Sorry for the very wretched exposure.  Haha!  I took this at 2:00 in the morning on my kitchen floor with no flash.  I can't believe it turned out that great, actually!

Don't worry - I will start using this blog to occasionally post a professional pic.  I really don't sell people photos like this one...lol...

If you don't know what this photo is, PLEASE first grab a Diet Coke and go to Google.  Search Scentsy.  Then grab your credit card.  Your life will be forever changed for the better.

I am OBSESSED with Scentsy.  I am fortunate to have a few fabulous friends that sell Scentsy!  Most of you reading this blog would know one or all of them!  I'm going to list their websites here before I post this!

If anyone else sells Scentsy that I'm not aware of, just send me an email or a FB and I'll include you on my Scentsy posts. 

OMG, I love love love the Snowberry.  I'll admit, I did go a little gangbusters ordering winter scents.  But that is good because I'm locked in the house.  I'm not a winter person WHATOSEVER but there are some things I do like about winter:

1.  Cute coats
2.  Cute scarves
3.  Cute gloves
4.  Jeans ALLL THE TIME
5.  There's just something about running from the car into your house with your little gymnast in the freezing cold and being greeted by my barking dogs, my baby reaching through the gate at the top of the stairs while saying "MAMA!!", the farmhusband yelling "Take your shoes off!!!" and walking in to the smell of Scentsy.  I have the greatest life ever :) :)  Yay!

After you decide your life has been empty without the smell of Scentsy (trust me on this), please contact one of these 3 lovelies:

Laura Meckley:  https://laurameckley.scentsy.us/Home
Kate Brehmer:  kbrehmer916@hotmail.com  (That is Kate's email)
Kelly Hunt:  www.scentsy.com/khunt



xoxo!
Ann :)

"Baby, It's {Effing Freezing} Ouuuuutsiiiiide"

Oh how I wish I lived in Florida.  I've been spending a lot of time this week cranking up this baby and wearing my humongous sheep snuggy that my mom bought me for Xmas last year.  I also like to take my computer and sit in front of the register in the kitchen.  It's pathetic.  I'd also like to point out that I have the lowest blood pressure possible, so I'm always FREEEEEZING.

Last night, I was snuggled up in the sheep and said something to Will.  He looked at me weird.  Kurt goes, "Who's that crazy lady?  Is that a SHEEP or is that your MOM?  I thought sheeps were supposed to say, 'BAAAAAAH'."  lol. 

xoxo!

Ann

Workin' It



Okay, I said as a disclaimer that I wouldn't talk about editing and working but last week I spent a million hours with this guy!

I've been working on updating my website (omg, it needed it - I haven't had time to update it since I started getting busy last summer), finishing up editing some clients' photos, figuring out a new pricing scheme for 2011, finishing up my wedding contracts for 2011, upgrading to Lightroom 3, selecting a new FABULOUS printer and learning to use their system, designing a proof book, taking a wedding class with a rockin' wedding photography teacher (he is mean but I like him), shopping for new backgrounds and new office supplies, designing Will's bday invites, etc. 

The computer is my BFF ;) 

xoxo!
Ann

It's Time

OMG, this blog is such a scam.  Apologies to anyone (*crickets*) who checked it over the weekend.  I was taking pics but didn't get to blog.  Blogging my last few days NOW :)

On tap for today, as of 8:00 a.m.:

As soon as we got up (appx 6:45), I took my laundry baskets (sorted four days ago) into the living room so I make myself start AND finish it today.  Ugh!  I don't mind doing laundry really but I HATE putting it way.  This drives Kurt insane.  :)  Luckily, I have enough clothes to last me QUITE awhile so I don't have to do it very often.  However, it's time.  Wish me luck. 

I should probably do Belle's laundry today, too.  Waaaah.  ;)

Update #1 (9:32 am):
First load is done spinning.  Ugh.  I want to avoid it but I guess I'll go get it out.  Wahh.

