Sophie & Santa!

A very rare successful shot of the three of them! :)


Sophie told Santa that all she wanted was a "Swimming Puppy" for Christmas... (I guess she forgot about the bow & arrow and stilts...lol).

E P I C

Still catching up from Florida last summer :)

What do you want for Christmas, Sophie Lu?

When I asked Sophie Lu what she wanted for Christmas this year, she said, "I want to leave Christmas cookies for Santa, and I want to leave apples and carrots for the reindeer this time!" My Sophie is so sweet that way... rarely does she have a wishlist already thought out. So I asked her what gifts she wanted Santa to bring her. She responded, "Hmm.... maybe some stilts. Oh, and a Barbie who has a dress that turns into a cape... Olivia brought one like that to show and tell." So I handed her some catalogs & asked her to look for some other possibilities. After looking through all the catalogs, Sophie was so excited to finally announce that what she really wants for Christmas this year is a bow & arrow! Stilts & a bow & arrow?... she is so funny! After my surprised "A bow & arrow, Sophie, really?", she answered with great confidence, "Yes, Mommy... a real one. Big girls shoot real bow & arrows." (I should have known that!) ♥

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(of course the bow & arrow kit in the Magic Cabin catalog isn't really real... but to her it will be. Now where can I find some stilts?) :)

Halloween 2009 (video)

Unedited- but at least I'm posting... :)

Best Friends...

Sophie Lu & her best friend Megan... :)

Blogger Block (a note to myself) :)

I'm writing this just hoping it will help me get past my "Blogger Block"... I just feel so behind that everytime I think of blogging, I get too overwhelmed and can't do it! It's like I just want to avoid it and keep putting it off and off.... So instead of worrying about catching up and filling in all the blanks, I'm just going to try to post one thing, ANY thing on one or all of the kids blogs everyday for a week. A wise friend (Kim from 3Peanuts) always tells me it takes 7 days of doing something to make it a habit. :)

So this is my post for today...

Also, I'm going to try really hard to post more snapshots... things I want to remember.... without worrying about editing them, etc. I'll post the pretty photos I take too, but I have so many that just make me smile (whether they're great quality or not). And those are the photos that will make my kids smile too. I started these blogs because I don't keep photo albums and because I want my kids to have their childhoods documented. I want them to know how much I have always loved them. I want them to see just how adorable, funny & sweet they have always been.

Oh I feel better already! I think this helped me get past my block. So the next few posts may be out of order, etc. but at least I'll be posting again. Yay! :) Oh, and I just posted details on Sasha's blog, but check us out on this bottle of wine being sold to benefit breast cancer!
CharityWines.com

Florabella Featured on I Heart Faces Blog!

"J E W E L S"

My Florabella Collection is featured on I ♥ Faces today! If you don't already know this amazing photography site, you just have to check it out... tons of inspiration, resources & giveaways... and weekly photography contests! There is a Florabella Textures giveaway HERE, and a texture tutorial written by Rita of Coffeeshop here. Also. there is a discount code under the tutorial. ♥

Sophie's Smile: Then and Now

Sophie Lu age 2 (I used my Florabella Textures to "revive" this photo which I took with my old point & shoot...)


Sophie Lu age 5 at the same beach... with the same beautiful smile! ♥

Magnolia (Dreamy & Nostalgic)

{dreamy}


{nostalgic}

I love this photo of my sweet Sophie Lu holding the magnolia bloom... I processed it in two different ways using my Florabella Textures. I love the way textures can change the entire mood of a photo. The possibilities are endless... ♥

Sophie Lu's Pre-K Graduation!!!

Sophie Lu's official graduation portrait! I just can't believe my baby is graduating from Pre-K already!


She was so excited! (I got the honor of pinning on her graduation cap!)


And I was so proud (and yes, very emotional!)


Here we are with our soon-t0-be beautiful little graduate!!! (We only got two reserved seats, plus Ollie would have never lasted the almost 2 hour ceremony!)


