Hey look at me, blogging away!  Who knew I would make it to week 2?  Not me.  Ivy was sick this week, it was a freak tornado of a bug.  Here violently for an hour or so and then gone, as if it never happened.  After it went away we decided to take some quick pictures.

Week 1 of my P52.  I cheated, I totally took these last week.  Dex our Great Dane lounging around and Jasmine our rescue kitty.  <3 them both.

I am a bad blogger.  A bad, bad blogger.  Pretty sure anyone who ever actually reads this, is well aware of just how bad I am at not keeping up with the blog.  It’s a pain to log in, it’s a pain to upload photos, and I am, in general, a lazy person.  That is not to say I don’t get things done, when I have a client and images to edit for them I do that first thing because I KNOW I am lazy and if I left it, I might procrastinate it.  So I put off my procrastination for later in a few instances.  But mostly, I am lazy and lack belief in myself.

I clean the house, do laundry, run, get groceries, take Ivy to school, take care of the dogs(not in that order), run errands, pay the bills.  If I could, I would lay in bed all day long.  In my pajamas.  And eat.  A nonstop buffet of sweets.  Vacation?  Pfft, too much work.  Having to get to the airport on time, pack, go through security, wait, be stuck in a plane for hours and then, once arrived at said destination….to go DO things.  I don’t wanna do things.  I wanna be lazy.  Which brings me back to this blog.  I am going to try something new.  Judging from the past it won’t work but hey, I am may be lazy but I am also an optimist!  I am going to try a Project 52.  For those not familiar with a P52 it is committing to blog at least once a week for 52 weeks.  There are P365′s but come on, this is me we are talking about.  I may end up with a P12 lol!

For a long time I lost my way as far as being a Photographer is concerned.   I had to sell my calibrated monitor when we moved, now I work on a laptop that has seen better days.  I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to not know if my images are the correct white balance or not.  I could buy a monitor calibration device, I could buy a new monitor, I could buy a new computer.  Truth be told that just isn’t in the budget right now so I don’t get much joy out of editing like I used to.  I lost my confidence, I stopped believing in myself, but the hard truth was, I stopped working at it too.  I stopped trying to get new clients, I moved around all over the country, content to just ride the wave of my husband’s success and told myself I would start working again once we settled down.  Once we settled down…I remembered how hard it was.  To get clients.  To build my brand in a new town.  To work, day and night pulling my hair out trying to make it successful with the fears that I am not good enough and even if I am, what if we move again and I have to do it AGAIN?!  But….isn’t that life?  A series of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and doing it again.  Maybe I shouldn’t look at it like such a bad thing.  What if I do it better next time? What if it’s easier?  What if I become a smashing success?  What if I just relaxed…and enjoyed Photography again like I used to?

So that’s my plan.  To do it for me.  Crappy white balance and all.

This past year; We bought a house in North Carolina, where I grew up.  Ivy turned four…

We got a cat…

We got a dog…

And another dog…

My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary and us kids pretended to behave for pictures…

Then we finally managed to actually do so for one split second…

It always goes the same way.  I decide to start being ‘good’ and not shop anymore(so much) except for essentials and I have will of iron and strong resolve.  The latest mental conversation went something like this:

“OK!  Spending too much money, Patrick does not like it when you spend so much money, cut back drastically.”

Got it, cut back.  Done!  I don’t NEED anything, I am happy in my life as it is.  Oh!  Does this include a Siamese fighting fish?  Cause Patrick got me that tank, and I cycled it and it’s ready for a fish and it would be wrong to not get a fish when he got me the tank right?

“Ok, just the fish, but that’s IT!”

Ok, got it.  Just the fish.  Ooooh can we get one online?  They have beautiful gorgeous ones that are super cool looking and after all, we won’t want to take care of an ugly ratty tailed fish will we?

“Umm…”

Oh!  We gotta order chia seeds!  Don’t forget!  I mean, it’s supposed to boost metabolism and my running performance and we don’t want to limit ourselves when it comes to running right?  I mean, let’s be honest here, it’s insane that I am even getting off my butt to do it in the first place, don’t hold me back!

“Ok well I guess that counts as groceries…”

Great!  Let’s see…..Amazon..oh I think I put it in my wishlist, let’s check.  OMG why haven’t I bought those boots yet?  Gorgeous, real leather and down to $38!  That’s practically nothing!  And they would go so well with that outfit we saw on Pinterest.  Oh but that outfit needs a hoodie.  I need a hoodie, I am always cold.  I mean, I have one but it is really casual and a solid color one would be dressupable(so totally a word) so I should get a solid color hoodie.  Let’s check eBay since I haven’t found any I like at the regular stores.  Oh hey I found two!

