Separation Anxiety

Having to send my phat daddy camera and my favorite lens to be repaired. I couldn't figure out why my images were not sharp. I thought it was me!!!! What a head trip! I then started to examine my metadata and talked with my photo nerd buddies. I realized I shot the images properly. What a relief!! On the bright side, it wasn't me and gear is still under warranty!!! What a bummer that I now have to offer re-shoots on two sessions. I could use my Rebel, but I want my favorite lens which I am also sending in to err on the side of caution. Feeling lots of apprehension about sending my equipment in!!! It's like putting an entire paycheck or your baby in the mail. Yes, they are insured and I am Fed Ex-ing them. Nothing but the best for my phat daddy & lens. I will miss them terribly until their return!

Speed Scrap

Kiahna and I did the speed scrap at Scrap Matters last night. Man was I rusty. I couldn't find my mojo. I gave up at and found a template that I made fit the instructions. Still had fun though!

Credits: Britt-ish designs Happiest Season of All kit with Faith Trust & Pixie dust v.2, template (altered) and star dangles from Sahlin Studios

Haven't had a chance to...

post layouts lately. Click here to see who made the supplies. Oh how I have missed scrapping!!!!

What did you think of 2009?

Most of it sucked! There were some nice moments. We've done our best to enjoy this year's journey, but it still mostly sucked. We try to be the "cup is half full kind of people", but lately we've been the "cup is half empty kind of people". I know, I know, time for an attitude adjustment. Working on it. We have come across a lot of...well, problems this year and trying our best to solve them.



















Trying to be humorous here. Is it working?
For other funny demotivational posters go here. Gave us a good laugh and boy do we need it!

It's been a long time since I've posted anything to the bloggy until recently!! If you have noticed, I've really made an effort to post during my vacation. I have been MIA for several reasons:

The holiday season (Oct-Dec) has really kept me busy. I have had lots of photography sessions/card designing which have kept me super busy. I am so thankful that I have a growing client base especially with Damian not working, but with a full time job (that hasn't been a fun place to be) and a full time family, it has been very hard to keep up with anything, even my little ones.

We were also the victim of identity theft. Some evil, horrid person decided to charge plane tickets to my checking account using my Visa check card of over $1000.00. There were several charges to our account which I thought was Damian paying our bills. While going through junk mail, I found an online confirmation letter sent to me with my name and the alleged names of the travelers. I almost shredded it, but suddenly felt strongly impressed upon that I should open before shredding. The really crappy thing is that I missed the window of time to dispute it with the bank. Jeez, can't help the fact that my husband is out of work because of a medical condition (totally illegal) and that we had to travel to UCLA medical center for said medical condition or that my Granny died???? All while I am supposed to noticed we were stolen from?? Sometimes some things go unnoticed and does not negate the fact we were victims of a crime!!!!! So I have to make recovery attempts the hard way (which may or may not be futile). Possibly finding an attorney, I dunno??? The airlines is less than helpful and the only thing I could find out is that they were never used. So I have spent a big chunk of my vacation on making a police report, fact finding missions, calling my senator, trying to find out a consumer reporting agency to report to. I am taking off (most) January off from photography to spend some much needed time with my family, finish editing my last wedding, and to focus on my Creative Team duties (in other words to save my sanity) despite the fact we could use the extra income. So that, my friends, is my boohoo story and my excuses for neglecting the bloggy.

***P.S. Damian may have a job possibility. Please send prayers& happy thoughts;0).***

***Update 12/30/09 Homeowners insurance is for sure covering the identity theft-Yay!- Just gotta jump through all the hoops then wait for it.***

Christmas came, kicked my butt, and left the house a mess!

I knew it was going to be a rough Christmas when late Christmas Eve night, the house alarm was set off by Santa (Daddy). I seriously woke up screaming! Not a nice way to wake up!!! We told the kids we forgot to give Santa the alarm code. It's not an easy thing to fall back asleep after being scared awake. It took about 2 hours for me to fall back asleep on the sofa. Fortunately good movies were to be found on cable.

The kid who doesn't wake up early ever (Nick) was the first up at about 6 am. He does make exceptions for baseball or Christmas morning. I being on the sofa of course hear him coming out to look at the presents, count the presents, run back to wake Jared (the usual early riser), & hear the discussion on who has the most presents in the very best stage whisper voices. I nicely ask them to let me sleep a few more minutes and to carry out their discussion in their rooms. I took pity on them and let them come out eventually. I really just needed a few more minutes!

