Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
This one is LAME-O and I just wanted to get it over with. Nobody has hurt me recently, so therefore, I am not participating! DONE!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November Photo Hunt Challenge - COMPLETED!
This was my first Photo Hunt Challenge, and I actually finished! You can view all the participants here: http://photohuntchallenges.com/2010/11/november-2010-photo-hunt-participant-entries/
Here are mine:
1. Home Sweet Home - When I bought my house over 5 years ago, I was only 24 years old and didn't have anything, no furniture - nothing. My dad bought me this magnet and it's displayed on my refrigerator and always brings a smile to my face - it was the first thing of my very own that I put in my house!
2. Thankful - I'm thankful for my family (photo of a shelf of family photos)
3. Family - My best friend and her little family - photo I took for their annual Christmas card
4. I Ate This- Thanksgiving Edition - stuffing and cornbread
5. A Turkey - 5 day old turkey (yuck!) - snapped this picture today because I forgot to do it on Thanksgiving!
6. Something Hand-Made - I didn't actually make this pumpkin myself, but the lady I bought it from at a craft fair assured me that she did :)
7. Something Hot - my candied yams - straight out of the oven
8. Something Cold - ice
9. Something Orange - a Mexican roll - my favorite!
10. Anything Goes - Christmas Tree light show
Here are mine:
1. Home Sweet Home - When I bought my house over 5 years ago, I was only 24 years old and didn't have anything, no furniture - nothing. My dad bought me this magnet and it's displayed on my refrigerator and always brings a smile to my face - it was the first thing of my very own that I put in my house!
2. Thankful - I'm thankful for my family (photo of a shelf of family photos)
3. Family - My best friend and her little family - photo I took for their annual Christmas card
4. I Ate This- Thanksgiving Edition - stuffing and cornbread
5. A Turkey - 5 day old turkey (yuck!) - snapped this picture today because I forgot to do it on Thanksgiving!
6. Something Hand-Made - I didn't actually make this pumpkin myself, but the lady I bought it from at a craft fair assured me that she did :)
7. Something Hot - my candied yams - straight out of the oven
8. Something Cold - ice
9. Something Orange - a Mexican roll - my favorite!
10. Anything Goes - Christmas Tree light show
I'm definitely happy that I finished this, although I will admit, time slipped away from me this month. I wish I had taken more time to really think some of these pictures out, but there's always next time!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Day 12 {of 30}
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
I don't know how I found out about Blogger - I don't remember not knowing what it was. I made one because I get bored often and I have a lot to say. Simple as that. That was quick!
I don't know how I found out about Blogger - I don't remember not knowing what it was. I made one because I get bored often and I have a lot to say. Simple as that. That was quick!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Day 11 {of 30}
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
I'm going back with these pictures..... way back. An old "friend" posted some pictures on Facebook from our middle school years, and they're just too funny not to share. I say "friend" because somewhere before high school graduation, we had a huge falling out which basically came down to a massive screaming fit in her front yard and a heated "discussion" which may or may not have resulted in someone running their car up on a median to scare the other one. (And it may or may not have been yours truly behind the wheel). Honestly, it's been so long - the memories start to get fuzzy.
Alas, we are Facebook "friends" now which just goes to show you - time heals all wounds and all that other nonsense. Without further ado:
On a completely unrelated note, I was absent yesterday because we went out to dinner last night with some peeps, and we stuck around after to watch the Christmas light show:
I'm going back with these pictures..... way back. An old "friend" posted some pictures on Facebook from our middle school years, and they're just too funny not to share. I say "friend" because somewhere before high school graduation, we had a huge falling out which basically came down to a massive screaming fit in her front yard and a heated "discussion" which may or may not have resulted in someone running their car up on a median to scare the other one. (And it may or may not have been yours truly behind the wheel). Honestly, it's been so long - the memories start to get fuzzy.
