carl carl by carly

Things that annoy me...

2009-12-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

* A friend asked me to do their engagement pictures. Well, I couldn't do them the day she wanted them so she had someone else do them. They are HORRIBLE. I mean, really really really really really bad. And it REALLY annoys me when I have worked my butt of to become pretty dang good at what I do and friends STILL use someone else. A-holes.

* Along the same lines, a wedding I had booked for May (MY ONLY WEDDING NEXT YEAR, maternity leave- the only downside!) just called and cancelled- they've booked a cheaper photog. A-holes! Don't you get that you make an investment for a reason? In this business you get what you pay for. I hope you're happy with crappy documentation of one of the most important days of your life- not to mention one of the most expensive! What's an extra couple hundred for a GOOD photographer... so dumb.

* I hate when people become a fan of something on Facebook when they really shouldn't. I mean when it's something stupid but a friend started the group, or it's a friends business so you feel like you have to be a fan even if you'd never use them. REALLY bothers me.

How petty are those stupid things that annoy me. I must be 14 or something.

Not Me! Monday

2009-12-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

I think it's time I posted another Not Me! :)

Sis was given a pack of sour candy in Nursery yesterday. I definitely did NOT tell her she would choke if she ate them, and hid them from her only to NOT eat them ALL by myself. She probably wouldn't have choked, and I'm definitely not all for lying to your kids when sour candy is involved...

I did NOT drink Dr. Pepper 3x this week. I'm pregnant and responsible and I'm not an addict.

I did NOT overdraw our account by $75 because I DON'T suck at managing our finances.

I didn't get jealous or embarrassed when I ran into a bunch of my friends from high school and they were having fun and being single and cute... and I was struggling to keep my 2 year old under control and having a typical mom-hair-day. (I'm really pretending that did NOT happen.)

And lastly, I did not eat popcorn for 3 meals this week. I also didn't eat cookies for breakfast or mac and cheese for 3 meals in a row. (My stomach is very selective right now, I'll take what I can get!)

November 23

2009-11-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

*I finished up my Christmas shopping today! Woo hoo! :) I love shopping for other people, it's one of my favorite things. I wish people could hire me to shop for them actually- have you heard of those? Personal shoppers... I would absolutely love that job.

*I had a McDonalds craving and I haven't had McD's since I got pregnant, SO, Sis & I had bad-for-you lunch today. I love Big'N'Tasty's... But since I ate that way fatty fat burger for lunch, I have to be way good for dinner. SO I'm having black beans! YUM!

Black beans are really good for you, they are full of protein, fiber and nutrients with low calories and no fat. They're delicious, too, if you fix 'em right! :)

Make sure you either buy low-sodium black beans or you'll be getting WAY too much salt in your system!

But this is how I fix my black beans... I take a can of S&W low sodium black beans and pour them in a microwaveable dish. Then I put in about a 1/4 cup of ketchup and 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar. Nuke them for 3 minutes, stir and ENJOY! So delicious and good for you too.

Drink a lot of water when eating a lot of beans to help from getting bad gas and constipated. :)

*I had a photoshoot today and this poor kid has the goofiest smile. I mean reallllly goofy. Poor guy.

*I got a new calling in church, I'm now the relief society secretary. This is a completely new calling to me, I've never done anything like it before. And although it's a Monday night, I have a training this evening! I'm excited but nervous about it. I usually get way stoked about new callings but my excitement fizzles out and then I drudge through them haha :) Hopefully I stay excited about this one.

*We've decided to tell that we're expecting later this week. We're going to wait until Thanksgiving and then we'll make it known hee hee. I'm really excited to be able to talk about it and seriously at church on Sunday people were like staring at my tummy. I did everything I could to hide it though haha! It will be nice to be able to just be like YES! I'M PREGNANT! haha :)

*Speaking of the baby-to-be... I have picked boy names, in case it's a boy. He'll either be Vaughn Matthew or Julian Matthew. I'm leaning toward Julian and it has always been on my name list, but I'm feeling like this is a boy and his name will be Julian. We'll see, of course! :)

Thoughts on pregnancy...

2009-11-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

I am 6 weeks along... (click HERE to see what is going on in my tummy right now...)

My tummy is pooching out a little. Yeah, I'm bloated, but down low it is seriously pooching out like pregnancy tummy. I have read dozens of places that with second pregnancies the bump shows sooner because your uterus and other muscles just say "Oh, we have to accommodate a pregnancy now- we know how to do that because we've done it before!" and they pop into place way sooner.

While driving I already have to unbutton my pants because it's so uncomfortable to have jeans buttoned AND seat belt across the tummy. When I go anywhere I slip on my baggiest jeans and as soon as I get home I'm back in my yoga pants. If I wore a maternity shirt I'd like 6 months pregnant (using my last pregnancy as a guideline, and I was HUGE with my last pregnancy! haha...)

I'm only a little nauseated. It comes and goes, but no throwing up yet. I ate 5 english muffins today. No comment.

I'm completely exhausted but I can't sleep, I wake up at 3am, 4am, and finally get out of bed at 7am. Still exhausted but completely unable to sleep.

I'm craving Wingers but the nearest one is like 2 hours away. haha :)

Middle of Nowhere...

2009-11-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

We live in a small-yard-neighborhood. You know, the kind where the houses are so close to each other that you could pass things back and forth with your neighbor through the windows? Only our neighbors are creepy so I always have the curtains pulled on the windows that face them...

Anyway, it's almost midnight and my neighbor is listening to her stupid booming rap music so loudly and shouting and being all crazy... and as I tried to avoid the fact that my pounding headache was matching rhythm with the stupid beat reverberating between our houses, I thought, "Someday, when I'm rich and famous, I'm going to live in the middle of nowhere."

And that reminded me...

