River’s Room…

I was trying to take some good photos of River’s room for a contest…but typical me…I had the deadline of the contest wrong…so I missed the deadline and couldn’t enter the contest.  But that’s okay..I learned a lot about my camera and got some pretty good shots of River’s room.  I wanted to get some nice photos of the Go Dog Go murals…and just the overall feel of her room.


I also learned about taking photos for a design contest.  You look at the room and think you have everything set up perfectly…then you examine the photos and keep finding things wrong with the photo…..clock should be taken out of shot, stuffed animal not positioned correctly, comforter is crooked and doesn’t look perfect….lighting isn’t bright enough…I took tons and tons of photos and I still wasn’t completely satisfied!  I don’t think I could ever make the room as perfect looking as the magazines..I’d have to get rid of all the clutter!

I didn’t want the room to look too perfect..but I wanted it to look nice for the photos.  Also, River wanted to be in all the photos..but for this particular shoot, I didn’t want her in the photos..so that was a challenge in itself.

The room has a huge window in it…so that made it difficult to get the lighting just right..I wanted it bright..but I didn’t want the sun’s rays all over everything.

I could probably take a lot more and probably get some better shots…and learn even more…but I decided I needed to be satisfied with what I had….I do love to take photos of my children’s rooms…because they always seem to be changing…and it is fun to look back on how they used to look….especially since we are going to be putting a “big kids bed” in River’s room soon!

River keeps telling me that she wants her room painted a brighter pink…but I tell her she has to wait awhile..until she’s bigger….and then she can pick a new color for her room….I’m not ready to paint over the murals that I painted in her room..but I know one day she’ll be bigger and she will have tired of them….and then I’ll have to be ready to paint them over….but until then….


Thanksgiving Books for Vegetarians…..

I love to have children’s books for different holidays…but Thanksgiving books are a bit of a challenge…since we are vegetarian.  We didn’t want to have any books that involved eating turkey.

We have found quite a few over the years and I thought I would share them with you…..

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey – One of my all time favorite books…I love everything about this book…its message, its rhyme and its drawings!

Five Little Turkeys – cute little counting book

The Tasty Thanksgiving Feast by Suzy Jane Tanner – a lift the flap book

Happy Thanksgiving Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli – a typical Biscuit book with a cute thanksgiving message

Thanksgiving in the Barn by Nadine Bernard Westcott – a popup book that celebrates Thanksgiving in a barn..very cute

Thanksgiving Cats by Jean Marzollo – simple little book

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting – a nicely illustrated book that has a nice message.  This book involves Mrs. Moose “wanting a turkey” for Thanksgiving..so Mr. Moose goes out looking for one…..at one point, when Mr. Moose finds the turkey and is chasing it…he stops the fallen turkey by putting his hoof on the poor turkey’s head..this I didn’t particularly like..especially because it is illustrated…. except for that…it is a cute book that has a happy ending for the turkey!

Free Tofurky….

I am so excited….whenever there is a holiday…my local grocery food store lets you accumulate points and then you earn a free turkey, ham or some type of meat product…….I am never very excited about earning the points because we are vegetarian.  Well….today…when I looked at my receipt and saw that I earned enough points….one of the options was a free Tofurky!  I couldn’t believe it…our store has never carried Tofurky….but they just remodeled and they now carry them.  We have never tried Tofurky..but have always been curious..I can’t wait to eat it!    We won’t be cooking on Thanksgiving, so I think I may have to cook this over the weekend…I will have to write about how it is…it even comes with a free vegetarian wishbone!

Tuxedo for a dog…..

Did I tell you that on Halloween we went trick or treating with a dog…..a dog named Duke.  And that he wore a tuxedo….a tuxedo that I sewed him!  I’ve never sewed a tuxedo before..let alone a bow tie and top hat!!  It was a lot of fun to sew Duke his costume..but the fittings weren’t too fun….we had to make a few last minute alterations….like stuffing his hat with newspaper and shortening the jacket sleeves…..

When it came time for the actual trick or treating…Duke was great…he kept his hat on the whole time!   The only thing was..he got more attention than my pink robot child!!  People were pushing her out of the way to get a look at the adorable dog!  One lady even said….”the pink robot is cute…but that dog is the cutest!”  Even when Duke stayed down at the end of the driveway…near the sidewalk…people came out of their houses…just to see the dog!  One guy even brought his dog out to meet Duke!!  Other trick or treaters were running across the street to check out the “adorable” dog!!

I’m not sure if we are asking Duke to go with us again next year…..

Halloween photo tradition…..

So every Halloween we take photos of ourselves imitating our pumpkin…well, that is the idea…..some years we forget and by the time we take the photos..the pumpkins are rotten…..Well, this year I remembered…but the squirrels had already eaten them a bit…..and…

I let River help me carry the pumpkins inside…from the front porch…and she was carrying her big pumpkin and we were saying..be careful…you don’t want to drop it…because it will splatter….and she very carefully…..made it to the dining room…and she very carefully placed it onto the table…and then…..very carefully let go of it……..and it very carefully…rolled off the table and splattered……but we “mended” it back together and all was good…..thank goodness….

The idea is to “look” like your pumpkin….but that doesn’t always work out……

Embrace the Camera……lovin’ it……

So, I wanted to participate in Embrace the Camera with Emily over at her blog, 3 boys and a little lady….and I wanted to take photos with my three children…I can’t tell you if I have ever taken photos with just me and my three children…how sad is that??  Well, River instantly decided she wanted no part of it…..so Quinn and Tuesday and I took a bunch of photos..we had so much fun..and then at the end…River joined us..though she was still a bit grumpy.

We had so much fun taking all the photos..and it was great to get some good ones of just me and Tuesday and then me and Quinn and then the three of us….and then River…..

We took a million photos..I had a hard time picking out my favorites!!

Fish Kisses……

My youngest daughter, River, always has problems putting her shoes on the correct feet.  She seems to consistently put them on the WRONG foot.  So, I did what I did for my other two children….drew fish on all her shoes……she has to make them “kiss” and then she knows she has them set up correctly..so that they will be on the right feet!  Works every time!…except they wear off and you have to keep drawing fish!!