Hissyfits Photography Blog

I’ve seen these “Favorite Things” themed parties popping up on Pinterest and in the blog world – what little of the blog world I keep up with that is – and I’m fascinated! I’ve been wanting to have one since late fall, but as we all know, life happens and it doesn’t get done. I am, however, in the very beginning stages of trying to pull one together with a friend and I am SUPER excited. I have a lot of favorite things. Some are super cheap – some are not. Because I am always curious what fun finds others happen across {and because I am waiting on paint to dry and my kids are happily watching TV for a bit}, I thought it might be fun to post a few of my random loves!!

Nail polish. Specifically Essie nail polish. Or Sally Hansen “Hard as Nails.” Those are my two favorite brands by far. They both seem to handle the wear and tear known as life and don’t chip within hours. I have an entire tote FULL of nail color. Stuffed. Yet it is my number one guilty pleasure and a bottle always seems to end up in my cart. Does that ever happen to you? Right now I am wearing Playdate on my fingers. Fun, light, happy little spring shade of purple! Random fact about light purple I came across via a beauty blog :: it looks best on super short, manicured nails. That’s what “they” say anyway!! Made me feel good – mine are always super short these days!!

Essie Playdate

Looks like they have some fun new colors – I will take a bottle of each please! Because, you know, the other 12 bottles of pink I have are ever so slightly different!!

I don’t have the time or the patience to figure out how to get the bottles all lined up perfectly, let alone the names all lined up perfectly over the color, so here is a link to the new spring collection, Poppy – Razzi! You can check it out for yourself!

This lip balm. Hands down the best stuff EVER. I am currently scraping mine out of the bottom of the container waiting for our next trip to a town with a Victoria’s Secret so I can snag some more. I lather this on every.single.night.

Falsies mascara by Maybelline. I realize I look high maintenance with all of these beauty products, but believe me, I am far from it!!! I started using this right after it came out and have been hooked ever since!

Fresh Cotton room spray from Bath and Body Works. After we painted the girls’ room and hung their curtains {there are EIGHT panels}, it needed a little bit of freshening up!! Despite several rounds in the dryer, I just could not get rid of that factory smell that came with the packaged curtains! And so I ended up with a bottle of this! I am truly not sure if it helped, but as time has gone on, the scent has vanished! I still spray it almost daily just because I am paranoid and because it smells fresh and clean!

Good & Plenty. No, I don’t buy it in bulk and I don’t buy a box every time I am at the store, but this is my candy weakness!

Krylon Glitter Blast spray paint. Love love love this stuff. Would you believe it if I told you I glittered up a deer antler Chris and the kids found? Yep. Silver. I figure if I am going to use an antler as decor, that baby is going to shine! I’ll share that I searched high and low for this stuff and finally happened upon it at Michael’s. Print out a 40% off coupon and you’re set! I will also share that not all of  my experiences with this {there have been several!!} have been good. I am pretty sure that when the can reads “Shake for three minutes,” it means it. Otherwise it might keep shooting out when your finger isn’t even on the nozzle. Not that this has happened to me or anything!!!!

Mossimo Long and Lean tanks. I LOVE these. I wear them all the time. Even super pregnant because they are long enough to cover my ever growing belly!

Sonic. Enough said. Route 44 Cranberry Grape slush. Preferably at Happy Hour.

Okie doke! I could go on and on, but it is now dinner time and I need to get!! Any faves of yours that I MUST know about? Do share!!!!

Edited to add: I wrote this post two weeks ago, LATE LATE LATE at night. I was beyond exhausted and didn’t publish it for fear of sounding too negative. Just know, I am in a really good place!!! I’ve given some things up for now, but not forever! My kids are happy and healthy. We are good!! Truly good!! Changes are coming to Hissyfits Photography and I AM still squeezing in a session every now and again!!!

As my fingers gently tap the keys in the darkness of this eerily cool and cloudy spring night and the wind shakes the forest of trees just beyond the windows, my mind wanders. This song plays on repeat in the background. Tears come and go. Exhaustion outweighs what I know in my mind to be right. Doubt creeps in. Clarity follows.

