Hot Briggsity Blog! I'm a winner and so are you and you and you... but not you #4!

Win, Win, Win!!!

I won and you can too!

The Rules...

1. Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which entitles you to a handmade item from me.

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway.

3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It's the Spirit and the thought that counts!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!

If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Let's get serious for a moment

I've decided on a new rule for myself concerning the laptop on my kitchen table. If I want to go on Facebook or look at my buddies blogs, I have to do something in Photoshop first... something productive to get me back on track with what has been my passion since like, f.o.r.e.v.e.r - photography.

Though I have had my dry seasons when the last thing I wanted to do was pick up my camera and take yet another unimpressive blah picture, I'm starting to feel that twinge again, that spark that reminds me why I suffered though Photo I, II and III (i.e. Psychological Warfare for College Students). It wasn't ALL horrible... I did meet my awesome husband there. But I still have some wounds from those days that occasionally get reopened. Okay, actually one class in college wasn't so bad... I think it was Photo manipulation something or other... we never really did strictly what the syllabus said we would in that dept. so it's hard to remember. It's sort of the class that saved me from being lost forever. It brought me back to the outside real life world and what I really wanted (not what Mr. R. preached to us) and really made me think about my future rather than dissecting a false past. And just in the nick of time. I *almost* got sucked in.

I realize that this probably makes little sense to most of you - I hope it makes sense to *someone*. Mia, if you're reading this - thank you for listening to me in your office even though most of what I believed in was making your head hurt.


So today, after a morning at the park with my buddies, I got home and wanted to look at and play with all the pictures I took. For the first time I wasn't turning on my laptop to check FB or my mail. Yippee! (don't worry, I'll TOTALLY be doing that later! :) -- addiction is addiction!)

Here's what I came up with for today:

before:

after:

Amanda the Picture Princess

Okay, I just can't leave Samantha's big sister out of this. She's just as cute and photogenic and still meets the age requirement so here goes!

Amanda just turned 8 and thinks that's just GREAT! She loves dresses, dressing up and anything that makes her feel "pretty". She is a great big sister to her brother and new sister. She exudes confidence... the good kind! That's why I'm entering in a little online contest to be a model for Shabby Apple.
The prize is stellar - a whole wardrobe of super cute clothes!
She'd look fabulous in the Sonny & Cher dress from Shabby Baby -- little girls and girls dresses from Shabby Baby... their just so *chic*. Don't you think?

Haydens new do

I've been experimenting with new hairstyles for Hayden... I'm not particularly talented at cutting hair, but I'm learning through trial and error. Hopefully I'll have it figured out before he starts school. LOL!! I had to feed Hayden M&M's (aka Yummy Yums) to make it through phase 3 of our haircut marathon.


Have you ever cut your kids hair?

Happy Valentine's Day!

{Amanda's Valentine's Day Treat for her classmates}




**** we did this again, in 2010 :) ****
Valentine's from 2010

Prepare yourself for maximum cuteness...

Hayden-ese...

Hayden digs talking on the phone...

a lot.

Hayden digs matchbox cars too...

and his baby sister Samantha.

Hayden says:
1.Please ("peez")
2.I want more ("I juan moor")
3.Cat ("kee-kee")
4. 1-2-3 ("on, do, tree!")
5. Baby
6.Momma ("Mum maa!")
7.Daddy
8.Hi
9.Bye-bye
10.Shoe ("sue!")
11.Shirt ("shur")
12.Banana ("naa-a")
13.Food ("foo")
14.Ball
15.Light ("lie")
16.Water ("waa-a")
17.Night Night ("nigh nigh")
18.Book ("buu")
19.Balloon ("boon")
20. All Done ("awww done")
21. Five Dollar Footlong ("fire fry foo-ong")
22.Mine
23.Yes ("Yeah-ya")
24. No
25.Eye
26. Amanda ("man-duhhh!")
27. Ear ("Eeee-Ahh")
28. I Don't Know ("I dunno" with both hands held out, palms up---hilarious)

Amanda's Baptism

Amanda was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on February 7th 2009. It has been a much anticipated day for our family... lots of build up and planning for an event that lasts but a few moments... and it was all worth it!

Though Amanda turned 8 in December (right before Christmas!) we opted to postpone her baptism to a less crazy time of year so that we could take the time to focus on her understanding of the covenant she would be making. She was very excited about her upcoming baptism!

I took a picture of her in her pretty white dress a few days before and it totally made me weepy.



We are so happy for Amanda and pleased that she chose to be baptized. My friend Julie took some pictures for us. Here are some of my favorites: