I've got a locket, got a locket full of sunshine


  



So good to be back on the blog. I've missed you!! Momlife has felt extra zany lately, how about for you?

If you have ever wanted to slow down the childhood clock and freeze time for even just a moment, you'll love today's post. I'm sharing one seriously stylish accessory that doubles as a timeless way to preserve your babies forever. Their cute double chins. Those superfine wisps of hair. The cherub cheeks you can't get enough of. Oh, and there's a discount code for you at the end of the post--yay!

Lately, I've been feeling extra emotional about my children growing up so fast. Dean is no more a little babe. He can walk, run, climb, wipe his own dinner tray, and have conversations with me. As of last week, Dean can also remove his diaper, tinkle on the carpet, dump a whole bag of chex mix on the kitchen floor, AND empty his sister's dresser drawers in under three minutes! He's setting a new course record on #toddlerninjawarrior! Motherhood really is the wildest ride, isn't it? A strange mix of wanting to just survive each crazy day and to sop up every sweet second of it with a biscuit (a teething biscuit in our house lately).

The first year of a baby's life is especially mind-blowing to me in how much physical change they undergo. Dean is 16 months as I write this and he looks so different than he did at Christmas and even more drastically changed than this time last summer. It's a constant reminder that the days when Mommy can fix all their problems with kisses and/or snacks will be gone before we know it. Childhood and Motherhood are not static. 

And with each child, the clock seems to accelerate even more. Entire seasons that seemed like months of time stretching ahead of us quickly consolidate into a few short weeks. Kids grow taller. They start asking all the whys. They astound us with their ever-evolving independence. Every day I'm thankful and amazed by God's work in the lives of my children to create them individually, bless them with such sweet spirits, and give them sharp and curious little minds.

My mama friend Morgan Atkinson knows from her own Motherhood experience with her two adorable daughters Nora and Greer that time slows down for no one, and in what feels like an instant, kiddos morph from warm little lumps of snuggle to passionate and adventurous tots, to K-5ers. Then come milestones I can't and don't even want to imagine just yet like learning to drive, dating (!), and leaving home for the great wide somewhere. It all makes my chin start to quiver, both for my kids and my rapidly aging self. This adventure called Life is such a fast-moving one.

Morgan, who is exceptionally, and I mean exceptionally, talented in many artistic arenas, has managed to capture childhood in the most timeless and stylish way. Her hand drawn and watercolor silhouette prints and lockets make a beautiful keepsake, a perfect accessory, a heartfelt gift for you, your mama. your grandparents. They're a beautiful way to keep your babies small, and a locket keeps them close to your heart.




The process of ordering a silhouette print / locket is undeniably easy. Morgan can somehow magically fit up to 8 silhouettes in each full-size locket. So even if you aren't done adding to your family, Morgan can add more silhouettes later on. Morgan also offers a miniature locket that holds two silhouettes and comes in sterling silver or raw brass. The larger locket is raw brass, and it is the perfect necklace for any outfit if you ask me. And to leave out no one, Morgan offers tie clips and money clips for the gents.

Included with your locket order are 5x7 prints of each child's silhouette, which feels like an amazing gift all by itself. These are beautiful to frame in your home or to gift to grandparents. Grandparents' day is around the corner in September, and Christmas is just a wrapping paper fundraiser away because the school year hustle is going to kick us into warp speed here pretty soon. Morgan can do the silhouettes in watercolors and add decorative floral wreaths to the prints. She's a creative powerhouse so she always finds a way to offer something beautiful and extra to suit your taste.

Back to the process... To order my locket, I used my quite dated iPhone to take photos of the kids using Morgan's simple instructions for getting a workable shot. It was quick and easy. No elaborate setting. No change of clothing required of the kids (see Dean: clothing optional). I didn't even wipe the yogurt off of Dean's face before I took his picture! Easy as can be.

               

After I sent Morgan the pictures of the kids, Morgan sent me a digital proof of Iris and Dean's silhouettes to approve. Let me tell you, seeing your babes in silhouette will bring tears to your eyes. She captures details that melt your heart (again, those cherub cheeks and doughy little chins, awwww). In the process of Morgan working on my locket, she would post pictures on Instagram, and my heart fluttered every time I spied my babes' silhouettes on her feed. To see my favorite people preserved in a classically cool form of art just takes my breath away.


After Morgan worked her gift for hand drawing every fine detail of the kids' silhouettes, she created and cured my locket using non-toxic, BPA-free materials, and I jumped for joy when my locket and prints arrived by mail. I have every confidence that you will when yours arrives too. 







  

My locket has been a huge hit with the kids. I've been wearing mine for about a month now, and Iris and Dean both love to see inside my locket. The thrill has yet to fade for them, and that makes it really cool every time I wear it because I know Iris will say, "Look Dean, Mommy has on her locket!" Dean will come over and say "neck-neck" (necklace) and wait expectantly for me to show him what's inside. The kids know it is their silhouettes. Dean points to his side of the locket and says, "Meeee!" and Iris begs me to please wear it open so she can see their little faces all day long. I love that wearing my locket guarantees a Mommy & Me moment every time I wear it, and promises that I will see my kids sweet smiles when I open it up. These are moments to savor.   




To get started on your own keepsake silhouette locket or illustration, head over to Morgan Atkinson Fine Art. And you get to enjoy a discount for being my friend and reader! Use code STYLISHASAMOTHER10 when you checkout. Oh and free shipping always. Morgan knows what we ladies want: free shipping, a beautiful necklace, and our babies to stay little! 


Thanks for reading, friend!
xo Sara 

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