Wordless Wednesday

Learning to read...

Wordless Wednesday

Anxiously awaiting my nephew...

Historic Philly

We are a good example of those who take for granted the rich history and culture we live just a short train ride away from.  Not anymore.  Over Labor Day weekend, Mike, the girls and I took the train into Philadelphia to have breakfast with Ben.  Ben who?  Why Benjamin Franklin, of course!  Through a Living Social deal I scored while in Disney World on the 4th of July, we had tickets to enjoy breakfast and stories with Ben (who looks surprisingly well for his age) at the Independence Visitor Center.  After breakfast, we got right in line to view the Liberty Bell and then we were off to tour Independence Hall.  Rounding off the visit, we had lunch at the Bourse and enjoyed a carriage ride around Historic Philly...led by our horse named Benjamin!  We can't wait to go back sometime soon to catch some things we ran out of time for, like the Constitution Center and the Betsy Ross House.  Regardless, what a great day of family fun and local history all rolled up into one!  Check out the slideshow of pics from our day in Philly below...

                             

Photo Fun Friday

After a wonderful first week of Kindergarten, Ava and her friend Kenzie celebrated with some spa time at our local Sweet & Sassy.  While I usually always have my Canon Rebel in tow for occasions like these, I must admit I forgot it at home this time.  No worries, for my iPhone served as a surprisingly great replacement!  Not only did I capture some adorable shots of the girls as they received their mini manis and pedis, but I was also able to create an awesome collage on the spot with my Diptic app!  This user friendly app has a large selection of layouts which allows you to add up to four pictures.  Loved being able to tell a story as it unfolded...plus, I could share it on Facebook before leaving the salon!  Perfect app for a perfect afternoon!

Wordless Wednesday

Back to School

No Photo Mom Blog is complete without those annual "Back to School" shots!  My girls were troopers, waking up extra early to get ready for their first day so that I could take their pictures before I needed to leave for my first day of middle school.  This year is definitely special, as Ava is starting Kindergarten wearing the same dress Jenna wore on her first day of Kindergarten three years ago...  

Ava ~ 2011

Jenna ~ 2008

*Love using the Instagram filters on my iPhone to give these shots a nostalgic look*

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I am so THAT mom dancing through the aisles of Staples in the popular back to school commercial, flinging school supplies left and right into my cart...although it is not for the reason you might think.  It has nothing to do with wanting to get my two girls back into the school routine after a long summer at home with them.  Instead, it has everything to do with my love of school supplies!  Sometimes I think one of the real reasons I became a teacher was so that I had a legitimate excuse to surround myself with the likes of colored paper clips and freshly sharpened pencils on a daily basis.  Well, that and positively impacting the lives of our youth, of course...

Earthquake 2011

Overturned Barbie car...American Girl sprawled face down on the floor...Doll house furniture thrown from their rooms...yes, this is the aftermath of the earthquake that shook PA this afternoon.  While I'd love to blame the state of our playroom on this quake, sadly I can't.  My girls just play hard...and don't clean up very well afterward.     

You Know You're a Blogger When...

Big day for Behind the Lens Mom!  Took the train into New York City yesterday with my friends Allison and Kim (both new bloggers as well) to attend the 77 Kids Style School Event hosted by our friends Colleen (Classy Mommy) and Whitney (Mommies With Style).  We lunched at a cute cafe in Chelsea and did some shopping before the event started.  At the event, there were tons of fun giveaways and activities from various sponsors to keep us entertained, from wine tasting to hair styling to photo booth pictures.  I even won a $25 gift card to Zulily for "tweeting" about their new iPhone app!  To top it all off, each guest received a Lands End backpack loaded with lots of swag!  The fun continued afterwards as we made our way down 7th Avenue to Penn Station, stopping at a couple of restaurants for dinner, dessert and drinks.  Not looking to quit my day job quite yet, but I could definitely get used to this Mommy Blogger life!


Check out some of the pics below of the event and our day in NYC... 

Colleen and I

Allison and Kim having their hair styled by Remington

Allison and I acting silly in the Children's Advil photo booth

77 Kids Style School Sponsors

Dining in NYC

Swag!



Photo Fun Friday

Everyone enjoys a good photo booth strip of pictures...and I am no exception.  I remember hopping into a booth with my husband (then boyfriend) on the Ocean City, MD boardwalk the first time I went on vacation with his family 20 years ago.  I had the opportunity to try it again a few years ago when my sister rented one for her wedding reception - such fun!  Now with the help of a cool photo app for iPhone or Android - Pocketbooth - I can take, share, and even print photo booth pictures whenever and wherever I want.  The girls and I had a blast taking the above strip of pics - tons of giggling timing the shots!

My Signature Shot

I love the "from behind" shot.  I probably have more of this type of photograph than any other in my collection.  The photo above is from our first night in Disney World, walking around Downtown Disney after making our initial souvenir purchase...Mickey Ears!  I love how Jenna has her arm around Ava, and how Ava's ears are askew.  I often find more natural emotion in these photos because my subjects have no idea I am taking their picture. 

My Favorite Subjects

I haven't always had a passion for photography. It really wasn't until I had my first daughter 8 1/2 years ago that I officially caught the bug. At that time, I didn't even own a digital camera...I was still developing film! Since then, I have moved through several digital cameras and upgraded to DSLR, while literally taking tens of thousands of photographs! Look at these faces...how could I not?!?

Behind the Lens

I take my camera everywhere. Just as some people don't leave the house without their cell phone, sunglasses, or favorite lip gloss, I rarely leave the house without my Canon Rebel. You never know when or where you are going to happen upon that perfect shot...and I don't want to miss it. I think this is why I consider myself a photographer, and not just someone who takes pictures. I constantly see moments to capture, interesting views or just plain beautiful scenery as I go through my day. This blog is a way for me to document and share what my eye sees from "behind the lens".