the MomTog diaries

Look What I Made! Rapunzel Gown!

2012-01-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

I had great ideas for the theme of Ella's 4th birthday this spring until she decided she wanted to have a Tangled party instead...bye bye plans, lol! It's perfect though because now I have lots of great new ideas circled around the Rapunzel theme! Of course she would be needing a dress for her event so I began my search. There are the ones you can buy through Disney but I wanted something more unique and one-of-a-kind so I searched all over etsy. I came to the conclusion that instead of spending $100 on a custom dress (which was out of the question anyway) I would just buckle down and make one myself. So, that same day (this past friday) I headed to my local craft store and bought my fabric and by Sunday evening the dress was complete! It's amazing what you can get done if you just set your mind to it and make yourself work on a project. The entire project cost me about $15 in materials and notions since I used coupons!! The gown is a bit large but this will ensure that she'll get a few years of wear out of it! Ella loves it and I cannot wait to see her wear it on her special day! I just love planning the details of kids birthday parties! Maybe I'll add it to the list of things I "do", lol!

And here's Ella practicing the Smoulder!! This "look" comes very naturally for her...I get it a lot! Followed by a ton of attitude!!

And this is another shot from when we were playing around doing Rapunzel hairdos a few days ago! Can you tell we love Tangled?!!

Lazy Day..and some new editing style {kernersville nc photographer}

2012-01-17T19:16:00.001-08:00

Today I had the chance to fiddle with my new camera a bit and see how well she performs in low indoor light. The morning started out sunny but by 10am the wintry clouds had moved in and created a darker, gloomier environment...the perfect chance to see what Lola can do! These photos were taken with ISOs ranging from 1250 to 3200 and not the least bit of noise. My d90 couldn't touch that! You would never know that these were taken in a dark room! I figured I'd play around with some new editing as well just to try out a different "look." Yay or nay? I kinda like it but it's definitely not for every photo. Let me know what you think! Hope you are having a great start to your week!

Meet Princess Lola!!

2012-01-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

My new baby just arrived 2 days ago...delivered by UPS of course! And I am absolutely smitten!! I've been dreaming of her for a while now and I finally bit the bullet and got her...along with a new 50 1.4G lens. I haven't had a chance to really get out and see what she can do but I already know that this d700 will be a great asset to my camera bag. My d90 (Lucy) has served me well for the last (almost) 3 years and will be sticking around to serve as a sidekick but Lola will now be the main workhorse behind Feathered Nest Photographie. I am looking forward to creating many beautiful images with her! I just had to share my fun news with all of you (and yes I might be a tad crazy for naming my cameras, but I do spend a lot of time with them ;) ). Happy Friday!!

Rapunzel! Let down your hair!! Fun with playsilks

2012-01-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have been around here a while may remember this post I did years ago when I first discovered the magic of playsilks! They are such a simple toy and simple to make using inexpensive silk scarves and kool-aid. If I remember correctly I believe I bought my silks here and you can find a line-up of which flavors produce which colors here. Not every flavor is available everywhere so you may have to do some hunting if you want a particular color. I still have a special stash of kool-aids that aren't available in my area that I bought in a SC Bi-Lo store while on vacation in 2008. My husband and kids are always trying to sneak packets out to use to make kool-aid and I am forever having to snatch them back, lol! If you'd like to make your own there are lots of tutorials online but this one is one of the ones I followed back in 2008.

My girls have been playing with their silks for 3.5 years now (my how they've changed!) and they still have tons of fun with them. Yesterday they, along with my mom came up with a fun new idea for them! Both Halle & Ella are big fans of Disney's Tangled movie so they decided to use the playsilks to create long hair like Rapunzel and run around watching their "hair" follow after them! It was beyond cute!

Valentine's Minis!!

2012-01-06T16:22:00.001-08:00

New Year, New Name, New Look!!! Unveiled!!

2012-01-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!!! I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful start to this new year! My photography business is undergoing some BIG changes...one of them being a brand new name and a new look!! Hana Lynch Photography is NOW Feathered Nest Photographie!! I'm super excited about this change since I've wanted to do this for a long time now...it's just a lot of work, like starting the business from scratch again...but I am soooo glad I finally took the plunge and headed this direction. That's what new year's are all about anyway right?! Making fresh starts and exciting new changes!! In an effort to really start promoting myself I've finally created a Facebook business page where I will be posting the newest sessions and special deals for those who "like" my page! Please visit Feathered Nest Photographie on FB if you have a moment, "like" my page and "share" it with your friends!! I'd be super tickled if you'd stop by and say hello!! I'm looking forward to photographing and meeting many new faces this year!

The Lynch Kids: combined family shoot and a little story behind it {greensboro nc childrens photographer}

2011-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

A little over a week before Christmas I had the chance to do a combined session for my 3 children and my nephews on my husband's side in order to create a surprise photo gift for my in-laws! My BIL met me with his two boys and we headed to a local field. The lighting couldn't have been more beautiful and the kids were so well behaved and followed instructions. The photos were coming out beautifully and I was so excited with what I knew was going to be an amazing gift! However once I returned home and uploaded my images to my computer I discovered that my memory card had gone corrupt and many of favorites were completely destroyed and unsalvageable. All that were left were bits and pieces of images..."truncated files" was the term photoshop kept using...I was devastated. I called my husband in tears, completely frustrated and heartbroken with the situation. "But they were so good" is all I kept saying over and over. I was forced to step away and leave the ordeal at my desk since we were committed to being a part of a live Christmas Nativity at my church that evening and I was already running behind. It was probably a good thing. Once I returned home late in the evening I was able to sit down clear headed and see what images could be saved. Fortunately it was not a total loss and the more I weeded through them the more little gems I discovered that were perfectly fine. The more I found, the more I was at peace with the ones I had lost. No use crying over spilt milk, right? At least when there's still a few good sips left in the glass. In the end I was more than happy with what I could save. That worn out memory card has been replaced and the finished gift was perfect. I created a 16x20 mounted & framed storyboard for them to hang on their wall as well as a framed 16x20 mounted image of all 5 grandkids. They LOVED them! Happy ending!

Merry Christmas!! Happy Birthday Jesus!!

2011-12-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late Christmas wishes but I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday celebrating with friends and family! We've been busy with our festivities but I wanted to share a few photos from our Christmas!! May your and yours be blessed on this special day! In our home we are celebrating the true meaning of Christmas...the birth of our Savior Jesus! Without Him we are nothing. He is our salvation and our deliverer and we are truly thankful for what Christmas really means....humble beginnings in a manger...the best gift of all! Merry Christmas!

Free Editing: Everyone WIns!!

2011-12-19T04:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for such a delay in announcing the editing winners. We had a busy weekend and I just didn't have time to write a post. It was also brought to my attention that many of you have been having issues trying to comment on my blog and that it has been going on for months now. For that I am so sorry and I will be working on a solution for that. I will also be doing another editing giveaway soon :) In the meantime, all those who commented on the giveaway post are eligible for a free edit!! To redeem simply use the contact button above to email me a photo of your choice and specify color or b&w. Please choose an image that is already in focus as I cannot turn a blurry, out of focus image into a crisp image. Photoshop can do a lot of things but some things you have to get right in camera ;) I will work on your edits and try to have them back within a few days of sending them! Thanks again to everyone who follows along this little blog of mine. I truly appreciate you being a part of it! Have a great Monday and I'm looking forward to seeing the images you send me!!!

Free Photo Editing: Merry Christmas from Me to You!

2011-12-13T04:46:00.000-08:00

As my way of saying "thank you" to my loyal followers I'd like to extend a free photo editing gift! I will be randomly selecting 10 people from the comments who will each get one free photo edit. These will be color enhancement edits and you may choose color or black & white. No major skin smoothing or major corrective editing. Results will depend on the quality of the original image but I will do my best to bring the best out of each image. Your image may be of a newborn baby, child, family, or pet...whatever image you think would benefit the most! I'll edit each one to suit my color or b&w style. All you need to do to be eligible is leave a comment below...and you must be a follower please! You can get an extra entries by sharing this post on your own blog or FB page with a link back. (one extra comment for each action). Thanks everyone. I'll choose winners this Friday 12-16 at 12 noon and post shortly thereafter.

Our Tree: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-11T12:30:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share our tree this year! I actually only used about a third of our ornaments this time...selecting only the individual ornaments I've picked up over the years. Our boxes of ball ornaments have slowly been removed over the last few years and I think this year only one boxed set made it onto the tree. Also, in an effort to make it more personalized I printed b&w images of our family onto cardstock and hung them with twine. Super easy and one of my favorite parts of the tree. I also made a no-sew ruffle tree skirt courtesy of Miss Mustard Seed. My garland is simply twine adorned with strips of fabric I tied on...leftovers from my tree skirt :) Then I randomly placed little bird's nests and feathers throughout the tree..and you can see my little handmade felt pinecone ornament too. I'm loving it! I still have plans for more handmade ornaments and a wreath to place on the shutters over my mantel. Pinterest has really gotten me into a mood to create this season!! Hope you like my tree! Would love to see yours too!

Christmas Card Photos: 6 Simple Tips for Getting THE Shot!!

2011-12-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again!! Time for the dreaded holiday card photo!! The very mention of those words together sends my nerves into a frenzy! As a photographer I'm used to photographing other people's children...keyword "other." Photographing your own children is a whole different beast entirely. It's a challenge to say the least. Someone is always grumpy. Someone is always crying (oftentimes it's me, lol). Someone is always running away. It's just not a fun task...usually. The degree of difficulty will vary depending on your children's ages, temperament and the # of kids you have. Keep your expectations low if you have 5 kids ages 5 and under...that's insanity (you've been busy *wink*) but there are ways to make the picture getting process go a little more smoothly. I hope these 6 simple tips help in your holiday photo endeavors:)

Tip #1: Plan Ahead
Have a plan for your session prior to wrangling all the kiddos together. Make sure your camera battery is charged and your memory card has plenty of space. There is nothing worse than getting your kids all set up only to have your battery die or your screen flash "no memory!" right when you are getting ready to push the shutter. Trust me...you do NOT want to deal with that!
Another thing that goes along with this one is make sure you have all prop items ready prior to bringing the kids in. Your 2 year old is not going to sit still while you go searching for that box of ornaments you were wanting him to play in. (plastic ornaments please...no glass!!)

