30-Day Selfies Challenge: Day 12 - 14

I guess you can say I have been kind of sluggish with my self-portraits for my 30-Day Selfies Challenge through A Beautiful Mess blog. It turns out it might be 30 days within a few months. These are the most recent pictures I took and yes the majority of my self-portraits include pictures with Belle. She is my shadow and follows me around the house.

7/30: Hugs and kisses from Belle.

7/31: Belle’s bath time.

8/1: Second time reading “Catching Fire.” Now, I’m nice and refreshed for the movie release in November.

30-Day Selfies Challenge: Day 6 - 11

7/21: Heading to work. My employees said I looked like Beetle Juice in my outfit. Unfortunately, that smile of mine turned outside down by the end of the day and not because of my employees.

7/23: Quality time with Belle in the backyard after a long day at work. She’s always glad to see me. My fireman says Belle looks like the funny-eyed penguin named Private from the movie Madagascar, in this picture.

7/24: I just got home from picking up dinner for my fireman and I. I’m experimenting with reflective surfaces (truck window) for selfies.

7/26: Trying on pants for work at Ross. Oh, the joy!

7/27: Trying on my new Worry Doll/s headband. I love all the festive colors in this picture.

7/28: Watched, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and it made me cry four times. Once I laughed and cried at the same time. Great movie!

30-Day Selfies (Self-Portrait) Challenge: Day 4 & 5

7/19: I woke up late because I was up ‘til 3:30 am the night before. It was inventory night at the theater. I barely had time to check my email, favorite blogs, etc and get ready for work. While doing my makeup, I realized I still needed to snap a photo of myself for the day. I pointed the camera to my vanity makeup mirror while applying mascara.

7/18: Morning breakfast. Sipping the milk left from my cereal.

I forgot to mention that the camera I use is an oldie; it’s a Kodak Easy Share C875, 8.0-mega-pixel digit camera. I’m hoping my fireman and I will purchase a new one for our anniversary. Any suggestions?

30-Day Self-Portrait Challenge: Day 2 & 3

 7/17: My make-up removal routine 

7/18: Wearing our outside shoes to go water the plants

30-Day Self-Portrait Challenge: Day 1

 (Day off and going to run some errands)

You will be seeing a lot of me lately, 30 days of self-portraits of me to be exact. I’m doing a 30-day self-portrait challenge along with the beautiful ladies, Elsie & Emma, behind the blog A Beautiful Mess. Click here for more details.

In this challenge I hope to capture pictures of myself in the daily activities of my life while learning about “lighting, angles, color, composition and posing.” Photography concepts Elsie & Emma learned themselves by taking self-portraits. And, it will be a big plus because my fireman isn’t always around or eager for that matter to take pictures of me for my blog.

I’m looking forward to this challenge and looking back at all the pictures taken.

Christmas Mood Up In Here, Up In Here

I’m feeling quite cheery today. Most of my Christmas decorations are up and I’m totally into the Christmas spirit this year. Last year, my firefighter and I didn’t put up the Christmas tree. We had gotten new furniture for our small living room last year and that’s where we put our Christmas tree. Since the tree is big we thought there wouldn’t be enough room for it. Were we wrong! I took the coffee table out and wallah hello Christmas tree!

To be honest I’m starting to enjoy the holidays again because this might be my firefighter and mine last Christmas together, just him and I. Oh, don’t freak out! We’re happily married. My firefighter and I have decided it’s time to add to our family. Smiling sheepishly. If it is in God’s plan, there will be another stocking hanging off the fireplace next year.

For now, I’m enjoying life as it is. However, as I decorate for Christmas I catch myself day dreaming of little hands helping me put ornaments on the Christmas tree, baby’s first ornament, baking cookies for Santa, pictures with Santa…. oh I can’t wait!

Thanksgiving

One place that is always open on Thanksgiving is the movie theatre, where I spend my Thanksgiving Day working. At work, we had a potluck. It was a sad potluck table, where my blackberry pie was the only delicious food to consume. We needed plates for the pie and while I was at the near by grocery store just across the street, I was thrilled to find a mini Thanksgiving feast with slices of turkey, mashed potato and gravy, and stuffing for $4. I ate half of it on my meal and decided to eat the rest for dinner with a slice of pecan pie; instead of the Marie Callender’s turkey potpie my firefighter had got for me to enjoy for Thanksgiving.

Yes, no big family thanksgiving dinner for me. My firefighter also had to work on Thanksgiving. I was in good company though, my lovable hairy friend Belle. I’m so grateful for Belle. For always welcoming home from work at the door with her wagging tail, making me laugh, our cuddling time together, how quick she learns new tricks, and for making days like this less lonely. On Thanksgiving, Belle was one of the things I was very thankful for.

Halloween in Wonderland

For Halloween, I joined Amanda and Christi at High Desert Church, in Victorville, CA, to pass out candy for their Blocktober event. We passed out bags and bags of candy at the Trunk or Treat section.

Amanda had mentioned that she wanted to be the Mad Hatter for Halloween and her mom Christi would be the White Rabbit with a fluffy tail and bunny ears for their church’s Halloween event. When they invited me to join, I suggested that we should decorate Amanda’s trunk in an Alice in Wonderland theme and I would dress up as the Queen of Hearts.

Amanda and I decided to decorate her trunk with teapots, teacups, and a “Tea Party Here” sign for a tea party theme. Amanda and I painted the cardboard decorations and Amanda out lined everything in glow in the dark puffy paint. Parents and their children enjoyed our themed trunk and asked us if we would take pictures with their children.

Amanda with the help of Christi made the Mad Hatter costume out of dresses Amanda wasn’t wearing any more. Amanda decorated her Mad Hatter hat and I stamped the bottom of her dress with my “Let’s Talk Over Tea” hand craved linoleum stamp. Amanda received many compliments on her homemade Mad Hatter costume. Christi’s White Rabbit costume was complete with a pocket watch Amanda made for her mom from cardboard and rope. My Queen of Hearts costume was an old costume I had already worn. The costume was too short and not appropriate for a church event so I wore white leggings and sewed felt hearts on the knees. I made the Queen of Hearts wand and was finally able to use it. The first time I wore the Queen of Hearts costume I forgot my homemade wand at home. I love the way accessories add more personality to costumes!

We had so much fun passing out candy and seeing people of all ages in different Halloween costumes. As we passed out candy, we keep throwing out ideas of what theme we should do next year. Maybe princesses, circus, bugs (butterfly, bee, and ladybug), peter pan…

I can’t wait for next years Blocktober event. Is it Halloween yet again?

Today this Girl...

Today, this girl woke up early after spending the night before reading propositions and presidential facts. This girl is not a morning person, but around 7:15 am she headed to her voters’ destination, before work. She wore a white tank top with yellow, blue, and red hearts on it, a blank suit jacket, and an American flag brooch shaped as a heart to complete her outfit. She not only wanted be confident about her decisions, she wanted to feel confident too. She voted today because she wanted her voice to be heard, she wanted to be part of making a difference for her, her family, and the future, and to her voting is also a way to thank all those strong and determined women who fought long ago so women could vote. This girl doesn’t judge people who do not vote. To each its own. This girl doesn’t feel comfortable bitching about the economy; if she never even tired to change things with her vote. This is why this girl votes!

"Rest," said the Body

As much as I hate getting sick, I like the idea that I have to force myself to rest and relax. We are always on our feet, doing our daily routine, checking off our lists, and never taking a break to really stop to smell the roses like they say, whoever they are. I’m sick today, with the cold. I’m having cheddar potato soap (on my third bowl), drinking lots of liquids, watching Netflix, and avoiding the unnecessary duties of my daily life. No washing dishes or making the bed (I’m still in it). Belle gets the pleasure of joining me in bed since there will be no playing time. I’m listening to my body today, giving that shell of mine a rest.