I ♥ N'awlins

Does this ever happen to you? I was walking through Cost Plus World Market the other day looking for some storage solutions for my masses of free goodies. (seriously people, I have way too much... I'm taking a break from free toiletries)

I came across this box...

Beignets! (say it frenchy like... ben-yay) no way... I haven't had those in forever. I have to get those!

And so I do.

And then when I get home I show Chad my great find, and tease him a little for never having tried them before. Haha I say, "you were so deprived!"

And then suddenly I think... wait, have I had these before?? Why did I see these and think I had these before? Really. Mom...Dad are you out there? Stacey, Lori?? Anybody? Do you know why I think I've had these?

In any case, they were quite a tasty bit of heaven...



Trip to New Orleans as a kid?

Mr. W

I just wanted to post some pictures from a photoshoot I did last month.


Can I just say that Mr. W here was so so so easy to work with?


Seriously. I kept thinking this kid is going to grow up to be an Abercrombie and Fitch model.


Am I right or what!




I never get to photograph boys, so this was a pretty cool experience for me. Thank you kathryn!

Yum

Well I got it!

CS4!

That's the new version of photoshop. So far?

I think I'm in love.

It's already amazing and I don't even know how to work it.


As I sit here I think to myself...

Can someone make something that goes between your chair and your bum that cups your bum just so, giving it that tight rounded look we see in magazines? Like a bum shaper? I would really appreciate that! Also it would be great if it had a "no rotten bums" feature as well. I'm going to need it as I sit for many hours trying to figure out all the little features of my new program.

Oh... I bought lightroom too so I guess I got my work cut out for me. {happily} I couldn't help it, so many people rave about it's awesomeness.



{ random thoughts }

I need a vacation.
I need a shower.
Steak sounds good for dinner.
I hope I wake up in London someday.
Oh my bed is looking so inviting...


Ah... time to go.

See ya!

Members Only Club

Charley...

He's kinda cute when he sleeps. Sometimes I am amazed at how he sleeps upside down, but this is a little extra amazing...


One handed!

How did this happen to me? I'm anti-pet.

Within a matter of one week, we went from pet free, to precisely 32 pets. Ridiculous I know.


1 jackson chameleon.

1 tree frog.

2 tadpoles.

28 red ants. (originally there were 30 ants in the ant farm, but some of them started up a gang and ripped 2 of them to pieces. It's gruesome... ant body parts everywhere.)

Now instead of whipping out the raid and going on a cricket massacre, sadly I head to petsmart and give them real live money to get my little disgusting bags of crickets. Oh the joy of being lulled to sleep to the sweet sound of crickets mating.

Of course we have cricket food... who doesn't?

Yeah... you have to feed the food your going to feed to your many cricket eating pets. Indeed disturbing. Goes against everything I stand for bug-wise. which generally speaking is "kill the bugs" defintly not feed, care for, or nurture in any way the bugs! Except for ladybugs of course. And praying mantises and lace wings.



but you can't deny that Charley is kinda cute when he curls up his tail and snuggle hugs the tree stump.

So if my kids tell you there are 37 members of our family...

This is what they're talking about. (though that number is likely to drop, what with the ant gang wars and all)

Save the Last Dance

I'm rating this post PG. Not G.

Because of the "artistic" placement of last fridays fun times. Oh my gosh people...

The Flowers.

What were you thinking? I said this was PG not PG-13.


Remember a couple posts ago I said I was going to make those lovely felt flowers? And anyone that wanted to come could?

And then you didn't come.

Just messin with ya. Kristi ~unpredictable knot extraordinaire~ she came. And Tawna my ever trusty side kick came. We had mucho fun. And also we had William Sonoma Dark Hot Chocolate, with fresh whipped cream... and more chocolate shavings on top. Mmmmmm. Yum. It was over flowing.

I hope me and Tawna didn't scare Kristi away for good. For one thing Kristi came over all cute and well kept... and there I was with my black knee socks, green capri sweat pants and a burgundy shirt, no make up and greazzy hair. I was so scary. Actually Tawna was all cuted up too. So basically it was just me that was scary. But thats not what I meant. Kristi may have unwittingly stumbled upon silliness which was previously unknown to her... that one Friday night. But... atleast she wasn't sitting on her freshly pooped on couch watching old episodes of Cheers... right Kristi? You so had to be there for that one.

Alert!

This is a special alert for one Miss Shalay...(incase she still reads my blog at all)

Do not continue reading this post unless you are pretty sure you want your Christmas surprise not to be very surprising at all.

This is real...


Last warning...


The surprise will be spoiled....


I mean it's up to you but...



You're so weak!

Just joshin.

I LOVE this apron. And frankly I'm having a little trouble parting with it. Please note the month. Its February.


So before I pass it over I must enjoy it.



And so it was.

Enjoyed.

A special thanks to Chad for documenting my dance-a-thon.

