Life's Perfect Pictures

I Have Hired A Personal Trainer

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:12:00 +0000

OK, not really but I did buy the Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred for $9 at Walmart! Today is day number 2 of the workout and let me tell you it is tough but I am feeling better already!! 20 minutes a day and I get strength and cardio all in one session! My muscles are feeling it today but pressed on through day 2 and I am glad I did!

I hate to post about workout and weight issues but I am really excited about this DVD and I had to share with all my friends! So my scale died so I do not know my starting weight but I hover at the same spot so I am guessing that losing 55 lbs would put me where I want to be! My first goal is to lose around 25 pounds by my birthday at the end of May! What a great present to myself! I could go get some new clothes for the upcoming summer season!!!!

Why now? What makes this different than the last time you started? Well, several things!! Number one is my health! I am flirting with heart issue (I already have SVT), diabetes (runs in the family and I had it during my pregnancy with the Diva) and other stuff that comes with carrying extra weight around!

When the Knight was is in the Army, I had some great personal trainers and I was in the gym 5 days a week. As soon as PT was over for the soldiers, I was in the gym! How could I resist, it was all FREE! So I would do weights and run on the treadmill in under an hour! Then twice a week I would go to step aerobics and boxing class and sometimes I would throw a regular aerobics class in for fun! Did I mention that it was all FREE? I loved working out and it kept me from thinking to hard about my husband who was in Iraq!

It was also fun to send him photos of my progress! It gave him something to look forward too and me something to work towards! The end reward was, of course, when he came home and saw me in person! All dolled up in new clothes, heels, hair done (not blue green but that is another story for later), and makeup just right! So my goals have changed a little because my hubby is here and not Iraq, thank goodness! I have not told him what I am doing!! I am just going to see if he notices because he notices little things like that!!

Yes, I have modified my eating but I refuse to deny myself so my motto is "Everything in moderation"! Like tonight I know will be pizza night here at my house so I am watching what I eat today very carefully and will only eat 2 pieces of the pie and be happy about it!!

I will keep you posted and there will be some before and after shots later! Have a great weekend and get out and get active!!

Sneak Peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:21:00 +0000

Look closely at the texture on this last photo! It is a letter addressed to someone's mother!! How perfect! If you want to see more from this shoot you can go here!!

I DO, I DO!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:10:00 +0000

Here is a look at the wedding I shot on Saturday!! So sweet, these two! For more of this beautiful couple you can go here!!

Jump For Joy - i ♥ faces

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Nothing says joy like a jumping wedding party! LOL! This photo then erupted into a leaf fight but no one seemed to mind!!

That's a wrap for me today!! Jump on over to i ♥ faces to see the other high flyin' folks!! I will be post a peak at the wedding I shot Saturday very soon!!

Testing. 1 2 3......

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Ok this is just to see if my addiction to all things iPhone is going to work or if I wasted 3 bucks on an app that does not work!! The app is called BlogPress and works for blogger and other blog hosts!

The pic is the Knight and was taken with, what else, my iPhone!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Parents Photo Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:04:00 +0000

Parents Photo Faves

The Diva is currently in 1st place!! Please vote daily through Sunday and make sure to share this with all of your friends!! Thanks!!

Family Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Here is my new project!! I LOVE it!! No, it is not an original idea! I borrowed it from here and she borrowed it from here! The kit I used is by Christy Sturm and is called November Frost! You can do this digitally or you can use actual paper scrapping products! I used to be a paper scrapper until I really got into photography and then the digital just took over my life!!

This will be printed on canvas and hanging in our kitchen very soon!! Please don't forget to vote for the Diva here!

The Dancing Diva

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:10:00 +0000

The Diva started ballet/tap today at the Academy here in town last night and I do not know who was more excited me, the Knight or the Diva herself!! Anyway, when she went into the studio all she could do was look at herself in the wall of mirrors (she gets that from her Dad) and twirl around! She kind of danced to her own beat last night and did her own thing most of the time! The instructor said it was all normal and that she would settle in soon! I sure hope so! She was also the only new girl in class so she has to play a little catch up to learn the routines.

