Straight Hair, Lovely Dress, Beautiful Girl

Sometimes SB lets me play with her hair and dress her up like a little doll.  I decided to see if she would put up with me straightening her hair with a flat iron for church.  It's hard to tell how long her hair really is when it curls up.  Those lovely locks reach her waist!  I'm so tempted to cut it sometimes.

This dress is the one I made for Jason's wedding.  I really love the way it turned out. Very "vintagey".  (I don't think vintagey has made it in the dictionary yet.)  Aunt Alli made the hair clip which has frayed ends hanging from it.  I love 'em.

Do you wonder as much as I do how great it would be to get a genuine smile from her?  She's really a happy child.  She sings all the time, loves to play, and can't get enough kisses.   The photos speak lies!!!

Putting up with me...

...getting more annoyed...

...bribed with candy...

...threatened and bribed.  I'll have to try a new combo next time.

Do you notice the background?  That is my new floor.  It's what I've been doing for the last month and why my back hurts and why I haven't blogged and why I may need to be institutionalized soon.

Potty Training

Dear reader,

 

If you have a late potty trainee, don't despair.  Sarah Beth is a month over three now and is just getting the hang of this.  Frankly, she's smart enough to have conquered this long ago, but has refused saying things like, "I'll NEVER use the potty" or "Will you buy me this toy if I start using the potty?" or "I don't really need a party for using the potty."  I read all I could find about how to potty train a stubborn toddler.  Based on all the personal advice, reading on my own, and downward glances, I've decided to approach it in the follow way.

• take some time off (a week or more if possible)
• get rid of the diapers completely
• fill her up with tasty liquid until dinnertime
• set the timer for potty times so I won't forget
• punish her for refusing to cooperate when it's time to potty (not for accidents)
• reward her with stickers and treats for doing a good job
• double the reward for poop
• be consistent
• pray for sanity in the process

Just a little FYI:  As I was composing this post, she went in her closet and pooped. . .  I love being a mother.

Camera Shy or Camera Hater?

Why does SB not look in the direction of the camera?  That's how she rolls.  As beautiful as she is, and she being my daughter and all, I'd love to take multitudes of photos of her.  It may never be.

Mouth full of chocolate cupcake and a bribe to smile.

The best I could get after a plead to look my way.

This = Smile

Jason's Wedding

These are some of my favorite pictures from the wedding (in no particular order.)

This is the second flower girl dress I made. 

This is the first flower girl dress I made.

Erica

Erica is SB's cousin, Todd's niece. Cody is her boyfriend and has been for as long as I can remember.  These are sweet kids.

 Erica wanted some photos taken with Cody, so I obliged.   These are the ones I picked to show you.  Cute huh?

Baby Pictures

 Today was the first day I've seen Remy in person.  He's my other sister Crystal's baby.  I've only gotten a few snapshot sent to me here and there over the phone since they live in Florida.  It's always a joy to take a few photos of new babies who normally put up less resistance than toddlers.   I was glad to snap a few while they were here.   He's a cutie!

A photo tip:
These pictures were taken in a small bathroom where the walls were close to each other.  I used a bounce flash since I don't own studio lights anymore.  (A bounce flash is just an added camera flash turned toward a wall instead of directly on the subject.)  It produces a more modeled effect rather than a flat, bright flash on the face and cast shadow. 

Smile

It's nice to have family over especially when you don't see them much.  My dad's side of the family came for a visit this weekend for Christmas.  We exchanged gifts, ate a big meal and spent time together which is always a pleasure.  I wish my whole family lived within a few miles of each other. 

My step mom makes great desserts and brought over an entire dessert for each person since we all like different things.  Cupcakes for the girls, pecan pie for me, cherry pie for my sister Katee, and brownies for the men since they're not as keen on sweets.

Katee likes pictures, so we took a few of Mary Ellen and Lilly Mae and SB. 

Unfortunately SB's patience for picture-taking runs thin.   This is what we get when we ask for a smile.  I guess I'm happy for at least a look in the direction of the camera.  Actually, I really like this picture.  Her resistance was probably waning due to the fact that we had cousin Lilly Mae over.  Lilly Mae enjoys the occasional snap in her direction and doesn't immediately run the other way.   I wish some of the enthusiasm would rub off.

