Practice...

As a photographer I am continually trying to hone my skills. But to do that I need subjects. And it's not always easy to find willing ones. I tried to recruit, okay bribe, Owen to help me out today. But as you can see he wasn't that willing.

And while the picture isn't bad, technically it's a good picture, I know it's not HIS best work! He was a very unwilling subject despite my promises of candy. And I am not as patient with him as I am with other people's children. For example, I would not say to a client's child, "just look out the window and hold still!" And I wouldn't allow a clients child to play with their Buzz doll the entire time either. Or yell, "MAMA!!! I'm just trying to pew here!!" We don't work well together.

So I resorted to subjects that are a lot easier to control. Thank you Woody and Buzz you were great! I will get you some really nice candy the next time I'm at the store!! Just don't give any to that uncooperative child you play with.

Frosty morning...

Saturday we woke to beautiful sparkly snow that only happens a few times in the winter. The trees and bushes and fences were all covered with it. Owen and I traipsed around the yard for almost an hour taking pictures. Here are a few of the images I captured.

I am a little bit obsessed with snowflakes. Images of them anyway. I love the work of Wilson Bentley. Although I'm not as obsessed as he was. And I like to capture them in a natural environment rather than individual flakes.

After I was done taking pictures of the snow he let me chase him around and take pictures of him. He usually holds still for about 2 and then it's a crap shoot as to whether I'll get anymore. Although it's blurry, the last one was my favorite.

Bathroom art...

Recently we repainted the bathroom. Here is a picture of it, sans decor.

You can't really tell in the picture but the paint color is not white. It's called rose dust. It has a subtle pink tint to it. White was just to stark next to the beautiful pink tiles. (Yes, that's sarcasm you detect). The wall with the mirror (where it's lower and indented) and the ceiling of the shower used to be a burgundy like the accent tiles. The rest of the walls were white with flowers painted on them. At first I liked the flowers. There was a bathmat that matched them. But I bleached the bathmat and the flowers did fare so well. And then it just got old. We had intended to remodel it completely this previous spring/summer but because we lost so much value in our house we couldn't take the money out to do it. We decided to make due with paint.

Now on to the redecorating. I found the hearts shower curtain at Target for a good price, and while it's not what I was originally intending it brought a little more brightness into the room (especially in January). Now I'm working on art for the walls. Really just one wall. The space above the toilet. I bought 5 Ribba frames at Ikea last week and am working on things to fill them with. I have paper taped to the wall so I can get an idea of how I want them arranged. I have three 6" square frames and two 9" square ones. So far I have one little piece finished.

Here it is. I cut out progressively smaller flowers with my cricut using glamma vellum paper.

Then I stacked them up, adhering them to each other with a pop dot. And then I added a little bling in the middle.

Now only 4 more frames to fill!

Love songs...

What is your favorite? This was the subject of a post on Cathy Z's blog the other day. And incidentally she and I have the same favorite. And since it's Valentine's Day soon, I thought I'd share it with you.



And the lyrics to the song.

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

And in a white sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I wasn't a Ben Folds fan until after I met Morgan. He has quite a varied taste in music and it includes Ben Folds. I love this song because it's simple and beautiful. Both in the lyrics and the musical composition. If you aren't familiar with his music I would highly recommend checking him out. And as I mentioned he did the music for Over the Hedge. Which we watched again today!

One word...

I stole this from Rachel's blog.

Your Cell Phone? Pink

Your Hair? Red

Your Mother? Strong

Your Father? Gone

Your Favorite Food? Sugared

Your Dream Last Night? Weird

Your Favorite Drink? DC

Your Dream/Goal? Artist

What Room Are You In? Study

Your Hobby? Creative

Your Fear? Death

Where Do You See Yourself In 6 Years? Older

Where Were You Last Night? Home

Something That You Aren't? Tall

Muffins? Bran

Wish List Item? Technology

Where Did You Grow Up? Minnesota

Last Thing You Did? Read

What Are You Wearing? Clothes

Your TV? Tube

Your Pets? Dog

Friends? Good

Your Life? Busy

Your Mood? Fine

Missing Someone? Yes

Vehicle? Betty

Something You Aren't Wearing? Earrings

Your Favorite Store? Target

Your Favorite Color? Green

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Tonight

Last Time You Cried? Friday

Your Best Friend? Morgan

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Bathroom

Facebook? Yes

Favorite Place To Eat? Table

Let me know if you play with us!!

Obsessions...

