I THINK this is exciting...my FIRST GIVE-AWAY!!!

EDIT!! FIRST before I tell you about the Give Away...I want to THANK Cassity from the ultra FAB site Remodelaholics.com for featuring our budget KITCHEN renovation.  She is SO sweet and her site is a WEALTH of information so check it out here if you like REMODELAHOLICS

Yup! You heard me right.  Whimages is having it's first give away EVER.  The other day I started thinking about opening an Etsy store.  I thought, "Self, you can open an Etsy store.  You've got all those pretty photo files filling up your hard drive, why don't you let some other people enjoy them too!"  and I thought that I might be onto something!  So we (Matt and I) started the process.  There are no prints IN the store yet, but I do have a rudimentary "storefront" if you want to check it out...it's http://www.whimages.etsy.com/ . 

In the spirit of SPRING and renewal and all good things happening, it's GIVE AWAY TIME!  Here's how it's going to work folks:  You are going to get 3 chances to win.  The first is you have to become a follower or BE a follower and make a comment here about that.  THEN, you also can have another chance of winning by telling me which one of these prints (I'm going to show you in a moment) that you WOULD choose if you were to WIN!  You are going to tell me by leaving ANOTHER comment with the print name.  These are some of the VERY same photos that are going to be in the Whimages Etsy store.  I'm sneakily trying to figure out what type of prints people like.  Pretty sneaky, huh? Third chance to win, post a link on your blog linking back to this post telling about the contest.  THEN leave me another comment saying you did that and a link to your blog.  WIN WIN situation eveyone, right? Okay, so you KNOW you are going to win a print but WAIT there's MORE! (Did I sound like an infomercial there for a second? Good. I thought so.) 
The print will be professionally printed on matte paper and will either be a 6x6 framed in a black FLOATING frame (that's the kind where the wall color shows through AS the mat...I LOVE those.  OR it will be a 8x10 in a black frame, it depends on the photo and you are just going to have to trust my judement here everyone.  Some photos totally lend themselves to squares...it just depends.  I have 2 black floating 6 x 6 photos framed in my black and white photo collage in my family room.  Either one will be fabulous!  All of these prints will be available in color or black and white even if I don't show it that way, so if you choose one that's not shown in BW but you WANT BW,  or you want COLOR, tell me in the comment.  THERE WILL BE MANY MORE in the store but it took me forever to load these onto this page and it got all wonky because of the sizes and my template and stuff...so really check the store early next week.  AND if you mention this post and order by April 25, you'll get 15% off! ;-)


Let's break this down and get rid of the confusion.  If you want to win, this is what you do:
1.  BECOME a Follower over there ----- to the right or you can be one already.
2.  Post a COMMENT ON THIS POST about being a follower (thank you in advance!)
AND for another chance to win
3. Check out some of this photo goodness (I'm not patting myself on the back, some are taken by my father!)
4. LEAVE a COMMENT ON THIS POST telling me which photo you would choose.
5. POST on your blog a link to this post and then leave a comment with a link to your blog telling me you did!
THAT'S it!  EASY PEASY~!
THEN I'm going to use that ultra cool random number generator to pick the winner!  My kids really want me to put all your names in a hat, but that's not going to happen.  I've been dying to use that random number generator like all the cool bloggers.  Now is my chance. ;-)
YOU have till Sunday, March 28 at midnight to enter.  That's a whole lotta time, so tell your friends!

Okay, here we go, they'll be smaller but you can click on them to see it bigger and of course you won't have a copyright on yours...I hope you like them!

If you made it this far, I'm so proud of your endurance! Check back next week, I'm going to be featuring a SUPER SWEET CUTE COTTAGE that my dear friend Tina is moving into this weekend. Tina has a FABULOUS decorating eye so you are sure to want to tune in to see what she does!

Tulips for you!

Here's a happy little image for you for a Saturday night. Today was so pretty here, I LOVe spring! I'm going to get together some links of some GREAT blogs that I've found that I think you'll love too. Or you may hate me for giving you too much inspiration. Inspiration overload is on it's way!

These Tulips were left over from Peyton's party last week. I just thought they looked so pretty against the blue sky today. Yes, it was THAT blue, no photoshop tweaking I promise!

I'm kinda sorta a little bit thinking of opening an etsy shop. Oh geez. I actually said it out loud. I really have nothing to loose. And since I'm not really shooting families or kids now because of my spinal issue, I figured I could maybe list some prints. I have some cool architectural ones and some graphic landscapes. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not but what do I have to loose?

Well, I thought I'd just pass along a happy image after yesterdays unusual post. I would actually love to go do it again and my father and I talked about it. It's something I can only do in small doses because of the ride and walking but it would be worth it!

