Another stroll through a meme in May . . .

Weird Facts About Myself The Rules:

Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, choose 6 people to be tagged, list their names & why you tagged them. Don’t forget to leave them a comment saying “You’re it!” & to go read your blog. You cannot tag the person that tagged you, so since you’re not allowed to tag me back; let me know when you are done so I can go read YOUR weird/random/odd facts, habits and goals.



For me, I'm going through my photostream at flickr. Let's see what i come up with...



Some people think this is weird, but to photographers it's "the bomb". It's called bokeh and it's what you get when you shoot with your lens' aperture wide open. See that blur in the foreground and the background of the focused flowers? Yeah, that's bokeh and it's something cool to try to achieve which will result in "oohs" and "ahhs" from your photography friends (like me). :c) There are tons of "groups" at flickr just to showcase your "bokeh" photos. I'm one who has gotten addicted to it.

And here's another example of beautiful bokeh:





I loooove these green tea frapps from Starbucks. I tend to get these more than (frozen or iced) coffee on most days in the summer. And the color I'm in love with. For some odd reason funky colors of green have really grown on me lately. Isn't it snazzy? (This photo is from my photo shoots in Chicago when Jo and I took a break in air conditioning with some yummy chillers.)

This isn't so much weird, or maybe it is? But here are my necessities when going on long shoots (weddings included).



D200
cell phone
glasses
water
and Starbucks (usually it's coffee or sometimes something cold. Just has to have caffeine.)
and, a cool place to sit down and rest my tired feet for a bit before more shooting :c)

I take chances a lot with my camera.



That's me and that's me during a shoot in Chicago in WATER. You kinda have to take some chances when you want the perfect photo otherwise you miss perfect opportunities. This is about the only realm of my life where I take chances, but that's okay. :c)



I can't find anything weird to say about this one. (hehe) This is just a favorite picture of when my dear friend Jen and her daughter, Addy, came to visit us. I miss her.



Even with all the problems we had in this house and the money we spent and lost on it, I still really miss it.



If you've never been to Chicago, you should go. And make sure you see "the bean" in Millennium Park. This is the bean, well part of it, and our reflection in it. A couple hours later we would have gotten our picture taken with zillions of other faces in it, too. It's quite popular. What makes this weird is, I don't like how dirty it is! Usually (I believe) it is cleaned once or twice a day and obviously it hadn't been cleaned yet!

These pictures make me laugh. Again, not weird. I just need something to fill this spot and these two pictures are two of my favorites from May. Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Bob the Builder:




And, this isn't weird, either, but then again, maybe it is because it excites me. But remember my contest to win the free canvas? Well, my winner, Candi, she asked if she could buy one a bit larger. So I said YES! and gave her a canvas in a 20x24 (I think it was) at my cost --- so she walked away with an awesome deal-a-roo! She got the canvas up and here it is!

If you hop on over to her blog, you will see the before and after of the space where she put it. Isn't it awesome?! I'm so happy for her that she won because it really turned out so great and it just makes me smile seeing it up in her home. Congrats again, Candi :c) (I also gained a friend in all this! Cool, eh?!)



This is my new favorite shirt. I may be weird, but I love it. Hmmmmm...wonder why?


Okay, there we have. My list of 10 weird things (they aren't so much facts, but at least I played!). I am not tagging anyone. But please feel free to do it -- it's fun! (Thanks, AJ!)

5 Things - yep, another meme

Chel, my amazing jewelry designer friend, who doesn't seem to do memes very often, did one and tagged me in it! I was getting a little tired of memes for a while but this one is different and she is the first to tag me in it. So . . .

1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment letting them know they've been tagged and to ask them to play along and to read your blog.


What I was doing 10 years ago - 1998

* Going to school with one year away from getting my bachelor's in Visual Communication Design.
* Living with my good friend, Tina, in a really cool flat.
* Probably working hard on an art project for my Typography class, a term paper for my Art History class or spending hours in the photography lab developing black and white pictures in the dark (which was AMAZING).
* In my 5th year of dating Neil.
* Planning my wedding even though I wasn't engaged yet. I had a good feeling it was going to happen soon, though ;c)

Five things on my to-do list today -

1) Go to the Driver's License building and update my new (almost 8-month old) address.
2) Do my taxes (yep, still not done. This happens every year. We work best under pressure, ha!)
3) Test lighting system before I start using it again in April @ the start of my wedding season.
4) Meet with my friend and fellow photographer, Chad, for coffee which we've been meaning to do for like a year now.
5) Help Heather find a baker to make her cake for her wedding.

Snacks I enjoy -

1) red and black licorice
2) dark chocolate
3) ice cream (preferably chocolate)
4) Wheat Thins
5) dried cranberries

Things I would do if I were a billionaire -

1) Pay off the rest of my/our debt.
2) Pay off some of my closest friends' debt.
3) Build a house perfect for my parents on an acre of land with big beautiful established trees. (This is the house I would build them.)
4) Buy Heather a house and buy my brother a house.
5) Give to the church, give to families in need, give to the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in hopes of curing breast cancer.

Five of my bad habits -

1) picking the skin on and around my fingernails (sick, I know)
2) the inability to put away laundry
3) not calling my friends more often - but that is truly because I hate talking on the phone
4) spontaneous shopping
5) not printing my personal digital pictures I shoot

Five places I have lived -

1) Central Illinois
2) 10 miles southeast of #1
3) Southern Illinois
4) Central Illinois about 10 miles east of #2
5) East-central Illinois

(I really really really need to get out of Illinois, eh?)