Alas, we are Facebook "friends" now which just goes to show you - time heals all wounds and all that other nonsense. Without further ado:
Friday, November 26, 2010
Day 10 {of 30}
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
I listen to all kinds of music - really.... so this one is kind of tough. I generally tend to like upbeat music, unless I'm feeling melancholy. My go to slow song for when I'm feeling down is "Everyday See You" by Jessica Simpson. Laugh all you want, but it's a pretty song and I like what it says. Other than that, I don't have specific songs I listen to at specific times. Sorry to disappoint!
I listen to all kinds of music - really.... so this one is kind of tough. I generally tend to like upbeat music, unless I'm feeling melancholy. My go to slow song for when I'm feeling down is "Everyday See You" by Jessica Simpson. Laugh all you want, but it's a pretty song and I like what it says. Other than that, I don't have specific songs I listen to at specific times. Sorry to disappoint!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Day 9 {of 30}
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
This might sound cheesy, but I'm super proud that I was able to sit back, chill out, and actually book a quasi-last minute vacation! If you know me, you know I am super tense and uptight - ALL THE TIME! I can't help it. I'm a total Type A and try as I might, it's super hard for me to ever go with the flow. I despise change - I live for routine. I need to have my days planned out hour-to-hour. I'm an incredible at over analyzing - I can scrutinize details for days.
Long story short (or not), we have been talking about flying down to Argentina to see my boyfriend's family. They moved back there about 3 years ago and we haven't seen them since. Originally we were going to try to go around Labor Day so we could enjoy their cold weather (since it's their winter), but due to work complications, we posponed. At the time, tickets were about $1200 each, round trip. Not fantastic, but not terrible.
We recently started looking again - to see how much it would cost to go at the end of this year or the first few months of next year - umm yeah - tickets jumped to $1900 each. So we decided to postpone yet again. Because of that, my boyfriend decided he HAD to have a vacation or he would go crazy and started thinking up ideas and came up with San Francisco. His original idea was to do San Francisco, Yosemite, and Monterey. I kind of brushed him off at first - sometimes we can both be all talk. But the more we started thinking about it, the more we wanted to go.... but when? He originally wanted to go the first week in December - which is way too short notice - plus my dad is out of town so nobody would be able to watch our dog.
I was talking about it at work one day, and a lady I work with - who used to be a flight attendant for Delta - told me that Delta flies to San Francisco. I was all - YEAH I KNOW - and then she told me that she has about 8 buddy passes she needs to use up before she's no longer employed by Delta and she'd give us 2 if we wanted to go. (I honestly don't know how she's still employed by Delta when she hasn't worked a single day for the last 6 years, but that's her business!) So I told her if she's giving out buddy passes, I'd rather have 2 to go to Argentina. So we looked up some prices and they come to about $430 each round trip. HELLS YEAH.
Told the boyfriend, and we talked about going there for New Years. I told him it was totally up to him - wherever he wanted to go - I'd go. But after all the California talk, it just sounded so appealing..... so we decided to do the California trip now for New Years and use her buddy passes for Argentina sometime next year. And that's what we did! And we actually booked and planned everything! (The only thing we changed is that we dropped the Yosemite stop from our trip - we figured for 2 people from South Florida who have never even seen snow in their lives, it would probably be best to visit Yosemite at a time where we wouldn't have to drive over 200 miles in a rental car in "heavy snow/chain" conditions through the mountains.) I'm so incredibly proud!!!! We never do anything for New Years - except for go out downtown or something - so this will be super fun - and we deserve it!
On a side note, the lady I work with also gave my dad a buddy pass for a round trip ticket to Italy - she's awesome - and I'm incredibly THANKFUL for her.
Having said all that - Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm missing my family this year and can't wait for Christmas when my daddy comes home!!
This might sound cheesy, but I'm super proud that I was able to sit back, chill out, and actually book a quasi-last minute vacation! If you know me, you know I am super tense and uptight - ALL THE TIME! I can't help it. I'm a total Type A and try as I might, it's super hard for me to ever go with the flow. I despise change - I live for routine. I need to have my days planned out hour-to-hour. I'm an incredible at over analyzing - I can scrutinize details for days.
Long story short (or not), we have been talking about flying down to Argentina to see my boyfriend's family. They moved back there about 3 years ago and we haven't seen them since. Originally we were going to try to go around Labor Day so we could enjoy their cold weather (since it's their winter), but due to work complications, we posponed. At the time, tickets were about $1200 each, round trip. Not fantastic, but not terrible.
We recently started looking again - to see how much it would cost to go at the end of this year or the first few months of next year - umm yeah - tickets jumped to $1900 each. So we decided to postpone yet again. Because of that, my boyfriend decided he HAD to have a vacation or he would go crazy and started thinking up ideas and came up with San Francisco. His original idea was to do San Francisco, Yosemite, and Monterey. I kind of brushed him off at first - sometimes we can both be all talk. But the more we started thinking about it, the more we wanted to go.... but when? He originally wanted to go the first week in December - which is way too short notice - plus my dad is out of town so nobody would be able to watch our dog.
I was talking about it at work one day, and a lady I work with - who used to be a flight attendant for Delta - told me that Delta flies to San Francisco. I was all - YEAH I KNOW - and then she told me that she has about 8 buddy passes she needs to use up before she's no longer employed by Delta and she'd give us 2 if we wanted to go. (I honestly don't know how she's still employed by Delta when she hasn't worked a single day for the last 6 years, but that's her business!) So I told her if she's giving out buddy passes, I'd rather have 2 to go to Argentina. So we looked up some prices and they come to about $430 each round trip. HELLS YEAH.
Told the boyfriend, and we talked about going there for New Years. I told him it was totally up to him - wherever he wanted to go - I'd go. But after all the California talk, it just sounded so appealing..... so we decided to do the California trip now for New Years and use her buddy passes for Argentina sometime next year. And that's what we did! And we actually booked and planned everything! (The only thing we changed is that we dropped the Yosemite stop from our trip - we figured for 2 people from South Florida who have never even seen snow in their lives, it would probably be best to visit Yosemite at a time where we wouldn't have to drive over 200 miles in a rental car in "heavy snow/chain" conditions through the mountains.) I'm so incredibly proud!!!! We never do anything for New Years - except for go out downtown or something - so this will be super fun - and we deserve it!
On a side note, the lady I work with also gave my dad a buddy pass for a round trip ticket to Italy - she's awesome - and I'm incredibly THANKFUL for her.
Having said all that - Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm missing my family this year and can't wait for Christmas when my daddy comes home!!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Day 8 {of 30}
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Well, being that it's the end of November - this is kind of a crappy one. I don't really set goals for myself, because I always seem to forget about them. I guess if I had to pick some......
1. Finish the November Photo Hunt Challenge (have I even started? NO!)
2. Hit the gym! I've been slacking lately.
3. Start Christmas shopping. I never mean to, but I always seem to wait until the last minute.
4. Plan some activities for our San Francisco/Monterey trip. Never too early to start planning!
5. Get someone to take a decent picture of us for a Christmas card. I seem to always end up taking everyone else's pictures, but nobody ever takes mine!
That's about it! :)
Well, being that it's the end of November - this is kind of a crappy one. I don't really set goals for myself, because I always seem to forget about them. I guess if I had to pick some......
1. Finish the November Photo Hunt Challenge (have I even started? NO!)
2. Hit the gym! I've been slacking lately.
3. Start Christmas shopping. I never mean to, but I always seem to wait until the last minute.
4. Plan some activities for our San Francisco/Monterey trip. Never too early to start planning!
5. Get someone to take a decent picture of us for a Christmas card. I seem to always end up taking everyone else's pictures, but nobody ever takes mine!
That's about it! :)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Day 7 {of 30}
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Without even thinking twice, this would definitely be my dad. I was definitely a daddy's girl growing up - and I still am. My dad moved to this country on his own with hopes of finding a better life for himself. He's the hardest worker I've ever known, and even when times were tough, he managed to give me the world. He's my best friend - someone I can talk to about anything (believe it or not), and he's also the smartest and most talanted person I've ever been blessed to know. I'm incredibly lucky that I get to call him MY daddy!
I just have to add - this was NOT the picture I intended to post when I read this day's headline - but due to my computer issues, it's the best I could do tonight.
