A Very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, and happy birthday to Jesus! We have had a wonderful Christmas at our house! Hope yours is merry and bright and filled with God's love too!

 There were uniquely wrapped gifts

 We always give a lot of practical, usable gifts.

Had to share the Double H Photography mugs I got!

Fun gifts.

 The latest in sleepwear fashion.

 Sadly the one of all three of us was blurry.

My sister makes sure each dog gets a Christmas present too. Emmie thinks hers will be nice to nap on rather than rip apart.

My sister got a wii, and it was a big hit. We looked like this for hours today.

and like this...

and even like this.
Merry Christmas to everyone! May you all enjoy the blessings you have, and remember the true reason for this holiday.

Happy

I am having a fantastic, wonderful Monday! Here are the reasons why:
One article completed and emailed off, two additional interviews done, and the Internet cooperated.

My sister and I rearranged the gifts under the tree, and now it looks pretty and balanced. Every year I "organize" gifts, so they're evenly distributed around the entire tree. Yes, I'm a perfectionist. Yes it puts me in a great mood, and reminds me how blessed we are to have so many gifts.

I ran out to my "storage unit" a.k.a. an old enclosed semi trailer, and ended up bringing in a box of my own Christmas decorations, and putting them up.

The mail arrived, with not one, not two, but three wonderful surprises for me. First was a handmade, and baked, gift from the editor of one of the publications.

How cool is this? And kind and thoughtful!

 She included a note that said this is great over cream cheese with crackers, or on a sandwich.  Can't wait to try it.

I love homemade, crafty cards! 

and baked goods : )  I am eating one of these guys right now and drinking tea.

Second was the Tri-State Livestock News 2012 Horse Edition, sporting one of my photos on the cover! It was so exciting to see it! I'll look into finding a full size version of the image to show you. I am so blessed to have so much success in my work life these days. This was another cover I have been super excited to see on the actual magazine, and they didn't disappoint as it looks great!

The Tri-State is a regional, weekly newspaper I freelance for. They cover a big area, and the people are fantastic to work with. In fact, the editor, who I primarily deal with, is who sent that wonderful gift! If you are interested in what happens in ag in Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, or parts of Nebraska, Montana and Colorado, they reach into all those areas. They also have all the markets for those areas.

Third in the mail was my prize from winning fourth in the American Angus Association's Holiday Photo Contest, which I forgot to take a picture of. Thank you everyone who voted! The prize include a koozie, knife, magnet, notepad, key chain and calendar all sporting Angus logos. Lots of useful stuff, and I do like the breed!

I had another order on my purchasing website today for a large print, which is always nice.

I read a couple blogs that did a great job putting what this season is really all about, which is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

I'm linking this up with Miscellany Monday over at lowercase letters.

Christmas Giveaway!



It's the season of giving, and I want to give you a chance to win some Double H Photography stuff! Who doesn't want another Christmas present mailed to them?

 Up for grabs is my 2012 Outdoors in Wyoming Calendar, and an assortment of 10 greeting cards (and envelopes) with my photos on the front.

Here is the cover of the Calendar, which features photos from around the state of Wyoming, and most of them were taken in the month they're shown on the calendar. The one downside is the the site I ordered them from this year didn't allow typing over the picture, so if you're the lucky winner and would like to know where any pictures were taken, just let me know!

And here are a couple samples of the photos used for the greeting cards. The inside of all cards are completely blank, so they work great for any occasion!

To enter, you must be a follower of my blog or Facebook page, and just need to leave a comment either here or on the Facebook page answering the following question:

What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?

The giveaway will close next Tuesday, December 13 at noon, MST. I'll randomly select a winner that afternoon, and hopefully will have your goodies to you in plenty of time for Christmas!

Christmas Countdown 2011 - Alma Mater gifts

 I'm back with more Christmas ideas for you. I don't know about the college you attend, or attended, but the University of Wyoming has a wonderful bookstore that sells everything from the expected UW labeled clothing and office supplies, to high end stemware, decor and jewelry.Our mascot is also the cowboy, so for those of you who love western inspired items, make sure to stop by campus if you're ever in Laramie, Wyoming.
In addition to great gifts, the UW bookstore offers an AWESOME selection of ornaments and holiday decorations every year, many of which are also western themed. Then, they have a sensational clearance sale on all that goodness each year too. Gotta love a bargain! Either way, I have to budget myself if I stop by anytime near the holidays.
Please be warned, their website doesn't have half the stuff that's available in the actual store!

Image from here

I bought a set of the above ornament in red, turquoise, and brown last year in the bookstore!

What little boy doesn't want to be a cowboy (Pistol Pete kids shirt)

Kitchen related gifts are always a hit. I have two over sized wine glasses with this design etched in the side, and love them!

Brown and gold accessories always a hit in Wyoming!

Christmas Countdown 2011 - Calendars and Soap

I know it's a little early for Christmas shopping, for some. But, I'm planning to host a variety of potential gifts on here from now until Christmas, and some of them need to be ordered early to ensure they're to you in time!

Up first are two 2012 Double H Photography Calendars. I am putting out an "Outdoors in Wyoming," and a "Cattle" calendar for 2012. There is a preview photo from each below. They are $15, plus $5 shipping if you aren't from Lusk/Lance Creek WY area.

If you're interested, please contact me on here, at doublehphoto@live.com, or on the Double H Photography Facebook page.

 March 2012 photo in Outdoors Calendar

 Cover of Cattle Calendar

Another great Christmas gift for this year that you need to order early are products from Miller Soap Co. The owner of this great business lives near me, and makes the coolest soaps and bath products. Beyond body soaps that come in scents like leather, blueberry, White Tea & Ginger and Buttercream & Snickerdoodle (and about any other flavor you might be interested in), she also makes facial soaps, toffee lip butters, bath bombs, lotions, etc...
She makes all this wonderful stuff from her Wyoming ranch home, and ships it all over the place. The soap needs at least three weeks to cure, hence the need to order early.
There a few pictures of her products below. To see more of her wonderful creations, or to place an order, head over to the Miller Soap Co. Facebook page.

 Chocolate Espresso Soap

 Shea Butter Moisturizing Cream

Leather Soap

I will be posting more stuff as we get closer to the holidays. I'm planning to focus primarily on items I've bought in the past and people/products I'm familiar with. But, if you have a great product you think would make a wonderful gift, let me know and I'll try to get them included too!