Things I Love Thursday – Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

So many things I love lately but I keep coming back to this baby. I know most of you won’t understand my love affair with this piece of equipment but it’s all I can think about right now.

A NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8. It’s a lovely lens and my friend let me borrow it to take some pics lately for two volleyball tournaments. You can see them on my photography website. I would really love to add this to my lens stash permanently. It only retails for about $140.00. That’s not too bad and with my upcoming birthday it might just be the perfect thing to buy for myself 🙂

Check out other TILT at The Diaper Diaries.

Top Ten Tuesday

Wow I haven’t done a Top Ten list in forever and I figured it’s about time I got back on the band wagon. So in honor of the upcoming bridal shower I’m co-hosting I decided to list the ten places/stores I would have a registry (if I was allowed to do one again).

1. Target – cause who doesn’t love this store. It’s like mommy crack. I could cloth my children, get some groceries, buy myself some new clothes, some new movies… you name it.
2. William Sonoma – if I’m going to request new kitchen gadgets might as well go for the best. I really want a mandolin and some new pots and pans.
3. Pottery Barn – A new couch without old spit up stains, a rug that hasn’t been peed or puked on, maybe even a new dining room table. The possibilities are endless
4. Educationregistry.com – Yes you can now register for guests to pay for your children’s education. Um, where do I sign up?
5. Lowe’s – Have you ever noticed if you start a home project how everything quickly adds up. This way you can register for all those unexpected things that happen or gift cards for all those visits you’ll be making
6. Pier 1 – But the bad news is, my sis-in-law tried to register there and they informed her that it wasn’t possible. If you could… I would. I love walking around this store. It’s always so bright and cheerful. Some outdoor cushions and glasses or a hammock.
7. Amazon.com – Yeah buddy. Everything under the sun at your fingertips. I always refer to Amazon when looking for ANYTHING. So this registry would come in handy.
8. Travel Agent – yep I would totally love to take a second honeymoon courtesy of our second wedding guests. The options are endless on this one… the hard part – picking where to go.
9. Container Store – All new organization items. I could start all over and be completely organized. My life would run smoothly. Who are we kidding but organization stuff is great stuff.
10. Ikea – Cause come on who wouldn’t. Cannot wait till we visit Chicago in May because then I get to get my Ikea shopping fix.

There you have it where I would register if I was allowed to register again. Seriously why aren’t we allowed to register again. Why aren’t we allowed after 10 years of marriage to celebrate again and have our loved ones buy us stuff. Like a congratulations you made it to ten years. In this day it’s a huge accomplishment. Why have we as a society not started this yet?

Check out more top ten lists at Oh Amanda.

What’s Going On??

The answer to that question… LOTS.

This weekend is a big weekend. I am co-hosting a shower with my mom and cousin in honor of my soon to be sis-in-law. Getting ready for that has been quite the undertaking. Probably because everything has to be perfect. I can’t help it, I’m a perfectionist and I really want her to have the best.

I have started planning L’s birthday party. My baby is going to be six. I’m happy and proud of the little girl she’s becoming but it also makes me sad. I have a friend that is going to be induced tomorrow to have her first child and it makes me think back to the day she was born. Sigh. It seems like just yesterday. Anyway I picked the venue and made reservations today, need to just drop off a check for them and pick out what the girls will be painting.

So with both of those parties coming up, today I ran around town and got everything almost done. I have the shower about 95% ready, I don’t want to be near a glue gun again for a long time 😉 and I picked out invitations for L’s party and addressed those tonight.

We headed back to school today and L said “I don’t wanna go to school.” I told her NO ONE wants to go to school today. So I was telling the teacher that and she says, “including me”. Yeah me either. I was getting the hang of sleeping late.

Sunday I have a family shoot for our cousins and that will be fun. I love taking photos of kids and it’s always easier when you have a relationship with those kiddos.

That friend that’s having the baby tomorrow, she’s the same friend that I took maternity pictures for, you can find those here and her slide show is here. Anyway, she recommended me to her sis-in-law and now I’m taking her senior pictures on Monday. So excited. My first senior shoot.

So for now that’s what I have going on. It’s a crazy life but it’s our life. Wait hasn’t someone said that before???? 😉

It’s a big deal

Tonight I packed her backpack. I folded her new nightgown and smiled at the thought of how happy she would be to show her friends. I picked out an outfit for the morning and laid it beside her nightgown. Rolled up her sleeping bag and labeled it with her name and placed both the backpack and sleeping bag by the front steps. She was all set. She was excited but I could tell she was also a little nervous. Her first big sleepover. There would be 12 other little girls and for my shy little girl it’s a lot to anticipate. She sat on my lap and we brushed her hair, we talked about all the fun things she would be doing tonight with her friends. There would be cupcakes and presents, games and lots of running around playing. She was happy.

When the time came to put on our coats and gather up her stuff she was running at full speed. She and I talked the whole way there (all of 7 minutes) about her day and the fun things that we had done. We arrived and she JUMPED out of the car and practically ran up to the door. Once inside she handed over the presents, threw off her coat and ran upstairs to join her friends.

