Best Picture Day Ever!

On March 25 Isabella and I went to Sears for her one year photos. She woke up having a good day and I knew this had to be it, we must leave the house RIGHT NOW and hope for good pics. Our last trip was in November with Abby and Jen Dalsin, and it didn't go so smoothly. I now fear being peed on every time we venture to Sears.

We dressed her in a beautiful outfit that she will also wear to Nick's grad. It's a bit big now, but it was still cute. We went walk-in and were lucky enough to get a time only 45 minutes away. So we went to the food court for lunch. We shared a plate of Chinese food and watched kids play on the indoor carousel. Both of which Belle found very intriquing.

We've had this photographer many times and she gets the best smiles from Belle. She popped her head out of the room to say they were about 10 minutes behind and Belle immediately recognized her. She started beaming.

That beaming did not stop. The photographer had some great poses and props picked out and in seriously ten minutes we had 9 picture perfect poses of her. Three backgrounds, some of her standing, some lying, some sitting, and we even got the coveted NAKED picture done.

Now, at Sears I am very frugal with my photo money. I much prefer the candid shots for my scrapbook to the posed and so it takes a lot for me to spend more than my $7.99 coupon. But today was such a day. I am not joking. I spent a whopping $200.00, (giving up my April scrapbooking day in St. Albert), and I cannot wait for the pics.

Part of the expense was that I got a high resolution CD of the session with a copyright waiver. Meaning I can print as many of the photos as I want anywhere I want and it's legal. I'm so excited for what I will do with those for my scrapbook!

The pictures will be picked up on April 11 and I will post all the poses for you to see. Then I'll mail out the pics and if you don't get one, it's not because I don't like you, it's because I didn't know you wanted one! But now I can print pics until the cows come home, so let me know and I'll send you one. Or if I send you a pose and you'd like another, I can do that.

I love good picture days.

Once a month when I mail off our monthly payment on our leather furniture I wonder if it was worth it to purchase said furniture O.A.C.

Then we have days like yesterday. Isabella reached my glass of Ice Tea (aka the stickiest drink around), and poured in on the sofa before I caught her. Then she ate a cookie sitting like a good calm girl. Upon finishing the cookie with sufficient goop all over her hands and face she then decided to steam roll her way off the couch leaving a trail.

And then her tummy must have disagreed with the lasagna she ate because the Mount St. Helen's eruption that came from her diaper and up to my shoulders and down the side of the couch left quite the mess to clean up.

But each time I just grabbed my trusty rag and dish soap and wiped it down a few times. No stain removers, no making sure to dab instead of rub. None of the fuss of material.

And that's when I know it's worth it.

The Cake.

For Belle's first birthday I wanted to continue in the family tradition of 3-D cakes. Everyone who ate this cake was very impressed with it. It's true that it does have 3 dimensions and you can tell it's a bear.

It took a lot more work than I thought it would, and in my quest to do everything EXACTLY as the directions said to, I underfilled the pan a bit. Hence the droppyness. He kind of had to lean in a bit due to the empty spot right under his heavy head.

Belle loved the cake, especially the chocolate icing. So I think we can consider it a hit!