My brother and I couldn't even SHARE this CD,

we each had a copy...

I miss my brother so much sometimes, even if he is a huge punk and I don't understand him. I'm praying for him right now and hoping he gets his medical weirdnesses figured out and that somehow he will make good choices and stay on the right path. He's the cause of many sleepless nights and I'm not even his mother...

Santa Baby...

2009-11-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

:::: To listen to ::::

John Mayer Battle Studies

{here}

Bob Dylan's new Christmas album

{here}

:::: To read ::::

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

{here}

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

{here}

Vanity Fair Portraits

{here}

:::: To wear ::::

Liz Lange® Maternity Pleated Ruffle Jacket in Black {here}

Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri Dress by Shabby Apple

{here}

Tyller Boot by Steve Madden

{here}

:::: To shoot ::::

Nikon D700

{here}

and a whole slew of lenses that I'm not going to post here...

That's my wish list!

But I'll be grateful if Sherman gets me anything at all. :) Our budget is practically non-existent this year so I'm not really expecting much and that's all right. I still don't know what to get for HIM! Everything I want to buy for him is way too much $$$. Grrrr

Sunday Devotional

2009-11-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

182 & Weekend Reading

2009-11-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

I've lost 2 lbs in the last couple of days! So excited. Eating right and exercising a bit. :) I love love love my exercise ball, gotta say. My goal is to stay below 200 during this pregnancy.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about our living arrangement and what throwing another little human into the mix will do to our already cramped house. I plan on finding ways to "Make it work" as Tim Gunn would say (I love Tim Gunn... more on that in another post...).

With Sis we never put much time, money or effort into creating a perfect nursery for her. Not that we didn't want to, it just seemed a little silly to me. Frivolous I guess. Well now that I'm thinking about how our little house will soon be accommodating 2 little ones, it hit me how important having a for-real nursery is. A room just for the kids. Now Sis has her own room right now, but it's pretty bare and I haven't spent a ton of time in it. There are a few cute things but walking in to the room its kind of a mish-mash and not a welcoming warm place, nor a fun place where the kids can learn and play.

So I'm on a mission to create a shared bedroom for Sis & baby #2, on a BUDGET and with a PURPOSE! :)

Which brings me to...

Weekend Reading!

Serena & Lily is a super cute blog with nursery decor ideas... (Budget friendly tips, HERE)

Enjoy! :)

:P & an announcement...

2009-11-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have not updated much lately, things have been really out of control here. Very little blog-time. :)

But here's the random update:

On the BoM Challenge- I am like 10 days behind. WOOPS! But I'm trying to catch up. I love reading the scriptures, I really do.

On the working out/eating right- Today I went for 2 different walks, both about a mile a piece... and I did a bunch of stuff with my exercise ball and am going to research the net for any routines to do with it (I have no idea what I'm doing on that thing but it's really fun!)

Meal planning hasn't happened this week, and it's Thursday so I've given up for the week. :) BUT I resolve to meal plan for next week, and stick to it. Really does save me time and energy when I know ahead of time what I'm cooking, and I have the ingredients at my fingertips.

I have been bitten by the Christmas bug in a major major way. It's really silly. I have no idea what to get Sherman for Christmas. Initially I wanted to surprise the family with a Wii. We have nothing like that at all, never have... and I really want something fun to do during the bleak winter months and, well, I love to be spoiled too. I found a package that would cost us just under $250 with shipping included and I am still contemplating buying it. Sherman would probably freak out because we are so strapped for cash right now though... Any cheaper yet fun ideas for our family/hubby's gift? I also thought of getting him the guitar amp he's been looking at but... it's $275. I mean, seriously, why are these things so much more $ than I have in my measly budget. Boo. I need better ideas haha :)

Well the last thing I must make note of on this blog (because I can't talk about it on any of my other blogs and Rachel is probably the only person reading this blog so... I feel totally safe making the announcement now hahaha)... I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bah hahaha so excited- I'm 5 weeks preggers. I'm due in July and I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow to make sure everything is going well and to determine which OB I'll have deliver this little one (I will have a scheduled c-section as VBAC is not an option in Oregon. :P) At any rate, I'm excited. I'm exhausted, I'm scatter brained, and I'm moody. We'll see what the next 35ish weeks bring!

184...

2009-11-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

Seriously. 184.

I am trying to stay positive, not beat myself up, and JUST. DO. IT.

This afternoon I am doing the 30DS, ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSES. And I am going to do the full 30 days (at least 4 days/week until I have 30 days of workouts in... Then I'll start again!)

Rachel- will you PLEASE ask me like every time you talk to me if I've been eating good and if I've worked out yet? Seriously, I need some accountability here! :)

Sunday Devotional

2009-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

An all time favorite message...

Enjoy!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf invites us to rely on the Spirit and use our divinely inherited ability to create things of substance and beauty. Read the entire address here: http://bit.ly/3PS9ZM

Stupid $#%@ box elder bugs!

2009-11-05T10:22:00.001-08:00

They are ALL OVER outside and INSIDE the house!

(pic from here )

EW! EW! EW!

BoM Challenge- checking up!

2009-11-05T10:21:00.001-08:00

How are you doing with the BoM Challenge?! I'm 3 days behind... but I plan to play catch up on Sunday! :) Until then I will keep tryin' to read 10 pages/day so I don't get any further behind! :)

Drink your water!!!!!!

2009-11-02T21:42:00.001-08:00

I got this off a friends blog...

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population)

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%.

#4.. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer

...Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

Monday, monday...

2009-11-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Monday,

I am not a fan.

-Carly.

Not doing a not me monday today- I just don't feel like it, all right?!

