emails, Senators and icecream cones

In this, the last day before all the crazy Thanksgiving preparations begin (well, technically that all started today, but I wasn't here!), I thought I would do another Awkward/Awesome post since it has been a while...

Me and my favorite little sis. <3

Awkward

- The look on a dad's face when he asks his daughter if she wants an ice cream cone and she replies with, "Yeah, but I want ice cream in it too."  I nearly died!

- When someone comes up to you, thanking you for the reminder you emailed them and you're sitting there wondering if you should tell them that you have no idea who they are and you didn't send them any email... 

-  When you are at the (very crowded) fabric store with your buggy piled high with bolts and you're trying to arrange them just so in order to take a picture of them to send to your mother for her approval.  In the process, you go through 15 text messages, 3 phone calls, and about 13 bolts of fabric, all while trying to keep out of people's way and avoid knocking over the shelves...

-  When you come downstairs in the morning after sharing your room with your mother so she won't catch your dad's cold and being greeted with a glare and the very matter-of-fact statement: "You snore." 

    For the record: I do not snore.  I just take very deep and loud breaths in my sleep.  It's good for the lungs.

My new favorite mug :)

Awesome

-  When a State Senator buys your coffee.  Totally made my day!  :D

-  When a total stranger in Walmart goes, "Oh my goodness!  I LOVE your skirt!" and you proceed to have a conversation about sewing.  It is so much fun to talk about something that you love to do with complete strangers.

-  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel while working on a huge Christmas project.  I can't wait to share the secret with y'all after Christmas!

-  Finding the perfect gift for a friend. :D

-  Buying office supplies.  I can't be the only one who absolutely loves this...right?

The fabric I'm currently working with.  I absolutely love it!!!!

Thinking about making myself some pillows out of the one on the far right after Christmas.

 

I probably won't have the chance to post again until after Thanksgiving, so I want to go ahead wish you all a wonderful and blessed day with your family and friends as we all pause to give thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.

 

Love y'all! <3



my first "real" family shoot :D

I had the opportunity to shoot a family (other than my own) last week!

Aren't they adorable?  I've known Courtney for forever.  Seriously, I have to work really hard to remember a time when we didn't know each other.  So, taking pictures of her growing family was an honor and such fun!

Their little girl was absolutely precious! :D  She is little wiggle worm and chatter box all rolled into one.  Getting her to sit still for more than a split second was an adventure, but after about 2 hours and 400 pictures I got some really good shots. :)

I had so much fun with this shoot!  Their property was absolutely gorgeous and the lighting that day was better than perfect. 

Such beautiful people!  I can't wait to see their precious new baby!

it's just so...final!

This kills me.

No, really...  Deleting pictures is hard enough for me, but when it comes time to empty out the recycle bin, I get that sick feeling in my stomach and that little voice in my head starts saying, "You're going to regret this...."

Yes, I'm strange.

Those 777 pictures I deleted were the product of an entire day on the computer shuffling through JPG files, editing and discarding.  Hardly a drop in the bucket compared to what has accumulated on my laptop in the past three years, but it's a good start I guess...

So, that's what's been cooking the my photography department.  However, in the sewing department, something a bit more fun (and less stressful!) has been developing....

Ruffles!!!!! <3  (Aren't the fabrics pretty?)

I love making ruffles!  And seeing as almost all of the Christmas projects on my table have ruffles, I've got the process down to a science.

Unfortunately, that's all I can reveal about my sewing ventures at this time. ;) 

Speaking of which, I gotta get back to the cutting table!

See y'all later! :D

time to buckle down...

You know those weeks where you are insanely busy, running here and there and everywhere, doing this and that and everything in between, then when it all finally stops you feel like you haven't done a thing?

Yeah...that was last week for me.

I'm blaming it on the election.

However, I was able to end the week with a lovely and relaxing shopping spree/vacation in Gatlinburg. :)

 

(Said shopping spree may or may not have included visiting every candy store in town...)

:D

 

It was lots of fun, but it's good to be home.  And now, it's time to buckle down on my to-do list.  I've got hundreds of pictures to go through, edit, and put on discs.  If I'm not done with my big sister's pics by the end of the week, I'm afraid she might just take my laptop home with her...  Mama also gave me a deadline for all homemade Christmas/birthday gifts to be finished by or before Thanksgiving.  Yikes!