I’ve spent the last few hours editing images and wording this post in my mind. It’s hard to find that perfect post to follow up a nearly three month hiatus. But then again, there is no perfect…

Life has been busy. Three kids. Three busy kids. Three busy kids each going in a different direction. An hour and a half a day shuttling little people to and from school. More on nights when we have soccer or scouts or any other random activity in town. I’m good with that. This season in life is so, so short. I’m willing to make sacrifices because that’s what moms do. We give up little bits and pieces of ourselves in hopes that the payout far outweighs the sacrifice. My hope? My hope is that my kids will one day cherish the fact that I refused to bus them to school because I loved them enough to want to spend those extra fifteen minutes each way to town and back with them. Is it always happy and cheery? Ha! Far from it. Most days we rush out the door frazzled. Most days they fight. Most days I have to get on to them for their attitudes. But that’s life. That’s my real life…and it’s begun.

I tend to get so caught up in worrying about tomorrow or next week or next year and the five hundred million things that need done, I forget to live today. In waiting my real life to begin, I forget to live. I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I’m craving simplicity in my life. I’m giving things up as I attempt to be a better mom. A better wife. A better daughter. A better friend. I quit a book club I was so excited to be part of before I ever even attended one meeting because the thought of having to complete a book and then trek to town once a month to discuss it was more than I could handle. I quit Facebook. Completely. My poor blog is grossly neglected. I maybe check two or three other blogs once a week? I’ve failed miserably at “Capturing the Everyday.” My photography biz is on hold. Many, many tears have been shed in the last few weeks/months as I’ve made some hard decisions and come to some tough realizations, but as time marches on, I stand a little taller. It is hard – so so so so so so so so so so so hard – to put off things I truly want to do. But just as hard? Simply accepting that I cannot do it all. My overachiever, “I can do it all,” perfectionistic personality has struggled greatly with this. But it’s going to be okay. It already is. Sometimes just accepting with your heart what you know in your head is the hardest part. My heart is full…

While we don’t hear each tick of the clock, we know time keeps on ticking. Those minutes turn into hours and the hours days and weeks. Time heals. Yet at the same time, it steals moments away. Funny how that works. I am making a point to be present in the lives of my kids and my family. I often find myself thinking of how much easier life would have been in the 50′s or 60′s. How different culture was back then and how much has changed. While I certainly don’t want to give up some of our modern conveniences, I long for days where life seemed simple and safe and everyone was happy and carefree. I want that life. It’s 2012 but I want that life. Where kids ride their bikes all over and we don’t worry about them being kidnapped. Where clothes hang on the line outside to dry. Where people have morals and standards and are truly decent.

I want it for them…

I want it for this one too… {Baby #4 due August 2012}

{I’m guessing Baby #4 explains part of my absence and my need to prioritize and let some things go for now…}

These little ones are growing up so fast. So incredibly fast. In three weeks Huntler will wrap up first grade. His first year at a new school – his forever school – will be under his belt. He’s made friends. He’s made memories. He’s thrived. He’s lost teeth. He’s gained independence and confidence. He’s conquered new skills. He’s learned some hard lessons. He taught us more than we could ever imagine along the way…

In two short weeks Gentry girl will wrap up kindergarten. Her days of half day school will be behind her as we roll into summer. She’s tested us. Greatly. But she’s taught us. Greatly. She loves like no other and has been my little buddy. Next year just might rock my world more than hers…

Ohhhh Brighton. Ornery, cute, cuddly little Brighton. She’s two months shy of two. Already. Smart as a whip. Sassy as her sister. Her own personality.

I look at these images as I feel our new little one kick and move inside me and I know that everything is going to be okay. I may not be able to do it all, but I am hoping the things I AM able to do matter the most…..

Until next time…

I did it!! WAHOO!!!! The first month is done!! Thirty one photos taken, edited and forever frozen in time! Did I possibly miss a day or two or three in there but capture an extra one the next day to make up for it? Yes. Or maybe take two on one day that I loved so much I saved one for the next? Yep, I did. But I’m okay with that. I mean, really, at the end of the day {or week or month or year}, it doesn’t matter. It’s about taking the time to capture the memories when I more than likely wouldn’t have pulled out my camera otherwise…taking two on one day instead of one each and every day isn’t what I will remember. What I will remember are the moments.

And because I obviously have less time to blog than I used to, I’ll cut to the chase!! Here are the images!!

Day 18 – An afternoon of Guess Who while Huntler was at school and Brighton was napping.

Day 19 – Oh how I wish she were always this happy in the big cart while at Target!!! We went twice in two days the week this was taken and let me just say it was NOT pretty!!! We haven’t been back if that tells you anything!

Day 20 – Meany faces. Ohhhh the drama.

