Hissyfits Photography Blog

WAHOOO!! Are you as excited as I am?! I have been wanting to show a little blog love for forever now and I finally have things together enough in my life to do just that!! So here it is…a fabulously fun {at least I think so anyway!!} giveaway!!

And because I was so excited I didn’t stop at just one…there are THREE prizes up for grabs!

So here is the deal. Leave a comment on THIS post…tell me what your favorite thing about my blog is {for example: my shopping finds, my incessant babbling, my photos, party planning chat…whatever}. If you are a newbie, just tell me how you found me!! On Sunday I will draw three names. {Actually, I will probably use some random generator site, but you get the idea!!} The first name chosen gets first choice in what she wants. The second name gets to choose from the remaining two items. And the last one gets whatever is left!!

Wanna see what you could win?! {Just remember that I am NOT so great at taking pictures of “stuff” and a couple of these aren’t very sharp!!}

First up is this super cute bowband…complete with a sparkly mushroom charm!! Oh how I LOVE this!! So bright and cheery! Why couldn’t I have learned to make these when Gentry was just a tiny little thing?! At least she humors me and loves hair accessories!!

Up next is this set of springy loopy flower bows with shimmery pom poms in the center! I made these after making a set for Gentry last week! These actually have an extra layer of loops so they are even a tad bit bigger! They are mounted on alligator clips.

And last but not least is a set of simple cupcake clips along with a cute cupcake bow!! The clips are single pronged alligator clips lined with black ribbon! The cupcakes were actually push pins that I took the pins off of and adhered {with E6000 adhesive} to clips!!

And this white bow is just that…a cute, shimmery little cupcake bow I made and stuck on an alligator clip!!

You don’t have to have a blog to enter, just a valid email so that I can contact you if you win!! Remember the winners will be drawn on Sunday, February 22!!

*And just to add a little disclaimer here! All of these were made with love and are carefully assembled. I use the strongest adhesive out there, but that doesn’t mean that a charm can’t fall off! Just as with anything, watch your little one with these!!

Hey friends!! I have hopes of getting my fun giveaway posted later today, but for now I am dealing with a terrible headache and can’t find it in me to take pictures of the goodies!! So be sure to check back…it IS coming later today or tomorrow!!

However, I have something else I want to post!! I have this lens sitting on a shelf in my closet at this very moment. I just got it for Christmas in 2007. It has barely been used but I am ready to part with it!!

You are probably wondering why? There is NOTHING wrong with it, at all. I seriously used it for about five months and then I took it off and put on a different lens and I just don’t want to go back to zoom lenses anymore!! Simple as that!!

As I pursue this love of photography of mine, I plan to stick with Canon products. I also plan to stick with prime lenses {the ones that don’t zoom} simply because they tend to be sharper than any type of zoom!!

So there is that!! We paid $500 for it new just over a year ago and it has been used for less than six months. I am extremely careful with everything I own so other than some dust {that any lens is going to have}, it is absolutely perfect.

I am asking $300 for it…but may be open to another offer. You can shoot me an email at bethany.m.graham@gmail.com if you are interested!! I plan to stick it on Ebay if no one is interested, but thought I would give this a try first!

Hope you are all having a great day!!

So do you like how I am making this so interactive?! Getting everyone’s two cents here? One would think I have no opinions of my own, but let me just say that I most certainly do! I am just really, really torn on this!! {Obviously!!}

I just want to make it as perfect as I can and getting some feedback is so vital to that!! However…I must say that I am still having a HUGE debate as far as the whole one blog/two blogs thing goes…despite the fact that counting Chris’ vote and my vote, it is an overwhelming nine votes to two to keep two separate blogs!! While everything you all said was very valid and makes total and complete sense to me, for some reason I am hung up on combining them and I just can’t shake that thought!!

I guess I feel like I want to know things about the person who is taking my pictures or making me a cute dress on Etsy or designing my Christmas cards. I think putting a face and a personality to that person and realizing that they are in fact real just adds so much. I don’t know…I am sure I don’t make sense, but oh well!! I truly appreciate your feedback and I’ll keep ya posted!! For now I am just leaving things as they are because hello, I don’t even have any clients yet!!

