Hello!

I know, I know...where have I been, right?  Hello?  Anyone?  I have been neglecting my Flickr account and my blog the last few months, but I really want to get back to them soon.  Really, I do!  I just wanted to pop in and say hello.  So.... Hello!

The little one had the flu, I always have one other big thing around the corner at work and now the holidays are upon us.  So life is busy and, besides the flu bug, everything is good.  I did mention in my last post that I had some things in store for any locals interested in portraits.  I was hoping to offer some mini-sessions, but it looks like I will shoot for Spring instead.  If you are interested and want to get in touch, please feel free to shoot me an email.

Meanwhile, I hope you take a minute and enjoy the holidays.  It really is one of my favorite times of the year.

Sandcastle Days 2010

A couple of weeks ago we made our annual trip to visit the Sandcastle Days festival.  I believe it's our 4th year in a row.  The weather is always wonderful, except for the one red tide year.  I get a scratchy throat just thinking about it. *cough, cough*  To be honest, J Bird is more interested in playing in the sand than checking out the amazing sand sculptures that have been entered into the annual competition.

So, after quickly checking out the sculptures we headed out to our favorite beach spot. Work began on her own little sand sculpture, shell collecting, and playing in the surprisingly warm water.  It was such a nice day.  I want to go head back already.

We really need to get back soon!

So Much Going On!

Ok, so maybe the 365 project was a bit much for me to take on, but I couldn't give up before the 30 day mark.  I had to give it a real go.

Truth be told, I take so many photos already and I've pushed myself further than expected before this project that I think the guilt factor won't be too much of a concern for me. Ok, well maybe a little guilt, but it will pass soon enough.  I admire everyone who jumps in with both feet and actually make it to the end.  I've seen what this project can do. I will continue to try to discover something new every. single. day. That will not change.  However, I want to concentrate my energy on other projects.  Hopefully, I'll be making an announcement here for any locals that happen to follow my blog and are interested in my type of photography for your family.  *Tap, tap, tapping microphone* Hello, anyone? Anyone at all out there? Oh well, silence has never stopped me before.  I'm excited about the possibilities.  Keep checking this site for more info.

Meanwhile, I will make my husband crazy by throwing ideas at him and begging him to assist me on my little shoots.  They really do go so much better when he's around to help.  Last week I managed to get out by myself with J Bird and we happened to catch the most wonderful golden light. Why was this such a big deal?  It was after a long day at work and school.  We had to go home to change J Bird out of her school uniform, grab camera gear, and drive to our location.  We caught the sun in the last few minutes before sunset.  Thankfully, she was up for the adventure.  Look at this light.

I had been dying to photograph J Bird with our new Gracylu Original headpiece made by the fabulous Tristian.  Her headpieces had inspired me to make one of my own during the wait for this piece to arrive. Remember this one? Who knew I could be somewhat creative? Tristian creates such unique and funky pieces including bridal pieces and adorable little hats. You should definitely check her site out if you get a minute or if you're just plain curious. They're definitely not meant for playtime, but they look great in photos.

It was fun to get off of our regular schedule for this shoot and come away with such fab shots.  We only had a few minutes of real shoot time, but we enjoyed this location (with the exception of the crazy wind.)  We found some awesome pecan trees and she picked a few pecans that had already fallen.  As a matter fact, we ran into an older couple that were picking pecans, as well.  I think they were a bit amused with us.  I didn't realize we were being watched until J Bird mentioned it.  Awkward moment!  Oh, to think of all the funky positions I was in to get my shots. Never mind....let's move on.

 

A quick shoot, but definitely worth the wind and the awkward moments.  I can't help but share these with you.  They make my soul sing. This one has to be one of my all time faves with the leaves on the grass and her classic smile. It's just so her.

Have a great week everyone and get out to find some golden light before the clocks move forward this weekend!

Breast Cancer Awareness - Pink Photo Challenge

I'm so proud of my hubby for taping up all his football players in pink athletic tape this month for breast cancer awareness month.  I wish I could have photographed it, but I'm working when he does it and then I have to rush off to pick up the little one to get ready for the game.  Maybe I'll try it this week if he lets me.  *hint, hint* 

It has been 5 years since we lost Grandma Jan to cancer and I believe she waited just long enough to see and hold this little one in her arms before she left us.  So, the color pink is really special in our family.  This is my entry for the iheartfaces Pink Photo Challenge...J Bird and her favorite color, pink.

365 Project: Days 20-31

Time to play catch up. Sometimes I don't know what's going on with my pictures.  There are times when I think I forget everything I've learned in the last year and a half about my camera.  It just goes to show that I really do need to practice, especially in those conditions that frighten me the most....straight into the sun, bad lighting, etc.  So, that's exactly what I've been doing.

Here we go:

Day 20:
She loves this pink car given to her by her grandma & grandpa.  I love how she just does her own thing.  She dresses up like a cowgirl and gets into her pink car.  All is good with the world.

Day 21:
I got a crafting bug into me and it was a little crazy there for a bit.  This was a quick little try at making a headband with some leftover bandanna from her birthday party.  Hey, we recycle and reuse!  What a sweet kid for letting me try it on her.  I think the chocolate pudding was the secret, though, as you can tell from her chocolate mustache.

