Thee Wisdom of Starbucks...

The Way I See It #173

"Life is what you pray for, love is what you stay for."
-- Josh Kelley

Love This Kind of Stuff

I get inspired to create not only when I look through online galleries, shop for new product, or flip through magazines...I get most of my inspiration by looking in home decorating catalogs or magazines...the colors they chose are so rich and inviting.

I'm a total dork. I read all the decorating/house magazines....Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha, etc....lol. Greg is even trained...he once picked up the book of houses that were for sale at the gas station because he knows I have this obesession at looking at houses, even if they're not mine, or never will be mine...how cute.

I want my house to look like this some day. It might take awhile to work up to it, but this is something that's important to me. I want to create a home where everyone feels welcome, invited, and cozy.

I really have a desire to buy an old house (doesn't have to be big) and to fix it all up. Seriously, one of the top fives on my "To Do In My Lifetime" list....

I think I am going to the antique mall near my hometown over my winter break to see if I can find anything awesome...my favorite piece of furniture I have was bought there, and it was a steal...only $35 bucks. It's teal, periwinkle-ish blue, and a lighter blue. Sounds so ugly, but I LOVE it. It's great....It's old, and perfectly chipped and worn.

Here are some of my favorite recent images I've come accross lately.

The Country Living 2006 House of the Year. I can see why! It's perfect in every way!!

Hellooooo happy scrappin' space!

This image isn't all that great. I saw this in an issue of Country Living, and I almost fell off the elliptical machine...lol. It's very rich-looking (color wise) in the magazine.

This kitchen is to die for. I love it. My kitchen some day!

This deep couch ROCKS....now THIS I am willing to spend big bucks on!

Cut Out Cookie Chaos

We do this every year...we make batches and batches of cut outs and then kick ourselves when we have to frost all them...lol. It's tradition! My grandma, her sister, my mom, and I sit and make them all day, and then we all each take some and give them to other peopel.

We used to do paler frosting, but I decided our cookies need a little KICK this year...so they're pretty vivid! And I like them! Especially my snowflakes!

Grand Total: 133

For Katelyn...

About what filter I used for the lights on those pics I posted below about the family of kids:

I didn't use any filters. Now that I am looking back, I should have used my white balance filter, but I used my white balance on my camera...

Ponder This...

"It's not about what happened in the past, or what you think might happen in the future. It's about the ride, for Christ's sake. There is no point in going through all this crap, if your are not going to enjoy the ride. And you know what... when you least expect something great might come along. Something better then you even planned for. " -Along Came Polly

New-->Zealand & Blew Crew

Michele from New Zealand sent me a package! Thanks girl...I love it! She sent along what you see here...ooooo tons of yummy New Zealand candies and those cute little animals!! Thank you!!! :-)

Yesterday was also a new Blue Crew reveal at Scrapjazz! Here are my contribuations...I had the technique theme of "buttons" and the product of Doodlebug! I also reviewed the new Purple Cows 2-in-1 Combo trimmer so run over there and check that out! Awesome trimmer, btw!

My Button Layout:

Used fabulous Doodlebug Paper Frills, patterned paper, and ric rac here! Yes, that's me....at age 2!

Still lovin' the Doodlebug Paper Frills here!!

Ohhh I love these cards...they're so cute, although they are rather dark in this picutre. I used some Doodlebug ribbons and other misc ribbons to create the Christmas trees! Then I added some "sparkle" using the Doodlebug Sequins! Fun, fun product!

Check out the cute flower on this page! It's also Doodlebug and in the package, you get some solid colors, dotted, and SPARKLEY! Yes, sparkley! I told you these products were FUN! I also used the Sequins here as well as the Ric Rac again.

And the final Blue Crew layout for this month...Page Frills & Flowers (Doodlebug) used here as well. They give your layout the perfect, cutest, little touch!
And that's all! Be sure to hop on over to Scrapjazz to check out all the awesome work by the Blue Crew! You won't be disappointed!! Happy Scrapping!

