Our Dancing Queen

"You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeenDancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen"

I'll be singing that song all day and pretending I am roller skating like I did in 1970-something.

Happy 17th birthday, sweetheart! Seventeen years ago today, God blessed us with one of the most precious gifts and we are so very thankful! Not only are you gorgeous inside and out, but you shine so beautifully for your Heavenly Father each day! What a blessing to be your mom! I pray that your day is filled to overflowing with absolute joy and laughter. Oh, how we love you!!!

Dropbox

I thought it would be fun to share with you one of my favorite apps today! Do you have Dropbox?  It has become an invaluable resource for me.  And the best part? It is free!!!  I have the Dropbox app on my iphone, my ipad, and on my computer at home and school.  I love it for sharing images with clients and friends but my favorite feature is that dropbox automatically downloads all of my iphone and ipad images to my Dropbox account.  I'll have my images even if I, heaven forbid, drop and break my phone.  Yay!!!  And it does it automatically.  So cool!

And no, this post isn't sponsored by Dropbox in any way.  I just think they are a pretty cool idea serving in a much needed venue!

Do you have a favorite app?  I'm always looking for new ones!

God's Love is Everywhere

It's true!  God's love is everywhere!  It's written in the beautiful colors of the rising and setting sun, it's in the beauty of my daughter's faces, and I could go on and on.  His love for you is absolutely everywhere!  Are you looking for it?  Ask Him to reveal His great love for you today and then be watching and waiting! On my first day back from Christmas break, I just wasn't feeling like being back in my classroom.  Rachel was home and that's where I wanted to be too.  How's that for honesty?

As I got ready that morning, I was gently reminded that this day wasn't mine after all, but His and He had purpose for my day.  Was I going to look for it, or be grumpy because our break was over?  Ouch!

When I arrived in my classroom, I turned on the heater (brrr!), my computer, and my scentsy.  I am a big believer in making my classroom an inviting and welcoming place.  Within about 20 minutes, I glanced over at my Scentsy and saw this:

Do you see the heart?  A few seconds later and I would have missed it.  God was showing me that He was right there with me in my classroom and that He loved me.  He cares about every single detail of our lives.  Some can say this was just a coincidence but if the Father Above orders and ordains every minute and every second of our life, I don't believe it was a coincidence at all.  God was showing me He loved me...and I'm thankful I didn't miss it!

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."   I John 3:1.

Do you need a little encouragement today?  Simply look up and ask God to show you just how much He loves you....and if you say it in faith, even faith of a mustard seed, you will see it!  You are dearly loved!!!

Jewelry Cleaner via Facebook

I saw this on facebook and Pinterest and decided to give it a try! I am so glad that I did. It works better than toothpaste and a toothbrush, and much better than that red liquid jewelry cleaner that has something growing in it in the back of my cabinet. I may or may not have had that cleaner for a decade. Yikes! The recipe is simple and you probably have all of the ingredients already.

In a medium sized bowl or plastic container add: 2 tablespoons of salt 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of dish detergent 2 cups of water that was heated in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes 1 piece of aluminum foil that is larger than the bottom of the bowl (put it in the bottom of the bowl)

Then add your jewelry:

The solution bubbles a bit. I didn't leave my jewelry in there very long. It totally works!!!

The Color Purple

Isn't she a gorgeous senior?! Ah, the future is as bright as she is!

Read more at http://www.iheartfaces.com/how-it-works/grab-a-button/#fFzIsXRcbHG0uALj.99

Ten on Tuesday

1. Have you seen the Oscar Mayer Carving commercial?  Cracks me up every time! 2.  Pencils in a pretty polka-dot mug makes me smile....can you tell I am a teacher?

3.  Speaking of things that make me smile!  I am always, always on the computer!  I teach high school computer classes and run the school's website but I also have my photography business where I am constantly editing pictures, designing albums or promo material, plus bookkeeping, etc.  It is hard to keep my nails looking pretty.  Until I found shellac nails!  Love shellac nails.  I can go nearly 3 weeks before I have to pick a new color. Yay!  I've been stuck in a french nail rut and wanted to try something new.  I had this grey color in my mind, not quite black, but not light grey either.  The sweet nail  lady suggested mixing two colors.  Yay!!!  One is an OPI color and the other another brand (#'s 45 and 50).  I love this grey color and I am finding it goes with anything I wear this winter.  Plus, my man thinks it's a sexy color.  Delight!