I'm tired and cranky. Happy MONDAY! :P

Sunday Devotional

2009-11-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to figure out how to embed the Mormon Messages videos from youtube.com all day but for some reason I can't find the embed code anymore... not really sure WHY but I just can't figure it out. So here's a link to one I really enjoyed instead, sorry it isn't the actual video. :P

click here

Doing good on the BoM challenge! I actually started today, haha! 53 days until Christmas- 531 pages- 10 pages/day! I'm on page 11. :) I got my Sunday School kids involved in the challenge, too. We'll see if any of them take me up on it! And I was glad to see Rach is joining in, too! I liked her idea, too, that if you aren't Mormon and want to read another book let us know what it is you are reading that is uplifting and helps you be a better person. I know I'd love to check that out. And you don't have to be Mormon to read the Book of Mormon! I mean, I've read the bhagavad gita and I'm not Hindu! (And I learned a great deal from it, too!) I believe in finding truth anywhere truth is. It's a good thing. :)

Did you have a good Halloween?! I love to hear about and see everyone's costumes. I was a punk rocker and Sherman was a hill-billy. Sis was a monkey... We were not theme-costumed this year, but next year we'll have something really crazy, all right?! :)

PS Finally got it to embed- wasn't showing up on the laptop (???)

BoM Christmas Goal

2009-10-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

So you may have guessed by now... YES, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... a Mormon. I went to BYU-Idaho and had some awesome experiences there. And having roommates, I learned about all of their traditions- strange how every family does things a little differently! We tried to tie all of our traditions together at each holiday so we could all try new things... Anyway, I can't remember if this idea was from a professor or in a devotional, but at some point I heard about a family that did a really special tradition each Christmas.

Every year each member of their family chooses a gift to give to the Savior. A spiritual goal they set, a service project, that sort of thing. Then they write it on a piece of paper and put it in a package or an envelope and put it under the tree. Then as they open the usual Christmas presents, the gifts for the Savior are opened and they all talk about what they did and basically bear testimony of the Savior.
This is a tradition I really loved hearing about, it's so hard to keep the true Spirit of the season at the center of the holidays sometimes. We get carried away with food and gifts and soon it's like- what was Christmas all about again?

I don't want that for our family, so I talked to Shem about it last night and we've decided to adopt the tradition of gifts for the Savior in our family. I already decided what my gift will be- I'm going to read the Book of Mormon from cover-to-cover by Christmas. I know this will bring me closer to Christ, and will help me in my every day life too... (You know how they say when you put the Lord first, everything else will fall into place? Well there's a reason my life is out of control right now and I am 100% positive it's because I have been letting the really important (but simple) things slide.)

Christmas is a mere 55 days away... 531 pages in the BoM... That comes to 9.6 pages each day (I'll round up to 10!). I can TOTALLY do that. I'll keep you posted!

Do you want to join me? If you start tomorrow (Saturday), there will be 54 days until Christmas so you'll have to read 9.8 pages per day- so 10 a day too! :) Let me know if you're joining in so we can cheer each other on and share our insights!

Weekend Reading

2009-10-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

This weekend, check out my bestie Rachel's blog ... Not only is she a kick A blogger, she's also really ridiculously cool. (LOVE her posts about work- she doesn't think she's that interesting but reading her blog makes me feel like Drop Dead Diva isn't done for the season yet! haha)

Don't know what I'd do without ya Rach!

Enjoy!

Christmas is SERIOUSLY around the corner...

2009-10-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

What's on your wish list???

I'm posting mine soon...

right here on my trusty blog-ola.

{picture from here}

Also, what do you buy for your hubs?

Because I am really lacking in ideas...

"Thrill Me" Thursday: Episode 3

2009-10-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

You know what thrills me?

Girl's nights.

I have not had a "girl's night" in well over a year. I don't miss much about living in Rexburg, but I definitely miss having so many girlfriends living on the same street as me! Well out here in rural-ville Oregon, girl's nights are few and far between. BUT I have made a few good friends in my ward recently and they graciously invited me to a girl's night dinner tonight. I am so excited.

And that, my friends, is what thrills me.

Recipes: Ham & Mushroom Wraps and Leeky Chili

2009-10-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

I would worry about how seriously annoying it is that this is my 3rd blog post of the day, but I am not too concerned with it since I'm almost 100% positive I have little to no following on this blog haha :) Anyway I love making up recipes with what we have on hand, and every once in awhile the food is actually delicious! On these rare occasions, I will share my recipes here!

So the first recipe is the Ham & Mushroom Wraps we had for lunch today. SO good.
I just sort of threw this together for lunch, so I'm sure it has a billion alternative ways to prepare it! But today, this is what I came up with...

Ham & Mushroom Wraps
several slices 99% fat free deli sliced smoked ham
6 baby portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 yellow bell pepper
2 green onions (diced)
chili powder
garlic salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for cooking in
romaine lettuce
tortillas for wrapping

I heated about 1 Tablespoon EVOO in a skillet, then tossed in all the veggies (EXCEPT THE ROMAINE!). Stirred them around a bit until the mushrooms were nice and sauteed and the bell peppers were soft. Tossed in a pinch of garlic salt, a shake of chili powder and about 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cut the ham into bite sized pieces and threw that in the mix. Let it get nice and warmed through, until ham starts to get a nice brown to it.

Warmed tortillas in the oven for a few minutes, then put some romaine lettuce in the middle, a couple spoonfuls of the ham & mushroom mixture, wrap it up and mmm mmm good! And EASY! About 10 minutes from start to finish, max.

Leeky Chili

1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can navy beans (drained)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 leek, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper (left over from lunch!)
chili powder
black pepper
garlic salt
water

Brown the beef in 1 Tablespoon chili powder and drain it. Prepare the veggies. I love huge chunky veggies, for the leeks slice and then cut slices in half.

Toss meat into a Crockpot and add the beans, corn, bell pepper, leek and any other veggies you want to toss in.

