Heritage Project: Ben's Poem

So I have decided that since I am working harder at completing projects I start I would also share them here. So today I have started and completed (In under and hour!) The canvas print for Ben's poem that is going to be published. Now I could of gone with a poster for him, but since his poem is about painting and I want it to last him a life time (there is a great rebuy program if it doesn't though) I went with a canvas print. It's just a small one, 8x8 but perfect for a student that in a few years will be going to University. If your interested in creating your own masterpieces head over to Lovely Hearts Memories and sign-up for your free account to check it all out no matter where in the world you live.

Photo Story Boards...

Okay, So I LOVE learning new things and for some of you this maybe old hat, but for me this is SOO COOL and EASY!! One of the newest blogs I have discovered is The CoffeeShop Blog. It has been so AWESOME for teaching me a few Photoshop tricks as well as she makes Photoshop actions and STORYBOARDS! I have put photos together before but it has always been a time consuming thing, or I use the merging tool for making panoramic pictures from multiple pictures. But I sometimes want to dress my story photos up and she made that soooo easy for me. Okay... so maybe I am a little over excited, but really how could you not be when it's something that you enjoy? So here are a few of the photo stories I wanted to share with you these past few weeks because I think they are cute.

The first is of our Brunch Mike and I had When Sam was home sick from school on the first day of February. Mike and Sam requested Snake Eyes... I know it goes by MANY other name, but that is what I was taught you call eggs cooked inside a hole in bread so you get you eyes and toast together. I made mine using the heart shaped cookie cutter and took some pictures thinking of the picture of the day project and ended up with some fun. So in the story board you have the Snake Eyes cooking, then you have how Claudia eats hers, and last how Sam eats his. Then as a fun bonus there is a picture of Claudia making kissy faces to her dad while showing him her Red Jam Heart.

Next we have Claudia in the Bath on February 2nd who called me in and insisted a grab my camera just so I could take pictures of her making faces. My favorite is the middle one but all of them are cute.



Okay... So there is 2 of the ones I have been playing with.. I will post more in the future.. but honestly.. Aren't they Perfect!

Catching Up

Yep that's right you heard me, I am catching-up.... on what you say? Well the list is long but I will let you in on just a few.

 1. My house work... Oh I love my husband and kids but after the semi-annual inspection was done, they decided it was time to take a break from cleaning... Hence, it has been a slow process, but slowly the house is getting back to where I had it.

2. My Photo-A-Day Blog I did not have time to do much while I was taking my H&R Block course so there were some days I did not take photos, and others where I did but they just did not get posted. They go back almost 3 weeks so Have Fun!

3. My Heritage Makers Projects. I love that I can scrapbook with out having to fight through mounds of papers and other supplies right now.. because lets be honest in a small house that has 8 people and often time more in it.. there just is no room! Plus it is way more affordable for my family and I LOVE that with it I get free online photo storage! If you have any memory of all my computer problems last year you will know how great that is. Check it out... a basic account is FREE!

4. My Laundry. OK I know I said house work... but the laundry here has a LIFE OF ITS OWN! So it deserves a place on this list all by its self. Now I am not saying we don't have clean clothes.. what I am saying is that when my hubby and kids wash clothes they do NOT fold them... you could not see the toy room through the clothes... and I am sure they multiplied worse than rabbits in there.

5. My TV. OK not a really important part of my list but I have a few shows I love to watch and I PVR'd them all and while I caught up on the laundry I watched my shows... Oh yeah I killed 2 birds with one stone baby!

6. This blog. Yep I have neglected it and for that I am so sorry.  I know you guys don't hold your breath waiting for me to post on here, but I have this little fantasy that some where, some one is just a little sad when I miss posting. ( I know, but remember it is a dream)

8. Reading my Blog list. Oh yeah I have a list of Blogs I love to read when I get on the computer and I am slowly catching up on what is happening with some of my favorite people, friends and family, plus those professional blogs I follow. A few of them are Mayhem with the Morrels, Stay at Home in Suburbia, Life as I See It, Printed Jewels Blog, Clutter Busting with Brooks Palmer, and Shadow House Creations ( He is crazy talented and just shares it all with us. I recommend his desktop calendars for sure)

7. My Photo Challenges. I have one that I do on a Semi regular basis called I Heart Faces. It is for all skill levels of photographers and I have learned a TON about photography and photo processing from them. If you have any interest in taking pictures check them out.. maybe even enter a challenge or two or more. I also have a dream that one day I may actually place in the top ten on week. The next one is more of a workshop but it is also free and a great learning tool. It is called The Joy of Love by Willette. She is an amazing Children's Photographer and even if you are taking just family photos what she has to teach will really help improve your photos.

Yep. Like I said lots... and there is more but really I must try NOT to sit in front of the computer the whole day and you would probably get bored of reading that many thing. Tomorrow I will catch you you on some of my favorite photo stories I have taken these past few weeks bur for now I will end with this photo of Claudia showing me her mermaid hair in her bath yesterday. She asked me to take pictures of her making faces at me. There will be some more posted tomorrow. What have you done lately?

I Heart Faces, People's Choice (Best Face Photo From January)

So here is my quick entry from my January Faces. I didn't have many to go through as I spent so much of my time working on my course. However I still had fun going through the few I had been able to take and settled on this one of Jordan from when we all went sledding. She had such joy on her face that I kept going back to it to smile too.

Check out the other entries this week over at

For Such A Time As This

In these days we have to work hard and stand stronger for those things we believe in. No matter your faith the world is in turmoil. Standards have fallen, values are being pushed aside. People are being forgotten and worse over, material things! Those who stand for something different are being punished. We are few who believe in family and people anymore. There are more and more stories of the pain and suffering that are being inflected on others because so many don't care anymore how we feel. It is easier to hide away and not say anything than to risk the wrath of others. Like so many scriptures the story of Ester has more meaning today than ever before. Will you have the strength to stand for what you believe knowing what the world will do to you?

I Survived!

It was a long 2 weeks and a lot of hard work as I spent my time studying with H&R Block to work with them this tax season and possibly others in the future. They phoned me up about after I had inquired about theirs classes last September. They offered to pay me to take their January Speed course. This course is where they take what they usually spend 3months teaching and condense it down into 2 weeks! It was frustrating at times and really consumed most of my time. My family did the best they could to pick up the slack around here to keep the house under control. I am very grateful for all they did. I managed to pass the course and not next week but the week after I will start working for the season. It will only be part time as that is all I wanted to help pay off our debts a little faster and to help pay for my photography classes and business. I have missed posting my photo-a-day challenge and will catch up on those next week. I was not able to take a photo everyday but did get a few in :) I missed my friends and family and keeping in touch with them. I plan on spending all next week catching up with everything. I also plan on starting into a new venture with my cousin Julie and Heritage Makers. You can check out her Blog here to learn more about it. I will be having an Internet get together on February 23th. Stay tuned for more details :)

Well I am going to catch up on some house work and get the dinner prep going so I can relax for a few hours on the net afterwards. And what post is complete without a picture so here is a peek into what my last few weeks was like crumbs and all.

I Heart Faces - Winter Wonderland

This weeks Theme for I Heart Faces is Winter wonderland, which we sure have a ton of up here. Right now there is snow that is taller than my daughter outside. So I have a lot of fun pictures I could choose from but the one I love the best so far this year is the one of Ben Breaking down Icicles in his sunday clothes. So that is what I am going to put in as my entry this week.

Please don't forget to check out the rest of the fun winter photos at