The Photo Blog

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Get Your S**T together 2010

Seriously. Seriously. That's just how I need to start this off. 2010 came in with a bang...first the filtration system got cold and we woke up one weekend morning without water...no biggie---warmed it up outside by piecing together some extension cords and putting the handy-dandy MonkeyBean baby warmer next to it. Worked like a charm and was thankful it was a weekend morning and not a WORKday morning.

Then the POS dryer that had acted like a crazy mofo back in the Fall and was repaired (so we thought) and on the up and up--started acting crazy again and this time we were like "Screw it, you're outta here." When it first tore up--we were in the mind frame of "Get Dad to fix it, because it's cheaper...though never ever easier." The second go around and being tired of not having space to air dry things---not to mention that nice crispy feeling when you dry yourself off with a towel that has been air-dried, and we decided NO MORE. So to go ahead and round it out...hey what the hell, throw in a new washing machine too----because dear old Dad took the other one that broke and gave us one that you could fit about six shirts in and that was it until he repaired the other...that's been a few years ago...so we were done with that too. :)

Been washing and drying clothes and LOVING every minute of it since Saturday afternoon when it got here...even told some buddies we couldn't go out with them and party because we were having so much fun watching things get cleaned and dried like magic. Like butta! I've never been so excited to fold and put away clothes in my life...just to see the piles of dirty clothes make SPACE on the floor again. Pure bliss.

Life was great---Saturday through Sunday morning...but things change so quickly, lol! We were sorta noticing that the WARM air coming from the vents was more like Arctic air. Never a good sign really. It was pretty chilly around here last night...chilly enough to sleep covered in layers head to toe. Nikki wore her cute sweater to bed and was covered in a blanket warmed in the dryer--poor nugget gets the coldest.

That handy dryer warmed up our work clothes this morning for us---gave the whole wardrobe a little warming action then dressed like superheroes---in a quickness...have NEVER been so excited to get to work. :)

Turns out our compressor is tore up from the floor up and because the unit is already past it's life expectancy of 10 years--it has made it to 14 years---it was recommended and we agreed that it was getting its tail kicked to the curb as well. Let's see $900 on washer and dryer... $3000 on heating and air...I figure we're doing great starting 2010 with all new goods. Sheesh. We love our heating and air guy---Ted---he's from the old school---honest and hard working. Excited for him to come back and visit on Thursday with new shiny goods. Wish those goods didn't come with such a hefty price tag but thankful we have worked our booties off to have some green saved up.

Oh--and got bullied by the boss on my first day back from break...craziness.

Seriously though and this is the WEIRD part----all this stuff is going on and I STILL feel wildly optimistic about 2010....a little scared at the same time that I feel this optimistic and hopeful for it---like it's going to all just go to you know what---I'm just happy about 2010...and I'm going to enjoy it with all my new shiny shiznick! Poor----but I'll be warm with some clean, dry clothes. Lol.

And some pictures to go with this lengthy post:

More good news--one of the dogs is so talented that when they ran in from outside (apparently before being completely done with business) they formed the perfect Hershey Kiss. Those are marketable skills.

My first time trying out a snuggie! A friend brought it to work! It really does work! :)

Amazed at these new-fandangled washers and dryers with their nifty settings and whatnot. :) Chosen after many website searches for the best for the price. I love the internets.

Saying Goodbye to 2009

I don't think 2009 was too popular amongst most people...I didn't know this until recently--on facebook everyone is like "see ya 2009, hopefully 2010 will be better.." I don't have the same perspective for 2009...I actually LOVED it. Some really bad things happened to a lot of my friends, and I can see why they'd hate it...but those bad things that happened to them, led to better things happening soon after--so really they probably should be thankful for 2009.

It rocked for those of us here at the mansion---sure, more crap tore up around the house than we would have liked--and some of those things are still having the kinks get out of them---but everything else was pretty super and there's plans in place to make 2010 rock even more.

One thing that saddened me when making the video for this year, is all the stuff that got left out because I didn't take pictures...truth is I was sorta TIRED of carrying the camera around---so some fun activities got left out of picture memories and that's a shame because it's not like my old lady mind is going to remember later on without PROOF. :) We helped paint multiple friend's houses, Avery's nursery, took day trips to explore new places, Bunco nights...none of that stuff made it to the video for lack of pictures...so THE ONE thing I vow to do more of in 2010 is take more PERSONAL pictures--even if everyone gives me crap about not wanting to be in them, who cares?! They will be just like me and appreciate that those pictures exist later.

