taking a break

i'll be back...

hi peeps!!  sorry i've been MIA...i have some great news to share!!  i have officially started my own photography business!!

yes.

i.

did!

it's called lock and key photography and i've been really busy with sessions and editing i haven't had time for much else [PTL for a blessed business!]

you can follow me on facebook!!  click here to go to my page and see what i've been up to!!!

i hope to be able to juggle all of this...so far, so good!

here's my favorite picture that i've snapped lately!

first engagement session!  it was F-U-N!!!

xoxoxo

erika

say NO to auto!

i did it!

i said no to auto folks!  and i am so happy i did!

[next, i am totally investing in photo shop!]

so, without editing at all, i am going to show you a few things i did these last few days while saying no to auto ...

first, i learned how to slow down my shutter speed and create the eversocool

water droplets...

and the water was not just dripping.,,,  

it was ON!  

i was so pleased!  

sure, a few photos came out pure white.  

a few came  out pure black.  

but, after playing with the "numbers" i got my beautiful pictures!  i can't wait to see how they will turn out when i get photo shop!! 

then, i went to the kids first dance...and didn't even use the flash.  

word.

[remember...these are straight from my camera...no editing]

i love this picture...miley cyrus was on and even i was dancing lol

dance off...

he was raising the roof...

and she does the sprinkler...i think i pee'd my pants!

i love hello kitty so i had to take a pic of this sweetie!

the girls relax while we clean up...

[i see so much potential in these un edited photos!]

and tonight.  this was the ultimate test.  

it's dark in our living room.

check out the difference of the auto and my settings!  

[ok, this is not the best picture but what i want you to see is the fact that oh em gee...when it's in the auto mode look how dark it looks!  the manual mode the settings were ss1"6 i know that's like uber crazy but i really wanted to see how to NOT use the flash...when i say it was dark i mean DARK, f5.6 iso1600 sooo it's a little blurry because well, i needed a tri pod, let's be honest that ss u need one to take that a pic that slow, lol but still look at how soft and creamy the coloring is...that's what i really wanted to come out of this little exercise.  just the coloring.  i know it's by no means a perfect pic, lol]

  

yes!  i will be saying NO to auto from now on!

thanks to kristen  -- i won't look at photography the same!

go get her e-book!  i am so glad i did!

xoxoxo

erika

taking a class...now to find it!

well, i'm taking the leap!

i want to learn all i can regarding photography.  i mean, i got my first DSLR so why not take advantage of what she has to offer, right?  right.

so, i want to take a class.  it doesn't have to be in school, as in at a college at night where it will take me away from my sweet family.  i can easily do this while gunnar is running around playing ben 10, or army men.  i can do this in my free time.  yes, i have free time -- i mean, hello, how am i blogging?  we MAKE time when we WANT to do something!  

we all know i love amy from the idea room, it's no secret on my blog!  i talk about the idea room all the time....well, it's also no secret that amy is one wonderful photographer and we love her because she shares her secrets [gasp!] yes...yes she does!  

well, as i was on my other love pinterest, i was looking up photography and came across a little link that spiked my interest. it said "say no to auto" it peeked my interest because i really want to learn about manual mode and all about my camera....so, i click on it and, where does it take me? to amy's blog!  of course!  lol, but, more importantly to the most amazing page that i have no idea how i've never seen it before!  it's the page where i decided i'm totally taking a class!  and, now i have a new favorite blogger...meet kristen!  oh she is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!  she used to write on amy's blog [i proly would have cried had i known this....cuz when i read her farewell post i found myself getting a little emotional...i blame it on my period getting ready to start] and tells all her little secret's...i have now found a new best friend, and she has no clue who i am!  lol if you have a love for photography, this is a must read ... and yes, i'm going to purchase her e-book because well, after reading the tips she gave i mean, i have to!  you proly should too...click here to access site and get it!

so friends, i am now looking for an online class to take.  perhaps i will get her book first and just start there.  i am also totally going to invest in photoshop.  yes, i do have picnik and i have been able to make some amazing shots look unbelievable. but, after looking at kristen's pictures after photoshop...i'm really blown away!

so, i'm totally excited because i have tried a few of her tips and have done really well with changing the iso and ss and i'm excited because wow.  just wow!  what a difference!  no more auto for me! now, tonight i'm taking pics at the kids "back to school" dance...i cringe thinking about the flash that will be used.  urg!  i may be e-mailing kristen today!  crossing fingers she can help me!

how about you?  do you know what i can do??  i HATE flash photography...but...i'll be indoors at a dance = DARK...help!!

xoxoxo

erika

[a not so] wordless wednesday

it's wednesday which brings...[dun dun dun]

[a not so] wordless wednesday!

is it just me, or has wednesday became your favorite day too??  i find myself thinking...oooh ooooh that picture is sooooo going up on wednesday's post!!!  oh the joy's of my blog...my precious!  

so, what's my WORDY wednesday post bringing today?  um, how about a birthday party??  yes, i think so...we went to alyssa's friend from kindergarten brianna's pool party.  i of course brought my lovely and snapped over 100 photo's.  even of the cat.  yes, the cat.  got some really cool up close and personal shots of a scary banana spider too.  eeek! 

it was a great birthday party.  we really had a fun time relaxing and of course spending time with brianna's family.  

happy birthday sweetie!

this cat adopted them...he was fabulous!

and this would be the banana spider.  eeeeek!  i have a fabulous zoom lense.  i was by no stretch of the imagination close to this thing.  although, afterward i felt him all over me!!!

and then i got the prettiest sunset shot eva...oh yes, i know i have A LOT to learn about photography.  like, literally i don't even know what an aperture is.  i mean i know what it means, but don't know what it means, ya know?  i hate [with every fiber of my being] flash photography.  my favorite mode on my camera is literally the CA mode.  creative auto. i take the flash off and blur the background.  that's me.  so, i should totally take a class. but, here's my little landscape with brianna's brother on his motor cross bike.  i'd love to a shoot with him...but i really need to learn and get good, but i love this shot...for now.  watch, i'll look back and laugh cuz i'll be like...wow, i had soo much to learn!  lol

that screams FALL to me...the sky was sooooo pretty...it just wasn't cold like it looks.  whine....whine....whine....it will be though and SOON!!  yay!  

xoxoxo thanks for stopping by!

i'd love feedback on the picture taking skills...i really need tips! ooh, and don't forget to link up!

monday blog hop -- link up and enjoy the ride!

a monday blog hop and random blah blah

i've been pretty happy with how i'm gaining readers.  blogging has turned into a fun little look into my mind.  i didn't want my blog to be a complete mommy blog, i mean how many of those are there.  what? a gazillion.  do we really need yet another mom spilling her guts on what works for her? and, do you find yourself thinking "is her life really like that?  or, is she fluffing it just a bit?"  

so, this is me.  i mean, really.  i am totally r-e-a-l. i think that's what my friends love about me.  i won't sugar coat things for you.  i just won't.  if your bootay looks big in those jeans, hunie, i'm going to tell you.  if your zipper is down, i'm gonna let'cha know.  and, to be quite honest, it's what i look for in a friend too.  so, in my closer than close girl friends, i expect to be told that the shirt i'm wearing makes me look pregnant and lord knows that's not the look i was going for, cuz well, i'm not pregnant, lol.  so, thanks if you are being honest.  ha.

i'm at a point in my life that i'm really cherishing my girlfriends.  i'm   coming into my own and falling in love with that style that screams "me". i couldn't be happier.  i want to be the room mom in my son's kindergarten class next year.  i want to take pictures at the school dances, and at other functions and have them be used for the year book.  i would love nothing more than to make really fun crafty treats and take them to the kids' class rooms for their parties.  and, do this with my close knit of friends i have made these last couple of years.  

thursday's my girlfriends and i have decided to have a craft day.  we are going to teach one another a craft.  i for one will be showcasing my favorite crafts from my oh so favorite blog

 The Idea Room because she is oh so crafty and i love her blog so!  now i just have to decide which craft to do first.  i was thinking about a wreath because it's fall and i need a new one for my door...and for that it will be pinterest to the rescue!  i may have to have friday's a special day to blog all about my thursday girlfriend day!  oooh i can't wait!  this thursday will be our first get together.  now, what to name our little club??

