Exciting news! I have moved blogs. I am in the process of slowly moving all the posts over. Please join me at MomOffTrack.com.
Today started innocently enough. I had a press tour scheduled for a new educational, online program (which I will blog about on Backdoor Homeschool Tools soon). I had a few things on my to-do list. One was send a picture and bio over to Carissa and Jyl at MomItForward for the GNO event that I am guest tweeting at next week. I have had several people in the last few weeks ask for a photo of me, since Carissa’s request was the third “bonk on the head” as Miranda put it the other day to get a darn photo of me that I didn’t hate, I decided to tackle the task today. I thought it would be easy to find one on the computer somewhere. Surely, there was a decent photo I could use, right? Well, after a search turned up nothing I liked I washed my hair, put makeup on and had Connor take one 
. Wasn’t quite right so I got all stressed and decided to go have one taken. I mean, I need to present myself professionally, right?
So, I called a few places and ended up at PictureIt Studios at the Southlands Mall. Chris was fun to work with when I told him that the picture had to be of ‘skinny me’ and kept refusing all versions showing a double chin. Clearly, that chin is not mine so you could see my confusion as to why it would keep appearing in pictures?!? Finally I gave up trying to make it go away and we decided that I would do a body shot to use as an avatar at We Fit Families. You can see my frustration at this process in the first photo above! See the attitude poor Chris had to deal with?
After awhile though, I was having fun. Chris made me laugh as we talked about what it must be like to be a model and I did a bunch of silly, sassy model photos. I then sat down with Haley who was an absolutely kick! She made me laugh at myself some more and kept helping to see myself from someone else perspective, someone not as critical of me as, um, ME! We spent the time talking about the Wii Fit and then the hilarious thing, is that she sends me over to the cookie store while I waited for her to finish up. Gee, thanks Haley! (Reality check: she just told me about the cookies, I choose to go in, and the boys really do say, gee thanks, Haley!) I got two cute photos out of the whole ordeal and a fun hour spent. Then on the way home, I remembered that I actually had these photo’s of me in my last year of teaching that were the sort of professional head shotty thing (OK, standard school photos) I was initially looking for. But, they were 
terrible. I couldn’t use those, could I? I got home and found them and guess what?? I really like them. I was so upset by them when they were taken and today I love them. Just perfect for a bio picture.
The experience makes me wonder why I am so critical of myself these days? Why do women (on the whole) see our flaws before our perfections? It made me realize that no matter how much weight I lose I will probably still be critical of me. I need to work on that. Thank you to Carissa for being my third bonk on the head! I think I needed it more than I realized. My FUN (didn’t get the stuffy ones I went in for) photo’s below are my first baby step to accepting me for who I am, um, double chin and all.
So, friends (and random strangers reading this), since I am going all out and bearing my new brave soul to the world, help me pick a picture that I should use for my Twitter avatar. Leave me a comment and tell me which of the four pictures (NOT the first one, that is a joke photo) you like the best. Thanks!
to my little corner of the blogosphere. I am Barb, an ex-public school teacher turned blogger and forum owner. Read all about our family antics as we muddle through the chaos that occurs daily when you mix a work-at-home-mom with an unschooled, wheeling, tween and a teen in Catholic school. Not to mention my very traditional high school sweetheart turned husband of 17 years. Hey, at least I am giving my kids something to talk about in therapy when they get older...
I like the one where you’re lying down, but the stripes are throwing me off a bit. As a part-time wardrobe stylist (80% of my time is spent doing makeup for advertising clients), I wouldn’t suggest one of my clients wear stripes in their branding shot just because the eye is drawn to the bold pattern instead of the person. You want to be the star of your shot.
HEY!!! You rock, you know that! I’m so glad I could help out with all the head bonking! Sounds like you deserve it you look great!
I totally like the one at the table btw! But if I have to choose from the bottom three…hmmm the whole one will not be great for twitter since it’s such a tiny avatar… I like the one with your arm up you seem real in it?? Appraochable? Yes? The serious one above it is great too??
