friday randomness...

randomness #1 (or, the piece that inspired a random post)

wow.

apparently, there is a new movement (no pun intended) of a style of photography called "kinetic photography"... and no, i don't mean doing leg lifts while taking photos. casually, they call it "camera tossing" and while the resulting images are very interesting... i just can't imagine "tossing" my camera anywhere... let alone just to get a picture.

so i'm totally digging the satugo (See. Aim. Throw. captUre & Go.) - a relatively inexpensive alternative to throwing my dRebel across the room in the name of creative photography... amazing, huh?

randomness #2

it's friday. i can't stop yawning. mostly in anticipation of having to get up in the middle of the night tonight for my shift of our 24 event at church.

randomness #3

have you ever played Bunco before? we're going to a young married event at church tonight to play Bunco. i only know that there are dice involved...

randomness #4

we *really* need to work on the yard this weekend... mowing. weeding. general clean-up. it's kinda embarrassing.

randomness #5

i'm amazed at how many scrapbookers know how long it takes them to make a layout. i've been scrapbooking compulsively for 3 years now, and i've never really stopped to keep track of it. last night, i did a layout, start to finish - from gathering photo, supplies and idea - in about an hour. but i used a basic sketch idea i'd had a couple of weeks ago, and already used on a layout (which i didn't even realize until i was half-way through the 2nd and noticed that i was headed in the same direction) - so does that really count as only an hour?

randomness #6

i just finished the bookwork for my Apologetics class... now i have to write a mean paper and get through the exam. love this program, but it's gotten much harder over the last two years. excited by the prospect of finishing the whole thing. (still several months away, i'm afraid.)

randomness #7

i need some spring/summer clothes and penney's is having a killer sale today. i'm thinking a peasant skirt (feeling girly) and a few lightweight tops. yummy.

ok, that's it. sorry i'm not very interesting today. maybe i'll feel more interesting later. ;)

wednesday ramblings...

whatever marketing fool thought up the catch phrase "ya gotta love these guys" clearly never sat through 7 innings of sheer agony, ending in a 13-3 loss in the 9th, due entirely to terrible pitching on behalf of our starting, mid-game and closing pitchers. i've never seen such terrible pitch counts... a decent pitcher throws about twice as many strikes as he does balls, and our pitching staff was throwing about 1:1 last night. painful. i feel for them though: i want them to have a fabulous season. we don't have to win the world series, but geez - a little morale boost would be good. i do love them. really, i do. but come ON. i don't feel as though i "gotta".

but it was still fun, and i enjoyed a little quality time with my grandfather, a life-long baseball fan.

warning, warning, stream of consciousness...

it's probably the artist in me, but i am a sucker for pretty packaging. i love all of the fun labels and different packaging methods used, and i get excited when something clever catches my eye from the shelves. and this isn't limited to scrapbooking products, mind you... here are a few things that have caught my eye lately:

• method home products - my obsession began with their lavender all-purpose cleaner, and their funky-shaped dish-soap that dispenses from the bottom, with a squeeze (no cap required).
  
• then there was target's choxie. nothing special about the chocolate - i'd rather have a snickers bar - oye, that packaging gets me!
  
• and if you've been in a starbucks lately, you've probably noticed all of the amazing new packaging on their beans/grounds. their website doesn't really do it justice... if you love packaging too, go check out their stuff. i have to restrain myself from just asking for some of the bags every time i go in there. (what would i do with them??)

"packaging" can also carry through to a website... for instance - just the way Martha displays flowers on her website makes me want to buy them. in the same way that the subliminal message of a thin woman drinking a SlimFast shake is that it will make you thin, i guess the subliminal message here is that if i buy flowers from Martha, my home will look as pretty as the settings in her pictures.

so why is this on my mind today? because i'm considering packaging methods for photo orders for my (future) clients. i want something unique but classy, memorable but elegant, and most of all: yummy. my biggest concern is that i'm all about consistency: packaging should match marketing (because really - it's all about marketing, isn't it?) and if that's the route i choose, i either have to design everything around my website or i need to redesign my website to work with the packaging i'm considering. i love my current site, but it would make for expensive packaging.

so, yeah - that's what's on my mind today. :)

it's disgusting.

i woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to go - for the first time in several months. what is it? i don't know. the weather maybe. beautiful, not-too-hot, clear, sunshiney days. i love it. i even wore a tank top yesterday. yes, outside of the house.

