There’s nothing I find more freeing in life than solitude.

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During those treasured moments of reflection and silence, my heart beats its loudest, my mind is free of noise and my eyes become clear.

And the muddy waters of ugliness in our world recede, revealing a beauty like no other.

I slipped away for a few hours the other day in search of solitude. I needed to be alone, to think, to quiet my soul. I headed for one of my favorite spots – Roby Lake, nestled deep within the Mark Twain National Forest here in small town Missouri.

It’s a quiet little spot, the perfect place to be still.

The perfect place to map out life’s direction, to be inspired. The perfect place to seek the truth.

Because in the midst of solitude, our distorted view of the world -and ourselves- falls away, revealing a beauty like no other.

Freebie and Photography Tutorial/Tip of the Week 

Each week in the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge, we’ll bring you tutorials, tips, discounts and a fabulous freebie. This week’s freebie is a lovely, limited edition texture created exclusively for our photo challenge participants by none other than Kristy from Life-n-Reflection. Her shop is a hub of photography, design and texture inspiration. Simply click the image below to download the free texture.

Textures are amazing tools that have the power to really enhance your photos; taking them from drab to fab in minutes. With the help of photo editing programs like Photoshop Elements, textures deliver endlessly creative image-enhancing possibilities.

Using textures to enhance your photographs is a lot easier than you’d think.

Simply open your image and texture in a photo editing program, like Photoshop Elements. Drag your texture file onto your original image to add it as a layer and re-size your texture layer so it completely covers your image. Adjust the blend mode of your texture layer in the layer palette and experiment with different blend modes; adjusting opacity levels until you’ve achieved a desirable effect. Flatten your image in the layers menu and save.

The end result is a fabulous, subtly enhanced image.

(Mouse over to compare before and after images.)

Head on over to Kristy’s blog to see how the texture master herself created photo magic with this week’s freebie texture. And if you’d like more in-depth, step-by-step instruction on using textures to enhance your photographs, see my easy-to-follow texture tutorial.

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Exclusive Discounts From Our Sponsors

Thanks to the following sponsors for partnering with us to bring you these fabulous deals; created exclusively for Poetic Winter Photo Challenge participants and valid throughout the month of February.

ClickinMoms

ClickinMoms is a community where artists, hobbyists and professional women photographers connect and learn from and with each other. Enjoy a 7-day free trial discount to the ClickinMoms forum with discount code RKAFTRIAL. Additionally, receive 10% off the lovely actions/presets sold in the ClickinMoms store with discount code RKAF10.

AdoramaPix

AdoramaPix is a great source for fine quality photo prints, photo books and all your photo finishing needs. Discount code pxwinpb15 gets you 15% off your next photo book order.

My Four Hens Photography

My Four Hens is your one-stop shop for Photoshop actions and more. Use discount code m4hfun30 for 30% off your next purchase.

Simply Photography

Simply Photography e-classes are perfect for women on the go. Make the big switch from auto to manual shooting, learn how to photograph the children in your life and more with Simply Photography. Click here to receive the special discounted rate of $40 for any spring class.

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I’m teaming up with Rebecca of Bumbles and Light, Alicia of Project Alicia and Faith of Sweet Violet for the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge – an inspiring 4-week photo challenge aimed at capturing the poetic beauty of winter through photography.

Just a few details:

All are welcome regardless of skill level, time commitment and geographic location.

Each Friday, we’ll have freebies, discounts to some of the hottest photography resources, photography tips and inspirational quotes or poems to get your creative photography juices flowing.

Share your favorite images inspired by the weekly prompt. The linky will remain open from 9am Friday – 9am Thursday CST. Link directly to your Poetic Winter blog post or Flickr photo, not your blog’s home page or Flickr Photostream.

Feel free to share your photos in our Poetic Winter Flickr Group as well and don’t forget to visit and comment on the previous entry in the linky list.

This time around, we’ll be pinning our favorite photos to the Poetic Winter Pinterest Board. Not on Pinterest and need an invite? Let me know in the comments section and I’ll be more than happy to send you one.

And last, but not least, don’t forget to grab our lovely button.

Next week’s prompt will be warmth. For a complete list of upcoming prompts, head on over to the Winter Photo Challenge page.

