WW: I Think I'll Go For a Walk Outside Now

I Heart Faces: Excited!

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!

I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!

Yep, that about sums it up!

For more exciting photos, head over to I Heart Faces!

I Heart Faces: Blue

Blue - the color or the mood.

Both seem to work for this photo this week.

Guess who didn't want to get out of the pool?

I look at this and can't help but sing...

"I'm so blu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ue, I'm so blue I don't know what to do"

It's official. Veggie Tales has taken over my brain.

Anyways...

I Heart Faces has a ton of blue-inspired photos this week so check them out!

I Heart Faces: Completely Candid

Being a mommy, most of my photos are candid so this week was perfect! Lots of choices, but I just love the look on Little J's face! Once again, I wish I knew what he was thinking!



Check out more candid photos over at I Heart Faces!

I Heart Faces: Fix-It Friday #29

I love the picture this week because this cute redhead reminds me of a good friend's daughter. And you can't make a picture black and white with that gorgeous red hair so here is the original...

And here is my edit...

Still using free editing! This was done with FotoFlexer.

Want to see more? Head over to I Heart Faces!

Have a blessed Friday!

I Heart Faces: Contemplative

Contemplative - interesting topic. Here's what they were thinking over at I Heart Faces...

Our Definition: thoughtful observation; full or deep consideration; dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood; expressing or revealing thoughtfulness; quiet modes of apparent or real thought; can be marked by some sadness, but doesn't have to be.

I did a lot of looking for the perfect photo and I kept coming back to this one.

We were at the zoo and Joshua was watching his brother and the other big kids in the sandbox. I just imagine him thinking, "I want to be just like them when I grow up..."

Plus, I just love those chubby cheeks.

Check out all of the other contemplative photos at I Heart Faces and enter your own!

I Heart Faces: Fix It Friday #28

Fix-It Friday again! I am having so much fun with this now! And learning a lot!

So here is this week's adorable original...

This week I did two edits - getting more adventurous!

Edit #1

Edit #2


What do you think? Which do you like better?

I Heart Faces: Back to School

Well, Stephen is back to school now but he didn't really go for the idea of pictures on the first day back, so I'll go with the little guy on this one.

Jeremiah and I started preschool at home this fall. This would picture would represent our version of a day at school - drawing numbers in shaving cream! Love the look on his face - learning and having fun at the same time!

For more back to school photo fun, head over to I Heart Faces and check out all the fabulous shots!

Fix-It Friday - Better Late Than Never!

So, I couldn't get my editing program to cooperate (grrr...), thus the day late on Fix-It Friday entry for I Heart Faces.

But such a cute photo, I couldn't pass it up!

Here is the before...


And here is my after...


This time around, I used FotoFlexer to edit and like it quite a bit. And it didn't keep shutting down on me!

For this edit, I played around with saturation, contrast and blurring around the edges. Nothing too fancy, but I didn't want to distract from that cute chubby face!

Thanks for taking a look! See what others did with the same photo over at I Heart Faces!

I Heart Faces: Before and After

It's a non-contest week at I Heart Faces, but not a week off! The theme this week is "Before and After." It's a time to go back and look at those not-so-lovely photos I took when I first started thinking about composition, focus, lighting, editing and such - "getting serious" about it.

Most posts I have read on this topic begin with, "When I first got my DSLR..." Well, mine will start like this...

When I first got our new point-and-shoot, I noticed a difference in the quality of pictures immediately. But I had no idea how to use the camera to get GREAT pictures.

This was the first week I had it...

SO glad the driveway is in focus and NOT my child's face. Good work Erin.

And how about this fine lighting and focus? Yikes! I needed some help!

I started figuring out some settings and options on the camera and taking more pictures OUTSIDE and things started looking up...

And I got a little more creative...

And taking lots of shots of my little guys...

And I'm still working on it!

I am loving all the things I learn through I Heart Faces and other people's pictures. I'm also experimenting with editing more now and love it!

I'm not doing this professionally, so for me, it's all about stepping out there and learning new things and I'm enjoying it so much!

Fix-It Friday: Beauty

I don't know why, but I am very nervous about this!

This is my very first time participating in "Fix-It Friday" over at I Heart Faces. I should say my first time actually posting what I've done - I've been playing around for a while and been just too insecure to post in the past!

But I figured what the heck this week - I'll put myself out there!

And what a beautiful picture to work on! This sweetheart is actually a triplet!

Here is the original...

And here is my edit...

I used the GIMP program (can't afford Photoshop!) and I can't remember what all I did or I would post it for you! I know it involved sparkle and glow and borders :) Just wanted to give it a dreamier look!

Thanks for checking it out! Check out all the other FABULOUS edits over I Heart Faces!

I Heart Faces: Nostalgia

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "Nostalgia." Kind of a wide open topic and I was drawing a blank, so I just scanned through my pics until...

I found this one.




And I got that warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling.

The picture is my oldest son and my grandpa on his pontoon earlier this summer.

It brings back so many memories of me fishing with Grandpa. Not that I was ever very good at it or actually liked the fishing part of it all that much - my grandma reminds how I used to panic and say "I think I'm having a heart attack" every time I got a fish on my line - but they are wonderful memories of doing something with my grandpa that he LOVES.

Grandpa just had us four granddaughters to take fishing, but now there are two great-grandsons and he was SO excited to take them out on his boat. And the boys were equally excited.

My dad was on the boat with us as well and as we were there, I realized - here we go with the next generation - grandpa and grandchildren making memories together.

I hope they always remember those times. And get that same feeling.

I Heart Faces: Silly Faces & Pets Week

Check out all of the crazy, silly, funny faces this week over at I Heart Faces!

Our three-year-old's attempt at a silly face!

And while you're there, check out all of the animal shots too.

But no pets here for a while - sorry kids!

Good thing we go to the zoo or we wouldn't have any animal shots!

What a pair!

I Heart Faces: Our Summer Story

It's time to share our summer story in pictures! Check out all the summer fun over at I Heart Faces!



Here's a brief recap of our jam-packed summer!

Joshua turned 1...

And Jeremiah turned crazy!

We fell in love with the zoo...

and the air-conditioning at the children's museum!

We took the boys camping for the first time...

and out on a boat for the first time!

Jeremiah even got to drive!

And there was swimming...

and more swimming...

lots and lots of swimming!

And Jeremiah discovered goggles!

The best part was lots of time with great friends...

And wonderful family...

and my honey.

Good summer! Can't wait for fall!