My Family has Photos!

I have some family photos to share today!! (O:
If you know anything about my husband, you probably know that he detests having his picture taken...it is like pulling teeth to get him to agree to them, and to get him to smile is even worse....and you can probably also guess that this shutterbug (me), loves family photos and pictures of our ever-changing lives.  So you can just imagine my excitement when Jason actually ASKED if we could get some family photos taken!!  I was just about speechless!  I called a local friend up Right Away and set it up for this past weekend.  Part of the deal was that all she had to do was snap them; I would edit them.  Emilia was a little less than cooperative, but I'm so happy with how they turned out!  Enjoy! (O:

 

 

The rest of the photos can be viewed here.  (O:

My sparkle is back!

A few weeks ago, I realized one of the stones on my wedding band was cracked...like *really* cracked.  You know it's bad when you can see the crack with a naked eye.  I was pretty bummed because I knew I hadn't kept up with my 6-month check ups and this meant I would have to pay for the repair.  I used to go in for my check up's Religiously; I even had reminders on my phone!  But, since moving to Herrick, I kept forgetting to bring the paperwork when we would go back for visits....and over a year has gone by since my last inspection.  The beauty of smaller diamonds is smaller fees to fix/replace them.  I got out of there relatively inexpensively, so that I was happy!
If you knew me back when I first got engaged/married, you know how much I L.O.V.E. my wedding set!  It is exactly what I would have picked and it is the perfect ring for me.  When J and I first talked about getting married, I put together a photo collage of pictures of my favorite styles.  I wanted him to "pick" my ring, but I wanted to make sure to steer him in the right direction...such a control freak, he should have known then... haha!  He ended up finding one even better than I could have hoped for!  Lucky for YOU, I carry around about 4 different flash drives at all times (PSY-CHO) sooo, I can actually post the picture Jason sent me way back when!  He found this design all on his own, from Tiffany's, of all places!  Obviously, we couldn't afford their prices, so we took this picture to Jared and had it custom made at a fraction of the price.  I always love a good bargain! (O:



I apologize for the grainy and weirdly sized photo...it's old.  (O:  Anyway, this is basically what my wedding set looks like.  I love the flat, bezelled engagement ring and I LOVE the zig-zag diamonds on the band.  Someone once told me they reminded them of polka dots, which is even more reason to love them!  Oh, how I love polka dots! (O:

So, anyway, this was just a silly little post because I was so excited to finally have my wedding ring repaired and back where it belongs.  Funny how this little ol' thing made me feel out of place for a couple weeks.  It might not be the biggest or best there is, but to me, it is perfect.

Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes...

I'm sorry in advance to the complete lack of information you are about to take in.  Personally, I really *hate* when people make posts saying there are "Big Things Coming", but don't tell you anything at all.  Why bother??  Well, here is why I'm bothering-- I Know you are my friends and that you care for me.  I also know that if I ask you to cover me and my family in your prayers, you will do so- even if you have no idea what's going on.

To release any possible worries- everything is OK.  No one is sick, or injured, or anything like that.  We are praying through some things right now and some big plans are getting ready to be put in motion.  We are SO excited for what God has planned for our family.  I want to shout it all out to you, but I can't.  All in due time, I promise.  That being said, I also know that Satan is lurking, waiting to pounce on us.  We all know the truth that Satan is always looking for a way to bring you down when you're on the cusp of doing something great for God.  It is my earnest prayer, and I ask you to pray this as well, that God will keep Satan FAR from us.  We need God to guard our hearts against any negativity or roadblocks.  We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and find comfort in His encouragement every moment of the day.

Again, I am so very sorry for being "that guy"...  Like I said, I'm only doing it because I know you, my friends, will lift us in your prayers and we definitely need it right now.  Thank you for being awesome prayer warriors and thank you for being the kind of friends I can turn to and KNOW you will pray.  I love you friends. (O:

My New Old Frames

I have been searching for about a week or so now for some cool, vintage/antique style frames to use as a photography prop.  I wasn't exactly having great luck...the bigger, cooler frames were more than I wanted to spend, and the frames within my budget weren't going to cut it.  I finally lucked out this week at a couple thrift stores! 

