tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75643861497623571402024-02-19T04:42:43.644-08:00Shutter MamaChristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-58284855664558425232013-02-16T09:22:00.001-08:002013-02-16T09:22:18.158-08:00New websiteHello! Obviously, it's been awhile... I've been busy working on a new website/blog. If you're interested, please follow me here: www.anotherfinemessphotography.com Thank you for your support!!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-1565937983447549082012-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:002012-12-03T12:11:06.135-08:00 Mini sessions as wonderful gifts for 2013!Did you know you can purchase a mini photo session as a gift? Yep! It's a great gift to give for 2013! Here are some guidelines:
Mini sessions are:
family portraits (5 or less persons)
child or children's portraits
snippet of home life -photojournalism style
business portrait
senior portrait
Each Mini session lasts 30-40 minutes in one location* of your choice. Quick and easy is the game! You will be given a flash drive (no more DVDs, yay!) of 10-30 high-res images for you to keep.
Once you've purchased a gift certificate for your recipient, I will create an email (or paper, your choice) certificate you can give that will include my phone number/email/facebook info so they can book a time with me.
A Mini Session certificate only costs $100! Cash, checks and paypal are accepted. Looking forward to meeting your loved ones :)
*Location: Must be within 25 miles of Redmond. Please note: This gift certificate cannot be used towards wedding, engagement, maternity/newborns, or event photography. Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-16627303168454164572012-06-17T06:42:00.000-07:002012-06-17T06:42:13.616-07:00Well! It's been awhile! To get you caught up in all things Christine:
We moved to Redmond a year ago. As soon as I knew Borders was completely done for, Nate and I discussed what to do. Since I wasn't tied to the area due to a job, I was free to search further north. I ended up getting hired part-time at Whole Foods Market as a cashier. They're pretty great about my hours and my manager used to work at Borders as well (not around here, she came from Chicago). Things fell into place rather smoothly after that...
We got a nice condo for a reasonable price that sits right on a lake filled with ducks and various "wild life". Jamie is enrolled in a very nice school with great teachers- They have actually helped him get relatively caught up on reading and math. He's still behind but is getting the help he needs. I won't even get started on the school in Tacoma.
When we moved to Redmond, we discovered that I was pregnant and due in April! Very exciting news! If you've been following me on Facebook, you've already seen some of my pregnancy pics and ultrasounds. When I told Jamie that he would be getting a sibling, he replied "It's what I wished for in the wishing well! It came true!" How cute is that?
Rowan Wesley Scott was born April 18th at 12:59am in Bellevue. He weighed in at 7 lbs, 14 oz (the exact weight of Jamie and I) and was 20 inches long. Of course, we all fell instantly in love with the littlest little guy. He is currently 2 months old and all smiles.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY4tHcmS-EJYnZ9bYK6c4CGCNCNoN2INiz8Oy6J44jDaV3oSQ_hrbe4TT3NzJkZf8oQ7fTPyNgSHhE0H4U0Cs1ZXypOtRISDve8uTWcfhFPYWo6PbWAd9RwmP-uTTW8BrhXrsVZQVR2hf/s1600/20120611-20120611-IMG_0981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY4tHcmS-EJYnZ9bYK6c4CGCNCNoN2INiz8Oy6J44jDaV3oSQ_hrbe4TT3NzJkZf8oQ7fTPyNgSHhE0H4U0Cs1ZXypOtRISDve8uTWcfhFPYWo6PbWAd9RwmP-uTTW8BrhXrsVZQVR2hf/s400/20120611-20120611-IMG_0981.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UgTLxQXJm5kNk1eu5A2f91kcDx_ytDwbrFZsOA3uzjOZOZ5E9QmwM6krtLTRZf_VKq7VNoDcLhtd_3oNoZS6Wd6lcbJP3vXqc5kk2EVPOq0hZMOWs5IgMbH3dIq1blDud9Gr8Vp_bbAz/s1600/20120611-20120611-IMG_0988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UgTLxQXJm5kNk1eu5A2f91kcDx_ytDwbrFZsOA3uzjOZOZ5E9QmwM6krtLTRZf_VKq7VNoDcLhtd_3oNoZS6Wd6lcbJP3vXqc5kk2EVPOq0hZMOWs5IgMbH3dIq1blDud9Gr8Vp_bbAz/s400/20120611-20120611-IMG_0988.jpg" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-31070417786859301502011-07-18T11:39:00.000-07:002011-07-18T12:17:58.195-07:00The things I want (important things)This last week has been an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Well, to be honest- this year has been- but mostly, this week. I'm constantly losing, it seems. "When one door closes another opens", the saying goes and I remind myself of this. I know that life isn't over and I push forward. The older I get the more certain I am of what I want. I think I have always known what I wanted but I'm shy or hesitant to tell others. Mostly because we live in an age of intelligent, work oriented women skilled with multitasking. I am cautious to blurt out what I really want because I hear stories of guys that date other women saying that as soon as those women said that they just wanted to have children, they got ditched. Oh, I know there were lots of other red flags raised besides that (lack of conversation, obsessiveness, stalking, etc...) but it doesn't stop me from holding back. I also don't want to disappoint. I'm also not a hippy and am not interested in farming or anything like that. I just want a home full of my own children. <br /><br /> I'm nearly half way to my AA Degree and I still don't know what I want to do career-wise. But I do know what I want to do with the rest of my life that doesn't involve cashing a paycheck every two weeks or 3 hours of homework. I want to be a good mother and wife and I want more children. I want that more than any job out there. I just don't know how to get there... I had my second miscarriage last week and I'm handling it much better than previously. I haven't sunk into a dark depression and I'm not yelling and retreating into myself. Due to previous experiences, I've kept this mostly close to home and only told those on a need-to-know basis. I know a lot people don't read my blog so I'm not really worried. I mostly wanted to protect Jamie. The last 2 experiences left him confused and I don't need to reintroduce it. Also, I don't want to obsess about it so I feel like writing it here will help me process. <br /><br />I dream of having more children and owning a home with a man that wants to take care of me (us) happily and without regret. I feel like we're still at the construction stage- where you can see the parts but you still don't know how the final result will look but you know how you <span style="font-style:italic;">hope</span> it will look. Everything has the markers for a great outcome but getting those parts together correctly is hard. Sometimes, I feel like I need to stop construction and say, "Wait- this piece goes here... I know it's weird but trust me." and its hard to speak up. <br /><br />I know it sounds silly but I want to be able to raise my own children- I don't want to drop them off at daycare and I don't want to watch someone else's. I want to experience my home changing with my family. I'm not ready to go to the next phase of my life without at least 1 more child. In my apartment, I have photos all over my walls of Jamie when he was a baby and toddler. I love looking at them and I'm glad that I have them. Looking at them brings intense feelings and I can't shake them. The desire to add to those photos is so overwhelming. But I know I just have to take it one day at a time.