Top Ten of 2012

 Nothing makes you look forward to a new year like looking back over the past one - whether it was wonderfully special and rewarding (like this last year was for me) ,  or a disasterous mess that you cant wait to put behind you and forget, (I've had a few of those in my lifetime also),  nothing says "bring it on!' like a look backwards to propell you into the new year.

I also enjoy reading all the "Top Ten" posts that pop up all over during this season of nostalgia and reflection. I especially love seeing which of my li'l ol' posts were your top favorites!
So in spirit of the season, here is yet another the list!
 Top Ten Blog Posts of 2012 :
1. For Really Big Mistakes ....
2. Broken Glass
3. Project 52: Now Here's the Kicker ...
4. Dealing With Disappointment
5. Project # 49 - Christmas Lights
6. Project #16 - Waterfalls
7. Project #25 - The Steam Engine
8. Holy Hot-Pink-Butterfly-Pen, Batman!
9. DIY Room Makeover: Part 1
(Which just reminded me - I lost the part 2 post!  I will post that before the end of this year, hahaha!)
aaaaaaand.......
10.  Starting New and Project 52 ....

I also follow of few blogs regularly that I wanted to share with you, take a peek - you may find yourself adding them to your own personal favorites also!

Top Ten Blogs I Follow :
1. The Life of Mrs. Miles ( my mentor's blog - love her!)
2. Kandee the makeup artist (she has tutorial videos and vlogs on youtube also)
3. Kevin & Amanda (my newest addiction)
4. 1000 Awesome Things
5. A Beautiful Mess
6. Huge Love  (the talented sister of Kandee the makeup artist, from #2 )
7. The Velvet Doe
8. DavidFunk.ca
9. journey.  (my cousin's blog - love her!)
10.  I Am Photograph ( good tips for photographers)


What about you?

Are there any good memories/traditions or routines from that past year that you're committed to continuing on into the year ahead? 
Any bad habits, negative attitudes or destructive patterns you've resolved to leave behind and begin a fresh new year without?

Do you have a "Top Ten" list to share also? Feel free to make your own and post the link in the comments below, I'd love to read it! ;)


I wish every single one of you a SAFE & Happy New Year,  and I'll see you all next  year! ;)

I'm outta here  and gone like 2012,
-J  ;)

Deck The Halls With Christmas Cupcakes ......

Fa-la-la-la-la, La-la-la-laaaaa!

 

 

I'm not exactly a closet cupcake-fanatic, I don't try to hide my lunacy deep appreciation for these tasty little treats AT ALL haha. 

So my friend Melanie was spot-on when she surprised me with these adorable, delicious-looking tree ornaments this year as part of her christmas gift to me. I was tickled to be able to 'deck the halls" with festive cupcakes.

 

With so much going on and a house packed full of family and friends this Christmas, I knew it was gonig to be a challenge to remove myself from the holiday festivities long enough to take a few shots of the action - bit I managed to snag a few....

Here's what our Merry Little Christmas looked like through a lens ....

 

 

The kids the morning of their school christmas concert - and one of the rare moments you'll catch Zach wearing a tie....

 

 

Decoration above the kitchen cabinets... I decorated everything but the kitchen sink. I'll get to that next year . . .

 

 

Mr.Nutcracker stood guard ...

over the yummy holiday treats my mama baked and brought out for us. Mr. Nutcracker did a terrible job guarding them, I got away with far too many, haha

 

 

 

 I set the camera timer and set it down on the back of the couch to catch a few impromptu candids of our family and friends at dinnertime (so that I could be in one too! (farthest to the right) It was only once I downloaded them that I noticed they were a bit blurred, I should have reset my shutter speed to freeze the action better.

 

Merry Christmas to all of you out there, and I wish I could have had room for every single one of you to be sitting at our table with us!

Warmest Hugs Like A Pumpkin Pie Right Out Of the Oven,

-J

 

 

Baby, It's Cold Outside . . .

