L&L Branding | Introducing Dainty Knotts Art

I’m constantly in awe of the insanely talented artists we have in Des Moines. Every single one of them brings a unique and necessary perspective to our amazing city, and Paige from Dainty Knotts Art is one of my favorites. Watercolors, landscapes, portraits, and abstract ink are just a few of her talents; I was thrilled to connect with her both through family portraits and most recently through a Branding Session.

If she sounds familiar, I shared a while ago about how beautifully she illustrated my vision of Lavender. A little back story —> My studio name, Lav & Lime, was born from two characters; a 6 year old little girl named Lavender and her imaginary frog friend, Lime. In my head, Lavender was a curious, science-loving, rule-following, girly girl with a desire to make the world a better place, and Lime was her mischievous friend that took her outside of her box and into adventure. I had been planning to hire Paige to illustrate these characters for me when she reached out for family pictures - it was fate. My experience with her was magical. Her vision of Lavender and Lime was more than a drawing, she took the time to connect and create exactly what I didn't know I wanted.

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How would I describe her work? A mix of boldness, whimsy, strong lines, and intention resulting in gorgeous, one-of-a-kind art pieces. She has a beautiful niche and it was such an honor to spend the afternoon with a fellow artist.

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You can find Dainty Knotts Art on Instagram and Facebook, and stay tuned for a website soon! How perfect would these gorgeous pieces be on your walls to add color, personality, and messages of empowerment ❤️?

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Y'all, Paige is the absolute BEST. The loveliest of human beings and I honestly could have kept her in the studio all day with me. Dainty Knotts Art, you’re so talented and a kindred spirit!

Interested in an L&L Headshot or Branding Session? Head to www.desmoinesheadshots.com to learn more about what L&L offers, or email me at anj@lavandlime.com to connect!

A Love Note to Maternity Portraits

When I was pregnant with each of my sons (I have 3), maternity portraits were a challenge for me to connect with. Even though I understood and reveled in the beauty of pregnancy, the miracle nature of birth, and the fact that my body would never again be the same, it seemed like simply a documentation versus a story. And if you know anything about me, I love a good story.

Before I continue this blog post, my heart goes out to each and every woman that reads this and is struggling to get pregnant, isn’t able to get pregnant, or has lost a baby. This post is my experience with pregnancy and is in no way meant to take away or diminish your journey.

Pregnancy wasn’t the glowing, amazing, eat whatever you want, enjoy every moment experience for me - it was filled with fatigue, aches, severe pelvic pain, emotional highs and lows and the worst heartburn. Alongside that was also excitement, joy, gratitude, and a myriad of other emotions, but the maternity portraits I was finding didn’t fit my pregnancy experience or what I wanted to remember/capture.

This was my attempt at maternity portraits with my first son - and I can still remember everything about that season of life. I remember that we had just moved into a new house 1 month before Malachi was born, that the coffee table sitting in front of us was a steal from Anthropologie, that I craved peanut butter and raisins ALL THE TIME, and that the gray dress I was wearing was one of the only dresses that fit me at that point. I love this image with all my heart.

The layers of emotions that were deeper than simple joy, a narrative of the season of life you were in, the storyline that played alongside your pregnancy - those are the things that I wanted to provide as a maternity photographer. The woman I was when I was pregnant with my first son was vastly different than the woman I was with my third. If I was going to offer maternity sessions in my studio, I had to be able to offer something deeper than beautiful portraits.

And that’s where my love for maternity portraits began. It wasn’t until after I had my third son that I truly realized the importance of maternity portraits in the newborn narrative and most importantly, in giving a voice to the amazing women carrying and sustaining new life. For me, it’s become more than documentation of the physical nature of pregnancy; it’s about taking it one step further and reflecting on the ponderosity of your emotions and who you truly are in this interlude.

My husband took this a month before Caspian arrived - I told him I wanted to be in our backyard with the boys running in circles around me, because that’s what this third pregnancy was for me. It was a hard pregnancy. A majority of my time was spent sitting and watching Malachi and Ephraim go crazy, wishing I could join in and at the same time soaking up the stillness. Caspian’s birth was traumatic, to say the least, and it made me even more in awe of the strength of women and the birth process.

Maternity portraits at L&L are a fine art testament to the warrior nature of women, a chapter in the book of life for your future child/children, and a visual composition of your emotional pregnancy journey through the use of light, fabrics, and intimate storytelling.

Below are two of my favorite maternity sessions to date. This first gallery is Abbie and Chris and their darling daughter. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing their family for a few years now, and telling their family’s story was such a gift. If you need an amazing chiropractor in Des Moines, visit Chris and Abbie at Capital Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center in the East Village - and Abbie is a gifted musician —> www.abbiesawyermusic.com .

This second gallery is my dear friend, Jodi, and her family. Jodi is a marketing genius, an inspiring boss mama, and an endearing, empathetic soul that I’m so incredibly thankful to have in my circle. Taking her maternity portraits when she was pregnant with her second son, Oliver, was a dream come true. With her session, we wanted to focus on the strength and warrior nature of pregnancy, and the gratitude for the sweet baby boy that was completing their family.

Happy Wednesday, friends, I hope you have the loveliest day. Thank you for spending a little time with me today!

Your Family Chronicle

The kids came home from school on March 14th and never went back - that’s when our lives forever changed and we began navigating new waters. Since that day, I’ve been documenting our family story through words and images with authenticity, emotion, and a raw transparency to both help myself process and make sure our story travels through the generations. As much as I’m tired of hearing the word “unprecedented,” the presence of coronavirus in the world has fashioned a new reality for our future, and we’re living through a time that will be remembered. But our individual stories may be forgotten.

My perspective on family, parenthood, and our values and ideals is constantly being tested and the combination of portraits and words has been a window into that journey. Even reading a journal entry from a few weeks ago is different than my reality now - I want my children to also have a glimpse into our lives at this time and access memories that may soon be replaced at their young age. The next question was, how can I offer this experience to my clients? Continue reading to find out more about the Family Chronicle limited edition sessions that will be happening in the month of June!

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Here’s a snippet into our family documentation —>

| March 16, 2020 | Mal’s a planner. We talked about school being out for 4 weeks and how we’d be homeschooling and he decided to schedule our days. “We’ll have to include specials, and a few recesses, and learning in between, Mama. There’s reading aloud and sharing time, and you’ll still have to work so maybe you can do that during quiet time?” Totally, little man. In another facet of quarantining, I immediately had a mini panic attack thinking about spending my days with my three littles. It made me sink into my insecurities as a Mama - could I be patient, kind, creative, energized, and organized enough to entertain and educate them during this time? Am I capable? Let alone my business and the worries that exist in that realm. But then, a switch. Maybe this is an opportunity for me to learn from my children. To see them in a more consistent light and to be more intentional with our time. My business will be on hold. For this small time period I’m able to not straddle the line of professional and personal and simply pour into our family. This is an opportunity to strengthen our foundation and for me to give up expectations that temper my experiences with these amazing boys. This will be hard, stressful, frustrating, and at times, scary. But it’s always this and - it will also be beautiful, revealing, strengthening, and reassuring.

| March 24, 2020 | I’m so thankful for the great outdoors and this tiny slice of heaven that we get to call ours. The Olson fam got some much needed frolic time tonight ❤️.

| March 25, 2020 | The end of our homeschool day was surprisingly calm - chief complaint? “Mama, you’re a terrible teacher. School lasted too long.” In my defense, we had a two hour recess. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be my bedtime night but I swapped because the boys wanted more Mama time - and I found myself not caring one bit. We had such a wonderful day together and it only seemed fitting for it to end with me snuggling them close.

| March 29, 2020 | Those looks say it all. Today we bleached, scrubbed, washed, vacuumed, rearranged and reconfigured. Our minds have now transitioned to a longer time frame of social distancing, and this meant crafting an environment that helps us stay sane. Baby gates for the first time in our parenting lives. A living room that now exists as a school room - complete with an arts and crafts area, a workspace for the older boys, a play area for our ornery babe and a special spot for our lessons for the day. It was therapeutic to clean - like a fresh start or new beginning. On another note, my boys call pistachios mustachios, and it’s the CUTEST.

| April 9, 2020 | I cancelled school today. I woke up tired, peopled out - to be totally honest, familied out - frustrated with being needed, sick of being patient, and done with being the entertainer.hander out of knowledge. I called a meeting and Mal said, “Is this about us not sleeping well? Are we in trouble? Why are we having a meeting?” I decided this was a good day to teach them about mental health and the importance of taking a day. I told them that Mama was cancelling school and that I was tired and sad, and that I would appreciate help and extra snuggles today. Mal said, in his wise beyond his years way, “ I feel that way sometimes too, Mama, and I’m here to help.” And he did. He gave me hugs throughout the day, Ephy asked how I was feeling, and Caspi was Caspi, a bundle of needy joy. Sometimes the best thing to do is let those we love know that we’re having a hard day. These men of mine spent the whole day filling my cup and it was a beautiful lesson for the both of us.

| April 23, 2020 | I’m so filled with joy that they have each other. I can’t be everything for each of them, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. But what’s beautiful to see is the way they turn to each other in moments of sadness, fury, joy and delight. Mal unbuckled Ephy from his car seat this afternoon and as soon as he was free, Ephy engulfed Mal in a thank you hug and said, “I love you, brother.” Whenever Caspi cries, Ephy starts singing his ABC’s in a high pitched falsetto, because Caspi likes it better that way. Mal knows exactly what to say and do when Ephy is losing it, sometimes even more than I do. Quarantine life has led to stronger threads between these boys than I could have ever imagined.

Follow my personal Instagram @mrsanjolson to follow along with our family!

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As a photographer, I’ve been observing the trends that have been happening in the photography world. As much as I loved the documentary nature of Front Porch Photos - I craved more. I wanted to provide for my clients something similar to what I’ve been doing - something that allowed them to create a narrative of this time for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

This is where the idea was born - Your Family Chronicle. A limited edition session that combines your words through letters written from your heart, your children’s words, stages, and drawings, and storytelling images of your family in a beautiful heirloom album. This session is near and dear to my heart, I can’t wait to help you tell your family’s story during this crazy time. Your Family Chronicle sessions are $750 and there will only be 4 available to book in the month of June. Contact me at anj@lavandlime.com or at 816.332.3440 for more information.

I’ve started a little bit of an album for our own family and will add in our daily images with thoughts as I continue - below is an example of what some of your album spreads could look like!

Book a Your Family Chronicle session - I promise it will be an experience that will showcase the beauty in the chaos as well as an opportunity to share with your children and future generations what this time held for you. Stay safe and healthy, friends❤️.