Smile! Please?!!! PLEASE Smile!

Like this, Mommy?!!!




I'm 8 weeks old and you don't see me complaining about taking a picture.







Christmas Dress

The Photo:
In the past, I've prided myself on my Christmas dresses for Sarah Beth.  Not this year.  I have way too many projects going on right now to fuss over cute Christmas pictures.  I had invisioned dressing her up as an angel with real feathered wings and doing a very overexposed angelic portrait of her.  These days I'm lucky to get her to look my way when I have a camera in hand much less expect her to cooperate.

It's already December and I have yet to get my Christmas cards printed and in the mail.  One of these two will have to do.

The Dress:
I did make this dress one night out of some fabric I found at the Fabric Krazy Quilt Shop which I love because of its subtle festive qualities.  The applique file comes from Planet Applique which is my one of my favorite online shops.  It happens to be the first thing I've ever made for her with zipper.  An invisable zipper.

Here she is...

Katee finally had the baby.  Guess what?  I was wrong.  It's a GIRL and her name is Mary Ellen.  You're a good mama, Katee.

One sister's pregnancy down and one to go.

Engagement Photos

This is my baby brother, J.  I'm glad he gave me the pleasure of photographing him and A.  I hope you don't mind my posting these.

Beach Photos Part II

These are some of my favorite photos from our beach trip.   Here's why:

Sarah Beth is obviously not cool with the sand because it makes her dirty and she doesn't like to be dirty.  Lisa and Dale are doing their best here trying to show her that it's fun stuff to play with.  Even the last day she hated it.

I just love the colors in this photo and her sweet little pose.  She wouldn't sit anywhere where sand was touching her.  It was kind of nice because I didn't worry about her wandering off.  That yellow beach towel was like a cage.

I like this one because we look like we're having a great time.  Really she was just being bribed to take a photo smiling.

I like this one because it looks like a magazine ad for some super sunscreen.  See - we've been in the sun all day and look - still white as a ghost but in a fashionable way.  And the reader of the magazine would think..."Yeah, I want to be as porcelain as they are.  They look like they're having a great time and aren't worrying a bit about skin cancer."

Eric and Lisa

Brother-in-law and sister-in-law who own the house we stayed in.  Very generous to take us on such a nice trip.

Who wouldn't want to look back a this picture in ten years and say, "You see how sweet you were?"

Shelby and Erica - Sarah Beth's cousins who are in college.  Sweet girls who make the best cousins.  Sarah Beth loves them. 

Another cool image caught by Uncle Eric.  I just like the whole shot.  Never mind the fact that Sarah Beth wanted me to pick her up the whole time because she didn't like to feel the sand on her feet.  You swear she was walking in a never-ending pile of ants.

Shelby and Erica insisted that I take photos of them jumping.  I like this one best.  I like the fact that from their knees down, their legs form a nice continuous diagonal.  As far as photography and art go - the Rule of Thirds is very clear here.

I got a little jealous and we all joined in the jump fun... except for Eric and Sarah Beth.  Eric took the photo.  Sarah Beth obsessed about her sandy feet.

Yes, this is still the beach.  It was behind me as I took this picture.  I just love this shot.

Maybe some more beach pictures later, but maybe not.  We'll see.

Hello and Goodbye, Beach

Dear Rosemary Beach,

Thank you for a wonderful visit.  We loved the water.  We loved the house.  We loved seeing and spending time with family.   We hope to visit again...unless you get smeared with tar. 

Love,
Sarah Beth and Kim



This is one of my all time favorite photos of Sarah Beth and me.  The wild hair, big smile, white skin even after three days in the sun.  More beach pics to come later.  Thanks Eric for the perfect lucky shot!

If You're Happy and You Know It...

Then your face will surely show it...

I guess you think I picked that song just because it matches the pictures so well.  Well... you're wrong.  I just titled this post the song she was singing (and demonstrating) on her recently acquired trampoline.  Anytime I need to get her motivated to leave a place, I offer to "go home and jump on the trampoline."  When the bribe is in play, she's off to the car without even so much as a "goodbye it was nice to see you today."  I wonder if it'll still work in about 12 years?   I'm optimistic.