I stuck around to talk to the mom and dad and while still there she ran by a couple times, the last time she ran by she stopped, grabbed my leg and started to wipe tears away. It was breaking my heart. Poor thing had been so excited and now at the prospect of me leaving she was about to come apart. Her friends mom took her by the hand and assured her of the upcoming fun and I crept out.

I sat here at home tonight, entertaining friends and thinking of nothing but her. How she was doing, what she was doing… then the phone rang. I was prepared to hear that she was upset and wanted to come home. I was very happy to hear that she is doing good and wanted to stay. Success as of 10:50 pm. How nice that the parents called ME to tell me she was doing okay. Almost like they knew I needed to know.

Her brother, little J really misses her tonight. So much so, he slept in her bed. We’ll see how much I sleep tonight but I am really proud of her. Even if she called at 2:00 am I would rush to get her and still be proud. Cause your first sleepover, it’s a big deal.

On Vacay

It’s spring break week here for us and my BFF’s kids. So instead of planning a million playdates (which would have been fun) we instead packed up our houses… everything but the kitchen sink and our kids (we’re leaving the pets and hubbies behind) and headed to the lake. That’s Lake of the Ozarks for you non-Lou people.

We plan on sewing, crafting, movie watching, reading, playing, shopping and relaxing. So far we’ve relaxed and played, oh and shopped 🙂

I do have to say that neither of my kids are asleep at 9:09 pm. They are running in and out of the room like they are invisible (not so much). For this I have to thank the time change. In their sweet little minds it’s only 8:09 pm. Plus they are missing Daddy something awful and they’ve been crying off and on. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

I’m having fun and I’m relaxed so I guess that’s all that matters.

Let’s get real

So I had a realization the other day, a bad realization. The kind of reality that makes me want to crawl into bed. In my 33 years I never thought I would utter these words but… I’m the fat friend!! You know the one in the picture with a swimsuit cover-up on while your other friends stand around in their bikinis, completely proud of their bodies. They should be. They’re working hard on them while I sit here like a lump on a log.

My BFF is skinny and my other friend just lost 40 pounds. My cousin works out like constantly, my soon to be sis-in-law is working out for the wedding and my mom is super skinny from working out almost everyday. I am seeing a trend 😉 Working out might be good for you.

SO… JT, the kids and I joined the Y. Not just any Y. A new fancy, shiny one. We took a tour last night and I am so excited. Our membership kicks in on April 1st and my plan is to drop L off at school and head over to start my workout. I’m very happy that that we joined someplace with classes, a pool, a gym and we have friends from school that are members so L is happy about that.

I know it’s a good choice and maybe in a couple of months I won’t be the fat friend anymore. Perfect timing for swimsuit season. I’ll never be in a bikini again, but a pretty two piece will be just fine.

Disney on Ice – Let’s Celebrate

Last night we attended Disney on Ice and it was an awesome show.

We were dancing and screaming and clapping till we were all exhausted. It seems like everyone was there.

Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Ariel, Prince Eric, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Jasmine, Aladdin, Tiana, Prince Naveen, Snow White and her prince, Mulan, Chang, Fairy Godmother, Alice and her crew, Captain Hook, Gepetto, the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio, Baloo, Mowgli, Cruella DeVil, Jafar, the evil queen from Snow White, the evil gal from Sleeping Beauty, Jack Skellington, Belle and the Beast (in prince form), Lilo and Stitch, the Toy Story gang and of course Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto. I think that’s it 🙂

It was fantastic. We all had our favorite parts. For instance, J liked the villians; L liked the princesses; JT liked the Lilo and Stitch and I really liked the Mardi Gras part with Tiana.

Run don’t walk to see this show. Order your tickets through ticketmaster. Enter the code MOM and you can get 4 tickets for the price of $44. That’s an awesome deal. There are no bad seats in the arena. If you want more than 4 they are available under that code for an additional $11 each. There is a minimum requirement of 4 tickets. Ringside and VIP are not eligible.

The show is here in STL until Sunday and there are still tickets available. It’s definitely a party that all kids will love. I swear I’m not just saying that, it was the best Disney show we’ve seen. It really had us pumped for our Disney vacation in September.

Jump for Joy – I Heart Faces

This week I Heart Faces photo challenge is Jump for Joy and this is definitely my favorite picture EVER of my brother. I shot this while taking his engagement photos last July. We told them both to jump and C was like how am I supposed to do that, N8 said “like this”. She has this look on her face like um, yeah I don’t think so. That’s when I snapped the picture. Love it. He is such a goofball.

It really brings a smile to my face.

Check out all the other submissions, they are all so much fun.

40 Questions

This is what I should have blogged about tonight, this is more fun for you, my readers to read instead of my last TV post 🙂 I found it on Nicole’s blog oh. my. words.

