Maternity Photography - Redding Photography

As a photographer, we often see people, places or things that we just have to shoot. Well in this case two of those things happened for me. For years I've seen this sign that says "Bump" when I drive through a friend's neighborhood. I just think how cute would that be to have a prego lady in front of that! Then last year I saw someone had the same idea and I saw that it was a good idea.
Secondly, when I heard Jodi was pregnant, I thought "I so want to take her pictures!" She was kind of enough to let me experiment the several shots that I have been carrying around in my head for months on her. Thanks Jodi...and her beautiful daughter Cali for allowing me to capture such a special time in your lives!

Child Photography - Redding Photography

I had the pleasure of taking pictures of these 2 girls three times now...each time it gets easier as they get to know me. I just love, love their blue eyes...they photograph so well!

WIN!!!

go here: http://www.pamelatopping.com/2010/11/epiphanie/#comment-584

and win yourself a fab bag!

One of these days I will actually get one of these cool bags....I've entered SEVERAL contests...I want one so much! hMMM, my birthday is coming up soon....hint hint! lol

I'm saving, I'm saving....

This couponing is addicting and so much fun! But my chores are slagging as I am spending time clipping and organizing my coupons.

I'm so thankful to all the coupon blogs...they truly are the ones saving me money. I'm sure I could (and well do) figure out some great deals on my own, having them be totally lined out for me is awesome. The very first blog I followed was: http://www.thesassysaver.net/sassy-coupon-giveaway-706-93-in-coupons/ and she is having a contest that I sure would love to win, because it's for MORE COUPONS! lol!

I really suggest you try this coupon thing out, especially if you have a super tight budget. When my family had two incomes I could go to Target and pick up that cute pillow that matched my couch, or buy my daughter a pair of shoes she didn't need because they were just too cute for words. But now I have to watch my spending very carefully, literally every penny makes a difference. I no longer treat change as a nuisance, it's now part of my budget.
So how do you start couponing? Well read the "Be a Sassy Saver" on the above blog, go to http://www.coupons.com and print coupons...you can print them twice from each computer. Then you should go to http://www.adperks.com if you have a Rite Aid in your area and watch the videos for big value coupons. They last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes depending on the company. I just turn my volume off, hit play and then do something like organize, clip, write, whatever while it plays...but make sure you are paying attention to when it ends because you only have 30 seconds to enter a code in to get the coupon. It sounds long and complicated, but really isn't. Then you can combine these Rite Aid STORE coupons with MANUFACTURER coupons with their sale price and get things for super cheap or lots of time FREE!!! Target also has coupons on their site and you don't need to watch a video (but I don't find their deals nearly as good). I hope this gets you started!

First shoot of the season

I had such a great time shooting the Schlange family this last Sunday. They made my job so super easy! First of all they are an adorable family and secondly they just did exactly what I suggested. I think the pictures turned out great, I hope they do too! I can't wait for my shoots next Sunday....I have so many ideas for them flowing through my head. All 3 will be totally different. I'd just like to Thank God for the opportunity to do something I Love :)

Coupons!!!!

I'm having so much fun with coupons! Since I'm totally broke, this coupon thing is helping me with retail therapy...even if it's just shampoo! See if I can get it free, I don't care what it is :p

I started following The Sassy Saver a few months ago, but still didn't get into the coupon thing until my sister ran into a mutual friend at Target who was couponing in a major way! She emailed my sis her secrets and the rest is history! I want to share as much with you as I can so that you can enjoy free or cheap retail therapy too!

First subscribe to these two blogs http://www.thesassysaver.net/ and http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

I also came across this today and have yet to read through it, I'll share it, but I don't know as of yet how treasurable this link is :p http://www.allyou.com/coupons-deals/5-coupon-blogs-we-love-00400000061848/index.html

I was hoping to share some photographs that I had taken last night today, but unfortunately the shoot got rescheduled....

Hello Again!!!

Okay, my goal is two-fold for my blog. One to share my photography and upcoming sessions and two to share about my couponing. Many ask about both....so here you go...a twofor!!!

I'll be back later with more info on my Fall Portrait Specials!

Been a while

I always have so much to blog about...but then I never do. I severely lack motivation and energy. This is something that I'm working on. Trying to get on a consistent exercise routine, continue to put healthy foods in my body and lastly, I got back on my meds that help keep me alert. I really wanted to stay off of them and did for several months...but I was miserable. So unfortunately, all of these things cost money. Yes I could exercise for free, but that's not realistic. I won't do it. I need the structure of a gym. And as messed up as it is, healthy food is a lot more expensive then junk food...wow, America is backwards! The meds are $500 a month ( I will try to stretch that). I did go on the manufacturers website and they have an assistance program...it looks like I'd qualify...so that offers me some hope.
My Dr. wants me to have some blood work done. Hopefully it offers some information about this fatigue and weight issue. I'm also going to a weight Dr. to hopefully help me lose this weight I gained (for reasons I'm not totally sure of). Seems lack of sleep, stress and not eating much made me gain weight...weird. So now I need to lose it and with all my ailments it's quite the obstacle. So I'm excited by all this. I hope to feel good overall VERY soon!

Withdrawals

So my FB took about 28 hours to reappear....That's a LONG time if you are an addict. What to do, What to do? What did I do before FB (it wasn't that long ago). Oh I remember, Digital Scrapbooking free downloads. I used to spend a good hour if not hours a night going through my favorite site: http://digifree.craftcrave.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-01T01%3A00%3A00%2B11%3A00&max-results=1

I'd find the great scrapbook kits that I could download for FREE and it helped give me that shopping fix. I LOVE to buy scrapbook supplies! My friend Jamie has taken up digital scrapbooking and this week she asked if I wanted to take a challenge on one of the websites she learns through...I figured sure...especially since I have NO access to my beloved Face Book. The challenge was to creat a page with a quote from a movie or song. Here is the page I did:

Addiction

Addiction, what an ugly word! I previously wrote about "bad habits"....well, I am finding that I also have addictions. I used to say I didn't understand addiction, because I don't have an addictive personality. I'm finding that I do. I'm so addicted to the computer. It's bad....I can't go a day without it and if I do it's because I'm out of town and very busy. Tonight Facebook is not working and this has me in withdrawals...I feel ashamed. I love to play scrabble at night on FB, the game stimulates my brain and relaxes it at the same time. I feel lost tonight. I NEED to be doing non computer things. I'm so exhausted and I just want to lay in bed. Oh me oh my...I'm gonna blame Daylight Savings Time...the darkness makes me lazy. During the summer I keep up on chores better, I go out in the evenings, I don't feel like I just want to get under the covers and not come out. DSV is coming soon....I'm gonna kick some addiction ass soon, very soon ;)

Hello Kitty

First off, let me just say a little Woot! Woot!....3 blogs in the new year already :p

So on Facebook there was a weekly theme to put a retro pic of yourself on your profile. I do not have any pics of me handy as they are all packed in the hopes that I may actually sell my house sometime soon. This week I saw a few people mention to post your favorite character. So that is one I can participate in. I assume you as my reader are smart enough to now relate the title of the post to who my favorite character might be :)

I'll never forget the Sanrio store in the mall as a little girl. I LOVED Hello Kitty! I still love Hello Kitty. Certain people in my life tease me about this...and YOU know who YOU are! So to show that I'm not alone in liking this little kitty, I searched some images on the good ol' web to show some cool Hello Kitty shwag! (look closely, I think a few might give you a little giggle!)

I would like to say that I'm not obsessed with this character. I don't have Hello Kitty everything....I don't collect Hello Kitty stuff...I do however encourage my daughter to also have a love for Hello Kitty so that I can enjoy it a little more :)
Does getting a Hello Kitty tattoo mean i'm obsessed with her? I don't think it does...I just really dig her image. I'll be getting this tattoo this spring or summer. She will rest to the left of my belly button and just a little north of the bikini (like the picture to the right here...but the image a little more on my tummy). Here are two that I think will look like what I want.

Money, Money, Money, Money, Moooo-ney!

“Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort.”

