Saturday, December 22, 2007

tales from the kitchen...

I have been working from 9 to 2 or 3 in the morning for several weeks now. The Christmas chaos is about done, so why am I still up at 1:30? Good freakin question. I apparently am unable to sleep anymore. Well, I did fall asleep at 8:30 on the couch, wake up a 10:30, only to not be able to fall asleep in bed. Too much on my mind. I was hoping to finish things with my horrible customer today, but of course their pictures didn't come in, so she is just looming in my mind. So I got up out of bed and cleaned my kitchen. The entire kitchen. I even cleaned out the fridge. I mean really cleaned out the fridge. Everything came out, the drawers and shelves all removed, everything washed. I rearragned so I have one less shelf in there. I think it will make it much easier. I did find a few interesting things. I had a whole door shelf for film. Yes, film. If you keep it in the fridge it will stay good longer. However, I'm not sure that it will keep it good for 6 years past the expiration date. Just a thought. So if anyone would like to do something fun with way expired film (most medium format) let me know, I will give it to you.

On a separate note, I found a lot of beer in our fridge. So please come by sometime and help us drink it. (I always have other drinks for the non beer drinkers.)

I hope all of you have a safe and merry Christmas.

Until the next bout of insomnia...

thumbs up!

Friday, December 14, 2007

desperate?!?

Have you ever noticed that Hollywood has yet to recreate something correctly?! I mean can Lassie really know when tornados are coming and warn everyone in time? Or does everyone tape up their windows when there is a tornado watch? On a whim to calm my mind tonight, I decided to catch up on my Desperate Housewives. Seriously! Don't you think that maybe the writers/set designers/directors would at least consult someone who had been in a tornado, before spending all that time and money on the show? If we taped our windows everytime there was a tornado watch, we would live with a partial view of the world the entire spring. Or imagine how much people could save if they had a four hour warning before a tornado. Hey, it Hollywood. The day they get real life correct, well, that show would be boring or depressing or even uneventful. Maybe if we all stopped watching dramas we would have a lot less drama in our own life. (I'm not sure how this turned into a soap box, sorry!)

Thumbs up!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

almost done


I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Christmas cards are slowly winding down. I give it about 1 more week of staying up late, and then I should be able to pick my life back up. Just in case you would like to see some examples of what I am doing in my basement, here is the link to my flickr site. You can view a very small sample of cards. I do all of the layout work on each one. Sometimes when I am stuck, I go to card printer websites to get some inspiration. Feel free to leave feedback about them. (as long as it is positive, negative feedback is not welcome until January.) So happy freakin' Christmas to each of you!
(yes Jodee, you may copy and paste this to your blog. :) )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8105009@N03/sets/72157603386787812/

thumbs up!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

change your family tree...


I took a look at the last few blogs. I seem to be a little crabby. It's probably due to the wonderful holiday season. It's great to have a booming business, but I'm thankful it's only for a few months. What gets me the most, is people who seem to forget when Christmas is. Like, oh my gosh, you mean Christmas is on the 25th this year. I totally forgot. Seriously. Same day as last year. Remember last year when you didn't have your pictures done and you paniced and swore you would be on the ball next year. Guess what, you totally forgot that Christmas was coming, and once again, you realize you need pictures and cards now. Guess what there is some one working hard on those pictures. Remember that, they are taking time out of their holiday season to do that for you. So, if you forgot to get your pictures done, don't give them your order and then call 3 hours later asking for your card proof. There just might be a few others who forgot when Christmas was. Please be nice to your photographer (who should be me if you are reading this) it's a very stressful time for them.

On a much lighter note. I was trying not to be crabby, preachy or bitchy for this blog. Oh well, messed that up didn't I? I wanted to let each and everyone of you (okay the 2 of you that read this) what a great year Jeremy and I have had! I what I realized the most is that so much of it is because of a great decision we made early on. In February we took Financial Peace University at our church. Our friends were teaching it, and we wanted to have a good class to take on Wednedays, so we signed up. Little did I know what life changing decision that was.

Financial Peace University is a program put together by Dave Ramsey. He is a financial guru, who teaches you to act your wage. His advise is not hard to get. We started the 13 week class, not sure if we would buy into the thought process. It has been great. We are now debt free except our house, have an emergency fund and no longer have little disagreements about money. If you don't have the money in your envelope, then you don't get to buy it.

WAIT!!??! Did you say, if I don't have the money I don't buy it?
Yes, that right, if you don't have the money you don't buy it. If you only have $20 dollars for groceries for the rest of the week, then you learn to love rice. (Dave always says rice and beans, but I don't care for beans too much.) We have envelopes that are filled with a set amount of cash every 2 weeks. And if you don't have money in your envelope, then too bad you have to save your money. It's amazing how great this works. Not only do we feel like we suddenly have money, but we also have less stuff, because you have to justify every penny.

