Is It Just Me??

Husband#2's mom called my mom while I was in town for the wedding this past weekend and asked that I stopped by to pick up a wedding gift from her cousin that had just been mailed to her - Husband#2 & I were married back in September. But that's not even the weird part...

I opened it today, and inside was one towel set. Just one.

[Let me interject: this reminds me of the Angela Johnson skit where she's talking about Beautiful Nail - "just one"]

But, yeah: One towel, one wash cloth, and one hand towel. This just baffles me. I mean, shouldn't there at least be TWO towels in a WEDDING gift? Maybe it is just me... or maybe it's an omen or something.

This Photographer is on FIYA!!

This weekend was my first time shooting a wedding solo (unless you count the millions of guests armed with cameras - including one who followed me around like a lost puppy, taking notes and handing out a gazillion compliments).

Some friends I met through my sister & bro-in-law asked me to be their photographer, and of course I accepted. They're friends from way back when, and I definitely didn't want to disappoint. Which means I was very nervous - about getting all the shots they wanted, being creative enough, timing, etc. etc. The list goes on and on, but I really want you to read this whole post, so we'll move along:

My sister & I were heading over to the sanctuary to set up tripods and video cameras in the balcony (the only place I was allowed - boo on that), and my equipment decided to help me turn up the heat a little. As we were about to exit the elevator, something must have hit the Emergency button. We heard the buzz, and I waited for it to call someone so I could tell them it was an accident, but we were only greeted by an automated recording. So we thought nothing of it and kept moving. Time is always of the essence at a wedding, you know.

We got everything set up in the balcony, and I did some test shots to see what I would actually be able to get from way up there with my limited supply of lenses... And that's when we heard it: more sirens. But from OUTSIDE the church this time. I looked at my sister and said, "Wouldn't it be funny if they were coming here because I bumped into that button in the elevator?"

We waited.

Everything seemed fine... Then, as we walked back to where the bride was hiding, we heard a convo by some of the men, "Yeah, they said someone must have pulled the fire alarm."

Oh God! Please tell me I did NOT call the fire department to my first solo gig!

Turns out the firemen that had to come check the WHOLE church didn't find it so funny. I tracked them down and explained that my tripod was the culprit - with about 50 "I'm so sorry"(s) thrown in there.

I realize now it would have been a great photo op: the photographer with her fire crew she called to the wedding, but I was so mortified at the time, I didn't ask. Plus, I think it probably would've been adding more fuel to our pseudo fire.

I did, however, get this encouraging pic msg from my bro-in-law when I got to the reception. Thanks, Ron.

And if you're wondering if anyone else knew, the answer is YES. I was teased by the groom when I went to snap some shots of him pre-wedding:

Me: "How's it going? What are y'all doing?"

Groom: "Well, we're not pulling fire alarms..."

Greeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

He was joking, of course, and if you knew this couple and their wedding party, my little incident only helped me fit right in. {whew!}

A few pics from the wedding

A Life in the Day of Me

No, no. You don't have to sit through my painfully boring day of sitting on the couch watching Ghost Whisperer and Medium while I crochet and await 2:00 to go pick up the kiddos.

This blog [http://mynameislaurajanewilliams.blogspot.com/] is HAHAHA-larious! It's a must follow, so go ahead and click or copy & paste - or whatever it is you do to follow stuff (gimme a break, I'm "new").

One post is a letter to Stephanie Meyer (my sister is now hooked), and another starts off, "So I'm at the gay bar..." How could you NOT want to follow this chick??

You're welcome.

teet

Being that my blog's mascot is a cow, I had to share this great packaging design for milk bottles... I would totally buy these based on looks alone - and I don't even drink milk!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Marketing is EVERYTHING!!

Twice in One Day

Sometimes I think Husband#2 LIKES to piss me off... I mean, I know why he doesn't want my kids eating in the car (he doesn't want them trashing the new car - I get it). But what about roadtrips?? Isn't there some sort of statue of limitation on depriving children of food for this many hours? There's gotta be some fine print allowing for food/drink in the span of SIX HOURS in a car, right?? I think so... but maybe that's just me.

