For When The Post Just Sits

Hey.

Don't get excited.  This isn't a real post.  I'm not here to tell you about a fancy new recipe where I grew my own chickens, or what to do with leftover bread when its only kinda sorta moldy (penicillin is my only guess).    I'm not going to tell you how to love the days with your littles (getting to bedtime is like going to Disneyworld these days) or what to do when your dog won't stop breathing in your face at every turn (because I don't ding dang know).

The truth is, I'm just tired of the last post sitting here, with its unflattering picture of Riley Girl and its blatant lie (I'm sooo not in Canada anymore, eh).  I have nothing for you.  Nothing to give.  I gave at the coffee shop.  Seriously.  I've been writing, but not for your benefit, or for my personal benefit.  Today, it was 4 1/2 pages of a literature review on robust optimization and its applications to network design.  Don't cry, I promise I won't mention it again.

So I've got nothing left to offer.  Life is beautiful, I'm grateful for the days and I love my baby and only sometimes think about re-homing my dog and Handsome and I celebrated (in the loosest sense of the word) our 6 year anniversary and he's only got 13 shifts left at his full time job here.  I'm sure there are feelings about all of that, but I don't know what they are and I'm too burned out to look for them.  I've got 16 (really 15 at this point) days left to finish writing my PhD dissertation, and its taking everything I've got.  I actually let RG stay at daycare for (wait for it) 7 hours today.  Personal record.  When the world is my oyster, I average about half that per day, because I'm peculiar like that.  But the world is not my oyster and there is no pearl, but instead meetings and writing and deadlines and journal articles.

This is a season, but while this season sits here (for the next 2 weeks), this post is likely going to sit here.  So that is why I've peppered it with some of my favorite pictures.  So that when I have a spare moment and I click over here to see if there's anything I can read in the 2.4 minutes left of my break, I can look at lovely pictures that make my heart happy.

Keep on keeping on, my friends, July 10 will be here before we know it!

<3 M.

Works For Me Wednesday :: Family Photobook & a Giveaway

Hey y'all!  I'm supposed to be getting dinner ready, but I wanted to pop in and bring some closure to a thing I told you about a few weeks (months?) ago.

It's all about pictures and photos and having something to hold in your hands.

My photo book is done!

The stats: It's 12"x12", and 81 pages long and I love all of it!  Everything printed out exactly as I had arranged it.  I think my favorite part has to be the back, because that's where I put all of RG's monthly photographs.

Shoutout to Everyday October for the adorable blocks!

I know, looking at months 1 and 12, that she did change a lot, but after month 1, I just see the same face, over and over.  Maybe she's not had a huge transition in looks (her forehead still dominates her face, its true) or maybe I'm just so used to her that I can't see it.  Thoughts?

Probably my best "scrapbooked" page.
I'm pretty proud of it, not going to lie.
Also - the orange is no longer jarring to my senses.
What has happened to me?
Go Tigers!

I used Shutterfly for RG's big book, and one thing that I loved about Shutterfly (who has no idea who I am, p.s.) was that they've got some great layouts already that you can use, but, and this is a huge but for a don't-tell-me-what-to-do like myself, you can customize every. single. page.  Of course, that takes longer, but you get all of the benefits of scrapbooking without the headache of folded stickers and missing tape.

I took advantage of the text boxes to use this as both a picture book and a memory book, writing down her first laugh, her first haircut, her favorite songs.  Okay, my favorite songs, but whatever, she listened to them again and again.

Anyhow, I'm in love with it and look through it all the time and show it to company and tell them that they "really don't have to look at all of it" but them I'm secretly pleased when they do and exclaim over all of the best photos. But there's also another book that I love.  RG's Far Away Family book.

Its a little 8x8 book that has all pictures of her with her far-away family.  Riley & Papa, Riley & Cousin Schuyler, Riley & Great Grandma Magagnotti.  She loves to flip through it, looking at everyone.  I'm excited for her to eventually want to know who everyone is.  We don't *quite* have the attention span for that yet ;)

I think that this type of book is a great way to keep some not-so-frequently-seen faces fresh in my little girl's mind.  I'm also hoping that it will help her recognize some people when we go back home to visit and she won't be "strange" with anyone, as my grandma puts it.

