Dreaming in Color

Things On My Mind

2011-10-20T17:17:00.001-07:00

Is anyone else having trouble sleeping lately? I feel like there are not enough hours in the day sometimes to think the many things my mind wants to think. Its been spilling over into time I'm supposed to be sleeping and its making me crazy!

I've always been a night owl so its really not that big of a surprise that my mind would still be awake past the time I want it to be. Unfortunately Carlos likes to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow and is able to do so quite well, unlike myself. He's not too keen on my desire to keep talking to him, unraveling my mind as best I can with the hopes that the more I talk, the less I'll store in the ol' noggin and eventually run out of things to think about - thus allowing for sleepy time.

I've come to the conclusion that I used to be a good multi-tasker and now I'm just good at thinking about far too many things simultaneously without the key benefit of actually completing tasks. Instead, my tasks are strewn about in my brain, some started, some completed and most are in limbo land, hoping desperately that I write them down before I just plain forget.

Is it that I'm a wife now? Is it that I technically have two jobs? Am I just not the organized person I think I am?

I go back once again to the perfectionism = procrastination issue. If it can't be done perfectly right this moment, I just won't do it. If I can't do it right now though, guess what I'm probably going to do? Instead of just biting the bullet and making the decision to charge through despite my procrastination issues, many times I'll start looking for system that will make my life more organized. When I was an administrative assistant this was my favorite item. It was cute (key organizational element), gave me three colors of post-its (love to categorize!) and I wanted to fill it up and use it constantly - and it worked!

My work life is more scattered now, between the office, home and being out and about. I'm not stuck to a desk so... my system can't be either.

Sooooo....what am I going to do about it? Well, thanks to facebook, my eyes were opened to my new favorite organizational system! And I haven't even gotten it yet! Erika (of Illegitimis Non Carborundum) and Kaysie (of Chasers of Kaysers) both shared how awesome this planner was. Erika did a write up on her recent purchase here if you want to take a peek at her personalized planner and all that it has to offer. I checked it out, got mine ordered and I'm pretty excited to see it show up on my porch!

You can look into getting your own here!

Here's a little video they have on the website that gives you a peek into its über planner genius.

Dream Working, Mondays and Acting Like a Child

2011-09-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What a surprise...Monday - why do you have to be so mean all the time?

This morning I didn't wake up on time to get ready for work because I was already at work in my dreams. Has anyone experienced this before?

Although I can't remember the details of what exactly I was doing, I know that facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Blogger, etc etc etc were involved and I was hard at work multi-tasking, strategizing and networking like a champ. At least, those were the words and feelings leftover in my brain when Carlos startled me awake with the knowledge that not only was I not at work already (to my dismay - I was getting so much done!), I only had just about 20 minutes to get ready before we had to get out the door to ACTUALLY be at work.

Dreams are crazy. I mean, some really are crazy and then others are so crazily realistic that they're hard to jump out of. I felt very productive and accomplished this morning in dreamland, only to get startled awake, be alert for a second and then go back to feeling very very tired. Then I get to work and the reality hits that I haven't been hard at work for hours and that my work day is just starting. And I haven't been the most awesome, alert, multi-tasking, networking genius of my dreams.

Maybe I should try the other side of the bed tomorrow. Carlos seems to have no problem getting up in the morning. In reality, it wouldn't matter if I slept on the right, left, at the foot of the bed or on the floor, or on a stinkin' cloud - any day that starts before 8am is a tough one for me. Nighttime is no biggie, I can do nighttime really well. Once I'm asleep, unless light is streaming brightly through my bedroom curtains - don't talk to me. It'll be bad and I will act like a child.

My My My...How Time Flies

2011-09-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Two whole months - almost.

That's the amount of time that I've taken to get back to my blog.

Not that I was all that dedicated to daily entries before or anything, but still. Thank you Patty - Miss "Brem Bloggy Blog" (Follow her blog by the way - its awesome) for reminding me today that this is something that I enjoy doing!! I ran into Patty today at the park and she was nice enough to ignore the fact that I looked a mess. I was (and still am) in my "I'm just taking Chloe for a walk right on the other side of my fence so I don't have to look nice because I'm within a short distance to my house if I see someone I know and need to run back to my house before they see me look a mess" attire/hairstyle/make-up-less-ness. Yes, I know, that was the worst run-on sentence you have ever read in your life - and it was. But you know exactly what I mean.

So where have I been? Well, between now and my last entry I've been tackling this thing called life and all that includes and asks of me. In reality, its not like I'm a stressed out mess, its just the normal kind of busy, the great kind of busy!

Its like this...when I was a single girl, with no prospects in sight and not much of a social life, I wrote in my diary a lot. When I was a single girl, with no prospects in sight, but I had friends and a social life, I wrote every once in a while. When I started dating Carlos, I checked in once a month, maybe if that. When I got engaged, it turned into a prayer journal that I only wrote in for that purpose - there wasn't time in the midst of wedding planning to write about my feelings beyond my current circumstances and what I needed God to lead me in regarding those circumstances. When I got married....well...let me see when the last time I wrote in it was.

.......

March 24, 2010 - Well that answers that question. I didn't even write in it the 4 months before my wedding day July 11, 2010. I was busy, but in a very fun way. I didn't even have a job in those 4 months, just a puppy and wedding planning and apparently that was enough to occupy my time.

But the fact of the matter is, I love to write. So, with that said, I will be doing a whole lot more of it coming up soon. Not only will I be keeping up with this blog (I will try) but I will be writing for the companies' blogs (MasterWerks and Daydream) once those websites are up and running. So get ready blog world, I'm coming back!

Midnight in Paris

2011-07-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm going to try to completely ignore the fact that I haven't done a blog update on here since May. If I think about it too much I will attempt to write a short blog entry explaining all of the reasons I haven't written (which will not be short no matter how much I try), when in short I can just say "I've been busy".

With that said, for our first anniversary, Carlos and I went to go see "Midnight in Paris". If you haven't seen it, you should. We loved it. I think it perfectly suited Carlos and my taste for nostalgia, France, old music and good movies.

Ever since I watched Midnight in Paris I've wanted to:

A. Go to France

B. Read - Amongst the people I did know of, it made me realize how many famous authors and artists I DON'T know.

C. Redecorate my home - in two ways: french provincial/shabby chic and with nostalgic pieces. I like old things so much better than new things.

D. Learn French - I wanted to take French in high school, but Spanish was more practical. So I'm super glad that I have taken 4 years of Spanish and don't remember much.

