Today was dubbed “Mommy/Brooke” day because big sister, Emma, got to have a sleepover with her cousin.  So, to make Brooke feel equally special & loved, I took her out for a date, just her & me.  We went where every girl goes when she needs something to do – the Mall!  We had a little dinner at Chick-Fil-A & went off to throw coins in the fountain.  After that we ventured through the entire mall down to Build-a-Bear.  There,  Brooke was overwhelmed with a mountain of furry friends looking for homes!  After picking up about 5 friends & then saying, “I changed my mind,” she finally settled on Frosty the Snowman.  What an economical shopper – he was reduced to $15 instead of the normal $23.  Even his accessories were on sale!

She took Frosty to the stuffing station, put his heart in, watched him get puffed up to life, bathed him, & then got his birth certificate.  We later took him out to a quiet corner in the mall & played with him.  Brooke decided he was too tired to walk so she strapped him in her stroller & took him all the way back down where we began.  Sorry to all you shoppers who had to jump out of our way – rookie driver!

Now we’re home & she’s busy coloring his “house” box & letting him watch himself on the Frosty movie.  The perfect end to a perfect day.  (Now if the Ravens can pull off a win against the Colts, my husband will think it’s the perfect day, too!)

Photos I’ve been looking at:  Arce Photography & Fernanda Arce Design.  Fer is a friend – a Facebook Friend – that I “met” through an organization we’re both members of:  Cherubs.  Both of our children (Brooke & Juan Pablo) were born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) & Cherubs is a support group for parents living with children who both survived & didn’t survive this birth defect.  Fer & I share a passion for photography & she also is a wonderful graphic designer.  She made my logo!  I love looking at her work – it’s just so natural, so organic, so “life unscripted.” (sorry, TLC)

Mackinzie is my niece…in case you didn’t know.  And every year since she was two I’ve taken her out around her birthday for her yearly pictures.  When she was two we went to Downtown Annapolis.  When she was three we visited Canton in Baltimore.  This year, we were supposed to visit Annapolis again, but it began to drizzle!  So, on a whim, her mommy & I decided to visit Westfield Annapolis Mall.  Oh, and we went on Thanksgiving so the mall was closed!  Never fear though, Mackinzie & I found lots of cool places outside our newly renovated mall to shoot.  And the best part is you can’t even tell it’s the mall, unless you have a super extensive knowledge on what the outside of the Annapolis Mall looks like.  So here is Mackinzie, or Mack-Crazy as we sometimes call her, on her four-year-old debut!

**Oh, and if you’re a Gymboree model scout, yes, Mackinzie is available to grace the cover of your ads with all her sassy & sweetness.  Have your people call my people.

If you don’t get the title, don’t worry about it.  It’s because my neighbors have the longest freakin’ name ever, & I was just trying to be witty.  These two lovelies, Anna & Kate, are two of our neighbors that make me never want to leave my little place in our townhouse community.  Each year I anticipate what outfit their mom (and my friend), Laura, will buy them for Christmas.  She has done it again.  And we have not one, but TWO outfits this year!  We decided to try the Annapolis Mall again this year simply because the day we scheduled to shoot it was pouring rain outside…again!  I know God needs to water the earth & all, but it’s getting a little soggy over here!  Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed playing around the mall with Anna & Kate.  My girls absolutely love them & wanted to go copy them & have their own photo shoot just like Anna & Kate!  Needless to say, our Sroka Girls photo shoot didn’t turn out quite as well – what can I say!

Here’s Anna & Kate…