Chill OUT!

I don’t know about you, but this summer seems so hot.  Maybe it is because I am still in the middle of it and feels like there is no end in sight.  Everyday I thank Heavenly Father for my working air conditioners (yes, plural.  It takes two to cool off our house.)

 

The AC and water are the only way to beat the heat and so when I saw the theme for this week’s photo challenge at IHEARTFACES, I knew this image was the one to enter.  I have it in color as well but felt a black and white conversion would boost the mood of the images.  The guest judge thought so too!  You should see the other great shots!!!  Wow.

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/07/photo-challenge-winners-water/

 

Chill out everyone!

Here Kitty Kitty {Mesa, chandler, gilbert, Higley Arizona Pet Photographer}

 

This little beauty was abandoned in the cold of winter out in the loneliness of the countryside. He found his way to a warm porch and a loving family.  He loves me now too.  I gave him treats.  He thanked me by only using a few of his claws to climb my leg to get to them.

 

 

 

I think he is so beautiful that I am entering his face into the “I Heart Faces” Pet Faces contest. 

 

If you love pets, this place is a gold mine.

 

Check them out and enter your own favorite pet pix.

 

First Place Smile

 

I knew when I saw this smile, I had to capture it. 

There is something special about a baby's smile that is so open and full and big--like a giant face hug.  I try to smile like that but then my children complain so I leave it to the babies of the world to open mouth smile as much as possible.

When I saw this image of Tatum on my computer after the shoot, it immediately got earmarked as a favorite and sent off to Light room for a black and white conversion.  Sometimes an image begs to become colorless with only black and white to pull out emotions that sometimes hide behind color.  But more than color or no color, this picture is great because the baby is adorable and sweet and lets me squeeze her thighs at church!  She had a rough start but is doing great now.

So, anyway, I guess someone else liked it as much as her parents and I and "big smiley" got  first place in a photo contest. 

The prize? 

Bragging rights that a photographer I admire and blog stalk, Skye Johansen, picked it out of over 700 other amazing images!!!  AND, indefinite access to thigh squeezing.

 

Oh ya, and a little button too.

 

 

 

Ok.  I am done tooting my horn.  Off to enjoy the first day of summer.

Must. Rest. Cheek.

 

 

This is one of my all time, favorite black and whites.  I edited another version of it where I removed the dirt, food smears and little scratches.  Then I decided that for this image, it would be a little like scraping the frosting off a cookie.  Unthinkable!

Hey Little Boy Blue, whatcha thinkin'?

 

It is my entry for the dramatic black and white challenge over at iheartfaces.com

Go check out some of the other moody, dramatic and stunning entries.  Or enter your own!

       

And then I jumped for joy!

Remember this picture?

Well, after trying for how many months now to win a challenge at iheartfaces.com, I finally did.

It was only 9th place, but I did it! Technically, it is not a fabulous shot, but I love the colors, contrast and frozen motion. And the flexibility of youth.

Yaaaaaa. See it here.

And now I get my first button--Ta Da.

Jumpin' for Joy!

There was a girl

who loved to twirl

and leap

and jump

FOR JOY!

So I entered her picture in iheart face's weekly challenge.

Jump on in and join the fun.

Joy.

Chick this out!

 

There is a saying, "You can take a girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl."  I am far from my farm roots, nourishing my own family's roots in a small , small spot of land in the suburbs. 

Fresh eggs still warm from being snatched from under a proud clucking hen on a Saturday morning to be eaten on a stack of hot pancakes will hopefully be a part of my children's' childhood as it was mine if my crazy notion of raising a few hens in my backyard works out in reality as well as it does in my pipe dreams.

Here is one of our new brood, Sassy, a Rhode Island Red.  This was one week ago and she has grown and changed quickly.  Her cuteness hasn't completely disappeared into gawky feathers and uncoordinated wing flapping.  We know it won't be long until she hits the ugly phase, so for now we are enjoying her CUTENESS!

 

And that was the longest way of saying, "I am entering this picture into the iheartfaces weekly photo contest."  

 

Join me over there for many more pet faces.

 

I heart pet faces

"You can pick your pets and you can pick your friends, but you CANNOT pick your pet's friends. "

--Mr. Grumpy Growling Gray

I wish you could see the adorable, fluffy, blonde yorkie poo on the other side of that hiss!

You can find many more pet faces over at http://www.iheartfaces.com/ and enter your own. The world needs to see your cute pet!