Hissyfits Photography Blog

Enough said! I still have two sickly kiddos and it was another long day!! Hope you are all well out in blog land!

That is how I am feeling right about now! Like I could squeal with delight at the fabulous amount of fun I found on Etsy this afternoon! I can hardly contain myself and feel this overwhelming need to call someone! But instead, I am blogging! I am not sure my whiny kids would allow me to have a phone conversation the way this day has gone! In fact, it will probably take me hours just to complete this post!!

So as you know, the kids are both sick – I have no new pictures of either of them. I have spent the last week and a half working diligently away on Hissyfits stuff {which by the way is coming along wonderfully!}. So while I have been keeping up with blogs the best I can, my time on the computer has been spent researching photo stuff and “working.” Not as much goofing off as usual! However, today I am goofing! It is cloudy and my mind is on candy!!

The past week my mind has been reeling with all things candy. I have in fact decided to have just one blog but am going to do that through Hissyfits. I don’t quite know how all that will happen just yet, but I’ll keep ya posted on where to find me!! Anyway, considering my love affair with my new logo, the blog is going to be AWESOME! Bright, funky, cheery, and totally candy-ish! So all of this candy chatter along with the fact that I have been planning this Candyland birthday bash of Gentry’s for over a year now has me in full swing!

Today I was browsing on Etsy and just typed in “Candy Party.” I have always typed in Candyland and although that is the direction I am going with the party, it is no secret that I like fun and original, not so much “matchy matchy.” So…fix yourself some lemonade, get comfy and take a gander at what I found!!

First of all…I came upon this amazing shop!! We have never had a pinata at any of the kids’ parties. I hadn’t really thought ahead about whether we would have one for Gentry this year or not. Probably not since there is going to be a large abundance of candy there anyway! But HOW CUTE are these pinatas?! Seriously, my mouth was gaping at how cool these are!! So unique and creative!

This one would be the one I would choose for her if we had one! Only in more colors!

I have also been thinking about what she will wear. Yes, I am weird and I plan REALLY far ahead, I know. Just bear with me!!

I am thinking a tutu…a bright, rainbow colored tutu! {I have another idea for that same tutu for advertising, but that is another story for another day!} Anyway, I came across this fun candy-wear while I was browsing too!

I LOVE this outfit. LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about it!! I found it here. It looks like the skirt isn’t available anymore though which makes my decision to go with the tutu much easier!

And this fun shirt! I am thinking I could make something like it…and if not, I am sure my mom could help me!! Pair a cute little lolly tank top or tee with a sassy tutu and you have the perfect party attire!!

So then come all the other candy finds!! There are some REALLY cool things out there and I am so inspired as I sit here now!!

These next three all came from the same shop!! It is FULL of sweet finds!!

What a fun party favor idea this is!!

Isn’t this the funnest stuff?!!

So check out this happy little button for 4 Little Men and Girly Twins Random Picture Challenge! Cute, hunh?! It just so happens that my great friend Laura designed it!! She does all sorts of custom stationary design so if you are needing something, go check her out!! You won’t be disappointed!

Alright, so the challenge this week is to post your 11th picture from your September 2007 folder. I am quite embarrassed to post these seeing as when I look at them today they are HORRIBLE, but hey, we all start somewhere!! They are what they are and no matter what, they are sweet memories!!

So here is picture number 11:

And I am posting the one directly after it so you can kinda get a sense of what exactly Huntler was doing:

That orange “thing” is the controller for the rocket and Huntler was adjusting it!!

Okay…so, you know I can’t post without mentioning The Bachelor. WHAT in the world happened last night?! I must admit I have NO patience whatsoever and pumped my “all knowing” friends for the scoop so I knew what the rumors were going in, but oh my goodness! I think it is safe to say that was seriously “THE most dramatic rose ceremony ever!” Those of you who watch regularly know that they use that line in every.single.episode!! Last night it was finally the real deal! Chris wouldn’t let me tell him what I knew so he was shocked! I guess I am shocked too and I have had a few days to think about it!!

I will be wasting yet another hour of my life tonight {after wasting three hours last night!!} glued to the second taping of After the Final Rose! I can’t decide where I stand on all this. There are so many ways to look at it! I mean, if once the taping of the show was over and “it” just wasn’t there with Melissa, then that is just the way it is. You can’t force yourself to love someone. I get that. I am so sad for Melissa because I REALLY like her and picked her back on the first night, but if he just can’t imagine his life with her, then I guess I can’t pick fault with him! BUT…the way in which he handled it was SO not cool! At all. It was crazy for sure!!

So, I guess I should get! I just wanted to post really quickly because I am not sure when I’ll get a chance again. I have two sick kiddos today…yesterday Gentry was sick and then Huntler woke up in the night with a horrible cough and fever. They are both coughing and carrying on this morning. I have this sneaking suspicion that today is going to be even more challenging than yesterday!!

I love this image. I really and truly do. It represents where I came from…and where I long to be. The golden summer wheat, the wind whipping through Gentry’s hair as she so intensely studies something new, the dark sky as a good ole fashioned thunderstorm moves across the Kansas prairie. I can almost smell the rain and feel the wind on my skin as I type…almost.

As I see my sweet girl examining wheat for the first time, a countless array of memories from my own childhood play like an old movie reel in my mind. I harbor so many memories from this very ground where she is standing. Wonderful memories that will travel with me throughout my life. Those hot, sticky, windy summer afternoons spent picking ladybugs off of the wheat during harvest. The cool, brisk fall mornings picking pine cones from underneath the old pine tree next to the shed. The Easter Egg hunts. The fireworks shows. The four wheeler rides with my grandpa to abandoned little creeks on dirt roads. The pairs of jeans lined up on the clothes line out front drying in the sun. I can see it so vividly as I sit here now. The old fashioned {and I am sure highly dangerous} popcorn popper that popped kernal after kernal of popcorn. The tiny little baby food jar filled with cinnamon and sugar which we sprinkled on our toast all those mornings we woke up after spending the night…

This is the home of my grandparents. When I think back to years gone by, I can honestly say that other than my own home, my most fond memories were created on this farm of theirs. I am a lucky one…at almost 29, I still have three of my four grandparents. While I was close to all of them, I have always been especially close to my mom’s parents, and more specifically my grandpa.

I look back at pictures and he was so young when I was born! I was the first grandchild on my mom’s side and was admittedly slightly spoiled! My grandpa is the only one who can get away with calling me “B-Beth” or “Bethy!” He is the only one I don’t mind yelling for so he can hear me!! {All those years of riding noisy farm equipment really did a number on his hearing! I talked to him this week though and he finally got fitted for hearing aids!!} I don’t really know why, but for some reason we have always been especially close. And although I have never considered myself a country girl, it is amazing how much I crave the simplicity of that lifestyle at times!

I took this back in June while we were home for my class reunion. When I posted it back then I received TONS of comments on it! I have spent some time today sifting back through images in an attempt to find some for my Hissyfits website and came across this one. The editing was atrocious, so I started all over and created something I love!

So, just for a little comparison, here is my first editing job from June or July…followed by the one I just did an hour or so ago!!

On that note, sweet Gentry girl is waking up from her nap so I need to get! I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend out there in blog land!

Here it is…my absolutely amazing, cheery, bright, fun, sassy, fabulous new logo for Hissyfits!! Can you tell I am in love with it?!!

The wonderful Genevieve was so patient and kind in working with me and has truly captured everything I wanted and more!! The thing is, while I gave her my thoughts and wants, she created this on her own!! She listened to what I had to say and went with it! It is truly me and I cannot wait to take this new little business of mine and RUN!!

So…now I am trying to figure out how to watermark my images with this funky new logo of mine! I guess I am an idiot and I didn’t realize that brush files are only monochromatic. Well, of course I want to be able to do this in color if the mood so strikes, so I have to figure all that out. I think I need a “band” over my images with the file on top of it but I have NO clue how to do that. Help? Please? Anyone? {The more detail the better for this girl!!}

The ideas are swirling in my mind tonight!! I want to get my website going and blog situation figured out as soon as possible!! It was mentioned {in a very nice way} that my style of post processing is much softer than the vibrant colors you will find in my logo and on my website! I realized that long ago, but that is just me! I have all these ideas of how I am going to type something up about how “Vibrant color mixes with the retro tone of my images…” Obviously it will be much more thought out and well written than that, but it is nearly 10:30 and I’m tuckered out! I really see myself moving towards just having one blog…but it will be much the same. I have thought and thought and thought and thought and thought about this and for me, I think the best fit is one blog…a mixture of my personal life {which includes my kids, shopping, Etsy, reality TV and whatever else tickles my fancy!} and professional images.

WHEW! So even though I am tired I have a feeling my mind won’t shut off once I get in bed tonight!!

ANY help on my watermark issue would be fantastic!!

