Virtual Glass of Wine. (or cup of coffee)

If we were having a glass of wine (or a cup of coffee) I would tell you...

That...this whole buying a house process is intense. TC and I are happy to say that the inspection is over and the financing is all approved too. It looks as if the road to officially owning our forever home is full of green lights and will be ours at the end of November!

I can't wait to give y'all the full tour.

That...I've just finished up editing two photo sessions and have two more scheduled for this weekend.

Meet sweet Molly. She was so much fun to photograph and her cute little face just melts my heart.





I'm thinking that if these sessions all go as well as I hope than I may finally make myself a little Facebook page. Or maybe something on a different platform. Maybe another blog. To me, it's a big move and I want to be ready to commit to making myself a little business.

(seriously, how cute are the lamb ears?)





The extremist in me wants everything to be perfect and gorgeous and have a beautiful professional web page and tons of fancy equipment...but the realist says to start small and just start!

But then there is the chicken in me who says what if it doesn't work? What if no one likes my page? What if I don't have time?





I need the chicken to be quiet and go back to the farm. Please and thank you.

That...along with the gym wagon, I also seem to have fallen off the blogging wagon. I'm not sure how or why, but I have. There has been so much going on lately that I just can't seem to get it on the blog. In all fairness, most of the chaos isn't remotely interesting. So, you're welcome.

On the other hand, I am envisioning lots of fun projects and DIY with the new house which will make for some good blogging. Seriously, it's got some kickin' country/80's motif going on - I see some more painting in my future. So much yellow...

So, tell me. Is there anything that you've wanted to do but have been too scared of failure to even try?

Project: Chalkboard Thought Bubbles

At camp I'm always looking for fun little side projects to do. Our camp is big on photos. We have two full time photographers that upload around 800 photos every single day so that the parents can be sure to see their kids in action. Right before camp it dawned on me that thought bubbles might be a fun element to add to our arsenal of equipment. You know, like a cartoon. Cute, no? Perfect for saying "Hi Mom!" or "Happy Birthday!"

I made these in our maintenance shop so I had plenty of tools and materials at my disposal, but it is nothing special that you wouldn't have at home...or at least with a cheap trip to Michael's or Home Depot.

The first step was to grab some scrap plywood. Mine was a 1/4 inch thick because that's what I had on hand. Tyler and I quickly sketched out a few different shapes (square and oval) and then grabbed the jigsaw to cut them. He has a much steadier hand that I, so I left the drilling to him.





Next, we sanded down the rough edges and rounded out the corners a bit.





Now, here is a key step. You need to have a way to hold the sign up, so we took scrap lumber (2x4) and cut a few small blocks. Ours were about six inches long.





Then we lathered them in wood glue and placed them on the back of the sign.





See? Makes it easy to hold up the bubble.





To finish it off Amanda and I used regular chalk board paint and put on two coats.





Once they dried, we followed the directions and conditioned the bubbles with chalk and then set about writing cute thoughts. To change the thought, we simply wiped it off with a cloth or eraser.

Fun, right?!





It would be fun for a birthday party, wedding photo booth, a classroom or anything really!

There are a million ways to do it - do what works for you and have fun with your thought bubbles.

(No, I have no idea why Brittany is wearing pigtails. Or a visor. Upside down. She was feeling very camptastic that day apparently.)

Makes Me Happy.

This sweatshirt makes me soooo happy. The giant anchor. The loose and comfy American Apparel fit. It just begs to be warn with yoga pants. Come summer, its going to be perfect over my bathing suit when the sun starts to go down on the lake.

Also exciting, not only does Happy Family have this anchor design, they also have a T. Rex t-shirt that Sheldon has worn on three episodes of Big Bang Theory!

God bless Etsy.

I'm all about shopping from and supporting online boutiques. Shabby Apple creates their own line that is full of vintage inspired pieces. Everything is super cute with great colors and textures. I stumbled on this necklace and immediately sent TC the link. Ya know, just in case he ever needed a gift idea. He surprised me with it for Valentine's Day. My mom has a similar one in gold, which inspired my search, so this makes me feel just like her.

