We started blogging together about three years ago. We didn't have a plan. It was mostly an experiment. We had three faithful followers for a loooong time, and that was okay with us. We had no idea whether it'd grow, and if it did, what that might mean.
Blogging in that first year was crazy and chaotic and super fun. The posts are all still here, and some of them are TERRIBLE, but it's all part of the process. You make and photograph and write and when it's all done you say to yourself "next time I'll pay more attention to the light" or "that really didn't work as well as I'd hoped, let me try that a different way."
The fact that we have more readers now is amazing to us. And we're grateful. We both now have a better idea of how this blogging thing fits into our lives, and in small pieces the crafterhours have spread into daylight hours here and there with some child care that helps make our crafting (and shop admin) time a little more sane. Occasionally we're asked for pictures for a guest post-- and we had NOTHING of the two of us together. Well, we had a candid shot from a fancy hotel bathroom, and a photoshopped one of us both in mom mode. Not so great. So while we were together for a few days this year, we made time to take some real photos. With hair and makeup and clothes. The scenario we (occasionally, sort of) dream was part of everyday life but we readily admit is not.
Susan has a friend, Maggie, who is a nearby portrait photographer. She cheerfully accepted the challenge of working with us. We can be a bit... ornery. Here are our favorite shots from the shoot. Starting with one where we're hanging out at a local frozen yogurt shop, feet up, like we own the place.
The best photos are the ones where at least one of us wasn't posing, like when Adrianna sat on the chair Susan already knew from experience wouldn't stay up where it started.
While we're showing off the hair and makeup and clothes we're wearing *daily*, let's capture the daily footwear, too.
As if this next photo wasn't absurd enough, there's a related anecdote. Adrianna came out of her quick change to say "I don't look like a hooker in this, do I?" Susan's answer: "Of course not. Hookers don't wear eyelet."
We did eventually get down to business and try to act normal for the sake of our (very tolerant) photographer.
The photo shoot moved from the frozen yogurt spot to a nearby lake. We think we look like bridesmaids in this one, carrying bouquets.
Our for-real favorites include these two-- perfect for what we do on this blog. We each have our own voice and perspective, and yet we're in it together and each others' cheerleaders.
And sometimes we just like to crack each other up with immature fart jokes.
The level of maturity around these parts really is notable. Also noteworthy is the fact that we manage to get anything done.
We decided our fun dresses deserved a pic of their own.
Then we got strangely quiet and introspective for a serene silhouette shot. That or we were just looking at the debris in the water and wondering if this is where people dump their Christmas trees.
And we thought it would be fun for our readers to see what we look like when we're having a real conversation about our blog. Or, in this case, what we look like when we're faking a conversation about our blog.
But before you think everything around here is sunshine and anthropologie dresses, we'll leave you with this. The "Adrianna really loves this idea but Susan is internally cringing and considering starting her own blog" shot.
We owe a big BIG thank you to Maggie, for not only for being willing to take on this task and putting up with us, but calling out words like "gorgeous" and "beautiful" after each shot and saying we couldn't take a bad picture if we tried. We love her little confidence-boosting truth benders!