love thursday: kissy-face

Outtake from this year's holiday card.

Every year around this time, on one of those beautiful Texas fall days, I drag my family outside to take our annual family self portrait -- primarily for sticking in holiday cards for family and close friends.  We do this by precariously balancing a mirror on some of the patio furniture, and then I start clicking away.  As is true with every family photo shoot, there are always shots where someone is blinking, or someone's mouth is doing something strange, or someone's smile is too stiff and stilted. 

We have a lot of outtakes.

Eventually, we come up with at least one shot that is pretty perfect -- and I'm always surprised to see that the images really do capture the feel of the previous year.  I'm not sure how that happens.  This year's image is going to be all about exuberance, which is pretty accurate I think, for 2009.

Also, 2009 was all about strained, extreme kissy-face, apparently.

* * * * * * *

Happy Love Thursday, all.  Feel free to leave your stories or links to your words or images of love in the comments, below.

And may you have a day full of kissy-face.

Song:  Hang on little tomato by Pink Martini.  Today's song brought to you by Sara.