Engagements Photobook

It's finally done. It's two weeks later than I thought I would be. But really, it's only 2 weeks! I had this schedule of how many pages to do a day and when I would have it finished by. But I got quite lazy there for a few weeks and did nothing on it. And then this week with the new computer it opened up a whole new world of speediness I didn't know I had. I don't know what is my favorite page, I have a lot I like. And there are some I know I could have done better on. I'll post a couple of pages on here just to make my bloggy blog have more pictures and to catch everyone's eye :). Most of the file sizes are too big for blogger to handle. So here is the link to view the whole book. Take a look!
http://www.artscow.com/share/Engagements-3s7ncbtougtx

And a few of the pages...

Now I get to work on my honeymoon album. I had started it months ago. But then my laptop died and all my files were on it. So haven't worked on it since then. But Frank backed up all my files for me this week and so I'm going to get them all off there tonight. Woot!

Desktops and Speed

Last week we decided to buy a new computer. My netbook is not adequate for doing anything with photos really, it takes forever and a day to do anything. And we're afraid Jamo's laptop may crap out at some point. And his is even slower than mine, it's ridiculous. And we've been talking about getting one for ages now and so we bought a desktop. And again we want to get one before we have other money obligations (cough baby cough). And here's the thing about having 8 gbs of RAM on a computer... it goes SUPER fast. In the past day I have completed 14 pages in the digi-scrap book that I am working on (my engagement photos). It took me like a month to do that before. I was averaging two pages a day when I did scrap and now I can do a ton! It's amazing. And so I think my book has the potential of being done by the end of the week. And it will feel nice to have something accomplished. And hopefully by that time I'll have the old project I was working on (my honeymoon pics) back from my old hard drive and I can start working on that again. The only problem I am running into in this project, which has potential to slow things down exponentially again, is that the font I was using on my netbook is not translating into the same thing on our new computer. So I think once I'm mostly done (everything but words) that I'll have to move it back to my netbook and add them there. Then I'll move them back to this comp and save the jpgs for the website. But I think first I'll finish all the pages up to that point. I'll have to post a few of the pages on here or something when I get around to it (like when it's done). I just have so many unfinished projects that it will feel nice to get one of them done. Ok, enough blogging, time for more digi-scrapping!

Puddle Jumping and Baths

It actually feels like spring here. I was afraid that we wouldn't get any this year. Last year it seemed like we had Spring all year long. But after winter I was ready for Spring to come. Only what really happened is that Summer came. It's been ridiculously hot for this time of year, like in the 80's. It should only be in the 60's. And if felt like it hadn't rained in weeks (which some people were really enjoying). But it's Spring, which means there should be rain and thunderstorms and all of those beautiful things. And today it's pouring and I'm absolutely loving it.
I've decided to spend the day at my little netbook and digi-scrap. I'm doing this by and open window so I can see and hear the rain. Now at one point, the temptation of the rain became too much. So I ran and put on a swimsuit, shorts and tshirt that I didn't mind getting wet and headed out. Mostly I just walked around the apartment complex frolicking and puddle jumping. It was delightful. Then I decided to go into the field/construction area that is now in front of our apartment and trudged through the mud. Messy. And after thinking about the movie Big Fish (why I was thinking about it I don't know) I remembered the scene when the father was in the tub in all his clothes. He said he felt like he was drying out. So because I felt like it and because I didn't want to get a chill after this rain incident, I went and took a bath in all my clothes. It warmed me right up. And now I am sitting here at my computer again. It's been an odd kind of day. There's just something about the rain that's making me silly and feel like a kid again. I used to play in the rain a lot, that happens in Washington I suppose. I used to pretend to be a hobo and live under the umbrella tree and play my badminton racket guitar. Or pretending I lived in the outdoors and had to find shelter from the rain and and hunt for food. I wish I had that kind of an imagination sometimes. But since I don't I'll sit here and digi-scrap and drink my chocolate milk.

Arapeia Island

While ready about the new family game Heather is putting together I photoshop'd me a picture. I did a couple of blank and whites and 2 of the brown. This is the one that got picked for the facebook game page :) Thanks Heather!