my weekend felt productive. got to scrapbook, do some organization in my studio, run some errands. good cookin', even some cleanin'. heard a fabulous message from a guest speaker, Dr. Jim Heugel of Northwest University, at church. really intelligent, and very funny. knows his stuff.

so today, i'm in a fabulous mood. don't really know why. don't really care. just happy to be happy. so happy it's disgusting. lots of stuff i want to do at home tonight. looking forward to a mariner's game with my grandfather tomorrow night. and i've decided to grow my herb garden out of a strawberry pot. pretty, huh?

i'm thinking about mother's day today, and about some good gift ideas... which reminds me - i've got to come up with a wedding gift idea too... losing time on that one. (anybody have any great ideas?

happy monday!

ok, i don't *mean* to neglect my blog, really... i just haven't had much to say this week.

work has been busy. changes, big changes. some good, some not good. but we'll survive.

i'm really glad it's friday. i have nothing scheduled this weekend, except to teach kids' church on sunday. i'm so looking forward to some downtime.

matt and i are talking more about launching my photography business... i'm getting more confident in my skill as i'm getting much more practice. i'm still several weeks out yet, i'm sure... i want to do more portfolio building first. and of course, there's some computer upgrades and such that i need...

we're also still very focused on our finances. we want to start praying over our bills - like physically, over them. not that God would make them miraculously paid, but that He would guide us to make wise choices, and that our dollar might stretch a little further as we serve Him. money is the easiest area for people to be selfish in. i feel the selfishness too. i don't always want to give to Him - sometimes i have a super bad attitude about it. and i have to remind myself why we do... because He gave it to us first. giving Him a tenth is really the least we can do.

we're doing something next week at church that i'm super excited about. recently, we purchased a new church campus, and it's currently undergoing some major remodel work. though we were really well-prepared going in, we're still encountering some unexpected expenses, and many delays. so, next friday/saturday, our new campus members of our church will be reading in every room of the building for 24 hours straight. during this time, we'll take one-hour shifts, and read and pray in groups of 3 or 4, one group in each room. the goal is that in that 24 hours, the entire Bible will be read in that church. amazing, huh? i really believe that when two people come together in spirit, Jesus is with us. imagine what He'll do with this. can't wait to see what comes of it.

i'm hoping to do some scrapbooking this weekend, and to finish up some school work. hopefully i'll be really productive. i love productive weekends.

i guess that's all i have to say today... more than i thought. happy friday.

saying goodbye...

i just said goodbye to a very dear friend... we've worked together for almost three years, i think, and i'll miss her greatly. my co-consipirator, my fellow artisan and crafty hobbiest, my buddy. i miss her already.

a thought and a few new layouts...

i've been studying the book of 2 Timothy (chosen mostly because it's short and in the method of study i'm using, i have to read through the material several times before delving into anything interesting).

anyway, in my studying, i've read the book probably 8 times through already. and just last night, as i've been praying about my attitude towards my job, and thinking about my influence in my social circles, i read these words as if for the first time, as if they had just magically appeared...

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." - 2 Timothy 2:3-7

now, don't get me wrong - i'm not comparing my job to the suffering of the Apostle Paul. i just simply felt impressed upon my heart that if i want to get anywhere in the future, i have to work hard at what i'm given now. and i thought i'd share.

and i wanted to share a few layouts too... these are nothing terribly exciting, just some recent stuff:

{ok, not technically new. this was a part of my HOF entry - the 10 photo assignment, but i've had huge difficulties scanning it due to the brads. finally gave up and took a photo. patterns are Fontwerks.}


{from earlier this month, as a part of Robyn's Product Challenges... i'm so behind in those challenges that i don't even remember which assignment this was. i think it was #4 - and i cheated w/ the "writing on a photo" part... used the label instead. patterns are Fontwerks. note use of decorative blade on photo mat. i'm so addicted to this all over again, and happy that it's back in style, and that for the first time in like 3 years, i'm "with it". flower petals and stem are ric-rac/ribbon.}


{confession: photo is from LAST easter. i mulled this idea around in my head for several days after getting the idea to do an egg-shaped photo. didn't want to wait for this year's easter photos to come back, so i broke out last year's. love the way this turned out... "ribbon" strips are all paper, even ric-rac.}


{this was a miscellaneous fun one, trying to get some older photos out of my pile, and use up some fun christmas paper too. i'm ambivalent about how this turned out.)

happy tuesday!

