~ The Bane of my Winter Existence ~

This….stick….is the bane of my winter existence.



Invariably, every December I innocently leave our home to run errands one day…and when I return home our driveway is miraculously lined with about 1,652 of those things. 

In Bill’s mind, the sticks are spaced perfectly apart giving me an extra two feet on each side of the van to drive up the driveway each day.

In my mind, the sticks are spaced so that I have approximately one itsy-bitsy inch of space on each side of the van while I'm maneuvering my way through The Arthur Clan obstacle course each day.

And I have this little problem that I need to confess.  My little problem is that  I don’t see the sticks.


I honestly and truly don't see them.  It makes Bill absolutely crazy because I always seem to run over one of them on the very first day he puts them up.  And then I run over a second one a few days later.  And then maybe a third one.  Or fourth one.

I’ll just stop there, but I'm sure you get the picture.

I used to handle the situation with Plan A which involved zipping my lips and keeping my mouth shut until he noticed that another stick was down {which was usually on his way out the driveway to go to work the next day.}

Before he had even left the driveway I would hear our home phone ring {which I ignored under the guise that I was way too busy to answer the phone because I was getting all four children ready for school.}

Then my cell phone would ring.  Ignore!


The home phone would ring again.  Ignore!


I don’t like to talk on the phone anyway, but I refuse to talk on the phone when I know I’m going to be yelled at.

Last year I came up with a new plan...a little plan I like to call Plan B.  Now when I run over a stick, I just walk in the house and yell “Did you see that I ran over another stick?!”

Since Bill is usually standing at the living room window watching me drive up the driveway the typical response is a disgusted “yes" that he growls at me.

Or, if I run over a stick when I am leaving the house…I will then just flash my lights at Bill and honk the horn since I know he’s standing at the front window shaking his head in disgust at me.  This brings me great joy.

My new plan worked wonderfully until I was leaving our house the other day and noticed that a stick had been run over and I was 159% sure that I had not run it over.  Oh, was I mad.  “I am so going to be blamed for running over that stick when I actually did not run it over for the first time in my life!!” I said to myself in my head.

Bill was in Michigan on business but when he returned home the first words out of my mouth were “There is a stick laying in the driveway and I DID NOT RUN IT OVER.”

“I know.” he replied.

I was flabbergasted.  “Did you run over the stick?”  (Oh this would give me material to rib him for years if he did.)

“No, the guy who picked me up to drive to Michigan today…he ran over the stick.”

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you dear guy who drove Bill to Michigan the other day.  Next time that I run over a stick I can just tell Bill “Hey – men all over Ohio are running over sticks.  Just think of that guy that drove you to Michigan!  It’s the Ohio-thing to do now.  If you are a true man or woman in the Buckeye state, you run over sticks.”

At least that's Part I of my new improved Plan C.

I think it's a keeper.



P.S.  I am changing this post to add this information (that I added as a comment below):
I am laughing so hard that some of you don't know what those sticks are for. Oh how I wish I were you!!

Our driveway is really long and we get a LOT of snow every year. So, in Ohio you will see them lining a lot of the driveways. Basically they are there so that Bill knows where to plow when we get a snowstorm.

And (of course) so that I can run them over.

~ Texture Photo Challenge ~

I love using texture on my photos.  Either finding it in nature, on a wall, from an element of architecture…or by adding it to my photos through the magic of Photoshop.

I think I love adding texture most when I am working with photos I have taken of nature (flowers, leaves, birds, etc.) but using it on a portrait with people would be my second favorite.

Last fall, Andrea and I had the pleasure of shooting Josh and Paige’s wedding photos for them.  I have known Josh since he was just a little whippersnapper (he is the son of my husband’s cousin) and it was a joy to be there with him on his special day to capture tender moments like this one…



Which was, of course, a completely posed shot.  Hee!

I’m going to be an i heart faces cheater and will show you the B&W version of this photo as well.  Since I can’t win anyway, I guess it’s not that big of a deal.  But make sure that you only have one photo in your post so that you’ll be qualified to win.  :)



See you over at i heart faces!




P.S.  Josh & Paige?  I pinky-promise that I will have your photos finished for you soon.  :)

~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.  :)

~ I Heart Faces: “We Are Family” ~

This is my friend Adrienne, her husband Jeff, and their three beautiful children…



The past year for them could only be described by most as “horrific.”

Jeff has suffered three times from cancer.  He had just been declared “completely free of cancer” for the second time last spring.  He then went in for routine check this summer at which time they discovered a third form of cancer had taken hold in his body.

I shot this family session for them in October.  At this time Jeff was almost blind from the treatments he had been going through but hopes were high that the treatments would be effective.  The shoot was emotionally draining – not only because of the sadness I personally was feeling for what their family was going through...but also because it was so amazing to see that this family, who had suffered so much, could still have fun together and find joy in the little things.

Adrienne and Jeff were informed in December that his cancer is terminal.  It still makes my heart stop to think, read or say that word.  All treatments have stopped and they are now trying to live life to the fullest for the amount of time Jeff has left here on this earth.

Would you mind stopping by Adrienne’s blog to leave a kind word or note of encouragement for her today?  I cannot even imagine how stressful this has all been for them and yet all I hear Adrienne say is how good God has been.  She is absolutely a spirit-filled, wonderful, lovely person and it breaks my heart that her family is going through this.  I know that your words of encouragement would mean the world to her.

Visit i heart faces to view all of the other beautiful families...

~ An Amazing Year ~

I had grand plans earlier this week of putting together a beautiful, long, completely sappy post about how much i heart faces and, most especially, Amy have meant to me over the past year.  We’re celebrating our first birthday!  It seemed like the right time to write a post like that.