Here are my awesome finds:

This is the first frame I found.  I was an empty frame, no picture/glass and it was only $1!!  (Sorry, it won't let me rotate it...)  It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, and was a little small side, but I decided for $1, I would make it work for something.

The next day I found this at another thrift store, for $3!  Another great deal.  This frame is quite a bit larger, and while it isn't the exact style I want, it will be super cute for the Rose Family Photo Shoot this weekend!  (Sorry for the bad phone picture in the glaring sun...)

 

Next, all I needed to do was find some great spray paint to upcycle these bad boys.  Lucky for me, Elise was near her phone and offered her always-awesome advice.  We decided on Satin Nickel for the color and I'm so glad we did!! 

 

I am very pleased with how these frames turned out and I cannot wait to try them out this weekend!

See how easy it can be to turn some old thrift store frames from DRAB to FAB...and for under $7!?!  (O:  Just remember to wipe down the frames before spraying.  Also, don't be like me--wait until it is NOT windy outside before attempting...I'm sure I lost half a can of spray paint in this endeavor! ;-)

System Overload vs Re-energized Spirit!

So, I had fully intended on writing this post about feeling overloaded and overwhelmed by technology lately.  I feel like between facebook, email, texting and my newest love, Pinterest, I am hooked to the internet and cannot just sit and be still.  I spend way too much time checking status and pinning.  Last night I could hardly even sleep because my mind was racing.  I kept thinking my phone was dinging one notification sound or another.  It was ridiculous.  But then today, to pass the time at work, I started looking around on Pinterest again (such an addict after about 2 days!)...and I think I should refocus my attention to "all things in moderation".  Stay with me on this one...

The more time I spend on this site, the more I decide I love it.  It differs from my other addiction (facebook), in that it is actually Inspiring. Encouraging. Creative.  I have felt more inspired to be be creative in the past 2 days than I have in a long, long time.  This site is all about sharing great ideas and cultivating stronger passions/interests within yourself.  This isn't "all about me" and isn't so self-involved.  The other thing I love, is I don't have to think up anything to "google" about.  I have come across more helpful tutorials and articles this week than I could have dreamed to look for otherwise.  One photography article has really hit me today:  "21 Things You Can Do Today to Change Your Photography Forever".  This article is real and straight-forward.  I love how encouraging the author is, while telling you like it is.  I learned there are definitely some areas I need to work on. 

The main idea I'm going to put into action TODAY is starting a Facebook Fan Page for my photography.  Until this moment, I had myself convinced I couldn't put one together unless I was going to become a "Professional Photographer".  This is SO not the case!  The author points out that this is a great way to stay motivated because we all love to hear our friends and family comment on our work.  Since almost anyone/everyone is a photographer these days, I just felt like I would really need to get "better" before I started putting my stuff out there on a separate page...but I was really, really wrong!  This goes hand in hand with a conversation Jason and I had yesterday.  I was still mulling over "business" names- mostly to avoid calling it "Annie Warren Photography"...how boring!  I really like what he had to say: "If you really love one name more than the rest, just use it.  It doesn't matter how many other people have it; if it's the one you love, it's the one to use".  Later, I did add "Lifesong Photography" to my pinterest site.  I had trouble getting many of my photos to load, but at least I took that first step.

All of this to say, I am tired of my self-doubt.  It's time to step out of my comfort zone and take some new risks.  No one was ever rewarded for sitting on their butts!  (But, I also intend to cut my social network time WAaaay down when I'm home!)

Sleepy, but Happy

Whew, what a weekend!  Even with an extra day away from work, I'm completely worn out, but in the best way!

(Confession:  I actually had to sit here and think back to remember what all we did this weekend...that's how far my mind has gone.  Haha!)

