Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• I am not sitting here in a sleep deprived daze, trying to remember what I did not do last week.
• I was not up for the past two nights every two hours with a sick little boy.
• I did not take that sick little boy to the doctor earlier today to find out that he has strep throat.
• I did not stop at the store with said sick little boy to get his medicine and then allow him to buy Pringles for lunch. I also did not allow said sick little boy to eat only Pringles for lunch.
• I did not come straight home, instruct him to get his blankie and then set him up with his blankie and Pringles to watch a movie.
• I did not go in to check on him to find him sleeping through the movie that I ordered.
• I did not then grab my camera to take a picture of the sleeping sick child.
• I did not also take this distorted picture of the television so that I could ask you all to guess which movie I rented for the sick child to sleep through.
• I am not at all the least bit overwhelmed with life right now.
• I do not have tons of things that I should be doing to get ready for my Grand Opening yet I'm doing this.
• My middle son did not just walk into my office looking feverish asking for the thermometer.
• I am not going to have a nervous breakdown! Not me!

This is more poor little sick boy.

Can anyone guess which movie he was sleeping through?

Has it really been 7 years??

Today is my baby boy's 7th birthday. I know that he feels all grown up but he will always be my baby.

We started our day by opening presents. We don't generally do this on birthdays. We try to focus more on the person than the gifts but today we had to open them early. That's because he received a fish aquarium set up and being his Mama, I knew that he would want that set up today. So, we set that up after all of his gifts were opened. While I was setting up his tank, Daddy went to get a few things from the grocery store. One of those things was a birthday cake. He did a great job picking one out and he even got some pretty cool candles.. more on that later!

When Dad got home, we packed the bicycles up and headed over to the bike trail. We rode further than we have even ridden before. We rode 8 miles round trip. I wasn't sure that I would ever be able to walk once we got back but you'll all be happy to know that I am walking just fine. The birthday boy took the lead and stayed in the lead the entire time. I'm not sure where he gets his energy but I'd like a bit of it.

Here is a little collage that I threw together quickly of Brent with his cake. The candles kept relighting so I was able to get lots of "blowing out" pictures.

I'll be back with Not Me Monday. Have a nice Sunday!
Stephanie

Wow!

Is it really Thursday evening? This week has flown by! I guess that is what happens when you're busy!

The plans for my studio Grand Opening are going well. If you were planning to book a session for Saturday, January 31, you are out of luck! I'm completely booked that day. If you need a Saturday appointment, call right away to book on Saturday, February 7.

If you follow me on Twitter or you have called me, you know that my new website it up and running. It looks fantastic if I do say so myself. I love it! It will make things so much easier for you as my clients as well. You can choose your portraits and place your order all in one place. How's that for convenience? Go check it out at http://www.angelstouchphotography.com/, if you have a minute. I will be adding all of your proofing galleries soon. Please be patient with me as I switch everything over.

I had the pleasure of spending some time with the staff at Little Achievers Preschool this week. I took some headshots of the teachers to put on the website. I'm doing a little work on their website too. All of the above may explain why I have been the absent blogger. Forgive me?

Speaking of busy and bookings.... if you are planning a summer event that you need my services for, now would be the time to book. I have already started booking graduation parties. Don't wait until it's too late to book!

I'm off to do some more work. I'll try harder not to neglect those of you that check in often and leave comments prodding me to post more.

Not Me Monday

It's Not Me Monday once again! It's the fun blog carnival that MckMama started to help all of us get some things off of our chests. Hop on over to her blog to get in on the fun http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. I promise you will become almost as addicted as I am to her cute kids.

It's finally time to confess to all of the things that I did not do last week!

• I did not spend over an hour working on my Grand Opening flier and then have two additional adults check it over, only to find out later from a friend that reads this very blog that there was a typo!



• I did not squeeze in an extra "i" to correct above mentioned typo so that I would not have to redo the entire flier (always save a copy before flattening! Always!)



• I did not burn above mentioned flier onto disk and then drop it off with my friendly Goin' Postal shop so that I could call back and have prints waiting as soon as I decided how many I needed. I'm never that prepared and/or demanding.



• I did not spend all morning on Monday decorating my bulletin board outside of the studio only to realize that the whole thing is crooked. I would never look at something like that and declare that it could just stay that way. I am way too particular to not address things like that.



• I did not decide to spend an entire day goofing off on Wednesday. I would never meet with my adoption support group for breakfast and then take off with a friend to do nothing more than spend time together.I would have never invited my dear husband to tag along to the support group breakfast, knowing that he would be the only man.



• On Thursday I did not decide that I was going to take a quick trip to Walmart and then at the spur of the moment invite my friend to join me. It wasn't fun at all to walk through the store and look at crafty things with my friend. I did not spend more money than I should have on said crafty things. I am NOT addicted to crafting.