Tip #2: Pick the Right Time of Day
If you have a little one who naps don't plan a shoot in lieu of their 3 pm naptime and think that your session is going to be anything but disastrous. No one wants to try to photograph a fussy baby or an irritable & cranky toddler. Try to pick a time during the day when your kids are most rested. Make sure they are fed too...a hungry child is a whiny child.

Tip #3: Dress Cute Yet Comfortable
That adorable frilly lace dress may look beautiful on the hanger but might be a little too itchy for your 3 year old. If you simply must have your daughter photographed in frills and lace make sure the dress is lined in a soft fabric or that you have another layer of clothing between the dress and her skin in order to avoid fits of itching. Opt for clothing that is comfortable and that kids can move in. Holiday pajamas make adorable Christmas card photos for kids (matching footed pjs for adults..not so much!) Dress the kiddos in coordinating colors with layers...but not necessarily in matching outfits. Pinterest is a great place to get "what to wear" ideas!! Use them!

Tip #4: Give Them Something To Do
Kids like to be doing something. Have an activity planned as part of your shoot so that your kids will actually want to participate and the smiles in your photographs will be more genuine and less contrived. Real authentic smiles are the best ones after-all! Obviously this one will really depend on what is appropriate for the ages of your children and their abilities. Decorating Christmas cookies is a great idea for many ages. For our children we took a little Christmas tree and a basket of ornaments to a nearby field and it was AWESOME! The kids loved getting to stand out in the field and decorate that little tree.

Tip #5: Let Them Play
Kids are kids. Let them do what they do best! Sometimes the best shots aren't the ones you had in mind in the first place! After our little mini session involving the tree I simply told my kids "go....run!" and they did....and those images are some of my favorite images of the evening. In fact that center image in the group of three you'll see below was the only thing I put on the back side of our Christmas Card this year. Just that one image of them laughing and running..because it reflected them perfectly and it wasn't even a part of my plan. Oh, and that last shot at the very bottom...it's going on my wall...BIG!

Tip #6: Don't Stress
This coming from someone who does the complete opposite when it comes to photographing her kids. HA!! But if I have learned anything in my photographic journey it's that if you stress, your kids will read that stress and will reflect it back in their behavior. And then you'll stress more...it's a vicious cycle. So try to relax and make it a fun experience. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Everyone doesn't HAVE to be looking at the camera and smiling...sometimes it's just not gonna happen and that's ok. I guarantee you that that photo of all 4 kiddos leaning into themselves laughing hysterically because daddy made a funny noise will be the best one anyway :)

Crafting by Christmas Light

2011-12-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

Today is a pretty dark and dreary day so I thought it might be fun to do a little craft time with Ella. I decided on a simple reindeer puppet craft that is is easy enough for a preschooler to make and I thought it would be fun to do our crafting by Christmas Lights. So I pulled up a couple of kids chairs in front of our tree to use as a table and got our supplies together.

You will need:

cardstock (we used a glittery one)
pipe cleaners
wooden dowel
googly eyes
bells
red or black sequin or pom-pom
twine or ribbon
glue (tacky or hot glue...hot glue for adults only)
any embellishments you want

Simply trace your child's hand onto the cardstock and cut out. The fingers will become the reindeer legs and the thumb will be the head! Cut sections of pipe cleaner to make antlers...we twisted two smaller pieces onto two larger pieces. Glue antlers onto the back of the thumb and let dry. Then simply glue on eyes, nose and other embellishments. You can tie a bell around the neck using twine or thin ribbon. Finally, glue your wooden dowel onto the back of your reindeer to create a puppet. Make a reindeer for each family member using their hands and then have your kids put on a puppet show! Happy crafting!

Holiday for Her 2011

2011-11-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Every year my church, LCC, does a holiday event for women called Holiday for Her. It is one of our largest events of the year involving amazing inspirational speakers, catered dinners and beautiful decor! Every table is individually hosted and decorated by the women of our church so no two tables are alike. Each one is different and unique. I have been attending this event for 10 years but this was the first year I hosted and decorated my own table. I've been wanting to do one for years but it takes planning and I never got everything together until now. If you decorate a table you are responsible for supplying everything needed...from linens to dishes, silverware to centerpieces and everything in between. You may decorate your table in any theme of your choosing. Most choose a holiday...Christmas, Thanksgiving , Easter etc...some choose a decor theme. The only requirement is that you have a bible verse to go along with your theme. I wanted to do something involving birds, nests, moss etc. Not sure what I would call it...something between enchanted woodland & feather your nest. I filled different size apothecary jars with moss, lights, eggs, nests, feathers and birds and set them up on stacks of vintage books and then surrounded everything with lots of candles, tall and small. It was beautiful all lit up! The verse that went along with my table comes from Psalms 84:1-4. It reads:

How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

It was a fabulous night and I cannot wait to do a table again next year!

Thanksgiving recap

2011-11-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and took time to reflect on all the things they have to be thankful for! I know we did! We spent ours visiting my aunt and uncle who live in a secluded home in the woods in a small NC town! The kids always love playing there b/c they get a chance to run and play in the woods which is not something we can do at home. Ella enjoyed going on little hikes and nature walks, Halle and Hayden enjoyed the rope swing...it's the simple things in life that are the most fun. My uncle now has chickens so the kids found it amusing to toss feed to them and chase them around a bit, lol! I enjoyed playing a few games of Rummy with my cousin, her boyfriend and college roommate. I haven't played Rummy in probably 10 years...but it was kind of like riding a bike. I lost though, lol! And Todd, I think he just enjoyed relaxing, playing with the kids, and watching a little football! The food was great too, as always. We had a smorgasbord of delicious choices including turkey (of course), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, butternut squash souffle, deviled eggs, 2 potato salads, the best stuffing ever, green bean casserole, my mom's cranberry jello mould, a veggie casserole, broccoli cheese casserole, homemade rolls & homemade bread. Then there were desserts...pumpkin pie, pecan pie, my pumpkin cheesecake, homemade cinnamon rolls and reeses peanut butter cup pie/cake (whatever it was it was GOOOOD!). The weather couldn't have been more beautiful...around 70 degrees and sunny! Perfect! It was a wonderful day spent with family! I didn't take too many photos...I was too busy enjoying my family! Here are a few I did snap. How was your Thanksgiving?!

Holiday Twinkle Minis are HERE!!

2011-11-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love the twinkling of white lights during the holidays?!! Now you can have the magic of those lights captured in a unique holiday portrait of your children! Click the contact link above to book now!

the "L" family {oak ridge family photographer}

2011-11-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled when I was contacted by Carla to do photos of her sweet family! Carla and Brent are newlyweds and she wanted some beautiful photos of her family including her two handsome boys! They know the owners of a local farm and and I was so excited to get to photograph them on this amazing landscape! The light at sunset was incredible!!! Our session was a ton of fun especially with the boys, Brent included, constantly making funny antics to drive Carla crazy! Poor thing :) All in all it was a great session and their photos are among my favorites! I hope they will think so too! I had to create a collage so you can see them all together! Thanks B&C for choosing me to capture these beautiful memories for you!

Happy 9th Birthday Hayden!!

2011-11-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend we were finally able to have Hayden's 9th birthday party, postponed from two weeks ago. I have a 9 YEAR OLD!! Still hard for me to believe those words! 9!! For the 3rd year in a row he requested a sleepover...oh my! You can just imagine what my house sounded and looked like on friday night! But he had a blast and that's all that matters! His party was lego themed...don't you just love the lego face balloons?! Such a cute and easy thing to do! Here's a few snaps from his special evening!

Halloween Review

2011-11-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween full of surprises and lots of candy! Here are a few pics of my crew getting ready to take on the neighborhood! It was a great night! Now if I can keep just myself from constantly raiding the stash, LOL! Have a great November 1st! That's so hard to believe :)

Little Red {an inspired photo shoot in the woods}

2011-10-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

With Halloween on the horizon I thought it would be fun to do a costume inspired photo shoot. I bought Ella a Little Red Riding Hood outfit and knew it would be perfect for a shoot in the woods. I grabbed my trusty old (HEAVY!!) door and we headed out. I love how her expressions fit in right along with the theme. She had to be on alert in case the wolf was on the prowl, lol! Enjoy!

the "T" family {jamestown nc family photographer}

2011-10-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

This is the sweet "T" family! They have 3 of the cutest little girls on the planet and I was thrilled to get to hang out and photograph them again. You might remember their youngest, Emmelynn, from this session. Such a cutie pie! Their middle child, Morgan, is a spirited 3 year old full of energy and their oldest, Savannah, is a special needs child with the sweetest smile....when she chooses to bless you with it of course :) I truly enjoyed capturing these photos for such a special family! Thanks J&J for letting me create these memories for you!

the "D" family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2011-10-24T05:15:00.001-07:00

I've gotten a little behind in my session posts since I've been so busy but I wanted to share a few from a shoot I did a couple weeks ago for a sweet family who also happen to be great friends of ours! We did their session on their lovely property and I am so excited with the results! This first shot is one of my favorite family photos I've had the chance to do. They actually felt a little silly being up on that wood pile but I assured them it would be worth it! I love how their personalities shine through! Thanks Tracey for asking me to do these for you! I hope you love them as much as I do!

the "P" family brothers {greensboro nc child photographer}

2011-10-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

These young men were so much fun to photograph, full of energy and spunk! That combined with adorable faces definitely made for beautiful photographs! Thank you Emily for choosing me to create these memories of your boys!! I hope they make your heart smile!

the"M" family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2011-10-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's always a pleasure photographing the lovely "M" family including their sweet little girl Sophie! You may remember seeing her here and here...oh and here too! They are such a cute little family and I was thrilled to work with them once again a few days ago. I think maybe Sophie has gotten used to me and my camera by now because she did so well and listened so nicely! The camera loves her sweet little face. Thanks "M&H" for coming back to HLP for another round of photos! Always a treat!

My Children...

2011-10-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

..are sooo darn pretty! Just had to state that. Of course I am very heavily biased as are most parents when it comes to their own children. But really, how can you resist these faces?! I can't! Happy Thursday!

Kids Life Magazine Feature!