not much to say today, except that i'm back to work. looking forward to accomplishing some good stuff today.

a few pictures, as promised:

{made these for brunch on sunday. who can resist a cute little cupcake with chocolate easter eggs nestled in green coconut grass?}


{a gal at church sent me home with one of the potted Easter Lilies that we had on the stage for the service. couldn't help but get my backdrop out and take a few pictures. this is one of my favorites - you can see more in my photo gallery.}

added some new cute-kid and cute-dog pictures to my gallery, too. have a peek.

kate's day off.

there's something wonderfully soothing about sitting back on a sunday evening and not thinking "where did my weekend go?" but instead knowing that i have one day left... i love that feeling. wish i could do this every week.

today, i'm taking advantage of the free time with no one making demands of me. puttering around my craft room, tidying here, organizing there, scrapping over there. i've framed a few photos, uploaded some recent pictures for printing, scrapbooked a few layouts (which i'm not all that thrilled with, incidentally...) and had a cup of coffee and a little breakfast.

i've had this rubbermaid box for about a year now that has essentially been the place where the forever-unfinished projects go to die, as well as my holding place for random miscellanea. yesterday, i cleaned it out and tossed the crap i knew i'd never use, need or finish. today, i'm organizing. found inspiration for a few more layouts, a few photos i wanted to hang on my wall, and a great idea for a fun project.

i'll share some photos of my Easter tomorrow. happy monday, all!

glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns.

just thought i'd pop in to say happy Easter. :)

good friday...

i would be remiss to let this day go by without special mention.

today is Good Friday. it is the day that Christians (and Catholics) observe the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, which occured, as the Bible says, to give believers amnesty from past sins.

when i was a child, i was briefly a part of the Awana program through a local church. i remember only a little... wednesday night meetings.. my special vest and the patches i earned... crafts and songs... but the one thing that has stuck with me my entire life, even when i was not a believer, and even though i was raised outside of the church, is memorizing a verse which still runs through my mind on command today:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

i was far too young to understand it. i'm sure it was explained to me, as we explain verses to our own group of kids in kids' church. the explanation didn't stick with me. but the verse did. and as i grew up, and my understanding of the circa-1600 vernacular grew, my understanding of the verse grew too.

this verse pretty much "sums up" the Christian faith. it doesn't address all of the deep, thoughtful questions that a believer - or a doubter - might have. it just sums up. today, it sums up my faith. it sums up the meaning of this day.

hindsight is 20/20. i do not mourn the death of my Savior today as His death was mourned by His followers some 1973 years ago. they did not see then what we see now. they did not know that in three days, a miracle would take place that would confirm our beliefs, and validate Christ's identity as the Son of God. so, today, i do not mourn. i simply anticipate. there is no resurrection without death. today marks the day of His death, making complete our celebration of His ressurection.m

photography goals

today, i'm considering my photography goals - specifically, what areas i want to grow in. the more i play and learn, the more excited i get about photography. there's something terribly satisfying about holding that beefy camera (ok, compared to my old camera, the rebel *is* beefy) in my hands and taking the care to get the settings right... not to mention, i've noticed that i have a whole new appreciation for images on television: i notice a frame or a scene that i like because it's especially well lit, or creatively lit. i notice that i appreciate composition more in staging and such, and i find myself thinking "how could i apply that to my photography?" when watching tv. funny huh? i guess i do this with tv because it's 2-D, and it has "borders"; much like a photograph. a moving photograph, if you will... (harry potter, anyone?) maybe sometime soon, i'll be able to apply these same observations to scenes in my everyday life.

so, that said, here are some of my current goals:

• to take better "straight-out-of-camera" (SOOC) photos. this means constantly remembering to set my white balance, ISO, shutter speed and aperture so that i don't have to review the capture on the screen and then re-take because i forgot a piece of the puzzle.
  
• to upgrade my computer system, so that i have better resources. this will require more memory; moving my CD burner from my current laptop to my new laptop; getting an external hard drive; moving to my "new" machine; upgrading to XP; and buying PhotoShop Elements.
  
• to improve at getting the shot right the first time. i suppose this is a little like my first goal above, but i'm treating it differently. the above is "technically speaking" and this is "artistically speaking". it seems that there are two methods among those who are at my level in photography and better: 1. shoot as many as you can, knowing that the more you shoot, the better your chances for a handful of good ones. 2. take your time and focus on getting it right the first time. for quite a while, i've been in the first group, because i'm still learning. but now that i've learned more and i really want to succeed, i'm moving on to the second group. as i proofed 190 shots from last weekend's photo shoot, and narrowed it down to 80 "decent" ones, i realized that i will save myself time (which is money) if i can learn to just get it right the first time (or at least the second time!)
  
