emmaginations

happy birthday EPIPHANIE!

2010-09-25T12:36:00.003-05:00

Make a wish.....

(i wish for an epiphan!e)

Blow out the candle!

Maile from Epiphanie bags is celebrating the 1st birthday of the launch of her most awesome camera bag company...and to celebrate she is giving away a FABULOUS gift to one lucky winner! PLEASE LET IT BE ME!!! Head over to her website and check out the PERFECT camera bag for stylish women, then see her blog for your chance to win THIS!

random goodness

2010-02-15T09:21:00.011-06:00

Today I am bored at work (shocker, I know) so I began browsing through my photo gallery and I came across some forgotten photos that made me smile.

My sweet girls...Ella and Avery:

Monkey Man, Christian:

Charlie B:

Sweet Feet, Ellie C:

Snuggling Strangers in GreenPark (London):

opportunity

2010-01-21T17:13:00.006-06:00

Recently I was presented with a pretty great opportunity...thanks to my Aunt B. A friend of hers has a children's clothing line and needed someone to take pictures of her products for her catalog and website...so I got the gig! Pretty cool, huh? We had our first session this past Monday, and I had such a great time. Her clothes are super cute and the models were even cuter. Here are a few of my favorites from the day. By the way, the name of the company is Little Harp Designs.

christmas love Thursday

2009-12-24T15:13:00.004-06:00

Since my freshman year of college, my brother, sister and I have taken a Christmas picture together to give as gifts to the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It's become an expected tradition by all and over the years it has morphed into something all it's own. The first few years it was a nice, traditional shot of the three of us in front of the Christmas tree, but one year, in our haste to get all of our holiday "things" done, we almost forgot! So, on Christmas Eve while we were all wrapping presents together at my house, we remembered that we hadn't yet taken our picture so we scrambled together and got a shot that ended up being HILARIOUS! That night when everyone opened up their picture, they were in hysterics....and from that point on, the bar was set. Each year we have to try and out do last year's picture and let me tell you, it is SO MUCH FUN! This year, because of the new addition to our family, I came up with something totally different, but equally hysterical (partly due to Sam's footie pajamas). Here is the finished product. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a blessed holiday.

happy hallowen

2009-10-31T23:23:00.001-05:00

venting

2009-10-22T08:59:00.005-05:00

Today I am irritated because what was supposed to have been a half-day at work has turned into a triple-time day and I am SO over it. I'm over this job. I'm trying to be grateful to even have a job in this rough economy, but it is very hard. I feel like a spoiled little brat for even complaining, especially since I pretty much get to do as I please here and I never have anyone looking over my shoulder....and don't get me wrong, that part is VERY nice and my boss treats me very well....but after 5 years of sitting here, staring into the wild blue yonder, I'm bored to tears. And the parts of my job where I actually have to do work, I hate. I'm sick of breathing in chlorine, of unloading box after 50-pound box of acid, and of getting soaking wet trying to untangle the huge, cumbersome vacuum hose...needless to say, I will NEVER own my own pool.

Well...now that I'm done whining, here's a pretty picture....because a blog post is just better with a picture :)

50 years

2009-10-07T21:22:00.008-05:00

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of going to the beach to photograph the most awesome family for the grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. It was such a great time as well as a huge learning experience for me! They were a big Italian family...18 people in all with 10 of the cutest kids I have ever seen. I left the session sweaty, covered in sand from head to toe and feeling panicky that I hadn't gotten anything that they would be satisfied with. Now, a week and a half later (and finally finished editing), I'm a little less sweaty, sand-free, and still slightly panicky that they won't like what they see (and paid for). I'm hoping that I'm just being too judgemental of my own work, but we'll see...like I said, it was a HUGE learning experience for me and I loved every minute of it! And, I'm going back down this weekend to do it again! My sister and all of her Auburn Phi Mu sorority sisters are getting together this weekend for a reunion and they want me to take a few group shots of them with all of their kids....10 girls with 14 kids! That's right, I said FOURTEEN kids...........oh geez! Maybe this time I won't be quite as nervous and I'll leave feeling a little more confident. Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Twins...can you believe it? So cute!!!

love Thursday

2009-09-24T08:45:00.000-05:00

I love candles. I love everything about them...the smell, the soft glow and the dancing shadows they create. Sometimes I just like to light all of my candles and relax in their fragrant light...pure bliss.

christmas cheer

2009-09-22T09:27:00.005-05:00

I've been feeling a little down in the dumps lately, so this morning I decided that I needed a little cheering up...and what better way to add some cheer to my day than the best cheer of all....CHRISTMAS CHEER! I've found an online Christmas music station and am rockin out in my office while I "work". I absolutely love Christmas music. I get ecstatic in July when Magic 96 has their Christmas in July weekend and it's the only thing I listen to after (and sometimes before) Thanksgiving. I so can't wait for the holiday season and cold weather! Bring on the cheer!!!!

when the dogs are away...