Update #2 (11:26 am):
*Jeans (washed like 5 days ago and were still on the drying rack this a.m.) ironed.

[I forgot to mention that although I hate/avoid laundry, I am extremely psycho about how it's done.  I do tons of little loads, dry lots of stuff and iron as much as I can with my pimpin' iron.  I hate wrinkles.]

*Load I like to call "Permanent Press" is done, dryed, folded/what needed ironed is ironed/what needed to air-dry is hanging on drying rack. 

*Whites are in dryer.

*Colors are washing.

*Another load of colors is on deck.

*Ugh.  Baby's up.  Now I have to put away the jeans and the folded/ironed perm press.  Ugh ugh ugh.

Update #3 (2:06pm): 

I realize no one cares about my laundry.  All of my laundry is done and folder but not put away YET :)  Will's sleeping again (yay) so I need to edit some photos.  Be back soooon.

Hips Don't Lie. Bad News/Good News.

My friend Kate and I went to Zumba for the first time.  We thought we'd rock it out because hello, how hard can some jazz sqaures really be?  We took lots of jazz growing up, so we were all over it. 

Until we got there.

Apparently, Antonia likes to "go long" on Sundays, which means 1hr 45min.  There were no jazz sqaures involved.  Consider my @$$ kicked.  OMG, that was hard. 

The bad news is my dreams of being in Shakira's next video were crushed.  I can't Latin dance to save my life.  The good news is I should look like Shakira by the end of the day today.  If you don't believe me, go to Antonia's class next Sunday. 

I've heard Shakira is also *around* 4'11" (my height).  That has no relevance to this story really, but I thought I'd mention it. 

*Click, click, click, click, upload, delete, click, upload, click, delete*

I worked on my extremely, horribly, embarrassingly outdated website all day and night on Saturday.  Literally, all day and night.  It's coming along nicely but there is still a lot more to do but at least I made a good dent in it!

Lots of the "pictured-aboves" were involved on Saturday.  The kitten mug was my Christmas present from Belle.  :)  Hehe.

Happy Bday, Bubbas!

Happy Bday, FarmBaby!  His party is later this month but we just had our parents over for pizza and cupcakes.  :) :)  I just lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve him.

"L Step, Go!"

Here's some steps.  The ones our dogs use.  Nice.  But not those kind of steps.  Step aerobics, yah!  Kate and I went today.  HILARIOUSLY, we haven't gone to step aerobics together since we were like 19.  We used to go to the YMCA ALL THE TIME when we were in high school for step aerobics. 

Anyway, sorry, gym goers.  I really am not a "New Year's Resolutioner."  Although, IMO regular gym people should be at least somewhat thankful for resolutioner's BECAUSE it's not like the gyms are not-for-profits and people donate equipment.  Hell to the no.  They use the MEMBERSHIP FEES to buy the new equipment and pay for XM radio, soap, Lysol to clean the floor, etc.  I wonder what percentage of members actually go to the gym on a regular basis, all year long.  Only a jack___ would sign up for a membership six years ago and only go in "workout kicks" once in awhile (me).  Only complete jack__es have lockers at the gym with their name on them that go unused 85% of the year (me).

ANYHOW, sooooooooo it's not like it's my fault (*bats eyelashes*) that I'm GOING TO HAWAII IN JULY!  :) :) :) :)  Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  Yayyyyyyyy!  Kurt's friend just set a wedding date and we are going.  I'm going to make somewhat of an effort to be hot when I go, so that is why I am going now.  Also, I need to be able to drag my camera and camera bag up a volcano (in a bikini - ahahahaha - yeah right on the bikini).

I drug Kate with me to step aerobics because we used to be the queens back in the day.  We still got it.  Holla.  ;)

xo!
Ann 

Why Me!??

[Side note:  This WAS going to be posted last night but blogger was DOWN.  I tried for an hour.  It's back up now, so I'm going to backdate it :)]

"Why me!?" is a hilarious saying my friend Craig and I use.  We usually saying it in whiny voices.  We just think weird things happen to us.