So what I've got for you, dear gentle reader, is an 8x8 photo book of your own!  It's through shutterfly, and not some other company-which-shall-not-be-named-due-to-less-than-stellar-customer-service that I actually used for RG's Far Away Family book.  It's easy to enter.  Just use the Rafflecopter below and click "Enter". Nothing real complicated this time.  I like these kind of giveaways the best, and I thought that you might, too!

Runs through Friday morning, I believe.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

<3 M.

Hey There Funny Face

My darling girl, 

You are a delight.  You make me laugh, and I return the favor.  We have SO. MUCH. FUN together.  Sweet baby, it is still hard to believe that you're mine, and that I get to keep you until I ship you off to college.  Or trade school.  Or the Olympics.  Or whatever.

I want to remember these days.  I want to celebrate these mornings, and these silly, sweet, play times.  Sometimes I forget that these moments are brief, fleeting.  Sometimes I forget that I'll miss these times and I get absorbed into my dishes and my phone and my laundry and and and...  

I've never been more grateful for my camera, more thankful for my the morning light that pours in our front window.  The pictures of you, there's never enough of them.  That *might* be the reason for the 81-page 12" photobook I just had printed.  Some call it excessive.  I call it a sampling.

You're fabulous, my child.  You're always hungry and you're always doing and going.  You're my princess, even if you eat like a grown man.  Thank you for working so hard to reach out to me, for helping me to grab these moments and claim them as my own.  To stop all of the other multi-tasking and just sit in the moment.  Grab a few shots, or a few hundred, and then spend out the rest of the moment, enjoy the laughter, and share in the zerberts.

Thank you, sweet pea.  I know I mess up every day, but you give me so much grace.  You love me so well. You love everyone so well, particularly strangers, who you love to wave at and shout at and smile real big to.  Your sweet smile is one of my favorite things about you.  "Is she always so happy?" strangers ask, and I have to tell them yes, yes you are.

Oh, and that weirdo lady in the pharmacy yesterday who wanted to take your picture but left her phone in her car?  Yeah, I wouldn't have let that happen.  But I can definitely understand the compulsion.

<3 M.

Advent Picture Challenge

Hey friends!  Welcome to December!  Welcome to the Advent Season!  I've gotta go make a leftover-pot-pie, but before I do, I wanted to tell you about the little advent picture challenge I'll be joining!

Feel free to grab this "badge" and blog about it!
Jump in any time!

So here's the thing.  I love Christmas, all of it.  I love the cold and the snow and the goodwill to all men.  I love the trees and the music and the baked goods and the movies.  I love rudolph and creches, traditions and giving gifts.  However, too often of late, I've found myself holding all things equal.  And they're not.  Even if a reindeer really did take flight and use his glowing red nose to lead Santa, that would be a small miracle compared to the fact that almighty God sent His son to earth.

All holiday things are not equal, my friends.

In order to remind myself of that, I'm going to be taking an advent picture every day.  I was inspired by Lisa's list, and I wanted to make my own.  I've broken it into weeks, following the Catholic church's suggested advent scriptures.  Not because I'm catholic, but because, well... I love their traditions, and I love the bible verses they suggest.  I've also suggested words beside each week, but feel free to use your own word.

The main point is to remember to read the scripture.  To think about it.  To try & figure out a way to "see" the verses.  Have fun with it.  Allow this to be a jumping off point for your own picture list.  If you want to be linked up to this challenge, just be sure to use #adventpicturechallenge when tagging your pictures, whether on instagram, pinterest, twitter, or facebook.  I'll try and keep up with all of the tags, and combine them on a single pinterest page.  If you want to follow along with my pictures, click on the links provided!

Here's the lineup:

I'm probably not going to blog about it every day, but I will do a weekly wrap-up.  Are you in?

<3 M.

Instalately :: Ridiculous Baby Cuteness

You guys.  

Now don't get too excited, but I took some pictures this last week, and I LOVE THEM.

Ahem. Sorry/notsorry for shouting.

You might not love them, but then again you might.  They're of mi princessa, the benevolent RileyGirl, and I'm definitely getting at least a few of them printed.  If you don't like cute pictures of babies, you should go now.  But really, reading the title of this post, you should have never clicked over.  But you did.  Which means you have some part of your heart that is in need of baby cuteness.  Don't stifle it.  Revel in it.

