Anytime.

I had my first
official
photo shoot last night.

A wonderful couple.
Just married.
So in love.

They contacted me to shoot an 'anytime' session
on short notice.

Ericka,  you are fierce.
Stunning.

Thank you,
Ericka and Steve,
for letting me take these photos.

For inviting me into your lives.
For sharing your story.

You are
both
amazing individuals.

I hope you enjoy your photo preview.

Cheers,
A

STR8 against H8.

I've heard

that blogging about politics 

is blog-suicide.

A sure way to alienate readers.

I've been pretty good,

I think,

at staying neutral in my prose.

There is one issue, 

however,

upon which I'm not afraid to draw a line in the blog sand

and choose a side.

I believe in marriage.
I am advocate for equal rights.

I don't like hate.
Discrimination.
Ignorance.
Especially when it's based on fear.

I came across this website
via facebook
a couple weeks ago.

I bought a t-shirt.
Partially because it is a little
tongue-in-cheek
to wear a t-shirt that says, "FCKH8."

I certainly can't put it on my license plates.
But also, because I think it's a good cause.
The support of gay marriage.

I think it's okay to be afraid of things you may not understand,
or things that you may not morally approve of
because of personal or religious reasons.
I think it is also okay to disapprove of those things.

I do not, however, think that it's okay
to deny rights to only select people
because of that fear.

Misunderstanding.

Doing so,
denying gays and lesbians the right to marry,
is a heinous form of
persecution
exclusion
and judgement

disguised as:
"the upholding of moral and ethical conservative values."

People.
Citizens of the United States.
Having equal access to all rights.

I thought that was a Conservative Value....

I'm standing up to FckH8.
I hope you will, too.

Cheers,
A

*Editor's note: I love that you visit my blog. I love that you read it and share it with your friends.  And I especially love that you have your own point of view and may agree wholeheartedly with this post, or vehemently oppose it. This is an expression of my opinion only.  To say that it is not meant to perhaps influence yours would be untrue.  But it is not, in any way, meant to offend, anger, or harm any who choose to read.  Come again.  You're always welcome here.  xo.  

All Hallows Eve.

Halloween
was
amazing.

Elena looked phenomenal in her owl costume.
I will gladly toot my own horn on that one.
Best.
Costume.
Ever.

Except for maybe the year I went as Rainbow Brite.
I was six.
My aunt made the costume.
It was so spot on.

Elena will wear it someday.
{i hope}

Stella enjoyed watching from the stroller.
In a butterfly costume.
With a sparkly wand.

Because every child
needs
a sparkly wand.

Duh.

We met our neighbors,
Jon and Melissa,
and their little boy
for some Trick or Treating.
While we waited for them to arrive,
Elena decided to pass the time by doing all sorts of Owl-y things.

 Like jump.

 And gather leaves.
Leaves that would be abandoned for candy
in a matter of minutes.

She had owl shoes.

 And an owl mask.

 And there was a great tree.
Perfect for owl perching.

She sat in that tree.
And she "Who-Whooed."

Until her friend came in his army costume
and exclaimed,
"Get to the choppa! Do it NOW!"

The time to
whositate was through.

...tap, tap.
hello?

....You still there?

"What do I say again, Mama?"

It turned out to be a great hour of begging strangers for candy.
Elena ended up with one full bucket worth of keeping-dentists-in-their-day-jobs stimulus food
and I enjoyed every
last
second
of watching her trick or treat.
I think it was even more fun
than when I begged strangers for candy myself.

Except for the Halloween Blizzard of '91.
Best. Year. Ever.

The owl costume was a hit with the locals.
And Elena was only afraid of one house.

And to be honest,
It kind of scared the schnikes out of me, too.

I'm a wimp.

Cheers,
A

Civics

I said, yesterday,

In commenting on a post that Luc wrote

that I believe the right to piss and moan

is reserved for those who use their voice

on election day.

"Don't vote, Don't complain!"

And I didn't vote yesterday. 

I am a terrible citizen.
I didn't get residency changed over to Texas in time to register here.
And I didn't request an absentee ballot from Minnesota.

I felt rotten all day.
Wretched.

Then,
as I watched the election returns last night,
and Googled the outcomes of the races in MN,
I realized that I should cut myself some slack.

If I had voted in Minnesota, I would have been doing so blindly.
Knowing almost nothing about the candidates.
Except that Michelle Bachman is crazy.
But everyone knows that.

I don't know much,
at all,
about Texas politics, either.
So I had a large disadvantage going into this mid-term election
in my new state.

I've reconciled my awful civic duty-ness
with the thought that
instead of voting poorly
and without full information about the candidates
I declined my right to choose our government this year.

Since I couldn't vote smart
I didn't vote.

I'm in no way advocating or condoning
waving your right to vote.
Every voice counts.
Each one needs to be heard.
Especially yours.

I'm just trying to make myself feel better.

Cheers,
A

NaBloPoMo

November is

Gulp.

I signed up this year. 

It means

I have to blog about something

every

single

day.

Sorry.

I'll try to keep it interesting,

promise.

Your ideas are welcome.

Something you've been dying to know about me?

A story you want me to tell?

My political leanings?

The jiggle of which I so often speak?

I might get to all of that.

or none of it.

It really is too soon to tell.
What I can promise is this:
Fabric.

A recipe or two.

A giveaway.

A complete and total loss of sanity. 

A few photos.

I hope you're ready,

readers.

It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Cheers,

A



Press Release

Tomorrow is Election Day.
Also known as:
The Day The Annoying Ads Stop Interrupting Normal
Enjoyable
Commercial Programming.

Thank the lord.

In light of this,
I figured It was time for me to
come clean.

Air my dirty laundry.
In case,
you know,
I ever want to run for office someday.

I'd run on the Republicat ticket.
Or maybe I'm a Demoblican.

Either way,
it's high time I let the proverbial cat
out of its bag.

Before an attack ad is made about it.

Here, in list form,
are some things you may have never known
about
me.

*I need a pedicure.

*I practiced Wicca in High School.  (Take that Christine O'Donnell.  I was a witch.)

*I once hid from police in a corn field. For hours. And then I got lost in that corn field. For a few more hours.  And I was stone sober the whole time.

*I need a manicure.

*I might be addicted to fabric.  I'd like that last part to remain off the record.

*If I call DRL, and he doesn't answer, I immediately start to think of all the bad things that could possibly have happened and how on earth the police would know to contact me.  And what if his cell phone was lost? Or smashed? What then?  How would I know?  Then I realize I'm being ridiculous and he's just on the treadmill at the YMCA and will call me back in an hour or so.

*It is nearly impossible for me to fall asleep in an empty house/hotel room/apartment/sleeping bag.  If I know I am also going to wake up alone, I hear violence in every creek of every floorboard.  I'm like a 6 year old. I need someone to check under the bed and in the closets for would-be attackers.
  
*I once fought of an attacker.  Silly kid was trying to steal my school bag one snowy night when DRL and I lived in Blaine.  It was snowing.  I was wearing patent leather heels.  I fought.  He pulled.  Then I fought some more.  He started running. I told him he was stupid and went inside.

*I need a haircut.

*The dog needs to pee.

*When I was in middle school, seventh grade, I think, my math teacher, Ms. Pederson told me that, for good luck, I should say "Rabbit Rabbit" on the first of every month.  Right away. It should be the first thing you say when you wake up or it won't work.  I have done this almost every  month since I was 13.

*I didn't say it today.  I'm throwing salt over my shoulder and turning around three times as we speak.

*I wear glasses when I drive at night.

*The baby needs a bath.

*I might not be that informed, but I'm actually rather smart.

*I have a horrible memory.  Absolutely wretched.  I remember the most obtuse things, but can't recall important events/items on my to-do list/where I put my keys/The ABC's.

*I can play the flute.

*I have never, officially, been Throttle Tanned.  Er, sorry, "Throttled."

*The giveaway item is nearing completion.

*I had the house to myself for four hours on Friday.  I used that time to re-arrange the living room furniture.  It was strangely cathartic.  My spirits were lifted.  And our apartment finally feels a little bit more like home.

*I'm still friggin homesick.

*I use the little spoon for cereal and the big spoon for ice cream and soup.

*I have given up ice cream until I lose 5 pounds.

*I really want some ice cream.

*I am shooting a wedding in less than two weeks.

*I had more fun watching Elena trick-or-treat than I ever had doing it myself.  Having kids is awesome in that capacity.

*I can't remember what else I was going to say.

Cheers,
A