A birthday tribute to Liz

I was almost 13 when my sister Liz was born. I don't remember any of the bad stuff that goes along with bringing a baby home (not sleeping through the night, diaper blowouts, crying fits), I just remember how cute she was and how much I loved having a little sister. I'd dress her up in pretty clothes, play toys with her, watch Disney movies 8 times in a row (she figured out how to rewind the VCR to play her favorites over & over), "coach" her for gymnastics in the living room.

Some of my favorite memories of Liz through the years...

• Her Teletubbies phase
• Her attachment to Tickle me Elmo
• Having The Little Mermaid on repeat for days at a time
• Liz's little voice and laugh when she was younger. Cutest thing in the world!
• Teaching her gymnastics fundamentals and how important it was to have good form and pointed toes. We'd do forward rolls on the couch and handstands on the carpet. I was convinced she was going to be an Olympic champion. lol
• Having little photo sessions when she was younger and I was just getting into photography. My earliest photos were blurry and terrible, but my favorite one is of her probably 2 years old in a leotard clutching her Elmo, striking a model pose. Liz has always been game to let me practice photography on her :)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha9y_O6iz9c (I still say this alll the timeee)
• "Have you met my friend Boddie?"
• Liz and her violin concerts. It started in 4th grade as just a little hobby and now as a senior, Liz blows everyone away with her amazing talent. She is a true rockstar!
• Taking photos of Liz & her outfits on her 1st day of school. I think I stopped when she hit 5th grade since I wasn't living in Salem at the time :( I really wish I would have kept doing it!
• Standing back-to-back to see if she was taller than me yet (she just recently passed me, by the smallest of margins. Ugh!)
• All the birthdays and holidays we've shared as a family
• Seeing how great she is with her nephew Oliver :)

I could go on for days, but those are the highlights. I am so impressed by how smart, driven and motivated my sister is! I am so proud of her violin talent and what a truly kind person she is. Despite the age difference, my baby sis is still one of my best friends and I'm excited to see what the future holds for her.

I love you Liz, you are the best little sister I could ever ask for :) Happy 18th birthday!

Project Refresh: Month 2

So month 1 of my project is coming to an end and I'd give myself a 'C+' for accomplishing my goals. I am definitely taking more photos (at least one a day) so that was a success. Sticking to a schedule has been tough since every day is different, but I have been more productive whenever Oliver is sleeping, so that one's a mixed bag.

Clearing the clutter was the one I was most excited to dive into, but I just haven't had any time. We've been really busy with photo shoots, which means I spent most of my free time in September with my BFF Photoshop. Being a perfectionist means our clients get beautiful looking photos, but it also means I spend way too much time editing to make each photo amazing.

So onto October. I thought it would be better to break my goals into more specific tasks instead of all-encompassing objectives.

Project Refresh: Month 2

• Find the perfect gift for my sister's 18th birthday
• Book and shoot 2 senior sessions
• Lose 3 pounds (I hate random numbers like that, but I don't think anything above 3 is realistic. lol) by eating less carbs/more veggies & working out 3 times a week
• Get the guest bed cleared off by selling or donating everything on it (I cleared out our office closet and stuck all the random stuff on the bed to deal with later. It's been there over a month now)
• Pick out a cute Halloween costume for Oliver (bonus points if Derek & I dress up this year too!)
• Go through my bedroom closet & dresser to organize and purge clothes I don't wear or like
• Take Oliver to get his first haircut (I know, I love the curls too! But I think it's time to lighten the load on his head. haha)

I like that these goals are simplified and measurable, instead of a vague 'organize the house' which could take a year to complete and is never really done. So better luck for month 2, eh? :)

Project Refresh: Month 1

We're about half-way through the month so I thought I'd check in with where I am on my monthly goals:

Project Refresh: Month 1

• Stick to a schedule: When I was unemployed in 2009-2010, I loved to map out my entire day, hour-by-hour down to the exact time I would eat my lunch (it would always coincide with People's Court at 12pm. lol). I crave routine and a schedule and knowing what I'll be doing at what time. Newsflash: Your kid doesn't care what time People's Court is on or what tasks you've planned out for your day! I'm lucky that Oliver usually takes 2 naps during the day and I scramble to get things done during that time, but the rest of the day is spent feeding/changing/playing with Oliver. It's a little frustrating, but I'm getting used to being more productive in those little pockets of time that I do have.
• Take more photos: I've kept up with taking photos every day, so this one has been a success so far!
• Clear the clutter: Sadly, I haven't had much time to focus on this category at all. During Oliver's nap times, I've been editing photos like a madwoman (we've been really busy these past few weeks) and that has taken most of my free time. I'm all caught up at the moment (although Derek is at a wedding taking photos as I type this, so more editing is coming up) so I'm hoping to tackle at least a closet or two in the next week.

All in all, I'm enjoying unemployment and hanging out with my little dude every day. I just feel like I'm so behind on things and will never get caught up, but I guess that won't change anytime soon :)

Project Refresh: Month 1

September 1st is a significant date for a few reasons. It signals the start of a brand new month. It means I become unemployed in 3 days. Also, it's the date that my husband and I started dating way back in 2002 :)

Much like New Years Day, I see today as a time to start over and start tackling all the projects I've put off & goals I've given up on. Working full-time while being a new mom is exhausting and doesn't leave time for much else. I'm feeling inspired & excited by all the extra time I will soon have and have been making lists of all the things I want to accomplish or work on these next few months at home.

I don't know how long I'll get to stay home with my son, or what distractions will come up, so I've prioritized my list and will start with the most important things first. I give you...

Project Refresh: Month 1

• Stick to a schedule: I work best when I have specific tasks to get done and makes lists of those items. If I go by memory, I'll only remember a few things and spend the rest of the day reading celebrity gossip. So planning out my day ahead of time is key to making sure I don't waste my time.
• Take more photos: I took many, many photos of Oliver his first year and have really been slacking on that since his birthday. So I'm starting up my 365 project again (starting today!) to make sure I capture not just Oliver as he grows, but our house, friends/family, events, trips we take, the beauty of Oregon, etc. I miss photography and am ready to get back into it!
• Clear the clutter: I am beyond ready to start organizing closets and getting our house cleared out. We keep adding more and more stuff and it's just become overwhelming. It's hard to find things and all the stuff everywhere just drives me crazy! So I'm going room by room and getting rid of as many things as I can, so we can appreciate (and find) the stuff we really like and use.

I have dozens of other tasks on my list, but will start with these ones for the month of September. I'll check back at the end of the month to give an update on how I did, but I'm motivated and ready to dive in!

xo

June photos

In an effort to update more often, I figure I can post some photos to break up all the long entries. It's much more convenient to take photos with my iPod, so my poor camera has been neglected lately. I'm hoping to take my camera out more often this summer. I miss photography.

These photos were taken on Father's Day at my mom's house. I didn't get many portraits this time, just nature-y stuff mostly. We had a steak & lobster dinner with my mom/step-dad, grandparents and little sis. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday :)