The love of photoshop..

I was going to do this with CBW's house today but found I liked this one better..

Here is a before and after make over posting.






I absolutely adore actions in Photoshop.

The Get Away Driver..

I have to say that taking shot around town is quite amusing in itself, however it would not be nearly as fun or interesting without my own personal Get Away Driver. He has mentioned that this in fact makes him in cahoots with me on my little excursions until I very matter a factly pointed out we don't REALLLLY do anything illegal. It means nothing that in one had I carry a camera and in the other a leash and at random times holler HERE HERE HERE in a way that only the Hounddog could have taught me years and years ago at the age of two. (cover stories are a must have in the business of not REALLLLY doing anything illegal)

The last couple of days I spent more time on the road with the Get Away Driver than I have since our honeymoon. (Did I just give away his identity?? opps) I have to admit it has been great, we have said more "I don't remember that being there" and "Wow look how much that has changed" than ever before and it was a complete blast.

Unfortunately I am not one for patience so I posted all the good shots on facebook with captions cause I don't want to wait to post one at a time, but I will be using some as fodder cause after all those old house have stories to tell of babies and life back in the day and why the top window looks like a cross. For now... I think I will leave you with this..



"Cruising along in my automobile... baby sitting beside me at the wheel..."

Considering that is what I was doing and all..

SMOOCHIES

I said I loved you..

but I lied. Actually I didn't lie about loving anyone I lied about shoes. I said I was going to post 3 ugly pair today, but I'm not. I have something much more important to share.

The end of one year and the beginning of a new always seems to bring reflection to most of us.. especially what we did in that last year. What I did in that last year was live through the entire year with a 14 year old daughter. I know to most that does not should like a huge achievement however to me it is GINORMOUS! When I was 14 due to some kind of arrangement that was made that I was not privy to until just a couple of years ago, I spent weekends in one home and weekdays in another. I wasn't alone in this adventure and in looking back it probably was one of the most meaningful times of my life. I can look back at that time and think of many lessons I learned. I can also say that at 14 I was a horror as a kid. Not sure how the parents lived through it, all 4 of them, but they did and alas I did too, however I have to say.. my kid... she is still an angel, me at 14 I was pure as the driven snow.. as long as it was driven by say.. Satan and a team of fire breathing black stallions. So you get the point I reflected back 23 years ago to a time when I wasn't so good, and compared that to the same time of my daughters life, no comparison I tell ya.. none.

Crap I am babbling.. there is a point. I promise. I wanted to share with you a lesson I learned that year, 23 years ago.



If you are drunk and have climbed the tree in your front yard and there are people wandering around all over the place looking for you... don't giggle. Yea that one was a HUGE lesson.

Ringing out the New Year...

Yesterday evening the husband and I were watching a little boob tube and something caught our eye and we had to run out and get it for New Years Eve.. (ok ok it was Ben and Jerry's ice cream .. don't ask) Anyway when I walked out the door my I glanced up and the sky and exclaimed.. SCREW THE ICE CREAM.. I got to have that shot! So with as much speed a humanly possibly on that windy little road to Harpers Creek we dashed.. me with camera in hand and pa in his kercheif.. (oh wait wrong story)

It is times like these I wish I could have been a Cullen. On the other hand I am not 100% sure they appreciate sun sets. I could not think of a better way to ring out the old year and bring in the new than a shot of the sun setting in 2008 and rising in 2009 (if anyone has a shot of that sun rising thing let me know.. K?)

I am wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy and Prosperous 2009!

Yesterday I spent a girls day with my girls (..and no I don't mean the boobs as one of my friends thought I meant when I sent her a text stating I was hanging out with the girls today.) So I will explain, I have one daughter so most would think I would say I was "hanging on with my girl" um no.. cause regardless of the fact that I have only one daughter I do in fact have a niece hence girlS. We had a blast. We did the following:

A. Took the oldest girl to CHKD to have her ankle rechecked. Still must wear air cast but does not need crutches and has exercises she has to do or next thing will be supervised PT. (there are no pictures of that)

B. We went to the book store and both girls got books, even though one girl apparently calls the other girl weird cause she reads too much when we got to the book store she decided she liked to read too. (there are no pictures of this either)

C. We went to the mall in search of a Beatles calendar which we found.. unfortunately we also found a iCarly and a Funny Bunny calendar too, I am still not sure how the hunt for ONE calendar turned into the purchase of three but it did. (there are no pictures of this)

D. We played in the mall and got yelled at in Spencers.. THERE ARE PICTURES OF THIS...







E. We went to lunch at one of our favorite spots in Newport News I think it is called Atzeca or something like that.. but it is where the old Chi Chis was. (again no pictures I had chips in my hands)

F. MANIS!!! Only one shot of that.. the chick yelled at me in a very firm Asian kinda way and believe me having a cuticle clipper poked at you with every word is intimidating so I put the camera away. I actually got the most important shot cause this was her FIRST mani.



G. Then there was another unfortunate incident that included a Pumba and a galloping horse.. I think my child now hates me but it is really her fault .. shortly before arriving at this particular destination we were singing "I just can't wait to be King" .. you know from the Lion King.. oh come on YOU KNOW.. Everybody Look Left.. Everybody Look Right.. Everywhere you Look I'm standing spot light.. oh well you don't know.. ok. Hakuna Matata.. know that one? Oh.. K.. Good. Well as we are singing the daughter screams I am PUMBA!! So what you are about to see is HER fault!




Tomorrow.. the girls day from Tuesday, including different girls and at least 3 pair of ugly shoes.