Frustration Sets In

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:16:00 +0000

I have so many things to share with you all that are NO FUN unless you can see the photos that go with the stories! I am becoming frustrated with Blogger because I have not been able to upload photos for a few days and I really hate the extra step that photobucket creates so I am waiting to be able to upload again!

Teaser: The Diva's First Dance Class and a new creative project!!

Another Photo of the Diva was Chosen!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:46:00 +0000

Another photo of the Diva was chosen by Parents.com! I cannot believe it! Her last photo placed 45th out of 3900 photos! Pretty cool! Please vote again daily through March 7th! Thanks Bloggy Buddies!! Here is the link! And here is the photo that they chose:

Music Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:14:00 +0000

I LOVE this song!! I will be singing it this weekend!! I love the message!!

Fix it Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:56:00 +0000

SOOC

Fix #1 in Light Room 2

Fix #2 in Light Room 2 and texture added in PSE 6.

Now head on over to I ♥ Faces for other great fixes!!

Happy Birthday to My Darling Diva!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

My Dear Darling Daughter,

3 years have come and gone so quickly! I am sad that time is zipping by too quickly and I hope you realize that I am having the time of my life being with you and teaching you about this big world that we live in! I love being your mommy and there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for sending you to us!

I am proud of you for everything that you have accomplished in your three years on earth! You have learned to walk (better late than never) and talk (way to early! LOL!)! You got to go on an airplane for the first time and shortly thereafter you were potty trained in a matter of 3 days! Way to go!! You can count to 20 and know your ABCs and your colors! You are a wonderful singer and dancer and you are super imaginative! I think you get your creativity from me and your temper from daddy!! Ha! Ha!

I love that you are my cohort in crime and go almost everywhere I go!! I love being able to take you places and show you the good things this world has to offer! I hope you know that the best is yet to come!! By turning three, there will be doors opened up to you that were never open before like pre-school and ballet class! I know you are excited for both!

What else can I say but I LOVE YOU Rosebud! You are the most beautiful flower in the world and I am blessed to be your mommy!!

AND NOW (drum roll please)..................
for my favorite photo of the Diva EVER! This was taken
the day I did Caleb's shoot!!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY BABY!

Spring is Coming!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:18:00 +0000

This is a shot from the greenhouse at MHS! I saw a few blooms that made me feel like spring is getting closer!! I sure hope so! Today the sun is shining and this little bloom made me feel wonderful!! The Diva loved the petting zoo that the FFA had and I just enjoyed the sunlight!! Hope you like the texture I added!

Don't forget that you can still vote for the Diva HERE!

Caleb Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:59:00 +0000

For this shoot I called Mr. Miller in Greenup who tinkers with old trucks and has converted his garage into a museum of sorts! He was so nice to let us come and ogle his cool old trucks, posters, gas pumps, baseball cards, oil cans, baseball bats and, oh yeah, the Coke stuff galore!!

Caleb and his family are NASCAR fans so this photo was perfect for them!! Caleb loved this old hat and wore it for several shots!! LOL!

Elvis was even in the building for the occasion! We spent about an hour at the location and had a great time! If you would like to see more you can go here!

Preschool Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Wow! Is it that time already? Did I not JUST bring her home from the hospital? Is she really turning 3 on Friday? (Insert LOTS of crying sounds here!) OK, I'm a little better now!

Anyway, today we go to be tested to see where she is in her skills and to see if she is ready to go to preschool in the fall! I can already tell you, without testing, that she is ready! She is a big talker and has known her ABCs and numbers for over a year now! She is a very social creature and, much to my dislike, has never me a stranger!

The Knight does not want her to go! He is having trouble with this! He thinks I should keep her home and work with her, which I have done, but it is TIME! Besides, it's only 2 afternoons a week and we have chosen a faith based school where she will be right at home!!