On a completely unrelated note, I missed blogging last night because we were busy planning our New Years vacation to these SWEEEEEEEET places in San Francisco and Monterey! I can't wait!!
Without even thinking twice, this would definitely be my dad. I was definitely a daddy's girl growing up - and I still am. My dad moved to this country on his own with hopes of finding a better life for himself. He's the hardest worker I've ever known, and even when times were tough, he managed to give me the world. He's my best friend - someone I can talk to about anything (believe it or not), and he's also the smartest and most talanted person I've ever been blessed to know. I'm incredibly lucky that I get to call him MY daddy!
On a completely unrelated note, I missed blogging last night because we were busy planning our New Years vacation to these SWEEEEEEEET places in San Francisco and Monterey! I can't wait!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Day 5 {of 30}
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Well, I have several pictures. I'd have even MORE if my laptop hadn't died on me! Without further ado:
Mortola, Italy 2008 - this is the town my family lives in. In the distance is Ventimiglia, Italy:
Rome, Italy:
Venice, Italy:
Eze, France:
New York City, NY:
Marco Island, Florida:
Well, I have several pictures. I'd have even MORE if my laptop hadn't died on me! Without further ado:
Mortola, Italy 2008 - this is the town my family lives in. In the distance is Ventimiglia, Italy:
Venice, Italy:
Eze, France:
Cape Cod:
New York City, NY:
Waikiki Beach, St. Martin:
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (view from our room on the trip I won!):
Paris, Tennessee:
Marco Island, Florida:
I'll add some more if I find any later :)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Day 4 {of 30}
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
I'll be honest.... I have a lot of habits I wish I didn't have. A lot of BAD habits. Rather than get all down on myself though, I'm just going to focus on one of those slight imperfections. I have a potty mouth. A bad, embarrassing, potty mouth. I can curse like a sailor. The really bad part is that it just flows out of my mouth so effortlessly. That's something I definitely need to work on. I'm just going to leave it at that.
Sidenote: Today is my Grandma's 92nd Birthday! Happy B-Day, G-Ma! I love you! XOXOXO
I'll be honest.... I have a lot of habits I wish I didn't have. A lot of BAD habits. Rather than get all down on myself though, I'm just going to focus on one of those slight imperfections. I have a potty mouth. A bad, embarrassing, potty mouth. I can curse like a sailor. The really bad part is that it just flows out of my mouth so effortlessly. That's something I definitely need to work on. I'm just going to leave it at that.
Sidenote: Today is my Grandma's 92nd Birthday! Happy B-Day, G-Ma! I love you! XOXOXO
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Day 3 {of 30}
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
This one is actually harder for me than it seems. For starters, my laptop (with ALL my stuff on it) died about 3 weeks ago. The hardrive was completely fried and we weren't able to recover anything from it. I do have an external harddrive which luckily I saved *most* of my pictures on (but not all). Then, to make things harder, I have several different groups of friends. One of my best friends now lives in a completely different state, so I don't see her nearly as much as I would like. Having said all that, I'm going to post a few pictures of me with 3 special friends. None of these pictures are recent, but they're some of my favorites:
This is my best friend, Jayme. I've been friends with her since I was about 2 years old. This picture was taken at her wedding in November 2006, and it's also featured in her wedding album. She's "my person." If you don't know what that means, click here.
And finally, this is my friend, Evonne. I met her as a freshman in college - she was in my Algebra class and then she was my biology lab partner. I've known her for 12 years now! I can't even believe that! It feels like just yesterday. She's my #1 go to person if I ever want to eat sushi, go shopping, or have a super-gossip/gab fest. This one was taken in January 2009 - after a sushi night with the girls!
I love all of these girls with all my heart. If I could post a picture of every special friend, I would, but these 3 have definitely stood by me throughout the years. I noticed there is another "Day" where it asks for pictures of friends..... I think for that one I'll try to dig up some oldies to post - just for a laugh!
That's all I've got for today!