The best part, since we've had Olympia and I stopped working a normal job, each year at Christmas, it's a little tight to make ends meet, we never had to use a credit card or anything, but I was very nervous. But this year, we had the money put aside. We just paid cash for it all. No need to worry, we had been anticipating Christmas since February. Isn't that great!?! I am so excited I want to tell everyone we know, unfortunately, we live in a society that is afraid to talk about money. Or where it seems like bragging to tell this sort of thing. So, here is my bragging. We paid for Christmas with cash, I bought Jeremy a trip to Hawaii for our anniversary with cash. That's right the whole trip already paid for!

If you are interested in how to change your family tree, let me know, we are teaching the same class early next year. Come and join us! As Dave says, "We give you the same financial advice your grandmother would, except we keep our teeth in"

TWO thumbs up!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I don't think we are in Kansas anymore...

I received an email today from someone who is thinking of starting her own photography studio. She asked me for advice on several subjects and if I could help her in any way with how to start, how to advertise etc. At first I was very pleased that she looked at my website and thought I would be a good person to help her out. I am always flattered when someone pays me a compliment about my work. It is a cut-throat business and there are always people out there to remind you that they don't like something you do. (I always remember all the negatives.) Back to the email, as I started to think what I would say, a little devil popped up on my shoulder and said "don't give her any of your secrets." I am very appalled that anything would make me think that. I always consider myself a generous person. I like to think that my clients come to me for my personality as much as my ability. There are some that would say you don't want to teach your competition, but why not? Won't your clients come to you, because they like you? Well, not really. Unfortunately, our society has become so dependant on getting a bargain, that they don't care about small business or personal relations. (some call this the walmart epidemic) I will be the first to admit, when a new client says to me "I used to use so-and-so for my pictures, but they raised their prices so high, I can't afford it," I am a little happy. I have probably won that client over with my prices. But the more I think about it, I'm a little sad and worrisome. So, if I raise my prices because of raising lab fees, does that mean they will leave me? What happened to personal relationships with your business people. I know, I enjoy talking with the guy at "Goin' Postal" where I do all of my mailing. I enjoy the smiles and conversations I have with the Sam's Club photo center. Just think about what would happen if we all unplugged and started talking with each other while checking out at the grocery store, ordering food, etc.

As for the girl, I am going to email her information. She lives in Kansas, and is not a threat to my business. But I'm glad that she asked. It taught me a little about myself as well.

thumbs up!

Monday, November 26, 2007

a bag of everything...

Happy Holidays! They are official upon us. The stores are filled to the brim with stuff, everywhere you go Christmas music is playing, and I am working late into the night trying to get all those holiday cards designed and out the door. Every year I say at some point in time, "I hate the Christmas season!" This year, however, I am thankful that I have a business that is booming and a daughter who will play in the living room while I doze on the couch after only getting a few hours of sleep. (For those of you concerned about her safety, I am never really asleep, just enough to get some rest and still comprehend what is going on.)

I went to a charity auction on Saturday with some friends. I had donated a gift certificate, so someone gave me a ticket to attend. I was only somewhat excited to go. You can never win anything because they always go way over the actual price. However, I did get a membership to the children's museum. Oh yeah, and a trip to Hawaii. That's right a trip to Hawaii. I still have to buy on ticket, but it was a great deal. We are going for our anniversary in February. I am so excited. There is a new reason to work late into the night. (for my fellow Dave Ramsey followers, I paid cash for the trip. I am super pumped about that. Want to know more about Dave Ramsey, let me know, I am teaching a class in January/February.)

On the other hand, we had quite the eventful Thanksgiving. We went to one of our friend's parents house. (One nice thing about having a husband who works on holidays is you get invited to other people's dinners and celebrations. Then I don't have to cook for myself.) We were just getting ready to leave, coats on and all, when Olympia feel and hit her head on a space heater. I thought it was just a bump, however, there was a huge gash in her head. Just so everyone is informed, head injuries bleed a lot. We rushed into the car and my great friend Jeff got us to the E.R. safe and fast. (We were about 25 miles outside of the city.) My husband met us there. By the time we made it to the hospital, Olympia was acting fine and was quite excited about being at the hospital with the possibility to ride in an elevator (elegator according to her.) She had to get 2 staples in the back of head. She is fine otherwise. On the upside, we did get to see daddy for a little while on a holiday, but I think just going to the fire station would have been easier. What an exciting night.

thumbs up!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

seriously...

In a moment of deep reflection tonight, I realize that maybe our society has a hard time separating reality and fiction. But that moment only lasted for about 30 seconds. I like to watch tv as much as the next person. And since I already established that I love The Bachelor, I feel a need to discuss what has taken place with this show. This will be the only time I discuss it again. (In case you are somehow out of the loop, he didn't pick either girl.) If he loved one girl, he should maybe propose, but kinda hard to tell after only 6 weeks, during which you were talking to/kissing/making out with/using romantic suites with other women. I personally thought it was a little crazy to propose, but that is what America wants, the fairy tale ending. If he only liked one and thought there was potential, then he should "date" her. However, in the most dramatic moment in bachelor history, (Chris's words not mine) he picked neither. He lead on the one I thought he should pick, but backed out last minute. I'm pretty sure that he has serious commitment issues of some sort. So do I feel let down? Am I so mad I'm not going to watch agian? Do I feel sorry for those girls? No. (ok maybe I do feel sorry for them a little bit...but have they ever seen the Bachelor? don't they know there is a real chance of getting your heart broken?) I will, like a sucker, tune in next spring when they start a new season. I look forward to it.