2009-09-20T23:23:00.004-05:00

...the stuffed animals will play!

This is what happens when I'm delirious from boredom after sitting at work all day with absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G to do. I'm so over it right now.

2 chicks and a little dude

2009-09-12T22:47:00.004-05:00

Today I got to hang out with my BF Micah and her precious little man. It was such a treat for me because we rarely get to do that anymore. We had such a great day just hanging out, eating lunch and shopping...and of course I had to get a few shots of her handsome man!

I mean, come on, isn't he THE cutest guy you've ever seen?!!

love Thursday

2009-09-10T22:35:00.001-05:00

Just because I thought it was cool.

long time no post!

2009-09-08T13:35:00.020-05:00

It's taken me awhile to get back into the swing of things since my trip(s), so I've not made any time to post anything on the blog. And I just know that everyone has missed me SOOOOO much! (haha!) Anyway, England was great! Absolutely beautiful and exactly as I had imagined. From the second we arrived we hit the ground running and never stopped! There was absolutely no rest for the weary....and weary I was (I was awake for a solid 48 hours before it was time for bed again)! We arrived at 7 am (1 am central standard time) and once we dropped our bags off at the college where we were staying, immediately left for soccer practice. Soccer.....{sigh}.....we lived, breathed, ate, drank, and slept SOCCER!

I saw more soccer in those 2 weeks than I've ever seen in my entire life...not that I'm complaining! I mean, that WAS the whole purpose of the trip....but, I'm just saying.....

Our days went a little something like this:

Wake up

Eat breakfast

Drive an hour to practice facility

Practice Soccer

Drive an hour back to campus

Eat Lunch

Practice Soccer

Search for an internet connection to update blog and check facebook

Drive an hour somewhere else

Play Soccer

Drive an hour back

Eat dinner

Search for an internet connection

Sleep

REPEAT!

The highlight of the trip for me was definitely our day-trip to London. I loved every minute of it...except the part where Justin had us traipsing all over the place in the wrong direction looking for Harrods...that wasn't very fun...but I loved every other minute of it and wished that we had a few more days there to explore.

The funniest story has to be the parking deck incident...the driving adventures in general were more than hysterical, but one in particular stands out the most. I'll begin this story with a picture...

Now, you can probably pretty much figure out what happened on your own just by looking at this picture, but I'll go ahead and fill you in anyway. We had all just gotten back from a very long day that ended in a soccer game (I know, I know...soccer!) and it was pretty late and everyone was pretty hungry since the "dinner" that was served to us after the game consisted of french fries (aka 'chips') and buns. That's right folks, a french fry sandwich, or as the English call it a Chip Butty. Mmmmmmm. Anyway, I digress...Ryan, Justin, Jen and I set out to look for a pizza place that would be open late and also accept American Express.....not an easy feat and after driving around for about an hour we gave up and decided just to run into the ASDA (Wal-mart) and pick up some sandwich supplies. Upon pulling into the parking lot we saw police officers and ASDA employees running down the street chasing someone who had apparently done a bit of shoplifting. This small amount of chaos had us so distracted that we (ahem, RYAN) didn't pay attention to the clearance level of the parking deck until we felt a jolt and heard a loud CRUNCH!!! We all sat there in stunned silence. Then promptly broke into hysterical laughter. To top it all off, Justin noticed one of the police officers get into his car and back out of the parking space (that was literally RIGHT behind us....like, he could have spit on our van from where he stood) and said "Oh crap, is he going to pull us over?!!" Ummmmm, pull us over for what, exactly? Being moronic enough to nearly decapitate a rental van in a parking lot of a foreign country? And how exactly is he going to 'pull us over' since we are already stopped and it would take him less time to just walk the 2 feet over to us than to actually get into his vehicle, back out of his parking space, then back up even more to give himself enough room to pull in behind us...Once again, hysterical laughter ensued.

There are many more stories that are equally hilarious, but I won't go into those now (and to be quite honest, I am beginning to get a little fuzzy on the details), so I'm just going to post some photos from the trip.

traveler

2009-08-07T11:57:00.005-05:00

I'm just a traveling fool lately! I have been asked to tag along with the UM soccer team to there pre-season training in England (for those of you who don't know, my brother-in-law is the head men's soccer coach for the University of Montevallo, where I also work). He had an extra, non-refundable ticket and no one else could go, so I'm going along to take pictures and document the trip on a blog we are creating. We leave on Monday and will be there for 2 weeks! I will be uploading pictures to the blog daily and different team members will be contributing stories to go along with the pictures. You can check in on us here, if you'd like to see what we are up to!