Friday night, Jason's parents and maternal grandparents came to visit, bringing along our (almost) 2 year old nephew.  It was very nice to visit with them and watch Emilia and Lawdin (or Law-Law as E calls him) play together.  It was the funniest thing- Emilia had to go to time out at one point in the evening and, of course, she fake cried about it.  The moment E started "crying", Lawdin face showed his deep concern and he started crying too.  It was like he felt her pain to his core!  Sweet kids.

Saturday was crafting day!  I posted on facebook because it struck me as funny...I usually watch Chick Flicks while I craft but that day, I chose to watch Silence of the Lambs.  I really love that movie, as well as the other 2 in the series...I know they are gross, but they are back when movies still had suspense.  Anymore, a "scary" movie is just blood and guts with no plot.  Anyway, I'm rambling.  I had a very productive craft session!  I completed a taggie for a girl at church and the cutest little vest/tie onesie!  Her sister is getting married this weekend, and her 2 year-old is in the wedding.  She asked me about making something for her 9 month-old so he would match the rest of the family.  Two fun crafts, one great afternoon:

Sunday started with a wonderful morning at church.  We had lots of kiddos in the back and I actually got to stay in "big church"!  After church, Jason suggested leaving after Emilia's nap to head to Granite City.  I was off Monday and had to go that way anyway for a doctor's appointment.  Little did I know, he has already discussed with his mom for her to watch E so he could take me to dinner and a movie!  The movie (Bad Teacher) was completely ignorant and not funny, but it was really great to have a few hours just he and I.  We hit all our favorite stores- Target, Old Navy, and Kohl's- all kid-free!  I got some really great deals, so that was awesome!

Monday was my birthday and it was a really great day!  Before 9 am I had over 20 FB notifications and by the end of the day, the total was well over 100!!  What a great outpouring of love from my friends and family!  I was sincerely touched by it.  I know it's just silly facebook, but it was really cool that I couldn't even keep up with responding because there were so many.  I had to recharge my phone twice!  (O:  I got to eat lunch at one of my old fav's- Chevy's!  Yummy!!  I didn't even feel bad about eating the whole chimichanga! ;-)

Monday was my ahem, annual exam....yes, on my birthday...I also wanted to talk with my doctor about what might be keeping me from getting pregnant.  I have been off birth control since last June and it only took a couple months to get pregnant with Emilia.  After discussing it, we decided to try Clomid.  She said it should work within 3 months...so we shall see!  I am pretty nervous about the "multiple-maker", but seeing as we would like 4-5 kids altogether, this might be a way to get a 2 or 3-for 1 deal! ;-)  I will keep you posted.  (O:

I was supposed to have a photo session Monday evening with an old friend and her family, but unfortunately it fell through.  I tried contacting her the several days leading up to Monday, and never heard back.  I was pretty bummed since I'm trying really hard to gain more experience and build a good portfolio.  But, that's OK.  There are other possibilities on the horizon, and I will keep moving forward.  I am still back-and-forth about whether to use the name "Lifesong Photography" or just go with my name...I found a couple other Lifesong's- not local, but they are on FB and that could make it hard to find mine...  Not that a name really matters at this point, but I've been tossing around the idea of a photography business fb page so I can use that to refer potential clients as I go.  Just some thoughts.

It kind of worked out not having the photo shoot, because it meant we got home at a decent hour.  We had our first Emilia-drawing-on-a-wall experience though...I could have done without that!!  It was my fault...I left a bottle of nail polish out on my nightstand the afternoon we left and forgot about it.  She was quiet for quite a while before Jason or I realized she wasn't with either of us.  By that time, the hot pink polish was all over her toes, feet, fingers, arms and belly, as well as the wall and small dots on the carpet (transfer from her toes, I believe).  Jason was able to scrub it out of the carpet and we decided to just repaint the wall in our bedroom-the white was boring anyway!