Fill one of the cans about 3/4 the way with water and add that to the Crockpot. Add 1 Tablespoon chili powder, a couple shakes of black pepper (I like a LOT of pepper), put the lid on and set to LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-4 hours. Right before serving add garlic salt to taste (adding sooner will break down the beans). Yummmmm-o! Enjoy :)

Upswing & Meal Plan

2009-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

For nearly 2 months now I've been battling a bit of depression. I didn't really realize it until the last couple of days... I looked around my house and everything is disorganized, messy. Weeks of laundry waiting to be done, regular chores in dire need of doing... My health is, well, I'm not taking care of myself. I feel like for the last couple of months I've been in a whirlwind where I have little control and so much to do and yet nothing is getting done. I've been so blue and a little bit hopeless feeling.

Well, I'm changing my attitude and I'm taking control. I go through these phases every once in awhile, and I hate it but I guess that's how I am! I just gotta work harder at not falling into that slumpy place.

Anyway, as part of my "taking control" efforts, I am making a concerted effort to feed my family a healthy menu through the week (we get to eat out on Friday or Saturday- whichever one works with our schedule, but other than that I am making our meals). Meal planning has really helped me in the past- I'm not very good at it but when I put in just a little effort with it, it really does help. It also helps with my weight loss to have a plan (I will eat this, this & this, and nothing else... keeps me accountable! I love having a plan!) Having a meal plan not only helps with my weight loss, and my sanity, but it helps me with my grocery shopping. I plan with the weekly Albertson's circular so I can see what foods are on sale and coordinate the meal plan with those foods. Really helps save $$, who doesn't love that?!

So through the week I will have air popped popcorn, apples & 99% fat free turkey breast on hand for snacky-times when I just want to munch and for my meals, I will stick to the meal plan.

OH and it also helps me to have all my meals planned out but then I keep it flexible- if we are planning on tacos for Monday and chili for Tuesday but decide we want chili for Monday, we just trade it. I have all the ingredients already so I don't have to stick to each day in a super rigid schedule.

All the meals I marked with an asterisk (*) are recipes I've either made up or adapted, and I will post them here on the blog asap.

Monday

Breakfast: Whole grain cold cereal or oatmeal

Lunch: Ham & Mushroom wraps*

Dinner: (Crockpot) Leeky Chili*

(recipes for Monday's menu HERE )

Tuesday

Breakfast: Turkey bacon wraps*

Lunch: Left over chili

Dinner: Chicken stir-fry

Wednesday

Breakfast: Turkey bacon wraps

Lunch: Green salad with chicken breast and apples

Dinner: (Crockpot) Chicken & veggie soup*

Thursday

Breakfast: Whole grain toast and banana

Lunch: Whole grain pasta with goat cheese & tomato sauce

Dinner: Homemade veggie pizza with green salad

Friday

Breakfast: Whole grain cold cereal

Lunch: Left over chicken soup

Dinner: Eat out (healthy options!)

Saturday

Breakfast: Healthy Wholegrain Pancakes* & fresh fruit

Lunch: Veggie Wraps

Dinner: with my parents (mom's cookin'!)

Not Me, Monday!

2009-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, there are SO many Not, Me's! I could write about today. I guess I'll make a list...

1) This week I went shopping with a new friend. She's really sweet. REALLY skinny. While shopping with her, as she grabbed size ZERO jeans to try on, while I grabbed size TWELVE, I did NOT think "Skinny b*tch." Why would I think something like that? She is a total sweetheart and has been a really good friend to me... (I feel guilty even remembering that haha)

2) Hubs got a new job and started this last week. I am now cramming full time work into part-time work as I am now a full-time mommy. Needless to say this has been a difficult transition. Several times this week I did NOT lose my temper and shout at my sweet Sis. I did NOT eat comfort foods until I felt guilty. I did NOT take for granted all my blessings and answers to prayer by secretly wishing my life was totally different (numerous times). I did NOT tell Sherman I had a headache and felt like garbage just so he would change the poopy diaper while I got to lay on the couch.

3) I did NOT compare myself to my photog friends and while NOT comparing myself I did NOT get down on myself and let it ruin my whole day.

4) I did NOT spend $45 on 4 pumpkins for jack-o-lantern carving, just so we each could have one (my parents included).

5) I have a good photog friend that is, well, pretty well known (let's just put it that way) but she is really competitive and rude (I don't know if she realizes this, but she makes me feel like crap, a lot.) Anyway, aside from THAT character flaw, I really like her and we have a lot in common, she's way fun to talk to and she and I help each other a lot. When she's in the mood to help. Well, recently our other mutual photog friend has been having a really hard time with her. Ok I have to give them names to keep the story straight and chances are i'll be talking about them again... SO let's call the first one Jen and the second one Viv. OK so Jen apparently has been particularly heinous to Viv lately as well, which in a weird way is comforting to me (at least it's not just ME!). Anyway I did NOT get so upset about Jen treating Viv badly that I did NOT ignore her calls and sink to her level by talking bad about her to Viv. I definitely did NOT act like a stupid teenager.

This "not me" is NOT depressing me haha... moving on to a better week! :)

Sunday Devotional

2009-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Weekend Reading

2009-10-23T23:37:00.001-07:00

An awesome mommy blog for the weekend reading this week- instantly fell in love with this (again) honest blogger. Fun fun posts. And she has a cult following, so you know she's good! hahaha :)

scarymommy.com

PS I wish I could give her a new headshot... Is that rude to say? Because I totally don't mean that in a rude way... I also need to figure out how anonymous I want this blog to be, because I wish I could start sharing photography-related stuff without spilling the beans on who I REALLY am! bah-ha. Not that it's some huge mystery, I just would like to have that little corner of the internet where I am able to write without fear that someone I know might be judging me, while at the same time a huge part of me is my business and my work... hmm... hahahaha... I know, I know, I have issues. Love me regardless?

