Dorks with Pets

So Chelsea Grace LOVES the outdoors, but being the mean pet owner that I am, I don't usually let her outside. She's strictly an indoor cat. I do allow her in the screen room occasionally to watch the birds in the backyard; and the one rare snowstorm we had offered her the opportunity to take a few steps in the snow before I whisked her back into the warmth of the house. And she's ok with that...most of the time.

Every once in awhile she will catch a glimpse of freedom and bolt out the front door if I happen to have my hands full. Luckily she never gets too far before I catch her. I have always felt a little guilty for not letting her outside, but not guilty enough.

Here's where the dork part comes in. Chelsea Grace got a stroller for Christmas so that she can go outside. ha! I figure we can both be happy with this arrangement. She gets to be outside, and I get to know she's safe. Win win, right? I decided to ease her into the transition. First the stroller sat in the living room. She happily jumped up into it several times a day to nap or watch tv. Then I would zip her up in it and walk her up and down the hall. She wasn't terribly crazy about that, but who can blame her. My hallway is pretty boring.

Finally, last week, it was showtime! The moment we had all been waiting for. I got off work a little early, so it was still daylight; and the weather was nice; almost springlike. I came in, grabbed Chelsea Grace and plopped her in the stroller. Zip zip and she was safely in! Took her outside and we walked up and down the street. She meowed the whole way, I think she was scared to death. ha! I finally convinced her we weren't going to the V-E-T's office and let her just sit in the stroller in the front yard and watch all the comings and goings.

Guess what? She LIKES it! We've gone for a couple more walks and now she just sits and watches everything as we stroll along, like it's the most natural thing in the world. The neighbors, on the other hand, think I'm a tad odd. ha. Little do they know. I'm a LOT odd! But I live on freak street anyway, so who are they to judge?

Beautiful song

WOW. This is my new "favorite, second only to O, Holy Night" Christmas song. There is a bit of talking at the beginning, but if you are patient, I promise you'll be blessed.

::thank you Jeanne for the tutorial!::

Freaking out a little

I just completed a HUGE Christmas card order. Well, huge to me....624 cards to one person. Last Thursday I got a phone call from someone asking to see examples of the cards we offer. After asking a few questions, I found out this is a client that Meredith photographed the day after Thanksgiving. She mentioned to them that I do custom cards, so they gave me a call. This family lives in Alabama, so I haven't met them, but I have talked to the wife/mother on the phone and through email over the past week. After I got the design approved by them, they told me how many cards they wanted. ::gulp:: That made me a little nervous. I called Meredith to thank her for the referral, and made the comment that I don't think I have known 624 people in my ENTIRE LIFE! She told me to google the people and that would explain everything.

Oh how I wish I hadn't done that.

I won't tell you the two words I said, but they start with "holy" and end with "crap". ;o)

To quote Meredith, let's just say, "Yes sir Senator. Anything you say." ::gulp again::

I don't know whether to be thrilled or throw up, lol.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm

Number one: Why have my neighbors left their rugs hanging on my fence for 3 months now? The first day or two they were there, I thought, "Hmmm they must be doing some deep cleaning in their house." Now I just wonder why they didn't just throw the darn things away! They have been rained on and faded from a summer of hot sun. Hmmmmmmmm. And no I'm not asking them because this is the house where the crazy burglar lives!

Number two: How did this Target bag get way up high into a tree in my back yard? I know it's not MY Target bag. I wonder how far it traveled to get there, I wonder what fabulous items it held when it left Target, I wonder if this person was shopping there the same time I was one day.

And I wonder how to get it down....

Number three: How do you lose a saucepan, when you are the only person living in your house? This one really has me puzzled, and more than a little perturbed.

Very Cool

Remember that tree picture I posted a while ago? Well I got it printed on canvas and made a gallery wrap out of it. It looks so pretty in my den!

But that's not the cool part!