So my sweet friend Laura whipped up a post awhile back that included some of her favorite things! Although we have been friends for years {since high school!}, it was fun to read up on these interesting little tidbits that don’t tend to come up all that often!! Well, her infatuation with Tim Riggins of Friday Night Lights I was quite aware of…but not the rest of her post!! {Love ya Laura!!}

So, speaking of Tim Riggins, I’ll start off with some of my favorite TV shows! I LOVE me some Friday Night Lights as well! We watched this show every single week last season and I was so bummed when they canceled it…so you can imagine that I am thrilled it is back on again!! We tune in every Friday night and are glued to the screen until it’s over! LOVE IT!! {But NBC has made it nearly impossible to get pictures off of their website so I can’t post one!!}

I also have an addiction to General Hospital. I got into this back when I wasn’t working but before Huntler was born. So like May of 2004 or so. Oh my…have I seriously been watching that long?!! I am not so crazy as to insist on watching it on every trip we take or anything like that, but I was happy to see that ABC is now showing the episodes online!! I DVR it every day so I watch it each night, but just in case something “huge” was going on it would be nice to watch it on vacation if I ahem, “needed to!”

Funny little story about GH. From time to time the kids watch it. Either I watch it before they are in bed or they are off playing and they come back in or whatever and they see it. Now here is the really bad part…they like it. Pretty sure that the language is NOT appropriate for a two and four year old. Or the violence. So, Huntler talks about going to the hop-sit-al {that is how he says it!!} all the time. For random reasons. The other night he was telling Gentry to be careful or she was going to have to go to the hop-sit-al. She replies with, “General Hospital?” I have heard her say it before, several times, but this was the first time Chris has heard her and it cracked him up!!

The Bachelor. Sure sometimes it is downright annoying and ridiculous, but I love it. I have watched every single season but the first one and I am sure I’ll continue to do so!! I mean, one of these times really does have to be “THE most dramatic rose ceremony ever,” right?!!

This coming Monday is the “biggie” of the season! Jason chooses between Molly and Melissa! I personally like Melissa a bit better! She is so down to earth and seems so sweet! Plus, she is the ONLY one I liked on the first episode and I even told Chris, “My pick for the season is Melissa!” I have gotten it right a few times so let’s see if I can do it again!!

I am also pretty hooked on Law and Order SVU, Jon and Kate Plus 8 and Desperate Housewives…but I won’t babble on about TV shows anymore!

So this has to be one of my most prized posessions! My camera. I guard it like it is a helpless child! It is always WAY up high on a shelf and out of the reach of curious hands!! If there were ever a fire, my camera would be rescued just as soon as the kids were safe! The computer would be next {although we are now using a system where our stuff is backed up and stored elsewhere so it is safe!!} and then probably all of Gentry’s clothes! There is a newer {more expensive} version of the 5D out, but I am so happy with mine!! Although our other camera was wonderful, I was just ready to move on to something with more options and capabilities!

This color of nail polish! I used to paint my nails ALL the time. That was two kids ago. Now it is a rare, rare occasion when they are painted! I am just now finally growing them back out again! After Gentry was born I cut my nails short and have kept them that way this whole time. I don’t even know why? But now for some reason I appear to be growing them out again? Anyway, like you even care about any of that nonsense! I use this shade on my toes {a lot} because they are ALWAYS painted! This is such a fun, spring-y color and Gentry loves it as much as I do!

TomKat. For those of you not obsessed with celebs, that would be Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. I love Katie. I have for years…ever since Dawson’s Creek. Anyway, now that they have sweet little Suri I am even more intrigued by them. I have no idea why…maybe because she genuinely seems nice. Like the girl next door…just with a superstar for a husband and a megaload of money!! I mean, other than that, she could be you or me!!

I saw this video today while I was checking up on them…it is kinda cute!

Sonic. Need I say more? Give me a Route 44 Cranberry Grape slush and I am good to go!!

And I saved the best for last…my sweets!! This was taken back in August when we were visiting California! I didn’t do any editing to it and it was taken in full sun, so it isn’t that great, but we have very few family shots and the ones we do have I use on everything so I wanted something different!

And now I am off to see if I can get some stuff done while Gentry is napping and Huntler is fighting hard to stay awake!!

So I have spent the entire day working like a crazy girl!! Cleaning and sorting. Mostly sorting although I did run the sweeper upstairs this morning! I kinda had to though…there was an “incident” yesterday involving a large bag of popcorn from the Target snack center and the playroom floor. I am not quite sure who the guilty party is on that one, but it got me motivated to clean up a bit!!

And then the sorting…there has been a massive amount of kids clothing stashed at the back of our closet for weeks…maybe months now. Anyway, it needed sorted and organized so that I could figure out what exactly I am doing with it. Several of you sweet blog readers have expressed interest in both of the kids’ clothes. I am just trying to figure that all out. There is SO much. As in four of the HUGE totes full and two laundry baskets. Oodles and oodles of clothing. I am thinking it might be easier/smarter to try to sell what I can to the moms in our playgroup who are interested and then go from there? Unless I just put it in lots and give you a price? Those of you who were interested can shoot me an email on your thoughts!! But for now it is all folded nicely and organized by size and back in my closet again!

While I am on my spring cleaning kick, I am also getting rid of stuff. Some to Craig’s List, some to Good Will, some to Ebay even maybe. Here is one of the items that needs a home!!

This is the bumper pad that matches Gentry’s bedding set…crib and big girl. We obviously don’t have a need for a bumper pad anymore so I am going to list it on Ebay but thought I would see if anyone who stops by here is interested! We aren’t ready to part with the matching quilt yet. She uses that and will until we move since we are not planning on buying her big girl furniture until we are back in Kansas.

Anyway, Chris accidentally cut a little hole in it when he was cutting off the tag, but other than that it is in perfect condition. {We just covered it with a stuffed animal since it was in the corner!!} Pottery Barn bumper pads retails for $69 and we are asking $25 for it. Since it is kinda big I am guessing the shipping will be close to $10 or so? Let me know if you are interested!

Sorry it seems as though my posts have been a bit boring lately! I am trying to get rid of things and get organized!! With the reality of my photo biz being just on the horizon, I am feeling this overwhelming need to get everything in order!! All the “piles” dealt with, random items sold or hauled to Good Will…all of that!

Okay…that is my post for today!! Now I am off to get the kids more apples and start sifting through all my photography workshop print outs and getting those organized! I SO love days like this!! The kids have been by my side helping all day and we have really had a wonderful time!

Ta Ta For Now!!

And because I just can’t mix something so bright and cheery with something so heartbreaking, I am posting twice this morning.

By now most of you know I am an open book. I have very few things that I refuse to share. That is just me and my personality…always has been and always will be I am sure!! I hate secrets and surprises and think I have to know everything!! So yesterday my logo proofs came. I was SO excited I nearly wet my pants!! This designer TOTALLY nailed it on what is “me!!” I wasn’t going to share. I thought I was going to wait until I had decided and then show you the final product. But, I can’t wait! I mean, just look at these little bits of happiness and you’ll see why!!

Yesterday I was in such a tizzy and so excited I had no clue what I was going to do! This morning I still don’t know for sure, but I have had some time to look at them more and of course to sleep on it so things are a bit more clear!! I will be taking bits and pieces and combining them to get the look I want!!

Here is the original logo I had designed. We changed a lot on this one to make it more my style, but it just wasn’t working. SOMETHING was missing although I just couldn’t put my finger on it!

And now I am off to get ready for the day!! It looks like it is going to be beautiful out and we are going to enjoy it before it starts getting hot!

As I sit here bright and early this morning with my favorite girl on my lap, my heart is once again broken. We received an email from some of our dear, sweet friends this morning. An email they certainly didn’t want to send and we didn’t want to receive. They are about 19 weeks along with their first baby. A baby they love so deeply yet will never get to know. Due to a chromosomal fluke, their baby won’t make it, short of a miracle. I ask you each to say a prayer for their miracle and keep them in your thoughts.

The frailty of life has never been so clear as it has to me this past month. I was 23 when I got pregnant with Huntler and was blissfully unaware of how just how many things can go wrong. Things were easy for us. No problems getting pregnant. Other than the normal aches and pains, the pregnancy was easy. Normal delivery. What every parent hopes for and dreams of. We are blessed, so truly blessed. In the chaos of day to day life with cups getting spilled, food getting flung, bedskirts getting cut and powder bottles getting opened and a fine film covering an entire room {all of these have happened}, it is easy to get caught up. To forget to count our blessings. To forget to cherish each phase of childhood and what it brings to our lives.

My heart and mind are so heavy this morning as I think of our friends and how they are picking up the pieces and trying to move forward. I know they read this and I want them to know that they are so very close to our hearts and we are praying for their miracle. We love you both…