POTD - Hot

Paddy, my sister's boyfriend, made us all chicken quesadillas last night. They were the best I've ever had. No lie. Gotta love a man who can cook...

My little sister... and more wine...

We went back to Peace Valley Winery yesterday, but this time brought my sister and her boyfriend who are visiting from Florida. The tasting was fun, I think we tried every wine that they had... and Christine chose a new favorite after each taste. If they weren't flying home on Tuesday, she may have bought an entire case. Instead, she ended up purchasing just 7 bottles. Haha. Yeah, just 7. They weren't really up for photos but I convinced them to do a few in the vineyards. We were there for all of 5 minutes because the sun was blazing and we were all a little buzzed...

A Dog's Life...

In a quest to expand the ever-growing list of photography blogs that I frequent, I came across a job that I am oh so envious of. Pet Photographers. That's right. There are people that get paid to take photos of pets. Can you believe it? I L.O.V.E. that. How much fun would it be to be surrounded by spunky pups? It seems ideal.

With how adoring people are of their pets these days (myself being one of them), I'm not sure why I'm surprised. After all, we all know how I subject Chloe to photo shoots just so I can clutter my cubicle with her insanely lovable mug. These two blogs brought a smile to my face so I thought I'd share...

http://erinvey.typepad.com/bark/

http://www.annhamiltonblog.com/

Doesn't she look like an angel when she's sleeping? It's so deceiving...

Chanticleer...

We visited the gardens again with Rose & Mark. I love it... it's so peaceful. Every time you go, there are different flowers in bloom so it's like a whole new place. I could spend all day there...

Here are some of the many photos that I took that day. It's likely that there will be a few more Chanticleer posts. I really need to learn how to get good macro shots. I haven't yet read up on it... for now I'm happy just playing with my new lens...

Since Kev has a camera of his very own, there may actually be photos of me appearing now and again. This one kind of has a peeping Tom-ish feel to it, don't you think? haha...

Welcome home Christine & Paddy!

My little sister and her boyfriend got home late, late last night from Florida. They both go to UWF in Pensacola and they're here for the week to visit. I can't wait to see her tonight!

Tag! I'm it...

I was tagged by Sarita...

(Players list 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, players then tags 8 people by posting their names and makes sure they know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at the tagee’s blog.)

1. I'm a wino. I don't deny it...

2. My favorite movie is Mallrats. In college my roommate and I would watch the movie with the subtitles on so we could memorize every hilarious word. I can now recite the opening monologue of the movie with my eyes closed. I. am. that. cool.

3. I have strange food habits. I like raw carrots, but hate them cooked. I like bananas, but hate anything banana-flavored. I love ice cream, but despise ice cream cake. I hate cheese on my sandwiches, but like it melted. My husband is still struggling to keep things straight after 5 years...

4. I'm an aspiring photographer. Probably never be a pro, but a girl can dream... right?

5. Travel dreaming is my favorite way to pass time at work. I'm thinking Greece next year. Or Argentina. Or Hawaii. Or Thailand. Or Australia. Or any Caribbean island. The possibilities are endless...

6. I hate grocery shopping with a passion. I'm not sure why, but I REALLY hate it. I hate it so much that I try to strike up deals with my husband every week to try to get out of it. Don't ask what I'm willing to sacrifice to avoid Giant...

7. Juanes is the most talented musician ever, and he's my favorite. He's not so bad to look at either. And he tears it up on the guitar like nobody's business. Check him out if you've never heard of him. Disclaimer: He's Colombian so he sings in Spanish, but you don't need to understand to appreciate him. He's just that good.

8. I was stabbed once. By my little brother. In the bathtub. The story only gets more interesting, right? hehe. We were very little and my parents were redecorating the bathroom. Some negligent person left an exacto knife out and my brother found it. While messing around he sliced me down my stomach. I still have the scar to prove it.

Ok, there are my 8 very random facts.

Blogs I've tagged:
Misguided Ramblings
The Second Half
The Best of What's Around
Angels Raining Down on Me
It's the Little Things in Life that Matter Most

Ok, that's all I've got. It's not 8 but I do what I can...

Finally...

I finally finished these photos of Abby. I feel really bad that it's taken me forever. Abby is such a doll... She's a ball of energy so her Grandma asked if I'd try to get some photos of her. I have to admit, she is quite fast but I think we managed to get a few cute shots of her...

I played with the color some more on this one. I think it may be my favorite...

This is her reaction to having to sit on the blankie while the other kids were playing... She was NOT happy! Is it obvious? =)

And a couple of Matty, because he's too cute not to include...

I guess he doesn't share the same love for kittens that Abby has... Check out that expression!

AIRPLANE!

Blog stalking...

