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ReadySetGo

Monday, June 27th, 2011

By Beth

e-and-t-

These last few weeks have been incredibly disappointing to me. By the time I wake up Monday morning, Gloom and Doom have arrived, not even giving me a chance to start off on the right foot. Each week I try to break myself free from it and it works, but only briefly. But last Friday, when I was officially diagnosed with strep throat, I thought, “that’s it, I give up.”

And not that I was giving up and hiding underneath the covers and crying and pouting, I was just giving up that I had to accept the bad with the good. I’m always to willing to open my arms up to great opportunities and warm hugs, beautiful things and good health. Well, I can open my arms to a little bit of pain, too.

Lately, there have been so many thunderstorms in my life and even during them, I’d know they were purposeful, I always believe in the brightness shining brighter after the darkness (and even during the darkness.) I just thought maybe this time, I need to stop. Sit in bed, do not work or write or email, allow Brian to bring me Tylenol and rub my feet, browse on Pinterest, eat ice cream, doze off, just accept that sometimes life seems really hard and you feel beat up.

I’m okay with that. Because at least I have the chance to get back up, to let the sun warm my shoulders and to wake up and do everything I can to at least attempt to kick ass every single day.

Sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I won’t. But sometimes, I will. And that will always leave me grateful because at least I have the choice.

Categories: Being a Mama, JJF, Loss, stupid crap

March for Babies

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

By Beth

Hi friends. Just popping in real quick before heading out for a newborn session this morning. The walk on Saturday was fantastic, the weather was good, although very windy, the crowd lively and the tears? They fell for both sad and happy reasons. Oh and it’s possible that I fell within the first ten minutes of the walk, but I’m okay.

Team James and Jake raised over $6,000. I am amazing and humbled and so thankful to those of you who supported us this year. (and always!) Oh! I was also quoted here. I LOVE that she called me “happy.”

Here are some photos from the day!

Team-James-and-Jake-2011

Fletcher-family-2011

Anna-and-Eli

Grandma-and-Eli

Brian-and-Eli

Nancy

Noah-watching-ribbon-cutting

Love,-Anika,-Noah-and-Erin

dance-again

Categories: JJF, March for Babies

Anthro winner

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

By Beth

Hi friends. Just popping in real quick to tell you that I drew the winner of the $50 Anthropologie gift card via random.org:

That number happens to belong to Sarah at Team Trader Mom. Sarah, can you contact me to claim your prize? foldinglaundry (at) gmail (dot) com

A serious thank you goes out to all of you who have helped promote June Afternoons. A reminder that our walk is this Saturday (we are less than $1,000 from our $5,000 goal!) and if you’d like to order a print (or two), please do not hesitate! I am sending out my first batch of orders tomorrow! Please continue to promote, blog, facebook, tweet! You all never cease to amaze me. (ever.)

We have raised over $500 from this shop alone which amazes me and fills me with love and hope. (which is nice because otherwise, I’m a stuffed up, snotty, chest hurting, ears throbbing, headache-y, sleepy mess.)

(don’t worry, I’ll wash and sanitize my hands and lips before shipping, I promise!)

Also: be on the lookout, more images are going up today!

Again, a special shout out to Josie at Summit Avenue Design for donating this logo and huge thank you to the other photographers involved in this project:

Madeline Bea Photography (amazingly talented photographer!), Tracey Clark (of Shutter Sisters!), Aimee Giese (Greeblemonkey!), Kristen Doyle (Dine and Dish!), Emily Freeman (Chatting at the Sky!), Keli Hoskins (Kidnapped by Suburbia!), Mishelle Lane (Secret Agenta Mama), Lisa Leonard (THE Lisa Leonard) and Casey Mullins (Moosh in Indy!).

Categories: JJF, June Afternoons, March for Babies

June Afternoons

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

By Beth

I am so happy and excited to share with you this amazing project I’ve been working on. I can’t believe that at this time last week, I hadn’t even birthed the idea yet, and here it is, in my hands. ready for me to hand it to you.

Quick, go grab a cup of coffee, some tea or an ice cold beer. (You know, if you’re on that side of the globe right now.)