This one is actually harder for me than it seems. For starters, my laptop (with ALL my stuff on it) died about 3 weeks ago. The hardrive was completely fried and we weren't able to recover anything from it. I do have an external harddrive which luckily I saved *most* of my pictures on (but not all). Then, to make things harder, I have several different groups of friends. One of my best friends now lives in a completely different state, so I don't see her nearly as much as I would like. Having said all that, I'm going to post a few pictures of me with 3 special friends. None of these pictures are recent, but they're some of my favorites:
This is my best friend, Jayme. I've been friends with her since I was about 2 years old. This picture was taken at her wedding in November 2006, and it's also featured in her wedding album. She's "my person." If you don't know what that means, click here.
This is one of my best friends, Andrea. We met on the first day of school in 9th grade. As scary as it sounds (and as old as it makes me feel), we've been friends for over 16 years. That's a LONG time! This picture was taken in Union Square, New York, when she was living there while she worked for JetBlue. I went to visit her one winter - and it was my first time ever in NY. I believe this was December of 2004 - one of my all time favorite pictures. Unfortunately, this version is cropped - the original has the Union Square sign in it.
And finally, this is my friend, Evonne. I met her as a freshman in college - she was in my Algebra class and then she was my biology lab partner. I've known her for 12 years now! I can't even believe that! It feels like just yesterday. She's my #1 go to person if I ever want to eat sushi, go shopping, or have a super-gossip/gab fest. This one was taken in January 2009 - after a sushi night with the girls!
That's all I've got for today!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Day 2 {of 30}
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Never Afraid To Say. Well for starters, most good names are already taken! Secondly, I thought this one was appropriate because I do have a big mouth and usually stuff just flies out of it before making its way to my brain for filtering. That's really all there is to it. This was kind of a lame one.
To be honest, today was a pretty rough day (work wise) and I'm just in a mood and can't figure out anything more exciting to write about. I seriously wish I could win the lottery and spend my time doing things that mean something to me..... but I assume I'm not alone in wishing that. OH TO DREAM!
Never Afraid To Say. Well for starters, most good names are already taken! Secondly, I thought this one was appropriate because I do have a big mouth and usually stuff just flies out of it before making its way to my brain for filtering. That's really all there is to it. This was kind of a lame one.
To be honest, today was a pretty rough day (work wise) and I'm just in a mood and can't figure out anything more exciting to write about. I seriously wish I could win the lottery and spend my time doing things that mean something to me..... but I assume I'm not alone in wishing that. OH TO DREAM!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Day 1 {of 30}
So I found this list on some random blog (of which I may or may not have been stalking). :) Anyways - since I am always at a loss for things to write about, I decided to play along. Let me just reiterate something..... while I may always be at a loss for things to write about on this blog, I am NEVER at a loss of things to say - my mouth seriously has no filter. Anyway - as I was saying...... here is the list. Today is Day 1.
Here are the 30 Days Topics:
Day 01- A recent picture of you and 10 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song
Ok - SO - a recent picture......
Well, that's all I've got for today!
Here are the 30 Days Topics:
Day 01- A recent picture of you and 10 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Your favorite song
Ok - SO - a recent picture......
I'm the one on the right! This picture was actually taken last night. I love my puppy!
Ok - now on to 10 interesting facts about me.....
1. I'm in LOVE with my puppy - as I said earlier. But "in LOVE" isn't even a strong enough phrase. I am completely, madly, infatuated with my dog - to the point where it's not healthy. I'm obsessed with her. I recently wondered if there would be enough love to share if I had an actual child of my own.
2. I'm terrified of lightbulbs. I can't touch them.... I can't watch somebody else touch them. They freak me out!
3. I'm obsessed with The Amazing Race - never miss an episode.
4. My dad's family is from Italy - they all still live there. My mom's family is from Prague. If I could move to Italy, I'd do it in a hot second!
5. My mom met my dad on a cruise ship and I've always imagined myself marrying someone from another country too. Oddly enough, my boyfriend is from Argentina so I guess that worked out for me!
6. I won a free trip to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos last year. I woke up that morning just knowing I was going to win (it was a contest on a local radio station). And BOOM - I won!
