A Blog On A Stick

Snow!

2011-11-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Commencing Halloween pictures in 3....2....1...

2011-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Summer In The Backyard*

2011-06-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

*aka "Most Original Post Title Ever"

Under (Shower) Pressure

2011-06-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

*She was rocking to Queen's "Under Pressure"

Broken record

2011-04-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

How is Kate still sick?

She sleeps.

She wakes up.

Then Colin comes home from school and we're happy.

A bath is like a vacation. Except you don't go anywhere. And you're naked.

2011-04-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Kate has the stomach flu. That means I've logged some serious time sitting next to the bathtub. We decided to ramp it up today and added goggles.

Best. Bath. Ever.*

*direct quote

Love Letters

2011-04-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Dear April in Colorado,

Are you %*#)@#$ serious? It was EIGHTY-FIVE DEGREES yesterday and it's SNOWING today? I don't want to wear waterproof boots anymore and I WON'T. Don't mess with me, Mother Nature. You will lose every time.

Dear April in Hawaii,

I miss you.

Dear Blake,

Thank you for taking this picture and for encouraging me to make snow angels in my swimsuit and then photographing it. My butt is still cold.

Dear Legs,

Stop being so white.

Love,

Me

The upside

2011-04-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

The only upside to your small person spewing taco puke all over your kitchen is the possibility of daytime bath photos.

Still not that great.

This is Kate...

2011-04-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

...and she never, EVER stops moving.

Loinfruits.

2011-03-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, I missed these dorks.

Getting My Feet Wet.

2011-01-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm.....this blog thing has died down for me. Let's try reeving (revering? You know, the sound your car makes. Rrrrrrrrr?)

Because you Friendternets know about my fixation with photos, let's throw some of those in too. To get the (enter car noise here) going.

In the last SEVEN (!) months we've moved to Colorado, I've become a running machine, lost 30 pounds beeyotches, totally fell in love with my family all over again (News flash: My kids are the greatest. Sorry about your duds.)

I love it here. Sure, everyone is high off medicinal marijuana but it's all good.

Begin random picture showing: NOW! (feel free to comment on how big my boobs look and how skinny my waist is. It seems to be an optical illusion going on up in here)

That's all you get for tonight. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

The one where my husband leaves for three weeks and I almost make out with blueberries.

2010-07-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS!

Did you know how CHEAP produce is here compared to Hawaii?

Did you know how everything tastes DIFFERENT?

Did you know that I made tomato sauce from scratch and almost got naked with it in my kitchen?

*There'd be more pictures, but I suck at this food photography thing. And it was starting to feel porn-y.

Road Trip

2010-07-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet friends! Boy, has it been quiet around here.

Did I mention we moved to Colorado? We flew to San Diego and then drove through Arizona, Nevada and Utah. I loved every minute of it. The United States has amazing landscapes and small towns--it makes me want to head out in a Winnebago and explore!

I looooove taking pictures.....

2010-05-05T02:51:00.000-07:00

....but it seriously cuts into blogging time.

well, there goes the "candy-free" holiday

2010-04-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten about the neighborhood Easter egg hunts when I declared this Easter candy-free (and don't think Blake hasn't huffed and puffed about it being that way too)

Exhibit A: Colin's chocolate-stuffed face.

Exhibit B: Kate's loot.

Exhibit C: Blake trying to figure out which candies he can nab without Kate noticing.

In unrelated news, Kate got this tiny little pink mixer and if it really mixed things I think I would steal it away. She put on a cooking show for us tonight and my head just about exploded with awesome.

*side note: We leave Hawaii in 67 days. That's not a lot of days.

link-o-rama

2010-03-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

*image via the purl bee

*I've decided this Easter is going to be candy-free. My kids aren't super interested in the crappy Easter candy anyway. I'm going to make these jelly bean bags during new episodes of "Lost". And since I'm buying all this felt, I might as well squeeze these in too.

*I've been reading this book, and found these "happy tickets" as a reward system. Works like a charm and seriously, how cute are they?

*image via ambrosiagirl

*Did you watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution? I might have watched it, gone shopping and now have an entire fridge of green things. Bok choy, anyone? Find more of his recipes here.

*Kate's favorite toy yesterday? An egg. The day before that? A red pepper. I really just think she is the funniest little thing ever.

*I took pictures of a friend's baby last weekend. I don't want another baby.....but I really wish she would have thrown up on me just to seal the deal. And not smelled quite as good.

*passed out in between poses.

scenes from this morning

2010-03-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Photo Friday: Positive/Negative Space

2010-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today's Photo Friday can be done no matter what type of camera you have! We're talking about positive and negative space.

Negative space is defined as "the space around the subject of an image." and positive space is your actual subject. If you're more visual, in the photo below the black area is negative space and the baby is the positive space . Areas of a picture that contain "nothing" are important visual elements that provide balance in an image.

Why do we care about this? Sometimes I think we are so caught up in just TRYING TO GET THE PICTURE that we forget about the space around our subject. Especially with children, I think having negative space around them makes them look little (and helps us focus on their faces instead of our unfolded laundry in the background) Don't forget to look up or down to find some clean spaces--sometimes the sky or even your carpets work great!

Used correctly, your negative space should compliment not compete with your subject.

Settings note: Having your camera set to a lower aperture also helps to blur out your background and really make your subject stand out as that positive space.

The Image Is Found are photographers who ROCK at positive/negative space. This session for example.

A couple examples:

Go out and try it!

{this is where I would write something about making negative space a positive experience, but I won't. That would be cheesy}

Kate: Two Ways

2010-02-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

Silent.

LOUD!

Those seem to be the only two settings she came with.

Photo Friday: Adding Contrast In Photoshop

2010-02-13T17:36:00.001-08:00

Hey! I guess I don't do regular updates on this blog anymore. Photo Fridays are just so much more fun.

I had a questions about which type of editing software to use (Picasa vs. Photoshop Elements vs. Photoshop Premier?) I personally have Photoshop CS3. It took me a long time to figure out how to use it and still I think I only use about 10-15% of it. I think Photoshop Elements is a great place to start with basic editing to your pictures.

That being said, I was recently at a friends house and got to play around with her Lightroom program. IT IS SO EASY! I would say if you want to quickly be able to edit your pictures without learning a bunch of Photoshop talk, give Lightroom a try. You can even download a trial at the Adobe website.

Today I'm going to show you how to add contrast to your pictures in Photoshop.

In Photoshop go to Image --> Adjustments --> Curves

Once in there, you'll see a box like this ...

See the way the line curves? That's called an S-Curve. To get that, click on the line right in the middle. Photoshop will put a dot where you click. After the first click, click again to the left of that one (there is a dot where I put mine) and pull it 'til the line makes an "S." You'll see the photo changing as you do this and after a little playing with it, you'll be a contrast adding pro.

Here's the thing. I use my contrast very sparingly on color pictures. I don't think I would have added quite this much contrast if I wasn't showing it as an example.

Black and white pictures is where I really think contrast shines. I love deep, dark black tones and bright whites. So here's what I do--I convert my pictures to black and white first, using Images --> Adjustments --> Black and White.

I know! This kind of a flat, blah black and white. Use the same method I explained above to add contrast to your black and whites. Again, for this picture just a small amount of contrast works.

See? Much better, right?

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd also love to hear anyone's experience about various editing programs!

Photo Friday: ISO

2010-02-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

Warning: Photo Fridays are random. If you have a question and would like me to answer, leave it in the comments or email me. The email button is over there! ---------->

Links to more camera subjects at the bottom of this post.

Today I'm talking about ISO.

The acronym ISO refers to the International Standards Organization. But we really don't care about that. In basic terms, ISO is a way to adjust how sensitive your camera is to light.

Check out your camera's manual and see how to change your ISO setting. You'll see a few options. 100 is the lowest ISO for most digital cameras and 800 is the highest for most non-pro DSLRs.

If you set your camera on the lowest ISO (100) you are telling your camera that you have lots of light to work with. This is a great setting for a sunny day, shooting outdoors. If you don't have quite that much light (for example if you're outdoors, but it's cloudy) you should bump your ISO up a little, to the next setting (200). Heading indoors? Better go up to 400. You might even need to go all the way up to 800or 1600 if your camera will let you, depending on how much indoor lighting you have. By setting the camera on a higher number, you're telling the camera "Hey, I don't have much light to work with here, so I need to you to be really sensitive to what light there is!"

Are you thinking "Why do I need to worry about ISO when I have my flash? Flash brightens everything!" Because flash sucks.

Most people have cameras with flashes that pop up whenever there isn't enough light to shoot with. Direct, on-camera flash is the worst thing you can do to your photos. It's harsh, it's unnatural looking and doesn't it totally make whoever you're photographing blind? Stop using it. Instead of popping the flash up, change your ISO. Your results will be better, I promise.

One downside about shooting at high ISOs is the "noise". The higher ISO you use, the grainier (or noisier) your photos will be. Here's an example of a photo shot at different ISOs. See how the grain (noise) increases as you take your ISO higher?

For me, the trade-off is totally worth it. I'd rather have my image a little grainier than use that blasted flash.

Here's a recent example. While at the Experience Music Project, my family was recording a fake CD. It was really dark, but the light in the sound booth was this awesome pink color. If I had used my flash, it would have blinded Colin and blown out the existing light. Flash=suck.

So I bumped up my ISO to 6400 and shot! Sure, it's a little grainier than usual but to me it's a great trade-off.

Get out your cameras and play with your ISO. Feel free to link to some of the pictures you took!

Learn more about aperture here and shutter speed here.

Photo Friday: Lenses

2010-01-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

At Bad Girls Weekend I was asked several questions about photography. I took several notes of questions some of the woman had and hopefully will start doing Photo Friday again to answer them.

Fingers crossed.

Today: Lenses

People email me all the time about camera recommendations. I usually tell new-er photographers to grab a Canon Rebel XTi but stress that your lenses are really a more important part of your camera. Most of the time the lenses that come as part of a camera kit are crap--I recommend buying the camera body by itself and then adding lenses.

So how do you pick a good lens? First, you have to think of what you'll be shooting. Do you want to shoot your kids playing outside on the playground? A newborn snuggled up? A flower garden begging for a close-up? Once you know what you want to shoot, it's easy to pick a lens based on focal length (how much you can zoom in) and aperture (how blurry you want the background to be) Don't zone out on me--I'll explain!

Focal Length

Every lens has a focal length. That is how close or far away from your subject you can shoot. Grab your camera and look at the lens - on the front where the glass is, there are some numbers and the letters mm.

If your lens has two numbers, like 18-55mm, that means it's a "zoom" lens. With a zoom lens, you can shoot things close to you and farther away. Many beginning lenses--especially if you got it with a kit--are zooms.

If it has just one number, like 50mm, that's called a "prime" lens. I love to shoot with prime lenses, mostly because they make me move around and I get new and different angles than if I shoot with a zoom. You can't zoom in and out, but that's what your feet are for!

Aperture

Aperture is one of those things that scares people! It sounds confusing but it's really not that tough to figure out. Trust me, if I can do it--you can do it!

Apertures are the same thing as F-Stops, so if you see an F before a number (like F8), we're talking about your aperture. The simplest way to explain apertures is this: the smaller the aperture number, the blurrier your background will be. The bigger the aperture number, the more in focus everything will be.

Think about what you want to shoot. Do you want a photo of your baby's toes, up close with the background blurry? Set your aperture on it's lowest number and zoom in close. Are you trying to take a photo of all the kids and the dog in front of your house? Set the aperture on a higher number to keep it all in focus.