One of my li'l munchkins YEARS ago, all bundled up. Look at those kissable CHEEKS hey? haha  Well,  to quote a buddy of mine from Facebook this morning, "what??? the world didn't end???!  I was not expecting this. I better go do some Christmas shopping..."   Ha! 
Well,  I'm all prepped for Christmas in the gifts department thanks to my friend and mentor BARB who so graciously gave of her time, effort and ingenious crafting skills to help me MAKE all of my gifts this year!!!

Check it out...
a delicious rosehip tea blend concocted by Barb herself!  ( you can go to her blog  HERE to see more, and I think she will be posting a DIY soon if you want any recipes or packaging how-to's)

 

Vanilla-scented sugar, (made with natural whole vanilla beans) for when you're feeling "fancy"!  It tastes as heavenly as it smells!  ( What? I had to try some - quality control, you know)  

(photos by Barb)


Speaking of COLD though, we didn't just sit around making sugar and tea and sweet little treats like a couple o' suckers, OH NO, we did quite a workout too.
This is why I believe that most people ( myself included)  NEED a workout partner - someone to keep you accountable, someone you can rely on to MOTIVATE you on the days that you just feel like skipping your 4k run in favor of a warm blanket and a book on the couch by a fire.
To add a festive "tune" we tied bells to our ankles so that we jingled along as we ran, hahaha! It was hilarious but we got smiles and waves from everyone we passed, hahaha. See how easy it is to spread Christmas cheer?
 

 

(both photos by Barb)

 

And I can tell ya, a good workout like THAT makes the blanket and the book and the fire that much more enjoyable afterwards!

 

 



But there is still the matter of FOOD for the holidays, so I'm headed out to pick up all the fixins and put my name on the reserved list for a  gi-normous turkey!

 

If I don't post again before Christmas, I wish each and every pair of eyes reading this a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and I'm sending you all hugs through the computer right now!

 

 

Gone like the last of the vanilla sugar in the jar on my countertop,

 

-J, xoxo

 

 

You Still Remember Me, Right?

Is is sad that this is the most revent photo of me? Taken back in the summertime? ACK! 

 

Ahhh, the joys of being a photographer, you spend all your time behind the  lens taking pics of everyone and everything else so much that ya kinda forget about actually being in any photos yourself!

 

Quick photo update then of the past few months ..

 

 

A backyard bonfire party with friends, that resulted in a housefull of hyped-up, happy children with sticky-marshmallow faces and exhausted parents, and a slightly scorched patch of grass in the backyard, hahaha ( it;s all mostlygrown back now, thankfully)

Ridiculously delicious pizzas made primarily by yours truly.

 

 

 

Helping this lovely lady prep for her successful craft fairs. She had such beautiful gifts to sell, all original, handmade lovelies that were so thoughtful. I especially loved her paper "Mistletoe-to-Go" crafts. For you married folks I recommend hanging it from the headboard of your bed.

 Not exactly subtle, I know, but definitely effective, hahaha!

 

 

We're getting all ready for Christmas, here is my son Zach with his Operation Christmas Child Shoebox gift that he put together himself (he spent his own saved money to fill it) before sending it out. Proud Mama moment here. (Though not proud of the pic quality, sorry folks!)

 

 

My next challenge is to try to snap a pic of myself at the gym. I love to workout so I love that they have a good sturdy heavy bag there for me to work my marital arts on.

I'm also working on some homemade gift ideas in the coming weeks so I will be posting those as DIY's so y'all can get 'er done like we are, hahaha!

 

Homemade Everything This Christmas,

-J

 

 

 

 

 

What I’m most thankful for:

In light of the holidays, I decided that instead of my usual “Friday Favorites” post I decided I’d share with you What I’m most thankful for: . . .

My totally awesome kids – they brighten my whole life, my li’l mama heart is bursting with love for them . . .

 

My Family . . .