Since I've never been out of the country before, I didn't have a passport, so I had to drive to New Orleans to visit the US Passport Agency in person to receive my passport immediately. Of course, I made Jordan go with me so that I wouldn't get murdered by myself :) Here are a few pics from the one day we got to spend there.

too sexy for my...

2009-07-31T11:31:00.005-05:00

For those of you who know us, get ready for hysteria. For those of you who don't...well, just trust me.....HYSTERICAL. A few weeks ago I had the greatest idea ever. I decided that it would be super fun (as well as beneficial to me) to go somewhere cool in downtown Birmingham to take photographs and to make Jordan tag along as my model!! And believe me, I had to do MUCH arm-twisting to convince her to go. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Hey, do you know what we should totally do on Sunday?

Jordan: What?

Me: We should go find someplace really cool and have a photo shoot, and YOU could be my model.....so I can practice with my camera!!

Jordan: ......(1.2 second pause).........OKAY!!!

Me: Sweet! Where should we go?

Jordan: I don't know. But, I CANNOT believe I let you talk me into this!

Right.

So, here are some of the photos from that day....and, again, if you know us, get ready to pee your pants! I could not stop giggling as I sorted through all of these on my computer! Such a fun time!

say cheese!

2009-07-25T09:26:00.006-05:00

Since I was off of work yesterday and Ellie's babysitter was out of town, I was nominated as babysitter for the day........and we all know what that means...PhotoShoot!!! Poor Ellie, she doesn't even see it coming. One minute it's all "Oooh, let's go outside Ellie!" and "Hey sweet girl, you wanna sit in your little chair?!" And then, out of nowhere, its click click click! Picture time! Ha! One day I know she'll look back at all of the photos of herself (much like me and her mom do often) and love that I was camera-obsessed, but right now I'm just a nuisance, a super-fun nuisance, but a nuisance all the same!

finally

2009-07-22T23:03:00.011-05:00

I'm FINALLY getting around to posting photos from our 4th of July beach trip! I had an amazing time with my family and friends. This trip has been an annual vacation for so many years (and with the same crew) that I can't even count! I am so blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful circle of people that I love so dearly. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the week...enjoy!

If you would like to see the rest of the pictures from the week, CLICK HERE to view them on Shutterfly.com!

check me out

2009-07-15T12:00:00.005-05:00

I am a frequent reader of the Shutter Sisters blog. Most of you have probably seen the link to this blog over there on the sidebar, but just to explain a little bit, it is a blog created by a group of women with a passion for photography in order to reach out to other women with that same passion. They share stories, photos, projects, tutorials and inspiration for anyone that shares their passion. I love looking at the pictures that they post because they are simply breathtaking and it provides a little inspiration for me as well. One of the projects that you can participate in is called the One Word Project. The basic concept for this project goes like this: Each month the ladies at Shutter Sisters come up with a word that you are to interpret anyway you like through your pictures. They have set up a group on the Flickr website for you to post your pictures for everyone to enjoy and each day the administrator of the group (obviously a Shutter Sisters creator) looks through all of the pictures and chooses one to feature on the Shutter Sisters' One Word Project page. I have never participated in this project, I've only looked at other people's pictures.....until now. When I got back from the beach last week, I logged on to the website, just to browse as usual, and noticed that the new word for the month of July was "Summer." Hmmmmm, I thought....I have a trillion pictures that I just took from the beach that would sum that up pretty quickly! So, I took a deep breath and posted a few in the Flickr photo pool.....feeling a little nervous that my pictures weren't nearly as fantastic as everyone else's. Well, a few days later I got an email from Tracey (a shutter sister and group administrator) saying that she just loved one of my photos and had chosen it to feature on their OWP page for today! WHAT?!!!! Seriously? COOL! So, go on over there and Check Me Out!!

on my way

2009-07-08T11:17:00.006-05:00

I'm not quite myself lately. I've been in a slump for sometime and am frantically trying to regroup and resurface to my old self, or a new self, or some other sort of self as long as its MYself! Thus, the reason for my blogging absence. Also, I am currently trying to wade through the 300+ photos from last weeks 4th of July beach vacation and that in itself is quite a task! So, hopefully I will be back soon, if not just to post some pictures and antics from the trip. I hope that everyone is having a fantastic day/week!! See ya soon :)

away

2009-06-25T08:51:00.003-05:00

To those of you who care enough to check my blog for updates, I'm sorry that I've been away for awhile! I've been quite wrapped up in my own world for the past few weeks and have been unable to think of much else. But, I'm headed to the beach next week to meet up with my mom, my friend Kim and her 3 girls, and my sister and Ellie for a 4th of July vacation and some much needed mental relaxation, so I'm quite sure that I will have plenty of photos and stories to share when I return! Hope everyone has a great holiday!

date night

2009-06-08T22:45:00.005-05:00

Saturday night I had a date with this handsome fella...

