Dandelion Wishes®

Can you believe that 2010 is already upon us?  Do you, like me, wonder where the time has gone and how it is that your children are growing so fast and furiously?  Do you remember when the summer lasted forever and it seemed like ages between Christmases?  I do!  And I could just swear that I was holding my own ”babies” in my arms just a few short years ago but reality is that it was almost 10 years ago.  So, what is my point you ask?  Enjoy each and every day as if it were your last!  Take time to hug your child, your husband, your friends.  Wave at your neighbors and smile at the grocery store clerk or the stranger you pass on the street…you have no idea how one simple act like that can change a person’s day and brighten that one little moment in their lives!     

It was cold a couple days ago and my kids were due to arrive home in a couple hours.  Knowing how much they love to watch the fire burning, I thought it would be nice to build a fire in our fireplace for them as a surprise when they got home.  After 15-20 minutes, I had a nice, cozy warm fire burning.  Of course, if you ask my logical husband, he’d be the first to tell you that fireplaces are like letting all the heat in your house fly right up and out the chimney!  Humbug!  Even if that is true, there is something relaxing and warming to me about a fire in my fireplace so my dear hubby humors me…and I love him for it.  And, apparently my little Frisco agrees with me as within minutes of me starting the fire, he had perched himself up on the arm of the overstuffed chair that flanks the fireplace.  Guess that makes it four against one in favor of the fire!  

Happy New Year dear friends and family!  May God bless and prosper each of you…not only monitarily but with health and happiness in this brand new year we are embarking on.  ~  Dawn  

I don’t often share personal postings to my blog but this article touched my heart and really made me aware of a great need.  I really had NO idea of this kind of need…don’t ever hear anything about this from the news media.  We need to though!  The article is in the current issue of the Warrenton Lifestyle which is a local full color magazine that serves as a guide to living and shopping in and around the town of Warreton, Virginia and surrounding Fauquier County.  I always enjoy reading through it when I have a few minutes – a rarity but I do try! 

Anyway, when I read this article about a mom and the needs of her son and his battalion, I felt compelled to do something.  These are basic, really basic necessities that are needed here folks.  And, I for one am willing to give something up in order to get these soldiers what they need.  Maybe just give up a Starbucks treat or two this week and buy some boxers or socks or beef jerky instead?  If you are not local, why not help out with postage?  Whatever you can do, I know the soldiers pictured in this article and many others would be forever greatful.  Please just take a moment to read below…respond in whatever way you can.  All the contact info is at the bottom.  God bless you!

I hope everybody had a wonderful July 4th celebration!  We just got back last weekend from being at the beach for a week for our family vacation.  I promise to share some images from the trip soon!  

For the fourth year in a row, my family and I celebrated independence day by going to the awesome fireworks display at Great Meadows in The Plains, Virginia.  It is only a very short drive from Warrenton, VA.  They always have the very best pyrotechnic display in this area!  I look forward every year to trying to capture just a bit of this grand display…so here is this year’s best from where I parked ~ it was the perfect summer night to take in such an incredible fireworks production!  Can’t wait til next year!     

This one is my kids favorite shots… they both think it looks like a palm tree!  I swear it looks like the fireworks shot right out of the middle of the cars in the field but what really happened was my tripod broke and my camera would ever-so-slowly creep downwards and so it made it look like the fireworks were shooting out from the cars – totally weird!

This past Sunday, my daughter and I took a walk down Main Street in old town Warrenton, Virginia.  Though it was a bit chilly I could definitely feel Spring in the air.  As she walked happily along the low walls that define many of the little front yards, I was reminded of how it felt to be an eight year old child ~ so care free.  We talked about all the pretty flowers that were finally emerging after a long cold winter and we stopped to take some pictures of some of our favorites.  So I thought I’d share a few to brighten your day today!  Be blessed today! 

Okay, so I am going to do what all good mothers do…I am going to brag a bit on one of my children!  Once a week my eight year old daughter attends an art class that she started just over a year ago.  She chose to work with pastels and has steadily been honing her skills.  When I went to pick her up from class yesterday she brought home her lastest work of art that she’d been working on since just before Christmas.  She loves puppies so…  more often than not, that is her subject of choice.  Well, I just LOVED it!  I am so proud of her.  She works very hard to get her shadows and blending accurate.  So, I told her I was going to share it here on my blog like any slightly biased mom would!!  

Thanks for indulging me! 

It’s Christmas Eve! Hopefully by now all of your shopping is done and you are finishing up those last minute details. Personally, I am still trying to get some baking and wrapping done and still a little bit of decorating that my kids really enjoy! I’ll get there!

My daughter has asked me this question several times over the last week; “Mom, what do you really want for Christmas?” Without hesitation, I have replied each time, “PEACE.”  Not being satisfied with this answer, she wants to know what tangible thing I want but I keep assuring her that all I really want is “PEACE”.

Now, my daughter loves to make little beaded necklaces and bracelets and so I asked her to make me one that said PEACE on it, for Christmas.  She did and of course I think it turned out lovely.  In addition, my son made a little tissue paper covered candle holder made out of a baby food jar.  What better is there than to receive to hand made gifts by your children?

So, to all my dear friends and clients…I pray for PEACE to be in your family this Christmas season. God’s PEACE.  For it is only His PEACE that brings calm in a storm or comfort to those who are mourning the absence of a loved one.  I pray for PEACE to all the families who are struggling to make ends meet or who need jobs. I pray for PEACE for all our military families.  I pray for all the children who will not have any gifts under the tree this year…may God send them His PEACE to assure them that He loves them and that they have received the best gift they could ever receive…the baby in the manger, Jesus our Savior.

In closing, may God bless your homes with His PEACE and may you open your hearts more than ever to celebrate the birth of our Savior! Merry Christmas to all!   

If you would like to attend a Christmas Eve service but either do not have a church you regularly attend or yours is not having a service tonight, I invite you to join me at Manassas Assembly of God at 6 p.m. This is always a lovely way to help me refocus on what the Christmas celebration is all about. Come early as it is a popular service. You can visit their website for directions or more details by clicking here.

Okay, I laughed till I cried at my poor doggie in this hysterical pumpkin costume.  I could just image him saying, “Does this make me look fat?”  ROTFL!!  He did a good job in putting up with me taking his pictures!  After each “click” from the camera, he’d lay down as if to say; ”I’m done!”  Needless to say, I had to prop the poor thing back up and pose him several times, ’cause that’s just what I do!   

But, it was all worth it to have some cutie-pie shots of my precious poodle baby!  So here’s a sneak peek for you to enjoy! 

The last two weeks have been so very busy!  We got back from a family vacation to Hatteras, N.C.  Then, my kids’ birthdays were this past weekend.  In between studio sessions and editing, I peeked at some of my vacation images.  I have quite a few favorite images but this has to be one of the top five!  My dear friend joined us for a few days and her girls and my kids played themselves silly each and every day at the beach.  It was at the end of one of these days that we all took a walk to the end of our rental home’s private board walk to watch the sunset over the sound.  I snapped a few of all of the kids sitting and chatting and then some of just my friend’s two girls.  I love the way this one turned out…no need for words…just sisters enjoying the end of a long Summer day.

My family and I, as I am sure most of you did as well, celebrated the finish to our July 4th by watching fireworks.  We took the kids to Great Meadows in The Plains, VA just north of Warrenton for their Famous Fourth celebration and as soon as we got there and unpacked our picnic dinner…it started to rain!  And rain it did!  The heavens opened up and it just poured!!  There we sat, huddled under our SUV’s lift-gate and umbrellas eating KFC!  Had it not been for the company of some great friends, I think we would have called it a day!  But we made the best of the situation and I am so glad we did.  After a couple hours, the rain ceased just in time for the best fireworks display. 

So, here are a few of my photos of the awesome fireworks display…courtesy of Great Meadows, The Plains, Virginia…

 AND, the Grand Finale!! 

