Nature Photography

I've recently become interested in photography and have done some professional photography work. With the economy so bad right now, its a hard profession to get off the ground...but luckily I enjoy it equally as a hobby.

So in light of trying to stay positive- I've decided to play on my strengths.
(Warning- many photos to follow)

My favorite nature shots:

"Windmill of Oia" Greece 2008

"Weeping Willows" Michigan 2008

"Cannons" Greece 2008

"Heaven" Greece 2008

"The Cove"
Ford's Cove, Saint Clair Shores Michigan- 2008

"A Touch of Pink" Michigan 2008

"Goose"
Ford's Cove- Saint Clair Shores, Michigan 2008

"Pink" 2008

"Bird"
Bay of Thirrisa- Greece 2008

"Sky"Greece 2008

"Yellow Sun" Greece 2008

Holiday Nights @ Greenfield Village

The hubby and I visited Greenfield Village last night with my mom and Craig for the opening weekend of 'Holiday Nights.' We browsed through the old homes, had fun in the snow, and looked around in the old shops. I love how all of the homes in Greenfield Village are so much smaller...smaller doorways, smaller beds, lower cabinets- I feel like they're made for my size!

The Ford Model T

Mom and Craig all bundled up

Playing snow bunny

Good times with a great friend!

Fore Lakes Golf Club- Kimbal, Michigan

Last night I joined my friend Courtney at her employer's holiday party. It was a lot of fun! The event was hosted by Fore Lakes Golf Club in Kimball, Michigan- I had been there before for Gail and Tristan's wedding last year. We drank, ate, danced and, if I do say so myself, were the life of the party! That tends to happen when we get together....
We also had some interesting "high school" moments in the bathroom stall that left us giggling ridiculously...LOL!
We both forgot our cameras so I don't have any pictures, but we made some awesome memories.

Quote of the night: "These God damn pantyhose, roll-free my ass!" ~Miss Courtney
Bitch of the night: When men twice your age feel its appropriate to openly stare at your boobs while talking to you- get a life pervert!

My friend Courtney and I met while pursuing our bachelor degrees in Psychology at Oakland University. We hit it off almost from the start being the only two students actually answering questions in class! Soon we were running the research labs in Pryale Hall and while we secretly think many of the students hated us, we didn't care. And after all most of them came to us for help with their assignments! We've been tight ever since- helping each other through our Master of Social Work degrees and life's ups and downs- she truly is one of the friends I am most grateful to have in my life. She is smart, funny, beautiful, honest, extremely down to earth and fun! She tells ya like it is, but in a way that is not judgmental or hurtful. She was born to help people and I admire her ability to do so with class and tact...a trait I feel so many are lacking these days...

Courtney and I this past August celebrating her birthday
Courtney and I on my wedding day-October 2007

8 IS GREAT!

8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. House
2. Biggest Loser
3. America's Next Top Model
4. Fringe
5. Heroes
7. LA Ink
8. The Girls Next Door

8 Things that Happened to me Yesterday:
1. Went to work
2. Checked my e-mail
3. Made a doctors appointment
4. Picked up my dad's meds
5. Stopped by my dad's
6. Went to yoga
7. Watched House from Tuesday night
8. Snuggled with my hubby

8 Places I love to eat at:
1. Outback
2. Sy Thai
3. Ruby Tuesdays
4. PF Changs
5. GF Cucina's
6. Logans Steakhouse
7. Carrabba's
8. Abuelos

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1. Getting out of debt
2. Getting a new car
3. Having children
4. Losing weight
5. Getting a house
6. Finding a better job/second job
7. Taking a second honeymoon (without a hospital stay!)
8. Taking my mom on a cruise (she so deserves it!)

Bitch of the day: When what people say they'll do is not what they actually do. (Own your actions and stick to your word!)

Quote of the day: "I am about to bend over and let Wayne State kiss it!" ~Co-worker

'Tis the Season

HO, HO, HO!!!

