After being “gone” for so long, I am finding out a lot of stuff happened! I recieved a fun email the other day that the wonderfully talented Sania Pell, whom I had the pleasure of photographing in London for Where Women Create, was the featured Artist in the latest issue!! Here is a sneak peek at the article I shot for the magazine. If you are not yet familiar with Sania, or the Where Women Create Magazine, I urge you to check both out!

To find out how to have one of the magazines delivered right to your door, click on  either image.

Here is Sania’s Link  http://www.saniapell.com/athomeblog/

Enjoy!!

 (me and Sasha)

61 days……………..

that’s what it has taken to find my mojo. A lot can happen in 61 days, to say the least.

You may have noticed I have been gone for awhile, maybe not. In the preceding months I have been at Children’s hospital with both of my children, at separate times. At the beginning of December, my eldest daughter came down with Epstein Bar Virus, the one that causes mono. At least that’s what we thought. She showed all the classic signs, and the EBV test came back indicating the same, however her body took the illness very harshly. While she was bed ridden fighting her illness, my youngest daughter Sasha, the one with Rett Syndrome, had scheduled Spinal Fusion Surgery. We had this scheduled for months, so timing could not have been poorer for my Lexi to need her mother too.

Sasha’s spine was at an 83 degree curve and was so bad, I was afraid she wouldn’t make it through the surgery. After a week long stay in the hospital and lots of  rehab here at home, I am glad to report that she is doing amazing. In fact, she pulled through for the family just when we needed her to.

After returning home from the hospital with Sasha, Lexi became increasingly ill. She was running a temperature of 104 degrees for more than ten days. She was having migraine headaches and her blood pressure was so low, she could barely stand up with out passing out. She was rushed to Children’s Hospital herself, to return to where her sister had just spent a week long stay. Her blood work revealed some very bad news, and they were concerned that the virus may have uncovered an even larger health issue. She spent the next 7 days having 15 viles a day of blood drawn, ultrasounds and even a Bone Marrow Biopsy.  All inconclusive.

When her fevers began to subside and her bloodwork came back better we were sent home, but with no answers. We still don’t know if this was all caused by EBV or if there is still something pending within her body. The doctors continue to follow her on a weekly basis, but for now, she is finally returning to being the healthy, happy teenager she has always been.

(Sasha and Lexi)

Needless to say, during the whole stressful time period of my children in the hospital, and concerns for their health and rehabilitation, I lost my mojo. I needed to focus on my children. I WANTED to focus on my children. It was all I could do. Even getting a shower was hard! So, today is a big step for me. In the right direction.

To Find my Mojo. It’s been missing and I want it back.

I think I am finding it. Today.

I took a shower

I need to say thank you to many. During this stressful time, I had so many people reach out to me as I posted on facebook. It really was the strength both myself , husband and my children needed to pull through these times. We all need this sort of understanding from time to time, and I am so grateful I had it, and I promise to return the favor to others when they need me.

Thank you for helping me to find my mojo……….

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Welcome!! Come and step inside my little vintage 1959 Fireball trailer, lovingly named Audree, and experience just how unexpected Christmas can be! 

I had such a fun time using the vibrant unusual color scheme for my holiday decor. I scoured flea markets and thrift stores to find vintage ornaments in hot pinks and aquas. Many came from Today’s Country Store, where they stock many unique vintage holiday pieces.

Milk glass vases make me think of snow, and they are a perfect pairing to display these wonderful vintage tin ornaments that double as flower buds in the vases.

Ephemera and a holiday corsage cover my fun bulletin board that greats guests as they come inside to visit.  

 Seasonal throw pillows in jewel tones from discount stores like Marshalls are a great inexpensive way to add more interest and a bit of a modern touch to this vintage gem.

Hot cocoa, anyone???  One of my favorite seasonal pastimes in the trailer, a steaming cuppa and a good book……

Stealing away to my private little Christmas getaway is a fabulous place to wrap presents so snooping little eyes don’ t see!

COLD BEER, alternative to hot Cocoa!! Come inside and visit, the choice is yours~

 Happy Holidays to you and yours!!! May all your days be very Audree and Bright!!!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Starting Dec 2nd you can come play and learn fun Holiday projects with Terri Brush! .. you can sign up now here,

Come and join me there, I have taken many of Terri’s class, and they are always great!

Here is just one of the 7 projects….