2011-10-04T07:52:00.001-07:00

Back in June I was contacted by the editor of a German parenting magazine called Kids Life. She found my blog/website and wanted to use my photos in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Of course I agreed! So, after a month of email conversations between us and two months of waiting imagine my excitement when I opened my mailbox to find a package with German postage!!! My copies had finally arrived! The magazines are bright and beautiful and entirely in German (as expected :) ). It is a great magazine and I'm flattered to have my work included. My feature is actually my kids room designs and the magazine gives their readers ideas to recreate the look for themselves. Pretty neat, huh! I think so anyway :)

Princess Conley: a newborn session {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

2011-09-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sweet little Conley came for a visit in the studio and I was tickled pink to get my hands on her! She is absolutely precious and rocked our session once we got her to sleep...which took a little bit ;) It's been a while since I've had a newborn girl and I had so much fun breaking out the cute headbands and this adorable little crown! Her two older brothers came along for the session and I can tell this little peanut will be one spoiled rotten little girl! I had the best time with her. Thanks T&A for allowing me to photograph your princess. It was a complete joy!

Dallas Max: a surprise Texas shoot {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

2011-09-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a surprise visit to Texas to photograph my newborn nephew, Dallas Max. He was born 2 weeks ago and with the help of my brother-in-law and mom (who was already visiting) we made arrangements for me to fly out and surprise my sister, Daniah, with a visit and newborn session! She had NO clue I was coming! When I arrived, along with my dad who decided to join me, my brother-in-law made an excuse to leave the house to go to the hardware store. He picked me up from the airport and I was able to sneak into the house and non-chalantly walk into the living room like it was an ordinary day. My sister stood in disbelief for a moment until everything registered and then the happy tears came pouring out! She was so excited and shocked to see me! It was so great to be able to surprise her like that. I stayed for 5 days and captured some special memories for them during my visit.

Introducing Dallas Max
9.07.11
6:02 pm
8lbs 15oz
20 1/4 inches

My beautiful sister Daniah sharing a quiet moment with her new son!

My sister created the cutest little wall display in Dallas's nursery so I knew I had to get a shot of him in his room! I LOVE it!

Proud BIG brother, Jerry. He turns 3 in 2 weeks. Crazy how different their hair color is. Jerry was born with fiery red hair!

I had to get in a little snuggle time too! My own "baby" is 3 so I have to get my baby fix whenever I can!

And I can't forget about Rico. He is seriously one of the sweetest cats ever! Jerry torments him constantly and Rico just takes it like a champ. He loves to cuddle and I often would wake up at night to find him sleeping on my legs, lol! Oh, and he has this crazy fetish about climbing up and sitting high on your shoulder...yes, he's weird. If you bend over for any reason he will jump on your back and climb up over your shoulder and stand...and did I mention he's HEAVY!

It turns out that my sis lives just 10 minutes from a friend of mine who I "met" a few years ago through etsy. We did a trade. She made shoes for Ella and I made a dress for her Mia. You might be familiar with her work. Jessica is the designer/owner of Joyfolie. We've kept in touch through email through the years and I got her hooked on the Twilight book series back when the first movie came out. Since then we've compared notes on the books/movies and family life and have often talked about how fun it would be to actually meet for coffee someday. How coincidental that my sister moved just minutes from her a couple years ago. It was so nice to be able to sit down together for a yummy brunch and share about family and business stuff in person. If you're not familiar with Joyfolie you should definitely check them out. One of her designs was recently seen on the red carpet! There's a lot more great stuff in their future ;)

Well, I made it safely home and am so glad I had the opportunity to take this Texas trip to see Daniah and her growing family. With kids of my own it's hard to drop everything and travel. Thanks so much to my hubby for suggesting that I go and for making it possible for me to leave while he attended to our kids and home. I love you hon, muah!

10 Years Later: We Still Remember

2011-09-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today,
I am Remembering the tragedy of that day,
Honoring those who fell,
Praying for the hurting,
Praising God for His faithfulness.
I will NEVER forget.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm18:2

Back 2 School Minis are Here!!

2011-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since I had so many people oooh and aaah about Halle's recent "Back to School" session I've decided to offer a limited number of slots for vintage back to school minis! Act fast if you want your little one captured in this unique way! This is such a great alternative to the ho-hum boring school photos!

Kindergarten: Halle's 1st Day

2011-08-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

Well, today is the BIG day! My daughter started Kindergarten. I think I'm a mix of emotions but mostly excited for this new adventure she has started. The day began in a blur when my husband and I overslept and we had to scramble to get everyone up and ready. In the end I think that that was a blessing in disguise as it didn't give me time to be emotional and do too much thinking about what today meant. Despite the late start we still ended up arriving at school early and she was first in class. This gave us plenty of time to get her settled and to take plenty of photos! She was all smiles which made walking away easier on my heart...but I found this poem and it expresses my feelings perfectly. Happy tears today.

She started school this morning, 
And she seemed so very small. 
As I walked there beside her
 In the Kindergarten hall.

And as she took her place beside 
the others in the class,
 I realized how all too soon 
Those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw her as 
She first learned how to walk. 
The words that we alone made out 
When she began to talk.

This little girl so much absorbed
 In learning how to write. 
It seems as though she must have grown 
To girlhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred by hastily 
I brushed the tears away 
Lest by some word or sign of mine
 I mar her first big day.

Oh how I longed to stay with her 
And keep her by the hand 
To lead her through the places 
That she couldn’t understand.

And something closely kin to fear
 Was mingled with my pride. 
I knew she would no longer be
 A baby by my side.

But she must have her chance to live, 
To work her problems out, 
The privilege to grow and learn
 What life is all about.

And I must share my little girl
 With friends and work and play; 
She’s not a baby anymore
– She’s in Kindergarten today.

(author unknown)

3rd Grade: Hayden's 1st Day

2011-08-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the day is here, the first day of school! I can't believe how quickly this summer has flown by...it was a blink. Hayden is now in 3rd grade and it's almost unreal that this is his fourth year of school. Can that really be?! I remember walking him down the hallway leading him to his kindergarten class and now he is almost 9 and in 3rd. ~sigh~ The morning went extremely well and he was all smiles as we got him ready for the day. Todd stayed home with the girls while I drove him to school and walked him to class. He was the first student to arrive so I took a few snaps with the camera and chatted with his teacher, Ms. Weavil, for a bit. After a few minutes he looked at me and exclaimed "Mo-om, how long are you going to stay here?!!" Apparently I had overstayed my welcome and he was ready for me to make an exit since he is all grown up and doesn't need his mom hanging around, LOL! I guess it's a good sign :) Here are a few pics from the morning! Stay tuned tomorrow for Halle's BIG day...I think I feel some tears coming on.

Vintage Back to School Photo Shoot {greensboro nc childrens photographer}

2011-08-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do a styled photo session for some time now and with Halle staring Kindergarten on Friday I knew that a vintage back to school shoot was in order. I've spent the last several weeks putting together a mix of props that would bring this session to life. I pulled things from my home and scoured the internet and local antique shops for treasures that would give this vintage shoot some feminine flair. Finding the perfect vintage books was the biggest challenge. I knew I wanted children's classics or timeless novels AND the covers had to be the perfect pastel shades to coordinate with the clothing I selected... a gray polka dot dress, yellow ruffle flats, and a gorgeous hairpiece that was the color inspiration behind it all! This entire shoot was a labor of love and I am thrilled to have these beautiful images to document such an important milestone in my daughter's life...starting Kindergarten! Enjoy the deliciousness!!

the "H" family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2011-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

The "H" family are very dear friends of ours and I was more than thrilled when Melissa asked if I would help create some family portraits for them. I mean who wouldn't want to photograph such a beautiful family! Our session was a little chaotic to say the least since I had to bring my own crew along but we had a great time and I am in LOVE with the images! Thank you D&M for allowing me to create these portraits for you! I hope you will love them as much as I do!

Olivia: a senior session {greensboro nc senior photographer}

2011-08-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

Senior sessions are not ones I get the chance to do often since the majority of my work revolves around babies and children but when I get the chance to do them they are so much fun! This beautiful young lady is Olivia, a rising senior, and she was a joy to photograph. It was a treat having a subject who actually followed instructions unlike the toddlers I'm used to. We were working on a tight timeline since Olivia needed to make it to a ball game but we worked fast and I'm very pleased with the results. She even brought along her older sister share in her session! Thank you Olivia, enjoy your sneak peek!

Nap Time & Wizard of Oz

2011-08-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Once again Ella is going through a phase where she is trying to do away with her nap. Normally I fight it with everything I have because her naptime is one of my favorite times of the day, the one time each day where I can count on some peace and quiet and a bit of downtime...my saving grace so to speak. However, this time I've sort of given in and have not forced the issue. I do encourage her each day to take a nap but I've found that the more I try to enforce it the harder and longer she battles against it. I know she still needs one. It's hard for me to accept that a 3 yr old who normally takes a 2-3 hour nap each day can just quit cold turkey without feeling the effects...and by effects I mean meltdowns and tantrums due to tiredness. The boycott has been going on for about two weeks now and I'm beginning to feel like this time it may be for good. Nap time might truly be a thing of the past. Then yesterday around 5:30 pm she fell asleep in the middle of playing on the floor and it was proof that her little body still needs that extra rest each afternoon. At least it made for a cute photo!

And then I captured this cute image. I absolutely love how her baby doll's feet are sticking out right beside hers. I wonder what kind of imaginative play was going on before she gave out to sleep. The leg warmers were entirely her idea which makes it even cuter....

...and totally reminded me of this image from a classic movie! LOL!

The "S" Family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2011-07-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

I just love having repeat clients! It really is a compliment to know that they loved their photographs so much that they choose to come back again! I had the opportunity to photograph the "S" family last summer after they welcomed their 3rd child into the family and now, one year later, they are back to update the frames on their walls. I had a great time photographing this sweet family once again and am excited about the beautiful images that resulted. Thank you S&J for choosing me once again to capture these memories of your family a second time. I hope they make you smile!

Vegas

2011-07-27T13:18:00.001-07:00

During the last week of June Todd & I spent an amazing four childless days enjoying the sights and sounds of Las Vegas!! We celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary in May so we wanted to do something fun, just the 2 of us, which we haven't been able to do since we were newlyweds. We stayed at the Mirage for four nights and had the most wonderful time. We spent our days relaxing by the beautiful pool/waterfalls sipping piña coladas and strawberry daquiris or touring the strip and the evenings eating delicious dinners and watching amazing shows (The Phantom and Blue Man Group)! Of course we played a few slots too ;) We weren't big money winners but we couldn't have asked for a better vacation together. It was so nice to be able to reconnect as a couple and talk over dinner without taking constant potty breaks, breaking up fights, or sharing our food (huge plus!). The Mirage was amazing! We had a beautiful room with an incredible view of the strip...the lights at night were sooo pretty! I didn't take as many photos as I normally do but I was enjoying my time with my husband too much to spend it hiding behind my camera. Plus, with 110 degree heat it was too hot to be carrying a bulky camera around my neck. We had the best time and we're already trying to plan our next vacation together...hopefully it won't be in another 10 years!

