My iPhone 4s sends iMessages from my apple id email address instead of my phone number. I've checked my messaging settings and nothing has changed.. any suggestions?

When using your phone they will come from your phone number. The email addresses are used for the ipad and ipod imessage. The reason why you have it set on your phone is because in order for imessage to deliver any imessages it receives to both devices they have to have an email set up. If you send to another imessage recepient it will use your apple id. If it is a text (Green instead of Blue) then it will use your phone number and the carrier's SMS service instead.

The following link should get your settings correct...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3566548

Once imessage is set up it will use your apple id to send to another imessage user. They will get it as if it is your phone number or apple id. They are pretty much one in the same on the phone. The only way you can tell the difference between imessae and sms is the color of the send button and the text bubbles. iMessage will be Blue and SMS will be Green.

Then have them put your email in their contact info on their phone and it will show up.

if you go to settings>messages> tap imessage then another window will appear then tap the sign out tab

you will still be able to send imessages and it will send from your contact name not your .mac address.

hope that helps 🙂