An exercise: Change the dial on your camera to A or AV mode and change the aperture to the lowest number it will let you (check out your camera manual on how to do this) Shoot something still and see how it looks. Now change your aperture to a bigger number and shoot a few more. See how everything looks more in focus? Play with it and you'll start to understand it better!

A fantastic lens is the Canon 50mm (focal length) 1.8 (aperture) which is around 100 dollars! Nikon makes a 50mm too!

I use my 50mm 1.8 all the time! See in the picture of Kate below--just part of the picture is in focus? That's the 1.8 aperture. If I would have had it at a higher aperture (like 4 or 6) more of her body and background would be in focus.

Does that help at all? If you have any other lens questions, I'll answer them in the comments!

iPhone Pictures

2010-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

*all pictures using ShakeItPhoto for the iPhone.

Vacation Pictures: North Carolina

2010-01-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

After Seattle, Jen I went to Bad Girls Weekend. That alone deserves it's own post (coming soon) It was (as has been recounted on MANY other blogs) AMAZING!

And, oh the babies! So many chubby, gurgling six-month old babies. I might have gone a little baby crazy if I hadn't been puked on several times. Instant birth control.

We visited a house there called WhaleHead Club. Some crazy duck-shooting woman and her husband lived here. Together they were rich and shot and skinned ducks. Somehow I think the tour guide there wanted us to get more out of it. We did sneak off into several dark spots during the tour--which just ended up being basements.

More coming soon!

Vacation Pictures: Seattle

2010-01-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Seattle was AMAZING! We stayed with our good friends the Eggers. It was rainy, cloudy and cold--in short, PERFECT! I loved being able to wear pants without sweating, seeing snow on the mountains and showing the kids around Seattle.

We went to the Experience Music Project downtown and had a family jam session. Let's hope the CD of us ~~yowling~~ singing never makes it into public circulation.

Saw the local tourist traps. Colin didn't believe the throwing fish at Pike Place Market was an actual thing--we showed him!

Viva Seattle!

If I die, direct Blake to the freezer.

2009-12-29T23:58:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessed with freezing things lately.

I think it started with burritos. Did you know you can make your own frozen burritos? I hate normal frozen burritos (leads back to my hatred of lame cheese and beans. Beans. Gag.) I'll link the good stuff--I don't think you guys care about my frozen flax seed muffin recipe.

Frozen burrito ideas here and here.
Frozen cookie/cookie dough here.
Frozen homemade french fries here.
Frozen meal ideas here.

*Ooooh, if you make burritos, use this Mexican rice recipe. It's amazing. Or use this crock pot chicken recipe.

Freeze on, friends.

Behold, The Funniest Picture Of All Time.

2009-12-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is Blake getting hit in the nuts by Colin's elbow.

Yes, he's probably going to kill me for posting this.

Yes, I've snorted every time I see this.

*Photo Credit: Deann B Photography (mostly because I begged her for this picture)

Rain Gutter Shelves

2009-12-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

My rain gutter shelves turned out awesome. Blake thought it was super weird that they weren't made out of wood. Or something that is designed to go on the inside of your house. Whatever.

We did them in Colin's room too. Just imagine this shelf, but filled with Star Wars books. They rule.

hot and not.

2009-12-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hot. I made homemade granola using this recipe (What? Guys think making granola is hot. Haven't you heard the expression "Check out that girls granola making skills in that dress?")

Not. I got too interested ~~reading Jane Austen~~ playing the Wii, that it burned. Doesn't look to bad--taste like burnt wood chips.

Hot. I swear to you the entire Internet in on sale right now. Glittery (can you be glittery on the Internet?) sale signs. Buy this!

Not. I'm broke.

Hot. My family could so kick your family's ass.

*Photo credit: Deann B Photography

Hot. I would like to have her hair (not the roots, just the bottom part)

Hot. I have just hit the motherload for Christmas inspiration.

*Photo credit: Someone who is not me.

Not. Christmas is over (have you heard?) Internet, remind me next year.

Hot. Blake is building these for me today.

Not. After his nap.

What are your Hot and Nots?

i've assembled so many lego sets, i don't have the brain power left for post titles.

2009-12-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

Kate Sick, Life Closed.

2009-12-14T01:04:00.000-08:00

"That's What She Said"

2009-12-10T01:58:00.000-08:00

Check out some of our family pictures at our fabulous photographers blog!

Deann B Photography Blog

Tell me what you think--although I'm holding strong at "AWESOME!"

PS If you are in San Diego and want aweeeeeesome pictures, look her up. Yeah, I'm talking to YOU!

Did you know?

2009-12-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Did you know that if you are six years old and wish hard enough, it (sort of) snows in Hawaii?

Did you know that we leave for our Washington vacation in 33 days?

Did you know Kate has never ever been colder than 65 degrees?

Did you know that Colin says everything is "boring"?

Did you know that if you squeeze your eyes tight enough to pretend to be taking a nap, moms are always fooled?

Did you know that Blake is coming home from Japan tomorrow?

Did you know I'm probably going to jump him in the airport?

Did you know every time I think about Colin's freckles I have to kiss them?

Did you know this is Kate's favorite book?

Well? Did you?

Saving the world, one backyard at a time.

2009-11-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

Cape found here. We also have this one.

Kids dressed as food? Yes, please.

2009-11-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Colin's school had their annual Thanksgiving play. Seriously? You want to die because of the cuteness of these costumes, right? Yeah, me too.

*Colin was asparagas. Go Colin!

How To Make Kids Laugh

2009-11-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

Say "I'm going to take your picture in 5 seconds. 5, 4......9, 27, 143"

I swear to you--it works every time.

*I have more posts coming up. But today I worked out and never showered and I smell like armpits.

We might just be the cutest ever.

