Hissyfits Photography Blog

So there you have it…one of my fun Etsy creations!! I thought I’d give ya a little sneak peek into what I have been doing ALL weekend! Yep…bows, bows and more bows!! One would think I would have 30 lined up and ready to go, but with my extreme perfectionism and the crazy amount of detail in some of them, that is definitely NOT the case!!

And then this happens…

And it INSTANTLY gets cuter!! So what five minutes before this photo shoot was a possible sale is now headed for the bow and headband basket in Gentry’s room! No worries, I will be creating another one of these cuties for some super lucky little girl!! (I only plan on making one more headband similar to this for my shop, so if you HAVE to have one, please send me an e-mail and I’ll be sure to make one up special for you!!)

So there you have it!! My weekend in a nutshell!! I THINK both kids are napping as I type! Huntler has been a lot on the whiny side this morning and I told him he had to rest while Gentry was napping. He took his trains, his backpack and his chocolate milk and disappeared into his room!! And I am enjoying the peace!!

And although this is a pretty short little post for me, I am one busy girl today and need to get back to work!! Hope you all had a nice weekend!!

But for the moment all is peaceful! Gentry is napping and Huntler is laying on my bed resting in the quiet. I am hopeful that he too will take a little nap…I know he’ll feel better if he does!!

I have been busy, busy, busy around here! Working like crazy on some fun Etsy stuff and reading my camera manual every second I get!! We have had our camera almost three years now and I am FINALLY reading the manual!! And the only reason is because I want a new camera!! Seem crazy? Well, it is, but I am going to learn to shoot in manual mode so I have some control over my images!! And I will not buy a new camera until I have mastered manual, so I am trying to soak up as much as I can! I must say that there are three great girls (thanks Tonya, Lacey and Krista!!) out there that have been so kind as to share with me SO much!! I am so excited to learn something new!! The online class I am taking starts at the end of the month and I am sure that will be a great inspiration as well!!

So…can I just say thanks to all of you for your comments and suggestion on my Elmo post?! I ran some ideas by Huntler and he likes the crayon idea as of right now. So, okay, I am pretty sure I have seen crayon costumes and we can try to make that happen. I ask what color. Rainbow! Are you kidding me?! They may have crayon costumes but I am pretty darn sure none of them are rainbow!! So, I’ll have to talk him out of that!

And while on the subject of talking Huntler out of things, I can’t seem to talk him out of the whole train themed birthday bash! So I am doing what any good mom would do…I am giving in. So what that we have already been there and done that, we are doing it again! I must say it was really cute…I made hobo packs for the favors and everything! And as my dear friend Lisa pointed out this morning, we still lived in Kansas when we threw that party so no one from here has seen any of my ideas yet! I just like the planning aspect so much that I wanted something different, but the last thing I want is a devastated little four year old when he sees a crocodile cake instead of a train! He is really obsessed with all things Thomas, but I can’t give in quite that much…just trains!! But I am sure there will be a few bits and pieces of Thomas scattered about that day!

Thanks for all of the encouragement on my Etsy shop! I am not sure if I should be happy or panicked at this point with all of you eager readers ready to see what I am creating!! I am an EXTREME perfectionist and that has been the biggest struggle for me in this whole adventure! The fact of the matter is that it is RARE to find that “perfect” item anywhere you go…hand made or store bought! I just have really high standards and expect to get quality items and of course sell them! I’ll just tell you that there are little pieces of ribbon scattered all over, marabou fuzz covering my bedroom and craft area and paper slivers galore! And I can’t forget to mention the shirt I ruined with my trusty bottle of Mod Podge!! 

So what’s a post without a few pictures?! These are from our California trip! I finally managed to get through them! If you remember the 17,000 pics I had to sort through a few months ago, you will understand why I haven’t loaded anymore onto the computer yet! I have to delete all of the non-keepers from this batch before I go adding even more!!

Anyway, I just did all that this morning while the kids were still in bed and I edited a few while I was at it…

Look out Disneyland, here we come!! When we got our car a couple of years ago, a DVD player was a MUST! When you drive back and forth to Kansas a couple of times a year (15+ hours drive time each way), you gotta have some entertainment!! Gentry has worn her headphones for as long as I can remember! She doesn’t always leave them on for long, but she insists upon having them!! And Huntler? He is a pro at getting them on and off! He does so good traveling that we hardly know he is even back there!!

