Share the Love

Since February is all about L-O-V-E, I want to share some love with you!

I am giving away a free one hour portrait session to one lucky family! But, here's the catch, I want YOU to share the love! This isn't a contest for you to win a session, this is a contest for you to win it for someone else. You see, if you are chosen as the winner, you will pick a family close to you and give the free session to them. When was the last time you paid it forward? This is your chance!

You don't have to tell me who the family is yet. Just think about it for a while. The family must be in the Memphis Metro area. It cannot be your child or your spouse, it must be a family outside of your immediate family. It can be someone who has a need and NEEDS to be shown a little love, or someone who deserves it because of all the love they've shown you. Let your heart decide. It's all about the love, baby. A winner will announced here on the blog February 14th.

As a bonus, if we can get 20 or more comments on this blog (from 20 different people, that is!) I will give away a 2nd free session to a 2nd lucky family! Think we can do it?

To enter the contest all you have to do is answer this question in the comments below: What is your favorite piece of chocolate in the sampler box?*

That's it. It's just that easy. So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment, then tell you friends - email, text, share on Facebook, call, write a letter and send it pony express. Just do it.

***REMEMBER to answer the question in the comments! :) (Not required, but it does add a little fun to it!)

****Also, note: If you do not leave a way for me to contact you when you leave a comment (ie. You only fill out your name), please watch the blog on February 14th when I announce the winner or your prize will go to someone else!! ***ANONYMOUS Comments will not be eligible for the prize as I don't know who to contact!***

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Carpool Conversations

Driving my son, nephew & niece to school in the mornings, you never know quite what you're going to get. Often there is a lot of early morning, puffy-eyed quietness. This morning, a song came on the radio and I decided to drop some courting knowledge on the boys. And here is how the conversation went...

Me: Listen to that song boys, this is how you pay a girl a compliment. "You smell so sweet, you you could have been some perfume."

Son (10 yrs old): Perfume isn't sweet.

Nephew (8 next month): Yeah, one time I was playing with some perfume trying to spray it on the mirror and I sprayed it in my eyes. It was not sweet.

Me: It's sweet to smell when it's sprayed on someone, not when it's sprayed in your eyes.

Nephew: My eyes hurt so bad.

Niece (5): One time I got soap in my eyes.

Son: I can't believe my thumb didn't break. (referring to the time he slammed it in the car door.)

Me: You guys are so random.

Son: What? They're talking about pain!

Me: *I* was talking about how to compliment a girl!

Son: Yes! That IS PAIN!!

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Mary Kay Mondays

You've never met a more happy, motivated, encouraging group of ladies than the Mary Kay ladies!

I've mentioned before that I love Cherisse Hixson. She comes to my Boudoir Sample Parties and teaches the ladies how to do their glam makeup. Last night, I went to their weekly meeting. In one room, a consultant teaches guests about skin care and makeup, and in the other room, new consultants are trained. Then afterward, both combine and celebrate milestones and victories for that week. (They even have a celebratory Pink Cadillac dance).

These ladies got the Mary Kay treatment. Look at their gorgeous faces...



Here are the photos I took from the event:

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Wintry Weekend

We don't get a lot of crazy winter weather around these parts. But when we do... well, let's just say the whole city shuts down.

Friday it started sleeting first thing in the morning. We knew bad weather was coming - the schools had already been declared closed earlier that morning. My office closed around 10a, and even by then the streets were bad.

I stayed locked in the house Friday through Saturday evening. I finally had to break out for a moment before I lost my sanity - The Shining-style. It's amazing how we can feel completely content laying around the house doing nothing when it's our choice, but take that choice away and we feel suffocated.

Despite being on lock down, I did snag a few photos of our icy wonderland. After it melts this week, I imagine we won't see much of this type of weather again until next winter.




PS. The winner of the weekend photo contest is Mel, by default, since she is the only one that played. hahaha. Congrats Mel! You know I love that punkin of yours!

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Collaberation with You!

Let's play a game...

I love interacting with you guys - the blog readers, so let's play a game. Tomorrow morning, any time before 10am, take a picture. Any picture will do - your breakfast, the sunrise, a sleepy headed kiddo - as long as it's before 10a. Come back here and leave a comment with the link to that picture whether you've uploaded it to Facebook, Flickr, wherever. (Optionally, you may email me the photo and leave a comment saying that you did so.) I'll make a collage and post it on the blog in a few days (I realize that you may not be able to upload your photo the same day, so I'll give you a couple days to come back... just don't forget!!)

And for added fun, I'll give away a prize to a random participant. How about a Doodle Frame? Yes, I like that very much thanks.


(80 pages of colored paper, so you can keep re-creating a fun scenario around the photo of your choice!)

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Love...

I've fallen in love...



I'm not talking about this boy either. I'm talking about my new camera. The Nikon D700. It shoots so sharp & clean. I can't wait to put it to use in all the spring family sessions coming up!

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Feeling Crafty!

I hope you don't mind all the randomness I've been filling the blog with lately. It's slow season for me, so I need to fill the blog somehow. :)

As I mentioned before, I was at home the entire past week - I was sick half the week, and J was sick the other half. A girl can start to get a little stir crazy! During that time I discovered a few new crafty-type blogs, and that's when I started getting that twitch.