“You don’t need two, you can hardly justify one.  Weren’t we supposed to be doing something else?”

Not that I recall.  Oh!  $18!  Hmm, it’s Hanes.  Lemme Google it and see if I can find a picture of it being worn.  Oh look!  Hanes has it in stock for $16 after shipping!  Come ON!  It’s $16 for a hoodie.  You’d pay twice that for a hoodie for Ivy.

“Well…it IS pink.  Alright”

Yay!  OK let’s close these tabs…wait…what’s that?  Oh!  It’s celery green!  EXACTLY like my Pinterest pin! It’s from Target, let’s check the website….Ooooh!  They don’t have it in my size but they DO have a blue and an oatmeal color ones on clearance in my size.  I could complete my hoodie collection!  I’d never need another hoodie if I had those!  One is $6 and one is $13.  That’s $20 for TWO!  Look at how awesome I am at finding deals on things we NEED!

“No, I don’t think we NEED them, besides, you just got one”

Yes but that one is pink!  Pink does not go with everything, we should round out the collection, in fact, I suggest we get the eBay celery one as well, I mean, it’s discontinued I can’t even get it any more.  It’s like…rare and stuff.

“…”

And that is how I ended up with four hoodies on my night of no shopping.

Now on to things you actually came here for.  Pictures.  Here’s some recent photos for your viewing pleasure!

It all started with a dinner party I was invited to, where there were few names on the guest list, in more ways than one.  Of the five people invited, three were Melissas.

I hate my name.  I have never felt comfortable with it, from as far back as I can remember I have inwardly winced when someone says it.  I think it’s a beautiful name, just…it doesn’t fit ME.  Part of the reason is my name was the #1 most popular name the year I was born, I am not common, I am me, I am stubborn and quirky and creative and unlike anyone else I know.  It hit me when I saw that guest list, just how much I hated the feeling I get when I hear my name directed at me and I decided to do something about it.  Spend the rest of my life gritting my teeth when I sign my name or do something about it?  The answer was simple, and obvious.  Change it.

I thought about doing it before, when I was younger and with much less money and back then the filing fee was something that would cover half a months rent, so I dismissed it.  I am sorry it got put aside and I didn’t make it a priority because it’s one of those things I am kicking myself over.  But then again, who DOES that?  I mean, who actually changes their name??  Well…me, I guess.  I apologized to my friends, told them I understand it will be awkward and won’t be even mildly upset if they forget and call me Melissa, I contacted a lawyer, filed the paperwork, put an ad in the newspaper and voila!  No more Melissa Anne(most common middle name the year I was born too).

I am now…drumroll please!

Lyla Harper Thomas.  It’s short.  It’s Sweet.  It’s not crazy rare but it’s not super popular either.  It’s perfect, and I finally, finally, smile inside when someone calls my name.

And now onto what you really care about!  Pictures!  Ivy and I the other day, messing around with my new tripod:

It’s been forever, I apologize.  I have been busy doing…absolutely nothing.  I took almost a year long vacay and while it was a blast, it’s time I got back to work!  The snow in Denver was getting me down so here I am in sunny Southern California, sipping lemonade, tanning, and digging my feet in the sand.  I’ll keep it short and sweet, and full of pics!

We started the year with Valentine’s pictures:

Shortly after that I had a nervous breakdown when Ivy hid scissors in her room and cut her hair off to the root in places.  This was what we could salvage:

I’m not even kidding when I talk about the nervous breakdown lol.  I lost my muse, and for a while, I lost my way photographically.  I had absolutely no desire to take any pictures.  Of anything.  Slowly her hair began to grow back:

We traveled around California a while, found a sweet place to stay in Oceanside, but it needed some updating:

To this:

Ivy’s hair is finally starting to get longer:

And most recently we went Trick or Treating, don’t mind the angry makeup.  She wouldn’t hold still lol!:

I am decorating Ivy’s room in the whole ‘Shabby Chic Princess’ look.   It’s almost finished just needs a few extra touches.  What room wouldn’t be complete without some fabulous matching portraits?  Normally I am all about the clean processing, to me it looks just that, clean.  Simple.  Perfect.  Sometimes I break my own rules.  I’m crazy like that.  I cannot wait to hang these in some gorgeous white washed oval frames held by green ribbons.  Yummy.

