Everybody Say... Awww

Sweet Shot Tuesday...

I've been struggling in the using my camera department... it just became un-fun for some reason. And I went a whole week and took pictures of only ONE thing!  But then, Twitter (and Kent Weakley) inspired me ...and this is one of the first photos I took when I pulled my camera out again.

The "Oreo" cows on the neighboring farm gave birth this week. 

Here's one of the newborns

it was just soo cute all wobbly and enjoying a field of buttercups! 

I used my camera A LOT this week... there were a lot of blurry and deletable photos, but the point is, I used my camera!!

Now go shoot something...

Project 52 --Details

I'm running behind on my blogging again... So many other things pulling at me lately! But I really want to stick with the Project 52 this year! So even though I'm a few days late, I am linking up with Week 13: Details... and I'm cheating! I'm adding it to Sweet Shot Tuesday, too! :)

On this particular day, my focus was on the details of enjoying my little one, enjoying the details of sunshine and blue skies, enjoying the details of blowing bubbles... Ah, sweet, sweet childhood!

there is nothing sweet about this next shot, although it does apply to details... and it still gives me the heebie jeebies to look at it, just like it did when I was taking the picture, but I still have to share it (and now this little creature is ground into my driveway)

Previous Project 52 posts

Hunger
The "Eyes" of March 
Be Still
A Great Leap

Cabin Fever

Cotton Candy Sky

It was another one of those moments where God's artistry just caught me by surprise and I just soaked it in.... and then I tried to capture it on camera and it seemed to fall flat!

But I couldn't come up with 10 things for Top Ten Tuesday... and this did remind me of something sweet, so I thought I would share it with you for Sweet Shot Tuesday!

Maybe it doesn't look like it to you... but to me, this was my Cotton Candy Sky!  It made me smile, so I wanted to share it with you...

Ice Festival tradition

I don't know about you, but I expect traditions to go perfectly... if it's a tradition it must be a happy memory, right? But then if I think it should be perfect, chances are it won't and I'll get mad, miscommunications will happen, and I will probably cry... the good news is that even though I was exhausted at the end of the day, we had a great time and to look at the pictures you would never know we started out rough!! :) Our local town has an ice festival every February and we have been going for the last four years!! so here's 10 pictures of the day for Top Ten Tuesday!


1. We always start the day at Krispy Kreme for breakfast...

2. although it wasn't super cold, the kids were "freezing" before we even started! :)

3. We rounded the first corner... and almost ran into Frosty... literally! :)

4. my little ballerinas with the ice skater (it was a London/Olympics theme this year)

5. Our annual family photo... this year with Big Ben (the ice sculpture sponsored by my husband's place of employment!)

6. another great photo opportunity on the medals podium... my son was none too happy about not being on top!

7. Ella saw this sculpture of Michael Jordan and immediately tried to copy the pose... maybe I have a future basketball star in my mix?!

8. Buckingham Palace...

9. catching a Live ice carving of a bobsled!

10. at this point, we were all pretty tired, but we made one more stop which is more a festival for kids (and it's indoors). They had Walking Tacos, which were awesome and the kids all got their faces painted!!

We do this every year and it isn't always perfect, but my kids talk about it ALL YEAR LONG... so I know the happy memories outweigh the rough patches!! :)

PS... I am also linking up to Sweet Shot Tuesday because my kids are so sweet... and I can't choose my favorite! :)

My Sweetheart (one of them)

So, I'm hit and miss on Sweet Shot Tuesday, because I am sticking to Project 52, but I did want to share a photo this week... because hey, there is a giveaway for participating! and I'm a sucker for giveaways!!



I have also discovered in my photography that I like post processing (is that even what it's called?) I typically shoot in auto because I am too lazy to figure out my camera which has some manual settings on it, but I don't think it's full blown DSLR. and then I just play with it some in Picasa, which has some editing options but not tons. Well recently my laptop screen started to die (I had a blog post planned on that but it hasn't happened yet) so I started using my hubby's MacBook. I discovered that the Picasa on his Mac had more editing options than my Dell, so I started playing around with it some.

So, on Valentine's Day, this is my youngest sweetheart.  She was dancing around the kitchen the other day and wanted me to take her picture, but she wouldn't stand still long enough for a non-blurry shot, so this was taken on auto with flash and then played around with in Picasa.

I might be biased, but I think she's beautiful... and very sweet!

PS... come back on Friday for another SWEET picture for my Project 52, True Love!!

The perfect snack

Sometimes, you just need a great snack... and this one is all about the memories for me!!
So here is my little "tutorial" in just TEN steps on how to make a great snack! :)

1. Have an incredible urge for comfort food and an intense memory of eating peanut butter and jelly crackers on Sunday nights with your sisters, growing up.