Now this one was a TOTAL accident but I love the feel of it!! His hand was obviously not supposed to be the main focus, but bumping along on this little train ride we were on, it ended up in focus! I actually deleted it right off the bat, but then drug it out of the trash and looked at it more! I think it is kinda fun!! Anyway, see his expression?! He was SO excited!! My favorite part of that entire day was seeing the joy and the magic through the kids’ eyes!!

Here is Gentry on the Alice in Wonderland ride. Although she looks bored, she was just really tired!! The “Happiest Place on Earth” can do that to a kid in nothing flat!!

See? I’m telling ya! Here she is with grandma on the carousel!!

The VERY first ride we went on was some scary Buzz Lightyear ride. If you’ve been there, you know what I am talking about! It is loud, dark and you spin around in these little cars and shoot at things. I had Gentry and Chris had Huntler. Gentry and I were good to go…we didn’t shoot at anything, but we spun our car and had fun! Chris on the other hand spent the entire ride (and it seemed like the longest ride in the whole theme park!!) comforting a hysterical Huntler. The entire time he cried and held his hands over his ears, just as in this picture. He is EXTREMELY sensitive to noise and the combination of the dark with the noise was NOT a good one! Once we got him out and into the daylight he cried and said over and over again, “I don’t wike Disneywand. I want to go home.” Not good…not good at all. So we got drinks and calmed down and I talked him into the teacups! And let me just say that we all LOVED the teacups!! (I took a double dose of motion sickness medicine that morning so I could get through these rides in one piece!!)

And on that note I am off! Huntler is NOT napping but instead has some Thomas flashcards that he keeps shoving in my face…I am off to play!! Chris has to work some this weekend and I have LOADS of stuff to do, so I am taking a blogging break until Monday! By the way, if I owe you an e-mail…I will be replying over the weekend! I have gotten REALLY far behind!! Anyway, if you need your blogging fix, check out some of my links on the sidebar! There are TONS of great ones over there!

(I added a new song…Remember When by LeAnn Rimes. They played it after the AMAZING fireworks show at Disneyland and I LOVE it!! Listen to the words…I bet you will love it too!!)

And I can’t mention fall without bringing up Halloween! I am one of “those moms.” The kind that is generally so over-prepared and has things planned out to a “t” that everyone else gets sick of it! I plan ahead…and most of the time WAY ahead! That is just me…always has been, always will be!

So it should come as no surprise to you that I have been pondering Halloween costumes for weeks now. I am also one of those moms who will dress their children in coordinating (not matching…just coordinating) costumes for as long as I can pull it off! Yes, I am one of those moms!!

So…I want to share with you my two little sweeties last year on Halloween! At about this same time last year I got this bright idea in my mind that they were going to be Raggedy Ann and Andy. I searched high and low on my good friend the computer and found “the perfect” costumes! LOVED them! I should also admit here that I am slightly high maintenance when it comes to Halloween costumes. I am not sure where that comes from…they are costumes made to be worn once a year and that is it…but I am picky. So anyway, I found “the perfect” ones last year and couldn’t have been happier! (You’ll note that Gentry was just as happy as I was!! Ha ha ha!!)

Now flash forward a year! Here I am racking my brain trying to find something equally as cute for my two darling kids this year…something that coordinates. Mickey and Minnie? A bee and a bug? Dorothy and the Tin Man?

I am having NO problems when it comes to Gentry…girl costumes seem to be like girl clothing! There is a TON of it and it all comes in several different styles! Now for my little man on the other hand? No such luck!

So, last night while browsing “the aisles” of Etsy, I found “it.” As in, THE costume that would dictate what my goal would be this year for the kids…none other than Elmo!! There was an equally cute Cookie Monster, but Gentry has a soft spot for the furry red guy!! Click here to see the rest of the cute items in this shop!!

And here he is…looking ever so glam and girly!! The thing I love most about this costume is that she can wear it for more than just Halloween! This little tutu dress should fit her for years to come!! (Please note that these are not my images but came from the site I purchased the costume from.)

Now tell me that is not CUTE?!! I of course called Chris in to look at it and he too thought it was super cute and very “Gentry” and told me to order it!! I think I sold him with the fact that she can wear it more than on just Halloween! I have had a bee picked out, but by the time I bought the wings and the wand and everything else she “needed,” it was way more expensive than this one!!