As a preface, I want to say that it takes A LOT for me to get mad at a waitress, store person, etc.  A lot lot lot. 

On Wednesdays, my mom comes out to babysit Will.  Ideally, she would watch him while I edited photos without a one-year old clinging to my leg.  However, she wants me to leave when she's here.  HAHA.  In some ways, I don't blame her because I think she's like, "Why would I drive all the way out here on Wednesdays to watch Will when you are also here watching him."  For a few weeks, I was packing up my laptop, hard drives, mouse pad, mouse, etc and hoofing it to the library.  By the time I restarted from Photoshop freezing up because Lightroom was trying to import a billion files when I reconnected the hard drive, let's just say it wasn't worth it.  Finally, I have come to the realization that I should use Wednesdays to do photography-related things that I can't normally do.  For example, shop for props, fabrics, lighting, etc.  I love to go to Borders and look at their photography books section.  Yesterday, they had emailed me a 33% off coupon so I figured it would be a good day to buy a new book and look around while I was banished from my house.  So, I did.  It was good.  I stood there reading and looking for about two hours, put some books on my "should buy soon" list.  Picked out the book  pictured above.  Bueno.  That's when it all went downhill...

I'm waiting in line to checkout and this annoying lady is trying VERY HARD to sell the guy in front of me their paying book club.  Barnes & Noble had it right - they have always charged like $25.  I know because I'm in it.  Borders effed up because they've had a free one FOREVER and now decided they wanted to charge $20 and pretend it's an  "even better" club than the free club.  But hello sister, I am in the free club and I get wayyyy more 40% off coupons than I could ever use.  And I am buying two other books for Belle at full-price and totally FREAKIN' fine with it.  I just want to leave asap.

So it's my turn.  She is relentless on the book club.  I am like no, I already have a 33% coupon (meaning, I don't want to pay $20 to get the 40% coupon).  I have to justify to her like 14 other times why I don't need to sign pu for the club TODAY.  And again, I like to buy books on photography but seriously I only buy what I really want because WHERE WOULD I PUT THEM ALL? 

So she's like, "fine."  Then she goes, "We also have a coupon book, it expires Jan 15th..." and starts detailing it.  I am assuming this is one of those little booklets that Gap, Bath & Body Works, etc just throw in your bag for free.  BUT WHY WOULD I CARE WHEN I GET A 33% OR 40% OFF COUPON EMAILED TO ME LIKE EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM THEM.  She's like, "a free BEVERAGE from the coffee shop," while flipping the book and holding it up like I'm a three-year old.  I go, "Mmmm...nice."  She goes, "oh good, so have I convinced you yet?"  I say, "Convined me of what?"  "To join the club.  You need to join the club to get the coupon book." 

O.M.G.

I'm like, "NO."

So I am already annoyed.  Not to mention there is a HUGE LINE of customers listening to this b.s. and every single person declines the club. 

So, she rings me up.  She scans my coupon and asks for my Borders card number because she needs to "verify the coupon."  She looks it up and confirms it really is me.  OK.  It's $25.83 for my book (with the 33% off) and Belle's two books.  WHO CARES.  I waste more money than this in gas, just driving into town.  Give her my credit card, she runs it through, prints receipt.  THEN, she's like, "Ooooh.  This isn't signed.  Do you have another form of i.d.?"  I tell her I don't have my driver's license but I have about a billion other forms of i.d.  I have my huge wallet open by this time with my name on EVERYTHING.  I ask her, "How about a checkbook?" and show her my checkbook with my name on it.  She's like, "Hmmmm no..."

So she calls the store manager, "Customer doesn't have an i.d."  OMFG.  This is $25.83.  I would have an easier time using my card to buy a diamond at Tiffany's!  I'm like, "Okay, sister, I am going to just run to my car and get my i.d. (in wristlet) and be right back in.  So, I do.  It takes like 3 seconds.  I come back in and she is JUST STARTING THE SCHPIEL about the book club with ANOTHER CUSTOMER.  WT#!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, I almost DIED.