View from the plane! Southwest was a great airline to fly with.

The Mirage! We loved it here! The bed was soooo comfortable!

Standing together at the fountain in the Palazzo. We were getting ready to see Blue Man Group...so much fun!

View of the Paris from the strip.

Standing in front of the Bellagio before watching the musical water fountains!

Walking up to one of the Venetian entrances.

The inside of the Venetian is sooo cool. You can take gondola rides through the hotel and do some high end shopping at the same time! Such a beautiful place!

Stopping for a quick photo in the MGM grande before heading to Nobhill Tavern for an incredible dinner. I felt soooo underdressed (we didn't know it would be fine dining) but they made us feel like royalty. The waiter was super friendly and attentive and the food was incredible!!!..one of the best meals I've ever eaten!

Just a small sampling of the dessert buffet at the MGM Grande's lunch buffet. Everything was delicious!

Nighttime in Vegas!

July 4th Recap

2011-07-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

I hate that my blog has been so neglected this summer. Chalk it up to having 3 kids at home all day and lot of activities going on. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me here through thick and thin! Just wanted to share some images from our 4th of July. We have a tradition of visiting my Pawpaw who lives out in the country every 4th of July where we get together with lots of family and enjoy fun pool time and a potluck spread full of yummy home-cooked dishes. Definitely not good on the waistline but great for the soul! I hope you had a wonderful 4th as well!

On our way home the rain that had started earlier stopped and we saw this beautiful rainbow! For a while it looked as if we were headed right for it. Just a little reminder of God's promise.

We usually stay at my grandpa's for fireworks (they put on a pretty good display of their own out in the field behind their house) but since it started raining right after dinner we decided to make the hour and a half drive back home. The rain stopped on the way but the sky was still thick with clouds. We got back in town for the local firework display but the clouds were so thick and so low that the majority of the fireworks could not even be seen. The kids enjoyed listening to it anyway and we saw a few here and there as the clouds moved along! All in all we had a wonderful day celebrating with our family. We are so blessed to have the freedoms we do!

Natural Science Center Fun

2011-06-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some photos of the kids enjoying the Natural Science Center in Greensboro this past week! We visited twice. We bought a family membership during our visit to the NC Aquarium while on our beach vacay and it has been a great investment! For one small fee ($60) you get unlimited family visits to all of the NC aquariums, the NC Zoo, the Greensboro Natural Science Center, as well as free or half price admissions to zoos and parks all over the country for a full year! It's a no brainer! We are thoroughly enjoying the perks of this amazing deal! I'm sure I will be posting photos periodically of our visits throughout the year!

Little Jackson {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

2011-06-15T05:27:00.001-07:00

Little Jackson was nearly 11 weeks old at his newborn session! His due date was actually June 6th...but he came on March 28th, weighing a tiny 2lbs 15oz and 15 1/2 inches long! Wow! He's definitely come a long way since then. His parents are actually friends of ours...his dad a firefighter for the same dept as my husband. It was only natural that we incorporated his gear into our session! Jackson was a feisty little guy and was a challenge to pose b/c of his age since he wanted to be wide awake the whole time! In the end, however, we got the shots that we were after! Thank you K&S for choosing me to photograph your adorable new baby boy! I'm so glad he has thrived since his very early arrival! God is great!

Stella & Dot: Special Fall 2011 Preview

2011-06-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

So I figured it was time that I formally announced on the blog that I am now an independent stylist for Stella & Dot!!! For those of you who are wondering "Who/what is Stella & Dot?" I reply "only the most amazing jewelry line on the planet!!". The buzz is all over Hollywood and the celebs are routinely spotted wearing this gorgeous line. I'm so excited to be a part of the excitement! Today Stella & Dot released a special preview of the Renegade Collection from the 2011 Fall line!! Be sure to check it out to see for yourself how amazing it really is! And, be sure to check out the SALE section for some great Styles for a Steal!! If you are in/near NC I'd love to personally introduce Stella & Dot to you through your very own trunk show! Contact me to book!

Check out a few of the Discontinued Styles that are going FAST!! Don't wait, shop now before it's too Late!!

Clover Single Wrap Leather Bracelet (teal or purple)
Was $39 NOW just $19 Get them before they're gone for good!

Lucky 7 Rings Set of 7 sterling silver rings, wear together or separate
Was $59 NOW just $41

Penelope Necklace
Was $69 NOW just $55 (this one's going fast!)

Turquoise Sea Necklace
Was $148 NOW just $118

Sweet Emmelyn {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

2011-05-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hands on a newborn baby girl yesterday! Meet little Emmelyn Claire! She was such a rockstar at her session and slept like a champ through all of my handling! We were able to fly through the session at record speed of 2 hours or less and came away with some amazing images! I wish all babies slept like this little doll...makes my job so much easier! Congrats J&J on your adorable new addition! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Beach Vacay recap

2011-05-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back from our annual family beach vacation and we had a blast. This year we headed to Emerald Isle, NC and stayed in a beautiful home on Pine Knoll Shores. Like last year we spent our time lounging on the beach, drinking coffee in rocking chairs overlooking the ocean, playing board games (Settlers of Catan is our new favorite...you MUST play it!), cooking meals together, hunting for seaglass, and just enjoying each other's company. This is the first year that the ENTIRE family was able to vacation together so it was an added bonus. Here are a few photos from our time together.

Todd and I on the beach right at sunset! I can't believe that we will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary this month! The time has gone by so fast and we have been so blessed!

This is the view of the ocean from the upper deck of the beach home. Isn't it beautiful?! On this day the waters we so calm and perfectly blue! I wanted to stay in that moment forever.

Halle and I playing in the sand. This was the very beginnings of a turtle sand sculpture.

Collecting seashells!

Hayden giving me a quick smile before heading to the ocean!

Halle watching the fish at the NC Aquarium. I love the look of wonder on her face and how Hayden is tenderly cradling her cheek...which he so often does with his sisters. So sweet!

Ella getting up close and personal with the fish in the 306,000 gallon aquarium...the largest in the state of NC.

Our first family photo that includes EVERYONE in the family! With my brother living in Hawaii and one of my sisters living in Texas we never get photos that include everyone. My mom has been wanting one for many years and it finally happened. The amazing thing is that I set this shot up on a tripod using a self timer and incredibly EVERYONE is looking directly at the camera and smiling! How often does that happen?!!

Me and my brother, sisters, and parents. The last time we had a photo with all of us was at my wedding 10 years ago.

These are my parents sharing a cute moment at the beach. They will be married 32 years later this month!

I LOVE her cute little freckles...one of my favorite parts of her!

Todd and my sister, Amiera, swimming with the wild dolphins. They would swim close to shore most morning feeding on large schools of fish. There were so many of them diving in and out of the water. Todd and Amiera decided to go out for a closer look. They said they could feel the rush of all the fish between their legs!

Halle showing off one of the drawings I made for her! We drew lots of large pictures in the sand during our beach stay.

Hayden enjoying the beach waves! The water was still quite cold but the kids didn't seem to mind the cold one bit. They were in it every day!

Ella enjoying some pool time with daddy.

Nana (my mom) bought each of the grandkids a bandana and wanted a photo of all of them together. They loved wearing them around the house pretending they were pirates!

I have a ton more photos but these were some of my favorites! I'm already looking forward to next years beach trip! Hope you all had a great mother's day yesterday and that you have a great Monday!

Will & Kate: the Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Did you watch it?! It was absolutely amazing! I'm a sucker for fairytales and the marriage of Kate to William is definitely a bit of a Cinderella story. She is not of royal decent, a "commoner" they call her, and she caught the eye of a prince and is now the future Queen of England! How romantic! Now I know it won't all be roses but I'm pretty sure the perks of being royalty far outweigh the negatives. I for one wish Will & Kate a very long and very blessed marriage. May they live happily ever after!

Our Easter Butterfly

2011-04-25T05:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous Easter! We started our day attending Easter service at our church and it was wonderful! During the praise music we sang one of my favorite songs, Revelation Song, and I cried the whole time. What an awesome reminder of the love Christ has for us that he would lay down His life for our sins! After church we spent the afternoon at Todd's parents where we had lunch and some relaxation time. The kids enjoyed the egg hunt and the water gun fights!

When we returned home we were excited to see that one of our cocooned caterpillars had emerged as a butterfly! Ella was given a caterpillar kit for her birthday and over the last 2 weeks we have enjoyed watching them eat and grow. Last weekend over a period of 2-3 days each of the 5 caterpillars went into their cocoons. How awesome that the first one decided to emerge as a butterfly on Easter! What a perfect day to debut such an amazing transformation! It is so symbolic of the transformation that we as Christians undergo when we accept Christ in our life! He gives us a new life and we are completely changed! The old is gone and our new life with Christ begins! How cool is it that God gives us little reminders like this to show us how much he loves us!

Hope you have a great Monday! We will be gearing up for our beach vacay that starts next weekend!! Counting down the days!

Posh Pickle Clothing {greensboro nc child photographer}

2011-04-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to work with the owners of a new boutique clothing company, Posh Pickle, on the images to launch their new spring/summer smocked clothing line! Can you stand the cuteness?! This was such a fun shoot and the clothing pieces are just darling! If you have a little girl, or know someone who does, then you must check out the Posh Pickle website. The prices are very reasonable and the style is timeless!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Ella's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the big day! The weather was supposed to be perfect...sunny and 80 degrees...the perfect afternoon for playing outside and sipping lemonade in the sun. Well, that was the plan anyway. We awoke saturday morning to an overcast, rainy day with temperatures in the 50s. So much for our plan. The party had to be moved indoors. I didn't have a rainy day back-up plan (since the yucky weather just snuck up on us last minute) so I was a little worried about it but it all worked out it in the end. No one seemed to mind hanging out inside and the kids made themselves right at home running through the house (yikes!) and turning the house into a giant toy box (eek!). I will admit I was a wee bit stressed over the state of my home but it was nothing a little tidying up afterwards couldn't fix. Ella was so excited to have her friends and family over to celebrate her big day. Everyone enjoyed the fruit, snacks, and DELICIOUS cake! The lemonade with the brightly patterned straws was also a huge hit with the kids! The summery color palette of the party table brightened the space up and even though it was chilly and wet outside everyone had a blast inside! Here is a peak into the details of Ella's big day! Enjoy!

