miniature Duluth

This past Friday I took some photos around the area where Liz & Rommel's reception was being held.  It was a gorgeous park with kids playing in the fountain and flags around the entire town with the names of soldiers.  It was beautiful, almost like a miniature little city.  

So, what better to do with photos of a city like that, than miniaturize them using TiltShiftMaker.  I will be able to waste a good amount of time playing on that site in the future, but for now, here are the pictures I took...all gussied up!

Aren't they great...I just love that site!  Can't wait to put it to good use.

Liz & Rommel wedding cake

Today my friend Liz and her honey Rommel were sealed in the Atlanta Georgia Temple.  Their reception was this evening at the lovely Duluth Festival Center.  I was lucky enough to be asked to make their cake and I was happy to oblige.  I didn't have my camera out during the reception, but I did take quite a few pictures for the ever growing cake portfolio.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Memorial Day 2009

Happy Memorial Day!

Today has been a great day.  We (the family) spent the afternoon at Lake Allatoona on Kelly & Justin's dock.  Good times.

But on this special day, a shout out to all the soldiers.  We have a few relatives that have fought in various wars, but yesterday, Nicki (who lives in Texas) drove over to Grandpa Shores' grave to place a wreath. I am pretty sure he served in WWII and I even have this really cool picture that dad sent us, but I can't find it.

Goal: Watch a movie I have never seen:

#16 on the list:

Watch a movie I have never seen.

The movie: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The review:  What an odd and strangely disturbing film.  Generally speaking it had more than a few quality life points, so that was good.  However, I think the overall gist of the film was troublesome and distracting.  I couldn't focus on those good quality life points for all the trouble I was having waiting for him to turn 16.  

I think it's a good watch and a film you should see, I would just borrow it from someone who already owns it, it's not like Brad & Angelina need any more money.  

I borrowed it from IV...not sure why they bought it.

I have a 6 day break between Maymester (ended today) and Summer semester (starts Thursday).  

There is so much I need to get accomplished, the constant list in my head is haunting me.

I learned from my leadership class (and the 'rents) that I should write my goals down and I will have a better chance of success.  That is why I have decided to publish this list here on planet Katherine for all to see.  Of course you should feel free to call me out on anything you know I have still not accomplished and I will continually update the blog with my progress.  

I think my list will probably be a bit overzealous, but I need to shoot for the moon and knowing I can grab a star or two if I fall short, will give me great comfort.  It's just a list and lists are meant to be revised, so I'm OK with that.  Here goes, in no particular order:

• Read the conference issue of The Ensign
• Finish the family photo scan project
• Finish reading James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's
• Start new book (leaning toward Po Bronson's Why Do I Love These People) suggestions welcome
• Begin exercise routine
• Organize and clean desk, prepare for Summer semester
• Clean and rearrange furniture in living room...again
• Finish "Welcome" sign 
• Finish stripping and sanding kitchen table
• Finish (or at least begin) Dad's birthday present
• Finish Abbi's blanket
• Start another blanket
• Clean bathroom (yes, I have to put it on my list to get it done!)
• Clean out refrigerator
• Find a job or internship
• Watch a movie I have never seen, suggestions welcome
• Put away ALL the laundry
• Clean out dresser

Holy crud, I have a lot to do and not much time.  Especially since during this time I will also be writing a paper for that horrible film class that I just finished today.  Yes, the paper is due after the class is over.  Glad I didn't have to stress about that too, but irritated that he was not on top of things enough to determine 2 weeks ago when the paper would be due.  Ugh.  

Oh, and I will also be making a wedding cake next week too.  Maybe I should prioritize that list, I have a feeling right now the priority is easiest first!

Well, wish me luck and check on me often.  If you have free time and are just dying to come clean my bathroom...bring gloves!  ha! ha!

Do you Hulu?

Today is the last day of Maymester classes.  I have loathed attending my subversive cinema class.  Each day I leave with a headache on the verge of a migraine and most days the content of the films are questionable at best.

Today (the worst content day thus far) was so dreadful that I actually watched episodes of The Office on Hulu.  The only thing that I struggled with was turning the volume up high enough on my laptop to NOT hear the movie on the big screen.  I failed.  

My friend Aimee (in the class with me) & I are contemplating leaving, but we have already been threatened with failure of the class if we leave early again.  Can he do that if we are leaving out of protest for inappropriate content in the film choices.  Ugh.

When the battery on my laptop has died I have a backup magazine in my backpack.  Pathetic.

I can't even express appropriately how much drama this guy brings.  His comparisons and vulgarity...I'm over it and he is lucky that today is the last day, otherwise I might actually take further action.  Wow, that sounded...dramatic.  

Burn Notice...

I have a a date with Michael on June 4 at 9 p.m.  

Is anyone else counting the days to the new season of Burn Notice?

You should be.  I may have inadvertantly planned my Summer & Fall semesters so as not to have any scheduling conflicts during this weekly date.

thankful thursday

...mom (is) & dad (is almost) in town
...tomorrow is the last day of Maymester

...i can go to stillwater for megan's wedding

...i had shaving creme this morning

...for just check'n in phone calls

...i can take a nap when i get home today

This is the Powerpoint presentation I gave in my Leadership Communications class this morning. The layout is not perfect and could be edited to make it fit better, but I don't have time.  I'll work on that for use in another posting.  For now you can just flip through the slides (if you want to) and enjoy this fictional leadership approach.

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Homework School Work leadership communica

Also, since you can't actually SEE the clip from A Bug's Life that I used, here it is:

Sweets & State of the Unit Address...