4.  I have a Pinterest addiction!  Do you Pinterest too?  My Pinterest name is Kikis Corner Blog.  You can see my boards here.  Warning:  It's fun and can quickly eat up a few hours before you know it!

5.  I actually had to explain what floppy disks were to my students last week.  They have only known zip drives and cds/dvds.  Really?!?  Should I dare explain records or 8 tracks???

6.  Almond Milk!  Who knew!  It is delicious in my morning smoothie.  It makes my green drink taste like a high calorie milk shake.  YUM!

7.  We have been eating apples incorrectly for generations!  Seriously!! My dad can eat apples like a champion.  He leaves a perfect apple core. Watching him eat an apple is an art form.  But, he totally needs to watch this video.  Who knew?! (if the link isn't working, click here)

8.  I met with an architect to talk about my dream studio!!!  I'm not sure if we will be able to afford to build the studio now or not, but the planning process is so much fun!!!

9.  We have warmer weather with highs in the 70s and then a day later we have highs of 35 degrees.  The warmer weather makes me excited to plant a spring garden again.  My mouth is watering at the though of home grown tomatoes!!!

10.  Spring gardening makes me think of my calendar.  The month of June is filled with 4 weddings, camps, and family vacations.  It is going to be a fun, yet very full summer!

Valentine Photo of the Morning

This weekend's Valentine Mini Sessions were a blast! And trying to narrow down the galleries from each mini session is so hard! I simply had to post this one today!

Take Courage

On a day like today, I would really like to remind a certain someone that words can be hurtful and to remind him that Proverbs 29:20 explains, "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

And then the Faithful One reminds me that He loves that punk person too and then He reminds me that I have been guilty of being too hasty in my words too. OIY!!!

And while this warrior heart of mine looks up and exclaims that this case is different because the hasty, foolish words hurt my dearly loved family, who didn't deserve to be treated this way, He puts His arms of love around me and tells me, "Child of Mine, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.""  John 16:33.

And He has it all under control....the hasty words didn't slip past his sight; He sees and He knows.   So, I will try my best to keep looking up and let Him take care of the situation.   But seriously, if He needs some ideas on how to handle this situation/person, I'm His girl!

Baylor Bowl Game Part 3 (Last One)

We met our sweet friends and their beautiful girls at the entrance and some random stranger snapped this image for us. We were full of excitement and determination that our Baylor Bears were going to pulverize that Florida team...bless our hearts!

It was so fun to be at an actual BCS Game. So exciting!

The flag was ginormous and the guy who sang the National Anthem.....well, let's just say, liked to add lots of runs to the song. {sigh}

It was cool to see RGIII walk on the field. The crowd went wild when they saw him!

Since it was the Tostito Bowl, each chair had a Tostito package taped to it. Inside we found two new kinds of Tostito's Chips and salsa. It was pretty cool to see fans watching the game while enjoying chips and salsa. It felt kind of like home....except without that little yellow line thing on the screen that tells you how many more yards they needed to make a first down. I missed that line. Ha!

Before the game, my man and I had tickets to the Tailgate Party....along with at least 30,000 of our closest friends. Oiy! There were people everywhere.

The best part of the Tailgate Party? The Queso Blanco....it was free! Well, maybe not free since we bought tickets to the Tailgate Party.

In the end, our Baylor Bears just couldn't get it together but we had an absolute blast! We loved reconnecting with friends from our Baylor days, loved wearing Green and Gold and being surrounded by others wearing our colors too (we live in the heart of Texas Tech colors), and loved getting away for a few days just the two of us....and the awesome sunny weather!!!

Class of 2014 Sessions!

Calling all Class of 2014 Seniors! There are only 3 weekend sessions and a few weekday sessions available. Please, contact us today to schedule your senior session! {Kristi@kikiscornerphotography.com}

Baylor Bowl Game Part 2

We met our friends from our Baylor days for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! Yum! We hadn't seen them in years but it felt like it was just yesterday. We LOVED getting caught up on their lives and hearing about their beautiful girls. We treasured every second! The next day was New Year's Eve. It was fun to wake up to seeing lots of Green and Gold everywhere. This was a special spa day treat from my sweetheart who decided to join me. Yay!!! I didn't really consider us "Spa" people but oh what a wonderful day!!!

We donned the robes that they gave us to wear and then waited in the "Whisper" room. It was dark and quiet...until we arrived. We tried to whisper but it was hard to whisper as we were both in robes, funny spa shoes, and sipping cucumber water. Imagine our giggles when we learned that at that time, we were the only people in the room. Ha! After that, we just waited out by the pool....no whispering required!