1. What would you like to appear in your hands right now? MONEY. If I’m being greedy, not just 1 million, how about 100 million.
2. What was the last thing you ate? A Tootsie Pop
3. What is your favorite episode of a tv show? My favorite TV episode ever has to be the Friends episode where they are moving a couch into Ross’ apartment and the whole PIVOT banter.
4. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Twice, at least that I can remember. One for our wedding and two on the the way to the airport for our honeymoon.
5. Which is better, your cursive or your printing? My cursive
6. What photos are living on your camera right now, waiting to be downloaded? And why are they still there? Even though they are downloaded I still have Angie’s maternity session on my camera.
7. How many pregnant women do you know? I believe I know 3
8. Three things you did this past weekend: Shopped for baby bedding, had dinner with friends, sorted Girl Scout Cookies
9. If you could only visit three websites for the next month, which would you choose? My e-mail account, facebook and my blog
10. What did your family do for vacations when you were a child? We traveled a lot of different places. Usually we would join my dad on his business trips. He used to visit some awesome places.
11. Law & Order or Boston Legal? Law & Order
12. Do you mind if guests show up uninvited? Nope it doesn’t really bother me, but be prepared for a mess.
13. When will you next travel by plane? Disney World in September
14. What did the last text message you received say? From my BFF “I finished my first skirt and blogged it.”
15. When was the last time you got dressed up? Gosh, it’s been too long.
16. The perfect sign of affection is: A hug. It’s perfect for everyone in your life. Husbands, kids, parents, friends…
17. Do you use your real name online or do you go by a screen name? I go by a screen name
18. What do you miss when you’re away from home? My bed
19. What are you completely & totally over hearing about, reading about, discussing ad nauseum? Dunno
20. Do you reply to comments on your blog? Not usually unless I feel like I need to
21. What are three things that you are looking forward to? Spring Break trip with my BFF, our family trip to Chicago and our huge vacay in September
22. What is your favorite kind of tree? Cherry Blossom
23. What is the newest thing you own? Hmmm… I guess some new clothes from Old Navy
24. If I do anything well, it’s:   procrastinate
25. What is your favorite dessert? I definitely don’t have a favorite, if it’s sweet than I will eat
26. Do you use a planner? No I have a master calendar on our fridge for the family and then I have a copy of that in my iPhone
27. What is your all-time favorite tv comedy? It’s a toss up between Friends or Sex and the City
28. What is your current obsession? Sewing L’s clothes.
29. Three signs Spring is here:   Sunshine, 50 degree weather, stores with cute clothes
30. Do you balance your checkbook or wing it? Wing it.
31. What kind of grapes do you prefer? squashed and fermented then served in a glass
32. What is your favorite store-bought cookie? Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip
33. What was your fifth grade teacher’s name? No idea.
34. High school was: Stupid. Would not go back and do it over, ever.
35. Describe your dream kitchen. HUGE, fancy, brand new. Not sure what I would specifically like.
36. What would you really like to purchase? Depends on the day you ask me, today it would be a second car. Tomorrow it might be a house.
37. How many of your friendships have lasted more than a decade? Does it count if we were friends and became friends again 16 years later??? If so, then 1, plus my other BFF, my hubby so 2.
38. Are there times when you still feel like a kid? All the time, you’re only as old as you feel.
39. What teacher from high school comes to mind first? Mr. Behling
40. What magazines do you read? Real Simple, Oprah, People, Martha Stewart Living, Kraft Food and Family, Family Fun… so many others.

TV Tonight

Of course we watched the Jim/Pam/Baby episode of the Office tonight… who didn’t?! I thought it was hilarious. SPOILERS!!

-She didn’t want to go to the hospital, that was funny. How many out there went into the labor for the first time and didn’t want to go to the hospital? That would be me. When I had L, my water broke and I sat on the toliet saying “it’ll stop, don’t worry, my water didn’t break, I just wet my pants”. She was born 6 hours later.

-Um…. Dwight… he escorted them to the hospital, threw weapons out the window as he was being pulled over, signed a contract to have a baby with Angela, broke into Jim and Pam’s house, slept in their bed naked and destroyed their kitchen. He had a very busy night.

-Did you happen to see the cringe scene where Pam breastfed the other ladies baby? Yikes. Yeah it was bad.

OMG the whole show was hilarious.

Now we are watching the Marriage Ref. Love this new show. People are so weird. Did you see the freak last week with the stuffed dog?

The metrosexual guy, that was a little creepy. I’m with the wife. I’m not a fan of a man that gets manis and pedis. I think Eva Longoria Parker said it best, “he’s on the path of mani, pedi, tannie, trannie”. Thank god my man is exactly that… a man. My friend and I joke about her hubby being metro, I will never say that again after seeing that guy. Friend if you read this, your hubby is far from metro 😉

The second couple… she’s crazy. First with the table, not using a dining room table? Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t tables supposed to be used. Second with the porch, my man is not a handy man but it doesn’t mean he’s not a good man and thank you Natalie Morales for saying that women are actually better at following directions and assembling items. Yes, yes we are.

Third couple, ewwww!!! I’m with Jerry on this one. Separation of church and state. You’d have to watch to get it.

Fourth couple, the ring issue. Ok fine take it off to play basketball but then put it back on stupid.

BTW I won’t do this every week. I just felt like blogging tonight and it’s all I could think of to blog about.

Am I the only that can’t wait to see minute to win it?! I wanna see if the guy gets all the tissues out of the box in a minute. 🙂