Then I forgot about it.  It was hidden in a drawer collecting dust as I shot frame after frame with my iPhone.  Summer was approaching and I was contemplating getting a Lifeproof case for my phone.  As one was sitting in my Amazon cart, I remembered that little green camera.

(How great is this line from U2's Beautiful Day?
I might have sung it fifty billion times as I hid my eyes from things that I didn't need at Target.)

I have happy, happy news Picnik lovers!!!

I got the GREATEST comment on this Picnik-related post.
The greatest.

A handful of ex-Picnik employees have banded together and are working on a new photo editing site called PicMonkey.

Ya.  Hello.
I have a feeling that it will be even better.
But most of all I am hoping for less useless Halloween fonts.

I cannot stinking wait.
You can sign up to be notified when they launch here.
Like them on Facebook here.  Tell them what features you hope to see included or even changed.

Wipe your tears.  Put away your mourning garments.  A new easy editor is coming soon.

Yay yay yay yay!!!!

Take that Google+

Confession:

I am not normally that fun mom that loves messes or craziness in the kitchen.
I don't like PlayDoh.  Not a huge fan of finger paints.  Don't even get me started on the evil that is Moon Sand.

Baking alone while everyone sleeps is one of my favorite things.  Just my boyfriend, Dave Matthews and I.

But once in a while you need to let that all go.
You need to let your kids go through all of your flour.  All of your sugar.  All of your eggs.  Nearly all of your sprinkles.  Three batches of frosting.

Because that is what happy childhood memories are made of.

I am so thankful for Drew B.

She has talked me off of the "BOYS ARE SCARY" ledge one million times and it has been so fun being pregnant at the same time. I love that she is having a girl, because I love being the mama of girls.  I love that she knew that we needed a special girly day before little boy madness enters our pink and sparkly home.  I love that my little boy will be wearing her sweet boy's clothes.

She is the fun mom that makes messes with her son and sees the beauty in it.
Now I get it.
I so get it.


Thank you Drew for this day.  My girls won't stop talking about it.  I'm still finding sprinkles in crazy places and each time I do it makes me smile.

Visit Drew's blog to see the rest of the happy shoot.
Be sure to watch the slideshow because it is just happiness.
Janey- trying to sweep up the explosion of sprinkles?  It just doesn't get better.

In sixth grade we had to write a career report on what we wanted to be when we grew up.
I was absolutely positive that I would attend Auburn and become a veterinarian.
I got an A+ on the report.  Which may or may not have had something to do with the calligraphy and decoupage on the cover.  But my vet plans easily evaporated as I realized the vast amounts of science and math that would be required.

 Life takes funny turns.  What we are so very sure of, can change so dramatically.  If I could write a new report about my dream job, it would involve working with a brilliant photographer and helping them style their shoots.
Funny how that wasn't really an option as I rode my bike to the local library to research careers on the microfiche machine.  No Google in my day, friends.
 But now, I actually have my dream job.  Planning our family pictures is one of my favorite things to do all year.  And, yes, it fills my mind all 365 days.  Normal?  Perhaps not.  Fun?  Absolutely.
 That is why I'd so rather be a stylist than a photographer.  The entire shoot, I teetered on the edge of a panic attack, trying not to sweat, because sweaty pictures are not pretty pictures.
Drew on the other hand was a case study in serenity.
She calmly, quietly corralled my band of wild ones exactly where they need to be without them even knowing it.  Then she let them be who they are.  Who we are.  Nothing stresses her.  Nothing worries her.  She switches cameras, lenses, locations, and light with ease.  She knows the exact perfect moment to bring out the gummi bears.
Somehow through all of her peace and grace, she keeps snapping away and gives us these forever moments.  Bathed in sunshine, love and pretty light.

Like I said.  This right here?  My dream job.  Pretty fun that I get to do it for those I love the most.

Now what should we do next year?

In case you are nerdy like me, and want to know where things came from, here is a list of the rainbow goodness.
Hello Sunshine bunting- Tidbit.
Rainbow quilt- Target clearance, last summer.  $12.97.  Don't hate.
Janey's patchwork dress- Peace of Cake Kids.
Lulu's apron dress- Matilda Jane, with a new apron made by my sweet mom.
Halley's skirt- Darla's Clothing Boutique.
Janey & Halley's leggings- made with fabric from Ruffle Fabric using No Big Dill's tutorial.
Headbands- made by me using Haute Blue B's rosette tutorial.
Yellow coat- found on Ebay, shipped from Hong Kong.  That could have gone badly.  So glad it didn't.
Aqua mum earrings-  Angel Face Designs
Shoes- Converse
Table- from our old kitchen, legs cut down and spray painted.

I can't express what a gift and blessing Drew gave our family.
They are a million billion times better than I could have ever hoped or imagined.

Her words, her heart, her talents amaze me.
Please click over to Drew's blog and see the rest.
Don't feel bad if the slideshow makes you cry.
Because happy tears are the best tears.
I have cried so many myself.

I love my family.
I love that Drew gets us so perfectly.
I love that I will always be able to vividly remember this very special day.


(All of the details from the shoot coming tomorrow.)

I was doing really, really well with my Project 365 and then started to flake.  But after reading this post from Drew B, I quickly put my iPhone to work with the Project 365 Pro app.  I'm happy to say that since starting in October I haven't missed a day.  I love being able to look back on the month and see all of the random fun things that I wanted to remember.
Ridiculous right?  Especially when I could have this beauty instead and still have room for apples and books!!!  The ziploc needs to be retired.  Badly.  The ziploc doesn't have room for produce.  Or offer even a little bit of protection.
Hello lovely.  What more do I need to say about this pretty, pretty, pretty camera strap slipcover from Knitty Bittes?  Besides it would look ever so gorgeous in a Rose Teal camera bag.
This little lens, what I call the Nifty Fifty was the beginning of my journey of taking pretty pictures.  A majority of the images on this blog have been shot with this guy.  It is a very affordable way to dip your toes into the {often very expensive} land of photography.
Speaking of the land of photography, I would be remiss in telling you that a lens, or even a camera body will get you the pictures that you are desiring.   A person with a basic Rebel and a crummy kit lens, coupled with the understanding of the manual setting on their camera will beat an expensive camera/ lens combo that is shot on the green rectangle.
The other night as I was culling through this past years photos, picking out my favorites for the grandparent's calendar,  I began crying happy tears as I clicked through each image, loving the colors, the expressions, the ever so fleeting memories of my young girls' childhood.  Drew B's unManual and MomTog blog have been an invaluable resource to give me the confidence to move from the safe green rectangle and master the very scary M of the manual setting.  Each day I am still learning, but I am so indebted to Drew for sharing her vast knowledge in such a relateable way.
With that my friends, I'm off to see what my cammy can do today.
Dare you to do the same.