Living Life… Wackbards

I think I’m going to trashcan this whole “living life wackbards” blog. I have a new idea, and I’m not sure we’ll get many readers, but I’ll have to run it by the hubby and see if he’s interested in participating.

Would anyone have fun reading a modern married couples’ blog? I suppose we would just take turns writing about the daily struggles of our married life… and how we overcome those obstacles. I’m sure Jason wouldn’t really be all that into the idea at first, but we’ll see. I just have this feeling that I’m constantly writing the same things here as I do on my myspace blog… and it seems to be a bit of a waste of time. Why blog the same thing in 2 places?

If we do kick off the marriage blog, does anyone have any ideas for a cheeky name?

… and I don’t care.

She is pulling DVDs off the rack, one by one, gleefully “reading” each case front to back. Normally she’d be warned for going anywhere near the DVD rack. But today I’m tired, she’s safely in my plain view, and most importantly, Jason’s going to be the one that will re-organize them later. They’re his babies… he HAS to have his movies in alphabetical order.

I know, I know. Consistency is key. She’ll never learn to stay away from them when I’m doing things like this. I’m pretty sure we’ll just move the DVDs to our bedroom anyway.  It’s just such good entertainment when she’s talking to herself & doesn’t know anyone’s listening.

Alright, it was time to stop. She opened one of the cases and started taking the bare DVD over to Jason’s Xbox. I just had to snap a picture of the end result, though… don’t worry, she didn’t see me doing it. That’s like “no-no” suicide! If she sees me taking a picture of something, that’s assumed language for “mommy likes it.”

Oh man… Jason’s gonna kill me.

I’d like to share some very big [awesome] news…

I’m officially the Photo Contest Chairperson for next year’s Rose Festival. American 1 Federal Credit Union took over as the main sponsor for the Rose Festival, after the event nearly had to call it quits. They’ve chosen me to head up the photo contest that will take place. I don’t want to share too many details, but let’s just say it will be fun & exciting, and I may be asking for input from my readers (all 2 of you) throughout the winter. Wish me luck!!!

I never posted my TFT last week. Sorry about that. It seems every time I sit down to write, I either get distracted or totally forget what I was going to write about in the first place. Oh well! I’m also obviously not going to be one of those blog-every-day-in-November people, but I will keep updating as often as possible.

I thought I’d write a to-do list. I got the idea from LeeAnn’s blog.

• Work on my basement studio (this has a to-do list all its own… maybe I will post that sometime).
• Upgrade memory on both the laptop & the desktop PC.
• Get my damn website up & running!!
• Go through every last piece of clothing I own and get rid of EVERYTHING I don’t wear once a week, excluding formal of course.
• Build my photography portfolio enough to order a book.
• Clean the kitchen & do the dishes (uughhhhhhh).
• Scrub crayon marks off the computer desk & end table.
• ENJOY LIFE MORE!!!

I’d say that’s about it. Well, all I can think of right now at least. I’m sure there are 20 other things that need to be done soon, but I’d rather only think of a few at a time. Have a good Monday everyone!

My “Thought for Thursday” post is coming later today… I promise!  I haven’t thought of a definite subject yet but I’m working on one in my head. My question for this morning is for all you lovely mommies out there. My Tiegan will be 20 months old next week, and she’s already very close to dumping the whole naptime thing. Also, she sleeps a really short amount of time at night. Probably 9:30pm-7am. If she naps at all during the day, it’s usually past noon (between 3 and 5pm) and only lasts 30-45 minutes. Is this normal?  It seems by the end of the day she is all-out cranky, and the tiredness really starts bringing out the drama queen in her. We’ve tried different schedules and routines, and stuck to them for weeks at a time before giving up. She just does. not. want. to. sleep.

I’m pretty easygoing about letting her sleep when she wants to. After all, even as adults, sometimes we just can’t fall asleep when it’s time for bed. I think she is generally happier when her body’s own clock determines her naptime.

I’m just wondering what everyone else’s children did/does for naptime. Do you have strict routines that you stick to? Do your children sleep in a certain spot every time they nap? For instance, do they have to go in their room and sleep in their crib or bed during the day, or do you allow them to crash on the couch? I love learning about other parenting styles. I like to take these different styles and use them in my own way. I’m one of those “DUH, why didn’t I think of that?!” people, so I’m always open to ideas

We aren’t really going trick-or-treating tonight, we’re just making the rounds at all the relatives’ houses. Everyone wants to see Tiegan in her hand made costume. I picked out the fabric (who has ever seen a pink dinosaur? At least there won’t be duplicates of her costume this year!!) and my mom sewed it in about 2 days. It’s a creation that I will cherish forever! Any ideas on what I should wear? I don’t have any costumes, but I suppose I could find some items in my wardrobe that could create a certain “look”… let me know if you have any thoughts! Without further ado… Tiegan in her costume (playing in the yard yesterday - she BEGGED to put it on and go outside. haha… my little showoff.)

I did a session with LeeAnn, Tony and Lukas yesterday, and it turned out really well! I’m very happy with the results and I hope they are too. The weather cooperated really nicely and we had just the right amount of sunlight. I was extra stoked because I was able to snatch up a lens hood for $6 at Ritz just a couple hours beforehand. I can’t believe the difference that makes in helping to block out the harsh light.

I called around to see how much the hard plastic ones were at various stores.  When I was transfered to the photo department at Best Buy, I was less than impressed…
“How can I help you?”
“I’m looking for a lens hood for my 55mm lens. Do you have any in stock?”
“So, like, it covers your lens?”
“No, it’s a hood that blocks out the light.”
“So like, it’s a cover?”
“No, it’s like a shade that goes on the end of the lens.”
“Ummmmm….. okay, hold on a minute.”

I was on hold for a few minutes before I said screw this and called Ritz. They’ve been really good to me.
Anyhow, here are some of my favorites (it’s really hard to pick just a couple! - view my Flickr page for the bigger versions):

   (attack of the neck eating monster!! haha, still cute)

Even though I have access to Kim’s studio at Art634, I’ve been wanting to create my very own studio space for a long time now (since before I started working for her). It’s not that I dislike her space, but I still want to establish my own indoor shooting area with my own equipment. I need a space of my own, where I can escape to and think about nothing but art. And I would really like this space to be organized to help me think in the way my mind operates. I hate trying to adapt to other peoples’ systems.

I spent a lot of time yesterday cleaning out a corner of my basement and hanging curtains to separate it from my laundry spot. Unfortunately, laundry takes up 1/2 the entire basement because of the hook-ups. For some reason the washer & dryer have to be about 10ft. apart. Oh well.  Here’s the corner I cleared out:

So, it looks really shoddy right now, but you should have seen it before yesterday. I cleared out all the junk, wiped down the walls, swept & mopped the floor. My plans are…

• Buy a backdrop stand to place against the brick wall (or install wires to hang backdrops on).
• Install carpet tiles on the floor.
• Paint the wall (the one you see on the left) a certain color… probably red, or white.
• Create a better divider system than nailed-up curtains (LOL).
• Hang white ceiling tiles.
• Bring computer & desk downstairs; create organizational/filing system against wall (where the poor little lonely table sits now).

Hmm… it’s a work in progress, that’s for sure.

I don’t want to be one of those people that ends their life never having experienced anything out of the ordinary. I find myself to be a very extraordinary person, living a very ordinary life. I live in fear that I will never accomplish any of my dreams, either 1. because of money issues, or 2. because I have a child.

To the people who feel the same way as I do about their lives: STOP! I have recently learned (er… taught myself) that money doesn’t control your life. And neither does your child, to an extent. You CAN have a life of your own, even if you have a child. You don’t have to lose your personality just to dedicate your whole being to them. And money? Yeah, we’re in the hole. It’s rough. It’s really rough - I won’t sugar coat it. Obviously I won’t share details because that’s personal, but I’ve learned that even through several annoying phone calls per day, I can still sit down in the evening with my family and genuinely enjoy the way my life is… because I have loving people around me. I was pretty down for a while, but I’m not going to let it control me anymore. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and as long as I keep my eye on what really matters (aforementioned love & family), we’ll get through this & make it to bigger, better things.

Now, Tiegan is my whole life. I love spending time with her, and I want to be involved in everything she does. But when people ask who her mommy is, I don’t want her answer to be, “I don’t know… she’s just… my mommy.” I also want her to know me as a photographer; an artist. As daddy’s loving wife. The woman that encourages her family to reach for their dreams. Right now, I kinda feel like “just mommy.”

I’m slowly evacuating my shell, though. And I want all you other hermits out there to try the same thing. We are at a crossroad in our lives - we have many decisions to make, and a combination of these decisions will point us toward a new direction. Last night, I was having a small breakdown over our financial situation. I felt so typical. Just like one of all the other millions of people in the world that cries over money. So I went outside in the cold, and sat my butt right down on the patio. I let the moon shine on me, and the cold air whip around me. I held fallen leaves in my hands. At that moment, I felt unique again. I felt real. I felt alive.

When I came back in, Jason cuddled me and said, “You’re not going to get all weird and existentialist on me, are you?”

I love my silly husband, my wacky daughter, and my crazy self. Life is pretty good, when it comes down to the only things that really matter.

I had a photo shoot with a cute couple & their 2 dogs yesterday. I was a bit nervous about the dogs, and it was pretty hard getting a shot with all 4 of my subjects making nice faces… but I think I got a few good shots.

And then I took Jason downtown to romp & find some good shooting ground. We call our downtown sessions “Urban Assault”. He came up with the groovy name, so don’t go telling people or he’ll think I stole it. Ha…..