Showing posts with label Budding Photographers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budding Photographers. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Things are Looking Up.....

Hello my bloggy friends. Its been a bit and there's so much to share with you. Actually, not really, but I will catch you up to date anyways!

Tomorrow, is teacher meet and greet for Mikey and Zachary at school. They are excited and nervous, but ready to go back. Honestly so am I. I love them like crazy, but mama is readdyy! LOL! Their first day is this Monday, the 22nd. They are all ready to go with school supplies and new school clothes. Yay!

Things are in the works for my photography. Sherri is creating CDs of a slideshow I made of my work and handing them out at her Special Event Conference.{SQUEAL!!} I have created {temporary}business cards that she is so generously going to hand out as well. I am in the process of designing my real business cards and having them printed out. My brother Tim, being the computer genius he is, is going to make me a snazzy professional website.

Yesterday, I spent a good 10 hours writing up a business plan for Meaningful Moments Photography. I need to by the Trademark for it, so no one else can steal my name.....which I just found out someone has bought the DOMAIN name for Meaningful Moments Photography. They aren't listed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office as having registered, so that means I can still by it. That is my next plan of action.

I just cannot believe that this is happening. I am so incredibly grateful to Sherri for taking me under her wing a bit and helping me in the right direction. With all that is going on with my life right now {the seperation from Michael, relocating, being a single mom, and leaving the Army lifestyle that I so love} I put my photography dream on the back burner. It could never go OFF the burner because I have to much passion for it, but it seemed completly out of reach. Now, I feel like maybe just maybe its back on the front burner. Its an indescribable feeling to think that my dream my actually be achievable.

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Things with Michael are still the same. {big surprise, right?!?} Last friday was the last time I talked to him. We had a good conversation. He was in a contemplative mood. At least thats how I took it. The boys wanted to talk to him  Friday night {or Saturday morning?} so I called him and got the voicemail so Mikey told him to call him back and that he loved him......no call back. I called the next day and got voicemail and left him a message saying that the kids wanted to talk to him and that Mikey left him a VM. Still, no call. At this point, I am LIVID! WTF? If it was the other way around and he had the kids, I know I would be calling the at least twice a day and forget about it...if the kids called me, you bet your ass I would be calling them back. He is making me so sad. My heart is broken over the seperation of Michael and I but it continues to break over the hurt that these kids have to be feeling. They miss him and need him and want to talk to their daddy. What did they ever do to deserve this kind of treatment? Nothing, thats what.

I understand Michael has issues going on that is a sickness. He cant help it, but he can try to get help for it.
I feel like he's just so lost in his own mind that he doesn't know what he is doing. His rationality is M.I.A. He is coming down around the 30th to visit. I didnt want him staying here because of a few reasons. One, he refused to help out more, financially.{other then his support he's giving for the kids monthly.} I asked him if he could help with some more money so we can get in here and settled and he told me no. I didnt and still dont really want him here. This is MINE and he doesnt get to come in a act like he's king of this castle. Secondly, I dont want the kids to start thinking that "daddys home.' This visit is going to be a good visit. I know it is. Michael and I will be fine and it will be like we're a happy family again.....but I need Michael to understand that he has to make up his mind. He cannot "play" family and then go back up to GA and date people. He will not have his cake and eat it too.

I dont get any feeling from him that he wants to fix things with me. He repeatdly told me in the beginning of our seperation " I didnt leave the kids Jen, I left you." Ouch.
 I know he loves me no matter what he says. I know he wants us to be a family. I know it. I believe it in my heart that the love is still there. Maybe Im a sucker and I just am feeling what I feel for him, or maybe Im not. I do know that this is going to continue to be a long long road. Right now I am living life for my babies and myself. Im doing things thsat make us happy, and whole and complete without him. I am trying to ween the kids off of calling daddy every time it comes out of their mouth. Its not that I am trying to keep them from him or vice versa, but there are way too many times that they cant talk to him becuase he doesnt answer or call back. Im trying to save their little hearts from being disappointed and let down. Am I doing the wrong thing?
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As far as my CNA stuff goes, I am hoping to take the State test sometime in sept. I am waiting on a letter to go and get my fingerprints done {by the FBI!!!} Once that happens the FBI!!! will tell the State that I am eligible to take the state test. Then the state will mail me a letter with my test date. Im nervous but still excited about it. Im going to move forward with that until I can get in making enough money in Photography to not do it. I mean who knows, maybe I will continue with it and do my photography. Only time will tell.