And I much preferred my water with lemon slices and lots of ice. The facial was incredible (Mr. Incredible would not agree with that last statement) and the hot stone massage was too, but the best part? Spending time by the pool with my handsome man!

We even had a little poolside lunch in our robes. It's the thing to do apparently!

After lunch I was tortured in the body rub chamber....never again for this modest chica! And then we headed back to our room for a little nap and the Baylor Pep Rally!

It was so much fun!!! After the fun of the Pep Rally and visiting with dear friends, it was time to get ready for dinner. My man arranged for a special New Year's Eve dinner! That may or may not have come with Champagne! (Which was a first for me!)

I loved celebrating the New Year with the love of my life! We were missing our girls, but thankful to have time to getaway just the two of us.

Baylor Bowl Game Trip Part 1

My sweetheart and I got to go to the Fiesta Bowl to watch our Baylor Bears.  We carefully circled the date on our calendar and counted down the days.  We could hardly wait!!!  It was the craziest time to try to take a little trip but we threw caution to the wind and worked our tails off to make it happen. Mr. Incredible worked long days and nights finalizing the inventories of our three stores, I wrapped up photography editing sessions, and took care of last minute tax expenditures, we celebrated Christmas, watched our baby girl in a basketball tournament, and tried to pack for sunny weather in the process.  Whew!

Once, we were on the plane, it was as if we could breathe again.  A few days together, just the two of us in sunny weather was just what the doctor ordered.  I could not wait!

We landed in beautiful Arizona and made our way to the hotel. Oh my goodness! What a surprise awaited us there. We were blessed to stay at the beautiful Montelucia. So beautiful!

Fruit trees were all around the property. As we made our way to our room, I stopped to pick an orange. I couldn't resist. The smell was incredible! While my man took care of the luggage, I peaked outside to see a huge lounge chair and the glorious sun! I was in my winter clothes complete with my black Frye boots and leggings....laying in the lawn chair on the patio. Yes!!! We left Texas with highs in the 30's and we were now in temperatures near 70. Delight!

  Realizing we had a little bit of time before we met our friends for dinner, I remembered the orange! Yay! I peeled that sweet smelling orange and popped a wedge in my mouth. It was the worst orange I had ever tasted! It was a yucky cross between a grapefruit, lemon, and an orange that was totally bitter. I managed to down one little wedge and then shared one with my man! Ha!

We quickly learned that if you see fruit on the tree, it's probably not the best fruit, but if you find a tree with very little fruit, that's the one to grab! Good to know if I ever plan to pick my fruit from a place other than the HEB! I'll share more from our trip soon!

Ten on Tuesday

Two Ten on Tuesday posts in a row, woo hoo!!!

1. I love to photograph lights and the bokeh that comes with it. Bokeh is the blurred or out of focus areas like you see above. That is our Christmas tree, but you can't tell because of the bokeh. Cool eh?

2. I rented a few lenses before Christmas. And this fish eye was one of them. While I thought it was a really cool lens, I can't see using it for portraits but it sure was fun to play with!

3. I did purchase the lens I have been dreaming about for two years and wow is it heavy on my camera! But, it takes amazingly clear pictures on the basketball court and I'm thinking on the football field this fall. Delight!!!

4. We were in Arizona this month and we will fly to Nevada for a few days next month. I'm liking this travel trend for 2014!

5. Our Bichon, Tinkerbell, hasn't been acting like herself. She is 15 (or will be this October) and we were starting to dread taking her to the vet for fear of what she might suggest. Turns out, Tink is having some lower back pain. Can you blame her, she is over 100 in dog years. Twice a day, she gets to take a little treat that makes the pain subside. We are thankful!!! In the process of trying to figure out what was wrong and why she would cry all night long, we discovered she adores Starbucks as much as we do! So we always get her a cup of water when we drive through. So fun!

6. I say this often! I am blessed with the BEST clients and friends! This was our surprise dinner delivery this week. It was delicious!!! And we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the sweet friends and clients God has blessed us with.

7. I am reading this book and loving it!!!  God loves you, He always has, He always will!!!

8.  It's been too long since I read a good book just because!  It seems I go from teaching high school to photo shoots, to editing pictures, to ordering sessions, to laundry, to.....  I'm thankful for a few stolen moments away with this book.  It is a treasure and a wonderfully incredible reminder that we are dearly loved!  One of my favorite parts from the book, and I have several, talks about God's love being the ocean, although it is even bigger than the ocean.  If we are a fish in His deep ocean of love, we are surrounded, filled, and covered over and over again with His love!  Glory!  I sobbed when I read, He loves us, and He already loves our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren. What a thought!