 

Do y'all realize how close Thanksgiving is?  It didn't really hit me until last night when Mama and I were shopping and we picked up the turkey. 

 

Thanksgiving...and the Christmas will be...

 

No, I'm not going there.

 

In the words of Miss Scarlett, "I think about that tomorrow."

 

So, I have one week...

 

OoO

  

See y'all later! I gotta get crackin'!



roots

 

When you think of your roots, what comes to mind?  People?  Places?  Things your family did when you were growing up?  For me, it's all of the above. 

 

Places from my past hold a special spot in my heart.  Ginormous houses that somehow managed to shrink with age.  Streets that were well traveled.  Stores that used to be...(I still call the Belk store in Athens "Profitts").

 

I've always dreamed about one day taking my children to all of my favorite spots, the houses I grew up in, etc., so that they will see the places where Mommy grew up instead of just hearing stories.

 

Unfortunately, I recently discovered that one of my favorite places, and one of my deepest roots, will soon be gone.

 

 

When I was born, my Daddy was a preacher, and this is the little country church that I was brought home to.

Those of you who pass through Riceville, TN on occasion might recognize it.  It's sort of a landmark on Hwy 11.  It was built in 1901 and has the loveliest (though very tiny!) sanctuary. 

When I found out that it is being torn down, I nearly cried.  I love this old church.  Though I was only 3 years old when we moved, I still have lots of memories aided by Mama's extensive photo albums.  We've also been able to visit from time to time over the years.  The last time I was there, I walked into the nursery.  Not only was I shocked to realize that it was about the size of my closet, I couldn't believe that I recognized every single toy!  Absolutely nothing had changed.  The same was true for the rest of the church.  Although, it did seem to shrink every time I walked through the doors and the piano was always a little more out of tune.

I wish I could have gone inside and gotten pictures of the lovely stain glass windows, the beautiful woodwork in the sanctuary, the nursery, the itty bitty Sunday School rooms, Daddy's office, etc., but I'm content to have at least these few pictures and the old ones of the inside that Mama took to show to my children one day.

One consoling thought: the little house we lived in (literally, three yards from the back door of the church) is still going to be around for a while yet. :)

I absolutely love taking pictures of kids!  They are so much fun and I really don't have to do much posing with them.  They pretty much just do whatever they want and I keep my camera on sports setting.  You end up taking 6 million pictures that way, but it's worth weeding through them all to find the good ones.  Kids are just adorable.  Period.

Of course, with these kids, I'm a bit biased.  :) 

What can I say?  I'm a proud auntie!

 No front teeth!!!! I love it! <3

 



 Miss Haley.  Almost 11 years old!

 

 Sisters <3

 

And last, but not least, Baby Luke!  He's getting so big and he's the

happiest baby I've ever seen.  Preciousness! <3

it's November!

...and I am lovin' it! 

Awkward

- When you look up and see your brother standing over you with a suspicious grin and holding an electric razor.  "Um...can I help you????"

- When you are in the grocery store and a 5 foot cowboy comes up to you and says, "Ma'am, you're a lady, can you tell me if this is self-rising?"  Then you look at the sack he's holding and it's a sack of sugar...

-  When your sister tells you that you have a bug on your face and then proceeds to peel a Daddy Long Legs off your face.  What??????????  How did I not feel that????  I am now paranoid and constantly brushing phantom insects off my face.



Awesome

- When you pass a little golden haired girl and her mother in the store in the late afternoon and she looks up at you with her big blue eyes and the cutest smile you ever saw and says, "Good mornin'!"

- When you compliment a little princess on the glitter in her hair and she says, "Ya, I got sparklies! And I got stuff on my lips too! And my eyes are sparkles too!"  Gotta love little girls!

- Listening to choral music (live) that brings tears to your eyes.

- Vacation planning! :D I can't wait!

- Finally figuring out how to rearrange your sewing room/closet/storage room so that it doesn't look like a ginormous heap of stuff.  Still a work in progress, but I'm getting there!