I ♥ Faces – Week 19 – “Blurb Photo Book Contest”

20080820-IMG_4741-2, originally uploaded by mombodywithadollface.

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb book photo contest. If chosen, I grant I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

Few and far between

Since we've taken on the task of replacing nearly 1,200 square feet of carpet with wood flooring it's been BUSY at our house. Well, busy and dusty. But, now that the job is nearly complete and the stacks of flooring are getting smaller I'm starting to feel like this project will be complete before the summer. At least the floors will be done, the baseboards I talked James into doing- the big, fat pretty ones- are going to drive us up a wall with how hard they are to get looking good on some of the crazy angles in our house. Ah well, the end result will be worth it, I'm sure.

All of the flooring work has meant Kinsley spending more time with my sister so we can get a few more hours of work in on the floors during the weekend. Here's the most recent picture of my gal, my love, the one who sang us Itsy Bitsy Spider and the Baby Bumblebee song tonight (a first at 28 months! She refused to sing before now, too shy). She went to the ranch on Sunday to get some time outside in the wonderful weather. And look, Maddie-licious is walking!

Gratitude

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."- Buddha

I've been doing some thinking (and unthinking) between the busy moments these last few weeks. I find that in the whir and buzz of daily life I've forgotten to breathe and give myself time to just be present. In the unthinking moments I've realized very clearly that I've been caught up in doing and not caught up enough in enjoying and being grateful for all that I have in my wonderful life. It's not about being happy after I've achieved something more because I have all I could want right now.

A few weeks ago I came home convinced moving back to Texas was the worst decision James and I have made to date. It was a woeful pity party on the couch in which my anger and resentment continued to grow because I was so unhappy with daily life and everything was beginning to pile up with the floors in a state of disarray, wanting more out of my professional life, wanting more for James, trying to keep up with Kinsley's extracurricular activies and her being sick.. there was so much energy focused on being unhappy I was unable to realize how blessed we are. In a way I'm grateful for those moments on the couch because what realize now is I needed those moments to remind myself that I'm right where I belong and at the end of the day my biggest concerns pale in comparison to more grave concerns and I should be thankful for that.

Sheesh, kitchen sinks are versitile-

1/800 since it's a little hard to see, had to play with the curves to get it to show

testing shutter speed in our kitchen sink (not including pictures of the strange looks from the girl).

Don't mind me!

Just playing with AP at the kitchen table! All three were taken on my kitchen table and shot at 1.4, 3.2, and 5.6. This little exercise makes me love my 50mm 1.4 lens even more than I already did.

POTD January 19, 2008

Helping Daddy make risotto.

50 mm @ 2.2, 1/125, 800 iso- adjusted curves, upped the contrast, resized to 5x7. Is it totally obvious two days with a sick kiddo has taken all of my energy? LOL, I'm just glad to have my healthy, happy girl back!

Valentine's Day Ideas

I went to Target yesterday at lunch and found they have adorable mailboxes in the dollar spot. I'm going to count up how many children are in K's class and figure if I can go that route or if I'll do little bags. I saw this recipe on Parents and I think I may have to make them, who doesn't like sugar cookies and candy?

And I'm contemplating joinging in on "Time to Make the Doughnuts" event. I've been wanting to make doughtnuts and what better excuse than a doughnut event?