• to master custom white balance setting. i don't think there's much to explain here - just something i need to work with because i haven't before.
  
• to switch from JPG to RAW, and learn to manipulate those files. again, not much to explain here, but i'll need PSE before i can do this, as my current software can't do RAW.
  
• to grow more adept with depth of field. one thing i noticed in all of my photos from last weekend is that, because i was using the largest aperture setting on my camera, i had a very small range of depth. in many photos where one child's eyes were crystal clear, the other child's eyes were a bit out-of-focus, even when one's eyes were only a couple of inches further from the camera than the other's. i need to be aware of how the settings i'm using will affect the overall composition of the photograph.
  
• to learn PSE and develop a list of a few favorite actions that give my photos the look i want. but obviously, i need PSE to do this too.

well, it's not every day that i come before you and list out my flaws, now is it? ;) happy friday.

seven days to live.

i mentioned last friday that i'd be posting my thoughts as i studied the last week of Jesus' life this week, in preparation for Easter, but due to some yucky computer problems at home, i haven't been able to accomplish much in the way of internet. my high-tech electronic note-taking has had to take a back seat, and i've had to - *gasp* - locate a real live, spiral notebook. oh, the horror.

so, in lieu of my own musings, i thought i'd leave you with an article that has been a source of inspiration for me this week, Seven Days to Live, written by Bill Hybels (author of some fabulous faith-building books, including Too Busy Not To Pray. i've really enjoyed reading through his thoughts parallel to my own studies. i hope you learn something from him too.

change.

i hate change. i'm a creature of habit, most definitely. i can eat the same kinds of food every day. i can do the same tasks every day {some variety appreciated}. i don't mind it at all. i like routine.

i hate change.

effective immediately, some big changes are occuring in the types of stuff i do at work. and i'm not adjusting well. having just gotten to a point where i could deal with the news that was given me about two weeks ago, i was recovered and getting ready for the changes coming in june.

except that the changes are here now.

and so far, the changes and i aren't getting along real well.

do you ever feel like...

all of the good ideas are "taken"?

in the scrapbooking industry, like fashion, keeping up with the trends can be quite the challenge, because they're ever-changing. in publishing, there's this constant requirement to be "fresh" and "new" and "unique". because i spend a *lot* of time in online galleries and reading magazines, i'm very aware that many of the techniques and ideas i use in my projects have been "done before". i see new ideas and i think "now why couldn't *i* have thought that up?"

so, i'm beginning to feel like there are no new ideas left. they've all been used up. know what i mean? it's frustrating, really. i love to scrapbook, but i sit down with blank paper and some yummy products and everything i think of feels like something that i've already used. how in the world do i keep up?

AOL made my day.

how many times in your life will you utter *those* words?

as i pilfered through the mail today, i noticed that the AOL disk packaging felt a little different than the usual crap-plastic box. curious, i reached for the scissors to slice it open.

i'll be darned, they've changed their packaging, and it was a papercrafter's dream come true. they're now using a particle board box, the size of a DVD case, resembling the build of a cigar box, but smaller and more shallow, even "laminated" on the inside, like a countertop... fabulous.

apparently i'm not the only one to discover how very cool these are, as there seems to be a market for them on ebay already. can't wait to take mine home and have some fun. not quite sure what i'll be doing with it yet, but i'm pretty sure it'll involve Chatterbox papers.

organization

ok, so i want to jabber about organization a bit... i LOVE organization. i love the accessories and the toys. i love the magazines. i love the organization gadgets. i love spaces that are organized and that allow for organization. and yet,ironically, i am really not organized. well, i *am* organized in the sense that i almost always know where something is, and when i'm supposed to be where. but, i'm *not* organized in regards to "a place for everything, and everything in it's place". more often than not, my studio's a mess. so, my thoughts and ramblings will focus on that latter aspect of organization.

i mentioned earlier that last night i organized all of my paper scraps. i've decided to organize patterned paper by manufacturer instead of by color, because i'm familiar with the manufacturers of the papers i buy. i hate, hate, hate separating coordinating patterns, putting one pattern in the red, because it's more red than green, and putting the other in green because it's more green than red. that just makes me nuts; and yet, if i store them together, *because* they coordinate, i throw off my whole ROYGBIV paper storage system. so, anyway. first the scraps, later i'll get to re-organizing the full-size sheets.