Here’s what Terri has to say about the classes :

you will have access to a private link to my website for  online class, there will be  7 holiday projects that are FUN to create ! with pictures and step by step instructions, including soldering lessons.. and if you don’t have a soldering iron, I will show you how to get the same look with no solder ! WOW.. we will do some fun collage, and papier mache sculpting with the end results AMAZING!.. you will have access to this for a 2 months..  ALL OF THIS FOR ONLY $39.95!!

click on this link above  to sign up ,

and class starts Dec 2nd.. with full access for  60 days !

see you then ! don’t delay, I will have a supply list of what you need to be ready for class online Nov 21st..

lets start creating together this holiday season!   Terri

I recently had the honor of taking senior portraits for a talented painter and pencil drawing artist, Hannah Souers, daughter of the jewelry artist Lisa Souers. Creating an art portrait for an artist is incredibly rewarding. That is a real background I did a painterly effect on. I love the juxtipose of the turn of the century master painting feel,  the antique props and the oh so rocker glam Doc Martens. It’s almost as if she was a modern Marie Antoinette in this photo, after a night of  magical partying! I am so glad you love how it turned out Hannah!!

Enjoy!

Walking down the center aisle, strong horse shoes clatter on the cement. Listening closely, muffled neighs came from the stalls. As we step out of the barn into the cold, cloudy night, the loud roaring of the crowd came from inside the arena. As I make my way across the gravel road, I stop to think, blocking out everything but my own thoughts. The roaring soon turned into tiny whispers like small mice in a wall. The neighing from the barn became trapped inside the individual stalls. I stopped to focus on what was about to come.
A first glance at barrel racing, one may think nothing of the sport. But if you take a deeper look, you will discover a whole new world. To the inexperienced eye, barrel racing will present only as pretty horses running around barrels. But of course, all those pretty horses are bred and raised for barrel racing; An event of speed, precision and teamwork. Barrel racing has been competed in rodeos all over the world since 1948, originally an event for woman while men were off working cattle. Barrel racing is a rodeo event where the fastest time is what matters the most. But it’s not only the horse that does the work, it’s a combination of horse and rider, a special bond that takes years of training and competing to make it to the top. In competitions, money is usually on the line. With that in mind, finding a good horse is very important to the competitors. A top of the line barrel horse can cost around $50,000. Competitors don’t just go around and buy any horse they want, they have to make sure that horse and rider work together and are able to excel in the sport.
It’s all about speed and perfect timing of your turns. The riders steer their horses as close as they can to the barrels trying to shave precious seconds off the clock. For each barrel they knock over (which happens sometimes) a 5 second penalty is added onto their total time. Leaving the barrels standing and ripping through the course is every barrel racer’s goal. For the event, the arena is cleared and three barrels are set up at different marked locations. The riders then enter the arena at full speed, quickly rounding each barrel in a cloverleaf pattern and then exiting where they entered. A stopwatch or timer is used registering down to a hundredth of a second. 13 to 14 seconds is generally a winning time in this event, but this will vary according to the size of the arena, as all rodeo arenas are not created equal.
I think to myself. Playing the situation in my head. Run in as fast as I can, spot the first barrel, get aligned at a 45 degree angle. Tapping the side of my horse with my inside leg, I keep steady with the outside rein. Inside rein up, outside leg tap, and turn. Looking to the next barrel, I switch my body position and make my horse do a quick lead change. Approaching the 2nd barrel, inside leg tap, outside rein steady. Inside rein up, outside rein, turn. One more time. Looking strait, advancing to the last barrel, same amount of leg, same amount of rein, turn. Looking home, run. Just run.
I popped back into the world, all sounds rushing back into my ears. Focused and ready. As I continue to the arena, looking forward I spot something shiny on the ground. It didn’t seem like anything special, but something good enough to check out. When I got a closer look, it appeared to be a small piece of ribbon, twinkling gold and about 8 inches in length. Dropping to my knees getting a closer look, I reach to the ground and pick it up. Thinking to myself, I walk to the side of my horse and tie it somewhat loosely onto my saddle horn, thinking that it could bring me some kind of luck. Any luck I could get was much appreciated.
I spotted the warm up arena and kept moving forward. Light beamed down on me once i stepped in, watching where I walk and dodging oncoming riders. I stop and throw the reins over my horse’s head. Running my hands down my horses warm neck, I look into her eyes, recalling everything we have been through over the years. Early mornings feeding hay, late nights practicing in the arena, summers one the farm, its been a good life for the both of us. She slowly moved both ears forward and nudged her nose into my chest. She knew we were ready. Grasping the reins and horn in one hand, other hand on the back of the saddle, slipped my left foot into the stirrup, pulled my body weight up and swung my right leg over the her back, took a deep breath, and relaxed.