Five jobs I've had -

1) office manager in a bed and bath store
2) florist
3) pet supply store
4) book store
5) photography assistant/graphic designer

Five bloggers I tag -

1) Corie
2) Alexis
3) Mel
4) Noel
5) Cassie

7 Weird Things Meme

My bloggy friend, MP, picked me to do a fun little meme called "7 weird things about me". I'm all for this one because I really do think I'm a bit odd and also because I think people are attracted to me for this uncommonness :c) (Has to be the answer with my husband!)

I got my inspiration for these 7 weird things by looking at what pictures I had recently taken on my camera. So they may be really weird, they may not be weird at all. But these pictures are the weirdest I had that would help me tell something about myself (not that photos are part of this meme's requirement, but I'm using photos to make it more interesting).

So here it is, My 7 Weird Things About Me Meme.

I might be weird because for New Year's Eve we weren't going to do anything in celebration but lounge around at home, but hubby said, "why don't we go out for dinner?", so we all piled into the car and drove to a Mexican restaurant. That's how we spent our New Year's Eve, eating chips and salsa, and it was a blast.
Okay, so you all know about how my friend, Erin, has introduced me to the greatest thing Canada ever made, ketchup chips, right?! Well, she knows how much I love them and so she sent me even MORE for Christmas this year. I know my love of ketchup chips is really weird, but I also think taking pictures of my ketchup chips is probably even weirder. And thank you, Erin!!!

I think I may be weird because I have always let my son play around with my point-n-shoot camera, absolutely risking it's lifespan. But I'd rather chance it than missing the opportunity for him to experiment and shoot pictures from his viewpoint. He's been doing this since he was 2. Here's one he just recently shot of himself.

I think I might be weird because even though I am deathly scared of heights, I leaned out to take this picture at the top of the John Hancock building because I knew it was a good shot! I'll risk just about anything for a good picture!

Other people probably find it weird when they are sitting next to me at Starbucks and I pull out my camera to take pictures of things and myself -- like these!



Last week my mom brought me over my school letter jacket because she doesn't want it anymore. I was going to cut my letter off of it and then pitch the jacket, but something held me back. Probably the attachment I have to things. But it's in perfect condition and, well, it was my letter jacket! But what will I ever do with it?! Yep, I'm really weird because I cannot for the life of me part with such an ugly thing. I have the I-Can't-Part-With-Anything syndrome. But at least I know I have this syndrome and don't deny it!
And finally, I am probably really weird because it really really bothers me that both my husband and my son can curl their tongues but I cannot. They tend to rub it in all the time, just like what they're doing here. Yeah, little stupid piddly things such as this, really bother me. :c)
And this is TOTALLY off-topic, but while writing this, guess what was delivered?!? A man just showed up on my doorstep with Neil's luggage!!! Alexis was right -- they DID have it and they DID deliver it to me themselves! I can't wait to see what he has for the kids, but I'll let him dive into that. Neil will be so so happy!

Ok, so now I tag Alexis, Michelle, Erin, Amy, Missy, and Jen @ One Mom's World.

Just for random fun . . . a meme

Michelle tagged me . . . and even though I've been tagged a half dozen times before for this same meme, I'm thinking I'll do it again but with some pieces of mindless information just for fun! (Thanks, Michelle!)

8 or 9 (very) random things about me . . .

1. I just recently purchased Oust for the first time and I'm now addicted
2. Also recently, I joined Facebook and since doing so, I have reconnected with tons of people who I haven't seen or talked to in 5, 7, 9, 13 years! I recommend exploring it if you haven't.
3. I got twenty catalogs in the mail Friday. Not joking either.
4. My dress that I ordered a short while back fits me perfectly. I do need a little booster in the bosom area (as I always do) but otherwise it's fits wonderfully and is really stunning.
5. The shoes I bought to go with the dress . . wayyy too small. I'm finally realizing that my shoe size really has gotten larger . . . I'm now a giant-sized 10.
6. One of my favorite secret (but not so secret anymore) indulgences are graham crackers dipped in a can of chocolate icing. Mmmmmmmmm. . .
7. In about 45 minutes I am going to be leaving (kidless) to D-town to meet with some clients to place their holiday orders. Starbucks will be seeing me in about 1 hour and 15 minutes from now . . . yippeeeeeee! ;c)
8. I love to garden. I love perennials especially. We have two huge hydrangeas here at the new house and they are extremely wilted. But it's been freezing at night, so I'm afraid to water them because then they will really be shocked. Anyone have any suggestions? Do I need to cut them to the ground? My mom said some plants need to keep their stems as protection through the winter. I should just look online but I thought I'd ask you all first . . . Erin, do you know?
9. Check out my flickr account. Lots and lots and lots of new pictures.
   

Another meme.

I don't do memes or tags very much anymore because the ones I do are usually repeats and I can't ever think of new interesting things about me! But, it was Erin who tagged me, and I love her. So I'm going to make it short and sweet and probably say things I've said before, but some of you who haven't been following me long may find it new material. So . . .

8 interesting things about me . . . Val.