Ok folks, theres my update. LOL. I hope you all are having a blessed life. Remember, "what doesnt kill you only makes you stronger."


Till next time-----

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Really Amazing News

I bet you are all dying to know just what my really amazing news is, so I won't keep you all waiting......

This is a letter I got from one of my dad's friends. She is in the Special Event Industry.....{I put together a slideshow of some of my work per her request.}
Jen, this is absolutely wonderful, beautiful, fun, interspective and other words I cannot find to describe. This is better work then many of the photographers for my events take. What's great about you is that you can take a seemingly routine photo, put a spin on it and find the perfect words for people to become interspective and teach life's lessons. Have you ever taken classes because these are so good it seems it would take a novice to take years of training to get to this level. Wish you were going on my white water rafting trip I am taking Cole and some friends on today for his birthday. I will talk with you next week if you do not mind me calling you. I will be crazy getting ready for the International Conference trip but this is def. a priority on my list of things to accomplish and take with me to St. Louis. I will def. be in Orlando in August which will be even a more significant group of people to show this to since it is in your area. Have a great weekend. Sherri 

Told you it was amazing news!! Anyone who knows me knows that I would love for my career to be a professional photograher....

Maybe just maybe Sherri could help put me on the right track. Im super excited to say the least. We'll see what happens...

Till Next time~

Saturday, May 21, 2011

I Heart Faces--Yellow


This weeks theme over at I Heart Faces is Yellow!!!!
I just took this picture yesterday, of Zach and Hailey when we went on a walk around post. This street is so beautiful! It's lined with trees the cover the road{on both sides} like an umbrella. My pretty girl just happens to have on a yellow dress and matching hair accessories! Yay! Anyway, head on over {here} and check out some sunny, cheerful, yellow pictures! I am!

Monday, May 16, 2011

I Heart Faces---Flowers




This week over at I Heart Faces, the photo challenge is May Flowers. It is a non competition week, which is just fine with me! Im looking forward to seeing all the pretty flower entries. I love flowers!

Here's a few of my favorites! Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!



Monday, February 7, 2011

I Heart Faces--Heart{s}


So, it's been way to long since I entered in an I Heart Faces challenge. I have a great excuse reason though. My computer's hard drive crashed so we had to get a new one. I borrowed a friends computer and wasn't going to install my PSE on hers.....

Anyways, now that I have my puter back, I am going to make IHF's challenges a regular thang again.

This week's theme is Heart or Hearts. As soon as I saw this picture of Hailey, I knew I had to figure out how to make her heart shaped tooth pop out!

What do you think??

Photobucket
And YES, that is her actual tooth shape! Look through all of her pictures and you will see I am telling the truth! The light red is just to highlight it!!!!

Anyways, head on over to I Heart Faces and join in on the F-U-N!!!

AufWeidersehen!

Friday, August 6, 2010

I Heart faces---Fix It Friday

Original

 My Edit

How I Got My Edit:
1.Opened In Camera Raw
2. Set:
   recovery to +77
   Fill Light to +35
   Contrast to +25
   Clarity to +25
3.Open Image in PSE 8
4.Layer>Duplicate Layer
5. Grab healing brush tool & healed bump over eye. Dropped opacity to 80%
6.Layer>Duplicate Layer
7. Grabbed clone stamp and cloned out red speck on the tip of nose,and the crumbs on his sleeve and in his nose.
8.Layer>Flatten
9. Run Coffeeshop Babypowder Room Action
   "smooth skin" layer--used white, soft brsuh to smooth skin on face
   "lighten skin" layer- white,soft brush and lightened skin under both eyes.
   "eye define" layer-white,soft brush to define both eyes
   "bright eyes" layer- white,soft brush  and whitened whites in both eyes.
10. Layer> Flatten
11. Run Lemon and Honey Action by Paint the Moon
12. Layer> Flatten
13. Run Pioneer Womans Seventies Action
14.. Run Coffeeshop Babypowder Room Action again and on the "define eyes" layer, use soft whiote brush, defined eyes.
15. Layer>Flatten and save!



                                                                   AufWeidersehen!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Pictures Taken By My Zachary! SOOC

 Downtown Baumholder view from on Post
 Treats at a German store in Baumholder
 Mikey playing Xbox 360. He captured his concentration so well!

I think I have a budding photographer on my hands!!!! He walked around with my pink Point and shoot one day! Pretty Good!


Love this one sooo much! I want to frame it! Its abstract but beautiful!


 Same with this one! FRAME worthy!
                                                                         AufWeidersehen!