Sweet 16 ♥*♥*♥

At 8:13 a.m., 16 short years ago, I gave birth to one of the most amazing people I will ever have the privilege to know and love. After years of longing, months of anticipation, and countless hours of labor - Allyson Nicole was born wide eyed, inquisitive, and simply stunning. I was enamored at first sight, with an infatuation I could have never imagined. Over the years she has grown into a fine young lady who is compassionate, loving, determined, VERY smart, loyal and loquacious. She is beautiful inside and out - but doesn't fully appreciate that yet. Hopefully one day she will. She is sometimes so much like me it stings, sometimes so much like her father its scary, and sometimes so much like my mother I can but only smile. While we both know the exact buttons to push on each other, I would never want to imagine a life without her. My love for this crazy, wide eyed, completely inquisitive, and growing up so fast it makes my head spin, child is huge. I L.O.V.E. you little Miss Allyson. HAPPY SWEET 16.

[eta: pictures #1&2: less than 1 week old; #3: 1st B'Day; #4: 7 yrs old; #5: 13 yrs; #6: 15 going on 16]

We’re painting the roses red *

... "we're painting the roses red"... 16 years ago, if someone would have told me that I would be 'painting the roses red' in preparation for my daughter's birthday, I would have thought them nuts. I don't know, but maybe I am [nuts that is]!

POTD: Before/After

#1: SOOC (straight out of camera)
#2: applied frame action, grunge background, watermark
#3: SOOC
#4: applied frame action, curve adjustment on blue, texture/canvas, watermark

[all photos were re-sized for web.]

Binx Update * * *

Binx is home, but not until after I threw a conniption fit about the care she received and the complete and utter lack of communication and information from the hospital. They didn't even provide me with information about when to remove the bandage, what to watch for (with her rear - delicate topic), and what kind of diet she should be on in her condition. That said, she does appear to be feeling somewhat better - and we are happy she is home.

Cat Days of Winter * * *

[Vent Warning]
This has been a very trying week. Binx, our 9 year old b/w, has gotten progressively sicker over the past couple of weeks, so it was time to take her to the Vet. I struggled with which animal hospital - and finally decided to take her back to where she had been previously treated, received shots and neutered. WRONG CHOICE! The Good Lord willing, I will bring her home today and I suspect, take her to the other hospital next week unless there is a vast improvement over the weekend. Their diagnosis has contradicted her symptoms and their contact policy SUCKS. Despite the assurance of 'we'll call and keep you updated' - they have not called me once regarding her condition, response to treatment, or when she will be released. I have had to initiate each and every call (even when they are unable to talk to me and will call me back - NOT!).....VENT VENT VENT

... And then there is the other two - Mary Jo and Ike[med]....."hey, human looks stressed, LETS FIGHT!"... kids/cats - what ever!!!

Happy Valentines Day ♥ ♥ ♥

Guess I'll have to miss this week's POTD for L.O.V.E. I got no cooperation from my family - my darling husband remarked, while simultaneously surfing the web and flipping channels, " you know what I love, and I have it all right here." (a/k/a net-book and remote control) - gotta love them anyway!!!

Happy B'Day to you, Happy B'day to you....

Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!

A Moment with Binx ...

Doesn't really qualify for 'Macro Monday' - and since it is now Tuesday.... well, here is a moment with Binx (our 'up-stairs' neurotic cat, who happens to prefer the water from the extra sink in the bathroom.)

Shooting the moon ...

It is waaay harder than it looks. Hopefully I get another go at it (cross fingers for cloud free skies). And now I see where the adage of 'once in a blue moon' comes from. Some of these are morning shots, some night.

Just playing around ...

Playing with adding textured backgrounds and merged prints. In short, learning PSE6 and PSCS2.

Lady in White . . .

A bit of 'Color of the Month' challenge play (February: White), and some application of 'milk chocolate' action [also fitting for February].

Home ♥ Sweet ♥ Home ◦◦◦

[this week's POTD challenge] ...

Home is more a sense than a mere location. It almost always stirs an emotion – be it happy, sad, longing, … We often remark that it isn’t the structure of our house that we define as home, as much as the people that reside in it. This is true, to some extent, for me. My home would not be the mixed bag of emotions (happy, sad, comfort, escape…) that it is without all the parts that make it up – my husband, who tolerates, torments, supports and unconditionally loves me; my children, who define some of my greatest dreams and fulfillments; my pets, who at times annoy me beyond belief, but totally complete the equation. My home is also a place where I am surrounded by objects from my parents and grandparents. I have lost all of my grandparents and my mom and dad, – but I am richly endowed with memories of them by the items they left me. I cherish my kitchen window which houses my glass collection and the rooster sun-catcher given to me by my daughter; my grandmother’s flour jar (that now holds potpourri), my great-grand-mother’s mixing bowls; and my mother’s beautiful china. So while a house is just a house, and a family makes it a home – I savor the rich memories scattered throughout my house as well as the ones created by my husband and children (including that crazy cat mirror hanging on that horribly papered wall upstairs).

26 Things: opposites ...

Here we go again ...

POTD: Home-Sweet-Home ...

Just some shots that define 'home' for me. [I'm sure there will be more... just got to get some real work done around here. lol]

Randomness - 26 Things , Macro Monday ...

Thought I would post a variety of pictures I have posted (for the most part) on 2ps - whether for 26 Things Challenge (melting, terrifying, sweet) or Macro Monday. This 'melting' is, I hope, the real-deal...the pool was a trick - it only melted to turn around and re-freeze. Terrifying - my daughter's slippers. Wonder what every happened to bunny slippers. (not that they couldn't be equally terrifying in their own right!)

Late nite IKE ...

I know someone who will be happy Jay Leno has been scheduled to come on earlier at nights. This little fella is either cracking me up, or making me so mad. Over the past week he managed to chew through 3 [THREE] sets of iPod ear-plug/headsets. After chewing through the kids' new Wii wire within 1 hour after setting it up on Christmas, he has developed a taste for fine wiring. And then you look over and he looks like this..... ahh!

Snow, snow, go away...

We have been snow-bound for a week and I have had my fill of ice and snow. I LOVE my family - but it is time for the kids to go back to school!!! We were among the fortunate and only lost power for a day and night - though we are just now getting back phone and internet. So, whats a person to do, but take pictures, right? haha. I was inspired by another 2p and fashioned my own 'photobox', but MaryJo felt it was her box - hence, the photo of a cat. Ike[med] considered it briefly, but didn't stay long enough for me to get a shot. For right now, I'm still experimenting.