“If you’re serious about photography, Carolyn, we need to move to New York City”…

And with that, we packed our belongings and drove across the country from San Francisco to Brooklyn back in 2007.

Now, almost 5 years later, I am so excited and proud to announce the launch of my new website carolynclementphotography.com. Over the past several years, I have been given incredible opportunities: From those who hired me without experience; who gave me internships when the competition was so stiff; to my peers who allowed me to fetch coffee and sweep floors for them for the chance to discover new lighting techniques. I thank you all on a professional and personal level for helping me achieve this milestone.

It hasn’t always been easy; I’ve worked my butt off to get to this point. But what I’ve discovered is that the time and effort you put into something eventually rewards you, often when you least expect it.

And so, as excited (and anxious) as I am today to be making my work public, I cannot wait to see where I’ll be in another 5 years…

Sincerely,

Carolyn Clement

In addition to creating my portfolio and website, I am getting ready to be a lead photographer at this year’s first ever Kids Food Festival, being held at Bryant Park on January 21 & 22. The official website describes this event as follows:

“This free event helps in the fight against childhood obesity. Learn about the importance of achieving balance in food choices, through fun activities and sampling family-friendly foods. Get your forks ready for a weekend full of flavorful fun! Appetites of all sizes will be satisfied!”

With plenty of activities for children of all ages, including hands-on cooking classes with celebrity chefs, musical performances, a scavenger hunt and more samples of yummy (healthy) treats than you can shake a stick at, this weekend promises to be an excellent way to learn about balanced nutrition while enjoying the fresh air. Please take the time to visit the festival’s website at KidsFoodFestival.com for more information!

It was a very windy day down at the Weehawken Waterfront in New Jersey but that didn’t stop little Ava from having a good time!

I am so pleased with the results of our session. Enjoy!

And we made it happen.

I’m currently working on a fusion video (combining stills/video/audio) and cannot wait to present it to all of Jon’s (and my) family.

We went home and gave him one spoonful of Fage…

*I’ve been meaning to write about my love for Fage Greek Yogurt. If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life, this yogurt would be it. I have it every morning with berries, honey and cereal, I use it on burritos and baked potatoes. With no fat, no cholesterol and tons of protein, this velvety smooth greek yogurt is wonderful. Makes me feel sorry for sour cream…*

I gave him one spoonful of yogurt mixed with fruit. He really liked it. 10 mins later, we noticed red hives around his mouth, but he often reacts to random things and we had just been at the grocery store so I hoped it was not related to the yogurt. 3 mins later, we hear a gagging sound and Elliott empties his entire belly contents onto our hardwood floor. It was violent. Jon and I took care of the situation, cleaned the little tyke up. 3 mins later, it seems Elliott’s belly wasn’t entirely empty…

So it’s confirmed, Elliott won’t be having yogurt and cheese. Now I must find other snacks (he likes tofu, so I guess that’s good) to fill the protein gap. Any suggestions?

We would do it the same way in an instant. What we love most about our time in Oahu are all the shared experiences we have with some of our favorite people. My bestfriend met Jon’s bestfriend, my sister met Jon’s sister, etc… So by the time I walked down the aisle, I felt the love and bond that had formed over the previous several days as we all discovered the dolphins, Dole Pineapple Plantation and Mai Tais together!

And though I wouldn’t change a thing, our wedding day had it’s fair share of unpredictable moments and challenges (in fact, Jon and I think our story can easily rival the recent Bridesmaids movie…!). But what we never once lost sight of was that we were committing to take on those very same issues together as a united team for the rest of our lives.

Here’s to you, my love, Mahalo!!!!

Petting Zoo

Baaaa!

Abma’s Farm has a petting zoo, hayrides, a bakery & market and is a fun place to spend a few hours. Elliott enjoyed seeing all the sheep, goats and ponies and looks forward to one day being able to ride one of those ponies!

Great First Hayride

Towards the end of our visit, while on our hayride, we met a fellow NJMM mom who has a 6 month old son, Ishan…I love how intense babies are when they discover another of their kind…

Hello Friend!