2009-11-01T21:19:00.000-08:00

*if anyone has to know, we were making a "kid sandwich" by mushing them together. According to Colin, he is turkey and Kate is cheese.

**Photo Credit: Deann B Photography

My Halloween is not PC.

2009-10-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

I was making these little "mummy" hot dogs and halfway through wrapping them it occurred to me....

...doesn't it look like I just made a bunch of little terrorists?

"What's up Aamir?"

"I don't know Quasid! The white woman is going to COOK us! I'm freaking out!"

*do pictures of uncooked hot dogs and dough make you feel a little sick too?

You Shot Me!

2009-10-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

Things that happened at our family photo shoot:

1. Our brilliant photographer got a taste of the part of paradise they don't tell you about. The traffic.

2. Blake licked the side of my face.

3. We played peek-a-boo under a blanket while tourists stared. Dumb tourists.

4. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

5. I wore a flannel shirt in 90 degree weather with 9,000,000% humidity.

6. We sweated. A lot.

7. The session ended with both of my children butt naked in the ocean.

Awesome.

*Okay this is my plug for YOU to have your family pictures taken. There are TONS of photographers out there. Email me--tell me where you live and I will find one for you. Get your pictures taken. Go outside and have fun. Even if your husband licks your face and you laugh so hard you have a double chin and maybe pee your pants a little.

**Do it.

*Photo Credit: Deann B Photography

.static.

2009-10-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Sad Readers of this Blog,

I suck. I'm sorry. SiteMeter says there are still a few depressed readers that still stop by this place. I can't imagine why. For you--I apologize. I'll try to get something fantastic up soon.

For now, want to see some vacation* pictures?

*is it still a "vacation" with two old people who only talk about food and have to have constant bathroom breaks? Yeah, ask me the story about the "NO RESTROOMS!!!" lava walk. Yikes.

I now pronounce you....

2009-09-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

...potty-trained!

Now I realize that potty-training at three hardly makes her a kid genius, but isn't there a sense of pride when your kid gets it? "Oooooh, so I don't pee in my pants and poop on the carpet?" (true story)

My last baby is potty-trained. All hail the poop gods.

Camping: Boys Style

2009-09-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

The best salad ever. I really wish I was eating this right now.

We painted with our lights. The boys said this one looked like a dragon--I totally agree.

*No, we haven't traded Kate in for a cute Asian kid. Kelly is Colin's best friend. After camping with him though, I think he'd fit right in. {read: he can rock a burping contest}

**Also, buy your kids light sticks when you go camping. Especially if those kids are six-year old boys who love Star Wars.

Guess Who's Coming?

2009-08-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

MY MOM!

Guess what we'll be doing?

*My husband has a great sense of humor. I hope.

**My mom is not that tanned (bad photo taking) and I'm not that white. Okay, I am that white. You're MEAN.

Today I Wish I Was My Cat.

2009-08-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Blurb.

2009-08-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'm making these little books for Kate and Colin chronicling* their daily activities. Since Kate is still potty-training, much of hers involves bathtime.

*ask me how long it took for me to spell "chronicling".

nap time.

2009-08-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Guess who?

2009-08-21T02:34:00.000-07:00

So I'm in the process of backing up our old pictures (again) (do you back your pictures up? You'd better!) and was dying over these pictures of my kids. Can you guess which is which?

*before you think you're too clever for me, just remember Colin was supposed to be a girl until the day he was born so we were pretty loose with the "this is a boy outfit vs. girl outfit" for awhile.

*this was also on FILM!?! Remember film? Take the picture, wait a week, go get the picture? I don't miss it at all!

spotted at my house.

2009-08-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Eat Your Veggies

2009-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

*food? Seriously hard to take pictures of.

Veggie Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 sliced red bell peppers*
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Pepper
1 French Baguette
1 pkg Sun Dried Tomato Feta (crumbled)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix mayo, garlic & lemon juice. Set aside in refrigerator.
Combine all veggies on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Turn on broiler. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Slice baguette in half length-wise.
Spread mayo mixture on both sides of bread & top with feta.
Place in broiler for 2-4 minutes.

Top one side of baguette with grilled veggies.
Place other side of baguette on top.

Enjoy!

*The orginal recipe called for 1 red pepper, but I love me some peppers. I also roasted those mini bell peppers you get at Costco. Yum.

**Looking for new recipes? Try here and here.

No Way.

2009-08-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

No way. No way has it been 2 1/2 weeks since I've posted. Those dates are wrong. Blogger is so lying to you. Which is something I would never do.

We've had birthdays up the wahzu. Colin's, Kate's and Blake's. Did I take pictures of them? WHAT? You'll have to repeat yourself. Oh, I'm losing you.....the....connec....not....goodby......

I've exploded with summer reading. You should read this book--it's my new favorite.

I know I've complained about this before, but I'm kind of overrun with photo shoots. I feel like I'm pretending--I'm not really a photographer. It's like I'm holding up a toy rocket ship screaming, "HEY! Now I'm an astronaut!"

Good thing the families are really, really ridiculously good-looking.

I can't stand it! So cute! A wuzza wuzza! NOM! NOM! NOM!

Colin's what would happen if a can-can girl took a sudden and intense interest in soccer. Also she'd have to be into junk-grabbing. Whether or not he makes contact with the ball is questionable, but you've got to sit back and admire that form.

We had our church camp.

During the course of the week one of the members was teasing her husband about them not being pregnant. He proceeds to yell across the whole camp "A MAN CAN ONLY MAKE SO MANY DEPOSITS AT THE BANK IN ONE DAY!" I'm pretty sure my ass is still at camp, because I. Laughed. It. Off.

Here's the group camping closest to us. Of course, I'm taking the pictures so I drew myself in. Awwww, Blake and I look so good together.