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-21385241421873184032011-06-30T17:28:00.000-07:002011-06-30T17:41:44.274-07:00SummerSo far, we're a few weeks into summer and it hasn't been bad. We've had a few slumber parties, park time, visits with great grandma and of course, boring days of nothing but Sponge Bob and Johnny Test. Jamie's handled everything fairly well and I'm proud of him. We've been doing workbooks in the morning before any TV gets turned on. I need to figure out a way to do the workbooks once the meds kick in. It gets a little exhausting until then (a lot). I've also been doing some DVD workouts while he does his workbooks... sometimes, I don't mind pausing the annoying blonde to help him- it helps me catch my breath or rest my muscles. I've been doing it for a week now and I feel like I'm getting better at it. Less falling over.<br />Today we visited Michelle and little Caleb in Seattle for a few hours. He did great :) Caleb is pretty much the cutest baby I've ever laid eyes on (besides Jamie, of course). His big blue eyes and gummy grin lights up his entire face. Happiest. Baby. EVER. Seriously. I can't wait until my lens gets fixed so I can take some photos of him. He needs to be in magazines or something... <br />Once we left, things were going well until an hour and a half later (enduring Tukwila and Tacoma traffic) and 10 minutes until we were home did Jamie announce that he was going to be carsick, "Mom, I going to be carsick..." puke. That'll teach me to let him play Pac-Man and Angry Birds in the backseat... =/ For the last 10 minutes, I could smell the regurgitated fruit in the backseat. But we held it together and made it home. The good news is, Jamie is just fine and my car is clean. Next time we'll attempt the Sounder. Or something.<br />I'm thinking of attempting a project just for myself but I haven't decided on what yet. Do I want to redo my dresser? Paint a picture? Build a desk (HA!)? When I decide, I'll try to get some photos up. That's it for now :)Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-67740176233340788612011-06-20T23:00:00.000-07:002011-06-20T23:28:11.417-07:00ObsessiveI'm still discovering an identity for this blog. (I'm sure it's one of those things that I'll back to and think that it's me discovering my own identity or whatever). Will it be about photography, parenting, me, you, Borders... or frogs? I dunno... Right now, I feel like writing about parenting. It's one of the most exhausting things ever. <br />I love my child more than any person I've ever loved but there are moments when I just want to leave and start a new life in Italy. I had a whole idea of what to write while I was laying in bed and now that I'm out here hovering over my keyboard in the dark, the words leave me. <br />I want to enjoy my child but there are days that make it extremely difficult. Every decision I make is met with a high pitch whine and frustration. No, we can't have chicken nuggets at Jack In the Box. Because I said so. Because we need to save money. I know you're hungry, you're going to need to wait until we get home. Stop whining. Stop. Whining. STOP. <br />I can feel my chest tighten just rereading that. I know every kid does this. I remember doing this myself. And this is only one decision today. There were more made later.<br />I ponder over why Jamie looks different as I call up Vicki to see if the kids want to play. She said they were on their way to the park so I took Jamie to play with the Scotts at Jane Clark Park so he can play in the pool. Unfortunately, we arrived just as they closed the pool for lunch break. It was okay for the first 10 minutes while Jamie immersed himself with crafts of colorful cotton balls and pipe cleaners. Once he was bored with that, he played at the park for a little bit while I chatted with Vicki and played with Owen. After an hour, they announced the pool will open late since they needed to adjust chlorine levels. Jamie spent that time curled up next to me, demanding that I scratch his back while he pulled grass and flung it around us. I scratched while watching a bunch of little boys playing dodgeball-wishing Jamie was more interested in making friends with those kids and having fun with them. He doesn't seem to enjoy playing group games. I've had people notice that he likes to play along side one or two kids but never really plays with anyone. I sometimes fear he'll be a lonely child if he keeps this up.<br />Finally the pool opens and the kids play for about 45 minutes before we all decide that it was getting chilly and time to head home for some food. Vicki invited us over for sandwiches so we head over there. During our lunch/dinner, it finally dawns on me why Jamie looks different. I jump out of my seat and examine his eyelashes... he only has a few lashes left. He's been plucking them. My heart sinks because I've been told that this is a sign of obsessive compulsiveness. I spent a few minutes talking to Jamie about not pulling out his eyelashes and how they protect your eyes from lint and dirt in the air. I know this is a futile attempt but I need to keep a watch out for him doing this consistently. <br />Deep inside, I'm scared for Jamie. I don't know what the future will be like for him. I don't know if he will grow out of this or will need to be on medication all his life. I don't want this for him. I'm terrified that he won't care for his own life and just throw it away with terrible decisions. <br />I'm constantly obsessing over this and I wish I can enjoy my child while he is small. He makes it extremely difficult. Perhaps I'm making mountains out of molehills. I hope it is so.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-3663771435914762602011-06-09T09:17:00.000-07:002011-06-09T09:38:35.881-07:00dead weightIt's been pretty close to 4 weeks since I've been "laid off" (I still work on the weekends) and at first, it was great! I got read to my hearts' content and basically do whatever I wanted before and after school. Lately though, it has started to wear off. Don't misunderstand me, the freedom to choose how I spend my day is still wonderful and I could seriously do this forever, I'm just starting to feel a little bit like dead weight. I need something to occupy my time.