Ramblings...

Awesome give-a-way at GCD Studios

GCD studios is having a card sketch challenge and the winner gets their glittery letter stickers - in EVERY COLOR THEY MAKE!  How cool is that??  It's a super cute sketch too!  Check it out here.  And, good luck!!

It's that time...

Pre-school graduation.  Have I said how much I appreciate that someone thought that dressing up 5 year-olds in mini-graduation gowns and tiny graduation caps would be fun?  Because I totally think it's the cutest thing ever.  Maybe it's part of my obsession with all things mini.  Have we discussed that??  It's true.  I love mini things.  Mini sharpies, mini staplers, mini post-its... Linda even gave me a mini emory board the first day we met (and I still have it, by the way.)

But, I digress...

It's the mini cap and gown that are, by far, my favorite.  (Or maybe it's the mini-me wearing it.)

Congrats, my sweet Addison...we're so proud of you!

hot spots and such

Oooh.  Oooh.  Annamaria and I were in the crush of downtown, er... nowheresville today.  Yep.  Following the little blue signs off the highway looking for a Subway, we ended up two miles from said highway at a Jiffy (gas station) in the middle of nowhere.  Funny, though, because EVERYBODY and there brother showed up at the same time we did.  This place was PACKED.  Seriously, I think maybe we were over the fire marshal's limit...that's how crowded it was.  It was NUTS.  Of course, it was likely the only thing to eat for like 20 miles...maybe more.  It was good though.  Or, maybe I was just so hungry by the time I got my food that I would have loved anything.

We were on our way to Ikea.  And, really, not even waiting forever so we could eat Jiffy food could dampen our moods.

Speaking of, my photo today is of our destination:

Yesterday was finally Cinco Tomorrow.  The girls had a great party at school... they made ponchos and did a Mexican hat dance.  Plus, they made maracas and ate beans and rice.  Oh, and had a pinata.  Who could forget that?  My photo yesterday was of Addie walking into the classroom...

So, did I tell you...

I wasn't on the ball enough to start Project 365 at the beginning of the year, and had been a little sad that I missed out on doing it.  So, right before my 30th birthday earlier this month, I thought up a variation of this idea - to take a picture every day of my 30th year...So, that's what I've been doing.  It's pretty cool.  I can already tell that if nothing else, it will improve my photoshop skills a thousand-fold.  Since I'm taking odd shots - not just our family pics - it's giving me a chance to really play with it.  I am loving it.  Maybe I'll add an album on here... in the mean time, here is my photo for today...

This bus has been parked out behind our store for a couple of weeks while it's owners (a local band - the Kings of Hell) prep it to go out on a tour.  I just think it's really funky-cool... not sure I'd want to travel on it, but hey, whatever floats your boat, right?

Knowing is half the battle...

1. According to Malcolm Gladwell, talent is the desire to practice...  that you love something so much, that you're willing to make an enormous commitment to that ability.  He was talking about the Beatles... but also applied it to sports or hobbies.  I just think that's a really cool way to look at it.

2. GCD Studios has a great give-a-way on the blog...only one day left...don't miss it.

3. Addie was being a goof this morning.  And, I have proof...

4. I have a card featured up on the October Afternoon blog this week.  Check it out.

5. So, the other day, I decided to put my camera on tripod and snap some photos of me with the girls...and maybe try to get a new headshot of me.  And, in doing so, I realized that I did not own a single tube of lipstick.  Not even one.  Isn't that weird?  I thought so.  Not to fear, though...I have since solved that problem.  Hee hee.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat...

Picture this scene times all day...

1. Create a project.

2. Set it up to photograph.

3. Take multiple pics...various angles, various lighting, etc.

4. Realize there is no media card in the camera.

5. Curse like a sailor.

6. Re-shoot said photos.

7. Load to computer.

8. Realize that the photo format is RAW and the printer card reader doesn't recognize them.

9. Curse like a sailor, again.

10. Find the photos the long way and get them loaded up.

Yes, I have done this exactly three times today.  And, yes, you would think that I would either a) remember to put the media card back; b) change the setting on my camera; or c) both...but you would be wrong. 

