Photos For Health Submissions...

Thank you to Randi who told me about this...

Photos for Health is an art initiative designed for Clarian Health's new facilities...some artists' photographs will be chosen to be displayed in one of the many locations.  Check the website for more info.
The only category still open for submission is 'Animals and Ecosystems'.  I took some wonderful photos at the Indianapolis Zoo in August and wanted to submit them but they have funny rules about photos taken there.  But then I notice that the Zoo is actually a partner in this program.  I check with them anyway and find out that I CAN submit photos taken at the Zoo.  I don't get anything but a little recognition.
I submitted fifty five.  Yes, fifty five.  But hey, I really liked them! 

Here are some of my favorites...

Being Lazy...

So...I have nothing profound to say today and I'm not done with my 'letter' (you'll see what I mean when I complete it) so I'm being totally lazy today and posting one of those "Getting to know you" email things...
No need to complete it yourself unless you really want to...

1. What is your occupation right now?
Interior Designer

2. What color are your socks right now?
Blue striped – white, light blue navy, med. blue

3. What are you listening to right now?
Keane on my iPod

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Shrimp & scallop salad w/ vinaigrette at Carrabba’s

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Nope, but wouldn’t mind learning someday

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
A client in Houston

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes, she’s my favorite auntie! J

8. How old are you today?
31

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Colts Football

10. What is your favorite drink?
Wine

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Every 5 weeks!

12. Favorite food
Any kind of shellfish (thanks for the catch Liam)

13. What is the last movie you watched?
Hmmmm, it might have been ‘Run Fatboy Run’…I love Simon Pegg

14. Favorite day of the year?
SaturDAY ;) - probably Christmas

15. How do you vent anger?
I usually vent to people or on my blog. But if that’s not enough I might throw something or hit something

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Could be any one of these things…matchbox cars, Big Wheel, My Little Pony, Barbie, Princess of Power

17. What is your favorite season?
Summer!

18. Cherries or Blueberries?
Not my favorites…I prefer Strawberries & Raspberries

19. Living arrangements?
With my husband and two living cats and the spirit of another cat in the perfect house (if it had a basement and one more room…) :)

20. When was the last time you cried?
I think I came really close on Inauguration Day, got teary for sure!

21. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes and cat hair

22. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
Or who will read my blog…probably Brent, he’s been my friend since we were 12.

23. What did you do last night
Cleaned up the house a little because Brent is coming to stay with us for the weekend!!!

24. What are you most afraid of?
Disappointing people

25. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Yes please ;)

26. Favorite dog breed?
German Shephards

27. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday - duh

28. How many states have you lived in?
Only ever lived in Indiana

29. Diamonds or pearls?
Have you not been introduced to my best friend? Her name is Diamond

30. What is your favorite flower?
Peonies, Irises, Stargazer Lilies

2 for 1 Lattes at McDonald's...

Courtesy of TheBargainist.com...

"Every weekday between 2pm and 5pm, McDonald's will be offering drinks two for the price of one. Included in the offer are lattes, McCafe' mochas, cappuccinos and soft drinks. Make sure to stop by and take advantage of this rare opportunity. No word on when this offer ends."

Of course you'll have to know which McDonald's near you has McCafes in them!

A Little Nostalgia...

This website must have been created by someone very close to my age...
http://onceuponawin.com/
It's related to the LOLcat website but it shows a "visual collection of EPIC WINS from the past"...ie toys, games and other things pretty much all from the 80s!

Lawn Darts!!!
How did we not understand these were metal arrows of doom?

Fun Dip

I still love this stuff!

Fisher Price Barn Set

I totally had this!

Lite Brite

And one of these too...

Big Wheel

My most favorite toy EVER!!!  I went through two of these...

Speak N Spell

Or was this my favorite...hmmmm...

Fisher Price Parking Garage

Who knew a parking garage could be so much fun!?!?!

The Neverending Story

"Turn around...look at what you seee-eee-eee-eee, in her face...the mirror of your dreeee-eeee-eeee-eeam"

Damn now I'll have that theme song stuck in my head all day...Oh well...I still love this movie too...

I could do this all day...

Go to the website to see a lot more of these gems...including "You Can't Do That on Television", The A-Team Van, Scented Markers and many more....oh those were the days.

Fitday...

