Busy Busy Busy...

With the opening of my new Real Estate Brokerage my time has been limited for blogging. As soon as things slow down, I have a slew of things to post.

New phone number is 337.353.4272

Talk to you sooon!!

Newspaper articles and Threads Fashion Show

The website is being updated currently and pictures, as well as articles will be posted soon from events and stories over the past month.

Thank you for you patience and time:)

Candice Skinner
910-922-6726 for info on specific events, stories, or photos

Balcony Blog:)

It's rest and relaxation time for this gal and I'm in Florida sitting on my balcony listening to the waterfall splash in the pool, the frogs croak, and the waves crash. The air is thick and humid, but there is a light breeze blowing that cools things down a bit ..it's one of those things that might not be enjoyed it you've never dealt with heeavvy humidity, but everything's just right if you ask me. It's just one of those summer nights.... There is something so calming about sitting near the ocean at night, it lulls you to peace with whatever troubles may be in your heart. It lets you know that you are so small and the works of God are so large that anything can be accomplished through him. I believe this with all my heart that no matter how bad a situation there may be, God can take it and help you make peace with it.

I have been so exhausted lately with everything going on that I just need to go to bed after our trip, but it's one of  those nights...those summer nights that I can't bare to go to sleep because it's so perfect sitting out here. I have my feet kicked up on the rails, the kids are tucked in my bed, and I am allowed to think. Allowed to think about how wonderfully blessed I am to have such amazing children that love me so much. I am so blessed they are healthy and happy, even when they throw temper tantrums and even when they scream and cry, I am blessed. Things aren't perfect, but yet I'm blessed. And that's what's in the air by the ocean....just the power to feel that though things aren't the exact way you want them...they are great in their own way.

***haven't seen any oil yet, Thank God!!!****

Must blog now!

It's that time of day for me [actually night, but who really cares] The kids are sleeping, the house is quiet and I'm doing my late night editing and computer work. I wasn't able to blog yesterday so, I shall make up for lost blogging today!

I was a little behind today because Abby wasn't feeling too great so, had to put appointments on hold and work around tiny#1's demands:) I'm a huuuge softy when one of the kids is sick! Family comes first, well...as second because God is the number one spot, but that is so that number two is well taken care of. Without a whole lotta prayer this Momma would be one crazy lady :) Anyways, I have a few sessions/events to finish editing and get those out...a few emails to do...and then to get ready for tomorrow! I'm going to a Welcome Home ceremony for the 209th MP co that's returning from helping the folks in Haiti to take some pics and also to talk to a few people about what it was like over there and what they did. They are going to have a guest speaker Mr. DB Sweeney, many know him from CSI, House, and a few other things I don't watch, but what I know him from is The Cutting Edge...Ohh my gosh that movie was AMAZING:) Yes, it was forever and a day ago, but none the less awesome. Anyways, I might get the chance to interview him...we shall see. Either way, many pics to come!

On another subject- The creativity boot camp's theme for yesterday was Multilayered and today it was heavy metal...soooo here's what I did:

Abby's multilayer personality:)






  and Heavy Metal:)                                                                     

Picnic for one:)

Picnic for one:)
Originally uploaded by Cskinner825

Today's creativity boot camp gave us the magical word Picnic. And I immediately thought summertime and of course the old fashioned plaid blanket. I couldn't find the red and white one [they were out at the dollar tree LOL] so, blue it was and it worked perfectly with the bright watermelon. And Ashton LOVED it :) That little guy will do anything and do it HAPPILY! I tried to entice Abby to come join in, but today was a no nap day again because we were running around like CRAZY with doctors visits and getting things settled back into Leesville [officially anyways.] So, the shot worked out well and we will see what tomorrow brings for my assignment:)

More blogging coming soon:)

feelin blogged down ;)

I haven't been putting as much effort into blogging as I had hoped to. So many things have been buzzing around that my attention and time have been spread pretty thin, but I am going to start trying to make this part of my day.
Now, let's move on to bigger and better things:) Like, this little creative trip I'm taking myself on. I enrolled in a little expand your creativity boot camp, which I'm pretty excited about, to remind me to think outside of the box. Today's random word prompt was "Ivory" and man, that word just brings so many things to mind. Mainly soft images, children, perfect skin, porcelain dolls, elephants, Victorian motifs, and sooo many more. I immediately thought Geisha because of their painted faces and delicate skin, but where was I going to get a Geisha for a picture today? LOL  I could always ask Abby to do it, but she shammed out of her nap today and well, when she doesn't nap it's best not to ask her to cooperate:) That child has a spirit that can not be contained. I love it and I fight it at the same time. When she wants something she wants it more than anything else and boy, will she do juuust about what ever it takes to get it. That's a great thing if she wants something I'm okay with. And when things are not such, we go round and round and round. She is so much like me it's like battling myself and that is a challenge. I know how stubborn and persistent I can be and she has both of those qualities and wears them proudly. So, Geisha for Abby today....not so much. But she did watch Toy Story 2 and as usual helped out with her little brother:) She's such an awesome big sister. She constantly checks on him and she calls him "little brother" and "little man" it's so cute! Anyways, completely off of the subject...back to "Ivory" lol...well, no Geisha in town, abby didn't want to be one so, I decided to do this:

We shall see what tomorrow brings and what kind of creativity is unleashed from this mind of mine:)

<3 ya! Talk to you soon!

A Journey...