So that brings me to the ever cute Raggedy Andy you saw above! I am thinking he would be the PERFECT Cookie Monster to accompany our little Elmo, but the Cookie Monster costumes are so fuzzy and heavy…totally not going to cut it here in the desert (that is why it is okay for Gentry to be wearing a lightweight little piece of tulle!!). It is still way too warm at that time of year! So…if anyone out there has any fantastic ideas, please share!! Nothing cheesy or dorky…remember I am high maintenance in regards to costumes!!

Huntler had his second day of preschool today…and of course loved every second of it!! Can you believe he already came home with his first book order?!! I TOTALLY remember spending hours looking over those super thin little order forms with oodles of fun books to read when I was in school! I just can’t believe my chid is now bringing them home! Oh how the years go by…

Gentry girl is napping as I type! We had a fun little impromptu photo shoot this morning in a big basket! While Huntler was at school we hauled this big basket of dolls and girly fun over to my room and played. And then when I was working on fun Etsy stuff, she played right alongside me! Anyway, it didn’t take long for her to realize she could dump the entire basket over and empty it out so she could get in! It made for some fun photos and lots of giggles, but I have yet to upload them to the computer! Soon my friends, soon!! I need more hours in the day!!

So, here are a couple of little bits of randomness for ya on this HOT August Tuesday! Is it EVER going to be fall??? EVER???? I hate to whine and complain, but I am beyond sick and tired of the 100+ temperatures and the intense heat that pounds you from above and radiates out of the cement. Ughhh….

1. I HAVE to shampoo and condition my hair every single day. My stylist is always telling me to just wash it every other day, but for some reason I just can’t adapt to that! And the conditioner thing? Just something I feel I MUST do every single time I wash my hair! It is a bit thick and curly so whatever I can do to tame the wildness, I do!!
2. I have set a Grand Opening date of September 1 for my Etsy shop!

Have a Happy Tuesday!!

Meet Avery…she is one amazing child. She has defied all odds and is a true miracle.

Now read her story…this is all her mommy’s writing…I took it off of her care page to share with you all.

Little Miss Avery came home from the hospital on Christmas Eve of 2005. I guess we should have known from her incredible birth weight- a whopping 10lb 3oz!!! that this little girl was anything but ordinary. On April 17th of 2005, when Avery was just shy of four months old she had a grand mal (genralized tonic clonic) seizure in my arms. At that moment I knew, I just knew that we were in big trouble. Forty eight miserable hours later we learned that Avery has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (see www.tsalliance.org). TSC is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow in major organs, primarily the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Avery has multiple brain tumors, (also called “tubers” because of their ‘potato shape’), skin, heart, and kidney tumors.

On January 9th of 2007, after battling daily seizures for six months Avery underwent a two stage brain resection surgery to remove two large calcified tumors in her left frontal lobe. Avery suffered life threatening post operative complications, including infection, and a blood clot that traveled to her lungs. Yet Avery defied the odds and came home from Cicinnati Children’s three weeks after the first sugery. She then spent twelve weeks in an intensive rehabilitative therapy program in Kansas City.

Avery experienced almost six months of blissful seizure freedom before they returned in June of ’07. Since then we have worked to gain seizure control with medication. Unfortunately on November the 2nd this year, Avery suffered a status seizure that lasted an hour. At first we didn’t feel that she experienced any lasting effects from this prolonged seizure, but we are now noticing issues with balance, coordination, and the use of her right side. Avery continues to receive speech, physical, and occupational therapies each week. Further brain surgery is never out of the question, but something we are hoping to avoid. Despite the challenges Avery faces on a daily basis, she greets me every morning with a big smile. She is extremely curious, ornery, and loving. She LOVES trains (whoo! whoo!), cows (Mooooo!), and her big sissy, Kaylen (Day! Day!) Avery enjoys reading her books, playing with her toy piano, and chasing Kaylen. As many other families affected by TSC we live by the motto, “Avery may have TSC, but TSC does NOT have Avery!”

Now here is the deal. I need YOUR help to raise money and awareness for this amazing cause! I know you are out there…I have over 16,000 hits now and although I love my blog, they certainly aren’t all from me!! This is your chance to stop lurking and make a difference! So please do just that!! And for the non-lurkers who do leave comments from time to time, we need your help too! The TS Alliance is hosting a walk in September in Kansas City. I have been planning to attend since last year’s walk but since that is now not going to be possible, I am still registering as a walker and trying to earn as much money as I can for this great cause!!