So I'm trying out a new website...
http://www.fitday.com/

I can keep a food journal and exercise journal on it.  And if the food you eat isn't in their database you can create a 'custom food' and just use the nutritional info on your product packaging (or websites for restaurants).

I found keeping a food journal helped me see what I was eating...not just what...but details.  This will calculate your totals so you can see how many calories, how much fat, sodium...etc...whatever you're worried about.  It helps you see where the most fat/cals are coming from...ie what you may need to cut back on or improvise with....like...I really shouldn't have gotten cheese OR lite mayo on my Subway sandwich today.  But it was a choice I made so...
But it even has graphs and reports for you...

On the exercise side of things...it is VERY specific.  You can track absolutely every physical thing you do no matter how remote.  Type of workout to making the bed to vacuuming to sitting and watching TV to sex...I said EVERYTHING!  You put in what your activitly level is...like mine is mostly seated all day because of my job.  Then it will start there as a 'zero'...you did this all day (24 hours) and then subtracts from it whatever you put in...sleeping 8 hours, running 30 minutes...etc.

Anyway...we'll see if I keep up with it or if it becomes a pain.  I may choose to have an actual paper journal.  We'll just have to see.

This is great!...

I love how when the exterior door opens they all kind of pause..."who's coming in?!...oh, we're good" and keep going!

And the deer in headlights look for 'Charlie Brown'

And...the dude on the right...he might move his hips a little too well...

Go guys!!!  Whatever you gotta do to keep up spirits!  LOL! 

'Bottle Shock' coming to DVD!!!

FINALLY!!!
The movie Bottle Shock will be released on DVD February 3rd!!!
It's $19.99 from Amazon!

If you love wine, wine country, or Alan Rickman you'd like this movie!

This is why it's 9:00 and I'm not at work yet...

*****UPDATE******

It's 9:30...I'm not going in. :)

Healthy Diet Saboteurs...

We try to eat healthy and we think we are...then we learn of big mistakes we've been making all along.
These are some of the things that threaten to undo what we've been working hard for...

-Salad Dressing - DOOOOM! - Take a look at the labels, there is so much fat & calories in so little dressing!!!  I've seen as much as 12g of fat in 2 Tbsp!  Someone like me (woman, trying to lose weight) should get 20-30g per DAY maximum.  So that's half of my day just in the dressing!

So if you're doing the salad thing, be sure to get fat free or at least reduced fat dressing.  And if you are eating out, get the dressing on the side and dip instead of pouring it all over. You'd be surprised how little you use!

-Mayonnaise - If you use a lot of it you should really consider switching to reduced fat.  It is SO high in fat!  There's about 11 grams of fat and 100 calories in ONE Tbsp!!!  (Don't kid yourself, you definitely use at least 1 Tbsp when you put it on a sandwich)

Light mayo has about half of that.  Fat free is better...but...it tastes awful!  I use reduced fat Miracle Whip and try not to use too much.

And remember...mayo is in that tuna salad or chicken salad and I'll bet you (unless you made it yourself) that it's REAL mayonnaise...hence...fat fat fat.

Ugh, I know someone who gets the tuna sandwich from Jimmy Johns (sub place)...19.6g fat, 502 calories...and gets *gulp* extra mayo on it!  Bring it to 45g of fat and 731 calories!!!!

Always get the light mayo if it's available or go without!!!

-Cheese - I know...I love it too - Don't get me wrong! I don't go without cheese!  That would be CRAZY! But when you aren't splurging and you really want to 'be good' you either have to go without it or go with something different.  Fat free cheese does not taste very good at all* but the reduced fat or 2% milk kinds are pretty good and getting better.  I recently got Weight Watchers brand shredded mexican cheese blend and I tasted it by itself and it was VERY good! I was impressed! 

Mozzerella, Swiss, and Provolone cheeses tend to be lower in fat than others naturally.  (Provolone is lowest in fat at Subway...fyi!)

And if you need a cheese sauce, go for Velveeta 2%.  Still tastes great!

*Fat free processed American cheese (think Kraft singles) aren't bad! 

-ANYTHING FRIED IN ANY QUANTITY - Duh!

-Drink a LOT of water everyday...a good rule is...no not 8 glasses per day let me finish...take your body weight in pounds...half of that in ounces is how much water you should get per day and that does not include water you ingest while or immediately after working out.  Yea...it's a lot.  After a couple of days (of going to the bathroom every hour or more) your body will get used to it and you won't be going all the time and eventually you will crave that much water.  And I mean plain water...not water that's in your Coke or coffee! The caffeine negates all that!
Water is very important...more later.