I've been ~~forced~~ volunteered to learn a Maori dance & song for a upcoming show. Okay, since we're being honest here, I'm totally tickled that I get to do anything like this. White girls--we don't do the dance so good. Here's a similar dance; I can handle this right? Although I'd rather be doing the Haka. (growl)

Did I mention there were photo shoots?

But to be honest?

I kind of love it.

"I thought I might die. On beach day."

2009-07-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

Don't tell me the Jacobson men don't know how to compete!

Very Wee Man never stood a chance.

Who's with me?

2009-07-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a petition to extend summer for at least four more months.

Vacation.

2009-07-15T01:20:00.001-07:00

Highlights included:

Staying at the best hotel ever. Huge rooms, huge beds, huuuuuge tubs. Water slides, pirate ships, lazy rivers. If you are ever in Maui, stay here.

He was thrilled.

During our boating trip, I had decided if one Dramamine was good, four was better. Twenty minutes later found me wandering a mall ~~a little more buzzed than a good Mormon girl should be~~ high. I then decided while ~~buzzed~~ high that I need a insanely large rimmed hat. Think Kentucky Derby size. The saleslady said I looked like a tall Aubrey Hepburn. I think it was a good look for me.

Once we got on the boat it all worked out. Colin was afraid of actually snorkeling (i.e. the whole reason for the boat ride and drugged state) so I ended up dragging him through the ocean on a floatie with a window to see the fish. Also, I didn't vomit. Score!

My left boob made a sudden and unexpected appearance at a public beach. If you're my Facebook friend, you already know that. Also, Blake doesn't know so let's just keep it between us. Hi, honey!

(Really, I blame Costco for the boob thing. Them and their swimsuit they stick on life-size clear plastic bodies. You can only think "This looks just like me! But maybe my nipples aren't always so perky". Then you get home and realize you're 6'1" and maybe it doesn't fit you the same way. But is a non-fitting swimsuit a good excuse to go ALL THE WAY BACK to Costco? No mama, it is not.)

Colin's only request was to visit the Maui Aquarium, which is super sucky. Just a heads up--Hawaii's attitude towards aquariums seems to be, "Hey, what the hell are you doing inside? Go to the beach. Aloha."

I had a one hour massage. ONE HOUR! I pretty sure I drooled all over her table, but it was totally worth it.

Blake is very, very cute in Maui (taken right after the massage--can't you just feel how relaxed I am?)

We played on the beaches and got very, very sandy. And you know what? I DIDN'T EVEN CARE!

In conclusion, Maui is awesome. Boobs should stay in your swimsuit. Don't do drugs.

The end.

Yeah, she's cute...

2009-07-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

..but she doesn't nap anymore. And that's my excuse for never blogging.

Don't blame me. Blame Kate.

Home again.

2009-07-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

We're back from Maui! I'm slowly adjusting to making my own bed, not wearing a swimsuit 24/7 and dealing with a cat who ~~might have~~ did pee under my bed.

Vacation pictures coming soon!

Photo Tips: Photographing Babies

2009-06-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

I'm planning on answering all of your great photography questions, but wanted to do the photographing babies section done first.

Since so much of photography is seeing, I found a great little video to show you with Carrie Sandoval who is amazing with brand new babies.

She briefly discusses lighting, but I think sometimes that's the hardest to get right (well, that and trying to keep the baby from pooping all over you) Since I'm assuming you're photographing your baby indoors, you want to position your baby beside a window in your house that doesn't get direct light. Think of direct light as the kind a cat would want to nap in--super, super bright light. We don't want that kind. The most ideal window is a north-facing window, but any window that's getting nice, soft non-direct sunlight will work. Walk around your house and try noticing which windows get that yummy light throughout the day.

*shot by a non-direct light window in front of black fabric.

If the window is dirty, that's even better! The dirt will help diffuse the light and make it even softer. If all your windows have direct, harsh light you can always try hanging sheer curtain that are almost see-through. You can position your baby however you'd like (check out the video for some tips!) but make sure your subject is getting side light from the window and not direct light. The shadows on the other side of face gives it depth and makes it more interesting.

Check out Carrie's blog (as well as her Baby As Art blog) and video for great positioning ideas. I love to see some of your pictures after trying this out!

HodgePodge

2009-06-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

When I think of this blog, I think of a conversation. Sure we're miles apart but I want to hear from you and pretend you're dying to hear from me. When you get out of the habit of blogging, your first post back is like making that awkward phone to an old roommate or friend. So be those friends that just hop back into it, okay?

Okay.

So our little puppy Max has moved onto another home. There were many issues, one of the main being that Kate turned out to be allergic to him. Let's just say dogs are not in the Jacobson's near future. My kids have done fantastically with it, which might suggest a teeny bit of their non-attachment to the dog. It's a whole thing. Just don't talk to Blake about it.

So, being insane, we tried again with a cat. Ding! Ding! Ding! Cat works great. Cat is terrorized by kids and forced to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars every morning.

"Seriously, Star Wars again?"

If you have or are getting a furry pet, get one of these. They have them for dogs as well and they are aaaaamazing.

"Word."

So I'm supposed to be writing this photography tips article. Why? Because I'm a sucker for free things. Here's what I'm thinking every time I go to sit down and write this article.

(static)

(crickets)

(dead silence)

Sooooo....do you guys have any ideas? Any questions about photography? Also, what would you do if you got free stuff out of it?

We have logged some serious pool time. My kids are still always naked, but at least there's a good reason behind it.

There have been many, many epic army men battles. Maybe it's being a girl, but it brings new meaning to the word mind-numbing for me. I try to be a good sport, but how many battle formations is a girl supposed to be able to take?

My guys are the tan ones. They didn't fare so well.

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-21T03:57:00.000-07:00

To the man that makes all the girls swoon.

Sucka.