After warming up for about a half an hour, I heard the announcer announce my name. My adrenaline kicks in and I’m ready to go. One of the workers came up to me and confirmed my name and walk me into the tunnel. I stopped and took a look down and noticed the ribbon I tied onto my saddle horn earlier, and smiled. Looking back up, I could barely see anything. The tunnel was nothing but darkness. Looking closer I could see the light and the open arena ahead. Hard country music blaring through the stadium, I knew it was time. The worker okay-ed me to start. I take a deep breath, look forward, and kicked. Running as fast as we could through the tunnel, light finally bursts out and my eyes locked onto the first barrel. Aimed towards the barrel, I could feel my horse’s long, eager strides. Repeating the earlier situation in my mind, leg, rein, sliding smoothly through the turn. First turn complete success. The smile comes back across my face. Second barrel ready, Repeat all the steps, and done. Another good turn. 6 seconds on the clock, ready for the last barrel. The last turn that can either make or break everything. 10 feet from the barrel, fast approaching, 5 feet, inside leg, steady outside rein. Initiating my turn, I can feel the barrel graze across my leg. Complete fear comes over me as I know almost for a fact that I am going to knock it down. I continue the process, inside rein, outside rein, and run. Still fearful, I look home. Kicking with all my force. Long strides, crossing the finish line. The crowd screams with excitement. Confused and disappointed in myself, I take one more look back at the pattern. And what I notice right then and there, the last barrel, still standing. I jump in my saddle with enthusiasm knowing that I accomplished my goal. Bending down and giving my horse a good pat on the shoulder. I can feel her long hard breaths beneath me.

Walking back towards the tunnel, I hear the announcer. “Well look what we have here. Our new leader at 13.893!” I stopped right where I was. Astounded and speechless, Great joy comes upon me. I get to the end of the tunnel and dismount my horse, threw my arms around her and giving her a big hug around her neck. I come back up and looked into her eyes and whisper, we did it.

This story was an essay my 15 year old Barrel Racing Daughter wrote for her english class.

Here she is . Now I know she has two talents, riding and writing.

I hope you enjoyed it!

then I laughed hysterically again…………………This video is named “Ed being Naughty”.

Here is the payoff. I give you “Ed being Good”.

I say no. Because it is the perfect time to make a statement. Brand yourself. Make an impression. What do your business cards say about you?

Take a look at that pile of cards you probably have somewhere in your office or kitchen. Which ones do you keep and which ones do you toss, and why?

Here are some examples of  some really awesome business cards that I have had for a long time. Why? Not just for their information, but their designs are eye catching, show stoppping pieces of mini art I can’t bear to part with.

That is the kind of business card you want to give to people.  The Keepers……

Take a close look at the fabulous typography on some of these cards as well as the great eye catching art and photography.

These next cards are graded top notch in my mind for use of color and uniqueness.  Anyone can put their name and contact info on a card, but it takes cards like these to really sell your business.

 What do your business cards say about you? I chose to do larger than standard size cards, mine are postcard dimensions, and they are also in a unique shape. This is dual purpose. One, the card is larger, thus being more interesting and harder to loose.

But also, due to the nature of my business, they allow me to showcase more of my work on the back.  Choose something that is timeless enough you aren’t constantly wanting a business card makeover, but something that really says who you are. In this case, my personal niche is women’s whimsical lifestyle photography, so these cards showcase some of my shoots and philosophy.  By showing people what I do best, they hire me not just for my technical abilities, but for my style.

Women make up a huge percentage of all sales in the United States. We are more drawn to something that is marketed to us in a beautiful way. If the same diamond ring was packaged in an unassuming black box, or a little turquoise one with a white bow, which one are you going to buy? Your card is your little gift box of your business, how do you want to wrap it?

HAVE FUN!!!!

Tiffany

The Lucky random winner of the Red House Ranch Giveaway of a $100 Gift Certificate is ………..

SHELLEY MYERS!!!

congrats Shelley!!! And Happy Shopping!!

Thank you all who entered!

Have a great weekend,

xoxo, Tiffany