The nutritional values of every item will vary brand to brand so spend a few more seconds comparing.  Even just a little bit helps!  Drain your ground meats...blot your pizza...pick off your croutons...
It may only be a little bit...but it's that little bit that will NOT be going in your body!

*****************

Why do I harp on fat so much?  Well, it's...FAT!  Yes, I know Dr. Atkins says 'eat all the fats you want as long as you don't have too many carbs'...which is a load of...don't get me started...

Here's why fat is important...
-I'm sure you've heard that obesity is being linked to diabetes
-too much fat intake = storing fat
-your body needs water to aid in breaking down fat...if there's not enough water it can't break it down
-it's gross...have you seen body fat?  Ew.

Anyway...if anyone else has any thoughts or tips, feel free to share!  :)

How to Make a Healthy Taco Salad...

I'm not much of a salad eater but I LOVE taco salads!  Well, they're basically nachos you eat with a fork and are high on the lettuce end.  And I loooooooove nachos!

Ok...it's easy...

-use the leanest ground beef available (sirloin or whatever), you can use ground turkey too, but nothing beats ground beef in a salad.  I try to get 96% lean.  Cook it up and drain it before you add the taco seasoning packet.  ( I think it instructs you to anyway but ALWAYS drain it...that's grease and fat that you aren't ingesting no matter how little there is!)
-use reduced fat shredded cheese, you can use fat free if you like it but that stuff tastes rubbery to me
-use baked tortilla chips
-I use fat free sour cream to make my 'dressing'.  I take a few dollups and mix in some taco sauce, hot sauce, or some reserved taco seasoning.  OR you can use FAT FREE Ranch dressing. 

It's so good and doesn't lack any of the flavor in my opinion. 

I think I'll do a post on healthy diet sabotage food items later...

Cookie!!!

Remembrance Stone...

I bought this stone from sjengraving on etsy.  I had run across one of their items that was an engraved photo and asked them if they could do customs.  They said they can but need to see the picture to make sure it is engravable. 

I sent a photo of Sable and told them that she had passed away suddenly in October and I wanted something for remembrance. 

They were gracious enough to waive the $15 custom fee (being "cat lovers themselves") and were so nice in their message.

Anyway...I received it today and it is lovely.  It may be hard to tell in the photo but its total size is the size of my whole hand with my fingers outstretched, I can just 'palm' it.  Way bigger than I thought it would be!

It cost me $46 including the shipping.  Not too shabby for something like this.  :)

Hobbies...

I can't think of anything original today so I'm copying again!...thanks Randi!

My Hobbies


Craftiness - I tend to think I can make anything but I guess I hone in on jewelry making, fabric crafts and paper crafts.  I'm selling some jewelry creations in my etsy shop.  I've made 2 quilts, with another in the works.  I scrapbook with my mom.  I made all of my own wedding invitations/response cards/programs/etc.

Movies - Rob and I both are movie buffs...we have around 250 DVDs.  We've lost count since they are all in totes and boxes awaiting the new entertainment center (just needs staining!).

TV - We are addicts!  DVR is one of the best things that ever happened to TV! We watch so many shows I can't even keep track anymore! LOST, Ghost Hunters, Big Bang Theory, The Office, Psych, Eli Stone, Fringe, Hell's Kitchen, Dirty Jobs...OMG...this could go on and on...

Photography - I didn't ever think I would be so into it...it's all Shawna's fault.  She used to work with me and took up photography as a hobby.  She was taking such great shots I asked her to do Rob & I's engagement photos and they were so good I asked her to do my wedding...she had never done a wedding at that point but I was confident.  I was her first wedding booking!  By the time my wedding came around she had done two though.  But her photos of the wedding day were so beautiful and so my style that my interest really piqued.  I worked with her on photo processing and editing and helped organize her studio (as payment for half of my wedding album) and even assisted on a wedding shoot.  I LOVED it!  I'm definitely a detail girl...most of my photos weren't the typical bride/groom stuff...but that's what Shawna was there for anyway.  Not long after she sold me her first camera and I've been snapping ever since.  I now have 2 additional lenses to the one that came with the camera...a wide angle and a zoom.  I'm trying to get a photographic art business going but sort of took a break from that with the holidays (yikes I haven't posted there since November!).  I want to have a website that people can just click and buy prints...it's in the works.

