Masq



As some of you might know (If you DON'T know, I think we need to have a talk) that I'm a pretty big Phantom of the Opera phangirl. Since reading the book, I have loved all things Cloak, Mask, Masquerade, Opera, and othersuchnonsense. Sadly, I have never been able to get my own mask as of yet. I've been eyeing a few on Etsy, but they were still pititfully out of my price range. Well, my mom went mall shopping (By herself! She is getting to be a big girl! ;-) Luv you mum ♥) and she texted me this picture of a wall. full. of. masks. Jetser masks, Half Masks, Mardi Gras masks, Feather masks, Ornate masks, if it was a mask, they had it.

Naturally, I got on my knees and begged for her to get me one.  After much laughter on her side, and teasing, also on her side, and tears and heart felt pleas, all from me,  she said she would. Then she asked the fatal question, "Which do you want?"

".............Uhm.....well....That pink one with all the feathers, no, the bird mask! no, its to gaudy, get the half mask! Wait...that white one is pretty, and would go well with the dress I'm making...But, THE BIRD MASK IS SO ASSASSINS CREED DOCTOR! But, then again, it is way to gaudy...and that pink one...I love it!! BUT THE WHITE ONE!!!"

Finally, I just asked her to surprise me. As, if I would be there for the next 100 years, still going back and forth. All that would be left would be a skelaton, holding an out of date iphone, and creaking to itself which mask it wanted. My remains would be a mystery for future generations.

So, I waited rather inpateintly for her to get back, and then when she did, I fairly snatched the Earth☻Bound (That was the company name) hideous yellow bag away, and peeked inside.

She had gotten me the most prettiest, dazzlingest mask on the face of the Earth. As you can see from the above pictures, its white (The mentioned white one, BTW) with sparkles, and a ridiculusly amazing amount of feather poofyness. I hardly took it off for the rest of the evening. I even did the kitchen in it.  

And then, right before Bed, I paitned around my eyes black, and put my mask on over it, which I think has a very mysterious, and pretty affect. (The bottom row of pics, the far left and far right ones are with the makeup). But...Without the mask, I looked like a Ghoul. Shall you see?

My little sister refused to let me hold her, and One of my instagram followers said I looked like a "Totally different person". Makeup artist in the making? XD

Anyway. I now own a Masquerade mask. I now own THE BEST masquerade mask. I am now going to wear it to walmart someday.

Yep. Yep. Yeppo.

Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade.
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!

Flash of mauve.
Splash of puce.
Fool and king.
Ghoul and goose.
Green and black.
Queen and priest.
Trace of rouge.
Face of beast.
Faces.

{{Focus}}

From the moment I took my first half way decent (Ok...it eas less then half way decent. It was practically a Child's shaky image) photo, I knew I wanted to keep taking pictures. I loved it. The click of the camera, the cold, metal feeling in my hands that somehow radiated happy warmth, the Frozen image that pulled you into time travel. I wanted to keep doing that, simply skipping through the world, taking imagery.

 On my 13th birthday, my parents got me my first 'real' camera, a Canon G10 (named Camryn). And I decided to get good enough at the art to take portraits. I will admit, when I am simply given a very expensive gift, I mentally decide to make it up to the giver somehow. My parents (not meanly, they tought that was the direction I wanted...and I did to) started steering me into professional portrait photography.

I thought I wanted to get into photographing people professionally. After all, if you are going to be big in the photographer world, you have to do that, right? Olin Mills didn't get huge by taking pictures of dandelions. 

Slowly, I started realizing something...I began to hate photography. My camera was put up on a shelf, I had to make myself take any pictures at all. For someone who used to love doing it, it struck me as odd. I did a bunch of heart searching, and came out with, I wasn't doing what made me happy.  I wanted to dance and take pictures of Flowers, Butterflies, and hidden things. Not people.  Yeah, taking pictures of my siblings made me happy, but the few photoshoots I had, they made me feel empty, and stressed. And I didn't enjoy them in the least. And my photos weren't lying. They were getting worse, and worse...and worse. They had no heart, no 'umph' behind them.

Yet, even though I knew the reason why I was growing to dislike even picking up my camera, I didn't change the path I was on. "Mama and Daddy are so proud of me, and they really want me to do this. They bought the camera for me, I don't want to disappoint them" I reasoned.   Sometimes I could urge the slightest bit of passion into doing my craft, but most of the time, I just felt dead to it. I really didn't want to, but a strange sense that I had to kept me coming back to it grudgingly.