Hey if you are interested (how could you not be?) one of the blogs I follow has a GREAT giveaway right now in her etsy shop.  CHECK it out for a chance to WIN!  FABULOUS pillows from Marley & Lockyer

A Wonderful Day

One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak. ~G.K. Chesterton

My posts here are usually light and fun, not that this one is going to throw you into the depths of contemplating existentialism, but it'a a bit different than normal.  So if you are hoping to see: some fun vintage find, a craft, a recipe, a budget decorating tip or something crazy and funny my youngest daughter or my neice has said, come back later today or tomorrow. ;-)  If you decide to stay, don't worry, my run on sentences are still here.

 I'll admit that on many days I can pull myself down into a funk that's a bit deep. Believe me, I KNOW that FUNK could be worse. It could be a trench, a well, a quarry full of sorrow. It's not. It's just a little dip, occasionally a pot hole in the road. There are mother's (fathers, families, etc) who are facing TRAGIC issues of a magnitude I can't imagine and that's what makes me step out of the hole. I remember to be thankful. Or I try to.

Today the weather here was absolutely gorgeous, I think it was the loveliest day yet this year. My father took me to a doctors appointment in Baltimore. He knows when I'm a bit funkified and today was not an exception. My father suggested that I bring my camera and he had his as well. Photography perks me up like a grande skinny vanilla latte with an extra shot. Except it works on my mood and doesn't give me the jitters. All that without setting me back $4.00. My father enjoys architectural photography and landscapes among his other muses. My style definitely runs more to little people and 4 legged friends as well as detail still lifes. Not shooting for WHIMAGES.COM is one of the things that effects me the most because of my back.

We were cruising around Baltimore because there was a building he wanted to shoot. We found the building and parked, as we were shooting the building, a group of folks ambled around the corner where we were standing. A friendly and boisterous fellow asked what we were taking photos of and my Dad explained. I turned around to acknowledge them as he was talking, and one of the gentlemen was having a seat on an old marble step outside of a building that looked abandoned. As he settled, he looked up and I caught his eye. This man's face told a thousand stories in an instant. Mr. Boisterous suggested that we may want a picture of them. I happily agreed and started shooting. Not surprisingly, Mr. Boisterous actually posed. Then the solemn looking, lone lady of the group, looked at me hopefully with beautiful eyes. I snapped a few of her as well and commented on her lovely eyes. I skipped the man on the step because he was looking a bit timid. One last gentleman volunteered but told me he was wanted by Homeland Security. Um. Okay. I snapped him too. While this is all happening, my father is making small talk with an employee of a nearby storage facility who apparently spends a bit of his lunch money everyday on a loaf of bread to feed the birds. It was VERY obvious that he DID do this everyday because the little house finches were waiting hungrily in anticipation as they hopped along a wire just above my head, making quick glances back to the self proclaimed, "Birdman". I walked over to the man on the step and asked if he too would like his photo taken. He didn't say anything and looked at me a bit reluctantly. I gently asked again and reminded him that his friends had done it (you know, useing peer pressure on the homeless works everytime). He gave me a hint of a smile and nodded. I shot 4 frames, all of them distinctive. I think this is one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. A hesitant homeless man sitting on a step eating a bag of chips.  I believe that sometimes people are put in your path for a reason. If you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you can see the silhouette of me and my Dad in his pupils. My father took me to do this because he SAW that I needed a little escape but I'm the one that walked away seeing with new eyes.

One last little bit of interest, one of the homeless people I photographed today told me that because I took a chance and asked him if he wanted his photo taken, it was possible that a thousand doors opened into infinity for me. Pretty deep stuff coming from a man who had on 3 coats on a 68 degree day. You never know who you are going to meet, what they have to say or how it will effect you. That is for sure.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we did not learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we did not learn a little, at least we did not get sick; so, let us all be thankful. ~ Buddha (I paraphrased it)

Sorry about the watermark across the photo, it has been brought to my attention that occassionally photos are being used without my permission.  Which is sorta weird to me because 99% of the photos I use on here are snapshots ;-)

St. Patty's Day, A YUMMY Recipe And A Peytonism!

Long time readers of Whimages and previously www.whimsyworks.blogspot.com will know that I periodically post something called a Peytonism. Peyton is our youngest. She's a lovely, sweet little girl (If I do say so myself. And. I. Do). She has thick chestnut brown hair and big brown eyes. The problem is that Peyton should have been born blonde. I mean absolutely no offense to all the blondes out there. I am a blonde. Well I was until I had kids and they turned my hair curly and dark but that's a story for another day. I'm also Polish so I have those 2 strikes against me. Just kidding. Kinda. Anyway, Peyton has always said the funniest things and last night was not an exception. Matt was flipping through the channels on the t.v. and little Ms. P was curled up against him. He came across an old KISS concert. Being the child of the 80's that he is, he had to watch it for a few minutes. This was KISS is full regalia...silver platform boots, silver shoulder thingys that look like football shoulder pads designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Let's not forget the MAKEUP and HAIR. Peyton is watching for a few minutes in silence, then she says: Is that the BLACK EYED PEAS?