And then we had almost 1,000 photo entries into our contest this week and my free time was gone in the blink of an eye. 

And then my kids decided to share their completely awful flu with me. 

And there went all my grand plans…right down the toilet.

Literally.

{Ahem.}


Moving on…

In that post I was going to try to get Amy back a little bit for all the no-good, terrible photos she had posted of me over the past year by mentioning that I had proof of how talkative she is (the girl can’t even walk without talking)…




I was going to show proof of just how bossy she can be (I feel free to mention that here because she would tell you that herself)…




And I couldn't forget just how fun she is as well!




I was going to talk about how she is one of the most creative people I have ever known…

  (new logo she designed for i heart faces)

And also one of the most giving.

(complete logo design she created for Angie Arthur Photography for my birthday)

And, most importantly, about how awesome this past year has been working together.

We were talking on the phone Monday night while going through some of the first photo entries and realized that we both had tears in our eyes over the kind words that everyone seemed to be putting in their posts.  It was unexpected and yet so completely appreciated.  We talked about the strange circumstances that led us to one another and about how there was no other way to explain it except that it had been a “God Thing.”

Both of just happening to stumble upon the one same blog in all of internetland in the spring of 2008.

Somehow finding each other’s sites as well in the summer of 2008. 

Making an instant connection as friends.

The funny emails that were sent back-and-forth daily that cemented our friendship.

The email in the fall of 2008 that was the very beginning of i heart faces.

The three months of planning that came about after that first email.

The first phone call we made to each other in January 2009 (only a week before i heart faces went live.)

Our first face-to-face meeting at Blissdom in February 2009.

That list could go on and on.

It seems so awesome to me that two women were brought together – both with their own completely different strengths – to make a community that seems to mean so much to so many other woman.

It completely boggles my mind as to what an amazing thing that is!

I do know one thing for sure.  If for nothing else, I am so very glad that i heart faces came about just so that I could meet and get to know a certain Ms. Amy.


Cheers everyone!  And here’s to another amazing year…

~ “Happy Birthday!!” I Heart Faces ~

Wow!  It’s still difficult for me to comprehend that i heart faces is celebrating it’s first birthday already…the year seems like it just flew by.

Our theme this week is “Best Face Photo" and the photo had to be taken during the months of December ‘09 or January ‘10 (in other words, a very recent photo instead of one that I could find in my archives.)

I honestly have been so busy for the past two months that I began slacking BIG time on my daily photo taking that I usually do.  So, my photo is very recent.  It was taken this morning!



Unfortunately, my model was a frozen popsicle right about now and that look is definitely reflected in her face.  :)

{This photo idea was inspired by a photo that Jessica Paige added to the i heart faces Network Community.  I loved her idea (her photo is so amazing!) but had to shoot at a wider angle since the focus on the face was a huge requirement for this week’s photo challenge.  The textures that I used in this photo were from the Flora Bella Collection.}

This week is going to be so exciting!  One of the coolest things is that we have a fabulous line-up of EIGHTEEN Guest Photographer Judges who are all going to be picking out their favorite photos this week:



All of these photographers absolutely amaze me with their talents and abilities.  And the fact that they are willing to spend part of our birthday week with us…so very cool!

So “Happy Birthday!!” i heart faces.  It’s been a wonderful, fun, crazy ride and I can’t wait to see where this next year will take us.

~Celebrating “I Heart Faces”~

I cannot even hardly believe that we are heading into our second year at I Heart Faces already!  Our big birthday celebration is scheduled for next week, but we decided to start the party early by having a fun logo contest this week…and the winner is going to receive a FREE lens from Tamron!

This week is the first week that I really wish that I was eligible to win….I {heart} the one Tamron lens I own so very, very much!

Amy and I are guest judging this week and we have a whole panel of our contributors who agreed to help us make the final decision as to who the winners should be.  I honestly have no idea how we’ll all pick the Top Ten this week…I’m certain the entries are going to be amazing!

Each of the judges has a special page set up and you can view mine here.  You can read up on all kinds of useless and somewhat fascinating facts about each of us (ie. Keli can lick her elbow but Amy and I can touch our tongues to our noses!!)  I have several photos that I came up with for this contest on that page, but I was having so much fun with them that I then came up with some new ones for my blog as well…

Entry #1:
I should be ashamed of myself for this entry because:

a) the Amish hate having their photo taken….so
b) not only would they object to the fact that I took a photo of their feet in the buggy…but
c) they would also object to me having photographed their horse…and
d) they would especially object to me using a PHOTOGRAPHY blog’s logo on their buggy.

But, what they don’t know won’t hurt them and I couldn’t resist the irony.  ;)



Entry #2:
We spent one day late last summer with our cousins riding bikes around Kelly’s Island on Lake Erie.  They were all riding around on their “I ♥ Faces” bikes of course!



Entry #3:
Another one of the enthusiastic attempts my children made for the sake of this contest.  I love those ornery monkeys so much!



Entry #4:
Everyone should have their own “custom made” I ♥ Faces camera strap, right?

Actually, now that I see this camera strap…I really wish that I had one for real.  How cool is that?!



Entry #5:
My partner-in-crime, Miss Amy, and myself.  Since she posted a horrible, no good, absolutely awful photo of me last week…I thought it’d be fair to post a silly one (of both of us) this week.  {Bwahahahaha!!!}



You are allowed to enter five (5) photos into your blog post this week…five chances to win the Tamron lens everyone!!  Don’t miss out on the fun…


Remember to add our blog button to your post (it can be found in the left-hand sidebar of our site):



And don’t forget to add this wording to your post… “I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Without the button and special wording, you won't be eligible to win this week's contest!

Best wishes everyone!