Lists

I am just in a mood today so I have been making lists!  Lots of lists!  You know, sort of like a pro/con list that I would make if I were making a big decision.  I like to see things in black and white because it helps me wrap my mind around things better!  Today's lists were a little different because they all pertain to things I like or don't like in general.  No big decisions going on here!  Here they are:

Things I like!

1.  The smell of new camera gear.

2.  The smell of a freshly bathed baby.

3.  CHOCOLATE

4.  The sun on my face and my toes in the sand.

5.  Bunny therapy!

6.  Snickers Latte with whipped cream.

7. Spa days.

8.  My iPhone 4.

9.  Watching the Diva learn something new.

10.  Being creative.

Things I don't like!

1.  SNOW, we have had too much already!

2.  Ham and Beans.

3.  Being too cold or too hot.

4.  Driving long distance.

5.  Running out of ice cream.

6.  Mean people.

7.  Having too little time to have fun.

8.  Going to the dentist or doctor.

9.  Running out of creative muses.

So there are my lists for today.  I am praying for the sun to be on my face soon and it would not hurt if I could find some warm sand for my toes either.  For now I will settle for some bunny therapy with our 15 lb bunny!  Oh yeah, I also like the new Topaz plug-in I downloaded for editing!  I re-edited this photo and I am loving it!!

Spice Up Your Superbowl Party!

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Monday, Monday! La la la la la la!

No I am not really in the mood to sing about Monday!  This particular Monday brought me a nasty cold so I am still in my jammies just hanging out and playing with some photos!  The Diva has done a couple of shoots for me to get ready to make her Valentine's cards!  That's right, we are making her cards in photoshop!  You won't find those overpriced cards coming from this house!  LOL!  I know what you are thinking!  I have a month to get these done but I am now ahead of schedule so I am good to go.

We did the shoots inside with my new lighting setup and some makeshift backgrounds so I really needed to play anyway to get the setup correct and she was in the mood to cooperate!  BIG shock there!  We had fun and she got candy so it was a win-win situation.

In other news, I have been checking into a Disney vacation and I have to say that I am a little OK a lot shell shocked!  WOW! $145 per person for two days in the park so almost $600 just for tickets that is not including airfare or food or anything!  Now, I would love to take my kids but at this rate they will have to grow up and pay for themselves or I will have to win the lottery!  This vacation would be the equivalent of me doing 6-10 weddings just to pay for it all!  WOW!  Did I say that already?  I think it is worth saying again!!  WOW!

My head is starting to hurt just thinking about it so I will leave you with this teaser of the Diva!  Happy Monday to you all!

Skating

Every year our church does a skate night! We always have so much fun! It has been really interesting to see the Diva's progress over the course of the last three years! This year she was all over it! She hit the hardwood like a pro and never looked back! No " hold my hand", or rail clinging for this soon to be 4 year old!

No, I did not skate! Ok, I skated for all of 10 minutes but was more interested in taking pictures like this one for my project 365!

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My Goal for 2011

So I have many goals for 2011 but my photography goal is to add off camera flash to my little bag of tricks.  I have purchased a couple of books but now I am in a contest to win a seat for an on-line class!!  I am so excited!!  If you want to get in on the fun and try to win a seat Texas Chicks have got your chance!  Or you could sign up and if you win, give it to me!!  Kidding.......maybe!!  LOL!

Helping Teens Cope With Loss.

Lately we have been helping our son deal with loss!  Having said that, he has lost several people in his life like grandparents and an aunt but he has not had to deal with the death of one of his peers since he was about 4.  Recently, an accident injured two of his friends and claimed the life of another.  It was tough for him, the school and our town.  The accident happened on a stretch of road called 7 Hills where teens like to go faster than they should!  Heck, I did it and my son has done it also!  It is not safe in the least!  It was the week between Christmas and New Years and not the way we wanted to end an old year much less start a new one!

That brings us to today:  The teen tells me that April, one of the injured girls, lost her mom today!  So much sadness and grief in this young person's life!  So now the Moody Teen is coming to terms, yet again, with the grieving process.  I wish his faith were stronger but I know that comes with time and age as it did with me.

Please pray for April and her family as they begin the grieving process back at square one!  This quote came from a facebook friend today, when I most needed it! 

"When grief says give up. God whispers, try one more time." - Barbi Rodriguez

Project 365

I have always wondered if I would follow through with a project 365 challenge or if I would start with a bang and fizzle out the second week! I think if I had to do it with my pro camera, it might be tough so I decided to try one with my iphone4! I joined Instagram, which is a free app for your phone or computer, and got started! You can find me there as Momtog68! For those of you who don't have an iPhone or Droid or other app compatible phone or who don't want to find it online, I will periodically post a few of my favorites here! It will also give you a chance to see the power of photo taking and editing on the iPhone! Most of the images will be daily life related (daily for me anyway) and I hope you enjoy sharing my journey as I delve into the world around me one photo at a time!

January 1, 2011

January 2, 2011


January 3, 2011


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