So that brings me to my next big decision. While crammed in our queen sized bed early this morning with absolutely NO room to even breathe with a kid on each side of me and Chris just on the other side of Gentry, I lay awake pondering this very subject!! One blog? Two blogs? Pros? Cons? Yadda, yadda, yadda!!

And then it hit me…what if I had a little tag line! Back when I first had my logo created in October the designer asked if I had one. Nope. Just Hissyfits Photography. I have thought of that off and on for some time, but it wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning that this came to me! What if I had something like:

Capturing the Sweet Moments
Preserving the Sweetness
Sharing the Sweetness

{In case you didn’t know…I am using “sweetness” because of the fact that there will be a lollipop incorporated in my logo and will be my little “trademark” for my business!}

I could go on and on…like “Savoring the Sweetness one Click at a Time.” You probably don’t know this about me, but I almost majored in English!! You do know that I am wordy beyond belief though so I am sure this comes as no surprise!

Anyway, I am not starting this business to become rich and famous. I am not starting it with the intention of earning a ton of money. For me, it is simply about doing something I absoultely LOVE and sharing it with others. Giving someone a gift that they couldn’t give themselves. Capturing a memory and preserving childhood. I mean, if I could make enough to buy more lenses or some riduculously expensive cute clothes, that would be icing on the cake, but mostly it is about having something of “mine” that I truly love. Make sense? So, with saying that, I am not all about being “prim and proper” and extremely professional. That is SO NOT ME!! I am lighthearted, energetic, cheery and I want everything about each aspect of it to reflect just that.

So…back to my original point here. Does anyone have any thoughts for a fun tag line? I haven’t had much time to think about it and just wanted to know your thoughts on what I have come up with so far or if anything came to you!!

Thanks again for all of your input!! It is really fun to see what others think!! It is easy for me to get caught up in my own thoughts and then I feel like I might be overlooking something!

And on that note, I am off!! Huntler is at school and Gentry girl is passed out on the floor beside me!! Apparently she doesn’t sleep as well crammed in our bed either!!

So it has been one of those days, ya know? The kind where you seem to go in circles in every single aspect of your life? Please tell me I am not the only one who is like this!

Although I spent hours last week cleaning, the weekend “happened” and I was once again forced to spend a good chunk of my morning getting things put away and the house straightened up…again. I have come to believe that the whole concept of “Having the Best of Both Worlds” with an immaculate house AND well behaved, content children is all just an illusion! So, while my kids currently giggle away while playing on my bed and a whole mess of crayons, princess panties and pajama pants litter the floor beside me, I am going to pretend it isn’t there and type!!

It has also been one of those days where I have been doubting every single thing about myself and my capabilities. As I have spent just a little time working on my website and looking at tons of photographers sites for pricing ideas and all of that, I wonder if I am even good enough to do this? Will people actually pay me to take their pictures?! I broke down and started crying to Chris at lunch time…he of course says all the “right stuff” but he has to, doesn’t he?! He then told me I needed to take a nap and left to go back to work!

So enough of my pity party…I have a question for you guys…whomever you are that check in on my sweet family!! I am in the process of figuring out my photography website and blog situation. Either I am totally overthinking it or it is easier said than done. It could be either or a little bit of both!!

I have a website already…it is far from being “done,” but I have it. The question is, do I create a separate blog for Hissyfits…as in client images only? Or do I take the blog I have and have it reformatted into Typepad or WordPress {I can’t remember…but I won’t be doing it so it is okay!!} and have one blog that incorporates my personal stuff and professional stuff and that is all linked to my Hissyfits website? {I would have it reformatted so that I don’t lose my last year of blogging.} Or do I leave it how it is and put client images on my current blog? AHHH!! Anyway, I have gone back and forth for the last several days and each time I think I decide, something changes my mind!

Let me just share with you a little of what I have been thinking and maybe someone out there will have more to add?! I am surely overlooking something in this!!

If I keep my Little Graham Crackers blog and create a new business one, then there are two places to check in. Kind of a pain if you ask me. Several photographers do it this way, but I have a whole lotta blogs I check every couple of days or so {as you can see from the sidebar!!} and adding in extras isn’t always the most convenient.

Also, if I keep Little Graham Crackers and have a separate Hissyfits blog, there will be like nothing on it until I get going with this and who knows how long that will take!! I would be so sad if I had this cute little blog and NOTHING on it!!

Now, if I combine them, the only drawback I am seeing is the fact that I have to do something with the tons of links on my sidebar!! That is how I see who has updated so I don’t really want to get rid of it!! In my opinion it just isn’t that professional looking to have all that on the side of business blog. And plus, I want my photography blog to have one large column so I can make the pictures even bigger!!!

Chris thinks that I won’t like having just one blog through Hissyfits because then I won’t be able to redo the design {because I am going to be paying someone to create a super fun, whimsical look for my Hissyfits blog} and we all know how much I like to redo the design every few months!

Ay, ay, ay…I have no idea what to do. I have my thoughts but I am curious as to what others think? As in YOU!!! So let me know!! In the meantime I will continue to fret about it and go back and forth until I am blue in the face!!

I am really having fun with this weekly photo challenge that Brittany over at 4 Little Men and Girly Twins is doing! Since I haven’t kept up with my whole “Flashback Friday” thing for the last several months {I can’t even remember the last time I did it to be truthful!}, I enjoy taking these little treks down memory lane each week!

And this week it is actually a decent photo! So here is the third image in my January 2007 folder!

This was taken in Gentry’s room before we even got it painted!! Huntler was two years and three months and she wasn’t even six months old yet!!

And here was the very next one…

And a couple more from that month that I really like!!

What I am trying to figure out though is what in the world happened to my babies?!! They are so grown up these days, both of them. Other than her binky, there is nothing baby left about Gentry and Huntler outgrew his baby face long ago. Hmmm…so sad!!

On a cheerier note, have you seen that Target has Smurfs?!! I about wet my pants I was so excited Friday when I was in there!! I wanted one of everything!! And just to clarify, that would be for me, not the kids. They don’t have a clue who the Smurfs even are, but oh how I adored them when I was a kid!! I remember so vividly the little plastic characters we had and playing with them at my grandma and grandpa’s farm. Gosh that was a long time ago!!

I did exert some self control…I walked away with a mere six characters instead of all of them. And the cute little mushroom houses were still sitting on the shelf when I checked out! They didn’t have either of the above pieces in the store but they sure are cute, aren’t they?! I guess in my “old age” I forgot that Smurfs lived in mushrooms? EEK!! Fits right in with my current mushroom obsession!! Do you think it would be a bit odd for me to ask for them for my birthday in April considering I am going to be 29?!!

And speaking of Target {okay, yeah so that was five minutes ago, I know!!}, have you checked out their baby bedding lately?! They have done a little bit of rearranging at ours and it is all now on an end aisle, so I walked right by it. I never look at that stuff anymore since we don’t have babies and aren’t having one anytime in the near future! But goodness it is CUTE!!

So this next picture is the stuff I REALLY love, but since I won’t be getting it anytime in the next life, I have moved on. I mean, really, the $90 it would cost for the sheet set alone is totally absurd. I could buy a new lens with the money it would cost to buy new bedding in! Had we not already spent a small fortune in Pottery Barn bedding that hasn’t even been used yet, it would be a different story. But considering that just across the way over in Gentry’s room there is a super cute full sized quilt and some fun decorative pillows and shams still in their original packaging, we are keeping what we have. {My financial planner of a husband brought me back down to reality on that subject!! Although…when we move back to Kansas, I want to change things up again!!}

And this is the bedding we have. She has the matching stuff for her crib…the bumper pad and comforter. We are no longer using the bumper pad {obviously!}, but now that we have converted the crib to a little toddler bed, she uses the comforter for every nap and every night!!

And this is the sheet I bought at Target. Sheesh, I managed to get WAY off topic and babble on forever here!! Anyway, the sheet is darling and goes perfect with her little quilt and the colors in her room! And most of all, she loves it! It makes her smile and giggle!! And it was only $10.99…not an arm an a leg! So, I guess there are benefits to leaving her in that little bed for a bit longer, we can still shop in the baby section!! The funny thing is, I haven’t bought a sheet for her since she was just a couple of months old…this entire time she has had a solid pink sheet and a solid green sheet! Why didn’t I think to look sooner!?

