a thousand words

sending love

last week, I sent a box full of hearts and pink and sugar and love to someone I've never met.

turns out, the recipient of this box is someone I'd love to meet someday. brittany blogs here and shares her great taste at another blog tangled and true. go check 'em out.

this week, I received a similar package from someone I've never met. it was a great diversion from the bills, credit card offers, and the pennysaver in the mailbox. thanks, andrea!

mmm... dark choco m&ms...

this swap was my first ever and organized by sara.
I really like the idea of people all over the US connected and reaching out to each other. thanks, sar!

a birthday giveaway

I have decided to celebrate my one year blog-iversary/blog-birthday coming up on the 20th! Sounds a bit silly, no? Still... I think it's worth celebrating the fact that I have consistently recorded the events of my life and the lives of my kids for a whole year! I have never been good at journaling, so this is some sort of personal record.

I'd also like to celebrate you... my readers (yes, even you lurkers :)) & friends. This blog has been such a wonderful way to "connect" during the past year.

In honor of "a thousand words" turning one, I'm going to do a little giveaway! I have no sponsors, so this will be simple.

What you do:
Post a comment here anytime before January 20th at 8:00pm PST. This puts your name in the ring.

What I'll do:
I'll randomly pick a name on the night of the 20th.

The winner will receive one of two things...
Their choice of an 11x14 print of one of the following images:

no.1

no.2

no. 3

no.4

OR

The winner can send one of their own images to me (a full sized .jpg), I'll convert it to black and white, print it as an 11x14 and send it back!

I can be indecisive, so you have OPTIONS PEOPLE...

let's hear from you!

check it out

did you notice something new? over in the sidebar?

the "dailies" are my attempt at using the camera daily to capture everyday moments.
I won't be perfect at it, but it will be something.
take a look!

new year, new 'do

it has only taken me 6 months to get the guts up, but I finally chopped my hair.
it feels great. so fresh and healthy. why can't we have salon hair every day?
I am not looking forward to styling by myself. i am the proud owner of a new flat iron, but how do I use the thing?

{berk has taken to making silly faces whenever a camera comes near. I have ruined him.}

...and for the sisters-in-law who will ask... the back!

what is new for you in 2008?

e

i {heart} santa

morgan surprised me last night by tricking me out with some new mac gear-- computer and phone! Christmas came early!! you should have seen my reaction. i was like a, well, a kid at christmas! I am now making the transition from our old dell to the new shiny, pretty mac. I am lost. I can't right click (but hear there is a mouse to fix that problem). I keep trying to close applications on the right. I feel like I have two left feet on this thing.

But, did I mention it is pretty?

Me from A to Z

lots of blog tag being played these days.  My sister-in-law marilee tagged me!  Since I've already done the 7 random things, I think I'll switch things up and do an A-Z list that I saw on another blog.  look at me, the rebel!!  so, here goes...

Me from A to Z

A: available or taken? very married to morgan. for 8 happy years.

B: Best friend?   see "A"

C: cake or pie?   cake.  I think?  or maybe pie.  ok... both. ;)

D: drink of choice?   oj with breakfast, fresca with lunch, diet coke on a slow day!

E: essential item used daily?   concealer & lip gloss

F: favorite color?  turquoise for clothes.  green and choco brown for decor.

G: gummy bears or gummy worms?  either.  as long as they are sour!

H: hometown?  new york

I: indulgence?  pedicures and double fudge brownie ice cream

J: january or february?  january.  I love a fresh start.

K: kids and names?   Berkeley, Stella & Charlotte

L: life is incomplete without... friends to laugh about it with.

M: marriage date?  December 1999

N: number of siblings?  5 (4 older brothers, 1 younger sister)

O: oranges or apples?  apples.  as long as they are super crisp and cold.

P: phobias or fears?  spiders.  the deal in this house: morgan kills spiders and I fish things out of the disposal if necessary.

Q: favorite quote?  no favorite, but this one is good..."Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.  Try to be better than yourself."  William Faulkner

R: reason to smile?   waking up without an alarm (electronic, children or otherwise)

S: season?  summer. no doubt.  I love the sun and the sand.

T: tag 3 people... renae-nae, annie jorgie, and jen j.

U: unkown fact about me?  I am a night owl who wishes she was a morning girl!

V: vegetables you don't like?  mushrooms. eeeeeew!

W: worst habit?  picking my fingernails when I am stressed.

X: x-rays?  um... I am not sure what to do with this letter. :)  yes, I've had x-rays.  most recently dental.

Y: your favorite food?  mexican.  fresh tortillas, tamales and guacamole.

Z: zodiac sign?  gemini.  whatever that means.

now it's late.  and I've spent too much time doing this.  maybe I would be a morning person without this blog?? ;)

scary

Fires throughout southern california are raging.  The damage is severe and the evacuees numerous.  I've recieved some panicked phone calls wondering if we were/are affected.   thanks for your concern. 

The scoop: the closest fire to us is in Camp Pendleton (the military base just south of us).  We estimate the fire to be about 3-4 miles away.  It has moved closer to us since yesterday.  Hopefully it will stop creeping this way soon! 

Here's the view from a nearby hilltop.  We drove there tonight to check out the flames.

zoomed in a bit...

I am preparing for any eventuality right now.  I have replenished and updated our emergency supplies.  The car is full of gas.  We are ready to grab our precious posessions and take off if we need to.

We are praying for a change in the weather, so that the madness can end.  We are also praying for the fire victims and their families.  Please do the same! 

bad blogger!

I have been a blog slacker, I know!

I have many excuses... traveling non-stop, getting ready for Berk to go to kindergarten, and now battling a summer cold.  ugh. 

I have not forgotten about this place.  I am trying to squeeze out the last bits of summer and will be posting much more in september!

don't give up on me :)

e

catching up

I knew all that fun would catch up with me.   

july has been a very busy month so far...  I need to sort through photos and blog about the fourth of july, all the fun visitors we've had here, and two girls' weekends!  I am hoping to post a lot in the next week... 

but for now, I must catch up with my laundry (can you believe those piles?!?), pay the bills, and get ready for our big trip to africa!

 

need more time...

I think I have discovered yet another reason to extend my day from 24 to 26 hours. :)

the gocco machine

what is gocco you ask?  read about it here at savegocco.com

This little genius of a machine has been around since 1977.  So, I am a little late to the gocco party?!?  But I love the idea that you can make your own screens & press ink onto practically anything.  The gocco maybe the link to combine my love for photography, letters, and paper!  My head is swimming with ideas for printing baby onsies, monogrammed cards, party invitations, christmas tags, on and on.

Paper Source, a store I love with all my heart, opened my eyes to gocco.  They are selling the large gocco machine.  It's pricey, but maybe someday... (ahem, morgan... bookmark this! ;)

gocco is everywhere:

-Liz, an old friend from NY (and sister to the babycatcher) has created some darling cards with her gocco.  check them out at her etsy shop!

-flickr even has a gocco group.  I found many gocco items that I love there.

1. lurve monkeys: just in time for heart day!, 2. Mom cards set, 3. Greetings, 4. RSVP Close-up, 5. Love Songs with Hand Claps, 6. Untitled, 7. Peony_card, 8. IMG_4077, 9. bolitas trescolores

-even annabelle is doing it!

oh, how I'd love to learn to "squish it" too.  sigh... if only there were more hours in my day!