2009-06-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

As if there wasn't enough pooping and screaming in my life, meet Max. Hey, I can sleep when I'm dead, right?

I can see how he'd be confused.

2009-06-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here's the infamous fish Colin was commenting on.

What do you think? Nose? Or penis?

Bring Blake Back!

2009-06-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

You guys, I'm proofing pictures right now of smooching couples and WANT MY HUSBAND HOME! Hurry home Blake!

*Total bragging moment: Can you believe this is at the beach? I was so proud of myself--it looks like a studio shot! Woot! Woot!

Aquarium.

2009-06-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Favorite quote of the entire trip:

"Mom? Is that the fishes nose or penis? MOM?? IS THAT THE FISHES NOSE OR PEEEENIS?"

Son, I cannot wait for your birds and the bees talk.

From this weekend.

2009-06-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Oh, this picture makes me laugh. Poor angry little lady.

Today I Am.....

2009-05-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

...laughing at our cheesy smiles.

...sick of politics. And afraid if I open my mouth, there would be a explosion on my blog.

...proud of my hard-working husband.

...wondering if when you have someones kid over for a playdate and they are awful, do you tell the parents that? Or do you pretend like it was all fabulous? Thoughts?

...bummed because I had a pretty crappy, rainy shoot last night. We shot at a beach where I found empty prescription bottles and dentures. DENTURES!

...excited for a friend. Yep, that's all you get.

...hoping you've seen this website. It's where I get all my shoot ideas.

...dancing to this song. If Dora the Explorer could crank out songs like this, I'd be more interested in learning Spanish. Uno-dos-tres-cuatro!!

Sundays with Kate.

2009-05-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Carrot=Vegetable=Healthy

2009-05-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 3/4 cups shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in shredded carrots. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-50 min* or until a toothpick inserted into the enter of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. Top with whatever cream cheese icing you like (on this one, mine is from a can and I'm proud of it!)

*Sorry about the big time difference. My last oven cooked it for 35 minutes, but my current oven takes 50.

It's so stinking good. And um....(cough)....totally healthy.

Because I love a good balls joke.

2009-05-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

I just cranked out a whole bunch of these for my kids to play with this weekend.

*This is going to be on my weekend soundtrack. What about you?

Updates.

2009-05-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Do you have those days where you feel so inspired to write blog posts? List the cute things your kids have said, the projects you've finished and how all around awesome your life is? Yeah, I haven't had many of those days lately.

Not that our new neighborhood isn't awesome (because, hot dog! It IS! It's like some kind of 50's throwback where woman walk large Golden Retrievers and serve their husbands dinner at 5 o'clock on the dot. I'm thinking there must be some sort of dirty underground operation going on. I'll let you know if I find out more) Wait? Where was I?

Oh....blog topics.

I just don't seem to have a lot of those. Do you ever get that way? What do you do? My answer is to dig into my Photoshop Bridge and show you pictures I've taken in the past few weeks.

I've had family shoots up the wahzoo (which spell check is telling me isn't a word. Stupid spell check) I've learned in military world there are two busy times for a photographer. Christmas and PCS-ing season (spell check also had a problem with PCS-ing. What's with this thing?)

I've photographed little girls in white dresses playing on the beach.

Birthday parties where we caught grasshoppers and fish. And where I'm pretty sure one of the screaming, shooting boys was actually mine.

Super cute teenagers that make me wish for Kate to be that age, and at the same time terrifying me that someday that will happen.

And then there were season finales! OH, THE FINALES!!! My thoughts about Lost. What is with all the women vacillating? (yeah, I went to college. Holla!) Let's let him do what he wants! No, we must stop him! No, on third thought, we have to help him! It was driving me insane!

Favorite part: Rose and Benard with his Beard of Jungle Living. They are my favorite couple on that show. Rose: "Oh, it's always something with you people!" Rose, give me a high five.

In short, it was confusing and AWESOME! A great finale! What were your thoughts?

Look at that! I just did a whole blog post. Just like THAT! Hey-oh!

Spring.

2009-05-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

Reading through your blogs, it looks like spring has sprung everywhere. Isn't this the best time of year? This is the only downside of Hawaii: no change of seasons. Oh well, I'll take it.

This weekend we are swimming, having sleepovers, birthday parties, photo shoots and loving the Hawaii sunshine and exotic flowers.

How's your weekend looking?

I'm wondering....

2009-04-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

....why parents ever bother buying actual toys? Boxes are where it's at!

{insert nose-picking joke here}

2009-04-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

*trust me, I stopped the nose-picking right after the picture. Priorities, people!

All My Posts Are About Brandi.

2009-04-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Making fake shirts is frightening addictive. Here's what I came up with!

"Team Brandi: Save the blog" here.

"I killed Leilani Perkiboobs" here.

"Google Ads = Thieving Bastards" here.

"Team Brandi: You mess with one bean, you mess with the whole burrito" here.

You make one too! Post the link in the comments so we can all bask in your amazingness.

Love Letters

2009-04-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Blake,

Happy Anniversary! We've had nine years, five (almost six!) moves, two kids.....oh, and one time where you got stuck in those branches by Blockbuster and I laughed so hard I almost died. You are funny and kind and really good in bed (see? I've finally blogged about it!) Remember: nine years = GRAPEFRUIT! I love you!

Dear Drivers on the H-1,

Thank goodness you slowed down to cause a mile-long traffic jam while passing by the small fender bender that had clearly happened a while earlier and was all the way off to the side of the road. Otherwise we all would have just driven right by without issue. Phew, that was a close one.

Dear pirates,

Seriously? Pirates? That's your chosen vocation? What year is it? Also I thought you guys were hot and brilliant and quirky and, despite initial appearances, ultimately good and loyal men on the inside--you know, like Jack Sparrow. No?

