Photo Friday Challenge: Week 5

 For today's Photo Friday Challenge on Carly Robertson's blog, the theme is animals. This is Marley, our 2 1/2 year old tri-color English Springer Spaniel. This is also one of the few moments when she is still enough to take her picture. She DOES live up to the name Marley, by the way. I think we should have named her Shadow sometimes. Every time we take 2 steps, she is right there at our heels. If we go in one room, she will wait for us right outside the door (that is, if the door is closed). She makes me crazy sometimes, but she is a good dog. The English Springer Spaniel is an excellent breed for active families. Marley loves to run, it is when she looks the happiest (aside from when someone is petting her, because one would think she hadn't seen anyone in a week!). 

Have a great weekend!!

Antoinette

Photo Friday Challenge: Week 4

The theme for (last) Friday's challenge over at Carly Robertson's blog was shoes. I had my photo ready, with 4 pairs of my shoes, house shoes (that my husband makes fun of!), sneakers, boots and heels. Then, Dominic decided it would be fun to spread binder clips and crackers all over the floor, then stomp all over the crackers as he looked at me and laughed. I was cleaning everything up. and he had gotten into other things...and then stood on top of the Cricut cartridge box to try and climb on top of the desk! I have been trying to get used to learning how to use my Canon Rebel XS in manual mode (I used my 50 mm lens) and had it in my hands when I took this one. Tiny little shoes on top of the (empty!!!) cartridge box. Aaahh...if anything else, my boys give me lots of photo opportunities and laughter!!

Have a great day!!

Antoinette

Photo Friday Challenge- Pocket Light

Carly Robertson's challenge last Friday was pocket light-Pocket light is just that, using a small pocket of light in the photo. Well, I am late in posting this because I just didn't have anything to photography like that. (I looked, I tried..didn't work.) Then Wednesday was my son Alex's 10th birthday and I got my opportunity. So here is my version of pocket light, and I am submitting with just about an hour left!! Can't wait to see what challenge Carly has for us today- hopefully it won't take me a week to get it! 

PS- I am proud of myself...I just learned how to create my own watermark...about time!!

Have a great weekend!!

Antoinette

Photo Friday Challenge Week 2

It's Friday, which means it's time for Carly Robertson's Photo Friday Challenge. This week's theme is sparkle. This adorable little man is my 2nd son, Alex. You can't tell by the huge smile on his face, but he isn't too happy about having to wear glasses. I have to learn how to remove glare from the lens, but he does have that *sparkle* in his eyes.

Have a great day!!!

~Antoinette

10 on 10 Challenge

As promised, here are my 10 photos for Carly Robertson's 10 on 10 Challenge. So, here goes...

Biscoff Spread. What can I say about this? I discovered the Biscoff cookies on a Delta flight a few years ago. They were so good, in fact, that I actually saved one of my packets...for OVER ONE YEAR. Yes, you read correctly. I held on to it because I was either going to find them in a store, or I was going to find a recipe for to make them myself. I was in WalMart one day, trying to decide on what kind of cookies I would buy that day...and there they were. And every package had coupons on them!! I bought 2 packages, which is a good thing because I ate an entire one by that night. What?! They were gooooood.  And I don't know a single person who can say they haven't done the same thing at some point or other. 

Anyway, I was on a trip to Las Vegas, and I was in THEIR WalMart with my niece and saw this. The spread has the consistency of peanut butter, but it is made from the actual cookies. I ate that jar by the spoonful. It is probably a good thing the spread is nowhere to be found in my area. Forget love handles, I would have a truck tire around my waist!

I believe it is a type of speculoos cookie, one which I am not too familiar with really. I haven't found a recipe that comes close to tasting like these, and I would have to work out 5 hours a  day 7 days a week to work off what I would gain trying. So, I have decided to just buy them every once in a while or for a special occasion. (PS- for the record, this jar is empty thanks to my husband!!!!!!!)

Sebastian is the king of the world!!

He's just too cool...

Our Marley...silly dog. She's the queen of her (dog) house!

Dominic playing in the tub.

This boy needs a haircut!

After a few months of not making anything papercrafting related, my sons asked me for bookmarks. Sebastian's was video game themed, and Alex's had a map.

Sebastian's soccer nickname, thanks to the Varsity boys.

The back of Alex's bookmark.

Alex's first basketball game.

They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. As much as I love photography, I have to remind myself to take photos of every day little things. It's not just photography, it is a few other things that I am not sure I am ready to share yet. It all revolves around not procrastinating which I am VERY GUILTY of. One of my best friends, Errin, calls it "deadline driven". It makes me laugh every time I think about it, but in the ways that procrastinating has affected different aspects of my life is NOT funny. You can miss out on a lot of things if you aren't careful. So, that is one of my resolutions, to continue to push myself to be the best I can be, and to work harder in every way. It January 12, I have 9 days to go to see if this 21 day thing really works. So far, it seems like it does.

I am off to create a Get Well card and I have a new design for etched glass I need to work on.

Have a wonderful day!

~Antoinette

Photo Friday Challenge Week 1

I chose 3 photo challenges to participate in this year and up first Carly Robertson's Photo Friday Challenge. I am a huge fan of hers and have been for a long time. It all began with her beautiful, classic, clean and simple cards. Now that she has changed her blog a bit and it is about "keeping it simple", she has me wanting to clean out my closets and all things unnecessary. Since I read one of her posts where she talks about being ruthless when she is getting rid of clothes and things her family doesn't need or use anymore...well, I have been ruthless around here as well. I am not completely finished but so far, it feels good to clear out some space.

Anyway, for this week's first challenge, we are taking self portraits...I don't like taking pictures of myself anymore. More than anything because me, being a big dummy sometimes, thought I could tan with no problem when I lived in Las Vegas. Now I have very unattractive sun spots all over my face. I hate being pale, but I would much rather be pale than have these ugly things that I am now seeing a dermatologist for to try and get rid of. (So far, it is working, but it will take a long time!) 

I like this photo because I have no makeup on, hair pulled up, you can't see the sun spots, and I was just at home, being casual. Normally I don't know that I would even post this photo for all the world to see, but it is ME. Comfortable and relaxed.

I hope that out of this challenge I improve my photography skills, and I will also end up with a nice collection of photos. They will help tell the story of my family's year.

**The other challenges are 10 on 10 from Carly Robertson and Project 52 from my3boybarians. They are all centered around photography. Maybe by this time next year I will have a great understanding of my Canon DSLR. And of course, an awesome photo album.

Have a great day!!

Antoinette