Well, maybe when you are 3 1/2 doing something over and over isn't called an obsession. It's just repetition and comfort? And anyone who has or has had small children will understand this. Owen LOVES to watch movies over and over. For awhile he would watch the same one day after day after day. And other times he would mix them up. But one of his most favorites, and the one he's watching right now, is Over the Hedge.

I really couldn't tell you how many times he's seen this movie! It's quite a few. And I don't watch it every time he does but I've seen it a whole lot of times too! And as far as animated movies go, it's one of my favorites. Being a Dreamworks production means it is top notch. But being filled with the music of Ben Folds is a huge help! If you've not seen it, I would highly recommend it. Unless you are easily offended by humor about suburbia. Then don't.

Beautiful baby fingers & toes...

Is there anything more beautiful than baby toes and fingers?? Okay, maybe all the beautiful squishy rolls of babiness (but I'm only posting fingers and toes today).

I had the pleasure of photographing one of our ECFE friend's new baby. She is a little darling. Here are some fingers and toes.

About love...

"Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division. It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. You can give it away, throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever. "

-Author Unknown

A surprise...

This morning while checking my e-mail I had a message from Bonnie Rose letting me know that I was on The Fresh Reflection blog. So of course I stopped over there to see what was going on and up pops my picture! I was a little shocked and stunned because I have no idea how the picture got there or who sent it (since I'm the only one with the actual picture.) But I decided not to freak out because I like the blog (I found it one night blog hopping) and I like the idea behind it. And I like the picture. It was taken by my friend Lisa for my website. And to whoever sent it in, thank you, that was very kind of you.

A new project...

I have been pondering a new project for 2010. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I haven't been pondering a specific idea but rather the idea to have a project for 2010. And I was at a loss. I don't like the pressure of 365 days of photos. Until today I haven't taken any pictures yet this year. Very uncharacteristic of me. I wasn't sure I wanted it to be photo, craft or both related. Or if it should include some goals. I have enough goals though. Eventually it just moved to the back room of my mind and I hadn't been giving it much thought at all lately.

However, today while we were baking chocolate chip cookies, and I was compelled to get out my camera and photograph my beautiful creation, it came to me!!

This year I'm going to amass a collection of images representing love. And now you may be wondering "hmm, what would that look like?". And that's just it. I don't know. Hence the idea. today it was the chocolate chip cookies. I love them. They turned out perfect. I loved the time Owen and I spent making them together. I love eating them. We put love into them while we were baking them.

Some people may disagree with me and say you can't love *things*. And I'm fine with that. Disagree all you want. I don't care. Love IS an expression. I get that. And I can see that. And hopefully I will photograph it. But love is also how you feel inside. When you eat that warm gooey chocolate chip cookie (that maybe someone who loves you made). When you slip your feet into your most comfortable pair of shoes (that you loved yourself enough to splurge on).

My point is, love really IS all around us. (Thank you Love Actually, I love you too!) And this year I want to make a point of capturing it and documenting it and showing it to others. Our world needs more images of love. It's rather intangible at times and I think if people can see it then maybe they can feel it more.

For today, here are the cookies. LOVE THEM!

Random...

So it would seem that over the last six or more months I've been neglecting my blog. People stop by but no one is home. (As evidenced by my lack of posts!) However, I am not really neglecting my blog, I just don't seem to have a lot to say. Or I say it in short bursts on FB. My BIL commented one day that his updates page is mostly updates from me. Maybe he'll figure out how to block me from his updates page and won't be inundated with my thoughts every time he signs on to FB!

My life isn't really all that interesting. Which means not much to write about. And then there's my notorious short attention span. When I think of something I want to write about it's frequently in the wee hours of the night/morning and I may narrate in my head but don't want to get out of bed and turn on the computer because if I do I most certainly will not fall asleep. And I know this because I used to do it and I didn't get back to sleep. Now that O isn't napping much anymore I can't do that. If I do I am worthless during the day. And that isn't a good thing with an energetic 3 1/2 year old terrorizing the house. Which brings me to another distraction from blog writing. Owen won't let me be at the computer for very long without climbing into my lap and wanting to see something or type too. He loves to type messages to people. Of course I need to start the message so that people know what's going on when they get it. And he loves getting the messages back from people!!

More and more I find myself wanting to write about things that are a little on the sad or depressing side too. Long winded posts about Nikki and how much I miss her. Soap box posts about insurance (health, home and auto) and how I hate it. The solitary nature of being a SAHM of an only in the winter. The ebb and flow of my creativity. (It's currently more on the ebb side, in case you were wondering.)

BUT I don't like that I am not writing here. I like to share andI like to read what other people are writing about.

So for today, a little glimpse at somethings I'm missing and that I'm grateful for.

Right now I miss:

• Nikki. Life isn't the same without her. And it won't be. And I have a hard time with that. And so do a lot of other people. The saying, "finding a new normal" is so true.
  
• Having grandparents. We had lunch with our school friends today and one of the kids great-grandma was there. It was so fun to have her with us. And I realized how much I miss my own grandparents and the older women I had gotten to know at our previous church.
  
• Warm weather. We had rain today. Yes, rain in MN in January when it was 30˚. I don't know how that happens but it did. And it was yucky! The snow is dirty. My car is filthy! And the sky is gray, gray, gray! The only good part has been the ice skating.
  
• A good nights sleep!
  

Right now I'm grateful for:

• My friends. I am blessed to have some really great mom friends to spend time with. Who also share my hobbies and interests. And great non-mom friends too. That remind me that I am more than a mom. I am still Heather.
  
• A good husband. Sometimes it seems like a good man is rare. So I'm glad to have one.
  
• Owen. I am really enjoying his 3 1/2 ness. He is so curious about so many things. And he's so fun and silly. And says some really goofy silly things. Yesterday he was sitting on the floor in the kitchen talking (to me or just himself I'm not sure) and he said, "when I throw up on the floor, I go to the doctor and have a check-up. Then I go home and sleep." I think this came out of him remembering when Ludwig threw up one day. And incidentally we don't take him to the doctor when he throws up. Because when he throws up it's because he's worked himself into a tizzy and just throws up.
  
• My home and all the other creature comforts we have that so many people don't have. There are lots of *things* I think I'd like to have but in the grand scheme of life, we really have all we need.
  

Happy New Year!!!

We had a rather uneventful New Year's Eve. We had a nice dinner of Runza's imported from Nebraska (I KNOW that's not the correct use of the term import) courtesy of my BIL. We played one of Owen's new games (Cariboo) and then it was bedtime for O. We crashed shortly thereafter.

Today I sorted through, archived, and deleted photos from the computer and now have a blank iPhoto program to start the new year with. I love that. Owen and I baked brownies in The Perfect Brownie pan that we got for Christmas. I'm planning to tidy up my craft room since it is a disaster area from creating and wrapping during the holiday season.

Every January I am over come with the urge to purge, clean and reorganize all areas of our home. This year I think I am going to make a list and tackle it a little bit at a time week by week. It may take an entire day for me to tackle the mail basket and file cabinet. More than anything I abhor paper clutter. Newspapers, magazines, mail, recipe print-outs, receipts. I'm fairly good at organizing things and keeping track of stuff but the paper things just seem to get out of control. Insurance papers and investment statements and all that stuff that needs to be filed. I cram it into a basket planning to do something with it later and then the basket gets too full! So that is on my t0-do list for January. Our file cabinet needs a good purging too.

I've also been busy purging old toys and clothes. Owen's closet is full to the brim with all his clothes from the last 3 1/2 years. I either need to find a new system/place to put them OR they need to go.

I'm trying to subscribe to the motto that we don't have anything in the house that isn't purposeful or beautiful. Which can be hard to do!

And now I'm off the do more cleaning, purging, and sorting! Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

Six days until Christmas...

5 until Christmas Eve. Owen is beyond excited! But he is very patient too. Probably because he's been waiting so long that he's just forgotten about asking about it. He began asking questions after Thanksgiving when the neighbors started putting holiday lights in their yards. He wanted to know why, "we don't have any Christmas". We don't put lights in the yard so he thought we weren't having Christmas.

Morgan likes to take the decorating slowly so we didn't put the tree up until last weekend. I had started with other decorations the previous couple of weeks though. It would be easier for me to do it myself but we keep all the decorations in the attic and that is not a place that is easily accessible for me!

Here is our tree after getting ornaments on Monday night.

And one of my favorite glass ornaments. We are mostly finished with our gift shopping. Just a thing or two left. Morgan made two loaves of Stollen today and they are baking in the oven right now. I have some baking to do also but probably won't start on that until Morgan gets the kitchen back in order from the Stollen!

I was wrapping gifts today and Owen was working in my craft room with me. He loves to "work" in there. Which mostly means cutting up paper or using my punches. Today I got out my old fiskars trimmer for him to use. He was having a grand time cutting paper. Then he made a present for my friend Maggie. More cutting of paper and lots of tape.

Morgan is on vacation until after Christmas. Should be interesting having him around the house during the day. We haven't been home together like this since before we bought the house. When he takes vacation we usually go somewhere. But he has a lot of time to use up or he would lose it. Should be interesting!

Hello December...