Hope everyone has a good weekend! Its been a long couple weeks at the office, and despite the fact that I've completely ignored my home, grocery shopping, etc., I fully intend on vegging out as much as possible. That is when I'm not looking for antiques, french provincial/shabby chic pieces and other bits of nostalgia on craigslist to inspire me for another month when such things might actually be a part of the budget!

Au revoir!

Call Me Susie.

2011-05-09T17:54:00.001-07:00

Little Susie Homemaker...that's me. Sort of. haha I feel that way on days like these when I don't go into the office. I suddenly get very into the thought of baking and/or cooking all day long. I fit some cleaning in there too, and most of the time feel very accomplished by the time my man comes home.

The funny thing is, ever since I got married, I've pretty much been at the office M-F, away from the house. There had been this longing within that had taken root to make my house a home, and I couldn't because by the time I got home, I was tired and didn't have the energy to play Sarah the homemaker. Granted, I made sure we had good food to eat, we've cleaned the house on the weekend, and when there's laundry to put away, it eventually gets put away....but this being home during the week has made a huge difference.

I really enjoy being home. I really like having a job description that includes meal planning, folding laundry and vacuuming. Can't say I'm a big fan of dusting, but I do enjoy the smell of the orange pledge in the air and the fact that we don't have a TON of places for dust to settle. I'm an old-fashioned girl who belongs in the 50's I think.

This morning I got some chicken going in the crockpot and then proceeded to make some chocolate chip cookies so that Carlos would be pleasantly surprised upon his arrival. I did the dishes, vacuumed and dusted of the living room, put laundry away, made the bed, straightened up, and started putting my extra room together now that I have my last piece of furniture necessary for the room - shelves. I haven't completely figured out what I'm doing with that room yet - all I know is that until I figure out what colors I'm painting the shelves, desk and bookcase, things will just have to be put away on the shelves - as is.

Must go now! Its 6:15, my man just got home and I MUST get dinner on the table. =)

Social Networking Craziness

2011-05-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have spent the day here at the MasterWerks office figuring out, or at least attempting to figure out, how this whole social networking thing goes. What I've learned.....? It's complicated stuff. It all can tie together and work as this amazing machine of communication iiiiiiffff you can figure it out and do it right.

Now, as I've already mentioned in this entry, I have yet to enter the smart phone, iphone, app world. I had a choice last month when I purchased our new phones to get the data plan or not, and I chose not to. Internet at the office and at home on the laptop is enough. Needless to say, as far as social networking goes, I do facebook and thats it. This blog is merely a creative extension of that activity in that I've managed to click a share button a few times.

I say all this to say, I volunteered to be in charge of social networking with the company and a world of communication opportunities are at my fingertips now that I never put effort into exploring before now. I've managed today to make the company blog (please follow us! I'm the only follower so far, so I'm basically following my own updates, haha), set up our Twitter acct and managed to link it to the facebook page so it will update both simultaneously, AND put links on facebook and the blog to our Vimeo and You Tube channels.

SO - If you'd like to be connected with everything MasterWerks, essentially, I'll point you towards our blog because that is the hub for all communication. I'm pretty proud of myself for connecting the dots today. I did a lot of google "how do I?" searches. Ha!

tickle me pink

2011-05-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

I remember thinking after I finished my blog design the last time "I'm not going to change this for a long time. I'm perfectly happy with what I have for once." As of today, I needed to change something. If anything I could revamp the color theme without much hassle and be happy with the product. This thought is a lesser version of the "I don't have to buy new furniture right now, but if I rearrange the furniture I have, it will make me happy for a while" concept. Small commitment without too much energy.

I considered changing the header, but once again, too much energy and I actually like that element still. =) Thank you Photoshop for your abilities to assist me in achieving my color changing goals. I tried several different color combos and essentially settled on the one you see above. Now, why did I go with this one? Could it be that possibly I've returned to the same colors for almost my entire life whenever I'm painting, coloring, or Photoshopping? Ever since I received my first Big Box of crayons (with the sharpener built into the box - whoop whoop!) I have gravitated to these specific crayons. Don't ask me why...I can't help myself.

I'm happy with my blog for now...I mean, why wouldn't I be when there are so many different versions of Sea Green, Robin's Egg Blue and Tickle Me Pink in it. =)

Paint Paint and More Paint

2011-04-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've been in a whirlwind of life since I got married and I'm just now getting to the point where I'm looking around the house from the perspective of what I'd like to do with it all. Its pretty fun experimenting in my mind, but now its time to take some action. I've had an extra room for almost a year that has only served as a dumpsite. I have continued to call it my "creative space"...in reality, its been more like "I will do something creative in this space someday, but until its just the way I want it, I will do nothing."

As you can see from my to-do list (---->) I'm going to be a busy busy girl. I have given myself lots of painting tasks. Some I've had for quite a while and haven't done anything about them. I got a desk yesterday and I'll be getting some shelving tonight....so additional furniture to redo on the way.

Chloe's pretty excited about it. haha

My craigslist desk that's loaded up with everything that will be on the shelving units that will arrive this evening. Funny thing about that - I unknowingly responded to my friend's ad. We both had a good laugh about it. So I drove down the street and picked it up last night. ha!

The dresser from my childhood bedroom. I have literally wanted to paint/redo it for years. Katelyn and I had planned on doing it. Then we didn't. Then I gave the dresser to Carlos when he had his own place. We were going to redo it together. Then we didn't. Then when he moved in with his parents before we got married, we managed to take off the knobs and sand down the top and front (obviously not the drawers). Then we didn't do anything else. Now its in our room in its ugliness, continuing to be ugly until I do something about it. Part of me wants to get rid of it, and the other part knows that I need to finish the job. Carlos thinks that its followed me around this whole time because God knows that I will feel really good when its finally pretty.

This piece is in our living room...and I'm kind of visualizing red in its future.

Same with this one, in our living room and if I do the other one red, I'll probably do this one in the same color.

Inspiration Board

2011-04-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

Do you have one? Have you ever made one?

I think I need one.

I know what I like, but I need to start taking pictures of what I like and letting the pictures hang out together in a place that I see often. See I have this creative opportunity called an extra room that I am determined to turn into a wonderful space. My space for work, for creative, for anything, but above all else, I want it to represent ME.

Right now the only pieces of furniture that represent me and isn't just furniture that Carlos had when he lived on his own or furniture that we've inherited (thank God otherwise we'd have a VERY empty house) are the dresser that I have had since I was 8, one half of the pair of burnt orange-y/brown rocking chairs that have been in my mom's house (and then afterwards in the garage) since I was born and the coffee table that I scouted out on craigslist and purchased shortly before we were married. So really, I only count the coffee table because its the only piece that represents my taste, right now.

So as much as I look around and see "us", as I should, seeing as how we're married (ha!) - I also look around and think, what can I do to make this look like me, something I would have put together because I liked it and not just the conglomeration of our furniture hanging out together because they have no other choice but to do so.

Does anyone feel me? Newlyweds? haha

I never lived on my own before I was married, so this is the first time really, that I've had the creative license to make a change and create something that is completely and totally me. Its pretty exciting! So exciting that I wasn't able to sleep for a while last night as I lay in bed imagining the possibilities and I had to play UNO on my phone to distract my brain.

Things to consider:

1. Paint colors for the walls

2. Paint colors for the furniture (i do have a couple of smallish dressers to fix up)

3. What all I want the room to be...creative space/guest room (meaning at least a twin sized bed or fold out futon) or just a creative space/office space

4. Theme!

5. What kind of surface I need/want considering it will be an office space for when I'm doing AdvoCare and MasterWerks work from home, but also a craft space for when I'm hopefully beginning the Etsy side of things. Desk? Large Table? Smaller table that transforms into larger table when necessary?

What I will need:

1. Desk/Table

2. Shelving for AdvoCare products that are currently hanging out in boxes and aren't very organized.

3. Rearrange furniture so that there's room for everything without making me feel claustrophobic!

If you have any tips for one who's revamping a room, that's currently a blank canvas with the exception of the piles of stuff that are residing there just because they can - I'd love input!

Off to scour craigslist for garage sales and inexpensive furniture to help me on my way!

Plans

2011-04-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Aren't they funny? Big or small, we as people continue to make them and they continue to be blown out of the water every time (for the most part).

Take today, for example. Carlos went to work, I stayed home. The plan was to clean the entire house, from dishes to vacuuming to dusting, to putting away laundry, to clear off the kitchen table and file/sort/organize every bill and document that has arrived in the mail for the past month that I've "planned" on putting away, and after having done so.... *DEEP BREATH* .......wash Chloe and possibly shower myself (if time permitted after everything else was spotless).

Then amongst those things that I needed to get done, are those things that I just wanted to catch up on.....blogs (mine and others), browsing craigslist for cool stuff for cheap, etsy, dreaming of how I'll eventually have an office/craft space once I figure out how to make our extra room into such a space instead of a dump site.

Instead, I got up at 8:30am when Carlos left, took Chloe for a walk, called Steph and decided we should get out of our homes and take a walk today since we live two streets apart and I'm rarely home during the day for such things. That was about 30 minutes away so I worked some facebook networking and posting for MasterWerks. By the way, check out our vimeo channel because we've posted all of our recent films. Steph and I went for a walk with Chloe, came back to the house, ate some lunch and watched about 6 episodes (What!? I had to get her caught up!) of Parenthood - the best show on the planet if I haven't already stated that in this blog.

Now, as I look around my messy living room, take a peek at the dirty dishes in the kitchen, waiting for Carlos to get home and survey the lack of cleanliness....(including me and Chloe), I'm okay with the fact that the day turned out the way it did. I don't hang out with Steph enough - it was due time for a lazy day hangout. And it was my duty to fill her in on the awesomeness of Parenthood season one.

So on the list of things I've accomplished today I've:

1. Taken Chloe for a walk twice.

2. Spent time with my best friend.

3. Eaten healthy food and took AdvoCare supplements at the correct times =)

4. Watched hours of Parenthood.

5. Is writing a blog entry - something I haven't done in almost 2 months!

6. Will have some yummy salmon for dinner.

....and I'll probably make a checklist tonight so I can be better prepared for tomorrow's to-do's!

But if something comes up, and I only complete half the list, it'll be okay. =) There's always tomorrow, and speaking as a perfectionist/procrastinator (see this entry regarding the phenomenon) - I KNOW that if I can't get everything done, a part of me won't be able to fully commit to beginning it. I'm going to fight the urge tomorrow!

Taking a break from being at the computer to . . . be at the computer.

2011-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else's life revolve around a computer screen? If you're reading this blog, then I'm sure yours does to an extent, and just due to the world we live in, your life at least revolves around an iPhone, Android, or some other smart phone and the glorious apps that they provide. I have yet to enter in to the app world, or any other world that requires the purchase of a data plan, but when I'm at the office, I spend countless hours in front of a screen (editing pictures these days, editing film projects others, and researching everything else in between). My eyes hurt so I'll take a break, or its lunchtime so I'll take a break, and my break consists of eating while checking my email or facebook or blog or...or...or....

In a way its a break because I'm not focussing my eyes on one thing for a long amount of time, instead I'm scrolling or whatnot, and I guess that's a break? My eyes know that I'm kidding myself, but there's a difference, even if its a psychological one. Break time means mindless computer time, work time means creative computer time that's a little more intense. Either way, I'm pretty glad that I don't have internet at home, because then my eyes wouldn't get a bit of rest.

And yet, last night, I was talking with my best friend about the endless possibilities that I can enjoy when I transfer over into the data plan world. Whenever I can afford to do that, you can be sure that unless I set up strict rules for myself when I'm at home, there goes the treat that my eyes get to have at the end of the day.

With that said - I am really enjoying editing my sister's engagement photos. With two different photo/filming sessions we were able to get some great shots of her and her fiancee and interviewed them as well for the "love story" film we'll be doing for them. I'll post some later today or tomorrow once I get the okay from her.

Today's Poll:

People say you should take a 5-10 minute break from the computer every 2 hours. Do you?

Dead Laptop Blues

2011-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

So remember that 30 day blog challenge I began a few weeks ago? Not so easy to continue without a laptop. If it were all typing and no pictures, it would be a bit easier seeing as how with the exception of pictures I've posted on facebook (which is a lot, its true) everything was on my brain-dead computer. Instead, its a mixture of the two, and due to this little perfectionist side I have, I gave up on it all together.

Does anyone else have this problem? I always thought that being a perfectionist meant that you want everything done perfectly, the majority of the time. Instead I've found over the years (and have been told) that perfectionism is closely linked with procrastination. Why? Because if you can't do it perfectly in every way, giving the project/task/BLOG everything you've got RIGHT NOW, you won't do it. Once I do get around to do it, usually when I'm in a time crunch and I have no other choice, I'm forced to work past the fact that I'm not really in the mood to be perfect and I get it done.

