I had a mini spa day with my older girls the other day.

We had facials and painted our nails. Nothing out-of-this-world exciting, but we had a ton of fun just hanging out. My son refused to take part in the nail painting and girly facials so he took our photo instead. He did a great job!

My 8-year old daughter, Amaya, did a pretty good job of painting her own nails.

She loves red nail polish just as much as I do!

My 2-year old daughter, Lana, even got in on the fun when her older sister painted her toe nails.

She’s partial to pink. What a girly-girl!

Speaking of girly-girls…

My niece, Star, is a beast on the football field.

But girly at heart.

She’s sweet, silly, animated, beautiful and kind. And today just happens to be her birthday.

Happy birthday, Star! I love and miss you so much.

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Just a reminder…

It’s not too late to enter the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Fantastic Giveaway Finale! Stop by and share your favorite autumn photos by 11:59pm CST on Wednesday, November 30th and be entered for a chance to win slew of fabulous prizes.

And as always, thank you so much for stopping by and linking up here at Live and Love Out Loud. If you’re looking for even more folks to link up with, I’d love for you to visit a few of my friends…

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Before you go…have you heard about my giveaways?

It’s an exciting time for giveaways here at Live and Love Out Loud. Here are a few giveaways going on here at Live and Love Out Loud. Click on the following images for more details and to enter to win.

Pulitzer Prize winning author and photographer, Eudora Welty, once said “A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.” Many of the photographs I take are born out of my desire to capture and preserve life’s memorable moments; to forever freeze the fleeting little snippets of joy and happiness in my world.

But I often get carried away; overwhelmed, frustrated and distracted by my need for perfection during photo shoots with my children.

I was particularly frustrated during a recent shoot with my older girls. I was determined to photograph Amaya and Alyssa laying in the grass while staring up at soft, billowy clouds on a crisp autumn day, but the elements were working against us and my daughters grew impatient with my need for perfection.

So they quit on me.

They refused to pose. They refused to smile. They threatened to walk back into the house if I didn’t allow them to have some fun.

So I gave in.

Instead of perfect, ethereal-like images of my girls laying in the grass and staring up at the clouds, I got…

Girly giggles.

Horsing around.

Laugh out loud fun.

And real, genuine, sisterly love.

Moments that I’m determined to capture and stop from running away.

These photos are nowhere near perfect. But over the course of our shoot, my daughters taught me to let go; to quit orchestrating and calculating every element of their photo sessions. They taught me to let things happen naturally and showed me that there’s incredible beauty to be found – and photographed – during those unscripted, uncalculated and unorchestrated moments.

They’ve also shown me that photography doesn’t always have to be about perfection. It’s about stopping a moment from running away and having fun in the process.

Speaking of fun… I had a blast shooting these photos with my new Tamron AF18-270mm all-in-one zoom lens. It’s extremely versatile, lightweight and produces stellar images that have rendered my kit lens obsolete. It’s also incredibly easy to use! In fact, it’s so easy to use that I handed my camera over to my daughters and let them have at it.

Talk about an unscripted moment!

My 14-year old daughter, Alyssa, shot these silly photos of me. I borrowed her costume glasses, backpack and textbook to pull off the nerdy look. It was so much fun!

My Tamron lens’ ability to zoom in and out with ease made composing these shots a cinch for Alyssa. It’s straight-forward, easy to use and not the least bit cumbersome.

And believe it or not, I even handed the camera over to my 8-year old daughter, Amaya. Wouldn’t you know…she took a fabulous shot of her older sister!

Amaya snapped this portrait while standing on a step ladder on a fairly windy day, but thanks to my lightweight Tamron lens’ amazing vibration compensation, she turned out a crisp, beautiful image!

My girls and I had so much fun shooting these photos; posing, laughing and enjoying a few unscripted moments. And I also learned an amazing lesson in the process – letting go, having fun and stopping life’s moments from running away.

Have you heard?