I can't believe it's already December. This year has flown by. I'm always amazed at how the passage of time seems so much faster as an adult than it did as a child.

Owen is already excited about Christmas. He sees all the lights in people's yards at night and asks why we aren't having Christmas. We've been busy trying to explain how the lights are just one way that people get ready for Christmas and prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Part of getting ready for Christmas is celebrating Advent. Morgan is big on Advent. He doesn't like to rush into Christmas. And to be honest, neither do I. I guess it's just another way to make things last longer or enjoy it more. We have an Advent activity calendar that I made last year that has tags with activities on it for us to do everyday. Not anything huge and spectacular. Sometimes just little things. We also have an Advent calendar from Trader Joe's that Owen can open a little door on and there is a piece of candy inside. Fortunately the candy pieces are quite small so I won't have to feel bad if he eats it in the morning sometimes!

We also set up a Nativity set each year. This year while I was looking for the Lego Advent Calendar at Target (which they were out of) I found this great Playmobil Nativity Set.

We got it out today and put it together. Owen LOVES it! We set it up in his room on his dresser where he can see it and play with it. It came with a small book with the Christmas Story in it. Owen keeps calling the wise men soldiers and Morgan likes to call them wise guys.

I'm going to attempt to do a little Daily December journal this time around. I've attempted the last two years and even made a couple little journals but never got them finished. This year I haven't put anything together yet so maybe not planning it will help me accomplish something!

Thursday Thunks 10/22...

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by

Kimber, the number 70, and the color mellow.

1. If you were to start a meme (or a second or third), what would you call it and what day would you pick? I would pick Wednesday and I would call it time wasters for Wednesday.

2. When a celebrity endorses a product, do you really believe they like it/use it? Depends on the celebrity. But most of the time no, not really.

3. Why don't zombies ever just eat each other? I don't know and where did Zombies come from anyway!?

4. If you were an elephant, would you rather roam free or be in a zoo? I think I would rather roam free as God intended.

5. The doorbell rings on October 31st, do you answer it? Only after dinner and before bed time. After that, no. Unless it's the police and they've announced themselves.

6. If you see a piece of paper on the ground while out & about, do you pick it up? Probably. If there is a trash can near by. And it's not super dirty and gross. I hate litter and try to pick it up if I can. If so, do you look to see what it is? Sometimes.

7. If Jon Gosselin and Octomom got married and then their own reality show, do you think she would try to get pregnant again for better ratings? I think she'd try to get pregnant again if the opportunity presented itself even if Jon Gosselin weren't involved. That woman scares me.

8. If Thursday Thunks was to be put on hold or quit completely, would you be sad? Yes. Why, is this leading up to something? Are the Thursday Thunkers thunked out?

Regret...

I am not a person with much regret. I guess I really don't believe in it. I tend to see myself as more optimistic than pessimistic and more hopeful than not. I try to learn from my mistakes and grow from them and make the choices that I think are best at the time. But sometimes one cannot live without at least a few regrets.

One of my most recent ones is not recording the voice message Nikki left for Owen on his birthday. She called him on his birthday from the hospital, her first stay, and left a lovely message wishing him a happy birthday. I kept the message on as long as I could but one day it came to expire and I let Morgan erase it. At the time I felt a twinge of regret but I believed in my heart that she would be here for his next birthday and many more. Unfortunately that isn't how it has worked out. And often I hear her voice in the message. The sweetness in the way she talked to him. She loved Owen and he loved her. And I so wish I had taken the time to record it on a tape so he could hear it someday. It was not the last time I talked to her but it seems to be what I keep coming back to when I think of her voice.

A couple weeks ago I started a post about her. One that started writing itself in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. But when I sat down to write it it just didn't come out the way it had written itself in my mind. So bit by bit in a post here and there things will trickle out. Memories. Moments. Bits and pieces of how we loved her and our friendship. And how terribly much we miss her. And will always miss her.

Right now...

I haven't posted in quite awhile. Lots of things have happened or have been happening. So I thought I'd do an easy post about right now.

Morgan is baking chocolate donuts. It's an experiment. I love his baking experiments. Especially when it involves chocolate.

Owen is still talking to himself in his room. But he's in his room so I'm fine with it.

I'm anxious about the test results from my thyroid biopsy. The dr. said the results would be back mid week and they called today. It's Monday. I went in Friday. That's fast. And I wasn't home when they called and I didn't get the message until 5:45pm. I have to wait until tomorrow. Which may mean a sleepless night.

Or not, since I'm drinking a skinny pirate. My new drink. Which I discovered at Carrie's house where we held book club. We had rum and coke as a tribute to Nikki. We read The Boy in Striped Pajamas. It was her pick. Today we played at Carrie's house and she sent a 1/4 full bottle of Capt. Morgan home with me.

