What is it that makes a photograph stand out? It is certainly more than just correct exposure or whether or not the photographer has achieved perfect focus. Even photos that are technically “correct” can be BLAH if they are not well composed. And I’ve certainly seen plenty of photos that were not focused or exposed correctly that have still had plenty of visual appeal because of the way they were presented.
So what are some basic tips to improve your composition?
1- The rule of thirds.
Wikipedia’s describes the rule …

I’ll even take the 70 minute drive to the store…
The kids went to school today (they had a 2-hour delayed start) AND Mom, AJ and I were able to make it out to my favorite store of all time (is it sad that my favorite place to shop is a thrift store??)
About 10 minutes down the freeway we ran into this:

The traffic continued until the exit before we got off the freeway. Our 30 minute drive took us over an hour. But AJ slept and Mom and I chatted the …

I recently received a few new awards. Keep them coming, ladies. I feel so special when fellow bloggers gift me with an award. Yeah! Please read below for some things you may not know about me….and for the unique way (read: cheat!) I’m passing this award on.
This first award is from Lori at The Downs Gang. Apparently, she considers me “brilliant in content and design.” Cool! I’ll take that!
BTW–I’ve got to tell you, I’ve always thought this award looked so neat. Now I get to keep it forever on my …

Snow
Ice
Rain
Wet
Cold
School is cancelled for another day.
Stuck at home again.
That’s 5 days off school (yes, I’m counting Saturday and Sunday)….after the 2 weeks that I had sick kids at home, mind you.
The kids are thrilled. What could be better than this?
Mom and I…..well, we’re not so thrilled. We haven’t had a moment alone (oh–except for the run to the Verizon Wireless store to see why her phone was not charging. Hmm…Take the battery out, put it back in….Fixed!). I know–that sounds totally selfish, right? We live across the country from each …

Why were the early days of history called the dark ages?Because there were so many knights!

I found this picture of Twizzler while making the slide show for this Sunday’s BIG DAY. I can’t believe how much he’s grown up…..but even this morning, he was playing Star Wars with light sabers and shields. He’s 100% boy.
PS–I’m playing along with Lots To Learn (great children’s DVDs) and Twitter Moms (one of my favorite networking places to hang out), who are having a little contest. I’m also using this as my Wordful Wednesday …

AJ wouldn’t cooperate with me to get the shot that I was going for….but this will suffice. What can I say about this kid? He is my sweetheart. My baby forever. The apple of my eye.
For more Wordless Wednesday photos from other great bloggers, see 5 Minutes For Mom and MomDot and A Daily Does of Toni!

Two women who sell on Etsy have put together a very informative post on CPSIA. See their thread here, or read on….Personally, as an avid (read: addicted) thrift store shopper, I am scared to death about what this act would mean for my ability to clothe my kids. I do not buy clothes new. That is a luxury I can’t afford with 5 kids.
Content copied with permission:
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of …

You can imagine the hoorahs this morning when I checked the school district’s web page and discovered the news…..
NO SCHOOL TODAY!
So the kids got to spend another day at home with Grandma. What perfect timing! Yesterday was a teacher work day, and today was a snow day. Extra time with Grandma!
After a lazy morning, we had lunch at Burger King…
And then stomped through the snow to the movie theater. We saw “Inkheart.” I would totally recommend it for older children. Although AJ was completely fine, I wouldn’t recommend taking your …

My mom arrived yesterday for a week-long visit. We love it when Grandma comes to stay! The kids have a blast and I love having the extra adult interaction during the day (plus we always do a little fun shopping together. You see, I am a bargain shopping addict with no money right now, and it is really rough to not be able to go scouring for bargains all the time!)
The only challenge I have when Mom (or any other visitor) comes is getting the accommodations ready for her. You …

Please excuse me from my normal blog commenting rounds this week. My Mom is in town!(Don’t worry–I’ve pre-written all of my normal posts for the week, so I’ll be around here. And I can’t keep myself completely away…..)
She got here this afternoon. Just in time for a lunch trip to Chick-fil-A. The kids were all off school today (teacher work day) so it was a perfect day to pay with Grandma!
My sister and niece also joined us for the day. Look at these lovely ladies!
Favorite! Andrea and KitKat are great …