All I want for Christmas....

....is a man-wife. Someone who does everything I do so I can come home and know what it feels like to have my laundry done, dinner cooked for me, and perfect Christmas presents bought for everyone and I didn't have to do a thing. I want that. C'mon Santa, it's not much.

There it was...

....staring at me. Ya know, the look a deer gives you in the headlights, standing in the middle of the road as you are barrelling towards it at 75 miles an hour....yep, that look. Underneath the fluorescent lights in the Walmart women's bathroom....a frickin' grey hair! It was reflecting all sorts of light, like a damn Christmas tree. Taunting me "Ya, you are that old. Old enough to have to now hi-light your hair to hide me. There will be more of my little friends sprouting up in the near future...hahahahaha!" I can hear my Mother In Law laughing her ass off as she is reading this....Shut Up CeCe! You may fall off your damn office chair and break your hip!

Hypothetically Speaking...

..Let's just say that you have a friend/relative that you get into arguments with and at times really don't like to be around. I call them toxic friends. They really have nothing nice to say about anyone and, I believe, talking about other people makes them feel better. Yes, you are still friends because you may have been since third grade or better yet, you're related. This toxic person thinks they might be helping you by being brutally honest about things that really are not any of his/her business. Sometimes they will even do things just to make you upset and they come out smelling like fresh red roses. I know, why even be freinds with this person, right? But sometimes you can't escape relatives. AND in a small town it is almost impossible to avoid said toxic friend.
But when is it enough? When can you finally just say 'I have had enough'? I will tell you..for me...when they do something to really get at you, thinking that they are really doing no harm, BUT in the back of their little minds they are thinking 'this will show her'...really??? Are you kidding? It only makes them look even more toxic. That is the point of no return and you can never come back from that. Sure, someday they may try to make small talk, trying to get back on your good side because they may need something. By then, it's too late.
I have forgiven many times for petty little things, you are supposed to because you love them, afterall they are your friends or maybe even a realtive. But this one little big thing, I just can't. What would you do?
My very best friend went into the hospital for a routine outpatient procedeure and is now fighting for her life in ICU..I love her, because she is the only one who would have understood the above rant and doesn't judge anyone. She is the model best friend that everyone wants...I need her to be OK. Her kids need her.
That is my rant...if you have made it this far..thank you for stepping in for my best friend. SO please don't be a toxic friend. Think before you speak. And if you do something just to get at someone else...don't. Life is way too short.

Do you see what I see??

November and December are by far my busiest months as a photographer. BUT...I have finally gotten my kiddos photos taken. One was pissed because she wanted the outfit the other one had and then she tried to kipe the shirt my son was wearing. They were all screaming at each other and all I wanted was a picture where they didn't have that fake smile pasted on their faces. NO smiles were had by my kids. My kids look like the children of scrooge on my Christmas Card.
I have always laughed when families come in arguing and then have smiles all ready to go at a moments notice. A few words of advice from a photographer: 1) Dads...always wear black socks. Those darn white ones stick out like a sore thumb. Your wife will almost always fall in love with the one where your socks have peeked out. All hell will then break loose. 2) Try not to make your kids smile in all the photos you take at home because once you get to the photographer and your in the background coaxing your child with the word "SMILE", all we are going to get is that cheesey smile you hate anyways. 3)Trust the photographer. 4)Your kids will wear out before you do, and before you think they should. Once they are done, THEY ARE DONE. Not even the biggest bowl of laffy taffy will help. TRUST ME...I know. It didn't even work with my kids. 5) Last but not least, be on time. As I am typing this I am waiting for a client who is now 20 minutes late. I have another session scheduled in 45 minutes. Our time is just as valuable as yours.
I know there are more words of advice but my mind is a blank now. Music is blaring from the dance studio below me and girlees are giggling away. I love it. I can literally hear the smiles on their faces. Christmas is coming...super fast. I have yet to get anything wrapped. I have ordered canvas prints for my family members and they have yet to arrive. I have faith they will be here. I have taken stock in window scrapers for my Miss Whitney (see the video below). If I see one, I buy it.
More snow is coming, just in time for Santa pictures this weekend. Even though I am busy, don't know where my mind is, I lose the remote everywhere, forgot my kid at girl scouts, have tons of shopping yet to do....I love the season! Wine is on sale EVERYWHERE!!
Maybe you will be on the receiving end of our FABULOUS Christmas Card this year...If not, know that you are all in my thoughts.
And I have no idea why I titled this post the way I did....Brain Fart, I guess.
Be Back Tomorrow...m.a.y.b.e.??

Teenage Daughters

Today I am Thankful for my new Sprint Evo 4G phone (hope I get some sort of kickback for mentioning that)..I helped me capture this. Yes, I am the meanest mom evah!!! *insert evil giggle here*

Forever ago..