Yah, money is an issue for most of us. I have always been pretty good with money. However, I'm finding it very hard to have my income cut exactly in half. I keep trying to cut, cut, cut expenses. But eventually there isn't much left to cut. I was very discouraged Friday when I called Charter. I currently have my phone, internet and cable through them. I have never been without cable in my whole life. I finally decided that that was an expense I could cut. Anyone who knows me really well knows how much I have loved T.V..I don't watch it as much as I used to, but I still do like to escape reality and watch someone else's. I also used to love talking on the phone, but since I had kids who could talk and therefore INTERRUPT; talking on the phone is NOT something I enjoy now. So turning off my phone is not a big deal to me. I have a cell phone if I need a phone. Now the internet...hmmm, don't think I can live without that...lol. So I was hoping to call and cancel the phone and cable. I was informed that I was in a contract and it would cost me $150 to get out of the contract. Also, since I was breaking the contract I could no longer participate in any specials....grrr! So the lady gave me a $25 credit on my bill to think about it. I told the lady thank you, but I don't imagine money will suddenly appear in my checking account in the next 2 weeks and as much as I hate to cancel EVERYTHING that is what I will be doing in 2 weeks. So now I'm bummed that I have to lose all 3. I will research and find a decent internet service...but I hate losing my email address. I have had it for a long time now and EVERYTHING is tied to it. So I'll take this 2 week period to set up a new email and try to change over the million accounts I have that are tied to it.

Now if I could just sell my darn house, I could actually make my budget work.

New Year's Resolution....

Blog more...why, I dunno. I have so much to say, not sure why I don't blog more. I lay in bed at night and write great blogs in my head....but then the day comes and I get busy or when I go to write the amazing blog from the night before I can't remember any of the wit that I thought would be good. I suppose if I get in the habit. Habits is the subject for the rest of the blog.

We all have habits....more bad than good too I bet.
I tend to focus on breaking the bad ones instead of instilling good ones.
I want so badly to have some great GOOD habits.
Some are so simple like take my vitamins daily, put old lady lotion on my face to stay looking young, drink more water.
Then there are the harder ones like, exercise, prepare my lunches, and keep my car clean. Seeing them in written word seems silly when i say they are hard. I like to exercise. I LOVE to dance...would take dance classes every day. I like going to the gym and riding the bike while I read and then using the machines. But I can't afford the gym or dance and even if I could, I feel too tired and wore out. Yes, exercise would help...it all makes sense. There is pretty much only benefits from exercising, yet I don't do it...ugh!

I also have terrible eating habits. I LOVE to eat healthy...yah terrible right? well, the problem is I hate to cook and how many fast, easy Healthy choices are there? not a lot. So I end up not eating. Then by the evening I'm starving and I have most of my food choices at home so I eat a bunch. I don't think I go over calories, but I go long periods of time that my body gets all confused. I also wasn't sleeping much and the combo was bad for my metabolism. I need to get back on track. Just need to start that good habit and then keep it going. My big goal is to make my lunches for the week on Sunday along with a meal plan. Bummer part is I am on a major budget restraint so I'm not able to buy the foods that are healthier, and since I'm a vegetarian it gets even tougher. So I'm still fumbling my way through being a single mom and the one that cooks (Ryan used to be the cook).

Lastly, why the heck can't I keep my car clean? 5 things go in and only 3 come out....4 more in and 3 more out and after a week that equals MESSY car. With my kids it is 7 things in 2 things out....know what I mean?

I'm going to tackle these one at a time and slowly. Because when I try too fast and too much it results in FAILURE....and I'm done with that :)

...it's Fall!

Everyday I have something to blog about, but I get so busy, I don't. I write my blog everynight in my head as I try to fall asleep. So many things on my mind. Things I want to share.

Ryan and I still have not come up with a custody agreement...so we are just playing it by ear right now. He hasn't had them since Halloween. He has requested to have them next week. It makes sense. They don't have school and I work. He doesn't work and neither does his mom...so together they can entertain the kids. I imagine my nephew you will also be off from school, so playing with him will be fun for the kids as well.
I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving. Mostly because I come from such a small family that when we have family get togethers its with the people I see almost on a daily basis. It also doesn't help that I am a vegetarian and that leaves me a meal of green beans and mashed potatoes. For some reason the other night after Ryan and I finalized plans, I laid in bed and it hit me that I was going to be w/o my kids on a holiday. I don't even care abou t the holiday...but it just felt weird. I cannot celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Not that I"m not thankful...because I'm extremely thankful for so many things. Ironically my children are native americans...so I suppose it's their holiday r ight? Anyway, I'm going to take a day to myself I guess (unless anyone wants to come over and kee p me company....movies & wine???)
On another note, I would love to become a photographer one day. Family, kids and babies. I have done a couple of photoshoots with my friend and I've been happy with what I have done so far. I'm still not up to caliber...and I hope with pra ctice I will be. Mostly I take a good image...it's j ust not exposed properly...and thankfully I'm pretty decent in photoshop which fixes all that. But I'd like to get it right w/o photoshopping. So I decided that since next week I'm free and it's close to family pictures time for Christmas cards, I'd offer in invitation to you to help us both.

