Happy New Year snow!

I'll let the pictures have the moment! A beautiful day in Oklahoma, as I haven't seen snowflakes like this since NE Washington years ago!

A great Christmas!

Proof of a great meal! Look at his face and pose! Too funny!

Miss MM shows Mr. B how the drum works, but I think he's got it figured out pretty fast.

the downfall of taking photos is not really knowing what this look was all about...tell me these two aren't related! Oh and now you know why the previous two photos are b/w..that chair is horrendous, but a good buy for $15 years ago that I don't worry about spills and such.

and a really bad photo of me with the babies other than we are all so happy. This photo definitely indicates I need a trip to salon, color/cut...and I guess I should have put on makeup...Now you know!

It really was a great Christmas this year! First off, we really didn't do "adult presents" even though I cheated and bought my husband some movies and he bought me a 1927 Bible found at a local antique store and a photo album to do some much needed print organizing. I have to say, we kept those spendings to around $20 each. We did buy the grandbabies gifts and watching them open them was so much fun. I also got my brother two baseball books.
As for my grown sons and the girls they have to wait until January. They know why! Actually, my idea is to make it a bit more special for them since they are both born in December. So it's almost like their birthdays get cheated lumped in with Christmas. Plus we were pretty broke!
To make up for it though, we had a ton of food and this was the first year in many that I can say, no one jumped up from the table when they were done. No rushing through. Just a nice dinner where we all sat and laughed and talked .. thanks to the babies!

Mr. Dimples or Little Mister B.

Just depends on who is talking at the time! We so enjoyed our grandson on Christmas Day! Once he woke up, he just kept us laughing the entire time with his funny faces and even eating dinner was a blast. He loves his green beans for sure.





Grandchildren are so much fun!

Now, on another note, I'm considering retiring this blog and starting a new one. I'm getting a lot of spam comments that irritate me and this blog was originally started for my portrait business years ago, but when I got away from that, I just started 'blogging.' The only problem is I feel like I'm writing to myself. I get a few comments now and then, but am trying to rethink what I can do to encourage more great comments from those who stop by.
I haven't made a final decision yet, so we will see.

More Christmas Eve spirit

Merry Christmas~!

A few images from Christmas Eve at home and in our neighborhood the night before. Some pretty homes!

Corner of my home

On a little antique piano sits these! My granddaughter has free use of all!

Featured in etsy treasury!

I came home from lunch to discover that one of my photos is in JaneElizabeth's etsy treasury today!
Be sure to take a look:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=101725
Treasury

Frozen Red has been featured before, but I only recently relisted it. This time, if you mention you saw this post or you visit the treasury, you can buy it through etsy for a special price of $16, metallic 8x8 image, free shipping! Just mention FrozenRed-etsy treasury if you email me to get this image and I'll make a special link for you to purchase it.
It's the second image on the right hand column.
Happy day and Merry Christmas!

Holiday ideas at Shutter Sisters

Looking for some holiday ideas?! Don't waste time here today, just go visit Shutter Sisters post
Great ideas!

Reindeer Glow

I totally forgot about this photo I had from last year. I had planned on making it my Christmas card. Oh well, enjoy! And for personal use only, you have my permission to save to your desktop if you need some holiday cheer!

Pink Panther Guardian

Little Mr. B. was over for a visit Friday and he sure loves this Pink Panther! I think it's genetic. It was one of my favorites to watch as a little girl, then I gave my son, Mr. B's dad, a couple of them, and my sister has a cool PP tattoo that my husband gave her in 1993. And now this. He was sleeping on the couch and this was on him, then he rolled over and I snapped a few more. Even when he briefly looked up and smiled, grabbed the PP and dozed right off again. Great moments!

Talking to her bear

Not a planned moment at all, but definitely sweet! She had soda down her shirt, candy cane stickiness everywhere but we still had fun. Midway through shooting, I grabbed a different shirt for her to wear, but was lucky to get another good shot (OK all you purists, yes, I know, I cut her hands off, oops!) She quickly bored of the whole idea of photos this evening (actually blame it on potty training..you know that look they give you right before they run over you to the bathroom?! LOL)

Christmas in my kitchen

Christmas holidays are one of the best times to be in the kitchen just because I get to do things like this! I bought a new set of cookie cutters since I couldn't find my vintage ones, and this is what I created today. It's in my etsy shop! Check link to the right! (Hint, 3 cards for $5)

I haven't made cookies yet, I admit, but spent the day trying to photograph my granddaughter. Didn't have much luck getting 'the shot' but had fun trying. We kept getting distracted. The layout was a freebie from Digital Freebies. I've been getting their email list for quite some time now. Love the Friday offering!