"Thrill Me" Thursday: Episode 2

2009-10-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

You know what thrills me? A sexy, angsty Italian in a wifebeater shouting "GET IN MY BED!" hahaha

The last time Nicolas Cage was actually a good actor was in Moonstruck... one of my all time favorite movies. He is SO hot in this movie, it's a little bit crazy. You just can't remember that he was ever in any of his other flicks while watching it- totally separate Nicolas Cage from this character and you will be in lustville. :) Cher is gorgeous in this movie, and I absolutely love the story. Every time I watch it I feel so in love with my husband. Life is never perfect, it is what it is, stop having unrealistic expectations and dreaming of what could be- love what you have.

And that, my friends, is what thrills me.

7 years of bad luck.

2009-10-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

| photo from marcelene on flickr.com |

First, a very quick background info. When we moved back home to start my photography business, one of the first things I did was hook up with one of the more ritzy salons in town (it's an Aveda salon so... pretty ritzy for our area!). The owner, who I'll call S, treats me so good and has done so much to help me build my business. Later this week I am doing head shots of all the stylists from her salon and a group shot to hang in the salon foyer. I'm doing it for free in exchange for them hanging huge prints in the salon and only promoting me as a photographer- they won't have any other photographers business cards or anything in there. Really really good for me. Well S has been a total saint and so helpful, and has set up this whole shoot with me. In addition, she's giving me an awesome deal for any of my seniors who want to upgrade their photoshoot by adding professionally done hair & makeup at the salon. So awesome.

So last night I had a senior who upgraded her session, so I met her @ the salon to make sure they were keeping her hair and make up in the more natural style that I like in my photography. They were doing a great job but it was really crowded- there were a dozen ladies in there going back and forth and gabbing like crazy. A bit of a mad house. Well S handed my client a hand held mirror so my client could do her own mascara and then S walked away.

The girl who was doing my clients hair(we'll call her A) while she was putting on her mascara asked my client to move to another chair. So she left the mirror on A's station and went to a new chair, but still had to do her mascara. So I looked down at the mirror and noticed how cute it was- it looked really special. It was ceramic and had hand written notes all over it, it said things like "The Magic Mirror" and "You're a Diva"... things like that. It was really cute and in my head something said don't touch it, but I'm a control freak and felt the need to provide my client with her mirror so she could finish her mascara!

SO I say, "Hey hon do you want the mirror?" just as I reached down to grab it (without watching what I was doing, OF COURSE) and it dropped to the ground and totally shattered. The whole mirror- the ceramic and the mirror itself.

The salon went instantly quiet and everyone was staring at me, and all the stylists who work with S got that "OH SHIZ" look on their faces... I said, "That was a pretty special mirror huh... crap... where's a broom so I can clean this up?" My heart sank, it seemed like I'd just killed a kitten or something with how quiet it was and how all the stylists were looking at me... So I swept it up just as S came back into the room. I said, "S I am so sorry but I dropped your mirror and it broke..." She looked at me and I kid you not she looked like she was going to cry. She said, "Oh... the diva mirror?" And I said, "Um, yeah I think so..." She said, "Oh..." And a few seconds later she said, "Well, accidents happen, it's okay." But she seemed majorly bummed out.

So to make it even worse, when I got into the car with my client, I said, "I'm sorry I'm still a little rattled from breaking that mirror! If it were any other mirror it probably wouldn't have been a big deal, but it seems like that one had some sort of sentimental value huh!" And she goes, "Yeah they all seemed pretty pissed. I thought you were going to grab it! It was like slow motion, you totally could have grabbed it."

Yeah, that made me feel awesome.

I feel horrible about it still, it's just a stupid mirror but clearly it meant something to S. I went and got her a card and a gift card to her favorite coffee shop and I'm going to just put in it that I wish I could replace the mirror, clearly it meant a lot to her, and how horrible I feel that it broke. Just let her know that I'm really sorry. Is that tacky? I don't know what else to do, but with so many people in the salon I didn't feel like I really got the chance to let her know how sorry I was and I really do wish I could replace it for her.

Boo.

Harry...

2009-10-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have a mondo crush on Harry Connick, Jr.

And I am absolutely in love the Harry Connick, Jr. station on Pandora.com. Been blasting it all day. Awesome musicians on his station- Diana Krall, Frank Sinatra, Louis, Bobby Darin, Rory Partin... I could go on and on and on... Love it.

"Not Me" Monday!

2009-10-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

time again for...

This week I did NOT bawl my eyes out every time I thought about Sis turning 2...

This week I did NOT act irrationally when my husband couldn't read my mind and do things my way.

This week I did NOT not work out... ha, love those double negatives.

This week I did NOT eat cookie dough for breakfast 4 days in a row. I would never do that, I'm a health nut!

Sunday Devotional

2009-10-18T10:08:00.001-07:00

Another hit-me-between-the-eyes video... Happy Sabbath!

Weekend Reading

2009-10-16T22:04:00.001-07:00

My weekend reading suggestion this week is the blog

\\ Click HERE to read //

LOVE this blog... again with the honesty! Love it!

Blogger Emily is a great writer. I'm not sure how I came across her blog, but I follow photographer Matt Clayton and just recognized a session he shot that she styled... wouldn't that be sweet?!

Check 'er out and leave a comment while you're there!

"Thrill Me" Thursday

2009-10-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

You know what thrills me?

Vitamin C, Airborne, hand sanitizer and Lysol.

I'm an illness fighting, germ killing machine!

And that... is what thrills me.

Jury Duty

2009-10-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

My number came up and I'm a juror...

Truthfully I've always wanted to be a juror, I've never understood people's fuss about being a juror and I feel honored to have the responsibility of being a juror.

