I have decided to undertake another challenge.  This time? I am going to blog at least one entry for 365 days straight. That's right, a year.  The year starting today (a random May 1) is going to be a busy one with the new baby, all of the growing and changing Girl does, and whatever else life sends my way.  In addition, each of the 365 posts will have at least one picture. That way, I have to work on my camera skills too. Lets see if we can beat this challenge!! Update on other challenge: Day 31 and we have donated 21 bags.  I have at least one more worth of books to go, and a mini-George Forman to send to the Airmen's Attic (a borrowing center for military who are moving into a new area or are in the need of short term supplies on a loaner basis).  I ...

Ok. This project is supposed to take place over Lent (40 bags... 40 days...), but I was late to the party and missed the boat. I started my journey ON Easter and am working through the 40-post-Easter days. Here's the challenge: Take 40 plastic food store bags. Fill them with items from your home that you do not want or need anymore. Donate them to places that need them! It cleans out your house, puts the bags to great use, and helps others who need your stuff more than you. So far, I have dropped off 14 bags in 20 days. I also have a back-of-the-minivan full of stuff to donate this weekend. We dropped a crate (I counted as 3 bags) and some cat toys off at a no-kill shelter, 3 bags worth of books off at the library, and several bags of home-goods off at the Goodwill. A ...

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a meeting where the Clutter Busters group came to speak. These people offered many helpful hints on how to declutter your house, and how to keep up with the pace of its maintenance. I have always been a bit overly into organization. Bins, bags, baskets, tags, labels, organization magazines, and cleaning out my house of unneeded items are some of my very favorite things. I am not necessarily OCD about it, but it has become a bit of a giggle for some of my relatives when I say that I need to clean something out. E gets frustrated when I say lets clean the house, because he knows to me that means "lets start by cleaning out the closets" where to him that means "lets dust and vac and make sure that none of our stuff is out". Anyhow, with AJ ...

Since I am blogging every single day now, I have decided to be mildly selfish. I want a place to keep all of my awesome quotes! SO - I'm puttin' them up on here. On Wednesdays. They are now Wordy Wednesdays... "You can have it all, but 'it' might not be what you thought 'it' would be" ~ Dana Buchman (Fashion Designer) "Respect the dignity of your own experience. You are the author of your life. That's what I understand now. I am the author." ~ Anna Deavere Smith (actress/educator) "I know what I want to do with my time. Because my time is my gift that the universe has given me. This is who I'm going to be. If I'm not going to be me now, I am not going to get another chance" ~ Diane Sawyer "Please do not become cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it is my least favorite ...

I have often been asked what camera I shoot with, and I enthusiastically reply "a CANON!". I have several friends that shoot with Nikons, but I haven't ever had that experience. From what I've heard, either you tend to one or the other. Since I have always shot with Canons, I am used to their settings and shoot best with them. I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT. I have been thinking about upgrading, but cannot decide between a T2i and a 5D... I have the two kit lenses (18-55mm f 3.5-5.6 and 75-300mm f 4-5.6) and a 50mm f1.8 fixed lens. I do the most with the fixed lately, but maybe that's because it's newer and more exciting to explore. E wants to get some IS lenses (none of mine are). I cannot decide where my best photo-equipment-dollar is spent!! What do YOU think?! Recently, E sent me a fantastic ...

I have decided to undertake another challenge.  This time? I am going to blog at least one entry for 365 days straight. That's right, a year.  The year starting today (a random May 1) is going to be a busy one with the new baby, all of the growing and changing Girl does, and whatever else life sends my way.  In addition, each of the 365 posts will have at least one picture. That way, I have to work on my camera skills too. Lets see if we can beat this challenge!! Update on other challenge: Day 31 and we have donated 21 bags.  I have at least one more worth of books to go, and a mini-George Forman to send to the Airmen's Attic (a borrowing center for military who are moving into a new area or are in the need of short term supplies on a loaner basis).  I ...

Ok. This project is supposed to take place over Lent (40 bags... 40 days...), but I was late to the party and missed the boat. I started my journey ON Easter and am working through the 40-post-Easter days. Here's the challenge: Take 40 plastic food store bags. Fill them with items from your home that you do not want or need anymore. Donate them to places that need them! It cleans out your house, puts the bags to great use, and helps others who need your stuff more than you. So far, I have dropped off 14 bags in 20 days. I also have a back-of-the-minivan full of stuff to donate this weekend. We dropped a crate (I counted as 3 bags) and some cat toys off at a no-kill shelter, 3 bags worth of books off at the library, and several bags of home-goods off at the Goodwill. A ...

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a meeting where the Clutter Busters group came to speak. These people offered many helpful hints on how to declutter your house, and how to keep up with the pace of its maintenance. I have always been a bit overly into organization. Bins, bags, baskets, tags, labels, organization magazines, and cleaning out my house of unneeded items are some of my very favorite things. I am not necessarily OCD about it, but it has become a bit of a giggle for some of my relatives when I say that I need to clean something out. E gets frustrated when I say lets clean the house, because he knows to me that means "lets start by cleaning out the closets" where to him that means "lets dust and vac and make sure that none of our stuff is out". Anyhow, with AJ ...