1) I'm left-handed. My hubby is left-handed. Both my kids are right-handed.
2) I had a job for almost 2 years as a professional taste-tester.
3) Some foods that a lot of people find disgusting, I love, such as . . . sushi, spinach, liver, guacamole, squid, to name a few. (One of the reasons why I got hired as a taste-tester, because I was able to put just about flavor of food with just about any texture, into my mouth.)
4) I'm a homebody.
5) But I love the city (big cities like Chicago and New York) and can see myself living there.
6) I drive a VW Passat. And probably will be getting something bigger in the fall. A van would be fine (and nice!), but I think I'm going to have a tiny bit of difficulty giving up my Volkswagons. If I got a van, any recommendations??
7) My favorite place to shop is Anthropologie (when I have money).
8) I love to buy coffee table books.

I am tagging no one :c)

So . . . weird?!

I went to my technorati link and saw that I had been linked twice by "Pretty Good on Paper". I'm not even sure what his blog is about, really. I need to spend more time reading it I guess? I found it very interesting, though, that he used my blog two times in a blog study (or something??) on memes. I don't know if this is because I am obsessed with memes or because I'm just that interesting. I'm leaning towards #1. Is this not funny . . or is it just plain ol weird?! You decide :c)

Nighty-night.

5 Question Interview by Erin

Erin had a new kind of meme at her blog and so she interviewed me for my blog just like she was interviewed for hers. Here are the rules and below the rules are my 5 answers:

1. Leave me a comment saying "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

She made me think deep into Val! :c)

1. Where is your favorite place to go when you want to be alone and what do you do there?

My favorite place is either out walking alone at night or sitting in a coffee shop (as though I have no where to be) like Starbucks. In the summer I like to take a blanket and lay it under a big shade tree and read. That rarely happens anymore since I have children, but when it does happen, I milk it for all it's worth. What do I do when I'm alone like this? Read or write. When I say write, I mean, either notes to myself or letters to friends. Oh, and drinking coffee. Of course I don't drink coffee while I'm walking, silly. (I probably would if I could, though!) I wish I still did yoga regularly, because that would probably be my answer - doing yoga - another thing I wish I had more time for.

2. What is the best bargain or deal you’ve ever found?

This is a hard one. Probably my best bargains have been in antique stores or flea markets. Usually it's little things like a vintage vase or linen but I have found Bascal glasses once really super cheap and then we got an old wardrobe cabinet for $50 that had been painted white, but underneath all the paint lies cherry wood. We have yet to strip it, but one day we will! It's beautiful.

3. If you could be invisible for a day what would you do?

This is really silly, but I would probably help myself inside Martha Stewart's home in the Hamptons {editing later . . . she sold it!} or New York City (or anywhere else she resides!), but of course she must be home so I could spend time with her. I'd just sit there all day and watch her do whatever she does and take notes on her decor inside her home and her gardens outside her home. I'd love to be like Martha Stewart, but I would never want to be her. The gifts she's been given as a human being (minus the illegal business stuff she's done!) I really admire.

4. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life what would it be?

My biggest weakness is not standing up for myself, for letting others "walk all over me" at times. So often I don't express what I'm feeling/thinking in the moment, and as I'm getting older (and hopefully wiser) I see that it is important to be yourself, to voice your opinions, to not hide behind a facade. That it's important to do what you feel your heart tells you to do from the start because almost always those feelings are right. I only have one chance at this life, and I'm learning as I go.

On the not-so-serious of this question, my answer would have to be ice cream. If it's in my freezer, I eat it. All the time. I love love love ice cream. And it has to have chocolate in it. And while frozen yogurt is good, it's still nothing like ice cream or custard . . . yummm. And again, I'm only living this life once, so even though it is a weakness for me, I will not stop eating it unless cows go extinct.

5. What has caused the greatest spiritual growth in your life?

My grandma's death in 2000. She was in the hospital in ICU for over a month, an hour away from my home. And while I stayed there a couple times a week, I drove over there every day that I didn't stay. So I had a lot of time to think, and cry, and pray. I'll never forget that time. It's times of weakness that we get closest to God and I think that is exactly why He hands us times of pain and sorrow. To seek Him out and get to know Him better, and learn just what this life (and our life to come) is truly all about.

7 (best years) Things Meme

I got tagged by Frog Princess at Polywog Pond for the 7 Things meme. (Thanks, FG!) So I changed the rules a little bit since I've already done the 7 Things About Me meme. I'm calling this 7 Years of 7 Great Things In My Life. And I'm not going to tag anyone individually because I'm tagging everyone on this one! :c)


