I Heart Faces - "Hands-On Fun" Photo Challenge

So I just stumbled across the weekly photo challenge on I ♥ Faces. When I saw that this week's theme is "Hands-On Fun" this shot immediately came to mind, so I can't pass it up! There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing Daddy holding hands with his sweet girl :)

Love ~ Renee

A little bit of attitude

I think she was getting a little sick of being in front of the camera, so she gave me "the look". Her personality is really starting to shine through lately. She has been yelling "YEAH!!!" at the top of her lungs when she is excited... like when she sees that she is going to the pool, or to Noodles & Co. Oh, and when she doesn't want to do something, like go to bed, she says "No Way!" and waves her arms back and forth so we get the point! She makes me laugh endlessly.

Love ~ Renee

Officially One and a Half!

Miss Norah has changed so much throughout her first 18 months, but one thing that hasn't changed is her love of books! She has quite the collection now and none of them, I mean none of them, have gone to waste. We read them morning noon and night over and over again... I only hope she keeps this up through her college years!

Other random notes of cuteness:

• Every single morning we must tuck Monkey and Bear in bed, each with a paci (or "pashi" as Norah calls it) and their favorite blankie, blow them kisses and say "nigh nigh" when we leave her room.
• She has just discovered "owies" and now they appear out of thin air, accompanied by the most pitiful pout and fake cry I've ever seen. Each owie must get a kiss... I cannot resist :) When she witnesses other kids getting owies (even in books) she cries and pouts for them and then gives them kisses.
• She already insists on picking out her shirt and socks in the mornings, and we just can't leave the house unless we have sparkly heart clips in our hair!

So this is what our mornings look like when we are stuck in the house because it is 11 degrees and snowing outside... spring cannot come fast enough! 

 

 

Love ~ Renee

Now this was a challenge!!

I am entering a photo challenge contest at Beyond-Snapshots where you must take a photo of yourself with your little one, and I tell you this was a real challenge... trying to get an 18 month old to stay in front of the camera with me long enough to take a shot was crazy! So here are the best two :)

Love ~ Renee

Sick Day!

The past few days were spent at home with my sick little Norah... she had a temp of 101 - 104 for days and all she wanted to do was cuddle with mom or dad and her blanky while we watched Sesame Street. Oh how I love cuddling with her :) She did find the strength to play dress up in Mom's hat, scarf and mittens (oh and sunglasses as usual) and I got some cute shots of her:

I also found time to play around with my winnings from Beyond Snapshots! Here are a couple of before and afters:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Hmm... It seems as though the difference between the Before and Afters is not as apparent when I upload them to blogger. It is supposed to be subtle, but I notice a much bigger difference on my computer! By the way, I used a combination of just a tiny kick/deepen/the eyes/film sharp on these.

Love ~ Renee

My newfound passion....

If you couldn't already tell, I just looooove photography and I have been trying to improve my skills over the last few months since I have such an interesting and beauty-full subject now!

This week I stumbled across a site that I am really super excited about: http://beyond-snapshots.com/blog It is a new blog by two incredible photographers (I now have 2 new photography crushes) that promise to "Take you beyond snapshots" and teach you how to use your camera and expand your creativity. This is exactly what I have been looking for, and I thought I should share. Not because I could win a set of Rachel’s awesome actions, but because I think this is going to be something really great. OK, I really want to win these actions :)

Speaking of photography crushes... I never posted our photos from the shoot we had this past summer with Krysta Manthe (one of my other crushes). She is the sweetest soul I've ever met, and talented to boot! So here are a few of my favorties:

Makes my heart sing everytime I look at this one

So Sweet

The pigtails! They will never stick straight up again...

so happy to have these photos to treasure forever and ever

Such a daddy's girl

Love ~ Renee

Hello 2010!

Oops... It's almost been 2 months since I've posted! I will blame it on the holiday whirlwind. We have had Thanksgiving, we've cut down and trimmed our tree, we've made Christmas cookies, we saw the display on Macy's 8th floor and went to the Hollidazzle parade, we went sledding, made a snowman and a snow fort, there was lots of dancing to Christmas music, and of course our Christmas celebrations with our family involving lots of fun, food and presents!!!

As far as little miss Norah goes, she is now trying to get us to potty train her, but we would like to resist a little longer :) She repeats almost every word we say and likes to say "WOW" with much enthusiasm when something really impresses her.  Oh, and the cutest thing by far is her "Pretty Smile" that she displays upon request (check out the last pic for a wonderful example).  

These 3 pics just about sum up Thanksgiving :)

Cutting down our Christmas Tree!

Making Cookies: Beautiful Cookies

Macy's 8th Floor... there were lots of "ooohs"

Playing Outside (almost EVERY day!) "boots? boots? boots?"

Christmas Eve at the Landers

Christmas Morning with our New Kitchen and Baby Doll (oh and Mama's new Matching Pajamas)

Love ~ Renee