So, here are some things I worked on today!



I made this necklace of washers & ribbon today, after (1) buying these adorable washer necklaces from Jen @ Short & Stout's Etsy store, and then (2) following a link from her tutorial to another crafty blog that showed me how to make this necklace. I told you I was discovering new blogs, and I wasn't kidding.



Somewhere, on another blog, I saw someone had decoupaged a random object they found laying around their house. I remembered this cement dog mom had given J a long time ago to paint (it's been used as a doorstop in the interim), and I decoupaged it. This was a time consuming project! Looking back, I would rather have mixed up the colors/patterns on the dog more. Oh well.



I also decoupaged this wooden letter J to hang in his room. It started as this:


(In both decoupage projects we used scrapbooking paper.)



Oh, and Friday, I finished crocheting my 2nd eternity scarf for this month.

I had forgotten how GOOD it felt to be crafty & creative. I love getting lost in the process of creating something. I have another project sitting downstairs waiting on me to get started on it tomorrow (more fun with Mod Podge!). I also love that when I'm working on projects like these, J gets inspired too ... and starts creating his own art. (I'll show you a pic of his decoupaged mirror at a later time!)

What types of things do you like to do in those moments of creativity-overload?

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Q's for Crystal

I'm fairly certain it's Friday. I say fairly certain because I have been home from work this entire week - first I was sick, now my boy is sick. We have watched 3 seasons of Wizards of Waverly Place. I crocheted a scarf - pulled it entirely out, and re-crocheted it. It's been a productive week. So, three cheers for Friday! Here are a few more questions from the Ask Anything page. Anytime you have a question - random or otherwise - click the link at the very top of this blog and ask me!!

If you got to live one day over again, which would it be and why?

I think I'd have to pick any random weekend day that I spend with my boy ... hanging out, playing board games, Wii, going to the dog park ... One of those days where you let all the housework slide (it would get done magically while I sleep at night...). And we'd definitely have to go for ice cream. That is a must for my perfect Groundhog Day.

What's the biggest lie that you've ever told that had greater consequences than you ever imagined?

when i was a kid, standing in the checkout line with my mom, i saw an open candy bar on the candy shelf. i asked her about it, and she told me to leave it alone. when she turned away, i ate it. (ew, i know!). i got the "we'll deal with this when we get home"... and boy did we. i still can't sit down to this day.

What year did Santa Clause disappoint you?

I honestly cannot remember. But, I tried to avoid that moment with J by teaching him that Santa was a fairy tale all along. He still visited Santa, and got presents "from Santa", but it was all just a fun game.

You can take one comfort item for Survivor. What would be your comfort item?

so obvious, but i'd take my camera of course!

And I leave you with the same question: What comfort/luxury item would you take for Survivor? (Or a deserted island if you prefer a non-reality show based scenario.)

Random picture from the archives to stare at while you come up with an answer:

Taken on film last summer.

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Your Story 2010

It's so easy to get busy & stay busy, and before you know it, the week has passed. Blink again, and the month has passed. Errands, household chores, work, the kids ... you feel like you are constantly running amuck.

I want to challenge each of you, over the next week, to stop - force yourself to stop, at least once a day and take a picture of something. ANYTHING. It can be taken with your cell phone camera, your point-and-shoot, or your big fancy DSLR. It doesn't matter. What matters is you will be able to look back over that week and remember certain things amidst the blur of the daily rush.

Did your child do something funny? Take a picture of it! Or take a picture of the laughter that follows! Did you cook something amazing for dinner this week? Take a picture of it! Did the sunrise/set take your breath away? Did the contrast of the bricks in the wall catch your eye? Did you finally get that spare room cleaned out? Take a picture - any moment that brings a little happiness to you.

I'm not asking you to commit to a 365 project. Just one week, take a picture. After that week, it's up to you - but my hope is that you'll make a more concerted effort to capture everyday moments more often.

Please feel free to come back here and share a link to a photo you snagged this past week, or the upcoming week. Don't worry about getting the photo perfect, focus on what you're feeling at the moment - that is what creates the memory.

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In Video Games, In Life

"Let's-a-go!" cheers the television. I am sitting by the side of my son, Wiimotes in hand, playing Super Mario Brothers. He usually does a lot better when I'm not playing along with him, but he insists it's more fun when I am.

We jump, we duck, we dodge. Laughing. We shrink, we fall, we fail. Stressed. I force myself to laugh through the mistakes and fumbles. He doesn't like that. But I explain it's the only way I can keep myself from getting too upset over it. "It is a game, after all. The point is to have fun."

In life, there is the same need for laughter. We have our up moments - when we really feel alive and happy, and like we can do anything if we put our minds to it. But those moments when we shrink or fail or fall, and those moments do happen, sometimes we just have to force ourselves to laugh through it so we don't lose our minds. Sure, some might think you're crazy - but I'd rather be considered crazy with laughter than crazy with anger.

Because after all, isn't the point to have fun?

Tell me something you have laughed about this week (whether the laughter was forced or genuine).


My nephew - who always brings fun & laughter into my life.

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