Simply Believe

Music, Music everywhere!!

Garrett has started taking piano lessons.  They are not your typical piano lessons, they are more like music time.  We went to Sam's to see if the lessons would be a good fit, and the outcome is YES!!!  Each week, that we are in town (or not at an appointment), we are off to Music time at Sam's.  Garrett has always (I am talking from the womb) loved music.  If you want to get his attention, you can usually do it with music.  He will drop everything and be mesmerized by it or come running in from the other room if the commercials have music.  The lasted craze is Relax Max Dinah Washington.   Lessons have been on my mind for some time, but I was told by a couple of instructors that he needed to be at least four years old to take them.  I was thrilled when Sam was over and she said that was "rubbish"!!!  So today we started the Journey.  The only thing that his dad said is it has to be something that Garrett enjoys, and I am not to force him into playing a musical instrument.  FINE with me:)

The fun things you learn online!!

I found a tutorial via the Shutter Sisters blog, of a way to make Coloring Pages from Photos (from the Fototiller blog) of Garrett, for our mom and me time!!  I try to stop and spend at least fifteen minutes (which does and doesn't sound like much time) doing something creative with him each day.   So I am always on the lookout for new things to do.  Although his all-time favorite thing right now is Play dough.  Give the boy a pack of dough, and he is content to sit and play for as long as he is capable of sitting still.  We have been creating some very interesting shapes lately.  It is nice that at his age, I can make him a dog, and he does not tell me it looks like a chicken or something totally unrecognizable.  He is happy for me to just create  it.  He does frustrate his dad who makes awesome play dough sculptures only to have Garrett smash them in no time flat (pun intended).  I on the other hand make it, he takes it and smashes, and we go on:)

Here is one of the coloring pages I created in Photo Shop today.

This was my second attempt:)  The first was OK, but I really love this one more.  I have some fun gifts in mind for photo coloring books, and thinking that it might be a great thank you gift to my clients when I do children's photo shoots.  

Man I love the web.  It amazes me how much new found knowledge I glean on a daily basis.  Which is great since I consider myself a life-long learner.  What have you learned lately?

Have a life-long learning kinda day,

L.

Inspiration is in the AIR!

I found inspiration from Lanne yet again!!  I love her new blog header, and so I came up with a L.Michele version!!

It was so much fun putting all of the images together, and I love looking at how L.Michele is growing!

Have a Stellar Day

L.

Darkness and light

This Contest had me thinking about taking photos when there are a lot of shadows to deal with.  I have not taken many shots directly into the sun.  I tend to shy away from direct sunlight, as   sometimes dealing with the shadows are not worth it.  So I decided it was time to grow a little, and maybe enter this contest.

The PRIZE for “Darkness and Light Photo Contest”

You ready for this? I’m super excited about it! Since we have a few spots left in our Sonoma Photography Workshop, Brian and I have decided to give the winner of this contest 50% off the workshop cost! Instead of paying $999, you pay $498! Isn’t that fun!!

It is super fun!   At one point I had it worked out that I would be able to go to one of the workshops, but I had to make a hard decision that it was not the right year to go:(  So I am not going to send this one in, but I really like how it turned out.  I am definitely in the learning stages, but I am glad that I took the time to grow a little.

Growing is good right??

Have a growing kinda day

L.

Easter 2008

Bummer--- the whole house was ill:((  So we stayed in, only venturing out once to check a motor and out to Grandpa Dwayne's for a few hours.  I was so looking forward to Church and the Easter Egg Hunt.  I just knew this would be the year that Garrett would have so much fun picking up the eggs.  Last year, he was OK with it, but not really all that into it.  Oh well, next year will be that much better.  I have always love Easter service, and Easter on a whole.  OK, so I really love all the holidays, but Easter  is such a meaningful one.   There is something about new life that makes Easter so special. 

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.
-Pope John Paul II
I found this quote, and sent it out in our Easter cards.  The words of the Pope just spoke to me, and I wanted to share them with you.

I was sad that we did not color eggs this year with my friends family.  They are so kind and involve Garrett and I in their family gatherings, and  we have colored eggs with them for the last two years.  I did not want to take our yuck to their family, so we stayed home:(  Garrett woke up on the Monday before Easter with a cough, and it turned into the worst case of Bronchitis and an almost trip to the hospital.  Thank goodness we missed the hospital stay by the hair on our chinny chin, chin.   Thanks to Dr. L he recovered, but after the third night of no sleep, I was beginning to wonder.

