This has to be family as your eyes match.. what a beauty..
rated with hugs

Breathtaking. You've done well here, D. Amazing work.

Diannai - She looks like you. Was I like that when I was young? I think I still am. I have two daughters in their thirties. How did they grow!? How did they become responsible? I wish they were like this pretty girl up there again. I wish they could play in high heels and giggle again. I wish they didn't know how hard life is.

Oh, I have got one of these stalking around. Chaos in the name of control...Ain't teenagers great?

*sigh!*

Let me guess. This beautiful child is your niece. And she's 12, wishing she were a grown-up 16.

Mine's only 11, but this is coming. Beautiful post.

She is the daughter of the lady who works in the shop next to mine. But, yes, Linda - she does look like family. And, yes, what a beauty.

Thanks, Gabby, I just snapped some photos. The beauty is all in her.

zanelle, I wanted to post this today, because it is my own daughter's birthday, and I was thinking back to those pre-teen years. Or, okay, maybe she is still a bit like that! :o)

Linnnn, hold on, it does get better. My daughter is my best girlfriend.

Leon, she is 11 I think, 10 when the photo was taken. I pretty much used her own words here. I like her a lot.

sweetfeet, your own daughter probably knows a few girls like this one who grow up faster than the others. In some ways, it is a hardship to look older than your real age or experience.

lovely, I remember the time my own went through it. It's good that Taylor has you.

Wow, she is a living doll. Lucky you to be so close...and she was a perfect muse!

I don't want to be grown up either!

dianaani, your words and photos capture so beautifully that world of a young girl on the brink of teenager-dom!

kids indeed!
Eldest daughter is on her way to this place. I am excited and scared as hell at the same time.

lovely pics

beautiful girl, and I don't wanna do much myself.

Look at the wild in those eyes.. a force to be reckoned with I reckon :).

Rated for the visual record of the hubris of youth.

I went out to lunch and shopped with my little one today. She is 19 now!
rated~

alas this places my usual attitude squarely in the mindset of a
preteen girl.

Love this. Captures youth and rebellion and growing pains and beauty.

a beauty like this
needs to do
only what she
wanna do
lovely poem and photos
of a lovely young woman
rated with love

Very nice pictures and prose. I had three running around at once. Now I have three college kids, scattered around and still managing to drive me almost, mostly, slightly off the beam.

bbd, i was remembering my own daughter's passage through those years, and like showing taylor's freckled nose, honest eyes, and cupid's bow mouth. other than cropping, i didn't touch these photos.

buffy, exactly. she is a muse. thanks!

cranky, me neither, don't wanna.

ah kate, yes, it did bring back memories. love you.

vanessa, dear lord, i will be praying for you.

bea, isn't she? i mixed her words, my daughter's, and mine. i can't tell which now.

seer, oh yes. she has it. i admire her mother's strength to withstand it.

susie, it goes so fast, my own sweet girl has a birthday today, and we will go out this weekend, i am lucky.

james emmerling: Oh! No! sorry about that.

lea, thank you. she is still a child in so many ways, but her beauty is almost grown up. i imagine the mixture is hard to deal with, for her, and for her mother.

romantic poetess, ah ha. kinda humbled by that. thanks.

sheila, congratulations! on keeping your sanity!

Lovely, dianaani. I can almost read all those thoughts on her face.
♥R

ah thanks, fusun. maybe she will always have such honesty. i hope so.

Beautifully constructed post.
R

thank you, stevie. her expressions were driving it.

Beautiful and endearing, well done.

And rated.

I agree with Linda; she resembles a certain young lady at OS. ;)

thanks thoth, she is the beauty here. i just took the photos and cropped them.

belinda, those eyes, those freckles, i can relate to. those creamy cheeks and astounding mouth are unique in my experience. she is a natural, in spite of all her makeup she wore on that day. see "poster girl" for the unadorned version.

There is a lot here to love.

Set this to music! Does she sing? She looks like she does!

thanks lady dove, i tried to stay true to her, just as she is.

mhold, yes, Taylor does sing. The day I took this photo was the day she sang at school, doing a cover of the song, "American Honey." I have not written music before, maybe that is the next step. or maybe i will ask a musician friend of mine. good idea!

I guess, on some days one just wonders what they will do and where they will go.

You were my last commenter and for that I thank you, humbly. I love this post of yours. I think I've seen that teen...I think I've been that teen. What a great way of describing that 'in between' time of our lives when we want to be thought of as adults but don't want any of the responsibilities that go along with it.

puddle duck! i hope you will believe me when i say that i have really been wondering what you are doing - what you are up to - lately. i miss your posts.

thanks for the comment, yes, this pretty girl is a child in so many ways, but i like her a lot, just as she is. i am also glad she is the daughter of my friend, and i don't have to go through that right now. once is pretty much enough!

This is so well told. It belongs with the 'thirteen' open call of Caroline Marie's I think...

i thought about that open call, after i had already posted this, just thinking ... i wonder if i should add the tags late?

I'm coming back around late, but yes, I hope you've sent caroline marie the link...and added tags : )

this is great dianaani! sorry I didn't see it until now...