Dear LOST friends,

Holy crap, I keep forgetting to blog about LOST. But then I feel like a loser blogging about LOST. Thoughts? P.S. Sawyer just had a new baby girl in real life. I'm sure she is really ugly, and that he does not look hot fawning all over her.

For Brandi.

2009-04-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry people are sucking today. What bean do you want me to beat up?

*I have exhausted all my Photoshopping skills right here.

Alternate taglines considered:

"I admit it. I am Anonymous."

'"Oh, the humanity' and other current lingo"

"Frebreezing people since 2009"

"Lawerance of Arabia is my homeboy"

Got any more lines from that awesome blog??

Someone list a reason why babies stink.

2009-04-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Because seriously? I might have to ban myself from photographing chunky 4 month olds.

Just for Grandma.

2009-04-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Look! They're still alive!

(although I'm pretty sure one of them is a little unhinged)

A Child's Prayer

2009-04-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

Please help me have a good hair day today.

Amen.

Is this a food blog?

2009-04-06T02:29:00.000-07:00

I know! Another one! Am I boring you guys with my recipes? I've been on a cooking kick and I'm finding all kinds of great recipes.

This recipe even got Blake eating and enjoying barley (a sentence I don't think I've ever written) If you're feeling super ambitious, you can make bread bowls too!

Chickpea, Tomato, & Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup barley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Rinse barley clean under running water. Place in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 1 hour; drain.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, barley, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes or until barley is tender.

Add tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for 20 minutes or until flavors have blended. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.

Try it! It's really good and the leftovers are fantastic. Now, do YOU have any recipes I've just got to try? You know, before Subway and me go back to being lovers.

April Food Day

2009-04-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one. -Mother Teresa

April 1, bloggers are getting together for a very worthwhile cause: fighting hunger. Times are tougher than ever. Unemployment and underemployment have devastated our country, and charitable contributions are dwindling.

Please give to your local food bank. This link can help you find a food bank in your community. Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Another option is to make a direct contribution to Feeding America through their secure website. Even as little as $1 will provide 10 pounds of food and grocery items.

Happy April Food Day!

Bread and Butter

2009-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

I used this recipe last night. It's by far my favorite one--there are some days you want something fancier, but this is a fantastic basic basic recipe. I'm assuming in this recipe that you have a KitchenAid (or a mixer with a dough hook) and a vague understanding of making bread. If you have questions, write them in the comments (where Marianne can answer them!)

Bread

Pour 1/2 cup warm water (like 100 degrees, think really hot bath water. It's hard to get it to hot if you are getting it out of the tap) into mixer.

Add 1 TBsp active dry yeast and 1 TBsp sugar. Let sit until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add additional 2 cups warm water.

Add 6 cups white flour and 1 TBsp. salt. Mix with dough hook, slowly at first and then on a medium speed once flour is incorporated.

If the dough does not come together, add more flour, 1 TBsp at a time. (I usually end up using 6 1/2 of flour) Mix for 10 minutes. Add 4 TBsp butter (at room temperature) a tablespoon at a time. The dough will come apart as you add the butter, but keep beating, it will come back together. When butter is fully incorporated, remove bowl from mixer, cover with a towel and let rest for 1 hour.

Punch down dough, divide into two pieces. On counter roll into a rectangle about 9x12, roll up and place, seam side down into bread pan. Place in cold oven and let rise 1 hour.

Turn oven on to 375. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and immediately remove from pans. Let them cool on wire racks so crust crisps on all sides (if you set it on the counter it will sweat and the bottom will turn soggy)

Once completely cool, keep bread in brown paper bag or wrap airtight and freeze.

Butter

Fantastic homemade bread screams for honey butter. Mine has a secret ingredient--powdered sugar! This is not health food, people!

Combine 2 cubes real butter, (close to room temp- works best when slightly chilled. I take it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes), 2/3 cup honey and 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Just place it all in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-mixer for about 30 seconds. Serve at room temperature. Your butt won't fit in your jeans, but at least it was worthwhile.

Potty Training: Not For the Weak.

2009-03-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know Blake hasn't been a part of potty training yet? Colin was potty trained when he was deployed to the Middle East (women trying to teach a boy to pee standing up = hilarity)

So he's not down with the constant potty talk, the dances, the potty talk, the rewards, THE CONSTANT POTTY TALK.

Do you need to pee?

Are you peeing right now?

YAH! You PEED!

I'm pretty sure my raw sex appeal has never been higher.

Bullets don't kill people, I kill people. Or throw cups at them.

2009-03-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

Let's jump right in. Do you backup your computer files? Because dammit women, you should. My computer imploded a couple weeks ago and I was thanking the heavens above that I had backed everything up. I use Backblaze--you should too. It's awesome.
Computer imploding = no new pictures for you. All pictures in this post where taken by Natalie Norton. Because what is a post without pictures?
Oh yeah, we're moving. Not off island, just to a different part. The drive/expense of the area we live in has taken it's toll. Question: Is it harder to move cross country or twenty miles? The Jacobson are about to find out. If you'd like a free* Hawaiian vacation, come help us move.
This picture captures my family perfectly. No one is doing was they're supposed to except Blake. Welcome to my everyday.

I hate all my clothes. Can I start over? Discuss.

I got so mad at the dog next door (which I refer to as "That Damn Dog") after it barked for an hour at 3 a.m. that I literally ripped the screen off my window and threw a cup at it. I totally hit it too--take that 3 a.m. barking! If you are my neighbor reading this, I'm not even sorry.

*Free Hawaiian vacation does not include airfare, but does include cheapo pizza on moving day.

William M. Buttlicker

2009-03-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

Winner! Winner!

2009-03-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

You guys are so sweet. Some of you actually thought I would wait days until going to Target. It's like you don't know me at all.

I was there opening day 19 minutes after it opened (delayed only because of that pesky first born of mine that had to be dropped off at school) It was glorious. There are no words and there might have been weeping involved.