This is Christian, my bff Micah's son. What a cutie! We hung out Saturday night while his mommy went to a bridal shower and as you can see, he was all smiles....for about 5 minutes! Well, that's not all true. He was happy long enough for me to snap a few shots of us playing outside and then it was all over with. He had, apparently, had a very long day and was exhuasted and was none too happy with me being there instead of mommy-dear! But all in all, he is just the sweetest baby boy I've ever known! (And cutest!!!)

cover model

2009-06-02T21:04:00.007-05:00

Look out Victoria's Secret, there's a new girl in town and she's gonna take that catalog by storm!! Introducing (drum roll, please.............)

Ellie C!!!!

So, all you Brazillian super-babes out there, I've got two words for you.....WATCH OUT!

black, white, brown

2009-05-22T08:48:00.003-05:00

Today is the last day of color week :( While I will miss seeing everyone's beautiful colors posted each day, I can't help but feel a little relieved! It was tougher than I had anticipated...but I had a great time. I didn't exactly inherit the creative gene from my mom that my sister got, and this challenged me to no end. Ironically, today...black, white & brown, which is the least colorful of all...was my favorite day! Happy Color Week!

pink and red

2009-05-21T13:57:00.010-05:00

orange you glad it's not green

2009-05-20T17:42:00.004-05:00

I went after orange and yellow Wednesday with a vengeance today. I was determined to redeem myself from yesterday's green debacle. I don't really know if I succeeded, but I sure had fun trying!

not easy being green

2009-05-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

I thought that "green Tuesday" would be easy since literally EVERYTHING is green right now.....but it wasn't. I wanted to find something green that wasn't grass or trees or grass....or, ummm...trees...you get the picture...but I couldn't find anything I liked. I tried shooting the granny smith apples I had just bought...

...but I don't really like that.

So I tried shooting my bathroom wall..

...but, again, not so much. So, in a desperate attempt to not use previously-posted-photos (which are green and I happen to like a lot), I broke down and went outside and (yawn) shot the grass...

Hopefully "orange & yellow Wednesday" will be a bit easier....but I'm not so sure!

And here, as a final desperate (and oh-so-weak) attempt at green, I leave you with this..

(I know it's not exactly green....but it IS blue-GREEN! That counts......right?)

purple heart

2009-05-18T08:10:00.006-05:00

Today is the first day of color week and today's colors are blues and purples....my favorite!! I'm gonna have to get on the ball to get photos for everyday....it's harder than I thought to find color pretty or interesting enough to photograph. I found these purple hearts yesterday when I arrived at Mamaw's house for lunch...lucky!

splash of color

2009-05-17T13:57:00.007-05:00

Christy from blythe and bonnie is hosting "color week" this week and I'm going to play along! Basically, what you do is take and post pictures showcasing the designated color of the day...gives me a fun reason to play with my camera...stay tuned.

happy "BITHDAY" adam!

2009-05-15T11:01:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday was Adam's birthday. He was in town visiting all week, so I had planned and promised to bake him a birthday cake...but since Mamaw Dean so graciously baked one for him, I reneged on my promise (and in the process hurt his feelings :( ...which EVERYONE knows about since he spread the word quickly!!) Anyway, even though I didn't bake a cake myself, I was determined that he should have a cake on his actual birthday (since he ate the WHOLE cake that Mamaw made well before the day!) so, on our way home from dinner we stopped by Publix to pick one up. After choosing a cake, we asked the bakery lady if she could write "happy birthday adam" on the cake...."Sure!" she said. I went off to grab some milk and extra icing....that's right, EXTRA icing...because there just wasn't enough on there already for the birthday boy......and I left Adam at the counter to wait on the finished product. When I returned, I looked down and this is what I saw...