Tamron is giving away its AF18-270mm all-in-one lens to one lucky reader here at Live and Love Out Loud. Click on the image below for more details.

*Disclosure: Thank you once again to the wonderful folks at Tamron for providing me with a Tamron AF18-270mm all-in-one zoom lens and for sponsoring my post about capturing those fun, unscripted moments.

It’s easy to ignore the weight you’ve put on following the birth of your fourth child. And it’s easy to ignore the extra pounds you’ve acquired thanks to your poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle.

But this is certainly difficult to ignore.

This photo was a wake-up call, really. A slap in the face. A swift kick in the rear.

And all the motivation I needed to make some important changes in my life.

Like making better choices when it comes to what I put into my body. Quitting soda. Drinking more water. Eating fruits and vegetables. Taking vitamins. Keeping my body in an alkaline state. And most importantly, getting my butt off the couch and onto the treadmill.

It’s not easy. I struggle every.damn.day. But the results are worth it.

I feel good. I mean, I really feel good.

I can walk up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing. I roll out of bed each morning with less aches and pains. And I have an incredible amount of energy.

There’s no going back. My mind is set.

This is the new me.

I don’t have a detailed goal in mind. I don’t want to be a specific size. I just want to be fit, healthy and strong. I want to be the best “me” I can possibly be. And I want to treat my body the way it deserves to be treated.

This is not a diet. This is not a phase. This is my life.

And there’s no going back.

If you’re on a similar journey or looking for inspiration and support, I’d love for you to follow my Health and Fitness Pinterest Board. It’s chock full of inspirational quotes, images and healthy tips.

*Image Source: Photo credit for my eye-opening “before” image belongs to Marc Orbito of Hungry Eye Photography. Marc is a talented Hawaii-based photographer and personal friend. If you’re looking for a photographer in the state of Hawaii, I highly recommend him. Head on over to his site to get a better feel for his photography, as the featured photo is not representative of his work.

Welcome to the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Finale

The last seven weeks have been filled with colorfully inspiring images courtesy of the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. It’s been a pleasure to host and participate in this challenge each week and I’m a little sad that it’s coming to an end.

I’ve certainly enjoyed capturing and sharing the beauty of the shades of autumn with you all here at Live and Love Out Loud. More over, I’ve enjoyed going through your beautiful photos each week. They were inspiring to say the least; so many unique images poured in from around the world. I’m so honored and thankful to you all for joining Alicia, Rebecca and me in our little ol’ photo challenge each week and hope that you’ll continue to stop by and say hi from time to time.

And if you’re curious about whether or not we’ll be hosting a winter photography challenge…don’t fret. We’ve got something in the works later on this winter!

Before I share a few of my favorite images captured throughout the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge, I’d like to take a minute to thank my lovely co-hosts Rebecca of Bumbles & Light and Alicia of Project Alicia for their commitment and support over the last seven weeks. These ladies are just as sweet and kind as they appear to be on their blogs and I’m so thankful for their friendship. I can’t imagine working on another photo challenge without them.

Now without further ado, here are a few of my favorite images captured over the last seven weeks in the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge…

Green

Palatial ruins surrounded by lush, tropical beauty hidden deep within Hawaii’s rain forests.

Yellow

Small town Missouri draped in yellow, glorious yellow.

Orange

Bold, beautiful, oh-so-elusive orange and a few fabulous autumn leaf photography tips.

Red

A myriad of hues – bold, passionate, warm, understated and romantic. Red.

Purple

Beautiful purple blooms and a few hints of purple found around my home.

Brown

Horses, cows and barns…oh my! A collection of photos inspired by rural Missouri.

White

A failed attempt at capturing white-inspired photos outdoors. Instead, random bits and pieces found around the home.

And a photo of me in my wedding dress. I’m still over-the-moon excited that I can finally fit back into it again!

It’s certainly been a colorfully inspiring autumn…

Thank you, once again, for joining us in the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. It’s been a pleasure.

