Monday, October 31, 2011

Canvas Love

Just look at that face.
It just lights up a room.
Literally!
I bought a Groupon a few months ago for a deal on a canvas and
just got around to ordering it.
I'm sooooo pleased. 
It turned out so good and I can't wait to get more......when they go on sale!
The Groupon was for Canvas on Demand
$45 for a 60" x 20" 1.5 inch image wrap canvas that retails for around $127;
so I jumped on it!
I've been checking prices at other online resources and the range in prices
is quite large!
If anyone has any suggestions on canvas printing for a good price with good quality,
let me know. 
I would LOVE to have more!

Happy Halloween

What a weekend!
Beckett's first Halloween = Hot Mess!!!
I took off work on Friday to get some things done around the house
to prepare for his birthday party next weekend and instead ended up
at the pediatrician again with another ear infection.
I'm assuming we are well on our way to tubes.
He literally slept a total of MAYBE 6 hours in the span of 3 days. 
Seriously. 
I don't know how much caffeine is safe to drink in a 24 hour period,
but I'm sure I'm approaching a scary level.
Saturday morning began with a nasty runny nose and then we
tried on his Halloween costume to make sure it fit.
Keep on reading to see how that turns out:
This is my sick child on Friday night before the fever began. 
Hugging and loving on Uncle Beau....

After we try on the costume, Beckett runs (not walks) into the kitchen
and totally eats the floor! 
See this 'padded' costume with the huge mane he has on??
He manages to fall facefirst on the hardwood floor onto the only body part that wasn't
covered with fabric:  His FACE!! 
(No lame comments from those of you who know me well.....I guess he has my
coordination, afterall....)
A huge bruise starts appearing almost immediately, accompanying
the silent scream.
If your'e a mom your'e familiar with the one that includes a red face,
open mouth, crocodile tears and NO SOUND....until....
the sound DOES come out and it echoes around the house, it's so intense.
 Not only does my poor baby have a nasty runny nose and an ear infection,
he now has a shiner to go along with it. 
I'm getting no award for mom of the year, I'm aware!
Talk about tearing your heart out.... 

He hadn't run a fever in over 24 hours, so we went to his daycare Halloween carnival....
for a total of maybe 45 minutes at most.
With the weather as cold as it was on Saturday night, and the fussy mood he was in,
we packed it up and headed to the house.

Just look at this cute little lion though....
He stood still without fussing just long enough for me to snap a few shots of him
in his costume.

Poor baby!
Next year, my little lion!
Next year, we'll have a fun Halloween!!
I promise!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Something's Burning: Crescent Roll Pizza

 First saw this idea HERE
We tried it and liked it, but
we changed it up a bit from the original and it wasn't half bad.
Not the healthiest snack or dinner on earth, but
it's pretty good in a pinch.
Anything stuffed into a crescent roll is going to be good, right?
Large crescent rolls
pepperoni
spaghetti sauce
Chad wanted the diced ham
String cheese stick cut in half

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Book Worms

My stinkerboy Loves his books with a capital 'L'! 
It might have something to do with the fact that both grandmothers work(ed)
in elementary education.
I was starting to wonder if it was the fact that he just enjoyed the one-on-one attention
after being at daycare all day, but even when he's playing on his own, he'll walk around
with a board book in his hand. 
Here's some images from yesterday afternoon after we got home from "school"

I guess I love my books too!
I have a fetish for pretty coffee table books.  The bigger and glossier the better!
I love stacking them around the house, but they can get expensive. 
I frequently check the Bargain Book bin at Barnes and Noble for good deals.
I found an InStyle Weddings book that retailed for $45 for $5.99.
It might be an old version (it features Nick Lachey and J. Simpson's wedding)
but some of the pictures and decor are timeless!
 