I loved seeing the smiles on their faces as their Christmas wishes came true!! The boy's have been doing this a while, so they were finished opening their presents lickety split. The little ones were so fun to watch! They took their time and were so excited over each and every gift. After every gift, Olivia said "This is what I always wanted!". Jack had the cutest expressions while opening his goodies!!!






























































I managed to muster the strength to get cinnamon rolls going, pile up the trash, and start the ever so tedious task of taking those flipping toys out of boxes. Word of advice, have on hand wire cutters!!! Makes life so much easier! Damian was good enough to cook a majority of Christmas dinner. I did take-over when it came time for stuffing and gravy. I am a gravy snob and am very particular about it! If everything tastes bad, drown it in gravy and all is better. Damian did a fantastic job on the dinner so good gravy was an added bonus!

Mom spent the morning with us and my Dad and my step-mom spent the late afternoon with us. It took 4 adults to assemble Olivia's stinkin' Disney princess stroller. She had been on us all day about it and we desperately needed grandpa's help. What a pain in the a@#!

I declared that if your last name was Wolff, you could stay in your jammies all day long!!! Too tired to look pretty! We didn't get all the Christmas trash out, left the house cluttered, and were all in bed terribly early. Christmas, a painful yet wonderful day! Still trying to recuperate today. I declared it another stay in your jammies all day kind of day.

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed day!

Heart Shaped Bokeh

Like how the Christmas lights are shaped like hearts? Want to learn to do this???? So easy, no Photoshopping required.

The Spirit of Christmas

Naughty or Nice?

Jack has a serious man crush on Santa. He kept saying "I see Santa". He was an absolute angel for Santa and became upset with me when I took him off of Santa's lap. As I was trying to pay for the disc, turkey butt kept trying to get back to Santa. It would have been really cute aside from the fact holding him back was like wrestling a greased pig.

Welcome Chloe

My BFF Kiahna had her baby last Friday. She so kindly allowed me to take Chloe's first pictures. I love them and was getting a bit emotional editing them. Wanted to share some of them here. I love me some chubby fat babies!

For the record...

Each year I have to document who got to put the star on the tree otherwise we have the mother of all arguments amongst the kids (O.K., mostly the boys. Olivia can hold her own now). Nick contended he did not get to do it last year. Hah! Here is proof he did:





















Credits: Simply Dated V4, Santa baby, Fabulously Negative template v3 all by WM [Squared] @ Scrap Matters

So this year, Olivia got to put the star on top of the tree. She was soooo excited that she farted on Daddy as he held her up there. Good thing I don't raise modest children with good manners. She thought it was hysterical and laughed her butt off (no pun intended).





















No lie, this picture captured at the exact moment of release.

Bokeh Baby!!!

Loving me some shallow depth of field!!

'Tis the Season...

for holiday choir and band performances!!!! Nick was lucky to be included in choir this semester. Those of you who know him know what a clown he is. Well, one day during practice in October, he got kicked out of choir indefinitely. The music teacher for our district approached me during my lunch break to inform me of his antics. Of course he prefaced the conversation with "Wow, your boys are like night and day!". Every time the choir teacher would turn around, Nick would bust a move and spaz out getting everyone around him wound up. Much like the below picture.














(Disclaimer-I did not ask him to pose like this)
Nick did this several times before getting caught. After three weeks on the sidelines and an extremely long apology letter he was commissioned to write by me, he was allowed to rejoin the choir. My wild child did a great job and we are proud of him for pulling it together otherwise he would have been grounded until 30. The theme of his performance was racial tolerance and multicultural appreciation symbolized through red and green candy canes personified. Get where I am going? Lame show, great singing by my kid! Wouldn't have missed it!





















Jared's band performance was AMAZING! We have the best band teacher! Mr. Barr is part of the reason my kids still go to school in my district rather than the neighborhood school. Jared plays five instruments (alto sax, bass drum, snare drum, steel drum, and xylophone). He sounds like he has been playing for years. He attends zero period every morning for drum line and steel drum band practice as well as another band period during the day. The steel drum band was showcased as well at the concert. Truly impressive, and I'm not just saying this because I am his mom.





























































They are for hire if anyone is looking for a fantastic steel drum band. Thanks to my dad for bringing his camera. My phat daddy camera already has to be sent in. I thought I had lost my mojo and my ability to nail sharp photos. This went on for months, then I used my friends camera and I realized it wasn't me (Hallelujah!). I would have been bumming if I didn't get pics of Jared playing.

Because I am bored!

WTH! I'd like to think I look more like Eva Mendes. I tried to use another picture and Mike Meyers and Rosanne Barr came up. Yeah right!

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