We had a very nice time and will definitely be back again, soon. Thanks for a great day, Abma’s Farm!

And Miami is HUMID!!! So darn humid. We went for a few runs during our trip and even when planned early in the day, I couldn’t finish a 5k. The heat, which has been pretty bad in the Northeast this summer but nothing like this, was enough to sap all my energy. Safe to say we won’t be planning a move to Florida any time soon…

So we’re home, and I’m happy. Someone remind me of the mayhem we just experienced before I ask Jon to go on another long-distance business trip with him…

And I’m glad I had the practice. We’re currently in Miami and though I was concerned that we would  leave something important behind or wouldn’t be able to have the same comforts of home while away because of restrictions on luggage (Jon can only carry so much through the airport ) that hasn’t been the case. So while I was rocking Eli back to sleep last night at around 1am, I began thinking of the few things that I just could not imagine traveling without. These are the items that make my life a little simpler, both on the road and at home. Here are my top 5 travel favorites:

1. My Little Seat. This travel high chair made of cloth was recommended to me by my best-friend, Danielle, who had used it while visiting me with her son, Flynn. Since we’re often eating out, we never need to be concerned with restaurants having a (clean) high chair. In fact, even if one is offered to us, we usually just this little gem. It comes in a small pouch which can fit easily in the bottom of my diaper bag/purse. The entire thing is washer friendly. So far, we’ve only encountered one chair that it couldn’t be used with and that’s because the back of the chair was too wide for the cloth pocket to slide into.

2. Cloud b – Sleep Sheep On The Go. This adorable little sheep is known as Lambikins in our house and he comes everywhere with us. It is a soothing sound machine with 4 different sounds and has a timer of 23 or 45 minutes. There is a velcro strap so you can attach it to the car seat, the crib or the stroller. At this very moment, Eli is listening to the rain in the hotel room thanks to his sleep sheep. Not only are the sounds soothing for the baby, it also allows me and Jon to make a little more noise without worrying that we’ll wake him. If you order this online, make sure to distinguish between the travel sheep and the regular one. In my opinion, the regular sheep is just too large and not necessary if you already have the travel one.

3. Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy Straps. For only $3.99 you get a pack of 2 straps in a wide variety of colors for both boys and girls. I suggest having at least a couple of these – attach it to the car seat, the high chair, stroller and leave them there until they need to be washed. These straps not only prevent your child from losing toys (by throwing them out of the stroller when you aren’t looking), they also keep sippy cups and mesh food feeders off of the floor which is obviously a huge benefit when you’re on the go – just strap the feeder to the high chair and even if the child drops it, it remains clean and ready to be chewed on! And it also works on Sophie la Giraffe, much cheaper than the $10 toy leashes sold specifically for her.

4. JJ Cole All-Purpose Blanket. This blanket is machine washable, measures 5ft x 5ft and folds up into a nice compact carrying bag, with a side pocket. One of my favorite finds because it allows me to turn wherever we are into a play are. I’ve used it in our home to add extra padding over our hardwood floors, brought it to every park and the best use has been in hotel rooms when I like the idea of keeping Elliott away from the carpets…The fabric is a tad slippery which only seems to be an issue when Elliott is learning to crawl and could use a little more traction.

5. BOB Revolution SE Jogging Stroller and Travel Bag. If there is one item that has made Jon and I equally excited, this is it! There are so many reasons to love this stroller – it has adjustable suspension for a smooth ride, pivots on a dime, folds up in 2 moves, has a huge canopy with a sunroof so we can see our little guy while running.

The travel bag is a serious piece of luggage. It has a shoulder strap and handle for easy carrying but also comes with wheels. We managed to pack almost all of Elliott’s belongings into the empty space around the stroller which saved us on extra baggage fees.

Now that we’re at our destination, we’ve been able to go for runs, do some sightseeing and even take it to the beach. Though BOB is an investment, we think it is worth every penny!