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Mid Week Loves

November 19, 2008 – 7:21 pm

This week’s edition is charity-themed … I thought about saving it for next week since charity fits in well with Thanksgiving, but decided to share the links a bit early so everyone can start putting them to use earlier

Personally, the charities I regularly support include …

The Humane Society of the United States

Paralyzed Veterans of American

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Adopt a Platoon — I know they’re in bad need of supporters right now, just received an email request from them over the weekend for supporters to send stockings and cards/candy canes!

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Salvation Army Kettle Drives

I find it easier to support a handful of charities that fit with my passions rather than just responding to every donation request I receive (which is at least three times as many as I have listed here). I love animals, so HSUS is an automatic given. As the daughter of a Vietnam/Army Veteran, I believe its my duty to give back soldiers and veterans — not just with financial donations, but also care packages around the holidays and periodically throughout the year to show my appreciation and gratitude for their service and sacrifice. And I can’t make it through a single St. Jude’s telethon without bawling my eyes out at the adorable children — having had a cancer scare as a child (as well as my bro), I can’t begin to imagine what its like to be in their shoes. And Komen — knowing as many breast cancer survivors as I do, its the least I can do. One of these days I’m gonna be in good enough shape to do a 5k or the Three Day Walk.

I also am keeping an eye out for a AML (acute myeloid leukemia) foundation to contribute to. I lost my grandmother five years ago this Christmas Eve and would like to honor her memory as well.

So — in case some of those charities aren’t in line with what your passion is, here’s a few more resources with charity information … all came from the most recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens …

Additionally, ABC World News Tonight has a segment called Spirit of America — tonight’s was about the generous hearts of the members of a small church in an East Texas community (so small its not even on the state map!) — read here about how they opened their hearts and homes to 72 abused children!

PS … don’t forget to sign up for the Third Monday Giveaway!

By girl | Posted in newsworthy, personal faves, remembrance | no comments No Comments | Add a Comment

Twenty Questions: Part III

November 18, 2008 – 8:09 pm

Continuing with Goofy Girl’s questions … the second one (of the three she asked) is …

What are things you do for fun?

Well … that’s a good question … what is this fun of which you speak, Goofy Girl? You know I’m almost as busy as you are

Oh, alright … when I do have some free time (which is rare these days), the things I like to do for fun if there are enough hours in the day …

Sleep — how is this fun, you ask? I do good to get six hours a night right now since its the ‘peak portrait season’, so anytime I can make up for the other two hours a day I’m in desperate need of is ‘fun’ to me. In fact, I crashed Sunday afternoon for nearly three well needed hours of sleep!

Reading — I’m a huge bookworm. And right now, due to the aforementioned ‘peak portrait season’ I don’t seem to have much time for this activity as I prefer. Weird thing is I seemed to have more time to read for fun when I was in grad school than I do now! Anyway, I read a bit of everything — from crime/political/military thrillers to chick lit. Sometimes I even toss in some biographies or historical fiction too. You could even include blog-reading here, since it seems to be the only thing I make any progress on as of late

Take pictures — of non-human subjects. Like plants, animals, architecture, landscapes, and other nature-related stuff. Some still-life also. Lately I’ve had to force myself to make time for the ‘fun’ photography since I don’t get paid to do it, and thus those images get shoved to the back burner when it comes to editing and appearing online.

Travel — whether a day trip or a two week one, I love seeing/discovering new places. In fact, this is one of my 101 in 1001 goals, to do more traveling. Last week I ventured down to Georgetown for a day, next month I’m headed to Fredericksburg and maybe another locale or two when I’m off at Christmas. Next summer I’m taking two weeks off and doing a bit of a cross-country road trip.

Zone out watching tv/dvds — sometimes I just don’t feel like doing anything else or going anywhere, so I just pop in a dvd or tv series (that I have on dvd) and zone out. Lately it seems like have either a dvd, a football game, or something off of PBS playing in the background while I’m editing photos. And, occasionally, I actually venture out to a movie theater to see a movie — the latest one being Fireproof, which just made it to the local theater over month after it came out!

Putt putt or bowling — these were two of mine and a couple of friends from grad school’s frustration releases when coursework was driving us nuts. We kept it up on a monthly basis after graduation and until one of the trio left because of a job transfer.

