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yellow is the color of awesome

The title of the post is in honor of my SIL Janielle who adores the color yellow.  The glider is my new favorite thing in the whole wide world!  I bought this beauty and had it sandblasted.  Then my adoring hubby painted it for me!  It is amazing and works better than anything I have ever found in a store!  The kids have set up camp out there.  Popsicles and wet swimsuits.  Reading and lemonade.  Did I tell you I love June?

only posting in months that begin with m...

So my summer resolution ( I am believing that we should have 6 month resolutions now) is to get back to blogging on a regular basis. Fingers crossed. The end of the year brings with it so very many things. All of the normal dance and church and school things. Plus now I am shooting graduations and senior pics and weddings. WHAT was I thinking? Being a mom was more than full time! But then I get to take pics of this little guy. 8 years old. Going to Interlochen. And my heart melts. And the sweet babes I had the privilege to photograph this week. I mean they just kill me!

I have a feeling that if I commit to blog regularly and read my favs more frequently I will retap into creativity I have lost over the past few months. I have a sewing machine somewhere. Oh yeah, and kids at home starting next week!

Here's to Springtime resolutions!

i know i have been ever so lame

You know you have been a poor blogger when you have to title a post like that!  But hey.  I have been busy and my creative juices have been tapped!  Mini sessions coming up and corporate work have been keepin me busy as of late.  But you don't want to hear about that!  You want to hear all about the zoo right?  And the fact that I am obsessed with the weather right now.  And how about the fact that my niece is now one year old!  Or that my 6 year old just caught a typo in my blog.  Sigh.  Fixed it.  Now that's vital and intriguing right?  Ah heck.  Here's the pictures.  They are way better than what I can write about them anyway!

That would be a HUGE gorilla right beside my son's head.  Good thing.  Need my proofreader.

This was when she saw her chocolate cake.  then couldn't have it until her father came into the house.  She never cried.  Just that face.

Spring.  Yeah.  I love it.

eventful

It most certainly has been an eventful week!  Nothing huge and earth shattering.  Just lots of little stuff.   Monday and Tuesday were days spent with nieces and nephews and shopping and coffee.  My kind of days.  Thursday a friend and I went to a bakery auction in Manhattan.  Totally fun.  This place was adorable with tons of charm.  Too bad the cafe and bakery located within didn't quite make it.  Ballet and a visit from the little charlie man rounded out our eventful week.  Perhaps some sewing this weekend yet?  One can hope?  I think my machine may throw a hissy fit because I haven't spent any time with her since Christmas!

kc movement

I had the amazing opportunity of photographing a performance by KC Movement this weekend.  What a glorious way to spend valentines day!  This modern dance troop moved us in so very many ways.  I was really pushed to take photos and not just watch!  The music choices, the costumes, the raw emotion.  No words.  Just amazing.

My girls are blessed to have one of these company dancers teaching them on weekends.  It was truly a treat to see her dance.  Her grace and strength are an example for my girls.  They have taken lessons at a very classical ballet studio for so many years, it was nice to stretch their view of ballet a bit with professional modern ballet.

And did I mention?  We brought 5 kids with us!  To Kansas City.  On Valentines Day.  Enough said about that!  

an artist of the culinary kind

I have recently begun to admire a whole new form of artwork lately.  Don't get me wrong, I have always enjoyed a good cupcake.  And by a good cupcake I mean every cupcake is a good cupcake right?  Then I met Allyson.  She is a serious artist dealing in sprinkles and sugar and chocolate, oh my!  

One of the things I love about her is that look on her face while she is baking.  I mean how can something turn out poorly when you smile like that?!  One of her employees noted that she smiles each time she finishes a cupcake.  

She bakes it all from scratch.  No boxes around this place!  The cake is awesome but the frosting is insane!  She goes from vanilla to chocolate to lemon to strawberry without skipping a beat!  

This week I did a bit of photography work in the bakery.  Getting ready for Valentines day and all.  What a pleasure.  All of these cupcakes went home with me.  I will totally work for cupcakes anytime.  Well maybe not anytime.  My rear end will be as big as a house if I keep this up!  

If you are in the area check her out.  Or just drool over her web page!

toothless wonder

If you ask me there just ain't a whole lot cuter than a little one with no teeth!  Poor kid doesn't have much on the bottom either!  

Okay.  Not much of a post.  We are all beyond exhausted here.  Hope everyone else is fine.  Happy February!

::12::

The oldest, you see, was 12 yesterday.  I can't even begin to tell you how I feel about this.  There is of course the whole "time marches on" and "I can't possibly be old enough to have a 12 year old" thing.  I thought that would be a big deal.  Believe it or not, that's not what has been on my mind the past few days.

She really is an amazing gal.  Bright and talented, you know, the thing every mom says about her daughter.  But there is something else.  This child, or young lady, is just that.  A young lady.  No longer my babe.  No longer my adorable little toddler.  As awesome as she was as a babe and a toddler this is so much better.  She is intuitive and sensitive.  She is funny and more shy than most would think.

Her and I started this journey together.  I was only 21 years old when I found out that she would be joining me.  I can't imagine now how I managed it that young.  Through all of my mistakes and my learning we have grown up together.  I am proud to call her my daughter and my friend.

So happy birthday Abby.  I am so very proud of you.  Thank you for being my first born.  I can't wait to see what your life has in store!

ps...the cake above was OBVIOUSLY not made by me.  it was however made by my dear friend Allyson over at Daddy Cakes.  If you are in the area you must must must try her stuff!  Seriously ridiculously good cakes and cupcakes!

history

So I decided to keep the kids home from school today to share history with them.  I told them they would be home schooled for just a few hours (i am pretty sure that would be the total number of hours i would be capable of homeschooling them anyway).  It was worth it.  Seeing them listen so intently to the oaths of office.  Watching their own future open before them.  Collectively coveting the clothes and shoes of the First Lady and her babes.  They were mesmerized by YoYo Ma.  They were moved by Aretha Franklin.  They were inspired by our new President.  God bless you and your sweet family Mr. President.  We are ready.

live with new website!

I certainly hope and pray that the holidays have found you all well this year!  Above is just a bit of what has been keeping us hopping over here!  We have shared the Christmas spirit and a lovely little flu bug around here this holiday season.  Go figure.  A quiet little Christmas was just in order this year.

The first website I published when I started my new business was, uh, slow and looked like an amateur threw it together.  The pictures looked grainy and you couldn't adjust the size of anything.  The purpose of having a website was served, but the thing bugged me from the start.  

Without further ado, check out the new site.  Let me know what you guys think.  The flash technology is over my head, but I really think I love it.