Gaming - Rob & I both love role playing video games.  Final Fantasy anyone?  But we also like the simpler stuff like Harry Potter and all the Zelda's (old school!!!).

Wine - Rob & I are both winos!  At last count we had 87 bottles of wine in the house.  Our 15 slot wine cabinet is full, 30 slot wine rack is full, 18 bottle wine fridge is full, and they are also laying on top of the kitchen cabinets in smaller racks or just by themselves.  I've got a wine review blog and have had one company even send me some free wine to review (thanks Seven Daughters...both red and white are very good).  We love to go to wineries and we love to learn more about wine and wine making.  We also love Vine & Table and their staff...they make great recommendations and have tastings frequently.  (We also love Fred the cheese guy on the food side of the store!)
Blogging - God if I could make a living blogging...I'd be home free!  I obviously blog daily (weekends are sometimes an exception).  I own three blogs.  I subscribe to over a hundred blogs (thank God for Google Reader).  Yea...I really need to figure out how to make money doing this.  :)

Favorite Thing of the Day...

I love this song...

The New Radicals - You Get What You Give
by scootaway

And it's true..."we only get what we give"...good message.

Wind CHILL...

For the LOVE...it's wind CHILL, wind CHILL, WIND CHILL!!!!

I'm not sure why improper (or just stupid) grammar bugs me so much but it does!

I'm not kidding when I say I know someone who says "windshield temperature" instead of "wind chill temperature".  I mean, seriously?! What in the name of Zeus's butthole (thank you 'The Rock') makes you think it's windshield?!?!?!

Apparently this person has never seen the weather man show the Wind Chill map, read the words 'wind chill warning/advisory/whathaveyou', or heard them strung together. 

I mean...look at the map...it says it right there across the top.

I'm wondering why it grates me so bad.  But nevertheless...

I'm sorry but it makes you sound dumb (I now apologize to everyone out there reading this who says "windshield temperature")! 
But...now...how do you tell this person they are saying it wrong without making them feel stupid?  I don't think there's any way...because it's one of those obvious things...after the correction they'll think "how did I not know that", they'll see it everywhere, hear it everywhere.  *sigh*

I think my obsession stems from once spelling utmost UPmost and then being made fun of for it. It made me feel like an idiot and I hated it.  So I always make sure if I'm not sure how to spell something, I check.  If I don't know what I'm talking about...well, I won't talk about it until I do.  So I'm obsessed with being correct but know how it feels to be corrected and made to feel stupid so I have a hard time saying "hey, you're saying wrong"  (read: hey moron you've been saying it wrong your whole life)

Anyway...

Favorite Thing of the Day...

Inkberry Wine

.

I love this wine!!!  It's a Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon blend but let that scare you...really it is not that dry at all!  Very velvety and the berry taste is wonderful!

I think it was only around $14 or so too.

.

Truly a new favorite!

I reviewed it over on my wine blog.

.

And I love their logo!  I just wish their label played it up more...so much you could do with it.

Day 1 and I'm in love...

So this is what he did on his first full day in office...

President Barack Obama signed two executive orders on his first full day in office, taking first steps toward fulfilling campaign promises to be more transparent and earn back the public’s trust in its public servants.

The first executive order lays out Obama’s ethics rules. Executive branch employees will be prohibited from accepting any gifts from lobbyists. Anyone who works for the administration will not be allowed to lobby the executive branch for as long as Obama is president. It also prohibits lobbyists hired by his administration from dealing with agencies on matters they lobbied about for two years.

The second order revokes a 2001 executive order signed by former President George W. Bush that limited release of former presidents’ records, and replaces it with new language aimed at more transparency. Bush’s order gave former presidents broad authority to claim executive privilege and to designate others, including family members who survive them, to exercise executive privilege on their behalf. Obama’s order revokes the survivor provision and gives ex-presidents less leeway to withhold records.

In remarks prior to the signing, Obama said, “For a long time now, there’s been too much secrecy in this city. This administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but with those who seek it to be known.”

At the ceremony, Obama also signed a memorandum freezing pay for all of his staff making more than $100,000.