Ripe Bananas and Spring Cleaning

So I've started what I like to call Spring Cleaning Twenty-Ten. My living room looks amazing. I had to buy a new vacuum, my old one had lost all suction after Jamo tried to clean it and then couldn't figure out how to put it back together. And the the Christmas tree really did it in this year. So yesterday I went to wal-mart and bought a new one. And who wants to hear something gross? I haven't mopped my floor once since I've been in this apartment. I've spot cleaned it with a rag when I needed to, but nothing else. So I decided that it was time I also bought a mop. It's like a swiffer wet mop, only a clorox brand of it (mop and all supplies way cheaper). I'm still deciding on how I feel about it. I like that I have no mop bucket and water to deal with and it dries really quick. Downside? I have to scrub really hard. I don't know how much I would have to scrub though with a regular mop. Somethings no matter how much you try and get with a mop, really just needs to be scrubbed on hands and knees. So my kitchen floor is looking pretty amazing right now. Although I do want to get under the oven (that frightens me a little). I also went through the fridge and got rid of all the old food. We have SO much more space. GOAL - Eat the food I buy before it goes bad/eat leftovers. Now all that's left is dishes, which I'm saving for Jamo (it's his chore). At the moment though he's writing a 10 page paper, eww. So I'll bug him about it tomorrow.
I'm not sure what to do next. I'm thinking either the bedroom or bathroom. The bedroom would take a lot less scrubbing. But I hate putting my clothes away, I kind of loathe it. The bathroom though will take more time I think and a lot more scrubbing (which I really don't mind). I think I need some more cleaning rags, mine are all dirty, whoops. Maybe I'll just get couple at the dollar store. I also need to go to the store and buy milk and sausage. I've been trying to actually make dinner, so we don't go buy fast food all the time. Today, I am also baking banana bread. I had a lot of extremely ripe bananas. So I hope it turned out good, I made a double batch. The first batch is out and cooling. I think I'll try some now...

*Eats Banana Bread*

As it turns out... I am a master at making banana bread. Yum.
And in a little bit I'm taking Aiden to Burger King for late birthday fun (they have dollar kid meals on tuesdays! He can get 2 if he wants, haha). So that should be good fun. I think Holly will get some bread, as I recall, she enjoys the banana bread. Ok, time for me to get ready to leave the apartment :)

Trying New Things

So in my new quest to be more productive with my life, I've decided that I'm going to map out a schedule for my day. I'm going to wake up at a decent time (for days I'm not working) and do the things I need to. One of my goals is to try new things with my photography and photoshop. I've been looking at tutorials and here is what I did today...

Here is another one that I worked on today. Both kind of fun, different from just the normal basic photos I've done. But I realize I need more photos of people in all sorts of different positions and clothing and expressions. I'll have to work on that.

I Can't Remember Who I Was Back Then

Post note that's going before my post: I was going to give a warning that this was yet another one of my late night deep thought posts and to tell those who don't want to read it, not to read it. But I suppose that I should quit apologizing for my writing in my blog, because it is that, MY blog. And those who don't care aren't reading it anyway. And so from hence forth, I shall write whatever I feel with no apologies or explanations. Onto the original blog post.

So I after looking for a bit of information I decided to read some of my old blog posts, from my original blog I had when I was in high school and the first year or so of college. And now Tim McGraw and me are BFF. I guess at different times of your life different songs mean different things. But the line in Red Ragtop just keep coming to me, "I can't remember who I was back then". All about making mistakes and love lost and growing up and realizing you're not the same person. Which reminds me of the Garth Brooks Song, Unanswered prayers, and being so thankful that I never got what or who I wanted in high school. I guess I didn't think I had changed that much. I sometimes still think of myself as that angsty teenager who was depressed and hated everything. But the truth is I've grown up a lot. I by no means think I'm grown up or a full on adult, I don't know if people ever feel completely like that. But I am not 16, or 17, or 18 anymore. I've come to terms with life and what it has dealt me (not too mention all the crap I brought upon myself). I don't really know how to explain what I'm feeling or what the point is or even why it matters. I guess mostly we just grow up so slowly that we don't really notice. But then there are nights like tonight when just a little thing, like reading an old journal can show us how much we have changed. I mean, I know I'm older, graduated from college, married, have a job, have a place of our own. I can see those changes, I can see myself becoming an adult. But I guess all of those were physical or concrete things. I just didn't know how much I'd changed emotionally. I still get depressed and feel all crazy like, but it's different this time around. Sometimes I'm really glad I'm not 18 anymore. And I wonder how long it will take me to change and realize I've completely changed from who I am now. As much as I would like to change myself over night, I know all to well that this will not happen. But I just have to keep pushing along and do things one thing at a time. I try and take on the world all at once and then quit because I'm overwhelmed at all I want to fix or to be better at in life.
But the first thing I would like to do, is to finish that silly book I've been reading forever so I can return it to the library tomorrow (and pay my ridiculously large fines :) ). Time for my bed.1

Good idea. Bad idea.

