Dress Shopping!

I had the awesome opportunity last weekend to go wedding dress shopping with my future Sister-in-Law!!  I was so happy she asked me to go!  I even brought my camera along!

All the beautiful dresses - Amsale, Christos, Watters....SO beautiful! 

She pulled maybe 10 or so dresses to try on.  OBVIOUSLY, I will not be showing ANY pics of her in dresses....you're going to have to wait until the big day for those!  MAY 21, 2011!!  The date is SET!

So many beautiful ones to chose from!  And then so many nips, tucks, add ons, removals of fabrics, beads, lace.....you can practically customize your dress these days!  HOW FUN!!

And when you get Lacey and I together, well, we're bound to have a little fun around the shop.

The beautiful bride!!!

TIARAS! :-)

And so many beautiful veils!  I only tried one on.  ;-)

Sweet Margaret has also asked Lacey and I to be in her wedding!!  Can't wait to stand up there with her and Walton on their big day!

Just 5 short months to go!!!!  Can't wait!

Climber

This little guy....

....is EVERYWHERE.

And he climbed up and helped himself to the peanut butter chocolate Santa on the Candy House!

Hopefully he didn't consume too much foil.  ;-)


But y'all, he can scale ANYTHING!  I find him on the table, on the counter, on my desk, on the dining room table, standing on the couch.....EVERYWHERE.

He may only be 2 feet tall, but somehow manages to get up onto most anything.  It's crazy.  I don't remember any other kids doing this.  Lillian can get up on things pretty easy, but she was older when she started. 

Nothing is safe....he's already ruined one keyboard when he climbed on my desk and spilled coffee on it.  But hopefully, we can get his climbing under control with a few little consequences here and there. 

It's so hard to discipline him because he's SO DARN CUTE!!!  Look at that smile and those dimples!


HAPPY FRIDAY!  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!  Our Christmas break starts TODAY!  So excited!!!

Photography Spoiled

After hearing about my sick lens and it's need to go to the doctor, a good friend emailed me offering to let me borrow one of her lenses that she doesn't use very much.  I think I called her within 2.5 seconds of receiving that email!

Because it's Mary Margaret Chambliss and she is an awesome photographer!  She has photographed our family a couple of times.  I blogged about it HERE, put a video HERE (I still cry every time I watch it), and then one more time HERE.   Who can blame me for blogging about it so much...she did a great job!  Her pics were also our Christmas card for 2009.

Anywho, being such a beginner photographer, I could never afford (or knew much about) Canon L series lenses.  I mean, I didn't doubt that they were incredible.  The glass, the sharpness, the speedy focus....I just focused on what I did have and what I could afford!  And enjoyed myself!

But when I put that lens on and then ran out into 20 something degree temps with my 15 month old (and only cooperative subject these days) to snap a few shots off before the sun went down, I knew I was gonna like it.  A lot.

Yes, I could tell a difference.  I don't know...maybe I've put my hands on just enough lenses to be able to tell what good quality I was shootin' with. 


So here's the mini photoshoot I did with Rhodesie Boy!  We went to jump off some energy until our nose was so cold it was the color of Rudolphs!!

THANK YOU MMC for letting borrow until my lens is back from the hospital!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that she also let me borrow a 100mm f/2.8 MACRO lens!  Interesting...there will probably be many random photography posts coming up! ;-)

Rhodes was so happy to be OUT OF THE HOUSE he ran down the driveway.  Olivia has been sick, so we've pretty much been house ridden for the past few days.

JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!

LOVE this pic...the hair, hat and sun flare! 

We bundled up with 2 coats and were still freezing our noses off!

I kept telling Rhodes not to run off the trampoline and sit down...he would look at me like this:

But M-O-M!!!

JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!

OH, a ball....and I'm freezing!

And then I followed him inside....clearly, he'd had enough!

Holly Jolly Christmas Pics

This was the last picture my camera took before my lens went out. :-(  At least we're ALL in it!! :-)

Santa Sunday was this past Sunday.  The Club has gone all fancy and hired a professional photographer for Santa pictures!

At first we were going to do just the kids...the we were like, what the heck, let's all get in with Santa!

Rhodes cried.  I have to say that the first time he met Santa (last week) he didn't cry!  But this set him over the edge.

Readjust.....now no crying.  Let's just hope the photog got one where we were all looking!

These were taken off from the side with my other lens.

Speaking of the lens, I talked to Tamron and they said it was a quick fix and completely covered by the warranty.  I sent it in yesterday and hope to get it back in a couple of weeks.  It still stinks because I've been the resident photographer at family get togethers, and I'm not going to have my wide angle/wide aperture lens.  I have been super impressed with it's low light and indoor capabilities.  The vibration compensation is great and I would have recommended it to anyone. 

Now, let's just see how Tamron's customer service is.  My opinion may completely change!  They will definitely win some brownie points if I get it back by the 23rd or 24th though.  Which isn't completely impossible, but with it being the holiday season and shipping companies are probably maxed out, it seems a little unattainable.

Renting a lens is out of the question, so it looks like I'll just have my 50mm for a little bit!  Keep lookin' at the bright side!!

11 more days 'til Christmas!!!  

WOOO WHOOO!!!!

THE Candy House 2010

*indoor, nighttime, low light photos...not the best...but it still captures our little tradition! the super high iso makes the photos a little grainy! ;-)


We stayed in Friday night to create THE Candy House of 2010!  Everyone was pumped up...and sugared up!

I went to town making the Seven Minute Frosting!  It turned out perfect and then I iced the house down!




Hair got did the next mornin'!  It was out of control long...and hadn't been cut in 6 months! yikes!

Little Man couldn't get enough of that white, frosty goodness!

Then I let the kids go to town.  Sure I have dreams of nice, neat, perfect candy houses.  But then where's the fun in just going all out and doing whatever you want!?  And, of course, sneaking bites of candy every chance you get!





LOVED the icing!

Very serious about this....

PILES of sprinkles....I think half went on my floor! OY!

No method to the madness!

But LOTS AND LOTS of fun!

It now rests on the chest in front of the front door!  And surprisingly still all in one piece.  THOUGH, the dog, Lil, tends to lick little holes in it...kinda like a salt block for horses. 


On another note...my new lens is having to go into the doctor! :-(  It's an issue covered by the warranty, but still, I'm going to have to without it for a couple of weeks.  BOOOO.  It couldn't have come at a worse time, huh.  BUT, I still have my trusty 50mm 1.8.  Not so fun for tight shots, but at least I'll HAVE a lens.  Anyone have another lens I could borrow for a couple of weeks??!