it's been awhile...

it's been awhile because nothing has been going on, really. 

 A couple of weeks ago, Megan & Kyle invited me to tag along with Hollie & Lyle to see Clay Walker in Jackson. The plan was for me to spend the night with Hollie & L at Hollie's cousin, Sarah's, house. 

 The concert was amazing!! It was Clay Walker & Joe Diffie, and it was held at Veterans Memorial Stadium. We all packed our lawn chairs (well, L brought me one) and we chilled out close to the stage!

 There was a nice breeze outside, so it wasn't too hot.

Right before Joe Diffie came out, it started to sprinkle!

BUT! Again, we were prepared! 

Prior to the concert, we spent most of the day lost, and then we ate at Olive Garden after going to the mall. After the concert, we searched for a Diary Queen for almost an hour, and we were re-routed twice. All in all, it was a long great day!

This past weekend we (Megan, Hollie, Kyle, & I) made our way down to the NC Fairgrounds for the US cover band. 

we stayed together at Megan's house, 

rode the ferris wheel (personal fave - except for the creep who was in charge of it),

the cliff hanger (also fun, but i almost chipped a tooth)

& had a great time!! 

That was the only opportunity that those two had to go to the fair because of class & tests, but I went with Claire & stayed with her Tuesday night. Luke Bryan was there, and it rained! We danced all night, and we had some good porch talks with a local band from there. 

Nothing much else has been going on. The remainder of my time has been spent in photography & painting, and I am VERY excited about some upcoming opportunities that have arisen through both fields! I am SO blessed with a wonderful life full of the BEST family & friends. 

How has your summer been?

Painting....

i have still been on a "painting kick", and I have added these photos to Facebook!


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30730572&id=1288530017&saved#!/photo.php?pid=30730555&id=1288530017&saved&fbid=1315404767047

 Check them out & if we are friends there, message me if you're interested.
if we're not, comment here and leave a way for me to get in touch with you!

Happy Week!!

creative kick.

These "creative kicks" usually don't last long, and i have to be inspired, but so far this one is pretty steady.

(Granted: it's only been two days...)

i used beads & buttons from my great grandmother and my grandmother's old jewelry boxes. You can't tell from this pic, but I nailed the photo to the board with some old rusty nails. 

there's a closer look.

this one looks a tad different, but the camera made the colors look funny. That's a 4x6 frame in the middle.

i have NOTHING for this to match, but it's one of my favorites.

this, of course though, is my favorite. :)

Happy weekend!!

Under God, with liberty & justice...FOR ALL.

Half a century ago, two simple words

Declared a truth that's planted in our hearts

And every time the flag is raised

We've been honored to repeat the phrase

Under God America's been blessed.

Under God through every trial & test

We are sheltered by his mercy he chose to give

In privilege & abundance, this Nation lives.

Under God, Freedom has survived

Under God, we need to recognize

We're dependent on His goodness

Indebted to His care

Maybe more than any people anytime or anywhere

Still our only prayer is Under God

When we pledge allegiance now, it's Under God Those words have shaped the land that we hold dear Some insist it's not allowed To acknowledge that we need Him now But it has never been so clear

Under God, America's been blessed.

Under God, brought through every trial and test

We are sheltered by the mercy He chose to give

In privilege and abundance, this nation live

s

Under God, Freedom has survived

Under God, we need to recognize

We're dependent on His goodness

Indebted to His care Maybe more than any people anytime or anywhere

Still our only hope and prayer

Still our only hope and prayer is Under God

Under Go

d

What a better way to spend 4th of July morning church with my favorite Marine?

It's been since December!

This has been a great weekend after all. I had no idea he was coming until Wednesday night, and he wasn't for sure until Thursday! Praise the Lord he was allowed to come, and Praise the LORD he made it home safely!

Yesterday I was invited to the Brown house for lunch (hot dogs, hamburgers, homemade ice cream) and we all had a great time visiting! Thank you, Clint, for inviting me!! :)

Later, he left to go enjoy the sunshine & summertime at the lake, and I had a lazy afernoon in Crawford. It was the perfect day!

I really can't express to you what 4th of July means to me anymore, but I will say that I couldn't be more thankful for someone to be in my life that was the cause of my perspective change. I am so blessed to live in a free country, and I am thankful for the men & women who have served over all of these years leading up to today! God Bless the USA!!

HAPPY 234th BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!!!

just me & you doing what i've always wanted to; i'm the luckiest girl alive..