9.  Speaking of water, after my awful round of pneumonia this fall, I am determined to take better care of myself.  I can almost see my man's eyes rolling!  I was terribly sick this fall, sick enough to come face to face with the reality that I can't possibly take care of my home, my family, my students, and my clients if I am sick.  That is such a no-brainer thought, but for this people-pleaser who has a hard time saying no to good things and good people, taking care of myself is often on the back burner!  So, I am drinking more water than I thought possible which is really fun trying to find time to go to the bathroom in between classes!  There is a new app I bought for my phone that reminds me to drink my water.  It is called WaterMinder.  It drives me nuts throughout the day, but I really am doing better about drinking my water.  And my hair and my skin are so thankful.

Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) (Official Music Video) from matt-redman on GodTube.

10.  I could listen to Matt Redman's, "10,000 Reasons" song 10,000 times a day and probably still tear up every time.  I adore this song....and don't we all have at least 10,0000 reasons to bless the Lord?!

Tinkerbell

 

Happy Monday! I will make this post short and sweet. I am living off of an hour and a half sleep mixed with strong coffee and hoping I can make it through the day at school. Although, it is now mid morning and I am already craving my pink fluffy robe, my pillow, and a fire in the fireplace. Ahhh!

Our Bichon, Tinkerbell has been having issues for a while. She started panting before summer but acted normal so we just assumed it was age related (in dog years she is over a century old). Right after Christmas, she decided that her days and nights were mixed up and began whining and panting all night long. We took her to the vet twice and discovered she might be having back pain. For the past three weeks, we have been giving her a "treat" to help with her back pain and she has made it pretty well. The light returned in her eyes again and we were relieved.

Saturday night was a different story! She decided to pant and cry and scratch the gate all night long. She even tried climbing the gate (she has never done that).  We would let her outside (she didn't want to come back in and looked like she was a zombie out there), made sure she had food and water in her room if she needed it, and still she would not sleep. Finally, when it was warm enough, we let her outside so that we could sleep.  As soon as we dozed off, the phone rang!

We received a phone call from the bank that my credit card number was stolen and did I approve of the three charges our bank was showing. I am so very thankful they called us on an early Sunday morning. Needless to say, I will have a new card this week! OIY!

Meanwhile, Tinkerbell paced all day long outside. I'm not sure she ever stopped to rest. Thinking she would be worn out, we settled in last night for a much needed good night's rest! Sadly, she whined and panted all night long! Even putting her in bed with us, she would sleep 15 minutes at a time and only when my hand was on her head. Needless to say, we are calling the vet again today. It's pitiful to see her like this and we are all exhausted!

A Generation Photo Session {A Sneak Peek}

What a special honor to take pictures of generations together! Their love for each other was so evident and Papaw beamed from ear to ear!

Look at him with his Great Grandsons and Great Granddaughter!

And this little guy is so precious in his grandpa's blanket. Can you tell he is smiling at his mommy?

Valentine Mini Sessions!!!

There are only 4 spots remaining!

Photography for Your Walls

What a blessing to be a photographer! I am so thankful for this wonderful adventure with the Lord. I am blessed to meet the most amazing clients, who often become friends. What a joy to watch their children grow up. I know that there are many photographers to choose from, so I am always over-the-moon excited when clients choose me! There are so many things that I love about this gift from the Lord, but one of the fun things is helping clients decorate their walls with beautiful pictures of their loved ones from our photography sessions. I nearly cry every time a client sends me an image of their finished walls or when I walk into their beautiful homes and see images adorning their walls from our sessions. {I'm choked up just typing those words}. The joy that fills this heart of mine is indescribable. Those images are captured memories to treasure for years and years. And as a photographer, I want your heart to sing every time you see your images on your walls. I know this first hand! I have a large canvas on my living room wall of my beautiful girls; it's the image that actually started my photography business. I literally smile every time that I walk past it! This image of my girls is four years old....before braces for Hannah, Rachel with shorter hair, before college, and I could go on and on. I absolutely love this image and it catches my eye ever time I am in my Living Room. Next to the large canvas, I have my entry way table with pictures of my girls. The images are 8x10s and 4x6s. I love these images too but I don't notice them every time I walk into my Living Room. These images are beautiful on my console table but certainly don't deliver the wow factor that the large print delivers.

