DIY Backdrop

You guys know how I fancy myself a photographer right?

Well I decided it was time I had some "professional" backdrops.

So that I could take some portraits of people.....friends, family, girlfriends!

 I got on line and priced out some backdrops and frames.

WOOWZA.... 

a little to rich for my blood, especially since my work is pro bono!

Then on Pinterest I saw this

and I said "I can do that"

So I did

See that little gadget in my left hand?

Its a remote clicker for my camera...pretty cool huh?

See the little gadget in my right hand?

Its a PVC pipe cutter....pretty cool huh?

It cuts thru PVC pipe like its butta.

My husband managed to build me 2 houses and do all the

plumbing work with out one, but I decided I needed one to make my cuts.

No hack saw for this girl.

One hour later

I was doing this.

This is my favorite back drop.

I'm thinking Valentines day here.

some black fuzzy fabric,

 it also doubles as a throw in my living room.

Ooh soo versatile.

Plain black, I used this one for the Christmas shoot.

Wow after all those close up shots,

I now know why some women prefer to wear a Burqa!

"IT'S A GOOD LIFE"

My Walkabout

 Yesterday it snowed....it snowed a lot!

So I bundled myself and my camera up

and went out on a "walkabout."

Did you guys know that they make a raincoat  for  your camera?

Yeah..... they do, so you can take it out in conditions that are less then perfect.

Like Blizzards

I got in my car and drove very slowly 

 to Frankforts historic buisness district,

its always so cute and quaint there.

 

Most of the shop owners had some kind of "winter" decorations up.

Which you know me ....I'm all about the decorations.

This is not a shop!

Its a beautiful home of some lucky person.

They had me at the front gate.

You know if this was my house, I would leave those

wreaths, garland, and lights up all year.

This is what I found when I made my way back home.

 

Sorry Babe, I promise I'll help next time.

*****************************

Girlfriend was at University of Ground Fighting practicing her moves

 with Uncle Steve when...

My beautiful little Granddaugher took a nasty tumble this week,

and got to experience the

emergency room first hand.

I was there with them for the first few hours

(they spent almost 7 hrs there)

Where she bounced around and made all kinds of friends.

The good news is shes fine,

the bad news is,

shes  gonna have that shiner for quiet some time.

"IT A GOOD LIFE"

Special K Challenge (part2)

Week two of the Special K Challenge and it appears that I'm down 3.2 pds this week.......and I thought I would do so much better this weekend. I only ate out once this week and that was at Applebees where I had one of their under 500 calorie meals: Steak, couple little potato wedges and one spinach leaf! (for real)

But it was very good thanks Sis. I also had one of their skinny Margaritas $5.99 100 calories definitely not worth it.

So that's a grand total of 5.4 pds in two weeks. Just shy of their claim to lose 6 pds and 1 pant size in two weeks.

I did not change pant sizes, but I'm not holding Kellogs responsible for that. I have to admit I had my waistband stretched to the limit....and now they fit just fine, I don't even feel the need to run home after work and switch into more "comfortable" clothes (ie) my pajamas. Who am I kidding, I probably will anyway because I love my P.J.S/yoga pants and T-shirt.

I'm going to go for another week and see where that takes me. They say it takes 30 days to form a habit.......and I certainly need some better eating habits.

Enough about my battle with the bulge.

****************************************

How about a couple Snow Babies?

Girlfriend and her BFF/Cousin

hey, could ya give a girl a hand here?

It really wasn't snowing, the snow was added for effect.

'IT'S A GOOD LIFE"

Special K Challenge

I'm on day 8 of the special K diet Challenge.............They don't call it a diet, probably because they know nobody can eat 3/4 cup of cereal and milk for 2 of your meals a day for very long.

I started out doing REALLY well, it was easy enough eating cereal for breakfast and a protein bar for lunch and 2 snacks throughout the day, for me that was pretty normal, well normally it would have been a biggger bowl of cereal and a different kind of snack ----whatever.

The problem is when they say you can eat your 3rd meal as you normally would. 

That's a big fat lie.

 Even I, the nutritionally challenged eater knows that.

It was easy to eat my 3rd meal when hubs was at work baked sweet potato, salad, glass of diet pop, my favorite TV show. But for the last 5 days he's been on a little vacation well, bye bye sweet potato, hello homemade pizza.

 I really have been cutting back on my "normal" portions at dinner, and I did do away with the Chocolate/Peppermint Martinis we had grown accustomed to over the holidays.

I also have replaced my real sugar with Splenda, (even if it does have a nasty after taste) exchanged my Christmas cookies for Special K Chips, pretty tasty I might add.

So this morning on day 8 I have officially lost 2.2 pds.......... please hold down the applause,
and I'm OK with that.

The next week will be a little better I hope, seeing as where hubs has to work the night shift all weekend, so there won't be any homemade pizzas, or trips to the diner for breakfast.

Lets Roll

On Saturday Drama hosted a

  Seminar at his School.

I usually stay away from his school during his classes. 

I know its me just being me, but I feel weird when I'm there 

being  that I'm his "MOM" and all.

I would never want kids students to say

"hey Dude whats your Mom doin' hanging around at your fight school"

but Saturday I was there under the pretense of

"getting pictures" for the schools website.

so I was able to move around the school and

snap some pictures, and nobody really noticed.

(I don't think)

The seminar was a success.

 His school was filled almost to capacity,

with both young and old, male and female.

I enjoyed watching him do what he does best.

 

I'm proud of you Steve!

Keep up the good work.

"IT'S A GOOD LIFE"

Game On

I hesitated blogging about this,

 because if I turn out to be a loser quitter

(a loser would actually be fine.)

I don't want you guys to know about it.

But yesterday I decided to do the Special K Challenge

I already eat this cereal for breakfast most every morning.

and have always been intrigued by the claim

it makes to drop a jean size in 2 weeks.

O.K.

I'm game

Breakfast: 3/4 cup of cereal with 2/3 cup milk (really 3/4 cup is a serving?)
Lunch: 1 Special K protein meal bar or Special K protein shake or another serving of cereal and milk
Dinner: Eat your 3rd meal as you normally do. (Seriously? this is always my pig out session, I'm going to have to change this up to a "Sensible Meal", as soon as some one can explain to me what a "Sensible meal" is)
Snacks: Eat 2 Special K snacks through out the day (I can have fruit, vegetables, Special K snack bar, Special K cereal bar......do you notice a pattern here?)


Any way I started yesterday....yay me two days down and 12 to go. I figure what the heck even if its only half as good as their claim drop a jean size in 2 weeks. A half of jean size would be fantastic, a little breathing room is always good.

Yesterdays Menu was:

Special K cereal 2% milk

Banana for mid morning snack

Protein bar for lunch (non Special K)

Protein shake for afternoon snack (Slim Fast, I had a bogo coupon)

2 beef tacos for dinner

Today's menu:
Special K cereal 2 % milk
forgot to take my fruit to work
so I had a cup of hot chocolate for my mid morning snack
(OH don't be all judgemental)
Special K protein bar for lunch
Baked Sweet potatoe with a garden salad
for dinner, I could probably have another Snack but instead Im just going to bed.

They say you can have your beverages as normal.

I did switch up the sugar in my coffee for Splenda ugh.

I'll keep you posted



Happy New Year