I still feel that way, I just wish I had gotten a more interesting case. This boy's a yawner. I was hoping for some nitty gritty dish about the big wigs in town... But being a circuit court we aren't even dealing with people that I'd have remote reason to know and I guess if I did know them I couldn't serve anyway so... ... it's the best I could hope for. Haha Obviously I can't say much about it, but even if I could trust me you'd rather me not waste your time with this one. Boo.

Anyway- of my 5 scheduled photo shoots that were supposed to happen this week, every single one was rescheduled. Craziness!!!! I'm excited to get shooting again and really grateful for the break this week has given me. I was verging on psychotic burn out and I feel much more sane and in control now. Thank goodness...

Ok I wish I had something juicy or fun to talk about but I don't. I'm just tired and hungry and I'm getting sick so I'm ready to put on my pj's and relax. :)

Boring...

2009-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

I really have nothing majorly interesting to say today. So I will be boring. I had 5 photo shoots scheduled this week and due to weather the last 2 have been rescheduled. Which leaves me feeling so unproductive! But yesterday I did clean the house really well during that "should have been shooting" time frame.

I'll spend today editing...

We are all out of groceries but these last 2 weeks we have literally no extra money to do anything with, including grocery shopping. I'm pretty stressed out about it. We've been going out to my parents house for dinner any chance we can simply because we do not have food to eat. Owning your own business has it's ups and downs but I am DEFINITELY excited that Sherman has gotten a full time job starting next week.

We live in an area where the average household income is around $38,000. Not exactly professional America. So we are grateful that he has found a job that will bring in a little bit of money, plus any commissions on accounts he sells. Hopefully this is a good thing, we are keeping our eyes open for other opportunities if by chance we need something more (high possibility of that!). And really hoping and praying that we will be able to stay in this gorgeous valley that we love so much without being forced to move just so we can make a living.

Like I said, I'm so boring.

Sis pooped on the toilet last week but hasn't gone since then (on the toilet- she's gone in her diaper of course haha). I am such a potty training newb that I have no idea what to do to help her figure it out. She loves to tell us she has to go pee or poo AFTER the deed has been done. I guess at least she's recognizing her bodily functions- that's a start, right? :)

Not Me Monday!

2009-10-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have seen a couple of friends doing this, and I'm really proud of the chick who came up with it- awesome marketing idea. She's a stud.

Anyway, it's time for my...

This week I did NOT eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and however much I wanted. That'd be so gross! Nope, not me!
This week I did NOT watch my child take a wooden spoon and stir the toilet water. And I definitely didn't let her keep on stirring just so I could finish my hair & make up while she was occupied.
This week I did NOT snap at Sherman for no good reason. I didn't drink my weight in diet pepsi and I also didn't procrastinate work on a certain project simply because I don't like that client very much.

(Oh I have so much work to do on being a better person... good thing I'm not expected to be perfect!)

Sunday Devotional

2009-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

This message hit me hard this week. I really needed it. I love the gospel and the peace and comfort it brings me.

Btw, conference was stinkin' awesome this weekend! You can read the transcriptions of the talks or watch or listen to them HERE

I am downloading the mp3's to listen to as I edit pics or while I'm driving Sis around to put her to sleep... ... :)

Weekend Reading

2009-10-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is going to (hopefully) be a weekly installment on Carl Carl, and every weekend I'll blog about something I loved reading through the week. Either a blog, magazine article, novel, whatever it was that I'd like to share.

This week, it's a blog.

Play Groups Are No Place for Children became a new favorite this week when blogger Jennifer posted THIS hilarious story about her husband sticking his foot in his mouth. Immediately added her to my Google Reader and have loved flipping through her archives. Funny, honest, sassy. I love it. Enjoy!

2009-10-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

One time I gave away a breadmaker on craigslist.

For free.

The girl who came to pick it up from me was about 8 months pregnant and hardly spoke English.

A few months later I got a phone call from her, I could barely understand a word she was saying but basically she let me know that the breadmaker was a piece of junk and none of her bread is turning out.

She wanted her money back.

(Who keeps the phone number of someone you received something off craigslist from? Seriously? And furthermore... who actually calls that number when the piece of crap didn't work? FYI, it worked wonderfully the last time I used it, it just took up too much room and I only used it a couple times a year. So I don't know why it wouldn't work for her haha)

(at least) one more month of weight loss ahead!

2009-10-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Ok I totally started my el periodo. SO I am kicking @$$ this month to lose as much weight as healthily humanly possible in 1 month. Did you know the difference between 175 and 180, on my height, is a BMI that means I'm overweight or one that means I'm obese. SERIOUSLY? OBESE?! I am so not obese... am I?! Well, regardless, I have work to do and I was (honestly) excited to see Aunt Flow show up!

Today's menu? Well, I had a cookie for breakfast. HAHA

But I'm making an awesome vegetarian chili for lunch, complete with garbanzo beans (my absolute favorite). It's so easy- just takes a couple cans of your favorite beans (I usually do a can of kidney beans, a can of black beans and today I'm adding a can of garbanzo beans too DRAIN THEM ALL of course), a can or two of tomato sauce, a couple tablespoons of chili powder, a can of corn, diced bell pepper and some onions and toss it all into the crock pot on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Deeeelish. :)

Ok I am officially the most boring blogger ever. I promise to post something either snarky, interesting, thought-provoking or at least funny later today! :)

You've gotta be kidding me.

2009-10-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

On facebook... A friend of mine is pregnant, at the end of her pregnancy in fact. She has a photo of herself looking AMAZING, about how I looked at 6 months pregnant, and she says "Ugh, I hate being 39 weeks pregnant and 160 pounds! I'm huge!!" For the love.

