Gulf Coast life

October Fun

October was a big month for photography! Besides the two beautiful portrait sessions I already blogged, I took tons of pictures of everyday life, too. Mostly just the weekends if I'm being honest, but it still amounts to a LOT of photos, so this is the first of TWO blog posts documenting our October adventures.

Now that the weather is pleasant again, we've been to the park a lot! Afton still loves to swing.

baby girl and daddy at park

Afton got a very special delivery from her friend Max. When my friend and colleague Gaela told me she had a car that her son had outgrown and wanted to hand down, I was picturing the plastic "cozy coop" I had as a kid, so my expectations were majorly exceeded by this gorgeous antique-style toy car! I love it, and Afton seems to be a big fan, too! It will be even more fun when she can reach the pedals. :)

toddler girl with toy antique car

I am also a little obsessed with her birdie Robeez shoes (thanks, Sweet T!), so I made sure they were thoroughly photographed while I was as it.

one year old girl with owl outfit and Robeez shoes with birds

But back to antique cars. Afton's new wheels came just in time to get us geared up for Cruisin' the Coast. We had a lovely stroll downtown with our friends. 

antique cars at Cruisin' the Coast 2016

I've learned that some locals get annoyed by this massive block party because of the traffic, but I say bah humbug.  It's so much fun! Even though I see them every year, I don't get tired of looking at all these cool old cars.

Crusin' the Coast cars in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
colorful antique cars at Cruisin' the Coast in Ocean Springs

Lucy's dog Pepper even joined the fun!

little dog and baby girl at Cruisin' the Coast

Afton and I had some fun playtime later that same day. I stacked up the Very Hungry Caterpillar blocks (thanks, Grandma!), and she happily knocked them down. 

baby girl playing with blocks

It's acorn season here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Afton has not yet figured out that these aren't meant for eating. 

one-year-old girl trying to eat acorns

We had fun playing outside anyway! 

toddler girl playing in backyard

When she's not trying to eat acorns, she likes playing with rocks! 

baby girl playing with rocks in backyard

Playing the piano is another favorite activity! 

baby girl playing piano

This adorable ensemble was a gift from another of my awesome co-workers, who also happens to be our neighbor! Thanks, Jessi! Afton was looking like a sweet southern belle in her monogrammed onesie and pink tutu, so of course we had a little photo shoot. :)

toddler girl in monogrammed onesie and pink tutu

Of course, there was another occasion for dressing up in October: Halloween!  We did a dry run with the costume on the weekend since there wouldn't be much time for picture-taking between work and sunset on Halloween night. Pretty sure this is the cutest butterfly I've ever seen! :)

toddler girl in butterfly Halloween costume

She wasn't too sure what to think about candy...

baby girl in butterfly costume with Halloween candy

...but she had fun learning the ropes of trick-or-treating from her friend Navarro the dinosaur. :)

little kids trick-or-treating

That's the end of October, obviously, but I skipped a very important event that will get its own post. Stay tuned to find out what it is! ;)