my PROUD MOMMY moment {PMM}

Here we go.  I'm participating in a new meme for the first time today because it sure is fun to share some of the details of my day that include my daughter.

I don't have one specific experience, but I do recall a few fun things that recently came out of my daughter's mouth.
{When I came out of my bedroom on Sunday after I got ready for church} "Pretty Mommy!  Look at pretty dress!"
{While we were relaxing in my bedroom one morning} "Pretty hair, Mama."
{Completely random and out of the blue} "I love you, Mama."
{While reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear and on the page with the children} Me:  "Who's that?"  Daughter:  "Friends."
{First thing she said this morning}"Christmas Eve?"

i WANT YOU...

I'm looking for guest posters. 

Anyone interested?

Here's the catch, I want it to cover the topics I talk most about on my blog:  parent/motherhood, relationships, general observations {i.e. customer service experiences, people you see in public, etc.}, music, and photography.

I'm hoping to have at least one guest poster a month.  In January, I want to focus on relationships, so if you have any wacky relationships stories {i.e. bad first dates, bad break-ups, unforgettable moments, etc.} you'd like to share, I'm ALL EARS.

I look forward to hearing from any interested people.

INSTAGRAM wednesday: REJUVENATION

I recently redecorated my bathroom.  I was going for a spa look.  It's simple, but I love it.  I chose this photo as my first "Instagram Wednesday" post of 2012 because spas represent cleansing, recharging and rejuvenation.  And that is exactly how I intend 2012 to be for me.

Join me with INSTAGRAM wednesdays.  Link up so we can all see your photos.

<a href=”http://www.emilysthoughtblog.blogspot.com/” style=”border: none;”><img alt=”Emily’s Thought Blog” src=”http://</span> <span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;color:#262626">http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m205/eclark730/InstagramWednesdays-1.jpg” style=”width: 129px; height: 129px;”/></a>

welcome TWENTY DOZEN

Happy New Year everyone!

I have yet to meet anyone who is upset 2011 is over.  Apparently it was a rough year in general.

I'm going to spend today and tomorrow with my family before getting back to "normal."

Enjoy yourselves!

LIFE thru a LENS

One of my favorite things to do when I visit my parents' house is to browse through all the old family photo albums.  It's amazing how fun and entertaining looking at old, crazy photos really is.  As much as I despised having my picture taken constantly by my mom (I still do, actually), she is very quick to remind me that her consistency with taking pictures has been the source of much fun and laughter all these years later.

As an adult and a relatively new mom, I can appreciate my mom's persistence, and realize how important it is to document my life via lens.  So, I try to take my camera with me wherever I go because a great picture can literally be anywhere.

I definitely don't have the best camera or lens out there.  I'm not a pro at Photoshop.  I don't lack complete inspiration, and usually know a good "photo op" when I see one, but I'm by no means a professional when it comes to photography.  And, I'll admit, sometimes that makes me a bit discouraged.  

Then I heard about The PEN Ready Project.  Thanks to the good people at Olympus, over 1,000 unsuspecting people in 6 different cities were given a brand new Olympus PEN E-PM1 camera to show how easy it is for normal, everyday, non-professional people to take amazing pictures.  What's even better is you can see all the pictures that were taken here.

What a fun project!

It definitely helped me remember that it's not about being the best photographer or having the most expensive equipment, but just about taking pictures in the first place.  

After all, the most difficult thing to replace is yesterday.

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Olympus

my ROOTS...

As this year comes to a close, and we welcome 2012, I feel inclined to make some changes to my blog.  I'm working on organizing it and focuses my posts on the topics I love most:  relationships, parenting, every day observations and pictures.  In all honesty, my blog won't change too much, but I feel the more consistent it is, the more "theme-ish" it is, the better it will be.

I've also spent some time reflecting on why I began this blog to begin with.  Examining my roots, if you will.  I was inspired by this video, which is where I got my blog description, "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."  The message from this video, which is based on an address specifically written for women, is that we all have an inherit need to create.  I have felt that need before, and this blog has helped me feel more fulfilled, more creative.

I absolutely love this video and I hope you will take the time to watch it.  You have less than 2 minutes to spare, right?

I hope I can continue to invite readers to my blog and that you can learn from my experiences and that I can learn from yours.  Let's be creative together!

INSTAGRAM wednesday: CANDY CANES

Her decoration of choice this Christmas season is for sure candy canes.