7 Years of 7 Great Things:

1. 2000: Hubby and I went to Brazil for a week to visit his dad who was working there at the time. We went to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Iguazu Falls, which is a series of over 270 cascading waterfalls in the Parana Plateau region that connects Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. One of the most amazing places on earth. I still can't believe I was there.
2. 2001: Heather and I went to New York City for a few days to visit our friend, Brian, who lived in the heart of Manhattan, and worked for Bloomies as a buyer. He and his friend were the best tour guides ever because they showed us not only the touristy things, but the things that every day folks in NYC do. We even walked down Susan Sarandon's street and Justin (Brian's friend) told us all about the party he went to of Martha Stewart's. From then on Justin was my best friend. Hehe ;c) This trip was Heather's first trip on a plane and she did so well! Much better than I and I had been many a times before!
3. 2002: We celebrated one year of being in our first home, but mourned the loss of two babies this year. But soon after 2002 ended we found out we succeeded with a pregnancy! The successful pregnancy made us realize that what we had went through 3 times previously was to make us stronger and prepare us for the family we knew we had deserved to have.
4. 2003: We got pregnant with our miracle baby, Noah, and then had him later that same year. The most joyous day ever. I can still remember everything about that day even though my L&D was very scary. At least it ended out as beautifully as it did.
5. 2004: After having a baby who was colic for 8 months (!) it was time for some R&R and fun! Neil's father, step-mother, sister, brother, sis-in-law, Chel, Neil, myself and Noah all went to Hawaii (Maui, actually) for a week. It was one of the best weeks of my life. Every single thing about it was luxurious and a dream, even meeting Molly Shannon from SNL and having our picture taken with Willie Nelson in the airport :c)
6. 2005: We got pregnant with Maia and had her later that year. Despite another horrible L&D (30 hrs of labor that ended in c-section) my life was then complete.
7. 2006: We started our first annual trip with our brother, Brad, and sister, Michelle, this year. We went to Door Co, Wisconsin and had the best time! The girls were both 7 and 8 months old and sitting up, so the beach was so much fun seeing them discover sand between their toes and fingers (and mouths!) for the first time. It was such a great time and we look forward to all the years to come.
Their tanks say . . . "I heart my cousin"

Tag Tag, You're It!

I guess I'm not done for today, hehe. I just saw that I got tagged! Ooo, I just love getting tagged! Thanks, Annaliza! Memes are fun!

# Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!


1. I have known my hubby 22 years (correct answer for those of you who took my "Valley Girl Test" last week), which, if you do the math, means I have known him since I was in the 4th grade (he, the 3rd grade)!

2. I was a professional taste tester (really, seriously, and I tasted beans for a YEAR!), and have never ever been a waitress (another one from my Valley Girl Test) but I still give good tips.

3. I love folk music.

4. I love sashimi (thinly-sliced raw fish . . . first had when in Brazil and I would eat it every day if I could . . . thank goodness for an excellent sushi restaurant in Decatur . . . which Jenny-Jen introduced me to!).

5. I am a sucker for old Disney movies like the Parent Trap, The King & I, The Sound of Music (my favorite movie of all time!), to name a few . . .

6. I use to work in a flower shop which forced me to not like carnations, daisies, baby's breath and even . . . roses.

7. I know God put me on this earth to be a good friend to a lot of people, to be a photographer and make people happy through the photographs I give them, and to be a mother . . . which brings me to adoption . . . something I still hold close to my heart and want to do one day . . . my friend, Cerella, is going through the home study process right now and I just know she will be my mentor one day . . .

So now I get to tag. Here is goes!
Michelle from As My World Turns
Corie from My Life As a Book
Sognatrice from Bleeding Espresso
Mike from Something About Parenting
Annie from Crunchy with Style
Liza from Take a Ride
and Cait from Diary of a Wannabe Supermom

Have fun!

Another 3 things meme, meme, meme, meme MEME!

Anissa unoffically tagged me to do this meme. So I'm doing it. It doesn't take much for someone to influence me to do anything at all. I'm a sucker, but on the real side of it, I actually really enjoy memes. They give you the opportunity to learn more about one another and every once in a while you have a moment where you are like "wow, she's just like me!" or "I didn't know that!". I find them interesting and fun, which is why I keep doing them, so I can keep learning more about you, and maybe you about me.

Here it goes!

Three Things That Scare Me:
1. heights
2. flying in a plane (wait, is that basically the same as #1?)
3. cancer

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. Kalina - she is the first person that comes to mind because the first time I met her (in 7th grade) she was making me laugh, and today, she still does. I swear no matter what kind of day she is having, she finds a way to laugh, and I admire that!
2. Neil - he has always made me laugh, but in a different way than Kalina. With him, he would say or do something funny and I would think "wow, I love him" and that was when I was 17 and today at 31 he still does it. (happy sigh . . . )
3. My kids. (Another happy sigh . . . )

Three Things I Love:
1. I have to 2nd Anissa's . . . taking pictures (duh!)
2. running through lush green grass barefoot
3. outdoor cafes with good coffee and good service (and then next to a boutique would make it perfection!)

Three Things I Hate:
1. the flu
2. sci-fi
3. dishonest people

Three Things I Don’t Understand:
1. why our house won't sell
2. war
3. why some people don't believe in God (I can't even imagine not believing and the feeling of how empty my life would be)

Three Things On My Desk:
1. about a dozen to-do notes written on post-its
2. my D200
3. a plate of food from Noah's kitchen (he told me to blow on it when he gave it to me "because it's hot, mommy")

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1. listening to the Disney Channel in the background
2. drinking my D. Dr. Pepper - my coffee is now gone for the day
3. waiting for the carpet guy to show up to stretch our carpet

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. open a studio (not located in my home!)
2. feel like I lived the best life I possibly could live
3. see my grandchildren born

Three Things I Can Do:
1. pick things up with my feet and toes (yesterday I picked up a ball!)
2. a cartwheel (talented, eh?!)
3. garden really well

Three Things I Can’t Do:
1. curl my tongue
2. a pull-up
3. have anymore children

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. God.
2. The Indigo Girls
3. stories that your grandparents tell you (and then write them down!)