More Photos

Played around some more....

2 new favorites....

This first was was taken while I was bored but I love how this picture came together! It's the diamond band I got from Greg way back when and I was playing with it and the mouse a few weeks ago.

And onto the next one...

Yes I know! This one is a little bit weird and even creepy but I like it!

As opposed to what you may think, there is actually very little photoshopping done on this picture! When I took it, I had the setting all wonked out on my camera, and it came out all blueish, but it worked for me! So I croppedit and upped the saturation a little, lightened up my dog a bit, added the border and I was done! (Dog was sitting in a shadow and my cat was in the sunshine...thus the weird look)

Fun and funky! My mom will hate it and not "get it," but I love it!

Happy Thursday

I am bored, so I will share a few very random pics...

Nothing special ---just some pics I've enjoyed lately!!

((to go with the theme of the blog))

My ornament from a few years ago when I was getting into photography -- from my mom...it's great...I love it so much...now I need a digital photography to match my film photography orament! So cute!

It was only 5 degrees farenheight outside this morning and I missed the bus. That was a cold long walk this morning to class! Anyway, this pic was taken a couple weeks ago outside my house at home...fits the feeling for today!

So freaking ugly its cute! Look at his eyes! This bugger was waiting for me to take its picture on the same day as the above picture...he died...yep, Kayla squished him! But, not until I got his final picture...lol. Freaky!!

MMMMM...one of my favorite foods...they were on sale this past weekend for $2.50 for one of those inch deep, teeny, tiny, containers....usually they're $5-$6 though...so good deal!! Photo op! (What isn't with me??) It was hard to get a clear focused pic at night under house lights...still like it though.

I love this picture! See what I mean with the "dreamy" look?? This one isnt that strong, the others were but she wasn't looking at the camera...love that filter!

A funny one I caught while my mom was putting up the Christmas tree!


Anyway..........
In the topic of college...well for this semester anyway... I'm starting to see: THE LIGHT AT THE END....Of the tunnel!! I think I'm starting to see it...in terms of this semester.... I am officially done with these classes on DECEMBER 18th!! So ready to be done....to move onto something new... So ready to graduate... Ohhh but that wont be for awhile yet... I have 8 things left to do this semester....only eight! That makes me so happy and so excited!!

The Lucky Photographer!

That would be ME!

I guess it did me some good to complain about not getting to take any people/portrait/pictures....because guess what? I'm doing a shoot on Saturday!!

Whoot whoot!

And we're onto Christmas!

You should see my mom's house. It's completely decked out for the Holiday Season already.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this filter I've been using for all the holiday lights pictures! It's amazing and I love it...love making a good shot without using Photoshop. The filter also gives a "warmed" look to the photos as well. It wasn't advertised like that, but I really think it should be! It's awsome for portraits too, because I took some of my dog and she looked like she was glowing a little, maybe not so much "glow" as "dreamy-looking"...very neat effect!

Wish I had more subjects to photograph....human subjects I mean. That's what I want to do with my life, yet, its been well over a year since I took any "good" people pics...I haven't even done any with my new camera...I'm so busy and nobody wants to let me "play." *sigh*

Maybe sometime soon! I think I have somone in mind!

now THIS excites me...

Just ordered this baby:

Canon Deluxe Backpack 200 EG - for 2 Digital SLR Cameras with 3-4 Lenses, Flash and Accessories (Black with Olive Trim)

This is going to be my gift from my grandma for Christmas! I am in need of a NICE camera bag...I already have two okay camera bags, but this is just what I've been dreaming of...didn't even know Canon (or anyone) made "camera bag backpacks" until a few months ago.