And now for our fabulous prizes…

A special thanks to the following sponsors for their generous prize donations. Prizes will be awarded individually and winners will be chosen at random. Here’s a breakdown of the amazing prizes we have up for grabs…

Florabella Collection

Florabella Collection is overflowing with gorgeous Photoshop and Elements actions, textures and more; a photographer’s dream. Owner, Shana Rae, is offering a $50 gift certificate to her shop!

Simplicity – My Life in Mostly Photographs

Simplicity is an inspiring hub for photographers of all skill levels; featuring personal mentoring and photography classes online from talented owner and photographer, Faith. Faith is offering up her expertise to one lucky winner by donating a seat in one of her fabulous e-classes!

Pretty Ink Designs

Pretty Ink Designs is your one-stop shop for simple and elegant custom invitations and announcements with a modern flare. Owner, Kelly, is donating a $50 gift certificate to her lovely shop!

ClickinMoms

ClickinMoms is a community of 8,000 women photographers who share a passion and commitment to honing their craft. It’s a great place for professionals and hobbyists alike to connect and learn from – and with – each other. ClickinMoms is offering a 1-year membership to their online photography forum, valued at $50!

Mist and Lilies

Mist and Lilies is a great place for photography and blog design inspiration. Owner, Shaunna, is offering a custom blog design valued at $50 to one lucky winner!

Get it Scrapped

Get it Scrapped is a fabulous resource for scrapbooking enthusiasts. Katrina Kennedy’s online holiday mini workshop, Capture Your Holidays Through the Lens, is up for grabs and valued at $24; perfect for photographers looking to capture those wonderful holiday memories!

Stylish Beach Bum

Stylish Beach Bum is your go-to shop for stylish handmade camera straps. Owner, Gina, is giving her beautiful Coronado strap valued at $29 to one lucky winner!

Designs by Life-n-Reflection

Designs by Life-n-Reflection is a fabulous resource for beautiful custom invitation, announcement and album templates. Owner, Kristy, is offering her lovely 2012 Venetian Desktop Calendar Set template, valued at $20. What a lovely gift this would make!

Rules: The linky will be open from Friday, November 25th – Wednesday, November 30th. Submit your favorite autumn photos to be entered into the drawing. Link directly to your blog post or Flickr photo, not your blog’s homepage or Flickr photostream. Link back to the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge in your post. One entry per household, please. All are welcome regardless of experience, time commitment and whether or not you’re experiencing fall at the moment.  Eight winners will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, December 2nd.

I can’t thank you enough for sharing your talent and beautiful photos with Rebecca, Alicia and me in Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. Our white theme proved to be a bit of a challenge for me personally, but you all proved once again that you could come up with amazing photos.

You never disappoint!

Here are a few of our favorite images inspired by the color white, in no particular order of course…

Submitted by: Live. Love. Travel.

Submitted by: A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll

Submitted by: Deanna Leigh Photography

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Thanks for joining Rebecca of Bumbles & Light, Alicia of Project Alicia and me in the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. We’re overwhelmed by the amazing turnout and beautiful photos that have been pouring in throughout the challenge! Don’t forget to join us for the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Finale on Friday, November 25th. We’ve got fabulous prizes up for grabs! ust stop by and share your favorite autumn photos. Anything goes! All are invited regardless of skill level or time commitment. As always, additional details and a complete list of upcoming themes can be found on our Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge page.

And don’t forget…

We still have our Shades of Autumn Flickr Group set up for you to share your photos as a community if you wish. And for our fellow Pinterest-addicted Shades of Autumn participants, our Shades of Autumn Pinterest Board is still going strong!

Rebecca, Alicia and I have been pinning away like crazy; adding our favorite entries onto the board each week. If you’re looking for some colorful inspiration, the Shades of Autumn Pinterest Board is chock full of beautifully inspiring images!

Thanks again for joining us throughout the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. We’re looking forward to seeing your favorite autumn images in our Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Finale on Friday.

And once again, thank you to our wonderful sponsors for their generous donations to The Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Finale!