Unfortunately this applies to all areas of my life, work or play, as long as there is a task to be accomplished. If I want to make something/do something creative and my crafty area is a mess, I have to clean up the mess first. If I don't feel like I can clean the WHOLE area and be satisfied, I probably won't ever get around to being crafty. If I want to relax and out of the corner of my eye I see mail on the table, I can't just relax. Most likely I wouldn't be able to do anything about a bill on the table at 7pm, but I need to know if I have one that I haven't seen, which most likely will lead to me doing bill filing when really I should just be on the couch taking a chill pill.

When I was in high school and college, rarely did I ever complete (or start) a paper until the night before it was due. Most likely I would be up late into the wee hours of the morning doing it. Each and every time I would swear to myself that I wouldn't do it again, that it was too much stress and that I was way too tired and it wasn't worth it. Then I would get an A. I wouldn't learn, because the perfectionist side would say to me, "You did great! You don't need to start early! You can hit one out of the park even when you wait until the last minute!" And so it happened again and again.

One night in college, I thought it would finally be the night that broke me of the habit. My sister and I were taking the same Political Science course. She and I saved a couple bucks by sharing a book. She and I also share the perfectionist/procrastination gene. DUN DUN DUN.

Neither of us had hardly read the book and had a 10 page term paper due the next day. We traded the book back and forth all night long, highlighting our quotes for our papers. She was on the computer in the living room, I on the dinosaur in the bedroom, both of us staying awake with countless cups of hot Quik. The extra sugar didn't help past 4am apparently because at one point, I passed out, which I only know because I woke up with my head face down on the desk, paper wrinkles on my forehead.

I went to the kitchen, got some more Quik even though the thought of more made me feel sick to my stomach, and plugged away at a paper that I literally thought would be gibberish and my teacher, for once in my life, would expose me for the A student fraud that I was. For once I thought, "Who do I think I am, trying to get away with this???" I proof read it...it seemed fine...it sounded good enough, because it would have to be. We finished in time to shower and rush over to class. When I got my paper back the next week, I tried not to cringe as I flipped through the pages, and on the last page in red I saw an "A" and he wrote "You're a great writer! Good job!"

So....I still have never learned.

I think the only exception is bills, because its a recurring task, that I at least have to worry about on a bi-weekly basis. The perfectionist and nerd is strong enough in that area, due to multiple due dates that I can't just shove aside and wait on. I have my excel spreadsheet, and I'm trying to rock it Dave Ramsey Financial Peace style, because the ultimate goal is to pay down and pay off debt - which I'm pretty rabid about these days. Which was another reason why the whole laptop hard drive death kind of through me for a loop. I had to rebuild my February budget on another computer and it irritated me every second until it was done, because I had to try to repeat a whole process that I had already gone through (and yet, honestly, the nerd in me enjoyed every bit of it).

I'm really trying not to think about pictures, videos, music and other files right now that I may not be able to get back. Thank God for facebook housing so many of my pictures, and that I backed up a lot a year ago. But just thinking about everything from the past year that I may have lost makes me pretty sad. It was a big year! I got engaged, got a puppy, got married, had a few holidays, vacations....please GOD help that IT man recover my memories!

As far as the 30 day challenge goes. I think I got the point of it, so I may just do some when I like the subject, but I think I'll take it from here. I've got enough words to go it alone I think. =)

Days 6 and 8

2011-01-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

At this point I only have eyes for my Chloe =) She's the best, and I tell her she is all the time. She doesn't understand me, obviously, but I'm usually giving her a good squeeze while I'm talking to her, so I'm pretty sure that she understands the hug. She's my baby, and I love her. It says "a photo", but you know that I can't post just one. *wink*

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

Hmm...I don't really have a mood right now. I have a song in my head - does that count? They played this video at church on Sunday and its stayed in my head. Plus I like Tenth Avenue North.

Day 4 and 5 - Photo blog time

2011-01-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

I skipped ahead to day 7 because of my eagerness to get my wedding film on here, so now I'll backtrack and double up since I missed posting yesterday.

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

I've got two best friends, one sister and one adopted sister =)

My sister, Katelyn and I - goofy little girls. And then she and I at my wedding. Now she's engaged, yay!

And Stephanie, my bestie since Jr. year (even though we've known eachother since 1st grade)

Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

This is a picture of Carlos and I on our way to Vegas in 2008. Steph, he and I met up with his parents there and spent a few days. I got hooked on the Beatles "Love" cirque du soleil show on that trip and Carlos and I took mom to see it the year after. It was awesome yet again. The shows are pretty much the only thing I like about Vegas =)

Day 4 - My Dream Wedding

2011-01-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

Day 7 – Your dream wedding

So I'm skipping to day 7 because I really wanted to post this video from my wedding. I've already written about my wedding in this post, so here is my rehearsal and wedding day encompassed in a video, filmed mostly by my father-in-law and edited by my brother-in-law, Josh. My father-in-law's business (which is also my husband's and brother-in-laws) is video and audio editing and they are beginning to film and edit weddings. I will be posting another wedding film online soon that we all collaborated on the edit for. All films are HD and have more of a cinematic look set to current music, vs. the more antiquated documentary style.

With that said - please let me know if you or anyone you know is interested in having a wedding filmed. We are looking to build our portfolio of wedding films and would love to be a part of your day!

With all of that said, here's my wedding! (For best viewing - open up to full screen since I know the video bounds cut into my blog template) As you can tell, I don't think I've laughed as much in the course of two days in my life. I was surrounded with everyone I loved and was in complete bliss. Enjoy!

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 3

2011-01-20T09:58:00.001-08:00

Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

Alright, first things first. With the exception of two dance dates (that I don't count because I wasn't interested) in high school, I didn't go out on a date until I was 23 years old. For many years I despised this fact. I felt on a pretty consistent basis that I was never going to find someone who loved me for me, with my quirks, patterns of shyness, lack of flirtation and the list goes on and on. Thank GOD Carlos came along. He's more than made up for the many dateless nights with so much more than I could ever imagine. I've come to realize that God has some pretty awesome plans, that are SO beyond mine, and as I look back at those dateless nights I'm so grateful that I've never had my heart broken by someone. He kept me without that bit of sadness and baggage so that I could meet Carlos and have a fun, refreshing, romantic relationship that did not and will not sour.

