~Weslea’s Favorite Christmas Gift~

Two years ago, my sister Drew introduced me to Ree Drummond’s blog, The Pioneer Woman.

It was while I was viewing Ree’s photography and photoshop tutorials that I began to think “Hey!  Maybe I could learn to do that with my photos!”  And I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past two years trying to do just that.

From Ree’s site, I was drawn to Donna Boucher’s blog.  Originally just because I enjoyed the photography tips she shared.  It didn’t take me long to realize what a beautiful spot Donna had created on the net though and I stuck around because of her warm, loving spirit and the beautiful friendships I had made over there.

From Donna’s site, I met Amy.  And between Amy and myself a website called I Heart Faces was born.  :)



Which brings me to the point of this post.  One of my very, very, very favorite things about I Heart Faces is that I am in charge of the Guest Photographer Judge schedule.  Through that I have actually gotten to “talk” with some of my photography heros…people like Ree, Donna, Becker, Jasmine Star and so many others.  And Sheye Rosemeyer!!!  (I love Sheye’s photography and website so much.)

So, when Amy called me last November and told me that she was going to stand in line at a Dallas bookstore to attend Ree’s cookbook signing, my first thought was “Wow, it’d be cool to meet Ree in person!” and then right after that my second thought was “But you couldn’t pay me to stand in that line to do it.”




I hate crowds.  I hate long lines.  I hate to cook.  So, I basically told Amy that she was nuts for even considering standing in those lines (some up to 8 or more hours long?!) but to have fun and to say “Hi!” to Ree for me.

Amy then stood in that line and called me to tell me how much fun she was having because…she was meeting all kinds of I Heart Faces fans in that line!

That’s when I got jealous.  Standing in line and meeting I Heart Faces fans?  I would have been there in a heartbeat because that sounds like fun.


Eventually I got over it and life moved on until December when I received a surprise package in the mail.

It seems that while Amy was standing in line meeting I Heart Faces fans, she wasn’t just holding one book to have Ree sign…she was holding two.



And one was sent to Ohio to little old me.



That was a pretty cool Christmas gift!

Here’s where the weird part occurred though.

I looked through the cookbook and oohed and aahed in the appropriate places, and then set it aside like I do every single cookbook that I have owned over the years.

And that’s when a certain Miss Weslea confiscated it and decided that she needed that book more than I did.



Now every time I fold laundry, sit down to read, work on the computer or do any other task in this house…she sits down with me to regale me with tales of living on a ranch in Oklahoma.


Weslea:  Did you know that we only have four kids but The Pioneer Woman has six?
Me:  No, she only has four kids…just like us.
W: You’re wrong mom.  This picture shows that she has six kids.
M: Two of those are cousins of her kids.
W.  Oh.  {pause}  Well, I think she should have six kids.
M:  If I ever have the opportunity to meet her, I’ll be sure to pass that information along.



Weslea:  She has dogs!!!!!


Weslea:  Oh my gosh!  Her husband is wearing a pink shirt!!!!  She says that “real men” wear pink shirts!


W:  Look at this mom!
M:  Oh, you like the cowboy page do ya?  {wink, wink}
W:  {indignant and serious}  I do not!  Look at the cows and horses!


W: I think we need to move to Oklahoma to live on a ranch.
M:  No thank you.
W:  But they have dogs…and horses….and cows…and hay bales!
M:  And they have lots and lots of stinky smelly poop.
W:  I still think we should move there.
M: Let me say it again.  Poop?  No. Thank. You.




Amy, I’d have to say that you scored big and your Christmas gift was a tremendous hit.



Weslea thanks you from the bottom of her heart.

Oh, and so do I.  :)