And then I made this:

Playing with Photographs

Yes, actual PRINTS! I bought a beautiful huge album today that holds around 500 prints and started putting a bunch of my photos from years ago into it. OK, let me step back to fill you in. When I was a little girl, my mom had this huge box under her bed, filled with photos and I could spend hours playing with them. As I got older (teen years) I got into really photographing my family and loved putting photos in albums.
One of the albums I tossed today was one I've had probably for 25 or more years, but it was falling apart and some of the glue on the slip in pockets (now the albums are stitched together not glued), had attached to a couple of photos but not bad. But, backing up in time again ...
Then one year, oh 1995 or 1996, I visited a small craft show at Christmas time. There was a Creative Memories booth and I was hooked. I started scrapbooking all the time. I did that for several years, but the worst thing that ever happened, was the consultant/company encouraged me to take all my wonderfully organized photos out of their albums...these weren't magnetic, just slip in pocket sleeves.
So I did.
Well, umm I wonder if I have a case against them? (JUST KIDDING!) as I truly can identify THAT as my downward spiral to total photo disorganization and lack of record keeping.
I mean really, every photo before then, was in chronological order, and I knew the date, place, etc...
Since then it's been pure madness in trying to restore order.
Now my photos are a mess, in boxes, jumbled into albums that don't work not to mention many are in my scrapbook albums which are way too large, heavy and just difficult to pull off the shelf. Plus they are scattered around the house and not all in one convenient place.
I'm going to resolve my mess now that I've found these great huge photo albums. I've requested at least one for Christmas. My husband is also going to get me a huge bookcase that I can put all my photo albums and scrapbooks on.
I plan to reorganize things and also do some journaling. This is a two-part idea.
My idea is to pick just a few photos from various important events in our family life and scan them in, add journaling and create some blurb books that I can add to our photo book library. I love blurb! So, I'll still have the prints, which I will always be attached to, as I just can't imagine not having the printed photograph, but then I'll also have some books with photos and writing that will be keepsakes.

I've also realized along the way that I can really cull out some of my bad photography from a few years ago, like the horrible attempt at still life using pinecones and fall leaves. I looked at that photo and wondered why I still have it! Hah!

New Place Online!

Before I get started, I decided to add something to the right of my blog. There you will find a couple links when I mention other sites so you can just click there and go once you finish reading my entry.
Sometimes I end up 'out there' online without realizing how I got there, but I found a new site that featured a new store in Redwood City, Calif. I lived there once, briefly, as a child. My mother lived there for awhile though, before I came along.
This store, Brick Monkey, sure looks fun. One quick glance reveals a place I'd love to visit sometime. I'd love to own a store like that even, but I'm not sure Duncan, Oklahoma, is the place for such a store, but then again, I could be surprised. So while hopping around on Brick Monkey's site, I find a link to a magazine, it's new too - Nesting Newbies. OK, instant adoration for this new online mag. It's got videos, food, decor, etc...And then they give a little shout out to some of their favorite blogs and well, what do you know, a couple of them are my favorites! mattbites.com and SFGirlbyBay.com
So go check out Brick Monkey, visit Nesting Newbies and be sure to hop over to the two sites I've been a long fan of. But before you go, please post a comment here. Let me know if you enjoy what you see. Thanks and please stay safe out there everyone. We've got a storm moving into Texas/Oklahoma region. Could be nasty. Oh, I can go walking and get photos maybe in the morning!
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a photo from Saturday session

Christmas Parade on Main Street Duncan

hanging ornaments


early morning session

Photo books!

I really think that this is one of those "in your hands" items that have to be seen to appreciate.

I love my new book and couldn't be happier with it.

The size, quality, you name it! This is so do-able for anyone who wants to get their photos off their hard drive and have a physical permanent keepsake. And for those who want a professional portrait session, I'll be once again offering those very soon, but it won't be just as a digital photography offering.


There will still be digi-packages, but also physical items. If you want a quality product with a lasting keepsake, consider it an investment. I'm scheduling for 2010.


I have decided that 2010 will bring some new changes for me and my photography.

My year of giving

I'm sitting here reflecting on 2009 and feeling pretty good about it. I donated two sessions, *ahem, neither have collected, I just can't imagine paying $125 to help a charity or other group, and then not collecting on the photo session. At least though the two groups benefited. Shame though that someone passed up a free photo session and a few images.


I entered an art show and placed third. Did a few more free sessions just because! Had a blast! Everyone from kids to dogs, adults, horses, retired police officer, firefighters.


Started and finished my book, Riding The Chisholm Trail - AND SOLD close to 2 dozen copies to date! Whoohoo!


I'm also donating three free photo sessions for the Gingerbread Dough drop that happens this Saturday after the Main Street Duncan Christmas Parade. Ignore the blackout in the corner. That's just photoshop!


So what do I get out of this? The chance to keep my portfolio fresh, meet new people, and fulfill my constant need to photograph. Flowers, storms, animals, humans, if I find it worthy, my camera will be working! Oh I forgot to mention a wedding and a car show display I did!
Now, I am considering taking actual PAID sessions for 2010, but only because my husband has promised to deal with the paperwork of it all, so if you are interested, drop me a note or call. Seniors, teens, weddings, pets, portrait parties, who knows what next year will bring!

Happy Birthday son!

Happy Birthday to my oldest son! Love you sweetie! I made his favorite dinner, spaghetti. I can remember still the first time he ate that, he was just barely over 1 and he dove right in. If I had a scanner, I'd share the photo. Now he's all grown up and still loves spaghetti.
Life is good that way!
I don't feel much like posting a photo right now, but I plan to change my blog header later this week to reflect the season. Springtree Road has already changed its blog header! Love it!
Well, the storm is moving in and my body is aching, wonder if that means it's going to be a bad one. I always get headaches before tornados or dry lines, and when cold weather nears, my legs make me feel like a whiner!
Stay safe out there everyone.

English only please!

Someone keeps trying to post comments in, I believe, Chinese, but I reject them. If I can't read it, it won't get approved for comment. I'm sure you like the blog or you wouldn't keep returning to it, but I just can't approve of something that I or most of my readers can't understand.

LE Horse Guardians

I've had these images for a few months now and finally decided to release them for holiday shoppers. I will put one up for sale each Sunday evening until the series of 6 is complete. But don't wait to buy them, see my special offer farther on in the post!


They are all black and white images that would make a great grouping of art. I am first offering them as 12x18 images as you see here. The print itself is 12x18, while the image will have a border and my small digi-sig. I am offering them in this manner as a Limited Edition of 30 each. They will be $30 each. Yes, you read that right! I will also sell the entire series of 6 images in this size for $150, a savings of $30 off the individual print purchase price. If you want the entire set, please email me. I will be posting an image later this week showing the six images. If you are trying to find an unusual gift for someone, consider my Horse Guardians series. I titled it such because there was a beautiful light that made me think of angels and an otherwordly emotion evokes from them. I hope you think so too.
These will be released also as smaller images, cards and unsigned in several months.

Bring on the red

I have these two little bushes on my patio and in the fall they offer brilliant red berries and leaves. One seems to do better than the other, but I thought the runt was better suited for this photo venture. I've got several great shots, but am only posting one for now. Don't forget to scroll down and visit older posts/archives! And if you like my blog, show some holiday spirit and post a comment! Sometimes I feel like I'm writing to an audience of 1.

Curb appeal or Porch pretty

I really like driving around town and seeing what people do with their homes during the holidays. This is a nice place. I wonder if a home like this has big rooms or small rooms.


and closer:


I'd guess small, since that seems to be the case here in Oklahoma with older homes. I must say I'm fortunate that my home, while it lacks a lot of elegance on the outside and looks small, when you walk in the door, the space is incredible. Believe me, I've had several people come by and they are amazed when they step into my home. I've started decorating my dining room for Christmas. I'll post some photos in a week or so after that room is complete. For now though, my house is upside down with tubs and tons of holiday stuff strewn about as I make my way through it in deciding how to decorate. The first year, we moved in with only days to Christmas, so we didn't do much. Last year, it just seemed sparse. So I've been collecting goodies so that my home just sparkles with Christmas for the little ones this year.
If you have posted photos of your holiday home on your blog, let me know!

Go Dog Go!

This dog made me think of Tip from the primer readers I learned to read in. Sally, Dick, Jane, Tip and Mitten..I still have several of my childhood books. Sally and Tip were my favorites. The primers got a bad rap, IMO. So did phonics. Supposedly, children struggled to learn how to read and the books were unrealistic. Really now? I learned before I was 3 to read from those books. And by the time I was in kindergarten, I was reading ahead of first- and second-graders.

Of course, I had the advantage since my mom was a teacher. What I'm saying is that now I write for a living, have always loved to read, so how can the primers be 'that bad!?'
As for the photo, he was in the back of his owner's bike in the Paseo Arts District in OKC. Just too cute to pass by. And yes, he was getting ready to "Go dog, go!"

Smile for your thankfulness

Love this little lamb smile! Be sure to visit your own Main Street, you might be pleasantly surprised by the window loveliness waiting to be discovered this holiday season. Duncan has some wonderful holiday windows every year. We have a great Main Street program (thanks Tammy and all the merchants!) And if you're ever in the area, be sure to stop and shop!