Happy Birthday Cory!!

We just wanted to wish this special boy a "Happy, Happy Birthday!" today. We love you and hope you are having a great day!

(Blogger won't let me upload a picture, so I will try again later.)

Ty's Best Friend

I was able to do another photo practice session this morning with this beautiful little girl. Her mom (Andrew knew her in Hawaii) and I have become very close friends, while this little girl has become Ty's best friend. They play together almost every week and they get so excited when they see each other.

Session from this morning

I had my first portfolio building session this morning and I learned lots! Here are a few from the session. What a cutie!

Tag I'm it! again and again and again!

So I can't answer all of the tags I have been receiving just yet, so I will put up a few random facts about me.

1. I am just not that into the costume part of Halloween. Honestly it is the cost, it has gotten so ridiculous. If money was no object, I could get into it, but other needs are higher on the priority list. In fact this year I offered the kids $5 each to come up with their own costume with stuff around the house. I am happy to report that my offer was accepted with glee, especially from me.

2. I can't stand Campbell's Tomato Soup.

3. Dove milk chocolate is by far the best chocolate on the planet.

4. I only cut my hair twice a year.

5. I dislike anything with peanuts or peanut butter.

6. I have paid more money in library fines than I would like to admit.

7. When I am feeling down, I plan an imaginary trip to Disneyworld. Happiness soon follows.

8. I have to eat Kit Kats a certain way. First, I eat all of the chocolate on the outside (accept for the thin layer on the bottom) and then I eat each wafer layer individually.

Well so that should tide you over until I can answer the other questions.

The cutest pink flutterbug you have ever seen!

Here is a shot of Ella wearing her warm and cozy butterfly costume. Such a darling!

Ella (14 months old)

Just had to share how much she is changing. Ella is 14 months old and loves to get into everything.

My 5 year plan

I would love to put more pics of Ella up, but shoot she is hard to get to sit still. However, Ty will pose for me anytime I ask and he is pretty good about being still, as long as I don't take too long. So here is the shot from our session today. He is such a handsome little dude.



So I am really working hard trying to become a professional photographer. Art school around here costs $20,000 so I have decided to just teach myself. Fortunately, in this day and age, the Internet is available. I have found fantastic photographers who are happy to share their skills for free and answer the long list of questions I have. I spend about 2 hours a day studying and learning. I am not ready to start charging yet. I still have so much to learn, but I feel like it is coming along.

When I first decided to make photography my career path, I created a five year plan. The first 2 years will be spent learning, practicing, acquiring the gear, and building a portfolio. I have to learn about printing, packaging, advertising, plus all of the actual photography skills. The third and 4th year, will be more of the same, however I will charge more and keep a limited schedule. By the fifth year (when Ella is in school full time) I hope to have an established photography business with a studio. I am totally excited about this. I will get to set my own schedule. It isn't about the money, although a little extra to put in savings would be nice. I just love photography and the idea of doing this forever just makes me giggle. hehe.

Bento goodness

I thought I would update you all on how the bento is working. I am still doing bento lunches. I am pretty much making the same bentos that I have posted before. To make it easy, I have a list of available bento foods on my fridge so I don't have to think so hard in the morning. It definitely makes the prep go faster in the morning. All this bento stuff has been worth it though. Brianna told me she would rather have my bento lunches than buy lunch at school. I do believe that I have officially won the lunch war, woohoo!

Here is a pic of today's bento, enjoy.



Sticky rice with spam and teriyaki sauce (nori and sesame seeds are sprinkled on top)
Carrots and Cucumbers
Mini Gala Apple

Orionids Meteor Shower

Early on Sunday morning (5:00 AM), Andrew, myself, and Brianna went out to the back yard to view the Orionids Meteor Shower. We have Andrew’s self-described “astro-nerdiness” to thank for this fun star-gazing activity.



Each time Comet Halley swings by the sun, solar heating evaporates some of the ice and rock from the nucleus. The trailing comet particles are usually no bigger than grains of sand. Although they are very small, these tiny meteoroids make brilliant shooting stars when they strike Earth's atmosphere at nearly 90,000 mph! The Orionids meteor shower happens each year toward the end of October when Earth passes through the debris stream of Halley’s Comet.