Ya, it seems that long ago..Been too flippin' busy to even do the laundry. Poor Harry says I have GOT to teach him how to separate the clothes so he can wash his laundry himself. Everyone else just bitches that they have no jeans to wear. Word of advice: NEVER tell your wife or mom that you need clean clothes and ask when she will get to the laundry...why you ask? Well, at that point, I figure they can get off their butts and do it themselves....
ANywhoo, enough of that. I figure it is close to Thanksgiving and I should at least tell y'all one thing a day (if I get the time) that I am Thankful for. Today is the 16th of November. I am thankful for my Beans. She is my goddaughter and it is her birthday today. I sent her a balloon bouquet today at school. The damn balloon even sang...I hope it embarrassed her. It's what I am here for, right?!! I miss her and all of her 'I am so that' attitude. She had the baldest, most round head I have ever seen on baby and loved to shove circular objects in her mouth. Now sassy and a head full of gorgeous blonde hair. Beans-I hope you had a fantabulous day and I love ya bunches! Happy Birthday!!

Yes...it was Bambi.

Harry got his very first deer license this year. Totally pumped to wake up at the butt crack of dawn to shoot an animal..BOYS!...and he wore his tennis shoes, not boots, tennis shoes and then walked into MY house with mud up to his knees because he had to walk and retrieve the poor thing. Ya know about fish stories, I call this THE deer story.

There were a bunch of the victims lying in the field and they happened upon them. Harry had the shot for the big doe but didn't figure the damn thing would actually run away and he would have to figure that in before he pulled the trigger so as big momma doe got up and ran so did her baby boy...and the frickin bullet hit the poor thing.

SO Harry got his deer. Small. But he got one. I am just not sure I can eat it after knowing its Mother is out there looking for her baby. Hell, she probably didn't make it to the end of the day anyway.

Wednesday Wishes

Time for my weekly 'It's all about me' post. Here are my faves for this week.

Monster Hat. Etsy. $15.00

For the studio, of course! Imagine the cute-ness I could capture!3 Oval Dish. Etsy. $28.00

I need this because it IS my number. I am a collector of the number 3. I think everyone should have a number. What's yours?

aaawwhh..so sweet. This pillow. Burlap feed sack pillow. Etsy. $18.00
And last but not least, my FAVORITE! I AM going to Italy one day. Below is a photograph, Bellagio Italy. It can be purchased on Etsy for $30.00

8.3.10

Not much of nothin exciting to report. No frogs. No field mice. No critters of any sort. Just a plain old boring day. Knock on Wood! I have another senior photo shoot tonight and a group of 9 kiddos tomorrow morning. Hope all is well with you. I am hoping for a bit of 'good' 'ol excitement later. Get your head out of the gutter, my mother in law reads this. Jeesh!

8.1.10

As described yesterday..here is the perp, eating a huge bowl of Cocoa Puffs and whacked out hair. Notice she is actually reading the phonebook. She does this. Even in the car, reading the phonebook, that is.

7.30.10

Imagine....really, humor me. Sitting at your kitchen table with your coffee and poptart (ok maybe you don't drink coffee) birds chirping outside. Life is good. Your horoscope says you are going to have a five star day...woohoo...
Then...your 9 year old daughter wakes up. In my case, my daughter looks like a zombie. Doesn't even speak or make eye contact until she has gobbled up her cocoa puffs. Everything is still peaceful and the birds continue to chirp away.
Out of nowhere she speaks these little 12 words that made me, of all people, speechless.
"Hey, did you know when dogs bark their butt holes pop out?"
I looked at her thinking one thing (maybe 3 things but I thought them all at once)...How in the hell does she know this....What would even make her look there?? And why did those damn birds stop chirping??!!
I. Got. Nothin. Speechless.
She bust out laughing and continued to eat her Cocoa Puffs.

7.29.10

I saved a life. Maybe. I came out of Wallie World yesterday and got in my car. Directly in front of my parking space, there was another EMPTY parking space. Normally this would have been my exit route. Just shoot straight through, rather than back up. Much easier. Right? Then as I am about to pull forward, I notice this little one directly in the path of my front tire. My new front tire with new brakes that took all my vacation moola to fix, just sayin'. So whats a girl to do? Get out quick as she can and take a picture, of course!! And then I scooted him on his merry way. Not sure how far he made it...but I didn't smoosh the critter.

