Fully Alive…Ready to Smile

I’m pretty sure there’s a conspiracy out there.  I have an issue with belts.  Like the kind that keep your pants up.  I decided to go without a belt for the past week because I was trying to be a rebel, alas no one benefited from that.  Thus I am back on the belt bandwagon and once again I’ve been let down (at least my pants haven’t…bwahaha).

You see my issue is that no belt is safe with me.  They all come to an untimely and horrific demise.  Case in point, my last belt, a beauty.  It was punched out with a pretty floral design and interspersed with glittery diamond studs.  Very pretty.  The other day I’m bending over to pick something up when suddenly I feel the comfortable security in the knowledge that my pants will stay up on my bum disappear in the blink of and eye…the sound of a snap.  Yup.  Snapped.  Right in half.  My belt was hanging on either side of my hips in two pieces NOT doing it’s job.  Grrr.  And no, I didn’t have it done up too tight, it had just weakened at one of the places where there was more punched out flower than belt.  Mental note for next time, buy belt with substance!

Last night I purchased another belt.  This one looked sturdy.  “Looked” being the operative word.  I put it on this morning and was pleased with the results.  Pants stayed on while I still looked fashionable (I guess pants sagging below your bum isn’t exactly fashionable either, is it?!).  During one of my many trips to the loo today I heard a pinging sound while doing up my belt.  I look down to investigate and I see a little silver grommet on the floor.  Oh, no you di’int!!!  Oh yes it did!  One of the little hole thingies fell out.  Ack!  I thought I had spent enough $$$ to make it last longer than a few months and for SURE longer than a few hours!  Double Grrr.

Jer told me that I need one made of real leather and not another wussy fashion belt.  Insert whiney voice here “but it doesn’t look pretty!!”  I guess one that is snapped in half doesn’t either.  Sigh.

Am I the only one who has belt issues?

*****

On a not so whiney note, I bought Photoshop Elements 7 on the weekend in hopes that I can work with my pictures from my new camera.  I wanted to learn how to make those pretty photo cards that people hire someone to make for them.  I thought, “I scrapbook, so I should be able to create something that doesn’t look too bad!”  Then I was told that it’s quite complicated.  But I am a determined person and I figured surely there is someone out there that has spent the hours learning how to do this exact thing and put a video tutorial on Youtube or something.  There was.  And it was easier than I’d hoped.  And here is my first attempts at my girls photo cards.  Whaddya think?  (click on them to see them with better detail!)

*****

As a child I was a HUGE fan of playing dress up (obviously still am!) and my girls have inherited that love.  I’ve recently felt bad because there just isn’t much around here that is dress up friendly.  Today while shopping I decided to stock up while there is an abundance of dress up stuff in stores thanks to Halloween.  I went to a Dollarama store…where everything is a dollar and you frequently hear the following…

Customer:  “How much is this?”

Salesperson:  “A dollar!”

Customer:  “Really?!?  How about this?”

Salesperson:  “A dollar”

Customer:  “A dollar!  Wow!  So everything is a dollar?”

Salesperson:  “Yes, ma’am, everything’s a dollar”

Customer:  “Even this?”

Salesperson:  “Even that”

Customer:  “Hmmm…”

I totally did that the first time I went, lol.

So as I was saying I went to the Dollarama and I bought tiaras, gloves with feathers, a clown wig, blinky nose and bow tie, a kitten face mask, purses, headbands, tutus, Hawaiian Leis (is that how you spell that?) all for $15 dollars.  So cheap.  My girls were thrilled and I was wishing that I was a little girl again to play with them.  I have to admit to trying on the tiara and the blinky nose (which consequently no longer blinks…that’s what you get for a dollar when your kids throw things around).

Here are some alternate uses for the non-blinky blinky nose…

Happy Wendnesday all!!

While on our trip to St. Louis a few weeks ago, I was in Target on a recon mission to find my favorite underwear.  I’ve never found them anywhere but Target, so when I’m down in the States I always try and snag a few pairs.

After completing the mission I wandered over to the electronics department to browse through the PS2 games.  To my great delight there was one new Singstar Pop2 on the shelf and I HAD to have it.  I motioned to the young man (who can’t have been more than about 17 or 18 years old) to get him to retrieve the game for me.  He was very helpful and even asked if I would like to pay for my other purchases at the till right there.

I gleefully replied “Absolutely!”

I nonchalantly tossed my pretty, lacy, black undies up on the counter and watched as a distinct look of regret washed over his features.

You know how they always take items of clothing off the store hangers while ringing them through?  WELL (snicker)…my black britches were not only on a hanger, they had those annoying little plastic thingies through the underwear and wrapped around the hanger to secure the slinky skivvies onto it (snort).  He starts fumbling with the underwear trying to take them off the hanger and failing miserably, while I stood by trying to look unaffected (also failing miserably).  After about 3 or 4 minutes of this, I asked if he would like me to, ahem, assist him in this endeavor.

He shoved them toward me very quickly, not meeting my eye and I popped them off the hanger and handed him the tag.  He didn’t even attempt the second pair, much to my dismay

I’m sure I scarred him for life.  YES!!!