Target, you've come back to me.

Oh yes, and the winner is ANDREA! Woman, you WIN! Email me at whereisharmony@hotmail.com and we'll get your prize to you.

Where is it? WHERE?

2009-02-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you paying attention (or with Google Reader) Yes, there was a blog post before the Target one (but who cares? Target?! Wooooweeeeee!!!).......Ahem.

Kate was left alone with Blake's computer for about ten minutes during which I'm pretty sure she deleted blog entries. And found a hardcore porn site. Not kidding.

Sorry! Leave your thoughts about that post here if you'd like!!

Target Contest!

2009-02-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Friendternets, Target opens TWO stores in Hawaii next month. TWO Target stores within 15 minutes of me--when I've had to live without the sweet mother store for A YEAR (yes, I know there is a lot of capitalization in this post. It is NECESSARY!)

Since I've been doing so "well" without a Target here, I'm going to see how long I can go without going into an actual store. I KNOW! It's INSANE!

For this contest, you just need to guess how long it will before I break. One week, two weeks.....um, thirteen minutes? Whoever is the closest wins a 20 dollar Target gift card!

Start guessing!

Grilled Salmon Marinade

2009-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

You guys, this marinade is so simple and so good. Even my in-laws, who have eaten their salmon plain for about 162 years agreed this was better. Go forth and marinade.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Outtakes

2009-02-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Lessons Learned

2009-02-18T21:11:00.001-08:00

Colin doesn't smile while camping.

Kate does.

.rain.

2009-02-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

Hawaiian rainstorms are amazing. The sky opens and massive buckets of water pour down. Half the time the sun doesn't even stop shining--that's how we get so many rainbows.

Today both my kids danced outside in the rain (and in their underwear--would you expect any less from me?)

Hmmm...I'm really liking Hawaii today.

Side note: Why am I writing my titles like .this.? Do you ever get sick of thinking of blog titles? .discuss.

.backyard.

2009-02-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

You mean you don't play baseball shirtless? Shame.

You can tell how busy her day was by how insane her hair is.

You are SO getting some *

2009-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

*and by "some", I mean cake. You sicko.

While I was making this tonight for my mom's last night in Hawaii {sniff, sniff} I thought YOU should make this for Valentines day. It's light, fruity and so so good! You can make this in a 9x13 baking dish or two 9-inch round cake pans.

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 13x9-inch baking pan. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in small bowl 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; carefully pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Frost cake with whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Enjoy! Then go get "some".

Superhero

2009-02-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing what a cape can do?

Harmony: 1 Cancer: 0

2009-02-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

The surgery is done and was a great success. My surgeon said they got everything--woooohooo!

Going into it I thought I'd come up with some great, fabulous antidote for you. Really I laid there and recited "Don't throw up. Don't throw up" Hey, you do what works for you.

Again, you Friendternets are the best! Thank you everyone for your comments, emails and phone calls. Thanks to Brandi for her awesome "cancer can suck it" month contest (there's still time to enter!) Crystal for spreading the word and wrthy2bluvd for the blog icons. Yes, look for your left--we have ICONS! You're welcome to put them on your blog to encourage your blog buddies to get themselves checked out.

Now everyone head to Brandi's blog and enter the contest. I'm going to lay over here and count my stitches.

CANCER CAN TOTALLY SUCK IT!

While In San Diego....

2009-01-31T00:22:00.000-08:00

...I sneaked in some time to photograph this awesome family. They were SO fun! Together we perfected "the fake laugh" (you know, when you throw your head back and do "it's soooooo fun having my picture taken" laugh) Who knew kids love it too?

Enjoy!

I'm HOME!

2009-01-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

And you'll never guess what I brought back for the kids.

ARRRRRG!

Out Of Office

2009-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

This is seems like not enough, but thank you guys!

Blake and I have gone on a mini vacation this week, and when the plane took off I was totally bawling.

40% of it was leaving my babies for a week

40% was all the thoughtful emails and comments I had gotten all day long at the airport

20% might have been that I had slept three hours the night before (reference: my freaky blog header I made at 5 am. I'VE HAD THREE MOUNTAIN DEWS ALREADY! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M SCREAMING?)

My skin cancer surgery is February 2nd, where they going to find out the extent of the cancer spread. I won't know much about it until then.

Thank you again for your emails. I might just be bawling again and can't blame a lack of sleep.

This is my new mantra for February 2nd: CANCER CAN SUCK IT!

(Oooooh, I just watched LOST! Stay tuned for my summary. It's back and you LOVE it!)

Proof I Have Nothing To Blog About.

2009-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Moody Period Romance Kate" Oh Mr Darcy, why won't you love me? Also might have a large cookie stuck in her cheek.

"Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Kate" Tell me those Power Rangers don't look like the floating heads on that show. I went all optical illusion on your behind.

"Godzilla Kate"

"Die muffin. DIE!"

Oh look! Happy, pretty pictures!

2009-01-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

Hello? Baby toes?

You can totally see my in his eyes. Counts as a self portrait.

Another girl named Kate. I love how she's holding her grandma's hand. I guess amazing eyes are just standard issue on Kates.

NOM. NOM. NOM.

Look at the force behind that kiss!

I love this job!

The "C" Word

2009-01-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

Last month I found out I have skin cancer.

Dude, that sucks.

Yep, that's all I've got. Dude, that sucks.

I've thought a lot about putting it on the blog. This is a place for happy, smiling pictures and the occasional mocking of Rachael Ray. Not cancer, right?

But I thought about you, Friendternets. And how maybe you'll be a little more likely to not get that "healthy glow" (which, let's face it, I never had) or put on your sunscreen. Maybe after reading this you'll look a little closer at that weird freckle/mole you have. And just get it checked out. NOW.

Because...

...dude, that totally sucks.

Information on skin cancer detection and prevention here.