Blog Makover

I have abandoned this little Ole blog and for that I am sorry...  I will be giving this blog a makeover and I will be posting a lot more specials and taking this blog in a different direction...  For now I will leave you with my SPRING BREAK SPECIAL  2 sheets for $25.00 on my personal inventory...  Contact me for your order at chelsiekbuoy@gmail.com  Thanks

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

My Collin has this friend. I LOVE this friend's mom to death and we are good pals. We have so much in common despite our 10 year age difference (me being the younger).
Although Collin is 4, he is great with other kids and has somewhat a submissive nature. He won't fight for toys. He doesn't mind sharing (MOST of the time). But when he is around this particular friend, the sweet Colly I know disappears. He is bossy, cranky, rude and negative. I don't know what it is, but I CAN'T STAND IT! The friend is always crying and whining the entire time they are together because things aren't going the way they would like them to. Collin is always saying things like, "You can't play in my room with me." And, "Mom, I just want to read books by myself. I don't want to play." It drives me insane!!!!!
He was NEVER EVER like this before. Last summer when we met these guys, it was through a new play group that we joined when we moved to our new house. They played fine when we were at play group and it was outside. Now that it is indoors for winter, it kind of is the same thing. But I have noticed this friend pretty much cries and whines with everyone, so it's not just Collin. It may be that she is an only child???
Anyway, MY belief is that it stems from the HUGE incident last summer between the two kids. We stopped at a yard sale so I could search for photography props and the kids were playing just a few yards away in the grass. All of a sudden I hear a blood-curdling scream, so I run over to my son and he is crying harder than he ever has before and holding his face. I guess this little person had hit Collin in the face with an antique (wood and metal) tennis racket because he wouldn't let her have the ball AND the racket. 
His little face was bruising quickly and he had a scratch on his cheek and side of his head. Later on his eye blackened. I was SO mad...I don't know what I did to hold myself back from grabbing that racket and beating the shit out of that kid. (Honestly, that is just who I am. I think that way. Would I ever do it? Maybe. If they would have been older, like teenagers, and that happened, I seriously would have considered it. Jail or not...don't beat up my kid!! lol) The mom TRIED to make her kid say sorry to Collin, but to no avail. This kid was kicking, screaming and hitting saying there was no way they were going to say sorry. So mom dropped it! Wow..no wonder the kid is the way they are. They don't have to do anything they don't want to do!
So we went home and he was so so sad; not understanding why that happened to him. After that, there was no apology because this friend had told her mom it was an accident. Bullshit. But being mommy's sweetheart, the kid was believed. I was furious. I couldn't let it down for the longest time. We didn't hang out for quite a while.
Finally after realizing there was going to be no apology, I had to let it go. That really is so unlike me. I was mad at mommy for not even apologizing to me. I mean, if your kid is refusing to apologize, that's one thing but a mom should for her kid's actions.
After that, Collin was super defensive. He would squint and hide behind me when we saw her. He didn't want to play. Then, in a turn of events that apparently I am unaware of, he is super OFFENSIVE. He is excited to have someone to play with....until they get here. The minute they walk through the door, he is rude and mean. He will go to his room and play alone, leaving this friend up here crying (real tears) and whining to no end. She doesn't understand why he doesn't want to play. ???
So that leaves me in a tough spot. The kid's mom and I are like long lost sisters. We have tons in common, but enough difference that it keeps things interesting. We love to talk and craft. She is never without her kid just like I am never without mine, but Collin is so super naughty when she is around. WHAT DO I DO!?!?! HELP ME!!!!!!!!

Changes, Holes, and being a BIG kid....

It is Wednesday again... yes I did miss last Wednesday and I am super sorry.....

There have been some changes in my life, which are good changes (I think), but changes none the less.

Here is my newest change... and change that I am kinda proud of, silly I know,

I have always been a big fan of being different.. my hair, my clothes, the holes I chose to put in my body..(and I had quite a few), sorry mom and dad, but really secretly I really think that my mom thought I was AWESOME!! LOL!!

