That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune . . . whoa, that just started pouring out of me. Must be a flashback from my Shakespeare class in college where I had to write out that entire soliloquy on a midterm . . . Anyway, the purpose of this blog isn't to revisit Hamlet but rather to figure out if I need to take advantage of Picture Retake Day. Pictured above is the result of the original Picture Day. I'm not exactly thrilled that I ordered 8 million copies of this. First of all, they gave me a blue background when I asked for gray. Secondly, Chloe looks like she's about to cry. When she saw the picture she said, "It looks like I forgot to smile at the camera." Yeah, big time. The picture isn't exactly bad but it just isn't as cute as the one we got last year from preschool (the same company took it and will probably be driving by my house later to shoot me for digitally copying their photography):
They really managed to capture her impish little personality last year. Plus, she's in uniform. It just doesn't get sweeter than that. So perhaps my standards were a little high because I was expecting the cuteness of last year to be matched or exceeded. After all, her parents produced these beauties during their school days:
Me in Sixth Grade (I doubt ANYBODY would say their cutest picture was from sixth grade!)
Carter at the height of the Eighties
I mean, with a genetic legacy like that we're lucky Chloe's picture is as cute as it is. So yeah, I need your opinion. Should I go for Retake Day on December 3rd (thereby ensuring that the grandmas' Christmas gifts will be late) OR be happy with the lot I got? If Chloe hates the picture now (which she does), will she rip up all the eight million copies ten years from now? But what if the retake is even worse? If this gamble fails, I'll have no kindergarten portrait for the "School Daze" frame that takes her from now until high school graduation that I will inevitably want to fill up someday. I'm torn. So yeah, I need help with this one. Please vote in my poll!
But that's not all I want you to do. I absolutely adore looking at old school photos and this inspired me to sponsor A CONTEST. Send me your funniest or cutest school picture (or any picture taken by a professional photographer--oh, and I'll take yours, your kid's, your brother's, whatever!). Carter and I will pick our favorite (we're totally qualified to judge because we take really bad school photos) and the winner will receive a $5 Target Gift Card (think of all the leftover Halloween candy you can get with that!). I will be accepting photos via email (ksrone@aol.com) until WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH. Seriously, you should enter this. Five people read my blog so your chances are winning are SO GOOD. If your best (worst) school photo is in your mom's basement, have her scan it for you! You need to enter this! (Oh, and specify if you DON'T want me to publish your entry on the blog, because hi, this is comic gold!) Do it now!
But that's not all I want you to do. I absolutely adore looking at old school photos and this inspired me to sponsor A CONTEST. Send me your funniest or cutest school picture (or any picture taken by a professional photographer--oh, and I'll take yours, your kid's, your brother's, whatever!). Carter and I will pick our favorite (we're totally qualified to judge because we take really bad school photos) and the winner will receive a $5 Target Gift Card (think of all the leftover Halloween candy you can get with that!). I will be accepting photos via email (ksrone@aol.com) until WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH. Seriously, you should enter this. Five people read my blog so your chances are winning are SO GOOD. If your best (worst) school photo is in your mom's basement, have her scan it for you! You need to enter this! (Oh, and specify if you DON'T want me to publish your entry on the blog, because hi, this is comic gold!) Do it now!
Wait -- I don't get it. What's funny about my picture?
ReplyDeleteI think the current pic has a mona lisa quality to it. Your kids are cute no matter what kind of smile though. good luck!
ReplyDeleteKelly, it's 11:30 p.m. and completely silent in my house - and I just laughed OUT LOUD - and I mean loud. You are hilarious. I LOVE the pictures of you and Carter!! I have some really, really awful ones, but am not sure if I'll make it up to my parents' house in the next week in time to enter your contest. But I think you should post all of the entries for our viewing pleasure!
ReplyDeleteAs for whether or not to retake, is the deal that you'll have to send back her current pics? Here's what's going for this picture - Chloe's hair looks darling, she's looking at the camera, and she doesn't look upset or giving a weird grin. I don't think it's bad, but I can understand if you were hoping for one where she is actually smiling... good luck deciding!!
Personally, I think the photo is adorable. I can see why you would have an immediate reaction when you didn't get the background color you want. Sure, it's not a huge smile, but maybe her semi-smile goes well with the blue.
ReplyDeleteLOOK at Chloe's RICH AUBURN hair! It's not a even a teensy bit red, Carter, Mimi said with a totally straight face.
ReplyDeleteI think this year's school portrait is a cool pic - they never smile in America's Next Top Model, after all. Tyra would totally have Miss Chloe on the show with this haute haughty look.
Kelly, your pic is a laugh riot and brings back soooo many fond memories.
