About Me

Hi there!  I'm Sarah.  I live with my funny, sweet and very domestic (thank goodness because I am not) husband, Jeff, and our two wonderful, sweet, and CHALLENGING children, Miles and Stella (which is where the "Stiles" in the Stiles Files came from.)

Why I'm a little crazy: (aka my kids)

I quit my job as Coordinator of a Day Program for adults with disabilities to stay home with my new baby, Miles,  in November of 2007.  I was in la la love with my little guy, but being a new mom kicked my ASS.   Doesn't it always?  We had a ton of bumps.  Long story short, my son Miles was diagnosed with pretty severe Torticollis (which is a fairly common muscular issue which causes a head tilt) around 3 months and we pursued every treatment possible (physical therapy, cranial sacral therapy, chiropratic care.)  We attended several appointments a week and did daily exercises several times a day to try and improve his condition, but nothing helped.  I felt like such a failure.  They finally did x-rays and found a congenital abnormality with his spine. After months of doing all those exercises and therapies, we were told to stop everything because he was at risk.  His spinal cord wasn't properly protected and they fit him for a brace immediately to keep him straight and more protected.  Then we were told he would need a spinal fusion (his skull down to his c3), but we would need to wait until his bones were big enough to hold the hardware.  Hardware?  Wha?  So, we waited.  And waited.  And worried. And worried. Finally, right after his 3rd birthday, Miles had successful surgery.  It wasn't easy, but we made it through such a big step.
Then, after all of the medical stuff calmed down, we had time to deal with other things.  Oh boy, there were other things.  We had been dealing with sensory issues, major problems with self-regulation and some developmental delays (some due to his spinal issues) all along, but he was finally diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at the age of 4. 

I'm not gonna lie, my son is challenging.  He is also one of the most awesomest kids on the planet.   He is smart and loving and if anyone messes with him, Mama Bear will take care of business. :)

My daughter, Stella, was born in June of 2009.  She was a very easy going baby, she reached milestones quickly and there were no medical issues.  I still worried, of course.  Stella is our little spitfire.  She likes to talk about her girl parts at Target loudly and says "I had so much fun doing. . . " after everything we do.  Everything.  "I had so much fun playing with my friends, I had so much fun going to the dentist,  I had so much fun blowing my nose."    She also throws a mean tantrum and must do everything all. by. herself. 

Miles and Stella have a beautiful love/hate relationship like most siblings. They fight, they yell and they take care of each other.  It's pretty cool to watch them grow up together.

Truth be told, I was a little crazy before the kids, but they definitely sealed the deal!


How and Why I got into Photography:

FYI, this is not my lens!  I could barely lift it;).

I've always liked to take pictures, but it wasn't until I got my first DSLR that I really got into it.  I had been taking the kids to a department store photography department fairly regularly to have their pictures taken and it was a nightmare.  Oh Lord, I sweated.  They give you 15 minutes. 15(!) minutes  to get your kid to warm up and be themselves in front of a camera.  I spent most of those 15 minutes consoling, redirecting my escape artists and did I mention sweating?  It was a nightmare and I never got shots that I loved, but I would still end up spending a load of money.  I told my husband that if we could invest in a nice camera, I would stop spending money on those photos.  And I did.  Photography became a creative outlet for me when I really, really needed one.  Right now, I shoot with a 7d with hopes of going full frame sometime before 2037.  A girl can dream, right? 

Things I like besides taking pictures: (in no particular order)photo/mommy blogs, spicy tuna rolls, cadbury eggs, Cathrine Holm enamelware, old-school country, avocados, live music, reading, a good bloody mary, the sound of my kids laughing, owls, Netflix, pinning things I will never do on Pintrest, old cameras, getting more points than my husband in Just Dance: Abba, a splash of coffee in my cream, Harold and Maude, hanging with my cowgirls, watching HGTV with my parents, indie rock....and YOU if you've made it this far.

Things I don't like: (also in no particular order)driving, mice and rodents in general, the dentist, judgmental meanies, my husband's Beavis and Butthead impersonation.