in addition to organizing scraps, i weeded out the itty-bitty pieces of cardstock that - let's face it - will *never* get used. can't believe how much went in the recycle bin. (can't believe how much i tried to hang onto. crazy girl.)

i also need to use up some product that's just been sitting around for a while, with good intentions, namely those terribly cute huge Maya Road bottle caps. i want to make them into 3-D magnets, suspending stuff in them with glaze but a) i don't know what to use in them, and b) i'm out of glaze.

i also need to purge a little more. am getting ready to list a bunch of scrapbook albums on ebay... will be nice to clear up some room with those... and i know there are some marblez and other little bits of interesting things that can be given a good home by someone else...

and have i mentioned yet that i'm thinking about switching to the American Crafts 3-ring binders? they're really cool, and i love the idea of using one type of album for everything. they can hold a HUGE quantity of pages. much easier than fighting with post-bounds.

i'm taking next monday off from work for no reason other than to go to ikea. i dread going on weekends and evenings, because it's always packed, but i think a weekday afternoon, with hubby in tow, will be perfectly tolerable. on my list of organizational goodies to bring home are:

• these awesome burken bottles for my silk flowers (and a few of their bigger brothers for the kitchen)
  
• new brackets for my shelves (looks like i might have to paint them a true white though)
  
• i'm thinking about assembling my own computer desk with these legs, and this tabletop - fairly close to my "dream desk"... though not quite...
  
• i'm really digging these mag holders (in pink of course!)
  
• perhaps a set of these fun little drawers
  
• and maybe a couple of these shallow "spice rack" shelves, because they're just perfect for little stuff
  
• i've got the hots for this rolling cart, even though i don't need it (it comes in green!).

i'm also in need of a few things for the living room and kitchen. even though the stuff i actually need adds up to about $50, i know it's naive to think that i can exit the store for less than $100. i guess we'll see.

ok, so that was less about organization and more about shopping. but let me say this much: one's ability to get and remain organized has far less to do with what organizational toys, gadgets and accessories one has, and has far more to do with the effort one invests in getting and remaining organized.

in otherwords, this stuff won't keep me more organized. i have to *use* the stuff to keep organized. get it?

okay, that's all. :)

wow - what a weekend. so much lovely activity that it kinda blew by me. ready for the play-by-play?

friday night: got in the car, and matt gave me a box. the lens i ordered friday morning? arrived friday afternoon. bless you, amazon, your free shipping upgrade trial, and your local warehouse. bless you. dinner w/ my parents, too many sangrias, a trip to joanns, and a little shoppyshoppy. mmmm. joanns.

saturday morning: up early, tidied quite a bit in my studio. prayed that it wouldn't be raining in federal way, where i would be doing an easter shoot for my sister-in-law and her kids in just a few hours. headed out, the rain just got worse. got to her place, decided we'd do the shoot indoors. slightly fussy baby (she didn't like my backdrop!) and an uncooperative pre-schooler... but we got past it and ended up having lots of fun together. even got some good pictures.

saturday afternoon: photo proofing followed by lunch with matt. got to watch one episode of my last Manor House disc before he called to ask if i could help with setup at the church, as 2/3 of his team had flaked on him. swung chairs around for about an hour (and consequently, felt it all day sunday); got home at a decent hour, and was sorely in need of some alone-time (more on that later) so matt, a very good sport, locked himself away in his office for an hour and a half. watched the rest of my Manor House disc, then vaccumed and mopped. that felt good.

sunday morning: up early again - something very satisfying about having time to yourself before the rest of the day "begins". off to church, taught the kids. this was our first weekend completely without dan, our children's pastor, but we made it, with only one major meltdown from a little guy who didn't like that he didn't make it through the 2nd round of the game, and tried to play in the 3rd round. when i asked him to sit down, he tried to destroy our prize table. yikes. we learned a few things yesterday that i'm sure will help us grow in our ministry. (more on that another time.)

sunday afternoon: took my camera and the gift album i just finished to my mom's, where the falling rain again foiled my attempts to take pictures outside. this time, my subject was my favorite dog in the whole world - trenton, a 2 yr old yellow lab, who belongs to a family friend is about as well-behaved as they come. we took photos indoors instead, which were still fun, but not quite what i'd been looking for... (he just wanted to sleep).

