, Nancy, was born in Arkansas and raised in Texas.
She had the most beautiful loud southern accent, and boy, did she love to talk. After she met and married my dad, she moved to
Canada and had my brothers and I. Growing up north of the border, everyone used
to comment on her “cool Texas accent” filled with unusual words like “ya’ll”
and “reckon”. I never really noticed it because
she was my mom, and that’s the voice I heard all the time… it was normal to
me.
My mom loved to read and she loved to read aloud to us. I know that I inherited my passionate love of
books from her. It’s something we shared throughout her life. After my mom moved back to Texas later in life, I would send her all of my favourite reads from the year, prompting phone calls and emails at all hours with messages like this:
“Well I hope you’re happy that I’ve been up since 2:30 this morning
reading this darn Twilight book – just like I did with The Da Vinci Code when we
were in Paris. Shame on you – old people like me need their sleep!
LOL Love, Mom”
Now that I am a mom, I
cherish the time I take to read to my kids everyday. I hope that I am fostering the same love of reading that I was given. My 3 year old will not even consider going to
sleep without a story. Even on the
nights when we’ve already let him stay up past his bedtime, I still lay down in
his little boat bed and read him a book.
There is just something so relaxing and comforting about a parent’s voice. I want my boys to remember this
quality time that we are spending together.
In honour of her memory, I am sharing my 5 favourite books to read with my boys. I am a sucker for rhyming books with a rythmic story line:
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey
Rinker
Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett (this one even comes with
tickle monster mitts!)
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
My favourite part about all of these books is that they were all given to my children as gifts. They weren’t ones that I picked out but someone else did with my boys in mind. I’m sharing them with you today in hopes that you will pass your favourites on to your kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, etc. Our kids will outgrow their toys, but they won’t outgrow these stories. I still have my childhood copy of my Mom’s favourite “The Velveteen Rabbit” and my Dad’s favourite “The Polar Express”. Isn’t it wonderful how we love these books as much as our children do? Maybe it’s the memories we love and cherish the most. I miss you Mom.
Love to all,
Kiki