7. I take a TON of pictures.... everywhere I go!
8. I eat lemons like they're oranges - love them!
9. I think pasta was put on this planet just for me to indulge in - at every opportunity I get!
10. I don't have a smart phone - I still have a motorola flip phone. It's purple.
Well, that's all I've got for today!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
HELP - Photography Dilema!!!!!
My best friend has the world's cutest daughter. I'm not even exaggerating - she's the most beautiful little girl. She is signed with a modeling agency, and every couple of months, they request updated photos of her since they change so fast at that age. And I love taking pictures of her - she's so photogenic and she has the best personality! She's a real DIVA at the tender age of 20 months.
Photographing babies/toddlers isn't easy, as I've learned. They move and squirm, and they never look at you..... never smile when you want them to, etc. So for every 100 pictures or so that I take, about 5-7 come out decent. I even go the extra mile and I edit the pictures to enhance them, or play with them to make them a little more "artsy." And I do it because I love my best friend, and I truly love taking pictures of her daughter - Alexis (Lexie).
There's another lady I work with - and she has 2 kids - 10 and 7 years old - and they are also beautiful children and signed with a different modeling agency. I've done 2 photoshoots with them. They're GREAT kids. Their mom actually paid me to do it - even though I didn't want or ask for anything. She knew I wouldn't take money from her so she got me $75 worth of gift cards the second time I did it. To be honest, I sort of approached her about taking the photos the first time - I wanted to get some practice with someone other than Lexie.
There's another lady I work with - and she has 2 kids - 10 and 7 years old - and they are also beautiful children and signed with a different modeling agency. I've done 2 photoshoots with them. They're GREAT kids. Their mom actually paid me to do it - even though I didn't want or ask for anything. She knew I wouldn't take money from her so she got me $75 worth of gift cards the second time I did it. To be honest, I sort of approached her about taking the photos the first time - I wanted to get some practice with someone other than Lexie.
Now the dilema. My best friend posts the pictures I take on Facebook, and (naturally) everybody loves them. I was contacted my a mutual friend to take some pics of her son Brady (also signed with a modeling agency). She said she has a hard time getting pictures of him herself, and she was interested in having me take some for her to send to the agent and also for their annual Christmas card picture. No problem - Brady is 4 months old and it would be great for me to get some more experience. I'm supposed to meet with her this Saturday morning.
Well - my best friend called me tonight to tell me that a friend of hers (who I have met a couple of times but wouldn't consider myself "friends" with) is going to e-mail me to find out how much I charge to take some pictures for her. Well, that brought up a good question...... what do I charge? I'm not an experienced photographer. I do it for fun, because I love doing it. I consider myself decent at simple editing, and great at cropping - which I think definitely make my photos seem better than they actually are. But how much is that worth? And if I am charging people - shouldn't I really have a better idea of what I'm actually doing?
Any ideas out there for how much a photo "session" should go for? I wouldn't provide any prints, but I'd give a cd/dvd with copies of all the pictures and edited versions of the ones I think came out really well (or ones they request to be edited). I guess the real question is - how much is my time worth to do something I love to do? Figure anywhere between 1 to 2 hours for the "shoot" and then an additional 2 hours worth of editing. I HAVE NO FREAKIN' IDEA!!!! Any ideas? Help!!!
Monday, November 8, 2010
These are a few of my favorite things
1. Gondolas..... Venice.... Italy - self explanatory!
2. Seashells. Every summer since I was 4, we've gone to Marco Island and even as an adult, I love to go shelling!
3. Peacocks. Mother Nature definitely knew what she was doing when she created these birds with beautiful feathers. Trivia: Did you know that only the male peacocks have the pretty long feathers?
4. Ladybugs. So adorable - I even dressed up as one last Halloween.
5. Peonies. Beautiful flowers - super expensive though :(
6. Jellyfish. Gorgeous to watch - not so fun when you get stung.
7. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. My #1 guilty pleasure.