I would KILL to be 160 pounds right now. I'm not pregnant, but I AM huge! I was 155-160ish when I got pregnant with Sis. And here I am nowhere near my pre-pregnancy weight actually considering getting pregnant? I'm insane. Shoot me now. (Inquiring minds that need to know- I am currently at 180. YES. 180! Last month? 175. The scale just keeps movin' up and up!)

We have been eating so bad the last several ~~days~~ weeks. And it shows- even Sherman is getting a huge ol' belly. Time for us to go back to our healthy eating roots!

I'm making a goal. A PUBLIC GOAL! For the rest of the month of October I will not eat fast food hamburgers or french fries or Dominoes pizza. Those 3 things, I can certainly do with out. I'll keep you posted. :)

I'm also going to be more physically active. Wedding season kicked my asstibula. The actual shooting part of it was really physically involved and good exercise, but then the months of editing on my fat hiney has packed on the pounds. The stress-eating and the endless paperwork and computer work... it is dwindling down, finally, and I am going to work really hard to be more active now. I miss my energy! (And my size 10s!!)

Kate plus 8

2009-10-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

This whole Jon & Kate thing is out of control. First off, Kate may be a bit of a maniac, but I really do believe she cares for and wants what is best for her kids. Clearly divorcing Jon (the crazy person who just took over $200,000 out of the account that was meant to pay bills and feed the kids- leaving only $1,000 for Kate to make due with) is the best thing for the kids.

Why is he dragging it out? Why is he trying so hard to keep this in the limelight and cause all this drama? Doesn't he realize he has 8 (EIGHT!!!) kids who will one day really resent him for all the unnecessary pain he's caused? That will SEE the photos of him with his skanky 20-something girlfriend(s), SMOKING!?!!! What is he thinking? Is he POSSESSED?!

It bothers me that he has made them stop show production and is essentially leaving Kate with no way to support her family (clearly a ploy for him to win the custody battle- pretty sure your publicity stunts will sway the court in the right direction Jonny boy! :eye roll:).

The worst part is, this sweet family we have watched for several years is now going through all this crap on TV, in the tabloids, and... yes... on peoples blogs. (Shame on me!) All I can say is, Kate, you may be crazy but you are classy and I applaud you for keeping it classy through all of Jon's shenanigans. You looked beautiful on The View, the stylists did an awesome job on your hair, and if you're going to keep that hairstyle, wear it curled... for the love.

And Jon, you are a major D bag.

Photos from nydailynews.com

Addicted to peein' on a stick...

2009-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Sherman and I have discussed makin' a baby recently. So in the last month+ we've not been actively "trying" but we haven't been "preventing" either.

So naturally, as Aunt Flow is due this week, I've been doing hpt's about every other day for a few days now. Of course they are all negative, even if I were preggers it's probably too early to tell. In fact with Sis, I didn't get a positive test until a full week after I had missed my period. Maybe I ovulate later than normal or something. Anyway... the fact is I plan on purchasing stock in First Response. They are the best pregnancy tests I have used that aren't digital. So easy to read. The E*P*T test SUCKS and I have even gotten a false positive with them! Don't buy them. First Response- rocks. Once I get a positive with First Response I get way excited because then I splurge on a digital test to make sure it really is positive. Either ClearBlue or the First Response brand are my faves for digital tests.

Like I said, I'm addicted to peein' on a stick...

You'd think I've been pregnant a bunch but I haven't. I just love feeling like some mad chemist in the bathroom doing my little pee stick test and watching it develop. I know I'm not the only one who does this... there's a whole website devoted to it! PeeOnAStick.com

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-10-03T20:18:00.001-07:00

Inspired by Rach Rach, of course I have to also have a "favorite things" post! haha! And yes, this makes my 3rd blog post of the day. Sue me. (Please don't actually sue me...)

Aveda's Outer Peace skin care line

My skin looks & feels so awesome since I started using this line, and my acne is gone (for the most part). I am having a PMS breakout right now, but I don't know of anything that will help with that. If you do, pass it along asap! (I also love my Aveda concealer and foundation- everything Aveda I'm in love with actually. I've never had a make up that felt so amazing and looked good all day long- Aveda does. It rocks. Well worth the $$$)

The View

Yes yes I watch this show every day. I love Barbara Walters, I love how she is so classy. She adds class to The View! I love when they get issues dead on, I love even more when I disagree with them. It's a fun show for me- gets me thinking and they have good guests and good gossip. And they are all interesting ladies. So what if it is completely left-wing Obama-worship... I love it.

Jenny Owen Youngs

I love Jenny. I love that video so much I have probably watched it 150 times. Awesome cover, eh? She rocks so hard, I have a hard time listening to anything else right now when all I want is some Jenny!

Julie & Julia

I LOVED THIS MOVIE! LOVED IT! Can't wait to buy it. It was so fun to watch with my mama. Read the book, and read Julie's blog!

My new black wedges... buy them HERE

They are so cute and so comfy and they were so cheap- of course they come from Payless Shoes so they probably won't last long but I really love them.

My military cap

I don't have that purple Burton one, but I want it. Mine is green and felt, it's really cute. It has saved me about every day this week from having to shower in the morning before heading into public. Instead I just pin back my hair and put on the military cap- everywhere I go people say "That hat is so cute on you!" Little do they know I'm still stinky and my hair is greasy. Thank goodness for that hat! :)

And lastly... ... ... ...

Yes. Monistat 7.