 And my friends (I have far too many dear friends and photos of you all for me to post here, sorry.! I just found these few in a Facebook album) I love you all!  . . . .

Church family . . .

 Our little town – an valley oasis in the middle of the desert . . .

 

Holidays that bring everyone together and remind us of our many blessings in this life . . . .

I'm also especially thankful for all of my blog followers and readers, for your comments, your encouragement and your support. My heart is forever thankful for each precious one of you!  

From my thankful heart to yours,

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

-J, xo

 

 

confessions.

I recently joined Pinterest due to the peer pressure  insistance of many of my friends and I have to confess: I don't really "get" what all the hype is about. Which leads me to conclude that I must be "doing it wrong".  Oh well, maybe one day I'll take the time to actually navigate the site and have some kind of an awakening revelation to the Pinterest world, who knows. I have yet to pin my own work on the site as well. Thankfully, Artist Rising already has some of my work for sale,. so I''m content that while I learn how to pin properly, haha.

Other random confessions this week:

 -  I got sick and tired of my cellphone service provider overcharging me on every bill , so  I cancelled my contract with them. I've been cellphone free for about 2.5 weeks now, and I haven't even missed it all that much!  I KNOW!!! [Who'da thunk it?]

 - The only thing I DON"T like about my fave fall season is the inevitable disappearing act of all of these:

The richness of the turning leaves  - the stunning golds, rich ambers and brilliant reds don't last nearly long enough for me, Everything always seems so dreary once the grasses and flowers and leaves start to shrivel and turn a dull shade of brown.... until the snow covers like a perfect glistening canvas for illuminating christmas lights.  Then our lovely little town looks almost magical ;)

 - Yes, that was me belting out Christmas carols in my car the other day. Don't judge me! I have already imagined my house all decorated for Christmas in my head . . . .


 - I want to redecorate my studio/workspace area in these lovely colors

 Last confession for today:

  - My baby portrait session I photographed last night went so well!  Despite the precious little one's teething pains she gave us some beautiful still-toothless-for-the-moment-grins, and I think I can say with confidence it was some of my best work to date. As soon as her parents choose the photos they want and sign the release I will post them here ;)

Shamelessly belting Christmas tunes and still in need of Pinterest lessons,
-J
 

Candy Apple Autumn

This was our dessert last night! So yummy!   I will post the recipe under the "foodie" tab for anyone who wants it.
Yesterday was a home day for me, which is rare these days. I was actually kind of forced into it because I had somehow driven over a nail and popped my front drivers side tire, so my poor "Thumper" ( my aptly-named car) is hobbling along on a doughnut tire until I can get a new one, and I have to limit my driving severely.
All in all it was a productive day though, my oldest son helped with trimming the hedges and raking as I mowed the lawn.
Then once the kids were in bed for the night,  I sat down with my laptop working quietly away, and I was finally able to finish an editing project that was on my mind for some time.
They were some vintage-era inspired photos for a friend of mine, Lou Lou.
Check 'em out:

I had a ton of fun doing that shoot, she has a larger-than-life personality and she is such a character - love it! 

The rest of my weekend is back to busy again, but it includes a baby portrait session so I'm looking forward to that ;)
\
Candy apples and vintage dresses,
-J
 

Adventures in Blog-land

The fact that this post is happening on a weeknight is a small miracle in itself, but given that I am typing this from my dearest friend and mentor Barb's  basement, as she teaches me all sorts of new blog tips is SUPER EXCITING to me.

 Barb's task isn't an easy one, she has to reign me in and pull my dreamer head outta the clouds -

 -  long enough to teach me how to effectively link and network with other blog sites - in particular we are "focusing" on photography sites ;)

Sorry.   It was right there.    I had to.

