5.31.2009

Perfection...

I can not get enough of this face!

Reasons I Love Summer part 2

Driving home to Twin Falls with beautiful sunshine and fluffy white clouds...


The absolute best shaved ice anywhere. Snoasis in Twin Falls is awesome. Whenever I visit home during the summer time my friend Kristen and I have to get one!
Then we sit and enjoy them and talk about what's been going on...
One more try, but not much better. Lol... I love self portraits!

Titus

I have a new roommate. His name is Titus, and he is a beautiful Delta Tale Betta :)
I need to get pictures of him in his new fish bowl with his tiki statue. He loves living with me, and I love watching him swim up to my nose when I look into his bowl to "visit" him.

Bicycle Love

I have been meaning to write this post for some time! I got a bicycle about a month ago, and I LOVE it! I got it at The Boise Bicycle Project and it is awesome! I wanted to get a cruiser style that also had gear options and couldn't find anything for less than $350. There was no way that I was going to pay that much, so when I found out about BBP I was super excited! They refurbish donated bicycles and then sell them to the public at a donations price and use the proceeds to give bicycles to low income families and children. It is ran completely by volunteers and is an awesome place! BBP has given bicycles to the kids at the Boys and Girls Club for a few years at Christmas time. I love making a purchase that I know is going to help others, and is used for a good cause. A definite win-win! So I got this great (like new!) bicycle for only $50!!
Joe's Sporting Goods went out of business and had some great sales, so I scored myself this re-movable bicycle basket. I love it! I can take it off to go into the grocery store or browse the Farmer's Market and collect my goodies. It's so handy!
Out for a ride supporting another great cause.
Sunny days and lovely rides in downtown Boise :)
I love living in the North End! Look how beautiful it is. This is the view up the street from right outside my door.

5.29.2009

Give Thanks

Things I am thankful for today:
~Sunshine
~My Studio Apartment
~New Car Tires
~Great Co-Workers (who are very supportive!)
~Downtime before the big summer push
~Cute boys that keep the day interesting :)

5.23.2009

This is What Happens When I'm Bored...

100 Things You Might Not Know About Me.

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
I have a scar just into my hairline from my brother, Jed, throwing a rock on my head. He and I were building a dam in the creek in the backyard, and he was "tossing" me rocks to place on it (he doesn't like cold water, so I was doing the dirty work). He tossed a really big one when I wasn't looking, and it landed on my head. I guess I went under for a second and really scared him. I now have a nasty cowlick there and bangs do not often work for me as a result.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
Lots of family pictures...I love photos!

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU MOVED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS?
10 times...OMG, I might even be missing a couple... I tend to move A LOT!

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
A lot of different stuff. I love music.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
no clue

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
coffee (that's pretty much a usual thing)

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
Seattle and my niece

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)
I don't have a most prized possession. I love the equipment that allows me to create art (all my photography and computer stuff) but I wouldn't call it "prized"

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5'8"

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
I do. I hate being someplace that I may not be able to get out of.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
if I'm by myself... heck yes. I hate it! I am the world's biggest pansy.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
IDK - I'm not a big crier. Probably the last time I really cried was at Chance's funeral a few months ago. He was such a great kid.

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
failure - all kinds of failure: failure at school, failure at love, failure at art, and failure to be a parent

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Dark hair and light eyes.

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT?
For some reason I've always "dreamed" of being proposed to on the jumbo-tron at a professional baseball game...lol! I'm such a dork.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
COFFEE!!!!

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
veggies and hamburger

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
All I want is coffee... hot, because I'm really cold right now.

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
it changes pretty much daily. But pink and green are pretty constant

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
Just the baked and not fried cracker

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
IDK... I LOVE to give gifts, but I'm not a 'receive gift' person. I'm usually focused on what I can give to someone in return.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
just celebrity ones: Johnny Depp, David Cook, Colin Firth, Daniel Craig...

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
disgusting.

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
The kind that fits my ass (Jessica answered this one, and it's too fabulous to change it!)

25. WHO IS YOUR FAV FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY?
see the answer to #22

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW?
I do! I have a pink/red Delta Tail Betta named "Titus" :)

27. WHAT KIND IS IT?
A fishy

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
who knows. love is stupid, crazy and awesome and totally unpredictable.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED
8

31. BLONDES, BRUNETTES OR RED HEADS?
What exactly is this asking?

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
"I've got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine. I've got a love, and I know that it's mine. There's a place where I go where no body knows, where the rivers flow and I call my own. There are no more lies, no more darkness to hide, and no body cries, there's only butterflies" ~Natasha Bedingfield.

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
Coffee shops and Book stores.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
I went to Mazatlan, Mexico in January of this year :)

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Don't get me started...

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
A couple of people. I worked at an adventure camp in SoCal where quite a few celebrity kids came, and I met their parents. No big deal though.

37. FIRST JOB?
I grew up on a farm, I've never been without a job.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
No, I was never into that.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOUL MATE?
Some days I do. Other days I wonder.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
Same thing I'm doing while filling it out... sitting at the computer at work and answering very sporadic questions from young patrons.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
a few

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
my personality and my smile - on the ability to take "amazing" self portraits...haha, it's a skill.

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
nope

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
IDK

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
I don't know. If I had filled this out in high school I would have known exact numbers, sexes, and names, but now... times they do change.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes! haha. My parents were going to call me Kirsten but just about a month before I was born they had some friends over and their little girl's name was Macey (spelled differently I think?). The father yelled at her, and my dad was like, "Lesli, I like that name, let's name her Macey." And they obviously did. I guess they wanted to make sure it sounded good when I was in trouble.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Smoking. Cockiness is a HUGE turnoff too. I like 'em humble and open.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKED ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
I loved high school! I seriously would go back and do it again. I was very fortunate to have great friends, great teachers, and a great school to go to.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
I am a hair product and shampoo addict. If I see a great looking bottle design I buy it. I have 3 or 4 different sets in my shower right now, and probably another 7 in storage. I have serious issues.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
usually. If I'm going for a particular look, I hate it though, because it's never right.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
oh me, oh my...

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
Yes. I really try not to be, but I have a difficult time knowing my friends are doing something without me. Lord help whomever I marry - he's going to get sick of spending so much time with me.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
IDK

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
Nope...too many gray areas and issues with that one.

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
appearance, meaning cleanliness and put together, matters. I'm sorry but what you present to people is going to be judged. Deal with it.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
Venting. I am a champion venter. I call my best friends, and my mom and let it all out. Then I'm much better and can move on.

58. OH NO, THIS IS MISSING!
???

59. WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
To always be moving toward something. I want to always find areas of growth in my life and figure out how to tackle it in a positive fashion.

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
I have always loved anything to do with sports - especially baseball. My parents and brothers grew tired of playing catch with me, so the best invention ever was a springboard net that bounced the ball back to me. I would play with it for hours on end.

61. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST FELL IN LOVE?
real love? haven't. But "thought I was in love?" - probably kindergarten.

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
I'm too old. He wasn't around until I was plenty old enough to know how lame he is. (sorry, but I can't stand that singing purple dinosaur)

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
never! (read with heavy sarcastic tones)

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
mashed tators - dangerous comfort food.

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
too many things to list, but them being interested in me is definitely a start.

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
motormouth

67. FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
IDK

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
I'm not a big TV person. I do enjoy DVD's of sitcoms in the background though. My favorite is FRIENDS.

69.WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
Ignore them.

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Chocolate

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
yes.

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
yep, it's a laptop, so it follows me everywhere.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
BBQ!

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
There are many places I dream of living, which probably means I will stay in Boise.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
IDK

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
Patrons enjoying the Children's Department of the Library.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
Good ol' water... although I could really go for coffee right about now!

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Probably Richard.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX
Face

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Photography, read, and spend time with friends.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
reality TV - But I secretly love American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance... oh wait, that's not a secret.

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR?
I truly enjoy each season for different reasons. Probably my absolute favorite for beauty is fall.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
anything chocolate. I've recently made the decision to only allow dark chocolate when I'm craving sugar though.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
yes. I never realized how effortless a true friendship can be until I met Richard.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
dark brown

86. EYE COLOR?
brown

87. SHOE SIZE?
9.5

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
Subway and Pita Pit - although I am moving toward taking my lunch (and subsequent snacks) with me everyday. I am channeling the Boy Scouts... Be Prepared!

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
Depends on what for. I'm not a big restaurant person. I usually focus on the company I'm with rather than the food I'm eating. This usually makes the person I'm eating with upset because it causes me to take forever to finish a meal.

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
I'm not a big fan, but I will try just about anything because it's pretty healthy. I will eat Tuna if somebody offers it, because it pretty much rocks in any form!

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
Nope

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
My birthday. I know it's very self-centered of me, but it's the one day I can draw all the attention I want and can get out of pretty much anything "because it's my birthday" :)

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
sadly not well, anymore. I played the piano for 7 years, and many instruments jr. high and high school, but it would take me quite awhile to catch back up.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
neither. I'm part of that new 20-30 something crowd who votes based on personal conviction.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
both are wonderful

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
relationships... come on, seriously.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
I went grocery shopping last night. I'm still surprised every time I shop at how much cheaper it is now that I'm eating healthy. All that processed and boxed crap was expensive!

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
I think I will always have to work at least part-time to keep my mind going. I would love to work from home as a graphic designer and photographer though.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
"Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads." I love learning about nutrition and how it affects the body - completely new for me!

