I have another item up for auction at Homemade by Jen, so go check it out please! It's a really cute head scarf, I think you'll love it!

I have been browsing the crafty blogs & looking at pinterest (I don't have an invite but I think it could be dangerous if I did because I'd get nothing done), and here it is at 10am & I haven't eaten breakfast yet. I must go eat now, but I'm also making a grocery list because I have to make these salted caramel butter bars.

TTFN!

It's been a very long time since I've posted, but I feel like I need to start again. So to start off I'm going to tell you about my friend Crystal. Her dog ran away a couple weeks ago and when he was found he was in pretty bad shape and had to have surgery. Well we know surgery is expensive and the cost of his surgery was jaw-dropping! Crystal is a fabulous photographer and is selling these calendars to help pay for the vet bills. Buy one for yourself or to give as gifts they're only $20! And if you live in the Memphis area you should call her to book some holiday photo sessions!

Jen over at Homemade by Jen is holding an auction fundraiser (for more information about it click here) and I jumped at the chance to make something & help out a friend.

I made a cute little snowman "mug rug" - bigger than a coaster smaller than a placemat - it's big enough for a mug (or cup :)) and a small treat. So if you think it's cute & are interested in bidding, click on over to my auction.

Forgotten...

Upon looking for some dessert, Brett found some cookies in the cookie jar. I couldn't even think of when we made them, but eventually realized they were cookies that I made for Ashley's birthday. 1 month ago!

Can you imagine how sad those poor little cookies must have been feeling? All this time, alone in the darkness of the cookie jar? Sad, very very sad.

On the other hand, I think my hips are feeling grateful...

Schmap

So I have 2 photos included in the LA Schmap (had never heard of it before, but I'll be sure to use it in the future) - one for Laugh Factory and Grauman's Chinese Theater. So that's why the widget over there >>. I was contacted through flickr, and I said sure, I also have another picture that might be used for the San Diego Schmap. So we'll see!

Isn't he the best?

He really is, he's the best. :)
I love my husband, he's so sweet. I had emailed him that I was doing the 365 days self portrait project, and he asked me what my new profile is so he could check it out. Usually he's not allowed to go to outside websites on the work computers so I hadn't sent him a link to it or anything figuring I'd show him when he gets home. So tonight he checked it out and told me how creative I am and how good they are, etc. See when I look at other people's pictures I don't feel at all creative. I feel kind of cheesy sometimes. And I know I can not compare myself to others but there are some really amazing pictures out there. So it really made me feel good that he said that.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that many of the people doing projects like this on flickr have Photoshop and do a lot of post processing to add textures and do all kinds of fun stuff to their pictures. I don't have Photoshop, so I can just do the basic B&W, Sepia, antique settings.

One of the other things Jeff asked before he looked at the photos - "You're not doing any risque photos are you?" Hahaha, because he read my last blog post today too where I had said that. I'm definitely keeping it safe. (at least until he gets home and can approve them hehe)

baby steps

I worked out today (yay me) and will continue working 5 days a week (see I have to be positive that I *will* do it, and not just say I *plan* to). It felt good, made me tired in a good way. And then since the sun was shining(!) I walked to meet my friends for lunch, and since the sun was still shining after dinner the kids & I took Roxy on a walk. Fun times! It was a productive day :).

I have been thinking about maybe joining a 365 photo group on flickr. But then I question whether I'd take any good shots. I still use the auto setting on my camera. I try and try to read the manual and many online "schools", but I don't learn by reading. I need someone to show me what is what. I'm trying to figure it out just by doing, but even if a picture turns out good, I don't know what I did to make it that way.
Anyway, since my flickr is all of our family pictures and stuff that our families look at I don't really want to put the 365 photos on there. So I made a new profile specifically for that (not that I plan to take any "risque" pictures, but in case I do I wouldn't want my Grandma to see ;)).

Back home

We've been home for a few days now from our Super Vacation in California. The kids are happy to be back to school and settling in nicely. And I'm in the process of unpacking (and we all know how fun that can be, right?).

So today the kids wanted to play Wii and I decided before I let them play I wanted to check my weight on the Wii Fit...not such a good idea. When I came back home for a week in August to visit Jeff before he had to get underway I checked it and had lost almost 2 lbs. since June (not so good in 2 months, but we were on vacation!) Fast forward to today - about a month later - and I have gained 5.5 lbs! Shocking! I guess all that Starbucks wasn't so good to me (but it felt so good going down...).

So now I've got to get back to working out, and besides just using the elliptical and Wii Fit, I've got to take Roxy on more walks (rain or shine) because the vet said she needs to lose 4-5 lbs. My mom is doing Weight Watchers and is doing well with her weekly weight loss (and that's without working out) so I was contemplating signing up for that but we'll see. I'm just going to try to keep better track of my portions and not eat so much junk, and if that doesn't work then maybe I'll sign up for WW.

I'll try to keep this blog updated on my progress, but really I'm not very good at blog updates...