<br />This afternoon I have my first photo session in almost year (a paid one!) and after shooting my best friend's CD release party last weekend, I'm feeling like I'm learning to shoot all over again. Not good but not bad either. The bad side is, my nerves are a little fluttery (but pretty typical before a shoot), my favorite lens is in the shop being looked at and I feel like I need to relearn my camera all over again. The good side is, in a way, I get to relearn my camera again and forget about any bad habits I used to do. I basically have the memory of a gnat so sometimes, it can be a good thing. <br />I think in teaching my self how to use my camera again, I want to rely more on shooting correctly exposed images and relying less on Photoshop/Lightroom. I admit, I'm not a professional and most of the time, I have no idea what I'm doing. I wing it. There, I've said it! <br />I can't afford to take photography classes but I do have the ability to take my time and start shooting and learning on my own this summer. Summertime is the best time to begin. Start mastering exposure so as you head into winter, you don't necessarily dread shooting in darkness during the daytime. I dread shooting in-doors usually.<br />I also want to learn to shoot in a studio setting. That might come in handy in the winter as well. :) <br /><br />Also, I need to see about developing a new business plan, website and "feel" for my little business. I want to be more choosey about what kind sessions I accept. I don't want to take just anyone who will throw money at me (although, it's probably better for the business) I want to keep those that fit with my style. <br /><br />It's time for this dead weight to do some house cleaning.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-40432378023694284752011-06-05T23:20:00.000-07:002011-06-05T23:29:06.193-07:00Note to selfI'm writing a post because I am SO not tired right now. I got up because I wanted to write a post-it for myself for tomorrow not to forget to take my lens in to get it looked at, also to finish my homework and remember to put in a new memory card in the camera. Also, I wanted to remember to see if my computer can burn CDs. Hopefully it does. I also need to look at getting a new external HD since my current one is formatted for PC's and while I can still obtain info off it, I can't put new stuff on it. Kind of annoying, but oh well!<br />Also, I need to cancel my cable. I don't remember the last time I turned on the TV and just watched something. Generally, I go to Hulu or Netflix. It would be cheaper to sign up for Hulu Plus than to pay for basic cable. Speaking of which, it would allow me to finish off the current Fringe season... <br /><br />Note to self has ended. :) Normal posting will resume shortly.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-56284010058646490462011-06-03T09:17:00.000-07:002011-06-03T09:48:23.867-07:00The Shadow of the Wind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuFTUlDM1dqA6H9TdeFVHNz21eyNmWS3MZhyphenhyphen8WquMUnTiwXCKHbE0vKW4hyiGkr3OXoqY-KXOllQ14-ek3UsSwvIF4JiFySIsoO0rFqZMh18Vm8uZiBgYFkBNNFTWcgP2N2k0mqcAECpm/s1600/9780143034902B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuFTUlDM1dqA6H9TdeFVHNz21eyNmWS3MZhyphenhyphen8WquMUnTiwXCKHbE0vKW4hyiGkr3OXoqY-KXOllQ14-ek3UsSwvIF4JiFySIsoO0rFqZMh18Vm8uZiBgYFkBNNFTWcgP2N2k0mqcAECpm/s400/9780143034902B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614033429647579026" /></a><br /><br />Of all the books I've read over the last few weeks, none of them have captured me as much as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/1594200106">The Shadow of the Wind</a> by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This book has literally suspended my life over the last three days. There are moments when I must force myself to put the book down and take a break, clean or go to school. I wish that I could write a better description of the book but alas, you will have to meddle through...<br /><br />The story takes place in post-war Barcelona, Spain in the life of Daniel Sempre, at age 10. Daniel's simple life consists of only himself and his father while they mourn for his mother, who died when Daniel was 4. His father decides to introduce Daniel to the Cemetery of Lost Books; a long family tradition kept secret. When Daniel is told to choose any book he likes in the massive labyrinth of shelves and stories, and that this book will forever mark his life, he searches carefully. He emerges, holding The Shadow of the Wind by an obscure author, Julian Carax. Daniel immediately begins to read and falls in love with the story. His father urges his son to explore the author by introducing him to one of his bookseller friends and thus, Daniel begins the story of his own life. Discovery leads him to learning that his copy may be the only one left in existence, all others have been sought out and burned. It takes him years to uncover the truth behind Carax's cursed life. We are taken on a journey throughout the city of Barcelona, meeting colorful characters and learning shocking truths. <br /><br />Shadow of the Wind is a serious book with thoughtful and often hilarious dialogue. I'm very attached to Daniel's lovable friend, Fermin. I'm not quite finished with it yet because I'm trying to savor each moment. But it's likely that I will return to the book after I've completed this review. When I'm finished, I'm going to be very sad. :) It's not a book for everyone; it has disturbing scenes that are not for the faint of heart and also contains very sensual elements. But if you enjoy a good story that is woven like a maze; with hidden doors, invisible walls and curious directions, then perhaps you're worthy of such a book. Go pick it up. Amen.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-35499951485163863342011-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-01T09:06:00.070-07:00booksI've been on a reading frenzy lately. Generally, I've always got a book that I'm in the middle of but recently, I've been tearing through book after book.<br />I just finished reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and it was excellent! I've got a copy of American Gods but I'm not quite ready to finish it yet (I started it a few years ago but haven't been able to finish). My next novel is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I've heard great things about it so I'm gonna give it a go.<br />The novels I've read in the last few weeks have been:<br />Fever Dream, The Book of the Dead and Wheel of Darkness all by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child<br />Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Neffenegger<br />and Neverwhere.