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Poetic Winter Photography Challenge: Solitude" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

They’re salty. They’re sweet. And they’re the perfect snack for your little sweethearts.

Angie’s Kettle Corn is an all-natural, healthy alternative to artificially colored and flavored snacks. At only 70 calories per .5-ounce snack bag, Angie’s Kettle Corn is cholesterol-free, boasts no trans fats and contains only four ingredients: popcorn, corn oil, sea salt and sugar!

That means a lot to health-conscious mom like me.

Not only is Angie’s Kettle Corn a healthy snack alternative, but it’s delicious as well. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and salt. I’m hooked!

It’s also the perfect Valentine’s Day treat for your little sweethearts. Angie’s Kettle Corn snack packs are now available at Target, retail for $5.99 for a pack of 20 and come with super cute Valentine stickers. Perfect for gift giving!

Click on over to the Angie’s Kettle Corn website to learn more about their fabulously healthy snacks. And stay up to date on the latest in healthy kettle corn snacks by following Angie’s on Twitter and liking them on Facebook.

Disclosure: The wonderful folks at Angie’s Kettle Corn provided me with a snack pack and I’m so glad that they did. I’m hooked for life and so is my family. As always, all opinions are my own.

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Angie’s Kettle Corn: Sweet, Salty & All-Natural Snack" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

Yesterday was filled with more excitement than this girl could handle. I waited all day for the big brown truck to pull up into my driveway. I jumped up and down, squealed and giggled like a little school girl when Mr. UPS Guy stepped off the truck bearing gifts.

Boxes dispatched from photography heaven! Oh Adorama, how I love you so…

Nestled deep within one of the boxes… My new camera boyfriend, Mr. Canon EOS 7D.

He’s hot. He’s sexy. He’s got a hard body.

And? We’re head-over-heels in love.

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You’re Invited…

I’m teaming up with a few friends to bring you an exciting, new winter photo challenge. The Poetic Winter Photography Challenge starts on Friday, February 3rd and is open to everyone! We’ll have tips, tutorials, freebies and exclusive discounts to  some of the hottest photography resources each week! Stop by, share your photos and get inspired in a fun and friendly photo challenge environment.

Head on over to the Winter Photo Challenge Page to get a complete list of prompts and to learn more about the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. I’ll do my best to visit as many link-ups as possible, but if I don’t make it over to your place please don’t take it personally. I’m not Superwoman! And of course, if you’re looking for even more folks to link up with, I’d love for you to visit a few of my friends…

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "We’re Head-Over-Heels in Love {Wordless/Wordful Wednesday}" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

I’m a sucker for beautiful sunsets. And beautiful photos of sunsets. They make me smile, lift my spirits and well, they’re just lovely to look at.

Let’s take a look at a few sunsets from around the world, shall we?

Mt. Rainier – Washington, United States; Photo Credit: Don Jensen

Kinderdijk, the Netherlands; Photo Credit: noeky1980

Iceland; Photo Credit: RagnarTH

Marloes Sands – Wales, UK; Photo Credit: Max Hawkins

Manarola, Italy; Photo Credit: Karthick R

Rarotonga; Photo Credit: CubaGallery

Kariega River, South Africa; Photo Credit: Ryan McCurdy

Kumarakom, Kerala – India; Photo Credit: Karthick R

Talk about breathtaking! What can I say? I’m a sucker for beautiful sunsets.

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Sunsets From Around the World" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

My sweet friend Claire from The Adventures of Lactating Girl recently became a mother of two children. She’s a wife, mother and breastfeeding advocate who’s head over in heels in love with her two little girls and enjoying the bliss that is being a mother to two. I’m guest posting for her today, sharing a little bit of my mommy knowledge in the What to Expect When You Have a Second Child department and I’d love for you to pop over and say hi. You’ll laugh, you’ll nod your head and you’ll ooh and ahh too.

Here’s a little snippet of my guest post…

“As a mother of four children ranging in age from toddler to teens, it’s been a few years since I took the huge leap from being a parent of one child to being a parent of two children.

But I remember that time in my life like it was yesterday.

