Have I mentioned yet that my husband is fantastic? I mean, except for the fact that he pronounces “LOL” like it is an actual word, he completely is.

And we all already know that I’m full of myself and so, naturally, I wanted to print some of my work out as large as we could get it and hang it on our walls. I love many of the photos we took on our honeymoon, not just because we were at my favorite vacation spot but because we were there together. And we had a fabulous time, so much so that it has influenced our overall design scheme in our house (except for in our kids’ rooms).

We have – or want to have, if all of the seashells and back issues of Coastal Living are any indication – a coastal-inspired home. Which is a little ridiculous because we are landlocked and in the middle of farm country, but whatever.

A few months ago I decided I’d like some canvas prints of our wedding rings in the sand (which is also the wallpaper on my cell phone) and a shot of a lone seagull in the shore, watching the waves crash on the beach. I was going to just order them, but Darin said he could do it for a fraction of a fraction of the cost.

We chose 22×28″ for the ring photo, which is in the master bedroom, and 24×36″ for our little seagull friend. Husband had the canvas printed and purchased frames at Hobby Lobby for like, $1.69 each.

Last night, we had a little excitement as Darin, who used to be a framer, hooked his favorite wife up with two canvas prints. I shot the photos, he printed and stretched them. Go Team Day!

Forgive the poor quality of this photo. I was shooting with my old camera, minus the speedlite, and our lighting pretty much sucks when the sun goes down. I was trying to hurry because he didn’t want to wait for me to stage a photo. (Stretching canvas – ur doin it too fast, Mr. Day!)

Also, I was in the bathtub reading when I found out he what he was doing, so I drained the million gallons of scalding water, grabbed a towel, went to my car to get my cameras (I forgot to get them out! Eek!) and started snapping away.

And then, voila!

A canvas was born! I love how the shadow from our chandelier formed a heart on our little work of art! Or perhaps that is Darin’s heart beating out of his chest, all large and swirly, because he loves me so much? Yeah, that sounds good.

And this is BOB! Our little seagull friend. (He totally had to have a name!) We introduced him to the kids (or I did, because Darin would never introduce the kids to a photo, they have pills and straightjackets for that kinda thing, ya know?) at breakfast and Jenna goes, “Bob? Bob Seagull?” Her accent made it sound like she said Bob Seger. Ha! And when he is in trouble for like, pooping on my mantle or something, I will call him Robert Clark Seagull and he will sing me sweet blue-eyed soul melodies. I heart Bob. He was also my desktop wallpaper at work for months.

Did you also see my new boat? And my message in a bottle? We’re also rockin’ the sea oats on the mantle.

Opposite the fireplace, we have art! From Shanee! Plus shells we picked up on the beach at Duck, North Carolina (stored in Mason jars that came from my grandmother’s cellar), Bob’s stiff as a statue buddy (he needs a name!) and some little bud vases we got as honeymoon gifts. Bonus points if you know why we have those colors there. We’re Navy brats, what can we say?

We’ve actually had most of that there since August, I just never shared for whatever reason. (Probably because I’m lame.)

Since we moved in, we’ve had family photos on the mantle – an 11×14 family portrait from 2008, one of our engagement photos and the Easter portrait of the four kids. But Bob is now bogarting the mantle, so we are moving those to another wall. Well, the frames are being moved. Today I ordered our 2009 family portrait, a 5×7 of us kissing on the beach and an 8×10 of the kids from Hot Springs for the wall. I can’t wait to hang them because, drumroll please, it will look like we actually live in this house.

While I was ordering the photos, I realized that, aside from today when all I did was clean my daughter’s room and make meals my son hates, we really do have a good time as a family.

And the rings? Master bedroom, of course.

I adore this shot.

We actually worked together to produce the shot, too. (By the way, we used to have a collection of circular mirrors there.)

It’s hanging here, above our bed, as a reminder. Our fabulous honeymoon in North Carolina. Our vows, our commitment, our love and respect for one another. And the fact that we aren’t too shabby.

The rings are huge, though. I kinda want to take a pair of scissors to it, cut out Darin’s ring, and wear it around like a hat. And Emma could probably live inside the shell. LOL! (And no, that is not lowell, Darin, it’s LOL.)

