Hello, dear readers! How are you today? It snowed just a tiny bit here yesterday, but there’s not much left except freezing cold weather. 😦 Don’t worry, though, I DID get some snow pictures… but that’s for another post. XD
Today I wanted to show you some of the art I’ve been doing lately!
So that’s about it! Which drawing was your favorite? What do YOU like to draw most?
*Happy sigh* I love art. ♥
***Allison***
Winter is so drab and gray and cold that it’s a challenge sometimes to find good photo opportunities. But there is ALWAYS something to take a picture of, no matter where you are. It’s a lot of fun to go out on a “treasure hunt” of sorts with your camera and see what you can find outside: blades of grass, raindrops, berries – even dead leaves or thorns can make interesting pictures!
When you look through the lens of a camera, anything is beautiful. ♥
So anyway, that’s what I did. A few days ago I was feeding the bunnies after a rain, and I noticed the raindrops all over everything… so out popped my camera! XD By now a lot of you know how much I love dewdrops and raindrops. They’re so perfectly beautiful, how can I resist? 😀
I also took some pictures the other day when we went for a nature walk. At first it seemed like there was nothing interesting around, but what did I tell you? There’s always something! 😀 (By the way, I did a similar photoshoot/”treasure hunt” thingy here.)
What do you guys like to take pictures of in the winter? (Well besides snow. Ooh, which reminds me – it’s supposed to snow a tiny bit here tomorrow!)
What was your favorite picture?
Have a warm and cozy day! ♥
***Allison***
Hi, guys! I’m back with another cuteness overload, starring the little cuties from this post. ♥ Eeeee, they’re so adorable! You may want to take a few deep breaths before you start… XD
***Allison***
Wait what? Is 2016 really over?
Yeah yeah, I know everyone says that every year. But seriously! I guess we say it because it’s true. It’s hard to believe that though the days sometimes feel endless, the years race by so fast that you barely have time to welcome in one year before the next is banging at the door. Just when you’ve recovered from that New Year’s party, it’s somehow Christmas again. Of course I’m exaggerating, but doesn’t it feel that way sometimes?
Anyway, philosophical-ish discussions won’t change the facts – and besides, the facts are good! 2016 was a wonderful, really big year for me, both in real life as well as blog life. That’s why I made this post: to review some highlights of my year and also to give you something fun to read while you’re waiting for the clock to strike midnight. 😉
Shall we begin? I’ve divided the post into “Life” and “Blog” for easier reading, and I decided to put “Life” first. Heh heh, no pun intended – but actually maybe it was intended. XD
Alrighty. Now that we’re done with the highlight reel or whatever, let’s get down to the good ol’ post reviews. 🙂 These are some of my favorite posts from 2016:
These are some of my favorite snow pictures I’ve ever taken! Especially the last one. I’m still shocked I was able to get that!
Dewdrops are one of my favorite things to photograph ever. Ahh, so pretty!
Ohhhh my goodness Casey was ADORABLE!
I think “Waiting” might be one of the best things I’ve ever written. 😀 There was no picture in the post, so you’ll just have to click here to read it. 😉
This was the post featured on Discover before my whole blog was. And thus, heh heh, it is by FAR my most popular post, if you decide that by the likes and comments. O.o
Aaaaaahh! I love our room so much! ♥ It’s changed a little bit from this post, but for the most part it’s still the same. 🙂
This post is basically a collection of some of my best photos from January-August 2016. 😀 (By the way, I’m hoping you guys didn’t have the same problem as I did: the photos weren’t showing up on this post. PANIC! I hate it when that happens, so I’m just going to hope it was just a fluke that happened to me once… right?)
Pictures from our vacation to Niagara Falls. ♥
This is one of my favorite photoshoots because it’s so unique – and we were also on top of a barn roof. 😀 Hee hee!
All I can say is AHHHHHH THEY’RE ADORABLEEEEEE!
This might come close to my “Favorite. Photoshoot. Ever.” Seriously though, it might be my favorite photography post of the year, I don’t know. I can hardly believe I didn’t edit those pictures, even though I’m the one that took the pictures! Wow, Lord, you are the “Best. Artist. Ever.” Eeeee! ♥
I love how this little black and white photography experiment turned out! October was a really good photography month for me, it appears. XD
I’m pretty pleased with how this post turned out. And I’m so, so happy you guys found it helpful! That really makes my… um… day? Well more than a day but less than a year… Hmm… XD
Ohhhh my goodness how can fall be so beautiful? Eeek!
I’m honestly kind of proud of these moon pictures, especially the last one. 😛
This sisters’ photoshoot was a lot of fun, Megan! ♥ We should really do it again sometime.
And last but not least… THE CUTEST WITTLE FLUFFBALLS!
How to Be a Ninja by Loren – this is pretty hilarious. XD
Evening Photography Whatever #2 by Loren – and this is gorgeous!
Recent Photography: Moss Forests, Maude, and Little Brothers by Clara – so pretty!
Aaaand pretty much any photography posts by Clara. XD
A Trip to the Apple Orchard by Grace – I love this lovely life/photography post.
A Barn Full of Fluff by Hayley – SO FLUFFY PLEASE HELP ME!
And guys, that’s only a teensy bit of the goodness I read this year. But unfortunately I don’t have time to list all of the wondermous posts I read, so I guess you’ll have to check out the blogs I follow and find out yourself. 😉
Okay guys, bear with me – we’re almost done! I just need to show you some of my…
Well, after all that, all I can say is THANK YOU GUYS, for the bestest blog year so far. I have loved laughing and learning with you guys so incredibly much. Blogging is such a wonderful part of my life, a part I hope to hold onto for a very, very long time. ♥
I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy end-of-the-year post, and have a lovely New Year, okay? I can’t wait to see what exciting things God has in store for me and for you guys this upcoming year. ♥♥♥
With all my love,
***Allison***
I suppose you could say this is a Christmas haul post, but for some reason I don’t like the sound of “Christmas haul.” I don’t know why, really… I kind of have weird opinions. XD Anyway, I know I have fun looking at other blogger’s posts like this, so I decided to make one myself. 🙂 But it’s not only going to be a “haul” post: I wanted to show you the gifts I made as well as the ones I received. 🙂
Are you ready? Let’s do the former first and the latter later, shall we? Wow, that was fun to say.
I guess I’ll go youngest to oldest. For Carmen, my littlest sister, I didn’t exactly make her a gift. She got an American girl doll for Christmas, because to our delight and surprise, Megan won Maddi‘s amazing giveaway which Megan entered specifically with Carmen in mind!! (And yes, Carmen loves the Maryellen doll we chose for her. ♥) So my present to Carmen was letting her use any of my AG doll things she wanted. 🙂
For my brother Jeff, Megan and I picked out this hilarious book at Books-A-Million. XD He’s always a little… hmm, how shall I put it… rowdy with our cats, with the result being they kind of hate him, ( XD ) so Megan and I thought he would get a kick out of this book – and he did:
For my sister Megan, she asked me to make her some clip-art for her blog design “business” since she prefers the computer part to the drawing part. 😉 So I put together this binder for her.
For my brother Logan and my Dad (and actually for my aunt and uncle too), I made some candied pecans using this recipe. Our whole family loves them, and I don’t make them very often, so I like to use them as gifts. They are seriously SO GOOD! And super easy too! I wrapped them up in a decorative paper cone thingy for all of them, but unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of the wrapping. 😦
For Mom, the four older kids gave her a coupon for 4 meals made by us, which she loved because she doesn’t enjoy cooking all that much. XD Annnd I didn’t get a picture of that either. 😦
For my grandparents, my siblings, my two cousins, and I drew them a calendar. Megan, Jeff, and Logan did that last year and they loved it, so we thought we’d do it again with all their grandchildren. 🙂
For my two cousins, I made them each little clinging earrings to look like their cats, Trixie and Roxy respectively. 😀
Now for the “haul” part! 😀
My parents gave me an amazing Windsor and Newton watercolor set, Pentel waterbrushes, and Arches watercolor paper! I’m sooo excited to use it all! I’ve used the watercolor set and brushes just a tiny bit so far, and I’m really happy with them. 😀 It’s especially nice to have good quality, fine tip brushes.
My aunt and uncle and cousins gave me this pretty washi tape! ♥
My grandparents gave me this handy camera bag. It’s really neat because the compartments are attached with Velcro, so you can readjust them however you like!
They also gave me… The Keeper of the Lost Cities series! YAYAYAYAY! 😀 (Well actually Megan got half and I got half.) I’ve finished the first three so far, and they’re sooo exciting! Thank you, Clara, for introducing them to us. 🙂
And they gave me this cute little blank journal for Bible journaling. (I wrote the words with my erasable gel pen – more on that later.)
My cousins gave me even more lovely watercolor paper! (The Arches pad is from my parents, and the rest are from my cousins.) It’s so nice to have good watercolor paper to work with. *Happy sigh*
These next two things are from my stocking: One is this pair of cozy Cabin socks. My friend also gave me some fuzzy socks, and I am quite pleased. 😀 I LOVE FUZZY THINGS!
The other is a couple of erasable gel pens I showed you in this post. And guess what? They really do work! It’s pretty amazing. See?
Phew, that was quite a long post, but I hope you enjoyed it! What was your favorite thing you got for Christmas? I hope you all had a wonderful Christmastime enjoying being with your family and opening gifts and thanking God for the greatest gift of all: Jesus. ♥
***Allison***
P. S. Be watching for my end-of-the-year post! I hope to schedule it for 12:00 tomorrow night. 🙂 I can’t believe it’s almost 2017!!
I hope you guys had an excellent Christmas! And I had a wonderful Christmas – thank you for asking! 😉 I can’t believe it’s already over, but we still have two Christmas parties to go to, so I guess it isn’t really…
Ahem. Onto the post. The other day Megan and Carmen and my cousin and I went sledding, and it was so much fun! But the other detail you need to know is that there was zero snow on the ground.
So, are you puzzled, bewildered, and otherwise confused? Or did the featured image give it away? Oh bother. XD
Well, there’s this pile of fluff a.k.a. cotton seeds in one of our barns, and it turns out its excellent for sledding on! It’s packable like snow, but not nearly as cold. 😉 (If you would like to learn more about the cotton pile, click here.)
There happens to be quite a large, steep pile in the barn at the moment, which is perfect for sledding.
While we were sledding I got several funny pictures and only like two great ones. We made up a bunch of different “moves” like riding backwards with your eyes closed, or going down on your stomach versus sitting up or laying down, etc. It was like a mini roller coaster ride! The one variation that was hardest to master was sitting “sidesaddle.” Everyone who tried it flipped off and crashed except for my little sister Carmen – probably because she was the lightest. XD
Have you gone sledding for real yet? Does sledding in the cotton pile look like a fun substitute?
***Allison***
P. S. I have a bunch of posts I need want to post. XD There’s a Christmas post with the gifts I made and the gifts I received, a post with a collection of some of my recent art, another post about these adorable kittens, and a year-in-review post! 😀 Which one of those are you looking forward to the most?
OH MY GOODNESS IT’S CHRISTMAS TOMORROW! How can that BE?!
I hope you guys had a great Christmas Eve! We sure did. 😀 We went to a Christmas celebration at my grandparent’s house where we ate tons of delicious food and played so many fun games. Then we visited my great grandma who sadly is in the hospital right now (nothing life-threatening though, thankfully). And after that we went home where we put on our new pajamas, made some popcorn and hot cocoa, and drove around looking at Christmas lights. So fun!
Well, I thought I’d post a little Christmas photoshoot to get you extra much in the Christmas mood. 🙂 And also because I LOVE these colored Christmas lights! Enjoy!
Ohhh I love Christmas bokeh so much. ♥♥♥ 😀 Did you have a favorite picture? My favorites were the 7th and 8th and the last two . 😀
WAIT. Before you go, I really want to show you this amazing, inspiring video Dad found last night. This girl is ten years old, and she has autism and ADHD. She also has a beautiful, beautiful voice. The article said she started singing to build her confidence at school. She sings the song “Broken Hallelujah”, but it’s a Christian version with different lyrics. I think it might be my new favorite Christmas song. ♥ Oh it’s sooo pretty! Listen for yourself:
Wasn’t that gorgeous? *Happy sigh*
Did you have a good Christmas Eve? Are you excited for Christmas? (Or did you have a good Christmas, if you’re reading this post after Sunday?)
***Allison***
P. S. My aunt who is a professional photographer came over the other day to give us our family pictures, and she helped me figure out my camera a bit more. It turns out my camera was on manual focus instead of auto focus, which was really annoying – it takes forever to focus using the focus ring, and for some reason it came that way when I bought it! Boy am I glad she fixed that for me. XD It’s weird because I knew my way around my old camera really, really well, and now I feel like a beginner again with my new dSLR. XD Oh well, it’s exciting!
My brother Jeff found a litter of barn kittens today, so I thoughtfully went down and took some pictures for you. XD Take a deep breath, guys, ’cause THESE KITTENS ARE ADORABLE! Jeff found four, but when Megan and Carmen and I went down to see them, we only found two. 😦 Oh well, they were the two fluffiest ones, so that’s good, right? YES IT IS THEY ARE SO CUTE OH MY GOODNESS THE FLUFF! Okay, I’ll stop screaming so you can see for yourself…
AHHHH! *Pant, pant* Settle down, Allison. Don’t hyperventilatEEEEEEE I JUST CAN’T HELP IT. Oops.
Was it just me, or do they seem to have that effect on people? XD
I hope you enjoyed this post, dear readers. 🙂 Merry almost Christmas! 😀
***Allison***
P. S. Do you like my new sidebar layout and profile picture? Yep, that’s one of the pictures Megan took in our sisters photoshoot, and then I edited it a bit.
Yep, yet another sunset post. XD Heh heh, I seem to have a slight obsession with sunset pictures… but that’s all good, right? Most of you don’t seem to mind my habit, which is quite good of you. Thanks. I couldn’t show you pictures of sunsets without you. XD 😉
Ahem. Let’s proceed.
I’m going to save the best for last, but that doesn’t mean this one isn’t beautiful! I loved how crystal clear this sunset was.
Okay, now for the other one. I probably say this in every sunset post, but this truly was one of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen! It was certainly one of the most vibrant – maybe THE most vibrant I’ve ever seen. I wish you could have seen it too… It was way more beautiful than this, but these pictures should give you some idea.
That’s what I love about photography: it allows you to save one scene, one little piece of life, and to keep it as long as you want. It allows you to capture joy and sadness and thousands of memories and hold them forever.
What’s your favorite thing about photography? Do you like sunsets? (If you don’t, you have a problem. XD )
***Allison***
Allison Marie 