• I did not waste all day on Friday doing nothing more than shopping. I did not stop by to help my friend clean the house that she is moving into, only to stand there and watch her clean the carpets.



• I did not contemplate buying duct tape for an un-named individual's mouth last night. Anyone in this home can scream as loudly as they choose for as long as they choose, even into the wee hours of the morning. I would never lie awake, completely annoyed as un-named individual screamed. In fact, if I had a brain in my head, I would have just poured the water over the person's head just ignored the person and gone to sleep.



• I am not hoping this this week has less wasted time. I am not praying that a certain person's behavior improves this week and I am most certainly NOT looking for some really good ear plugs!

I hope that you have all enjoyed reading about everything I did not do last week. May you all have a wonderful week!

Happy Birthday, Chase!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that today is Chase's 12th birthday. It's hard to believe that twelve years have passed since I first held him in my arms. After having a colicky baby first I am surprised to this very day that we had any more children. I prayed for a calm, easy going baby from the second that we started trying to conceive. My prayers were answered. This child is by far, my easiest child. He always has been.

You may ask what Chase is like. Let's see.. he loves music. He plays the trumpet and he's learning keyboard. He owns an electric guitar and one day, he'll get lessons from his favorite buddy's Daddy. I guess we can call him Uncle Nick. Chase loves babies and toddlers. He's caring and compassionate and always willing to help. He's a really sweet boy and we are so proud of him!

Birthday celebrations are big around here. Last night, Papa and Memaw (my parents) took him to Red Lobster for dinner. This morning he had his birthday breakfast with his Dad and this afternoon is was time for him to spend some time with Mom. We went to the studio for pictures. We took Brent with us because it's his birthday next Saturday. We had to get some birthday pictures.

Here are some of the pictures. They were so silly. It's hard to get good pictures when they can't stop giggling.

This is where the silliness really started. Yes, I know that you can see the white backdrop. It's just an out take.

And it continues....

My cooperative guy. He was cracking up too but he could stop the sillies to take the picture.

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at these as much as I have enjoyed taking them! I hope that you all have a super week. I'll be back for Not Me Monday.

Stephanie

If you are local...

If you are local, you have to check out Goin' Postal! They are awesome. They have stores on Ridge Rd and Massachusetts. Visit thier website: http://www.goinpostal.com/locations/locator_store.php?storeID=GP239

They have been so good about working with me and they make the most awesome color copies! If you've seen my Grand Opening flier in print, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This is a family owned and family operated business. When you walk through the door they know you. They always greet you with a smile. The type of customer service that they offer is unheard of these days.

The fruits of my creativity

These are just a few of my creations. If you are interested in any of them, please leave a comment with your email address.

Sunday at our house

I am completely convinced that my friend, Lauren, hears the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies every time she makes her way to my house. We've had discussions (friendly debates) about guns and hunting. I think that she understands now that it's not something that I love and support or even participate in. It's just one of those things that I choose not to fight.

Let me just say that my children are not allowed to kill for the sake of killing. It doesn't matter what it is. If they shoot it, they have to eat it. No arguments!

Anyway, I took these pictures just for Lauren.

My cute little, not yet, 7 year old doing target practice with his BB gun.

He was so proud that he hit the Pepsi can twice. It was set up for his big brother.


The dog is there for support (or is it just to annoy?).


Even my sweet baby loving boy gets in on the target practice.Again, it's just a BB gun.


As you can see, this is the leader of the pack.


Those corrupt little hands reloading. Run squirrels, run!

Grand Opening Extravaganza

You have all waited so patiently! Here are the Grand Opening details:

Sneak Peek

While I was in the studio today I finished hanging all of my backdrops. I decided to snap a few pictures of some of them so that I could give you all a little sneak peek.


This is a really pretty pink and yellow. It's perfect for girls and spring portraits!
This is also perfect for Spring.



This is my favorite scenic backdrop.

It works really well with these props. See the bench? My sweet hubby made that for me. It is by far the heaviest prop that I have. This will make a one of a kind portrait.

I really like the black and white. What about you?





I have many more backdrops and tons of props. I'll be taking more pictures soon.

My Studio

So, you guys have heard a lot of chatter here and there from Myspace to Facebook and Twitter about my new studio. I haven't been holding out on you purposely, honestly. I've just been so busy trying to figure out what to do with my space that I haven't had time to give great details.

I am so excited to share with all of you, all of the details. I have an awesome friend that I love dearly. Her name is Jennifer and she is the owner of Little Achievers Preschool. We opened our businesses at about the same time and thankfully we have been thriving despite the current economic status of most Americans. Together we decided that it would be neat for me to set up in one of her empty rooms. To tell you the truth, I love being there surrounded by little people. A huge perk for my clients is that it is in a very central location. It's located in the SR54 and US19 area. My Northern and Southern clients should be able to access it easily.

