My Camera Bag

So I've been lugging around a pretty penny's worth of camera equipment for awhile now without a decent camera bag.  I'm sure I've been pressing my luck, carrying a big camera around without a decent bag to put it in while I've been searching for the right bag (however I've been very careful).  And now I'm happy to say I've finally found the "perfect" bag.  It's a Jo Tote.  I chose this one because it looks like a cute purse but is really a padded camera bag.




The one I got is called Rose and is in this teal color.  I love the padded dividers, and the cross-body strap was a must for me.  If you're looking for a similar bag, I would definitely recommend this one, and they come in some great colors.



Also, something I've been working on for awhile now has been some website redesign and new logo design for my photography site. Since my photo shoots have slowed down this winter, I've finally had the time to work on putting together a new blogsite.  I still have a few tweaks and changes I need to make, but you can see the almost-finished product here. I hope you like my new logo too (thank you!)...I'm really happy with it!

Be back soon!

Bleeding Hearts

A Little Monkey

I think my daughter's been turning into a little monkey.  She's climbing on every possible surface.  Especially plastic trucks and plastic horses. 

Do you rotate your kids' toys?  I just started a rotation with our upstairs and downstairs toys.  It's such a lifesaver!  Why haven't I done this sooner?

The little monkey is also jumping on the bed climbing on the chairs. I spy some raisins in her hand, too.  She loves them...and probably will until she realizes they're actually healthy. 



On a totally unrelated note, I entered PW's photography assignment for the first time. The category is landscapes. 

I took this in 2007 with our little point-and-shoot camera.  Kyle and I were in Santorini, and all week I had been wanting the perfect "calendar" shot.  We got a bunch of great pictures, but not quite the one I was imagining.  We stopped at a little cafe in the town of Oia for a bite to eat.  I ran to the bathroom (it was cramped and hot), then came out and he went in next.  He came out and said, "Nealy, did you look out the window?!?"  No, I hadn't.  I went back in and, there it was...my perfect "calendar" shot.  The funny part was, we had to hold our arm out the tiny bathroom window to get the shot.  I wonder how many tourists have done the same thing!  And we had to wait until the cruise boat went behind the church, so it wouldn't be in the picture.

Now that we have a little monkey, we don't go places like this... maybe again someday (and good thing they're worth it)!

I need to come up with a name for this dessert I made last month.  It's something along the lines of "Filled Angle Food Cupcakes." They're like twinkies.  Only better, if that's possible.  This picture doesn't do them justice. 

They're great with strawberries.  Don't you just love it that strawberries are in season?

I got the cupcake recipe here.

Made the batter...

Filled the cupcakes...

After baking them, I cut a little "x" in the center of each. 

Then made the filling (about 1 c heavy whipping cream, 1/2 c powdered sugar, and vanilla).  I piped the filling from a plastic bag with the tip cut off.  They ended up looking like this. 

Any ideas for a creative name?

Something Fun :: Rounded Edges

I just thought I would share a fun website I discovered a few months ago.  Roundpic.com is a free online tool where you can give any picture rounded edges.  This website is a simple way to transform any picture and give it a little something extra, without needing Photoshop.  I love how it instantly adds that vintage look.  The only hold-up is the pictures have to be under 1mb in size. 

Here's a picture I took of Callie this weekend when we were playing outside.

And here's the same picture with rounded corners.

Callie's Going To Be...

 A COUSIN!!!

Kiley and Matt left for the hospital at 6am this morning...we're just waiting!!!!! I'm soooo excited!  They will be such wonderful parents.

And she certainly won't look like this next time we see her.

Love you Ki!

A Little Studmuffin...

This guy is getting lots of love from his three big sisters!  Here's a sneak peak of little Asher's two month pictures. What a little studmuffin!

P.S. This blog is under construction.  I apologize if things are messed up or missing!

A Little Guy at 6 Months

I had so much fun taking pictures of this little guy again a few weeks ago! Here's Logan at 6 months...

P.S. I would love to do some senior pictures this spring...feel free to pass on my information if you know of anyone looking to get their senior pictures done. 

Baby Land

I can hardly believe how many babies I have seen in the last few months! It's been so much fun to meet so many friends' little ones. I have even had the opportunity to take some pictures of some of them, and I just realized that I have a real collection here.

Nora

TJ

Miah







Sophia





Logan







Micah



Elyse




Sage, Kolby, & Levi







And what would a Bambina Babe post be without a picture of...

Callie

Thanks, everyone, for letting me practice my photography skills on your little babes!

If you are wondering what camera I shot most of these pictures with, I have a Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

Thanks for looking!

The End of Summer

We took these pictures on one of the last weekends at the lake this summer. It feels like summer just ended and fall is just beginning, but with a reminder of the {snow} this morning, I think I'm off by a few months!

Isn't that a beautiful quilt? One of my grandmothers made it.

As sad as I am that summer is done, it's so nice to be home again on the weekends. With 4 weddings, 2 high school reunions, a few fishing trips and many lounging weekends at the lake, I think I've been constantly packing and unpacking. For three.

We had a nice Saturday today, packing up our stuff. We got quite a lot accomplished. Aunt E even came over to play with Callie. What a lucky little lady!