Looking forward to next week’s Topic and #GNO with you as the star! Let’s make coupon saving and keeping in a budget all sexy sounding, eh?!!
As I said on Twitter, I really like the 2nd one, with your hands under your chin. It looks relaxed and natural. Funny, I’ve been looking for a real photo for my Twitter account, too.
I assure you, my double chins will be present!
Thanks for all the comments. Todra, I had all black on but at some point, I was just like *screw it* and got changed back in my normal clothes. That is when we decided to just shoot something fun and I ended up relaxing and I liked it. You need to come do my makeup and I will do it again, pretty please?
I like two of them. The one where it looks like you’re in the kitchen? and the one with the blue stripes with your hand under your chin. They both look more relaxed and also, you get a nice face shot.
I’d love to do your makeup. We can meet somewhere between Pennsylvania (my state) and Colorado – say in a coffee shop – and I can do your makeup. Bring a photographer with you. LOL.
Todra, you can do @holly_gpb’s next time she visits her mom and then she won’t have any excuse either
Here is my “professional” opinion.
I like the second one best – for one thing it’s natural and you look relaxed and comfortable, as if you wee sitting chatting with an old friend. Also the lighting is natural which always makes a person look good.
But the color is off and the background is distracting. You can fix those things in Photoshop OR you can get a great photographer that is not into “studio” shots. Do some outdoor photos with a buttery background in natural light.
If you make it back to Vegas and my laptop is back from Repairland, I’ll do it for you. Or find yourself a “natural setting” family photographer. Someone who shoots on location. I think I may know one in CO but I’m not sure where or if it’s def. CO. I’ll look into, though.
~Tara
Found one; I’ll keep ya posted if I come across more: http://www.denver-photographer.net/
Tara, that would be great! Thank you! We will be there the 28th and 29th. We plan to come to the park on the 28th. Need to make sure I email that to Amy as Trish needs some blog help and I can help you as well. Will surely miss Elizabeth though!
Okay, you were doing that goofy face on purpose in the top pic, I enlarged it!
I like the one in your kitchen best.
And you are right about the even though you lose weight you’ll see/find flaws in yourself. When I was younger I dropped a TON of weight, (if I squeezed a whole lot I could fit into a size 8, but regular fit was a size 10) But I could see my stomach and some other things, so I wasn’t happy. I’ve seen pics of me from back then, and I went ewww I wasn’t pretty or healthy I looked like I was on some serious drugs and never ate.
So good job on working on not seeing the Flaws before the Good Stuff.
Found the photographer I had in mind from CO: http://www.julieharrisphotography.com/
She’s phenomenal. I’ll defnitely take your photo but I promise hers would be 100x better. And if thursday is better for you, that would work for me too. And we all hate when Elizabeth isn’t there!
Have Tara do some at the park. She’s really good! I loved them all and not one stood out as the one! You do look really young in the last one. I’d wear something solid. That was a great suggestion.
Hey! I do not KNOW you, but found your blog via Kelly’s Header Award tweet! Which by the way, Congrads on that! Then I was scrolling thru your wonderful site and came to this Drama story! I LOVE it! I have been thinking and seeing this soooo much on the web with women hesitating to put the real pics of them up. Its like…Let the REAL me Stand up! Actually have that idea in progress about encouraging women to do just what you did. Is such a breakthru in so many ways isnt it? So freeing once you do it! I started doing videos for things on my site and hesitated so much!! But then now I am like, hey! This is me, I am me, all of me, take me or leave me!
Very very inspiring Barb! As far as the Twitter avatar, need a close up for sure. A in your face shot. I am sure these are all high quality pics and you can crop and zoom in on face. I would do that and then choose. Whole new set of pics when you zoom into just facial.
You totally ROCKED like Carissa said! You go girl! Have to look you up on twitter!
Blessings!
Noelle
Ha! Your chaotic_barb on twitter! I follow you already! Too funny, see thats what happens when you follow over 1000 people. Some awesome tweets slip thru!