dear stephanie,
stop worrying about how you look
or what you are wearing
or if you have makeup on.
look at this photo. just LOOK at it.
look at cate's teeth. look at the look on lucy's face.
it's a treasure.
i have never once looked at a photo of my mother and scrutinized what she is wearing or how her hair is styled or if she is wearing makeup.
the fact is, i treasure these. even though they were taken hastily, even though i forgot to take my sunglasses off, even though they aren't perfect...
they are perfect to me.
i am not the only one in the family capable of taking a photo.
no more "forgetting"
no more "soon"
no more "i don't want to be in the picture".
just get in the picture stephanie.
love,
me
xxo
no mama ever looks bad with a cute baby as an accessory! love the pics of you and the little ones! and thanks for the reminder to not be the invisible mama.
Posted by: Kristyn G | 10/03/2011 at 01:04 PM
Such a great reminder! BTW, you look amazing and those girls are adorable!!! Love the sweet, toothy grins!
Posted by: Shara | 10/03/2011 at 01:11 PM
Looooove.... thanks for the reminder..
Posted by: kate | 10/03/2011 at 01:14 PM
LOVE it. :) The photos are beautiful, and the message is even better. I need this advice. :)
OH, and remember the blog about slipping through your fingers? Check out my freshman, at her first homecoming... http://shannonsarmywifelife.blogspot.com/ Oh, I cried. OH how I cried.
Posted by: Shannon Shurtleff | 10/03/2011 at 01:16 PM
Well said :)
Posted by: Laura Gonzalez | 10/03/2011 at 01:18 PM
I have thought that word for word for a long time. Thank you the reminder. You look wonderful!
Posted by: Myvintagecara | 10/03/2011 at 01:21 PM
I love those photos!!! They are so darn cute!! Look at baby Cate's smile and the way Lucy is looking at you in the one with all three of you!!! Great reminder, Steph!!
Posted by: Michelle | 10/03/2011 at 01:26 PM
words to live by!
Posted by: dori | 10/03/2011 at 01:28 PM
Great point with no excuses!! :)
Daily are precious!!
Posted by: jennifer Camplin | 10/03/2011 at 01:28 PM
So true! Love your sweater, please share source! I'm a sucker for b/w stripes of any kind!
Posted by: shannon Tidwell | 10/03/2011 at 01:31 PM
uhhhh. weeeelll i got it at francescas but dont remember the brand. email me so i remember to go look for you!! its slouchy and soft and has big pockets. LOVE.
Posted by: Stephanie Howell | 10/03/2011 at 01:32 PM
Girl, sometimes me thinks you're in my head!!! Beautiful photo as usual. Thanks for the reminder...I needed that! Hugs, E
Posted by: Elizabeth S | 10/03/2011 at 01:35 PM
Was going to ask you about it too!! What great pictures to have and look back on! p.s - so jealous of the gorgeous weather down there!
Posted by: Michela S | 10/03/2011 at 02:02 PM
Stephanie
love the pictures of you and your precious babies.
You all look adorable.
Posted by: fran heupel | 10/03/2011 at 02:10 PM
Thank you so much for this. I have been trying to appear in photos more lately, but only rarely i'm really happy with how the photos turn out... In real life I actually like how I look, but in photosgraphs it's a different story. I'm really trying to not scrutinize how I look but it's a bit hard... But I'm trying and getting better :)
Posted by: fafuna | 10/03/2011 at 02:44 PM
Thanks for the advice - I always forget to hand the camera over. Sweet photos you'll treasure always.
Posted by: ginny | 10/03/2011 at 03:06 PM
Guilty as charged here too! I always forget! Those photo's are fab! You look great! x
Posted by: cannycrafter | 10/03/2011 at 03:08 PM
thanks so much for the reminder!!
love me
Posted by: Mary Rogers | 10/03/2011 at 03:22 PM
Love the photo and the reminder... Always appreciate the blog-and adorable pics! :)
Posted by: Jennifer Henson | 10/03/2011 at 03:25 PM
Beautiful!
Posted by: Linda | 10/03/2011 at 03:37 PM
you are so right - and guaranteed your kiddies will love seeing pics of your family not just them as kids once they are older....it's tough though - i am the same way, have literally thousands of pics of my baby boy and just a few of the two of us.
Posted by: virginia | 10/03/2011 at 04:09 PM
The photo of you with both babies is one of the most beautiful photos I have ever seen..."picture perfect" in fact!
Posted by: Clare | 10/03/2011 at 04:49 PM
Hi Stephanie,
These photos are scrumptious...Believe me, you look beautiful and the babies are are so, so adorable.
Looks: don't worry, just live, give and enjoy!
Posted by: Bessie Segal | 10/03/2011 at 05:28 PM
Oh Lucy is looking at you with such love. That photo is priceless already and will only become more so. Your girls - all of them - are treasures. Great reminder to get in the photo. Thank you.
Posted by: Lisa | 10/03/2011 at 06:24 PM
i love these pics...you look so happy!
Posted by: jackie | 10/03/2011 at 07:22 PM
Very lovely photos! Thanks for the truth about looking at pictures of Mom. They put that self timer on the camera for a reason and I need to use it!
Posted by: Jeanette | 10/03/2011 at 07:40 PM
These pictures are beautiful!!!
Posted by: Linda E | 10/03/2011 at 07:40 PM
Those sweet sweet girls!!! You look great - great and happy.
Posted by: Jackee | 10/03/2011 at 07:48 PM
that top photo is just so gorgeous! I'm trying to do more of this too.
Posted by: Deb | 10/03/2011 at 08:02 PM
Hooray for you! Wish I had had just half of your wisdom when i was your age!
Posted by: Sharon Osborn | 10/03/2011 at 09:25 PM
a lovely reminder. can't wait to see how you scrap that first photo. it is precious.
Posted by: amy tangerine | 10/03/2011 at 09:38 PM
You're so right! Those pictures are adorable. The one with your daughter looking up at you with that oh-I-love-this-most-awesome-mommy look on her face is soooo great. It's a special time, and Sadie captured it very well! Congrats to you for your many gifts!
Posted by: Debbie S. | 10/03/2011 at 09:38 PM
My babies always want to be in photos with me. I vow never to say no to them again. Regardless of how I look....I want the to have memories of their momma. Great post Steph. What a great reminder for all of us mommies.
Posted by: Tiffany | 10/04/2011 at 12:01 AM
3 BEAUTIFUL GIRLS WITH 3 BEAUTIFUL SMILES !!!!!
Posted by: isabel | 10/04/2011 at 02:55 AM
You are so pretty, and I totally agree, you and your kids will cherish the picture, they won't for a second look at your hair, sunglasses etc. Your love shines through :-)
Posted by: Liz | 10/04/2011 at 03:53 AM
I'm glad you stopped with the excuses and got in the photos....they are gorgeous....your DD is looking up at you so sweetly....just perfect and definitely to be cherished. Now make sure you keep getting in the photos often Steph! xx
Posted by: Linda L | 10/04/2011 at 06:44 AM
the picture of you holding both girls is so, so beautiful!!!!!! <3
Posted by: Jen Strange | 10/04/2011 at 08:51 AM
Oh i know exactly what you mean, sometimes when i scrap my holiday picture, i even wonder, was I there...haha no proof, just memories. I have to give the camera to my husband or boys more often.
Posted by: Hester | 10/04/2011 at 08:51 AM
so true, I do this all the time, I'll get in the picture after I lose 10 pounds, but you know what, now is the time, thanks for the reminder, and what you said about your mom and how you never paid attention to what she looked like, just the fact that she was in the picture, that's perfect to me, love it! Great pics, you have a fab smile btw, and those squishy babies... :)!!
Posted by: laurie lariviere | 10/04/2011 at 09:18 AM
I'm glad you did get in these pictures more! You need to! My kids are grown now and I look back on most of the photos (that I took) and it "looks" like I wasn't ever there! Besides, you're too cute with or without makeup (and true you won't care later on)
BTW I love the 10/2 lay out you posted! Beautiful!
Posted by: mollydiane | 10/04/2011 at 06:43 PM
considering my name is Stephanie too...this speaks to me! Thanks for the kick!
love
stephxx
Posted by: [email protected] | 10/04/2011 at 10:22 PM
A few weeks ago I did a bunch of layouts of my husband and our little girl and he made the following comment, "These are great, but we really need to get more pictures of you". Funny how hard it is to come out from behind that lens...But we need to be documented too! Thanks for the reminder ;)
Posted by: Michelle K | 10/04/2011 at 10:58 PM
You are so right!!!!! The only one that cares what you look like is you. Get over it and share the moments and be there for future generations to see.
Leslee
Posted by: Leslee Cotterell-Barrow | 10/05/2011 at 11:36 AM
I've been thinking about this since I read it two days ago. I love this idea so much and I'm glad you (with all your adoring readers!) wrote it because it is so, so, true. It doesn't matter what flaws you think you have. You still need to be in the picture! I learned this over the summer when my dad died and I realized I don't have one single, solitary photo of him and me together before he got sick. (STILL sad about that!) (I blogged about it: http://amysorensen.typepad.com/the_english_geek/2011/08/there-are-many-things-i-could-say.html)
I'm a little late in responding but still wanted to say "I agree" and "thanks for writing this." AND: GREAT photo of you with the babies!!!
Posted by: AmySorensen | 10/05/2011 at 05:28 PM
I think we may have been seperated at birth Steph! Check ou tmy blog.. I am making a conscious effort to BE in the photos and to relinquish control of the camera to my husband - that bit is almost harder than the ME being in them!!!
Posted by: Celeste Vermeend | 10/05/2011 at 09:02 PM
beautiful pictures! I am hardly in any pictures...always the one behind the camera. We don't have to look perfect in pictures cause life is never perfect, but the looks, the interactions is what makes each picture special!
Posted by: Kim Loewen | 10/05/2011 at 11:58 PM
YES! Truer words were never spoken.
Posted by: goldenblind221 | 10/08/2011 at 12:55 PM
oh my, this made me tear up. you are so beautiful and your reminder is so timely. i love how you said you never look at a photo of your mom and think the very things you think about yourself - so true! thanks for writing this.
and i just have to tell you that your girls are absolutely gorgeous - every single one of them - but you already know that. ;) you can just feel your love pouring out in your photos and words towards them.
Posted by: Heather Moll | 10/14/2011 at 11:18 AM
Thank you so much heather!!!
Sent from my iPad
Posted by: Stephanie Howell | 10/14/2011 at 01:22 PM