Motivation for Monday

Ingredients: 

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of CHicken Soup

1/2 cup milk

1 cup frozen peas

1 can Swanson White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in water {drained}

2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

2 TBSP dry bread crumbs

1 tsp butter, melted

What to Do:

1. Stir soup, milk, peas, chicken, and noodles in 1 1/2-qt casserole

2. Bake @ 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Stir

3. Mix bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle on top. Bake for 5 minutes more

*This recipe comes from Swanson. You can add or substitute ingredients to you liking. 

{I served this meal with biscuits and sweet tea!}

 

   Have you ever gotten into a recipe rut? You have this list of meals that you make. After a time the list just gets stale. Not that the meals aren't good, but that you're tired of them. This has happened to me recently. 

   I have been searching for new meals to make for my family. During the football season it's necessary for me to either pre-make a meal or make a meal that will not take much time. Football season is full of events, festivities, and schedules. Having a meal ready for my man when he comes home from a long day at work is not something that happens every night, but I do try. It really helps to have recipes that are easy to make and that have only a handful of ingredients to prepare.

   My man is all about protein. Canned tuna, chicken, and salmon are a must. I buy Swanson Chunk Chicken Breast in water. The note on the can "Recipes on the inside label" caught my eye, so I ripped it off and found this recipe for Chicken & Noodle Casserole. My family enjoyed it. The boys ate it and wanted more. It was easy to make. The ingredients are few. So, I'd like to share it with you. If you decide to try it or have tried it already please come back and leave me a comment to let me know how your family liked it. Happy Monday!

In the Spirit of giving I found this verse to share with you today:

I Peter 4:9 {NLT} - Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

Motivation for Monday

I know, I know. It's Wednesday not Monday. Better late than never, right? :)

Lately, I've been really thinking alot about:
1. sequential photography
2. evaluating my images more
3. editing less
4. still wondering what in the world is a successful photographer?

1. Sequential Photography- I have been loving taking photos in series, especially with my boys. You could tell alot about the environment and the situation with a few sequential shots. I took these {above} of John this summer. I enjoy photographs that tell a story or that portray a mood or a characteristic of someone. With sequential photography you don't have to wonder what happened before or after. These are definitely going in the baby book :)

2. Evaluating my images more- When I shoot a session I will periodically go through the shots to be certain that I captured the image correctly. I check for quick details like facial expressions and slight movements. I delete images from my camera even before I download them to my computer. When I download the images I do more deleting if necessary. I am finding that I take less pictures during a session now than before. I think that is an accomplishment.


"Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow." ~ Imogen Cunningham

3. Editing less- I've got into my groove with the editing. I am more selective with my images now. Color and black & white images are what I show my clients. Selective coloring is totally out now {sorry for those who still use it}. I love vintage colored photos, but unless a client specifically asks for it I don't it. I have in the past, but I'm more drawn to the naturally colored and classic black & white images. Touch ups- yes...Reconstructive Surgery- no! Instead of snapping a shot and saying, "oh, I'll edit that later." I will fix it right then in the session so that I don't have to do alot of post processing. More time with my family- yes!!

4. Still wondering what in the world is a successful photographer- Not sure where to start on this one. Is it how many facebook likes I have on my page? Is it how many people follow me on twitter or pinterest? {No, I think that is similar to a popularity contest.} Is it how much business I have during the year? Clients constantly calling? Is it marketing right?  I could seriously go on and on. I get stuck though on the popularity thing. Maybe it's a childhood hang up. Just as I was allowing my mind and my thoughts to mull this over the Lord reminded me of a verse. What is true? or rather WHO is true? the Lord answered, "I AM!"

Psalm 33:4 ~ For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. {emphasis mine}. 


I can still remember where I was when the Lord told me {in my spirit, not out loud} that He was going to use me through my photography. I was sitting at my dining room table listening to a Beth Moore study, Esther. I have to remember and hold fast to truths and the words that the Lord gives to me. Trusting in facebook likes, twitter followings, and comments that will only fulfill for a mil-a-second are nothing compared to the lasting truth of God. He favors the faithful, He blesses the faithful. 

Giveaway!

Hello and Happy Monday!
I am very excited to announce my very first giveaway: Thank Goodness for Giveaways! The season to celebrate giving is upon us. So, I thought that this would be the perfect time to introduce some of my very talented friends. First check out the goodies, then scroll down for the giveaway guidelines.

Silly Goose etsy and facebook {gobble gobble long sleeved shirt}

Color Me Sassy facebook {any design and your choice of long sleeved or short sleeved shirt}

Shawna Doriot BLOG {16x20 painting on canvas board "Overwhelmed by the Light of the Moon"}

The Pink Panda facebook {one dozen Pink Panda sugar cookies}

Sassy Girl Originals facebook {all 3 headbands- sizes: (2) 3-6 mos & (1) 6-12 mos}

One winner gets it all, plus a fine art print from Karrie Drake Photography.

Giveaway will be closed Sunday, October 30th @ 8pm EST.
Giveaway Winner will be announced and contacted Tuesday, November 1st!

Thank Goodness for Giveaways! Guidelines:

1. Please "like" Color Me Sassy, The Pink Panda, Sassy Girl Originals, and Karrie Drake Photography on facebook. {All the links you need are listed above}

2. Please "join" the group for Silly Goose.

3. Please visit Shawna Doriot's BLOG and leave her a comment.

4. Leave a comment for each vendor thanking them for their participation and tell them that Karrie sent you :)

5. Come back here and leave me one comment that you completed all of the above. You can leave an anonymous comment but please leave your name. Please also list your email address so that we can get  in contact with you. {For privacy purposes when the Giveaway is closed I will delete your email address}.

