Challenges

Most of you know that I am in an online photography workshop right now and it is consuming most of my free time...but in an amazing way because not only do I want it to...I am LEARNING!! So much so that I am pretty darn sure I will be taking the more advanced course following this one!! The girls in the class are all so helpful and encouraging and the feedback from each of them and the incredibly talented Sheye (I feel as though I am on a first name basis with her these days!!) is invaluable!! 

Most of you don't get all the photog lingo, but Friday night after reading and re-reading and re-reading my material yet again, I had my "Ah-Ha" moment and shooting in manual all came together for me! I finally get it!! YAY!!

I still need practice, but just the fact that I now know I should raise my ISO or make my aperature wider to get the desired shutter speed makes a WORLD of difference!!

So, our task this week is to think outside the box and come up with some creative shots using different angles...above, below, from the side...whatever you can think of!! I tend to lay on the ground and do crazy things anyway, so in an attempt to step outside "my" box, I took inspiration from another incredibly talented photographer, sweet Tonya, and put Huntler on my feet this morning and let him "fly" while taking pictures. 

Let me just say that this was NOT an easy task by any stretch of the imagination!! Trying to balance a preschooler on my feet while at the same time fiddling with my camera to get my settings just right was a tad bit tricky! I am not sure how, but I did manage to snap a few that were in focus! Needless to say, both my arms and legs were somewhat tired after all of this, but I got the shots!! (I am sure the neighbors thought I was crazy...we did this laying on our driveway at 10:00 this morning...but at least I took off my skirt and put on some jeans...now that would have been a sight!!!)

And there are only shots of Huntler...I would require help to get Gentry's wiggly little body up there without her falling while trying to take pictures!!

I think this last one is my fave! I am still trying to learn more about editing and finding my niche, but the one thing I do know is that I prefer the vintage look!!

As for the weekend...we have had a great one! I managed to fit in some crafty fun yesterday and hope to get this little guy finished up and listed in my Etsy shop tomorrow!! I have several other fun charms I want to jazz up some bows with too...

As I type Gentry is napping...in her BIG GIRL BED!! Okay, so it isn't actually her "real" big girl bed because we haven't bought a matress yet, but we did take the front of her crib off (we have a convertible crib) and now she has a little toddler sized day bed!! She is so cute in it!! I spent quite a LONG time in her room playing yesterday! She was having so much fun putting her babies to bed and then hopping in bed with them!! And, knock on wood...she has now had two naps and one bedtime and hasn't gotten up! Could we possibly be so lucky as to have two children who STAY in bed when we put them there?! (Well, Huntler had some issues way back when, but once we got him his big boy bed, they resolved themselves!! And he has been sneaking back into our room lately, but I am hopeful that is just a phase!) At any rate, she looks pretty cute in that bed of hers!!

And she loves it. She was RIGHT beside Chris while he was taking the front off and out of the blue said, "Thank you Daddy." And while we played in there yesterday she kept telling me, "Daddy take bed off." Meaning, Daddy fixed her up with a fun new bed!!

These pictures are horrible from the technical standpoint (especially the one of her awake...major saturation issues because of her bedding!), but they are cute and I thought I would share!

Here is Miss  Sassy Pants right after Daddy finished up on her bed! She was hiding and playing! With some editing this would be a really cute shot!!

And call me C*R*A*Z*Y but I snuck into her room while she was napping yesterday to get this! Chris and Huntler were running errands and I should have been doing a bazillion other things, but I HAD to have a picture of my baby girl in her new bed! She stirred a couple of times which caused me to panic, but she went right back to sleep. Oh okay, so one time she looked right at me and I closed my eyes while sitting there. I had to fight to keep from laughing at how funny the situation was!!

So the other day my friend Julie blogged about selling her husband's iPhone and making enough to turn around and buy two brand new iPhones!! When Chris got his iPhone back in February the "plan" was for him to use it until July when the new model was released and then I would get his...the hand-me-down. But, I was okay with that because really, all I care about is the music, the pictures and the internet!! However, he has now decided that he likes some features on his better than on the new one and isn't ready to part with it yet. So, okay, no big deal. I have a cell and it is fine...I rarely use the thing anyway. Plus, I have my eyes (and heart) set on a fancy new camera...that is more up my alley these days.

HOWEVER...it has come to our attention lately that the other boy in the house is quite obsessed with all things technology as well. EVERY SINGLE DAY he asks to play games on this phone. In all honesty, he knows how to operate it better than I do! He slides his little fingers along to unlock it and selects which game he wants and everything. In fact, yesterday he was playing on it and Chris said, "Hey, he is sending e-mails from my phone!!" So, while he was checking to see who and what Huntler had e-mailed out, he discovered that he was just sending out his game scores to himself! He has learned to spell his name and keyed in, "H U N T L E R." How is that for hilarious?!!

Here is a shot of him from yesterday morning...The phone is more in focus than him on purpose!

And two more shots for today...I have to make up for my lack of posting the last couple of weeks!!

Awhile back I bought Gentry these sweet owl jammies. Well, the truth is, I bought her the jammies but I also bought myself the matching PJ pants. SO CUTE! Anyway, they are quite popular PJ's I must say!! Shelly (she is owl OBSESSED and totally rubbing off on me!!) bought the same stuff and sweet Michelle has the matching pants too!!

Gentry wore hers for the first time the other night and loves them! Seems as though the whole owl thing is also rubbing off on her! I love the fact that they are so bright and cheery, so when she woke up the next morning after wearing them, I just let her leave them on all day! We weren't going anywhere and they make me smile they are so fun!!

Look at that face...she comes up with some doozies these days!!

And then a sweet shot from this morning! An accident really, but I love it!!

And on that note, I am outta here! I have lots to do but hope to get back into the swing of posting every day this week!!