Wednesday Wishes (on Thursday)

So I missed a day. I was donating a huge amount of blood/plasma and shooting a session in the afternoon. It was the first time I did the whole 2 step, hour long blood thing. During which I froze my butt off and watched a poor girl toss her cookies. She was more worried about me as she watched my teeth chattering uncontrollably than the fact that she just got sick. And I was more worried about her. Apparently the whole freezing your butt off thing is normal. I got through OK until later in the evening when I turned ghost white and almost passed out. Guess I didn't eat enough chow afterwards. I am a busy girl, never thought about that. So big daddy shoved some food my way and all was good. Anywhoo here are a few of my wishes this week.

Single Flower Headband. Etsy. $10.00

In honor of the upcoming color change that I LOVE: Leaves falling in Your Hair Bobby pin Trio. Etsy. $10.00
And the last, because if you read the blog, you know all about the frogs in and around my house.
The little Critters Kids Mug. Etsy. $15.00

7.26.10

I took Tink with me on a recent photo shoot and when we were done, I took a few shots of her. What a stinker she was. Totally NOT s'posed to get in the fountain, BUT if you know me, anything goes when you are looking for the perfect shot. After she jumped out the FPD drove by. Sassy huh??!! I may have to get a canvas of this! LOVE it!

7.26.10

It's HoT. Not just hot, but Florida Hot. 95 and humid as hell. Ya know, the kind of hot when you want to just lay around in the air conditioning. Not moving. Mr. MoJo feels the same as I do. His ears just don't seem to hold up in the heat. Hmmm, neither does my hair.

Isn't this the cutest??

Been running around like a chicken with my head cut off lately. But this shot from a session this week just makes me melt. This baby was like a noodle...just let us do whatever we wanted and fell right back to sleep. This session re-booted my energy level...now that the week is over, of course.

It's FRIED-DAY...

..get it. HeeHee. I know. Just say it.

I HAve LosT iT!!

Great Post huh??

7.22.10

Yes.
My.
BraIn.
Is.
fRIed.
BUT it is ThuRSdaY.
The studio is booked up through the weekend.
I may have to sleep here.
Good thing I have a shower.
And toilet.
And Air Conditioning.
And Fridge.
I can do this.
BrinG
iT
On!!
(i may be mush on monday)

Wednesday Wishes

A different kind of wish for today. It has been way too crazy in the studio to even think about going window internet shopping......I have kept this JPeg in my folder of 'this is really cool and I want to do this for my daughters room'. It has stayed there and inspired me to every now and then when I see something on sale to pick it up. All I really need now is the pallets. I know I can pretty much go and get some whenever I need them. I am wishing for this bedroom for my daughter. So maybe when the studio calms down a bit, I can get a start on it. Isn't it pretty?? Love this!!

7.19.10

Ya, so there they were. THREE frogs, hopping and jumping their way to happiness in my sons bedroom. I seized the day, alright. Rewind your mind and wrap it around this....My dear son has a bedroom in the basement. When we got our horrible storm last week, his window wells filled up with water, like a bucket. He then proceeds to open them because how cool is that?? Water comes splashing in everywhere and he doesn't tell his mom because he fears the worst. No kidding. He doesn't clean it up. It sits soaking in the rugs and everything on the floor. He doesn't turn on the de-humidifier because it is TOO loud. Now mold is growing. I smell a nasty odor coming from his room. He's a boy. It happens. I locate the smells and shit hits the fan. I spent yesterday elbow deep in bleach, scrubbing floors and wall. Washing everything.

Carpe Diem, alright....shit, I need another rock to hide under...for about a week.

7.18.10

Today's the day....carpe diem, isn't that the saying? Seize the day. I will get my projects done today. OK. A little ahead of myself there. Let's just say, I will get them started. What are you doing with your Sunday?

Obsessing instead of Organizing..

Wouldn't it be nice if my pantry looked like this??!!

7.14.10

This is what we woke up to this morning. Between 3:30 and 4 AM this morning, a strong storm moved through. We are lucky the tree twisted around and fell the other way. Whits car, Not so Lucky. Now we clean up. The whole town looks like a war zone. No injuries have been reported. It will take some idiot with a chain saw to make the news tonight.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat....

Wednesday Wishes

It is once again time for the Wednesday Wishes...things I absolutely have to have but don't necessarily have the disposable income for them. All of the items below can be found at Etsy.
The Chippy Apple Green Chalkboard Rack. $58.00. I know I could make one of these. I especially like that it has a chalk holder.

Retro Postcard Display. This had already sold. I may have bought it right then and there. I think it would have been perfect for a display of a cute 4x6 print in my office. If you ever come across one, let me know.
Pearly Necklace. $160.00. Soooo pretty. Would be cute with mens button up, white, and jeans.
Coffee Messenger Bag. $35.00. This would be perfect for my upcoming trip to Junk Market in Mpls. Can't wait! I am definitely gonna have to come up with something before I make the trip...ya know, to keep all my goodies in. Maybe I will find one at the street fair!
Upcycled Kitschy Milly Jones Headband. $30.00. Very cute. I like the vintage-ness of it. And when my hair gets a bit longer, I will have to get one.