Again, Thank Goodness for Giveaways! will be closed Sunday, October 30th @ 8pm EST.
The Giveaway Winner will be announced and contacted Tuesday, November 1st!
Thank you for stopping by. Please share with your friends!
Good Luck! 

The Giveaway is now closed!

Motivation for Monday

Good Morning! I hope y'all had a nice weekend with your family & friends. I sure did. Aside from little John getting sick with the sniffles and a bit of a cough, our weekend was great. We were celebrating Beau's first win of the season. Go Warriors! The football season is coming to a close. One more home game left. I feel like the little engine that could. I think I can. I think I can. {I only say this because we love having Daddy home}. Above is a pick of the boys' sandy feet. The weather last week was so beautiful. We went to the beach twice in our sweatpants to play in the sand. We had the whole beach to ourselves. It was lovely!

I was flipping through my Bible this morning. Do you ever do that? Flip through the pages and want the Word that you need for the day to jump out at you. Anyway, I was flipping the pages of the New Testament paying close attention to the dates. You see, I write in my Bible. I also underline and date of my findings. I do this because I want to remember where I was. When I remember what I've gone through in my past, it helps me to also recognize how God worked in me & through the situation. The verse that got my attention this morning was I Corinthians 16:13,14 ~ Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave and strong. Your every action must be done with love. This verse was stared, underlined, and dated {10/20/10}. Almost a year to the day. I wanted to really remember this one. Only my husband and very close friends know where I was spiritually a year ago. Heck, my husband was right there with me going through the same thing simultaneously. It was happening to us, to our family. We were being attacked by the enemy. I have to remember that being alert, standing firm in my faith, being brave and strong, and especially acting in love is something that is not only beneficial to me, but also to my husband and my sons. They watch me, how I act, how I respond to stress, how I spend my time. I have found that sometimes it's not just what we go through, but how we go through it. Our children will learn from watching us. They'll respond to life's difficulties similarly to how we've showed them. We are their model for everything. This is no small duty.

I started Motivation for Monday to share my faith and a little piece of my personal journey with you. Now, I don't think that I am better or holier than anyone else. Please forgive me if ever you read something that sounded preachy or condemning. That is not my intent. This is my story. The Lord has called me to share what He is teaching me and what He has done in my life. I didn't come up with Motivation for Monday on my own. This is the Lord's idea that He breathed into my heart. Sharing my story, encouraging others, and praying for others is just something that I desire to do for the glory of God.
I hope your Monday is a blessed one!

Personal

I love the fall! The cool weather and the turning of the leaves are a refreshing change I enjoy.

Lately, I've been thinking about "what has been" and "what is now". Looking back a year ago, I am thankful that God is faithful. He delivered and provided in many ways. There is no doubt that the way He delivered and provided are both a blessing and unexpected {i.e., not what I would've thought or imagined}. I love that about Him. He is able to surprise us, to absolutely delight us with the plans He has for us.

Ephesians 3:20 ~ Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

I love North Carolina. I have so many fond memories of family vacations from when I was about 9 years old.  I saw snow for the first time in the mountains of North Carolina. This is also where my man is from. Julian was born here. In the back of my mind, I knew we would find ourselves back in NC at some point. It is so surreal to ponder the past. Some places, things, experiences seem like a dream. I can remember certain instances that I've prayed, "Lord, please allow me to always remember this moment." All of those moments involve time spent with my husband and time with my boys when they were infants or when we just had a touching mommy-son moment. All I know is: I don't want to miss a thing. Not a blessing, not an experience. No, I don't want to miss anything the Lord has planned for me to see, hear, share, capture, learn, teach, or to love. 

David & Amanda

I am so excited about this session. Meet David & Amanda. David is a long time friend of my husband. They played college ball together. When we all get to hang out together it is a blast, laughs galore and a few of "huh?" looks exchanged between me & Amanda. There stories about football and various other adventures are engaging. Plus, well, Beau & David have their own language. lol. Just kidding :)
Anyway, I am so thankful for this couple. When I met Amanda I was thrilled to find that we share a love for festivals. So we planned to meet at the MumFest in New Bern. Amanda mentioned that she wanted to have some pics taken sometime during the holiday season. When the date for MumFest got closer, I suggested that we take pics there. D & A were down. Yay! Beau & I lived in New Bern about 3 yrs. What a beautiful little historic town. The homes are well preserved, the downtown district is filled with fun eateries and unique storefronts. The bonus? The Tryon Palace Gardens were opened to the public yesterday. So lovely! Being Saturday, it was quite packed full of people, but in between pics we enjoyed the stroll down the streets and the festival food. Um, can you say funnel cakes. Delicious! One of things I absolutely love about David & Amanda is that they are real people who aren't afraid to be themselves. This session with D & A  confirmed my adoration of candid shots. Capturing the fun and love between a couple is such a blessing. So, thank you David & Amanda for a great day of fun and pics in the sun! Love you guys {Hugs}!

What He Desires

Isaiah 55:10 and 11

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The farmers have come around to harvest the cotton. It seems like just last month the fields were green with cotton leaves and now only remnants of white cotton balls tumble in the road as I drive by.  It is amazing to me that cotton is a plant. Something that is grown from the earth is woven and dyed and sewn for our bodies to wear. Amazing.
God thought of everything when He created the earth. He knew all that we'd need. Living out here in the country has opened my eyes to things that I didn't even consider when I lived in the city. God has a purpose for every season in our lives. I am so thankful that He is showing Himself to me in this way. The Lord desires for me to grow closer to Him, for all of us to grow closer to Him. The Lord promises that His word will accomplish His desire and achieve His purpose. I love that He has a plan for me, for my marriage, for our family. We can trust Him. He is a loving God, more loving than we can possibly imagine.