More Pictures II

Some more pics that I've been editing from the MI trip. Still more to come, lol!!

Oh, and thanks to Jessica Porter, I now know how to put borders and my signature around my photos! **yay**

This one is a church in Chicago.... The building in the background is distracting, but I really liked the angle and the ivy covering the front of the church.

This is the Caulder..... It's really named something else, but the local residents of Grand Rapids call it this.... Just a neat structure in the middle of downtown.

I've been scrappin!!

I'm feeling pretty good about the latest pages I've created.... Feel like maybe I've found my groove, but I don't want to jinx myself just yet, so don't tell anyone, lol!!

Here are the pages that I completed while at the crop in Michigan, and then a couple that I've done since I've been home!


This is baby Jack.... He's Amy's son and I finally got to meet him at the crop in Michigan.... Amy gave me a copy of this photo (which I had to scrap!) because I bought this outfit for Jack just after he was born, in anticipation of him being able to wear it for the 4th of July.... And, he was the perfect size to wear it for the holiday and here's the proof....


And, I'll be creating a mini-book to cover my trip .... So I'm excited to start getting pictures developed and gathering some of our funny, crazy moments in Michigan....


So I've been a busy girl.... Hopefully the creativity keeps flowing, I like being able to get in my room and just create. I'm trying to decide if I want to start making cards and possibly selling them, but it seems that the cards I'm making now feel forced, like they have to be awesome so that they're sell-able.... It's still just an idea at this point, so we'll see.... :o)

Oscar's Challenge

1. What was your favorite summer event? going to MI!!

2. Favorite picture of the summer? the b&w photo in my previous post - the one of the church window

3. Favorite movie of the summer? never made it to the theater this summer, and i can't think of any movies that really stood out to me that i rented either....

4. Best song of the summer? the one that is constantly stuck in my head is Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry

5. Did you go on vacation, where? yep, Michigan - got to meet so many SJ girls and i had a blast!!

A few pictures

I promised photos.... And I have so many more to go through. But these are some that I've edited so far. Just some random pictures from our little adventures sight-seeing around Grand Rapids, MI.

This is Ruthann's mom's glass studio. If you are ever in Lowell, MI, you must go! She's got so much neat stuff and it's just a great set-up. I'll have more pics from inside her studio once I get them edited. She was nice enough to let me photograph some of the pieces she was selling.... :D



Some silk flowers that were in a corner of the studio....


A church that we found in downtown Grand Rapids..... I love old churches and old buildings, such a history and story behind them. And they don't make structures as beautiful and elegant as they used to!!


The Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.



This second shot is of an amercian bald eagle statue also outside of the museum. I'm loving the reflections I caught in the window!


I haven't gone through and edited many of the crop photos as of yet. Still need to do that and get them uploaded for printing, but for all of you MI girls, I'm having some difficulties with Winkflash. I get half way through the process and it boots me.... Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but hang in there, I'll get them uploaded, I promise!!

Back in Cali!

I'm home, alive and well.... Took another day off work to catch up on some much needed sleep, unpacking, cleaning up a bit, just settling in back at home.

I managed to take quite a few pics of the crop as well as doing some sight-seeing, so I'm working on sorting through them and playing with them a bit.... I'll have them uploaded here soon.

And don't forget to check out my photos over at DeviantArt. There's a link over on my sidebar..... I tend to upload there before anywhere else.....

Well, that's it for now.

Leavin... on a jet plane.....

But I do know when I'll be back!! Not sure that I'll have time to post before heading to the airport tomorrow, so here's just a little quicky update.

I'm all packed and ready to go! Super duper excited!! Can't wait :D Just going over a few things in my head that I need to remember to pack. I'm hoping I don't forget anything too important.

Going out for Sushi tonight with Johnny.... I thought it'd be nice to go out to dinner together since I'm leaving for a week. So gonna miss him. I'm sure he'll stay busy out in the garage playing with the bike or the mustang.... He's thinking about polishing the wheels on the bike, so that will for sure keep him busy if he takes that on. And, I'm sure he'll be out in Hemet a couple nights..... So glad that he's willing to take care of the babies for me too.... I love that he loves them like I do :D

And, the day I get back is our 3 month mark.... Man, time sure flies. Crazy to think that it's been 3 months already, which also means that he's been living with me for over 2 months.... I love having him there with me, going to bed together, waking up together, knowing that our evenings are spent together (usually in the kitchen cooking then watching tv or a movie).... I like our routines. It's so awesome that things have just worked out so perfectly.... I'm so happy!!

Okay girls, I'm ready for Michigan. I'm ready to get on that plane and meet Ruthann in Chicago. I'm ready for the many hours that we're gonna spend gabbing away in the car on the road. I'm ready to meet all you crazy ladies. I'm ready for my crown. And, I'm definitely ready for a drink!!

Michigan, here we come! :D

T minus 3 days and counting!

Yep, 3 days..... It just snuck up on me (well, not really - I've been looking forward to this trip since the day we booked our tickets!!) Michigan won't know what's hit it by the time we're all through!

Packed yesterday. Just have to toss my makeup bag and toothbrush in and I'm set! Won't be carrying anything on with me except my purse, iPod, and camera bag.... Everything else will be checked in with my luggage. Leaving my laptop at home. Even packed my scrap supplies, the little bit that I'm taking.... Just bringing the essentials - the rest I'll buy as I scrap.

Gonna miss J.... He's gonna be so lost without me (his words exactly). I wish he were able to get Thursday off so he could go with me to the airport, but it's okay... we'll just have to say our goodbye's in the morning.... And then I'll be home late Tuesday night - can't wait to see him (and I haven't even left yet, goodness!!)

Now, if these next couple days would just hurry up and go, I'll be a happy girl! Nothing planned for tonight, but tomorrow, J wants to take me somewhere - on a drive to somewhere he used to love going.... Excited about that. And, Wednesday after work, I have a hair appt... No idea what I'm gonna look like when I get to MI - it'll be a surprise to everyone :D

Is it Thursday yet?!?!?

Quick Update

Not a lot going on, but thought I'd share just the couple little things...

*have a job interview scheduled for Friday at 9am... cross your fingers for me, I need this now more than ever

*got a new garbage disposal... and my honey is awesome and installed it this morning... next up is the microwave!

*Johnny's doing awesome at work, and the new owners are rockin! he's getting a raise, and will be going on a different pay schedule.... completley works in his favor - if he exceeds the minimum that they've set for him, then he gets 12% off of every job he does.... that could be some seriously good money (which we definitely need!)

*only 8 days till I'm leaving for MI.... I can't wait, getting more and more excited every day. Nervous about leaving him (nervous meaning I'm gonna miss him and I know he's gonna be incredibly bored - I'm sure he'll be driving to Hemet a lot)

*I want new ink!!! went with him and his friends on Sunday to go get their kanji for 'family' on their backs.... turned out awesome.... totally jealous that he got new ink and i didn't..... gonna have to start saving up and get some designs together so I can get some done!

So that's it... Please, please, please keep me in your thoughts on Friday!! This is HUGE!!

I Cherish You

These are some of the things I love about my Johnny....

(Thank you Les for the idea!!)

1. even when I'm down and out, he helps me focus on the positive
2. he loves me for who I am and doesn't try to change me
3. he constantly puts a smile on my face, and nothing makes him happier than to see me smile
4. he is tells me so many times a day how much he loves me, how beautiful I am, and how truly lucky he is.
5. he is the most amazing cook!
6. he wants nothing more than to take care of me forever
7. he loves my crazy animals (most days :p)
8. he has the most amazing heart and soul
9. he can do anything that he puts his mind to
10. he calls my mom "Mom"
11. he isn't afraid to speak his mind and stand up for himself (something that I need to learn)
12. we fit so perfectly together and he loves all the same things I do... even the cheesy 80's love songs
13. he believes in me
14. he wants to marry me and have babies with me
15. he loves to spoon and cuddle on the couch when we're watching movies
16. he doesn't judge or criticize me for anything I say or do
17. he has the softest lips and I can't get enough of his kisses
18. he is willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy
19. he's a total smart ass and is constantly cracking me up!!
20. he's a goof... and we can be goofy together and be complete wierdos and it's okay
21. i love that he touches my face so soft when he's looking at me.... and the way he rubs the back of my head when we're hugging... and all the cute little nicknames he has for me that he likes to jumble all together into one long name..... and the way he makes little puppy dog noises when he's squeezing me tight.....

ah.... I love him!!

A Constant Battle

I had a realization last night... Something I've always known that I struggle with, but I want so eagerly for it to be fixed..... I have absolutely no belief in myself.

Johnny complimented me on a couple photos that I had taken, telling me that I have a good eye..... But my first reaction was to say "Oh, it was just a lucky shot".

No matter what it is, or what I'm doing, I don't believe that I'm good at anything. It doesn't matter what it is. Scrapbooking, photography, anything I do.... I don't think I can do any of it well. As much as I aspire to be good at it all, and as much as I'm told that I do it all well.... I don't believe it.

And I don't take compliments well. He tells me constantly how beautiful I am, how lucky he is, how amazing I am.... I don't believe any of it. Not for a second. Why? I don't know.... I hate not being receptive to the sweet things that he says.... I believe that he's saying them from the bottom of his heart and means every word that comes out of his mouth. But I just don't see it in myself.

I hate it.... I hate that I don't see what you guys all see.... I hate that I can't truly love something that I do..... I hate that I can't look at myself and say that I'm beautiful. I want that confidence but don't know how to get it. And I hate that.....

I'm bored today

I know that I need to update, but there's just not much going on... So, how about another random post...

*getting excited for my MI trip! going over all the things that I need to remember to pack (you know, all those little things that you forget - like toothpaste, your toothbrush and hairbrush, stuff like that)

*gonna miss Johnny for those 6 days... think I'm gonna bring one of his t-shirts to sleep in :D

*feeling better today after waking up with a migraine yesterday....

*got a cd full of pics from a friend that was busy snapping away at Johnny's birthday party Saturday... he got a couple good ones of me, so I think I'm gonna play with those tonight and maybe post a few

*Neeners got the job!!! congratulations girl, we're so excited for you! hope you got to go out and celebrate last night!

*I'm happy, I'm in love, life is good!!