about that nesting thing...

I'll give you one guess as to what I've been up to the last few days...

Please check out my new website. I have chosen images for my gallery to display my photojournalistic style - the documentation of life and emotion to tell a story.

I'm using a much larger format than I have in the past, and I'm not sure how it will load for others; it's slow enough on my own computer to give me some concern, but this is what I can afford right now - a flash site is outside of our budget with another baby coming next month. I am thinking of offering a larger/smaller site splash page to let my viewers choose.

I'd really appreciate getting any feedback you may have (on site performance and/or photos - and here I must toss out a special thanks to Marguerite for her incredible email to me the other day. I SO needed that!)

(Cross-posted at my photography blog.)





(Image © Informal Moments Photography)

a more peaceful place

I think that sometimes the heart needs a quiet place, a place unclogged with responsibilities, frustrations, demands. It is here that thoughts get sorted, understanding blossoms, faith grows. In this place, the heart learns to be, and to trust, and to live in the necessary dailiness to which we are bound by time.

It is from this place that I often write, a stolen, quiet allowance out of our daytime schedule for me. Here, the thoughts rise and fall, feelings surge into prose and poetry and find vent and I add simplicity to my day as I pour it all out in words that are sometimes published, sometimes not.

My blog has not been simple lately. Three columns and pictures and text and links and colors that just aren't where I am, who I am, what I want to be. At her blog, Emily offers "a place for the soul to breathe." Ann writes away from the noise, to "create a retreat, build a still chapel."

In the crazy of this summer, as I open my heart again to a new little life, I crave simplicity. I seek out the places that share what I know, Who I know, the safe places that build and entreat and encourage as they softly challenge. I am preparing and simplifying my life; I look for a quieter place for my heart, one that doesn't present an endless list of links, the cluttered double sidebars, the constant detraction from the words I have written and loved.

As old dreams die and new dreams come that I don't yet know, it is time to make a way for a more open space, a softer landing, a simpler place to offer the rambled thoughts that make their way onto my blog.

If you have come here from my old blogsite, I am so excited that you followed me! I hope you stay for a while. I won't be blogging there any longer, so please do change any links/shortcuts you may have for me to http://www.thisrestlesheart.com/.

My next post will mark my thousandth blog post from {this} restless heart, counting (of course) the 998 posts written at my previous site. In honor of the occasion, I'll be hosting a giveaway of some sort!

See you soon!

P.S. The comment link is hiding at the top of my posts now - in the little comment balloon up at the right!

and we have a working site

After lots of prayer and medita -

Okay, okay - let's just say I've been putting in a bit of mental formulatin' on this new look for my photography site, and I took some time to put it together today! (How's THIS for color girls?)

Just a note, as I find time, I will be creating new pages for the Photography and Design links - I want to add a slideshow and link out to some wedding galleries, as well as create a more thorough collection of design examples. BUT all of the links on this site actually work (insert *high, squeaky yippee-hooray!!!!*).

Now it's back to my wedding processing so I can show you some more pictures!

a little housekeeping

So I have this idea that I would like to make enough with my creative work here that I can pay for our Internet service each month. This means that I need to make about $70 per month. So I've decided to do a little bit of housekeeping to implement a plan.
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photography stuff

I found out in my last giveaway there are actually people who would buy prints of my photos. I am open to selling prints of almost any photo that I post on this blog or on this girl, or that are found in my Daily Photo gallery.

I will start pricing as follows (cost includes shipping):

* 4x6 - $15 (2 for $25)

* 8x8 - $25 (2 for $45)

* 8x12 - $35 (2 for $60)

* other sizes will be priced on a case-by-case basis.

If you would like to order a print, please email me your request, including your preferred size, a direct link to the photo (either click into the photo or right-click and copy image location), and your mailing address.

For those interested, I am still in talks and research about calendars and cards. If you find a photo you would definitely love to have in a greeting card and want to make an order, I'm willing to price it out on a case-by-case basis.

NOTE about freebies: I love to share my photos, but my business is entirely word-of-mouth. Anyone may use my photos for a desktop background so long as you tell people who took them. You can email links to my photos around so long as you give me credit for my work and send people back here. If you want to use a photo for something, just ask - like I said, I love to share, so long as you're willing to give me credit for my work! But please DO NOT make prints without my knowledge or permission. Unless you are family or a close friend (you know who you are!), please do not use or copy any photos of me or my family.
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web design stuff

It is probably obvious that I enjoy a bit of design work once in a while, whether it's template customization or customized headers. I have pretty much run off a charge system that says, "you pay me what you think it's worth."

The problem I'm running into is that I can put a LOT of time into something that someone doesn't always think is worth very much, and while I do enjoy it, I am coming to a place that I really need to set some prices and some specific ideas of what I can and will do.