any ideas?

so, my blog may not be all about mothering...it's more like what makes me well, me.  and yes, my kids and my family make my life what it is.  i love my girlfriends and have come to realize that they make my life tick too.  i'm a lover of my camera...i don't leave home without it.  i love building things -- renovating things...and i can thank jen aka "ying" and i would be "yang" or i would be pnut butta and she jelly [lol] for all that...i love wreaths...again, jen...i love cottage-y things...that would be an emily thing...i really dig crafting...both jen and ems can be thanked for that...really, my friends just rock the house.  and, they inspire me! so, ya.  i am just one lucky chick to have these fabulous women in my life.  you too will be inspired by them!  wanna hear something funny? jen and ems haven't even met yet...oh, they are going to just kill me for that one!  thursdays are going to be my most favorite day from now on!!!  

went to a bday party this weekend.  got a few great shots ...

water balloon fights are the best...

we also spent time at ying's house this weekend..so, i took time to take pics of some of my favorite things in her home...oh how i love jen's house...

hello crayon art!

look at these pillows...why yes, they are napkins.  aren't they dandy?



is this not the cutest wreath eva???

this is the perfect saying for jen.  it speaks volumes about the person she is...

i love my camera!

i have no idea what took me so long to get a DSLR...oh i'm never going back to the "other side" hee hee....

it's time for cub scouts!  

xoxoxo 

when the camera comes out to play

it's all about the...

let's be honest.  if you have a great eye, you can make it happen.  the aha! moment.  you are in the mode.  you've found the right spot, you've got the right subject, the lighting seems to be just so...

and then...

oh em gee...

you see the most adorable little person.

you.have.got.to.take.a.picture!

i have the sweetest little person in mind.  her name is hope. her mommy calls her "buggie" and she fits her nickname to a tee.  she's such a little buggie.  oh, i could eat her up.

well, i made a little headband for my new niece who will be joining us in january.  we.can't.wait!

she will have a big brother raiden who in my opinion is the cutest little guy eva!  he is going to be 3 in november.  i love him to pieces.  my sister is 4 years older than me so we are very close and oh em gee i am just overwhelmed with finding luna "bug" the cutest things on [you guessed it] pinterest !!!  oh yes!  and, i made her this cute as a button headband.  yes, i made it.  *ahem* i channeled my inner "heather" and retro'd it out.  and came up with the cutest thing eva.  she's going to rock it!  so, instead of sending my sister a picture of just the headband, i decided to send her a picture with my cutie patooty neighbor wearing it!  [swooon] she is too cute!

yay!  i got to play with my camera =)

my luna bug is going to be adorable!!!  yay!

wordless wednesday #3

boys will be boys

my sons love the rain.  honestly, so do i.  well, as long as the tornado sirens do not follow [eek!]  i know it's coming.  this time of year is the cozy time of hot chocolate, fuzzy blankets, rain drops and cooler weather.  

BUT...

we are in the south folks!

so, for a few more months, although the rest of the world gets to experience the cooler side, we get the rain...and the cooler weather won't follow for atleast a good few months.  so, what happens?  the boys play in the mud...and it's not just my boys...it's my friend's boys too!  us girls just sit and laugh.  especially alyssa because are you kidding?  she would NEVER get that dirty!  so, what do i do?  grab my camera with the zoom lense because there is no way i'm getting dirty either, lol and snap away!  here is my favorite picture of the day!

this just screams boys will be boys!  they are dirty.  there is mud.  they are covered.  and, they couldn't be happier!

let's not forget the small things in life!  being a kid is precious...they will never forget it.  our boys will always remember the little moments in time that we allowed them to be ... boys.  

god made dirt, and dirt don't hurt =)

[not so] wordless wednesday #2 "boys just want to be like daddy"

wordless wednesday #2

it's wednesday which only means one thing...

it's a [not so] wordless wednesday linking partay!

so let's get this party started!

