Karri Bowman Photography

Three homes, six job changes, two dogs and two babies later…

You're still the one.

Happy five year anniversary, babe. I love you.

Baby Shower - Retro Sister Love

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have caught a glimpse of the baby shower my sisters and I hosted for our gorgeous sister, Mandy and her baby boy on the way...

We decided to go with an all black and white theme, and let the mama of honor stand out in her signature, red color. Since I was in charge of decorations, I opted to make, instead of buy the decor (because even though I never have enough hours in the day, I still believe that there's something special about homemade) and found a super simple tutorial for tissue paper pom-poms that did the trick!

All the girls got involved, including our (not-so-little-anymore) baby niece. We had so much fun celebrating a boy on the way... There are A LOT of girls in this family, and everyone (including my hubs) is thrilled!

We also did it retro style, of course. Opting for red lips, polka dots, soft waves and pearls... which is a Dempsey girl signature! (Recognize my vintage dress I wore in Paris?) Mandy wore vintage too.

I printed a template for guests to fill out wishes for baby Dylan, (one of my favorite things given to my son at his baby shower) and captured a special moment of the dad-to-be filling out his hopes and dreams for his future son.

I'm so proud of my sis. She's come a long way and has been through so much. She had her first two girls when she was just a baby herself, and now she's finally getting her son. She reminded me how I threw her a baby shower for her first daughter, just the two of us, in a tiny Hollywood apartment, broke, with a homemade cake and a couple of balloons.

Every time I think about how far we've come, how lucky we are, and how much joy we have in our lives now... I feel so grateful.

Cheers to sisterhood, sons, family and friends... and having all your dreams come true! (PS Mandy's drinking sparkling juice, so don't get any crazy ideas!) I love you, sis! xx

Dear Stella, today you are four.

... and I couldn't be more proud, or more in love with the sweet, sweet, adorably bright and wonderful little girl that you've become.

This morning as I was looking for my cell phone (which I tend to lose often these days), you were watching cartoons and eating oatmeal... You kept offering to help me find it even though I kept saying that silly mommy always loses her phone and I didn't need help. You tugged on my arm and looked me straight in the eyes and said "Mommy, everybody needs a helper sometimes. Let me be your helper."

You are kind and hilarious and always thinking of others. If anyone is sad, it makes you sad. If someone is crying, you always give them a hug. If someone needs a helper, you're their girl. You love chocolate anything and apple juice with no water and matching stripes with stripes and laughing til your tiny tummy can't take it anymore. You are full-strength, baby. You love life. And you make me love mine even more. You are my reason.

Happy birthday, darling girl.

Love you to the moon and back,

Mom xo

Stella's dress c/o Biscotti & Kate Mack

Stay tuned for birthday party coverage next week!

Appreciate//Be love//Be here now

Right now the hubs is headed to the airport to say goodbye to one of our friends who passed away over the weekend. We're devastated, sad, spooked and holding on to our little family so tight right now. Our hearts hurt for the woman who loved him and lost him. The idea of losing one another is unfathomable and too painful to imagine. So we will try again, like we try every day, to appreciate the gift of one another, this life and family we built together and each day we get to enjoy it, side by side.

I snapped these photos on a recent, family, neighborhood walk and as I look at them now, with grief in my heart and new eyes, I'm struck by the simple beauty of the world that I often neglect from day-to-day. I want to be here now and be the love that my family needs. My hope is the same for you. Tell your loved ones that you do. Tell them. Hug them. Don't let today pass without giving that one simple gift. Because life is a fragile, beautiful, fleeting thing. And the only thing that matters in this life is love. And those people who touch our hearts and make it better. 

Dedicated to Joel Magaziner. 

We love you, buddy.

On going blonde, wearing hats and having a daughter

I have been super casual lately, trying to get our life in order after the move. Plus, most of my clothes are still packed away in boxes and storage and I haven't had a chance to pull them out yet, seeing as though kitchen and kiddos are taking priority over mama's wardrobe.

