Recently, our band of mother writers for Seacoast Moms Blog got together for a special event. Our writers range in age, life stage and span the entire Seacoast. We live everywhere from Exeter, Nottingham, Portsmouth and Southern Maine. Our backgrounds are as varied as the topics we write about. From yoga to fashion, essential oils to satire, we cover the bases and everything in between. We’re all moms in one shape or another, so getting together for a night out to mingle, paint and have our team pictures taken means three things:
- Wine and food. Because, obviously.
- Stressing about what to wear (moms getting head shots? Who are we?!).
- Connecting with one another over crazy toddlers, stewing teenagers and life outside the motherhood.
The Place: The Offbeat Owl
Located in the heart of downtown Exeter, this paint bar is perfect for a group like ours. We painted wine glasses with the Seacoast Moms Blog logo on it, enjoyed drinks from the bar and munched on healthy appetizers and delicious flatbread pizzas. Some of our contributors showed off their artistic prowess while others illustrated their knack for finishing off the last slice of pizza (cough cough . . . hangs head). Many of us were meeting for the very first time ,so having a fun and low key activity like painting broke the ice perfectly.
In addition to painting wine glasses, The Offbeat Owl offers an array of mediums on which to express your creativity. Paint a nature scene with friends or make coffee mugs for Father’s Day! Bring your kids and create incredible artwork to give to grandparents while creating a fun memory in the process. The Offbeat Owl is truly a place with something for everyone.
The Photo Shoot: Ashley Shea Photography
There is something luxurious about having your head shot taken. Especially when you are the one most often behind the camera! Even though it can be nerve-wracking, getting all dolled up for a professional photo shoot helps any mom remember who she is outside of the motherhood. Even though we fret about what to wear, stress about our smile lines and encourage the photographer to “make us look 10 years younger”, the process is invigorating. Standing in front of the lens with one as talented as local photographer Ashley Shea feels pretty great.
Because we are moms and we spend so much time considering everyone else, posing for photos doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Thankfully, Ashley made it easy and fun. Seeing ourselves through her eyes (and her lens) helped us to see ourselves for the talented, vivacious and gorgeous women we are. It’s way too easy to forget that when you’re in the throes of a tantrum, you’ve just been thrown up on, or you’re trying to figure out how to get through the day with your kid. We loved working with Ashley Shea and highly recommend her for all your photography needs!
Seacoast Moms Blog Contributors
It was wonderful to get together with all of these amazing women from this beautiful Seacoast. While we work hard to provide a strong virtual community in Seacoast Moms Blog, it’s so nice to meet in person once in awhile. We are so grateful to The Offbeat Owl and Ashley Shea Photography for making our night memorable.
