Check out this Giveaway

Just a fabulous year-end celebration to check out. Working on a new blog that I hope will be up soon.

Amanda Buechler Photography Year-end Giveaway

Gone with the Wind

This weeks I Heart Faces challenge is wind. I had quite a few shots from windy days, but these of Red and a fleeting love she met at the park one day are some favorites. This little boy followed Red everywhere she went. He was very obviously smitten and she very obviously was not. By the end of the day, however, they were fast friends.

Little kids have the ability to see the world and others through rose colored glasses. Funny thing is, while they make fast best friends, those friends made at places like the park are usually "Gone with the Wind" once the day is over.

This shot was taken on a slightly windy day and the breeze is blowing through Red's hair as her new friend admires her necklace.

Springtime in the Country

This past weekend, Red, Bee and I traveled to the small town where I spent my teen years for a very special birthday. Before coming home, we stopped by to visit with my friend, Sue, at her farm. The girls had a ball playing with the dogs, chasing kitties and just enjoying the peace and quiet of the country.

One of the things that is not allowed in most subdivisions of the suburbs are clotheslines. I remember as a child visiting Missouri from our home in California; how I used to think they were so old-fashioned and it meant that people didn't have the luxury of an indoor washer and dryer. Now, when I see clothes on a line, I'm still reminded of that err in my thinking as a child, along with a simpler time and way of life. In the Midwest, you truly know spring has sprung when you take a drive just a bit out of the city and see clothes on a line. It always reminds me to slow down and enjoy some of the most basic things in life, like fresh air and sunshine. As a suburban dweller, I always wish that I could have one of those magical lines, so that my sheets would smell like those my great-grandmother used to put on the old antique bed she had on her sleeping porch. I loved to sleep on that porch. For me, that was as close to camping as I ever needed to be. It was heaven on Earth laying there with a cool breeze blowing over me listening to the sounds of spring as they faded into summer.

This shot was taken at sunset which gave me some great sun flares (I especially love the large red one over the grass). To add some interest and make it feel a bit more vintage (like my childhood), I did a bit of post-processing and texture.

Me and My Shadow

A week or so ago, one of my peeps told me she dreamed that I had won a "I Heart Faces" photo contest. So, when I saw that this week's contest was all about shadows, how could I resist.

This picture is from a trip to a local sprayground a couple of summers ago. Red was really just discovering her shadow and was fascinated at how it was her constant companion. This is a capture of her studying the dark image that looks just like her without color.

A Fishy Little Story

It all has to start somewhere, so why not with a contest. My entry is the newest member of our house, a fish named Kitten. He was named by Red (aka Ainsleigh Jayne) and is supposed to be her school mascot. She goes to a pre-school focused on the fine art plus the fundamentals and I totally expected this guy to get a much fancier name than Kitten, but who am I to argue with a very opinionated three-year-old? It's probably not the best picture in the world, but it's one of those faces that in all honesty, you can't help but love.

I've decided that fish, like hummingbirds, are a photographers test in patience. They hang around waiting for food until you get out the camera and then zip, they are 101 places at once. I used a macro to capture Kitten with just natural light boosted by some under cabinet lights. Post-processed by adding some texture.

The Shiner - 21 Months (20 Nov 2008)

The Flight of Time - Various (22 Feb 2007, 2008, 2009)

A Child's Laughter

One of a kind this cheerful sound
A child's laughter wherever it's found
From the giggling of a baby in a playpen
To the laughter of a toddler again and again

A child's laughter can bring a smile
To one who hasn't done so in such a long while
I know because that one was me
Until my daughter's laugh set mine free

A child's laughter so gleeful and pure
An innocence adults miss for sure
Laughter that can bring back the past
And memories of a youth that flew by so fast

A child's laughter can bring out the best
Of most any man when he's depressed
Cause his spirit that's fall to soar
Until at last he laughs once more

Harry J. Couchon Jr

Ainsleigh celebrated her second birthday (officially) today. It's kind of a bittersweet moment for a mother. It's so much fun to watch her grow and learn new things, but so sad when I look at her and see she's really not a baby anymore. She had a very full weekend with a party and then a special lunch at Macaroni Grill today where they sang "Happy Birthday" to her in Italian, complete with candles on the ice cream. I think the sugar high might possibly last for at least a week.

Her outfits the past two years have been done by Cammie of My Little Fairytales. Her work is amazing and her outfits are always so unique and colorful. Always fit for a Princess, even though the Princess usually has her crown off five minutes after the first kid arrives.

Watching My Funny Valentine Grow (11 M, 23 M) - Feb. 2008/2009

Baby Breakfast - 23 Months (12 Feb 2009)

A picture of Ainsleigh's favorite breakfast, doesn't it look pretty yummy?

Speaking of pretty, she wasn't too happy about posing for pictures today, but I took them anyway. Paired up Portabello Pixie with Matilda Jane and Loves Me Not for a pre-VDay lunch with her grammy.

It's All About the MOO... - 23 Months (9 February 2009)

N!

I see the moon
and the moon sees me
The moon sees the somebody I'd like to see.
God bless the moon
and God bless me
God bless the somebody I'd like to see!