And Carter looks like every kid guest star they had on Full House and Saved Be the Bell. Where are his parachute pants, Converse high tops and Members Only jacket? ;-)
Thank heavens most of my school pics were in the oh! so fashionable 1970s... Feathered hair, bubblegum lip gloss, Shaun Cassidy t-shirts, Donny Osmond purple socks and Friday night Roller-Disco, anyone?
P.S.- THANK YOU for the new beauty recommends on your blog list... I am in desperate need of all the beauty tips I can get!
ReplyDeleteMimi, I don't think I had any parachute pants. But I did have "bermuda shorts" and "T&C" shirts. I think those were right before the stone-washed jeans era.
ReplyDeleteAnd good point about ANTM. "Smile with your eyes"...
Ma says go for the retake and then decide. Pa likes the "smile with the eyes" pic. (ancient history) To dress up I put on a clean flannel shirt and bibbed overalls. Then wool socks and lumber jack boots (great for dancing if you didn't step on the lady's toes.) Then I'd mount my kelly green Indian motorcycle with the wind blowing through my very red hair. (Them were the days my friend (eg grand daughter), I thought they'd never end etc etc
ReplyDeleteI can see your dilemma. She still looks SO cute in the picture, but compared to the smile in the preschool pic, it lacks that certain something that makes it definately a keeper. I await Hannah's pictures any day now...
ReplyDeleteI am IN on the contest. Visit my blog sometime in the next 24 hours for a great selection of circa early 90s greats.
Hmmmmm....I'm torn for you Kelly! I think you should skip the picture of Chloe for the Grandma gift this year, and remind them of the good old days....the 80's with Kelly and Carter! I totally remember that picture of Carter, and sadly enough, most of my memories of Carter are around that time frame...and I think I remember that shirt! Oh funny indeed. I will search for some pics of me, no promises though. The $5 gift card is way tempting!
ReplyDeleteOoh, excellent input! And the answer is YES. If I get the retake, I lose the originals. I can't wait and see which of the pictures is better. I'll be stuck with the retake if I opt for that (they will give my money back if it's really awful, though).
ReplyDeleteOh, and keep those contest entries coming! Let me tell you, we are all in for a treat when I publish them next week :)
Aww- it's a cute pic- I bet she couldn't take a bad one. My 2 cents? I'd do the retakes, since she commented herself that she should have smiled bigger. Just have her look at a copy of that right before the snap and tell her she has a chance to smile even bigger. Mia does the same thing, so I always let her see the digital preview to get a better smile out of her.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am about to send you the most hideous school photo I've personally ever seen.
Kelly...please don't take offense, because you are beautiful...but you look like maybe you were a linebacker in 6th grade.
ReplyDeleteI have a picture for you. Do I want to post it??? Not REALLY, but I will. I have to get to a scanner first. It's awful. Just ask carter. He knows how messed up my teeth were.
And since when does Carter refer to America's Next Top Model as "ANTM" and know what Tyra says...
ReplyDeleteShe is so darn cute! I wish my hair would look even half as good. You may also have a third option available to you. Many schools also offer a spring portrait. It's a big fund raiser for the school. During the spring photos the photographers generally spend a little more time to ensure a cute photo because they are not prepaid. They just send the packet home and expect it to be returned or get a check because the pictures are so cute. This doesn't help with the Christmas gift dilemma, but it might fulfill a need for the K spot in the frame : ) Check with the office.
ReplyDeleteI actually have the same dilemma every year. Do I retake my picture that will be on every child's class photo? It's such a gamble. I wish I could take the one good teacher photo I took back in the nineties and say, use this. But, no. Every year I get a whole new packet compliments of the school. Now what thirty something needs an 8X10 of herself? Not to mention the 12 wallets, two 5X7 and if I'm lucky the keychain and the personalized stickers.
Can't wait to see the winner of your contest.
I think her picture is cute. Her hair looks amazing, so I would say keep it. I hear where you are coming from on the blue background though. Your 6th grade picture is great!
ReplyDeleteTough, tough call! She may not be smiling but she looks so sweet. It could be so much worse. That is retarded that they won't let you have both or wait and pick. What kind of business is this? I'm on the fence, but would probably say keep it. There's always next year, and the year after that, and the year after that...
ReplyDeleteNow, the pics of you and Carter had me laughing out loud!!! You BOTH look like you stepped out of Saved by the Bell. So funny! I have some great ones too but they're all in Sandy and my mom is not computer savvy enough to scan the to me. Instead I'll send you another treat... right now! (This reminds me of the segment Ellen does on her show -- with funny baby pictures. Great idea!)