The cake was stunning...and it tasted even better. It was a super moist vanilla almond cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting....aahhh, sooo good! Thanks Rachel, you rocked it again!

The beautiful party table reminded me of a summer picnic! I absolutely LOVE how it all came together!

Ella was amazed over her Hungry Caterpillar cake! She couldn't stop smiling!

I added lemonade, instead of water, to the white cake mix to give these cupcakes a deliciously sweet flavor!! Yum!

Each child got to take home a little container of Caterpillar Food a.k.a M&Ms!

A Very Happy Birthday Girl and her Very Hungry Caterpillar! Party was a success!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ella

2011-04-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Time sure does fly by! Can't believe my "baby" is 3 today ~sigh~. I love you sweet girl! So blessed to be your mommy! Stay tuned tomorrow for all of her birthday party details! It was super cute :)

It's all in the details

2011-04-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's the eve before Ella's 3rd birthday party, she actually turns 3 on Sunday, and I am finishing up a few last minute party details. This year's theme? The Very Hungry Caterpillar, her FAVORITE book! I LOVE planning parties for my children! When most parents opt to have parties at fun places like bounces houses, bowling alleys, and skate rinks, which are great and allow you to just "show up" while they take care of the rest, I prefer to have parties in my home where I can get creative and play with decor....and stress out at the last minute trying to clean my home and get everything together, LOL! But it's always worth the effort (to prepare and to clean up after the guests have all left) just to see how much my kids appreciate the details! I know the day will come when my kids will decide that my cutesie parties are not "cool" anymore but while they'll let me I'm more than happy to put in the extra work! Stay tuned for photographs of all the details! Have a great weekend!

Product Share: Crocheted Hair Flowers from Just Hats

2011-04-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just Hats no longer sells just hats! They now offer these adorable crocheted hair flowers! Love them...and so do the girls! They are the perfect accessory for springtime outfits!

i ♥ faces: slice of life

2011-03-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the repeat photo share but this week's theme at i ♥ faces is "slice of life", any photojournalistic image that captures the essence of life. I immediately knew I wanted to enter this image from a couple weekends ago when I checked in on Ella during her afternoon nap. I love how she's all twisted up and facing the wrong way. She is a WILD sleeper. Plus I just love her serene newly decorated space. This is a glimpse of her daily routine! Visit i ♥ faces to see some great entries or to enter a photo of your own! Happy Sunday!

Happy Spring and Photo Editing Winners

2011-03-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Day of Spring (a day late)! I am loving the beautiful buds that have begun peeking out of hibernation. Slowly but surely the color is returning! I don't know about you but I'm excited for the change.

On another note, since we only had three interested commenters on the photo editing giveaway I've decided that you are each winners! Congrats to Melissa, Amanda and Alla! If you'll each select your favorite 2 images that you'd like to see edited and send them my way I'll get to work! Thanks ladies!

And just because no post is complete without eye candy, here's a beautiful blossom I captured from a tree in my backyard...I think it's some kind of Japanese tree...but I really have no clue when it comes to plants. I simply love to look at them! Happy Monday, Happy Spring!

Free Photo Editing Giveaway

2011-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Do you have a good photo that has the potential to be great? Maybe it just needs a little color pop or sharpening or perhaps it is screaming for a b&w conversion. My style tends to have a softer vintage quality. Below you can see a few examples where a little editing can transform a photo from snapshot to frame worthy!

This first photo was taken on an indoor studio set-up in my living room. You can see that the backdrop doesn't cover the carpet and you can see some random items in the background. Nothing a little Photoshop can't handle. I also did some slight skin smoothing and some color adjustments! HUGE difference!

This next one was done outside in a local field. It's pretty great as is so all it needed was some brightening and color adjustments. Then I did a b&w conversion because tender moments like this just HAVE to be done in b&w! It's one of my favorite images I've ever captured of my girls! So sweet!

And finally, this last image was just a snapshot I took this morning while Halle was playing in the living room with a hat she found in my closet. The color adjustments and the slight eye brightening make a huge difference!

So, who wants me to play with their photo?! If you have a photo you'd like to see edited just become a follower of the MomTog Diaries (scroll to the bottom to join) and then leave a comment on this post telling me that you'd like to be entered. Giveaway will be open until Sunday March 20th at midnight (eastern time). I'll announce the winner on Monday! If there's enough interest I'd love to make this a regular feature!

*Photos turn out best when the original is properly exposed and in focus. I prefer to edit natural light images. The pop up flash on most cameras tends to completely wash out the true colors of the subject.

Switcheroo: Kids Rooms Before & After (part 2-the GIRLS room)

2011-03-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yes...it is finally finished. The girls room, that is. It was actually pretty much complete the same time Hayden's room was finished but I had to work on a few projects and wait on the delivery of one of the items in their room. Thank you for being patient. I hope it was worth it. I definitely think so. Enjoy the tour!

This is what the room used to look like when it was Hayden's...

This is what you see as you enter the room! Isn't it sweet?! I decided to paint the walls gray and went with Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. I just love how the colors pop against it! The beds were a steal! They look like Pottery Barn don't they? But no...we bought them at Costco for $399 for the set! They are solid too! I hope I never have to move them. They can be bunk-beds as well but I prefer to have both girls low to the ground! It's safer that way, lol!

Since the girls love to read I knew it was important that they had a space where they could easily access their books. I actually found this little bookshelf in a junk pile on the curb while I was out running in my neighborhood last summer! I immediately ran home to get the car and load it up! Who would throw this cute thing away?! SCORE! The letters spelling "read" are from hobby lobby. They were gold so I spray painted them to match the room. I put the letter "r" in a little white frame with a piece of fabric inside. Super easy, super cute! The owl canvas is from Target..the big owl is Halle, the little one is Ella...they tell me that regularly. The beautiful aqua beanbag is handmade in Marrakesh, Morocco. These things are super duper expensive but I got mine online for a 1/4 of the price from a boutique in the UK called Bohemia. (it was still a splurge though)

One of my favorite parts of the girls' room is their pink retro kitchen from KidKraft. It looks a lot like the popular Pottery Barn Kids version but the price tag is MUCH less! I bought theirs 3 years ago (pre-Ella) at my local Costco and only paid $149 for both the stove/oven and the refrigerator. They play with it every single day. It's one of the best investments in a toy we've ever made. I plan to keep it for their children...if it lasts. The wall art above the kitchen is simply fabric that I cut and framed. In one of the frames I put a photo of the girls and matted it with coordinating fabric. Super cheap project. I had these frames laying around and spray painted the ones that weren't already white. The "towel" hanging under the sink is just a burpcloth I made when Ella was a baby...yes, I saved them!

Ella's bed

Halle's bed

The bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids but I bought both sets together on ebay for $150. I can guarantee you it cost more than that in the store! The rosette pillows are from Target, $10 each. The lamb you see on Ella's bed is actually a Sleep Sheep. She has to have it set next to her pillow every night and turned on to rain or ocean sounds! I got mine free for reviewing it but they are available in most retailers.

Here is another shot of the frame project I shared with you in a previous post. It was so simple to make. The dresser was mine as a child and I gave it a makeover. You can read more about that here.

My own newborn sweater. My kids can't believe that I used to be that tiny!

These little vintage planters are part of a collection I put together about 5 or 6 years ago after seeing an article in Martha Stewart baby magazine. They came from ebay and local antique stores. They look great in kids rooms or nurseries. They can also hold things like Q-tips and cotton balls. I decided on a few silk flowers that I pulled out of Halle's wonderland tea party arrangement. The yellow clock is a Hobby Lobby find that I spray painted (it was black) and distressed

These darling little sock dollies are handmade out of vintage findings and are available for sale here

So glad my mom saved these little shoes of mine. They are the perfect addition to this little place on the girls' dresser.

I made this cute little garland after bumping into the Nester at the cutting table in my local fabric shop a few years ago. At the time I didn't know who she was but we talked about our projects and exchanged information. Back then she was still making and selling garlands like this and I was so inspired I had to make one for the girls' room. It's perfect for hanging little mementos and cherished photographs! Maybe I'll make more one day.

These little vintage spice jars were etsy finds that I spruced up to include in the decor at Halle's wonderland tea party. I thought they deserved a spot in the room.

They have a spot to park their strollers and a place to hang their aprons when not in use. I made these aprons along with several other designs back when I was sewing regularly a few years ago. One of these days I hope to get back into it. If your interested I still have a couple aprons available here.

We read these books daily! Ella loves the Very Hungry Caterpillar so much that she carries it around with her and I HAVE to read it to her before every nap-time and bed-time! It's just understood. I know to grab it before going to tuck her in. We're even having a Very Hungry Caterpillar themed birthday party when she turns 3 next month!

The girls absolutely LOVE their new space! I'm pretty crazy about it too. I hope you enjoyed the tour. I'd love to hear what you think! Happy wednesday!

Praying for Japan

2011-03-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Japan is broken and hurting. The devastation is incomprehensible. I can't stop looking at the images plastered all over the tv and internet...they are absolutely heart wrenching. Sometimes I find myself wanting to turn away, change the channel...ignore it. It would be easier to do that...but I can't. I have to look. I have to feel. I have to pray. I have to cry...it's what I do...I'm a weeper. I usually avoid emotion at all costs, for fear of looking silly, but sometimes, try as I might, it is unavoidable. Today is one of those times...chalk it up to being a woman, if you get my drift. So today I cry and pray. But it's ok because the bible says in Psalm 126:5 "Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting." I pray for the people of Japan, for those who are lost, scared, wounded and hurting. I pray for everyone involved with the rescue efforts. And I pray that out of this tragedy the spiritually lost will find Jesus. He died for every person on this planet and desires for all to receive Him (2Peter 3:9), but sometimes it takes a tragedy for them to find Him. It doesn't make what happened any less sad or hurtful but in Jesus we have HOPE. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Thank God we as believers have promises such as this to rely on during turmoil. I cannot begin to imagine what the Japanese people must going through as they deal with the overwhelming death and destruction that is plaguing their nation but I am thankful that there is hope and healing available for them. Our God is able. So I pray. I hope you will too.

image credit

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2011-03-13T14:27:00.001-07:00

Sunday afternoon naps are the best! Just had to share this photo I took while Ella napped! She's a wild sleeper. I promise I will do the girls room reveal this week! I plan to take the "after" photos tomorrow as long as it's sunny! The last item for the room is waiting for me at the post office since I missed it's delivery yesterday...figures. For now this little tease will have to do! Happy Sunday!