Day 21 – First time to get TWO pigtails!!! I talked myself back out of getting her hair cut. When it’s fixed, it is actually super cute. The curls. Ohhhh the cute little curls. But that happens all of two days a week, maybe. The other five it is fuzzy and crazy, but surely I’ll be better about fixing it in the spring when she actually gets out and sees people? Surely? Right?

Day 22 – Valentines. I’ve been pinning ideas for months over on Pinterest. My mind was swimming with possibilities. And then we entered Target and my ideas for cute, unique, homemade valentines were shot out the window at the sight of monkey tattoos and paper airplanes. I was bummed at first – I was – but I quickly realized just how much time and stress that saved me!!

Day 23 -Just how many people can we cram around one iPhone?

Day 24 – Beautiful country sunrise. I captured this at the foot of our driveway on the way to school one morning.

Day 25 – Huntler had a BAD accident at school. The kind that warrants a call from the nurse to come pick your child up early because he may need to be seen in the emergency room. He tripped and fell at recess {over a kid} and crashed down chin first onto a balance beam. It won. Blood everywhere. Huge holes in his bottom lip where his teeth all but went through – the super bad one is on the inside of his bottom lip which you can’t see here, but trust me, it’s gross!! Permanent tooth knocked loose. BIG BAD FALL. After a trip to the ER and the dentist, stitches were ruled out as they would make only a minuscule difference in the scarring and would be more traumatic than they were worth. The dentist thinks that top permanent tooth will tighten back up, but we have to go back in a couple of weeks to have it checked. It’s healing. The scabs are coming off the outside of the lip and the swelling is down, but the inside has a ways to go!

This little guy is one tough cookie. I was barely able to fight the tears myself when I walked into the nurse’s office at school to get him. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked terrible, but he was being SO tough. Broke my heart to see him so upset and in pain. After that first night though he has said it hasn’t hurt at all and has handled it all like a champ! Seriously brave kiddo!

Day 26 – A shot with my good camera the next morning before school. Because fat lips like this and big falls have to be documented!!

Day 27 – She woke up on the wrong side of the crib.

Day 28 – Pinewood Derby for Boy Scouts. His car didn’t place, but he did earn a certificate for “Best use of Materials.” He had working headlights and sound!! He has already made it clear that he wants to go for speed, not coolness, next year.

Day 29 – Has anyone seen Brighton? I cannot find her ANYWHERE!!

Day 30 – Tea Party

Day 31 – This is not what I set out to capture. Huntler was quietly laying in the chair reading facts on the states – because he is smart like that!! – and while I was taking photos of him, this moment happened. Pretty sure it is way better than what I was trying to get!

And that, my friends, is a wrap!!

Taking the photos is easy. Finding the time to edit them is a bit more challenging. Finding the time to blog them is darn near impossible!! Every.single.time I sit down at the computer Brighton is on me. She instantly starts climbing up the shelves on the desk while hanging onto the chair for dear life to get on me. And then she mauls me. And then I give up and quit whatever I am doing and it quite simply doesn’t get done.

But she is napping now and I am making the time to get these images on here before any more days creep by without an update!!

So, here ya go!!

Day 8 – Huntler watching Gentry play a game on the DS

Day 9 – Work never ends….

Day 10 – Don’t let the “Angel” on her shirt fool you. This little cookie monster is ORNERY!!!

Day 11 – The moon looked so big on our way to school one morning so I popped out and snapped this on my phone. Funny how it looks so tiny here…

Day 12 – We had a dusting of snow. She piled it up on the deck and played and played!

Day 13 – That Humpty Dumpty just popped right out of there! Did you see that?!!! LOVE the emotion this one shows!

Day 14 – Heading out to dinner

Day 15 – Working on Huntler’s Pinewood Derby car. This is super grainy and not good quality at all, but you get what you get when you take photos in the deep dark depths of the scary basement!!!

Day 16 – I have NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER regretted sneaking in to any of their rooms and taking photos of them sleeping. EVER.

Day 17 – My big school kids snacking!

Whew!! Yesterday’s and today’s images have been taken! Now just to squeeze in editing and blogging them!!! Holy moly this is harder this year than it was last year!! BUT – with that being said, those things worth having don’t always come easy!! And believe you me, these images {edited!!} are worth every bit of the work!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting these. My blog was hacked into since my last post and I haven’t been able to log in since I tried last Sunday. Go figure that when I am actually ready to start posting regularly, I can’t!! That is seriously so my luck! But here I am now – better late than never!! And since I am realistic enough to know that I won’t be able to post daily, loading a week’s worth of images and sharing them all at once is fine!