It should also be noted the magnitude of effort I put into instagramming these.  Because I have a not-so-awesome phone (working on my gratefulness...) I take pictures with my more-than-awesome camera, then upload them to dropbox, then edit them in picmonkey, then re-save them in dropbox, then instagram them from my phone. 

But y'all.  She's so cute.  Its totes worth it.

Riley has learned that her bathwater is potable.
In the loosest sense of the word, of course.
#doIhavetostillgiveherasippycupnow

This girl cracks me up, daily.
I don't know what she's doing here, but I know she was having fun!
#shemightbethrowinggangsymbols

We're a bit jealous of the time Daddy has had to spend on the ambulance lately...
#passiveagressivebaby

I couldn't resist
#youarewelcomeforthesongnowstuckinyourhead

I just... I can't.
I love her too much.
She has to stop growing up
#canIputherinthefreezerandpreservethis
#DoNOTputbabiesinthefreezer

Her back rolls.
Her smooches.
#theycompleteme

In truth, it has been a long couple of weeks, full of baby snot and viruses.  Compounded not in a small way by multi-day-stretches of single parenting, due to some unfortunate shift swaps.  But. You guys.  My handsome husband?  The one I love who melts my heart and makes me pancakes?  He's home tomorrow!  And Saturday (for some of it, anyhow).  AND most of Sunday's awake hours.  We've also got guests coming into town.  The best kind of guests, guests who really ought to just move in and never leave because you love them so much.  So although this has been a hard couple of weeks, we've got some cute pictures to show for it, and a big ole' rest in the future.  Now I've got to go clean the fan blades, so that nothing detracts from the leisure of this weekend, which in this hizzouse, is starting tomorrow.

Duces.

<3 M.

What To Do With Pictures

So you take a bajillion pictures, just like I told ya.  You find some good ones.  The not-quite-good ones, you edit in picmonkey.  And then what?  You can print some for your Gramma.  She'll like them.  But then what?  Remember scrapbooking?  Remember the craze, where people were buying ribbons and saving stubs and it was all "how embellished can you make your pages" craziness?

Yeah, I did that.  For about a year.  And then I got engaged, and I quit.  Cold turkey.  It was hard, you know, having free time again?  And not having my house littered with paper scraps and hole punches and stickers, stickers everywhere.  

But at the same time, as I relished my freedom from double-sided tape, I missed the awesome memory books.  So I tried just taping the pictures in a book but, uhm... yeah, not so fancy.  And then I quit taping them now I have a book with 4-7 pictures shoved in between each set of pages.  So that's not helping anybody, and that's not providing me with memorable moments.

Enter - shutterfly.  Now, shutterfly has no idea who I am.  But I used them to create a book for the "I'm pregnant and here's the photographic proof" book, and I loved it.  So of course when I realized that I wanted to make a book for RG's first year, they were the natural choice.

Taking Photos of Baby

As you'll see, if you continue reading past... here, I'm not an expert photographer.  True confession: I don't shoot pictures on a manual setting with my camera.  Yep.  I do sometimes use Shutter priority, and I know how to adjust white balance, but that's about it.  So I'm not going to give you a professional walk-through of camera using.  I'm going to tell you how I, as a mama, take pictures of my baby, and what works for me.  So now you know.

Since Rileygirl was born 9 months ago, I've taken countless pictures.  Really, I can't count them all.  I've filled up my 8GB memory card more than once, I've saved so many pics on my phone that it is now slower than Handsome-when-we're-late, and I've maxed out Dropbox.  I've learned a thing or two along the way, about how to take some good pictures and how to take some awful pictures.  Seriously, So. Many. Awful. Pictures.  Luckily, we're living in the photographic golden age, where we don't have to send our film off to get developed in order to find out that we've taken a terrible picture.  Digital is amazing.  And this leads me to my first tip:

1.  TAKE A BAGJILLION PICTURES. (see above)  This isn't to say that you should always be behind the camera. I've found that once I'm behind the camera, I'm concerned about composing the shot and shutter speed and a thousand things that aren't "living the moment".  Handsome used to make fun of me for looking at pictures I'd taken of some activity, while we were still doing the activity.  He had a point.  You don't want to be so focused on pictures that you're not enjoying the event you're trying to take pictures of.  But when you do decide to take some pictures, snap 4 or 5 or 40, if you can do it quickly.  You can look through them later and pick out the ones you like.  Again - they're digital - exploit that.