Please don't forget to go HERE to vote for the Diva's photo to be the weekly winner in the Parents.com photo contest! You can vote once a day through the 28th! Thanks!

The Diva is a Parents Photo Favorite

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Just wanted to let you know that the Diva's photo was chosen as a Parents Magazine favorite!! Please vote for her and she could be this weeks winner!!

Go HERE to vote!! You can vote daily until the 28th!! This is the photo they chose!!

I ♥ Faces - Hands

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

This is without a doubt my favorite photo of ALL TIME! These are the hands of the people I love! The top hand belongs to my father in law, who passed away in September of last year along with the Diva, the Knight and the Moody Teen! This photo tells the story of generations! 3 or 4 generations depending on how you look at it since my kids are 14 years apart! You can read the original story that goes along with the photo from last February here!

This picture hangs over our entertainment center as a constant reminder of what was and what will never be again! It is a photo of love and I am proud to share it with the i ♥ faces community and you my readers (for my readers, this is the second time. For i ♥ faces, the first)!

We miss you Papa!!

Silent Sunday (A Hint About Yesterday's Shoot)!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:01:00 +0000

I was having trouble uploading from Blogger which is why these are bigger than normal! Enjoy the hint of things to come!!

Drumroll Please........

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:33:00 +0000

I am pleased to introduce my brand new logo! It was reworked a few times from the originals that I posted yesterday! So here goes:

And here is is how it will look on a photo!!

I chose this design because it fits my personality! Unique and fun are what I was going for! I didn't want one of those stuffy, uppity logos that scream snobby at me when I see them!! LOL! Thanks to everyone who gave me input and suggestions!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I have photos at a GREAT new location on Saturday so I will be on the road to do a fun shoot with a 9 year old boy (mom and dad will be in a few too)! Of course, I will share the outcome of the shoot! Sunday we are supposed to get anywhere from 3-7 inches of new snow on top of the 6 or 7 we already have so it will be a great day to stay in and edit!!

I Need YOUR Help!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:51:00 +0000

It does not involve giving me money or coming to do manual labor at my house although both of those would be great!! Kidding! As I mentioned a few posts ago, I am working on branding my photography business and I am having trouble deciding which logo I like the best! I have successfully narrowed it down to two options that I am crazy about! I like the look and the colors just scream my name!! LOL! I also like the fun factor here because I am a fun girl and when I shoot, I really have fun!! So here is a photo of the Diva from yesterday with both options!! Please let me know which one you like best by leaving the comment camera or leaf! I really appreciate all your help!! Please keep in mind this will be on EVERYTHING from photos to letterhead to photocards!! Thanks again!!

Outtakes From the Diva's Second 3 Year Shoot!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:30:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, you may remember that I took the Diva to our favorite coffee house to attempt her 3 year photo shoot! I was alone, with no child wrangler and I failed miserably even though several people thought they were cute but I was not one of those people!! Ha! Ha! If you remember I vowed that next time I would take a helper with me, well........I lied! I set off this morning with the Diva, camera and some items to bribe her with in my bag!!

In true Diva style, she wanted no part of having her photo taken! My bad!! Ha! Ha! I did manage to get some really cute shots of her that I will share with you on the 26th which is her 3rd birthday (wow, where has the time gone?) but for now I will share my favorite outtakes! And YES, she is wearing the same outfit as the first shoot!! I really wanted good photos in it before she outgrows it!! Besides, dresses and jeans work well for her because she has NO booty and she always ends up with plumber's crack when she bends over. I am not talk a shallow shot here we are talking deep crack! But I digress!! Sorry, my bad!

This one had me laughing because she is channeling my mother who used to give this

look all the time! Oh my, I think I am in trouble!!

Are you serious?!?!?!?

Hey mommy, there is a lizard on your head!! Silly lizard!

And then there is the collage of faces! Some sweet, some devilish but ALL her!!