Tu-Tu Tuesday (on Sunday though)

Didn't anyone tell you it's crazy picture day? Thats my little hint that there is a whole lotta pictures in this post! Lots. I mean it. Tons.


Remember my last post... I ratted myself out about ditching church? Well this is it. This is where we went. PHOTOSHOOT! I am so in love with that picture of Kassidy and Natalie above. The look on Natalie's face makes this my favorite. No saving best for last. This is it my friends!


Did you see it? I circled it so you could see it... creepy huh. I showed chad and I said, "Hey babe, look whats in this picture, it's Yu-gi-oh", ok it is entirely possible that I spelled that wrong because I am not really a big Yu-gi-oh fan. Apparently... because Chad said, "that's not yu-gi-oh!" Sure it is I say, imagine it's mouth opening really wide while eyes all a-squint saying "BRA BRA BRA!"

You see it is Yu-gi-oh... except Chad thinks it's poke`mon. I still say Yu-gi-oh.


Let me begin by saying it was Freezing! This is why you won't see as much of Natalie. She was the least cooperative due to the icy winds... but also she was the least dressed. Don't look at me, she wanted to wear that top. I think I can actually see her shivering.


Oh but what an angel she is.


I suppose I could tell you what the photographer (Alan Lowy) I went to said about my portfolio...


But then again, should I be so telling of my flaws from a professional's view?

Ok I will tell you one thing... he didn't so much like this next photo...


But I tend to disagree with him on his particular complaint. Which was that I shot staight on causing her legs to grow out of her chest... Ummm ok I guess if I had never seen a human before and this is all I had to go off of maybe I would mistake her for a stumpy short legger. Fortunately for me I know all about the human race and so this picture make plenty of sense in my brain. Right?


But actually he didn't hate my work like I thought he would. Just a few thing to watch out for... chopping off the fingers, apparently my favorite thing to do :)


Thank you Kassidy for being such a little model. This girl was willing to be in every shot.


While I was shooting this particular one there was a drunk guy yelling from across the street...

"you daughter is a doll... you hear me? I know you hear me daddy?" (talking to Chad of course)

ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore...

mmm-K, akward. Please don't kills us drunk man that we are so totally ignoring.


This was in Jerome BTW. All the eccentrics hang out there. This one punked out girl came running across that street from a shop to tell us that she loved the tu-tu's and to remember that Tuesday is tu-tu day. here we go into dialogue again,

Me: "really? well we will have to come back on a Tuesday then, wouldn't that be fun."
Punky: "oh, no where ever you are"
Me: "huh?"
Punky: " It's not just here... every Tuesday is tu-tu day where ever you are." *sparkle smile*
Me" um ok, good to know!"

How on earth did I not know about tu-tu Tuesdays? I guess I didn't get the memo.


Did she make that up? I think she made that up. No matter, I am all about wearing tu-tu's on Tuesday! Not that I have one.

La Fleur Debris

Jesus wants Lucy for a sun-BEAN! Or so she'd have you believe...


Last week we ditched church (more on that in my next post) but the story's not the same this week. We went. And I'm glad we did! Something happened that stuck with me. I like it when that happens.


At first I thought to myself... how bad is it that I'm standing out in the hall chatting with a friend when I should be sitting in the chapel with my family? It didn't seem right, but still I delayed going back in. And then one of the primary teachers joined us ... she was feeling ill. I thought to myself, please leave sweet lady that I don't know. I would rather not get sick nor would I appreciate my kids getting sick. But I know how it is. Sucks to find a sub. So I offered to take her class. Best thing I could have done. It was the sunbeams! I knew atleast half of them from my previous calling in nursery. The sweet moment happened when I asked who would like to say the opening prayer... right away little Mackenzie raised her hand. It went a little something like this...

Dear Heavenly Father,

We're thankful to be at church, and we're thankful that we're going to be good, and we're thankful we're going to listen to our teacher, and we're thankful that we obey, and we're thankful... (it went on) but as it did I thought, how sweet is this little girl? She didn't ask for a single thing! I love how she has obviously already made the choice to be good and obedient and now she was just thankful that she made those choices!

I can learn a lesson from her. I want to be just like her. Perhaps I could ask for less if only I would resign myself to making more christ-like choices, and when I do, I bet I would be thankful I did. For I will be more like her, and she is good.

Why are kids so perfect?

Dear Heavenly Father... I'm thankful I was standing in the hall that day at that time...


I made this dress. And on this dress there is a little flower pin I made using Heather Bailey's "La Fleur Debris" design. They are very cute and can be used for many different things-

pin it on a dress ~ pin it on a hat ~ pin in on a jacket ~ wear it in your hair ~ plop it on top of a gift... see, there's lots you can do.



Do you want to make some with me? I am going to plan on making these friday night. And any peoples that would like to join me may. This will be after the children go to bed, so like after 8:30.