The first site we visited was kevin & amanda . I particularly liked this post here about her fave camera strap.  I've been looking for a hassle-free way to haul around my camera(s) for years! Every strap I've ever had was stupidly annoying. Either it was too thin and dug uncomfortably into my shoulder after just a few hours, or it was heavily padded and slip off my shoulder every time I'd lift the camera to frame a shot.  None would rest properly at my side, and my poor camera would flail out awkwardly with each step. I was constantly in fear my lens would get bumped too hard and do one of two things: crack the lens, or the poor weight distribution caused by the awkward angle the camera hung at would cause the entire lens to pull away from the body and destroy both the lens and the body.  I'm so thankful to have finally been pointed in the right direction. (she had me at the point she mentioned  "cupcake" - don't judge me)  I have a feeling I can learn alot of handy tips from this site, and it's always nice to find other fellow cupcake-lovers blogger-photographers like me. (I know, priorities, right?)

 The next site was pioneer woman  This lady blows my mind with her constant creative inspiration. I have yet to find something she can't do.

On the more serious side, we visited ilovephotography, which had some phenomenal , inspiring shots as well.

I'm off to post comments on these and others' blogs who catch my interest, and get a running start to the world of networking opportunities!

Hope your day is inspiring and a little bit magical!

Hunting for good photo blog sites (and maybe a cupcake)
-J

 

Friday Favorites are back, baby!

This week has been, in the words of my fellow blogger Elsie Larson  a very "un-photogenic week" haha.  I don't think  I picked up my camera even once!  Now before that news gives you a stroke,  I will tell you that it's only Friday (week's not over yet".. Actually, it's pretty well done. Nevermind ;)

This was a busy week for us  with the kids in school, their taekwondo classes, and my business meetings.  Only 2 faves this week that really stand out

Favorite   - been watching Season 7 of this show ( and YES, I'm quite aware that we're a season behind, thankyouverymuch  NO spoilers please! ;)   It makes me laugh SO hard. ( You know when you're laughing so hard that no sound comes out and you just winding up silently gasping and clapping your hands together like a seal? ya, that's me)

 

 Favorite - My next new hair color??   

 

 

I'm currently obsessed with rich dark shades of brown for autumn again, (think Rachel Weisz aka. "Mrs. 007" or Angelina Jolie back in her "Lara Croft: TombRaider" days) . Plus, I liked the contrast between my green eyes and the deep, cool-hued browns  It's been awhile since I had my hair this dark, so I'm gonna have to make sure that I don't let myself get too pale this winter or I'll wind up looking like  Kristen Stewart's Twilight character  . And let's face it, nobody wants that!

 

My weekend to-do list is to enjoy our Date Night tonight, try to get some canning done ( peaches & pears), stain the patched-up part of my coffee table leg. My self-commissioned photo challenge is to try to snap a few candids of my kids getting along. 

 

In better-than-paparazzi-stealth mode,

-J

 

 

100th POST!!! (brought to you by "Think Pink" TicTacs)

Photo credit

  This photo, and this post really, are actually to turn your attention to my friend Barb's blog today, which you can get to HERE to read a very inspiring, and important subject she posted this morning.

 I "m sure we all have been touched in some way by breast cancer, and while it's not such a fun subject to bring up, it's relevant in the day and and we live in, it impacts everyone in our world, no matter who you are or where you come from.

So with that in mind, please do m ea favor adn hop on over to her blog page and show your support?

Thank you all so much and I hope you remember to "think pink" today!

 

This post marked my 100th Post milestone. Funny, cause I had built myself up to this moment for so long that I really didn't know what I would write about for it.  (#toomuchpressure!)  Then I read my friend's blog and PERFECT - that's  what I'll post about. Milestones are great and all, and celebrating them can be fun (cupcakes!)  but I think this milestone post was MUCH better used as a reminder that in life , along with milestones  come obstacles and difficulties  - and cancer is a devastating one that leaves in it's wake a ripple effect of pain and destruction. The more we can do to aid in finding a cure the better right? Please hop on over to this blog site now and do what you can to keep hope alive in the lives of those touched by cancer today. CLICK HERE

 

100 Posts and Pink Tic Tacs,

-J

 

 

 



"Ninety-Nine Blog Posts Later" or "I Can't Believe I'm Still Writing ...."

source

Right from the very first blog post I ever wrote, I knew I'd fallen in love with it  - hard. I had finally found a creative little hub of my very own, a quiet little corner of cyberspace that I could stretch out in and give my "dreamer" side a chance to grow a little.  

