The last of the cake pictures (I promise)

So, these are just a couple from our first attempt at 1 year old "cake eating" pictures. I love that he's covered in blue frosting...but I had a hard time coming up with a good place to take this photo shoot. I DID NOT want all of that blue frosting inside my house where I normally take back-drop photos. I could just imagine me scrubbing well into the night sobbing about how we'd have to pay enormous fees for replacement carpet when we moved out in October. So, we opted for outdoors (in a waterproof diaper so that we could just dump him, diaper and all into the tub afterwards), which I think is smart...except the lighting was not too bueno. We got some harsh shadows...but cute moments nonetheless. So, I'm sharing them, for the grandparents' sake if nothing else. Thanks for putting up with my obsessive cake photos, blog friends! This really is the last of 'em and I promise I'll move on to another topic. I just still can't believe my baby is 1 and turning into a toddler right before my eyes. He's beginning to talk more, meow more (that's right...he knows that's how he gets the adoring looks from the ladies in the supermarket and wherever we are!), walk more and today he folded his arms during the prayer at dinner and said "Ummmemmm" at the end. It's exciting and it makes me want to cry all at the same time! I wish I could bottle these moments...but I guess photographing them, journaling them and blogging them will just have to do.

It's my party...

So, I've never thrown a party for kids. NEVER. We decided to only invite the kids Wes actually plays with. I thought I'd keep it simple...cupcakes, snacks and playing at the park. I bought sidewalk chalk because there were some older kids coming and I knew they'd like it. Well, luck of all luck...I chose the ONLY day where it poured rain. We moved the party indoors and the kids were great! There were no tragedies with the green frosting in the house (my couches and floors are all still the right color). Wes only ate a little of the chalk while the kids drew on the porch and everyone played nicely. Nothing got broken beyond repair. It was surprisingly enjoyable and I found myself thinking that I could do kids' parties and LIKE them. So, we'll be in England next year with a whole new set of friends...but already my mind is conjuring up fun for next year's party. Here are a myriad of shots from the party (and I'm posting most of them because everyone likes to see "their" kid!)

How to REALLY eat a cupcake!

Weslee is one year old (and has been for a couple of weeks...but we just had the party) and I can't believe how quickly the time has flown. Each day he learns something new. Tonight he learned how to say "blue" well, kind of and he learned how to stick his colored alphabet letters in the tub to the wall. He is SO MUCH FUN to be with every day. I love waking up and wondering what he'll come up with. Anyway, one of the joys of turning one is the cake! We had cupcakes with green frosting (and because it was raining, we brought the party, the 12 kids and the green frosting inside...which wasn't disasterous like I had imagined). It was fun and I'm glad I captured it on film. I was looking at pictures the other day from a year ago and couldn't believe he was ever so tiny (or that my back was ever able to handle carrying him for more than just a few minutes). Here's to another year...and don't worry grandparents, more pictures will be forthcoming. These are just a couple for tonight!

I put the pictures in order from clean to dirty. We still have green frosting and chocolate cake smashed on our porch...just in case you were wondering.

Shoe fettish...

OK, I'll admit it, I have a serious problem! I have a shoe fettish. I don't get to indulge this part of me very often, but when I do, I get all giddy inside. Not quite as giddy as getting a new lense, but giddy enough to get super hyper and begin talking with lots of hand gestures (it runs in the family when we're excited or just trying to tell a story. Actually, come to think of it, we talk with hand gestures all of the time.) I usually like all of the shoes I purchase. Every now and then I make a dumb purchase (like satin shoes to go with a prom dress...yuck!) They don't happen often. We're talking like once every 5 years or so. But, then again, every so often I run across a pair of shoes that I just love and would wear every day if I could. (My normal outfit of sweat pants and t-shirt don't look too good with these shoes). These red flats are just such a pair. I love these bright, "look at me, look at me" shoes. Now I know why Dorothy wore ruby red slippers. You feel special and very chic in them. I thought I would document my fettish for the world today...(And, I needed SOMETHING to photograph on this dreary rainy day...right?)