Google Reader is an enabler. It makes blog stalking so much more convenient. How did I not know about this before? My husband is cursing whoever it was that introduced me to Google Reader. But I'm lovin it. There are many interesting and inspiring blogs that I try to visit on a daily basis but clicking through my list of 'Favorites' is rather time-consuming. Now I just have to log in to Google Reader and it shows me who has updated. It does all the work for me. I'm embarassed to admit how many blogs I have linked on my list... let's just say that it's enough to keep me busy for quite awhile...

POTD - Something blue...

This was my wedding gift from the most amazing husband in the world. My 'something blue'. How sweet is he?

And some of our professional wedding photos taken by Sol Tamargo. I shouldn't show these in the same post as my own photos, as they put mine to shame. But as the Queen of Narcissism when it comes to wedding photos, I can't resist...

POTD - Earrings

I admit it, I missed out on today's POTD. I was so determined to post every day, but last night I was exhausted that I crashed by 9:30. Excuses, excuses... I know. But since I don't want to miss out on the jewelry, I'll be posting twice tonight. Certainly don't feel obligated to comment on both.These are almost the first piece of jewelry that Kev got for me. He bought me a pair of diamond earrings for my 23rd birthday, the first year that we were together. Totally not what I was expecting, but who can complain about a surprise like that... right? I loved them and wore them all the time. Until one fell out. Never to be found again. I freaked out... crawled every inch that I had covered that day searching for the lost half. I dreaded having to tell him, but he was actually very sweet and understanding. He knew that it wasn't as if I had been careless and misplaced them, it simply fell out of my ear. He promised a replacement sometime in the future. And he delivered... this time with a screw-on back...

POTD - Ahhh, Spain...

Another jewelry favorite... my Siesta Surprise Angela Moore bracelet. It was a gift from my mother-in law and it's most adorable. It features classic Spanish-themed beads such as a bullfighter, flamenco dancer, a Spanish rose, a pitcher of sangría, and what I think to be a piñata. I studied a semester in Spain in college, and it's also where my hubby proposed, so understandably I love all things 'Spain'. I'm not impressed with these shots, but I refuse to miss out on jewelry week so I took them at 11pm last night after a 10hr work day, 3hr night class and 2hrs of commuting. Needless to say, I was a wee bit tired...

and a closeup of my favorite of the bead, the flamenco dancer. She looks better in person... ;-)

POTD - Wedding band

Technically, it's not mine, but it is very special to me... This is Kev's wedding band (please disregard the dusty coffee table). There was no way we were going to agree on matching bands, but that was fine with both of us. His is tungsten... It's supposed to be nearly impossible to scratch and he loves the gunmetal look to it. I played around with my speedlight on these... CC is always welcome!

Ok, so the second photo focuses more on my wedding band, but it is my blog. hehe. And, since I'll take any opportunity to pimp a few of our wedding photos, here's some ring shots taken by the amazingly talented Sol Tamargo.

POTD - Favorite Jewelry

Oh yes. This is the week I've been waiting for. I'm not even one of those big jewelry kind of chicks, but I adore the few minimal pieces that I have.

If you've been reading my blog, you know that we lost my little brother six years ago. I try not to harp on it here because I don't want to be the 'pity me' type. But it's an integral part of this story so it must be mentioned. It was February 14, 2002. Less than a year after my brother's accident. My girlfriends had somehow convinced me to go out to the bar that night. It was Valentine's Day, I was single, and I was not looking forward to spending the night at a small-town local bar. But they had great dancing music and $2 mixed drinks (love me some vodka cranberry) so I agreed to go. As I was getting ready, my Dad handed me the small box.

He got my sister and I the same necklace. Something material that could serve as a reminder of sorts. I wore the necklace out for the first time that night. It was the night that I met my husband. Really made a girl that doubted fate think...

POTD - Nike

I thought I should keep it on theme, since it's the last day and I've only posted one other Photo of the Day this week. Here's another of my favorite shoes... my running shoes! They have been neglected recently. My husband bought me this pair because the last ones that I had would tear my feet up... wicked calluses, bloody toes and all. Gross, I know. Be thankful that I didn't post photos of that.

These shoes have helped tremendously, but my feet still get ugly from running. I've come to accept it and wear my nasty running callus like a badge of honor. It shows all my hard work, I should be proud of it. Now if only I could force myself back into these babies before I have to face the fact that the bikini that I wore 5 short months ago on my honeymoon no longer fits...

POTD - Kinos

These are the most comfortable sandals EVER. I love them and wear them non-stop in the summer. My sister got them for me in Key West. They're made there and I'm pretty sure you can only buy them there. I used to also have a white pair until Chloe(monster) decided that they'd make a nice appetizer.

I never realized how recognized these sandals are. We were in St. Mark's Square, waiting to get into the Basilica, when a lady approached me asking if I was from Key West. Who would have thought I'd be questioned about my footwear in Italy?