Alright, well, we are going to a birthday party here in just over an hour so I should go put some makeup on and try to look presentable! And even though the stinkin’ Wii Fit told me I have gained FIVE pounds since my last workout {which was over a month ago!}, I am looking forward to some yummy cake! But seriously, FIVE pounds? How is that even possible? I must have been having a super skinny day the last time I weighed and not such a skinny day yesterday. Blah.

Enjoy your weekend!

So I started to post yesterday…I really and truly did, but the words were not coming easily {or at all for that matter!} so I deleted the entry and nixed the idea. Ever have days like that?

The first part of my day yesterday was absolutely crazy…as in drop Huntler off at school, run a couple of errands, go back to Huntler’s school to take pics and help with his Valentine’s Day party and then meet a friend at the McDonald’s Play Place for lunch. We didn’t get home until 2:00 PM! Just in time to put Gentry down for a nap and then snuggle with Huntler for a bit…which resulted in nice long naps for both of us too!! Ahhh how I love a good nap every now and again!

That pretty much sums up our day…or at least most of it. Chris had to work late so after the kids and I ate dinner we hung out downstairs for awhile. And that is when I got the call. The call that caused my heart to sink to my stomach and for my ability to focus to completely vanish. It was Lisa and they were on their way to the nearest children’s hospital with sweet Avery to undergo a CT scan and try to get some answers as to why she had such a horrible day yesterday {hysterical screaming, vomiting, fainting}. This was after they had already spent hours at their local hospital while she had blood drawn and a variety of others things done. Anyway, after I heard the words “air lift” and “she is stabilized so we are going to drive her instead” I pretty much wasn’t even sure what was going on because the emotion overcame me. I just knew that is wasn’t good and my heart was breaking for them. Why is life so unfair? Why are all these babies so sick and suffering so much?

Anyway, after one LONG night in the ER they are home with no more answers than they went in with. The doctors were able to rule many things out, but unable to determine what exactly is going on. I can only imagine the frustration they must be feeling.

I talk about Lisa all the time, but I don’t go into the details of Avery’s diagnosis much. She suffers from TS and constantly battles seizures…not to mention the numerous tumors on her brain and in her little body. On her carepage {besides having a blog, Lisa also has a carepage set up where she updates people a little more on the medical aspect of what is going on with Avery} she mentioned today that it can’t be easy being her friend. That you never know when you are going to get a frantic call that really doesn’t make much sense. Well Lisa, I want to say to you that that’s what friends are for…standing by your side during the good and the bad. I wouldn’t consider myself a true friend if I turned my back because things weren’t always “easy.” True friends are there for listening to latest reports from the doctors. As well as listening to what pieces of the new Gymobree line you bought or the ideas you have in mind for Kaylen’s next birthday party! For crying when there is nothing else we can do. For caring as if it were our own child. For laughing in the good times. For relishing in the milestones. For discussing Katie Holmes’ latest hair style and what in the world The Bachelor is thinking! The good, the bad, the ugly…that is what friends are for. I am beyond blessed to not only have you in my life, but your sweet family as well. We love you guys dearly and can’t wait for the day we are back in Kansas and can call this long distance relationship quits!!

So that is my post for today…I simply want to tell my dear friend how much she is loved despite the chaos that sometimes consumes her days! And I also want to ask each of you to keep sweet Avery in your thoughts and prayers…she could really use them right now.

And that is it for today…this post has been on my mind all morning and something I really wanted to share! I PROMISE to be back this weekend with the “first installment” of answers to some of your questions! As well as an update on my loopy bow giveaway! {I made a set but just wasn’t loving them so I decided to keep them and start all over!!} Anyway, my inbox is overflowing so I am going to return a few emails and then I HAVE to get back to work on this house! Why does it take SO long to clean?!!