Beckett and Curious George learning thier ABC's!
This week and next week are doozies, y'all!
Beckett's daycare Halloween carnival is this Saturday, and next Saturday is his very first
birthday party! 
I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a bit overwhelmed.  It's such a bittersweet time right now. 
His birthday is two weeks away and I've managed to have two crying jags this week.
I've had so much fun this past year watching him grow up, but in so many ways, I want to freeze time. 
It's one of the reasons I take sooooo many pictures of him. 
We stay so busy, I end up sweating the small stuff so much that I forget to take time and enjoy him.
People always tell you in conversation:  "They grow up soooo fast"
It's really not that they grow up so fast, it's that being a parent adds a new list of responsibilities that take up so much time.  Before you know it, you've crammed 23,000 things on a to-do list.
I guess that's why I love the fact that he enjoys his reading time so much.  He's quiet and will cuddle and point and laugh!  It's the only time of the day where we both can be completely content.  The dishes and laundry can wait.....I'm reading Brown Bear for the 156,678th time!

If you can relate to this post, you really should take the time to read this article written by Anna Quindlen I posted a while back. 
I find myself re-reading and referencing it very often.
Click HERE to read.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

This Is How We Do It

A Question and Answer Session:

I've had a few comments and questions about blogging the last few weeks, so I thought I might answer some of them for you:

Q: How do you find the time to update the blog and create posts:
A:  I really don't.  Every single picture that makes it on the blog has been edited on my laptop at home (usually after Beckett goes to bed) Once the pictures upload, it takes only minutes to type out some captions and text; and after proofreading, I publish it.  The hardest, most time consuming part of the blog is the set-up. 

Q:  How do I set up a nice background and theme for my blog?
A:  Blogger.com has some templates that you can customize yourself, but I purchased mine from a 
template website.  For $10, you can choose a template that's more suited to your taste and style. 
I chose my design from designerblogs.com, but you can find a multitude of websites that offer the same services with different templates.   Click on the picture below to browse their template designs:


The application is very easy.  They have step-by-step instructions and tutorials on plenty of other topics about blogging.

Q:  What kind of camera and lenses do you have?
A:  I own a Canon EOS 60D;  18-200 mm lens and Canon 50mm 1.4
     However, if you're in the market for a dslr, the Canon Rebels are fantastic!

Q: What type of editing software do you use?
A: I use Photoshop Elements 9, but I also recommend Microsoft Digital Image Suite

Q: Why did you start a blog?
A:  When we started building our home a few years ago, I wanted to be able to share pictures of the construction without posting them on facebook.  Then, of course, we welcomed our baby boy last November and since then, the blog has been a great way to keep our friends and family updated with pictures of our sweet boy!  Regardless of any traffic the blog receives, more than anything, I enjoy the posts.  It's a great way for me to be able to keep track of what's happened during the year, catalog my photos, and share things that I enjoy and create.  Plenty of times, I've thought about stopping posts and quitting the blog, but just as I'm about to, someone tells me how much they appreciate a certain post or how much they liked an idea that I shared.  Just one nice comment keeps it up and running! 

If you have any questions for me answer, don't hesitate to ask!  I would love it if all my friends would join me in the blogging fun!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Fall Family Photo Fun

It's really hard for me to believe that after almost a year, we had exactly
one good photo of the 3 of us together.
ONE!! 
So, I asked Meghan (Beckett's sitter from this summer) to come
take some family shots of us.
I now understand why we don't have any good family photos.
Rounding up my husband is harder than rounding up my 11 month old! 
Here's how the day went......outakes and all:
'Ole blue eyes










We had a grand idea to have Nonna drop leaves over us for a 'fall look'
obviously that didn't turn out so well, but it made for a halarious picture...




Smirky face





Happy Monday!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Newborn Photoshoot - Anna Wallace

First things first:
I am in no way, shape or form a photographer.
I have a very good camera with a pretty decent lens and
I love taking pictures. 
I never had any interest in owning a nice
camera until I found out I was pregnant, and once I
starting taking pictures of Beckett, I caught the bug!
Believe it or not, I love when people ask me to take pictures of them or their children.
I was excited when Lauren told me she wanted to get some good shots
of Anna Wallace, so I invaded their home for a few hours on Tuesday night.
After a fussy spell and pah-lenty of feeding, she finally decided she'd take a
little snooze so I could snap a few pictures.
Thanks for letting me practice my VERY amateur photography skills, guys!
She's such a doll!

Here's a few of my favorites: