VLV Photography

I did not forget about posting yesterday {which is unusual since I usually need a reminder for a reminder-I call it mommy brain}.  We had received news on Thursday that my husband’s grandmother passed away and the funeral was yesterday.  She was a very lovely woman and welcomed me with open arms the day I met her.  She lived a full life of 83 years but sure didn’t act her age.  She will surely be missed by many.

Onto happier news….my hubby took the kids on an adventure and this is the “surprise” they brought home for mommy!  I HATE snakes; the feel, the look, the everything about them!  Sure, it’s only a gardener snake but I just don’t like ‘em!  My husband once put one in a my school bag in high school….I still vow to get him back one day for that!  But I do know that when I attempt to prank him, I get it back ten-fold!  Anyway, here’s my boy with his new slimy friend.  I did convince him to let it go slither somewhere else!

Here’s my daughter with all her golden locks blowing in the breeze!  From the day she was born I’ve been waiting for her to get some hair on her head so  I can play with it.  Three years later I’m still waiting.  I then had some hope my other daughter would be born with a full head of hair….that didn’t happen either.  And now almost 14 mo old, I’ve just accepted that my daughter’s probably won’t have any hair on their heads until their probably teenagers!  {sigh} 

I’m sure thankful spring is finally here.  Although the next week isn’t sounding too promising for spring-like weather with snow in the forecast!  blah!

I get “Family Fun Magazine” and if you’ve never even glanced through it, it’s worth a peek.  I know on rainy days when the kids tend to get a little crazy or especially over the long, winter months like we have here, it’s tough to keep kids busy/entertained.  There are a lot of neat printables, crafts, and some fun recipes to try out and in this month’s magazine you’ll find fun stuff for Easter.  I think I’m going to try the tip for dyeing Easter eggs that someone sent in:  put the eggs in wire whisks.  The whisks hold the eggs securely so kids can dip them without dropping and cracking them.  I think I’m going to play a prank on my kids on April fools with the edible fake eggs & bacon recipe!  Check it out  

Anyway, that’s all I have for this week.  Check back again next week {on Monday}!

In the meantime, live, laugh, & love the one you’re with

It was a pretty exciting in our house this past week…our oldest {Xavier} started to learn to ride bike without training wheels!  He was so excited and proud and we were so happy he picked it up so fast!  Granted, he did fall, but being the determined child he is, that didn’t stop him from getting right back on the “saddle.”  He just has to practice getting on and getting going on his own.  For not even being 5, we thought this was quite the feat.  It was a lesson to us as parent’s….don’t underestimate your child’s abilities.  How will they ever learn if they never fall?  Training wheels….quite the metaphor for life in a lot of ways.  So here he is…wearing a pretty big grin

Onto personal news I’m pretty excited about!  I won a giveaway for a free spot in a mentoring program!!   I’m really excited about it because I think it will help me in running my business more efficiently.  I have some college under my belt but not a one business/marketing class and so I’m really excited.  Did I mention I’m excited?  This program normally costs $300….so yeah…I’m stoked!  Whoo hoo!  The woman who runs it has had her photography business for 15 years so I’m sure there’s something she’s doing right that she can pass along to me.  Knowledge is power and I’m continually trying to learn and grow in all aspects of my business.  I look forward to what this program can do for me.

I came across this pretty neat site last night.  Head on over to http://www.becoming-mom.net/ and check out Ariana’s site.  She’s a mom-blogger, photographer, graphic designer, and she’s just very open about her photography.  So if you’re interested in photography, she offers some pretty neat tips and some good links.  I’m in the process of picking out items for a home studio {no dates yet on when this will be available…it’s a work in progress} and she offered some great tips in this area as well.  She’s worth adding to your favorites list  

Have you ever tried baking when you don’t feel well?  Don’t do it…it’s a hazard!  I ended up baking banana bread that should have only taken a little over an hour and it was more like 2 hours!  I’m pretty sure not having enough flour was the problem.  My confession really is though….this was my second attempt at baking banana bread this week. The first time…I forgot the bananas!!  I’ve had the kind of head cold that makes you feel like you want to chop your own head off and then once you take something you feel doped up!  I’m much better today but lesson learned.

Well I better go check on supper {I’m a little late posting this today} in the oven, before I manage to burn it!

Until  next week…live, laugh, and love the one you’re with!

I had been looking forward to posting my second edition of my “My Life Monday” probably since about Thursday. I like to be helpful and if anything I post here on Monday’s can be beneficial to someone then that makes me smile.

Today I’m going to feature a recipe that is easy-peasy! If you or your family are not very good about eating fruit then here is a recipe for fruit dip that will have you coming back for more! First of all, I’m not a fan of recipes that include ingredients that 1. I can’t pronounce & 2. that aren’t easily accessible.
So here it goes….and you don’t even need to write it down it’s so easy….. {1} package of cream cheese {any variety-I used the less fat version & you don’t even notice} & {1} container of marshmallow creme.  Use a hand-mixer on low speed until well blended & voila;  instant dipping yumminess! It’s pretty good with apples {if you’ve never tried a fuji apple….you’re missing out}; however, even more delicious with strawberries! I wonder what this dip would be like with broccoli?? If only there was a sweet dip for vegetables then maybe my kids would eat more of them!