A friend of mine saw the photo and asked where I got it. I told her I took the picture, and she liked it so much she asked if I minded if she used it as the starting point for a design for a wall quilt hanging she was making her husband. It was just the shape she was looking for. I told her of course I didn't mind! And that picture above is exactly what she made! Isn't it beautiful? She's so talented. It doesn't show well in this photograph, but she added beads to parts of the branches, (click on the photo to see it larger) and it's just stunning in person!

(that's the cool part!) :o)

Sunday Ramblings

Just going through some pictures, and doing some computer work this afternoon. This is one of the flowers my brother gave me for my birthday. I loved the way the back of it looked, so I snapped this shot. I printed one out, and I like it so much I'm going to find a funky frame and stick it in my house somewhere. Now I'll get to keep the flower forever!

It's amazing how we sometimes only look at one side of things, and never truly appreciate how much beauty lies on the other side.

Today was the choir's first day back after taking the summer off. It felt good to get back into the swing of things. I love the friends I've made there so much. They are true blessings to me.

I decided to bite the bullet and get that tree picture (a few blog posts down) mounted on canvas. I ordered a gallery wrap, so it doesn't need framing, and it's probably going to go up in my den. Although, my bedroom might need it more. It's a 20x30, so I'll have to see where it looks best. When I was speaking with the developer on the phone, she told me it was a great picture! That totally made my day! I mean they are an out of state company, and they ONLY develop professional photographers' photos. For her to compliment my picture took me completely by surprise! Anyway, I digress. My fabulous 20x30 gallery wrap canvas is supposed to be here tomorrow!!!!! I am so stinking excited to see it. I've only seen the picture on the computer, and I'm anxious to see how it translated onto canvas.

Another exciting thing that happened, is I got hired to do another scrapbook! I made a scrapbook for a friend when she had her baby a couple of months ago. She loved it so much, she wants me to make one for her sister in law who is having a baby in November. FUN! I can't wait to get started on it.

OH!!! I also got my very first website order this weekend! That was fun! ha! Things are rolling along nicely lately.

I'm a lucky girl.

Another year older

I love my birthday. :o) And yesterday was no exception!

My brother was the first to call to wish me Happy Birthday. He always calls at the stroke of midnight just so he CAN be first. Even when he was in Iraq he would. Unfortunately this year, I didn't hear the phone ring. HA! But pesky...uhhhh...persistent soul that he is, he called back at 7 in the morning, and was still the first!

My mom then called and sang(?) a little piece she put together on the fly, much to her coworkers' dismay. :o)

I got two original birthday songs from Meredith, which is a tradition between the two of us. Her Birthday rap she left on my answering machine this year will go down in history, hands down, as the most creative of all time. What a riot. Then she had a short little song to sing to me on my way to work, that went like this (complete with a country twang):

Fried Chicken
Country Hog
It's your birthday
HOT DOG!!!

@@

For dinner I went to Bonefish Grill, it was delicious! I went back to Mom's house after dinner and got PRESENTS! WOOOOOOOWOOOOOO I was spoiled more than I deserve, once again, and got some fabulous gifts. Mom got me some antique cameras, an old photography magazine called "Kodakery" (sounds like a fruity frozen drink to me!) a purse, candle, money (which I'm using for a fabulous new lens!!!), and a popcorn hamper HA!!!

Destin had mom get me some beautiful flowers. He said we would celebrate each others' birthdays the next time we see each other. Now, Chelsea Grace LOVES flowers. Anytime I bring flowers in the house she starts singing away. I can just hear her saying, "OH MOM!!! They are so beautiful!!!!!! Let me eat them!!!!!" Well when she saw me bring them in last night, she let out the longest and loudest kitty aria I've ever heard!! It was hysterical. The pictures above are of her singing to the flowers (and she won't take her eyes off them, as you can tell in the first one).

I would say it was a stellar day! Thank you Lord for these blessings: Mom, for always making our birthdays so special; Destin for being such a fantastic brother; and all my dear friends who always make me feel so loved. I adore you all.

This morning I had a photo shoot. I took some pictures of a precious 15 week old baby boy. I can't wait to get to work on those pictures. I'll post a sneak peak soon.