8. Lemons. I love them. If I could flavor everything with lemons, I would. I eat them like most people eat oranges.
9. Christmas Lights. Nothing says festive quite like them.
10. Diamond Ring. Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
11. Fireworks. My birthday is 2 days after the 4th of July, so I consider firework displays to be the USA's way of wishing me a happy birthday!
12. Sushi. De-LISH.
13. Daisies. My absolute favorite flower. Ever. Their simplicity is beautiful.
14. Gelato. My favorite flavor is coffee.
15. Chihuly. I could stare at the ceiling of the Bellagio for hours.
16. Wine. Ahhhhh.......
Friday, November 5, 2010
What Not to Wear / What TO Wear??
I used to love the show What Not to Wear..... back before I had a life (not that I do now), I used to watch it pretty much every Friday night...... but those days have passed and now I'm lucky if I catch a re-run every few months. I'm not feeling well tonight, so I'm camped out on the couch with my baby (puppy) and we're watching the show for old time's sake - and it just made me realize I have a major clothing dilema.
I like clothes... I like to try them on, buy them, buy accessories for them, find shoes to match them, etc. I'm a girl - it comes with the territory. I seriously have an enormous wardrobe.... and a lot of items that still have tags on them. Yet every morning, I wake up and find myself wondering what the heck I'm going to wear.... and usually I find myself gravitating towards the same outfits - over and over again. B.O.R.I.N.G!
I don't work in an office that requires us to dress up - we're business casual - heavy on the "casual." My boss comes to work in t-shirts and sweat pants 99% of the time. When we have visitors and need to "dress up" he wears his fancy dark wash jeans and his "fun" button down shirt with the funky design on it. That's just how we roll.
At one time, we had to dress up every day except Friday.... and by "dress up" I just mean we couldn't wear denim unless it was Friday. Back then, I would wear all kinds of cute things, I had tons of skirts, a variety of different colored slacks, shoes for each outfit, etc. I was a real fashion plate. But as the years went on and business CASUAL became the rule, I've become lazy. I won't say I've reached the point where I've given up - I've NEVER worn sweats or yoga stretch pants to work (yet), but I feel just as bland.
I rotate between two pairs of JOE'S jeans because they're the most comfortable. I shy away from anything with a collar because it feels too uptight. The majority of what I wear is cotton, and I almost NEVER wear anything other than a 2 inch wedge heel anymore. I've definitely lost my swaggar.
I wish someone would nominate me for What Not to Wear, but I don't think my problem is finding things that look good on me - it's just simply a lack of motivation to dress myself in the morning. I need Stacy London and Clinton Kelly to slap some ambition into me.
I took a picture of my closet after I organized as part of my New Year's Resolution for 2010 and it's definitely not AS neat as it was when I first did it, but it's basically the same - except there are even more clothes piled into it - to the point where I now have some stacks on the floor..... yet I have NOTHING TO WEAR!
Since I have to share this closet, organization is key. Basically, I have all of the hanging space except for one small quadrant in the front left hand side and one small section on the back right side. The rest of the hanging space (top and bottom) is mine. There are also some hanging shelves on the front right side - that's where all my jeans, shorts, gym clothes, and tops that don't fit on hangers go. There are shoe racks on the bottom of both sides for all my "overflow shoes" and of course, the shoe rack in the back - which I share 50/50 - except each of my cubbies has about 3-4 pairs of my shoes shoved into it while his have one pair each. My purses have a special hanging shelf system in the back right side that you can't see - and my overflow purses go on the top racks - along with my hats and scarves (and some of his pants). My Louies, Coaches, and Dooneys go front and center of course, on top of my shoe rack - right in the middle.
I like clothes... I like to try them on, buy them, buy accessories for them, find shoes to match them, etc. I'm a girl - it comes with the territory. I seriously have an enormous wardrobe.... and a lot of items that still have tags on them. Yet every morning, I wake up and find myself wondering what the heck I'm going to wear.... and usually I find myself gravitating towards the same outfits - over and over again. B.O.R.I.N.G!
I don't work in an office that requires us to dress up - we're business casual - heavy on the "casual." My boss comes to work in t-shirts and sweat pants 99% of the time. When we have visitors and need to "dress up" he wears his fancy dark wash jeans and his "fun" button down shirt with the funky design on it. That's just how we roll.