So instead of dogging 2009 out...I say "HEY YOU WERE GREAT...and I think 2010 has a lot to live up to...but have a feeling that it's GONNA BLOW YA OUTTA THE WATER WITH COOL POINTS!" :)

December 2009

Finally got some time to take some pics of my favorite wildebeests...been good times relaxing here at the mansion---well and of course editing photos in the evenings...maybe here soon after finishing up the editing of two weddings, I might have a little break from that as well.






Red Bobo is new for Christmas, Orange Bobo is an old friend...but apparently they travel in pairs and have been a big hit lately...no joke--whenever you see one Bobo--the next one is right beside it...Brinkley can actually fit both of them into his mouth and you find these guys in random places all over the house.




That's a whole lot of dog on one bed...

Animoto Rocks My World

So I'm doing a trial of Animoto, love it, obsessed with it to be quite honest, want to marry it, you get the idea. They definitely know how to make an awesome video and it was so easy to do, it's redonk.

Here are my first ones! May take a moment or two for something to show up below this text if your computer is a little slow---so don't run off if nothing is down there right away. :)

Awesomeness

As we said goodbye at our last wedding in October, we drove into this AMAZING sunset! I'm so stoked about the pictures!





Last night at the Art show I got a pic of my three biggest supporters...it's amazing how much they help me out---I'm especially fond of that one on the right!

October/November 2009

This poor, poor blog...there's pretty much no way to revive it from the dead at this point...and I don't even feel like trying really. But, Natalie so kindly asked for some sort of updating and maybe there's somebody else that looks on here for some updates too...so I'll give a little something!

Life has been CRAZY busy and I'm pretty darn tired! It's been great though---lots of weddings to photograph, even got to do a "destination" type wedding in Rome, GA where the family put us up in a cottage and all our meals were provided...pretty darn awesome!! We were so so tired after the weekend, but had a really nice time.

My kiddo's Art show was last night and now that it's done I can sigh a huge sigh of relief!! Just a quick one though, because there's ALWAYS something next, next is focusing on the yearbook. BLEH....and that's all I have to say about that. The Art show went well, the turn-out was underwhelming considering we have 650ish students and 185 sent in the R.S.V.P forms and then only 116 showed up. But not looking at numbers and that sort of thing----the people who DID come, enjoyed it and had some nice artwork. I just wish more people would come out to stuff like that!

OK so this post is sporadic, but I'm done for now. Here's some pictures to go along with the randomness.

I know that these pictures of the students are CREEPY with the eyes cut off...but I could be sued/lose my job for posting pictures of the students without permission....nobody wants that redonkulousness to happen---so here's their awesome artwork and smiles...


Look at that awesome blending of the oil pastels on the one on the right...that's only second grade. We talked about warm colors and cool colors on that project.



I'm gonna have to get some pics of the awesome 4th grade hamburgers we did, can't believe I left those out!
And this next one is from "Mismatched" Day! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mismatched day...I call it "tacky" day instead! :)

A Few More Before and Afters

Couldn't find the "before" photo for the blue stool, but this another old thing we had sitting around that I've painted and fixed up for a photog prop. There's also the in-progress "old" sunroom "new" office. Started it one night right before school started back and haven't picked up a roller or brush since----guess I need to get back on that soon! :)

Then the seriously Old metal egg basket. Had to really sweet talk my Dad and Paw-paw into letting me have it...even though it was just sitting outside an old shed! Old-er people are so funny how they don't want to give up their old stuff sometimes. I think once they see how I've prettified it, they will be glad they parted with it. :) At least I'm REALLY glad they did...a little newborn nugget wrapped in a blanket is going to be sooo cute sleeping in that basket! :) STOKED.

Julie's Old Chair Before and After

Before and Afters make me so happy! This is what we did to an old chair that was Julie's when she was a little nugget! She has pictures of herself sitting in this chair and she was OH SO CUTE! Since she's been scanning some to make digital copies for her Mom, I will have to post some soon!

This chair is going to make the cutest photo prop!

Sunflower Festival July 4, 2009