Day 31 of 365

Our new bathroom tile. Well...it's not installed yet...but we picked it out today. I know...lousy shot...taken with my phone...and this just doesn't do it justice. It's a gorgeous neutral color...and the top scrolly part is the decorative trim they will add at about eye level in the shower. Oh...I can't wait!! They come next week to start. Needless to say...our house will be a disaster...and we'll be showering at the gym since this is our only full bath. It will ALL be worth it in the end :) I'll be posting before shots of the bathroom this week :) Happy Monday!!

Day 30 of 365

Daddy/Daughter time. Snuggling :) We get to have Daddy home tomorrow...yay!! And we'll be spending our day at the vet office..and looking at tile (woot!) for our bathroom remodel...that starts next Monday. Eeeek!! So much to do this week...and all of it involves cleaning...yuck :) Hope ya'll had a great weekend!! :)

Day 29 of 365

Reading books. Her favorite thing right now. She wants me to read one specific book before her nap time. It's a book of blessings for your baby. I love it...and one blessing in particular makes me cry every single time I read it. It's the first line of the blessing, "On the day that you were born"....why does that always make me teary? Probably because my whole life changed that day. Becoming a mommy is the best thing in the world. You don't know what it feels like until you're in it...and you certainly can't ever find enough words to describe the feeling. And you want every woman to feel it. I wasn't awake when she came into the world...and that will always make me sad....but the first time I saw her little face....I'll never forget that :)

Day 28 of 365

Ellie's Fashion Friday. She's striking a pose for me today. Nevermind the cut off arm and the Chick-fil-a "dip" on her face. She was doing the funniest moves...so I whipped my camera out and snapped this quickly. Yeh...it's not technically correct...but I love it :)

Now...on to what she's wearing. Target top. Old Navy Polka Dot flats. Gymboree Jeans. I'd say she agrees with Stacy & Clinton...spend more $$ on the classics like the jeans...but go cheaper on the trendy pieces you can accessorize with :) And always have attitude ;)

Happy Friday!!

Day 27 of 365

Snow day! Whoohoo...but Daddy had to go to work. So we played outside for about an hour. And she ate snow...no it wasn't yellow...or brown...or dirty. It was fresh white, wet snow. She said..."Yum Tum" while eating it. :) We got about 6 or 7 inches...so enough to cause a mess. But it was nice and sunny for us...so that helped melt some of it :)

Day 26 of 365

Snuggle time. Since this girl doesn't want to nap longer than an hour this week...we're doing more of this. About the time she gets up...I'm pooped...so the last thing I want to do is go chasing her around. So we snuggle..on our bed...and watch Little Bill. There are worse things I guess. We're getting dumped on with snow tonight...so no doubt tomorrow's pic will include snow :) Hopefully Daddy gets to stay home with us!!

Day 25 of 365

Holy Bedhead Batman! LOL...this is what she looked like when she got up this morning. Hair everywhere....her best Tina Turner impersonation :) I think even Tina would be impressed!! I put in a little leave in conditioner in her hair last night...so I don't know what happened. I just wanted her hair to be tangle free...and look what I got :)

Day 24 of 365

Sticky Tape!!! LOL...if you or your child watches Dora the Explorer...you get what I'm talking about. That was ALL I could think of when I saw her grab my tape and start unravelling it. :) Funny how that stuff sticks in your mind...long after the episodes have aired. Happy Monday!

Day 23 of 365

Guess I'm on a b&w kick lately. Just working on getting processing...always struggle with b&w's...and using the gradient map. I never know what looks right...anywhoo...you non photog followers are probably bored now :) Enough of the jargon. It was bath time...and she was looking at her daddy...and squealing as usual. You can see his profile in her eyes when you zoom in...love it :)

Day 22 of 365

This is the most ironic thing I've seen lately. Especially with it still being January...and ya know...keeping your resolutions. I think the number one resolution is to lose weight...or eat healthier...so in this week's local Safeway...you find that if you purchase 4 Lean Cuisine meals...guess what!!!....you get 2 FREE tubs of ice cream!! Yes!! So you can undo all your hard work...fabulous. :) :::takes hand and slaps head:::....duh.....:)

Day 21 of 365

Ellie's Fashion Friday...today is hair accessories. This little gem is from Old Navy. I got it in the baby section...and fits her head...and my head..perfectly. This is the face of a child who is tired of her mother snapping pictures of her everyday. What I can say...

Oh and I used another fabulous action from M4H!! This time it's Sunset...with a little play with the opacities. Happy Friday everyone!!

Day 20 of 365

I don't know what I'm thinking. Putting a picture of my feet out into the world for all to see? No pedicure...oh wait...I haven't had a professional one since the day I got married...and leaving them out there looking like...well....PIG FEET...of all things. Not very becoming....but seriously funny. Eleanor wanted me to dress up with her today...so she crammed these shoes onto my very wide...adult feet. I'd do anything for her...and it shows. So this...apologies to my sister who despises my feet....is my pic for the day. I hope you got a good laugh...and can relate to dressing up with your daughter :)

Day 19 of 365

Up from her nap...snuggling with Mommy & Daddy today. Our power went out in the middle of the night...and didn't turn on until 10 hours later...so that's why Daddy was home. All is well in our house tonight :)

Day 18 of 365

Today was a jammie day. All day long. Well...until she shed her piggies for just her onesie..and then told me she was cold. Go figure :) She had just woken up from her nap...and was in a super good mood...so we were playing around in her room. She laid back all by herself, and I grabbed her stool and snapped away :)

Day 17 of 365

Beth Moore is my hero! She is an amazing woman...and if you're not familiar with her...I highly recommend checking out some of her books/bible studies. This was a Christmas gift...that I desperately need to start reading. Here's an excerpt from the jacket....

"We're insecure about everything from our looks to our worth as women, from our relationships to our futures, and everything else in between. You name it, and we're probably insecure about it. Let's be honest here. Insecurity makes us miserable. It cripples us. It makes fools of us. It makes us feel worthless. Insecurity has been a bad friend to us. The bottom line is that it's self-sabotage. Girlfriend, listen to me. Our insecurities are lying to us. It doesn't have to be this way. It's time to say 'so long!' to insecurity. How? First we have to understand it, and the good news is that insecurity is understandable. The even better news is that insecurity is curable. It's time we girls help each other out so we can be the best wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends that we can possibly be. Let's have a chat, you and me, through these pages. I'd be honored if you'd join me on my quest for real, lasting, soul-deep security."

Amen!! Hopefully that will inspire you to check it out. I know for me, especially right now, those insecure feelings are creeping up when I think about starting my business. I'm not good enough to charge people. No one will want me to take pictures of their child/family. Why would anyone want me to do their pictures, when XYZ Photography Studio down the road will do SO much better. I have to learn to stop that negative talk...stop it right when I start to feel it. Take a moment, and recompose my thoughts...and focus on the positives. It's not an easy thing to learn...I'm hoping Beth has good exercises for me to learn :) Anywhoo...just thought I'd pass it on....feel free to share your thoughts/struggles/insecurities :) I won't judge...I'll probably agree right along with you :)

Hugs to you all on this Monday!!

Day 16 of 365

This is what I got when I asked her to look at Mommy. It's starting already...and she's not even 2. She's holding stuff up in front of her face so I can't take her picture. Silly girl...Mommy's got all kinds of tricks up her sleeve. :)

Day 15 of 365

My little sewing project in preparation for Eleanor's 2nd birthday party! I'm attempting a pillowcase like dress. I recently bought one from PoshPrincipessa that is absolutely adorable! I thought that was going to be her party dress...but now we've decided to definitely go with Minnie Mouse as the theme...so I gotta make one :) I've scanned the internet for ideas...and nabbed this pattern from JoAnn's fabric store today. Got some fun fabric...and should be able to whip this out pretty quickly. I say that...but will I really? I've read through the directions pretty thoroughly...so we'll see. My hope is once I have the fabric cut out...and everything...that I'll be able to sew like a madwoman during her naptime...and have it finished :) Wish me luck!! More to come on this one I'm sure :)

Day 14 of 365

Ellie's Fashion Friday...and it's beach wear :) We were going through some of her cousins clothes and this cutie patootie swimsuit was amongst all the great stuff. Since she is in need of a bigger suit this year, I decided to try it on her. She liked it...can you tell? I believe it's from Old Navy...from a few years ago :) Thanks to Aunt Jenni!!!

Day 13 of 365

A nod to the fabulous 80's! LOL...it's actually a stretchy crown...that had slid down her head...and I ran a vintage action from M4H (Poison Apple) to make it look even more retro :) Just playing around...but it made me laugh...and think of Olivia Newton John...and now I want to watch Grease :)

Be sure to check in tomorrow for Ellie's Fashion Fridays :)

Day 12 of 365

Just a little bit of snow...but it sure looked pretty :)

Day 11 of 365

Riding along in my automobile...Excuse my sleeve in the picture. Had to snap this quick of Eleanor with her new Bitty Baby she got from her Grammie & Poppie. She still needs a name...but she's going everywhere with us these days. She went to the mall with us today...but had to stay in the car :) Good news...got my lens back today!! Whoohoo...better quality pictures coming your way tomorrow :)

Day 10 of 365

It's booked! We're going to Disney again sometime this year :) Whoohoo!! We're so excited...yes...for those of you who know me...we just went in September..and yes...we're going again soon. We can't help it...we love that place. And Eleanor is starting to "get" what's going on. I know...I know...some or most of you might say..."why are you going now...she won't remember any of it"...and to that I say...but we will. We will treasure these memories of seeing her little face light up when she sees her favorite characters. And it will be on video again for her to watch when she gets older :) M-I-C....K-E-Y.....M.O.U.S.E...here we come!!

Day 9 of 365

Tea party time! She set up her little Minnie & her big Mickey and had a tea party with them. It was THE cutest one so far. She went around and asked them if they wanted more "juiche" (juice) and she answered "yes" for them. It was a hoot to watch. Daddy & I got a good chuckle out of watching her :) Eleanor & I are still trying to convince Daddy that we need a trip to Disney before her 2nd birthday. We'll see if we get anywhere this week :)

Day 8 of 365

And this is what happens when you stupidly forget to pack your child's favorite blankie. Biggest meltdown of the century. Hysterical crying. And Mommy & Daddy weren't too happy either. We learned our lesson Grammie C! We won't make that mistake EVER again.

Day 7 of 365

Ellie's Fashion Friday. She's trying out the Rocker Chick look today. Dress from Old Navy (I think) and black tights..and of course..rocker boots from her cousins!! She loves these boots! And the ever present Minnie to help her pull the look together ;)

Day 6 of 365

My little fashionista. Got her Minnie and wearing her matching bow/headband and got her little pink purse. She's ready to go :) I can't tell you how many times I've tried to get her to wear that cute headband. Will she do it for me. Heck no! But ask her if she wants to match with Minnie...and she's all over it :)

Hope to hear from Canon soon about my lens!! Still using my camera on my phone.

Day 5 of 365

Here I am contemplating what to do with our tax return..and it's only Jan. 5th. New and beautiful furniture from Pottery Barn....or a fabulous, fun filled vacation to Disney World in March? I'll keep you posted on what is decided. It could also go into category 3...which is save the $$. I don't like category 3 too much :) But we were just to Disney in September...so it might win. We'll see.

Day 4 of 365

She's got em' all lined up. Her best buds of course...Mickey & Minnie...and lil' Minnie :) Forgive the quality of the picture. My favorite lens is currently in a box on its way to the Canon repair shop. Hopefully they can fix it or send me a new one. Luckily it's still under warranty. The AF wasn't working right...and I was having to manually turn the focus because it kept sticking. Fingers crossed it doesn't take too long to get it back. So until then...ya'll have to settle for my phone camera and my old standby kit lens :)

Day 3 of 365

Taking the leap. Finally. This was my goal for 2011..start my business legally...and here's the paperwork to prove it. Got my FEIN done today...and the paperwork is filled out for my trade name and ready for the mail. Last thing to do is file for my sales and use tax. Once I get approved for my trade name I can file. Whoohoo!! :)

Day 2 of 365

Tea Party! Ellie got a CPK for Christmas...Georgia is her name...and she loves tea parties. And she loves Aunt Mary's punch :)

Good news on the de-clutter part. I got some containers to stack in that toy corner...and it looks much better see.....

Day 1 of 365

Operation De-clutter. The Christmas tornado has hit our house and I'm on the hunt for some ways to clean up the mess. If you have ideas...let me know :)