At one time, we had to dress up every day except Friday.... and by "dress up" I just mean we couldn't wear denim unless it was Friday. Back then, I would wear all kinds of cute things, I had tons of skirts, a variety of different colored slacks, shoes for each outfit, etc. I was a real fashion plate. But as the years went on and business CASUAL became the rule, I've become lazy. I won't say I've reached the point where I've given up - I've NEVER worn sweats or yoga stretch pants to work (yet), but I feel just as bland.
I rotate between two pairs of JOE'S jeans because they're the most comfortable. I shy away from anything with a collar because it feels too uptight. The majority of what I wear is cotton, and I almost NEVER wear anything other than a 2 inch wedge heel anymore. I've definitely lost my swaggar.
I wish someone would nominate me for What Not to Wear, but I don't think my problem is finding things that look good on me - it's just simply a lack of motivation to dress myself in the morning. I need Stacy London and Clinton Kelly to slap some ambition into me.
I took a picture of my closet after I organized as part of my New Year's Resolution for 2010 and it's definitely not AS neat as it was when I first did it, but it's basically the same - except there are even more clothes piled into it - to the point where I now have some stacks on the floor..... yet I have NOTHING TO WEAR!
Since I have to share this closet, organization is key. Basically, I have all of the hanging space except for one small quadrant in the front left hand side and one small section on the back right side. The rest of the hanging space (top and bottom) is mine. There are also some hanging shelves on the front right side - that's where all my jeans, shorts, gym clothes, and tops that don't fit on hangers go. There are shoe racks on the bottom of both sides for all my "overflow shoes" and of course, the shoe rack in the back - which I share 50/50 - except each of my cubbies has about 3-4 pairs of my shoes shoved into it while his have one pair each. My purses have a special hanging shelf system in the back right side that you can't see - and my overflow purses go on the top racks - along with my hats and scarves (and some of his pants). My Louies, Coaches, and Dooneys go front and center of course, on top of my shoe rack - right in the middle.
I don't know if you can really tell from the picture how many items of clothes are shoved into this closet, but I'm not going to lie - it's a lot...... and yet, I still have nothing to wear in the morning. What's up with that?
Monday, November 1, 2010
November Photo Hunt Challenge
Well, since I was a major failure the last time I tried to do one of these photo hunt challenges, I have decided to try again. This time, there are only 10 items, so hopefully I can manage.
I was looking through some of the past entries, and talk about intimidating. Some of these people are SERIOUSLY GOOD. Plus, they have amazing scenery to work with. Me? I live in South Florida. It was about 87 degrees out today with a 90% humidity. YUCK! I really wish we had an "autumn." Oh well.
Here's the link to the challenge:
http://photohuntchallenges.com/2010/11/november-2010-photo-hunt-challenge-details-sign-up/
This month's challenges are:
1. Home Sweet Home
2. Thankful
3. Family
4. I Ate This- Thanksgiving Edition (if you don’t live in U.S then pick something you ate in November)
5. A Turkey
6. Something Hand-Made
7. Something Hot
8. Something Cold
9. Something Orange
10. Anything Goes (Any photo you take in November!)
We shall see how I do this time. Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!
I was looking through some of the past entries, and talk about intimidating. Some of these people are SERIOUSLY GOOD. Plus, they have amazing scenery to work with. Me? I live in South Florida. It was about 87 degrees out today with a 90% humidity. YUCK! I really wish we had an "autumn." Oh well.
Here's the link to the challenge:
http://photohuntchallenges.com/2010/11/november-2010-photo-hunt-challenge-details-sign-up/
This month's challenges are:
1. Home Sweet Home
2. Thankful
3. Family
4. I Ate This- Thanksgiving Edition (if you don’t live in U.S then pick something you ate in November)
5. A Turkey
6. Something Hand-Made
7. Something Hot
8. Something Cold
9. Something Orange
10. Anything Goes (Any photo you take in November!)
We shall see how I do this time. Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!
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