We stood outside and watched as about 10 or so “shooting stars” streaked by Orion. The meteoroids are visible in the area of Orion and Mars in the south sky before sunrise. October 21st was the peak of the shower.

This link explains more about meteors and meteor showers: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/meteors-ez.html

This link shows the schedule for more meteor showers: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/meteor_showers_2007.html

And this link gives you a better idea of all the other things you can look for in our night sky: http://www.space.com/nightsky/

By the way, here’s Andrew’s favorite space picture. Back in 2004, scientists in charge of the Hubble space telescope must have been a little bored looking at visible objects, so they decided to spice things up by looking at non-visible objects. They focused in on a small, very dark region of space where there was absolutely nothing visible to earth’s telescopes. They wanted to confirm, by taking a very long picture of that area, that they were looking at the ‘end of space’. So, after THREE MONTHS of staring into that blank space, Hubble produced the following photograph.



Keep in mind that most of these tiny dots and swirls are either galaxies or CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES!!! Just to blow your mind, one galaxy is a collection of BILLIONS of stars like our sun!!!!!! If this doesn’t ram home the fact that we’re not alone in this Universe, I’m not sure anything will. It’s almost comical to think that scientists here on earth have a good idea of what life, the universe, and everything is all about.

Ashley

I took this photo of my friend, Ashley, and her baby 6 months ago (before I left for TN). That adorable little boy is now 1, which is so hard for me to believe. Ashley and I became friends through our mutual love of scrapbooking, stamping, and photography. If it wasn't for her, I never would have pursued this photography dream of mine. I sure do miss her.

Happy birthday to Papa!

Today is my father-in-law's birthday. He is a wonderful man and we all love him dearly. So on his special day we wanted to wish him a happy birthday and let him know that he is a mighty fine Father, Father-in-law, and Papa. So to Papa: Happy Birthday from all of us, we love you!

Some pics from Dave and Logan's wedding

I finally have been able to work on the pics from David and Logan's wedding in August. I tried to give the photos a vintage, classic feel and I am pleased with the final product, I just hope David and Logan like them too.

David and Logan when they first came out of the temple.






The beautiful bride, Logan.

Ty, just chillin'

Just wanted to share what Ty is looking like these days. He is as handsome as ever. Right now his passions are anything with wheels and Scooby Doo. He is having a hard time being a little guy these days and really wishes he was big like Arick so Arick would play with him more. He loves to play with water, ugh, and we are struggling to keep him away from the faucets. Such a little stinker!

My new favorite veggie!

I have my friend Cristina to thank for introducing me to my new favorite veggie. Purple yam, or ube, and it is delish. I bought this at the local international grocery store. I steamed them for about 30 minutes. I like eating it cold the best. It has a sweet flavor but it is hard to describe. So if you ever come accross this veggie, don't be scared to try it, it is very tasty!

My first stitchery

Here is a stitchery that I did, my first one. I like how it came out, although I am sure I could make it better. I just need to figure out where I am going to hang it.

I. Can't. Keep. It. A. Secret. Anymore.

Okay, I recently learned a new skill that I desperately wanted to blog about. However, Andrew asked that I wait until I see his siblings in person to surprise them. I tried, but it might be a year or more until we are all together again, and I can't wait. What is this secret skill? Well I learned to make manapua. Now if you are not from Hawaii you probaby have no clue what I am talking about and you are probably pronouncing it wrong. Here is a good definition from Wikipedia:

"Manapua is Hawaiian slang for the Chinese food cha siu bau (pork-filled bun). The word does not mean "chewed-up" (mana) "pork" (puaʻa) in the Hawaiian language, as its spelling suggests. Rather, the current form is a shortening of meaʻono-puaʻa, meaning "pork cake" (meaʻono = "cake"). In the US mainland, the Chinese term is commonly used. The Chinese brought this dim sum item with them when they were brought over as plantation workers. This food usually consists of a white bun with a red-colored shredded pork filling. The bun is occasionally baked, but is more frequently steamed when it is made."

