Beautiful day

Today was such a fantastic day. This morning was wonderful and cuddly with Mr. B. We left for San Francisco, so I could see where I was going to be taking my classes every Wednesday for the month, let’s just say it will be an interesting walk. I’m nervous about it, yes I’m in my late 20’s and I’ve never walked anywhere by myself really, unless it was on the college campus (that really doesn’t count). But it will be good for me and fun, and I’m extremely excited.

After finding where I was going to go (I’m still a little unsure of this) we found a little ‘hole-in-the-wall’ Greek restaurant where we had the most fantastic Gyros, I’ve ever had - I brought enough home to last for the next 3 days there was soooo much! It was so good though. We decided we were going to drive the ‘triangle’ home. For those of you who don’t know this consists of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate, and the Richmond bridge. We arrived in the city via the Bay Bridge so we drove across the Golden Gate - and as far as I knew we were headed to the Richmond to head home, well, Mr. B had other plans.

We waited to pass through the 5 min tunnel, which is only one way, hence the 5 minute wait. After a beautiful drive through an old army lot, up and around some beautiful bends - we ended up at the Point Bonita Light House. It was a beautiful walk, and beautiful sight. After taking a gazillion pictures and me finally learning shutter speeds (not fully, but a little more that it has finally clicked, apertures are next in my brain to tackle). We spent all day in the city and it was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. I can’t wait for the next adventure with Mr. B - he sure does know how to plan them.

After coming home and doing a water test on our tank we decided we could add another set of fish!! So we went out and bought a little school of Neon Tetras! Our little aquatic community is growing little by little. Only a few more additions and it will be done.

I am 5 days behind in my 365 project, I have them all ready to go they just need marked and posted (tomorrow) I’m always saying tomorrow, but tomorrow they will be up. Good Night Cyber World.

Sunrise, Sunset

Yesterday I had to run out to meet Mr. B for dinner, and it had been storming all day, and when I stepped outside I immediately knew that I needed to go back in and get my camera. So after trying to get up high and finding a place where you couldn’t see roofs, here was some of the beautiful sky:

     

I think I’m more proud of myself that I have been shooting on full manual for almost a month… and…. my classes with Nicole Hill Gerulat start next week! That’s right, next week!

There Once Was A Chest…

There once was a chest named… well it doesn’t have a name, I don’t name my furniture (even if I did I wouldn’t admit it here, in the open). But there was once a chest and it has lived in my room for the past 10 years - ever since my father built it and my parents gave it to me.

It used to house all the things I might need when I grew up: dishes, vases, blankets, cook books, silverware, journals, etc. Then I grew up got married and everything that was in the chest ended up in the places in our new home and it continued living empty with some stuff in it (random stuff) in my room.
 
The chest became lonely and decided that it wanted to living in the family room full of warm fuzzy blankets - so she moved to her new home, but felt a little out of place.
  
After moving the chest downstairs I thought it could use a little sprucing up, I spent quite a bit of time perusing the paint section at Home Depot trying the find the perfect not white white - and I found it: Behr Cottage White.  So I cleaned off the chest, wiped it down, and prepped it for painting.
  
I had no idea that raw pine sucked up so much! I primed it once and after an hour it was almost all sucked back into the wood - so it was primed again…..

Then after waiting and waiting while it dried it was ready to get it’s new makeover.

Can I just tell you how much I really like painting? I like the smell, the consistency, the way it glides onto the item your painting, I really like paint.

But I don’t like it when I pick up the paint gallon and tip a quarter of it out and it seeps into the cloth and below onto the wood floor…. that is not very fun to clean up - that is for certain, but it still is pretty and glossy and still smells good even when it’s on the floor….
 
The first coat is done and drying overnight, just to make sure it’s dry, and I’ll finish painting it tomorrow. Now, to figure out what hardware to put on the front for the knobs? I want to change the ones on the new TV stand as well.

bokeh!

 

I never thought I would learn how to get bokeh - boy was I wrong! Loved this image, yes I’m still working on the zoo photos. No I didn’t take a picture today. Yes I plan on writing a novel tomorrow it’s going to be Legan '-wait for it-‘dary.

Almost valentines Day

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So that is my front door, now. I would like to paint it white, like bright white but then again - it’s not my door.
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Thursday thought: Simple, Pure, and oh so true.

”Marriage is that relation between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal.”

I’ve been thinking about marriage a lot lately and my spouse and love and blah - there is actually a post in draft about all of that … you want to know how many drafts I have? Right now about 11. I know I need to get busy and complete them, right? Well, soon.

In Progress

 

It was the night that I was up till 2 am trying to figure out where to hang things and what to do - it was around 11:30pm that I decided I shouldn’t be hammering into the wall - especially a shared wall, where I’m sure our neighbors were sleeping. On MLK day - I woke up (after taking Mr. B to the airport at 3am) I did almost all the laundry, did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, swept, mopped, and while I was in the middle of sweeping the UPS man knocked on my door I opened it and lo and behold there was a replacement door on my front porch begging me to put it together.

So I did.

Of course that caused a chain of events - mainly me moving a 10 gal fish tank while on a stand and full of water across the floor - only spilled a little bit but while I was doing this I kept thinking I was crazy. If I spilled this I would have gravel, water, plants, etc. all over the floor, thankfully it made it safely to it’s new corner. So I moved all the furniture around and I couldn’t be happier, I will have to take a picture and post it, I don’t think I have any before images, which I wish I did but don’t doesn’t matter though because - I like it…. a lot.

Now I’m just working on hanging all the stuff I have to hang on the walls - halfway done, halfway to go. You can’t see it very well but I brought my hope chest now blanket storage downstairs (it’s what the pictures beneath the ‘D’ are standing on). I really like it. It’s an unfinished plain pine - and I have plans for it. I bought some paint Behr 1813 Cottage White and some primer and I’m going to paint it and put new hardware on it. If I get the nerve I’m going to try a stain wash on it after sanding/roughing up some of the corners, we’ll see. So look forward to those before/after.

I’ve decided against painting the walls as it’s not my home and I can make it beautiful with what it’s got and what I own.

Remember the broken door? I’ve decided what I’m going to do is remove the glass / paint it the same chocolate brown my letters are painted add some cute little hooks probably 5 of them, and add some cream/red rice paper behind and hang it on the wall behind our front door - I think it’ll be adorable.

I never thought in a million years I would turn this… homey…. decoraty…. etc.

What’s Out Your Backdoor

Here is an image from my backyard today – there was a small window where there wasn’t any rain (believe it or not).

I was very pleased with this one if I do say so myself.

Something New

Time to freshen up things around here as I’m freshening up myself, schedule, house, and my little world here in the world wide web. I’m setting myself on a path (the blog post for this is still in a draft).

Today was a productive day – I can’t believe that it’s already 6pm – did 5 loads of laundry folded and put away. All the dishes are clean and put away. My living room is all arranged and my new TV stand put together. I’m just trying to figure out how to put things on the walls – I have the items, just not sure how to. I’ll figure it out….  eventually.

A Night of Joy

 

 

 

**Just received permission from parents to post, so it’s a couple days late**

  "The soul is healed by being with children."

Loved it, Love them.

Why you might ask? Because I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening with these two wonderful children.
 

      
And I love how a simple little orange pinch pot could keep someone's happiness and interest for so long.
 
She played with it for hours and Mr. B and D watched TV for hours as well – it was a fantastic evening, hopefully to be repeated in the future.

All We Need

Zoo

I haven’t been the the zoo since I was about 10 (I think) and I was so excited to take our little photo outing today. Long story short? It’s late I’m tired so here is my favorite for my 365 and I’ll put some more up tomorrow.

I Am Scatter Brained

My desk is an absolute mess. To the left I have a stack of emptied envelopes from Christmas cards that I need to add the addresses into my address book, an overflowing recipe box that I need to transcribe, papers that need to be filed, magazines that need to be read, and my phone which is blinking at me impatiently to pick it up and just see who’s been sending me ‘lovely little messages’ (this is where I should purchase and use the sarcmark, if only I knew I would get enough use out of it, insert sarcmark again here – I’m pretty sure I would). To the right are my two cameras little bear and mama bear, a stack of papers that kept jamming in my printer, the human resource manual I need to read and haven’t done so yet, the printer I’m about to throw out the window, and other random items. I’m not going to say what’s directly in front of me as my computer screen is blocking it so it’s out of sight out of mind right?

So here I sit trying to unclutter my brain and remember what I was going to use for my Thursday Thought today, but while I’m trying to remember here are my 365 images from yesterday and today.


This made me smile bright and early in the morning while getting fuel, so of course I had to remember it.


I have been obsessed with trees I mean really in love with them. This isn’t the best photo but I do love me some trees and sun flare!

On to some random bits of information:
I just downloaded Quicken 2010 and it’s already causing brain overload and occupying way too much of my time this evening.
The fan on our heater has been running non-stop for the past hour… not sure why but blowing cold air and kind of annoying, not to mention the electric bill that it’s going to cause us to have.
I was accepted and got a spot in on of Nicole Hill’s photography classes she is having in San Francisco this year, so excited!
I was summoned for jury duty exactly one year after having it the first time (I postponed).
There is a huge difference in post-editing a picture from a point and shoot and a DSLR, I love Big Mama – she makes me happy.

Okay enough ramblings here are my Thursday Thoughts, also remember the it is delurking week – so be sure to say hi!

I’m not sure where I saw this quote, but I think I’m going to print it, frame it, and hang it in my room where I can see it everyday

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain

Yes I will change my daily outlook. Yes I will change my lifestyle. Yes I will stop thinking and start doing. Yes I will find me by hoisting up my ‘sails’. I will explore, dream, and discover. I’m only 26 and I already am disappointed by things I didn’t do – so here’s to doing things never to say, ‘I wish I had’ ever again.

I need…

Somewhere to use these – did anyone else know that they sell colored florescent lights?! or am I just behind… probably just behind, but I am completely fascinated by them, small minds easily amused, right?

So even though it’s cheesy and from my phone, at least I have a picture from today right?

My Own Opinion

 
I had this great post all ready to go as a draft, I  wanted to come home and edit it and then, well, it wasn’t there anymore. So in short…

Today I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts (New York Book Review) – and it hit me how thankful I am. I’m so thankful for the opportunity I have.

…to have my own opinion….
….to have a voice to express it…

…to have friends who share differing opinions to learn and grow from…
…to have thoughts that are mine, that no one has the power to change…
…for the freedom to change my likes and dislikes…
…for the choices to choose my own path…
…for the people around me who love me no matter how many times I change my mind…
…for my life that is mine, to live as I please…

I love the country that I live in that I have the opportunity to live without dictation, to use my agency to it’s fullest, and most of all to find beauty in the little things, no matter what they are. 

But most importantly – today – I am thankful to every man and woman on our soil, the seas, or on foreign land.
For ever many and woman who wear a uniform – who protect our neighborhoods, cities, state, and country.

Thank you, for helping me keep my right to my own opinion.

I Am Obsessed

I can’t tell you how much I love barbed wire, I know that’s strange. My photo buddy, had to pry me away from this stuff – I took a hundred or so pictures from different angles of one little roll of barbed wire hanging on a fence post.

Long Day Quick Post

Here is a photo from our ‘photo hike’ today. I will write more details and post more photos tomorrow.

Ups and Downs

Is it really 10:30pm? I can’t believe it. Time certainly does fly – I was for certain that I would be in bed tonight by 9:30am and well rested for the ‘photo hike’ my friend and I are going on in the morning. I am so excited, and I can’t wait to post the pictures from it tomorrow, or maybe Sunday.

Today I came home from work to Mr. B putting together my new crisp white corner unit for our TV and Wii and other essential items. I was so happy I was geared up and ready to move furniture around, hang things on the wall, etc., etc…. when he pulled out the glass doors and this is what we saw…

My heart sunk and my dreams were shattered (too dramatic? Yeah I know). Not really but I was a little disappointed. I’m so excited to start putting this place together. With things I can take with me when and if we ever buy a house. After talking to overstock.com customer service support in a annoyed calm and impatient rational voice they were coerced agreed to mail us a replacement door – this may or may not have been after they told me I needed to ship in the whole unit (that was already put together by loving husband who wanted to surprise me when I came home from work) back to the store then they would send me a new one. I stood my ground (what? I never do that you say? ha!) and insisted that they allow me to send in the door and they send me back a door, much cheaper shipping costs on their part, and a little less hassle on mine. How am I supposed to fit this large thing in my little car? Exactly. So I swept up the mess, cooked dinner, and (using none of the restraint I have) pestered my loving husband to let me go ahead and set everything up, he has a lot more ‘standing your ground’ in his blood than I do, that’s for sure. So I have the doorless and backless stand sitting in my living room until overstock decides to send me another door. How fun!

So I cooked dinner and I was looking so forward to it – it was delicious and simple. Mr. B on the other hand, didn’t like it – I think he has an allergy to wholesome food. I bought a rather large Ahi Tuna steak the other day and was so excited to cook it up tonight with a little soy sauce, lemon, basil, and pepper – mmm mmm good! Added some Quinoa and Asparagus and had a delicious little dinner – 10 minutes after which Mr. B popped him some popcorn, that’s my cue that he really didn’t care for it – but it was yummy you can trust me on this one.

Today was my fourth first day back on The Spark and I think I did mighty well if I say so myself. 70g of Protein – 1233 calories – 30g fat – 150g carbohydrates – 24g fiber. It also helps that I won a copy of the new book by The Spark from Then Heather Said. She had a giveaway and the words that went through my head were – why not, I never win anyway – and what do you know?! I won! So I’m excited to get it and read it. I have decided that 2010 is my year for me (in case you missed the last post) I thought I would repeat it. I watch The Biggest Loser on Friday nights and as this was the first week of the show – 2 teams (Blue & Yellow) were sent home for 30 days to loose weight then they would come back – insert yadda yadda here- I decided that I would compete with them as well, so tomorrow is my first ‘weigh-in’ cause no one should weigh in at 11pm.

I’m off to have a good sleep and get ready to go in the morning tomorrow, night all. Also, let me know what you think about the new comment system.

“Fall Seven Times – Stand Up Eight” – Japanese Proverb

Thursday Thoughtfulness

I decided that most of the time I read some great meaningful stuff or hear a great quote on a movie or a show, and then I forget about it later on down the road. So I’m dedicating Thursdays to thoughtfulness  - to contain all the random lovely things that I hear/read to share with all of you!

Lately I’ve been reading a book that Mr. B’s mother gave us last year for Christmas, “Simple Abundance’ it’s a daily read self-help type book, so without further a do I present the first installment on the first Thursday of the new decade… (ok, maybe I am being a little cheesy this evening..)

Time is the New Year’s bountiful blessing: three hundred sixty-five bright mornings and starlit evenings; fifty-two promising weeks; twelve transformative months full of beautiful possibilities; and four splendid seasons.

I totally love how pretty and romantic it sounds. But…

This is so for me this year. I have dedicated this year to one resolution and one resolution only and that is: Find out about me. What makes me happy? What do I like? Learn to love me. I know this might sound crazy and a little hard to believe for some of you but it is true - and it’s something that I want to dedicate this whole year to, and hopefully at the end of the year I will be someone that I love.

Many people, namely women (even me), today feel a sadness we cannot name. Though I somewhat accomplish much of what I set out to do, I sense that something is missing in my life sometimes and –fruitlessly-search “out there” for the answers.

What’s often wrong is that I think I sometimes become disconnected from an authentic sense of self.

I know on several occasions after looking in the mirror I have wondered (sometimes out loud) at your reflection, “Who is this?”. Perhaps the heart of my sadness is that I miss the woman I thought I was meant to be. I miss my authentic self, and then ponder if I really knew her. The good news? 

My authentic self hasn’t abandoned me, instead she is the patiently waiting for me to let her out, and by the end of the year, hopefully, she will be out.

But until then I take one week at a time. In the last post I showed my goals for this week, well one of my goals for last week was to make my ‘office’ (which is really supposed to be a dining room) ‘officey’. So…

One day the books won’t be all over the place and the desk will be cleaned… but for now, there it is.

This Weeks Goals

I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I feel like taking things on a ‘yearly resolution’ basis is too much at one time for me to accomplish at the moment and weekly goals are so much easier to attain and achieve.



So this weeks goals are:

Get new matte for Temple Pastel (and remove barcode)
Find Portrait 5x7 to put in double black frame
Hang pictures/shelves/sconces on wall
Remove the A & D from my attempted monogram (all I can see now is “doing business as”)
Hang up vinyl saying by the “B” on the picture/shelf/collage wall
’Family – One of God’s Masterpieces’
Exercise 4x this week for at least 30 minutes
No Soda
No Sugar
Write in Journal 2x
Get to work on time everyday

So far all of these are going exceptionally well.

I finished the first season of LOST – love it, which is strange I never thought it would be a show that I liked, at least not as much as I do. Saturday my friend and I are going on a ‘Photographic Hike’ to go on a hike and to play with our new cameras – two birds with one stone right? On another note I’ve decided not to paint.

I believe that with my awesome new consistently growing skills in the home decorating/improvement genre I can make it look like a home. That is with help from all sorts of wonderful blogs, ie: The Nester, A Little Sussy, Remodeling this Life.

I’m working on remodeling my own life this year, in a few different aspects – week by week.

Next week you’ll see a new wall done up all nice and cutely like. And just because I don’t really have anything else to take pictures of while I’m shooting all on manual (BIG BIG step for me) here is the lovely spoiled feline that resides in our house (and likes the organic milk too!)



P.S. I’ve fallen head over heels for Multigrain Cheerios, why did it take me so long to find that wonderful 110 calorie delight?!

New Tank

 
You can’t tell the size very well, but here is our 55gal (4’ x 2’ x 2’) tank. It’s where our time seems to be focused lately.