Day 22:
Ok, so I missed a few days in here, but I was feeling a little rotten for a few days there.  Thankfully, a few nights with my go-to remedy (Theraflu) and some TV surfing and all was good again.

Day 23:
The recent beautiful weather inspired me to get moving and do something a little more "photo shoot" like.  So, I convinced my sweet J Bird to go on a mini shoot.   We ended up playing more than anything else, but I did get some favorites and this is definitely one of them.  It's so her.  We will be going back for more.

Day 24:
I have to admit every time I look at this I get a bit teary eyed.  In honor of my sweet mother-in-law, her struggle with cancer, and breast cancer awareness month I shot this very simple photo.  It is a collection of mini crosses that belonged to her and they hang from our hutch in the dining room.  It's this one cross that says it all when thinking of her.

Day 25:
Taken at a recent festival in town.

Day 26:
This was a quick snapshot taken as the sun was going down.  As you can tell, she was playing hard to get.

Day 27:
A continuation of my crafting frenzy.  I made this funky headband for photos.  It wasn't intended for anything else.  Besides, J Bird says it's too heavy.  LOL.  She wore it well, though.

Day 28:
It was such a beautiful evening and I couldn't resist the sun and these pretty little pink flowers in our front yard.  Of course, J Bird had to make her way into the photo.  She's the pink out of focus blob in the background playing tee ball.

Day 29:
At soccer practice trying to get my shot in for the day.

Day 30:
On the streets of New Orleans where I met my sister for an extremely rare getaway.

Day 31:
Another shot in the French Quarter as we strolled the area.  The architecture is amazing.  I didn't even mention the food we had while there.  Oh my goodness, DELISH! Yeah, I didn't get photos of that.  We were usually starving by the time we found a place to eat, so my camera was the last thing on our minds.

365 Project: Days 10-19

I think the biggest challenge for me with this project is obviously going to be creativity. It's not too difficult to get a shot in every day, but to get a decent creative shot is another thing all together. Here are my latest.

Day 10
This park recently opened and this water feature is extremely popular.  As you can tell, she's easily entertained. I love the couple in the back shooting their infant daughter in the background.

Day 11
I actually tried to be creative on this day.  I get these ideas in my head and sometimes it takes me a few days to actually get around to shooting what I want.  This is an original 1869 Dottie Dimple book passed on down to me. It's amazing it has made it this long. Plus, in the background you can kind of make out a teacup that belonged to my grandmother.

Day 12
Her birthday dinner.  She chose Joe's Crab Shack.  Not one other child was in the playground.  It was a little sad, but it was a school night after all.

Day 13
Posing at soccer practice.

Day 14
Showing off her cool glow-in-the-dark Silly Bandz that Uncle Kyle and family gave her.

Day 15
I love these flowers (oleanders) and I remember putting them in J Bird's hair when she was younger so I could photograph her.  Good idea, right? Then, hubby tells me they're poisonous and dangerous for children.  Figures.

Day 16
I purchased these boots for J Bird's cowgirl themed party and I have been wondering ever since why I haven't owned these for 20 years already.  Love these!!!!

Day 17
Sunset in the backyard.  I almost missed my daily shot, but I squeezed one in and I loved the light coming in through the leaves (and fence.)

Day 18
After school ritual...throw shoes off, jump on couch and try to sneak in some tv time until mean old mom gets her busy doing something else. Time for some new shoes, huh?

Day 19
My personal favorite from the bunch.  I don't know if it's because it's her classic "Mona Lisa" smile, her messy hair, or the sidewalk chalk on her face. My little sidewalk chalk artist.

The Big Day

So, I finally got around to working on the birthday pics from my sweet baby's party.  I'm probably very lucky that I even got these photos taken at all.  I'm absolutely terrible at taking pics at birthday parties or any other event where I'm talking or soaking in the fun. But hey, I can't fire myself, can I? 

The night before the party it rained 3 inches in less than hour.  Really? 3 inches?  Come on! Needless to say, I was just little bit worried.  Then, a couple of hours before the shindig it decides to rain a little more.  Geez! Well, we put on our boots and got ready for a muddy mess anyway.  Surprisingly, we had a lot of little troopers out there all enjoying themselves and sweating up a storm due to the crazy humidity that evening.

We arrived early to set up our tables, food and decorations.  We had some extra time before our first guests arrived, so J Bird headed out for a ride. 

Saddled up and ready to go.  She is such a natural up there.

This is Moxie. She is a sweet, gentle horse and perfect for the kids. This was J Bird's horse.

Once J Bird's friends showed up, all she could think about was playing with them. It did give all the kiddos a chance to ride the horses, though. I have to admit, I thought she might want to hog up all the horse time.  Nope, all she wanted to do was bounce with friends.

She did get the last ride, though.  I was so proud watching her control this huge animal. Later that night, we discovered she hadn't eaten dinner because she was riding instead.

Whoa!!! She missed the obstacle here and was backing Moxie up to give it another try.  I didn't have my zoom lens on my camera, but if I did you would be able to see the focus on her face.  It really was unbelievable.

Uncle J.T. and Aunt Sister were in town for the party and apparently felt the party needed some clowns.

Paint The Pony (with washable paint, of course.)

She told me her birthday was so good that she didn't need to make a wish...but she did anyway. he,he,he.