Saturday Fun Day

Good morning. It seems I haven't written much lately and I apologize. I've been swamped!

Thankfully, I have been busy with the photography. The photo shoots are followed by days of looking over pictures, editing and then discing them up and getting them to my customers. I am enjoying it so very much!

 Recently I did a photo shoot for a family. They are a family split by their football loyalties. We played that idea up! 

They were a blast to work with. Today another set of family pictures with another family. I'm loving this! My brochures were recently completed (I made them) and I am working hard at distributing them and getting my name out there.

Healthier and Happier

My friend Beth and I have started running...this is quite the chore considering she is a hospice nurse and often gets last minute calls thus changing our schedule. However, we are overcoming this and starting to get in to a groove.

Aside from this I am trying to eat healthier. I have gained so much weight in the time that it's been since Bob's chemo and recovery. That I am not happy with at all. So, I am, aside from running (it's honestly more like jogging than running), trying to eat healthier. I intend to pick up a copy of the book "Skinny Rules" by Bob (from the biggest loser). I am eating more fruits and veggies as well as watching my protein intake and trying to keep it high to keep me full.

Last night we grilled chicken and I also grilled broccoli and zucchini. This was the first time I had ever had grilled zucchini...honestly any zucchini that wasn't chopped up and in bread. It was pretty darn delicious.

Anyway, hoping to get these extra pounds off, and hoping to have a lot of them off in the next 45 days when I fly to Florida to go see Motley Crue and Kiss with my cousin!

Another Busy Weekend

I had yesterday off for a doctor's appointment and then turned around and went to my friend Mary's Partylite candle party. It was so nice to see the girls that I used to work with at Bethany!

Today I have to work until 2 p.m. then turn around get back to DeKalb only to leave again at 4 p.m. We are heading up to Hoffman Estates as we have tickets to the MMA fights up there. A resident's son offered us all tickets to the fights tonight because one of his son's is already a professional MMA Fighter and the other is making his Professional Debut this evening. I'm very excited! What a great gift :) So much better than the cookies that usually get dropped off as a thank you! :) (Those are appreciated as well...please don't take that the wrong way).

Tomorrow is Father's Day...so, of course it will be a busy kind of day. Think Scavenger hunt :)

I have no photo shoots this weekend but my next two weekends I have shoots on both Saturday's and Sunday's. This is exciting :)

Looks like I will have lots of editing to do soon! #Thankful!

Lance Armstrong vs. USADA

Looks like they are at it again. Lance Armstrong is again under fire for doping...even though the man is an ICON of the sporting world, as well as a cancer survivor who does huge things for cancer patients, survivors, and research.

The man has passed I believe it said over 500 drug tests. How do they not see that they look like morons? Their witnesses to the supposed doping are all admitted dopers themselves...how can they not see that this is a case of people trying to discredit him?

It's ridiculous!

Below is a link to Lance Armstrong's response to this latest witch hunt!
http://lancearmstrong.com/news-events/lance-armstrong-responds-to-usada-allegation

Sunburnt and Tired

Yesterday was spent on the Kishwaukee River. We jumped in at Wal-camp in Kingston and finished up in Kirkland...this is a short trip by highway...not so much so when tubing! We spent 8 hours on the water. I am also slightly moronic apparently as the tubes were not comfortable and sitting on them with my butt had me dumped in to the Kish several times early on...at which point I decided to go stomach to tube and float that way (much easier) ...although my back is very red at this point lol. I bashed my knee a time or two and have a few cuts as well. However, it was a great day! :) Fun with friends...nothing beats a weekend spent like that!

Today it's back to the grind...I am exhausted (slept 9 hours) and it probably doesn't help that my blood sugar crashed during the last 45 minutes of our trip down the river; when that happens I'm always a little more tired for several days after...it was my own fault...I should have eaten more but it was hot and I was staying hydrated...so I figured I was fine...and I am...I just took a little detour for about an hour or so. Thankfully we all had brought some food with us and the shakes went away after a little while.

Friday I am off work but have to work on  Saturday...then it's a Saturday night MMA fight where a resident's grandson is making his pro debut! Can't wait!

Have a happy week!

Weekend Fun!

This is going to be one busy weekend!

Last night I happened to notice on Facebook that a friend of ours was going to be playing downtown. He is a D.J. and we have never seen him play...so we decided to take a walk to the downtown area and check out what he does.

It just so happened however, that they did not have a normal type of gig...they were actually doing a renegade dance party. They found a location with electricity, set up their equipment and started playing.

They ended up at a gazebo area right on the main corner of the downtown area. I got a few pictures of them. It was a good night.

Today Bob has car work to do. I have 3 picture orders to fill, laundry to do, and a house to get swept, vacuumed, and mopped. Everything is actually pretty clean other than the floors all need a little TLC. I also would like to pop by the store and pick up the rest of the material I need to finish my latest project. I am also babysitting my grandson while my daughter is out making the world beautiful one hairstyle at a time.

Tonight is my friend Deb's birthday party and we are doing a downtown pub crawl...should be a good time. I am thankful that I live with in a few blocks of the downtown area.

Tomorrow morning Bob and I will be joining about 15 friends who are tubing down the Kishwaukee River. :) Should be a relaxing day (I'm sure I will have one heck of a sunburn by the time all is said and done).

It's supposed to be hot and sunny all weekend...so wear sunscreen and enjoy the weekend....I know I will!

Baby Photo Shoot

I recently had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot for a new baby. His mom, dad, aunt and godfather are all volunteer firefighters. So, of course that was part of the theme for the photo shoot. It was a blast...and I am thrilled with some of the photos that came from this shoot.

The end of the world...?

I NEVER have anything prepared for Christmas...until about a month before the event, then I'm in hyper drive to get it all done in time without breaking the bank.

This year is not like all the rest in the past 20 years since I turned 18...this year I have an afghan complete, a bag I sewed complete, a crocheted purse, another afghan almost complete and I have begun gathering the photos I will need for a gift for my mother-in-law. My husband assures me this indicates that the world is going to end before Christmas! Which, I must say would really piss me off!

Here is the first of the photograph coasters I am making, there will be six total...two with her children (one when they were young, one now), one with our children, one with my two nieces, one with her great grandchildren (I have one of them together), and then I would like them all together so I can get a group shot of all 10 of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

This process was much simpler than I anticipated! And, even better I got the ceramic tiles at a garage sale for FIVE CENTS a piece! I purchased a dozen and someone else may be getting some as well or I may just make some for my own home.

1. Purchase your tiles.
2.Print out the pictures you want, I did mine on Card stock. I printed them to be 4x6 but then cut them down to a little under the 4x4 of the tiles.
3. Adhere the pictures to the tile using Mod Podge (I used the Gloss finish).
4. Do several coats of the Mod Podge on top of the picture, going all the way to the sides of the tile. The instructions read that you should allow 5 minutes drying time between coats.
5. Once it has all dried cut your felt, or whatever material you have decided to use (I used felt on this one, but because the tile is heavy, I think I am going to go with foam rubber on the back). Hot glue this material to the back....

That's it...cute, fast, easy!
Happy Crafting!