Let Me Take Your Picture

I have decided recently that I want to dive into the world of photography. I took a few classes in college and have always admired it, but I think it's something I could convert to more than just a hobby {with quite a bit of practice}. So I am in the process of doing a bunch of shoots to fluff my portfolio and eventually make a legitimate website to solicit other work. Ideally I would be able to couple my design with my photography. I've just noticed a parallel with how most people get photographs taken for Christmas cards, baby announcements, wedding announcements, etc. and I think it seems like an easy way to fulfill a need without having to generate one out of thin air. If they are needing pictures there's probably a 50/50 chance they have a design/card/announcement need as well.

Over the next few weeks I have a few different photo opportunities that I am getting to take advantage of including maternity, graduation and newborn pictures. This last Saturday was my first official shoot and I was super anxious since I haven't even really assistant camera'd before. Most of what I know I have just picked up from my old job doing video production and digging through other photographers websites. But you have to start out somewhere right? Considering I've only had my DSLR for 3 months and this was my first time out I was really pleased with the results. Now if only I could have gotten Jayden to not cry. The only time he wasn't crying or making an "I'm so angry" face was when he was on his Radio Flyer bike. Good thing we brought that...

So here are a few of shots from Saturday...You can see my top 30 pictures on my Flickr account here.

Strong Daughters

I know I am super late posting this, but our visiting teaching had to be rescheduled for later in the month, which means I procrastinated my handout until a couple days before our appointments.

The message this month was on being a daughter of God and helping build His kingdom. If you haven't already read it or are interested, you can find it here.

It was a really good article that I found particularly thought provoking. I think sometimes the role and responsibilities of women can be diminished in our world today. But from The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we know that the role of a wife and mother is a hefty one. It requires the utmost selflessness, diligence and consistent effort. So my handout was meant to reflect how strong of a woman you have to be to be a daughter of God. Enjoy!

I'm A Piecemaker...Or Will Be Soon

I have another confessional from the diary of a craftaholic. I have recently become absolutely smitten with quilts. I keep oogling every quilted treasure my eyes can find on Pinterest and numerous blogs and somewhere along the way I got it in my head that this was something I could do.

I am the daughter of a woman whose sewing machine literally collected dust in the attic and claimed rights to writing the book "How To Sew With Safety Pins and Hot Glue" (she really could, she made the top to my prom dress with a scarf and no-sew glue..see below).

With this heritage, I have NO IDEA how I have convinced myself of a sudden ability to sew. But after a trip to the Fabric Mill and falling in love with 20 different absolutely gorgeous fabrics, I guess now I am committed to this project. Oops.

{See How Beautiful?}

I am telling all of you out there in the infinite bloggersphere and universe of the internet because I need someone to be accountable to. You know how when you are in Alcoholics Anonymous you have a sponsor to hold you accountable? Well my blog is now my sponsor and by posting this I know I am going to have to make a follow up post of my progress and the final quilt.

So here I go...on the journey of quilt-making. And as Michael's very wise Aunt Karen told me "Now you are a piecemaker." Get it? :)

::Wednesday:: Quote of the Day

{ Love This }

I have realized lately that being happy is just a matter of deciding you are happy. It wasn't the fifty times that Michael told me this that made me realize it, it was a little old man. I spoke with him on the phone at work and he was quite enjoyable. At the end of the conversation I told him to have a good day, to which he quite animatedly responded "I will if you will!" I answered with a laugh "I'll try." "Don't try! Do!" he said, "life is all about what you make it, so say you are going to have a good day and you will!"

So here's to you optimistic little old men out there who are just overflowing with wisdom. I will glean something from your years of experience and start doing not trying.

Have A Happy Day!

Quirky Best Friends

I love my husband and the weirdness that we share. Two people that I love described our love best:

"Sarah and Michael are like quirky best friends who happen to be in love."

- Genevieve Gantt, Maid of Honor Speech

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it Love."