My Rock...

Happiness is...a stroll through downtown Fargo. Broadway to be exact. Nathan and I recently spent the day just wandering. Looking in all the nooks and crannies of downtown. My favorite place has to be Funky Junque. It is ME. I visit every time I am in Fargo. Absolutely LOVE it!! This week the street fair is also taking place so I will be right back up there, wandering again. This time it will be with a good friend of mine.

Saturday July 10

From start....

...to finish....
Good times were had by all.

Weekend Report Part 2

This house looked about as crooked as our house feels whenever we do any updates.

Up at the top of the ferris wheel.
These spinning tubes were the hit with the kids.

Day of the Dinosaur. The kids had fun here as well. I thought for sure it would have been some cheesy attraction but it wasn't. It was pretty cool.

Weekend Report Part 1

This weekend we ventured to the Fair in Fargo. This was the first time that we took the kiddos. I went alone with Tink and my nephew, Bubba. This was the second ride they went on. They had seen the boats just going around in a circle at the bottom and thought that they should try it out. I still am laughing at the look on their faces when the boat flew up into the air and down and over and over again at top speeds. It was freakin' hilarious. They learned their lesson though...watch the ride from start to finish before you get on!

Anyone who knows me, knows my obsession with the water gun game. I kick some serious AS*. This time, guess who won? My predecessor. She is every bit of me, Nathan and I are starting to realize.

Taking a break in the ninety degree weather for a much needed slushee. And who can go to the fair without having Cheese Curds!! They were amazing!

Tink & Bubba

7.8.10

I have been busy with photo shoots this week..Gonna find that rock tomorrow though. We will be busy again today with baseball tourneys and whatever the gods (I think it is Haetes) decide to throw my way. Big Daddy and I were going to escape this weekend to Duluth. WERE. Yes, the big escape without the kiddos. Here is the story as to why not.
Transmission guy: (when he dropped off my bonney) You really should change your brake pads and roters.
Big Daddy: Told you
Me: pppshhht. whatever.
A mere 2 days later big daddy has the tires off and my pocketbook and vacation fund has been driven down another 300 hundred bucks...
Big Daddy: Hey ya wanna come outside? I gotta show ya something.
I was overdosing on antihistamine so I was laying in bed from my allergies. Not a good day anyway. I pull my big 'ol ass out of bed and head out the door.
Big Daddy: (holding the tire he just took off to change the brake pads, pointing to a spot on it and talking to me like I was a kindergartner) See this spot here..the big tear in the rubber? (No, you idiot, your big 'ol thumb is covering it)
Me: ya...(on the verge of tears, I need to get away from my kids, Mount St. Dirty Laundry, PMS-ing teenager, and don't even get me started on what the inside of my fridge looks like...eeewww...avoidance is ALWAYS the best medicine, right??)
Big Daddy: We need new tires.
Me: Whatever...(did you hear it? The sound of my vacay flushing down the toilet?)
The very next day...
Me: How much is this gonna cost me?
Big Daddy: Two-Three hundred bucks.
Eight hours later
Me: Well??
Big Daddy: Just about $400.00
Our Visa Debit Card Commercial goes something like this...
New Transmission $1700.00
New Brakes/Pads/Roters for said car $300.00
New Tires Balance and Rotation $400.00
Big Daddy: A safe car to drive in: PRICELESS
Me: Kissing the vacation fund goodbye...SO NOT PRICELESS!!
Seriously. Come on. What next??!!!

7.7.10

Yah.
I.
got.
nothin.

See ya tomorrow.

7.6.10

Tink got her first taste of horsemanship this weekend. She loved it. Miss Whit and I had a photo shoot on a local ranch and Tink had to come along....Whit will be going along in a couple of weeks for some riding. She did very well with the horse, once she realized that she had to show Mr. Ed who was boss. Hellooo...she is a teenager who thinks she IS the boss..so it worked out pretty good.

Miss Whit's finished product...All of the photos turned out fabulous. It had just got done raining and we had perfect lighting...

Attack of the killer skeeter!

They were out to get me!! So if you see me scratchin' my ass, you know why!

In Memory of Aunt Cindy

The fireworks store had the coolest things...Memory balloons, not sure if they are called balloons but that is what we call them. Anywho, you light them up and they float away. They are so neat. We got 2 of them this year...One for Aunty Cindy and one for my stepdad who passed away. On another note, notice the moth sized mosquitoes in the photos..They were huge. They grow 'em big in the country. In town, I swear, they are not that big.