0.  Oops!  I guess this one should have been first.  Take a moment to set-up your camera.  If that means making sure you're on "Auto" for everything, great!  If you're feeling fancy, know you're going to be outside, and want to adjust your white balance [WB] (the thing that makes your pictures look yellow-y or blue-hued or just right), go for it.  If you're going for an action shot, make sure your shutter speed reflects that.  You don't want to miss a hilarious food-flinging because its all blurry!

Hey Friends

Hi guys.

I miss this space.  I miss our chats, our sharing.

I'm also tired of seeing a post about diapers every time I log on here to check out your blogs.  I've still been visiting y'all some, just not engaging myself.

I needed a break.

I still might need a break, but seriously, that post is so stale, I can't stand it.  So here's a new picture for you, just in time for fall.  You're welcome.

Hopefully I'll be back to actually share and engage some more in the not-so-distant future.

<3 M.

In The Mist

TCoTFW: Someday, when I write my memoirs publish a book make a photo book with pictures I've taken, I'm titling it "Cows In The Mist".  And there will be at least one picture of cows, peaking out from the morning fog.  Swear.

I love fog.  I love weather of most types, but fog is special to me.  I think it has something to do with my aversion to light sources before 10 AM.  Does this affect anyone else?  Handsome routinely accuses me of being part vampire, part opossum.  I really don't understand the whole opossum angle, but he still says it.  I leave lights off and work by a crack of sunrise.  I forego ceiling lights in favor of indirect lighting.  I just like it dark, what can I say?  Fog helps me prolong my sleepy feeling.

On a related note, I don't like waking up when it's still dark out.  I want the sun to be up, I just don't want to bear the full brunt of it.  Ergo, fog + me = love.

It's been another long day.  I'm curious how long they can keep being the norm, curious if I'll look around one day and realize that it hasn't been a long day, and wonder when the last one was.  But this one was long.  It needed to be, and I'm glad I muscled through so that I had something to show for it.  I'm more glad that I'm calling it a night (sort-of) early, and dropping into a lavendar-ylang-ylang-chamomile-infused tub.  

Glory goodness, that water smells awesome.  The bubbles are epic.  Thank you, Aveeno.  We're officially BFFs.  I'm not excited about having wet hair for bed, but it's necessary at this point.  Thank you, friends and neighbors, for dropping by here.  In lieu of something of substance, I hope you enjoy these pictures and my shameless AVEENO (is-da-bomb) promotion.  They don't know I exist, but I know about them.  That's the important part.

As an FYI, Tarjay was having a clearance sale on AVEENO products last week.
(that's a weird caption for the photo, but I'm going with it)

Finally, in case you want to know more details about my evening plans than most people would be comfortable sharing, I'm listening to this, and then I'm sleeping in multiple layers, under fleece sheets.  

Sweet, foggy, lavender-scented dreams,

TFW

p.s.- Fleece sheets are also da' bomb.  TFW out.

An Epic Night

Ruffling.  For curtains.  And not on the edges.  Just you wait, it's going to be epic.

I hate the over-use of the word epic.  As in, epicly hate it.

These curtains are proving epicly difficult to cut in straight lines.

Apparently, my camera is proving epicly difficult to focus.

Speaking of epicly difficult things, Handsome seems to be having some trouble with the English language lately.  I asked him this morning if he had any activity to record for WW.  He replied, "No, I've been pretty doormat lately."  When I told him it was the wrong word, he helped me understand; "Door, as in 'inside', and mat, as in 'laying down a lot.'"  

This reminds me of times when my sister would use a new word to insult Handsome.  Something like  calling him a "COCCYDYNIA" or similar.  Handsome would always just smile at her.  She'd ask why he wasn't upset, and was always peeved when he explained that, since he didn't know what the word meant, he hadn't been insulted.

We all have our nights.

In closing, a poem of lament.

Hot Fudge, so rich and yummy,

Why have I so seldom invited you to my tummy?

