Coming into your lane

Last week we had a big shop party for Daniel’s 30th birthday.  I like to be totally prepared, so after three days of cleaning, baking, decorating and general prep-ment, I was running between the shop and the house (picture the headless chicken), praying I’d actually have time to do my hair before everyone showed up.  (Can I get a witness?  If I didn’t have to look presentable for a party, I’d be so much calmer in that last hour.)

I was on my last trip to the house before pulling out the curling iron and I ran down to the basement to get wine.  It smelled a little different, and now that I think back, the floor looked weird, but it wasn’t until my flip-flopped foot splashed through 4 inches of standing water that I realized we had a flooded basement.

Two days later, the washing machine decides it’s just can’t right now and throws a tantrum – literally.  Springs came lose and the thing was shaking itself so hard it was crawling around the room.

So today – Saturday – we’re finally dealing with it all.  You should see my back porch: get me a lawn chair and a bud light, knock out a few of my teeth and call me white trash.

Piles of water-damaged cardboard boxes, soaked clothes I never wear but couldn’t bear to throw away, stacks of college dorm room decor, broken rubbermaid containers (again, from college), wires and cords from when life wasn’t wireless and cordless…  If you make it through all of that to the laundry room, you’ll get to see my stacked up laundry process too.  It will be so nice to have non-wedgie underwear available to me again by tomorrow.

This does have something to do with photography.

I love when families invite me into their homes for these new-arrival shoots.  Home is where Real Life happens, and when I photograph a family at home, there’s comfort there that doesn’t happen just anywhere.  There are dogs and kids and cheerios and sheets and happiness (and sometimes flooded basements and broken laundry machines).  Real Life.  I like the thought – that after a good few years of moving and adventure, I’ve got that “home” feeling.  Even when it feels like one hot mess.