However, I was able to take a few pictures and I have played with them already:)

    

Garrett just love, LUV, LUVS popcorn, so the Easter Bunny brought him a new popcorn bowl.

Garrett insisted that he take his basket with us when we went to check on motors.  He did not want it out of his sight--- that is for sure.  Thanks Grammie for the awesome Longaberger basket to add to my addiction, I mean collection.

He carried that Basket around with him all day long.  You could easily find him by the trail of Easter grass.

Have A Stellar Day

L.

I thought I would give it a try!

I tried my hand at having a picture put on canvas, and I love it:)  

Have a Stellar Day,

L.

Just for me

This post  is just for me!

Things I would like to remember:

Garrett's Quotes--- take two

It's allinthePUTZEE

He calls Eagles Beagles

Great Googly Moogley

Think, Think, Think

It's snowing in my mouth

I'm a scared of the Cat

Is this a Hot summer day?

It's a CELEBRATION!!

A birthday party?   Get the balloons and party hat!

It's snowing (He has taken to climbing on the kitchen counter, getting into the sugar canister, and proceeds to flinging sugar all over the kitchen to make it snow:( :)

He named his game cooties Wyatt, Weston, Uncle Tom and Grammie

He will say something like "let's go outside", I will repeat it back to him in the form of a question, and he will act like it is all my idea, and a great one at that,  saying "OK sure"!

OK SURE

Have a great Day

Happy Easter Happy Bunny

Garrett I love you

Have an itsallintheputzee day

L.

One sweet shot

I have been looking at the  Shutter Sisters blog for a while now since I found it on  Jen Lemen's blog.  The great thing about blogging, is that it has a way of coming full circle most of the time.  I have also started reading  one+one daily.  So I made my daily round to one +one,  and there is the shutter sisters (it is cool how that works).  One+one was highlighting the shutter Sisters with the One sweet shot challenge.

So when I had the opportunity to send in a nomination for One sweet shot, I knew right away who it would be.  Why Lanne of course, she helped me when I needed it most, is an incredible photographer and has continued to inspire me on a daily basis.  Now what shot should I send in???  That is much harder answer.  There are so many that it will be hard to limit it to just one.  Should I do this one? Or do you think it should be this one??   I have yet another one !!!  Good grief, I better get the nomination sent in before there are more to pick from. 

I decided to send this one:)

Have a Stellar Day

L. 

What goes on at Grammie's stays at Grammie's!

You know that what goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas, so all I can tell you is we had a great time.

OK, really I can tell you about everything that went on in Vegas, but I don't want to bore you:)  We did have a fabulous time, and it was a long overdue vacation.  We have not been on a true vacation (not to mention anywhere without Garrett since we were first married) in so long.  We did not go on a honeymoon (big mistake to all of you who are getting married).  We got married on a Saturday, and Jerry and family came home on Sunday to get back in the field.  So this was such a nice get away for us.  The only thing I will say is that we should have planned one more day for rest.  However, I am not sure anyone rests in Vegas.   We did not gamble away Garrett's inheritance, however, we did not add to it either.  I did win 90 some dollars in pennies though...

Garrett got to stay with Grammie, and all went very well there.  For his first time being away from his parents overnight I think he handled it better then his parents.  I would bet he watched the Cars movie at least 25 times over that week and I would win that one.  I was able to find him a Tee shirt that said what goes on at grandma's stays at grandma's, and I have not heard everything that went on yet:)

I would love to put a picture in this post, but I am not technologically advance enough to get it off of my cell phone.  I took a few pictures of the light show down town.  It just about killed me to leave my camera at home, but it was a quick trip, and I did not want to worry about it the whole time we were gone. 

It was a bit cold, but we had a wonderful meal, and great conversations with the others that went on the trip with us, and I was able to put in a day of shopping.  Total vacation bliss if you ask me...

Have a Stellar Day

L.

Business Cards

Every business needs them, but I have been dragging my feet for some reason. 

Thanks Renee at  Vibe for your generosity and a kick-start in the right direction.

What do you think??

Front:

                                           

Back:

                                                                         

I had so much fun creating mine, that I got busy and made one for Jerry

                                                            

Have a Stellar Day

L.