So I figured I'd tell you about my first date with Carlos and my first date ever. Nothing about it is extravagant, but Carlos planned a very special and personal date for the two of us that I will always remember.

Carlos came and picked me up from my parent's house, with a basket and a flower arrangement in hand. Knowing my love for cheese, he made a gift basket for me, filled with several different cheeses, olives and crackers from Whole Foods (YUM!) and my favorite root beer (Weinhards). He also had a flower arrangement for me (first ever flowers that I got from a guy - not from a family member for my birthday), that was one of many gorgeous arrangements to come.

We got in his truck and made our first stop at the grocery store. Why? haha Because he knew I liked using the Coinstar machine there and he had a bunch of change. Why do I love Coinstar? Because it kind of feels like I'm winning money....I don't know. Anyways....

We moved on to our next location - Borders. We hung out there for a while in the music section, listening to some tunes and he bought me a cd (Badly Drawn Boy "The Hour of the Bewilderbeast"), which became the soundtrack for our date that day. I actually ended up walking down the isle to the beginning of their song "The Shining" from that album. (Click to listen) I felt it was an ode to our beginnings. =)

Carlos made reservations at Rocky Point for dinner. I felt so awkward at dinner like I had to keep talking. He just kept smiling at me going on and on like "isn't she so cute the way she thinks she has to keep talking". Dinner was delicious and our view was awesome.

Our last stop was Starbucks, where we just sat and talked and people watched and then talked some more. Although I already knew him as a friend, it was SO important to have a whole afternoon/evening to talk and get to know him that much more, and he get to know me as well. That Starbucks in Monterey burned down shortly after that. But we continued to have most of our important discussions at the Starbucks in Salinas =)

He drove me home after Starbucks and we hung out at my parents and watched "50 First Dates". It was the best, no pressure, relaxed yet special first date I could have imagined.

For the majority of my life, I thought the best first date would be at an amusement park so that you could have time to talk with the person and have a blast at the same time.

Carlos doesn't ride roller coasters. End of that story.

I'll take cheese over roller coasters. Which, in another full circle sort of way made it into my proposal story which was yet another wonderful date. Probably the best of all. =)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 2

2011-01-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.

.....Well, since I've finished two meals today and I've eaten all evidence, there will be no visuals of eggs, turkey bacon, avocado salsa, oatmeal (yes, we had oatmeal for lunch in place of the bread that we've run out of), apples, peanut butter/honey dip, 2 cuties and a cup of coffee. All I have left at the office is the blueberry yogurt that I had planned to eat, but haven't yet.

Timeout.

Is it just me, or is it crazy to see everything I've eaten today? It just seems like a super long list. Nothing bad by any means, and none outrageous in portion size.

I'll segue into another "is it just me" question: does anyone else ever find themselves listing everything they ate on a certain day to a friend, family member, etc? Its just quirky, and I think I only do it with a couple of people every so often, but they do it with me too. After the fact, I always think to myself, "we just talked for at least five minutes about each and every item we ate today...what a weird conversation". Yet we will go on to have the same conversation (different ingredients) again another day. American's have it good, man. Having a whole conversation revolving around the different foods we're blessed to afford and enjoy. Even the food we find boring would be awesome for someone that doesn't have any. Makes you think.

So I'd take a picture of something I ate today, but right now I don't have anything to show. I didn't look at today's blog topic until I had finished anything worth a picture. I might take a picture of my lasagna tonight - on the other hand, I might not. I'll let you use your imagination. The point of the blog entry was to write, right? =)

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 1

2011-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Alright, due to a lack of routine I have decided to do one of those 30 day blog writing challenges. Hopefully in the process I'll get better used to writing in my blog daily, which is something that I WANT to do, but you know how life goes. So, here I go!

Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

My day started pretty early - for me at least. I'm not at all a morning person. I'm a nightowl and I'm pretty sure that won't be changing anytime soon. I think I've destroyed Carlos' routine of a 10pm bedtime. I'm jealous that he can get up so quickly in the morning after staying up just as late as me. I think my body has a rule that if its still dark outside, I should still be asleep. If Carlos hadn't fed me (literally) apple slices with peanut butter/honey dip as I got ready this morning, I wouldn't have had any breakfast because I never leave myself enough time to get ready. I will stay in bed until I see light come through the shades (if I have that luxury).

Carlos and I headed out to Monterey at 7:30AM and after some coffee (woohoo!) he worked on a edit while I worked on getting a blog site designed for the company and You Tube account started so that we can post videos that we're working on. Chloe comes with us everyday to the office, so we listened to her whimper from her crate every so often. She has to know that she's spoiled, but I don't care. She's loved =)

We drove back to Salinas at 5Pm and headed over to mom's for the evening. We had dinner and luckily had the makings for s'mores for dessert so I'm a happy girl. =) Now Carlos and I are getting a few loads of laundry done, before I have to wear some inappropriate conglomeration of an outfit also known as a "laundry day fashion". I'm eclectic, but I'm not THAT eclectic.

On to watch my Tuesday night shows! Biggest Loser and then Parenthood. I love Parenthood. If you haven't gotten in to it yet, you should check it out. Its a super good show.

I'll be back here tomorrow for Day 2 of the challenge!

That's a lot of One's.

2011-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

So is today's date a sign that I need to go get a lottery ticket or something? Funky dates like today's always trip me out, and I know I'm not the only one. I guess if anything I'll just look at all those 1's and say, if 1 means new beginnings, its time to for me to begin blogging again!

Nothing much is new, and yet everyday is new in some way or another. My "new year" started last year when my job situation changed and I got married, so its been a different kind of life ever since. Ever since we got back from the honeymoon, I've been learning a creative field that's on the opposite end of the spectrum from my last job and I'm with Carlos everyday which is just awesome. I feel so blessed that we have this daily time with each other (and don't want to rip each other's hair out!). Also, I don't know if its because I never had a pet before Chloe, but she finds little ways to amuse me on a daily basis, and even if its just a little quirk of her's that I've seen her do over and over, I love it just the same and I get a new joy out of it every time.

So, my first challenge to create in the New year came from Amy who dared post that facebook chain of I'll make something homemade for you, if you make something homemade for me. I was like "I need to do this, if only to get the ball rolling," and I clicked send. SOOO sometime soon Amy, you WILL be getting something homemade from me. I don't know what it is yet, but you'll get it. haha

So, here's to blogging again! Cheers!