A Day in the Country

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Yesterday we decided that it was time for the Knight to go out to his dad's and start going through the garage! It turned out to be therapeutic and a wonderful walk down memory lane! The Knight found two knives that he used to use when he was younger! It turned out to be a wonderful day! Unless, of course, you take into account that queen Scruffy was not amused that someone was in her castle going through her things!! She sat on the tool bench and watched anxiously and when she was disturbed she would fly to the rafters and pace nervously!! The Knight tried to make nice by petting her but she swatted his hand and tore a nice little gash in his finger!! She was not a happy camper!!

I wondered around and took lots of photos outside in the snow! I just love the little things you find to photograph while wondering aimlessly! I even crossed the road to get some cool shots and misjudged a ditch (it was deeper than I thought) and sank up to my knees!! Thank goodness for knee high furry boots!! They kept my feet warm and dry!! Here are some of the photos that caught my eye!

The Diva's favorite place to sit and relax!

Loving the sunflares!!

I think this old bike was one of my favs of the day! Oh, who am I kidding? I loved them all!!

The day ended with the Knight showing Crissie how to shoot the pistol! It reminded me of the first time he taught me to shoot! As a side note: I was so good with the guns (bulls eyes at all distances) that he does not let me shoot very often! Ha! Ha! Anyway, not Crissie feels better shooting and caring for the gun! I hope she never has to use it!!

No he does not always look like a thug!! LOL!

I hope you all have a great Monday and a super week!!

It's All About Location, Location, Location

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Most of my clients are anti studio, anti backdrop kind of people! Let me say for the record, if you are a studio photographer that is great! It's just not me or my clients! For us it is all about a location that will highlight the personality of the clients I am working with therefore, I do not have a studio where I trudge everyday. That makes it too much like work and the whole point of my photography is to have fun, make money and be able to stay home with my daughter!

So where do you shoot in the winter???? Well, during the colder months there is some creativity required but I am telling you that it is not impossible!! For newborn shoots I usually go to the home of the client and carry a few things that really make the photos look like they were done in a studio. I travel fairly light with a basket that carries various material, a boppy, hats, cocoons and a sling!

The photos of these two little cuties were done at my house on my couch and my antique sideboard in my dining room! So easy and no studio rental to pay!!

OK, I want family shots but it is February and very cold and snowy! What can we do? I have found several great indoor locations and they are really cool! Location number one: the public library! Oh, yeah it is really cool especially if you live in a town with an older, quaint library or a very new and modern library! Both work great!!

This adorable trio was shot at the public library in Charleston, IL. It worked perfectly and we also got some shots in new kids section of the library! No library close by? My new favorite location is Common Grounds, the local coffee house!! It also helps that a Snickers Latte is my favorite hot drink and shooting there allows me to purchase this wonderful treat!! Most of you know I have been trying to do the Diva's three year photos here but find myself in need of an assistant to help wrangle my own child!! LOL! You can see my feeble attempts here and here! I also use an old warehouse that has been converted into a youth center for a local church and the new Fine Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University! The next weekend I will be doing a session with a 9 year old boy in a barn that houses lots of cool old car, trucks and memorabilia! This is the same little boy that I took to the historic train depot last year!

If your clients are really open minded and willing to try anything go to the laundry mat, during the off hours! It can be lots of fun to shoot there and different! So see, all you gotta do is think outside the box and create your own "studio"!!

My business has grown 500% in the first few months of 2010 so I am venturing out a little bit and getting ready to do some OCF (Off Camera Flash) when all my new toys arrive! Stay tuned for more photo madness!!

The Diva

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Likes to read a lot!!

Is considering taking up chess! Actually, she just wants the pieces!

Loves little tables and chairs! I have one chair to paint and am looking

for another little wooden school chair also! The Knight is going to

make her a cute little table to go with them!

Loves the bright colors of Common Grounds, our new icky day hang out!

Loves the icing off of the Valentine cookies and the homemade chocolate milk!

Will not look at the camera, no matter what I do or say!! Sigh....