This week has been a little bit nuts.Ezra came down with a 24-hour fever Monday evening, and we kept him home until today. That put a bit of a kink in our schedules as I had some meetings I was looking forward to (some Jamie covered me for, some I rescheduled) and then there was just a lot of quietly playing with/entertaining the toddler. We drew, we read and yes, we watched TV.We don't watch hardly any television with Ezra. Not because we are high and mighty and think all television is bad. I mean, we all know how addicted Jamie and I are to such classics as Buffy, right?No, we have found that when Ezra watches television, he turns into a zombie who will not listen to (or mind) his parents. We noticed this pretty early on, and just decided the nightmare it brought on the rest of the day wasn't worth the 30 min. of bliss it brought us in the morning.But that said, when the kid is sick and needs to rest, a movie is the best way to accomplish that. And luckily for us, when Ezra is sick he is pretty well behaved anyway. So we watched Robin Hood (which he adores) and The Incredibles (which I loved).Today the squirt is back at school and I am diving into the backlog of work. And you guys, it is so quiet in this house. It is glorious.Oh! The photo up there! I should mention that, eh? Well, even though I've been home during the days with Ezra, Jamie has been (wonderfully) coming home early from work so I can keep my fall shooting schedule. And of course, besides the amazing color, I'm drawn to the birds in the sky. Last night was lovely.Now! For your internet shares of the day!+ I don't want to own a cabin. I mean, I would take one if it were gifted to me, don't get me wrong, but I prefer to not have the added mortgage/headaches. That said, this blog post is so inspiring that I might someday change my mind.+ You know how much I love paper art. Such creativity!+ These photos of wildlife on an arctic island. Wow.

Last night I had a wonderful maternity session where the couple brought their *amazing* dog, Hudson. She was the sweetest, best-behaved girl, and I had so much fun working with her. I mean, her parents were great as well, but we all know my heart belongs to the dogs. Also? I'm not sure I've ever seen a dog with a coat this shiny. It was stunning.For your internet shares of the day:+ This piece, telling the stories of clothing from New York, sucked me in. Probably because it starts with a story from King Ad Rock, himself!+ This cake sounds amazing for the holidays.+ A dictionary explaining all the Ikea names! 

I'm out shooting tons of families this week, and we are soaking up the color. Just look at that lake shore!It's hard to be away from home each night when Ezra gets home from school, but I can't argue that all of the photos this week (and next) have the absolute best backdrops. Also? If you want next year's family photos in this color? Get at me. There's no limit on how far ahead you can book your shoots!For your internet shares of the day:+ Confession: I am a Minnesotan, and I've never made Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Maybe I should start here?+ Art made out of cassette tapes. Wow.+ Did you know you can buy pre-fab homes on Amazon? Me neither!

This weekend was busy, but with all the good things an October weekend should have.There was a birthday party, some decorating for Halloween, roasting of vegetables, cooking of soup, coffee with friends, fires in the fireplace, gathering provisions (grocery shopping) and a little yard work. We also had swim lessons, a few photo shoots and a lot of laundry -- those are not the most glamorous, but still necessary.The next 3 weeks are crazy busy for both Jamie and I on the work fronts, and then I feel like we can take a breath and settle in for winter. But even as we're slammed with work, we're doing our best to slow down at night, enjoy some soup and spend a few minutes as a family in front of the fire. I hope you all are able to take a few moments for yourselves as well!For your internet shares of the day:+ I'm starting to think about Thanksgiving and the table decor. Ezra loves blowing out candles, so I pondered this and this, but then realized he also knocks things over left and right. So maybe this or this? Oh, and look what I found at Target! Thoughts?+ Weird animal facts that made me laugh. I had no idea any creature could reproduce without sex.+ In case you missed this story, this couple survived the California fires by submerging themselves in a pool for 6 hours. This is an amazing story.

In case you haven't noticed, I go to the North Shore a lot.It is my happy place, and I want to share it with the world. Well... not literally. I like that it's quiet and not very crowded and still relatively cheap, so maybe I don't want to share it with anyone. Nevermind. Move a long.Just kidding.But anyway, I get a lot of questions from people about what to see and where to eat and where to stay when they visit. I've been extremely pushy when it comes to telling people about Scenic Cafe, as you know. (Sidenote, when I was there last week I ate brioche toast with soft bleu cheese spread on it and then figs and toasted walnuts on top and then drizzled in brown butter maple sauce. NOW do you see why you need to visit?)And I'm thrilled to report that I've found another must visit spot, and it's called fika. It is a divine coffee shop  just north of Lutsen. I found this spot on a trip last fall, and kept telling Jamie about it. Then this time I brought him there and he, too, is preaching the gospel.The beans are delicious, the mochas are unrivaled and the staff is super friendly and chill. And the pastries.... there is not a huge variety, but I promise you will love whatever you decide on.And for those of you with small children? They have a fantastic basket with wonderful toys that will occupy the kid for about an hour. When your child wakes up in the morning and is asking you to please go to the coffee shop, you know you are winning at life.They are open year round, so if you're heading up to Lutsen this winter, drive just 1 mile further north past the mountain and enjoy this amazing spot. And if you're not going to the north shore soon (what is wrong with you?), then you can order their coffee and such online.I need to promise you that I'm not being paid in any way or form for this post, I just wanted to share the info with you because if this spot doesn't thrive and stay in business for all of my visits I will be VERY upset. Now go forth and enjoy good coffee. For your internet shares of the day:+ I might need a pair of pink velvet converse high tops...+ Women are sexually harassed ALL THE TIME. I can think of 3 horrifying instances off the very top of my head that affected me, the first at age 7 or 8. The only thing that surprises me about this Weinstein mess is that anyone is even surprised.+ These ariel photographs are lovely.

Lake Superior at sunrise is about the most gorgeous thing ever. It is one of the few things that still gives me faith in the universe. And it is one thing I will forever thank dear Ezra for, because without this spawn waking me up at the crack of dawn every day, I wouldn't get to see so many of them.This was my favorite sunrise of our trip last week (yes, it was all just from one morning). Enjoy! Now for your internet shares of the day:+ This made me smile. Photoshop is amazing.+ Logos drawn from memory. The designer in me cannot get enough.+ Amazing advice for artists. I want to reread this every day.

While we were up north this past weekend, we finally ventured up to Grand Marais.Of course, I'd been there before. But it was back when Memphis and Merlin were pups, and we had them with us, and so we walked along the beach, got takeout and then headed back to the cabin. Not much of a visit.This time, we explored a bit more and finally ate at the Angry Trout. That soup? Oh my yes, was it delicious. I never knew I would love fish chowder so much.And as you can see, the color in Grand Marais was quite lovely. Here are a more shots from that day trip. For your internet shares of the day, I have a lot because I forgot them yesterday!+ I want this makeup bag. I always use the freebies that you get with Clinique purchases or whatever, and the one I'm using now I've had for about a decade. Maybe I should upgrade...+ Advice for men in the workplace. Amen.+ Wonderful reader comments.+ This dog saved his human. Bravo!

One of the most fun things we did this weekend was to take Ezra on a hike. Like, a real hike in the real woods along a real river. And he loved it.I always love exploring the forest, mostly because I cannot take my eyes off the ground. There are so many fungi and growth and moss and I just want to take so many photos! So this time I did.Below are some of the details that I loved on this trip, and at the end are some photos of us. Because, after all, I cannot resist.