Smooth Seth....

Ohhh! I did a few new things today! I used my Sekonic light meter AND my scrim for these photos....

{ a scrim is a see-through type reflector.. it diffuses harsh light, and offers some shade. Part of my 5-in-1 reflector. Nate held it directly overhead}

One lesson learned, even if using scrim, lay down the white part of the reflector on the brick... it still reflected too much red back up into Seth's face. Thus the B&W.... ;)

Also, these are taken at 2pm in full sun, at a new location! I did NOT touch the whites of his eyes in 2 & 3... LOL....

85mm, F2.8







He looks so "old" in #4... LOL~ where did my baby go?

W Kids....

Almost forgot I had these....

Check out these charmers.... love these kids!




I'm thinking about making Miss L my little female muse... LOL.

{New} Starlu & Commercial License

New by me!!

Starlu


Starlu is a vivid kit filled with whimsy and gorgeous colors.

Included in Starlu are 6 artistic papers, 4 painted elements, 3 tiny tags, 3 buttons, 3 frayed ribbons, 3 curly stitches, 2 flowers, 1 frame, 1 clip, and 1 starry border.

20% OFF today!!

And FINALLY!!!! Lots of inquiries for this....

Limited Professional Single Use License




This limited professional use license covers scrap-for-hire and other small business, including custom scrapbook layouts, cards, announcements, candy bar wrappers, and other derivative artwork. By purchasing this single item use license, you may use any of my designs - including freebies - in your small business production.

Since this is the single item license, you must purchase a separate license for each kit/element pack/paper pack that you would like to use commercially . In the case of collections, once license must be purchased for EACH kit in the collection. Simply add up the number of my products that you would like to use commercially and enter that total as the quantity in your shopping cart.

All graphics by Andrea Burns Designs are copyrighted property and are licensed, not sold to you. They do not become your property, you are obtaining a license to use them. This license may not be purchased with coupon codes or other store discounts.

Commercial License TOU included in Download

Only $5! (per item)

Some LO's featuring Starlu..............





Thanks for stopping by! More Extreme Home Makeover photos tomorrow! :c)

More Images

More Images are now up for more Extreme Home Makeover peeks....

Classic Homes Gallery

You'll see my name credited on many of them. If you look in image 13, you'll see a short looking girl in the middle front of the blue shirted workers, wearing a black hip pack. That's me with my camera bag around my waist! You can also see a small me clapping on the right front of image 17, and clapping far right front on image 22.

The camera bag was around my waist, b/c they wanted everyone uniform and looking the same in the Braveheart charge, so I couldn't wear it over my shoulder like I always do.

My Day....

Right after this photo was taken, I taught Paul Dimeo (a designer from Extreme Home Makeover) how to read a Histogram!

He Shoots with a D300..... which, by the way, I already know will be my birthday present in August!

We Need Your Votes....

We need your votes! We've entered Lucas in the Parent Magazine Cover Photo contest. Apparently we need to get people to log on and vote to get Lucas' photo recommended to the judges. I've included a link to his gallery and I hope you guys will get a chance to log on and vote before the deadline on June 24th.

Lucas' Picture

Thanks for your help!

Great News, I'm so Geeked!

So, last week our church received an email from the Classic Homes in our area talking about how Extreme Home Makeover is coming to our town next week to build a house for a needy family. They were asking for handy-man and gopher-type volunteers to work 24 hr shifts. It caught my husband's (he's our Youth Pastor) eye that they were also looking for photographers and videographers for some help too!

So I sent them an email telling them I'd be willing to volunteer.

I just got an email back asking me to attend a meeting this afternoon that assigns the shifts/ focus areas and goes over the rules!

I am so stoked!! Not only that I get to help out with such a great cause (I'm also a fan of the show!) but that Classic Homes will also display Logos of volunteers on their site!

WOOT!

****************

Daddy's Day Weekend....

Camping was a blast and a success! Well.. if you discount the thunderstorm ALL of Friday night, LOL! We got into Rocky Gap State Park about 3 pm on Friday afternoon. Just as soon as we got the tent up, the rain just started pouring! The first night was difficult stuck with 2 kids in such a confined space. But the next morning was beautiful, and we went to the beach.



We had to return home Saturday afternoon, because Nate was preaching Sunday. And wouldn't you know... as soon as we loaded up the car to come home... down came the rain, again! Phew! We're talking about going again, soon, and for a longer period of time.

Father's Day Sunday was great! We had brunch at church, and Nate's message was sweet. We came home and after Lucas got up from his nap, we feasted on grilled fillet mignon and lobster tail! Nate insisted on grilling it himself, so who was I to argue? ;)


LOL, Lucas wasn't having much of photos that day, but my other 2 boys are handsome!

Our county suffered three HUGE water main breaks Sunday night, and we have been restricted in our water usage AND now we all have to boil water for the next 3 days due to contamination risks. I had to drive over to the next county, 3 store later, to find 2 gallons of drinking water. Soo... good times.

Super Ses....

My "Ses" is really into super hero's right now. He has this pair of Superman PJ's, complete with dashing cape, that he loves to wear ALL. The. Time.

