2010

 Questions From The Coffee Pot


1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? Had a baby!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I have no clue if I made resolutions last year - but if I did I doubt I kept them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes - me!

4. Did anyone close to you die? Unfortunately someone I consider an Uncle.  He passed away suddenly on September 11, 2010 - his wife's birthday.  Bobby you are dearly missed.

5. What countries did you visit? The country of MOTHERHOOD!

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? MONEY!!!!  More money and more happiness.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 7, 2010 the day I entered the hospital 9 months preggo.  May 8, 2010 - the day my daughter was born.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Having my beautiful girl and still loving my hubby regardless of all the stress of this year.

10. What was the best thing you bought? OHHH my new camera!  Nikon 3100 :)

11. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband for not killing me when I become like a crazed rabid animal.

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted? Some people that constantly complain without realizing that the person next to you has many more problems and you're complaining about DIDDLY SQUAT!

13. What song will always remind you of 2010?  Daughter - Peter Blegvad

14. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercise, run, laugh, jump up and down.  Travel.  Sit down and enjoy a moment.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of? Get frustrated, fighting feeling down.

16. Did you fall in love in 2010? With my E-rizzle

17. Who did you miss? Bobby Higgins

18. Who was the best new person you met? E-rizzle.

Christmas has come & gone

Christmas was here - and just as quickly as it came it left.  Santa is preparing for next year!  Christmas was nice this year but it felt rushed.  We were running between my parents house & the in-laws house.  Staying up late to wrap presents and trying to find the perfect present for someone on a budget can be a difficult task.  But in anycase I think Erin had a terrific day - and lets just say she is still recovering from the weekend's festivities. 

(after opening several presents)

Santa's letter for Erin & he ate most of his brownie!

  
If you live on the East Coast I hope you were able to survive the snow storm!  It was fantastic - I always love a good storm whether it's rain or snow or wind.  It's thrilling (as long as no one gets hurt).  I can remember a thunder storm/terrific rain storm when my brother & I were little.  My mom was in a chinese food store getting lunch and the rain came and my brother & I were outside dancing around on the street!  Thrilled that our mom wasn't yelling at us for running around in the cold rain.
In any case we were at my in-laws house when the snow arrived and we were literally snowed in for 2 days.  Sunday to Tuesday we were snowed in - the plow didn't make it to their neighborhood until Tuesday morning.  I never realized how much of a city gal I am until I was snowed in in Queens, NY away from any kind of store - and when I say store I'm including a deli.  The closest 7-11 is several blocks from their house. 
New Yorkers were thrown for a loop when the sanitation department was much slower in removing the snow from their blocks.  Many believe this is because sanitation workers were recently layed off and it was the departments F-you to the city - New York Times Article.  But I sometimes wonder do New Yorkers complain because we are New Yorkers and expect a tremendous amount from our city?  Or were we really screwed over?  What is the response time like in other cities that get huge amounts of snow? 
Whatever the case I throughouly enjoyed the snow (and so did Buddy) and am so glad that my daughter's first Christmas was almost a white Christmas.

Happy Almost New Year!

Change in Relationships

Did you find as you started motherhood that your relationships with your friends who are not married or don't have kids or both changed?  And if you are single or don't have kids did you find that your relationship with your friends who have kids and/or are married changed?  Or if you have kids did your relationship with friends that have kids change?
I'm the only one of my friends that is married and has a child (well 2 including my pup).  And I have found that I don't feel as close to any of my friends anymore.  I don't know if it's the change to becoming a mom that has done this or if it's my entire situation or what it is or if I've always been like this.

And It's Vacation

Finally - I have time off!  Time off to hang out with my daughter & hubby.  I have nearly 2 weeks off!  I haven't had this much time off since my maternity leave.  It will be nice to sorta sleep in and to be able to do things on my own schedule.  To play with Erin and watch her grow and hopefully catch her making her first crawl forward (not backwards).
Happy Almost Christmas!

Don't Forget...

To vote for what you think my  theme should be for the 365 project!

I Heart Faces - Fix It Friday!

Today is my first entry for the I Heart Faces Fix it Friday photo challenge.  Here is the original

Now here is my version:

Here is what I did:

1) I turned the photo black & white using the action from: The Coffee Shop Blog and Texas Chicks Blogs & Pics.

Then for the quick edge burn layer I made the opacity 0% and the light layer 100%.  

It's Nearly Vacation!

This week has been dragging.  It's the last week of school before vacation and all week long I keep thinking that we are one day ahead.  Today I thought it was Friday so when I got home I figured ohhh tomorrow is Saturday - NOT!  So after a LONG day at work where I was just in an awful mood I was happy to come home to my holiday return address labels!  Because now I can finally send out my Christmas cards!  It's my first Christmas sending a picture card - because now we have Erin! 
Then there's the other part of the holidays - the food!  I decided to make Irish soda bread for some of my co-workers.  And then it just expanded.  So before the night is over I will have made 7 loaves for people at work.  Count em 7 - but they are delicious!  It's a recipe from my grandma, to my mom to me :) 

I am also busy checking out other people's websites on I Heart Faces.  There are some amazing photographers out there.  If anybody has a professional website out there can you suggest your host?  Especially if it's a free one?  It would be of a great help!  I think I just need to jump into this - head first.  Maybe do some shoots for free to build up a base and get some recommendations (that is if I'm any good!).

And here are some pictures of my little monkey from tonight!

Thank You!

Thank you to Stacey Bishop for her tutorial on how to create your own storyboard!  She gave AMAZING instructions (thus my new storyboard title!).  I'm so proud of it and can't wait to do more!  Please visit her blog: http://staceybishopphotography.blogspot.com/

The 365 Project!

Okay so I have heard of the 365 day project!  I was thinking it would be a great way for me to be creative with my camera and really get me out there.
So here's my thought.  I'll start January 1, 2011 (weird 2011).  But I'm going to add a poll to see what you guys think I should be taking pictures of!  Sound like fun??  I think so!  If you have any of your own suggesstions please also leave a comment - along with a link to your blog!  To me the most interesting one is Photos of NYC.
Thanks!!!


What should the 365 project be?

I Heart Faces

The I Heart Faces competition this week is all about pets!!!  I had 1 dog when I was growing up, Rex.  He was truly special - so special in fact that my husband started to like dogs again.  So about 3 years ago me and my husband got our very own puppy!  His name is Buddy - and he is crazy (I actually think he has ADD).  He bounces around the place and thinks he is a tough dude.  He is only about 30 pounds but barks at every HUGE dog he sees.  But he is so gentle with my daughter and just loves to kiss her!  So here's to the pets in our life.  The ones that can brighten any day!

Working Moms!

Everybody knows that being an outside the home working mom is hard.  But it's HARD!  Lets start with the nights when you're little one doesn't want to sleep so you're up throughout the night.  Your sister-in-law is sleeping in the living room, your husband wants to bring the baby to bed so she will fall asleep faster, I'm worried that one of us will roll over on her and that she will only want to sleep with us and not learn to fall asleep on her own!  Let's not mention the guilt!  The guilt I feel leaving the house - especially when she is still asleep when I leave.  Then I'm at work missing all the little laughs & giggles & hugs and good times.  And then I'm home...and it's run around the clock until her bed time! 
And then it's all the wifey obligations!  And you're running on empty (how does that song go again?)
OI VEY IT NEVER ENDS!!!
But that's what happens when you live in an expensive city, your hubby is unemployed going to school and you're the only source of income!
But the reward is when I come home, my dog jumps all over me and my little girl smiles & giggles with delight as I walk through the door!
Kids really do take over your life but in the absolute best way possible.  It's a balancing act between work, husband, friends, your own hobbies, SLEEP and having time with your kids.  I wouldn't trade it for the world!
Happy Holidays Everyone!