Here are a few samples from a storybook photoshop action I am working on. It goes especially well with grassy, nature shots!

and one “non storybook but definitely child friendly shot”:

{Hope you loved one big dose of summer photos, as we are now in autumn mode!}

Excitement for any holiday, any cause to celebrate and eat more chocolate is growing around here. Now that my dd understands how calendars work, she keeps very close track of the days–and especially the holidays. Today was rainbow day at school, in fact. It was quite the thrill! Here’s S’s punkin drawing with a little Halloween festivity courtesty {me}:

I have to document many “firsts” that happen around here. Here’s a little something that may often be overlooked on the list of firsts:

My dd received a call from our local library yesterday to inform her that she had won a contest. We were to pick up the prize at the library. I don’t think A. knows what “luck” is, but once she saw the prize, she was feeling like one lucky duck! Here she is!

Can you remember the first thing you ever won? Mine was a cakewalk at the Halloween carnival when I was in first grade. I was wearing strawberry shortcake sandals (she was popular back then as well) with my pink bunny rabbit costume. I won the biggest cake EVER, and I even shared it with my siblings. I was on cloud nine. It was covered in chocolate frosting, and I felt like I had won the lottery (or at least the cakewalk)!

Here is a design I am having printed as a 24″x36″ gallery wrapped canvas. Yesterday I took the kiddos on a photo adventure “downtown” in our hometown. There are some great old brick walls with chipped paint and old wooden doors that make a great backdrop. I love the urban-vintage feel it creates, even with the silly expressions and poses offered by my darling, wiggly children.

Someone said to me today, “I bet your kids love having their photo taken.” I wish I could say I never resort to bribery . . . but my kids know me all to well. Our little field trips always seem to coincide with photo shoots. Needless to say, I brought along a bag of peanut m&m’s for this shoot and we did have a great time. I will post a photo of the finished canvas when it arrives next week!!

I must mention that my oldest dd really gets into it when I allow her to shoot a few photos with my camera. She snapped the one of baby brother on the lower left corner. Looks like I’ve got a great assistant/ competitor in the making!