Picture Perfect–Muse 2

My second muse of late:

Because how could you look at THAT and not take a picture.  I’d like to see you try.

Picture Perfect–Muse 1

Oh yeah!  Another photo challenge (this one’s actually a contest and you can enter three photos each in a different post).  After the gray weather today during which I wondered if I would ever want to take another photo again (yes, me, feeling down by gray weather – even I didn’t know it was possible) the theme of this photo challenge is brightening my spirits.  I’m to post a photo of my muse, something or someone that makes me want to pick up my camera and take photos.

First:

Flowers.  There is just something about a flower.  Something that makes me sit in awe of God’s creation and urges me to make something too.  Flowers just seem to sum up all of the simplicity and beauty that God has out there for us.  The epitome perhaps of all the beauty there is and in endless variety.  Different sizes, shapes, colors, smells.  I was going to say “kind of like people” but then I tacked “smells” onto the end of that statement and suddenly it didn’t seem quite as nice but it is still true. 

So, you knew it was coming right, click on the pretty little button to participate and/or check out the other entries. 

Craft It Forward

I was poking around on some of my favorite blogs and discovered that Rachel over at Just Another Day In Paradise is participating in a cool giveway - of sorts. This is the description from her blog:

My friend Marci at All Things Wonderful has *started* a great giveaway.Here's what it's all about:If you want to win a handmade ♥GIFT♥ from me. Be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which entitles you to a handmade item from me. Winners must post this giveaway on your blog, meaning that you will {Craft it Forward} too, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway! The gift that you send can be any price range and you have 30 days to make and ship your item(s).Now do you see why I thought this idea was genius? How fun is this gonna be? Remember, it’s the spirit and the thought that count! When you receive your gift, please blog about it! If you are not one of the Top Three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Please start your own {Craft it Forward} chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same.I must admit, I'm not the most crafty person....but, I think I've come up with a neat idea that even I can do! So, go ahead and leave me a comment. You know you want to!

I signed up of course because I have nothing but time. So by all means, sign yourself a comment on my blog right here and I'll send the first three people something homemade. I can't wait to see who will sign because I think I'm going to wait to plan my craft until I see who they are and then make something especially for them. And of course by signing up that means that you'll craft it forward too - how cool is that! I am so looking forward to seeing what people make, I hope you'll post them and let me know.

Contest Alert!

Oh me, oh my, oh MeeUp! There's a contest goin' on over at 4 Little Men and Girly Twins and you can win yourself a MeeUp baby pouch. Back when I thought granola was a bad word (and WAY before "granola" became "crunchy" when describing an all natural - or mostly natural - way of mothering) I would have scoffed at the thought of "wearing" my baby. Granted, this was also during a time when I didn't like children but it took a long, long time for that feeling to wear off. Well many things have changed since then and I love to wear Gideon now. OK, I haven't actually worn him in a while but that's because he outgrew my baby sling so I really, really hope that I win this contest. Yeah, I know, slim chance but still. I really, really hope that I win so I can start wearing him again. Especially since today I took out the Wii Fit and tried to hula hoop while holding him. He loved it, laughed the whole time, I can't say much for my score though. It didn't help that Zion thought she'd try too and by try I mean stand in between my legs and laugh herself hysterical. Picture it, me on the Wii Fit board, toddler between my legs, baby in my arms all of us laughing our heads off. Good times, good times.

So am I still a "crunchy" mom if I want the sling so that I can wear my baby while I hula hoop on my Wii Fit?

Win a Watercolor Contest

Grosgrain Fabulous is hosting a contest where you can win a commissioned watercolor of one of your kids (or whatever I suppose). Check it out here. :)

Cool Contest

I love a giveaway (even though I have yet to win one) and have stumbled upon a pretty neat one today. Go here to check it out. Now if I do happen to win this one I'll have to figure out which kid (or me) gets it. I have been wanting to make one for Gabe for a while now and want to make one for me too. I stole Gabe's art gallery space to make our big one-year-count-down-till-Daddy-comes-home calendar and promised him a new space and have yet to deliver. The one that I want needs to fit in a pretty specifically sized space since I'm turning one of my shelving units that has a drop down door into a secretary for me. I have been planning on lining the inner walls of the space (currently housing my nice dishes and wine glasses) with cork board but first I wanted to find a pretty fabric to go over the cork board. Anyway, I digress. Go check out the contest. :)

Vote For Kerri!

I just got word today that my friend Kerri of Acclaimed Photography has been nominated in the category of Best Photographer in the King 5's annual "Best of Western Washington" contest - wow! Way to go, Kerri! I wish you would take a moment to go here - http://best.king5.com/acclaimed-photography/biz/127256 to check out her pictures and it would be even more awesome if you would vote for her!

I got so excited a moment ago when looking at her pictures because my niece is the beautiful ballerina and the picture captioned "Seated Woman" is my sister. How cool! I know that Kerri has captured at least one award with that picture and I'm so proud it's of my sister. Then as the pictures kept scrolling by my breath caught - it was ME! Oh my and how neat all at once. A little while back Gideon and I played model for Kerri and this was one of the ones that she took. My only regret is that it was before I got my hair cut and lost weight. Oh well, it's still a fabulous picture. Maybe we can play model again someday.

p.s. I noticed that some of the pictures in Kerri's collection don't have the best resolution, but I've seen them in other settings and they're perfect so I place blame on whoever is building/maintaining the King 5 website.

Another Contest

Wow, how cool. I found two contests in one day. Go here - free book, to find out how you can win, you guessed it, a free book. It's a book about keeping house so if you have a really messy house, like me right now, you can win it and then leave it out on the counter and maybe people will think you are at least interested in having a clean house.

A Giveaway

Go here to enter - Homemaking Bible Study. All you have to do is comment on the post. Then, if you post about it on your blog (like I have just now) and go back and comment that you have, it earns you an extra entry. How nice. :)

Cool Contests

A new contest for you babywearing mamas or babywearing wanna-bes!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

And another one for those who cloth diaper - or want to:

Win a Bum Genius 3.0 Starter Kit from Nature's Child - Wholesome Goods for Mothers and Babies

A Cool Contest

I absolutely love reading other people's blogs. One thing you pretty much always find on other people's blogs are links to more people's blogs. It's fantastic! Well, today I was doing one my usual stints of reading someone's blog then picking a link and following it to another blog and I found this cool blog Rocks In My Dryer. On this blog was a post regarding a contest where you can win a bunch of Christian artist CDs - way cool! I so don't have the budget for new music anymore. All I have to do is put this link on my blog - www.wowonline.com and then go back to the blog and type in my info. Easy peasy. Fun thing is (maybe I shouldn't put this part), that you can do it, too.