Nothing Says, “Thanks!” Like a Bottle of Soap…

I can’t believe the end of the school year is already here. I still have Christmas wrap I need to put away. Sigh.

Anyhow, being a photographer, I feel the need to incorporate photography into everything I do. That includes the little things, like thank you gifts for the boys’ teachers.

And even though I did this last year, I wasn’t able to one, take photos of it (hanging my head in shame right now) and two, blog about it. So here’s my chance to redeem myself.

I started off purchasing liquid pump soap from the dollar store and used Goo Gone to remove the labels. And really, this is the toughest part since it seems as if industrial strength glue is used for these labels. I found that soaking the side of the soap with the label on it in a shallow pool of Goo Gone and leaving it for a couple of hours was the best way to remove these.

After I got the labels off, I measured one side of the soap and created a template that was a wee bit smaller than the actual dimensions (I wanted to be able to stick the shape into the bottle of soap.) I made as many trapezoid shapes on a piece of paper that will fit.

Next, I had my son draw a picture (well, it’s a smiley face…he IS only 4) on all four trapezoids with a black Sharpee (you want to make sure that the drawing/writing is bold and dark.) I also had him write his name on another piece of paper. And because he would rather play Mario Kart than write his name four times in a row, I scanned his name and placed it on each trapezoid.

I also had my older son write a thank-you message to his 2nd grade teacher on another template.

Then I went to Staples and made copies of the templates on a transparency. You can do this at home, but you want to make sure you use a laser printer and not an ink jet printer. Using an ink jet printer will cause the picture/words to flake off in the soap, and you definitely don’t want to use soap with black flakes swimming around in it.

Afterwards, I cut out each shape, rolled it up lengthwise and inserted it into the soap, using the pump as a tool to push and guide the transparency in.

Lastly, I replaced the pump and voila!

Valentine’s Day is a Ninja

Valentine’s Day is quite sneaky.

I just put away the Christmas decorations (well, most of them) and here comes Valentine’s Day, creeping up behind my back, ready to jump out and scare me. I’ve been told that if I visited Costco or Jo-Ann, I’d be more aware of Valentine’s Day coming around the corner since both places already had their heart-themed merchandise on the floor the day after Christmas. 

Anyhow, I wanted to do something fun for the boys’ card, but not the lollipop card, since we did that one three years in a row (would’ve been four if I actually had them choose!) So I took the initiative and worked on something else. Step one was to take the photos.

My boys and I ventured to a nearby park-like area and I was ready with my camera. A mixture of bribery and threats ensued.

Two hours and 729 shots later, we were done.

We took photos for only 15 minutes. The rest of the time was spent wrestling, throwing rocks into the bushes and rolling in the dirt. Did I mention that I have boys?

So of course, I got a bunch of photos that look like this:

And some like this:

And this:

Sigh. Boys, right?

But finally, I got some like this:

Ahh. Serenity Now. Okay, onto the card making fun.

I’ve seen cello bags with personalized toppers and liked that idea. I also saw some snack-sized sandwich bags instead of cello bags and favored that idea because one, it gives me yet another reason to go to Target, and two, I will actually use the leftover bags! It’s a win-win situation!

I designed a bag topper so that I can utilize all the space. I am a photographer, you know. I need all the space I can get…so that I can cover it up with photos.

This is what I came up with:

I took the photos and arranged them in a layout that I liked. The topper measures 5″ by 7″ and I folded it over (not in half) to create it. I intentionally made the front of the topper longer than the back because I wanted more room for the photos in the front. The edges of the topper do not line up and I’m okay with that. No OCD issues, here!

I filled the sandwich bag with candy, zipped it up, then taped it to the inside of the topper. I used glue dots to adhere the front of the topper to the bag.

And voila! Done! Now I just have to do some folding, filling, zipping and taping. Try saying that 10 times fast.

I also realized that with the both of them handing out Valentine’s Day cards to their own classroom, I’d have double the work if I did their treats individually. So I combined them…just like their birthday parties…{insert evil laugh}

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ahhhh. Fall.

How I’ve missed you…

37 weeks

Being a mother is definitely amazing. It’s rewarding, stressful and joyous all at the same time. For me, being pregnant was more of a challenge, but my friend Susan makes it look easy. With a toddler in tow, she makes 37 weeks look absolutely beautiful.

 

 

 

 

Fun Families Rock!

I had the pleasure of combining a senior session and family session. And I say pleasure because the family was so fun. I meet a lot of families and see many personalities and I can definitely say that his family is super-duper wacky. Oh, and the mother of the family was also my high school classmate. So I can say that. So there.

I am slowly getting over the fact that I’m old (ish,) and that I have high school classmates who have children who are graduating from high school themselves. Another sign that I’m old (ish?) I’d rather go to Trader Joe’s during the week versus the weekend. I’m just sayin’.

Anyhow, I want to thank the R Family for a great day, being open to my crazy ideas and going with the flow. You definitely rock.

A New Beginning

Waiting. Expecting. Growing.

This couple is expecting their little one later this month, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve known the soon-to-be-mommy for quite some time. She was my best friend in high school.

When you’re a senior in high school, you have so many plans, so many dreams. I remember thinking how great it will be when all of my friends and I grow up to be parents together, living in the same neighborhood, having barbeques every weekend. Reality? Everyone goes their own way. And even though we don’t live in the same neighborhood, I’d like to think that having the chance to see my best friend become a mommy is pretty darn close to what I thought would be my reality.

Congrats, Kristi and Brent. I love you both!

XOXOXO

This week’s I Heart Faces photo challenge theme is: Hugs and Kisses.

Well, for this photo, just kisses. And not kisses, but rather a kiss.

A sweet kiss.

A kiss between two brothers. Brothers who can be best friends one minute and enemies the next. Frenemies, right? But I guess that’s how all sibling relationships are. All I know is that they will probably not like this photo (or me!) when they get a wee bit older and turn red when their friends come over and point it out while displayed on top of the fireplace.

But I love it. These are my boys.

For more “Hugs and Kisses” photos, please visit the I Heart Faces Website or click on the button below.

I Heart Valentine’s Day (Especially the Candy!)

With everything going on in my life, I have to remember to set my priorities.

That’s right, my son’s Valentine’s Day Cards come first (hee hee.) Forget the laundry. Forget the dishes.

This year, my son was prepared to take the lollipop photo. He knew exactly what to do and how to hold his fist in the air. Only Mommy didn’t want to do the lollipop photo because we’ve done it the past two years. Mommy has a new idea! But that didn’t matter. So we did the lollipop Valentine’s Day card again (well, we are in a new city, and he does go to a new school…) BUT we also added a new Valentine’s Day Card.

This year, I still wanted to attach candy to the card (uh, that’s a no-brainer!) but do something different than a lollipop. So I had him hold up his empty palm to the camera while I took some shots (easier said than done, especially with a little brother running around us in circles, literally, and into the frame.)

So instead of getting the shot I had in mind, I got this.

And this.

And this (times 20).

Eventually got some great shots of my son. So it was time to start the Valentine’s Day Cards…

First of all, I chose two poses (one for the lollipop card and the other for the “new” candy card) and sent them to the lab to be printed. Then, I glued the photos onto card stock for support.

I used an X-Acto knife to cut a small slit above and below his fist and carefully slipped the lollipop through. Do this carefully, because you can rip your card. Be sure to make a couple extra copies just in case! For step-by-step directions on how to create the Lollipop Valentine’s Day Card, please refer to my post from last year, I Heart Valentine’s Day (still.)

 

For the other card, I used a Life Saver. I applied a glue dot to the center of his palm and pressed the Life Saver down on top of it.

The finished product? He’s holding up a delicious Life Saver or lollipop for his Valentine.

Have a great Valentine’s Day and please let me know if you, too, created a card for your little one!

Family

Happy New Year!

The holidays have come and gone, and I must admit, I’ve been dealing with some personal issues that have kept me preoccupied. So preoccupied, I didn’t realize that it’s been 2 and a half months since I last posted. Yikes!

I’m in a new, much better place now, and am slowly starting to adjust.

In the midst of my turmoil, one thing I learned was that God, my family and the relationships I hung onto mattered the most.

I’ve met some very special families along the way, and was able to take their holiday photos for them.

A Touch of Sun

This weeks’ I Heart Faces Challenge theme is: A Touch of Sun.

This photo has always been one of my favorites…Beautiful expecting Mommy, adorable little girl and the sun, wrapping them up in a warm, safe blanket.