sunday evening: back home, we had just a few hours to relax, proofed more photos and then we were back to church... i volunteered childcare for our quarterly Essential Elements service, (baptism and communion) while matt watched two of our students from the kids' church group get baptized. i only had dan's little girl, julia, who is unbelievably fun, so he relieved me after the baptisms so that i could take communion. i forgot how much i love sunday-evening services. something so relaxing, low-key about them. got home, made a quick spaghetti dinner and planted myself firmly in front of Extreme Home Makeover, hosted not by Ty this week, but by Kermit (yep, the frog). too fun. i organized all of my scraps while i watched (more on that later).

went to bed late, woke up this morning and thought "surely it's not monday already!" but i'm here, and surviving. and the busyness isn't over yet - we have a business meeting at church tonight, and then i think things will slow down for the week... hopefully. :)

i feel the need to talk a little more about my organization thoughts later, so i'm sure there'll be another post this afternoon. oh, and the thoughts on the days of Jesus' last week of life are coming too - written down, but at home. will try to post them tonight.

happy friday!

a quick note before i head home, just to say hello. looking forward to a busy weekend... dinner with family tonight, an easter photo shoot tomorrow (neice & nephew), and then kid's church sunday morning, a quick photo shoot with a dog in the early afternoon, and then providing childcare at the church during a baptism service. all good stuff, very excited. somewhere, i'll find time to run a few errands and scrapbook a little!

starting tomorrow, i'll be doing a 9 day study of Jesus' last week of life, good friday & easter sunday. i'll be using my blog as a sort of journal/commentary, so if this interests you, please drop by. :)

cute baby alert.

my itsy bitsy neice kassidy - (who is not so itsy bitsy anymore!) - is 10 1/2 months now. she's got quite the personality, the cutest hair, and the most beautiful, heart-wrenching blue eyes.

i wish it was a little more in focus... but now you see my need for a new lens, right? *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

i can't wait to take more photos of her this weekend with her big brother, for an easter photo shoot.

tune in later today - i have some tidbits to share about some of the fun we'll be having on thursday, my blogiversary. :)

photos, anyone?

okay, i've been threatening - here's where i make good. presenting, my couch:

and just for fun, the little arrangement on my coffee table:

so, if you've been reading, you know about the couch. we had a futon - i've almost always had a futon - that broke almost a year ago. because we couldn't afford a couch at the time, we bought a new futon. less than 6 months later, it broke. after we requested the parts from the factory, the company then went out of business. we were out one futon, and our 5-yr warranty was useless.

we've been dealing with the sagging mattress and uncomfortable frame for quite a while. so embarrassing - we haven't had company over, other than my mom and my best friend, since it broke. finally, it was time to say goodbye.

i love, love, love my replacement - so pretty, and so comfy, and microfiber, so it will put up with my cats AND my husband, and will probably still be around when my (future) kids are ready to try their hand at destroying it.

the coffee table in the picture belonged to my mom - she left it for me when she married my stepdad. i'm terribly attached to it because it's unique: the two glass pieces are lids to a shadowbox underside. inside the table, i can put just about anything. if only i could make up my mind... suggestions? i was thinking teacups and saucers. :)

hello!

it's been a few days - have you missed me? i've been quite productive - it's so lovely.

saturday, i shopped for, and then completed, an 8x8 scrapbook album for my mom's mother-in-law, commemorating a cruise they took together last december. fun project - i kept it simple and finished it within abour 4 hours.

sunday, we gathered with matt's family at his mom's after church. got to spend some quality time visiting with his grandparents, and hanging out with the cousins. what a fun bunch. when the cousins get together, we never fail to laugh until our sides hurt.

i got to use my camera on my little neice kassidy at the in-laws' yesterday, and i'm definitely longing for another lens - a faster lens. i love the pictures my current lens takes in low-light, but the second you point it at a moving target - and boy, does that girl move - it's nothing but blur! so, i'll be saving my pennies again. good thing the one i want isn't too expensive.

i found *the* desk i want this weekend. too bad they're sold out. i'll be stalking target.com until i see them restock - or begging my talented, well-equipped hubby to build me a replica. ;)

so, i keep promising pictures, and i swear i'll make good on it this week... oh, and, by the way... thursday is my 1st blogiversary (one year anniversary of the conception of my blog!) so please be sure to stop by... i think we'll do a little somethin' special in honor of the "big day". :)