last wednesday i decided to start off my [not so] wordless wednesday to introduce myself by using inspirational pictures that brought out the kid in me 

it was very therapudic to write about memories taking me back to my childhood.  i was a very blessed child who can honestly say hand on heart, girl scout honor, had the most amazing up bringing.  my sister and i were 4 years apart, and sure, we may not have always gotten along, but, we are so close now that none of that matters.   we are one of the few families who did not have to deal with a family divided.  our mom and dad have been and are still madly in love with each other.  we may have made the "icky" face and laughed while pointing fingers [much like my children do now] while mommy and daddy snuggled on the couch or kissed secretly [or so they thought] in the corner of the kitchen, but inside our hearts were as happy as a bird with a french fry [*ahem, totally took that little analagy from my "ying" aka best friend jen] 

 so, this week's post i decided to share a few little shots of my little boys isaac and gunnar.  i got my new camera and took it for a test run. they were out playing and well, i couldn't help but get tickled as i watched them "pretend".  it melted my heart.  they were so sweet...first we were out in the front yard, then we ventured to the back yard when their little land of make believe came to life and i was lucky enough to be a part of it.  

i think the only way to title this would be
"boys just want to be like daddy"


first, we were in the front yard, and they were interested in mommy's camera
here's gunnar with his string cheese "want some?"  "no, thanks sweetie"

i have to tell you, i don't know what it is, but my boys go through this stage in which they do not like clothes.  i just don't get it.  it starts at about the age of 2 and continues until they go to kindergarten.  they only want to wear their under-roos.  what's the deal?  isaac, thankfully, wears shorts all of the time and even will put on a shirt.  but, usually is seen shirtless.  but gunnar, oh no.  that kid loves to only wear his under-roos.  he will get dressed in a heart beat if someone comes over.  it's the funniest thing.  he'll disappear and the next thing you know he's magically dressed.  it always makes me laugh.  [you know what, even alyssa went through a little phase like this.  but, for her, she only wanted to wear her bathing suit or dress up clothes]  what a difference.  anywho...


gunnar then gave me a squishy face...i love how dirty he looks.  haha.  classic little boy.

so, i have my brown eye'd baby and my blue eye'd baby.  isaac wants to be behind the camera...oh how i hate to tell him no, but i can't afford [literally] to break this one!  [my first DSLR after many smaller cheap point and shoots that i must admit i have broken] he is a fun guy to follow when he's not begging to take a picture, because he has such a great imagination.  he gives me the funniest looks too.


"please, just one picture?"

"just one?  come on mom..."

after letting him sit between my legs and squeeze up through the strap [which thankfully he's small enough to do that] he was a happy guy and he snapped a great picture of our cat bill.  he's an old outdoor [by choice] cat. he has moved with us to every new duty station and every place we move to he decides whether or not he wants to live in the house or not.  we happen to live in the country, so this cat is smart.  he comes to the house to eat and if it's cold he'll come in and if it's raining but other than than that, he loves it outside.  i like it because there is no kitty litter box!  score!  so, here is isaac's photography skills 


i framed his picture so he would feel like a "real photographer"

now i have a happy boy and we decide to go to the back yard.  
but, before we, go, daddy calls and the boys talk to him "mommy let
 me take a picture with her camera!" "mommy took a picture of me" [i then had to explain that i did not let him take the picture by himself, lol]


this picture is so sweet

sidenote:
i mentioned in another post that the boys had dug a hole in the yard.  well, this is what they've been doing.  i can't help but laugh because they are truly being creative.  i have been seeing them taking daddy's "extra" tool's outside and bringing them back in when they are cleaning up when it's time to come in for dinner.  i don't hear fighting so i have no need to really go outside and continually supervise.  they are old enough now [and we have a 7 foot privacy fence] where they can be left out in our back yard and they don't get into things that they aren't supposed to.  it's safe, they won't get kidnapped, it's our yard.  the only way you get in is through our house, so i know when they come and go. 


well, after we were in the front yard, they wanted to play in the back yard.  it was so nice out i decide to just relax and enjoy the cooler weather we've been having.  with camera in tow, i follow them out.  isaac goes back into the house and grabs his tools.  then what happens next i'm just literally feeling my heart melting i had to take this opportunity to take a few snap shots.


at first the tools just sit on the dirt.  this is a big circle where the pool that was up all summer killed the grass.  it will go back up next summer, but this fall it will be their "track"  [notice gunnar in his under-roos, lol] they are making their vroom vroom noises and having a grand time

"gunnar hand me the wratchet" i don't think either one of them even knows what a wratchet is, but without even a hesitation, gunnar grabs the closest tool and hands it to his brother

back and forth the exchange takes place...

because apparently a wrench is what is best used for digging holes according to gunnar

then i notice isaac...