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. An angry person.
2. Someone telling you they have the lowest price, because it means they don't.
3. Crickets! Oh my goodness, they will annoy you to death if you pay attention to them!

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1. how to knit something that can be used
2. how to use a sewing machine
3. how Martha Stewart does all things (and so well!)

Three Favorite Foods:
1. Coffee - I cannot go a day without it or I will just not survive. Seriously, it's true!
2. Grilled Chicken Salad from Robbie's (ask Alexis, it's the best salad you'll ever have!)
3. it's a tie: ice cream (ask Andrea and Kristin - this is always what we do when we get together - without a doubt every time!), and that red stuff!
* You must read Anissa's answers to these, because her #3 was the funniest thing I've ever learned from her - the things we do when we are pregnant!

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. Mister Roger's
2. Reading Rainbow
3. Mr. T, Facts of Life, Growing Pains, Cosby Show, Dukes of Hazzard, I could go on and on and on . . .

Three Things I Regret:
1. Not having a close relationship with my dad.
2. Having such a large wedding. Not so much wedding party, but I do regret the amount of people we invited. We invited over 400 and had about 350 show up. Way. Too. Many. So many of them we didn't even know - either one of us! If I were to do it over again, I'd probably get married on the beach with my closest friends and family like Kristin did. Having photographed so many weddings, I have the perfect picture in my head of what I would do if I were to do it over. But I have to just keep on living vicariously through others. I must admit, it's kind of fun!
3. Doing whatever I did wrong for 3 of my babies to die. (I'll always wonder . . .)

My turn to tag! I tag: Steph, Sognatrice, the mrs. m, tracey, and um, erin AND Amanda. So that was 6. Who's counting??

TGIF . . . Friday Five.

I got this meme from Manonica.

Friday Five MeMe

If moolah were not an object...

1. ... what computer would you buy?
Definitely and Apple, which I already have, but a bigger and better one like the MacPro . . . oooo . . it's so perty . . .

2. ... what cell phone would you want to have?
The apple iphone. It's a-mazing! Cell phone, internet, email, and ipod all in one but with simple navigation, and it's an apple . . . you couldn't ask for much more! (I couldn't anyway!)

3. ... what vehicle would you own?
VW Touareg

4. ... which one designer would you get a whole new wardrobe from?
Well, I'd pick a store, and there are lots of designers who design for this store . . . It's my absolute favorite and I would buy everything in the store if I could. And the winner is . . . Anthropologie.

5. ... what charity would you support for life?
Susan G. Komen for the Cure (of breast cancer)

Books

I'm stealing this from my good friend, Tori, over at Bunny's Babblings. I'm not going to do very good at this because while I loooove to read, I've not been too good at it lately. I'm trying to change that.

Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, and mark them as follows:
READ for those you’ve read;
WANT TO next to those you are interested in;
AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and loved, over and over;
REPEAT for those you’ve read more than once, without necessarily loving them;
MEH for stuff you read and weren’t impressed by;
STARTED for those that just never got finished;
and leave blank those you don’t care to read.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Want to
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) Again & Again
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) (sci-fi & fantasy does not interest me)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) Read
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) Want to
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) Read
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) Want to
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) Read
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Read
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) Want to
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) Read
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) Read
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) Read
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) Again and Again
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) Want to
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) Want to
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) Want to
45. The Bible Read; not the whole thing from front to back, but I wish I could say that I have.
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) Want to
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) Meh
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) Want to
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) Read
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) Read
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)Want to
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) Want to
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) Want to
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) Read
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) Read
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) Again and Again
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) Again and Again
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) Again and Again
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) Want to
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams) Read - Jen Francis sent this to me for Christmas! Love it!
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)Want to
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) Repeat
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) Want to
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Wow, I truly did awful! I knew my list would not be good, but that was baaaaaad.

Just 3 Words

01. Where is your cell phone? I don't know
02. Boyfriend/girlfriend? a darling hubby
03. Hair? naturally curly brown
04. Your mother? got her hair
05. Your father? he is gray
06. Your favorite item(s)? camera, computer, photographs
07. Your dream last night? I don't remember
08. Your favorite drink? Diet Dr Pepper, coffee, wine
09. Your dream guy/girl? brings me flowers
10. The room you are in? living room couch
11. Your fear? losing my family
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? happy, healthy, loved
13. Who did you hang out with last night? AmericanIdol & kids (dh had dinner meeting)
14. What are you not? awake and caffeinated (yet)
15. Are you in love? yes for always
16. One of your wish list items? beautiful Anthropologie rug
17. What time is it? it's before 9
18. The last thing you did? made some coffee
19. What are you wearing? pjs & cardigan
20. Your favorite book? Judy Blume books
21. The last thing you ate? blueberry granola cereal
22. Your life? amazing & beautiful
23. Your mood? tired & sick
24. Your friends? keep me going
25. What are you thinking about right now? kids coloring un-messingly
26. Your car? 2003 VW Passat
27. What are you doing at this moment? this meme, duh
28. Your summer? building our house (!!)
29. Your relationship status? married 8 years
30. What is on your TV screen? Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues
31. When is the last time you laughed? at kids yesterday
32. Last time you cried? when booking flight (don't ask)
33. School? college 5 years

Introducing myself through a picture montage

Fellow friends who blog - please check out the blog party! It is GREAT! I have had so much fun! I have met dozens of new friends and they are not only visiting me here, but they are visiting me at Grandma's Diary which excites me that I can share my history with so much of the rest of the world. Anyhow, I thought I would post another entry about the blog party and tell a little more about me, but in pictures . . . :) I love pictures and I think everyone loves pictures. If you don't, it's because you don't own a camera! If this is the case, email me. I have a couple I would give you just so you could take up the most wonderful hobby (or in my case "job") in the world! Ok, so maybe I shouldn't say that I will give away cameras, but my point is, GET ONE!

On to my photo montage . . .

This is me oh-so-pregnant at 33 weeks with my first child . . . this pregnancy was a true blessing from above after 3 years trying to conceive and 3 heartbreaking losses.

This time pregnant with my daughter at 33 weeks also - another miracle!

My son at around 9 months old.

And two little piggies, one being my daughter, at about 3 months old.

My hubby travels quite a bit with his job and went to Japan a few months ago. He is 6'4" so he towered every single soul in Japan making this picture quite hysterical.

My beloved grandpa passed away in October 2006. I still miss him with every ounce of my being and will forever so. He had a special bond with his great-grandkids. This was one of the last photos taken of him and his sweetie-pie.

I turned, gasp, 30 this past year and it was very difficult for me. But I brought it in in a fabulous way with dozens of my friends and family at my favorite restaurant. Couldn't have been better.

My life consists of lots of picture taking, not just of my friends and family but of my brides and grooms. I am a professional photographer and live for unique capturings such as this one. Lots of the older generations wonder why I would do such a thing as this, but my brides and grooms appreciate this unpredictable artsy side. It's really the only way in my life that I can be unpredictable because normally I'm very predictable!

And I also have a passion for photographing children in their natural environment. What fun it is to be a part of their lives for an hour or two and capture what their parents see from them on a daily basis. Couldn't be more real than that!

This past winter we experienced the worst ice storm in 30 years. This was our street and this is our car with a tree decorating it oh so nicely. (not.)

My loves: vintage things, girly things, pink & red things, yummy things, artsy things, photo things, ketchup-y things (see post below), coffee things, ecclectic things, decorating things, Diet Dr Pepper things, reading things, handwritten things, quotation things, and of course Godly things. The list can go on and on . . .

I am so blessed to have lots of friends. They each are so unique and compliment me in just the most perfect ways. They each do me such good as well as my family. I would not be me, Val, without them. I love meeting people and I love sharing experiences through life.

This is my daughter today - such a girly girl.

This is my son today - definitely made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

My family taken last May. I am truly blessed. Truly.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMemeNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Woo-hoo! I got tagged!

A - Available or married? Married.
B - Best Friend? Jen, Alexis, Nat and Heather, my hubby, my mom . . . I adore these people more than anything. And omg, I can't forget my sil, Chel!!!! Doh.
C - Cake or Pie? Cake. Chocolate cake.
D - Drink of choice? A good red wine.
E - Essential Item? Gosh, it's a big toss up between my mac and my Nikon! . . . probably the Nikon.
F - Favorite Color? Turquoise or Red.
G - Gummi Bears or Worms? Worms. I have childhood memories of eating the worms at softball games. Weird, I know.
H - Hometown? Does that mean where I live now, or grew up? If it's grew up, Argenta. If it's live now, Decatur.
I - Indulgence? Dairy Queen or Starbucks Frap. Isn't the best indulgence food?
J - January or February? January, I guess. We conceived two babies during that month. (hehe)
K - Kids & names? Noah William & Maia Elizabeth
L - Life is incomplete without? love.
M - Marriage Date? July 3, 1999
N - Number of Siblings? 1.
O - Oranges or apples? Apples. I hate the stringy-ness of orange pulp
P - Phobias/Fears? Flying, heights, grasshoppers (it's a farm thing that will haunt me forever!)
Q - Favourite Quotation? The best things in life aren't things.
R - Reason to Smile? the pidder-patter of my kids feet upstairs
S - Season? fall
T - Tag three people! Jamie, Michelle, & Lisa
U - Unknown fact about me: I have never seen the movie Titanic or the tv show Sex and the City
V - Vegetable you hate? Celery with a passion
W - Worst habit? popping my neck
Hey, where did X go?
Y - Your favorite food? Dark chocolate
Z - Zodiac? Pisces; sympathetic, sensitive, and compassionate

Tagged!

I was tagged by "She's A Betty" and didn't even realize it! So I guess it is my turn. Not sure I can think of more things that you maybe didn't know about me, but I will sure try.

Here's my new 5 things:

1. My brother is Puerto Rican, African-American and White all in one (quite a lovely mix, if I may say so myself!)

2. I was on a taste panel as a professional taste tester for almost 2 years

3. I broke my tail bone in high school while playing softball

4. I love folk music; it's secretly my favorite genre

5. When I was little I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up, then it changed to being an artist, then changed to an interior designer and then back to an artist. I never really said "I want to be a graphic desiger or photographer when I grow up" . . . those things just sorta happened.

So, now I tag these people to do a meme of "5 things you didn't know about me": Chel, Michelle, Alexis, Jennifer, and Tammy!

crazed about polls

I love lists . . . I love polls . . . so here ya go, another one.

1. Explain what ended your last relationship? I'm still in my last relationship...almost 8 years married, 13 together.
2. When was the last time you shaved? Two days ago - heck, I don't go anywhere!
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.? Getting out of bed because darling child woke me up.
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? Putting Maia down for her nap
5. Are you any good at math? I'm a lot better at it than people probably think.
6. Your prom night? My last one was when I was already graduated, and with Neil of course. Was strange for the fact that I was already out of school, but three other girlfriends were dating my hubby's friend's, so it made it pretty fun and memorable.
7. Do you have any famous ancestors? William Wallace!
8. Have you had to take a loan out for school? Gosh yes. Don'st most people? I am still paying on it, too. Can't WAIT to be done.
9. Do you know all the words to a song? Christmas songs, of course, and then some church hymns and then about a dozen I.G.'s songs as well as Depeche Mode's "Somebody"
10. Last thing received in the mail? Bills.
11. How many different beverages have you had today? 1: just coffee so far
12. Do you ever leave messages on peoples answering machine? Yes, and it's impossible for me to make them short.
13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? Embarrassed to say this, but The New Kids on the Block.
14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? Um, hello, of course!
15. What was the most painful dental procedure you have had? my last wisdom teeth removal about 6 weeks ago. I seriously thought I was going to die and went into panic mode.
16. What is out your back door? Our driveway and the neighbor's house.
17. Any plans for Friday night? None, we never do! We do for Sunday night, though!
18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? I don't remember the last time I went to the ocean to know the answer to this.
19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? My parents have.
20. Have you ever been to a planetarium? Yes, several. Love them!
21. Do you re-use towels after you shower? Um, yeah, don't most people?
22. Some things you are excited about? I'm excited for several reasons, one that I think we made a really huge decision in our lives. I can't wait to share.
23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? Probably cherry.
24. Describe your keychain. House keys, car keys, discount cards for petsmart, kroger, and hallmark. No keychain right now because the VW key ring takes up so much room.
25. Where do you keep your change? In my wallet and on the bottom of my purse and in piggy banks. I am so not organized.
26. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? Cracked to hear the kids.

"If you really knew me . . ."

Thank you, Corie, for such a great idea for a blog post. I'm stealing it from you and I hope you don't mind . . . actually, I know you won't mind cuz you are just so super cool like that.

If you really knew me, you would know . . .

. . . that I would prefer to go bare feet or wear flip-flops every day of the year if I could.
. . . that I like to eat ketchup on my eggs.
. . . that I hate confrontation.
. . . that I hate talking on the phone. I would much rather send a hand-written note or email.
. . . that I am very self-conscious, very sensitive, and I actually care very much what people think of me (not such good traits, but it's me).
. . . that there are actually only 4 foods, that I have stumbled upon so far in life, that I do not like: water chestnuts, celery, radishes, and oysters. If you knew me, you would know that I love asparagus, spinach, sushi, calamari, raw fishes, and yes, liver.
. . . that my biggest inspiration in life was my grandmother, grandma Libby, who I still think about daily even though she passed away 6 years ago. I miss her dearly and wish she was here to see her great-grandchildren. She would find them to be the biggest joy in her life, I know.
. . . that I am a farm girl at heart and always will be. I actually miss not having neighbors, having farm chores to do, having hundreds of acres to roam and explore, having dozens of animals, and living far from town forcing you to appreciate the peace and quiet, life in slower motion, and the beauty of this world. I really miss it.
. . . that I love Oprah and Martha Stewart and hope one day to at least see these marvelous women in person.
. . . that I am a huge advocate of breast cancer awareness. Both my grandmothers had breast cancer in both breasts, and had mastecomies because of it. I lost one grandmother because of breast cancer. The other one, although she was in remission after a double-mastectomy, passed away because of heart complications. I miss them so much. (My grandmother, the one with the heart troubles, is the one I share about in my blog "Grandma's Diary".)
. . . that Neil and I are high-school sweethearts. We have known each other for 22 years. We have been "together" for almost 13 and married for almost 8. He is still my best friend. He is also the most amazing daddy in the world. He goes above and beyond the call of duty as daddy and husband. I am so blessed. We all are.
. . . that I get very sentimental with things. I am very attached to memories, hence, maybe that is where my passion of photography and capturing moments so they stand still in time forever, comes from? I think it is. I have a really hard time letting things go. One day when we do move from the house, I know I will have a hard time. This is where I lost my 3 babies. This is where I had my two miracles. This is where we made our life. This is where my life has really grown.
. . . that I love to paint walls. I love to paint murals ON walls. I actually wish I had more time because I would probably take up painting on murals if I had it. I love art. I love drawing. I wish I had more time for it.
. . . that I don't cook very often even though I really enjoy it. I think it's partly because my kitchen is so tiny and not very efficient. It makes it nearly impossible to be a very good cook at times. My poor hubby. But thankfully he is patient with me and looking forward to giving me a bigger kitchen one day.
. . . that my friends are extremely important in my life. They always have been. I think that is why 7 of my dearest friends have been friends since kindergarten (or before). I try very hard at keeping in touch with every one of my friends who I have met in this journey of life. They are the ones who have kept me "going" time after time. They are very important in my life. I wouldn't have survived without them. (So take this as an official "thank you", guys. You know who you are!)
. . . that some of my very best friends I have met since becoming a mommy.
. . . that my mom is one of my best friends.
. . . that I love old Disney movies. They are some of my very favorites.
. . . that I miss my sister-in-law so much. I hope one day that we can live closer together. I hope regardless, that our baby girls can still grow up to be the bestest of friends.
. . . that I believe in blessings, that there are no coincidences. I also believe in miracles.
. . . that, like my friend, Corie, I LOVE QUOTES!
. . . that I have a really bad habit of picking the skin around my fingers. I find myself doing it when I am stressed or nervous.
. . . that I love to travel but absolutely hate to fly. It sends me into extreme panic.
. . . that I have a anxiety-panic disorder.
. . . that I love smells. I love the smell of plastic, I love the smell of new out of the package, I love to smell of my daughter's Cabbage Patch Kids and Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I have realized over time that these smells are actually connections that I have because they bring me back in time. A certain lotion smell reminds me of one of my spring break trips with my girlfriends, a certain shampoo reminds me of college, a certain smell reminds me of my youth. It's bizarre but kind of neat at the same time. (But Neil reminds me that this probably isn't very healthy, especially when I sniff plastic, haha.)
. . . that I remember names and faces really well and I can spell really well. (I even won some spelling competitions in grade school!) But I can't follow directions (like figuring out north-south-etc) very well. I also still can't remember my way around the mall that I've been going to since I was born. I am 100% right brained.
. . . that I love love love books and buy them all the time for myself and my kids. But I rarely ever actually sit down and read. I will read to my kids, but I hardly ever pick up a book to read even though I really do love to read. (Does that make sense?)
. . . that I am a home-body.
. . . that I have a disorganization problem.
. . . that I still hope to adopt one day. (We were in the process of adopting when I got pregnant with Noah.)
. . . that I take offense to things easily.
. . . that I love lists, I love filling out those questionnaires in magazines, I love getting surveys in the mail, I love filling out those postcards in magazines where you check what information you want to send off for. I love just getting mail! (I realized in college from one of my professors, that this is a right-brained creative thing!)
. . . that it's really hard for me to throw things away. I even keep retail store bags. You never know when you'll need'em, right? But even then, I just like the design of many of them. Another thing that my professor told me that us art (especially graphic art) people do.
. . . that I really enjoyed doing this blog entry.

5 things about me!

AJ tagged me in her blog post on "5 things about me". So, here are my 5 things you probably (maybe?) did not know about me.

1. I did't get even one stretch mark with either pregnancy (thanks to my genetics!).
2. I am addicted to coffee and have at least 3 cups a day (usually 3-5; and I'm drinking a venti Vanilla Latte from Starbucks right this second!).
3. I love ketchup and have found myself eating it straight from the packets at McDonalds (gross, I know, but hey, at least I am admitting it!).
4. I love to vacuum and do it at least once a day, sometimes twice.
5. I won Mrs Horsepower in high school - at one time believe it or not, I was strong and had great endurance. Yes, wimpy skinny me. (And AJ, I lettered in track in H.S. too! Man, we are SO cool.)

I’m tagging 5 people to do this meme - so here you go: Michelle, Jen, Corie, Cerella, & Anissa!

Christmas Q&A

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Egg nog - ewwww, definitely hot chocolate

2. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I like variety. One year I like white, the next I like red, the next I like variety . . . I have to have change.

3. Do you hang mistletoe?
Never have but I'll kiss ya anyway!

4. When do you put your decorations up?
Whenever we find time after Thanksgiving

5. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
my grandma's refrigerator mashed potatoes, my Aunt Sue's date roll or anything mom makes!

6. Favorite holiday memory as a child: When Chris and I first walked down the stairs at Christmas and saw all the gifts Santa brought

7. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I honestly don't remember! I think one of my friends told me. Probably Mandy, Kori or Kara (I'll blame it on you guys!).

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
nope, Christmas Day

9. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Different every year. This year it's colorful and kid-inspired

10. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love it! I have fond memories of making snowmen with my dad, making tunnels with my brother in the huge drifts on the farm, making snow angels with Neil, trekking through the snow with Frankie, and so on. I love it but if it never snowed again, I think I'd be happy, too.

11. Can you ice skate?
I use to be able to!

12. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Probably my Barbie swimming pool or play kitchen - I played with them endless times. Gosh, I'm such a girly-girl!

13. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
getting together with friends and family, making new family traditions, baking goodies, and reflecting on the Reason for the Season

14. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Anything rich and chocolately! Mmmmmm . . .

15. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
From when I was younger it was the Advent Calendar, church Christmas Eve, and going to grandma's house. Today it's driving around looking at Christmas lights. Hope to make more traditions as our kids get older.

16. What tops your tree?
A bow (corny, I know, but we have a small fake tree this year)

17. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Of course I like receiving presents but I LOVE buying for other people, surprising them with something that I put a lot of thought into.

18. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
O Come All Ye Faithful

19. Candy Canes! Yuck or yum?
I like them but I can only take so many. Prefer them in ice cream or atop my peppermint mocha coffee!

20. What Christmas gift do you hope to find under the tree this season?
The Sound of Music Anniversary Edition (Ok, i admit, it's my favorite movie!)

I added this one:
21. Do you say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"? Merry Christmas! I am so so so tired of the political correctness crap-ola. So not right in my opinion.

Merry Christmas!