Grrr

Stay Outta My Pocket!!

You know that little "pocket" in your car door? For me, that is my little pocket of trash. My kids always seem to have wrappers or scraps of something that they so graciously hand off to me while I'm driving, and this is where it goes.

This pocket is also where I slipped up this week: I made the mistake of emptying some of the no longer needed reminders of what I'd bought out of my wallet. Now, normally, I clean out my lil' pocket before Husband#2 comes back into town (he travels for work and is gone Monday - Friday every week). It's just that little something extra I do, because I know a clean car is one of his pet peeves.

Blame it on exhaustion after a long day of work, the fact that he's been getting on my "list" more and more lately, or just plain ole mom brain... I didn't get around to cleaning out my pocket this week. Then, add to this: I went into the drug store to pick out some goodies to hide in the Easter eggs and left my husband alone in the car with the kids - and you've got yourself a disaster waiting to happen.

Husband#2 proceeded to go through my pocket!! And not in a "here, let me help out my sweetie and throw this trash away for her" kind of way (like he'd like me to believe)... oh, no. More of his side job as a master detective (let me interject here that my husband is an IT consultant and in no way qualified or even naturally born as a sleuth).

"Oh, come on, Camille... You're just being paranoid," you say??

When I got back in the car I was greeted with, "Who did you buy a Panera gift card for??" (Tone is important here, but obviously I can't do it justice)

OMG. That receipt was wadded up and in my lil' trash pocket, along with snot rags and everything else. Seriously?? He waded through snot rags to pry in my trash pocket?? First off: that's just gross. And, secondly, I didn't know I had to request permission to buy someone a gift!!

For the record: the gift card was for the grandfather of one of my kids' friends, who just happens to pay for our dinner just about every week when we join them for Mariachi Monday.

I asked him later, if he had really just been throwing out the trash to help me out, then why did he need to open up and read the details of my receipts.... He said, "Well, I had to look at it - I didn't want to throw away something important." Oh, Come on!! The waded up TRASH didn't give it away that, that is what was in there?? It's no secret; I've told him I use that as a trash pocket before.

You know, it's funny... I've always heard that suspicion is usually a sign of someone else's guilt. Maybe I should be checking HIS pockets...

Blasé Blue

I finally sat down and finished my peacock painting for my daughter's class. Her school is having an art auction to raise funds for their art program, and each class has to donate a piece of artwork done/assisted by the children. Gabi's teachers and some of the mothers thought my edible snowman craft for Christmas was cute and asked if I wanted to lead this project, too. I jumped at the chance to get creative! I decided to do a peacock. I'm not really sure why... I just wanted to do something that might actually be bid on.

So, without further ado, here's Blasé Blue - along with some symbolism for peacocks that I found interesting:

"In general, the Peacock is representative of glory, immortality, royalty, and incorruptibility. It is a possessor of some of the most admired human characteristics, and is a symbol of integrity and the beauty that can be achieved when we endeavor to better ourselves and better our lives.

In history, myth, legend & lore, the peacock is considered an emblem of protection, nobility, watchfulness, guidance, and holiness.

In Greco-Roman mythology the Peacock is identified with Hera (Juno) who created the peacock from Argus whose hundred eyes (seen on the tail feathers of the peacock) symbolize the vault of heaven and the “eyes” of the stars who watch all life unfolding .

In Christianity the peacock represents the “all-seeing” church and the holiness & sanctity associated with it. Additionally, the peacock represents resurrection, renewal and immortality within the spiritual teachings of Christianity.

In Hinduism the peacock is associated with Lakshmi who is a deity representing benevolence, patience, kindness, compassion and luck.

Similar to Lakshmi, the peacock is associated with Kwan-yin in Japan – she is also an emblem of love, compassionate watchfulness, good-will, nurturing, and kind-heartedness. Kwan-yin chose to remain a mortal even though she could be immortal because she wished to stay behind and aid humanity in their spiritual evolution.

In Babylonia and Persia the peacock is seen as a guardian to royalty, and is often seen in engravings upon the thrones of royalty."

- taken from: http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2007/08/17/symbolic-meaning-of-peacocks/