Thanks, Paige.  It was super duper fun.

Go rock the world.

Just a few samples of Monday’s shoot.  This little girl looks so much like my older sister at that age…it’s just cahraaaazy. 

And I am IN LOVE with this dress.  And the skirt.  And everything else in their shop.  Sigh.

Stop me.  Or I will go crazy and blow the whole wad.

Seriously, have a great weekend.  Be safe and have fun.  Or not.  ‘Tis up to you.

See you Monday.

I know it’s small and low-resolution, but I thought it would be fun to post my little experiment.   I found this website and got addicted to looking at all the toy-like people and cars in the photographs.

How can you not enjoy taking a normal, everyday photograph and making it into something that looks like it is straight from the Island of Sodor or perhaps Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood?

I mean, who doesn’t like to look like a tiny, little, plastic plaything?

Oh, the cynical, hilarious, and downright mean responses that just popped into my mind.  Shame on me.

P.S. There are a lot of tutorials on how to achieve this affect on your photographs.  I am actually going to go out on a special trip downtown sometime soon to take more photographs that are conducive to this type of editing.  The photograph above was taken by my big sis on New Year’s Day right after I limped in from running a 3-mile race.  In 5 degree weather.  Pathetic, I know.  Not the temperature…the fact that I was limping after only 3 miles.  Yup, mmmhmmm.  I know.

The older I get the more I appreciate a photograph.  Mostly because I only realize how much I have forgotten when I go through my photographs and get a reminder of all that has passed.  The time, the events, the little moments, the big moments.

This year?  It felt like it was here and then…it was gone.  Just like that.

Each child is a year older, a size bigger, and a good deal smarter.  I wish I could say the same for me.  Well, maybe that part about being a size larger. *ahem*

Anyway, I browsed and found some little tokens of my year here in our home, in our lives and on this blog.

Life this year has been sometime challenging, always interesting, never, never, never boring.  Thank goodness.

Well, my new year looks like a year of changes.  I’m not sure what, yet, but I can feel it in the air.   This last year was a year of learning stillness and enjoying the small things.  I could even call it a year of survival.  Survival in the best sense of the word.  We hit some very low points as you know, to those of you who read this blog.  But in those low points came the highest points of all.   Togetherness, a sharpening of our faith, learning the definition of grace, and getting to know ourselves and each other and God on a deeper level.

I think sometimes we risk too much by avoiding the lows of life.  Smooth sailin’ is fun for awhile, but I don’t know anyone who watches a pirate movie to see all the smooth sailing going on.  Nah, it’s the thrill of hanging from the yardarm in a raging storm that gets our blood going.

So, this year make some reasonable risks.  Go do something.  Challenge yourself to a year of personal bests.

It could be as simple as mine have become.  To add to the several I wrote in the previous post, here is an addendum.

The Official Addendum to Heather’s New Year’s Rez (it’s my very own slang…I’m a homeschool mom, I need to get street cred from somewhere)

I.  Learn what it means to control my tongue.  That bugger gets the best of me far too often.

II.  Make a point of writing down my thoughts.  Sometimes I feel guilty for taking time to journal, as if it’s a luxury instead of a necessity.  Less false guilt, more writing.

III.  Prioritize ruthlessly, unapologetically, and with purpose.

IV.  Make sure all my kids graduate from high school this year.  They are 9,7, and 4.  It’s about time and I’ve been dragging my feet.

*Note:  I. Am. Joking. (about number 4)…..they aren’t due to graduate until next year.  With honors, of course.

…and I hope and pray your holiday turned out to be a time of worship, joy, family, peace, and love.

I am taking a bloggy vacation.  Will see you in the New Year.

Of junk.  All kinds of junk.

The thing I love about photography?  I never feel like I need to do that with photos.  Photos are something you keep.  Unless, of course, it was an unintentional shot of Uncle Bert’s toenail fungus during a family reunion.  That you could probably let go.  Or not.  Whatever floats your boat.

Anyway,  I love perusing old, forgotten photo files to find out what I may have forgotten.  And sometimes I find things that just make me so happy to be amongst God’s great creation.

Last year I shot these and it’s making me very antsy for October.  Can.  Not.  Wait.

It’s fun to find old stuff.

ha.

I love it when simplicity works.

Back now.

Back on track for tomorrow.  Have a blessed weekend.