Good idea: Going to work at 6:30 am.
Bad idea: Going to bed at 2:30 am.
This is what happens when a nocturnal person goes to work at 6:30 am. Hooray for long breaks!

Another Late Night Rant

I'm sure some people sleep at night, but it seems I have forgotten how to. I thought maybe today I would get things on a decent schedule, but as it turns out, 4 hour naps until 8 something p.m. do not help in this whole sleeping at night thing. And so here I am... "It's 4:03 and I can't sleep" and I mean that quite literally, it's 4:03 a.m. Now, maybe if I was productive with my use of time at all hours of the night I wouldn't mind so much that I'm nocturnal. But lately I've been lazy and just watch Hulu until my brain rots (just like the commercial) or maybe the alien one... anyway. So I think if I'm going to be up late anyway I should make better use of my time. Like, I could clean the apartment. Or I could finish crafts I have started and yet to have finished. Or I could finish that book I've been reading for almost two weeks now and just can't seem to finish (I think I'm afraid to see how it ends, or where it leaves off is more like it. There's a character in there that I really just want to yell at for being so stupid but it's no use obviously. I just hate when people do stupid things... like hide scary monsters who just tried to kill your bff because they are the sons of her arch nemesis, sigh). But I think one reason I don't do anything (not that it's a good reason) is because I think if I start doing something then I won't get tired and go to bed, that I'll get distracted and stay up all night. Only it's now that I'm realizing that I stay up all night anyway no matter if I'm doing things or not. So my goal is to make better use of my time.
On another note, I went to work today. I worked a lunch shift. It was a nice ease in to the world of work. But it was nice to get out of the house and actually do something productive. I think it's good for my mental health. And I'm working again on Monday, although that will be an 8 hour shift at 6:30 am, egh. I worked in an elementary school today. And it seems like everytime I do I find myself wanting to go back to school. I wish I had known more about myself at 19 as I do now. Then maybe I would know what I want to be when I grow up. I mean, I love photography and all, but sometimes there are other things I love. And I never thought I would love kids, but it turns out that I do. So if I ever go back to school I want to be one of two things. 1. Elementary school Art teacher. Or 2. A school librarian. But maybe I would have the same problem with these as everything else. I love everything a little bit, but nothing a lot. I love to try new things and do new things. I don't like to stick to anything. And maybe I would try it and decide I hate it or am sick of it, that it's not really what I want to be doing. I wish I knew. And I wish I had more guts to actually do something about it. And I wish I had even more to actually stick with it and not give up because I'm scared of failing. I'm afraid to do things and stick with things. If I never put my all into anything, I don't have to see how bad I am at things. I'm good at being mediocre. It's a talent that I have practiced and perfected. Although really, I should get some real talents, but again this is hard with my problem.
And these are things I'm realizing and accepting about myself. I hear though that you first have to recognize you have a problem before you can fix it. So another goal is to actually try and be good at something, not just mediocre. Finding that thing though is the hard part.
And now I've bored everyone with yet another ridiculously long post about the musings I have at all hours of the morning. I'll have to post some pictures or something to make up for it. I think there is too much text on my blog at the moment :)