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall, 

but I know you're not scared of anything at all, 

don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away, 

but I know I had the best day with you today.

"Roses on my shoulders, 

slippers on my feet, 

i'm my daddy's darlin',

don't you think i'm sweet?"

"I'm gonna watch you shine, 

gonna watch you grow.

Gonna paint a sign so you'll always know,

as long as you live

there could never be a father

That loved his daughter more than I love you.."

"Sweet 16 today

She's lookin' like her mama a little more every day
One part woman the other part girl
To perfume and make up from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world
But I remember
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Stickin' little white flowers all up in her hair
You know how much I love you daddy
But if you don't mind
I'm only gonna kiss you on the check this time.."

"Dad, this could be the best day of my life
I've been dreamin' day and night 'bout the fun we'll have
It's just me and you doin' what I've always wanted to
I'm the luckiest [girl] alive
This is the best day of my life.."

Happy Father's Day to my daddy! He is an amazing individual who has always stepped up to the plate and been an amazing rock for our family. He has taught me everything I know about huntin', fishin', playing softball, and trying to be a listener for others. (He's way better at all of those than I am). 

I know all I know about the woods, the outdoors, the weather, and the land because of him. He has been patient with me while he has told me countless times, "Shh! You have to be quiet", or "be still.!" He has untangled my fishin' line from soo many trees, and reassembled it once I broke it off in the water. He has picked up the tee when I knocked it over with the bat, and he has coached me throughout my years, on and off the field. 

There's really no way around avoiding the fact that i AM my daddy's girl. That's not to say that I don't love my mother to death. She, too, has taught me things about the kitchen, house etiquette, and loving people unconditionally. She is one of the strongest women I know as well, and I can't help but think about her on this day. Although, her daddy did visit me in a dream last night, and all I remember is telling him that I loved him. He was in a yellow polo shirt, and we were at church. He hugged me tight, and I woke up. 

I know that each of you who read this have a father in your life, and I can only hope that they've brought as much joy to you as mine has. I'm so thankful for my family each and every day. No matter where you go, how long you stay, or how mad you get, they'll always be there for you - always. 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I LOVE YOU!

.."sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to click the shutter."

 For years now (i don't even know how many) I have been interested in photography. I love to see it, and I love to capture the moments myself. There's really no other way for me to remember things or understand having been there unless I have a photo of it. I can look back at a time in a photo and remember exactly how I felt the moment it was taken, and I can rehash those emotions over and over each time I look at it.
 Photo's, to me, tell stories. The wonderful thing about them is that they never tell the same story to any person. You can look a photo and see something totally different than the person next to you, and that is beautiful to me. There is no other way to capture something that you want to hold as a memory forever. Photos can't be erased. Photos take you into a place that maybe you've always wanted to be. Photos compare to being there yourself, although sometimes I will say that they can fall short.

 Just a few weeks ago, I was googling photo contests in Mississippi because I wanted to participate in some this summer just to get some of my still shots out there. I know they aren't world class photos (by any means), but I wanted to give it a shot, thinking, "what have I got to lose? (other than a ten dollar entry fee.... and postal fee..... and rejection..... oh well, putting that aside...)" So, putting that aside, I went for it. I entered seven photos into the Mississippi Wildlife Federation (MWF) State Photography Contest. I was allowed three in each group, and the groups were:

• Mississippi's Natural Landscapes
• Wildlife Birds (Native to MS)
• Wildlife Other (Native to MS)
• People
• Floral Macro
• Macro (Wildlife/Nature)

So, I entered three in landscapes and floral macro and one in wildlife (other).

I got a letter in the mail saying that two of the photos had been judged as winners in the landscape and floral macro categories! I was excited because one advantage of winning (in the Overall, which hasn't been judged yet), is being published in the MWF magazine. THAT is on my "to-do before I....run out of time" list.
 I truly am blessed because all of the honorable mention photos were stunning. They truly were. I would have hated to be a judge in a contest involving those photographs.
 I have a lot of ideas about how I want to use my photography in the future, and I'm really excited about a certain thing, but I haven't quite put it all together in my head yet. I'm hoping that it will hit me like a ton of bricks one day.
 Another thing i'm looking forward to is hopefully participating in these contests year-round. They [it is/are] fun, and it also gives me a little more drive to push myself into more unique photo-opportunities.

If you'd like to check out this year's results or see about entering next year, click here.

"While there is, perhaps, a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see."  ~Dorothea Lange