I took so many pictures last weekend that I could be editing forever, but since I promised pictures, I figured I'd better just pick a few, get 'em done, and get 'em on here.  Do you think that someone might need to start a 12-step program for photography addicts?  My nephew got so sick of me at one point that he threw a shoe at me.  And guess what?  I have a photo of him doing it!  Also, while having boys say "stinky farts" works really well to get them to smile (see the Payne Kids gallery), having them say "my dad wears pink panties" works even better.  Feel free to use this tip!



Oh and just in case you're wondering (and I know you are!), there actually ARE the right number of candles on my dad's birthday cakes.  I won't tell you how old he is, but it DID take three people to light the candles. 

I bought CS2! 

Apparently, visiting family in Texas is conducive to finding great deals on ebay.  Or maybe it's my brother's computer helping me find good deals.  Either way, I'm excited.  I've been using Photoshop Elements 5, and I love it, but I was really needing to upgrade with something with more power.  And I've also been dying to use some actions, which Elements doesn't really support.  Even though my business is really new, I'm trying to use practices that will streamline everything for me.  I figure that if I start doing that in the early stages, by the time I'm really busy it will all be old-hat.

I know CS3 is out, and CS4 is coming really soon, but CS2 is perfect for my needs (and budget)right now.  And I can always upgrade later.

In the photo-front, I've been taking lots of pictures here in Texas, so stay tuned.  I'll have them up as soon as I get back to Bham.

Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Weekend.  I'm off to go to a Renaissance Festival with my mom.  WooHoo men in tight pants! 

Going to the river is one of my son's most favorite things to do.  He loves swimming, and isn't even scared of those monsters that live under the water.  You may think that those kinds of things are only in scary movies, but I know different!  Yes, I'm a big chicken.  So what of it?!

My baby leaves next weekend to spend the summer with his grandparents in Texas, so this was our last fun weekend together for a while.  If you saw me on the street and asked why he goes to Texas every summer, I'd probably claim that he likes his grandpa's cows and being waited on by his grandma, but I think the real reason he's going is to get away from my camera.   

Doo Dah Day is probably one of Birmingham's best places to people-watch.  Today was no exception.  We saw dogs in bikinis and Mardi Gras beads, dogs dyed pink, big giant Bull Mastiffs and little tiny mini poodles.  I don't think there's a breed in the AKC that we didn't see today.

Some favorites:

I'm so excited to have my own website.  Please check back often for the latest on me, my photography, and all the other things I'm dying to share!