Just saying that I am on one of my “kicks” again and in order to actually be productive, I am kicking myself off of the computer! So far this morning {it is 9:30 AM here} I have two loads of laundry going, the playroom dusted and vacuumed and three colors of paint touched up…I am on a roll! You certainly can’t tell I have done anything though and that is why I am banning myself from surfing the web in my down time for the next two or three days…I HAVE to get this house whipped into shape so I can focus on my photography biz as well as my sewing projects!

So, since I seemed to have found my groove again with updating {after like 7 weeks of chaos things are finally calm in my life!!}, I still want keep up with that, but other than that and returning some emails, I have to take a time out!!

So, that is my story!! {I plan to start answering some of those fun questions you left tomorrow in case you are wondering!} And since I hate posting without a pic of some sort, here is one to make you smile. Every family has one…a nose picker that is! Who’s yours?! At least she is a cute nose picker!!

By the way mom, see that little table? The one you got Chris for Christmas? He LOVES that thing! It has a permanent home on his side of the bed!

A couple of weeks ago when I first blogged about Cora, I had no idea how her story would unfold. I had hope and faith that she would overcome the challenges she had been dealt, beat the cancer and live a long life full of love and beauty. But it appears that God has other plans for Cora…

I am simply overwhelmed by the amount of love I see pouring out of people all over the country in honor of this sweet girl and her family. Strangers, complete strangers, who are sharing her story, opening their hearts and giving of themselves. It reminds me that despite the unfair circumstances and the harsh world we live in, there is good out there. A lot of good. Like so many, I never met Cora. I didn’t fall in love with that beautiful little chubby cheeked girl until word of her cancer spread. I know for one, I will never be the same. Ever.

My heart continues to break for her family. Tears flow again as I type this. I haven’t been able to get them off my mind since she first entered the hospital, but the last few days the McClenahan’s have been weighing on my mind and heart so heavily. My mind will continue to drift to Kansas today as they celebrate the all too short life of their baby girl. I hope they are able to find comfort in each other and their faith as they face what is sure to be one of the hardest days they have ever had to endure. Oh how my heart breaks for them…

I am amazed at all of the posts I have seen on this little beauty. The way the blog world has come together in support of this family simply leaves me speechless. The people out there posting notes of love and remembrance, of hope and encouragement. Heaven sure got one loved little Cora Paige on Sunday.

My friend Julie is putting her amazing talent to use in such a great way. She is making headbands and pins in honor of Cora and selling them in her Etsy shop. All proceeds go directly to the construction of the Cora Playground in Cora’s hometown.

The first picture is of the original fabric Julie chose in honor of Cora. So many people are showing their love and support that she sold out of them!! I missed out on getting the original, but I did manage to get a butterfly headband for Gentry. Each and every time she wears that headband I will be reminded of Cora, her journey, her family. I will be reminded to cherish each and every moment I am given with those I love the most for you see, each day is a gift, not a guarantee.

I just wanted to share this for those of you who would like to do something in memory of Cora. Go buy a headband or pin or donate to the playground fund.

So I mentioned yesterday I was working on some fun loopy bows for my girl!! I was a wee bit discouraged last night because they just seemed kinda funky and imperfect, but today I attached all the layers and added shimmery pom poms to the centers and I am LOVING these things!! As in LOVING LOVING them!! They may be the easiest bows I have EVER made!! And since I’ll be glued to the TV tonight watching The Bachelor anyway, I am pretty sure I’ll be working on another set!!

And since every other idea I have had for a giveaway has fallen through {I wanted to do a bow board but couldn’t figure out how to mail it!! And then I thought I would do a free blog makeover but I am having MAJOR issues getting permission to use kits so that is nixed!}, I think I’ll just create a set of these to giveaway to one of my sweet readers!!

More on that once I get them made!! So stay tuned!!

And in case you are wanting a yummy, easy supper idea, try this!! Lisa made it and they LOVED it so I made it and we LOVE it as well! You just can’t beat tasty AND easy!! Especially on a cool, rainy evening!!

Okay, Chris should be home any minute with our salad so we can attempt to be healthy yet again! Our goals for the new year went out the window when we trekked back to Kansas for two weeks!!

And don’t forget to leave a comment on the post below this one! There are already a few and they made me smile!! This is going to be FUN!