I need to do another test for the endocrinologist this week too. Which means another blood draw. But no needles in the neck. So I should be fine.

I exercised today. 20 minutes on the treadmill and level one of the 30 day shred. I didn't die. I can't believe I've gotten so fat and out of shape.

I miss Nikki a lot. Although I've gone several days without crying. There are often many moments during the day when I am overcome with the sense of loss that I won't be able to share something with her. Like the silly things that Owen does. Or a little gripe about something. Or something I'm irate about that I know she'd understand. I had expected to be much older when my close friends started dying. I'm also mad at God about the unfairness of her dying. But I'm okay with that. And I think he is too. Another wise friend told me it's okay to be mad at Him. He's big enough to take it. I hope so, because I might be mad for awhile.

Our Pastor's cancer has returned. He was diagnosed with lymphoma a year and a half ago or so. He went through all the treatment and a stem cell transplant. We was doing well. He went in for a check-up and they found it had returned. I'm tired of cancer and it's evils. I think it's something I wouldn't wish on the worst of people. It's horrible and destructive. Both to bodies and families. How is it that doctors and scientists can come up with so many amazing treatments and ideas but they can't find a cure for cancer. Or acne. How is that?

We are going to watch Pam and Jim's wedding tonight. Finally!

I love the show Glee. If I had been a more confident person in high school and there had been a show choir or glee club, I may have participated.

We had snow today. But it should all melt tomorrow. I was enjoying fall up until the snow. Owen looked out the garage today on the way to his school and said, "look, it's winter!"

My sewing machine and I are on the outs. Mostly it's my issue. I've got a bunch of items to finish up for the etsy shop and I am trying to use a new presser foot that is not easy to use!

I am doing a bigger family portrait session on Halloween morning.

Feeling a little blah right now in life. I dislike these periods a lot. But I've learned that I need to wait them out. Mostly. And just try to do the best I can while I am blah. Because it will pass. It always does.

Oh Friday...FINALLY!!!

1. One week ago it was Friday and we went to the Wild Game with Lisa & Joel.

2. Winter was longer, colder and snowier when I was young.

3. Mama told me having no manners is worse than having no money.

4. God bless you and me.

5. Take your time and do a good job at whatever you do.

6. Disequilibrium (in my preschooler) will pass!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SCRAPPING, tomorrow my plans include SCRAPPING and Sunday, I will SCRAP SOME MORE!!!!

Have a great weekend. I will be scrapping!!

18 days...

Time flies! It's been 18 days since I posted last. I can't believe that. Granted I have not been good at a daily post for some time now but 18 days is a long time.

Owen is napping. It's a lazy Monday. I've got lots I should do around the house but am a bit overwhelmed by it. And unmotivated. Which is more of a problem. I can usually break things down and get them done. So the motivation is mostly the issue.

My friend Nikki is still on the healing roller coaster. She's been in the hospital for about 18 days. I think. I've lost track. We continue to pray for her healing. I have so many feelings and emotions about her and what is going on.

Summer is almost over. Officially anyway. Most people consider September part of the fall season. But the autumnal equinox is officially at 5:18pm (EDT) tomorrow. And I for one am happy for that! Summer, particularly the end, is my least favorite season. I love fall. We went apple picking yesterday and it was strange to be doing it while it was so warm. But we had an enjoyable time anyway.

I am getting ready this week for a scrapping retreat this weekend. I leave Friday afternoon and return Monday afternoon. I've got a bunch of layouts planned plus a mini album and some cards. Hoping for a very productive time away.

Health wise I am needing to make some changes. I decided in August to go off my anxiety medication. I was sleeping very poorly and having way too many vivid dreams. I'd also gained 20 pounds. Now I'm off the meds and sleeping better but of course the 20 pounds aren't going away without a fight. To be perfectly honest I feel completely helpless and hopeless about that. And unmotivated. I know what I need to do. I know how to do it. I just can't seem to put my confidence in my ability to achieve any goal that I set. Or motivate myself to try. Who I want to be, is not who I see in the mirror. I am frustrated with where I am and how I got here and how I let this happen. And continue to make poor choices day after day. And no one else can change it for me.

I have finally decided to start my own little photography and design business. You can visit my website HERE. It's proving to be an adventure but life isn't fun without them, now is it!?

