First Photoshoot EVER!: Callie Teaser

So last weekend, one of our friends let me take pictures of their dog so I could play with my new camera and software :D AND! so I get some actual experience in the field of photography! (rather than just taking pictures of my kitties and C). And oh boy do I need more work. But I think I did okay.

So go over here to my picture blog (well, more of my "improvement and motivation blog) for a little bit of what I got! I'm still not done with fixing the boo-boos, but soon I will, I just wanted to give her some "teasers" before she went on a trip. I hope you like!

ick, ick, ick, ick, ick, ick

2 mornings in 4 days I've woken up to find out that I had a centipede in my apartment. I don't remember ever seeing one up close before. In WA, the only poisonous... thing... is a Daddy Long Leg Spider, and as everyone knows... it's too weak to bite far enough to poison a human. And since they're so dorky and frail looking, no one I know takes them seriously. Which is probably the first step in their adaptation to get long enough... teeth, or whatever, to poison humans.

Anyway... 1st one was right next to the toilet.. I panicked and actually killed it. I never kill bugs. I always have craig do it. Then the 2nd one was on the kitchen wall... I did have craig kill that one since it was way too high for me. And I was a wimp. I just hope he was able to get back to sleep after dealing with that. It's legs twitched long after it was smashed!!!! eeeeeek.



Gross gross gross centipedes!!!! I was going to post a picture of one, but I want to puke every time I look at it. So I won't force you to either!

--Amber

Other blog

I put up some pics on my challenge blog! Go take a look! There's a ton of them. You may have to choose "Older Posts" at the bottom to see all of them.

I did a photoshoot of our friend's dog as a challenge. She's not as Diva as Isis, but I think I got a few good ones in there! I'll post them up on my "Proving Myself Wrong" blog (link above) when I get a chance to go through them :D

46 days!

Need Sleep. Need encouragement. Need... a lot.

I need money

C and I have been driving around and looking at houses and neighborhoods. Trying to find somewhere we could imagine living for a very long time. Since we won't be able to move before we have kids (we're waiting about 3 years to save up enough money for a down payment), we kind of want the almost "perfect" home. Something that, is nice, but we have the opportunity and vision to change it. I've found a lot of FANTASTIC homes/houses/trailers whatever in the past month or so, and I wish we could move NOW! It would be stupid to do so, but I can't help hoping.

For example (and one reason why I said trailer) is that I found this 3b 2ba trailer thing on 84 acres... for $199,900!!!!! I know, that's a lot of space.... but let me outline what we're looking for.

I'm going to be a stay-at-home mom. I'd love to be a homemaker, but to ease C's mind, I'll be a stay-at-home mom with independent ways to make money. C wants a yard, and I want horses... So, we need a bigger yard than that can be provided where we're at now. Or back in Seattle! Here's the independent income ideas I've been toying with:

-Horse stalls (I'll have to hire help, but boarding, and trail rides would be ideal. I could do birthday parties, corporate/company events, etc.)
-Wedding Ceremony/Reception Location (one of those really fancy barns with a view... or just nice space with a fantastic view--there's a lot of rolling hills and awesome views that would be great. Could also rent it out for corporate/company events, etc... I'd let caterer's come in. Why not?! I don't want to cook!).
-Bed and Breakfast Inn (... maybe even cabins.. that would be awesome!)
-Wedding Planning studio (yeaaaah... I like it... even though I'm stressed with mine :D)
-Photography studio (I could do those hot guy pictures! aaand hot chicks! It'll be awesome!)
-Then of course the writing!!!

So... Horse trails $60 avg each person
Wedding locations: $600 (ceremony), $1500 (reception) average
Bed & Breakfast: $250 (night) average... I'd probably do less, but i dunno
Wedding Planning: $150-$1,000 each wedding (depending on what services)
Photography: $300-$2,000 (engagement to wedding)

I think I can do it... but I just neeeeeeed money!!!!

So! I'm going to start wedding planning. I've been taking lots of pictures (of kitten), to go towards my portfolio!! Just to add to our income.

Because it sounds neat!

I thought this looked pretty neat!

Blog2Print

Preserve blog posts, photos, and comments in a professionally printed blog book from Blog2Print. It's the perfect gift for the blog enthusiast in your life. With a selection of covers and personalization options, Blog2Print is the easy way to turn a blog into a printed book.



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You don't have to do a gift card for yourself! You can turn your blog into a book, but the above gives you an idea of what you get.

I'm thinking about doing it, but maybe for the blog that I have my pictures on. Because that sounds more fun, and a better way to show how much *better* I've gotten with my photography. Hopefully.

I'd like to see if you guys would do the same?!

What an awesome day

The title is misleading... my day started meh. and so far it's uuggggghhh!

Woke up early! but still late! I was supposed to wake up at 2:45.. woke up at 2:50. okay, so it wasn't that much later, but it was still late.

Got ready, wished I could crawl back in to bed because C looked so comfortable.
Left
Kept nodding off while driving to work (still pretty normal)

got a flat tire--didn't know about it until after I got to work and was there for 45 minutes. The only reason why I knew then was because I was going to go get coffee. Couldn't get coffee because... well, flat tire!

Then, I sat down at my desk again and about an hour later I realized my shirt was inside out... idiot. Geez!

Not to mention... major crampage... I'm sick... blah blah blah.

So I have to call AAA to come (about an hour to the end of work). Be towed... fix my tire, or buy a new one. I think I need a new set... sooo hopefully it'll work!!!

I think I'll be adding stuff later... because this day is bound to get worse right?

Pictures of our new Kitten

Check it out here.

Yessss... another blog... But this one is a motivational one for me because I'm always way too in my own head about my limitations.  Whether they're real or not. Hopefully this helps.

54 days!

I give up... or I want to. I kinda just want to go over to Vegas and get hitched... buuuuuttttt that opportunity has passed. daamnn.


According to the banner at the top of the page, it says 1 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days left on my countdown...




Here's where we are from my June 4th post. Freak out time!
-Find a DJ, still need to do that... DONE!!!
-Find an Officiant: DONE!
-Pick out Tuxes: DONE!!
-Get the Bridesmaid dresses rolling, DONE!!
-Clutches... Still working on that.
-Get my dress fitted: First one down, second one in August (with shoes!)
-Book our room for the weekend: still need to talk to C about how long. It's booked though/
-Find out if there's a free premarital counseling place: Read and really appreciated, and strongly recommend "The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage" to everyone.
-Send Save-the-Dates [Or as C likes to refer it as: Save-the-Last-Date.. hahaha], DONE!!
-Rehearsal Dinner: Almost figured out
-Day After Brunch, no progress
-Invitations [doing myself, so it's a big project], Due to changes in plans... i had to reprint them... or more of: have to reprint them. I'll do that today. Then transfer the picture over. aaaahhh!
-Bridal Shower: doing good.
-Marriage License: waiting.
-Menu: Figured out.
-Buy C's ring: Found a ring for him... but I think we need one for me after all.
-Bridesmaid accessories: Can't do necklaces i don't think... and we're working on shoes.
-Bride accessories, undergarments, jewelry, boobs, tape.
-Figure out what b/c I need to go on
-Gifts for awesome helpers, ... any suggestions?
-Special Songs play list: Almost done.
-Find something to get rid of awesome acne [though, I don't expect anything to work, like always], I should make an appointment at the skin doc... because my face hates me. my method before wasn't working... so I'm going to try Proactiv again. (I ordered it... 29.95)
-Out of Town Guest bags:.... ugh.
-Ceremony Programs: Almost done
-Keep Track of RSVPs, still not possible
-Get my guest-book made: think I'm doing something different...
-Get a picture on canvas: DONE!! Just need it framed now!
-Get official "change your name" documents: nope.. not close.
-Find Something old, new, blue, and borrowed... nothing yet.
-Make a timeline for people who have to be somewhere at a certain time: still not done..
-Figure out if we want to do a receiving line or visit tables: ugh... dunno
-Carmel apple centerpieces: still haven't tried.
-Cake Alternative: DONE!!
-Make a card box holder thing: Still Painting it

That's BW (Before Wedding)... AW (After Wedding) I have to:

-Get on C's insurance, can't yet..though it might prove to be more difficult b/c I may have "pre-existing conditions".
-Merge our bank accounts: Done!
-Change my name... on everything...
-Cry [I'll need it]: ... done once :)
-Send out announcements to family & friends, I haven't even thought of how I should send it...
-Get our new license [We've been holding off because I didn't want to pay twice for a new license],still nothing.
-Apply for scholarships to go back to school: Too stressed to do that yet.
eeek... 54 days

66 Days & Doubts

Wow! It's been FOREVER! I don't know if I could be stretched any thinner than I am at the moment. I think it's because I am actually taking time for myself. I KNOW!! So weird. I'm taking time to heal myself.

Lets see.... what do I do? I play Viva Pinata!!! for about an hour to two before C gets home. Then when he gets home I have a good hour dedicated to him. Probably my favorite part of the day! Then I do wedding stuff, job look up stuff, and any other things that C wants to do. I've been going to bed between 7pm-9pm too! So between 4:30pm-7:00pm is when I do all the extra things. I haven't been staying up as late because I have been working at 4am... which means I need to wake up 2:15am - 2:45am to get ready and leave so I can get to work by 4am.

Anyway! 66 days left!!!! We're really excited! But yesterday, I was looking at houses, and I thought, WOW! We could totally buy a really nice starter house without a down payment and pay either less or equal to what we're paying for rent right now. I know C would never ever do that, but when I told him about what I found he was actually happy. Not a "Hey Honey, let's go buy one!!" but more excitement than I thought he would have. Then I thought... Damnnnnn.. I wish we could go look at houses for real now! I wish we weren't having a big hitched ceremony.  I told C that and he laughed at me and said shoulda thought about that earlier! hahaha.

Don't worry! We're still going through with the wedding!! And still extremely excited!

Back to houses! I found a lot of starter houses that we could do now that would work with 1 kid until it's about 5... but not 2 kids. And by the time we start having kids, we'll have to have them a year apart. oorrr 9 months + any healing time to get preggers again. Guess why!!!! We're back on the 5 year plan! hahaha.

Background of the 5 year plan: We've been asked "When are you getting married?" by everyone and their mother. Well, I've been asked that by everyone and their mother. I started coming back with a BS answer that really didn't have any value in our decision... "5 years" was my constant reply. No matter if it was "5 years" the 3 years before then. I would always give "5 years" as my answer. So now that the "5 year" to marriage run is over... we've got another :p.

"5 years" to kids! Which puts me at 28... which also gets me really close to having kids that come out with problems. And at the moment, I can't see me having the patience and love to raise and take care of a kid with problems. So! 28 & 29... maybe start 27... Whatever, it's one of those "When we're ready" situations. I've said it before and I'll say it again... I'm waaaay too selfish to have kids now.

So! We'll be waiting a couple years (about 2) before buying a house... so our "starter house" will have to be good enough for 2 kids, bf/gf, and the mom's home business (not sure what yet)... man, I hope they're not girls!! Maybe 1 girl.. but not 2.. poor C! haha.

(BTW... because C has given me a timeline... I'm making a "5 year" plan! hahaha. I'm a weirdo! And an intense planner :)