Best Shot Monday - Compassion

I have a friend named Stacy who is a writer (and whom I also work with). I don't know how long ago it was (it feels like its been a couple of years) that she told me she was writing a story about compassion. Stacy usually writes fiction mysteries, so I was surprised that she was going to write a nonfiction story about compassion.....but I was intrigued. Well, things happen in life, time goes by, people get side tracked and pregnant and it has been put on the back burner. Every once in a while I will say to her, "Hey, have you written any more on that compassion story you were working on?"

I have started working in the office more because Stacy will be going on maternity leave and she is training me to do some of her work while she is out. At lunch the other day, I bought this little figurine. When we got back to the office, we were all showing each other what we had bought. When I pulled out this figurine I told Stacy that I wasn't sure in what way, but that it was going to be an inspiration to the both of us somehow.

I started taking pictures of it later that night and I ended up processing it with Pioneer Woman's seventies action. The next day I was in work, I gave her the picture in a frame. I do realize now that she will be leaving to be at home for midnight feedings with her newborn, but I thought if she put it in her office at home and sees it once in a while, that it would inspire her to continue writing about it. (Side note for Stacy...maybe at 2am when she is finally asleep and you are wide awake watching infomercials!)

As far as this little lady inspiring me?....I think its a pretty picture and I get to look at the figurine every day as it sits on a knick knack shelf to the side of my kitchen sink. I get a warm little tingle in my heart every time I see her and read the word compassion.



For more Best Shot Monday images, head over to Tracey's.

Snow, Snow, Beautiful Snow

We got snow last night...Actually it snowed from noon to midnight, at some times pretty heavy. Being a stay at home Mom, I find that the snow doesn't bother me as much as it did when I had to drive into the office everyday....for obvious reasons. The last snowfall we got, a week or so ago, melted already and it was looking pretty brown and dirty around here, so this snowfall was welcoming to me.

I've been pretty sick for the last few days. Keith went out to dinner last night with his family to celebrate his step mom's last radiation treatment (yaaa!) for breast cancer. I wish I was there!! I was so bummed I couldn't join them, but I would have been miserable and I didn't want to get my mother in law sick. So after he left and I put Ella to bed, I went out into the garage with my camera to take pictures of my surroundings with this beautiful snow in the back yard. I had been waiting for it to come all day as news reports said it would be 6+ inches for us.

All of these shots were taken hanging out the back door of my garage (except for the one of the grill which is up on my deck. That one happens to be my favorite).

How In The World......

Many of you asked about my last post with the world in Ella's hand. It was totally unplanned...until she mentioned it to me. We were playing with playdoh and mixing colors when I did this little tiny one in her hand below she told me it looked like the Earth. I was first of all stunned that she knew the word Earth or what it looked like. But that's when I decided to make a bigger ball of playdoh. She was very excited that it was so much bigger than the one before.


Below is the original photo that I used. Yes, she actually has blue nail polish on...I wish she hadn't for this picture because I feel it took away from the actual focal point of the Earth. As you can see, the playdoh was pink and green to begin with. With a lot of Photoshop work, I got it to be blue and green. I worked so long and left it for many days to go back and look at it with fresh eyes.


I knew it wasn't perfect. The blue didn't blend as nicely as I had wanted it to. I felt that it almost looked like I placed the ball in her hand through Photoshop because the shadowing wasn't as consistent as I had hoped. But I finally laid it to rest. I knew it was the best I was going to be able to do, and I was happy with it for my limited PS experience. Thank you for all of your nice comments. :o)

BSM - The Whole World....

....Via Playdoh.



For more Best Shot Monday images, head over to Tracey's.

Wordless Wednesday

For more WW images, click here and here.

Best Shot Monday

Christina over at Momology did a wonderful tutorial on Enhancing the Light of your photos in Photoshop. She also mentioned an action pack for Photoshop that she got from Pioneer Woman that included an ethereal and lovely action that gives your photos a wonderful angelic glow.

I had alot of fun playing with that action last night...Especially using it on my Ella's beautiful face. When I get a shot like this, I just cant take my eyes off of it. Its not the actual picture that I am in awe of though. It is the perfection of my little girls face that takes my breath away.

I bought a figurine while I was pregnant with Ella and it sits on a shelf in her room. I am always trying to find my inner peace, and having Ella in my life has helped me succeed in a part of that. On the back of the figurine is a poem. It reads:

I may never paint a masterpiece,
write a novel, sing on stage, or orchestrate world peace.
But when I look at you, I know that you are my masterpiece.
You are music from heaven. You are my peace.

Here is my best shot. My masterpiece.



To see more BSM's, head over to Tracey's.