<br />I have to honestly say, I love having all this extra free time! :) I'm sure it'll get old down the road but as long as I've got books, I'm good to go.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-7911988823538229742011-05-31T09:27:00.000-07:002011-05-31T09:42:27.872-07:00The case of the Mondays on a TuesdayI woke up at 7:30 and went on the computer to check out Facebook, gmail- my usual routine. Around 8, I went into jamie's room and gently woke him up, peeling the blankets from around his sleepy head. "I found him! I found the sleepy boy!" I usually say. He mutters and whacks my hands away. I tell him he needs to get up and put his school clothes on. I proceed to pull out a pair of underwear, khaki pants and a green polo shirt, depositing them on the couch. He eventually creeps out of the bedroom and wraps his blanket around him as he curls up on the couch. Thinking of skipping the brown sugar today, I instead pour the contents of his meds into a spoonful of key lime yogurt. Sitting beside him on the couch, I offer the spoon, letting him know I've changed it to yogurt and reminding him that he likes key lime flavor. He scrunches his face, a small hint of a grin and shoves my hand away, "No!". <br />Every morning, it's the same routine. A five to ten minute battle to get him to take his meds. The capsule is too large for him to swallow so I've been emptying them into spoonfuls of brown sugar. At first, he always took it, no complaints. But lately, he seems to relish saying no, whenever possible. <br />I admit, after pleading for five minutes and him finally spilling the yogurt on himself, I lost it. I was angry and tired of this nonsense. "Look what you did! UGGHHH!!! Why can't you just take it?!" I'm raging mad, trying not to raise my voice but I know it's getting louder anyway. I try to flip him over to spank him but he twists and I smack his hip instead. Frustrated, I throw the spoon into the sink, walk back to the couch and yank him to his feet. <br />"Stand there," I pull him to the kitchen and attempt to load up another spoon. By now, he's trying really hard not to cry- me too. I offer the spoon and curtly tell him to take it. He opens his mouth and it's finally over. I'm starting to calm down and I tell him that I'm sorry but he needs to stop telling me no and do what he's asked. Eventually he gets dressed and changes back to his perky self. <br />I'm still kind of angry over the whole ordeal. I hate doing this. I feel like my child deliberately says no and acts up because it's me. He seems to do fine with most other people. I'm convinced he hates me somedays. Anyway, I felt I should write it down and maybe tomorrow things will be better.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-79684696385738066982011-05-27T15:12:00.000-07:002011-05-27T15:20:32.393-07:00on inspirationEveryday I sign into my blog reader and catch up on stories of other people's families, art, photography and general stuff. I'm often overloaded with inspiration and that need to do something with it. The problem comes when there's the time to do it and the want fades. Well, maybe not fades but it's transformed into doubt. The walls of limitation quickly presents itself and I feel like it's something I can't get around.<br />I also think I have a few issues with getting messy. The projects I want to do always involve getting stuff out- lots of stuff and then after a few hours' work, I gotta put it all back again. I lose all motivation thinking about the clean up. I would like a space where I can simply leave it and come back, nothing out of its place. Maybe I have some serious control issues? I always think, "I'll start that when/if I get a bigger house". But at this point it my life, it's not happening anytime soon. I may as well get used to the smaller quarters and figure out how to work around it. It's hard to do that.<br />So that's all I want to throw out for today. Maybe tomorrow I'll come back and articulate.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-18203642749741462822011-05-25T09:51:00.001-07:002011-05-25T10:12:34.919-07:00I'm back! Again!I'm not sure anyone still reads or checks on this blog but I've decided to make it my summer make-over project. I thought about just starting a blog from scratch but then decided not to. The past is me and I can't change anything about it so it's time to keep pressing forward. <br />I'm in school, taking classes towards an Associates Degree and afterwards, maybe transfer someplace with an awesome Graphic Design program. I also want to look into internships. Ever since I saw Chronicle Books offered internships, I can't stop thinking about how cool that would be! I recently acquired a student loan so I could replace my broken computer. I took the chance of upgrading to an iMac and I LOVE it. I've got some money left over and I'm contemplating using it towards a camera (a cheaper one) or just giving it back to the school. <br />In other news, I am now working part time in Puyallup since the Tacoma store closed over a week ago. It was sad but I'm a tad grateful for the kick out the door. Part time will be good :) I have a terrible tendency to settle.<br />I'm also planning to pick up the camera and just deal with it. I love taking photos but recently, the desire to get out there was gone. Also, it didn't help that I didn't have a proper computer to upload photos. But I do now and I fully intend to exploit it. I see now that every other person in world is a "professional photographer" so I'm just going to chill and enjoy taking photos for the time being. I'm not accepting anymore wedding jobs but I may take in the occasional family/kid sessions. <br />Until next time! PEACE.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-66251845445738214722010-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:002010-04-04T20:55:54.210-07:00Yikes!Well, I'll say it's been awhile, eh? I've been wanting to write up a new post but what to say? What to say...<br /><br />I thought that maybe it would be more interesting to start a new project and post my progress. So... My newest project is photography related! Go figure! I happened across this blog and saw that she was starting lessons in photography and finiding your artistic side: <a href="http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2010/01/develop-on-fridays-lesson-one-your.html">Paislee Press</a> So I'm gonna give it a shot. So in saying that, watch for my posts on Fridays/Saturdays (whichever happens to be less crammed with activities).Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-72831526407734621042010-01-02T13:43:00.000-08:002010-01-02T13:53:56.137-08:00New YearI've been hearing a lot of optimism for this new year and I want to chime in! Here are my 2010 resolutions:<br /><br />1. Finish what I start. This is really hard for me. I love starting new projects but eventually lose interest and drop it altogether. I need to kick this habit!<br /><br />2. Tie up loose ends. This sort of trickles downs from the first resolution but embraces more serious agendas. I need to finish and submit my divorce paperwork. I've already changed around my schedule to allow this to happen. Now I just need to walk into the courthouse and get it done. I have admittedly have mixed feelings but It needs to be taken care of.<br /><br />3. Stop using credit. I am going to make this resolution as tangible as possible. I'm not going to vow to pay it off completely- just to stop using it this year. If I can do this, I will have paid at least $3600 down on them by the end of the year. <br /><br />I'm going to leave it at 3 for the entire year. If I tackle anything extra, yay for me :D<br /><br />I do have good feelings for the coming year. I want this new decade to be one of renewal, hope and happiness. It begins with me and only I can determine how this will turn out. Well, so far so good.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-7829486252769715402009-12-14T13:27:00.000-08:002009-12-14T13:49:02.218-08:00MondaysMondays are supposed to be bad days traditionally. Mine have been somewhat relaxing. I choose to change my work schedule to Tues-Saturday so I could utilize Monday to get stuff done/relax/fart around. I throughly enjoy Monday.<br /><br />I've also been taking these days to get to know Tacoma. I take different routes and get myself lost intentionally. Because Tacoma is set up very grid-like, it's super easy to navigate. So long as you understand all the roads stretch from one side of Tacoma to the other -the differences in region determines whether or not you're north or the south. I live in the North-end district of Tacoma sandwiched between Stadium district and Proctor District; the nice side of Tacoma. Literally 2 blocks east and you're in Hilltop- often thought of as the ghetto. Yes, it a little more modest than the rest of Tacoma but it's not as bad as it used to be. It's not run down, just very simple. <br />The upside to living in Tacoma is the vast resources available to people like me. Low income, single mom, dependant upon DSHS for a few resources. It's not hard to find places that offer financial aid. YMCA offers it and I'm definitely going to take advantage as soon as January. Another benefit to living here are libraries are scattered throughout as well as discount stores, thrift stores, antique stores... its easy to save money here.<br /><br />The downside, in my opinion, are the hills. I hate driving on the hills in the rain and ice. I've already experienced rear ending someone (ironically- not in Tacoma)and it's a horrible feeling in your gut to know you're about to hit someone and dispite your efforts to keep your foot on the break, you sail right into their bumper. I'm still irritated over it. I want desparately not to have a repeat episode. I drive like a grandma in Tacoma. It's okay. Laugh, pass me or honk your horn- I am NOT going to go through the shock of hitting another car or god forbid- a person. <br /><br />Anyhow, back on topic. Mondays. They're my ME days. I don't go out and get a McDonalds Frappe or anything... but sometimes I do induldge in white mochas and thirft stores. All by myself. Once the crazy time of year passes, I'll take care of important business on Mondays but for now, I need the downtime to just revel in the quiet.<br /><br />Here are some random photos to tide y'all until the next post. Cheers!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSFSDtFcr9WLOP_-8CqzDUnjpXjONY_HlftVEP36mLmi6S-fdnZQrVeroR5S9CmlqdUeGBEic0CNg0puYzr0I1LW7A5Y4JdGGl4XvFHR29G8ot0Xl2Xsh89oAhiLjk8HseJvmkmmTsvIo/s1600-h/20091129-IMG_8081-22.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSFSDtFcr9WLOP_-8CqzDUnjpXjONY_HlftVEP36mLmi6S-fdnZQrVeroR5S9CmlqdUeGBEic0CNg0puYzr0I1LW7A5Y4JdGGl4XvFHR29G8ot0Xl2Xsh89oAhiLjk8HseJvmkmmTsvIo/s400/20091129-IMG_8081-22.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415212084736747426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJTkIMlGTWY5JqUzJHcY_Jz_yNwvnY5mbUxGSgJ1UyRkcx1tB9O0akOhz9fNL2959OoJi8N2GOjB3_q8PsdeWQKpBcChFmxpjJ7b9cEYpaJofzsbjAQtkRVr4NQPmFoqvQKzyiKxv1kUa/s1600-h/20091129-IMG_8080-21.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJTkIMlGTWY5JqUzJHcY_Jz_yNwvnY5mbUxGSgJ1UyRkcx1tB9O0akOhz9fNL2959OoJi8N2GOjB3_q8PsdeWQKpBcChFmxpjJ7b9cEYpaJofzsbjAQtkRVr4NQPmFoqvQKzyiKxv1kUa/s400/20091129-IMG_8080-21.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415212077528251442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoLVjFFjxFHWjZE67z2dhCjnPbA8IAa5Qek7ACv8rOsh4IA2bPEYbkpQD3vlQy-U1uRv6CZsOqoMYhVmIkNYv4f0JHTLciDe4OzjwZj22sYW07mohiTraC2YHlwFJCvcdStqcveHDpkhq/s1600-h/20091129-IMG_8075-18.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoLVjFFjxFHWjZE67z2dhCjnPbA8IAa5Qek7ACv8rOsh4IA2bPEYbkpQD3vlQy-U1uRv6CZsOqoMYhVmIkNYv4f0JHTLciDe4OzjwZj22sYW07mohiTraC2YHlwFJCvcdStqcveHDpkhq/s400/20091129-IMG_8075-18.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415212069958372354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXKFh8-uPbnhKCTdUI8j0j1RrmI9jHOXsN7lZYZ6QHKlVPdw02_gxd-qap2Y0HYG7VURGk9sT0NiWwY1fGwtN9w56l9xsmF1XQknmEPtmhTIE23alNRLWZGPfxVE-fU61o7AJKX2Rgwpk/s1600-h/20091129-IMG_8041-16.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXKFh8-uPbnhKCTdUI8j0j1RrmI9jHOXsN7lZYZ6QHKlVPdw02_gxd-qap2Y0HYG7VURGk9sT0NiWwY1fGwtN9w56l9xsmF1XQknmEPtmhTIE23alNRLWZGPfxVE-fU61o7AJKX2Rgwpk/s400/20091129-IMG_8041-16.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415212060780490322" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-72369671573204917682009-11-29T23:29:00.000-08:002009-11-29T23:49:13.819-08:00Things have changed so much and so dramatically over the last 6 months. I certainly won't go into detail. I think I will just pick up from here and move on towards the future. I don't know if this blog will take on a different flavor but I hope it provokes hope, laughter and serious thoughts along the way. The journey has taken a different turn and new experiences have made their presence known. For the sake of respect and accuracy, I've decided to leave the older posts intact. The only things I've changed are my 100 goals; but not much. <br /><br />Life inside Borders seems to be nearing an end, even if they won't admit it. It's not just the economy that's pushing it out the door either. Micro-managing, belittling, cutting and haggling are getting the job done just fine. In spirit of protecting myself and Jamie, I've decided to ask for help in going back to