Valentine's Day photoshoot

My name is Heather and I have problem.  I have fallen in love with holiday-themed cards.  I found an amazing site when I was looking for Beckett's birth announcements and stumbled upon their holiday cards.  Say what?  You mean I could be sending out cards for holidays like Valentine's Day and Easter.  Count me in.

That being said, I needed pictures for said card.  I had wanted to get three month pictures taken and use one of the pictures for the card but his three month photoshoot had to be scheduled for just after he turns four months.  That meant that I would have to take the pictures myself.

It wasn't our best photo session.  Beckett is in that lovely in-between stage where isn't going to sleep through pictures and he can't sit up yet.  However, we got a couple good pictures and were able to make our card.

Side bar: Daniel made me tap the breaks on sending out 100+ cards like I did for birth announcements and Christmas cards.  Rude.

January Insta-update

It's time for another Instagram update! This month most of my pictures have been of Beckett. He's just so cute that I can't help myself.

Two dogs and a crate

Snowy days mean I get to bust out my Burberry rain boots.  

Beckett wasn't so sure about his Pop Pop

Beckett's first "Guns Up" during Tech's bowl game

In his finest onesie for New Year's Eve

He has the longest lashes I've ever seen.  They even curl.

Beckett and Jack are going to be best friends

Pretending to be an angel baby

Such a big boy in separates.  His shoes have real laces.

In other news, I think I can finally post pictures of the nursery.  We got the finishing touches done this weekend.  I also pulled something my back which is neither here nor there but I am in an immense amount of pain.

Beckett's Christmas photoshoot

I have blogged a lot about my DSLR camera that I received last year and the practice I tried to get in before Beckett's arrival.  It has definitely paid off.  I have been trying to take lots of pictures to sharpen my skills.

I decided that we were going to a Christmas-themed photo shoot using the cutest reindeer hat I bought him on Etsy.  I love a themed anything.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I am definitely still an amateur but I am pretty proud of myself.  And just so you don't think the photo shoot was easy.  Here is how the majority of pictures turned out.

Happy due date!

Today was my due date and instead of waiting for our baby to arrive, we are celebrating Beckett's first four weeks of life.  While he did not have the most graceful entrance into the world and has been through more than most four-week-olds should, we would not trade the last four weeks for anything.  It has been stressful and very tiring but he has filled our home with so much JOY.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past four weeks.

Getting to hold him for the first time

Watching his first Tech game

His first bath at home

Just hanging out

The little glo-worm

Looking like he is up to no good

Meeting his best friend Knox for the first time

And my favorite picture of all time.

I'm not sure what Daniel said to him, but he did not like it.  It's not the best picture of him, but his facial expression cracks me.  

march photo-a-day part deux

So this post is a little belated. I got caught up in the excitement of getting a new garage door. For the first time EVER, I am parking in a garage. It's pretty much the height of luxury.





Someone you talked to today - the bulletin from church


Fork - I think this is pretty self explanatory


A sign - from my classy husband's bachelor days


Clouds - from our backyard



Car - my car


Sunglasses- my Bans


Green - love colored denim


A corner of your home - our bookshelf


Funny - this dog is hilarious


Before - what my bed looks like when I decide to conduct my daily business from it


After - and after I decide to stop being lazy

Things we're loving: March

The Hunger Games



I read these books last summer and I still cannot stop talking about them. If you are one of the four people left who has not read them, you must. They are such good books and I am SO excited for the movie. Did I buy my tickets for the midnight showing the day they went on sale? Yes I did. Is this the first movie I will ever be going to see at midnight? Yes it is. The books are not anything I thought I would like but if you are open-minded you will not be disappointed. My husband refuses to read the books because he says he doesn't want to ruin the movie. Don't be like him.

Downton Abbey



Why I am just now learning about the greatness that is Downton Abbey? I have heard people talking about this show for almost a year, but I just recently decided to buy the DVDs and decide for myself. I even bought the British version because I read that PBS edited the show for us simple Americans. I LOVE this show. I cannot get enough and am so sad that I am done with the second season. How am I going to wait until September to find out what happens to Lady Mary and Michael and Anna and Bates? The Dowager Countess is obviously my favorite. The scene with her in the swivel chair was amazing. You can watch the first season on Netflix and I am pretty sure you can watch the second season online at either PBS or ITV if you want to see the unedited version. This show makes me wish that we still dressed for dinner. Instead I wear pajamas. What would the DC say?

Photography



I am officially loving photography! I understand my camera so much better after my one-on-one class and I cannot stop taking pictures. I even bought my first prime non-kit lens! For those of you who are wondering (or care), I got a 50mm f/1.8 because it had amazing reviews. I feel like such a grown-up. I am planning on borrowing my nephew so I can practice my non-canine photography and may even have two jobs coming up. I am so happy to have found something that I love SO much. I can't wait to take tons of pictures in Spain and share them with all of you.

The Wanted



I loved *N Sync. I mean I loved them. I consider myself a legit Justin Timberlake fan because I was there for the cornrows. If you can love a man through cornrows, you deserve some sort of award. Anyway, after my long love affair with *N Sync, I thought I would never have room in my heart for another boy band. I am in my late 20s and you have to grow up at some time, right? Wrong. These sneaky Brits have weaseled their way into my heart. This is my favorite song of the moment and if you see me dancing in my car, I am mostly likely listening to this song. Listen and try not to dance. Impossible. And all I have to say is viva la boy band!

Papa-paparazzi (#20)

I went to Lubbock last weekend to have some fun and more importantly take a photography class. I posted that I got a new camera for Christmas and I admit that I was super intimidated. I have never had a DSLR and my trusty point and shoot seemed so simple compared to my new camera. My husband was very thoughtful in buying me that camera and I wanted to get his money's worth.


My first fancy camera

That is when I found the wonderful Melanie Pittman. Melanie is a photographer in Lubbock and she teaches a one-on-one camera class that teaches you all about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The best part is that since the class is one-on-one, she uses your camera. I left the class feeling excited and not intimidated at all! I am so thankful that I took her class.

I am definitely still figuring things out, but my hope is that by the time we have kids, I will have this camera down. I want to be able to take photographer-quality compositions so I can really capture our lives. That brings me to the photo a day challenge.



I thought that doing the photo a day challenge would be the perfect way to practice my new skillz. It would push me to take pictures of things other than my dogs (don't judge) and really learn my camera. Here are my first 10 days of pictures:


Up - the light fixture in our living room


Fruit - the fruits (and a veg) in my morning smoothie


Your neighborhood - Overexposed but I like it


Bedside - the pretty mirror was my grandma's


A smile - Designer handbags put a smile on my face


5pm - This is around the time the dogs start begging for dinner


Something you wore - my engagement and wedding ring


Window - The windows on our garage (which is being replaced soon!)


Red - and black! The new t-shirt I designed and had custom made.


Loud - The very loud painting in our purple office
The next step in my photography adventure is to practice with Lightroom. I think editing pictures is half the battle and I am even more ready to learn now that I have a better idea of how to use my camera.