Why did I have two others? Well, I have a good amount of "stuff" for my camera now: lenses, filters, and other accessories...it all didn't fit in one bag. It'll be so handy!! *giddy*

Also, I cannot stand traveling and having a camera bag on one shoulder. I feel off balance and then what do you do if you have other stuff? Then you're really off. Backpacks are my thing =)

So, this truely excites me. I cannot wait for Christmas this year! I am so spoiled!

Some Layouts...

I scrapbooked a lot over my little Thanksgiving Break...
Some I like...
Some I hate...
Some I just wanted to GET DONE,
Some are simple,
Some are rather busy...
Still, mission accomplished!!!

So want to get into that "groove" where I am satisfied with a layout...
I want new product, but...I could scrap way more than those "Use Your Stash...100 Layouts" challenges...
Therefore, I can't go scrap-shoppin' for a long time...
And there's a box for me for Xmas from my mom with $135 worth of new stuff...so that'll further extend this "no buying" thing I claim is going to happen...

And ahhh yes.
I'm sick. Very lovely...that "I'm coughing till I keel over and die or hack up a lung," type of thing. And my eyes are burning so bad...odd isn't it? Did I mention lovely? (I'm blaming it on the damn cigarette chain-smokeing from my dad's side on Thanksgiving...sorry, fam, but I don't want charbroiled lungs (reminded you of Burger King didn't it)...yuck, no thanks!

Onto the layouts!

{{TRUFFLES}}

Truffles Martha Stewart Style!
I was at my friend's house on Wednesday afternoon, giving her some pregnancy books and cute little baby accessories I found for her. And her mom was making a Shaum Torte, and I thought to myself, "Hmm...now *I* feel like baking...I should make the Martha Truffles for Thanksgiving!"

So I did. It was my first attempt and I must say myself....they're devine. The centers taste JUST LIKE the Lindt Truffles....oh god....well worth the FOUR HOURS it took altogether to make those babies....lots of waiting time in the fridge and stuff...but sooo good! Martha really has it going on...I *so* want to be the next Martha Stewart! Love that woman!

Must make more for Christmas!

{{{ Random-ness at it's FINEST! }}}

FIRST ---HAPPY HAPPY TURKEY DAY!! I'm so excited to eat mashed potatos and stuffing tonight (the kind without nasty meat chunks in it--this girl likes CELERY CHUNKS!)

SECOND ---it's a pain in the azz to wait for blogger to upload pics....on DIAL UP interent...

THIRD ---
It's pure torture....
Yep, it really is....
Waiting for new pictures to come in the mail....
When you want to scrapbook....
I could go scrap....
But we all know, as scrapbookers,
None of those pictures are as fun to scrap as the NEW ones will be!!

FOURTH ---
*deleted

FIFTH ---Am I really going to wake up at 4:30 tomorrow morning just so I can Black Friday shop? I should probably hit up Staples first....they a point and shoot digi camera I think will be a good camera for my mom for Christmas.

SIXTH ---The dang pics are still uploading...though the computer is making some weird gargling sound, so hopefully they're close to being done....LOL. Nope, they're not. I'm just going to walk away, go down in the scraproom, put some pics into albums...and then hopefully they'll be done....

My shallow thankfulness on Thanksgiving???
High-speed internet.
Worth the full price I bitch about every month, for sure!

INSERTED:
Oh NO THEY DIDN'T! All my pics just uploaded....as flippin SOLID BOXES OF BLACK....I give up...no funny Thanksgiving pics for you! LOL!

These are all true...

Jeff Foxworthy on Wisconsin:

●If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, you might
live in Wisconsin.

●If someone in a store offers you assistance & they don't work there, you
might live in Wisconsin.

●If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his
forehead, you might live in Wisconsin.

●If you have ever worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you might live in
Wisconsin.

●If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, you might live in
Wisconsin.

●If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a
wrong number, you might live in Wisconsin.

●You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

●You often switch from heat to AC in the same day and back again.

●You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both
unlocked.

●You know all 5 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, road
construction, & It's Hot.

●You see people wearing camouflage at social events (including weddings).