Here's why... So last month I had my annual exam. The gyno was checking my ta-ta's and asked if I had itchiness in my bra line underneath the Girls. Well I actually have been having itchiness and my skin has peeled there a few times- kinda weird. I just thought it was dry skin or hormones or changing weather, etc. Well she said it is a yeast infection and that they are really common this time of year in that area in ladies who are more well endowed (as I proudly am). Because it is kind of a moist area after you shower and it doesn't dry up as easily, and you sweat there too apparently, it's a perfect place for yeast to grow. So she said to massage Monistat into my bra-line for awhile and to make sure that area is way dry before I get dressed. Yeast infection gone, woo hoo. **TMI ALERT!** And Sherman likes the extra topless minutes I spend in the morning ensuring I'm dry-as-can-be under there! bah hahaha

Well. Those are my favorite things right now. :) We should do this every month or something Rach! :) PS Naming my post the same as you did was totally not intentional- I just now realized it. Sorry, haha

I want a westie.

2009-10-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

(click the pic for more info on west highland terriers
they are awesome dogs!)

They are so dang cute. I want one so much, I dream about them... weird, I know. As soon as we are in a house that is pet-friendly we are getting one!

boo.

2009-10-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

So I may not have mentioned, but in order to get our family photos done we were heading out of town to have a good friend do them. Well, bad weather just blew in ON OCTOBER 3rd! We have SNOW! And so we are now canceling our trip, a major bummer. But...

I now look forward to a few days with virtually nothing scheduled. I can get caught up on the work I was falling behind on, finish updating my books and getting ready for taxes, budgeting, and cleaning out the garage and basement. My life is so exciting, someone should write a movie about me.

dreams vs. reality

2009-10-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

I sleep in until 11 am, I wake up slowly. I pee and then weigh myself- the scale says "145" and I jump with joy. I undress my skinny self and take the best shower ever, with no interruptions or cute little Sis pulling back the curtain saying "mama? mama? a bath?"... no, today there are no interruptions. I make myself a cup of tea and a slice of whole grain toast- I snuggle up with a can't-put-it-down kind of novel and relax on the couch. Under a heap of blankets and on top of a heap of pillows.
Lunch time comes and a non-fat-no-carb-no-calorie pizza magically appears and I eat the whole thing. While watching Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty.
And then I blog hop for awhile, and paint my toe nails. Fix my hair and make-up super special (which takes no effort since I'm so naturally gorgeous). Pick out a flattering skinny-me outfit and head out to meet up with my amazing group of friends for dinner. Dinner and a movie... with popcorn and soda. Again, non-fat-no-carb-no-calorie, of course.
And I come home to my handsome husband who has cleaned the house and baked cookies and has the baby down for bed already... John Mayer is playing quietly and the house is warm and cozy.
And that's where I'll leave that fantasy... ... ...

I wish, oh how I wish, I could have this day... NOW. I'm exhausted with my real life right now.

Well, that sucks.

2009-09-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

A huge thing is happening this coming week... Our family is having our family photos done. Yep, yep, you can hold your applause. We have never had family pics done... a sin considering I am, in fact, a photographer. People pay me to take their photos... It's crazytown.

So we decided, at the very last minute, to have our photos done this coming Monday. Which at the time gave me exactly 7 days to lose 30 pounds.

So I've been doing the 30 Day Shred, I've been eating REALLY WELL (seriously, ok?!). Woke up feelin' the burn, lookin' tightened and on my way to bein' "shredded"! And then last night, weirdest thing, I did something to my leg! I think I pinched a nerve, not sure, but it HURTS! I couldn't walk on it all night, had a hard time even falling asleep because it hurts so bad and I am truly limping around like an idiot. You know what that means- if you can't workout... comfort food, please.

I will likely be satisfying irrational sugar cookie cravings tonight, while I read a little and keep heat on my owie. Sometimes you just need a little pampering!

Pampering = healing.
Healing = happy.
Happy = good photos.
Good photos = the ultimate goal.

Forget weight loss! bah ha ha

Facebook and frenemies.

2009-09-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

1) Facebook. I wish anyone who isn't really friends with me would de-friend me on Facebook. I'd rather not be the one to do it, I don't want to hurt any feelers. But... it is weird having so many friends who I never really speak with, who I have never really spoken with, and who I really don't care to know what they are doing every time they update their statuses. Facebook is a weird weird social utility, you know? Fun, sure... but weird. Weeeeird.

2) Frenemies. I don't like them, I am not interested in being one. Take the drama elsewhere. Check please!

Does this make me a bad person?

2009-09-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when I'm lacking motivation or determination, hearing of someone else doing better than me in whatever I was avoiding makes me really mad and reignites the fire.

Like when I'm debating whether I should work out or not, and I'm pretty sure I'll just go to bed instead, and then I see on Facebook several friends rubbing their recent weight loss successes in my face... Well, you know it makes me mad and then I have to bust out my tennis shoes and have myself a 30 Day Shred party...

Works. Every time.

Another blog? Seriously?... Yes.

2009-09-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today a new blog was born... Carl Carl by Carly... my new bloggy baby!

Though I'm sure it's completely unnecessary to explain myself, I will... So I have my photography blog, but I try to keep it "all about business" there. I have my family blog, which is invite-only and I really only blog about my cute baby girl (her name is Sis on this bloggity) on it. It's more for the grandparents and far-away relatives than anything... I have a weight loss blog which is also invite-only- perhaps if the scale was moving in a downward motion I'd rethink the whole private weight loss blog thing, but for now, I'm too ashamed to invite readers to watch me remain stagnant! Plus, my bestie Rachel keeps me in line as far as that goes.

I'm hoping this blog can sort of tie it all together, give me a place to be creative and share my interests and feel free to talk about whatever the H I want to without worrying whether it's professional enough, family related enough, weight loss related enough, or whatever-related-enough... I want this blog to be without boundaries. A place where I can talk about the things I like, the spiritual things I'm experiencing, the emotional and educational things I'm going through- you know, a place I can express myself and show what makes me me. What makes me Carl Carl, without apologizing! :)

Excited to see what happens...

Yours truly,
Carly