What do you think?  Do you prefer vintage or clean processing?  Here it is done cleanly(with a lot more vignette than normal, somehow it felt like it needed it)

and here it is done Vintage

Whoa, hello vignette!  I know, I know…but sometimes it just works.  It’s not like I’m using selective coloring here or anything!

This has been one crazy year!  First we sold almost everything we owned, packed up what would fit into our mid-size SUV, and moved from Reno to Denver.  There were very few things we kept, some of which my husband thought I was whackadoo for wanting to take(yes, I just said whackadoo).  Like our Christmas tree and decorations we had never used that I had gotten this January on 90% off clearance.   I stuck to my guns though and boy am I glad.  The tree we shipped from Reno to Denver, the rest got packed into our car and has been sitting in the basement.  Until today.   This morning I set up our tree and decorated it.  It’s not perfect, there’s definitely some gaps that I will try and fill this next January, but being on a budget means it’s good enough for this year.  Sometimes It’s hard to look around and see so many empty spaces in our home.  We learned our lesson about credit cards and our furniture is all paid for in cash on the spot.  That means we don’t have much of it though, because I have champagne taste on a beer budget.  I hate beer.  Having the tree made me feel so much better.  Yes, we don’t have much, but what we do have, we love.

I did buy some new things this year.  The tree skirt was $25 and the ribbon $5, both from Homegoods.  The crystal dangles (which to me look like fabulous jewelry for my tree) were only $1 each at Target, where I also got a gorgeous mirrored frame ornament that says “2010″.  Add in the two new stockings I bought and my grand total came up to under $150 for the tree, ornaments on super sale, and everything I just bought.  I think my husband would approve.

See what I mean?  Like jewelry for your tree, I love me some glitz!

This is the very first ornament I ever bought for my daughter.  She’s a Leo and to me, it shines brighter than anything else on the tree.

Happy Holidays!

It’s a Thanksgiving Miracle!  Getting a picture of my in-laws both looking at the camera the same time my daughter does?  Priceless.

My Mother-in-Law.  We may not always see eye to eye but I’ll tell you what, I can only hope to have as much strength of character as she does some day.

While visiting Reno my friend Katie’s baby girl was kind enough to make her debut so I could meet her.  Congrats Katie & John, she’s absolutely perfect!

Pardon the small images, I don’t have noiseware on my laptop. I’ll post them larger once I run it at home =).

Off to Reno tomorrow for some Holiday visiting with family.  While we are out there I do have some openings for shoots so be sure to check out our Facebook page for more information!  I am going to make it my official New Year’s resolution to keep the blogs  updated so here’s what I have been up to recently;  I met up with another Photography in Colorado Springs, her name is Michelle and not only is she gorgeous, she is super talented as well so for you Colorado Springs folks check out SassyBee Photography.

First we met up in Manitou Springs for a game of “shoot the other photographer”, see what I mean by gorgeous?

We had so much fun we decided to do a family photo swap later on, her kids were SO easy to work with, I LOVE that!

In other happenings, Patrick was on a business trip for Halloween so it fell to me to take Ivy Trick or Treating.  This year she was a pirate, we tried to teach her to say ‘ARRRR!’ but from her it sounded like “GRRRR!!!!’  lol.  Halloween night I got her dressed up and we set out.  I was so excited, I LOVE Halloween, the one day where you can dress however you like and be all “I meant to look like this’.  So to the first house!  I see the window curtains open so I know they know a toddler is coming.  No scary surprises here!  We rang the doorbell and…two tweens in Scream masks answer the door.  Ivy screams bloody murder, literally JUMPS into my arms and clings to me so tight I can hardly breathe while crying her poor little eyes out.  The tweens apologize profusely and I make a hasty exit.  This is off to a great start!  For the next 5 houses she clung to me and wouldn’t let go.  I decided to label it a FAIL and go home to pass out candy.  Ivy LOVED passing out candy, except she didn’t want any of the kids to leave, and would cry every time they ran off after getting their candy.  Also fail.  I did count two wins for the night though.  1. I gave out ALL the candy so I didn’t have it hanging around my house and 2. I got pictures of Ivy in her pirate costume before “The incident”.

Stay tuned for our unique new Die-Cut Christmas cards this year!