Manapua is super yummy and a favorite treat in our home. Here is a picture of one that I made:



Now I can't take all the credit. I learned how to make this thanks to my friend Cristina. She is from Hawaii and actually knew Andrew in high school. Small world. She and I share a love of Asian and Hawaiian foods, so we are becoming fast friends. We made 80 buns and split it up between us. Sadly the 40 buns I took home barely lasted us a week and I will need to make more soon. We had a great time and the results were fab, even Andrew couldn't believe how authentic they were.

So to the Smith clan, the next time we are together I look forward to making this for you all. You can act surprised if you want to, hehe!

Frugal Gift Giving

Last night I taught a class on frugal gift giving and I thought I would post a little bit about it here. I love to give gifts. I love
the whole process, including the planning, shopping for (or making) the perfect gift, and finally giving the gift. It’s definitely one of the things that make me happy. Since I don't have a limitless supply of money to fund this gift giving love of mine, I have had to learn to be frugal. Now my definition of being frugal may be different than others', but the following tips that I have learned are valid no matter what your definition of frugal is.

The Four P's of Frugal Gift Giving Plan

One day a year, sit down and write a list of who you need to buy gifts for and when you need to give the gifts. Don't forget to plan for those birthday parties that your kids are invited to attend. Make sure to include all gift-giving holidays that you participate in. Also, when you plan, pay special attention to the date. It is very important to make sure that gifts are received on or before the special day, as this attention to detail is noticed and appreciated by the recipient. A late gift, especially an obviously frugal one, may end up conveying the wrong message.

Ponder

Now that you have your list, think about the people that you need to give gifts for. The less money you spend on a gift, the more time/thought you should probably spend on it. People recognize when thought has been put into a gift and they appreciate it. Find out their likes and dislikes, their favorite colors, hobbies, foods, places, music, brands, etc. Keep little notes if it will help you remember. When you are shopping, it will save you a lot of frustration and make it easier for you to select the perfect gift. It also increases the chances that the recipient will love the gift no matter how much you spend.

This master list will be key to your success as a gift giver and will enable you to make your purchases when its financially beneficial for you, not for the retailer.

Purchase/Prepare

Many people believe that frugal gifts are always homemade. While it’s true that you can often save money by making a gift ourself, it is not always true. I have handmade items that have ended up costing more than store bought gifts. Frugal gifts can be purchased or homemade. No matter what you decide, try to decide early. This gives your more time to find or make the perfect gift that fits your budget.

Now that you have a master list and some guidelines, carry the list with you. Every time you go shopping (especially at Target with their regular clearance deals) make sure to go through all the areas. If you don’t walk down that aisle, you will never notice the good deals that will fit in your frugal budget and be perfect to give as a gift. Doing this only takes an extra 5-10 minutes of your time, and it will help you find the perfect, frugal gift. Also, watch for sales in craft stores to save money on materials for homemade items. You can even bargain shop online, go to yard sales, etc. Be creative, be alert, and have an open mind.

Presentation

Although we are told never to judge a book by its cover, it happens all the time. A gift wrapped in newspaper just doesn’t have the same impact as an attractive, well-wrapped present. A beautiful presentation will show the recipient that you paid attention to the details. Nice gift wrap and packaging can be purchased inexpensively as long as you buy it ahead of time. Clearance deals of 50 – 90% off are not unheard of at end-of-season sales. Don't wait until the day you need to give the gift or you will likely discover that you don't have the wrap that you need, forcing you to spend more than you’d like to.

Finally, depending on the situation, the gift can be accompanied by a simple card (handmade or purchased on sale, of course) to let the recipient know how much you care.


So that was the quick version of my class. The ladies loved it, especially the examples that I brought in. The following item was probably the most popular and it may actually be an upcoming Enrichment project. It is a church activity book that I hope will keep the kids reverent during Sacrament Meeting, while helping them to focus on gospel topics. There are about 100 pages of gospel-oriented activities (crosswords, puzzles, games, coloring pages, etc), some that I came up with myself and others I printed from the online version of our Church magazine for kids. It took me about 2 hours to print all of the pages from lds.org. Once you print, make sure you keep the master copy for yourself to always make copies from so you get the highest quality copies.

Cover:


Inside: