Please please please

Ideas needed!  STAT!

Dec. 6 marks 10 years that I have been with C and I want to do something special... just no idea what.  Keep in mind I have limited time (grad class kicking my butt), a 3 year old and would like to not spend a ton of $$ before Xmas.  You gals are all so creative-- I know you can come up with something grand ;)

Count Your Blessings Tuesday: Wednesday Edition

Today I am grateful for:

• holiday decor.  I absolutely love how my house looks around the holidays :)
• Christmas shopping almost done!
• rave reviews of my photography. 
• time off from work to enjoy my time with family.
• not having to cook a Thanksgiving feast.
• being where I am in my life... just where I am meant to be.

I'm a part of the problem...

I complained and scoffed at the malls having Christmas decor out and Christmas music a month in advance.  I laughed at people that had blowups on their lawn.  I am now the proud owner of a small santa blowup aaaaaaaaaaand my Christmas decor is up.  I haven't put the lights outside yet or the blowup but inside... it's all Christmas.  I may be hypocrite... I'll own it... but I'm a happy one... and I have a happy kid to go with it.

Rave

This is the nicest rave I've received to date for my photography.  Had to share ;)

I must tell you, first of all, you are awesome! Freakin' awesome. You are just amazing and you have such a talent. I just looked at your website for the first time...and I just said to ___ how incredible you are.

The couple of pictures I saw are amazing. I can't wait to see the rest. You are so talented...what the heck are you doing teaching. Holy mother of heck! Just unbelievable.

Thanks again for coming by today and let me say this...worth every penny.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOTS

I've been meaning to buy myself boots for a long long time.  These called my name today.  I think we go well together ;)  

Now I need to go out and buy me a sweater dress to look all cute with these boots.  What do you think?

2011

Guess who's shooting TWO weddings in 2011!  Yup.  MOI!  Right... the person who said that she didn't want to shoot weddings.  This is where the money is at.  Once I got last summer's check, the apathy towards weddings slowly went away.  Oh and I DOUBLED my price from this summer.  Go me ;)

Ah... I can breathe

Literally and figuratively!  I started taking antibiotics yesterday as well as Musinex D (which I had to pay almost $30 and sign my life away for) and took a nap before grad class.  After the nap, I felt much better.  I presented my project I've been working on for a while and it went very well!  I am relieved that have that done thus the figurative "breathing" ;)

Being sick for over a week was not cool... my house looks as bad as I felt.  Hopefully this weekend I can get things in order!  I also have to start on the second project for the class -- have a draft due Dec. 1st.  Busy busy!

Random thoughts and Blessings

I'm going to ramble on since I can't get my brain in order.  Here's what's on my mind"

• So blessed to have had time alone with my hubby thanks to the in-laws.  This was the second time I've ever been away from T for a number of days and I must say this time was MUCH nicer.  I gotta do this more often.
• Happy to have finished editing last weekend's shoots.  One week turnaround time is not bad!
• I'm totally weirded out... my ex boyfriend messaged me on AIM asking if I would be able to shoot his wedding.  I'm SO charging his a$$ more than anyone else.  I would NOT want an ex at my wedding-- but that's just me.  A job is a job I guess... should I shoot?  
• My voice yesterday sounded like a 60 year old heavy smoker.  It was sexy.
• My Christmas cactus thinks it's getting to be that time of the year... guess he has been checking out the malls.
• I have 14 conferences already... and none of the conferences are from the parents of the two kids who failed for the quarter.  Guess it makes sense...
• I just found the most magical blanket ever at Target... it's red plaid on one side and fleecy magical goodness on the other.  It's the softest blanket I've ever had.
• Since I can't ever seem to have a break on a weekend to see my friend W and do our annual photo shoot :(  I had to come up with an idea of what we want to do for our x-mas pics.  I'm really excited about my idea and I hope it turns out.  It should be cute.  Stay tuned.
• I gotta go write up a test... SO not getting into this week.  Is it nap time yet?

Accomplished

This is what my to-do list looked like at the end of yesterday:

alone time with hubby
get hair done
finish grad paper 
finish grad powerpoint
finish editing photos from Saturday's shoot


So now all I have left to do is:

rake leaves
clean house
edit Sunday's photos
take photos on Saturday
oh and enjoy time with hubby :)

@ home sick :(

I had to stay home today because I'm not feeling well but instead of laying around I'm working on my grad school project and registering for the Spring.

I'm pretty happy right now because in doing my registration I can see I am closer to graduation!  Summer/Fall 2012.  I know it's a bit away but I can see the faint light at the end of the tunnel.  I can't wait!

What I want for Christmas

My far-fetched list:

1. Nikon 24-70mm lens.  Oh... one can dream.

2.  Coach Kristin Leather Checkbook Wallet

3.  Burberry Scarf

4.  Pearl necklace

5.  Fendi sunglasses

Back to reality list :)  

What's funny is that I would be happier with this stuff than the above mentioned (aside from the lens.. I think I would die if I did get that lens!)

1.  Epson PictureMate Charm - I've been wanting one of these for a while...

2.  Vera Bradley Knit Hat

3.  Vera Bradley Large Hobo in Barcelona

4.  Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly

5.  Magpie Necklace 

Fall Back Time

This whole daylight savings time "fall back" thing is kicking my butt.  I HATE that it's dark at 5pm and it makes me depressed and tired.  I don't think I've ever been this "off" by the change.  I know it has only been a day but damn... I have a long way to go.

What do you do to kick the fall/winter blues?

Don't wake up mama bear

I was absent from work last Friday and left my students some fun work to do.  They had to read about Day of the Dead and then decorate their own skull in the style of the Mexican skulls and answer a couple of questions.  I came back to work today and was thumbing through their masks only to find one that was decorated in black and red with my son's name on it.  Seeing that shook me up.  Knowing the student he probably was trying to be funny but I failed to find the humor in a skull celebrating the DEAD with my son's name on it.  What could possibly compel anyone to do such a thing?  I called the office and had the student removed from my class.  I don't want him anywhere near me ever again.  You don't mess with my baby... ever.