Deodorant and Gum

Okay, so this blog may appear to some people to be an over share, but it's my blog, so whatever. Mostly I just have a few questions to pose (is that how that's phrased, it's late and I cannot think all that umm, straight?).
Question 1.
Does anyone have the problem that when they need to pee that they cannot think properly and cannot accomplish anything. It's like I have a.d.d. when I have to pee or like I'm the worst multi-tasker ever invented. I go from subject to subject, place to place, chore to chore, without actually ever accomplishing anything.
Question 2.
Does everyone have one deodorant that they stick to, that they know works for them, that they always buy? And if so, do you ever find yourself trying other deodorants just to see if they will work any better or if you will like them more? And if you do, do you find yourself never ever using these other deodorants and going back to your original? I have this problem of liking to try new things and new products. The problem is I don't always like it better than the one I'm using. And when it comes to things of hygiene once you have it, it seems to last forever. I mean, really, how long does deodorant last? And toothpaste... and shampoo/conditioner. You're making a few month investment. And I always feel bad if I don't like it and don't use it, so eventually I force myself to use it, even if I hate it. So I'm trying a different deodorant. Now, it isn't too different then the one I love and use. Typically I am a strict Dove Original girl, it's worked well for years and I don't mind the scent, pretty basic and not too flowery or fruity. A few months ago (upon Jamo's suggestion) I bought another Dove deodorant, Ultimate Clear in some sort of grapefruit something grass flavor. Turns out it's really uh, potent, fruity and flowery. So I don't use it as much. And I don't know if I like the Ultimate Clear as much as the original, like I don't know if it works as well. But a month or so ago they had some new Ultimate Clear on sale and I bought some, in the original scent this time. At least I learned as much. So the deodorant I was using finally ran out and I am now trying this new one. So far I'm not sure how I feel about it, it is still up for debate. But it is supposed to not get on my clothes and leave my arms feeling soft and wonderful.
So there is really no point to this blog post, except to rant about the musings that hit at 3 in the morning when I cannot sleep. I really need to get on a normal sleep schedule. I also need to not think so much about deodorant and just buy what I know and love. I mean, why mess with a good thing? I guess I'm just enticed by the ads of new or improved products. I am a product of society, a drone programmed to buy what they tell me. I also have the same problem with gum, I love gum, and I LOVE trying new gum. There are so many that I want to try even now. I don't chew it nearly as often as I used to though so it takes a while to go through a pack and I feel like I can't keep up with all the new awesome gum they have. Although, so far Trident is by far my favorite, I cannot explain why, but I do. I mean, everyone has there favorite. I also enjoy a fruity gum over a minty gum. I love the Trident Blueberry (or Berry) Pomegranate. It's like eating pie, only a lot less guilt.
And now I've bored you all and myself :) And I think I shall try and go to bed, or at least read until I pass out. My poor husband is doing homework tonight. I had to make a 3 am caffiene run. This is what happens though when you put off your homework all of spring break until the night before it is due. He is really a silly boy. And you think he'd learn by now that maybe this isn't the best idea, but alas, here we are. And now I get to go to bed and he does not. Farewell to all.

Polish

My new pink nail polish. I also got nail bling at the dollar store last week and decided to try it out I think it looks better in person. This picture is kind of blurry. Yay for fun nails!

Camping

Jamo, our friend julie, and I went camping Friday and Saturday. Here are some of the pictures from our adventure... and an adventure it was. It rained all Friday evening/night. But the sun came out Saturday morning and made for a wonderful day.


Breakfast of champions... Pancake Smores. You have to improvise when you forget the syrup and jam and all the normal things you put on pancakes. We also rolled bacon and sausage in them, yum. Good breakfast.
This is the meats... mmmm. We bought the cast iron skillet to try cooking real foods over the fire for breakfast. Usually we just do donuts or something, but we wanted to try something new. I think everything turned out well.

So Friday night it rained and rained and rained and rained. We spent the evening in the tent. And it said the tent was waterproof, and it was... for a while. But when it rains that much, there's only so much it can do. So we improvised and in the morning let our stuff dry all over the camp ground. Here are the sleeping bags. Luckily, they didn't soak all the way through, just the outside. It was an experience.

We hung out by this creek in the afternoon. We all got a little burned. It was lots of fun.

Jamo hanging out by this log by the creek. Julie and I had gone to it the day before and it was fairly low, but when we went the next day after all the rain, it was much higher and muddier. But good times.

We made a fire in a fire pit. I'm sure you're supposed to coals or something, but wood we had. It took far longer to start than we had imagine. It usually doesn't take us that long to start a fire. But we got it going and we had the dinner we had had planned for the night before minus the rain. So we did pie iron pizzas (a family classic) and hotdogs and smores and roasted starbursts. Delightful.

This is me eating one of the roasted startbursts. They get all gooey inside and then when they start cooling they get this cruchy shell on the outside, yummmmy.

Mail from Melanie!

After getting home from our lovely camping trip we picked up our mail. There were some good things in it... a wedding annoucement, my paycheck and ads of course. But the most fun came in a box from my sister Melanie. After seeing my blog post about my lovely Excuse me Yellow, she got me more new nail polish! So now I have lots of new colors to paint my finger nails with. First item to do is to take off what remains of old polish. I have this lovely habit of putting it on and then slowly scrapping it off until there is nothing left, which takes a few days. I really just need to use my nail polish remover more often. Picture to come when I have a new polish on... but what color to use first?!??!

(This post is dedicated to Melanie, without which, it could not have happened :) )