Have you been shooting? Phone pics? Fancy camera pics? Anything? I am so proud of myself for making the time to do this!! I kept up with it so well until our big move last summer and then while I continued to shoot, I did NOT continue to edit. At all. And I don’t have the time or patience to go back and touch up five months worth of images! So it feels SO good to be starting fresh this year!! Now my biggest challenge is to find some sort of digital pages “system” so that I can pop my pics in at the end of every week, add a tad bit of journaling and save the file for next January when I am ready to print my book. I have searched and searched and searched to no avail in finding something that I like. I found one that would work only to discover that the store closed last summer so I can’t purchase the kit.

ETA: I am currently chatting with an Etsy seller who loves the idea of designing something like this!! I know at least a few of you are interested so as it all comes to life I’ll be sure to post a link!!!

And with that, here are my images for the past week…

Gentry got a Caboodle for Christmas. So did I. I had one of these when I was a kid and LOVED it!! I figured I still would. She loves hers too.

Brighton got some baby Toms for Christmas. Confession – I do 99% of my shopping at Target, Kohl’s and Old Navy. I did not even know what Toms were until I happened upon them on Pinterest. Not sure that they are my personal style, but I love love love them on her!!

Huntler on the Wii. Need I say more?

Wednesday night Chris and I went to the KU vs K-State basketball game. He is a K-State graduate and while they didn’t win, we had a fun time!

Her first pigtail. SIGH.

Baby legs.

Smarty pants – mapping it. {They trace around the outside of a puzzle to get the outline and then they remove each piece, tracing around those to get each state! This is one time consuming project!!}

There are my first seven!!! I have today’s on my camera and hope to upload and edit it tonight! But for now I must go help pick up, start supper, throw some laundry in and other general house tasks that have to be done!!

With the chaos of the holidays I never did check on any sort of way to link up, but if you leave a comment on this post and are taking part, I’ll add you to my blogroll and come check out what you have been up to!!!

See you soon with more photos of “The Everyday!!”

Hello!! Hello!!! Hello!!!!!!!!!!! Remember me? It has “only” been four months after all. FOUR MONTHS. Wow wow wow. They have flown! We are so, so happy to be back. The kids are thriving and we are loving this new chapter in our lives. My lack of posting probably speaks to that!! We have been busy catching up with family, spending time with old friends and making new. Then there is the hour and a half to hour and forty five minutes I spend in the car every day driving kids to and from school {which I am fine with because I don’t want them on the bus yet – but it takes a good chunk of time!!}. And chasing after Brighton. That one is ORNERY. And then there is the painting. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of painting!! I did squeeze in a few shoots this fall, but my focus has been elsewhere since the move!

That being said, I MISS it!! And I REALLY REALLY miss my “Everyday Moments” challenge that I started this year. So I am bringing it back to life in 2012!!! My goal will be much like it was this past year, to take a photo a day. Some will be posed. Some will be moments. Some will be carefully crafted on the 5D. Some will be shot on my iPhone. And to be honest, I am certain I’ll miss days. That’s life. There are no rules. Just capturing the everyday. {I think I am going to change the name and just call it The Everyday.”}

With that, I am just here posting a little warning so if anyone wants to join in with me, they can be prepared! Maybe we can somehow link up? How would that work? Since I prefer to shoot everyday {opposed to a Project 52 or something like that}, it might not be realistic to link up daily? Especially because I am certain I won’t blog daily but post a few at a time??? Hmmm….if there is any interest I’ll see what I can dream up!

And since I haven’t posted photos in FOUR months…I’ll share just a peek at my little loves and how they have changed and grown!

And from our family to yours…

{Card template via Birdesign}

I am going to be playing catch up forever…I accept that. These photos were edited long before we ever left but in the chaos of packing and goodbyes and everything that comes with moving, they didn’t get shared. So as I attempt to clean up my computer folders, here are a few of my Everyday Moments from a few weeks ago!!

This was taken on her birthday – June 27.

Oh how I love me a sleeping photo…

This little guy is so cute I just want to squeeze him!! He lost his two front teeth only a week apart! We had a mini session on my bed to document the huge milestone!

And my personal fave… This is real life. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

You probably gathered from my extreme lack of posting that things have been busy! That would be the understatement of the year!! We have made it to the other side and are settling in to our new home in Kansas. We have been for over two weeks now. It has just taken me that long to get my act together enough to post! The unpacking was unbelievable. It is crazy how much stuff five people can have. And did I mention we downsized? Which is fine because we had way too much house in Arizona, but it has been interesting trying to fit the same amount of people and nearly the same amount of stuff into a smaller house!