I'm still experimenting with having short hair and somehow love wearing hats so much more with a bob. I even considered going blonder again, (evidence you may have seen recently on my Pinterest board.) I have had just about every color hair you can imagine and sported long, blonde locks for a big portion of my acting career. So I thought, why not lighten this new look up a bit? (As if chopping it off wasn't dramatic enough! I can't help it. I find it so much fun to mix things up from time to time!)

But one little thing halted me dead in my tracks this morning... My sweet Stella was getting dressed for school and looking at herself in the mirror. She twisted a tiny finger around a dark chestnut swirl and said "Mama, I really wish I had blonde hair." I just about cried for her and swooped her up into my arms, covering her in kisses and compliments and telling her how beautiful brown is, but more importantly, how beautiful being yourself is. Guess I won't be headed into highlight territory any time soon. Thanks for the reminder, my darling. Mommy loves you. (And our chestnut swirls!)

Tree finding

Five seconds after these photos were taken, the rain came pouring down. Luckily we found our tree just in time. I told you I wear this hat a lot.

Thankful

The word "thankful" doesn't even begin to express the gratitude I feel for the life that I am currently living. There was a time (not so long ago) when I closed my eyes and wished, wished, wished upon a million stars to be right where I am today. It's not always easy, it's not always pretty, but it's right where I always wanted to be: Home. 

I'm thankful for love.

For family.

And those carefree days I get to spend with my children while they are still small...

I'm thankful for good friends and good times...

A warm home and good food in our bellies.

The freedom to express my voice, thoughts and inspirations here...

And for all my lovely readers who just keep on reading...

With many thanks and gratitude, 

T xx

Bigger than love

“♫ It’s bigger

than Love

brighter

than all the

stars

combined

it's dwarfing

the sun

burning within

my heart

and mind ♫”

Bigger Than Love
by Ben Gibbard

Thankful ~ My husband & My best friends

Today is my gorgeous best friend, Jen's birthday. This also happens to be the week that the hubs and I will be celebrating four years of marriage. While looking through our wedding photos, I stumbled upon some snapshots of the night before the ceremony and was struck by just how lucky I am to have these three human beings in my life. 

My husband has given me more than I could have ever imagined would be mine. He has given me a family. He has given me real, surrounding, tangible, daily love. The kind that looks back at you with innocent eyes and tiny beating hearts and faces that combine ours. A family. My family. 

And my girls? Well, they've given me memories. Unforgettable, incredible times... and the kind of continued support that only a best friend can offer. You guys make me a better person. 

Happy anniversary, Happy birthday, and thank you for being my little sis who became my rock.

With love, 

T xx

{Photos by Karri Bowman}

Remember these days...

The fam and I took a walk to Abbot Kinney last night for dinner and stopped along the way for some silly playtime. As magical as life is right now, sometimes I forget to take it all in... I have to remember to cherish as many moments as I can capture. Take actual (and mental) photographs to store away for another day. If I blink, it will be over. They will be grown. Proof: This little lady was my newborn only yesterday.

It's a gift

This first week home from the hospital has been beautiful and hard. It's been a rush of momentous moments - like watching my sweet Stella's smiling face as she gazed at her baby brother for the first time, noticing the tears in my husband's eyes when he saw them together for the first time, then thanked me, really thanked me for giving him a son... To the daily grind of being back home, juggling it all with very little help and the hubs and I trying to stay sane on little, to no sleep.  

The balance between newborn and toddler is going to be the biggest challenge. Nobody can settle my sweet girl's heart like the arms and attention of her mother and not one person on earth can do what needs to be done for our newborn son. They both depend on me so exclusively, that I've felt the weight of that responsibility so heavily over the past few days.

I want to do the best for the both of them and I'm trying, dear God I'm trying... but because I'm human (a very tired, worn-down human, still in physical pain and recovering from the marathon of labor and birth) inevitably something or someone will suffer.

It's sink or swim these days, but what a wonderful reason to be exhausted, to feel beat-up, to be overwhelmingly happy and SCARED TO DEATH at the same time. When it's harder than hard and I feel like I'm barely able to keep up or keep going, I try to remind myself that this is exactly what I've always dreamed of...

These are the days I longed for...

A family of my own.

My very own.

It's a gift.

... and I will be forever grateful. 

With love, 

T xx

(All images sourced through Pinterest)