MARDI GRAS FUN [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

Here is just a sneak peek at a downtown session from last week. Little [L] went to her very first Mardi Gras and brought back some tasty souvenirs.

delightfully,

Monica

YARD SALE

updated: Someone bought this thing! I can't believe it. I got actual cash for it!!

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YIKES!

I just found my junior high prom dress in my closet!

Wow. What bad taste and lack of judgement.

This is definitely going into the yard sale pile.

delightfully,

Monica

PURE & SIMPLE [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

Pure & Simple, as it should be.

I am very excited to introduce you to my friend, Sara. She is the owner and founder of Pure & Simple Baby.

www.PureandSimpleBaby.com - organic and fair trade baby products

Did you know?
The Surfrider Foundation estimates that more than half of the litter
on beaches is plastic.

clean, green, earth friendly, ecofriendly, nontoxic, fairtrade
call it what you will, but this our focus, and we're sticking to it.

Pure and Simple Baby...
earth friendly. baby friendly.
Welcome to Pure and Simple Baby where our goal is to offer a full
range of earth friendly products for your little bundles of love.

Pure and Simple Baby was an idea born from a mom who only wants the
best for her little ones, with awareness and respect for the world in
which they will grow up. Our products include cloth diapers, nontoxic
toys, organic apparel, pba free sippy cups and bottles, and much more.
We're also just plain excited about bringing back some of the oldies
like the cloth diapers and glass bottles. These are products that
truly bring us back to the way it was for our mamas and grandmas, and
keeping it pure and simple.

Pure and Simple Baby supports taking responsibility for how we create
products, how they will affect those that use them, and where they
will go when we're done with them. At Pure and Simple baby it's
important to us to support fair trade companies, along with handmade
products, and products that really are what they say they are.

I just LOVE Sophie the giraffe!

I just recently purchased these Kidishes and LOVE them! No more worrying about yuckies from plastic seeping into my kids' foods. AND I don't have to worry about breaking my good plates! These things are indestructible!

I am very excited to be sharing a room at the Frei's home with Sara and her lovely baby products, where our common theme will be FAMILY :)

______________________________

Here is the website again where you can find all of the information about our event:

Pensacola Art

Thank you for supporting our local community!!

delightfully,

Monica

PENSACOLA ART [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

Finally! Time to tell you what I have been so excited about!

My friends, Hans & Marina Frei, are hosting a Spring Event at their home. Their beautiful home. There will be a variety of artists and professionals who take a "green" look at their businesses. I am proud to be one of those.

WHO WE ARE:

A group of individuals & small local business owners who are a bit unique.

Creative. We encourage imagination. We also do our best to protect Mother Nature.

To read a description of each of us, please visit:

www.PensacolaArt.com

If you read my blog, then chances are you have seen my work. I will of course be there, but there will also be several people that I will be excited to meet and see again.

One such person is Sara Phelan of Pure & Simple Baby. She offers earth friendly and baby friendly products. Her items help create a safer and healthier home for us and our children. I recently purchased Kidishes. They are tempered glass bowls and plates for children. You no longer have to worry about chemicals and toxins from plastics seeping into your child's food when you reheat. I don't know about you, but I cook extra so that I can reheat. This product gives me peace of mind. Sara also offer an entire host of other products. Check out her site here.

There will also be several artists, including children. I cannot wait to see what they have to offer.

Another business that I am excited to learn more about is Emily Peterson of The Garden Gate. Her purpose is to provide her customers with Earth Friendly, People Friendly, and Wildlife Friendly landscapes. She will help you create a landscape that works for you, instead of you working for it.

And no post is complete without photos. Here is Sara's beautiful daughter with her snuggle Watson... one of Sara's many earth friendly products.

See you there!

March 19

5-8 pm

and

March 20

11-4pm

This is a very Eco-Friendly event We encourage you to carpool and bring your own

reusable bottle or cup for drinks. Hans & Marina’s home is registered as a Natural

Wildlife Habitat. As such, their landscaping is completely natural. Heels are not recommended.

Please visit www.PensacolaArt.com for directions.

Help us support local businesses :)

delightfully,

Monica

[natural. beautiful. You] [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

So this is where I am.

As you grow and change as a person, you do the same as an artist.

I have been fortunate to have very (positively) influential people surrounding me lately. My husband is always there for me, especially on those not-so-great days, to show me the big picture and pull me out of the weeds. He helps me stay focused on the important things and forget the insignificant things that bother me. My children are always there with a smile. I am very blessed to have truly happy children. Don't get me wrong, they have their meltdowns. But for the most part they shower me with hugs and kisses and the occasional statement, "you're a good mommy." It doesn't get any better than that.

I also have help with all things photography from my great friend, Michelle. If I have a business or technical question, I know she is always happy to help me along my journey. It is because of her, I know I can be great.

