Montana in Portland

I'm leaving on a jet plane this morning to throw myself into the mayhem that is Hannah Montana Mania.

To be truthful, I don't think I could tell you one song she sings but even still, I'm shooting photos of VIP receptions (pre-concert, post-concert festivities) and so I will be spending 5 nights in the next 10 days or so amongst mobs of screaming tweens and something tells me after 5 concerts I will not only recognize her songs, I just might be able to sing them word for word. Gulp. I promise to report back with details when it's all said and done.

Is anyone out there going to any of the concerts?? I know that getting tickets was next to impossible (I do follow currents events) but I'm eager to hear if anybody is going.

Anyway, I won't be back in time to wish you all a Happy Halloween so I'm doing it now. And just so you know, I pulled off the elephant costume without a hitch. I think I've outdone myself! I promise to post photos as soon as I take them. And I expect the same from you. Take lots of photos of your little goblins.

Trick or Treat!

A Theme a Mama Would Love

This week's Thursday Theme has been inspire by a new photo contest (another contest-hooray!). Sheri and Amy at Mamazine are hosting a contest for Mamas called Mama Focus. This one is a little different than most mama contests as the call is for photos that have YOU, the Mama, as the main subject of the image.

Being queen of the self-portrait, I found the idea irresistible and therefore wanted a piece of the contest pie so I will be a co-host and a judge for the contest along with Sheri and Amy. I knew you all would be totally into rising to the contest challenge so I wanted to give you a heads up.

Here are all the details-

The Mama Focus contest is sponsored by mamazine.com, Picture This , and The Little Zygote That Could. The contest starts Thursday, November 1, 2007, and ends Friday, November 30, 2007. Winners will be announced Friday, December 7, 2007.

How to Enter

• Upload the highest possible quality image of your picture to the photo pool for the Mama Focus Contest Flickr group. You will have to join the group, and then follow Flickr's instructions for posting a picture to a photo pool.

• In the description field, enter: 1) your name (and the photographer's name, if it's not you) and 2) one sentence about why you chose the picture. Whoops, I think I used 2 sentences on my example.

The Rules

All photos entered will be evaluated by three judges: Tracey Clark of Picture This, Sheri Reed of The Little Zygote That Could, today is pretty, and mamazine.com, and Amy Anderson, also of mamazine.com. Tracey is the professional photographer/mom behind Picture This; however, Sheri and Amy are not trained in photography or artistic presentation or composition. Overall, we aim to select the photos that strike us most for whatever reason.

• MAMA-FOCUSED ENTRIES ONLY! Please do not enter photos of your kids. Kids can be depicted in the photos; however, the mama should be the main focus of the photograph.

• Limit of TWO submissions per person.

• Each entrant is only eligible for a single award.

• The entrant does not need to have taken the photo, but the photographer's name must be given and he or she must be aware of the submission.

• NOTE: Photos thought to be outside of the above criteria may be removed from consideration without the entrant being notified.

The Grand Prize

The grand prize, graciously donated by SONY, is a SONY DSC-W55 Cybershot Digital Still Camera (black) (valued on Amazon.com at $182.95). The grand prize winner and the first, second, and third place runner ups will each have their photos displayed in the "mama likes" blog for one month and then eternally in its archives. I will also post them all on Picture This.

You heard right girls, there's a camera up for grabs! Yahoo!

So, this weeks theme is of course MAMA. Whether or not the photo you post on Thursday is the one you'll enter in the contest is up to you. I just thought it would be fun to get those creative juices flowing!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Well, not exactly chicken dinner but definitely a winner.

Queen Ashlea of Just Amother Day is the winner of The Disney Princess Enchanted Tales. She's got a couple of princesses and a few Prince Charmings under her roof so I'm sure it'll get some viewing.

Congrats Ashlea and I swear I didn't pick you because you have an Elephant costume. But, had I known that sooner, I would have made you ship it to me to use. Darn it!

But never fear, round two of the Princess DVD giveaway will happen AFTER Halloween so you have another chance to win because I know there will be more princess photos to come. Right?

Pretty Princess Please

OK, Halloween is a week away. I've never been a huge fan of the holiday but since I've had my girls, I've gotten a little more into it. Unfortunately, I have set a precedent of making my costumes. You all know that I am a crafty gal but since I don't know how to sew, I have to get reeeeeally crafty when it comes to making costumes. I take lots of shortcuts, use glue, handstiching and take lots of time to get the desired effect. It's fun sometimes but always exhausting.

Last year was the first time I let my oldest buy her costume. I'm sure you remember as I wrote about it a lot.  It forced me to make the well needed break from my inner Martha. So, the whole new me was all ready to buy costumes this year. Let's hear it for easy! So far, it's worked for my oldest who has already picked out and bought her dead bride costume or as she's renamed it, "Bloody Mary"(excuse me while I throw up). But what about the 4-year-old? I was just anticipating her to choose one of her many Princess Dress Up clothes and I was happy about it. No, I'm not the biggest princess fan in the world but when she dresses up as one, I melt. It's a little much when she goes on to list all of the boys she knows as potential husbands. Yes, she does that. She's 4. Excuse me while I throw up again. This was all fine and good until she decided to choose and Elephant instead. AN ELEPHANT?