I ran across a site the other day that had a wonderful fee schedule, and I decided that I needed to work one up for myself.

So from here out, my prices for Blogger blog customizations are as follows:

(Prices include the use of one image from stockXpert or my own Daily Photo gallery. Additional graphics will be priced according to stockxpert pricing.)

Basic Package (2-3 hours' work):

* Custom header
* Installation with template color matching

Cost: $50

Examples here and here.
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Mid-Level Package (3-4 hours' work):

* Custom header
* Installation with template color matching
* Coordinating button for site promotion
* Coordinating signature option

Cost: $75

Example here.
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Full Customization Package (5-10 hours' work):

* Custom header
* Custom background and template color matching
* Horizontal Navigation Bar
* Installation
* Coordinating button promoting your site
* Coordinating signature option

Cost: $120

NOTE: a 3rd column in Blogger is an additional $15.

Examples here, here, and here.
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And let's see, on a menu, they'd call these extra elements Sides:

* Custom header design (example) - $45
* Add 3rd column to Blogger blog with template modifications - $25
* Horizontal Navigation Bar (example) - $25
* Buttons (example) - starting at $15
* Signature - $15

If you are interested in any of the above, just email me, and I will let you know about how long it will be until I get to your design. When I am ready to start work, I'll send you a Paypal invoice (I have to figure this out!). I won't begin work until I receive payment in full.
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The reason I am doing this is to keep myself accountable for my time, because it is worth something to two very important people in my life. I don't have enough of it - we never do. I pour so much of myself into what I create, it is hard to put a price on it, because I just love doing it, and I love giving of myself to others. But I need to set these boundaries for myself so that I look clearly at my schedule and my energy and make a good use of my creative time so that my family time isn't taking second place because I don't know how to say no or set some limits for myself.

I guess we could look at it this way - now you actually know what I'm giving away when I do my Weekend Giveaways!

Olives on a Monday

Yesterday's project was a quick template for a new blog friend. A quick template that didn't come quite as quickly as I hoped, but finished off beautifully nonetheless and forged a new friendship along the way!


Anne got one of my favorite headers ever for her blog, Olives on a Monday. (I constructed this header in Adobe Elements 4.0 out of this shot that I didn't really know how to use. Anne selected it for me to use on a header, so I played around a bit and fell in love!

Do stop over and check out this gal's site - she's one pretty cool gal, and her photos are so fun!

Through it All (and a bit of random)

Today, I did dishes and stew and biscuits and laundry, and I made up a blog header for a friend and mother of two who blogs about being strong through it all - military life, parenting, and everything else. Stop over and check out her blog!


And my friend Lynette sent me a terrific article about why NOT to do the 25 Things Facebook meme that I have been putting off because I don't have time to *think* of my random. I tell my friends that I'm usually not able to be shallow until I have been deep, and deep hasn't been my specialty over the last couple of weeks when I have gotten about 25 tags for the 25 things thing. I am refusing to cave at the moment. I have enough random stuff to keep me busy!

So now that I've established that, I shall note that I also did a bit of revamping on this blog today so I could post larger images and make it a bit easier to read and access.

And I was thinking a bit while doing dishes this morning and came up with some blog post ideas that I know I won't have time to flesh out, so I'll tease your imaginations and see what you think:

I think that Christians have a tendency to look at one another for what God wants. The community He gave us in one another was for encouragement, for us to share what we know of Him with each other. Sometimes, I think He gives us different convictions that challenge others' perspectives on Him. Sometimes, I think He calls us out to be alone with Him, to find Him. Sometimes, He asks us to believe something that no one else believes. Just because no one else believes is doesn't mean He doesn't want us to believe it. Too often, we set aside our faith in HIM and our pursuit of this very unsafe God for creeds and doctrinal statements and "agreement" that is really just a defining box to help us feel safe. If you clicked on that link, you'll see what community is meant to be - going together to give ourselves into His hands.

(And actually, that was more of a blog post than I intended, and I'm leaving it in one paragraph, and this is that for today!)

(Oh, and be sure and stop by my photography blog to see my photo of the day. It's nothing terribly special, but I liked it and I am too tired to go find something else.)

(And I actually have to add another parenthetical for my wonderful husband the Jeopardy whiz who came home on time tonight and made dinner for us and isn't minding my taking time here to put up a post for you. At some point, I really need to get him to blog HIS 25 things idea... Anyway, he's awesome and I'm gonna say it, and if I wanted to get romantic, I'd post a photo, but you won't see me doing that here, now will you?)

His Delight Is In Me

And for this week's fun project - here is the giveaway header, given to Ash over at His Delight is In Me. Stop over for a bigger look and an inspiring break - this girl's writing is wonderful!

And the Winner Is...

Or, shall I say, "the winners are..."