Sooooo, yeah this blogging thing- addictive! Anyway this weekend after some much needed time with friends and family, the hubby and I decided to put up our Christmas tree. I love our tree, its cheap but cute and the perfact size for our condo.
I love all of our oranments, some are just cheap ones we picked up last year, but most of them have some type of meaning to one or both of us.

There are many things I would like for Christmas, namely the diamond right hand ring, Canon 50mm and Tamron 18-200mm lenses I've been drooling over...I already know my mom is getting me the Canon 430ex speedlite for my camera...but things are tight right now and the last thing we have money for are luxaries...so Fred and I have decided to not buy each other gifts this year and instead we plan to have "date nights" where we spend quality time together and do fun things.

This Saturday we plan to attend 'Holiday Nights' in Greenfield Village with my mom and Craig (the tickets are an early gift from my mother) and maybe take a carriage ride and cozy up near the bonfire.

"As visitors enter the village this month, it may seem as though the Dearborn tourist attraction has fallen into a time warp thanks to "Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village."They'll stroll along the lantern-lit paths of a bygone era, past historic homes decorated in the holiday styles of long ago. Carolers walk the streets in harmony and old-world storytellers tell Christmas stories alongside bonfires while roasting fresh s'mores as revelers warm their stomachs and mittened hands. The scent of cinnamon and freshly-roasted nuts wafts through the brisk winter air as a horse-drawn carriage whooshes by with passengers singing carols."

Bitch of the day:
People who rush through traffic during afternoon grid lock, just so they can get in the left lane that is not going any damn faster than the other two lanes they just crossed, driving like an asshole will not part traffic like the Red Sea, Moron!

Quote of the day:
"If I get a Weight Watchers gift card for Christmas you'r gonna be pulling back a nub."
~Kyra "Mojo in the Morning"

Sex offender or horny teenager?

The past few months at work we've been entering data from the Michigan Sex Offender Registry into a statistical software program to be analyzed by one of our research professors. This is taking quite a long time since there are over 35,000 registered sex offenders in the state of Michigan. Now that number might seem alarming, but keep in mind...this includes all seemingly sexual offenses; including urination in public, kidnapping, flashing (indecent exposure) etc...
Whenever the topic of the MSOR is brought up people seem so quick to assume everyone on this registry is a child molester or a rapist. I never had much of an opinion on the issue until after entering this data and realizing some things. First, anyone on the MSOR is on there for either 25 years or for LIFE. There is no middle ground, no lesser sentence. So in many cases an 18 year old boy is "lumped" into the same registry as a rapist or child molester for having sex with his 15 year old girlfriend. He is branded for 25 years as a disgusting pervert to be avoided in society--25 years!
Now don't get me wrong, I think there is a place for this registry. I think rapists, child molesters, child pornographers and the like deserve to have their name, address and photo posted for all to see. But shouldn't there be some type of way to discern who is an actual threat to the public and our children and who may have just been a horny teenager?

Okay, okay...so this might be a way of keeping a diary I'll actually use.

First of all the title of my blog is not some narcissistic way of telling everyone how beautiful I think I am...it is the title of my favorite movie, period.
So, moving on. While I dont know if I'll ever have the time to "blog" since some of my friends do it and it seems like fun...I thought I might have a go at it. I was never very good at keeping a journal, my ADD has me all excited about it at first, then I slowly lose interest and pretty soon I dont know where I've put the damn thing!
But, one day someone might want to know what was up with my life, and someday I might want to remember too, shall my memory begin to fade- so for those reasons I thought this might be worth trying.

Also, this will be a good place to post my bitch of the day and my quote of the day...I always have 'em and myspace just breeds waaaaaaaay too many sensative responses...LOL!

Bitch of the day: When people act as though you are being a huge pain in the ass because you are asking them to do their job!

Quote of the day: "You women win 99.9% of fights because you are mental terrorists, you are fucking brain ninjas!"

This quote compliments of Mr. Dane Cook...can we say yummy!!!