On a separate note, I was told to mention what it was that made me feel an instant attraction to my husband. Was it his charming looks? Was it his great smile? Was it his nice backside? (trying to keep it PG for my mom.) Was it his eyes? No. It was his knees. Isn't that funny. My ex-boyfriend before him was a skinny-minny. I mean 6'4" and a buck twenty. For those of you who don't know what my husband looks like, he looks like a man. He is a big strong man. He has big manly knees. He looks like a guy who will be man enough to take care of you. For some reason, when I saw his knees, I was melting. He had me at his knees. (that was really bad, Jerry Maguire was on the other night, so it was fresh in the mind.)

Also, the day I met my husband, he and I were wearing matching socks. What are the chances of that happening? It was ment to be. Although it took almost a year of flirting and dating for him to realize it. (See Mr. Bachelor, sometimes you have to date someone for awhile before you know for sure if they are your lobster. (like that episode of Friends.))

thumbs up!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

guilty pleasure


Everyone has their vices. They're little guilty pleasures that some know about and some do not. There is a whole Sex in the City episode devoted to this. (I know because even without cable, I can watch 2 full hours of Sex and the City everynight.) Most people know that my biggest guilty pleasure is Diet Pepsi, especially a fountain one.

However, one of my little known guilty pleasures is watching "The Bachelor." There is nothing better than feeling better about yourself as you watch women fight over a man they hardly know. He is attractive, I'll give him that. I wait on the edge of my seat during the rose ceremony just to see Chris waltz into the room and say..."Ladies, Brad...this is the final rose tonight." Well, duh Chris. Do you think there is a woman in the room that is not aware of that fact. It is pretty much my favorite part of the show. (For those of you who don't know this Chris has a show on HGTV called Designers Challenge. I giggle alot when watching that with my mother-in-law. I have to mutter under my breath..."Ladies..this is the final rose tonight.)

But they never pick the right one. Stupid men that they are, always pick based on judgements made with the brain further south. However, tomorrow is the finally for this season. I have faith in the good Texas boy to pick the right one. I'll let you know if he does or not. I'm not saying which one I like, the Bachelor is a lot like politics you will always make someone mad with your opinion. So to avoid being judged, I won't say who I like.)

thumbs up!

Friday, November 16, 2007

does my hair look fake?

Yesterday, one of my photo party assistants asked quite the odd question on our way to a party. It went something like this:
She says: "Can you tell my ponytail is fake?"
I say: "What it's fake?"
"Yes it is. I got it on the home shopping network. My ponytail is just a little stub, so this makes it long."
"What they make that? How does it stay on your head?"

Here's where it got really interesting. I am a pretty open minded person, but for some reason when she took out the clip with the hair attached, I freaked out a little. Ok, it was a lot. I think I screamed like a little girl. Appartently, one of my biggest fears in fake hair. It looked real in her hair, but looked like a freakish monster on the clip. It's a little wierd, I'll give you that. All through the party, I would get a glimpse of her hair and get the ebe gebees. On our way home, she thought she would put it in my hair. I'm pretty sure everyone in a ten block radius heard me screaming "GET IT OUT!"


On a different note, asinine is not spelled with two s's like one would think. I learned that as well last night. But I suppose it wouldn't be asinine to spell it correctly.

thumbs up!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

day one



I know several people who have figured out this blogging thing. I thought it was time to catch up with the Jones'. It only recently occured to me to have a blog when the other day I had an ah-ha moment and no one to share it with. Here it is:

My daughter loves Dancing with the Stars. We were watching (actually I was watching it and she was dancing around the room with them.) They always pan the audience to show you some celebrity sitting there. I looked up at the exact moment they showed Hillary Clinton. Wait that wasn't Hillary, it was Carol Brady (Florence Henderson.) Do you think that maybe Hillary has gotten so far in public life because the public relates her to Mrs. Brady, the best wife, mom and homemaker on the planet. I am somewhat a fan of Hillary, not sure if I would vote for her, but I am going to have to sit down and really think about this.

The other reason I thought I might need a blog is for stress relief. I work odd hours in my little office, and maybe at 1:00 in the morning, I can actually have a conversation with someone (myself). That will save my west coast friend from long but incredably funny phone calls late at night. So check back sometimes. I might not have much to say, but something funny always happens if you make it.
(my friend AJ's blog always ends in good times. I feel like I need one too.)

thumbs up!