Owen started preschool this month too. So far he's loving it. He goes two days a week. One day I'm in the building for the parent education part and the second day I just drop him off. I was a bit worried about the drop-off day but he did just fine! He is having a communication explosion right now too. He's saying all kinds of interesting and insightful things and his vocabulary is amazing to me. The other night he told me he heard a "creepy sound". We are working on manners daily. I want him to be bright and articulate but I really want him to be polite and well mannered. All the smarts in the world won't help a person out if they are unable to communicate in a polite and kind way.

9/3/09 Thursday Thunks...

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the number one thousand twenty six and the color of the dirt spot you need to wipe up on your kitchen floor.

1. Your thoughts on truck drivers? They are necessary and sometimes drive a bit crazy.

2. Did you hear Michelle Duggar is pregnant for the 15th time? (but that will be kid #19 if you lost count....) No, I didn't and I only know who she is because someone mentioned her the other day. I don't keep up on people who are crazy enough to have 19 kids. I have a hard enough time with one.

3. Have you ever done something to hurt someone intentionally... just for the sole purpose of hurting them because you thought they deserved it? Maybe a paybacks a bitch sort of thing? Nope. I may have thought about it a few times but I've not done it because I would feel bad about it later that I had intentionally hurt someone's feelings. Don't get me wrong. I can be mean but it's not to hurt someone.

4. Is there anyone in your life that when you go to their place of residence, you just walk in without bothering to knock? My mom's house. But I also announce that I'm there when I go in. Does anyone just walk into your house without knocking? Nope.

5. Whats in the trunk of your car? Do you even have a clue? Owen's stroller and a canvas shopping bag. And probably some sand. I haven't vacuumed it out for awhile.

6. When you go to a family holiday get together (such as Christmas or Thanksgiving), about how many people are there? Depends on which side of the family. If it's my side 6. If it's Morgan's side 13.

7. What is in your kitchen sink right at this very moment? Dishes that need to be washed.

8. You go to a store to buy an expensive item... say $150. You pick up that item and a couple other this n' thats. You get to the register and the expensive item rings up at $40. The cashier doesn't seem to notice and tells you your total. Do you go with what they say and pay it or do you question the price difference? You know you would question it if your $40 item rang up at $150.... Yes, I would tell them that the price is incorrect. I would feel bad about not saying something and the karma would eventually catch up with me.

9. Do you fold your underwear or do you just toss it in a drawer? I fold it and put it neatly in the drawer.

10. There is a Harley-Davidson giveaway. Chances are $100 and they are only selling 250 tickets. Do you buy one? No. I wouldn't spend $100 on a "chance" like that. Maybe if it were a house. But I'm also way to small to ride the average sized Harley and Morgan wouldn't let me keep it anyway!

11. Who is your favorite Disney character? Hmmm, I'm going to go with a non-traditional Disney character and say Buzz Lightyear.

12. It's September - most of the weekly sitcoms/dramas are starting new seasons again. Which one are you most looking forward to? The Office. Hands down. I might start out watching a couple others but will end the season still watching the office.

13. You are at a grocery store and are on your way out to your car with your cart full of grocery bags. On your way to your car you see a black kitten in an empty cart. What do you do? I don't know. If it's cold out I may go in and tell someone. If it's warm out I would go home. I can't bring animals home anymore!

14. Is there anything that you do for a hobby that you are asked to do for friends/family that most people would hire a professional to do? (example: cake decorating, fixing cars....) Yes, photography. And sewing. And card crafting. I'm a pretty handy person!

15. Are we there yet? Nope. Hopefully we all have a lot of years left.

8/26/09 Thursday Thunks...

1. Have you ever played Bullshit? Yes, I do believe I have. Although not for a very long time and I'm terrible at card games so I would have to be taught again.

2. A dog licks you on your face. Are you disgusted or thinking it was sweet? It depends on the dog. When Ludwig licks me I'm okay with it. He's a pretty dainty licker. Greyhounds are selective about who they lick. Not WHAT just who.

3. Tell us about a fun/special memory you have of a grandparent. For the first 3 1/2 years of my life we lived with my maternal grandparents. And my grandpa and I were very close. I have many, many special memories of him. He taught me to do all kinds of things. Hammer nails, play pool, card games, fish, drive a tractor, and a car. He was a very special man and I miss him everyday.

4. Have you ever pet a rat? Yes.

5. If I walked into your kitchen, where are the cups? In the cabinet to the right of the sink on the first shelf.

6. Since you already let me in your home, I found the cup and had water, now where's the bathroom from the kitchen? Depends on which way you go. But the fastest way is through the study, down the hall and the first door on the right. Watch out, it's pretty pink in there!

7. Have you ever pet a turtle or tortoise? Yes.

Fabulous finds...