.....that's right, folks! I'm not going to write anything else, because really, what can you say?!

spring away

2009-05-09T15:14:00.005-05:00

Somehow I missed Spring this year. One day I woke up and the dogwoods had bloomed and the wisteria was climbing everywhere. I didn't take many photos of the things I saw (and really wanted pictures of) because when I passed them by I didn't have my camera and I just thought "I'll bring it tomorrow"....well, then I woke up and everything was green. That's it. Just green, green grass and LOTS of green trees, but no pretty flowers to be seen! BOO! I missed it. I swear it seems like Spring never even happened. Even the weather jumped from freezing cold to swelteringly hot! Oh well...maybe I'll catch it next year. These are just some of my most recent favorite shots I took around my lake the other day. The "pretty" yellow flower is only a weed....it's the only thing with color that i could find!

love Thursday

2009-05-07T21:14:00.002-05:00

I had originally logged on to post about loving my camera and taking pictures and blah, blah, blah....basically I have nothing to blog about and was feeling guilty for not posting in a while. But then I read this and my heart ached. The love she has for her children is strong and fierce. She is Adam's sister-in-law and Canon is his niece. I am hoping and praying that the diagnosis is a good one and that everything will be fine. I believe deep down that it will be. Prayers are precious...so if you do it, add them to your list.

play time

2009-04-27T23:48:00.004-05:00

This morning I had the pleasure of hanging out with Ellie while Libby went to a meeting. I, of course, brought my camera to get a little practice and hopefully get a few good shots for Libby (she wants a cute photo for her birth announcements). Each time I break out my camera on a real, live, moving subject, I am reminded how much I don't know what I'm doing with the settings on this camera!! Out of roughly 100 shots, I literally got a handful of semi-acceptable ones to use....most came out very blurry because little miss Ellie is quite the wiggle worm! (and I don't know how to set my camera to compensate for the movement!!!) But regardless of how many good pictures I got, it was a lot of fun hanging out with Ellie and playing photo-shoot!

pretty bird

2009-04-24T14:06:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I went to visit Adam in Tampa. On my last night in town we went for a walk around his new neighborhood just to take a look around. Towards the end of our walk it was getting dark out and as we were rounding a corner we heard a loud and somewhat scary "ca-caw!" The further we walked the louder it got and we were looking at each other like "what the heck IS that??!" We soon found out....

I'm so glad that I grabbed my camera on the way out of the door! I couldn't believe that this beautiful, HUGE bird was just hanging out. I kept expecting it to fly away, but it didn't...it just sat there ca-cawing (very loudly) and checking us out...

I wanted to get closer so that I could get a better shot, but I was too afraid that the bird would come after me!! He didn't like my flash very much, so after shooting this one last shot we went on our way....very cool!

happy earth day!

2009-04-22T23:40:00.008-05:00

Today is Earth Day, so I decided to take a few minutes from my day to appreciate this beautiful place that God has created for us! It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives and completely take for granted what we have been given. I got out my camera on my lunch break and went outside on this gorgeous spring day to take a look around and soak up the beauty! Here's what I found......

Happy Earth Day everybody!!!!!

sweet feet

2009-04-15T23:11:00.009-05:00

Poor Ellie has apparently inherited a most unfortunate trait from her mommy......stinky feet. Yes, it's true. Ellie has stinky feet. How can this precious angel have smelly toes? She doesn't even wear shoes that may cause her feet to sweat resulting in the offending odor...she doesn't really do anything to exert herself that would cause any sweatiness and/or stinkiness...but the fact remains, they are a LITTLE bit smelly and the only possible reason for this is genetics. Libby has THE SMELLIEST FEET EVER! (Sorry Libby, but you know its true...it's no secret to those of us who know and love you!)...and now, poor, sweet Ellie has been stricken with this malodorous condition. I mean, really, how can this sweet face have stinky feet?

highs and lows

2009-04-14T20:39:00.006-05:00

I'm so ready for some consistently warm weather. The highs and lows of Alabama weather in March and April are enough to make this southern girl crazy! Sunny and 75 one day, rainy and 55 the next...ugh!!! I'm ready to pack up the close-toed shoes and find a more permanent spot for my flip-flops on the closet floor.

puppy-love Thursday

2009-04-09T21:58:00.008-05:00

Here is some puppy love that I found today. The unconditional love of a dog.....specifically Lily, Charles and Maggie with Jordan. Happy love Thursday everyone, hope you found some love today!

bfff

2009-04-08T21:52:00.010-05:00

This past Saturday, my BFFF Jordan assisted me with a little home improvement project. We painted a chest of drawers and a file-cabinet-turned-underwear-drawer. She wasn't too thrilled about it.......

.....I, on the other hand, was ECSTATIC!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so that's not really how the story goes, but that version just made the pictures way more hilarious! In all actuality, Jordan was just as excited about the furniture rehab as I was and once we finished the first chest we wanted to do more, so that is where the old file cabinet came in. Both pieces turned out really well and look oh-so-fab in my bedroom!

The picture above happened when we came inside while waiting on the first coat to dry and were apparently a little high on paint fumes....I would post the picture of Jordan "flying" but she was wearing some pretty short gym shorts and, well, we'll just leave it at that.

We also thought it would be great fun to capture an image of a "kitchen-floor-angel"........

Such a fun day spent with one of my very best friends...don't know what I'd do without her!

manic monday

2009-04-06T17:35:00.004-05:00

Monday's are a "good news/bad news" kinda day. The good news is, I don't have to go to work until 11:00...allowing me plenty of time for my favorite morning ritual of drinking coffee in bed while watching The Today Show. The bad news is, I have to go to work. Boo. Today was an especially tough Monday because it is FREEZING outside. What. The. CRAP?! It's APRIL! It's supposed to be sunny and warm right now not grey and 40 degrees! Ugh.

here comes the sun

2009-04-03T22:50:00.008-05:00

The sun finally decided to make an appearance today after a week (or more) long sabbatical and my mood is shifting....finally. I've been in a deep, blue funk for the past week. I'm convinced that this lack of sunshine is partly to blame. I've wanted nothing more than to sit at home on the couch or in my bed and do NOTHING. Not possible....so instead, I just sat at work and did NOTHING and then came home and did nothing and my messy house is proof of that. But TODAY...today I woke up feeling productive (somewhat at least...) and after a cup of coffee and bowl of grits I got out of bed and unloaded/reloaded the dishwasher, folded and put away the laundry that had been sitting in the dryer for a week and ran some much needed errands. It was a good day. Tomorrow looks to be even better...75 and sunny! Yay sun!!!! (Hopefully the stormy forecast for Sunday won't push me back down) We shall see......

love thursday

2009-04-02T15:17:00.007-05:00

While searching various blogs and Internet sites looking for information, inspiration, and tips on photography and using my camera in general, I've come across some pretty cool sites. So, in an attempt to practice using my camera I've decided to participate in some of their projects (on my own, of course!)

love Thursday (from Shutter Sisters) is the first.

Here is the 'love' that I found today!

ellie belly

2009-03-27T13:22:00.008-05:00

I love this belly.

happy hydrants

2009-03-26T14:01:00.007-05:00

Some creative soul (with a little too much time on their hands) decided that the fire hydrants around town were much to plain for their taste, so they preceded to spruce them up a bit. These are just a few, but believe me, there were many, MANY more and all had a different theme. This person (or people?) had all of their bases covered.....there was a Purple Falcon for the University, an Orange and Blue Bulldog for the high school, Crimson and White for the Tide, an Orange and Blue Tiger, Dalmatian across the street from the fire dept, and the list goes on and on. I have to say that this is a brilliant idea! It makes me smile every time I pass one by.

whoa

2009-03-24T08:47:00.014-05:00

The wait is finally over. The thing that I have been obsessing over for weeks...months, really...has finally arrived and I am SO excited!! My new camera!!! It was waiting for me on Sunday night when I got home from the beach. I tore into the box, got everything out and sat there staring. Whoa. I was/am completely overwhelmed. I started flipping through the instruction manual, hoping to calm my nerves, but that only succeeded in making me more nervous. Calm down, I told myself, You can totally do this!! You can learn how to use this camera! I know that this is true. I know that I can learn how to use this camera to its full potential, but the usually-dormant-impatient side of me has reared its ugly head and is screaming "But I want to know NOW!!!! I want to know how to do EVERYTHING perfectly RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm trying to reign in that impatience....I know that I will learn this camera because I really, really, REALLY want to. Maybe I'll go to Libby's house today and practice on Ellie...

hormonal...

2009-03-17T14:03:00.004-05:00

...that is apparently what I am right now. I got upset and cried on the phone to Adam for NO reason at all. I cried during an insurance commercial. And I cried during a particularly moving performance on Dancing with the Stars. Being a girl sure can suck sometimes!!! Here's hoping for a better mood balance tomorrow...the beach will be my cure! Suntan, here I come!!!!!

slacking

2009-03-16T07:00:00.004-05:00

I realize that I have been slacking in the blog-posting department. I'm basically on a once-a-week schedule and I want that to change! So, I'm going to try to make an effort to post more often.......but I'm having difficulty coming up with things to write. For now, I'm going to creep around other people's blogs to get ideas....

To be continued.....

islands of adventure

2009-03-11T12:26:00.009-05:00

Last week was my birthday. So, to celebrate, I planned a trip to see Adam in Tampa. Little did I know he had an entire fun-filled weekend planned for the two of us! It began like this...

1. Picking me up from airport

2. Getting car stuck in the sand during a failed attempt at romance....

3. Failed attempt saved by surprise (surprise for him as well) fireworks show over the bay!

4. Dinner at great Italian restaurant

5.Strawberry short-birthday-cake...yum!

The next day, we headed to Orlando to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure....and had a BLAST! We rode every roller coaster there was to ride...multiple times. Stood in line for 40 minutes to participate in the cheesiest attempt at a scary show ever. Used our expired "Express Line Passes" to sneak through the fast lane in Universal Studios and almost got busted. And ended the day in a photo booth (which I had been searching for the entire time!) Overall, it was a really great day and we were both exhausted. Our exhaustion was cured however, by relaxing at the beach and dinner at great beachside restaurant the following day.

(Thank you for an awesome birthday!!!)

winter wonderland

2009-03-02T17:31:00.032-06:00

What a great surprise to wake up on Sunday morning and peek out of the window and see a blanket of snow covering everything in sight! I was like a kid on Christmas morning...giddy with excitement! I couldn't wait to get outside to play and explore. By 7:15 I was out the door, camera in tow. As soon as I opened the door I was greeted by this....

This crazy fool had gotten up to run. In the snow. In shorts. Whatever.

After Adam came in to defrost, we fixed ourselves a cup of coffee and off we went. First we walked down the hill behind my house to the lake. What a beautiful sight. What is it about snow that makes everything simply gorgeous? We walked around for a while taking pictures...every few minutes one of us saying "oooh, look at this!" Then we decided to get in the car and drive around to find more cool things to photograph. (And also because Adam was still wearing shorts....yeah, i know.) Anyway, this is what we found...

After we felt like we had seen all the cool stuff there was to see, we headed to the park with our friends, Jordan and Rick, to really have some fun in the snow! Here we are with our fantastically fabulous snow man!

Apparently we aren't as skilled as most at building snowmen...it didn't take long for Frosty to rock the gangsta lean...

However, much fun was had by all...so, until next time.....

Word to ya mutha!

up before the sun

2009-02-27T06:46:00.013-06:00

It goes against the laws of nature to be at work before the sun comes up. Yet, here I am...sitting here, staring out the window into the darkness and wishing I were still snuggled up in my oh-so-comfy bed! I don't have to do this often, just 2-3 times a month, but everytime I do I'm shocked by the number of cars on the road as I make my way to my office. I. Cannot. BELIEVE. People. Do. This. EveryDAY!! I am so lucky.

What time did YOU have to be at work today? Or, are you one of the really lucky ones who didn't have to go at all? On a stormy day like today, I would love nothing more than to be curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book...what about you?

(By the way...I'm using my new work computer and I haven't installed my camera software yet, so I borrowed this picture from here.)

emotional day

2009-02-23T11:33:00.021-06:00

February 20, 2009...What a day! I completely underestimated the feelings I would have the first time I met my precious little niece. I remember the anticipation and sheer excitement I felt each time I met my best friends' children on the day they were each born, and I expected to feel that again...I did, times 100! She took my breath away! What a tiny miracle Ellie Caroline Pratt is! I love her so much! I can't wait to watch her grow.

The waiting room was packed with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends waiting on the arrival of sweet little 6 lb 15oz baby Ellie. She was a stubborn little thing and did not want to come out, so after 3 hours of pushing she was finally taken by c-section. As we are all waiting, pacing the halls unable to sit still, my mom gets a phone call from her sister. A hysterical phone call. My cousin had passed away. Such devastating news on such a joyous day is difficult to process. You're unsure if you should continue being happy or if you can allow yourself to breakdown and sob. Just 2 weeks shy of her 30th birthday, Lindsey Vinson Cardone, was called home. My heart aches for her, the girl I grew up with as a sister, as my friend. I will miss her terribly. My heart aches for my aunt. I can't even imagine the feeling of losing a child. She had struggled for years with drugs, alcohol and mental disease. I pray for her soul. I pray everyday that she finally has the peace she longed for. I know she is in heaven now with Mamaw Rie and Papaw Doc cutting up, laughing, and smiling down on the newest addition to our family.

Needless to say, we have all had and emotionally exhausting weekend. Thank you Ellie, for being the beautiful silver lining on a cloudy day. Welcome to the world my sweet angel!

state fair

2009-02-17T15:06:00.016-06:00

This picture was taken by the thieves at the Florida State Fair. They get you right as you step through the gates. They block your way and say "Say Cheese!" and you of course do as you are told, because really what else can you do? Then they give you a slip of paper with a number on it and send you on your merry little way. All very innocent. Until, that is, you are on your way out of the fair...drugged up on corn dogs, cheese fries, funnel cakes, and caramel apples...there they are again...blocking your way with a huge plastic sign saying "Don't Forget Your Picture!," so you obligingly step over to the booth to take a peek...all the while whispering to each other that "we'll just look at it...not going to buy it"...then you see it. And (gasp!) it's actually a decent picture of you both, and then you see how much they want to charge you for 1 print...outrageous! You immediately say 'thanks anyway' and turn away. You. Are. NOT falling for that! So, as you triumphantly began to walk away with your wallet still intact, they say to you "You may view or purchase your photograph online if you change your mind." And they've got you. That's all it took. The entire car ride home you keep thinking about that photo, and the more you think about it, the cuter it gets. So, in the end, one of you ends up going online and ordering not 1, but 2 prints...