So I'm offering to you a 1hr sessi

on on location (probably at Caldwell Park), 2 Photo Christmas card designs and a CD with Images from the shoot (photoshop touchup included) for $30. Let me know if you are interested :)

....and Happy Thanksgiving!

Some samples below :)

to blog or not to blog...

I'm feeling the need to blog. Hmmm, about what? Dunno! Well let's see what random thoughts escape my mind. This weekend..pack up kids' bedroom (maybe put primer on the walls), sell stuff (shhh, some will be kids toys). Christmas cards? What? already...yep. I know I'll get behind if I don't...really we all know it's sneaky up on us. Christmas? hmmm...what should I get my kids? Thinking that the son's request for Heely's may finally come true. He's been asking for 2 years...his poor feet have been too small. Kendall...hmmm, hate to get her more toys...girl has a million My little ponies and Barbies.....and dress up and games....hmmm. Do you think she'd like ??? damn, can't think....what do you think a 5 year old girl might "need"...lol, like they need anything...maybe chocolate chip pancakes.
Halloween...Love it!
Thanksgiving...vegitarian...lame!
Christmas...hmmm, well like to watch my kids
Birthday...Jaunary...make me feel special
February...Valentine's day...hmmm, no one seems to want to celebrate that with me (maybe this year?)
and then.....headed towards summer again...wow, time flies!

okay...see ya (will I?...hear yah?...maybe just read ya)....comment me..please ;)

Nobody reads this

nobody reads this, reads this, reads this...nobody reads this, not they don't ! ;)

Kid's Birthday Party

For a planner, I wasn't planning very well when I had my kids 3 weeks apart. Kendall's birthday is in September and Joey's in October. The first year we obviously wanted to keep them separate. She would need her special 1st birthday party and Joey would need something special as well since this was the first time he had to deal with a birthday before his own. We figured it might be tough on him. At the age of 4 he wouldn't understand why she gets to have her birthday first. So we did an over the top carnival party for his 4th birthday. The next year I convinced Joey to let Kendall share a party with him. What theme do you do for a boy and a girl? Monkeys! since they are ones!. The worked out great! Well for her 3rd birthday I decided a low key princess party would work nicely. About 5 girls came over dressed up and it was nice to have such a small gathering. We did the big family BBQ thing for Joey's that year. Two parties is still a lot to deal with in such a short span. Last year I tried to talk them into a joint party again...but they were both adamant about separate ones. For the first time ever, I gave up some control and offered them the option to hold their party outside of the house. Kendall did not want to, but Joey did. he chose gymnastics. It was heaven to not have to clean my house before and after his party. I loved that party! So this year, I nudged them both in the direction of a joint, outside the house party. They agreed on Bowling...yes, that wasn't too hard! Bowling was also the least expensive of the choices I gave them. Unfortunately Joey only had one friend show up and Kendall had two and cousin Kaylie also came. So it was a pretty quiet and I must say well behaved group of 6 kids. They had a blast. most had never bowled before, including Kendall. You just gotta love bumpers. I grew up in a bowling family and way back when I was there age, they didn't have light balls, or small sized shoes or bumpers...what a change of an experience I could have had. I also always make the cake...I pride myself in a themed cake. I'm not good at it, but I want to do it anyhow. This year I was going to do bowling ball looking cupcakes. The night before I was sick and the thought of one more task was daunting. I begrudgingly took the kids to the store and let them pick out a store bought cake...this was very hard for me. At first I thought it was going to be very hard for them to agree on a cake...Kendall wanted the one with flowers...of course that wasn't Joey's style...he wanted the super, all chocolate one. Once we told him the flower cake was chocolate, he agreed....too easy! So I hope next year's party (and I say that singular)...will go just as well :)

What's New?