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

And oh how true that is. The most beautiful part of a journey is what you see along the way. It also helps you appreciate what your leaving behind when you go. When you look back, like I was in the pic to the left, it kind of says to me where I have been, I know, and though the way ahead of me is not known it is right to have faith that it will end up just as beautiful as what I was leaving [if that made any sense I don't know lol] I was in Oregon state coming out of Washington, which is amazing by the way, on my way back to Louisiana. The trip was BEAUTIFUL! I made that drive with my husband in the winter and oh, how the spring makes all the difference. The flowers were in bloom and the air just felt springy. Don't get me wrong winter is amazing with it's snow capped mountains and below freezing temps lol. Anyways here are some pics from the journey :)

Volunteering :) 2010 Planet Green Thumb Earth Day Garden Show

I recently did some volunteer work for the Army Moral Welfare and Recreation department. I had such a blast at the Garden Show. I got to meet the famous Ciscoe Morris author of the #1 selling gardening book "Gardening with Ciscoe" he's hilarious! The venue was in celebration of Earth Day coming up Thursday, April 22nd. The Joint Base Lewis-McChord MWR did an excellent job of coordinating this event and having wonderful guests and vendors. 

Beautiful recycled glass jewlery by Genevieve Church www.recycledloot.com

A few pics:)

Beauty in bloom next to our house:)

Tough days....

Today was a day man ohhh man..We missed Ashton's wiggles and giggles (the kiddie gym lol)  and the kids were soo cranky! I was thinking to myself can't things just be easy? So, I begin to get frustrated by the little things...plates not being put up, toys on the floor, you name it, it upset me.. we go to town ( I call everything town because I come from leesville, la and that's what we do...we go to town lol) It's like the road and car make us all better for the moment lol. Thhheenn it's time for Tball. I've conversed with my Asst Coach (my awesome neighbor Jodi) and we have our game plan worked out for the practice and then wakes up grumpy pants Abby lol....Stompin around being a gruummppyy bear well, that passed as all fits do and off to practice we go..o. So, we get out on the field and WHOOSH, out of NO where (actually it was out of the south haha, but that doesn't really matter) the wind and freeeeezing cold rain come Abby was crying scared the wind was gonna take her away lol...and we come back home I cook dinner and WWIII breaks out with the kids lol. I'm stressed just from the day and things not going according to plan and I just took a step back and began to pray and realized it's not the plan that matters, it's not the house being clean, it's not the kids being perfect angels (although that would be amazing  lol) it's all of the hard days and cruddy things we go through that make us who we are and bring our family closer together. God gives us storms and trials to help us stay close to him (At least, I think so) Little happy moments shine that much brighter right after the storm has calmed....Somehow throughout our crazy day my beautiful children sat on the floor and hugged one another and looked right at me and of course I had the camera near me as I always do :) So, on the bad days just know you have your family and things will be ok....another day will come and that storm shall pass:)

Just some thoughts...

So, I was just browsing through my photos from the last few weeks and noticing how everything tells a story. These are the things my sweet little family did. The moments I won't ever forget because now I have them in a picture. My kids are getting so BIG! Abby is FOUR and Ashton is 16 months!!! Where has the time gone??? So many things have happened, but I'm soo thankful that someday we will be able to look back on my computer that runs at the speed of a dinosour because I have JAMPACKED this thing and my external harddrive with a bizillion pics of them, the things we did, and saw and remember those moments together:) Everything happens for a reason and maybe one day if it's in a picture we can look back and know the reason it happend (if that makes any sense I don't know, but it did in my head lol) Here are a few moments I want to share.....

OPLOVE:)

I am so excited to say I am now a member of OpLove.org. It's formal name is Operation Love :) It's for all of the soldiers putting their lives in danger on the battlefield and for their families. My husband serves in the U.S. Army and I know how hard separation is and I also know that reuniting is so sweet and now OpLove enables me to volunteer my passion and my job through a coordination service that connects  me with other military members or their families that are currently deployed so, that I can be there to photograph the homecoming, the moments before deployment, or for their R&R :) I can't wait for the sessions to begin! This is my little way of saying thanks to all of the soldiers out there serving for our freedom so, THANKS!!

God's Beauty!

So, I should be cleaning and finishing up school work because my parents are on their way for a visit to the beautiful Northwest, I'm just hoping the weather will cooperate so, they can get the full experience:) I just wanted to take a moment out to say that I am so blessed to have been given this gift of expression through photography because it helps me to capture God's greatness. Today I was on the phone with my amazing sister and we were talk about God and how sometimes we may not feel as close as we should be to him, but in that moment we have to remember that he is always with us and his reminders are simply a glance out the window. In everyday life God's greatness shines and through rain, sun, sleet, or snow he's always with us. Through every storm (emotional or physical) there he is to bring us through. God is good and how thankful I am to know him and how blessed I am that he gave me such a beautiful family (inside and out) and amazing friends.


This was a pic I took in Steilacoom, WA just wanted to share God's beauty with you.

I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!!!

<3 Candice

www.thesphotography.com

The S???

The S... I'm sure your wondering why "The S" well, besides the fact that my last name starts with an S:) It can represent sooo many things! From Sexy to Silly, Smiling to Sad it sums up so much. It's really a subjective interpretation of what it means to you at the time you are being photographed or looking back at pictures. Not everyone will think or feel the same thing when looking at a picture so, it just worked for me! I am super excited that things are really taking off and beyond blessed to have found this amazing creative outlet I now call my career:) 

www.thesphotography.com