There's our girl!!! She always finds us in the crowd, waves, and gives us the thumbs up (with a wink too!)... All the kids did such a fantastic job! They recited verses and sang three songs (including "Proud to be an American" which had all the parents in tears- especially me & Michael because it's extra special to hear Sophie Lu sing those words). ♥


Then the kids had to wait oh so patiently during all the speeches... Is this hysterical or what?


And her face got even scrunchier!!! We were all laughing so hard at this!


Finally the big moment!


Happy Graduation, Sophie Lu! I love the way she sticks her tongue out like this when she gets really excited!


And here she is... Graduate Sophie Lu!!!! She's such a big girl now!!!


And of course, Daddy brought her flowers!


And Baby Sasha tried to take them... :) We had such a special day. We love you and are so very proud of you Sophie Lu... many many happy graduations to come, sweetheart!!! ♥

Sophie Lu's 1st Lemonade Stand!

Sophie Lu was so excited to host her very own lemonade stand! She decided that she would charge 25 cents a glass, and that her lemonade should be "cold and refreshing"! We converted her puppet theatre into a lemonade stand and set it up in the porte-cochere so her customers could enjoy their lemonade in the shade. Here she is putting the finishing touches on her sign!

She was SO proud! Everything was ready to go!

Oh, except she realized that she forgot to add the fresh mint leaves from our garden (her idea)!

Now all she needed was customers... she waited and waited....

Luckily, we had construction going on at our house and the crew was hot and thirsty! (I set up a bowl of quarters in the back & told the guys when to line up! Shhh don't tell her! ) :)

Sophie's very first customer! I love how she puts her arms up like that when she's excited!


And nothing compares to that happy smile! She was laughing the whole time!

And when they put the coins in her jar, she would *pretend* not to be looking! lol (notice baby Sasha in the background!)

"Here's your lemonade, sir! I hope you enjoy it!

And they did... we all did! ♥

Mommy and Baby Sasha posing with Little Miss Entrepreneur!

And Daddy too!

Here's your coin jar, Sophie Lu!!!

Yay!!!!!!!

Happy 5th Birthday, Sophie Lu!!!!

Sophie Lu had several small celebrations this year, but this is the cake from her ballerina party... she wanted cherry blossoms like last year. ♥

Sophie's ballet teacher Miss Caroline came over, and Sophie got to star in her own private ballet recital at our house!!

Miss Caroline did the girls' hair and makeup (but Sophie's "Cinderella do" was courtesy of Mommy- because I do it best). :)

Ballerinas: Megan, Julia & Sophie Lu (with Miss Caroline)!

I had the video camera in one hand and the camera in my other.. so I didn't get the best photos-lol!

So cute! The ballet recital was adorable! The girls had so much fun, and I think all the parents cried (I know I did)! How is it that Sophie Lu can be FIVE already???

Sophie was so happy and proud! How I love her smile!

Later, Miss Caroline let the girls try on "big girl" toe shoes!!! Sophie was SO excited!

Happy 5th Birthday, my precious Sophie Lu! I love you too much!!! (my letter to Sophie Lu coming soon)! ♥

We're here, we're fine & exciting things are happening...

First of all, my apologies for being away with no explanation for so long... I've been soooo busy (I haven't even approved comments until today)... lots of exciting things going on! For one, Sophie Lu graduated from Pre-K! It was a huge ordeal (so funny)... pics & video to come soon! Second, I just released a set of fine art textures for photographers, and I've been working really hard for the past month putting everything together. I'm happy to say that the launch was very successful, and I've received the most wonderful feedback from the most talented artists/photographers (people I admire greatly)! I've also been contacted with offers from several publishing companies who are interested in my floral images for greeting cards, canvases, and prints to be distributed in Europe and the U.S. :) My website is here: Florabella Collection, and here are a couple of sites that have featured my floral work recently: Decor8 and Secrets of a Butterfly. If anyone is interested, Secrets of a Butterfly is sponsering a giveaway (free Florabella Textures) right now... all you have to do to enter is leave a comment here. :)

Anyway, that's why I've been so busy and have been neglecting my blogs. I really need to get caught up & I feel so bad for not being active in blogland... So please know that we are all well (and don't feel obligated to comment). Thanks so much for your concern... lots of catching up photos & videos coming soon (I promise)! ♥