- Dr. Seuss

Our conversation today is a perfect case point.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, thank you for falling into mutual weirdness with me Michael....or at least not minding my weirdness. Thanks for tickling me for so long that I have literally peed my pants. Thanks for playing weird strategy games with me that nobody else has ever even heard of. Thanks for enjoying watching me doodle and thinking that those doodles are amazing. Thanks for thinking I'm beautiful even when we are camping and my only makeup is chapstick. Thanks for playing along with whatever bizarreness I have adopted at that given moment. Thanks for being my quirky best friend.

Lady's Tool Belt

I have such a love for DIY stuff, it is rediculous. Once Michael and I are out of this perpetual student mode and have moolah to spend from his amazing optometry career, I already have about 2,073 projects that I will need to do immediately. I can't help but see something and think how I can refinish/remodel/improve it. Hence our once very scary apartment that is now quite humbly homey and cute. As much as I love my dear husband, I was the one to bring every tool and powertool into our marriage. That's okay though because it means I get to seize every home improvement opportunity without any interference. But being a woman, I have many requirements during projects that a man wouldn't (ie cell phone, colored pens, bobby pins, the need to look cool...the list goes on). So I was looking at a Designers blog that I love called nestegg and she had invented this totally amazing Lady's Toolbelt that I just have to share. Long story short, I need this to be a reality.

Set Fire To The Rain

I have this horrible complex where I am absolutely terrified of singing in public or around other people {with the exception of Michael}. I am working on overcoming this, and one of my personal methods is by singing in the car when I commute back and forth to work. From this, I have discovered my new favorite song to sing when I'm by myself. It's Set Fire To The Rain by Adele.

It is undeniably hilarious to sing the chorus of this song as loud and weird and nasally as you can. I discovered this by actually trying to sing like Adele and then realizing how that was NEVER going to happen. So if you need a new song for the shower or your own commute, please just take a moment to try this one on for size and get a good laugh out of listening to yourself try to sing as pleasantly weird as Adele.

::Monday:: Something Borrowed - Ruffle Totes

For anyone who knows me even mildly well, you must know that I am addicted to Pinterest. The worst part is, I'm not one of those people who just pins and looks at it and says "that would be nice" and daydreams about what I pinned. I am chronically incapable of not cooking or crafting the things that I pin on Pinterest. Without fail that is where my allowance goes EVERY month.

So back in December I found this great ruffle tote tutorial by Ucreate here. Of course I could not pass up making something that darling and that easy. So I made one for my sister and one for my sister-in-law for their teaching jobs. Being the space cadet that I am, I forgot to take pictures of them before I gifted them, but Shauna was amazing and recently sent me a picture of hers so I could blog about it. {Thanks Shauna!}

So here is my final product

The hardest part was definitely sewing the strips in ruffles, but after one failed attempt I was able to conquer the technique pretty well. They were super cheap to make and tres cute in the end. If you have an extra half an hour, you should totally spend it making one of these.

::Wednesday:: Quote of the Day

This is clearly my excuse for the lifestyle that Michael and I lead. I am so grateful to have been given such a creative mind and passion for aesthetics. Life is so much more colorful, beautiful, and just plain better because of it.

Breath Check 1,2,3

So I found this amazing recipe that I have to share with everyone. It's from Martha Stewart and it's for Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa.

I made this last night and it literally took only 20 minutes start to finish. But eater be-ware! it calls for 1 medium red onion...I'd put as little as possible!! An entire red onion has given me the breath of a fire dragon since I ate it last night. I even brushed and Scoped before bed, but still woke up tasting the onion.

But overall the recipe is quite tasty. I added more Cayenne pepper...like 3/4 Tbs. because I wanted it to have more heat. You can find the recipe here.

Deck The Halls With Glitter

I have been meaning to post this for...umm, forever. But better late than never right? Well, I'll just fool myself into thinking that's the case.

I had this huge hankering for Christmas decorations back at the beginning of December, and I just knew I would have to get my seasonal craft bug in. So when we went to Wal-Mart to pick up our Christmas tree I couldn't resist picking through all of their ornaments and holiday doo-dads to spiffy up a plain pine wreath I've had for a couple of years. $10 and a few sticks of hot glue later, here's what I got.

Not too shabby if I don't say so myself. I also feel that if my sister were a wreath, then this would pretty much encompass her aura.