Trying Something New

2011-03-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the little beauty I picked up today! Isn't she just the prettiest little thing?! She's what's called a TLR or twin lens reflex camera. A Yashica D to be exact...an old film camera circa the 50s & 60s. I found her on Craig's List and got her for $60, and in impeccable condition...I've seen them on ebay for 4-6 times that amount so I am thrilled! I can't wait to pick up a few rolls of 120mm film and see what she can do. It will be a fun change from the digital photography I'm used to....which of course I still love!

Here's a TtV (through the viewfinder) shot...no film required. Pretty cool huh?! Happy Wednesday!

Retreat

2011-03-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

re·treat noun \ri-ˈtrēt\

1. a. The act or process of withdrawing, especially from something hazardous, formidable, or unpleasant.
b. The process of going backward or receding from a position or condition gained.

2. A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security.

3. a. A period of seclusion, retirement, or solitude.
b. A period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, or study: a religious retreat.

I'm headed to a much needed spiritual rejuvenation with a wonderful group of ladies. "Living from the Inside Out" is the theme. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us over the next 24 hours! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! May you be blessed!

John 7:38 (NIV)

38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

photo credit found here

I Found It!

2011-03-03T07:08:00.001-08:00

I finally got my hands on a copy! Flea Market Style! I found it at my local Target during this morning's diaper run ( they didn't have any copies a few days ago) and it only rang up at $4.45 as opposed to the $9.95 list price! Sweet! This is the 2nd edition of this wonderful magazine, the first came out this time last year and it was fabulous. I still refer back to my signed copy over and over whenever I need a design inspiration boost. I can't wait to sit down and browse through these beautifully designed pages with all their yummy eye candy. Nap time can't come soon enough...and it looks like my afternoon workout might have to wait!

Outtakes with Ella: a 3rd birthday photo session

2011-03-02T13:26:00.001-08:00

I always like to do birthday photos a few weeks ahead of schedule, especially with Ella, just in case she won't cooperate. This gives me room to do a reshoot if I don't get something I'm happy with. Luckily this time she WANTED to get her picture taken! I ordered her a new hair accessory and she was excited to wear it. I got everything set up and then she decided she wasn't going to stand still unless I put her rocking horse in the photo with her. Ok, whatever...I was just planning to do a head shot anyway so that would be easy enough to work around. We spent about 5 minutes taking photos and when I saw this one in camera I knew it was what I wanted. Done. I'm happy. No tears...from her OR me!

She looks like an angelic little doll in this one. I love it...so sweet and innocent...HA!

And just so you don't get the wrong idea and think that she takes perfect photos like a nice little girl every time I thought I'd share a few that won't make the invitation....on 2nd thought, they might be kinda cute!

For every sweet shot I got from her I had about 100 that resembled this:

She had to get a sneak peak after the session....this was her favorite! I think it's pretty cute too! Happy Wednesday all!

Simple Display Project for Nursery/Kids Room

2011-03-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful so it gave me the perfect chance to get outside to whip up this super simple project for the girls' new room. I found the framed fruit bowl print buried in the back of my closet, where it's been for nearly 4 years since we moved into this house. I simply tore apart the paper backing and removed all the staples and then removed the print, mat, and glass. Then I took it outside along with a wall hook that I picked up for $2 at Hobby Lobby.

A can of dove white spray paint (@ $3) was all that was needed to transform these items into a cohesive art piece for the wall. I gave it about 2-3 coats, allowing it to dry between sprays. Once dry I removed the D-rings that were already on the back of the frame and screwed them into a vertical arrangement instead of the horizontal position they came in. I forgot to take a photo of this step but it was super easy. Just measure and mark and then screw into their new places.

Then I just marked the wall where I wanted the frame to hang and hammered in a few nails. Do the same with the wall hook...be sure to paint your screw heads white as well so they don't stand out. Hang a cute infant sweater, gown, dress, etc. This was my pink sweater from when I was an infant. Cute, huh?! This was so easy to do, only cost a few dollars and it looks great in any kid space! Try it! I'm working on finishing a few more things and then I'll reveal the entire room re-do! Happy Wednesday!

i ♥ faces: anything but a face

2011-02-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

I've been participating in these challenges less and less but when I saw this week's challenge at i ♥ faces, "anything but a face", I knew that I had to enter this photo I took from Halle's Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party earlier this month. I just love the vibrant colors and her cute little painted fingernails! Hopefully you all won't mind seeing this photo for the 2nd time :) Take a minute to head over to i ♥ faces to enter a photo of your own or to take a look at some of the great entries!

Projects: sneaky peaky

2011-02-28T13:52:00.001-08:00

I promise I haven't forgotten about the girls room reveal. I'm working on a few projects to finish it up so I can share it with you soon. I also have one item on order that may take a bit longer to arrive. Did I mention I hate waiting?! Anyway, it's been incredibly windy today and now it's storming so I haven't had a chance to finish up my project to-do list. Hopefully tomorrow will be nicer so I can get outside and work. For now here is a sneak peak of some things I'm working on. Super simple projects that anyone can do. I'll share more later. Hope you all have had a great start to your week! Happy Monday!

Pottery Barn Look 4 Less

2011-02-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Pottery Barn. I don't love their prices. I do love when I can find a similar look for less. I've been wanting to buy a storage unit to house things like dvds, video games, toys, etc that looks great but is also functional. The Pottery Barn units are stylish but the price is out of my budget so I was excited to stumble on this great find today in my local Christmas Tree Shop. Don't let the name fool you...this is not your typical holiday market. The first time I walked in I was expecting to find, well, Christmas Trees (our store opened during the holiday season). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a whole lot more than that. It's more of a discounted housewares store. You can find everything in there...linens, wall decor, furniture, kitchen gadgets & dishes, tchotchkes, anything and everything for your home...and at great prices. The unit I bought caught my eye immediately b/c of it's uncanny Pottery Barn feel. The price shocked me even more (considering it's very sturdy and not rickety at all). Originally priced at $130 it was marked half off to $65. I'll take it! And to sweeten the deal we asked if they'd take $50 for it (never hurts to ask right?!). Manager replied "How about $51.98?"....ummm ok! (totally random number but we were thrilled!). To compare I pulled up a Pottery Barn bench unit with just 3 baskets that sells for $401. Larger units sell for much more! Check out the Christmas Tree Shop website to see if there is a location near you. And I have to add that the stuff in the store is so much cooler that what you see online.

Switcheroo: Kids Rooms Before & After (part 1)

2011-02-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

I've been putting of this project for a couple years now. When we moved into our current home we had one son and one daughter. Naturally, Hayden was given the larger bedroom since he was the oldest. Well, three months after we moved in we found out we were expecting our 3rd child, Ella. I knew the time would come that we'd have to make the dreaded room switch in order to give the two girls the larger space...it just makes sense for it to be that way. Hayden is now 8 and Halle has been sleeping in his spare bed ever since we moved Ella from our room into the "girls" room. She slept better alone and Halle loves being with her big brother. Hayden has never complained about sharing but with Ella approaching the age of 3 I knew it was time for the girls to be sharing a space full time. Soooo, we made the decision last week to "just do it". We found a great deal on some new beds for the girls and a steal on some luxury mattresses ($100 each for $2K and $3K mattresses at a high end going out of business sale!). When I get my mind set on a project I want it done yesterday so we dove in and I spent 2 afternoons painting and Todd added shelving to Hayden's old closet to accommodate 2 well-dressed little girls! Our home was a complete wreck for several days as we emptied the contents of their rooms and closets into our living spaces! I think I had a panic attack at one point. I am so thankful that it is done (mostly) and our home is back to normal. The kids LOVE their new spaces.

Today I'm sharing Hayden's new room. It's pretty similar to what he had before except for a few added accessories and a new paint color, Hinting Blue, from Sherwin Williams. This B&A shows the girls old room transformed into a cool boys room. I forgot to take a real "before" shot since it actually had Ella's toddler bed and some bookshelves instead of the mattresses and box springs you see. When we bought the new mattresses we went ahead and moved stuff out of their room so they could sleep on them a couple nights prior to beginning the project. You get the idea anyway.

View from the door. All of the wall accessories over the beds were found at Hobby Lobby! They have some cool stuff at great prices! I'm still not finished accessorizing but it may be a while before I get everything finished and I wanted to go ahead and share. I still need to hang his cute little fire truck shelf and add some more "fireman" themed items from the hubby's stash.

Hayden's bed.

A spot for one of his friends to sleep (now that he no longer has to share with Halle). The little pillow in front was his naptime pillow I stitched up for him to use during rest time in Kindergarten.

I love these shadow boxes. With Todd being a firefighter he gets lots of these as gifts. That larger one was a gift from his last fire captain before Todd himself was promoted to captain.

Not too much happening here. Still looking for the right accessories. These were just some things that he's always had on his dresser.

The fire dept badge on his teddy was a souvenir find from the Magic Kingdom fire dept gift shop in Disney World. Fits Teddy nicely!

Check back for the girls room reveal soon. It's still a work in progress. Happy weekend!

I'm still here

2011-02-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been so MIA this month. I pretty much fell off the photography bandwagon and haven't been motivated to pick up my camera lately. Hopefully I'll be more inspired in March and I'll have more to share. We've been working on switching and redecorating all of the kids rooms and I'll be sharing the results soon! For now, here's a photo from today...Ella giving me attitude with her eyes...she's really good at that! Happy Wednesday!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful "love" day! Be sure to give out extra hugs and kisses today!

Halle's Very Merry 5th Un-Birthday: a tea party in Wonderland

2011-02-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Today we celebrated Halle's 5th Birthday!! That's hard for me to believe. Deep breath. She is turning into such a beautiful little lady. She likes to go shopping, get her finger & toenails painted, play dress-up, wear make-up (just a smidge on special occasions), and wear my jewelry. She LOVES to draw and create and is always giving me little artwork "presents." She's a little bit shy, you'll see evidence of that in a photo below when she shys away as we sing Happy Birthday, but she's head strong when she doesn't get her way. Can you say Drama Queen?! Yes maam she is! But I love her more than words can say! She is my mini-me and I am so blessed to call her my daughter.