Umm … I think that’s it. I used to run for fun, but I just don’t have the time right now. Maybe when it slows down in the spring I can add it back to the list!

Next week — I’ll answer Timber’s question and then Goofy Girl’s last question the week after Thanksgiving. Have a question you want to see here — leave it as a comment or email it to me

By girl | Posted in 20 questions | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Third Monday Giveaway

November 17, 2008 – 12:53 pm

Ah, yes, its that time again …

My original plans for this month’s prize were dashed — I’d chosen something from a Nie Nie Benefit but it was lost in transit sadly. So, over the weekend, I scrambled to find something to replace it.

Thus — there’s two prizes this month!

Yes — two, count them, two people will receive the following prizes:

(2) sets of Rainy Day Recipes (one to keep and one to give away!)
+
(1) 4.25 x 5.5 2009 Calendar

I found these adorable prizes at Littlebrownpen @ Etsy — they sell Adobe Acrobat templates to print your own calendars and stationery! So — they’ve designed this month’s prizes and I’ve ‘created’ them by way of my printer

Here’s a couple of pics from their etsy store so you can see what you’ll receive (I’ll be putting these together this week, so I don’t have images yet!)

So — what do you have to do to win?

There’s two ways to receive an entry:

(1) Leave a comment answering the following question: “What are you most thankful for this year?”. (My original prize idea was tied a bit more to the Thanksgiving holiday, being thankful, and giving btw.)

And …

(2) Post on your blog about this contest to earn a second entry (use this link: http://5foot4.org/geek/?p=324)! Then — you must come back and leave a comment that you’ve posted about the Third Monday Giveaway on your blog

Entries/Comments can be left until Friday, November 21st at midnight CST. Winners will be selected during the day on Saturday and posted here & notified by email by that evening.

PS … btw, what does everyone think of the new look? If you’re in a feed/rss reader, pop over to the site to see it!

By girl | Posted in freebies, giveaway | Tagged blog giveaway, calendar, etsy, etsy goodness, freebie, gift, giveaway, november giveaway, prize, prizes, recipe set, thankful, third monday giveaway, two prizes, win | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Friday Freebie

November 14, 2008 – 11:24 pm

… a tad bit late!

It’s been a crazy week — combined with some server problems — so I’m just finally getting a chance to sit down and find something for the Friday Freebie (while I’m working on half a dozen other things tonight!)

Since I’m working on photos, a new logo, and a bit of a overhaul on this site, here’s some scrapbooking related stuff I came across in the process of looking for ideas …

Free Patterns and Templates (@ Scrapbooks Etc.)

Quick and Easy Craft Projects (@ Better Homes and Gardens)

Maybe by next week I’ll have more time to dedicate towards locating some holiday themed freebies!

By girl | Posted in crafty, freebies | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Twenty Questions: Part II

November 13, 2008 – 6:38 am

This week’s edition (a couple days late) was actually asked in person a few days ago — but since I wasn’t certain to what extent the person wanted for an answer, I gave the brief generic ’safe’ answer for it. I figured I’d share the full answer here …

The question — “Where do you see yourself in three years?”

The answer I gave at the time — Teaching criminal justice and political science at the juco level full time somewhere in the state of Texas.

The extended answer to explain why I want to see myself there in three years — when I started out on the grad school route five years ago, my plan B for the degree was to teach (plan A was to work in federal law enforcement) if I couldn’t achieve plan A. Well, the further I got in, I realized plan B was the more feasible and more realistic route. So, after finding out that the only way I could teach CJ would be to also gain work experience in the ‘field,’ I finally got a job in an area of CJ (where I am now). I have a little under a year and a half before I meet the work requirement. In the meantime, I’ve started my photography business, so that’s altered plans, and dropped the plan A completely.

So, basically, in three years I want to be teaching full time during the academic year and focusing on photography full-time during the summers (part time the rest of the year).

There’s one other reason I’m determined to be at that point in three years from now — I want a career where I can be there (whenever I marry and have children) for them like my mom was for me and my brother. My mom was a stay at home mom (except for a couple of part time stints over the years) to me and my brother. She was there for nearly everything — from the first’s to school functions and track, cross country, and powerlifting meets. I don’t know that I could ever make photography a full-time career financially, but once I’m to the point where I can start paying myself, I can stick that money back for other reasons that aren’t ‘for’ me.