Ainsleigh has fallen in love with Mr. Moon. She found him one night peaking through the skylight in our room and ever since has been fascinated. Red looks up for him every chance she gets and when she finds him, she waves hello. My story to her was about the man in the moon and how he watches over her while sleeps--she is still trying to understand that he is rarely a daytime visitor. What's the moon have to do with the picture? Nothing except for I caught her sleeping with her hat pulled over her eyes, I can only guess she was tired from all the moon watching. When I went to snap the picture what should appear...well you see it above. And it's been awhile since we have seen Red's other favorite Moo--the simply wonderful cow hat.

Wee Pears - 23 Months (27 January 2009)

Click on Thumbnails Above to See Larger Images

Ainsleigh loves bananas. She obviously gets the love from her father because I don't like anything about them. I'm kind of the same way about pears, however, I like the smell of pear and don't really mind the taste, I just don't care for the texture of the fruit itself. When we go to the grocery store, Red always says, 'nanna' cause she wants to cruise the fruit--it's all 'nannas' or 'apples' in her world at the moment. Recently, we found these adorable little Red Anjou Pears. I say adorable, cause for one I'm a certified packaging junkie (if it's shiny I will buy it type of thing) and hands down this has to be the cutest piece of fruit I've ever seen. I picked some up and the next day gave one to Red as an afternoon snack. She took a bite and said "yummmmmm". It's the perfect thing for a toddler cause it's just the right size to hold in their hands and pears are soft enough that they can actually get through the skin pretty easily. So here are some pics of Ainsleigh in her Lime Green Velmas from Matilda Jane which matched the green of the fruit almost perfectly watching TV and enjoying her wee fruit.

Jeepers Creepers - 6 Months (10 Sept 2007)

Well, I hope it's understandable why it was hard to pick just one of these photos for posting. Every time I come across these photos in iPhoto, I literally laugh out loud. If you are wondering about the outfit, it was a summer favorite, Gymboree top that had a hat to match and Ralph Lauren skooter. For cloth diaper lovers, those are Mutts.

Missing the Quiet Moments - 7 Months (2 Aug 2007)

Little Babushka - 22 Months (16 Jan 2009)

We have really only had one day with snow so far this winter that was what I would call "playable" meaning temperatures and all other weather conditions didn't leave you frozen as a Popcsicle. This hat is from The Gap and it says size 2-3 years. Um, well, it fits on my head. Anyway, Little Red wore this one day when we took her Grammy to a doctor's appointment and Grammy fell in love with the hat and said we MUST have a picture of her in this hat--voila'. With the way this hat is sized, I'm guessing we might be able to get a picture of her in it on a snow day when she's 40 as well! If you are one of my Facebook friends, you have seen more pics from this day, but it's late and I just wanted to get back into posting cause it's been awhile. Maybe if everyone is lucky, you will get to see more "snow" at a later date.

Holiday Hands - 20 Months (20 Nov 2008)

Tagged, We Were It - 17 Months (31 Jul 2008)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle..Eat Grocery Sacks!, originally uploaded by WickedOne.

We were tagged by my friend, Dani, to do a Flickr Meme on page 6 of my Flickr account. Of course since all the pictures taken these days are of Little Red, guess what was on page six?

One day after doing the one kind of shopping that I actually hate, A decided to have some fun. When you are a child, there is nothing better to play with than empty boxes, crinkly snack bags, empty beer bottles (just kidding we use those as snazzy candle holders for holiday centerpieces--dontcha wanna come to my house for turkey?), and grocery sacks. Silly me, I wasted time actually buying food when all I had to do was grab some bags and serve em up!!

I know I said no politics on the baby's photoblog, but if you haven't already, grab yourself some reusable bags. I've gotten tons of them for free and just picked up some more freebies last week. Now if I can just remember to put them back in the car, we will be all set to save the planet.

Last order of business before I head to bed, tagging. I hereby tag Kristine, Brent, Sonya, Jane, and another Christine (payback for feeding the fabric addiction--hehe). Oh, if you don't have a page six in Flickr, any favorite photo will do.

Dirty Basement Door - 18 Months (23 Aug 2008)

Fingerprints
~Author Unknown~

Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small
And leave my little fingerprints on furniture and walls.

But everyday I'm growing and soon will be so tall
That all these little fingerprints will be difficult to recall.

So here's a little handprint that you can put away
So you will know how my fingers looked on this special day.

I actually just came across this handprint recently when I was putting something away in the basement. It was from a day that Ainsleigh made her first attempt at fingerpainting. It's just one of those things you have to capture on film before it's erased by time and a paint job.

Tying One On at the Art Fair - 18 Months (21 Sept 2008)

Click on Thumbnails Above to See Larger Images

A yearly rite of passage here in Kansas City is the Plaza Art Fair. For all the things about Misery that I dislike, the Plaza is one thing that I love. It's a beautiful outdoor space that not only offers great shopping, but beautiful architecture, fountains, good food, and fantastic people and canine watching. The star of the art fair this year, besides Ainsleigh Jayne, of course, was this fabulous dress by Bethany Peterson. What lady wouldn't love to twirl in something so lovingly made, soulful, unique, and just downright pretty. For little A the day was made complete with her very first balloon animal bracelet, a purple elephant.

Hands at Rest - 2 Months (21 Apr 2007)

What a Difference a Year Makes - 8 Months (11 Nov 2007)