It is REALLY easy! Just follow this link which will take you directly to “My Personal Fundraising” page. Click on “Sponsor Me” and just follow the steps. It appears to be pretty easy to follow but be sure to let me know if you have any questions!! You can also play around on there and visit the “Walkathon’s Team Page” and see the other walkers and sponsors!!

**I posted this last night but I am adding in a tad bit more info!! I didn’t mention above that all donations go to the TS Alliance and are put to use funding research on TS and the ultimate search for a cure. Also, if you do not have a credit card or would prefer to donate an amount NOT listed on the online link, you are more than welcome to send a check to me (made out to the TS Alliance) and it will get to the right place. ALL donations, no matter the amount, are just as important. Just click the “Email Me” link above and I’ll get ya my address!!

Thank you all in advance…your help is appreciated far more than you will ever know!!

And of course I took pictures to document it! There was a guy sitting in the car next to us talking on his cell phone and I am quite certain he thought I was a total crazy person, but this is NOT something you see every day my friends!! 

(More will come on our California trip soon, but I want to share another first that happened this week before I dive into all the pictures I have from our little vacation!)

Huntler started school. Yep…I officially have a preschooler these days. I think part of me is still in shock! The past four years have flown by and I still can’t believe that the little 6 pound baby I once held in just one arm is now in school!! 

Some of you know I have not been looking forward to this at all. In fact, if it were solely my decision, I would have more than likely waited until next year to put him in. But…it wasn’t just my decision and although I was hesitant to send him off, I know in my heart that he is ready. We get out and about and go to playgroups and socialize with friends, but school can give him something I can’t…something he needs.

So Thursday morning I did what I have been dreading for months. I loaded up my little guy and took him to his first day of school. (The first day was actually Tuesday, but since we were gone, he obviously didn’t make it that day!!) He was beyond excited!! We have been talking about school for months and he has been prepared for a really long time. He knew that Mommy and Gentry would take him and leave and that we would be back to get him a few hours later. There wasn’t a hesitant bone in his little body!! Which I must say is FAR, FAR easier on a mama than having to leave a hysterical child somewhere they absolutely do not want to be!! 

I wasn’t one bit excited about any of it, but I did it. Tears were shed and a sadness felt, but deep down I know that this is where he needs to be. Huntler was so excited he was practically running up the sidewalk to the door! He could literally not contain himself! We went in and found his teacher who helped him find his cubby and he was off without so much as a “Bye Mom!” He did come back to give me a hug and say that he loved me, but only because his teacher told him to!! And then he was off to the playground with all his “friends” again!! All the while I was trying SO HARD to keep him from seeing that I was breaking down!!

And so I stood at the door with Gentry on my hip and wiped away the tears as I watched my first born climb the playground equipment and make friends. He was doing exactly what any parent hopes for their kids…exactly what I hoped I had somehow taught him over the last few years. He has “grown up” to be an amazing little boy so full of life and love. So full of compassion and a deep desire to learn. At that moment I knew I could not have kept him home another year. It simply would not be fair to hold a child who so desperately wants to learn and thrive back. So as I stood there in that doorway holding on tight to my sweet girl, I watched my baby spread his wings and prepare to fly. This is just the beginning of something great for him and I truly look forward to seeing who he becomes.

Huntler, by the time you are old enough to read this I hope you have continued to spread your wings and are soaring through life. I hope you are following your heart and your dreams. Nothing is impossible little man, so don’t let anything stand between you and what you want most. And always, always know that Daddy and I are here for you…without a shadow of a doubt. We love to to the moon and back and always will…

Okay…so now that I have made myself cry yet again, I’ll share a few pictures!! Here he is all ready to go on his first day of preschool! It was SO hot that morning and the sun was already shining so intensely (at 8:00 AM) that we had to take these on the patio…so the background isn’t that great!!

I am still playing in Photoshop!! I tried out some different techniques on this one!! I like the look but think maybe I need to redo it and make it a little more subtle?!!

Isn’t this a cute little backpack?!! 

And this one I snapped of him on the way to school! Can’t you just feel his excitement?!! 