You're good on ice cream, better on cake,

Chocolate syrup is less than your fake.

Fruit is convinced to be devoured when,

covered in fudge, a perfect ten.

I'll never keep to my points now that you're here,

But if you would leave, I'd shed more than one tear.

Poetically epicly yours,

TFW

p.s.- Day 1 of FebFreeze: Didn't spend any moola.  Didn't hardly even leave my house, which is impressive or depressing, depending on your viewpoint.

A Year Of Photos

In other news (and while I'm pretty sure that posting one post on top of another post is bad form, I'm doing it anyhow) I'm linking up with I should be folding laundry for a year's review of our favorite photos. Mine are posted below the break, so you don't have to look if you don't want to.  I'd hate to force someone to look at pictures.  That's so rude.

Apparently, however, I'm not above a teaser...

Just for Y'all

There.  I wrote it.  The "y'all".  It's coming to me, slowly but surely.  I almost told a group of Southerners tonight that I try and make Handsome talk "normal" after he comes home from the station with an accent.  Whoops.  It would seem there is some conflict within me :)  

I'm out of words tonight, but I have this for you, as promised.  Because you're special and God loves you and I'm pretty sure my dog would like you and we could definitely be friends.  And because it's Monday and I'm pretty sure it was pretty.  And full and busy and glorious and exhausting and great.  So why not top it off with a wonderful image to sing you to sleep?  I don't see a reason.

"Don't you know that haulin Coors east of Texarkansas is bootleggin'?!?"
See the Coors there?   See my CB?  We went all out!
(please ignore Handsome's droopy eyes.  It's his curse)
(please don't ignore Handsome's sideburns, mustache, or chest hair.  He really worked hard on it)

It would seem today that I am a great many things.  One week ago (or so) I was even more.  I was Snowman, Bandit's trucking buddy.  Today I was happy.  Content.  It probably helps that I stayed off of the craft section of Pinterest, I'm not gonna lie.  But I've also been reading in Ecclesiastes, and I've been getting hit (over and over and over and over and...) with the fact that it is really God's plan for us to eat and drink and work and find enjoyment in what is around us.  Today, I was surrounded by computer monitors and numbers and homework, with a few friends and cheetos thrown in.  And I enjoyed it.  I was frustrated at times, and I didn't really love it all, but when you step back, it's pretty much all I want right now.  Except the homework.  I am SO over that part.

Have a good night.  Find something to be content in tomorrow.  Don't let people boss you around (sorry, I just felt bossy there at the end of what was meant to be encouraging.  So I bossed you again.  Boom.  Roasted.)

Ten-Four Good Buddy, Snowman Out,

TFW

Fried

"The answer is 'Fried'"

"What is 'the current state of my brain', Alex?"

"That's right, for $1600 and the lead.  Next up, Double Jeopardy."

I thought of that little snippet right now, so I did.  It was exceedingly true earlier, but I'm actually feeling much better now.  Earlier today, though, I was a woman on edge.  I had to remember to do 17 different things, and a lot of them were time-sensitive.  Like delivering the lasagna tonight - needed to be done before suppertime.  Packing H's bag - needed to be done before he went to work.  A lot needed to be done.  A lot got done.  It's all good.

Whoa, Mariah.
Ever hear of Fill-light?
We could call this The Dark Side of Funnel Cakes
But only because the picture is dark.
This cake was pure bliss.

Goings Ons

Hi all!  I hope you've had a lovely weekend.  I don't know if this ever happens to you, but on Monday morning, when people in my office ask me how my weekend was, I usually have to stop and think and try to remember. "I think it was good..." is my default response.

Not because I've spent the weekend in a drunken stupor or anything, just because... well, I don't know why.  Because Monday morning is a hard time to function?  Because ... I was going to put another reason here, but I couldn't think of another reason.  Apparently Sunday night is a hard time for me to function, as well.

I think this is a cocoon.
Maybe an abandoned one?
It was red a few days ago, but I don't know what that means.
If I had a cocoon, it'd be made of flannel and old t-shirts.