The whole project set us back $4 – well, $16 if you count the staple gun and staples! See? I told you my husband rocks!

A few days ago my parents called and invited the kids to spent the night Saturday, which means date night for Mommy and Daddy!

In fact we had a double date night! We met up with Christa and John and headed down to Memphis for dinner and a movie. We sat and chatted at McAllister’s for quite awhile, then went next door to the Paradiso to see Book of Eli. It had mixed reviews, but we were all interested in seeing it, so … we did.

And? We each loved it! I don’t want to give the storyline away, but Eli (Denzel’s character) plays the hero trying to save humanity. The movie is graphic. The storyline is slow and somewhat mysterious. But that’s the point.

Denzel is walking. For decades. And in his possession he holds the very thing that will save the post-apocalyptic US. It’s pretty deep and Dara said it was preachy (she saw it Friday), but I didn’t think so.

The villian, to me, symbolized Pontius Pilate in a way. There is a scene that could symbolize Jesus on Calvary Hill and a resurrection. It’s an action movie with religious undertones. Okay, overtones. And the ending was predictable, but not. You know he’s going to be the savior. You know he’ll do the task set before him. But there’s a little twist you won’t expect. And it’ll make sense if you pay attention.

I want to talk about it, but I don’t want to give it away. It was really, really good, though.

Even better was the guy sitting next to Christa and the way he testified throughout the movie and encouraged Eli/Denzel not to fall out of the boat because, um, black people can’t swim (his words, only paraphrased in a way that won’t get me jumped).

We had such a great time with Christa and John, though! Darin tries to keep to himself, but he and John chatted the whole night (it was the first time they had ever really talked).

Darin and I determined that the last time we went on double dates was 2002 and 2005, respectively. And we had so much fun that we can’t wait to do it again! I smiled the whole way home because it’s so nice to have wonderful friends. Thank you, John and Christa, from the bottom of our hearts!

Today I went to church by myself – no kids, no husband – and really, really enjoyed the visiting priest’s sermon. She is different from our beloved priest who left a few weeks ago, but she is very deep. I loved her message, one which really spoke to me. She said that we, like wine within a grape, must be willing to be transformed into a sacrament. (You can guess that the lesson today was the first miracle at the wedding at Canaa). We need to open our hearts and let God in, let him transform us. It was really great.

Tomorrow the kids and I are off of school/work and I hope we can get down to the Civil Rights Museum, which is at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was shot. Jenna keeps asking if we are going to Martin Luther King’s birthday party! lol. She learns about Dr. King every year in school and actually corrected Jaiden the other day; Jaiden said, “What did he say? Yes we can?” and Jenna runs into the room screaming, “Nooo! Barack says that!” Ha. And she will march and say, “I have a dream! Dr. Martin Luther King!” SO cute! I videoed her doing that last year and never shared it; I’ll have to do it again this year.

I’ve had such a great day today.

On Tuesday, after being months overdue for a trim, I popped over to my salon and hair my hair done and my brows tamed. It’d been since before Thanksgiving since I’d seen Lisa, when I normally see her every three weeks, but she made it all better. And since I felt so great, I decided to do a little bit of shopping before going back to work. I must have been in an incredibly great mood because not only did I try on several items, but I left with a dress, a shirt and a necklace.

I couldn’t wait to wear the dress, but didn’t want to waste it on a Wednesday when I would be sitting in the office all day and need to be extra comfy. Oh no, I had to wear it on a Thursday (today!) with opaque tights and heels and invite danger. Of course I ended up going to the scene of an accident right down the road from the office. Never fails! For a little perspective, the last time I went out ot an accident or something on the side of the road was … November at least.

I am fortunate to have a pretty flexible dress code. Or a lack thereof, really. I typically come to work in jeans, a casual top and ballet flats. Sometimes it’ll get a little dressier, but not usually. All day long today I had compliments, though. It was pretty nice. I’m considering putting it back on tomorrow because I could use another ego boost. PS – I haven’t worn makeup in over a month, so I have been feeling a little frumpy lately.

See my lovely co-workers and me? We’re precious, we know. These are two of the best co-worker friends a girl could ever have. I’m happy to have them, plus my other co-worker friends, in my life. I have a hard time fitting in and they make me feel like I do. I have many acquaintances here and at least 10 people I know I can count on for anything (and I hope that feeling is reciprocated). Whether I’ve run out of gas, need to borrow a ladder, need someone to talk to, I have someone I can go to. I don’t mean this to detract from other friendships, but I am overwhelmingly happy to have these relationships and I want to say that out loud. I thank God for you all every single day.

Incidentally, I’m feeling a little sick today (sore throat again), but even in spite of that and a few other annoyances, it’s been such a great day. And a great night, too!

Tonight at cheerleading Jaiden decided to show her coaches a cheer she made up, which involves sitting criss-cross-applesauce (Indian style for the non-PC folks) and clapping the floor while spelling out RAMS, and the coaches decided to add it to their repertoire! How exciting, right? I know she was proud. They spent about 15 minutes trying to get the cheer down and she had a huge grin on her face the entire time. I’m so proud of her!

Later, I was on Facebook and I was asked about a possible wedding gig. And while I was chatting with that person, I checked my messages and had another request for information in my inbox! Totally put a smile on my face. Especially since I booked a March wedding just two days ago. I would love to book all of these weddings. Just to be considered and referred is wonderful.

After a day like this, it’s hard not to go to bed with a smile on my face.

Though I feel guilty for saying so, because so many did not, we had an excellent 2009. In fact, it was one of the best years of my life between getting married, going on an excellent honeymoon and being able to hang on to ours jobs despite the economic downturn.

And two weeks ago, on a whim, we decided to plan a bonfire for New Year’s Eve, burning Christmas trees, making s’mores and enjoying our friends.

Of course, a little alcohol was involved. Which was much-needed (at least for me) yesterday. We spent hours under the blue moon and in front of a roaring fire talking, joking and trying to stumble back up our steep, muddy hill for refills.

A few of the kids enjoyed staying up late and a few of them enjoyed a makeshift tent in one of the bedrooms. Which, if you have never tried to construct while drunk, it’s a little difficult. lol.

We missed the ball dropping, but the fireworks from the neighbors let us know when 2009 had officially become history. I was so happy to be surrounded by good friends (and of course family). It was a great way to start a new year, a new decade.

And It was the best New Year’s Eve ever! I hope we get to do it again next year. (Perhaps the best thing was that my husband wore a Happy New Year tiara and necklace ALL NIGHT! lol. If you knew him, this would be hilarious, because it’s SO out of character!)

Hope you have the happiest of new years!

I have been loving playing with my new camera. Unfortunately, Mother Nature still has a few months before she puts on her Sunday best, and it’s too damn cold outside anyway, so I’ve limited my experiments with the Baby Nikon to the confines of my home. (Okay, so my house, my parents’ house and our truck.)

I shot with my Canon XTi for nearly three years and got too used to shooting in shutter-priority (which means the shutter speed is your priority, which you change, and the camera finds the best aperture for you) and so this afternoon I decided to play with aperture a little bit. Enter the paperwhites we’re forcing! The only live flowers we have right now. We have pretty decent afternoon light in our dining room, where the flowers are located. I was excited to play with the macro mode as well, because the Canon’s macro was less than stellar. This one? Pretty good. See how delicate the flowers are? It translates well here. I love it!

Quite honestly, I am so excited to have a lens that FOCUSES. Okay, one that does ANYTHING. I got sand or salt water (maybe both?) in my camera while we were on our honeymoon and over the last few weeks it has done nothing but stick. You couldn’t change a thing without forcing it. Such a pain in the butt.

And now, at long last, a beautiful new Nikon and a lovely new lens! (I love my husband!)

Another bonus? This camera has several different modes on it, which I found accidentally by pressing buttons and turnings dials. Behold, candlelight mode:

I sat on a step in my parents’ breezeway and took this last night. Just point, shoot and you’re done! How awesome, right? There’s also food mode, high key, low key, pet portrait, etc. All of this means this camera is like a DSLR for dummies. Coupled with the video feature, this is like a point & shoot and a DSLR rolled into one. I am SO GLAD I finally have a DSLR with video capabilities as this was one of the drawbacks when I got my Canon (though I now have a camcorder).

I still need to play with the other features, but I am SO EXCITED to have the new camera. We found out we can set the camera up to shoot photos at intervals, so we want to see if we can put it in our woods one night to try and capture photos of deer. We’ll see (probably too dark, though).

Anyway! Just showing off some pointless photos. I’m offering the paperwhites photo as a free 1280×1024 wallpaper download if you’d like (free is always nice!). It’ll work with Mac or Windows; just click on the link and download. If you’re not sure how to change your wallpaper, leave me a comment and I’ll give you directions. Enjoy!

Have you ever taken a giddy 13-year-old to see anything related to Twilight? Because I can tell you, you’re surely in for some fun, some giggles, some excitement and some squeals of joy if you do!

Tonight the four of us – me, my co-worker Sara and our boss’s daughters, Lauren and Erin – met up with another co-worker for dinner. We discussed the movie and the series (and 13-year-old Erin’s excitement!) over Mexican, then hit up the dollar store for some cheap snacks (yeah, I just admitted that) before the movie. Gwen didn’t come along to the movie (not a Twilight fan).

Sara and I purchased tickets during lunch today, thankfully, but we still had to wait in this colossal line before the movie started (because the other one in our theater hadn’t ended). HUGE LINE! So Lauren and I went to grab some popcorn and drinks (those alone were way too pricey!) while Sara and Erin waited. And then! FINALLY! The moment Erin has been waiting for! We went INTO THE THEATER! *SQUEE!*

Seriously: her giddiness was half the fun of seeing the movie. Also? I have never been to a movie on its release date. The theater was crazy! The Blind Side also debuted and, having taken place in nearby Memphis, a lot of people were seeing that one as well.

But back to New Moon!

The movie, I have to say, was GREAT! I wasn’t expecting much, honestly, because Twilight really sucked (I’m sorry, it just did). New Moon is a HUGE improvement over its lackluster predecessor. Great special effects, great acting, great soundtrack and WOW, the chemistry between Jacob and Bella! (And have you seen Jacob?) It wasn’t 100 percent depressing or serious, either; some puns and jokes were thrown in, which was great. The movie followed the book pretty well. And the ending? Another WOW. Talk about cliffhanger. Of course I’ve read the books, so I know what’s going to happen (which also made this movie a little painful, knowing what’s going to happen before it does).

While watching it, I was reminded of my emotions when I read the book and how much I wanted Bella to choose Jacob. Obviously I’m on Team Jacob. Edward kinda creeps me out. Lauren, who’s 7 and also on Team Jacob, pointed out how hard and labored Bella’s breathing is when she’s around Edward and how normal she is around Jacob (she actually said Bella acts like a drunk around Edward lol). Sara and Erin are Team Edward, but I think Jacob’s ripped abs and his chemistry with Bella may have them switching teams. Ha ha.

Definitely a fun way to spend the evening! I’m very much looking forward to Eclipse, which Erin tells me premieres in June. Bless her heart, she’s already counting down the months! (And Erin, gotta love her, took pictures with the movie poster! lol.)

This is how I feel after these last few weeks.

And then I haven’t blogged in forever, so now I have to do a big ‘catch-up’ post and that is overwhelming, too. Sigh. Ready or not, here we go …

I took the day off of work Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) to chaperone a field trip with Jaiden’s class. After what has been a tumultuous few weeks at work, it was a welcome break. Typically I feel guilty when I take off, but my sanity was more important. And my daughter much more so.

It was so much fun to spend time with her and her friends. We walked around the Memphis Botanic Gardens all morning and visited station after station of activities for the kids. The girls in our group had such a fun time planting little plants, watching a puppet show, dying coffee filter flowers and especially making little wildflower butterflies. We had a picnic under the trees with the entire first grade, plus other students from other schools also visiting the gardens on Earth Day.

My favorite part was when she told a few of her friends, “This is my mom!” while telling them something about me getting off of work to go on the field trip or something. I honestly cannot remember because I was looking at my almost 7-year-old and wondering how we got here, to this point, so soon? It seems like just yesterday she was a baby. (more…)