Meanwhile, I’d like to think I’ll find whoever it is I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with sometime in the next few years and starting a family will not be all that far behind settling down and marrying (although those last two might be closer to five and not three years out from now!).

So — that’s the long answer. Not that I think the person will read here, but at least it’s answered for posterity’s sake

Happy Thursday! Rather, Happy its almost Friday!

By girl | Posted in 20 questions, ramblings | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Mid Week Loves

November 12, 2008 – 9:33 pm

Hmm … what to make this week’s topic about … okay, I have to admit I just started thinking about this about 10 minutes ago! Oops!

So … I guess I’m going to go with snack foods I love but don’t eat often enough because they’re not healthy (I’m hungry right now, what more can you expect?!?!)

Strawberry cheesecake — or any kind of cheesecake

Funnel Cakes

Cake and/or brownie batter

Blue Bell’s Good Heaven’s Ice Cream

Sweet Tarts Jelly Beans

Mike and Ikes

There’s many other snacks, but I’m bogged down in photo editing for clients after a day and a half out of town, so I need to get back to that right now … will try to answer another question for the Twenty Questions segment tomorrow! So — tell me what your favorite snack foods are in the comments …

By girl | Posted in food, personal faves | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Friday Freebie

November 7, 2008 – 6:39 pm

Since last week’s Friday Freebie was a contest, I thought I’d locate some stuff that’s a little more towards the instant gratification side …

Found @ Melissa Jill Photography’s blog: Photojunction is free to all (album designing software program)

Found via Hanna KJ’s Flickr photostream — overlay for rounded corners

Free Photoshop actions and tutorials @ CoffeeShop (also found via Flickr)

and for those who aren’t into photoshop / photography, maybe this one will tide you over …

Found @ Jen’s Super Savings: Goody Hair Products $2 coupon (need Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Happy weekend to everyone — I’m off to enjoy the next four days off work as well as a day trip south of home

By girl | Posted in beauty, crafty, freebies, photography | no comments No Comments | Add a Comment

Mid Week Loves

November 5, 2008 – 6:56 pm

Finally … its autumn around these parts. Well, at least in terms of the leaves changing colors and it getting dark earlier. Temperatures are following suit later this week (and will hopefully stay there awhile!).

So … this week’s edition involves cool/cold weather gear. I admit, I’m the girl who is wearing a cardigan in my office at work and a sweatshirt in the evenings at home during the summer because others like it cold! I can’t help it if I’m cold natured! But it results in me loving cold weather clothing … I have tons of sweaters, hoodies, sweatshirts, and coats as a result

Here’s a few of my faves I’ve scoured for since last week …

Black Tan Teal Cotton Hat — I love this beanie! And its similar to my biz colors, even better

Adult Wool Crocheted Buckle Beanie - Taupe — and I love this one as well!

Cocoa Heather Shawl — I’m not much of a shawl person, but I can’t resist this one!

Eiffel Tower Printed Long Gray Wrap/Scarf — until I went to Vienna five years ago (has it really been that long!?!?!), I really never wore scarves that much. Now I own four of them that coordinate with my jackets/coats. And, as I clearly love travel — I’m trying hard to resist adding this one to the collection!

Hand and Wrist Warmers and Fingerless gloves — probably the one thing I’ve accumulated more of over the years are gloves and mittens. I go through at least two pairs of mittens a year — that’s what happens when you grow your fingernails out! I’m lucky my leather gloves have held up for six years in comparison! And since I spend so much time outside shooting stuff (with my camera, that is), its not easy snapping images with any kind of gloves on. So — these are perfect! I managed to locate an equally cute pair at my favorite (being sarcastic there) mass retailer to fit my needs! And since they don’t have fingertips, I might actually get to wear them next year too!

Anchor Sailor Hoodie, J Crew Hudson Hoodie, and Cable Fur Hoodie — as I mentioned above, I love hoodies and sweatshirts and pretty much wear them year round. I’d love to have these in my wardrobe, but I already have too many!

Domo-kun Hoodie — while I love Domo, I think I’ll pass on the sweatshirt hoodie version! For a kid, it would be cute!

Recently someone asked me how much of what I include in my mid week loves do I actually purchase … a very small percentage (I counted, 8 items). I previewed a couple of items I recently purchased — the purse and Domo – and there’s others I haven’t. Like my snazzy laptop case (the knomo one I was lusting after in early September — I snagged it at less than half price with some comparison shopping and coupon codes!) and the point and shoot camera (okay, images from it have been, but it hasn’t. It came in very handy when I was hit on 9/11 — and as a result, now goes practically everywhere with me when I leave home). I find it easier to contain my impulses by sharing them here weekly rather than giving in and buying them all!

Some weeks I’ve featured ’stuff’ that doesn’t cost anything — and my goal is to do more of that in the future. So, if you see something you think I should include, or have a theme idea you’d like to see, let me know. I do sometimes struggle to think up a theme, or even items to include!

By girl | Posted in personal faves | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Rock the Boat …

November 4, 2008 – 12:15 pm

I mean, Rock the Vote!

As my cousin put it via the mass email he sent out last night …

If you don’t VOTE, then Don’t Complain…

If you do not vote for either candidate tomorrow, you give up your right to complain about the winner’s performance for the next four years.

Be Sure to Vote!

We each have a civic duty to our country — although we don’t always like paying taxes or serving on juries, the one thing we can do free and willingly is VOTING. We live in a democracy where our voices can be heard, even if our politicians do not always listen to us. At least we have the RIGHT to speak freely and vote how we choose — do you honestly realize how many people on this planet do not have this privilege?

This is the one civic duty that you can educate yourself on and make an informed choice — don’t vote just because your “parents always voted that way” or because the candidate’s name is more appealing or because the mainstream media has practically called the election before early voting even began. Ignore the polls — anyone who’s studied political science knows they can be manipulated to give the desired results.

Educate yourself — stop worrying about party lines and learn about the ideologies involved in politics. Parties don’t follow ideologies like they used to. Don’t know what on earth I’m talking about when I mention ideologies? Google it. Then take/repeat basic American government at your local junior college. Study a candidate’s history of voting, their speeches — aka what they promise, and their votes — aka what they actually do, not just say/promise. Vote based on who represents your views — and those who walk the walk, not just talk it.

So — if you’re old enough to vote and registered by the deadline — find your local polling location and vote. Don’t know where your voter registration card is? Take a government issued ID (DL or State ID card are best) with you. Takes a bit longer, but its worth it.

And — as my cousin put it — if you don’t vote, you give up your right to complain about our politicians’ (whether its the president, your congressman, your representative, or state/local officials) choices and decisions for the next two to six years (depending upon position elected to).

By girl | Posted in history related, political | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Twenty Questions: Part I

November 3, 2008 – 7:14 pm

Today’s edition is sponsored by Goofy Girl … okay, she only provided the questions … I’ve split her’s up into three entries to spread this out some until some other folks ante up some questions *hint hint to the rest of you lurkers, I know you’re there based on the stats!*

What got you into photography?

Truthfully … it all began with the taking of this photograph:

My dad’s mother took this image of me with an old polaroid camera … I remember being fascinated that the picture developed right in front of my eyes in a matter of minutes. I was only four, but polaroids still fascinate me, even though I’ve never owned a polaroid camera!

That’s what sparked my initial interest and led to my periodic attempts at photographing friends and travels … but it didn’t turn into a full-blown passion until I purchased my first digital camera (a Kodak one that could double as a webcam) right after Christmas in 2000. As crappy a camera it might have been, it took some great photos at times and led me down the path I’ve been on for nearly eight years now.

Flickr also deserves some credit too — except for Sony’s Imagestation site and my numerous galleries on my personal sites, I really didn’t post a whole lot of my personal images (excluding my Austrian travels) until I joined Flickr three and a half years ago. I blame the many Flickrites that inspired me with their works for the thousands I’ve spent on cameras and related equipment, software, and plugins ever since!

There’s plenty of photographers who’ve inspired me as well in terms of my people photography, but I am saving those for my (supposed to be) weekly feature on my biz blog.

By girl | Posted in 20 questions, photography | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

[Geek Notes]

Howdy!

Mid Week Loves

Twenty Questions: Part III

Third Monday Giveaway

Friday Freebie

Twenty Questions: Part II

Mid Week Loves

Friday Freebie

Mid Week Loves

Twenty Questions: Part I

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