Color Photo Work

The end of the semester means an update of the work I've been doing. This semester I took a color photo class. I loved it! Everything I've done up till now has been in black and white, so the color images have been fun and refreshing. I have learned so much about what makes a good color photo, and making panoramas was super fun.
Thanks to Valerie for letting me use her clothes line for that, and thanks to all the moms who let me take photos of their kids for my final project. They turned out so great, and working with the kids was a blast. 
So take a minute, look at my work, and please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Don't worry about being critical, at this point in my schooling, I'm used to it

Color of Light assignment

Oil and Water Abstractions

 Diptychs

Color is Power assignment

 Panoramas

Valerie was kind enough to title them for me

Conervative

Liberal

Portraits

For my final I chose to do

the anti-sears portrait

No posing, more casual

candid images

!

From 3 to 4

    I have often said that 3 year olds are my favorite. I need to amend that now and say that 4 year olds are my favorite because my little Adelaidey is officially 4! I absolutely love these years. My little kids have always been such a delight to me. It is so fun to watch them make sense of the world. Lately she has been singing Praise to the Man. I don't think writing down the mispronunciations would do her version justice. I need to record her before she learns the words correctly.
   On her birthday I woke her up in the morning singing happy birthday to her. She opened her eyes, sat up and said "Yea, it came!" She has been asking when her birthday would come ever since her friend Re Ann had her birthday back in September. 2 months is long wait for a 3 year old, and the fact that Emilie's birthday came first almost killed her.
   She was a perfect little birthday girl. I loved watching her open presents this year. We gave her the "Cinderbrella doll" she was hoping for, and with grandma and grandpa Poyfair's birthday $$ we got her a new bike, which she is learning to ride in the house, cause the street is too scary; and which she has named Kayla.
    I threw her her first big kid party yesterday the 29th while the big sisters were at school. She had the time of her life. I let her pick out balloons at the party shop so each kid would have a balloon to take home. We made cake pops, which were a huge hit by the way, and we made Shrinky Dink snowman necklaces/ornaments. Addie was a little sad when all the kids left, but then she remembered all the awesome toys she just opened, and was soon absorbed in playing with them.
    She is already talking about her party next year, and who is going to come, and the thing they will do. Such a little planner, just like her mom.
     so happy birthday to my little Blondie. I love you.
  

 Making shrinky dink snowm necklaces

I love the surprised look on her face as she opens the present

A little just dance kids. I believe this was the chicken dance.

Gotta check to see if ReAnn is doing it right.

Stop Growing Baby!!

I figured that since Ella will be 7 months old tomorrow, I should probably post her 6 month photos.
I know every mom says this, but I just can't believe how fast my little one is growing up. I love it and hate it at the same time.
She is such a joy. I don't know that I have seen a happier baby. She is just smiles all the time, and sweet as can be. So here she is CARMELLA MAE...

For the benifit of all my photo friends,
for these pictures I choose a bright
yellow, graphic table cloth as her back drop.
Then I pumped the vibrance and saturation
way up.  I was really going for
a bright fresh look.
On two I applied a black vingette that I think
really adds interest to the photos.

turning 11 on 11-11-11

Yesterday was Emilie's Magic Birthday. She turned 11 on 11-11-11, and was even born at 11:11am. Now if thats not magical I just don't know what is! To celebrate Addie and I ate lunch with her at school, and brought her class cupcakes. Last night we threw an awesome birthday party.

Emilie's goal was to have 11 friends come, and to party hardy till 11:11pm, and of course she had to make a magic wish at 11:11pm on the dot. We actually managed to do it all. She had a great time. I loved watching her with her friends. She has grown so much in 11 years, and is becoming an amazing young lady.

I think my favorite part of the night was listening to her and her friends discussing politics. They were cracking me up. They all tried so hard to have big ideas, and pinpoint all of society's ills. Not to mention attempt to solve all those ills. I guess this is the big sign that they are in fact growing up. But, not too much, they also played a long and loud game of Sardines out in

the front yard. Amazingly the neighbors did not complain.

Happy Birthday Emilie, I love you.

reading the photo book I made for her

and wearing the sweater grandma bought her.

Jason bought her a ring for her magic day

party decorations

the political forum

a little Just Dance please

Cute little Abby Cazier

She read every card out loud, the girls loved it

The birthday girl and her mom at the school

Dirty Bits, gettin dirty

Last Saturday the 29th of October some crazy ladies and I did a Mud Run in Fort Worth. It was the dirtiest I have ever been in my life, but it was also just about the most fun I have ever had.
It was a 10K, which means we ran 6.2 miles, and we faced off with 40 obstacles. Now I will admit that I personally did not do all the obstacles. I am painfully aware of my limitations, but that being said there were only 4 that I did not complete.
The day started off at a chilly 44 degrees, and by our 9:oo am start time it had warmed up to almost 50. So crazy as we were, we swam across the Trinity River, trudged through mud, and muck, and jumped/slid into many muddy water holes. Not to mention climbing up giant hills of dirt, and climbing up a cargo net.
I am so in love with all the great ladies that were there to help pull/push me out of holes, and encourage me to keep on going. So a big thank you to Barb, Emille, Valerie, Angie, Lacii, Shadi, Jamie, and Krystal.
I am so looking forward to doing it again in the spring.