I have also made a new and wonderful friend since moving here to Pensacola. She has helped me in many ways. In fact, the word help seems such an understatement. It all started with sleepless nights after our move and horrible back pain. My mother in law recommended the mother of a child in her class who was a massage therapist. However, Marina is much more than that. She has become an endearing friend who is there to help in any way she can. Her solutions are always so simple - yet so significant. She and her family have such loving and giving souls. They inspire me to be better. To make a difference. I have learned to stay more clearly focused and depend less on "things." They have also taught me how to be more aware of my impact. Not only on others, but the environment.

I say all of that to get to this. I am finally coming into my own with my style with my photography. I have found what truly brings me joy. It all seems to gravitate around all things natural -

The outdoors.

The laughter of a child.

The heartwarming smile of a mother holding her newborn.

Things, emotions, events that occur naturally and hold such beauty. It inspired the new text found on my homepage:

[natural. beautiful. You]

I believe this is the feeling that my images convey. Nothing made up. Just you. Being just you.

Here are a few of my favorite images:

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My Eco-Challenge for this month:

In this quest to be simpler, I am trying to collect less things. One major thing is plastic bags. I am doing my best to remember my reusable bags, and if I forget I just carry my items out in my arms. I am also designing reusable bags to package your orders. A small and simple thank you that you can use over and over.

April 22 is Earth Day, and I hope that by then I can no longer rely on any plastic bags.

Any one else in????????? If so, leave a comment and we'll try to keep each other on track!

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One last thing in this never ending post...

Mark your calendars for the Frei Spring Event

Friday, March 19

5:00 - 8:00 PM

and

Saturday, March 20

11:00 - 4:00 PM

Hans & Marina will graciously open their home to several artists and local small business owners that share a love for creativity and the environment. I will give more details in a separate post. See you there!

To learn more about Marina please click here.

And to learn more about the event they are hosting please click here!

delightfully,

Monica

CRAZY GOOD CHAOS [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

So, did you think I fell down the rabbit hole along with Alice? Well, it is something kinda like that.

Right now I feel like I am trying to drink from a water hose. (Thank you, Danielle, for that analogy!) My brain, she's all-a-tizzy! I have SO many ideas about what I want to do - what direction I want to go with my business - that I can't quite think clearly. Oh yeah, and I'm a mom, so my thoughts are ALWAYS interrupted! I have been trying to blog for over a week now and could not pull it together enough to make anything make sense. So I thought I would just explain myself so maybe you could read into my craziness :)

While I was trying to harness all of my ideas, I couldn't do anything photography related, so I attempted to craft. Here is the outcome:

(Thanks Jenn for making me feel all crafty!)

I am working on a post with all of the information about the

wonderful event

March 19 & 20

being held at the Frei's home to showcase local artists

and unique businesses.

All with a green theme.

So get ready to mark your calendars!!

delightfully,

Monica

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

I saw this post last week by Tara Whitney, and thought it would make a great read. I have never read nor seen anything to do with Alice in Wonderland. Although I have ridden the tea cups at Disney...

I went to the bookstore to buy the pretty pink book, and then wandered into the children's section. There I found this beautiful book. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. So Reagan and I are reading a chapter every night.

I don't know how kid-appropriate it is. I have trouble following the guy sometimes. But we stop and summarize and talk about the beautiful illustrations. And I try to read all of the grown-up jargon myself and skip to the kid stuff for her. She can't wait to hear what happens next every night. And neither can I.

delightfully,

Monica

RUB A DUB :) [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

Don't you just LOVE everyday fun?

I do.

Nothing special except their expressions.

Happy Tuesday :)

delightfully,

Monica

CANDY!! [Monica Brown, Pensacola Photographer]

What a FUN day! Valentine's Day has gotten so much more fun since kids :) Hearing Reagan squeal because she got a heart shaped ring pop is much more exciting than wondering if I got Jake something that was thoughtful yet useful. We still exchange cards, but the gifts are all about the kids. Luke got some conversation hearts since I am not willing to even imagine the mess if I gave him a lollipop.

about to take a lick :)

We celebrated mostly last night. Jake took us all out for sushi. My favorite. The kids behaved wonderfully and ate all of their food. Reagan with chopsticks and Luke with his hands. Then we went to buy mattresses for the guest room (painted it today - show finished pics later!) and on to Dunkin Donuts for a treat. YUM.

Hope you have a most delightful day!!!

Monica

WHAT WE'RE UP TO [Monica Brown, Stay at Home MOM]

**edited** Did anyone see Reagan the first time they looked at this photo? She sure is sneaky :)

As most of the US is under several feet of snow, we are eagerly awaiting our flurries :) It is too cold for my taste for the kids to play outside very long, so we made a day of just playing with our thousands of toys. AND we pretended we were monkeys.

TOTALLY against the rules to climb over the back of the couch, jump on the couch, etc. But they look so darn cute doing it I just had to get out the camera. Now I have encouraged it. Oops.

Hope your day is just as delightful ;)

Monica