2. Feed kids leftovers for dinner in hopes that they won't want what you are eating.

3. Gather supplies... Peanut Butter (yes, it has to be Jif), jelly, crackers--Ritz! ...I just love my vintage Ritz crackers container, from Wes' grandma's house!

4. Start assembling snack on Fiestaware plate because this is a big deal!

5. add peanut butter to crackers... Thicker is better, something I didn't know when I was younger

6. Scoop out some jelly. Old school calls for grape jelly, or go extravagant with homemade strawberry jam (I was out!) or blackberry!!

7. have kids start mooching;

8. be willing to share and then make more!

9. Pour large glass of milk to wash it all down!

10. Smile and realize that you just came up with a top ten post!



What's your favorite snack? and do you share with your kids?



edit to add: I am also linking this up to Sweet Shot Tuesday because I had so much fun photographing our snack...

My Jedi

We had a great Thanksgiving, visiting family in Ohio. It was a fantastic week of family time, giving thanks, lots of fun, traditions, and celebrating Christmas a month early because we won't see them next month!  tons of pictures taken and memories made, and #1000gifts written down!

My blog may be on hold this week because I have an opportunity to showcase my cards on Saturday... and I hope to sell a bunch! Which means that I need to put some time and effort into packaging and displaying my wares... anybody have some advice??!?!  Say a prayer for me, that I might be able to sell a bunch, but most of all I will have FUN!! :)

But before I go, I just wanted to share a picture... that became four because I just couldn't get my sweet little Jedi to cooperate all together!!

So just a little entry into Sweet Shot Tuesday...

Fall Photos

God has gifted me with the most beautiful children, ever!  Seriously!! 

It has been 2 1/2 years since I got my kids pictures done professionally... which is pathetic!!  and there are so many great photographers out there now and such creative ideas for picture taking lately... but there is one problem, they cost too much! We are greatly blessed, and not lacking! God takes good care of us and meets all of our needs, there just isn't any pocket change for $200-300 sitting fees, etc.

So I decided to take things into my own hands... after all, I have dreams of being good at SOMETHING in my life, why not photography (except that I am too lazy to learn my camera).  So Saturday was a gorgeous sunny day... almost warm for November and I knew that I wouldn't get many more days like that!  So I tortured my kids into putting on semi-nice clothes and go outside in the setting sun (it gets cold fast, when the sun goes behind the trees!) and I took pictures, pictures, and more pictures!! OVER 300 to be "almost" exact!! Well I deleted all the obvious blurry, no rescuing pictures... and then I picked my favorites to share on Facebook... I narrowed it down to 30, I mean, how many people want to look at 100 pictures of my kids?!?!  Well, I do, because they are beautiful, if I say so myself, but I won't bore you! :)  So for Sweet Shot Tuesday, I am picking just a few to share with you!!!

So I think I did pretty good... not $200 good, but nice enough for my picture frames and the picture frames of grandmas and grandpas, and aunts and uncles of my adorable children!! :)

Some real photographers share their pictures with My 3 Boybarians and her Sweet Shot Tuesday Link up, go check them out!

Chicken farmer

There is just something fun and rewardng about going out in your backyard and finding breakfast!! :)

here is a photo of my most recent dozen collected over the last week!  I love the 2 HUGE brown ones... I'm guessing double yokes.  and I love saying I had green eggs. They have a bluish green tint to them... so fun!!

linking up with My 3 Boybarians for Sweet Shot Tuesday!!

cake is so sweet

It's Tuesday again... and while I would love to join Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda... I just can't come up with 10 of anything right now, so I will join in with Sweet Shot Tuesday.



If you read my blog regularly, you will remember that my camera BROKE!! I dropped it, and the lens will no longer focus or zoom in/out!  I am soo sad, but my husband ordered me a replacement on ebay... hope it comes soon and works perfectly!!  So I have had to take a week off from my #Project365 goal this year. But I promise, I will pick right back up when I get my camera again!!  but I did want to share this fantastic picture of chocolate cake that we had when my sisters visited 2 weeks ago!

It has hazelnut coffee in it... melted chocolate chips layered in it, and a most delicious frosting and "ganache"  ooh my word, I am salivating just thinking about it!  The problem is, my sister didn't leave me the recipe!!  ... are you reading this??? in all of our recipe exchanging while you guys were here and NOBODY left me a copy of this chocolate cake recipe!!  so somebody... get on the stick and send it to me! :)


here's my son... sniffing the goodness that was this chocolate cake!!

 My kids totally licked their plates clean... good thing we used decaf coffee! :)  ...and yes that is me in the background just digging into my piece... it was huge, and so rich I couldn't finish it in one sitting!!

So, sisters, please send me the recipe... I might want to make it one of these days! :)