I bet you wanna see what all the hassle was about though, huh?  Well, some of it I can't show you...but this one I can...(I know it's out of season, but I don't tell inspiration what to do, it tells me.)

Cinco Tomorrow

1. Addison was amped today when we picked her up from school.  She had taken beans and rice for lunch, which had been perfect, apparently because it's something they're going to eat at the "Cinco Tomorrow" party they'll be having soon.  Is it bad that I don't want to tell her it's actually Cinco de Mayo?  Because, I totally dont. 


2. Lately, whenever Delaney gets in trouble, she looks at me all sad-like and asks me if I'm still her friend.  Master manipulator, that one.


3. Yesterday, I met Issac.  He's a boy in Addie's class.  When I got to school, he informed me that he was going to take Addie out for dinner.  Not sure how he plans on getting there...or how he will pay for it, but hey - it's cute.

pssst.  I updated my galleries on here in case you were interested.

Black bean soup is yummy.

I'm kind of a whatever I have on hand will do sort of cook.  Yesterday it was black bean soup....and Emily wanted the recipe, so here it is.  (Although, I didn't really measure so you'll have to wing it, too.)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Bay Leaf

1 red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 jalapeno (finely chopped - you can leave this out if you want)

Hot Sauce (like the Louisiana kind)

Corriander (2-3 palmfuls)

Cumin (1/3 of a palmful)

can of crushed tomatoes (or diced will work too)

Salt & Pepper

4 cans of black beans (I prefer the seasoned ones)

Green Onions (to garnish)

Directions:

Coat big pot with olive oil over med-high heat.  Add Bay leaf, onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, jalapeno.  Allow to cook for 3 or 4 minutes.  Add on can of drained beans.  Add two cans un-drained beans.  Use a fork to kinda mush up the last can and then add it, too.  Add hot sauce (to taste - I like a lot.) Add corriander and cumin.  Cook together for a bit, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Add green onions to the bowl after it's served.

For the leftovers, I love to eat it cold with a little bit of sour cream mixed in.  mmmmm.

So, there you have it.  As you can guess, I'm no cookbook writer....but the soup is really good.

I have been digging into my awesome box of goodies from GCD Studios...here is a card I made yesterday...

Energy is delight.

-Blake

Good news day...

1. I went to the gym today - did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine and then did weights for my arms.  Woot!  (go me!)  I was wanting to do a yoga class, but was surprised that they don't offer one on Monday mornings!  That's the day I need it most, people!  


2. Check out some of my exciting news right here.


3. Last week, I re-read one of my favorite books.  Then, Delaney proceeded to rip the cover off of it.  sigh.  I had it in my cart at Amazon...and then, I was cleaning out my dresser and found another copy in there!  LOL!  What a find!  (by the way it's Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas...)


4. I went into Lululemon the other day and got all sorts of shorts that were clearanced for $29!  So if you have that store near you and want a deal, go get some.

Update...

So, after the $400 debacle yesterday.  I get another prescription sent out and go to pick it up and it's $180.  So, I refused that one too.  This is insane.  We do not have some wimpy inexpensive insurance.  We should be getting these sorts of things paid for.  They all (the pharmacy, the doctor's office) kept thinking it was a deductible issue.  But, I don't remember prescriptions being part of that...and I think it would be something I would know because we have $1000 deductables.  So, it's not like that's quick to pass.

Chris called Blue Cross and they told him that he never should have been told those prices.  They said that the first one should have been around $100 and the other... $50.  So, what happened?  First, Walgreens gave us the incorrect pricing for some reason or another.  Then, they submitted the invoice to Blue Cross without us actually getting the meds!  This caused it to look like we were getting multiple prescriptions for the same illness...putting up a flag and causing the the meds today to not be covered...thus the high price.  

So, our doctor had to call two pharmacies back and cancel the prescriptions, then she called another with the one we ended up getting.  

The best news of the day, however, is just that.  She called our last prescription into Publix.  And, it was free.  As in, zero dollars.  Oh Publix...how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways....