Delivered with a Smile

Despite all of my warnings, some people still do not understand the concept of "Just because something pops into your mind, does NOT mean you should vocalize it" It means you should blog about it later but don't say it right then and there ;) lol Recently, I have been the lucky recipient of several back-handed compliments. You know, the kind of insult that is badly disguised as a compliment. Sometimes these can be excused as a misunderstanding or the recipient being overly sensitive but considering the sources of 2 out of 3 of these, they were definitely meant as subtle digs. Saying something with a smile on your face doesn't make it any nicer.

1. Someone I know who is obsessed with weight said to me "Have you lost weight?" When I answered no she said "Oh, it must just be that you're wearing black"
I wasn't offended because I do not think I need to lose weight and I knew she was playing her game of trying to engage me in a negative body image discussion - I'm not playing that game. What I would have liked to say was "That's awesome because you could cover your whole body with black paint and your butt would still look huge"

2. Another acquaintance (I would have said friend but not so much now) said to me, after looking my outfit up and down "You always dress so simply but it looks cute on you"
My response of choice would have been "Oh this? It's a new line, it's called Bite Me"

3. I was told this weekend that I am "aging gracefully"
WHAT!?!? I am 27 years old. That's not really a term I'd like to be using at this stage of the game. (I don't think this person was trying to be mean but still, maybe let's not comment if we think a friend is looking old - maybe I was tired!)

When everything glitters

I love that time at sunset when everything on the beach glitters ...

This weekend was the filled with birthday parties. We went to a party last night at the beach and another surprise party tonight - lots of fun! At last night's party, there was a "meditation circle" going on down the beach from where our group was set up (their incense smelled suspicious). After dark, a couple of the ladies wandered into our party looking really stoned and wearing blankets like capes. One of them claimed to be a fairy and gave the birthday girl a blessing by blowing glitter all over her. I'm glad it wasn't my birthday, I would have been less than thrilled with a blessing from the drugged out fruitcake.

My Economic Stimulus Plan (and SNL's)

This is the answer to all of our economic woes. Seriously, they are making fun of it because although it's a simple concept - we're OBVIOUSLY not getting it. If we would just stop with the "I want it all, and I want it now" mentality we'd all be a lot better off. I'm just saying ...

I couldn't get the SNL skit to embed but it's worth clicking through.

In other news, my blog post about quirks is listed on the iVillage home page today in the "Buzz on the Blogs" section. How exciting!!

Domestic goddess

A few years ago I got this cookbook as a gift. At that time in my life, the idea of being a domestic goddess was a fun thought but that was about it - just a thought. Who has time to be a domestic goddess when you are a traveling, career minded, power-networking, newlywed? Lately however, I have been channeling my inner domestic goddess. I think it might have something to do with the insane amount of commitments I have taken on in the outside world. Home has become my haven and my place to maintain order and sanity. These days I love cooking (although I'm still a novice) and find that I can easily waste an hour online looking for new recipes. My weekly meal planning has led to more organized grocery shopping, finding better deals and using more coupons! (I knw it's weird, I have no problem buying Louis Vuitton but I also get extremely excited about saving $1.00 on groceries) I am also all about the eco-friendly cleaning products (if you go to the Seventh Generation website you can print out coupons!) and trying to reduce our impact on the environment. I have also taken the "list" to a whole new level. I have lists for everything - a work list (that has 947 items on it), a grocery list, lists for weekends, goal lists, spreadsheets for budget, assets, you name it - I've got a list for it. Tonight I made "brownie cups" - no mix baby!

I have noticed blog has been a little lacking from my usual snark and sarcasm - what's going on? Enough with suzy homemaker ... I need to bounce back into my usual snappy self :)

Copycat

I'm totally a copycat on this post but it's just too good not to share! My brother is married now (and to the most fabulous person I might add). I also added pics from the wedding (and other recent shoots!)on my photo blog - scroll down below the mini session info to see.

I hope you have this too

Tonight I had dinner with my girlfriends. It was wonderful. I am supremely fortunate enough to say I have a couple of groups of very close friends. Friends that are rare and real. The people who care when another has a bad day, who cheer each other on, support the others in their endeavors, who call each other out when necessary, and who share each others heartaches as our own. We discussed some big stuff tonight and although I feel unsettled about something that might happen with a member of our group, I also feel so lucky. Lucky to have these girls in my life. I hope you have this too ...

Quirks

In college, I had a sorority sister that always said she had a fear of running out of condiments. She always had extra salad dressing and ketchup in her mini-fridge. Odd I know, but I feel like I have a new understanding of her quirks. I was looking in my medicine cabinet last week and I noticed that I have a habit of stockpiling health & beauty products. Before we ever get close to running out of something I have a couple waiting in the cabinet or closet. At this moment, I have 3 new tubes of toothpaste, 2 extra bottles of shampoo, and 3 packs of razor refills ... and extras of everything else you can think of. I have no idea why I do this, but it's pretty funny. If we ever have a huge disaster we might not have any food but we'll be clean :)

What are your quirks?

The B word

Today I'm going to post about budgeting (gasp, moan, fall on the floor). It's okay people, really. People usually freak out when they think of creating a budget, as if someone is going to take away all of the rights and privileges they've worked so hard for. I have a different perspective on budgets. Having a budget is not about a lack of money. Dave Ramsey (who is a rock star) says budgeting is telling your money what to do -so that your money doesn't end up telling you what to do. Times are tough right now, however, I love what my mom said on her business blog today "My rose-colored glasses are not so deeply tinted that I can’t see the trouble everywhere. Yet I am holding fast to my expectations for the future, which include a prosperity of the soul and an abundance of joy."

Hmm, prosperity and joy ... I'll take two.

I have expectations for prosperity and joy and of course, I have a plan on how I'm going to get there (FYI - I have a plan and a spreadsheet for just about everything in my life). It's called a zero balance budget. It means figuring out where you're going to spend/save every penny you make in a given month before you actually do it so at the end, your "balance" is zero. For a long time I thought I had a budget, but what I really had was a concept of about how much I should spend on groceries and bills and I really had no idea where the rest of my money went. Sure I gave to my church, invested, and saved for retirement, but besides the standard percentages I really wasn't on a budget. Then it clicked. Creating a zero balance budget at the beginning of every month lets me strategically allocate for future expenses and prioritize where I want to spend my money for the current month. It also prevents me from falling into the crazy consumer trap I've been talking about. All of those impulse buys at Target? Done-zo. I have budgeted for what I need in a given month and buying $40 worth of huggable hangers is not in my plan (sob, sniffle, tears). It is seriously empowering because I am in charge. No more wondering where I spent all of my money and having nothing to show for it. If I feel myself being pulled towards the display of stationary (I adore stationary) I ask myself "is this in the budget? and if so, is it worth spending my "blow" money on this?" Usually, I find myself walking away. Because I am a ridiculous over-achiever, I try to beat myself at my own game and spend under budget. I'm not a nerd, I like moving what's left over into my clothing fund ;)

Just know that creating a real workable budget is hard but so worth it. It's not meant to punitive, it's actually liberating - especially if you are a control freak like me. It's your budget and if you want to spend $500 a month on restaurants - you can! Although, once you put it down on paper, you probably won't want to. You'll see that allocating a little less here and there can help you fund the things that are really important to you. You can put your money where your heart is.

Catching up ... and an announcement!

This past week went by in a blur. I have 3 posts in my drafts folder that never made it to completion. I had plenty to say and share, just no time to do it! This weekend has been the perfect mix of relaxation and accomplishment after a hectic week. I got a lot of things done that I have been meaning to do and I was still able to spend time with friends. Just to catch you up on what's been on my mind, here's the fast forward version. I'll expand on a few of these later.

First, I was so glad to see the Today Show cover the story of Christian and Stephanie Nielson (Nienie) this week. Nienie is a blogger and a mother of 4 who was a in horrible plane crash last month. She and her husband were both severly burned and have been in the hospital for a month. You can read her blog here and her sister (who's keeping her children) posts updates here. I have been praying for this family and hope you'll join me - they need all of the prayers they can get to make it through the road ahead. I also love that their story has shown the non-blogging world how awesome this community of bloggers really is!

Next, I have a lot to share on my quest to become less of a consumer and a more mindful spender. I have been cleaning out my house and ridding my closets of all of the extra "stuff" that I have been keeping for no good reason. Part of the reason I haven't had time to blog is that I've been an eBay fanatic this week. My first batch of auctions ended tonight and making money is so much fun! My husband is guarding his stuff wisely, he says I'll sell anything that's not nailed down. I have so much more to share on this topic but it's too much to get into right now. I think I might start blogging about this (spending/budgeting/saving) once a week in more detail - what do you think?

And now for my annoucement! I have finally decided to take my photography to the next level and start earning money through this hobby I've grown to love so much. I scouted locations all day yesterday and am excited to announce dates for Fall mini-sessions! Check out my photo blog for more info and if you know someone who might be interested in booking one, please spread the word! I have a logo in the works and will be making lots of exciting updates to the blog over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!!

Now that I've gotten "caught up" (ha ha) I should be back to regularly blogging. I need to start practicing for NaBloPoMo!

A few things

A few things I learned this morning.

1. If it seems unusually dark when you get up to go exercise, don't just think the time change is near. Consider the possibility that it might be HUGE rain clouds covering the entire area.

2. Don't sit in your car and laugh at people who are getting soaked by a surprise shower during their jog. It could be you in a few minutes (it was me - how's that for karma)

3. Don't think you are going to take a nice sunrise walk over the bridge when the radar looks like this (I live in the purple circle)



P.S. Thanks L for trying to "power through" with me this morning. We might be prissy walkers but we tried!

awww yeah!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

This weekend was good on so many levels and this verse is rocking my world ...

Undercover fashion patrol

Last night was the UnParty - the kickoff party to our local social season. The best part of the night was going on undercover fashion patrol with Francesca. When she arrived, I had someone with which to analyze the fashions (or un-fashions) that swirled around us. She is fearless with the camera too. Without her, the following photos would never had been possible.

These shoes are seriously insane. Are they high heels? boots? What's the fringe on the ankles all about?


This guy's "thing" is apparently wearing vintage Lilly Pulitzer jackets. I'm thinking he might want to find a new fashion trademark. I give him extra points for having a lot of nerve though. (see that arm in the lower right corner? That's Francesca pretending to pose for my picture)


The undercover fashion patrol ... troublemakers


Fashion winners (okay, I'm a little biased towards my friends by I'm allowed - it's my blog)

Decisions, Decisions

Over the past two weeks I have really been struggling with where to go with my photography "hobby" as it threatens to take on a life of its own and leave me wondering what the heck happened. I have been trying to decide whether or not to start charging for sessions and/or prints, although the question now seems to be more of "when" than "if". I have been getting more and more requests and now they are coming from people I don't know so the whole concept of "doing it for my friends because I love them" doesn't really apply to these situations. Although I hear over and over from people around me that I need to accept some sort of compensation for my time and effort, I can't help but feel afraid to take the leap. Afraid people won't hire me, afraid I won't have time, but mostly afraid that doing it for money will take the fun out of it. People really don't understand how much I love it. My friends insist they don't want me to photograph their kids for free - what they don't realize is that it's really a gift for me to have the opportunity. I love having cute, squishy little babies to photograph, capturing the expressions that show you what someone is feeling, and taking pictures that people will cherish.

I look at the blogs of many other photographers and see how their work has evolved from a hobby into a full-blown career (don't go jumping to any crazy conclusions, I'm NOT quitting my day job). The type-A personality in me also feels like if I'm going to really do this - I need to do it right. I need a logo, a website and a photo-pro account for order processing. but that all takes money. What if I invest in this and decide I don't want to do it? Or worse, what if no one will hire me? Decisions, decisions ...

I am feeling a bit melancholy this afternoon, can you tell?

My Heart Is Full

My brother got married yesterday and it was fabulous!!! What a wonderful weekend. My heart feels so full right now I can't even describe it. The wedding was beautiful and perfect and the whole weekend was just full of family, fun and love. I know it all sounds so cliche but it's true. I did learn one thing - being in the groom's family, the matron of honor, and trying to be a pseudo-photographer doesn't work all that well. It's way too hard to take pictures when you are a part of the event and trying to make sure the bride has everything she needs. I am just so happy everything went so well. No hurricanes came to Boca and it looks like they'll be able to take their honeymoon in Jamaica as planned. I promise more details, pictures and commentary later. Right now, I need a nap - big time.