HisDelightisInMe - Ash, you said "header" twice. Please confirm your preference. I have enough trouble trying to get Piper to give me the names once she draws them without wringing your preference out of her! ;-)

and

Cheri (aka "The Mom Lady") - 8 x 10 Print from my Daily Photo Gallery

In the Wilderness, She Sings

I have a new blog title today. Did you notice? The story behind the title is up in my sidebar here. I've been finding that my heart isn't so restless as it was. I want to write about life because I'm living it now, in Him. I'm not running around looking for it. He's bringing it to me. Or me to life. I'm not sure which - or if it's both.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before now. Or perhaps I do. Perhaps I didn't want to go there. I didn't want to be her. The woman who believed that everything she had came from her own resources, when it had really come from her eternal Lover. I didn't want to be the woman who found herself hedged in by thorns, who couldn't find the path to get what she wanted. I didn't want to find myself stripped of what was life to me. I didn't want to stand naked in the valley of tears.

I want to be beautiful, to be sufficient in myself, to be something. Sometimes I want anything besides being His. That identity is more about Him than it is about me. The decrease of me that must come as He must increase. The life I must lose in order to find it. Not comfortable. And mostly insane, when you think about it from a human perspective.

The Cross wasn't a suicide, I'm finding. It wasn't even surrender, an "I give up to the enemy now." Jesus yielded Himself to His Father. Not handing victory to an enemy. He gave His life to His Father to do with it what He wanted. There was never any doubt for Him that God would return it to Him. So why would He demean Himself, allow Himself to be stripped of all the glory that God Himself had given Him?

It must have been for this:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of [Tears] as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt."

- Hosea 2:14-15

It must have been for the bad days, the days when I can't climb out of myself, the days when I can't go on living without someone to save me from the crud that I own. It must have been so that I would have hope, knowing that He would come for me, even in the muck of my mistakes.

I want to know Him so much, to know that He loves me, even though I'm not anything worth anything. Thank God He made it possible. Thank God that His love for me makes me something.

"I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD."

- Hosea 2: 19-20

Just As I Am...

Is no longer just as it was. My sister Kristen got a new look for her blog this evening. This look took me about an hour to finish, working off my stock template. The pink-striped background is my own.


Kristen is my youngest sister, number seven out of our eight-kid line-up (I'm number one, but saying that just sounds egocentric...). She's got a great heart, a passion for the Lord, a deep love of horses, and a growing love of photography. Good Lord, I just realized she's going to be sixteen this year.

I think I shall feel old now.

Happy Blogs

Sometimes, it's just nice to be able to post that I finished something, and I finished two somethings in the last few hours!

I've been working on a template for a couple of months for my dear, dear friend April, and we finally came up with one over Christmas that worked for her! Hopefully she'll post now so I can go over and read what she has to say!



And of course, I must show off the free custom header that Christy won in my weekend give-away! (She got a bit more of a makeover than we planned - I had to revamp an old template of mine so we could install the header!)



NOTE: Both of these gals' headers are totally mine - my photography, my design. The background on "April's Post-It's" is also mine. I decided that I should use my own stock on this stuff, so I'm taking photos of everything, learning about textures and design, and playing with colors and shapes in Photoshop. Talk about expanding horizons!

And the Winner Is...

After some wheedling and a protracted struggle, Piper finally gave up the name she drew this morning to reveal the winner of my weekend giveaway. Congratulations, Christy!

I am so bummed I am only giving one away! So many people commented for it! Since there was so much interest I'll definitely be offering another giveaway soon!

In the meantime, for any who are still interested, I am offering custom headers for $35.00. I also do customized templates, but the wait is longer on these, because my wedding editing does need to come first. Drop me an email if you're interested!

A Weekend Give-Away

And a bid for comments from some weekend readers.

I had so much fun trying to win a give-away during the month of December over on Shutter Sisters that I've been wracking my brain to figure out if I have anything that I could offer for a give-away (besides one darling, overly curious toddler).

I have, wonderfully, come up with a few ideas this morning, and my first give-away is...

A custom blog header using images from my collection. (I have to use my photos somewhere!) Simply choose a theme, and I will design a header for your blog to match. You can see a sample of my stock images at my Flickr account.

I'm offering this give-away to one person who leaves a comment on this post between now and 8:30 a.m. on Monday. We'll put all the names in a hat and have Piper pick one out on Monday morning.

Resurrection

As I am still in the process of updating my photography website, I am actually bringing my photography blog back to life. I have really been wanting to post larger versions of my photos than I can post through Blogger, but I don't want to lose my current three-column template here. So here is a blog that is all about the pictures.

I've only just started updating, so please bear with me. I have lots to add! I'm trying to refine and minimize and organize and generally contribute to my already questionable sanity.


(By way of explanation for this unaccountable resurrection, I should note that my weekend adrenaline just wore off. I don't have the energy to do anything else. :-P)

A Little December Randomnity

FYI: The doorknob has nothing to do with anything. I just love this photo of the doorknob to our bedroom. More chipped paint in our old used house and all that.

And yes, the blog has a new look. Sorry. Sort of. My blog. Christmas has come and gone, and so has fall, and I doubt we'll be seeing winter before spring. My mood is up, and my blog is going bright again before I bury myself in wedding editing next week. We're off to New Orleans this weekend for a wedding shoot in the deep south.

I also have to toss out another randomish redirect to Shutter Sisters, where guest blogger Jen Lee had some really good things to say about the way we try to improve on our lives because we want more than what is real.

I don't think that Jen's perspective comes from a "Christian" worldview, but what she says is so true. I've been telling people that God has been teaching me how to be human, so that I can praise Him simply by being what He created me to be - not trying to be a little god, but a human woman who walks with Him and learns about how to live in the world He made from Him.

After years of trying to figure out how to get my life into a perfect box, I can really appreciate what Jen says about telling it like it is - not making it up so that it looks like what we want.

I believe that God does give us gifts and life to enjoy here, but I'm not really sure what to think anymore about how we can arrange for those by good behavior or "wise" decision-making. The gifts we receive are, I think, the overflow of His goodness, not the measure of His love or our own righteousness.

The more I learn about letting my life be real, the more alive I feel. Sure, I didn't marry Prince Charming and move to Happily-Ever-After. My life "photos" are often fuzzy and blurred, and I want to adjust the lighting and saturation so it will look amazing. But as I told a friend in an email recently, I am what I am, where I am. And God is too. And while He never changes, He is so deep that knowing Him isn't something I have to edit up so it looks better.

I wonder if this means that I am learning to be content?

I talked to God this morning. Told Him I hadn't really thought to talk to Him over the last couple of busy days. I told Him I've been talking about Him again - at least in writing. Of course I knew He already knew that.

My question lately has been what does He want me to know of Him today? I haven't had an official "quiet time" in a long time, but having a relationship with God makes me want to take those evening garden walks with Him that He used to take with Adam and Eve. Somehow being with Him makes life more bearable. He doesn't fix all my issues when I dump them on Him, but He's still there. And I sense His smile when I tell Him how I love something He has given or something He has done.

Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for bearing with my bits of random!

A Library is a Hospital for the Mind

And here is a neat place to experience the fun of exploring it! (The library, I mean, not the mind... :-P)

My friend Sarah keeps a very nice book blog that I've only just discovered over the last couple of days as I was working on a Christmas gift template for her. Though I don't get a lot of time to read myself, I've really enjoyed reading over her book reviews. I'm realizing just how much time I will save on the books I pick by taking her advice to the library with me!

Click on over for a glimpse into Sarah's library and my weekend project!


(For a look at another of my Christmas gift projects, you can also check out Danielle's new header over at dance by the light. And a heads-up for my shutter/Photoshop lurkers and friends: she's looking for advice about a Photoshop book!)

The Tuscan Kitchen

Put this new blog together for my sister today. She was quite happy.

Informal Moments Web Idea

Yesterday, while Piper was napping on me at the computer, I stole some time to work on a website idea I've been formulating for a while. I've known for a while that I need a logo design of my own so I can watermark my photos, but I hadn't had time to work anything up.

I really like the logo you see here, but I'm not sure about the look of the site yet. I think I should add some color, but I could use some input before I spend any more time beating my head against the wall. Any thoughts or comments?


(click photo to enlarge)

Yes, it's a new look.

And no, you can't see it if you have my blog in an RSS feed. This annoys me. I didn't even used to know what an RSS feed was. I just like my blog. It's a room of my own that I can redecorate as I like - not like the rentals I've lived in for the last 8 years or so.

So why bother making a pretty blog if no one looks at it? (Ahem... This is your cue to come visit me, if you get my posts on RSS. *wink*)

I like to make my blog welcoming, to give you a feeling when you visit it. I love colors and pictures, things that I can't put into words.

Granted, I change my blog look a lot. Why? I guess because my mood changes. Because I think of something new that I want to try. Because it's like getting dressed in the morning. I totally dress by color. Because it is an obvious reminder to me that at least I have gotten something done. Because when I am really stressed, all I want is to see happy colors and pretty pictures.

Whatever the reason for this change (I'm still checking with my people about that), this particular template is special. Every image I used is my own work, from the header to the background. I decided that I should start using my own stock images instead of using Google images. You will also note in my footer that this blog is a customization. I don't write templates yet. Yeesh. Who has time to figure that out?

Anyway, for all my schizophrenia, do enjoy.

Any ideas for a name for this skin?

Helping the Joneses Keep Up

This was a fun template to do for Darren and Sara. My favorite part is the "Ohhh! Ohhh! I can't stop looking at it!"

I like things that formulate while I'm doing laundry.