Morgan LOVES garage sales. The thought of a deal is exhilarating for him. We will drive around and preview them (slow down and look) and if it looks good we will stop. He often goes to them without me. Just him and Owen. Owen loves them too. This weekend we drove around to a few while we were out. One of my favorite finds was this little red easy chair for $2. It's the perfect addition to my collection of props for childrens portraits. Owen of course thinks it's for him but we told him he could only sit in it when I take his picture. He posed for me but not for long!

This is my favorite. There is just something about the pensive look on his face.

I'm really excited to use it for Baby Q's 6 month portrait session! I also found a Tupperware Jello mold set for $2. I don't know why I love them so much but I've been obsessed with finding one for ages. And $2 is just my price.

Morgan also hauled home a desk he found by the curb. It's not huge, more of a child's study desk. But in decent shape. I want to paint it in a fun/funky way. Morgan wants to refinish it in just the wood. We rarely agree on things! But we did agree that the price was right! Free! Curb-side-thrift is our decorating style! Which I'm not always happy about. But it allows me to have other expensive things like a new 24" Dell monitor to do my photography editing work on. I was dreaming about a new MAC but the reality is that I didn't need one. I just needed a larger display area. We went to the Apple store last weekend to look at them and of course the price of a new monitor to use with my iMAC was $900. But turns out it wouldn't work with my model. Darn. So the guy recommended I look into a Dell or Samsung. The Dell 24" had great reviews online (from MAC users even) so I found a good deal at Dell and Best Buy price matched it. I was thrilled! And Morgan is excited that we can watch movies upstairs on it! So cheap furniture and to afford nice gadgets is just fine by me.

Friday fill-ins...

1. I remember, I remember the crispness and energy of fall.

2. Dear Grandma & Grandpa, I want you to know I miss you and think of you everyday.

3. Is that my BUTT!!???

4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of sugar. I LOVE sugar!

5. I'm saving a pile of junk just for you!

6. If I made a birthday list a really huge laundry bin would definitely be on it!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending the evening with my boys, tomorrow my plans include cleaning and crafting and Sunday, I want to craft some more!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

8/13/09 Thursday Thunks...

1. Hypothetical question- you are in a building with famous works of art, old manuscripts of famous novels, and original sheet music from famous composers. The building is on fire and looks to be completely destroyed. Do you grab any of the famous works before fleeing, and if so what? Hmmm, I guess it depends on how many people are in the building and if they are all freaking out. And I would think this building would have measures to protect such treasures in the event of this kind of disaster!

2. In August 1969, the Manson family went on a 2 night killing spree. Do you think 40 years later they have paid for their crimes? I'm pretty sure those people, and specifically Charles Manson, will not have fully paid for their crimes until they meet their maker. I just don't think there can be a price to pay for a "killing spree". Maybe it's just me, but there is something not quite right with the Mansons.

3. Power Outage! What's the longest you have been without power? 15 hours maybe. But then again, we do go camping!

4. Just bought a new tazer gun. Will you let it be tested it on you to see if it works, and how it feels to be tazered? Nope. No thanks. Find someone else to taze!

5. A neighbor's mail was delivered to you. In it is a magazine not wrapped in plastic. Is it ok for you to flip through it before giving it to the neighbor? Do you tell them you looked through it? If your fingers are not dirty, and flipping through is not the same as reading. And when we get the neighbors mail it ends up sitting on the table for a few days. Unless it looks really important. They have a big dog that I don't like so the timing has to be right for me to take the mail over there!

6. If I went through your purse/wallet right now, what all would I find in there? Not much out of the ordinary. I carry a small purse. My wallet, my phone, a notepad and pen, calculator, gum, a pill box.

7. Have you been living under a rock? No, why?? Do I look like it?? Did I miss something!? I don't watch the news you know! It either makes me mad or makes me cry!

8. Tell us something crazy you did this week. I had blood taken. I know, it doesn't sound that crazy. But I'm a big pansy.

Wordless Wednesday...

Thankful for...

M- My mother. She is awesome. And I am super proud of her. She passed her counseling licensure exam.

O- Owen. He's a wonderful boy and I have learned so much being his mama.

N- Neighbors and our neighborhood. We have great neighbors and live in a very nice little neighborhood. While we certainly don't live in a coveted city we have a nice little niche here.

D- A new doctor. So far so good. Although I didn't enjoy having blood drawn today.

A- Answered prayers. Nikki was released from the hospital today. She still needs to go to the clinic everyday but she gets to sleep in her own bed every night and be with her little family. That is most certainly something to be thankful for!