So let’s talk about the house and how it contributes to my lack of computer time of late! First of all, did you realize that we moved here without me even seeing the house first? Chris came out to Kansas and looked for us and I trusted him to find the best fit for us. I saw lots of pictures, but had no real concept until we arrived! It is 20 years old – it is dated. But it has SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I love a good project or twenty, which is good, because we have plenty! It was left less than acceptable for us to live in so HOURS upon HOURS have been spent cleaning. More than one bottle of Murphy’s Oil Soap was used, as well as more than one bottle of bleach. The sweeper filter had to be emptied and washed out numerous times. Lots and lots of elbow grease went in to getting this place cleaned up and comfortable for us. But it is coming along. It is coming along….

Today we will buy paint and begin to make it home…so excited for that. SO.EXCITED. I love to paint {which is a good thing considering that everything in this house needs painted – and I mean EVERYTHING – even the closets} and love how quickly it can change the feel of a room. It’s amazing.

I will post photos I promise!! Before’s and after’s! Although I really should have done all the before’s before we moved our stuff in….

The kids are adjusting great!! Out of all three of them, Brighton had the most trouble which really took me by surprise. I just assumed she wouldn’t really know the difference, but she did. The first few days were rough and she is still extremely jumpy and scares easily, but she is settling right in. The girls are sharing a room {which they seem to love!} and that helps. And it is going surprisingly well too I might add!!

School starts next week. The kids are enrolled and we LOVE their school!! And their teachers! I called this week and when I gave the secretary my name, she immediately knew that Huntler and Gentry were mine. She even got their names right!! I know that living in a small town can come with its own downsides, but we love it here and are SO happy to be raising our kids in such a small, safe community.

What else? Oh, we found a frog in the toilet. Yep, a frog in the toilet. Tree frog. One day Gentry was taking a shower late in the afternoon and went to the bathroom before she hopped in. She was in there {the shower} a good minute before she  said to me, “Hey  Mom. There’s a fwog in the toilet.” {I purposefully typed “fwog” – that is how she says it!!} I of course questioned her – not believing this at all! So, I carefully lifted up the lid just a crack and there he was! Chris got him out and set him free! We THINK that he climbed a tree outside {or even the house} and ended up on the roof. It was really hot that day and I think {based on what I found online!} that he was trying to find somewhere cooler to go and ended up falling down a plumbing shaft. We can cover them with screens and the problem will be solved. The other thought is that he came in through the septic tank. Not cool. Because we can’t do anything about that and other creatures could also find there way in… But, we really think he just fell down the shaft from the roof!

Don’t think I am complaining – I’ll take a frog any day over a scorpion. Now that I am aware they can get in, I am good. It just really caught me off guard that first time!! We are also now aware that this winter we may have a mouse problem. We have been cleaning the unfinished basement and yesterday found lots of evidence that an entire mouse family set up shop down there. I hate hate hate mice, but I also know that it is part of life in the country. We will however be buying mouse poison and traps in mass quantities! I plan to attack before we ever even see one in hopes of never seeing one!!

I have so, so much to share!! I have been snapping photos off and on since before we moved but am now ready to get back on track with my Everyday Moments! The images popped up on a screen saver last night and made me realize just how much I ADORE those moments and yearn to get back to capturing them!

On that note, here is a photo I planned to post days and days and days ago…

Shoot! I forgot to adjust the sizing!! I haven’t been in Photoshop in so long I am kinda at a loss!!

This was taken in AZ – the loading! Oh, and I should add that we used ABF U-Pack and LOVED working with them! Everyone was so, so nice and helpful and our stuff actually arrived in Kansas before we even left Arizona! I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this company!

And on that note, I better sign off! The propane company will be here soon. Yes, propane company. I am learning SO much! I am a true Kansas girl but I have never been a country girl!! Every day is an adventure!

Good intentions. I have them for sure. What I don’t have is extra time. I am taking a little bit of time off of packing, but we are talking a couple of hours and that is it!! Not enough to get everything I need to do done!!

Here is how a cake smash is done correctly in case you weren’t sure!!

I am over two weeks behind. AHHHHHHH!!! I am ready for the party post next though!!

Until then…
And…

YAY!! We’re moving!! Really she was just saying she is “SOOOOO big,” but it looks like a “YAY” kinda of pose considering she is in a box!!

Saying goodbye to Daddy – he had to fly to Kansas a couple of weeks ago for work and to do some house hunting for us!