Those cool, carefree days of being a parent to just one child were a walk in the park compared to the chaos that ensued when I became a mother of two children.

It was a loud, crazy, fun-filled time in my life and an experience that I’ll never forget.”

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "What to Expect When You Have a Second Child" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

If you follow me on Twitter or if you’re a fan of Live and Love Out Loud on Facebook, then you’ve already heard the homecoming rumblings here in small town Missouri.

Homecoming fever was alive and in the air last week here in our little corner of rural Missouri. My two oldest children had dates for the big dance and my daughter was on the homecoming court. It certainly was an exciting night for them both.

I may have been a bit overwhelmed. Seriously? They are growing up way too fast.

Here are a couple of pics I snapped with my iPhone right before we left. (Yes, these pics were taken in my kids’ bathroom. And no, I still haven’t replaced my DSLR.)

My son, Andre, cleaned up rather nicely. I was stoked that he actually agreed to take a pic with me. (I may have bribed him.) Boy is he getting tall!

My daughter wore a floor length gown and did a great job of walking in her heels during the homecoming ceremony. Being elected to serve on the homecoming court was certainly an honor and an experience she’ll not soon forget.

I had a great time getting the kids ready for homecoming and they had a blast. Me? Well, I’ve been sick since homecoming night…

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Have you heard?

I’m teaming up with a few friends to bring you an exciting, new winter photo challenge. The Poetic Winter Photography Challenge starts next week Friday, February 3rd and is open to everyone regardless of skill level, time commitment, camera equipment or geographic location. We’ll have tips, tutorials and freebies each week. Stop by, share your photos and get inspired in a fun and friendly photo challenge environment!

Head on over to the Winter Photo Challenge Page to get a complete list of prompts and to learn more about the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. I’ll do my best to visit as many link-ups as possible, but if I don’t make it over to your place please don’t take it personally. I’m not Superwoman! And of course, if you’re looking for even more folks to link up with, I’d love for you to visit a few of my friends…

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Homecoming {Wordless/Wordful Wednesday}" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

I’ve been running like a beast on the treadmill lately. 60 minutes. Yes! 60 minutes!

It’s hard work and I sweat like a pig, but I’ve got a cute little towel girl that helps me dry off at the end of my run.

How sweet is that?

In case you missed the annoucement…

I’m teaming up with a few friends to bring you an exciting, new winter photo challenge. The Poetic Winter Photography Challenge starts on Friday, February 3rd and is open to everyone regardless of skill level, time commitment, camera equipment or geographic location. We’ll have tips, tutorials and freebies each week. Stop by, share your photos and get inspired in a fun and friendly photo challenge environment!

Head on over to the Winter Photo Challenge Page to get a complete list of prompts and to learn more about the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. I’ll do my best to visit as many link-ups as possible, but if I don’t make it over to your place please don’t take it personally. I’m not Superwoman! And of course, if you’re looking for even more folks to link up with, I’d love for you to visit a few of my friends…

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "My Little Towel Girl {Wordless/Wordful Wednesday}" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

Photo challenge enthusiasts, rejoice! The wait is finally over.

I’m teaming up with Alicia of Project Alicia, Rebecca of Bumbles & Light and Faith of Sweet Violet to bring you the winter photography challenge you’ve all been waiting for.

The Poetic Winter Photography Challenge is an inspiring 4-week photo challenge aimed at capturing the poetic beauty of winter through photography. The photo challenge will run from February 3rd – 24th. That’s 4 weeks of photography fun; short, sweet and the perfect prelude to spring!

Here’s what you can expect:

Photography tips and freebies for everyone each week!

Weekly prompts that are accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level, camera equipment or geographic location.

Inspiring, poetic quotes to get your creative juices flowing.

We’ve revamped our selection process of favorite photos each week. Instead of picking only a handful of photos, we’ll be showcasing an unlimited number of our favorite photos each week on our Poetic Winter Pinterest Board!

And as always, we’ll continue to stop by each of your posts throughout the week to show a little bit of photo challenge host love.

We’re so excited about the launch of winter photo challenge! Don’t forget to join us on Friday, February 3rd. Our first prompt will be “solitude.” For more details and a complete list of prompts, stop by the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge page.