God bless you and your family as you finish out your holiday weekend!

This photo is for all the kids!  So, be sure to bring them to the computer and show them!

Last night at dinner we were serenaded by a couple of tree frogs “talking” to each other…for such little creatures, they sure do make a LOT of noise…ummm, reminds me of some other little creatures around my house!   Anyway, this morning when taking out the trash, I spotted one of the little guys and of course could not pass up the opportunity to take his pictures!  Just like the kids that come to the studio, I told him that we don’t say “cheese”!  And don’t you think he did a great job??  He is a good listener, just like all you children have been!  

So, without further adieu, here is Mr. Tree Frog!

After quite a bit of rain yesterday, today is a lovely spring day here in Northern VA!  I am finishing editing a recent portrait studio session but could not help but snap a quick photo of this charming little pansy at my front door!  I could tell he too was happy to see the sun – his little face looking upwards towards it!  I have to say, I feel the same way!  I love this little poem and wanted to share it…

“Hearts-Ease”  by Emily Dickinson ~ 1893

I’m a little heart’s-ease,
I don’t care for pouting skies!
If the butterfly delay
Can I, therefore, stay away?

If the coward bumble bee
In his chimney corner stay,
I, must resolute be!
Who’ll apoligize for me?

Dear, old-fashioned little flower!
Eden is old-fashioned, too!
Birds are antiquated fellows!
Heaven does not change her blue.
Nor will I, the little heart’s-ease–
Ever be induced to do!

Have a blessed day today!!!

Since my kids are off school for Easter break this week, we decided to do a couple of “fun” things.  So, off we went to a wonderful exhibit at the National Geographic building in Washington, DC.  We all had such a great time and it was great fun trying to photograph all the cool frogs and toads.  Honestly, if you love these little amphibians, then you must try to get to this exhibit.  There are probably a couple dozen different species…some much cuter than others!  So, here is just a few of my favorite froggy friends…

This past weekend was a lovely one!  Saturday brought us temps in the 60’s and it was a welcome change.  We had a special project we were working on for the studio…more on that to come in a few days! 

I am always excited to see the first of the Spring flowers pop their little heads up and this weekend brought us our first cheery little ones…I guess we were not the only ones appreciative of the warmer weather!  Stay tuned for more exciting studio news! 

I was thinking today about why it is that I enjoy working in my studio.  As many of you know, my studio is in the lower level of my home so as is the case many days, I went upstairs to get some laundry and as I walked down the hall, I glanced over at the family portraits on the wall.  I had one of those moments…no, not a senior moment, but the kind of moment when something of the past collides with the present and you realize why what you do is so important to you.  You see, the walls of my hall upstairs are adorned with “My Family”.  Not my children or my parents but my heritage, my family of the past.  I have portraits of my grandparents, great aunts & uncles, my husband’s grandparents and more.  They are in all different ages of life and I often stand in front of them and ponder what was going on in their lives at the time those images were captured?  What hardships had they endured?  What traits and characteristics have they passed down to me and my children? 

Portraits from the past help to anchor us to our present and to the future.  They give validity to where we have come from and why we are who we are…good or bad.  I know for me personally, I am truly thankful for the spiritual heritage of my family…their faith, their prayers for the generations to come.  It is humbling to think that some of those prayers are now coming to fruition.  I am blessed…truly.

 So, I thought I would “introduce” you to some of “My Family”…

When I went to bed last night it was getting a bit icy.  It was still only 25 degrees when I woke early this morning to find all of nature encapsulated in a coat of ice!  So naturally I grabbed my camera and headed out into my backyard.  I didn’t have the freedom to walk around much of my yard as I nearly landed on my tooshie within the first couple minutes of heading across my driveway.  Not wanting to hurt my camera or my delicately aging body, I snapped a few photos and headed back into the warmth of my home – quickly!

 I did manage to get a couple of shots that will give you an idea of our beautiful wintery morn…