So while I'm still in it, I'm going to attempt to document that this weekend was, in fact, swell.  Let me begin by stating that the weather was gorgeous, and legit Fall was edging out Flummer for most of it.  I've gotten stuff done, thanks in no small part to the music you all suggested.  Speaking of music, church was fantastic this morning.  The worship music was great, and then they opened the sermon with a girl singing "Don't Stop Believin'".  I mean, it wasn't a worship song, but if I thought about it as a mini-bonus concert, it was fantastic.  

You Can't HANDLE the Jorts!

Jorts (jort-s): Definition - Shorts made out of denim.  Specifically, denim shorts roughly shorn above the knee.

I do not have words for this experience.  I have only photos, and you may find some of them disturbing.  If you are uncertain about your capability, here is one photo for your viewing pleasure, and you can decide for yourself.

Forgive the perspective.
Let's just chalk it up to me being in shock.
And yes, that is Handsome's favorite belt.  He got it for my birthday.

If you feel up to it, please, there is much more waiting for you...

Capturing the Out-of-doors

I recently stumbled upon this blog post, You Capture, which invites people, every week, to take some photographs that capture a given category.  This week, its You Capture|Outdoors.  So, I got off my duff and went outside and took some pictures.  These flowers are all able to be seen, smelled, and experienced within 5 minutes of walking out my front door.

Honeysuckle: little flowers that produce BIG smell, beautiful and sweet. 

Blackberry Bushes: flowers that eventually fall away and give birth to sweet-tart berries.
Can't wait to see these suckers gone!

Dandelion: pesky flowers that give rise to only more pesky flowers.

Vinca Vine: these little guys pop up helter-skelter amongst some very dense ground cover.

Purple Beast (I don't know the real name): large, purely ornamental flower, climbing up my neighbor's mailbox.

Unknown Pink Thing: Its not especially pretty or flowerful, but it was there and I saw it.
Captured.  Done.

Magnolia Tree: I can't wait for these guys to show up.
So fragrant, large, and southern.
Its like the southern belle of America's flowering trees.

Tulip Poplar: big guys, high up in trees, hard to capture, but fun to find!

This is what I've captured.  This is what is outside my front door.  

These are the little pieces of beauty that surround me.  

What beauty surrounds you today?  

Post some pictures and link to here, or to the You Capture site.  

Or, if you think you're up to it, try to describe the beauty around you in words.  

IF YOU DARE!

Appreciating weeds and wild plants,

TFW

Chat Time

Hey there.

Howya doin'?  Hope you're doing good, great, swell, I'd even settle for O.K.

Me, I'm keeping busy.  See, I've got a lot going on every night this week, and I won't have time to do anything.  The craziness really starts Wednesday, and I've got a weeks worth of stuff I need to get done before then (and yes, I know that leaves tomorrow).  Stuff I usually put off "strategically schedule" for right before time is up.  Stuff like homework assignments and teaching preparations.  Stuff like cleaning and organizing and getting Duke all set up for when I won't be home.  Stuff like laundry so handsome doesn't have to wear stinky clothes, and grocery shopping so handsome doesn't eat microwaved s'mores for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.

True Story: Once, when I had been gone on a 2-3 day trip, I came home and found all the food I had prepared for handsome still in the fridge/freezer.  I asked him if he ate out while I was gone; he did not.  "So dear," I asked, "what did you eat while I was gone?"  His answer: peanut butter out of a jar for lunch, and microwaved s'mores for dinner.  6 of them.  He's a bachelor trapped in a married man's body.

So anyhow, I'm kind of busy right now.  I'm sure you are too; most people are these days.  And I'm not feeling really creative today, probably won't feel real creative tomorrow either.  So I was thinking, what if you tell me what you want to talk about?  Or what you want me to talk about.  I could expand on stories you already know (if you know stories that I know), or you could suggest random topics, or you could ask questions and then I'll answer them.  Unless those questions are entirely uncomfortable-making - then I'll just say so.  So just leave a comment below, and I'll post about what you want.

So anyhow, thats my idea for now.  Please make up for my lackings.  U complete Me.

And, for being so sweet, I'm going to post some pictures that I've taken, just for you.

Fireworks (because you couldn't tell)
I love fireworks

Duke loves Christmas

Handsome loves danger
(oh, and I didn't take this picture.  I was too busy falling after him)

Peace Worldwide (worldwide... worldwide...),

TFW