A Plug for My Services - Your Photos Collaged!

Do you have lots of snapshots but can't really afford to get professional pictures done right now? Did you know your snapshots can be edited to concentrate on the most important aspect of the photo therefore making your snapshot(s) just as frame-able as a professional shot? Load digital snapshots onto a site like Photobucket or Flicker and send me the link and I will create a collage of any size to make your snapshots presentable, frame-able, and gift-able! You will receive a digital file back that you can have printed at your local Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. Other uses of the digital file include...

1. Set as your background on the desktop of your computer.
2. Load it on your computer as a screensaver.
3. Send it via email and allow family members to also display your collage on their computer as their screensaver or "wallpaper".
4. Have one of the above companies put your collage image on a mousepad, blanket, t-shirt...really, the possibilities are endless.
5. Get multiple collages and let me add in some seasonal graphics and have a calendar printed!

Once I send you your digital file, you own it and can do whatever you want with it - send it via email to everyone you wish, print it as many times at whatever size you wish. I charge only for my time of making your images into something you'll cherish for years to come. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

So here is the good news...
I am dropping the price for a collage to $12 for a limited time!!
And for a limited time, you can get your collage for an EVEN lower price by visiting the Your Photos Collaged Site and meet the challenge(s) listed on the latest post.

September is here?!

Oh my goodness. This year is flying by! A year ago we were preparing to paint "the baby's room" and I was still pretty set on buying a crib set and did not really have anything to make a baby's room except for crib which was still in the attic. Fast forward a year and my baby is sleeping in his crib. His room is the perfect color blue and his crib, although never adorned with a beautiful matching "set" is comfy enough to allow him to sleep through the night. Today I was driving down the road and I heard Darius Rucker's song "It Won't Be Like This For Long" and it touched my heart because the last 8 1/2 months flashed before my eyes and I can't believe we are really well on our way to toddlerhood. Tony even lowered Ian's crib on Saturday (although this should have been done a couple of weeks ago).

This weekend was quite low key for us, although it was super busy for Miss Melody. She got invited to a sleepover on Friday for Friday - last minute good times! They went to Chuck E Cheese and then had a slumber party and then I didn't see her until 3pm on Saturday - I guess they played all day too! Then, our friends took Melody to ice skate later that evening which she enjoyed immensely. That said, she slept well Saturday night.

So, with Melody being the exception, we didn't leave the house until this afternoon. I did some laundry...actually A LOT of laundry, Melody cleaned her room, top to bottom, including her closet. This child needs no clothes! And I yelled at her so that she'd keep on task...hahaha. She just needs a little motivation. I made a chore chart for her too. It doesn't have much promise in my mind though, because I remember when my mom made me a chore chart and I ignored it on purpose. She seemed strangely excited though, so maybe I should take advantage. Anyway...

When we did finally leave the house today, we went to the park, and took these oh so lovely pictures.

Daddy is getting Ian.

My family at the park.

I think I may start keeping her indoors more...

Note his disgust in grass

No, he's not posing, he's checking out the cars.

The President's Speech to school children

My daughter is in 3rd grade, so this whole debate has made me think pretty intently about what the big deal is about. I know that there are a lot of people who don't agree with everything he stands for. I honestly am not too sure about what I agree with and what I don't. With an 8 month old and an 8 year old, a full time job, and all the housework that comes along with those children, I haven't really had time to think about all the issues that face this country including healthcare and the wars we are fighting across the Atlantic. But I did take time to think about the President giving a speech to my daughter that she would view in her classroom. And then, when our school system decided they would post it on their website and not show it in the classroom, I took time to think about whether or not I will show it to my 8 year old. I decided...yes, my daughter and I will watch it together on the internet and we'll have a conversation about it afterwords. Why? I've listed the reasons below:

• Respect. The President deserves to be respected. I don't want to teach my daughter disrespect by telling her what he has to say isn't important because I may not agree with everything he has to say. We don't have to agree with everything he has to say, but that doesn't mean we can't listen. This goes back to having and open mind and not judging a book by it's cover...these are life lessons here!
• The President has taken time to make a speech to school children. My daughter is one of those children. My assumption is that it is a speech meant to motivate children at the beginning of the school year. I would be sadly mistaken if I thought that my daughter only needed me and her teacher to be motivated. I bet she can use all of the motivation she can get and I know that one more person telling her that they believe in her and her future isn't going to hurt one bit.
• I want her to feel like she is part of a country and that everything doesn't just revolve around our family or her school or her town or her...she's part of the United States, and frankly, that is something to be proud of.

This morning, I found the site where they are sharing the "Prepared School Remarks". There is nothing in it that I would keep my child from hearing. In fact, I look forward to watching it with my daughter this week on our public school's internet site so that I can hear her perspective.