Visions of Etsy shops dance in my head

2010-10-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Ever since I heard of Etsy I have wondered about what possibilities it could hold for me. I have been thinking about this on and off for months with one thing or another distracting me from the actual pursuit of creating a shop. One thing that was holding me back was the lack of a product line. HA! That would help, huh? What I've found the past few days is a strange revival of passion to go towards my creative goals more wholeheartedly instead of saying "somewhere down the line I'll do it...when I have time to think about it...when I make a ton of products I'll start to think of it" etc. etc. etc.

I'm done with that. I'm ready to step out and think of this as a business that I can and WILL follow through with. This past week I've been studying Etsy, looking at products sold, online marketing and advertising techniques, and the importance of having a good business name. I came to the realization that I've always talked about my desire to have a boutique or small store where I could sell my handmade items, refurbished furniture, vintage items - things big and small that really represent my creativity and my style, and Etsy could be it!

This week I've found myself writing down ideas constantly in my notebook - things I can make, things I can redo, designs and colors that inspire me, words that could join together to make a cool shop name, things that are essentially just things that I love. Did I say "things" too much? Things. Things, things, things. Its just cool to have this flow of ideas that I've compiled forever, but just never put to paper.

One thing I know to be true is that it's important to write things down. Whether it's a dream, idea or prayer request, it makes it real and permanent. This can be scary sometimes because if you write it down and it doesn't come to fruition, you have the opportunity to be disappointed. However, that's when the wonderful gift of faith comes into play. =) Just from experience, when I've written down plans, goals or prayer requests and they DO come to fruition, I am SO pumped! What an awesome achievement it is! Also, I learned in my life planning class back in college that if you write up a plan and put a date to it, you're more than likely going to follow through because you've given yourself a goal with a due date. It's like you've made a deal with yourself and you MUST follow through.

In conclusion...

I WILL learn. I WILL create. I WILL follow my dreams. I WILL achieve my goals.

To my readers: Have a dream? WRITE IT DOWN!

Also, do you or does anyone you know have an Etsy shop? Any advice? What kind of handmade or vintage items are you most likely to look for or purchase?

Wordless Wednesday - My Babies

2010-09-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Taking on New Recipes

2010-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you have your own database of go-to meals forever in your brain. You've made them time and time again, memorized the ingredients, you know they'll taste good and in a pinch you have dinner prepared.

There are those evenings though when the old faithful recipes just don't do it for me. I want something new - a challenge that I'm never quite sure that I'll be able to tackle successfully. The recipe may say that it will take an hour to prepare and cook and I don't even care if it takes me two or more, I will make something new and fabulous (or at least attempt it).

Another reason I oftentimes try out a new recipe is when I'm cooking a special meal or having company over. Risky - totally. I don't know why I do it to myself. I always think, "maybe I should make something that I know is good..." and then that's exactly when Carlos challenges me to try something new and I totally can't help myself but accept the call to action and break out the cookbooks, leaving any doubts of incompetency behind me.

Recently Carlos and I had our first dinner guests over, and I was determined to make something fancier than I had made in the past. I went through my cookbooks (usually Rachel Ray), searching for the perfect thing and I stumbled across a recipe that I had been interested in several times, but always thought it might be too difficult. Turns out, the most difficult time I had was finding the ingredients! Who would have thought that it would be so difficult to find puff pastry (in the right size), fig preserves and Italian fontina cheese?? Thank goodness I started shopping early in the day and not RIGHT before dinnertime because I had to go to four stores just to find everything. Three out of the four stores had fontina cheese, but it was from Denmark. Two out of the four stores only had puff pastry shells and out of the remaining two, only one had the puff pastry sheet size that I needed. Only ONE store had fig preserves. Can we get a Whole Foods in Salinas please?

Anyway, with all of that said, ingredients collected, the recipe wasn't difficult at all - pretty straightforward and the result was delicious. I served it alongside green beans and asparagus with a tarragon lemon dip (also Rachel Ray) yummmm and finished off the evening with pears with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. It's a pretty expensive meal, but compared to a dinner out, not bad. For four adults it was $60 for a gourmet meal in.

I challenge you to try them all! Here are the recipes:

Love Birds - Chicken in Pastry

Ingredients

4 pieces skinless chicken breast, boned (about 8 ounces each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 sprigs fresh finely chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 sheet puff pastry (11 by 17-inch), (recommended: Dufour)

8 slices Italian fontina cheese, slices should be 2 to 3-inches square and 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick, cut in 1/2

1/2 cup fig preserves

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cut each piece of chicken in half across the breast giving you 8 equal portions. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes total. Remove from heat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pastry into 8 pieces. Place a piece of cheese on each pastry square and top with spoonfuls of fig preserves and the chicken pieces. Pinch and seal the dough up and over the meat and cheese, seal with egg wash, flip the pastry packets over and brush the tops with remaining egg wash. Bake 12 to15 minutes, until golden.

For entree portions, simply leave chicken breast whole and cut the pastry into quarters. Trim off excess dough and use it to decorate the pastry with small cut outs such as heart shapes.

Asparagus and Green Beans with Tarragon Lemon Dip

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

Salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 small shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, (4 sprigs), chopped, plus sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

Few grinds freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook asparagus spears and green beans in 1-inch of salted boiling water, covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and cool the vegetables and arrange them on a serving plate. Combine the dip ingredients in a small bowl and garnish with sprigs of parsley and tarragon and set dip along side vegetables on serving dish.

Pears with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

2 cans pears in heavy syrup, 15 ounces

4 tablespoons amaretto or dark rum

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or, chop up a bar

1 pint French vanilla ice cream

Directions

Drain pears over a small saucepot. Reduce syrup over medium high heat 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in liquor and cook 2 minutes longer. Add chocolate and stir to melt. Remove from heat.

Slice pears and place in cocktail glasses. Pour hot chocolate sauce over pears and top glasses with small scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Customization. . . the HTML Blues

2010-09-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

I have spent the past three days immersing myself in HTML and websites and Photoshop and Photobucket and tons of other sites I haven't ever been to just trying to make a blog to my liking. Three days later....I'm pretty satisfied and I have eye strain, BUT I've done almost everything that I had set out to accomplish. I changed my template to something cuter, added a signature, added more gadgets, added titles for my gadgets, set a new font for the date/post titles and most importantly, designed my own header (which was the most fun I had in the whole process).

After a few days, I'm glad the customization process is over. There's creativity and then there's eye-crossing code for days and I'm not sure if I'll ever learn how to use it to my creative benefit without a step-by-step instructional - which has been my only proven method so far, and even with that I managed to screw up. I give a round of applause to those who can actually look at the rolling pages of code and make sense of it all on the spot.

My favorite part of it was designing my header. I've always loved tooling around in Photoshop and making something that truly reflects myself and my individual creativity. I barely used Photoshop at all to make the header because I happened across a website called Scrapblog that was super fun to use and create with. You are able to import your own images, and with them and the provided images, create an assortment of items: calendars, books, albums, cards, etc. that you can order. You can also create an online scrapbook that you can invite friends and family to. Another way you can use it is create one page and export it as a jpg like I did. Then you can leave it as is, or take it into Photoshop and add some more flare to it. It was a great tool, in that it gives you lots of backgrounds and TONS of stickers to use, all for free. You can pay for some really cool decorative stickers and backgrounds, but why when you can just get it for free?

With that said, my blog should be looking the same for quite some time. I don't think I'm down for anymore html craziness for a while. I set out to make something I'd enjoy looking at and I accomplished that. I hope you enjoy it too. =)

Here's a link for Scrapblog....Check it out!

Cornbread

2010-09-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

When I was in elementary school my mom used to take us to Bakers Square when it was raining and order hot cocoa and cornbread - it was the best. It made me crave cornbread whenever the weather was gray and drizzly. I love it.

It was the first thing I proudly learned to make when I was a kid, all by myself. I loved the feeling of measuring out so many things, mixing them all together and knowing that in 25 minutes I would have something delicious. I can't have chili beans without it. I must have a piece of cornbread with melty butter on it with every bite. Indulgent? Yes. Delicious? Totally.

I always use the recipe on the back of the Albers yellow cornmeal box. Its the best.

Albers® Corn Bread

(Makes 12 servings)

This moist corn bread can be served with salads, soups, stews, chilies, or southern fried chicken. Try it toasted and spread with butter and jam in the morning.

1 cup Albers® White or Yellow Corn Meal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

COMBINE meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

NOTE Recipe may be doubled. Use greased 13x9-inch baking pan; bake as above.

FOR MUFFINS:
SPOON batter into 10 to 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes.

Don't forget to serve alongside some good chili beans. =)

As we head into the fall season, one question:

What's your favorite go-to comfort food/meal in cold weather?

Labor Day = Cleaning Day

2010-09-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, before I talk about the large cleaning strides we made this weekend, I am going to introduce you to my baby, Chloe. Carlos and I got her in May when she was 6 weeks old, and she's 5 months now. She's my rambunctious sweetie and I was surprised how much I missed her morning puppy hugs when we were on vacation.

I'm pretty excited about the cleaning accomplishments that we made over our three day weekend. I may still be sneezing due to the dust I inhaled, but our house is clean, for the most part organized and we were actually able to use our extra room as a creative space on Sunday when Carlos suggested we do some painting. After clearing enough floor space in the extra room and making quick run to Michaels to buy some canvases and some new colors, it felt good to have a paintbrush in my hand again, with no clue as to what I was going to paint. Our experimental painting session went well - its always fun to slap some paint on a canvas and see how it ends up. We brought Chloe into the room in her crate so that she wouldn't feel left out. She whined a bit, but I think our quiet artsy time chilled her out after a while.

Here are our paintings and our work in progress extra room/creative space:

Hopefully soon I can start using my sewing machine and chipping away at the bags of fabric I have tucked away in the closet.

2010-08-10T14:07:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I haven't written since March? How is that possible? Easily, very easily. Here are a few reasons:

1. Wedding planning

2. Wedding planning

3. Wedding planning

4. Actual Wedding

5. Honeymoon

6. Wedding aftermath

And somewhere in there I thought I was not only going to become a crafty women extraordinaire, but also train for a half marathon. Somehow I thought that being unemployed would mean extra time for the pursuit of creative goals AND that I could become an athlete in the meantime. Ha! Well, neither was accomplished, but Carlos and I were able to plan an awesome wedding and ran/jogged/walked the Salinas Valley Half Marathon on Saturday without training (the no training thing is something I wouldn't recommend, the going for one's own sense of accomplishment, I would).

The wedding was everything I could have ever wanted: awesome weather, relaxed atmosphere, filled to the brim with everyone I love, tons of color, lots of dancing - basically a gigantic picnic with 100 of my closest friends and family, which is EXACTLY what Carlos and my desire was. I'd love to say more, but at this point, the pictures say it all. I would add more, but blogger annoys me every time I add pictures to my blogs, so this is all I can handle right now. =) I cannot wait to see the professional pictures that Mike Steelman did. I've only seen two pictures so far and I'm loving them, so I'm looking forward to seeing what else he captured.

We had a relaxing honeymoon in Hawaii, where we stayed in Kailua-Kona. Snorkeled one day and did some sight-seeing the other few days. Fun thing is, Carlos' family (parents and brother's family) are going to stay at the same beach house this month in Kona and we're going to go along with them, so we can spend some more time exploring the island.

So.....where does this leave creative Sarah? Well, despite my lack of fabric work (honestly haven't touched the stuff since I bought it) I have been learning video/audio editing and graphic work alongside Carlos so that I can eventually work doing that. My "creative space" aka our extra room is on its way to being cleaned out. This will be quite the accomplishment, considering for the past couple months it's stored wedding decorations, then wedding/bridal shower/bachelorette party gifts, then once the gifts found homes we unpacked my trunk (probably a good three weeks after the wedding) which was filled with the leftover wedding decorations and moved over the last of Carlos' stuff from his parents' house. So for now, I think we've got it down to just wedding decor and a couple boxes of stuff that we haven't found homes for yet. Man - its a chore trying to figure out where everything will go! Merging two lives into one is messy, and I'm just talking about closet space here. Luckily in helping Carlos' brother and his family unload the moving truck we inherited a bookshelf and we got a dresser from his parents at the same time. Score!

I'll leave you with a fun moment from my bachelorette party. If you ever have a chance, go to Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse in Marina, CA. It used to be AJ Spurs for any local readers. It's definitely one of my new favorites. If you go, I suggest you go wild and just get a load of appetizers. SO good. I'd love to tell you what my favorite meal there is, but I honestly can't tell you. I've been there probably five times and done the same thing. Do not leave without having the sweet potato fries, coconut panko tiger prawns or fire roasted artichokes! Also, try to go on a Friday or Saturday because usually they'll have this fun ukulele player dude there and he takes requests...or like he did our night, have a lady gaga medley prepared. ha!

Hopefully in my coming posts I will be able to post some pictures of crafty or household tasks accomplished - like cleaning out that extra room so that I can actually use it!

Buried Alive in Fabric!

2010-03-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Alrighty! I haven't blogged in a while because I feel like I don't have anything to say...yet. I'm sure that by the time I finish writing this entry, I will have obliterated that last statement.

With that said, I'm on my way to creation, with no product to show for it yet. Not that I don't have ANY product. I'm pursuing so much creatively that I haven't finished anything really and I haven't started much.

I'm in the midst of learning how to use AVID and After Effects for video and audio editing so that I can start working for my father-in-law to be. I have been practicing daily for the past few weeks, just getting the hang of the programs. It's definitely fun now that I'm remembering how to do things! There's SO much to learn, so I'm trying to take it day by day and absorb everything I can like a sponge. Maybe one day I'll be a special effects expert, but for now I'll settle to be a novice with high hopes!

All I know is that inside and outside of the editing studio, I feel like my brain is ready to explode with creative ideas and I wish there were more hours in the day in which I could explore more of them at once. I guess I'll start by making a notepad that hangs around my neck with a pen attached so that I won't forget my seemingly brilliant ideas. I can only hope that they'd be brilliant and not the kind of "awesome" ideas you wake up with in the middle of the night; or like the dreams that make total sense even five minutes after waking up and then by minute six you come to the realization that flight is not an option unless you're in an airplane.

Anyway...

I REALLY want to pursue sewing and making awesomely cute handmade items from pillows to aprons and purses, to blankets and other assorted home decor items. I feel like I could make some rad, vintage-inspired quirky stuff if I just sit myself down and have a brainstorming session. All I've managed to do so far is fill up my room with fabric and pillow forms. Honestly, I cannot go to Etsy, to Beverlys or even Savers without buying fabric. I see projects in every piece of fabric I see and touch and I must have it! Then I bring it home and I'm dismayed because I have yet to even pull out my sewing machine. I have promised it and myself that its day in the sun will come.

So here's what I have to show for the past few weeks:

Fabric, and lots of it!

And a couple of videos!

Mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a4lVlG1ALk

and

Carlos' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrkisRcXUxI

The video captures are pretty random, so these edits are definitely just for fun. I love Carlos in the footage - he makes me laugh everytime. Enjoy!

Hopefully next time I check back in I'll have made some headway with my sewing projects. Until then, you can find me at Beverlys and please slap my hand if you see me reach for any super cute fabric!

Someone else's art!

2010-02-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

So I'm breaking my theme in part just because I'm excited. I received an email from our wedding photographer, Mike Steelman (www.mikesteelman.com) today that our engagement pictures were available for viewing. I was sooooo pleased that they turned out so well. I of course have some favorites, but I love them all. Hopefully we'll be able to order an album from Mike in the future, but we have to make some decisions about which ones will make the cut for save the dates and maybe some photos to display at the wedding first!

So...I know I don't have many followers yet, but I figured a little blog input wouldn't hurt!

Here's the link to Mike's Tangents (blog): (we're currently the latest update)

http://mikesteelman.com/blog/

Here's the link to all pictures: (There are a few that he didn't put on his blog that I like a lot)

http://www.pictage.com/796352

Let me know which one(s) you like the best! And make sure to look around on Mike's site. He has some really awesome images that totally capture his "raw and refined" style. Heads up to any ladies who might need a wedding photographer someday - go with Mike, you won't regret it! And if you're interested, he does the "dirty dress" sessions too, where you...get your dress dirty for a lack of a better description! Take a look around at his site, you'll see what I mean.

First things first - Write first blog entry.

2010-02-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

Here I am with a blog...what now?

I've heard that one should stick to a defined theme. Last night when I came to the conclusion that a blog would be a fun idea, I went to bed with all of these grand literary bits of genius in my mind, frustrated that my laptop was all the way in the living room and I, well, had work in the morning so I couldn't stay up half the night spewing all of my awesome ideas about life (sarcasm). The creative juices were flowing, and now...not so much.

So here's what I think the theme of this blog will be in its most simple form. I am as my blog title states, an administrative assistant by day and creative soul by night. As mysterious and catchy as the title is, the fact of the matter is, my headline should read "Warning! A desk job may ruin all creative juices left in your brain! Run while you still can!" Okay, that was completely over dramatized. Honestly, I like my job. I just wish I was more passionate about it. I can do it, and do it really well, but what could I be doing differently that might motivate me to greater heights of excellence?

My frustration is in the lack of motivation I feel to push paper anymore when I'd so much prefer to learn how to design and make an awesome piece of furniture or even plant some flowers and watch them grow. There's something to be said for making things. Even if it's hard work, when you're done, it's a reflection of you. I was at the beach on Valentines Day and was overwhelmed with the thoughts of creation, amazed at the world that God created for us and the way he paints the sky daily to remind us of his awesome imagination and artistry! My mom always says that God's putting on another show for us whenever the sky is filled with extraordinarily vibrant colors. I took this picture on Valentines Day at Carmel Beach. It has not been enhanced or photoshopped in any way. How awesome, right!? I want to paint it, its just so beautiful, but I definitely wouldn't do it any justice. I'll leave stuff like that for the Bob Ross' of the world that can paint "happy little trees" ohhhh so easiliy.

I LOVE color. Ask my fiance what I used to dress like a few years back when we were first dating and he'd probably make some reference to rainbow brite or something. Honestly though, how awesome is color?? In elementary school, I felt like the coolest kid ever when my mom got me the BIG BOX of color crayons. Once you have that box, you can't go back to having only 12 to work with. Magic mint, burnt sienna, robins egg blue, radical red, cerulean - the choices were endless! I'm the same way now when I go to the craft store and pick out some new acrylic colors for canvas painting. New colors are so fun, especially when I can see the possibilities of mixing a couple to make the most intense color combination ever.

For me, creativity sometimes takes the willingness to have the heart and imagination of a child. As adults we tend to pigeon-hole ourselves and stay within a box that gets smaller and smaller with every year added to our life. For children, the possibilities are endless and dreams ARE reality. I mean, I used to talk to Big Bird at nap time - and that was real to me! I'm not saying you should start imagining that a large yellow bird is your best buddy, but look a little deeper when opportunities present themselves. Say yes to yourself more than you say no. Look at the possibilities rather than the limitations. I used to say to myself that if I did what I loved to do for a living, than I wouldn't like doing it anymore. I've found out that its SO the opposite - find your bliss and chase after it! If you can make money doing it, kudos to you!