Singing in the Rain

Ok...I'm almost peeing my pants I'm so excited. I finally got my new lense. It was more expensive than I would really like to think about right now, but after this photoshoot, I'm thinking it was worth every penny! So, it came in the mail yesterday and I couldn't take pictures because I was preparing for a Young Women's activity. I awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed today hoping for a photo op...and guess what? It was POURING rain...all day. Weslee and I looked out the window sadly. But, providence smiled upon us around 5pm! It quit raining for about 30 minutes and I toted Weslee outside just to practice. I didn't really think I'd get anything great. We were in our driveway after all, not really looking very good (if you look closely, there is some crusty snot around Wes's nose and yogurt in his hair..we won't even discuss what I looked like), but I wanted to get a feel for my new machinery! I was literally singing while taking these pictures (Bubbly was the song, in case you were wondering). Weslee got excited right along with me. He has started mirroring my emotions lately. When I'm super excited, he flaps his arms and gets excited with me. When I'm sad or crying, he does it too. Anyway, the practice session turned into one of my favorite photo shoots ever. I still am stunned that this came from my camera. I'm quite pleased with myself, in case you couldn't tell...and quite pleased with my purchase (A Canon EF 24-70mm, f/2.8L lense). Yea!!!

I'm wishing for Spring!

Nasty first pic...I was worried when I pulled this pic up! Seriously...ugly! But, after a little "Black and Color" action, erasing the flower back into color, upping the contrast and saturation and burning the edges, I LIKE it...alot (if I do say so myself).
Next is my favorite pic. I may hang this on a wall somewhere. I really want to go contemporary in one of my rooms. Lots of Black and White with bright pictures on the wall. If I ever get to do it (because we're too poor to do it right now), this pic will go on the wall. Unless I've taken a better pic by then, which I guess is possible.

Here's what I started with...not bad, but not something I'd frame either! Kinda dull!
Then, I oversaturated everything to make it look like a painting, sort of...
Then I went to equalize, to give the picture some "edge"...
And then I fused the oversaturated and equalized pictures together and erased the equalized layer until I was pleased with the finished product...Wah-lah! (If that made no sense to you...I usually make no sense, so don't be worried).
Here are some photos of the only 2 flowers I could find in my whole stinking neighborhood. I think it's completely wrong that Easter has come and gone...it's legal to wear white shoes and spring dresses and everything...and there are NO FLOWERS! What the heck? I wish someone would tell Mother Nature to get her act together. She's running way late this year and my pasty white legs would really like some sun! But, who wants to go out in shorts when it's cold and windy?

Anyway, I had tons of fun playing with these photos and giving them my own special touch in Photoshop. I will say that if Photoshop were a drug...I'd be in trouble. Serious trouble. Lately, since I have nothing new to play with, I've been going back over old pictures. Yep...spring, you'd better come quickly!

P.S. I posted the process along with the end product...just so you can see the madness.

Cooking up some fun!

Yeah, so this is what happens when mom finds something cute at Target...we come home and play (Weslee with whatever it is that I bought...here a chef's hat and apron) and mom with her camera. I will say that this was probably Weslee's favorite photo shoot ever.

OK...for those of you who don't know enough about my "studio" shoots and my current house, here is the 411. Yes, these were taken in my sickeningly skinny living room where the only good source of natural light comes in. Yes, I had to smash myself against the couch to get far enough away to even snap pictures without Wes touching the lense (or wanting to). Yes, that is real flour...and it is now all over the carpet, the couches, the wall, the backdrop, and pretty much every toy he now owns. And, lastly, yes! It was worth the mess.

Something you should know is that Weslee loves to "cook" with me already. If he isn't right in the thick of things when I pull out a pan or a bowl, he howls in protest until I either get on his level and let him see me stir things up, or pick him up where he can see the water boil and watch me stir the pots. I'm a little worried that he's so fascinated with the flames on the stove...but luckily, he can't reach them (yet) unless I'm there with him. I've tried giving him his own bowl and spoon to play with while I cook...but he's a smart kid and knows that it's not where the action is. In some ways, I'm tempted sometimes to be frustrated because it is hard to enjoy cooking with a child strapped to your leg howling. But, on the other hand, I know that in the future, if I nourish this desire in him now, we'll have lots of fun moments cooking and learning together in the kitchen...and lots of memories to share too.