My life is an I ♥ Faces contest

Woohoo! It's that time again -- time to enter a photo at I ♥ Faces. This week it's silhouettes and as it so happens I have a silhouette picture that I took that I like! Here it is...




{Huntington Beach, CA}

Imelda Marcos

First, I want to say that this post is about my boys love for shoes, NOT about photography. Getting a good picture of this kid requires the use of staples, or duct tape if you're in a bind. He refuses to LOOK at the camera -- no matter what. Only trickery works. And, getting him to SIT still requires serious bribes or lots of hard manual labor.

Okay. Anyway. My boy's love for shoes rivals Imelda Marcos' collection of shoes. Remember her? She had a lot of shoes. Harry doesn't really *have* alot of shoes, but shoes take up a lot of room in his heart. Alot. Up until about a week ago, shoe was the most common word out of his mouth. (Now, for the record, it's NO. Everything is no. ) If he noticed Andy wasn't wearing his shoes -- he ought to head for the hills -- or put the shoes ON. NOW. Not the rest of us. Just Andy.

{on every different day he's wearing a different pair of shoes! I just noticed that!}

And, just this week. Still lovin' the shoes. Wearing Cam's that are too big and snuggling some Teva's that are too small. Silly boy.

I did it! My very own *ETSY* shop

It's about time, really. I've been scrapping since the beginning of time, making my own embellishments for a while - and collecting vintage ephemera for a while.

So, here it is. Please be nice and visit. I would visit yours! Momma to boys on Etsy!

Back more tomorrow with photos, fun and goodness!

I ♥ Faces

So, again I'm giving it ago. Why not? Certainly doesn't hurt. And, it's fun!

Anyway...

{my boy. appx. 8 months old. so incredibly cute}

"I am submitting this photo into the http://www.iheartfaces.com/ Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites."

What are you trying to do?

RIGHT NOW I'm trying to live the best life I can. I'm trying to teach my kids how to lose gracefully and have fun while trying hard.

I'm trying to look at the good in people and in situations that, at first glance, seem negative or adverse. (ie. a losing baseball season. that's right. not *one* win)



RIGHT NOW I'm working on letting myself be happy and letting others know it because I like it and trying to encourage others to feel good, live for themselves and seek their own truth in their daily lives.



I'm trying to find beauty all around me. In warm summer days, in ordinary moments, in tantrums. You get the picture.

RIGHT now I'm trying to be a photographer. I'd really like to get there. I struggle with exposure and focus, but I'm trying hard. I'm going to get there. I'm never going to stop learning.

An example...not in focus. The focus fell on his hand. BUT, he's cute anyway. Trying to see that it's still a valuable picture - even if it's not flawless. We're all still valuable even if we're not flawless.

Winner, Winner CHICKEN DINNER!

I, for the record, am not a big fan of chicken. Weird, right?

Anyway....the giveaway goes to....

comment #3, DANA! Email me at aj_mcgarvey AT msn DOT com and I'll send your little package out right away. Make a mini album of that sweet girl of yours, will ya?!

I'm trying

So, I really like to take pictures. Though, I will admit, my own children do stress me out a bit. I want to capture the perfect image - I want it to be crisp and clear and colorful and .... I can't think of another c word.

Anyway. I tried to get some great images for Sawyer's 6 year photos and Harrison's 18 month photos. Sawyer's turned out okay (Though he couldn't remember how to smile?!) and Harrison's were a total and complete bust. Well, that is my opinion. I'll let you be the judge, I suppose...

These are not the best of the bunch. I posted those over at the photography blog, Sweet Smiles.

These are the momma shots...the ones I love because they are my babies.

{not in focus, but so cute}

{full of glee, yet unable to balance}

{a total sawyer face}

{a bit sheepish}

{what could be more fun?}

{just love this one. love it}

{he was less than cooperative. Seriously.}

How'd they turn out?

Not much better

As far as I can tell...there isn't much better than a happy family. Oh, well, maybe being *part* of that happy family.

An amazing mothers day...letting me know how loved and cherished I am. That's enough for me!

{a little love from my biggest boy}

{yes, we like the jumping photos lately. try and tell me they *aren't* fun}

My aspirations as a mother for the coming year: daily mantra: life, love and laughter - what priceless gifts to give our children. {phylis campbell dryden}

I ♥ Faces

There is a little blog called I ♥ Faces and they have a weekly photography contest, judged by different photographers. Every week, the theme changes. This week, the theme is LAUGHTER! Perfect for a gal like me! :)

My own boys...we were just taking a test run in the flower field near our home and we got this!

{deleted image}

Laughter is so totally fun. I was photographing this family and it was so easy and such a joy -- obviously, right?!

Choosing Authenticity...loving and living with my whole heart

{I was thrilled to find this online today. I find that it encompasses my life, entirely. I am not perfect and I don't make perfect choices -- but this is the goal -- what I work toward.}

Another GIVEAWAY!

I haven't done one in a while. It's about time.

So...enter! The rules - you must be a momma to something (sorry non-momma's). Preferably kids, but fur-babies are a-okay too! Leave a comment by noon on MONDAY and I'll pick a winner. Sound good?

Here's what you'll get -- tell your friends, tell your family, tell no one if you're greedy! BUT, spread the love -- it's a fun little stash of goods.

{A Bazzill Mini Album, 2 coluzzle alphabets, some EK Success BABY embellishments, a Rob and Bob Studios clip thingy, some Junkitz rounderz and of course, Hermafix}

{Coluzzle alpha one}

{Coluzzle alpha two}

{A tag template and the Rob and Bob clip a ma jig}

{the embellishments}



{the album and the hermafix}

I know that I have a few more related items. If I find 'em, I'll throw them in there, too!

Thanks for playing, kids!!

First swim of the season

You guessed it. Summer appears to be here, gulp, to stay, gulp. 5 more months of 90+ temps. Right around 90* is nice. Right around 110* is not.

So, if you'd been at my house today, this afternoon more specifically, you would have seen this.

{a baby who was THRILLED that the delivery truck brought the big boys new summer crocs}

{big boys who were thrilled to be at the pool!}

{cam and his friend owen}

{summer is here and here is my sometimes seat for it!}

Two hot chicks

Cam is in this totally amazing class this year. He has the nicest, most wonderful teacher. Not only that, they are doing some great things in class. They are raising caterpilars/butterflies, tadpoles and they kept eggs in incubators and they hatched during class!

Out of 12 eggs, 8 hatched into real, live, adorable chicks. Guess what? We got to bring 2 home. It was quite hilarious, really.

The baby LOVED the chicks. They, however did not love him. He showed the love by trying to SQUEEEEEEEZE their heads off.

{Harry had climbed up on this stool himself to peer into the little hole on the side of the box where they chicks "lived". Try to ignore my mess of a kitchen}

Sawyer was a whole other story. He liked them well enough, but was totally chicken. (Har har har) He pretended like he wasn't. But, since I'm his mom, I know better!

{keeping a very close on eye on his next move}

{chicks dig us}

And zooming to a home somewhere for mothers day...these lovely items, handmade by ME! My friend Cari helped provide the supplies and a couple of tricky parts - but otherwise, I made it. YAY ME! (Cari has an Etsy shop where she sells the lovely jewelry she makes. But, soon she'll be opening an Etsy shop where she sells crafty supplies of all types. YAY!)