school. There's a woman I've been meeting with. For lack of a better name, I call her the 'Resources Lady'. She was referred to be by Jamie's school and she basically spends all her time researching and recommending resources for moms all over Tacoma that need help. She doesn't limit herself to only financial help either. I've tossed many needs her way and she jumps on each one with vigor and determination. In turn, she holds me accountable to a timeline to complete tasks and get things done. I've already booked an appointment to get Jamie seen by a doctor that should hopefully refer him to be seen by an Asperger's specialist. She helped me with insurance recommendations and the name of her favorite kids' doctor. <br />My current appeal to her was my interest in going back to school and if there were any resources that I can take advantage of because of my hearing disablity. She's already given me a few names but promises phone numbers the next time she visits. I'm pretty excited about this! I want to pursue Photography and/or design so I'm really hoping this will pan out! The only thing that holds me back are finances. I expressed to her my worries about paying bills if I were to go back to school full-time. She said she'd look into options for me. All I'm doing now is waiting for her phone call to set up another apointment to share info. <br /><br />Other than this, Jamie and I have been painting ceramic ornaments in anticipation of our tree that we'll chop down tomorrow. I got a new camera and plan to take photos to share tomorrow night :) Stay tuned! I promise more posts and photographs. But for now, good night!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-68473421965634034442009-05-30T00:09:00.000-07:002009-05-30T00:22:53.782-07:00Photos!A beautiful image from my latest session of Brittany and Marty :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVt6LW3h20onwWmQ-srQ2sZD11C0_Ba5KUTT9NNuveYf0nXLaMWWx2fopSF00u41XnRJclI99hUd9tpXGjsHnnWXPH-9sy6essb3d5ciE_MaxUsNloxFIXfpx5lwpBB6Z69wW64YbjqDo/s1600-h/20090529-20090529-IMG_5525.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVt6LW3h20onwWmQ-srQ2sZD11C0_Ba5KUTT9NNuveYf0nXLaMWWx2fopSF00u41XnRJclI99hUd9tpXGjsHnnWXPH-9sy6essb3d5ciE_MaxUsNloxFIXfpx5lwpBB6Z69wW64YbjqDo/s400/20090529-20090529-IMG_5525.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341510712995248754" /></a><br />A silly image of Jamie...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfY_Vtl6qy3s2lopG8GV9DyYxvrsa5NZ_uORtt6Nytns0Rlsc4MoynZmvamo63YGIRCaig-K8Ctmcq2MErlHDlU7M6raHEBMOsBvEKJIXl7ZKTbpBQ3GqB2L53qN2_ji0eMkbVb-xb4wx/s1600-h/20090529-20090529-IMG_5291.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfY_Vtl6qy3s2lopG8GV9DyYxvrsa5NZ_uORtt6Nytns0Rlsc4MoynZmvamo63YGIRCaig-K8Ctmcq2MErlHDlU7M6raHEBMOsBvEKJIXl7ZKTbpBQ3GqB2L53qN2_ji0eMkbVb-xb4wx/s400/20090529-20090529-IMG_5291.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341510706139830546" /></a><br /><br />I need to vent a bit about photography lately... I think I need some serious classes/therapy sessions (?) soon. Maybe I'm rusty from this extended break from taking photos or maybe my camera is being wacko... or I could be losing my touch but something just isn't sitting right with taking pictures. I feel like my creativity is non-existent. For the most part, I can set my camera up but when it comes to taking the shot, something is missing. I'm frustrated that I lack the crispness I desire, the perfect fleeting moments because the shutter clicks too slow, the heavy reliance on wide open aperture (as opposed to gaining comfort with shooting f/3.5 or higher). Not that there's anything wrong with shooting between f/1.4 and f/2.8... but I feel like I use them too often and it's causing me to miss opportunities or perspectives. I know this sounds like a lot of jargon but in layman's terms, I'm nervous about slowing my shutter speed down due to lack of light reaching my camera. When I shoot wide open, this lets me 'snap' faster. The draw back is the heavy blurring surrounding my main subject. While, I love the effect most of the time but sometimes, I want to make the entire shot crisp with details. This is difficult because the higher I go with f-stops, the longer it'll take my shutter to click, the more out of focus/blurry my entire image will be. I really don't want to haul around a tripod or my flash. *sigh* Guess I just need to step outside my comfort zone more often and just run with it.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-64244665332536454422009-05-27T21:59:00.001-07:002009-05-27T21:59:44.793-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaTIGKhDLMcHrsK0zxlI802D8WBcB8D-gdfOK8lXUkaiyizwhXH22ja9V_NCFyqHlPkhdGHJtSzIXNetzndQa5xnh4c4A0SAfXrBFwJL8y6wEjMQLbk64nZ5TmYNnQnMm5bn_ri1KRUjQ/s1600-h/quote+.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 334px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaTIGKhDLMcHrsK0zxlI802D8WBcB8D-gdfOK8lXUkaiyizwhXH22ja9V_NCFyqHlPkhdGHJtSzIXNetzndQa5xnh4c4A0SAfXrBFwJL8y6wEjMQLbk64nZ5TmYNnQnMm5bn_ri1KRUjQ/s400/quote+.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340735049936682146" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-36024401326931457592009-05-21T12:45:00.001-07:002009-05-21T13:13:23.439-07:00What's going on?I'm sure I've got some curious questions so I wanted to take some time to fill my friends and family in on what's happened to me recently. <br /><br />On Saturday around 4am, I woke up with severe stomach pains. I felt this the previous weekend so I thought I would just try to work through it and it would eventually go away. I would later find myself on the bathroom floor, my entire body covered in sweat and totally weak. Eventually, I'd find some strength to get back into bed until another round of chills/fever would break through and I'd get myself back to the cold comfort of the bathroom floor before passing out. Finally after about 3 or 4 rounds of this and about 6 hours later, Mike would call my parents to see if they'd watch Jamie so we could figure out what was wrong at the doctor's office. Luckily, my parents were already in Bonney Lake shopping. Once they arrived, I was curled up on my bed but starting to feel a little better except for the tiny, jabbing spasms that would happen under my right ribcage. Eventually those spasms would extend to my shoulder, causing my breathing to get caught in my throat. <br />I tried to get up to get to the car but every attempt would end in me seeing all white and needing to get back down. That's when Mike decided that we'd go to the ER instead. I remember thinking that it felt so good to be outside and I could smell the freshly cut grass. I could sense my head clearing up and I started to wonder if I was making a big deal out of this. The ride to the ER was pretty uneventful but once it came time to get out of the car and walk to the doors, my body started to give away. I could hear someone asking if I needed a wheelchair and next thing I know, I'm sitting down, kind of spawled out. I could remember seeing two people in line ahead of me, giving me worried glances until a nurse would finally ask them if it was alright that I cut in front of them. I only saw the nurse for a minute before they rushed me to a bed and started to strip me of my clothes.