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...

Any how.. when I'm upset I get this strange urge that I want a change, most the time I just chop off my hair, however, this time there was not so much hair to chop! So it was either a new hole, or a tattoo. I didn't have enough money for a tattoo (which I will be getting another I'm sure), so I pierced my nose. Pain is my friend when I'm sad.. LOL!!

And I have wanted my nose pierced FOREVER. I'm sad that my tongue ring is gone and I am just too much of a baby to do that again.. So the thing I have been wanting ever since I was a freshmen in high school, I finally got. At 27. I am just a big kid. Who says moms can't have fun.

I text my mom this picture... and she replies with a simple "Stop" LOL! I guess she just knows my self destructive behavior.. stop before you do something you regret, always the voice of reason, thanks mommy. I promise I will not shave my head!

*Well, maybe I should not promise that just yet! LOL!

*Oh and on a side note.. did you see them, those beautiful long lashes... ya, I don't have them anymore, actually I don't have hardly any anymore. I picked them all off. And off came my real lashes (the really short ones that I had) with the fake, so now.... I look like a cancer patient with no eyelashes... Damn my picker habits when I'm stressed. LOL!

Jam of the Week

Colorful Polka

If you purchase the Jam of the Week! 

You will get a FREE nail file and buffer with your purchase...   Order through me at chelsiekbuoy@gmail.com or at cutejams.jamberrynails.com

Happy Monday!

Top Tip for Beginning Photographers: Look at the Light!

I thought I would begin sharing some tips for those photography enthusiasts to hopefully help you take better photos in your everyday life. I know a LOT of people like to take photos for their friends and family, so I thought I would share a tip or two a month and hopefully it will help. :)

LOOK AT THE LIGHT!

And I don't mean actually look into the sun. But it is good to see what kind of light you are working with. Which way are the shadows falling? Unless you want a silhouette effect, where your subject is black against an interesting background, it's generally best to shoot with the sun behind you.

Here is an example of the sun behind me at mid-day:

How is the light affecting your subject? Is the subject squinting?

Is the light blazing directly and brightly upon your whole subject? This works well if you are in love with the bold colors of your subject. :) 

Here is an example of direct light:

Side lighting, on the other hand, can add drama but can also cause extreme, hard-to-print contrasts.

Lastly, indirect light can be used to make your subject glow soft and pretty. 

I really enjoy shooting in "open shade" where there are no specks of light falling on subjects. This means under a shade tree or an overhang of a roof. Somewhere where it is still bright, but not with direct sunlight. You have to be careful of this, too, however, because it can be too dark and produce cold photos. There is a difference between open shade and complete shadow!

Here is an example of Open Shade (the light is bouncing off of the white blanket, but no flash used):

I try to set my location shoots in the early morning with the sunrise or in the evening before dusk.
Here is an example of a shot at dusk:

In the winter, the afternoon light is different than in the summer, so any time of day really works. Just watch that exposure! 

Also, gloomy days are probably my ABSOLUTE favorite! Maybe it's because I am from Oregon? lol The clouds act as somewhat of a softbox bouncing down diffused sunlight and the possibilities are endless! 

Here is an example of a gloomy, cloudy day (ann natural light, no flash):

I hope this tip helps a little! Stay tuned for more tips!
Follow me on Facebook: Mallory Francks Photography
or visit my site: www.MalloryFphotography.blogspot.com

Jams of the MONTH

Hello March! 

With SPRING right around the corner, its time to uncover those toes and spring out for some fun new sandals... 

The Jam of the month is.... 

Vibrant Pinwheel! 

 If you purchase the "Cute Jam" of the month you will receive a FREE nail file and buffer with your purchase...  You may order through me at chelsiekbuoy@gmail.com or through my website at cutejams.jamberrynails.com  Make sure to check back for the release of our new spring nail shields... 

Happy Jamming!