I am still getting everything ready. Keep your eyes peeled for an awesome Grand Opening Special. I have all of the details but I am holding onto those. Never fear, they will be posted this weekend!

It's once again time to be brutally honest, to get everything off of my chest, so that I can start all over again this week. Hop over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to see what all of the fuss is about. It's truly quite entertaining to read everyone's Not Me Monday confessions. It's nice to know that I'm not alone!

• I did receive an email from a family member that bothered me for most of the week, keeping me up at night. I am not at all the type of person that follows God's will and then worries about the people stuck in the middle. I am NOT at all a sensitive person... Not Me!


• I did not send my children off to the museum with their grandmother and great aunt and then wish that I had gone along. I am not a big kid myself. I did not at all wish that I could have witnessed my daughter's head on a platter and my son crawling across the maze on the floor. I was not the slight bit upset that I missed these photo ops. Not me!


• I did not send my eldest son off to the woods to celebrate the New Year with his very best friend. I would never be able to relax knowing that he was camping and shooting fire arms with someone else. I do not trust his best friends parents with my son's life. What kind of Mother would send her son away for half of winter break? Not me!


• I did not miss above mentioned son at all. He didn't cross my mind every few minutes throughout the day while he was gone. I did jump three feet off of the bed when the phone rang just after midnight on New Year's Eve, fearing that he had been hurt and that he was hours away. I do not have anxiety. Not me!


• I did not practically jump for joy on New Year's Day when E-ahh's Mommy called to ask if I could watch her the next day. I do not love my babies and I certainly do not beg to spend time with them. I also do not love their parents for allowing me to be a part of their lives. Not me, never!


• I am not at all excited to be loving my baby CC for a few hours on Tuesday. It has not been weeks since I was able to do so. I have not missed her terribly and during this time I have not missed out on her first giggles. Not me. I'm not the absent auntie.


• I am not looking forward to Tuesday for another reason altogether. I would not be looking forward to sending my children back to school. My children did not at all drive me the least bit nutty while they were home during this break. Nope! I love it when they are all wound up in anticipation of Christmas and I also love the crash that they have after Christmas. I would never be planning Summer camp already. Not me! No way!


• I did not fall asleep before my husband last night. He was not awake until 2am while I snored and talked in my sleep. He did not leave the TV on so that I would toss and turn all night. We always sleep in sync. Always.


• And, I would certainly NEVER twitt from my cell phone during my beloved church service. I did not jump for joy to see 33Miles in concert. I also did not fight tears as they sang One Life to Love. I was not at all touched by the service.

Martha strikes again!

I have been knitting using the Knifty Knitter for the past few months. I've made hats and cocoons for all of the babies that have been born and I've even made a hat for my daughter.

My baby boy decided that he wanted one. So, as I sat teaching E-ahh's Mommy how to use the Knifty Knitter that she purchased so that she could get in on the fun, my second son started knitting this blue hat for his baby brother.

We weren't quite sure what he would do with the hat but rest assured knowing that he found a good use for it. My hubby told me to go in and check him out last night and this is what I saw:
Apparently PJ's are for the boring people. This child only needs a hat and a blanket.

Is your child America's Cutest Kid?

Angels Touch Photography is participating in the National Charity Model Search to select “America’s Cutest Kid” and to raise funds for charity.
We’re looking for cute children ages 18 months to 14 years old to model for a portrait to be entered into the contest.
Models Search Special:
$30 entrance fee, which includes a 45 minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery.
Finalists will be determined by online votes. Anyone may vote. Each vote is $1, and all proceeds from votes benefit the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. (NILMDTS.org)
Grand prize national winner will be determined from the 50 city finalists. Winners selected by photography and modeling industry experts.
If your child is selected the national winner, you’ll receive many prizes, including a $5,000 US Savings Bond and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera.
If you’re interested in entering your child(ren), please call the studio at 727-271-2611. For more information about the contest, go online to www.sandypucmodels.com.

E-ahh Bird

My friend has two cute little kids. "N" just turned two and "E-ahh" is two months old. She likes to escape every now and then and when she does, she allows me to take one of her cute little ones. I have been blessed to have E-ahh the last two times.

E-ahh is a precious little cutie bootie. She opens her eyes wide and smiles so cute when she sees you. If you haven't guessed, she has stolen a piece of my heart.

Here she is praising Jesus as she sleeps.

See the hair bow? Her Mommy refers to me as Martha because I tend to make new things all of the time. When she told me that she couldn't get barettes to stay in her hair, I knew just what to do. Velcro! So, here is her first velcro bow made by her Auntie Martha.

Baby hands are just so cute. I love their little piggies too but hers were covered by tights.

I'm off to get some more baby love before it vanishes before my very eyes. "C" and I are spoiling her very well.