Y- Yard, our yard. I'm thankful that we have a yard big enough for Owen to play in but not so big that we can't take care of it (mostly). And it's a safe yard for Owen too. And has a fence to keep Ludwig in.

I've been quite busy lately. Sewing. Cleaning (trying to keep up with it!). Working. Editing pictures. Enjoying playdates. And I've not had a whole lot to reflect upon to write about. And when that happens I like to just think about what I'm thankful for and all the good things I have in my life. It's always so much nicer than dwelling on the things I want to change or can't change or the things I worry about.

Wordless Wednesday...

Stare at this for a bit...

Created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. I first saw it on How About Orange. Click to make it bigger and you will get a much better effect.

Things to share...

This is a panoramic that my father-in-law took in the Hyalite Canyon just south of Bozeman, MT. I did a little color work on it but just to bring out what was already there. I don't often share the photographs of others but this is one of my most favorite of what my FIL has taken. We both share a passion for photography and enjoy discussing photography topics and our cameras. But for as grand as he takes pictures I like to get in close!

I don't think I posted this but I can't remember and I could go back and look but I'm not going to! This is Owen sitting on the world during an outting with Lisa and her kids. I used it for the selective coloring lesson in the Jessica Sprague class I took.

I took this one at the vehicle fair we took Owen to in May, or maybe it was June. Anyway, I ran the News Print action on it from Coffee Shop actions.

I created this frame and text from the tutorial on Cathy Z's blog this week. I'd been wanting to know how to make a simple line frame for ages!

This digi layout I created for a challenge this week at Designer Digitals. The challege was to use three photos. The photo frames were a freebie!

Thoughtful Friday...

(Click the images to see them larger)

Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art.

-Ansel Adams

Wordless Wednesday... (and a few words)...

And Happy Birthday to my little sister and Noelia! Today is both their birthdays! I hope you both have a wonderful and many wishes for the best year yet!

Hooray! It's Thursday and time for...

Thursday Thunks!

1. You walk into a store and the cashier is being held up by a robber. The robber's accomplice is dead on the floor at your feet with a shotgun laying next to him. The robber does not see you, but the cashier does - what do you do?
**If the door is close, I walk back out and call the police.** But I'm pretty sure this wouldn't happen at Target and that's about the only store I frequent. Because of pay-at-the-pump I don't go in gas stations anymore!

2. We go to an ice cream shop for an ice cream cone. You say you are buying and I am going to stay in the car. You ask me what I want and I say "surprise me", what kind of ice cream cone am I going to get?
**Bubble gum, or something weird like that. Because I don't know you and you are sitting alone in my car and I'm buying you ice cream. You get something weird. I'm just mean like that!**

3. You have a dream that your co-worker, friend or whoever is hit by a garbage truck after they back into a ladder with a black cat on it. The next day you see that person standing by a ladder with a black cat on it and there is a garbage truck driving down the road.... what do you do?
**Tell the co-worker about the dream. But if it was Maggie I would have already told her about it. And she wouldn't have been anywhere near a cat anyway!**

4. What is the most money you've won on a lottery or scratch off ticket? **$200. It was a scratch off thing at the casino.**

5. A neighbor kid down the street comes to your door and offers to wash all of your windows outside for $10 - do you have him do it?
**Hell no! It would probably be those kids that raked leaves a few years back and they did such a crappy job at that I wouldn't let them touch anything on the house!**

6. Go to Google Images. Type in the name of the last movie you saw. Post the first picture that comes up.


7. Your local animal shelter calls you and says there are 3 dogs that need an immediate foster home for 3 days. If you do not accept, the dogs are put down that day. Do you take them in? ** Well yes, if it means they won't die!** I hate those rock and a hard place questions!

8. What is the messiest room in your home? **Usually the kitchen. But today it's the living room. But in reality it's probably the laundry room/storage room downstairs.**

9. Have you ever been to a wedding that participated in a strange tradition that you had never heard of? **No**

10. Name one sport that you just don't get. **There are a lot of those. But at the top of the list would be football. Grown men dress up in spandex, grab each other in the ass, themselves in the crotch, and then pile on top of each other. Kind of dumb.**

11. What was the last email that came into your inbox about? **ECFE Ladies Night**

12. Have you ever purchased anything from a sex shop? Extra points if you tell us what it was.... **Nope**

13. Go back to that Google Images link... type in the last food item that you ate. Post the 2nd picture it comes up with.


14. Got any bumper stickers on your vehicle? What are they? **Nope**

15. What meme question do you wish was never asked again? **Hmmmm... I can't think of anything that I've written about too much. And if I think a meme is dumb then I just don't do it!**