UPDATE: The necklace just broke after three wears. It no longer makes me happy, but the idea of TC buying it for me still does. (PS: Dear Shabby Apple,  please tell me you're going to pay for the return international shipping on your faulty product or I'll be forced to not like you anymore.)

We're all aware of my obsession with photography. My camera goes everywhere with me. Because of that, I like to keep things simple. I don't generally carry a camera bag or an extra lens. However, I constantly find myself wishing I had a mini tripod that could easily fit in my purse. I just needed something to take the occasional picture of TC and I - nothing too fancy. The problem is finding one that is strong enough to hold a big camera and big lens.

Again, TC to the rescue. He found a super strong Gorillapod to solve my problems. It comes in several sizes and this is the SLR-Zoom that holds up to six pounds. It bends at each ball joint so it's perfect for uneven surfaces, wrapping around a fence post or curling around a tree branch. Really, the best part of the bendy legs is how easy it is to point it up or down so I can get the perfect angel.

Also, Thor took it on a joy ride through the snow the other night when he mistook it for a new toy. It survived without so much as a scratch.

Now that, that makes me happy.

2013 Themes.

Now that we're a little over two weeks into 2013, I'm finally done thinking about my resolutions and pondering how to handle a new chapter in the book of life.

Typically a new year is just that, a new year. Not much actually changes besides the number you write. That is, unless you decide to make changes. However, the turn of this year marked a change in my job. Mainly, because I don't have one anymore. So there's that whole lack of paycheck thing for a while... But, it was my decision and part of the process. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Ie, tuition payments for un-payed student teaching will ideally lead to a bigger paycheck in the fall. God willing.

So, the resolutions. Well, I'd really like to clean out and reorganize my coffee cup cabinet. And of course the living room needs painting. Again. Oh yeah, I'd also like the extra 15 20 pounds I've picked up to go back to 2012 where they came from. But those aren't really resolutions - more of a few items to add on the to-do list.





In looking forward to the next year, I had to stop and look back over the past year. An ongoing theme I've noticed over the past few months has been my lack of confidence. I've never been much of a go-getter, if you will. Sure, I work hard. And, yes, I usually have some sort of general plan in mind. But mostly, I just let things come to me and hope that hard work pays off. What I'm trying to say here is that I don't put myself out there. Risk taking is not my forte.

For example, I love photography. It's a great hobby and I have fun playing around and photographing every person, place and thing that crosses my path. Really, we're at the point now where TC has to ask me to put the camera down and live my life. Not to mention that the best way to get me to partake in a new activity is by reminding me that it'll make for great photos. Like snowshoeing last weekend. You think I went because I like trekking through the woods? I guess I kind of do. I definitely like hanging out with my friends. But what I really like is the idea of getting some fun photos. That's the only benefit of going into the woods instead of hanging out with the same people while we, say, sip mimosas on the couch.

So if I love it so much, than why am I scared to try and develop my passion and make something more of it?

My friend Annie is an amazing person. She's so much fun to be with and she has a heart of gold. Annie's gorgeous, smart, creative and talented. She's recently picked up photography and is doing an awesome job. Photography takes a ton of practice and even though she's still learning (albeit very quickly!) she's set up a Facebook page of her work and openly asks to do photo sessions of friends and acquaintances so she can get some practice and start a small business. How brilliant of her! That's exactly what I want to do.

So why can't I? Because I'm a giant WEENIE. The thought terrifies me. I would like it to just fall in my lap without me ever having to put myself out there.

Moral of the story: I need to stop being scared of failure. I need to magically become confident.





Enough about confidence and goals and that nonsense. That's all lovely, but you know what is better? The return of my motto from last year. I was doing well for a while, but then I fell off the wagon. Lately though, I've hopped back on and it feels good. Here it is:

Kind thoughts, kind words.

Here's where I struggle with this one. For example, I'm in line for the self-checkout at the grocery store. The woman in front of me is moving at a snail's pace. In fact, I'm sure she is moving this slow on purpose, just to spite me. From there, my thoughts deteriorate. I'm too ashamed to tell you what I really think but let's just say that I quickly start judging her entire outfit down to her shoelaces. All because she isn't scanning her groceries at warp speed when I'm in a hurry.

WHY?

I've found with practice I can actually bury my unkind thoughts about this poor woman, who has done absolutely nothing wrong and is in fact probably the nicest lady ever, and instead think kind thoughts about something else entirely. Silently judging her choice in shoes is not going to speed up her grocery scanning abilities. In reality, all I'm doing is letting letting negativity into my own brain and raise my own blood pressure. In the end, the joke's on me.

I probably shouldn't have admitted all of that. Can you relate or am I the only unkind thinker out there?  If you are, trust me when I tell you that's it fixable. Kind thoughts and kind words will do wonders for your stress levels and make you a better person. BAM! A two for one deal. Just keep repeating it to yourself until it becomes habit.

So there you have it. My themes for 2013:

Confidence and Kindness.

Preparing To Photograph A Family Photo Session: Basics.

I'm kind of obsessed with taking pictures. It's a problem.

I do my best with food, but you all see how well that turns out.

I try to do everyday life and well, I'm working on it...

But little do you know, I attempt family and kids photos as well. Actually, I'm in the process of putting together the beginnings of a portfolio.

Ya know, to test the waters. See where it goes. Maybe actually make a bit of cash money one day.

Anyway, taking photos is a work in progress.

It takes practice. A lot of it.

And equipment. A lot of it.

And time. A lot of it, too.

And a good bit of confidence and willingness to screw up and then learn from your mistakes.

Two days ago I photographed a family of four beautiful blonde kids, ranging from three to nine years old. I've worked with three of the kids at school and they also happen to be the nieces and nephews of our good friends.

I'm always looking for kids to practice my photography skills and they were the perfect family to ask. Now that I've gotten to know the mom pretty well, I didn't look like a total creeper. I offered to take their photos, explained that I needed some more experience, that it would be for free and that they could have all the photos in the end.

Without a seconds hesitation, the mom was sold. Nothing to lose, right?

Bonus: She hasn't even seen the photos yet but her kids had enough fun that she already hooked me up with two other families!


Taking photos is a whole beast of its own. You've got to know how to use your camera, how to adjust your settings and all that stuff. We won't get into that right now. But once you're good with that, and before you even walk out the door, there are a few things to do so that you'll be at your best.


Trust me, I've screwed up all of this before.

1. Get your stuff ready. Make sure your memory cards are cleared. Charge your batteries. Duh.

2. Set out all your equipment. Cameras, lenses, cards, extra cards, battery, back-up batteries, lens caps, camera caps, props (signs, chalk, bubbles, blankets, ect). Double check you've got it all. Nothing like realizing you have no camera card when you're twenty minutes into a shoot. Even an eight year old, 512 MB card that you stole from your mom is better than nothing.

3. Don't wear low rise pants unless you've got on a looooong shirt. Chances are you'll be kneeling, crawling, running and generally moving in a way that isn't conducive to low rise jeans. No body wants to see that. Crack is whack.

4. Wear the right shoes. Looking somewhat put-together is important, but Jimmy Choos ain't gonna work for walking in the woods, standing on picnic tables and balancing on see-saws. Get out the running shoes and get over it.

5. How are you going to cart around your stuff? A camera bag? Not for me if I'm at the park or in the woods. The answer is pockets. Preferably ones with zippers. Stash your chapstick, phone, keys and extra battery and cards in there. You need to be mobile if you're going to chase around a wild four year old.

6. Pee before you leave. Maybe pee twice, just to be safe. Nothing breaks your concentration like floating teeth.

7. Scout out the location, which means getting there early. Where's the light? Where are good background colors? Are there parked cars or traffic? Nothing worse than a old, gross parked truck to kill a photo.

8. Get your hair out of your face. Pin back your bangs and rock a ponytail. Also, lose the sunglasses.

9. Don't go out drinking until all hours of the morning the night before. Sorry, Jen. Lesson learned.

10 (through 14). Take a few minutes to play around with the kids and get to know them so they're comfortable. Make a point to not stress out the parents. Take equal amounts of everyone's photo. Have some different angles and set-ups in mind. That being said, roll with the punches and go where the wind takes you.

Have fun!