That was back in November of 2010, a very hard month, year, time for me, and I found sharing my heart amidst my pain with the hope of reaching others who were hurting to encourage them would somehow help to heal not only other's pain but somehow my own as well. Time of course is necessary for healing but I felt truly blessed at the opportunity to encourage others with my words, and I felt the healing process already beginning. The dawn of a new day.

Well, 99 blog posts later I find myself staring at the screen in awe, wondering how on earth so much could have changed in only 2 years? It feels like a lifetime ago, and I think it's because my life now hardly even resembles anything close to what it looked like back then. So many big changes!

The first change was that I began an online course through the New York Institute of Photography, which was a promise I had made to myself and I finally made myself take the time to make this investment. As a single mama who already worked a full time job I had my reservations but I made myself step out and accept the challenge and I'm so glad that I did. While I am still slowly plugging away at it ( life always seems to get in the way, haha) I have to say that the course material and textbooks have proved to be invaluable tools and I have already learned a lot!
The second change being that I met my friends Kendall and Neil. Kendall got hired at my office to do the bookkeeping/accounting and we became friends quickly. When we discovered a shared passion for martial arts ( we both did taekwondo and she was already a 2nd degree black belt)  I offered to help her open her own martial arts school and therein became her business partner and co-owner of our town's very first Taekwondo gym, and corporation Outlast Taekwondo Ltd. (you can check out our  taekwondo blog HERE) . 

However I'm writing this post at 12:34 a.m. and I've nearly fallen asleep 98 times so based on my current narcoleptic progress rate  this blog is already taking too long.  

There have been a great many smaller changes as well, which have all added up and snowballed into these two "hum-dingers" as I like to call them, and all of these combined have made for a significant change in my life. As always, all credit goes to my Lord God and true Savior, without Whom I would be SERIOUSLY lost and undoubtedly headed down a very destructive path.  He saved me from myself, to be sure and brought me instead to a place of healing.
In only 2 short years, my life has radically changed so much. There have been so many ups and downs and twists and turns to get me to this place I'm at now and I thank God for every good thing in it ;)
Thank you for letting me share, thank you for letting me encourage you.  I hope this next year will allow me even more opportunities to encourage and inspire you all. I hope to fill each and every one of your hearts with words of love and plant a seed of hope that will grow strong
love, -J


P.S. Just to leave you with a smile on your face and a sweet dream in your heart ;)

 

A Week In Photos

As described, our week in photos.   I am embarrassed  to admit that I have recently caved into the pressure of all the iphone users out there. I'm looking into one for myself. I have to thank all the cool features of Instagram for tipping the scales for me hahaha.  My "days/weekends in photos" posts  could start to get real interesting real soon! 
In the meantime, here's how our week went:

A baby shower,

                                                    The tiny guest of honor, Theosha-Rae ;)

I never did get enough time (or supplies) needed for my cupcake tree the way I intended it to look, (its just on a traditional cupcake tiered 'tree') but my ever-creative friend Barb made a fantastic suggestion while she was here for the baby shower, and it only required using something I already had in my house! SO EXCITED TO TRY IT! If I get a chance this weekend. I will try it out and take a few pics!) pumpkin cupcakes anyone?

Then, on to editing these pics of this lovely lady....

And now as we head into the long weekend without kids, it's time for my pillow and I to spend some quality snooze time together before the onslaught of schedules in my daily life threatens my sanity, hahaha!

Happy September 1st! 
Pumpkin Spice Latte's for everyone,
-J