Since I am blogging every single day now, I have decided to be mildly selfish. I want a place to keep all of my awesome quotes! SO - I'm puttin' them up on here. On Wednesdays. They are now Wordy Wednesdays... "You can have it all, but 'it' might not be what you thought 'it' would be" ~ Dana Buchman (Fashion Designer) "Respect the dignity of your own experience. You are the author of your life. That's what I understand now. I am the author." ~ Anna Deavere Smith (actress/educator) "I know what I want to do with my time. Because my time is my gift that the universe has given me. This is who I'm going to be. If I'm not going to be me now, I am not going to get another chance" ~ Diane Sawyer "Please do not become cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it is my least favorite ...

I have often been asked what camera I shoot with, and I enthusiastically reply "a CANON!". I have several friends that shoot with Nikons, but I haven't ever had that experience. From what I've heard, either you tend to one or the other. Since I have always shot with Canons, I am used to their settings and shoot best with them. I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT. I have been thinking about upgrading, but cannot decide between a T2i and a 5D... I have the two kit lenses (18-55mm f 3.5-5.6 and 75-300mm f 4-5.6) and a 50mm f1.8 fixed lens. I do the most with the fixed lately, but maybe that's because it's newer and more exciting to explore. E wants to get some IS lenses (none of mine are). I cannot decide where my best photo-equipment-dollar is spent!! What do YOU think?! Recently, E sent me a fantastic ...

I have decided to undertake another challenge.  This time? I am going to blog at least one entry for 365 days straight. That's right, a year.  The year starting today (a random May 1) is going to be a busy one with the new baby, all of the growing and changing Girl does, and whatever else life sends my way.  In addition, each of the 365 posts will have at least one picture. That way, I have to work on my camera skills too. Lets see if we can beat this challenge!! Update on other challenge: Day 31 and we have donated 21 bags.  I have at least one more worth of books to go, and a mini-George Forman to send to the Airmen's Attic (a borrowing center for military who are moving into a new area or are in the need of short term supplies on a loaner basis).  I ...

Ok. This project is supposed to take place over Lent (40 bags... 40 days...), but I was late to the party and missed the boat. I started my journey ON Easter and am working through the 40-post-Easter days. Here's the challenge: Take 40 plastic food store bags. Fill them with items from your home that you do not want or need anymore. Donate them to places that need them! It cleans out your house, puts the bags to great use, and helps others who need your stuff more than you. So far, I have dropped off 14 bags in 20 days. I also have a back-of-the-minivan full of stuff to donate this weekend. We dropped a crate (I counted as 3 bags) and some cat toys off at a no-kill shelter, 3 bags worth of books off at the library, and several bags of home-goods off at the Goodwill. A ...

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a meeting where the Clutter Busters group came to speak. These people offered many helpful hints on how to declutter your house, and how to keep up with the pace of its maintenance. I have always been a bit overly into organization. Bins, bags, baskets, tags, labels, organization magazines, and cleaning out my house of unneeded items are some of my very favorite things. I am not necessarily OCD about it, but it has become a bit of a giggle for some of my relatives when I say that I need to clean something out. E gets frustrated when I say lets clean the house, because he knows to me that means "lets start by cleaning out the closets" where to him that means "lets dust and vac and make sure that none of our stuff is out". Anyhow, with AJ ...

Since I am blogging every single day now, I have decided to be mildly selfish. I want a place to keep all of my awesome quotes! SO - I'm puttin' them up on here. On Wednesdays. They are now Wordy Wednesdays... "You can have it all, but 'it' might not be what you thought 'it' would be" ~ Dana Buchman (Fashion Designer) "Respect the dignity of your own experience. You are the author of your life. That's what I understand now. I am the author." ~ Anna Deavere Smith (actress/educator) "I know what I want to do with my time. Because my time is my gift that the universe has given me. This is who I'm going to be. If I'm not going to be me now, I am not going to get another chance" ~ Diane Sawyer "Please do not become cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it is my least favorite ...

I have often been asked what camera I shoot with, and I enthusiastically reply "a CANON!". I have several friends that shoot with Nikons, but I haven't ever had that experience. From what I've heard, either you tend to one or the other. Since I have always shot with Canons, I am used to their settings and shoot best with them. I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT. I have been thinking about upgrading, but cannot decide between a T2i and a 5D... I have the two kit lenses (18-55mm f 3.5-5.6 and 75-300mm f 4-5.6) and a 50mm f1.8 fixed lens. I do the most with the fixed lately, but maybe that's because it's newer and more exciting to explore. E wants to get some IS lenses (none of mine are). I cannot decide where my best photo-equipment-dollar is spent!! What do YOU think?! Recently, E sent me a fantastic ...