I suppose I should tell you how his first day went!! His teacher said he did wonderful and she was way more worried about me than him!! Once I got in the car I collected myself and was fine! And I was so busy unpacking and doing laundry while he was at school that I didn’t have much time to think! Now next week will be the true test for me!! Gentry girl and I will have to find something to keep us busy!!

Anyway, this time we were in California!! We left Saturday morning and just got home mid-afternoon today! I have my second load of laundry in already and the pictures all uploaded to the computer! WHEW!! There is still lots to do though…as in unpack and put all of those clothes away…ugh!! My least favorite part of traveling for sure!!

I realize California is a BIG state to say the least…we were in the LA area. We did lots of fun touristy things…but our family pictures and Disneyland were by far the highlights!! And speaking of Disneyland, I totally got my title for this post from a sign I saw while we were there!! Just wanted to give credit where credit is due!!

First of all…the amazing Tonya met up with us on Monday morning and took family pictures! I was SO darn excited I started waking up at 4:00 that morning…so if I look tired, well, I was!!! We haven’t had family shots taken since Gentry was just 6 months, so it was definitely time!! And she was definitely the photographer to do it!!

I am not sure how I even found Tonya, but I have been following her blog for months. I feel like I have known her and her sweet little family for ages! When we met there was no awkwardness…the kids took to her immediately and fell right into the photo shoot! Not to say they were perfect because they weren’t…they are two and almost four and well, they acted two and almost four!! But they were as good as could be expected for the above average heat and humidity we were tromping around in!!

Anyway, I can’t say enough great things about our experience! If you happen to live in the LA area, I send only the best recommendation for the lovely Tonya!! She has kids of her own and completely understands their lack of enthusiasm and doesn’t give up!! 

And here is a little sneak peek of just a few of our pictures!! (And  yes, I have her permission to use them on my blog!! I am sharing several, but there are a couple more on her blog…to see them, click here!! And the rest will have to wait until she has them edited and we pick out our images!!)

The main goal was to get some family shots!! Here is one I just adore!! I realize Huntler is not smiling, but he is making eye contact and that funny little frown face makes me laugh out loud! For those of you who know the “real” Huntler, you know how serious he is by nature…

And this one of Chris and me…LOVE IT!!! 

And the oh so loving Huntler letting mommy kiss on him!!

And of course Little Miss Gentry with her polka dot dress and REALLY grubby little feet!!

Tonya has something on her webpage about not putting pictures off for that perfect time. I can’t remember her words, but there truly is no perfect time. We’ll always want to lose weight, wish our hair was just a little bit longer, worry about how the kids will act, etc. But that is life. There will always be something we wish we could change or do differently. I for one will cherish these images forever. We have so few of us together as a family and time flies…we all change. I want to remember these days always…and I am more grateful to her than she will ever know for capturing a little bit of who we are today…who we are in real life. Thank you Tonya…thank you.

And on a lighter note, here are just a couple of the kids from Disneyland yesterday! They were SO good and we had an amazing time!! I will definitely share more later, but I have lots to do after being gone! (And they so did NOT love the hats…they were literally on seconds and I managed to get these!!)

1. You should always leave your washing machine lid UP when you aren’t using it. This keeps it from smelling musty and damp. My obsessive compulsive side does NOT like this, but over the last few months, this is something I have come to do ALL the time! Awhile back I was noticing a funny smell in the washer and then I just happened on to an article in a magazine that talked about this exact same thing!! I ran it a couple of times with hot water and bleach to kill any germs or odors that might have been lingering and the rest is history! Pop in on me any time and you’ll find the lid up!!
2. Stick a piece of bread into your brown sugar canister and your brown sugar won’t harden up!! We have battled hardened brown sugar FOREVER!! I just don’t cook or bake often enough to go through it that quickly and therefore, it gets hard! When our friends Gareth and Megan were out in May, Megan told us to stick a piece of bread into the canister. We did and what do you know?! That bread quickly became rock hard but our brown sugar is soft as can be!! 

Hope you found something in there you can use!! Maybe this is stuff everyone knows already, but it was news to me so I decided to pass it along! 

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Doesn’t that picture take you to a happy time and place?!! They are even wearing jackets!! Oh how I miss the cool, crisp weather! Being out here in the desert, it certainly brightens my day to think that fall is just around the corner…even though it will still be HOT!!

So follow this link and get yourself signed up!!