But all in all, the fair was fun. Adam and I had a great time walking around stuffing our faces full of yummy fair junk food and laughing at the scary and sometimes snaggle-toothed state fair employees! And the picture is a nice memento of the occasion.

HURRY UP!!

2009-02-16T11:22:00.019-06:00

Seriously, Ellie, you need to BRING IT! We are all becoming very tired of waiting on you to make your grand entrance. But of course, none more tired than your mom...I really don't think that it is possible for her feet to swell anymore without shooting off of her legs like a potato out of a potato gun! Needless to say we are all VERY excited to meet you....So, that being said, if you don't hurry up and get here, I may have to make a trip to Seaside to visit your GG. You may be thinking to yourself, as you float around in the uterus you call home, "what in the world does that have to do with the price of corn in China?" Well, let me explain it to you dear little unborn child...
Let us rewind a few years back to July 24 2004~
I (your Auntie Em) had just completed my internship and was all geared up for a 2 week vacation before I plunged into the real world of working and responsibility. So, off I went to Seaside for some relaxing fun in the sun. However, before I left, I made sure to tell Aunt Kim to keep those babies inside there for just a few more days until I return! HA!!! Yeah Right! I had been there for less than 24 hours when I received a phone call.....it went a little something like this:
Me: Hello?
Her: Emma? Kim's water just broke...she's at the hospital!
Me: WHAT??!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! (immediately bursting into tears)
Her: Yeah, they're checking her right now, but it'll probably be a while before anything happens.
Me: Okay, I'm coming home. (determination written all over my face)

After hanging up the phone, I turn to GG and your mom and say "Kim's going into labor....I'm going home." Upon hearing my declaration, your mommy, being the caring and overprotective person that she is, began yelling at me "NO YOU'RE NOT!!! Emma, it is 9:00 at night! You are NOT driving home in the middle of the night all by yourself!!!"
EXCUSE ME???!! Ha!! I'll show YOU! YES I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!! (some people may call me stubborn, i just call it strong will and loyalty to friends and family....)
So, off I went. Determined to make it there in time....I would NOT miss this! I COULDN'T miss this! And thankfully I did not. I made it there just in the nick of time! Yay!! *sigh of relief*

Now, you still may be thinking "so what? just because that happened once doesn't mean that I'm gonna come just because you leave town..."
But Au Contraire my sweet little fetus!
Let's fast forward from July 24 2004 to November 24 2008~
Micah: You DO realize that if I go into labor while you're out of town for Thanksgiving, you HAVE to come home immediately?! Right?
Me: Of course!!! But I really don't think that will happen....i mean, you still have 2 weeks to go, and you're scheduled to be induced in one week...so that TOTALLY won't happen...
Micah: Well, I'm just saying, you and him better take separate cars just in case....
Me: Okey Dokey! (confident that I wouldn't be needing that extra vehicle...)
HA!!! Yeah right! I had been there for less than 12 hours when GG came into the bedroom at 7 am to wake me up...."Emma, Micah has been trying to call you...she's in labor!"
WHAT????!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Not again! This CANNOT be happening AGAIN! Oh, but it was. And what had I done? Ignored the advice of my dear, sweet Micah and had NOT driven that extra vehicle. DAMN. ooops!! I mean DARN. Where was he, you might say...well, HE was an hour away working with the only vehicle we had. CRAP. It would be hours before he was able to get back. And it would be even more hours before I made it home. There was nothing. I . could do. I did, however, make it back that day and was able to meet baby C on his birthday. whew! thank goodness :)

So you see Ellie, this is what I'm saying....The only sure fire way for me to ensure that you arrive by your due date, February 24 (do we see a pattern here?) is to go to the beach on February 23....But, please...don't make me relive these traumatic experiences yet again....please??

blog envy

2009-02-15T14:18:00.001-06:00

So, I've decided to create my own blog...for no other reason than I am completely and totally jealous of everybody else that has one! My sister recently created a blog to keep friends and family updated on the upcoming arrival of baby Ellie. I, on the other hand, have absolutely nothing of substance to blog about...but, you know what? Who Cares!! I wanted one anyway!
You might be laughing and thinking to yourself "what the heck is Emma gonna blog about?!?" But, you know what I have to say to that? Ummmm....well, hmmmm....I have no idea! But, I'll think of something and then you'll all be sorry for laughing at me....so, there!!

There will be more to come....but, for now, I'm just going to sit here and try to conjure up some inspiration for my next post!

Ta-Ta!