Sunday, May 31, 2009

245 What have we been up to?

I have been seeing A LOT more of the park behind our house. I am trying to walk/jog on a daily basis to get back into some resemblance of being in shape. Some days I can get out there by myself, but mostly I end up with the jogging stroller and an extra 30 pounds to push. Connor is NOT a fan of the jogging stroller. He gets antsy by the end of the first lap. The only time he is content is when I am actually jogging... so, not often :) I am getting better, and I can actually jog a whole lap without falling over. BARELY! I am also hitting the exercise bike as much as I can. I am determined to get rid of as much of the extra weight as I possibly can. I will never be the size I was in high school (can't believe I thought I was fat then) but I can be much healthier than I am right now. Katie joins me in the park sometimes. She starts off with her skates on usually, and then ten minutes later she is done skating and she is ready to play on the playground. She is getting SO good at the monkey bars!! She has come a long way since she broke her arm last year! And she can do cartwheels! We are very proud! Poor little Connor man got a bug bite on his forehead Wednesday night, but I thought it was just a mosquito and not a big deal. The next morning it still just looked like a normal bite.

Then I put Connor down for a nap. He woke up about 3pm and the bite had swollen to golfball sized proportions! It freaked me out! I called his pediatrician, and they had already left for the day ... AT 3:30!!! So we went to the family med place around the corner. We finally got back to see the doc, and the swelling looked like it might be going down. We were just worried about it being a spider bite, but they said if it had been a brown recluse then after 18 hours it would have already been necrotic. WHEW! So, a hundred bucks later we were told to just keep an eye on it. It was good to have our minds put at ease ... but we could have really used that $100!! This pic is from when we got back from the doctor. We decided that treating it with chocolate should do the trick. It seems to have worked. Poor little forehead.It is about time for my little tree to burst into bloom again. It should be absolutely COVERED in pink blossoms very soon.I promised Katie that I would take her to see "17 Again" as a Mommy-Daughter date. Well, we have been foiled at every turn. The theatre here only showed it at 12:30 and she did not get home from Mia's until 1. So we missed that day. The next day they stopped showing it at all! And then the only place that has it is 30 minutes away and it started too late for us to make it back for Chip to go to work. To make up for it I took Katie to the zoo with her friend Mia. She wasn't too keen on the trade-off until I promised that they could play on the playground. I usually try to stay away from it. I hate driving to the zoo for her to play on a playground!! The girls were pretty good though. We hit most of the zoo, although we did skip the farm area and the herpetarium. They even consented to a few poses and smiles. Connor was in his stroller, of course. I know that if I take him out for even a minute then he will throw a fit about going back in, so he just has to stay in it the whole time. My Magpie checking out the Red-billed Blue Magpie!Katie is always excited about the longest fry.I had to prop the camera up for one group shot.And of course I made Katie make a wish on Buddha's belly.Katie actually insisted that we go to take a picture in this spot!! And, of course, the zoo trip ended with a dip in the Nile. Not as much of a dip as the kids in the background who were SWIMMING in it, but enough to get their feet wet. I did get Connor out for a minute to dip his feet. He managed to get VERY wet, of course.Also another picture they insisted on. They just had to climb up on the animal statues at the front of the zoo.

We had a pretty nice little visit to the Memphis Zoo. We love going, and I know we will be back very soon!

Other than that we have had a busy time shuffling kids around. Katie and Mia just rocket back and forth between out two houses. Katie has even spent the night twice int he past week. Thank you Tenbye for giving me a few moments of sanity!!! It is weird not having her at home, but she is only 6 houses away! I can get over that.

244 Sunday Series #3 and SOOC Saturday/Sunday



This little piggy went to market.
This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef.
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went WEE WEE WEE all the way home!


The Memphis Zoo has a section called "Once Upon a Farm" and this is the weathervane atop one of the buildings. I just loved the idea of that little piggy flying free. So, for this Sunday Series I wanted to play with one of the shots. The first is just cleaned up a little. The second, I just slid the hue bar a little to the right. The third, I hit the EQUALIZE filter in Elements - and then played with the hue. Then I used a texture, and the bad thing is, I can't even remember where I got it!!! I don't even remember downloading textures ... maybe I got a texture virus. Ya think? And then, of course I had to give my little piggy some wings :)

I am still having fun playing around with my photos. If you take the time to experiment, let me know!

It is Sunday, so sit back, prop up your own little piggies and take a little rest. One way to do that is to participate in SOOC Saturday (or Sunday) over with Melody at Slurping Life! She has had a very busy week. Her son Wil competed in the Special Olympics in two swimming events! How awesome is that!!???!!! I know he did great, but there has not been an update yet. Also, no SOOC post up, but please hop on over there anyway!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

243 200 Bucks on Etsy!

What would you buy if you had $200 to spend on etsy? Oh, you don't even know what etsy is!!?? Etsy is part of the handmade revolution. It bills itself as "your place to buy & sell all things handmade" and it is an absolute TREASURE!! From art to clothing. Knick-knacks to jewelry. Heck, there is jewelry made from knick-knacks!! You could spend days just roaming around the site, finding new things to love everytime!
Well, I thought it would be fun to go on a virtual shopping spree. A totally imaginary one because I certainly don't have $200 laying around to spend. And also give you a listing of a few of my favorite shops to browse through yourself.

Linda Woods Art + Photography - The most wonderful mixed media artist
This "Company Policy" works for ALL parts of your life $12 + $2 for shipping


ALWAYS Mixed Media Collage Art Painting PRINT $15 + $5.80 for shipping

Coffee always reminds me of my Grandmother and my Mother. We enjoy or Java!

(NOTE - Linda will combine shipping, but I wanted to put the listed prices if purchased singly)

Just a hint, Linda Woods is also the co-author of two wonderful books Journal Revolution and Visual Chronicles. I already own them, and I recommend them to anyone who loves to express themselves with words and pictures and paint and tape and doodles and ... ANYTHING!

Papercrafts by Kathleen - handmade books of all kinds, wonderful mixed media covers
Wish - Handmade Sketch Book $25 + $7 for shipping(from Canada)

You know I can't resist a dandelion!!

Little Alouette Wood for Wee Ones - handmade wooden toys and teethers
The Original Myla Belle Maple Wood Teether Key Set $20 + $3

Susannah Tucker Photography - Fabulous TTV photos! Hard part, figuring out which 4!
MINI PRINT SET - you pick any four 5x5 Viewfinder prints $36 + $5 for shipping

Desert Nana - Vintage Goods and Photography - Do you love Kitsch?
Mulberry Tree Budding, 8x8 $15 + $3 for shipping

idea2lifestyle - gorgeous clothing
I AM ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS SKIRT!! $40 + $9 for shipping

****I HAVE ONLY "SPENT" 200 BUCKS****
I had set out to spend $500, but for some reason it is not letting me post more links within this post, so I will have to settle for $200. Believe me, I will adding a new post soon because I found some absolutely wonderful shops on etsy that I want to share!

If you have an etsy shop, leave me a link in the comments! If you have a FAVORITE etsy shop, please leave a link as well!

242 I Love these Kooky Kids!!

What can I say? These kids crack me up on a daily basis. These are just two pictures from one day that make me giggle.
Connor always wants MORE!! He has to have a lollipop for each hand. It really doesn't matter what it is though, he must have two. Well, this time he got a little confused because he had one in his mouth, one in his right hand, and his left hand was empty. He never makes it through a whole lollipop, so to keep him from screaming I gave him another. He was happy as a little man can be!! Just one little quirk that I love! Katie has been on a skating kick lately. There is only one problem ... she CRIES everytime I put her socks on. She complains about the seam, and she whimpers about the wrinkles. She makes me want to tear my hair out and stick her in flip-flops for the rest of her life. She found a compromise that she was happy with. She decided to just wear tights instead of socks (yeah, they still have toe seams). But not just PLAIN tights! She came down with pink flowered tights. Don't they go perfectly with her turquoise plaid bermudas?? Katie has a style that is ALL her own! You gotta love that!!!

Happy Love Thursday! Wander on over to Chookooloonks to check out her Love Thursday post and links to others. What are you loving today??

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

241 Katie's 7th Birthday Party - In Pictures

240 Prop H8


I won't claim to be up on all the political jargon of the day. I don't watch CNN and FoxNews from sun-up to sundown (more like Spongebob and Hannah), but I will tell you this... California has let us all down. Even the people who are feeling vindicated in the decision to uphold Prop H8. Why you ask? Because we are HUMAN. We are PEOPLE! We all have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Sure, the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong. OR DOES IT?? There are many interpretations of the Bible, and if you want to look into one regarding homosexuality and the Bible then please visit this Wikipedia link. And no, I am not gay. I am not trying to defend my own way of life, but I am defending the lives of my friends. I am defending the lives of your fellow Americans. You know, America ... Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!!?? So why do we repress a segment of our population? Does it make you a better person to turn your back on those who are in same-sex relationships? You want to thump your Bible? How about this one ...

JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED Matthew 7:1
or if you need the whole text :
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you

Above all, the Bible teaches us to love one another. To accept one another. Do you think that you will convince someone to "reform their wicked ways"? Do you think that they have chosen homosexuality. Oh sure, it is super glamorous, and who doesn't love to be persecuted?! God created them as surely as He created you and me. Remember that the next time you turn up your nose. Or how about this, remember that the next time you bow your head.

**This blog DOES reflect my personal beliefs. I stand by these words. I know that there are some who read this blog that will disagree with me. You are entitled to your beliefs. As for me, I will continue to believe in LOVE!**

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone ...

Monday, May 25, 2009

239 Veterans Plaze of Memphis, TN

After Katie's fieldtrip to the Memphis Zoo, I decided to wander over to look at some statues I had noticed but never explored. Right beside the zoo is Overton Park, and located there is the Veterans Plaza which holds monuments to the men and women who have been killed in the service of our country. For more of the backstory on the founding of Veterans Plaza you might want to visit this link about Pete Dugan. For the quick story ... Pete Dugan served in World War II. In 1998 he began his quest to honor those from Memphis and Shelby County who gave all in service of our country. He managed to research and confirm each name WITHOUT a computer. He also raised the money and community support needed to create this monument to our Veterans. I was only able to spend a few minutes there, as I was on my way to pick Katie up from school, but it seemed like a very peaceful spot. A great place to sit and think about the people who have fought to insure our freedom. Thank you to all those who have served!
Be sure and check out the work of Jayel Aheram. He is currently serving in the Marine Corps. A wonderful photographer and documentarian (is that a word?)

Saturday, May 23, 2009

238 Sunday Series #2


This week I wanted to try cropping a single shot in different ways. Truth be told, it was a busy week with birthday festivities, but I wanted to make sure I got my new Sunday Series up. Please feel free to play along. If you do, leave a comment with a link! If you don't ... leave a comment anyway. I must admit, I LOVE COMMENTS!

237 SOOC Saturday - Katie's Flowers

Katie wanted flowers for her birthday table. To be precise, she wanted red roses, but there were no red roses at Sam's when we picked up her cake. She deigned to settle for Gerbera Daisies. I think she is happier with them anyway. She keeps telling me which one is her "FAVORITE" because it is open all the way. She has also mentioned that she might like to hold them as a bouquet when she comes down the stairs for her birthday party tomorrow. You know, since she is getting all dressed up in a Hannah t-shirt (new for the occasion of course) and a pair of capris. I think all the wedding pictures I have been working on have rubbed off on her.

236 Seven Years of Katie

Seven years ago today we met our little Katie for the first time. She was much as she is today... Beautiful and LOUD! She came out screaming and immediately started eating. She has not stopped doing either since!!

First Birthday 2003Second Birthday 2004Third Birthday 2005Fourth Birthday 2006Fifth Birthday 2007Sixth Birthday 2008SEVENTH BIRTHDAY 2009!