Hallelujah and Merry Christmas!

I am bowing down before the RAW gods. I've had this silly little camera of mine for a year and a half now and have not had the nerve to start shooting in RAW format. I braved going to all manual settings and that seemed a large enough jump into photography for me! OH  MY GOSH!!!!!!! Heather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHY didn't you smack me and MAKE me shoot RAW?! My wonderful photographer friend!  It wasn't until I saw what my good friend Wendy was doing with her macro shots in RAW that I decided to take the plunge.... today. HOLY CRAP! What an amazing difference in both quality and editing capabilities! NOW, I get it.  (shaking head)  I get it. BRING ON THE PHOTO SHOOTS! LMAOOOOOO!

Here are some random shots that i've been meaning to put onto my blog but haven't. And a couple that I shot RAW today (YAY ME!)

I hope you all have a wonderful, beautiful Christmas, and a prosperous and Happy New Year!

Here's one I took of Ashli today while we made cookies. Isn't licking the mixer thingy the best part about  making cookies? I think so! So does Ash!  (Shot in RAW)

While I was experimenting with my new found RAWness, Mason was my willing? subject. All of the photos I shot today would have been deleted had I not had the extended editing capabilites that come along with RAW shooting. ESPECIALLY the photo above!

Another one of my "would have been deleted shots".  Now? One of my favorites of Bubby this Christmas!  Yes, yes, I know. Bad call putting him in an orange sweater LOL!

Bubbs helping to re-decorate the tree. He's enjoyed trying to figure out how to re-hang the ornaments he rips off!  (RAW)

Me continuing to stalk my son. And him running at me (ready to throw my camera I'm sure).  RAW

Bubbs doing that "ornament thing" again. But hey, it made for some good pics!

Here's Ash by the tree. Not shot in RAW, but I thought it was cute anyway!

Dad and bubbs in November when we went on a veeeeeeeeery long hike. Mason and Ashli did SO well. They hiked a few miles with us through some pretty tough terrain (well, it would be tough if you were three feet tall) and came through like champs! Way to go kids!

I would show you photos of the kids with Santa, but in my "Spring Computer Cleaning" I seem to have DELETED my scanner! Add that to the list of stuff to fix! HA!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Memories of Fall 2008

Here is a digi (I know, faint - right?) from me using Stacey's Cinnamon Spice kit. This kit really is FANTASTIC and you can dl it free on her blog HERE.

I {heart} my Secret Santa!

Well, well, well... today I discovered the identity of my "Secret Santa". I'd been wondering for a while who she was and today I found out! Thank you Rebecca for the wonderful package! Some of my very favorite things were in there. Each gift I opened was most DEFINITELY something I would have picked for myself! You rock! 

Not only did she include some awesome scrappy goodness, but chocolates (a woman after my own heart I tell you!), and a BEAUTIFUL handmade card, along with one of the most beautiful mini albums I've ever seen. Rebecca is a master at distressing everything. You should definitely check out her blog HERE.

Here are some photos of the goodies I received, thanks again honey! LOVE IT!

Lovely pearl stickers which I just ran out of (thank you!), Beautiful Primas that are SO my style and a great asst. of gems. PERFECTION!

LOVE that spice candle, it smells SO yummy! A bottle of MORE yummy primas and uhm HELLO?! CHOCOLATE! I'm eating one right now, they are TOTALLY YUMMY!

Isn't this card gorgeous? I just LOVE handmade cards. Now for a SECOND time, I find myself asking Rebecca ," Where did you find those poinsettias?" LOL!

The Lot, I'm a lucky girl eh? Thanks "Santa"

Is this not just BEAUTIFUL?! Oh my I nearly choked when I opened up this beauty! It's a LOVELY HAND MADE mini album that Rebecca created for my family. Unbelievable how talented this lady is. I really REALLY love this!

Two new AWESOME digi kits!

Yes,  I am a walking? ad campaign for my dear friends! 

Stacey just released TWO  new complete, jam packed digital scrappy kits in her store! They are jam packed with LOTS of embellishments, definitely check them out HERE.  And here's a tiny secret... shhhhhhh,  *looks around suspiciously* if you go to her blog (HERE) she is giving awayparts of a mega kit each day for FREE!

Hmmm I don't know what happened with that little guy there. Apparently my stellar blogging skills are seriously lacking lately!

I feel old...

You know, sometimes you see something, or hear something that just kind of hits you in the gut and makes you feel really damn old.  Maybe you see a photo of yourself, and notice that you are getting wrinkles around your eyes, or you find a few gray hairs and think it's "distinguished". Maybe the National Finals Rodeo comes and goes yet again, reminding you of those never ending wild nights you usedto have not so many years ago... or maybe, just maybe you are listening to the radio and the announcer informs you that Nikki Sixx just turned FIFTY FRICKEN YEARS OLD! Yep. 50.  5-0 folks. *shaking head*.  If you don't know who Nikki Sixx is, get off my blog! Because that means you are either too young to remember and YOU will make me feel old, or you slept through the 80's.

Some Digi Goodness

Lots of you (traitors) dabble in the dark-side of scrapbooking. My dear friend Stacey is now designing her own lines of digital kits that are flat out AWESOME!  She created the cutest Christmas alpha and kit! She is giving the alpha away and you can check out the Christmas kit and all of her other fabulous creations at her store HERE.

A Family Affair...

Here are a few shots from a session I did today with a really LARGE family, 14 people in all.It was a real pleasure working with these folks! They were SO easy to photograph, and a very very nice family!