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
non-existent.

Summer Love (and obsessions!)

I love so many things about summer, and during the next few weeks I'll be posting the many things I love about it, but to begin - summer means "So You Think You Can Dance" :)



5.19.2009

Great Weekend, Great Weather, What More Could A Girl Ask For?

This weekend was great! The temperature was above 80 every day, and I got the chance for a lot of time outdoors (even though my allergies were going haywire).
The weather this weekend really got me excited about this summer. I'm going to be working 60+ hours a week, but I love both of my jobs (Library and Boys & Girls Club) and I know that I'm going to have a great time! I'm really excited about teaching the kids photography skills, especially in the studio, and I want to work out the logistics of filming a weekly "newscast". I know its going to be a lot of work, but if I enjoy it, it shouldn't really seem that way (at least in theory!).
I have a few weeks to prepare myself for the 14 hour days, and I need to figure out the best way to incorporate a healthy lunch and dinner each day. I'm working on meals that can be precooked and put into storage containers, so that all I have to do is grab and go. Any ideas out there??

Things I Am Thankful For Today:
~Sunshine
~Creativity
~Great Co-workers
~Friendships I can rely on
~ and of course... fresh fruit!

5.16.2009

Reasons to be Thankful

Things I am thankful for today...

~The power of positive self talk
~Caffeine
~Children with energy to burn
~Dogs who want you to pet them
~Free access to media at the Library
~People having birthdays so we can all celebrate
~and of course, ridiculous pictures from my childhood...
My cousin Jill and I

5.14.2009

Jealous, but happy too

So I have been wanting to see this documentary called "Helvetica" for awhile now. (It's in my friend Richard's netflix list and should be here soon -yay!). In telling him (a fellow graphics nerd) about it, he got online to research (of course) and we discovered that the director is now touring with his lastest documentary, "Objectified". Wouldn't you know it, the next showing was set for Wednesday May 13th in Atlanta, GA... the very place Richard was heading that morning for a Boys & Girls Club conference! So he got to see it, and sit through a Q&A with the director afterward. I cannot tell you how jealous I am. But I am very happy that he was able to experience it and share the story of it with me. The director announced at the showing that the DVD will be released in July, so I will be seeing it then!
They were selling the movie poster at the showing, and Richard was going to buy me one until he noticed that they were $20. It would have been cool to have a poster, but I would have felt bad if he spent that much on a poster, so I'm glad that he decided against it. He did decide to take a picture with the poster though and e-mail it me. I think I like the picture better :)

5.13.2009

I want more.

I want so much out of life. I want to participate in outdoor activities and have the confidence to do anything that sounds like fun. When someone invites me somewhere, I don't want my first reaction to be wondering what I'm going to wear, and then ultimately talking myself out of it because I'm worried about "fitting in" with everyone else. I also want to stop the negative self-talk. I'm so tired of seeing a cute guy and automatically thinking that we could only be friends because someone so good looking would never be interested in someone who looks like me. It's so stupid and probably not true, but I can't get past these thoughts most times.
I feel like more needs to change than just my weight, but I'm not sure where to start.
Thoughts and suggestions??

5.07.2009

Down 2.6lbs!


So I just realized that I haven't checked in lately about the weight loss. My goodness, that's not good.
Last week I lost exactly 1 pound (not bad!) and this week I am down 1.6lbs... for a total of -2.6 since I made the decision to start back on my path to healthiness :) That's right, I've lost a mini laptop! (hence the random laptop picture)
From everything that I've read about the best way to loose weight and keep it off, 1-2 lbs loss per week is good. The quicker you loose it, the quicker it (and more) comes back on. So loosing slowly and steady is a good thing. I'm interested in joining Weight Watchers (I've heard so many good things about it!) but the meetings in my area don't coincide with my schedule, so that's going to have to wait for right now. But I'm continuing on the path to a healthy lifestyle!

5.05.2009

Trip to the Zoo

Danielle and Joie came to visit this weekend and we all went to the zoo. It was a lovely day with walking in the perfect weather (not too cold, but brisk enough that a walk felt good) and I got to hold and kiss on my niece. Here are some of my favorite pics from the day...Jed called while we were at the penguin exhibit and Danielle put the phone up to Joie's ear. She got the biggest smile on her face when she heard his voice. It was so cute! It's killing Jed to have her away for so long.
She loved watching the penguins swim by. She would follow them until they were out of view, and then frantically look for another.
This picture is one of my favs from the day. She was hanging out on my mom's shoulder and laughing at me while I would point my camera at her. She's such a little hamm.
I love this little girl more than she'll ever know.
Tell me that's not the sweetest face ever ")
The giraffe was behind us, but I accidentally moved in front of it. lol.