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Announcing Our Long Awaited Winter Photography Challenge" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

“Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in.” – Author Unknown

2011 came and went in a flash and we’re already knee-deep into the new year, but the life lessons and memorable moments of 2011 continue to reverberate in my heart. Over the last year, I’ve learned a great deal about life, love, friendships and the amazing world I live in.

Life Lessons, Gifts and Memorable Moments

I am blessed beyond measure. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly and clothes on my back. My house stays warm during the winter, cool during the summer and I have more “stuff” than any one person needs or deserves. On top of all that, I’m blessed with four beautiful children and a wonderful family. I am blessed beyond measure, indeed.

No one said life would be fair. We all experience trials and are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles from time to time, but life goes on. I learned that from my cousin, Jacob, who suddenly lost his sight at the age of 40. Resilience and determination are written all over his face and his story is an incredibly inspiring one, to say the least. Jacob is living proof that blindness is not a barrier to success.

I might be broken, scarred and a little worse for the wear, but I’m still holding on. I don’t plan on letting go, giving up or throwing in the towel anytime soon. I’m ready for whatever life throws my way.

Our world is filled with so much beauty. Oftentimes, we’re just too busy to notice. Photography slows me down and forces me to stop, look, listen and feel the world around me. There’s so much beauty to be found, even in the most unexpected places.

My children are my greatest teachers. They’ve taught me to let go of perfection, to unleash the carefree child within and they’ve taught me the importance of living in the moment. They really know what it means to live and love out loud.

“No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.” I’ve met some incredible people along this journey called life. And like dents and grooves on an old wooden floor, the people who’ve walked into my life have left indelible impressions in my heart. They’ve shaped me into the person that I am and have yet to become. For that, I’m eternally grateful.

This is the only body I’ll ever have; I have to take care of it. I spent the last 2-1/2 years ignoring the pounds I’ve put on. Childbirth, out of control snacking, a sedentary lifestyle and ignorance contributed to unhealthy weight gain. But no more. I’ve changed my eating habits, have been working out regularly and it’s finally paying off. I feel like a new woman. This is not a diet. This is not a phase. This is my life. And, there’s no going back.

If I don’t take charge of my own health, no one else will. The last four weeks of 2011 were wrought with fear and uncertainty as I underwent the process of determining whether or not the lump I found in my breast was cancerous. Thankfully, my tumor is benign. If there’s anything that I’ve learned during this whole ordeal, it’s that monthly breast self-exams are extremely important and just one small way in which I can take charge of my own health.

I have a voice. I’d be a fool if I didn’t use it. Sharing my breast lump journey here at Live and Love Out Loud and on Susan Sohn’s fabulous web radio show, Real Life with Susan and Friends, are just a few ways that I’ve used my voice to encourage women to take charge of their health by performing monthly breast self-exams. Many were compelled to schedule the mammograms they had been putting off as well. By using my voice, I’ve been able to effect a little bit of change. And change – no matter how small – has a ripple effect that continues to be felt long after the first splash. I’m determined to continue to use my voice to create a few more ripples in the coming year.

Life is truly a gift; moments worthy of being celebrated, appreciated, acknowledged and enjoyed all wrapped up with a pretty red bow. I’m so thankful for the life lessons, gifts and memorable moments of 2011 and I’m looking forward to many more in the coming year.

2012 is going to be a great year!

What are some of the life lessons, gifts and memorable moments that you were blessed with during 2011?

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Life Lessons, Gifts and Memorable Moments of 2011" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama

I’ve got new specs, my very first pair! What do you think? Do they make me look smarter?

(Excuse the crazy get-up. I was playing around with a 50′s housewife photoshoot idea.)

Thank you so much for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. I’m doing my best to visit as many of your blogs as possible. Please forgive me if don’t make it around to your place this week. As always, if you’re looking for even more folks to link up with, I’d love for you to visit a few of my friends…

Hi there! Thanks so much for subscribing to Live and Love...Out Loud. I love hearing from you, so please don't be shy. Stop by and leave a comment on my recent post "Specs {Wordless/Wordful Wednesday}" or shoot me a quick email. It would certainly make my day. Thanks again! Kristi, Live and Love...Out Loud @TweetingMama