So, I know this post was a little long and not centered on one "thought", but as you can see, my days were busy and my mind is still catching back up!  I hope you had a fantastic weekend as well! (O:

Weekend Recap~

I decided to take the last 20 minutes of my lunch hour to talk about how great my weekend was...I need to remind myself of happy things to keep from walking out of here right now.  (Bad day, but nothing worth getting into).

I was so excited to tell people we had NO plans for this weekend.  I repeat, N.O. plans!  It rarely happens, and it's always a wonderful thing...not having any place we Have to be, any people we Have to meet, we are just free to come and go as we please, eat-nap-play-repeat.  (O:

Friday was a very lazy evening.  Jason made dinner and we (!!) actually ate together at the table!  This might seem ridiculous and irresponsible to you, but our family doesn't sit and eat dinner at our dining room table.  We eat on the couch and Emilia in her high chair, or at the coffee table.  This is how Jason's family eats every meal, and it's a bad habit I have been working to break our entire life.  It was so nice to sit and chat with my hubs and baby girl.  We asked Emilia about her day and listened to her funny combinations of words.  After dinner, we watched movies, kissed and tickled Emilia.  It was a good night of nothing important.

Saturday, we all slept in!  I L-O-V-E days when I don't have to set an alarm.  I even turned my phone to silent so no emails/texts/calls would disrupt my slumber.  When we all finally climbed out of bed, Emilia and I got dressed and headed off to Shelbyville.  I had to go to the fabric store to purchase supplies for some new orders (I'm sure I will post about them soon- I'm excited!) and I wanted to start fabric store memories with E.  My mom has been dragging me to fabric stores my whole life...and I didn't always love it growing up.  But, now when I think back, I cherish those memories.   She was a very good girl and such a big helper. ;-) 

I had to sneak this picture while driving to Shelbyville.  I love how she always crosses her legs while sitting, and I think it's so sweet when she "reads" the DVD cases.  If you look closely, you'll see her favorite necklace.  I lucked out that it even matched her outfit! ;-)

Once we returned home, it was time to start finishing up some laundry and organizing the guest room a little.  The guest room is more of a "catch all"- that is where my steals of deals sit until I am ready to wash them, sort them, etc.  Jason gets annoyed with that room a lot, so it was time to get it back in shape.  Again, I had my little helper, so things went a little slower than they would have otherwise.  But, I really love goofing off with Emilia and watching how much she is growing.  She is really getting the hang of dressing herself and is very proud every time she does it.  I posted a pic on facebook of one of her outfits from Saturday...she is just going to LOVE me when I pull all these pics back out for her wedding slide show some day...

That's right, she has on 2 pairs of pants, a tutu, wings and ONE glove.  She was "flying" all over the house and this was the best I could do at capturing this funny outfit!  Elise posted on FB "Project Runway here we come!" and honestly, I would be SO proud if she ended up there some day.  For this fashion style?  Maybe not, but I believe her creativity will take her some place wonderful.

We also had a Funny Faces Contest...who do you think won?? (O:

We finished our lazy Saturday off with ice cream at Culver's.  As you can see, Emilia enjoyed hers! ;-)

Sundays at our house are hectic and tiring, but also one of the best days of the week.  It is on Sunday that I am reminded of God's power and how He is constantly at work in our lives.  We have been in Herrick over a year now and I am so amazed by what God is doing here.  Not everything is perfect, but we are growing and bringing people to Christ.  Those are the growing pains I am glad to be a part of!!  We had a church cook out last night.  While attendance was low (it was really hot and Jason made a point of saying we would be outside most of the evening), we had a lot of fun with those who did come brave the heat.  I thank God daily for the blessings he showers on me, mostly in the form of relationships.  I am a social creature (shocking, I know) and sometimes it can get lonely out here.  I miss my friends and sometimes ache for a girls night.  Slowly but surely, he is bringing ladies into my life out here.  They will never replace my dear friends from home, but I'm so thankful for them.

Anyway, I sort of got stuck on a little tangent there.  And now my lunch hour is over...

I hope each of you made some great family memories this weekend too.  The smiles we shared this weekend are definitely what gets me through the work day. (O: