summer self portrait...

Stumbled upon some great light yesterday & decided to grab my camera & say cheese! Most of the picture taking around here is done by yours truly, so there are very few pictures of me! Inspired by a recent discovery of something called vignettes I decided to experiment on photoshop and thought the result was pretty cool. So...this is me...

Stand up. Be bold, Be strong.

My MIL introduced me to this site & I have been inspired ever since. Combines wisdom & photography, two things I enjoy. Today's inspiration was much needed given my current circumstances:

Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders.
Know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves.

Stand up. Be bold. Be strong.

Make your own future.

So...the to-do list remains the same length...

Did a favor for some friends and watched their beautiful baby girl for the morning. Did a mini photo shoot (pics coming soon...) & got nothing I had planned for the day done! But...it was totally worth it. : ) Just reaffirms the need to get this baby business going ASAP before there is a real baby to tend to...

Rusty boy proved he is NOT ready for siblings...as there was far too much jealous whining, licking & a half eaten diaper...not nice...he spent most of the morning on the back porch staring in. Warning: he licks baby toes.

Thought provoking...

Wow, Anne, tagged first on your list! I am not that interesting, I promise! This little exercise proved to be much more of an introspective process that I thought. I haven't done anything like this since I took a class in college that forced me to write some of these things down, but it is very interesting. Here's the followup to your randomness miss anne...

8 things I am passionate about:

1. Being in a supportive marriage
2. Being a considerate & kind person to anyone I encounter
3. Color, fabric, paint, furniture…
4. Quality time with my dog & lovin up my kitten pie
5. Photography
6. Eating healthy & unprocessed foods/cooking & baking them myself!!
7. Exercising regularly
8. Keeping a clean house
9. Having NO clutter
10. Learning something every single day

8 books I’ve read and enjoyed:

1. I am not a recreational book reader, nor have the desire to read anything fictitious. I get about 20 magazines a month, from which I learn…My favorites include:
2. Real simple
3. Martha Stewart Living
4. Everyday Food
5. US News & World Report
6. Domino
7. Cottage Living
8. Marie Claire
9. Vegetarian Times
10. And of course, the mindless pleasure of People

8 words/phrases that I say often:

1. Hi Babe…
2. Don’t kill anyone today…
3. Well…somehow we will make it through this.
4. Go sleep, seriously.
5. Whatcha doin chickie chickie?? [to zoie pants]
6. Be a good boy… be back soon[to rusty boy, of course]
7. Treeeeeatzz?
8. No, I will not watch sportscenter.
9. Drive safe.
10. Ugh, I’ll just do it.

8 things I want to do before I die:

1. Be a grandparent
2. Live in Europe
3. Have at least a million dollars in the bank, and never tell anyone that I do
4. Live in the mountains, overlooking a lake, where it snows
5. Ski! Then drink coffee in a lodge, in front of a fire during a blizzard
6. Have & create a warm, loving family environment that my kids want to be around
7. Scuba dive in the great barrier reef
8. Cultivate a real relationship with my nieces & nephews
9. Embrace my curviness. Then get a breast reduction.
10. Build a custom home from the ground up, then pay cash for it

8 things I’ve learned in my life:

1. You might as well do it now, cause it won’t do itself later.
2. Not to fight the path your life is taking, it’s all there for a reason so don’t force it.
3. Give a little space, get a little space.
4. I don’t ever want to know what it feels like to be in debt.
5. Create structure even if it’s not there.
6. My house doesn’t need to be perfect right now, it can be an ongoing process.
7. I don’t usually want what others have, so there’s no need to play the comparison game.
8. Material things don’t bring happiness, period. People do.
9. I really don’t like alcohol, nor how it makes me feel.
10. Excuses won’t get you anywhere. Get it done.

8 places I want to see:

1. the Swiss alps
2. bakeries in London
3. the Colosseum
4. the Mediterranean sea
5. glaciers in Alaska
6. the great barrier reef in Australia
7. a Tulip field in Holland
8. seaside cliffs in Ireland
9. Aspen in winter
10. Munich during Christmas

8 things I currently want/need:

1. More than an hour a week with my husband
2. My business to get off the ground
3. My house to be organized & completely unpacked
4. To be a mommy
5. A wide angle lens for my camera
6. A website for my business
7. To adjust to this horrific climate they call Texas
8. To stop hating the military
9. The weeds out of my yard
10. Continued confidence that I can really be a successful entrepreneur

8 people I tag:

1. Kim
2. Julie
3. Tori
4. And I need more friends that BLOG!!!! Really, it's easy-you should do it!!!

why, again, am i doing this???

So two weeks ago, craving routine in my fairly unscheduled life I decided to once again, begin the fabulous stewart smith Maximum Fitness workout plan. As it begins it is pretty much ALL running, pull ups, push ups, sit ups and other exercises that make you move your own body weight around. As I look at today's scheduled routine I am really questioning my decision to do it again but...it is an awesome program and will whip me into shape once again. The fittest I have ever been in my life was back in college when I was doing this program and had some great shoulders, abs & legs (see them to the right!!)...and I want them back!! I am not in horrible shape, it just isn't what it used to be! In my coaching days, I would do dry land with my kids, then hit the gym and was ridiculously militant about my routine. Well...its time again...and I am openly committing to stick to it! It gives me a great mental break from business planning...!!! Off to the gym!

Family blog...

If by chance I forgot one of you on the mass invite to my new family blog, please shoot me an email & let me know (or comment if you cant find my email). I may have been caught in a spam folder, or just not had your email address.

If you dont know what I am talking about, I just started a more personal family blog which is password protected for safety reasons. I want you to be a part of it if we know each other!

I just cant say much about the hubby & his line of work for his own safety, but many of you are asking about stuff and I want to be able to share...so get in touch with me if you wanna come join! And...dont worry, this blog wont change or lose any content! :)

and everything happens for a reason.

We're getting new neighbors tomorrow and I have noticed that, just like I did, my new neighbor woman is at the house every single day checking on the progress. I decided to go introduce myself last night when she was over there with her 4 kids (& one on the way!!) and long story short...I am convinced the events in my life are being orchestrated for me...

So this woman is a stager/decorator. Military wife. Since moving here 6 months ago, she has had plenty of work, with no marketing and no functioning website. Just word of mouth and a listing on her certification site. I checked into her certification and it's one I haven't heard of before but is quite legitimate. I am spending today researching the heck out of it to see if it is worth the investment. After having a heart to heart with the hubby last night, (and doing some negotiating) he gave me his blessing. Let me tell ya, he's a keeper.

So once again I have to believe that everything in my life happens for a reason. I fought moving to Omaha and it was the best thing that has happened to me. I dreaded moving down here but maybe this is just the shakeup I needed to get me out of corporate America and begin establishing myself as a brand, a business. Sometimes the journey is unclear and scary but soon enough the path shows itself and you choose to take it or not. I am at that point right now. It will be difficult and challenging and stretch my creativity to the max. But I somehow keep thinking that those three things are exactly what were missing with my previous job that made me hate going and doing it everyday.

So...thinking out loud...but this is the most excited I have been in a while! Thought I'd take you along on this journey with me. :)

they say go with your gut...

and my gut is speaking loudly.

Most of you know I recently relocated and am "in between" careers. I did everything I could to transfer with my previous job. It was great. Great company. Great products. Great colleagues. I just don't think that my heart lies in selling drugs. I was good at it, but I think you can be good at anything if you try really hard. Doesn't mean you're gonna be happy.

My wonderful husband told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do when we got down here, as long as I did something so I didn't go stir crazy. So here I am. Trying to find out what that something is. It's exciting, it's scary, it's confusing. "Do whatever you want babe, I want you to be happy" but what will make me happy?!?

I have put the feelers out to see if there is a genuine need for color & decorative consulting and as it turns out, there certainly is! Just through my wonderful new network of military wives I have three interested "clients" that are inviting me into their homes. So...I am running with it. I am building my portfolio. (for free, so if you live in San Antonio and need some help with your home and are willing to let me take pictures, let me know!) Funny thing is, I don't even consider it work...I am genuinely excited! I think that says something...

So I am running with it...as fast as I can.

I totally told an NBA starter that I thought basketball was boring.

Shining moment in my life.

Let me explain...

So I had my first hair appointment here in San Antonio. This is probably the most anxiety ridden part of a move-that and finding my gynecologist. I was limited to three salons because of the hair color I use & love and decided on the only salon in town that met my list of requirements. I met my new stylist, Nowlin (his stage name, yes, he is forty, fabulous and flaaaaming). So Nowlin sits me down and we begin down the road of the most fun salon experience I have had to date!

Mid conversation about red and shades of red and how his conditioning treatment intensifies the color (yes, I bought it and got it today...fabulous) and he casually introduces me to this guy who I get to know over a 20 minute period. This guy is warm and friendly and has the most perfectly buffed and beautiful hands I have ever seen on a man, not to mention they are the softest hands I have ever shaken...so we chat and find some common history. CSU Fullerton, coming from California and he explains his business plan to me emphasizing his love for unbeatable customer service. He tells me never to bring my own coffee again, that he would proudly brew me a fabulous cup in the salon. After we chat and laugh and have some genuinely entertaining conversation, he moved on to the next client in the salon and introduced himself, serving a choice of five different beverages on his tray. He was hand passing drinks to the clients. I had learned that he was the owner of the salon and it was named after his wife. He had two kids and moved to San Antonio about 10 years ago. His little boy spent 2 hours on the potty trying very hard to pee during a party this weekend. You know, I learned the good stuff.

It got better when he walked away.

Turns out he is the starting center on the Spurs. Bruce was Bruce Bowen. Millionaire. Pro Athlete. Celebrity. Hmm...Did I really just tell this guy I didn't like basketball because I thought it was boring?

I totally did. I don't think that I told them all the men in my family hate the spurs because they think its boring to watch...but I could have. I don't know. Just a girl, in a salon, chatting her head off to whomever will chat back. Ughhhhhh!!

Did I mention he was humble, and unassuming and really cared about his job at the salon? He was wonderful. And I will go back. For Nowlin too. :)

Nowlin told me that Eva comes in for her spa treatments every time she's in town for Tony's games. Guessed I picked the best salon in San Antonio! Score!

And just when she thought the world was coming to an end...

...THERE WAS TARGET.

No really. Target saved me from my 48 hour obsession...aaaaand breakdown over how shitty of a "designer" I am. (correction: thought I was)

You see, it all started with a stupid TV show ...which led to a bedroom color that I thought would be a good idea (charcoal-ish)...which led to a duvet that I thought would be perfect...fast forward two months...

Looks like SHIT. No really. Hate my furniture. Hate my taste. Hate my bedroom (which let me tell you, is NOT the room in the house you want to hate). On the verge of hating the house because apparently my design expertise doesn't exist outside ekru, olive, chocolate and russet. (those are colors, promise)

So...ordered duvet #2 which allegedly would make color #1 work. Negative. Made me hate it more.

Now I am $60 in the whole on shipping because someone thought San Antonio didn't need a crate & barrel. Ready to paint the room a new color and ahhhhh[higher note]ahhhhhh[lowest note]ahhhh...I visited target. Found the piece that will tie it all together. hallelujah. I can now sleep soundly.

Now color goes with duvet #3 [well, we'll see when it comes in the mail, ordered in clay] which is tied together by this lovely throw.

crisis averted...

[bedroom now...]

[pintucked duvet...bottom of the pile...backordered till september and yes, the colors are off on the screen...]

I think I need a job.

My poor, poor husband.

So my photoshop is acting up and crashing all the time. Editing photos is taking far longer than expected, and day 3 was a very photo-licious day in Berlin. So patience please! I will have them posted soon!

Meanwhile, I am trying to understand why surgeons are tortured during residency. No one else we know seems to have it quite this bad. If my husband is not at the hospital, he is sleeping or working out which leaves exactly zero time for him to relax. He is so perpetually exhausted that he fell asleep on the floor when he laid down and was waiting for me to stretch his back out. For an hour he slept on the floor. (!!!) My my my. What am I going to do with him. More like what am I going to do FOR him. Try very hard to be patient and understanding and not demanding. (example #1, I did exactly what I said I would NEVER EVER DO...I mowed the LAWN! Never in my life...that's what love is...this was a first) 80 hour work weeks seem like a dream at this point...

Anyhoo--visited him for lunch today and I now get it. This is what he deals with. Every night...

[he said it's the worst when they all go off at the same time]

I'm alive! Promise!

Oh my what a month it has been! I have to get painting our bedroom but since so many of you have been kind enough to ask how things are going I am going to do a short picture blog--more pictures than words! Short update: Made it to Texas, moved stuff into storage, stayed with a friend for three weeks since house wasn't ready, I went to Germany, made it back, moved stuff out of storage & into house & now we are getting settled! Tommy officially starts tomorrow so here we go!!!!

[favorite part of front exterior: carriage style shutters, complete with polka dots & stripes!]

[living room, basic beige selected. Ralph Lauren paint, color matched to Behr Gallery Taupe since I hate Behr paint! Curtain sample draped over entertainment unit, will cover all windows on first floor living area/kitchen. See a few posts back for the inspiration, dark orange pillows & one orange wall to come]

[ugh...slowly but surely. I can only reach the first two shelves in each cabinet so that stupid step stool will be a permanent fixture. Paneling visible on back of cabinets will be replaced since it isn't the right color, chandelier has been replaced by my wonderful hubby! Love my sparkly new fridge!!]

[back splash view. so glad we did this upgrade, I love it!!! all outlets will be replaced with black covers so they dont stick out so bad!]

[loft area, getting ready for a ceiling fan. walls will be darker sagey green]

[Rusty, so glad to be home from three weeks of daycare, is mesmerized by our new LG Tromm steam washer & dryer! He keeps staring at them go round & round and gets extra confused when they play their song at the end of each cycle!]

Niiiice!!

This caught my attention (and brought back memories!!!) on my yahoo "most viewed photos"...four years ago my hubby was on this stage, shaking hands with this man, wearing that same fancy getup. [USAFA has a four year speaker cycle, the president spoke in 2004...] No chest bumping occurred!

(AP)-President Bush and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate Theodore Shiveley, from Plano, Texas, bump chests during the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony, Wednesday, May 28, 2008, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

I've been a little absent and will continue to be for about another week in a half. Been from Omaha [home] to California [Brother is a college grad!] to Puerto Rico [for work, rough, I know] and back. Two graduations, a faraway business trip, packing a house & moving cross country within three weeks is enough for anyone to go insane. I'll be back soon...but not until I am living in TEXAS! I have tons of stuff to talk about and some beautiful pictures to share...the fluorescent bay in PR, the new butterfly exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo...stay tuned. Until then, I will remember the serenity of the deep blue sea...and try [TRY] to remain calm!

Nalgene Safety Info...

Ughhh...one of my daily necessities...my trusty Nalgene bottle is under great scrutiny. We must have a dozen of different shapes, sizes and colors of these bottles around the house. I try to help save the environment and give up bottled water and now I have to worry about WHAT?? BPA what?? Should I be worried?? Here's the scoop:

Nalgene Polycarbonate bottles are safe according to FDA regulations.

There has been a freak out about baby bottles and exposure and while the company & the FDA has determined our bottles are safe, consumer demand has led to a new line of BPA (Bisphenol-A) free products. I was unable to get the full comparison chart on here, but please check out the new line to see what you can use to replace your current bottle.

I am very proud to say that I have been using my Brita filter & Nalgene bottles for about four years and I didn't even know there was a campaign behind it! Just another bit of my hippie self coming out...I am behind this for sure! Get your fluoride & save the planet! Tap water is good! This is straight from the Nalgene FILTER FOR GOOD website:

Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills. Considering the 1.5 million barrels of oil needed to make those bottles, the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste is truly staggering. That's why Brita and Nalgene have teamed up to create the FilterForGood pledge. It's a simple commitment to reduce your personal waste by giving up bottled water, even if it's just a few days each week. Together, filtered water and a reusable bottle are an ideal solution for going green at home and on the go. It's an easy change that can make a big difference.

My hot pink BPA containing bottle will definitely be replaced with this one!

The Fun Stuff

What a whirlwind week! Bought a house (yay!), sold a house (bigger YAY!) and made it through in one piece! Time to celebrate!

On Monday I was able to choose our upgrades & options in the new house. I am thrilled with the final decisions. It is amazing how fast money flies when you are in a builder's "design center." ...cant have that flimsy sink...must have one three inches deeper for HOW MUCH??? Might as well just go up one more level of tile so I can get what I really want...and shoot might as well do the backsplash while I can still get stuff that matches. Cant just have the half inch carpet pad, for a slim $500 more I can have thick cushiony goodness under my feet every morning when I get out of bed! Kitchen cabinets?? Might as well go the full 42" and while were at it, go ahead and add the decorative crown moulding. It was never ending! Alas, I came in right at budget and was happy to compromise on the few things we didn't end up getting. Ms. Tori gave me some of the best advice (and is now in my husband's good graces!) saying that I shouldn't try to get everything perfect all at once because then I will be bored for the next six years if I have nothing left to do! So true...:) I couldn't take any swatches with me, so I will have to wait until I get down there to choose paint colors. But here are a few of my choices:

[w/flash, this will run in the entire downstairs. Tile in foyer, powder room, dining area, kitchen & utility room/pantry. Counter tops are granite looking (cant have it ALL!) Cabinets are cherry stained maple. I got the upgraded arched top which will run on the top cabinets only. A finishing molding will run the top of the cabinets. Tile will be 17x17 on the floor. Backsplash will be 12x12, set on diagonal and trimmed out. All appliances will be stainless steel and I FINALLY get my gas stove!!!!]

[w/o flash, can see the color a bit better. carpet is a greyish beige neutral.]

[These are my upstairs choices. Tile will run in both bathrooms. We upgraded to have tile on all of the walls of the guest shower. The countertops were already upgraded to white marble so we stuck with that. The huge tub & separate shower will all be white marble as well. Carpet will run throughout & down the stairs]

Dreaming big...

Hello friends! After a long week, we have found & purchased what is our dream home for this point in our lives. My mind is working in overdrive rearranging furniture in my head and planning color schemes. I am pleasantly overwhelmed. Tomorrow I get to pick out all of my cabinets, carpets, appliances and tile so I am trying to get my color scheme nailed down. This is a very exciting time for us! I will try and share my planning and "making it work" strategies here. My current struggle: finding a way to make all my curtains work in my new 9' ceiling home! I am trying to be creative! Thinking of adding contrasting panels on the bottom of each one with a coordinating fabric/ribbon/something(?) thrown in the middle to spice them up. Ohhhh what fun this is! For now, here is my dreamy new home:

This will be my peaceful view from the kitchen, living room, master bedroom & future nursery. This was a HUGE selling point for me! You don't usually find this with new construction:

Etsy

I took a photography class last weekend where it was drilled into me that camera straps are necessary. Being of the "I don't need one since I wont ever drop my fancy camera" mentality, what really stuck was the instructor's point that you never drop your camera on purpose. So, okay, I get it, but don't think for a second I am going to be caught dead in that strap that is branded with the Canon logo up and down. Noooooo thank you. I want something unique.

So on the hunt for a cute camera strap, Google pointed me toward a site I hadn't heard of called Etsy. How did I not know it existed?!? This is basically an online craft fair, being vendors from around the world together in the spirit of cherishing the handmade item. Wikipedia calls it a mix between Amazon, Ebay and your grandmother's basement. =) Cute, I know, but this is a profitable business, based in Brooklyn, NY.

I found dozens of online vendors selling their personalized version of a camera strap. No two alike, I figured this was the right place for me. After searching all the options, I settled on one vendor and chose my new strap that screams me. Below are some samplings of her work:

[so with my penchant for polka dots, I, of course, favor the last option]

I also liked this designer's stuff, but ultimately settled on the designer whose pictures I show because her straps feature quick release squeeze buckles to remove the strap for around the house.

I am still contemplating purchasing fabric from 1154 LILL Studio, since I adore their designs. I am waiting to hear if their Scandinavian Floral fabric (above) is still available by the yard. It would be my first choice!! Then I can truly have a custom strap made! So far I can only find it as a headband...

A Maven?

I was once described by a friend as a maven. She had just finished reading The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell which used the term to describe people who are "intense gatherers of information and impressions, and so are often the first to pick up on new or nascent trends. Gladwell also suggests that mavens may act most effectively when in collaboration with connectors- i.e., those people who have wide network of casual acquaintances by whom they are trusted, often a network that crosses many social boundaries and groups. Connectors can thus easily and widely distribute the advice or insights of a maven."

So, in discovering what I am really passionate about in life, I have decided that it is being a maven. I love to share with others, the research I do on products and projects and anything that I find interesting! (so you are thinking about how lucky you are to be my friend right about now, right?!? Hahaa ...kidding)

Anyhoo, this came to mind today when I found a new use for a product I have been using for years and wanted to share! I was introduced to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser by my friend KT, who used it to clean her littermaid litter box, and then just threw the sponge away. Since this is probably the most disgusting household chore that exists, I experimented with the product and came to rely on it for much more than the litter box duties. It cleans up white door frames, refrigerators, coffee stained counter tops and today...it did its best job yet! I was caught in a slushy freezing rain storm the last time I wore my white puma sneakers and they ended up nearly brown by the time I made it in & out of the grocery store. I was pondering how to get them clean today and thought I would give the Magic Eraser a shot. Wise decision! They clean white leather up to the brightest perfect shade of white! So next time you contemplate how to clean those gray/brown kicks that used to be white, grab a magic eraser & get to work!

L O V E

SO... I really am not going to begin many creative projects since I fear making a horrible mess in our super-clean-ready-to-show-at-any-second home. So I am going to spend the next couple of months diving into my new photography hobby. I want to learn as much as I can before my European extravaganza so I figure most of what will be to come on here has to do with what I see through a lens. I am really into artsy photography [see previous post] but some moments are just those you have to catch without being artsy. This was one of those occasions! I try to foster a home full o' love. Apparently it is working!

[Oh, my babies all love each other. I'm feeling like an accomplished furbaby mama!]

[and NO, he is NOT supposed to be on the bed!!!!!]