I'm a bit embarrassed to even admit I'm complaining about her "thinking outside the glamor". Any other year I would have beamed with pride that "MY daughter doesn't want to be a princess like everyone else. She is far more creative than that." Instead I have been wracking my brain at how I'm not only going to pull off an elephant but how I'm going to find the time to do it.

I'll bet most of your girls are going to dress up in the most easy costume there is, aren't they? I'll bet most of your youngsters are going to be princesses, right? Let's hear it...let's SEE it...rub it in that you've all got it easy while I'm over here trying to figure out how to make a detachable trunk for my child's nose. Go ahead Kristen, tell me all about how you're just going to put the fair and lovely Q in her Snow White costume, easy peasy, and call it a Halloween.

And here's the crowning jewel...If you share your stories and/or links to your photos with us in the comments here, you will be entered into the drawing to receive the new Disney Princess DVD Enchanted Tales. You heard me right. This is a giveaway ladies! If you don't already have the disc trust me, your daughter will get swept away in all it's Princess grandeur. I know mine did.

Comment away if you'd like the DVD. You have until midnight Thursday to leave your story or link. Winners will be announced on Friday. 

Are Wii Stars?

So, I came up with the theme this week solely on account of my inspiration photo and I had no idea what I would post today. But, as it always seems to, the prefect photo came along. Actually, it's more than a photo...it's a tear sheet of a Nintendo Wii ad that will be in some of the top women's magazines nation wide in mid November. Including Oprah! Aaaaaah!

Here we are, The Clark Family in full action mode, playing the Wii. And you all know how I feel about the Wii! Mii loves it! And so does the whole family. Obviously, I didn't take this photo but dang, if we're going to be STARS, I might as well feature it on my blog, right??

What shiny bright photo would you like to share?

The Happiest Walk on Earth

Last week my family and I had the opportunity to attend a Parent Blogger Reception at the happiest place on earth. Yep. And considering the yummy food, the sweets, the kid's crafts and the chance to experience Disney's Halloweentime, we were pretty happy.

For the family, the fun was just being there but for me, it was that I got to be there with a bunch of other mom bloggers like Kirsten, Mandy, Elaine and Y ! I love when that happens and I will tell you, it doesn't happen nearly enough. We had a ball hanging with Mickey and Minnie and dancing with Belle and Chip and Dale. Maria Bailey of Blue Suit Mom and newbaby.com fame (among like a gazillion other amazing achievements) hosted the event in conjunction with Disney. Thanks Maria for inviting us! It was great.

After we gorged ourselves we got to attend the Halloweentime extravaganza at California Adventure. We WALKED

and trick or treated

and WALKED some more. We danced...

and WALKED again. When is was all said and done we were all pretty tired. Happy but tired.

Where did you WALK this week?

Ahoy!

Is it just me or does the mere thought of Talk Like a Pirate Day crack anyone else up? I got a little reminder about the newest holiday in me inbox a la AlphaMom. Whew. Imagine if I would have forgotten?

And while you're over there...

Shiver me timbers! Does anyone recognize this Mom?

Hee hee.

Note-this interview was done over a year ago (which is why my hair is so short) but I will say, I still couldn't live without my baby monitor. And I don't even have a baby anymore. Go figure.

Tuesday's Take a Look

Wait until you see what Snapfish is up to this week. So cool!

I think some of the themes of their America at Home photo project are perfect for us photo moms. So, what are you waiting for?? Get to submitting.

Putting the Fun in Monday

Well, it's Monday and both of my girls are now in school. All day. It feels amazing. I have been waiting for this day for a long time...the day I reclaim my life. For a few hours anyway. I will actually now have almost a full work day to get my work done in. Crazy, isn't it?

My vision? To get my work done during work hours (OK, and a little time for Yoga) so that in the evenings (when I usually am pounding away on the keyboard under some sort of deadline) I can do other, more self-nurturing things. Like reading, crafting, relaxing. It sounds so wonderful, it makes me want to cry. Anyway, with the creative nudges from blogs like Melody's latest blog Wrapped Emotions, MamaSaysOm, flickr groups like this one, and Magpie Girl's Creativity Challenges there's no telling what might happen.

My husband was out of town this weekend so I stayed up until the wee hours playing. And I came up with this.

 

My Playful Best Shot for today may just be the beginning of a new artistic phase for me. I am giddy with the possibilities. See what a little taste of freedom can do for a mom?

What inspired you this week?

A Not So Random Theme

DesignMom is having one of her fabulous Random Givaways again. Dang, those things are amazing! Anyway, this one is extra special because the lovely items she is offering up are near and dear to my heart...literally. P.S. Did I tell you I met DesignMom at BlogHer and she is totally amazing? In case you wanted to know.

Pop over and leave a comment and you too will be in the drawing to win one of these gorgeous pieces of Blue Poppy Jewelry. And since the one I covet (because it's one I yet to have for my very own) is the Three Wishes Necklace, our theme this week is THREE.

Good luck in the drawing (you are going to enter aren't you?) and also in shooting for this week's theme.