<br />Then all the questions began; typical ones about my age, wheather I smoked or drank, my birthday, inquiries about the possibility of being pregnant. I remember feeling clear headed enough to answer their questions. <br />After awhile, there was a flurry of people, being poked several times with needles, getting my blood pressure checked and then the real pain started to happen. The doctor came in to nudge my stomach in several areas until he reached my ribs. The pain was so unbarable and I started to clutch my shoulder. He asked why I was holding my shoulder if my ribs hurt and I tried to tell him between gasping breaths that it was hurting my shoulders too. I couldn't control how fast the spasms were happening and I just remember kind of flopping on the bed each time, arching my back and gasping for breath. I kept asking for something to relax me but they'd keep telling me my bloodpressure was too low for them to give me anything. I'd demand Mike to tell me about something trival, anything, to keep me from overreacting and getting emotional. I couldn't stop thinking about the worse. They told me they think I was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy that burst one of my ovaries and now they feared I was bleeding internally. This would explain why I felt severe shoulder pain, due to the blood reaching my diaphram. After they conducted an ultrasound to see how much fluid was inside, they asked me what my blood type was and I replied between painful breaths that I was O negative. The doctor shook his head at Mike and I felt myself overreacting again.<br />He came over to tell me that my type was the hardest for them to obtain but if I needed a transfusion, which was likely, that I needed to sign a release. I couldn't sign it and asked Mike to do it on my behalf. <br />Finally, the operating room was ready. I could feel myself start to relax, knowing that they'd knock me out and I'd be asleep. I remember them wheeling me down the hallways and I could see myself in the occasional mirror. I was shocked at how white I was. I had no color to my lips.<br />Once I woke from the surgery, I started crying. It was rather painful but I couldn't make myself stop. The nurse told me I needed to try to calm myself but I just couldn't. There was another person in the room with me but I couldn't see him. I knew he was old and I immediately started to slow my crying. She told me they removed one of my ovaries and drained nearly 2 units of blood. No transfusion was necessary. The nurse assured me that I was alright and began to take me to my room.<br />I had to spend two nights at the hospital but I'm so lucky to have so many visitors and text messages :) It was a horrible experience but I'm happy to say I'm spending the next 2 weeks on the mend. Today is the first day I actually don't have a headache. It's still hard to get up and walk around but I feel a little better. I sleep very well at night, thanks to Vicadin lol :)<br /><br />Anyway, I thought I'd share this with anybody who was wondering... I'll probably make all my grammer/spelling corrections another time. Thanks again, to everyone who bought me flowers, candy, magazines and brought their smiles and conversation. I really love having visitors so please, don't feel shy if you ever want to come visit me. :) I'm pretty lucky!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-21338328327655029992009-04-25T11:15:00.000-07:002009-04-25T11:17:50.372-07:00Kitchen Makeover Photos!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMXwNyU3kngaNteT880gp3WC9gZnMw6WZEBonACfKhzEyVC8ZDTr2iMU6ci_hMHp8zB-DPVkBa-xqe2QPueC4PH9d4jwibIaHKCiHMhN57_KTQjRZn5RGZZ7hOAm2TEBwXr0eRWnE-TR_/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4889.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMXwNyU3kngaNteT880gp3WC9gZnMw6WZEBonACfKhzEyVC8ZDTr2iMU6ci_hMHp8zB-DPVkBa-xqe2QPueC4PH9d4jwibIaHKCiHMhN57_KTQjRZn5RGZZ7hOAm2TEBwXr0eRWnE-TR_/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4889.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694796537009874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEjKk0hcCZNYX3B27TYTOqNqxAj4hA-hHH5il-6xbZ8BWGvfn8UWtfPH0X-_R0t24IjW3-SCdnuO2bArz7u7iumB30_M2XeylV7R6OsJMQNOC96f9gyXsDCjQi-uMF7CCnkEto4QOWPK5/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4888.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEjKk0hcCZNYX3B27TYTOqNqxAj4hA-hHH5il-6xbZ8BWGvfn8UWtfPH0X-_R0t24IjW3-SCdnuO2bArz7u7iumB30_M2XeylV7R6OsJMQNOC96f9gyXsDCjQi-uMF7CCnkEto4QOWPK5/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4888.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694724100960578" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe_gnKrlkEuTLC_6-2Xuf1q9DgCiE-wVTPGQzPXWrvIoCBfvcwKduGXJGps0ux44Izk9WAGNMUsBwoUZKq2cVb7qGaUm9zzQ3fz8R-3hZ0-hP5LjQsEkK3wWpOqT7UpDViB6d63R_Gi3-/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4887.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe_gnKrlkEuTLC_6-2Xuf1q9DgCiE-wVTPGQzPXWrvIoCBfvcwKduGXJGps0ux44Izk9WAGNMUsBwoUZKq2cVb7qGaUm9zzQ3fz8R-3hZ0-hP5LjQsEkK3wWpOqT7UpDViB6d63R_Gi3-/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4887.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694718642515458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdc-UzffCnbCkEM21_Bgjx5ycwOV_ddnvBYODsm1Jls7wCCy9CvpCi1CWGbr4wif-Pw9MAoEqpy0Dxh1p6p7pzt1ZIz9XNOWFWULiGY0Xx3hzW6lg6JGb2TfQTWdaAZ-85TDzzTVAl7kGW/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4886.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdc-UzffCnbCkEM21_Bgjx5ycwOV_ddnvBYODsm1Jls7wCCy9CvpCi1CWGbr4wif-Pw9MAoEqpy0Dxh1p6p7pzt1ZIz9XNOWFWULiGY0Xx3hzW6lg6JGb2TfQTWdaAZ-85TDzzTVAl7kGW/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4886.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694720289276882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuU-XMPkevKNnJ7FTwMej4VWdyUR8e_ca4zTa99Xn_LNW546l3UU9DxnnC5-uBYyejJ0aD8gNpYnv153Weg6u9AQDFdxCC9NuvTK7Dua-UTpvNQ2L4egUdO07lnTMYmjcamyzLKcdV0wD/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4885.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuU-XMPkevKNnJ7FTwMej4VWdyUR8e_ca4zTa99Xn_LNW546l3UU9DxnnC5-uBYyejJ0aD8gNpYnv153Weg6u9AQDFdxCC9NuvTK7Dua-UTpvNQ2L4egUdO07lnTMYmjcamyzLKcdV0wD/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4885.