Today is St. Patricks Day. One of my kids favorite cereals is the ever healthy LUCKY CHARMS. I have a confession to make. The kids get about half of the marshmallows that are in the box. There is something so yummy to me about those hard, stale little bright colored charms. I sneak them out of the box when no one is looking. LUCKILY, I have found a wonderful substitution. PEEPS. I can't show them to you because I ate them all. BUT, if you put a PEEP in the microwave for about 30 seconds, not only does it ASTOUND you with it's ability to blow up like me when I was pregnant with the twins but if you let it cool ALL THE WAY. It turns into bits of dried out marshmallow goodness ALMOST like the lucky charms! YUMMY! These Easter marshmallows didn't turn out quite as good but they will do in a pinch and they're pretty!
Okay, here's a NEW recipe for you. I wanted to make a couple REALLY easy things for the moms that were going to be hanging out during Peyton's party. I saw this Southwest Corn Salsa recipe on the Pioneer Woman's cooking site and thought it looked yummy. I RAN out of time to make it. (I'm soooo much slower than I think I am) so I had Cole (yes my almost 14 year old son) follow the recipe. It is DELICIOUS. REALLY! YOU MUST MAKE THIS. And it makes a ton, so it's perfect if you have two parties in a weekend to go to. Or you want to take it to the pool or something. The only thing different WE (I tasted it then added this) did was add extra cumin, salt and tri-color pepper and diced fresh cilantro. Here is the source Southwest Corn Salsa

Paper Cone Favors

I told you I'd come back and tell you a bit about Peyton's 8th birthday party. There is a slide show here but please excuse her raggamuffin hair.  When you dance around like a crazy girl to the sound of "BABY BABY BABY" by Justin Bieber, your hair tends to be a little effected.  ...and to think I spent a half hour culing that thick head of brunette goodness only to have her pop it into a messy bun!  OH WELL!   If you want to check out some other B-days, go here and click on the links.

Those little sparkly things in the photo, all over the table, are "DIAMONDS" I purchased at Pier One...they gave the perfect GLAM-EFFECT!  In the uber-fantastic magazine FLEA MARKET STYLE , they show these sweet little paper cones filled with strawberries for a summer party. Since Peyton was supposed to have an oreo cake (UMMMMmmm, the cake that's pictured in a post a few days ago didn't come out of the pan, thank GOODNESS I made cupcakes too!) and her colors for the party were pink,black and white, I figured that these cones would be PERFECT to hold mini oreos as a cute favor. I'm certainly no stranger to mod podge.  We go way back.  Like all the way to here http://www.whimsyworks.blogspot.com/ Here's how you do the paper cones:

Use a sharp craft knife and score the pages of a book that you will never use. Make sure it's an appropriate sized book and that the pages are thicker in weight (don't use a dictionary, it's too thin). I used a motivational book that my husband got at some conference. We both read that book cover to cover. NOT! Who needs motivation? :-0 You'll need a paint brush or sponge brush (mine is for doing highlights in hair...I snagged it from my sister's stash, shhhhh), decoupage medium like Mod Podge or any other and a surface that you'll be able to rinse off like a cutting board. You will also need various cups to hold your paper cups upright in until they dry. Brush the decoupage medium onto both sides, covering evenly. Then form a cone. The paper will stick onto itself but you may want to put an extra brush stroke over the edge where they over-lap. Let them dry. After they were dry, I put another quick coat on the outside just to make them a bit stiffer. The next day, I made little pink bows and then decoupaged them on as well, just to add a bit of femininity and some color. VOILA' you are done! You can now fill them with anything you want! It would be fun to make these out of some kids picture books from Goodwill or a thrift store too. They'd be so colorful and happy! You could fill with Red Swedish Fish or all kinds of GUMMI goodies.  For a bridal shower you could use an old poem book or a song book and fill with the custom m&m's that have the couples initials on them. 

The other favor was an oreo cakester (the thick cake like oreo's that come in a double pack). My mother in law and I put a lollipop stick into them (that I bought at the cake and candy store, I bought the chocolate coating there as well and sweet little lollipop bags). After the pink "chocolate" was melted, we dipped the cakesters into the melted goodness, covering up all the way to the end. You slowly drip off the excess then slowly twirl them so that they have a smooth finish. I cut holes into the empty cakester box and let the pops dry upright. After they were dry, I layed them on wax paper. I put them in the bags and tied a cool zebra print ribbon on them....Peyton loves Zebra print! Easy peasy and not expensive!   I joined TRASH TO TREASURE TUESDAY because basically that book was trash and DIY at a soft place to land!