"isaac honey, what are you doing?" "oh, i'm just fixing the bug" "what's wrong with it?" "it's sluggish" "ok, well, how are you going to make it work?" "by taking the slug out of it"  lol, now that is genius!  =)

i just love it when the boys act like their dad.  i think it's really sweet.  just like when little girls act like their mommy's. there is just something about them mimiking the adults around them that is adorable to me.  little kids acting like adults.  [insert pouty lip and me saying awh that is so stinkin cute]  it literally melts my heart.  if only you could have heard them interact.  it went a little along the lines of:


"gunnar, dude, pass me the wratchet.....thanks bro."  [he made these click click bang bang sounds with the "wratchet" which was actually a set of pliars the first time, a wrench the second time, screw driver the third, you get the idea...]  "yup" was gunnar's reply which by the way made me laugh because he was very busy. [apparently digging a hole with one of the extra "wratchet's" *ahem* wrenches was much more important to him] "gunnar, dude, if you want to stay on the pay roll, you need to keep your head in the game.  i need a lube."  gunnar was now irritated.  he had lost interest in isaac's fantasy "mr.fix it" car repair shop.  i mean, they'd been playing for over 15 minutes by this point.  he's only 4 for crying out loud!

he stands up and grabs the bucket o'tools, which was actually an old basket i had in my bathroom that used to house brushes [i was throwing it away, and i found it under the sink full of tony's odds and ends tools.  mmm k]
gives his brother the basket and with a very calm voice says what may very well be my favorite thing this entire week:
"isaac, i am not on your payrule.  mommy pays me.  you are not the boss to me. take yur tuls i'm diggin"

and with that, isaac and i exchanged glances and we couldn't help but laugh.  he resumed playing, gunnar resumed digging and i snapped a few more pictures.  it was a pretty fun day.  those boys are quite funny when they are not fighting.
  
if you made it this far, i applaud you.  i know it's a wordless wednesday, but i'm def not a girl of few words.  so i effectionatly call it a [not so] wordless wednesday.  see you next wednesday =) looking forward to reading your posts!  don't forget to comment and link up!

alright summer, it's time to say farewell!

i don't know about you, but when september rolls around, i think of leaves changing colors, cooler days and even cooler nights. apple cider and the smells of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg floating in the air.  guess what folks.  i live in the south.  my dream of the perfect crisp air and smell of the first wood being burned in the neighbor's fireplace [i say neighbor because i don't have one -- next house, yes, it's on the list] i just love the smell of burning wood.  mmmm mmmm gives me the warm fuzzies.  so, in honor of yearning for the cooler weather i will be posting in a "fall" color...burnt orange.  love this color.  love.it.

i get happy knowing the holiday's are just around the corner. kid's parties at school are coming up, fun festivities will be happening soon.  all the time to meet other parents and hang out with new people and parents we haven't seen since last year.  it's just an all around fun time.  except the shopping.  i do not enjoy the shopping.  i'd rather just skip that.  crowds bother me.  a lot.  like a lot a lot.  to the point i get sick a lot.  gives me the heebie jeebie's just thinking about it right now.  i get the sweats and nauseated.  i guess i get clausterphobic.  i bet i would do horribly in a big crowded city like new york.  i've always wanted to visit there too.  

so, although i live in the south.  and it seems that the heat will never leave, it will one day do just that.  and when it does, the cooler air will take it's place and i will then be pulling out my scarves and wool coat and boots and i just can't wait.  you just have no idea.  i'm looking forward to the day that i can put my makeup on and not be sweating by the time i am either heading out of the house or even before that.  [mind you, i do have pcos -- if you have this syndrome you know what i'm talking about -- so i am hot all.of.the.time] 

so i leave you with this.  are you ready for the season to change? is it just me or does it seem that this summer has been the longest summer e-v-e-r???

  click here to see where i found the fall picture