Well I'm so not motivated to work today...well, I guess I haven't been for a while now. I feel bad...I shouldn't slack so much. I mean I get done what needs to be done...but I could be doing more. Today, I feel like crap...again...what's new? Sore throat, barfy, headache...wha wha, whoa is me :)
So right now I'm in the midst of getting my house ready for sale...it is going VERY slow...I still don't even have one room completely painted. My goal was to have it on the market today...ha, not gonna happen. I hate that I was sick this weekend...cause I had a whole day yesterday that I could have devoted to packing/painting/etc. I severely needed to do laundry too...I hate getting behind! and now I'm behind on top of being behind... frown! Oh well, I keep telling myself...just plug away...don't look at the big picture.
I leave a week from today to go to Wisconsin again. Why can't we have plants in Florida or New York...or somewhere more exciting? Not that I get to see anything besides the airport, hotel and plant anyway. So this trip is for more training. For Food Safety Audits. I know you are super jealous that I get to go to Wisconsin and learn about Audits...it just doesn't get more exciting than that! The next training will take me to either Texas of San Diego...so that's a little more exciting. I'm going to be gone between 3-4 days...makes for a long week. It basically takes a day to get there with the time change. I am excited to meet some people that I talk to and email and never have met. It's nice to put a face with a name. So far I've been pretty off with the pictures I have come up with in my mind of what I think they will look like.
So that is pretty much what's new!

I've neglected the blog! I've had a lot to say and share...but didn't know where to start or where to get the motivation. The last 3 years have been a very hard struggle in many ways...mentally, physically, emotionally...etc. I am thankful that at the start of it all I felt God's presence. I felt him say this is supposed to be happening and you will come out a happier, stronger person. I thought I knew exactly what God meant. I'm still a little confused about the way things seem to be heading...it's not what I thought he was showing me. But then, as humans, we have free will...and at some point the vision I had was blurred...by my actions? outside force? I don't know...but what I do know is that during this time, my relationship with God has grown stronger and more fruitful. I've learned tons about myself. I know that eventually I will regain the parts of me I have lost.
I'm in overwhelmed mode right now. This summer we had all decided to move away...out of state. So we started to pack up non-essentials, purge, paint. We started off gung-ho but the motivation quickly faded. I saw life going in the wrong direction...I saw that as much as I wanted to steer in one direction, that was not the way we were heading. Tons of praying, thinking, planning...let to very difficult decisions. The outcome of these decisions have left me still moving (although just here in town), still packing, purging and painting...except now I'm doing it by myself....no pity needed (although I'll take a little...lol). I feel like if I could stop time or take a week off, I could get caught up...but I can't...and as hard as I work at it, I'm just not close. This frustrates me to no end...cause I know I can do it...or I think I can. Anyway, I just want to be settled...not be a month behind on EVERYTHING. I want to have time to do things I like to do. Seems like my weekends consist of chores and kids activities. I don't mine either...but all the time...is wearing. I have so many things I want to do. I have a secret project that I want to finish, of course scrapbooking (I'm years behind), take dance classes, workout, go out with friends, start making Christmas gifts and cards....so many things. I know the time will come...and when it does, I pray I have regained my health and can actually take advantage of the opportunity. No matter what I know that I'm seriously blessed with what I do have. Sometimes I can't believe how well my life has turned out even with all the crap. I mean how can I complain when I have food to eat everyday, a house...with a bed, 2 healthy and amazing children...a great job with the best boss in the world...I could go on. I'm tired, I hurt, but most of all I am happy with me. I don't think a lot of people get to say that. I think I'm very lucky to be in that place with myself...could be the 10 years of therapy...hmmmm .... lol :)

Saturday night I heard this loud crash. It sounded like a car crashed right into my house. I was home alone of course. I was scared to look out the window. I opened the door and I couldn't see anything. I did notice that Ryan's white Bug seemed to only be showing a little...hmm strange. I searched for a flashlight and shined it on the car....yep a huge branch fell on it. Now when I say huge branch...I mean the branch is the size of a tree. I didn't really know the extent of it until the next morning when I could see it in the day light. I walked it around it and I could barely see through the branches to the car. I could see that the windshield was shattered and there was a big dent in the roof. I didn't get to talk to Ryan for 2 days after it happened (he was camping on the coast). I had to leave town for business before he got back...so I didn't get to see his reaction to the scene once he saw it. When I got back the Insurance guy was here...at least the tree was not on our property. The boys have been chopping at it now to clear away the car.