I have all these fun videos from portrait sessions on my computer that I want to post to the blog but I can't figure out how to except for using a link.  That is visually uninteresting.  I thought I had it figured out but no luck

I know I can just upload them to youtube or facebook but it's just not the same. 

Wish me luck figuring this stuff out.

My most recent contribution to refashion coop.
He!e's the post.
Just narrowed some 25 cent jeans from the knee down so they fit in my boots better.  I love these boots that my hubby bought for me last winter but I don't so much the bunching of tucked in pants. 

I am now a contributor on Refashion Coop. 
Those who know me well know that I love to shop the thrift stores.  A little less known is that when I can find time I like to dig out the old sewing machine.  That doesn't happen often but when it does the combination is great fun.  I have only made one contribution to the Coop blog and if you are interested you can find it here.  It is actually a shirt that I altered this summer.  I don't think I will have time to do any more until senior portrait season is over. 
You can find Refashion Coop here:
Refashion Coop

Sorry, no portraits tonight.   I wanted to share something else though.  We all know that people are trying to save money anywhere they can and those of us who do a LOT of laundry know how much laundry detergent costs can add up and it seems like we are always running out.

We have a good sized family and go through a lot of laundry so I have been making my family's laundry detergent for several months and have been very happy with it.  It rinses out cleanly and leaves our clothes soft without the need for fabric softner.  It does not have that freshly washed smell though.  Since it rinses so clean the fabric tends to just smell like fabric.  That can be changed by adding essential oils but I haven't done that with ours.

I am wondering if a lot of other people are doing the same.  In the past I could only find two of the three ingredients at Walmart but now they have all three, nicely lined up side by side.

There are reciepes all over the internet and most of them are similar with different amounts of the three simple ingredients, Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels Naptha (a bar laundry soap product).  I believe you could use another bar soap but I am very happy with how well the detergent cleans with these ingredients.



Pardon the grainy phone picture.
Here is how I make mine:

Dissolve the bar of Fels Naptha in hot water.
Add a cup of each Borax and Washing Soda and stir to dissolve.
Pour it all into a 5 gal. bucket and then fill the bucket with hot water.
Let it sit overnight.
The next day when I open it to stir it up it is a big blob of gelatinous goo.
I give it a good stirring to make the consistancy better for pouring in the washer.

I use a generous amount in a wash load because EVERY load in our house is oversized.
It works great!  Especially if I let the laundry soak a bit before starting the wash cycle (which is true with any detergent).

Maybe this post will help someone else save some money in an easy way.
If not maybe it will give some folks a giggle knowing that I actually take time to do things like this.  ;0)

Here is a quick sneak peek from this evenings session in Blue Springs.  I love what I do and I get to meet the most wonderful people.  This beautiful young lady and her mother were no exception.  Another reminder of why my job is so great.  This is from the end of the session and we were losing light quick but I switched back to my favorite lens and it let in every last bit of available light for these wonderful images.  I posted the one with both eyes showing especially for mom.
Gorgeous!  I can't wait to go through the rest of them.

I met this handsome little fellow last year and just fell in love with his sparkling eyes. 
This year we did a family session at Loose Park in Kansas City and played at the park.
The family's dog almost caught a squirrel and it was the first time ever that I have heard a squirrel chatter in anger.  Such a funny sound.