Our minds are trained to think that 8x10s are perfect for our walls, when in fact they are better suited for desk prints. We are comfortable with 8x10s because that is familiar. But, an 8x10 on our wall is going to look quite different compared to a 30x40. I know, I'm starting to sound like a salesman. And if you really know me, you know that I am not trying to be but rather I am trying to help you realize that while photography is expensive, I want you to have the WOW factor when you look at your walls. Here are a few examples to show you what I mean. Which one would you want adorning your walls?

I love this collage:

And while I love this image, I don't love it so much on this wall. It looks so tiny!

Much better, don't you agree?

I have several framed pieces in my home, but I am loving the clean edges of Canvas and Standouts, and 90% of my clients do too. Frames can be so expensive! No framing required for standouts and canvas and you never have to worry about your frame going out of style (does country blue ring a bell with anyone other than me?)

And by the way, my desk looks nothing like this one, although how nice would that be? I'll spare you the image of my desk, but my inner Martha (Stewart) feels the strong need to do some reorganizing!

Ten on Tuesday!

 

I know! Ten on Tuesday, it's been forever! So I'm going to try it...wish me luck! Ha!

1. Basketball Season is in full gear around here! In Tuesday night's game, Hannah had 12 points, a few slams, and several rebounds. Yay!!!

2. Rachel and Carly (the Corgi) are having a blast being back at college. Carly has adjusted well to being a college girl...wasn't she just a newborn puppy last week. Time flies. Ha!

3.  I am loving this new beauty sponge!  In the winter, my skin gets so dry and flakey.  Add water to the sponge and it not only makes putting on my  makeup so much easier, but my skin looks less dry.  YAY!!!  I purchased mine from Amazon but you can also get it here: 

4.  I bought a new candle for Christmas and it is so neat!  Normally, I use my Scentsy, but this candle is fabulous.  The crackling sound and the cool shape of the flame is very relaxing!  It is called a Glass Ribbonwick Candle by Woodwick Candles and you can find them by clicking here. 

5.  Speaking of candles, we have loved our fireplace.  We have had cold weather this year, not nearly as cold as you northerners, but cold nonetheless for our part of Texas.  And even though the high here was 60 Monday night, Hannah and I still lit a fire in the fireplace while we watched a little Dance Moms.

6.  Dance Moms, do you watch?  I'm really not sure why we like to watch this show, but we really do.

7.   The snowman above, is how Hannah wrapped gifts for her sister this year.  Pretty cute and totally creative!

8.  I love snowmen....just not looking like a snowman.  Ha!

9.  I hardly remember what coffee was like before my Keurig!  Can anyone relate?!  I was never really good at making coffee the old fashioned way (Just ask my Uncle Tony) so I am so thankful for a perfect cup of coffee every morning made by my Keurig.  My favorite flavors these days are Pumpkin Spice, Starbucks House Blend, and I like the Kalua.  My family thinks the last one is funny since I'm not really a "drinker."  And while there isn't any alcohol in this coffee, I like to pretend there is.   Ha!  I teach high school, remember?!

10.  I made it to 10!!!  I can't promise you will see 10 things on Tuesday every week, but I'm giving myself a gold star for today.  You get a gold star too if you made it to the end.  Yay!!!  Have a blessed day!

Princess Avery {A Sneak Peek}

Princess Avery arrived right before Christmas! What a precious gift. I shared a few of these images on my "old" blog and wanted to be sure to share a few images of her with her Gorgeous family!

Varsity 2014

After both Varsity teams won Friday night, I was excited about doing a special photo session just for them! My inspiration hit and I was excited. Hannah was sweet to text all of the girls and enlisted the help of one of the varsity boys to contact his team. If everyone could come, the Varsity Photo Shoot was on! Everyone seemed excited and all but one of the guys showed up in their red jerseys for Pizza and a Photo Shoot!

We LOVED having the teams over to our home. And Studly, the Studebaker Truck, has never had so many people ever, but I think he was smiling too. But, you can hardly even see the truck.

The Varsity Boys:

And the Varsity Girls! Do you see Hannah? She is #50! Just between us, the boys nearly took up the last bit of daylight getting their pose together. Ha! I'm thankful there was light left for the girls. AND I am so grateful that the Good Lord blessed us with only a slight breeze during the group pictures. Just thirty minutes before, the wind was howling, dust was blowing, and the gusts were up to 26 miles an hour.

I put together a little slideshow for the Athletes and thought you might enjoy seeing it too! God is so good to bless me with opportunities to do something special and fun...and from what I've heard, they enjoyed it too!