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694714051345810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesTGsMRcP8TLUoYy01Mwu5g-PIror6xnvTQLQGzfR0IOjfmjr1qp1unlyXSn01XYNQSOM5KdaSybBMAxryQatxZiy5bxXTybAG-TM0t8eSRLOlo86xkD65z-GQJSkbNMRdTn2_ETDcTN7/s1600-h/20090425-20090425-IMG_4884.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesTGsMRcP8TLUoYy01Mwu5g-PIror6xnvTQLQGzfR0IOjfmjr1qp1unlyXSn01XYNQSOM5KdaSybBMAxryQatxZiy5bxXTybAG-TM0t8eSRLOlo86xkD65z-GQJSkbNMRdTn2_ETDcTN7/s400/20090425-20090425-IMG_4884.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328694711311657666" /></a><br /><br />You like?Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-65183208614313793912009-04-23T14:27:00.000-07:002009-04-23T14:36:33.302-07:00Bad blog owner...Sorry this blog has been rather blah lately. A lot has happened. Allow me to update you:<br /><br />I've been adjusting to my new job. Working two stores is tough work; deadlines, different management styles, earlier hours, babysitting woes, huge greeting card relays... I'm not complaining though. I DO love my job and I love being busy. It keeps me sane and my mind occupied. <br /><br />We've decided that living in a wooden-paneled kitchen stinks so we're currenting painting it! Yeah, it's about time! I'll post photos when we're through. All we have left are cabinet doors and we'll be free! Keep an open mind about the wall color when you see it...<br /><br />Mike lost his job on Monday so things have been increasingly stressful. I don't think the reality of it has hit either of us just yet. I know we'll pull through somehow. If we have to sell our house, at least the kitchen looks cool.<br /><br />So those are the main things going on right now. <br /><br />On an unrelated note; is it me or does it seem like they're going to cancel <a href="http://www.hulu.com/chuck">Chuck</a>??? I read rumors of it happening but UGH! I LOVE that show. =( Sad times, indeed.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-52363157147002946922009-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:002009-03-24T20:20:55.713-07:00Okay! Okay!I've been told I need to update the blog.<br /><br />It's true, I was offered the Paperchase Merchandiser position! I started my first day yesterday but offically, it feels more like today. Today I started back at the first store I worked with nearly 10 years ago; Federal Way. Of course, it's nothing like when I first started given they've relocated to the mall. But still, it's nice to be welcomed back by friendly faces.<br />I've had a full day of getting the shop caught up and starting a new clearance list (yeah, that's right CLEARANCE. Go shop there. Now. Preferably in Puyallup or Federal Way, of course). It's extremely quiet not using a walkie anymore. I kind of miss that need to make a comeback every so often. :)<br /><br />In other news, Jamie's got 2 more soccer games left. The last game went very well! Mike took him this time and he said all the parents and even the coaches were suprised at how well Jamie did! I sincerely hope this trend continues. We're thinking of a new activity to sign him up for once soccer ends. He's asked for swimming lessons or violin. Yeah, violin... lol Who knows? I'll have to see if there's anyone around here that offers violin lessons.<br /><br />That's all for now!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-1352266260889888562009-03-11T13:09:00.001-07:002009-03-11T13:24:11.135-07:00Severed ties?By now I'm sure most of my friends and family have been informed of my job status. It's definitely in limbo. Will I have a job to go to March 23rd or will I join the thousands awaiting unemployment checks?<br /><br />I've been amazingly calm over this with only a few moments of panic here and there. I haven't cried, which is probably not unusual if you know me :) It's the not knowing that makes me worry more with each day. I would almost rather know immediately. I've also been concerned about the other people that I've come to be friends with that are facing the exact challenge as me. It's not easy when you feel like your company might be giving you the shaft when you've been with them for so long and you've finally found what you're good at.<br /><br />I called in sick today since I'm still fighting off the 24 hour flu and spoke with my boss over the phone. I didn't mention anything about interviews but she said that she wanted me to know that she'll be calling at the end of this week to set up times. Many friends have assured me that I've probably got nothing to worry about but it would be dumb of me not to consider other options if this is the end of my Borders career. I know that there are tons of talented people applying for my job. I've never actually been the 'best' at anything but I like to think I'm very good at what I do. I've always tried my hardest at each job I've been given. My track record would indicate so. Sure, I've never been accepted at any manager level jobs but it doesn't mean that what I do isn't important.<br /><br />Somethings I've considered are going back to school. I'm not sure we could do this financially but it's fun to think about having the freedom to choose whatever class I want regardless of the days/times. Of course the other is to try that much harder for another baby. You can only try so hard, ya know? :) But I guess I'll have more time to focus on making sure I'm healthy. Luckily, we've got refinancing our house underway which will save us tons monthly along with a new pellet stove which should also help with the heating bill. We're doing what we can- just in case.<br /><br />10 years is a long time to devote to one company. A retail one, at that. But yet, I've never quit. I would prefer to leave on my own terms but if this is just life telling me to turn my attention elsewhere, then I gotta respect that.<br /><br />I'll post more info when I know for sure. I'm going to hope for the best!!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7564386149762357140.post-21783148279991627102009-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:002009-02-12T11:33:47.065-08:00This is starting to become an odd facination with me... Where is Joaquin Phoenix? He has sworn off acting to pursue a hip-hop career. Or so he says? I feel like he's doing a huge joke on everyone... lol Watch the clips below...<br /><br /><a href="http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-joaquin-phoenix-new-crispin-glover.html">The Late Show</a><br /><br />And here's another clip of his performace... <br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_Ikksg40U">Disaster</a><br /><br />Uh yeah...<br /><br />So I'm going to keep my eye on him because this is too funny to pass up!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16123429269490879225noreply@blogger.com3