Last night, however, I decided to bring it to Mama. As I laid it all at her feet, the way I felt, what I really wanted, everything, she asked, "What do you really love doing?" I replied, "Photography, Writing, and singing". She simply nodded, and said, "What is making you dislike photography, however?".  I told her that it was having to do a genre I didn't like. My heart just wasn't in people photographing unless it was random. I told her I didn't want to do it, and she interupted me with some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard:
"Then Don't".

I started crying then, I bthought she wanted me to do this, and come to find out, she really didn't care. She had gotten me the camera since I loved photography, not becuase she wanted me to be good at it (Well, she is proud I'm decent in that art...lol), not because she wanted me to get famous and popular, and make buckets, and rival Olin Mills and Sears.

You guys might think it nonsense and silly that I cried, but honestly, it was so freeing hearing her say that. Like I had this big, massive chain keeping me down, and when she said that, it dropped off.  I was so light and happy. In fact, all I wanted to do was take pictures, and dance, and sing, and be happy.

I've got my focus straightened out. Which, is ironic, as a photographer, having the picture in focus is really important, yet, I didn't have my picture in focus. But I'm all tack sharp, and all the noise is removed from my image (Photographer talk). 

Will I still take pictures of people? Yeah, I don't mind doing it family/friend settings, and if someone out right asks me to take their pictures, I'll gladly do it. I wont be broadcasting my name, and advertising, however. I'm not searching for that sort of business.

And I'm a lot happier.

Thats what really matters, isn't It?

A Hobby isn't a hobby unless you enjoy it.

Happy dance

I guest posted for someone!! Check IT out!!

It is about books.  Yes, you know me. lol

The Alice in Wonderland giveaway

Another giveaway!!!  Hear ye, all Alice In Wonderland fans! 

Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
~Alice~

 So do I.  ☻

Ok, so, today, I am giving away a lovely White Rabbit Necklace!

How's this for muchness?

~Alice~

It is all thanks to Alice In SugarLand, a wonderful Etsy shop!

I really do love that hat.

~Cheshire Cat~

A few of her items include 

Aren't they dear?

Ok, so, here is the rules!!

!MANDATORY!

You must follow my blog.

Say so in one comment.

!EXTRA!

1- Heart Alice In Sugarland if you have an Etsy, (1 comment)

2- Heart your favorite item, and tell us what it is. (1 comment)

3- Have you ever watched the 2010 Alice in Wonderland? What are your thoughts? Tell us in (1 comment)

4- What is your favorite Movie Quote? (1 comment)

5- Blog about this, including the item's picture. (2 comments)

6- Do you consider yourself an Alice of Sorts? Answer in (1 comment.)

So there it is, my newest giveaway!

{Happy clap}.

 

 

I really DO love that hat.

~Cheshire Cat~

 

FairFarren for now!

Ashley.

 

THE winner!

The winner to THIS giveaway hosted by the one and only me, sponsored by HeavenSentCrafts, well, I'm here to tell you who the lucky winner is!!

It is comment #3.......

Should I force you to look it up?



NAH.

She said, " The Coke Heart Necklace was my fav".



CONGRATS MADDIE!!!  Her blog is HERE.

Please email your mailing info to me at:  BloggerdanceATgmailDOTcom.

Thank you all who entered, my next giveaway will be put up somewhere in the first week of August.  Which is soon.  Goodness, time has flown SO quickly!

Hint to the next one?  Alice in Wonderland!!

 My most favorite character on the 'new' 2010 version.  I think I like Sherlock Holmes and The Hatter nearly the same amount.

 I am continually screaming, "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!"

I want a pocket watch on a chain.


Well, thats all for now folks!  I hope to do a real bloggy post about VBS before the sun sets....lets hope.

Ashley.

P.S  Shiloh is doing GREAT!!

Home is where she is.

Shiloh is home.  Finally.   She had her final Doctor's appointment today, and they say all is well, and we need to just keep her out in the sun a lot.  {Dances}.  I can't say thank-you enough!  All the prayers, they just can't be replaced!

so, this is what I give all 80 of you!

{{HUG}}

If I could give each of you guys a personal hug, I would. But sadly, I can't I hope you just understand my deep gratitude!

Shiloh is home. All is well in the world.  :-)

Something {VERY} new here!

Shiloh May H.  My sweet, little sister.

Sweet little girl,
Heaven  on earth.
Innocence sweet,
Love here you meet.
Oh, how blessed are we
How hath God ever gifted us so?

May love to you flow,
Always should happiness come and sadness go.
Yes, Sweet little Shiloh, you do we love.

I'd heard of making a poem using the first letters of a person's name to start a new line, and I figured I'd do it for my Angel Princess.

Noe for pictures of my Lady herself:

Isn't she the sweetest?  Now we top out at 6 girls and 3 boys.  Poor guys, they're kinda out numbered!

Yesterday, the day started out as usual. We had plans to go to Tallahassee, and were actually going to get belly pics (me as photographer) of Mama and the baby.  We were gathering a few odd and end props when Mama started having some trouble, Long story short, Daddy rushed her to the ambulance station, since the hospital he wanted her at was a drive away.  Later we asked Daddy how fast he drove, and his response was- well....maybe I'll not tell.  But, anyway. Mama was being driven there and a friend picked all of us up.  Before the friend got there, Me and my 3 younger sisters (the 4th couldn't yet understand what was happening) had a good bawl and pray party.  Even my tough 13 YO brother was shaken up (now he is going to kill me if he finds out about this).  Anyway, after spending a day with those WONDERFUL friends ({Wink} Joanna...Caleb may be excused from this compliment. He is weird. Just joking!), Mama and Daddy called, saying all was fine, it was just the beginning of labor.  Well, they picked us up, and were headed home (Mama preferred having her Midwife, not the Dr's at the hospital to the 'duty' and we didn't quite know how soon, they had said it could be that night, or a week.  It was rather early for her to be going into labor anyway).  We weren't even home yet when Mama asked Daddy to call the midwife.  She was sure it was about time.   Us older 3 cleaned up, and got to waiting. Zeb (11 yo old) fell asleep right before the midwife and her trainee got there.  Me, Evan and Shauna waited up.  It is always special to hear that first baby cry, how mad it sounds.  But sadly, I didn't get to hear this one.  Mama said she didn't cry, just squeaked.  It was before 12 PM when Mama was headed towards the ER, and Shiloh was born somewhere between 9:30 and 10 PM.  My Little Lady girl.  She sleeps and eats like a champ! And she is the most photogenic baby I have ever seen! 

Now we are nine.
Me.

 Evan.

 Zeb.

Shauna.

 Kyla.

Annaruth.

Ruby {Bitsy}.

Titus.

And now, Little Miss Shiloh!

AH!!!!!! {Wild happy, lunatic scream}

Hows THAT for happy giveaway? huh?

Happy happy JOY JOY!!

Blogger, I love you.  Blogger, don't EVER EVER go off for so long again.  It was so sad.  But now you're back, now I don't have to worry.  {Hugs Computer}.  I ♥WUVS♥ you!

My two most favorite animated movies.  ♥


Welcome Back blogger!  ☻

:That's a lot of hair"

I watched TANGLED last night.  Did I LOVE it? Way YES!!!

I came pretty close to crying, again, in an animated movie.  Disney just showed SO much emotion in this one!!

 I used (meaning before I watched the movie) that it was tragic that Rapunzel's hair turned brown....but I feel differently now.  I dunno why...it just, UGH! can't explain myself.  Oh well. Hopefully you know how I feel.

Rapunzel's hair was BEYOND awesome!!!!!!!    Wouldn't EVERY girl just go crazy to have hair like that? 

 Flynn. So very much different from Disney's other 'Prince Charmings' that you just HAVE to love'im, right?

Mother Gothel.  I like Bad guys, and they are usually more interesting then the good ones, but when you watch the movie, you just despise her so much. KWIM?

I just loved it.  And DO plan on re-watching it.  Yup.  No doubt about it!

♥♥♥

 Oh, and isn't Pascal SO cute?!?!?

My friend is awesome. Period.

I met Joanna only a few months ago.  I hadn't met her IRL yet,  but we met via email.  We worked on a magazine that she had started (with others, of course!).

When we got to FINALLY meet, I was so happy!

My birthday was on the 11th, as I said earlier.  Can you guess what my awesome friend got me? 




Well? can you?

♥♥♥♥

Joanna bought this for me!!!!

She saw I had liked it, and bought it for me!!

I own something from Flukestore!!!

Jo is on the left, with Caleb, her incredible crazy (LITTLE) brother on the right.

Yes, My friend is awesome.♥ awesome. ♥Awesome.♥ Incredible.♥ Sweet.♥ Fun.♥ awesome♥. Did I say that already? I'll just say it again. AWESOME!

If you don't have a friend like I do, I pity you. 

♥I own something from Flukestore!♥