Putting this party together was sooo much fun! We started dreaming up ideas last summer when we decided on a theme...yes, I plan ahead...but then I procrastinate and throw it all together at the last minute, ha! I am beyond thrilled with how it all turned out and by the look on my daughter's face as she hugged me at the end of the day it was worth every second! Here is a little peak into the details of her special day. Enjoy!

the Joy of Love: Day 3

2011-02-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Day 3: Then & Now

This is my "baby", Ella. She'll be 3 in just a little over two months from now. Not such a baby anymore. Today I decided to use her as the subject for my "then & now" assignment for the Willete: the Joy of Love project. The first photo is a snapshot of my sweet baby girl at about 8 weeks old wearing a little dress I made for her. I've always loved this image...she reminds me of a cute little kewpie doll! The second photo was taken today while she played with her baby doll who now wears that same dress. So sweet! (and that dress she's wearing in the "now" photo..I made that one too!)

the Joy of Love: Days 1 & 2

2011-02-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

I am participating in the Willete: the Joy of Love 28 day photography challenge. Each day we have an "assignment" or theme and are encouraged to photograph those we love and share our images on our blog. Since I am passionate about photography I figured this would give me some motivation to pick up my camera every day for the next month. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up every day but I'll do my best to participate as much as possible. Here are my photo shares for Days 1 & 2.

Day 1: What They Do

This is my middle child Halle. She draws...every day...throughout the day! We go through paper like it's going out of style! What can I say, she's her mother's daughter. I have always loved to be creative, wether it be drawing, painting, writing poetry, sewing, crafting,...and of course photography! I hope Halle's love of art continues to blossom.

Day 2: How They Look

This is my oldest child, Hayden, my only son. And this is how he looks when I plead with him to let me take his picture. I get this tilted head smirk...but in this instance I love it! This is his purest, truest expression. Getting photographed is not his favorite thing to do and now that he's 8 it's getting harder and harder to bribe him. But every once in a while I get a glance like this and if I'm lucky I'll have my camera in hand! Today was a lucky day.

Just Hats: product share

2011-01-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

I recently stumbled on this great little etsy shop where I found the most adorable little hats to use for my newborn sessions! You've got to check out Just Hats. I LOVE them! The hats are very well made AND they are extremely well priced! The shop owner asked me if I'd be willing to do some photos in exchange for a supply of hats....ummm, YEAH!! Yesterday I had the sweetest little newborn boy and I was so excited to break out some of these adorable little hats! Thanks Grayson for "rockin" our session!

(newsboy)

(blue aviator...look at that grin!! LOVE him!)

(green pixie..also comes with crocheted flower for baby girls)

CSN Stores

2011-01-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking about redecorating the girls' bedroom lately and one of the items I need to replace is their rug. It's looking quite faded and the girls have picked parts of it off. It's seen better days for sure! Luckily there are so many modern rugs to choose from at CSN Stores! They have a great selection of rugs as well as ANYTHING else you can imagine...there's a store for everything at CSN Stores!

I don't know about you but I LOOOVE this rug! I think I could just curl up and take a nap on it...not to mention what an awesome photography prop it would be! Can you just imagine a newborn baby curled up on it?! Sweet! I just might have to have it!

Before & After...and a free action

2011-01-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Do you have Photoshop? Are you on Facebook? Do you want to be able to turn a pretty picture into a stunning photograph?! If you answered yes to each of these then you need to sign onto Facebook and "like" Paint the Moon Photography. You will then have access to their FREE Jubilee action!! Yes, free!! I played with it today and just look what I was able to do with this photo of Ella! This action is extremely customizable with many adjustable layers that allow you to tweak your image until it is perfect for your taste! I just love the soft vintage feel*. So go grab it and have fun playing!

*in addition to running the action I performed my basic edits and added a selective coloring layer afterwards to remove a bit of yellow from the skin tones.

Randomness

2011-01-11T11:40:00.001-08:00

She's nearly 5...I can't believe it! Time flies and I'm wondering where it all went so quickly. I took her outside in the snow today to grab a few photos for her birthday invitation. It was a freezing 26 degrees with a few flurries still falling. She wasn't happy. I felt rushed. The session was very short and we ended up back inside within minutes, her crying and me shaking in frustration. I figured there'd be nothing usuable...but amidst the photos of her squinting, crying, and pouting I found these little gems! I just adore her sweet expressions...makes the crying and fighting worth the effort!

Linking up with sweet shot tuesday!

Happy 2011!!

2011-01-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful new year filled with new opportunities, personal growth, and abundant blessings! Thank you for visiting my little blog and leaving such sweet comments along the way. I consider you all my friends and am blessed to be connected to each of you in some small way! I hope you'll continue to stop by now and then as we head into this new year. I'm excited to see what God has in store! May He bless each and every one of you!

xoxo
Hana

SOLD! Petunia Pickle Bottom: 60% off barely touched

2010-12-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

I am selling my beautiful Petunia Pickle Bottom Society Satchel here on the blog in case any of you are interested in owning this designer bag for a fraction of the cost. It is practically new...only carried it maybe 2 or 3 times. None of the accessories have even been touched except for when I photographed them for this post. I love the bag but never ended up using it. It's been sitting in the corner of my closet waiting to be loved. This is a gorgeous diaper (or camera) bag that retails on the PPB site for $325....although I just checked and it looks as though this color (French Gooseberry Cake) has now sold out! I am selling the bag which includes a shoulder strap, tote handle, wipes case, changing pad, stroller tabs, and a dust bag all for only $130 (60% off retail) + $7 s&h. It is full of pockets and very well constructed. First come, first serve! Just use the paypal link below.

SOLD- Thank You!

Alice in Wonderland: party planning

2010-12-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

With Halle's 5th birthday fast approaching I've been scouring the internet for ideas for her Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party. What did people do before we had the world wide web at our fingertips?! There are so many beautiful ideas floating around out there so I thought I'd share some of my favorites I've come across so far. Now, I can assure you that Halle's event will be on a much smaller, less extravagant scale but these photos have definitely gotten my creative juices flowing! I hope you'll enjoy this eye candy as much as I do! Happy Wednesday!

image credit info found here

image credit: Laura Winslow

image credit: Bier Designs

image credit: Jessica's Cakes

image credit: Adrienne Gunde

image credit: Adrienne Gunde

image credit: Cakes Haute Couture

image credit: Jessica Claire

image credit: Jessica Claire

White Christmas Snow Day

2010-12-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

We've been thoroughly enjoying our White Christmas snow! It's the first White Christmas I've ever had...of course growing up in Miami my chances of having one were pretty slim..ahem, non-existant. However this is the first one I've seen in my 17 years living in NC, and it's been wonderful! There's something magical about snowfall on Christmas...like an elusive dream that finally comes true. These last few days have been wonderfully lazy. We watch movies, play games as a family, lounge in our pjs all day..only taking them off long enough to bundle up to play outside and build snowmen and gather snow for snow cream. Bliss. I ♥ snow! Here are a few photos of us at play!

Ella did NOT inherit my love of snow...in fact she's down right petrified of it! This is what happened when I put her down in it...it took several attempts just to get her off of me, LOL! I promise I picked her back up ;)

She prefers dry land...like the garage!

The beginnings of a snowman...

Don't you even think about it Mister! (I hid behind the camera and he backed off, LOL)

Using my camera as a shield did NOT work on my 8 yr old son who threw snowballs at me anyway! No lenses were damaged in the making of this photo!

Ella found this spot where the sun and the warmth of the house had melted away the snow to reveal the grass. This is where she stayed...refusing to budge...and looked on while everyone else played! She literally did not move a single inch. It was so cold and she finally asked me to take her back indoors where she watched from a window. Poor thing.

Introducing our version of Frosty...I'm pretty sure he is now down to only ONE eye...birds have to eat I guess.

Disclaimer: People in photo may appear older that they really are! I promise I am much more radiant and young-looking in real life, LOL! Sorry for the poor focus...this is one of those "hold your camera at arms length, press the shutter and pray that you get both faces in the frame" kind of shots!

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T05:58:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a magical day with your friends and family celebrating the birth of our Savior! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

And in case you haven't seen it...here is this year's Christmas card!

Marshmallows...yes you can make them!

2010-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

While looking for something fun and yummy to make as part of some Christmas gifts I decided on homemade marshmallows. I knew they'd be the perfect addition to the mugs and cocoa I was handing out. I did a simple google search and landed a ton of recipes. They were all pretty much the same so I just picked one. They were incredibly easy to make and oh are they delicious! I made vanilla like the recipe and also did a batch of cinnamon sugar (my fave)! Thought I'd share with you in case you too needed something unique to make this Christmas...friends and family have given me rave reviews!

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

combine for coating
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup corn starch

In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Line 9 x 11 inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Lightly coat with confectioners sugar mixture. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Lightly sprinkle confectioners sugar mixture over marshmallow. Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with pizza cutter. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar mixture (or in cinnamon sugar mixture if you prefer).

These are perfect in you favorite cup of coffee or cocoa or on S'mores!! Happy eating!

Baby it's Cold Outside!

2010-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know about your neck of the woods but here and throughout much of the country we've been experiencing an extreme cold front! Brrr...it's COLD! Even during our trip to Florida we experienced days with highs in the mid 50s and nights that were upper 30s low 40s. Not what we were expecting on our trip south! (I only packed one pair of jeans and a light sweater!) With temperatures here at home not getting much above freezing lately (I won't even mention the -5 windchill at night) there's nothing that will warm you up better than some good ole comfort food...and what's more comforting than a nice bowl of hot soup or chowder?!! I stumbled upon a recipe a few days ago while searching for a way to use the shrimp that's been hanging out in our freezer and it turned out to be one of the best things I've EVER made!! Yeah, it's that good! Hayden loved it so much that he told me I should share it here on the blog for anyone else that might need a little warming up! So here it is. Oh, I'm sharing it as I made it since I had to change things up a bit based on what I had on hand. It was so good that I'm going to make it this way every time. You can find the original recipe here. Mine is a lower fat version but I'm betting you won't even know the difference!

Creamy Shrimp and Potato Chowder

1/2 stick butter
1 small-medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 can of corn
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pound shrimp

Optional:
crumbled bacon bits
shredded cheddar
saltine crackers

In a large pot, melt butter and saute onion until slightly tender, @ 5 min. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer and cook 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft and have begin to mush. Pour in evaporated milk, corn, salt, and pepper and continue to cook several more minutes.

In small saucepan, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil and add shrimp all at once. Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat and drain. Cut cooked shrimp into bite-sized bits and add to the soup mixture. Soup should be rich and creamy!! Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese and bacon bits. Serve with crackers!! Enjoy!