My camera is glued to my face a lot recently : )  Since I’ve been putting off getting portraits done of my girls (I never got their 2 and 4 year pics done last year), I thought maybe I would just attempt to do it myself with my nice new expensive camera.  The camera will have paid for itself in about 7 years with the money I’ll save at the portrait studio : )

Anyway, I was so ridiculously thrilled that I got pictures that were in focus (the past week of picture taking has been mostly of sunsets and stills because people just weren’t working so well for me).  The girls cooperated for the most part, although Aidan doesn’t sit still, couldn’t if her life depended on it.  The photoshoot started out just of Aidan because Ella got beautiful pictures done at school, but my dad rescued stole Aidan prematurely.  I was in “the zone” and without a subject, so I nabbed Ella to come sit for me.  She came unwillingly at first, Treehouse being the bigger lure, but it didn’t take more than 2 pictures for her to get into the whole thing and really be a lovely model!

This is just a glimpse of the pictures. You can also view them individually in my Flickr account.

Half an hour ago I sat down in front of my computer to try and come up with something interesting to write about.  I was sitting here staring at the screen and thinking, “Nothing has really happened lately that I feel inspired to blog about.”

And then Aidan managed to get poo all over the bathroom.

{shudders}

That’s all I got.

I feel like I have so much to say and yet can’t find the words to make my thoughts coherent.  I could say that I’ve been absent from my blog because of busyness.  That’s only partly true (Although I find my new obsession with taking pictures does eat up my hours very quickly).

I sit here staring at the blinking cursor and I’m still at a loss for words.  Most of my thoughts and emotions of the last 2 weeks (even the last 6-8 months) have been so private that I’ve been unable to share them other than with my closest friends.  Hence the lack of blogging around here.

It seems that with the advent of fall and my 28th birthday, a season of change has begun in me.  Mostly for the better.  In a season where nature is settling down into hibernation, I feel like I’m coming alive again, in a sense.

I’m excited about the future.  I’m looking forward to the adventure.  I’m terrified of the unknown.  I’m expectant of the blessings I know God has in store for me and my family.  Maybe one day the journey I’ve been on the past few years will be something I can share about.  But for now, it is something I will keep close.

 

My heart overflows and I’m feeling very blessed right now.  With a husband who is beside me, loving me so much.  With friends who are supportive, encouraging and wonderful.  With a camera to finally capture all the beauty I see around me.  With the opportunity to finally travel with my husband to the part of the world that holds my heart captive.  I have a feeling that 28 is going to be a good year : )

***all pictures taken by me***

I’m going to start off by saying I have the best friends EVER!!!  When I so boldly asked them to humor me and dress up in costumes for my esteemed party, I have to admit to being skeptical as to whether most of them would.  Now I knew some of them would, but I had my doubts about others.  Almost every single person dressed up.  And they were fabulous.

So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to a few people (if you can’t read the speech bubbles click on the pictures and no racial slurs intended about gangstas, Hutterites or pirates)…

My husband…

I know…no words are necessary.  Hot.

A couple of Hutterites showed up.  Animals, both of them.  For those of you who need interpretation “Papsi and Ravels” is Pepsi and Revels in Hutterite speak and it’s a big joke around here…don’t know why, just is.  The best part were her nude colored stockings with socks and sandals.  If only you could have seen it…

Oh wait, you CAN…

I didn’t realize I was related to a couple of gangstas.  Fo shizzle!  I kept doing a double take because I could hardly recognize them under all that makeup and bling : )

Of course what party is complete without a ninja, Zorro or a beautiful goddess?

A couple of cute pageant contestants showed up…Miss-Understood and Miss-Cellaneous.  Very original!

The party also made me realize that Pirates have a thing for fairies…

Of course the fun got started for real when the Mexican dealer showed up.  Meet my cousin, Rico Sanchez

Umm, excuse him…we don’t do that kind of thing.

He brought along his pixie as well.

Good thing the cops showed up to keep all the gangstas, pirates and dealers in line…

The lovely Louise came as a darling kitty cat…

Here’s a shot of all the girls (I’m the CSI there on the right…that’s the only picture of me that’s any good for now)

and the guys…

And better late than never, the doctor was in the house.

At one point I overheard a disturbing conversation…

Zorro and Mr. Hutterite looked very enthusiastic about the whole party

One of the fairies and the gangsta ho Sheniqua worked the corner…

All in all very interesting and very fun : )  I laughed until my face hurt.  Jer declared that we need to have a costume party every year.  Sounds good to me!

**This picture is dedicated to Val : ) **

This beautiful camera (Nikon D60) was my birthday present from my wonderful husband!  It’s what I asked for, but apparently I didn’t think I was ACTUALLY going to get it because I was still really surprised.  I’m having lots of fun playing with it.  I’ve taken a couple of pictures that I’m happy with.  I’m sure pictures will be even more great once I figure out what all the settings and buttons and dials mean, lol : )

I think clicking on them enlarges them and the detail is better.

These pictures above are of the flowers Jer bought me for my birthday.  Aren’t the colors just stunning?  And the thing that makes me really happy…my new camera actually picks up the colors.  The richness and depth of them.  I LOVE IT!!!  Now I won’t have time to blog because I’m going to be too busy figuring my camera out and playing with it.  : )

I’m working on a post right now about my awesome birthday party…lots of pictures in that one (unfortunately none with my new camera as I only got it AT my party).

Then of course there’s a whole long post or two about my trip.  So much to write so little time.  Okay.  I should probably go get busy on some of it.

***Edited to add…

This is the new camera strap I ordered off Etsy from this shop.

Isn’t it darling?