Now I have a movie review to share. If you don’t have a Netflix membership I’ll explain a little about it. First of all, we live in an area where there isn’t a movie theatre, much less a video store, so this is the next best thing. There are quite a few movies you can watch instantly if you have internet access & our kids have loved that just as much. There are different levels to membership. We have the cheapest where you get one movie at a time for $10/mo I believe, but with an unlimited number we can get in the month and as many as we want to watch instantly. It would be nice to get two movies at a time so the kids could get a new release the same time we get ours but the instant watch movies have made up for that. Anyway…..the review. The last movie we watched was “The Time Traveler’s Wife.”  I wasn’t that crazy about it.  I wouldn’t watch it again, I guess.  It’s based on a best-selling novel by the same person who was a screenwriter for “Ghost.”  However, if you haven’t seen the movie “The Notebook” and feel like watching a “tear-jerker” romance, then that’s the movie for you!  It stars the same actress of “The Time Traveler’s Wife”-Rachel McAdams.   If it’s a romantic comedy you’re after {which my hubby even liked it & he’s a thriller, action, war movie kinda guy}, then I recommend “The Ugly Truth.”  It is rated “R” and with good reason, so watch when the kiddos are in bed! 

On a personal note…I will not be attending the guest speaker in SD I posted about last week.  I would soooo love to but with 3 youngin’s it’s just too hard to make happen being 4 hours away.  But on a happy note-I won a funky camera strap on my birthday from “My Funky Camera!”  Someday I’ll get a post on here with me sportin’ my new strap.

Well, I think that’s all from me for today’s post.  Now that you’ve made your movie selection, and have your fruit & dip to snack on…..curl up on the couch & enjoy!

Until next time……live, laugh, & love the one you’re with

Here’s the birth announcement I recently made for my cute-as-a-button nephew!   I had so much fun making this!  I’ve just recently started to do custom design work and I really enjoy it.  I can be indecisive sometimes but it doesn’t help that the internet sometimes swallows me whole when I’m looking for one thing, only to get wrapped up looking at all the other neat stuff out there for digital designing. 

I may offer different types of paper down the road, but for now I offer the linen.  It’s a lighter paper and I just like the feel.  There are definitely more expensive paper-types out there but using the linen also helps to keep the cost down for my client’s. 

Anyway, onto the goods!  Oh-I’m already cooking some tidbits up for My Life Monday’s post!

This is my first post in the new series I’m calling “My Life Monday.”  Each Monday {I’ll sure do my best to hold true to this} my goal is to share bits and pieces of my life from the previous week.  I may share a silly story about my kiddos, a new or favorite recipe, my personal movie review, or maybe even a helpful article/blog I came across having to do with anything from photography to parenting to…you name it.   Each week will be something new, and if you have a question about anything you read here, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.  I think this is a great way to get to know me and I’m excited to get started!

So onto the personal stuff…..

I officially have a walker!  Although I did just have a birthday;  I don’t mean that kind of walker!  Okay-lame joke!  Actually, our youngest {Jozlyn} just turned 1 last month and now she’s cruisin’!  How fast a year goes!  Here is my little dumpling….

She has a weird fascination with clothes.  I can’t leave folded laundry in her reach, she’ll have them all over the floor in no time {and unfolded clothes are no exception}!  I can’t leave her in the bathroom when her brother and sister are in the tub because she’ll take any clothes, towels, you name it, and throw them in the bath water!  I hang a dish towel on the stove- 2 seconds later I turn around, and she’s walking around with it on her head!  I just hope this obsession with making a mess of my laundry comes to an end with her toddler years.

Switching gears…..I would consider myself a ”do-it-yourself-er.”  I scrapbook {scrapbookedrather, in my past life when I wasn’t out-numbered by children} and when it comes to doing home projects, the skies the limit.  My husband and I recently did our backsplash in our kitchen, laid ceramic tile ourselves in our bathrooms, and did the same thing for family.  I’m pretty much ”tiled out” at this point, but it’s gratifying to know we were able to do it ourselves.  We just watched some videos online and gave it a whirl.  We joke we should start our own tile business;  however, I know I couldn’t do it everyday.  If you’ve never tackled a project like this with your spouse/significant other, you should try it at least once in your relationship.  We’ve been remodeling since we moved here 7 months ago and there have been many times we didn’t agree.  When you see the finished project though and what was accomplished together, it makes it all worth it!

Boy, I’m finding I could just ramble on….I have so many things swirling in my brain right now that I would love to share.  But I think I’ll keep this first one on the short & simple side.  The big news of the week is our daughter is now walking!  Yay!  

This week I have to decide if I’ll be attending to see a guest speaker in Watertown, SD.  His name is Jerry Ghionis and he’s been named one of the top 10 photographer’s in the world by the WPPI {Wedding & Portrait Photographer’s International}!  It’s a 4 hour drive, which I don’t mind,  but I just have to figure out a plan for the kiddos!  It’s being held next month and I would sooooo love to attend.  We’ll see if it works out! 

Also, one more thing from a favorite blog of mine to stalk… Wrap it up! Win a gallery wrap canvas from Paperie Boutique & @colorinc / colorincprolab.com – visit paperieboutique.com for details!  I could win a 16×20 canvas gallery wrap!  woo hoo! 

Anyway, I will close for this first edition of My Life Monday.  Until next time….live, laugh, and love the one you’re with ;)

So, this is my entry for a contest to {hopefully} win a new Funky Camera Strap from My Funky Camera & PaperieBoutique.  This would make an awesome birthday gift this Friday!!

I will have my camera 2 years this April and I have yet to make it Funky.  So now this boring, old thing is on the dart board like a photo of a hated boyfriend  or a boss you can’t stand {although I happen to have a husband I love and am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom & also be my own boss} :)  So Robyn of PaperieBoutique & Gabi of My Funky Camera…please grant me {and my much needed non-funky camera} a camera strap make-over!