Our Disney Vacation: a review in pictures

2010-12-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well, we are back and it was FABULOUS!! Yes, there were some bumps along the way..like when the RV blew a tire and we were stranded for 4 hours on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere...but all in all it was a fantastic trip!! We drove down in my in-laws RV and spent the first night in Disney's Fort Wilderness campground and then checked into AllStar Movies resort for the next 7 days. During our trip we visited the Magic Kingdom (several times), Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and our final day was spent at SeaWorld (which of course in separate from Disney). I took over 1500 photos and have spent the last several days weeding thru them to put together some highlights of our trip to share with you! If you've never made the trip to Disney then I highly recommend it! This is our 2nd year in a row and we are already talking about possibly going again next year...we'll see. Enjoy our photos! I hope they inspire you to plan a trip of your own!

Disney Bound!!

2010-11-26T08:54:00.001-08:00

Well, here we go again..on the road to the most magical place on earth...Disney World!! This time we're accompanied by Todd's extended family for an 8 day adventure! 22 of us in all! It's gonna be a blast! I'll post pictures when we return since I won't be taking my laptop with me this time. You can see last year's adventure starting with this post! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'll have lots of memories to share when we return!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:37:00.001-08:00

I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, 3 incredibly healthy children, and a Savior who loves me unconditionally!! I have so much to be thankful for and I feel so incredibly blessed and thankful today! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving...don't forget to count your blessings!!

God Bless,
the Lynch family

sweet Noah {greensboro nc baby photographer}

2010-11-14T15:55:00.001-08:00

Check out handsome little Noah! Isn't he just the cutest little guy? He was an absolute dream to photograph with those gorgeous blue eyes! Watch out girls...he's gonna break some hearts one day! Thank you K&S for having me in your home to capture these images of your stunning little boy! Enjoy your sneak peek!

sisters & friends

2010-11-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of shooting for a clothing line and this morning I took the girls out to a nearby field to photograph Halle in one of the outfits. After I got the clothing shots I needed I couldn't resist getting both girls together snuggling and playing in the beautiful morning sunlight! I love how these images capture their love for each other! Don't get me wrong...they bicker and fight NON-STOP...but when in rare form I get to witness tender moments such as these! Happy Wednesday!!

Just Because...

2010-11-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

...she's too stinkin cute for her own good! Here is a random photo of Ella this morning struttin' around the house in a diaper and her new-to-her boots! She loves these things! And the little book you see on the floor...we read that about 10 times a day along with all the other books in the "If You Give a Pig" series! We've been doing a lot of reading around here lately especially now that Ella has developed a HUGE love of reading books together! Another favorite?...The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Love that one! What books do you and your kids love to read together?

A Boy and His Cake {Happy 8th Birthday Hayden}

2010-11-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

Wow...I am behind! I've been making the switch from a PC to my brand new iMac and it's been a learning curve to say the least. I know I will eventually love it once I learn how to use it but for now I am blindly feeling my way through. Needless to say my blog posts have not been up to date and we have had a lot going on that I haven't shared.

One of those things is Hayden's 8th Birthday! He turned 8 (gasp!) on October 24th and we celebrated with a Super Mario Bros themed sleepover! The highlight of the entire party was the AWESOME cake courtesy of Rachel the fabulous cake maker! Seriously, go check out her blog and book her for your next birthday, wedding, baby shower, or any other event that might need a cake! But don't wait...she works via word-of-mouth but she books up well in advance most of the time! Tell her I sent ya! Rachel did an incredible job with Hayden's cake and nailed it entirely! Hayden was beyond excited when I revealed his (SURPRISE!) cake prior to the party! It completely made his day and as each party guest arrived it was the first thing he showed them! The party was great, although a bit insane, but worth it to see the smiles on my little boys face. I love you Hayden!

S family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2010-11-03T05:14:00.001-07:00

I had a great time monday evening enjoying the cool weather with the "S" family! You may remember Luke from his session back in the spring. This time we captured mom and dad too! Thank D&S for hanging out with me once again to make memories for your family! Happy sneak peeking!

Baby Bo {greensboro nc newborn photographer}

2010-11-03T04:31:00.001-07:00

I'm very excited to introduce you to 8 week old baby Bo! He is the newest addition to the "N" family, sweet friends, who recently adopted him into their home and into their hearts! Isn't he just the cutest little thing with those pouty lips?! He was such a great little model and I enjoyed capturing his sweetness on camera! And we can't forget proud "Big Sister" Malia who made an appearance during our shoot. She was adopted into the "N" family just 3 short years ago! What a perfect little family! Thank you R&M for allowing me to make these memories for you...I hope you love your images!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T19:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween from our family to yours! Hope you all had a fun & safe night of spooky fun! Now that my clone trooper, Lil Bo Peep, and sweet peacock are tucked in for the night it's time for me to raid the loot! I see a MilkyWay in my future! YUM!

Adorable Alexa {greensboro nc baby photographer}

2010-10-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Meet adorable little Alexa! I had the pleasure of meeting the "W" family last night and the privilege of photographing their sweet 6 mos old baby girl. What a precious little doll she was. I truly enjoyed capturing her sweet expressions! Thank you R&V for choosing me to photograph your little girl! Enjoy your peek!

the "K" family {greensboro nc family photographer}

2010-10-18T06:37:00.001-07:00

I spent Friday evening photographing the "K" family! They are such a sweet family with two darling little girls, Annabelle and Katie. It was a joy spending time with them and capturing sweet memories for this sweet family. Thank you B&J for allowing me to photograph you and your lovely girls!

C&M families {greensboro nc family photographer}

2010-10-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

The rain held off last night and I am so glad that it did. Here is a sneak peek of the double family session I did with the C & M families. What a gorgeous family...makes my job easy! I was finally able to drag my old sofa into a field and put it to use and I am loving the results! Thanks C,S,M,& H for choosing me to capture your family's memories!

I Will Never Forget

2010-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

It is forever etched in our memory...the events of that day. I remember exactly where I was...21 years young, newlywed for less than 4 months, sitting in Spanish class of my junior year of college. I walked out of the classroom to find chaos in the halls, whispers, sobbing, hysterics, emotions were wild. A good friend of mine was sitting on the hall floor reading her Bible and told me what had just happened. The first tower had just been hit. Chills ran up and down my spine as I ran to my car and my ears were flooded with info on the radio...confusion, panic...and then horror repeated...the 2nd tower was hit during live broadcast! I called my husband at home and woke him from his nap to inform him of what was happening. He was off duty that day...he is a fireman. Once I arrived home I watched in terror as the towers collapsed. It was horrifying. The days that followed were no better as we learned of how many people were missing or presumed dead. I will always remember. The events of that day alter you and you can never go back. Every year as this anniversary comes around I find it so difficult to even turn on the tv for fear of having to relive those dreaded moments...but I do...b/c in some small way I want to honor the lives of those lost. I want to hear those stories of heroism. I feel so proud to be an American. Today I am praying for our country, for those who are still wounded and hurting, and for those who daily put themselves in harms way to defend our freedom! I will never forget. Where were you that day?

Little Caleb {greensboro nc baby photographer}

2010-09-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

How cute is this little guy?! I could just eat him up! Little Caleb is the newest addition to the "D" family. I had so much fun this morning photographing this sweet little 3 month old. Thanks J&L for choosing me to photograph your sweet baby boy!

Victorian Before & After

2010-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's finished!!...and I LOVE it! You may remember from July that I snagged a gorgeous Victorian Sofa that was in pretty bad shape as far as the fabric was concerned. It was filthy and smelled musty from sitting in storage buildings and garages, and was infested with spiders and other little critters on the underside. Well, I gave it a nice vacuuming to rid it of creepy crawlies and then thru a series of craigs list ads and other inquiries I found a great guy to do the re-upholstery work....and for a fraction of the cost of usual upholstery fees. If you are local (triad area of NC) and ever need upholstery work I highly recommend Jon from Jon's Custom Upholstery. Look him up on Facebook. He gave me a great price and even offered to pick up and deliver my sofa when I was unable to get it to him! He's also super quick! He picked up my sofa and had it completed w/in 48 hrs!! Whoa! That is crazy fast, especially considering the detail required of my tufted sofa with 70 buttons! The results are beautiful and I love the Ethan Allen upholstery fabric that I picked up for $3/yd!! And did I mention that Jon dated this piece to the turn of the 19th century?! Super cool! It makes a great backdrop for beautiful portraits!

Halle Got Her Ears "Pressed"

2010-08-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Halle decided last week that she wanted to get her ears "pressed". That's all she talked about all week long. We first brought up the idea about a year ago but she wasn't ready. We explained to her that getting your ears pierced does hurt a little bit and she immediately decided she didn't want to do it. Well, fast forward one year and she changed her mind. She wanted to get her ears "pressed" and she wanted to do it NOW! So I told her that she could but that she'd have to wait for the weekend. This way she'd have plenty of time to think about it and make sure she was ready. Well, she was. Every morning she'd wake up and ask me "is today the weekend?!"...and each day I'd have to tell her "no, not yet...but soon." Well yesterday was Saturday and she was sooo excited! We headed to Claire's and she hopped right into the chair. She picked out 14k white gold "diamond" studs (watch out daddy...expensive taste here!). She didn't want to hold our hands or the teddy bear they offered...she wanted to do it by herself...brave little girl! We opted to have both ears done at once in order to avoid the chance that she'd change her mind after the first one...and it was a good idea. After "the moment" Halle sat still and tried to be brave...but within seconds her little eyes started to well up with tears. She looked around at us as the associates cleaned off her ears. We all exclaimed how beautiful her new earrings were and how proud we were of her. And then the tears began to flow..."I don't want my ears pressed anymore!". They offered her a mirror which she quickly refused. I felt so bad but I knew that she'd be excited and happy soon enough. Daddy swooped her up and she calmed down. We paid and left. On our way out we stopped at a mirror and she was ready to admire her new jewels! She loved what she saw! It was worth it! We topped off our evening with dinner and ice cream at McDonalds. We offered to let her have ice cream first and skip dinner but she wanted dinner first! All in all she is thrilled with her new earrings and has enjoyed telling everyone she knows about them! I still remember the day I got my own ears pierced for the first time when I was 5 (Halle is 4). I think it's just one of those things that little girls never forget! Happy Sunday!

Silly Halle

2010-08-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

Just some random silliness going on over here! Halle came up with this look all on her own...maybe it will be the next hot trend!! Of course keeping them all on at one time takes some mad skillz! I doubt I'm coordinated enough to pull it off!! He he! Happy Thursday all!