(Courtesy of OhMyGov.com)

I love it I love it I love it!!!!

"It's a Beautiful Day" by U2 keeps running through my head! :)

The Benediction!!! I found it!

Now, I'm not really a religious person.  I'm spiritual, agnostic.  But I think everyone can appreciate this...the message, the meaning, and even a bit of humor at the end.
I really liked it.

Inauguration Photos from The Big Picture...

oooh I've been waiting for these!  Check them out and read the captions, they're all so good!

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_inauguration_of_president.html

Here's a taste...

his Benediction was GREAT, find it online if you can!

Favorite Thing of the Day...

How easily & naturally these two show their feelings for each other in public...and it's never "too much"...

I LOVE Michelle's dress above!!!

It's just natural for them to be holding hands, you could tell. It was an automatic thing for them, never "oh, here hold my hand". They are so darn CUTE! The whole family is!

OMG they're so cute I could look at pictures of them all day!

***UPDATED***
Thanks for the link Liam! See the cuties:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/sasha-and-malia-obama-ina_n_159499.html

And right there is also another slideshow of what I talked about here...Barack & Michelle...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/barack-and-michelle-obama_n_159504.html

Photoshop Tip...

Thanks to Lisa over at 'This Yummy Life of Mine' for the tip!

I think the tip will make a more drastic difference with indoor pictures but here is what it did for one of my outdoor pics!
See Lisa's example of before and after too

Before

After

It's much sharper and the color is crisper.
I'm going to try it on my indoor pics!

Let Freedom Ring...

I'm so glad I took the day off!

I'm absolutely glued to the TV...all the pomp and circumstance and tradition!

I'm so ecstatic it's hard to gather my thoughts...so here they are sporadically!

-Michelle looked so beautiful!

-Malia & Sasha were so cute

-The Obamas are SO composed and lovely

-I love that Barack opens Michelle's door, waits for her, holds her hand, places his hand on the small of her back leading her forward

-I loved the GINORMOUS crowd waving their little flags

-Aretha is still the ultimate diva and she worked that hat!

-Obama is one of the best speakers EVER

-Sasha gave her dad a thumbs up after he spoke...SO sweet!

-I absolutely LOVED the Benediction!!!

-It's good to be a celebrity...there are some pretty random famous people in the VIP section...John Cusack?!? WTF?

-John Williams' arranges beautiful music...and Itzhak Perlman & YoYo-Ma?!? Are you kidding? I loved it! I know it wasn't an original piece but it was an original and beautiful arrangement!

-They are going to be SO tired tomorrow...TEN inaugural balls tonight, appearing at the last one at 2:30AM.

-I'm glad no one booed Bush and that he didn't make any oddball faces (that I saw)

-I want to hang out with the Obamas, they seem so down to earth and real and cool!

Woohoo!

I'm taking tomorrow off so I can plop myself in front of the TV ALL DAY!!!!

I'm so excited I can hardly STAND it!!!

I cannot contain myself about tomorrow!  I cannot wait to see our 44th President sworn in!  I have my DVR set on CNN all day but am very tempted to take a personal day off work to plop myself in front of the TV all day...I'm actually more than tempted...seriously considering it!
Tomorrow will be very historically significant and a day of change in America.  I wasn't sure I'd ever see the day a black person became President.  I hoped I'd see the day when a woman became President...I thought would actually come first.  But Barack Obama does not disappoint me in the slightest.  He seems like a good man, a very good man.  Just in watching him...how he holds himself, how he looks at his wife & children, his eloquence, his sincerity, his youth, and willingness to talk to people...anybody.  When he talks to peopls you can see that he really listens, when he asks questions...he really listens to their answers instead of asking a question for the sake of speaking and looking good.  He's engaged.
I can not wait to see what he does!

The following photos are from The Big Picture...click the link to see more photos of Inaugural Preparations.

New in my etsy shop!!!

http://www.sjlarts.etsy.com/

I think the above ones are my FAVORITE!!

Many of these items are created from vintage jewelry or recycled from other unused jewelry.

Vote for your favorites and win!

If you go to this blog and vote for your 4 favorite photos you have a chance of winning the winners!

I love the style of these photos!

Not to influence you but my favs were:
And you can search me out in the comments to see what I said about them!
(Mothervea, please let me know if it bothers you that I have the photos posted here and I will promptly take them down!!!)

Because I TOO am a sucker for this crap...

From Randi T.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not as far as I know

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When Sable died, and when I’ve thought about her

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It’s alright if I don’t go too fast

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
thin sliced lean honey ham from the deli counter

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Do two cats count?

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
After I got past my exterior
7.DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Yes

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Wouldn’t put it past me

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cinnamon Life is one of my favs, also love Frankenberry but it only comes out around Halloween

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I try to cuz I hate untying them when I want to put them on and I can't just slip them on.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG
Yes

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM
Peppermint Stick

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes and their smile

15. RED OR PINK?
I could go either way…usually red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
That I’m a little overweight…I can hear the *groan* but I’m serious

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
I miss a lot of the cool friends from PMO that I haven’t seen in years…good times. Facebook helps keep up with a lot of them though.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Everyone? Everyone in the whole wide world? No, just the regulars if they'd like
Ha! I’ll keep Randi’s answer here!

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
My brown Skechers

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Potato soup

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
“Shadow of the Day” by Linkin Park (iPod)

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
A green…somewhere between moss and lime…mime?

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
wine, spring, a thunderstorm coming, jasmine

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Rob

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Sure thing!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Colts football

27. Hair Color?
Naturally…brown & grey (ick). Currently reddish brown with some highlights

28. EYE COLOR?
Green (did you know only 3% of the world has green eyes?)

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yep

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Seafood…particularly shellfish!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Depends on my mood but happy endings are best!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Underworld

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
White with a green cable-knit sweater over

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
I feel like this answer changes a lot, I LOVE dessert so it’s hard to nail it. Crème brulee, cake w/ frosting…

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
No idea

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Probably a lot of people

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
oh jeez, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, some jewelry making/marketing books, Harry, A History, Craft Inc, and some other photography books.
I know…finish one already! Although we are constantly cycling through the Harry Potter books
I totally want an Amazon Kindle

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No mouse pad

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT
How I Met Your Mother, Two & a Half Men, CSI NY

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
the frogs & crickets by the pond at my parents’ house at night, train whistles in the distance

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Either

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME???
California

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I sing, I’m pretty crafty, and a pretty good photographer

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Elkhart, IN

I've been Obamized!!!

And I LOVE IT!

Timely for the inauguration Tuesday!  I wish I could stay home and watch it.  I'm gonna DVR CNN all day!

If you want to be Obamized go to http://www.obamicon.me/

Everyday Hero...

By now everyone has heard of the plane crash into the Hudson River in NYC. 
The pilot, Captain C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, is a hero.

His actions saved the lives of ALL on board, all 155.  It was a "perfect" crash landing...if you can call those perfect.  And he was the last to leave the plane. 
I'm sure there were many others that helped save lives and helped the victims, but first and foremost the pilot was responsible for the lives of those on board...and on the ground.

Not even 24 hours later there is a page dedicated to 'Sully' on Facebook and you can become a 'Fan'.  I am.
He already has 3,099 at the time of this post!

other articles on CNN...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/new.york.plane.crash/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/plane.crash.rescue/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/newyork.crash.passengers/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/16/hudson.plane.videos/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

A lesson in shoveling snow...

Or what NOT to do...

DO NOT SHOVEL SNOW FROM YOUR DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET!!!
1 - a plow will come by and just shove it right back into your driveway, plus you are just creating a snow ridge you have to drive over to get in...dumb.
2 - if a plow has already gone by, you have just done them a HUGE disservice and made it more hazardous for drivers on your street...clear street with a patch of snow/compacted snow/ice...great...thanks a lot
3 - it's not going to hurt your grass...seriously...that can not be your reasoning for not putting it in your yard.  See all that snow already on your grass?  What are you going to do about all that?  Shovel it out to the street?  Good luck going anywhere dumbass.
4 - check your local laws...in many places it is just plain illegal to shovel snow into the street and you can get a fine.

If you really need help shoveling...here are instructions via WikiHow...although it neglects to say don't shovel it into the street...
http://www.wikihow.com/Shovel-Snow

New to my etsy shop!!!

Just added to my etsy shop!

http://www.sjlarts.etsy.com/

I've been tagged...

T over at It Matters To Me tagged me with this...
Go to the 5th folder in my pictures file, choose the 5th picture in that file and post it. Then I get to tag five others to do the same.  BUT...I'm ok with people breaking the rules and not 'playing tag' with me.  :)  Don't feel TOO pressured!

Here's mine...

It's a picture taken outside my back door.  See the bright rainbow-ish thing to the left of the sun?  That's a Sun dog.  Something that happens in the sky with certain clouds and when the sun is low.  This happened for a few days when it first got really cold this season.  It was on both sides of the sun but at the time I did not have my wide angle lens and couldn't get it all in the frame.

Here's a pic of the other side...slightly more rainbow-y...

Now for those I get to tag...

Liam's alternate reality

a touch of tuesday weld

Thoughts, Randomly.

as we know and i feel fine

Random Ramblings (c'mon Brent!)  :)

Fun Drive in This Morning...

Average Speed...

12 Miles...1 hour 10 minutes

Nyx's 'Shoes'...

Check out her new purple shoes!  I hope the pic is large enough...if not go here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1214854&l=a34dc&id=670103797

And she loooooves to carry around toys...

BTW...pipe cleaners...cheapest, funnest toy EVAR!  (Just make sure to bend the ends into itself so it's not sharp)

And Rob decided to play tug-of-war with her...

Precious!!!

I'm not crying *wipes tear*...I...have something in my eye!!

Today's Favorite Thing...

Rubbermaid PREMIER Food Storage Containers...

These are seriously the BEST containers EVER!  One lid size fits multiple dishes.  I have a 16 piece set.  Four different size containers, two different size lids.  And if I had another set, I'd get rid of EVERYTHING else I have.
The containers are clear and the lids have a little window in them too.  They seal perfectly.  And the kicker...NO STAINING!!!
NONE
Heat up pasta sauce in it...NO STAIN!!!!  I can't say that for my spatulas!! 

You can find them on Amazon or in several stores!

LOL!!!

Today's Favorite Thing...

Penn Station East Coast Subs

Surprisingly you can eat pretty healthy there.  Check it out...
http://pennstationindy.com/nutlisting.php

Go with a small sandwich, skip the fries and cheese (or at least go with American cheese) and watch your extras.  NO on the mustard, mayo and especially the Thousand Island!!!  NO on any Italian sandwich too...fatty meats.

To get an idea of what is good, what is bad...to maintain weight women should get 20-40 grams of fat per day, 20-30 if you want to lose weight.  Men is 30-50, 30-40 to lose.
If you really look at what you eat you would be surprised how much you eat in a day!!!  There are a lot of things out there to eat where you will get your 'daily allotment' in ONE SITTING!  For instance, I will never be able to bring myself to have the skillet queso from Chili's EVER again....about 3 or 4 DAYS worth in it. You better share it evenly with 10 people if you are going to have it. 
Plus, you can make your own healthy version at home!

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this info today so I got a Philly Cheesesteak for lunch...American cheese, NO mayo, NO mustard.  And Baked Potato Chips.

Another cute!

Adorable...

A cat wondered into the studio where this weatherman was giving his forecast so he scooped him up and went on about his business.
Read the article in the UK Telegraph.



In case the picture is cut off, click on the link to the article and watch from there.

Today's Favorite Thing...

PANDORA.com

I loooooove Pandora!

I took a break from my ipod for a long time, I wanted something new and different.  And for the holidays it's great too!

Pandora is great because you can create your own customized 'stations'.  You start with an artist or song you know you like and Pandora will play other artists and songs that are similar to the one you input.  You can 'add variety' by inputing other fav artists or songs to that station.  If it plays a song you don't like, you give it a thumbs down and skips it.  If you LOVE a song it plays you give it a thumbs up and it remembers it and will play it more often.  You can also bookmark a song or artist, when you do this it saves the info and gives you links where to buy the song or album.  There is also a Pandora Desktop application you can download instead of always having a webpage open...it still connects to the web, just without having the actual website page open.  (There is also a Pandora Facebook application...I just can't tell you about that, I haven't used it)

I love it because it exposes you to new artists and songs that maybe you didn't know about. 
Just as I've been really loving it...obviously...it's my favorite thing today...we get word this morning that they are banning Pandora at work.  Sucks.  Now I'm back to the ipod and movie audio.  *sheds a tear*

It's funny, I'm listening to my ipod now through iTunes and I keep wanting to go mark stuff with a thumbs up.

I will still listen to it at home!!!

Hyper!!!

Check her out...Nyx is so hyper she's faster than the speed of light!  :)

So...

I don't really have anything to say today.  I'm fighting a migraine again, which sucks when you have sinus issues in the first place, I'm still not 100% well from my cold yet.
It's making me feel all gross all over.  And I can't really think or focus.  I'm uber-tired too.

Ok, complaining over.

Anyway...
I feel like the new year hasn't started for me.  Being sick right at the beginning stinks because you want to start it fresh.  Especially when I just made this big goal list and really want to tackle it but I don't feel like doing anything because I don't feel good.  I really just want to feel better so I can tackle those goals, start going to the gym and all that, you know?

I made black bean burritos last night.  They were great!

I'm going to get my oil changed in a little bit.  And I'm going to get some Chicken McNuggets while I'm out.  Yea...so much for being healthy but you know what?  When I have a migraine and feel like this, nothing sounds good.  So when something does sound good, I jump on it...regardless. 

In fact, I think I'll go now.  Laters.

Drastic Measures...

So...I'm contemplating doing something drastic.  Well, drastic to me.

So, soda is bad for us right?  You know soda = liquid candy and all that stuff.
Well, diet soda is bad too I guess.  It's the whole artificial sweetener and how your body reacts to it yada yada business.  There's a lot of different explanations but it's something like the artificial sweetener tricking your body into storing fat.

Well...I love my Diet Coke.  No...I reeeeeeally looooove my Diet Coke.  I'm addicted.

Just look at it...Mmmmmm....

But I've also set a goal of losing weight.  I can't guarantee that I won't have ANY Diet Coke...but I'm thinking of trying to cut back, waaaay back.  And sometimes I only have one a day, but it really is typically two.  I'm thinking of trying one a week.  And that sounds scary to me.
But...I really am thinking of trying it for at least three months.

I've got strategy too.  I find when I drink this herb tea once a day I don't crave the DC as much.  AND sometimes it's just the fizz I want to when it's that I can drink La Croix sparkling water.  It's pretty good and has no artificial sweetenters.

I haven't made the commitment yet...but am really tossing it around.

Today's Favorite Thing...

My favorite dish from our favorite mexican restaurant!

Camarones a la Diabla!!! 
Literally translated...Devil's Shrimp.  And yes, it's HOT!  Love it!
It's basically shrimp and onions in a spicy red sauce served with rice, refried beans, and tortillas.  I always sub extra beans for the rice cuz I love refried beans, I dip chips in it!
And I usually have sour cream with it too.

We went to El Camino on Monday and I got it and for some reason it came out on an extra big plate!  Possibly bigger than the one shown (not my picture) so I REALLY had leftovers...which is what I am eating at this very moment.  :)  Happy tastebuds!!!

Don't diss a photographer...

From What the Duck

New Year Resolutions...

No...not resolutions...those are just asking to be broken. Instead of looking for things to break I'm going to have something to reach for...to strive for...NEW YEAR GOALS.
And they can be anything big or small.
Almost like a to-do list...I LOVE to check things off!!!

So here goes...and maybe I'll add to this as time goes by too!

Goals for 2009
-lose at least one clothing size and about 30 pounds (yes, I have that much to lose, maybe more)
-drink a lot of water, strive for at least 80 ounces per day
-clean out and organize the den
-clean out and organize the guest/craft room
-get or have shelves made for the guest room to display more personal photos
-reduce credit card debt by at least 25%
-grow image art photography business
-get out and take the pictures I have ideas about! (barns, Amish, seasons, roads, more...)
-grow sjl arts business on etsy - add my handmade items
-donate more to the local Humane Society
-start to recycle (need some bins and stuff first)
-organize garage better (will help with recycling effort)
-landscaping!!!
-organize the pantry
-spring clean the ENTIRE house

Hey mom if you want to come down and help me with any of the house stuff feel free!!!

On my feet again...

I'm back to feeling semi-normal...still tired and a little congested but nothing like when I was 'down and out' so I'll take it!

Sorry for the lack of posting...I didn't feel like doing anything while I was sick...except maybe sleep.  I didn't even read other blogs so now I have to catch up on that too.

Up next...resolutions...

Resolutions Postponed...

My resolutions will be postponed again as the only thing I can think of right now is..."I wish I felt better".  I've been slammed with another cold and am down & out again.