OMfreakin'God.  If I had gone to the trouble of stealing someone's ENTIRE WALLET and checkbook, HACKING INTO THEIR BLACKBERRY for a measley (spell?) 33% off Borders coupon...  A) I wouldn't even bother with Borders.  I'm a book nerd but not that bad.  You can look for me at Chanel or Bliss Spa, honey.  B) If I DID use the stolen booty to go to Borders, do you think I'd buy a $25 Time Photographs book and two "Captain Underpants" paperbacks!?!?!?  HELL.NO.  I would literally take a cart from Michael's next door and just toss the entire photography SECTION into it.  Duh!  And I'd probably grab the Rhianna cd on the way to register because that "WANT YOU TO MAKE ME FEEL, LIKE I'M THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD," song has been in my head for like 3 weeks.  AND, to tell you the truth...I probably would join the $20 club at that point.

I am seriously thinking of complaining to Borders but I don't want to get her in trouble.

Wow, that was a long story!  Hope your day was filled with easy shopping experiences!  Do tell!

xo!
Ann

RUKM?

Tonight I forgot Miss Nikki's (tumbling cheerleading teacher) Christmas present.  Again.  This is a not the first time I've said, "I forgot Miss Nikki's present.  Again."  You can imagine I'm sick of this Xmas prize sitting in my living room.  Not to mention she probably thinks we don't really have one for her.  Niccccccce.  If I forget it "again" on Thursday, I will be posting about it "again," but this time with several #%%@(*&%*(.  

xo!
Ann

Cheer Camp

Belle had her BFF, Francesca, over.  They made up cheers and gave me a performance.  For the purposes of this blog, I just went into her room and stole her cheer notebook so I could give you the listing:

#1 Friends
#2 Shoot for the Stars
#3 Blue Grass (Wildcats)
#4 PV (Spartans)
#5 Dream
#6 Kitty Catz
#7 Best Friends (B.F.F.)
#8 Stars, Sky, Moon, Life
#9 Day Dream

I have to admit it was pretty ingenious since they only worked on it for an hour and had some pretty cute moves.  Isn't #3 totally deep??  Somehow, they managed to drag out some matching outfits from the Summer 2009 stash to wear for the performance.  They do kind of look cheerleadery. 

Not long after this, Francesca was trying to teach Belle a new P.V. Spartans cheer when Belle lost interest and looked outside.  Let's just say tears were involved and Belle was no longer allowed to share in the Spartan Spirit of Cheer #4.  All has been resolved.  =Dramatic.

Hoard much?

I actually took this photo for my makeup blog, so if you're into that sort of thing, you may see it on there, too.

My makeup cabinet was O.O.C. (out of control).  For reals.  I have always had these drawer things (Kurt bought them for me (of course).  Slowly over time I had eeked my way into using two additional huge makeup bags and gotten everything 70% unorganized again.

When we were in DSM, Dani was telling us how her OCD husband suggested "they" (meaning she) be more organized for their 2011 resolution.  Kurt thought this was a splendid idea *yawns* and thought we (meaning I) should do the same *ducks*. 

I bought some new loot @ Sephora on Jan 1, so I decided those items needed a neat, organized home.  I'm sure it'll be messed up again soon.  Whooppppsss!  ;)

xo!
Ann

HNY, Auld Lang Syne (sp?), etc

We went to DSM for New Year's Eve for a few days to see our friends, Dustin and Dani.  They are Kurt's very best friends from school and have two bambinos near our kids' ages. 

This photo makes the blog (dingdingding!) because these "innocent little darlings" found out how to rent pay-per-view KIDS movies in the hotel a mere two hours after this pic was taken.  lol.  Hilarious.  They had no idea they movies were charging our room $$$, so if they didn't like a movie they picked, they just picked a different one.  HAHAHA.  Cheers to living it up in 2011.  ;) 

xo!
Ann