Since big brother is camera-shy again these days, Elliott has had to be such a trooper while I snap photo after photo of her.

I made her this dress a month or two ago with the intention of doing kind of a dreamy-feeling little photo session with her.  It’s been hanging in her closet ever since.  Until today.

The dress is simply a variation of my halter top tutorial.  I used leftover quilt squares from when I made her rag quilt and pieced together the skirt.  Then I added folded layers of tulle over the bodice and a little tulle ruffle at the hem.

We in North Texas are in a terrible state of drought and most everywhere you look, it’s brown.  Dead and dying vegetation doesn’t make for pretty photo backgrounds, but I managed to find a pretty green spot for her to have a little tea party.  I turned her loose and she helped herself and her friend Squishy to some tea.

Not pictured: Squishy.

Also to be noted: Squishy is a large stuffed elephant.

This child of mine doesn’t stay put for long, though.  The tea party soon ended and she was all over the place.

I am a sucker for these pretty little feet!  Long, thin, dainty and lovely.  They dance and they dance and they dance.  I love to think about all the places they’ll take her over the years.  Maybe one day they’ll be in pointe shoes.  And what will her first pair of heels look like?  What kind of shoes will she wear to her wedding?  I picture these feet grown and shoeless, pacing for hours in the middle of the night in circles around her dining room table, desperately trying to soothe a colicky baby.

Or were those my pacing feet?  And was she the baby only a few years ago?

Oh.  Oh, my baby girl.

Oh no.  Now I’m all verklempt.  Talk amongst yourselves.

So…here are my photos from Alcatraz/Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco from 2 weeks ago. Enjoy!

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I’ve had decent cameras over the years, but this birthday brought on a whole new phase for me. My amazing husband came home from ‘running errands’ a couple of days ago. He had me sit on the couch and cover my eyes. I was a bit apprehensive. Scared, even. He’s quite the practical joker, so I half-expected a pet snake, a dead mouse….a cockroach. I just didn’t know. With it being a couple days shy of my birthday, I wasn’t expecting him to lay a brand new, shiny, beautiful Canon Rebel XSi in my lap. It shocked me into tears! It was…..incredibly thoughtful and sweet and generous. I love my man. Since then, this camera has consumed my thoughts and even my dreams. I have much, much, much to learn about SLR photography, but I’ve had fun playing already.

Here are my kiddos, captured by the Rebel:

Also, I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Birthday Buddy, Diane! Everyone wish her a wonderful day!!!!!