Seth has entered a new phase... and its not one we like. He has started to "tell tales." He specifically called Nate a name the other night at dinner, that we BOTH heard... but for the next 10 minutes Seth changed his "tale" quite a few times. Its so sad, and it makes me nervous for the future, if he's already doing this now.

Speaking of wee beasties.....

All the kiddos are at home in their tank now. From left to right is Fox, Lola, Lil' Fella, & Grover. It really is fascinating to see them swim and eat. Its also neat to see the new creatures come out of our Live Rock... little hitchhikers!




This weekend we are going camping! How much fun! Tent, sleeping bags, S'mores and all. Seth is SO excited about this. I already have their Safety Tattoos set out to apply right before we leave, LOL!

Tag... I'm it!

I was just tagged by Priscilla, who now has her very own teeny Lucas.....

Random / Weird Facts About Me:

1. I cannot be in my house unless I am comfortably dressed. I will change into sweats, loose shorts immediately upon entering my house and heading to my room.
2. I really like Hannah Montana and Life with Derek on Disney (LOL P!)
3. I want a baby girl so bad, I can taste it! I need some pink and pierced ears in this house!
4. I love my new dentist and her receptionist (HI Beth!) I'd go and hang out with them and eat lunch with them if I could.. they are so cool and funny!
5. When no one is around... I may bust out a mean pirouette or plie in the kitchen....
6. squash makes me gag. I also hate cucumbers, but love pickles.
7. I love to rock the Sega Genesis with Seth... we are really good at Mickey Mania and The Lion King.

TAG! YOU are it.....

Poor Bubba....

Do you know, that in the 4 years of my having children... we've never experienced vomit in this house. And I always thought that when the day came, I'd have to call Nate to come home from work, b/c I would be too GROSSED out to help clean up.

Imagine to my surprise yesterday, as poor Lucas couldn't hold anything down... that it was me holding him, and me helping him over the bowl. It really is an amazing thing... to be a mother. To want to take away your child's pain. To look past your own fears, just to help your baby.

Poor darling... we have no idea what happened. After he woke up from his afternoon nap, it was just violent and the rest of the evening. He was listless and lied on me the whole evening. Lucas never spiked a fever or anything.... and its funny the thoughts that race through your head. I'd feel him burp or whimper and know what was coming... and you just feel so helpless.

He fell asleep for the night around 9:30 and woke up this morning as cheerful and normal as ever.

you....

::: you :::
snuggle
laugh in my ear
pat my shoulder
walk surprisingly tall
yell "DA!" and laugh at your own joke
scream murder at bathtime
pack food in your cheeks to store for months at a time
love "Lellefant"
love me
and that is the best
of all

{lucas elliot~14.5 months old}

Now Available....

What was once DST's June 2007 exclusive Designer kit....

can now be yours!

Summer Lovin'

Filled with soft and airy colors, these are perfect for golden afternoons and splashy beach pages.

Included in Summer Lovin' are 6 pages, 3 buttons, 3 raffia twill and 3 raffia bows, 3 tags, 2 flowers, 2 frames, 2 rub ons, 2 sets of stitching, 1 dragonfly, 1 wooden scallop, and 1 wordart.

Get it HERE!

This is perfect, b/c there is a store wide grab-bag going on now too!

****************

In other news... yesterday we lived through a tornado! Tornados are rare around here, but after lunch the wind started blowing... the sky turned black, it was raining sideways. Just in time for the boy's naps, there was thunder shaking the house, and I saw tree branching waving madly. There was a HUGE "CRACK!!" and our power went out. One minute later I heard the sirens....

Turns out the lighting took down a huge tree a mile from our home, and it hit power lines and blacked out most of our community. Nate came home, via a new route, and being that I couldn't cook dinner, loaded us up and took us half an hour away for Japenese. (A shame... I know! LOL)

We returned home around 8:30 pm, to see that the lights were back on. All the schools have been cancelled today b/c of no power still, and there is plenty of clean up. Some people lost their homes in the next town over, and we aren't w/o damage. A tree branch fell on our car and scraped the side, but Nate thinks he can buff most of it out.

I'm, just so thankful we are safe!

Meet Lil' Fella....

A couple months ago, out of nowhere, Seth looked up at me and said oh-so-clearly,

"Mama, I want a Nemo fish, and I will call him Lil' Fella."

How could anyone resist that? Little did Nate or I know what was involved.

{Meet Lil' Fella}

And now.... $500 later......

((Groan!)) Saltwater tank, liverock, live plants, 3 crabs, care books, it all adds up so quick! Right now we only have 2 fish in there. Saltwater eco systems are fragile... you can only introduce so many fish at a time, so as to acclimate the water and plants to waste. There is also a shy Blue Damsel (bright blue with yellow tail) in there. We plan on getting a Royal Gramma (fushia head and yellow tail) and a Coral Beauty (purple body with rainbow sides) in the next couple weeks. And then that's it. We only have a 16 gallon tank, so for swim space, should only put 4 fish in there.

And there you have it.