Last week, I went to my friends in the blogging community, who I know take awesome photographs. These are people who I SEEK when I need an added dose of inspiration. I asked these friends if they’d be willing to help me on a special project, one that benefits Team James and Jake and the March of Dimes and oh my goodness, they replied with a big, deafening YES and here I am, ready to tell you ALL about it.

These amazing people took time from their busy schedules and donated some of their favorite work for me to sell the prints in my new shop, June Afternoons.

June Afternoons is an Etsy shop that, until May 31, 2011, will be donating all of the proceeds from the sale of each print, gallery wrap or book to the March for Babies, March of Dimes in honor our sons, James and Jake. Right now, we are halfway to our team goal of $5,000!

When you place your order, I will personally have it professionally printed from my favorite printer and ship it from my home to yours. (I’ll probably kiss the package before sending it off, but don’t let that scare you, I just can’t help myself.)

First I want to thank the photographers involved in this project:

I’d like to thank my friend, Adam, for using his unbelievably beautiful words to help write about the shop on the intro page. I don’t understand how people can write the way that he does but he does and it’s captivating and amazing and I shouldn’t question his talent, (but I can’t help it.)

I also want to give a seriously HUGE thanks to the owner of the Etsy Shop, Josie at Summit Avenue for DONATING the logo for June Afternoons. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect logo for this project and she donated it. You must, must, must check out her work because she is so talented!

I hope you’ll head over, bookmark the shop, favorite the shop on Etsy, share the link on Facebook directly from the shop, tell your friends, family, co-workers, postal carrier, the Easter Bunny at the mall, anyone you know about this shop. This shop is more than just an Etsy shop, it’s love, hope, encouragement and sweetness put together for the sake of charity!

Will you help spread the word? I have a giveaway for you, if you do.

See this ad?

Add it to your blog and come back and leave your link in the linky list below and you’ll be entered to win a $50 gift card to Anthropologie. (courtesy of Beth Fletcher Photography.) You know how much I love Anthro, right?

You have until Monday, April 25th, 2011 to enter your link into Mister Linky. The winner will be chosen randomly on Tuesday, April 26th. (I’ll be checking the links, so don’t feel saucy and think you can get one past me!)

Please head over to June Afternoons and tell me what you think! Thank you, in advance, for your support!

Categories: JJF, June Afternoons, March for Babies

On being their Mother

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

By Beth

I have this story to tell that I’ve never told. I think only my sister was in the hospital room, along with a nurse. She had taken James and Jake away from us a few minutes before, we’d never see them again. I was still recovering from that moment, the pure and utter disbelief that they were gone.

She brought the clothes that they had been wearing back into the hospital room. The smallest dresses and hats you have ever seen. It’s quite silly really but I guess, as they slept near me the night before, they did help me believe the pieces of clothing were helping to warm their chilled bodies.

The nurse asked me if I wanted her to wash the clothes, they needed to be washed because they were soiled with blood. I said no. She said “are you sure? I don’t mind.”

I looked at her. The words barely able to escape my mouth “it makes me feel like their Mom if I can wash them.”

Tears. Falling.
Shoulders. Shaking.

She stopped and walked hurriedly towards me, “I have to hug you.”

And for that brief ridiculous moment a few days after returning home from the hospital, I did, I felt like I was their Mom. I washed, dried, folded and smelled their laundry. I smelled them for days and days until finally, I put them away.

This? This is why I do the March for Babies. Because it makes me feel like their Mom. I can rally my teammates (both old and new), design and order shirts, send out emails, raise money, take photos, walk…for my sons. I have no further laundry of theirs to do, I can’t hold them tight after a bad dream, I can’t make five different types of food for them for breakfast because they’ve decided to be picky, I can’t teach them to tie their shoes, I can’t chase after them at family functions.

But I CAN do this. For them.

And I CAN do this for other Mommies, so they don’t have to.

I can’t really express to you what it feels like when someone donates to Team James and Jake. It’s more than excitement. It’s love and passion. It fills my body with hope and joy. My soul smiles and cries all at once. I’m reminded again and again how wonderful it is that they were in our lives, for even such a small amount of time. We are so blessed.

It’s not about the amount, it’s about the thought, it’s about the support. I promise you this.

To donate.

Categories: JJF, March for Babies