Baby Coop's Baby Shower!

In early August I went to my friend Jessica's baby shower. Jessica isn't due until November but her sister was in town so the shower was held early to ensure she could come. Check out some of the fun we had!

Nothing beats rubber duckies!!
Except maybe this awesome shark towel/robe! I can't wait to see her little one running around the house in this fantastic blue robe!

Games! What is a shower without them?! This game alone makes me want to make my own baby food--trying to determine what the flavor of baby food is by sniffing it is quite eye opening to the cuisine little babies get to enjoy. Did you know they make macaroni and cheese baby food? I didn't!

What is she looking at???
Yup--a dirty diaper. But not just any dirty diaper--one filled with candy that resembles...something else. Could you guess the type of candy in the diaper by looking at it and smelling it? I'm not very good at this game b/c I don't eat anything with nuts or peanut butter in it so I'm unfamiliar with over half of the candy bars in America.
My favorite baby shower game--demonstrated by the lovely hostess Melissa! Find the safety pins in the rice while blindfolded. I came in second in this game...I'm quite proud of my fingers for their deciphering abilities. Thanks for hosting Melissa!

Keep your eyes out for maternity and newborn pictures to come this fall! I can't wait to meet Baby Coop!

SQH Angel in Blujeans

I bought Angel when I was a high school senior and she was a two year old. I drug her to Texas with me when I started college and drug her back to WA when I decided to transfer colleges. A pretty little mare with a willing attitude made her a joy to ride. However, after awhile I decided she wasn't quite the horse for me long-term. So I sold her to a good friend, Sarah, and I am so glad I did! Angel has the perfect home and gets to exactly what she loves--chase cans (barrel race)! And boy are the two of them good at what they do!!

Sarah qualified to run in an exhibition race at the Northwest Washington Fair as she was one of the best barrel racers in her division this year. I haven't been able to watch Sarah compete this year so I went to the fair to enjoy some awesome fair food and watch her run. Check out her fantastic run below and keep your eyes peeled for them competing in Vegas someday at the rodeo finals--I'm sure they'll get there sooner rather than later!! Sarah--thanks for being such a great mom to Angel! And if you make it to Vegas, I'll be Angel's groom and personal paparazzi!!

I'm slightly concerned that Angel found the time to take a little nap while turning the corner...I'm thinking Sarah should feed her a little Mountain Dew prior to running.

My New View!

I'm so excited this will be my new view from my kitchen window and covered patio! What a beautiful sunset!

Mom, PUHLEEEZ stop taking my picture!

So you have DSLR, now what?

I've received a few requests for help on how to work cameras, specifically DSLRS (or digital single-lens reflex camera)...the kind with manual functions and changeable lenses. I'm so excited when people are willing to take the time to learn how to use their equipment well. There is something so special about a photograph's ability capture memories so why not capture them as best as you can.



To help those of you eager to learn the full capabilities of your cameras, I've compiled a list of internet resources to get you started.



Check out Me Ra Koh's awesome DVDs and workshops for aspiring photographer moms. Me Ra is a world famous photographer who lives in Seattle and travels around the world photographing glamorous weddings with her husband.



Take a peak at the Pioneer Woman's Photography section (as well as the other sections for great inspiration). You'll receive lots of tips on how to work your camera as well as how to process them in Photoshop. She's also got some fantastic free Photoshop Actions on her site.



I haven't read all of this, but check out the plothera of photography tips and topics at Digital Photography School blog on how to use a DSLR--that should keep you busy for a few hours!



I'm also going to try to post a few photography tips here and there on this site. Let me know if there is a specific question or topic you'd like covered in the comments below and I will do my best to answer your question in the near future.

New Feature on the Blog

Sooo--normally when you want to leave me a comment on a post or read the comments, a new window pops up for you to do that.

Well, I've changed that up a bit and now the comments are embedded under the posts...meaning when you click on the comments they show up on the same page, right under the post.

Hopefully this is a little easier and less cluttered! Go ahead and try it if you like--it is quite pleasant!

As this is a new feature, please let me know if you experience any difficulties. Thanks!

Rascal Lee

I'm so sorry for the lack of posts this month! Between our house happenings, catching up on print and album orders, the Northwest Washington Fair and a bazillion other things, I haven't made it on here lately! The good news is that I've been taking pictures of everything along the way and you'll be seeing it all eventually!! Thanks for being so patient!

For your entertainment tonight I couldn't help but post these pictures of my horse, Rascal. I love taking beautiful photographs of horses, but sometimes it is fun to stick on a wide angle lens and play around distorting shapes and sizes--here's Rascal with a little extra emphasis on his head!

PS--Somebody is behind on his shaving...that is some serious stubble!