Some people think that my vast knowledge and immeasurable intelligence have something to do with the good grades I get in school.  I am here tonight to let you in on a little secret.  You see, getting good grades has little to do with what you learn from the class, but rather what you BRING to class.

Confused?  Let me make it clear...working food, particularly sweet food, into a presentation for school is almost an automatic shoe-in for a good final score.

So why am I up at 3 o'clock in the morning when I have to be up for school at 6 a.m.?  It's because I had to put the icing on the cupcakes I am using in my presentation in leadership tomorrow morning.

How the cupcake worked its way into the presentation would not make sense to most of you so I will skip it.  Point is, my presentation rocks.  If I can get up in a few hours and study it + use these tasty little treats to help people remember what I've said...I'm golden!  *Cha-ching*  

Granted, I still have to take the final on Friday, but I can worry about that tomorrow...after I get this presentation over with.

You know how the president of a country will give a State of the Union address?  Well, this is a little mini "State of the Unit" address.  Unit...as in apartment unit.  Jeepers, do I have to spell everything out for ya?

It's a mess, that's pretty much what it boils down to.  My goal, once Maymester is over, is to get it cleaned up so when Summer semester starts (on Thursday) I can have a fresh start.

Wordless Wednesday...

Breaking the silence: these photos are not my own.  I borrowed them from the Web because they are interesting and make me think of myself...tired.

I...

...am so tired.

Abbi, Jenna & Jaimee

Abbi Faces...

The Abbi Faces Slide show as promised:

Say Cheese!

This morning I watched John & Jaimee's girls while they were both at school.  Afterwards I was headed to help Kelly cater a wedding so I intentionally had my camera with me.  I took it in when I got to their house, just in case I had a good photo opportunity.  It turned out to be a great day for photos, although I didn't get it out until Claire was down for her nap.  I'll have to set up another photo shoot of all three of the girls soon.  I got a lot of fun shots today and I will put them in a slide show soon, but in the mean time here are some of my favorites:

Jaimee, Jenna & Abbi:

Jenna (don't you love her eyes!) & Abbi:
Jenna & Abbi:
Abbi helped me put on my make-up so she got to test out my lip gloss, shimmer powder and blush.  She just had to have a photo shoot after getting all dolled up!

Abbi No.1:
Abbi No. 2:

tada!

Family dinner...

Last weekend we had dinner up at Kelly & Justin's.  Here are a few fun and so very random photos from the evening:

just chillin:

does John look like a tired daddy 5 days away from receiving his Masters?

Charley & Madeline:

Jaimee, John & Claire:

Uncle Levi & Claire:

I took some other photos that night and I would share them but they are being used for a top secret project.  Coming soon to a blog near you!

Thankful Thursday...

life

education

short semesters

mom

dad

family

memories

friends

technology

goals

ambition

missionaries

scriptures

savings

literature

lip balm

3x5 note cards

knowledge

drive

motivation

support

roof

rain

vacation

love

...

so tired...

After classes tomorrow I will officially be 50% finished with this semester...that started Monday.

Today I had to turn in this assignment with values, goals and a mission statement.  I had a few visitors last night and didn't end up starting it until after 10 p.m.  That meant I wrapped it up around 2 a.m. and headed to bed for a little nap.  

Now I am sitting waiting for film studies to start and I am already falling asleep.  I am so tired.  I think I may need some toothpicks.

The idea of Professor Pause Talker turning off the lights makes me want to cry.  He's looking spiffy today...jeans and a button-down black shirt...hmmm.

Two-fur Tuesday

TOday is day TWO of the Maymester TOrTUre.  Getting up at the crack of dawn after not sleeping the night before is really hard.  Even worse, sitting through 4.5 hours of film studies in a dark auditorium with a professor that is a long pauser ::

Thank goodness the film clips are pretty short.  Except one today that was almost half an hour!  Oh sure, not that big a deal in a film you are actually enjoying!  I won't share the long one, but in my effort to bring a little culture to the blogsphere and share Maymester here is a short we watched today:

Don't watch the entire thing...it's that Geneva Convention thing again.

On a happy note, look at these super cute little snack boxes of raisins I found at Publix:

So cute...right?!  I've started eating oatmeal for breakfast and today I snuck a box of these little guys in my warm mush for good measure.  I was still starving half way through Leadership Com, but luckily I had another mini box of raisins in my bag.  

Oh, and check that ghetto ruler I stole from Nicki...ha.  At least she didn't carve her name into Mom's piano!

My Bestie: April

1.  Where did we meet?  And what was your first impression of me? (I may regret asking this one!) 

We met at church.  I want to say that is was for the road show that we did. My first impression was that you were someone who didn't take any crap from anyone. A take charge kind of girl.  I didn't think that we would get along very well. I am very pleased and grateful to say that I was wrong. You're one of my dearest friends.  

2.  What is your fondest/most memorable time/moment with me? 

the "Drive's by" that we did, followed by a trip to wally world and Listening to Delila on the radio.  It was at Christmas time..... I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. 

3.  What do you strive for? 

To have a happy home, a happy Hubby and to be happy with myself. (Something that might take a lifetime to achieve.) 

4.  What is your favorite treat?  Why?  Yes...why? 

the Bread Pudding from Zio's. Why... Because it is a carb and it has sugar. What other reasons do you need. 

5.  What are 5 things that make you most happy?  Why? 

My Religion, My Hubby, Family, Friends and my Pug. In that order.

My Religion: There are so many blessings to be grateful for because of my faith.It is my Anchor in this world. It is when I am striving to live my life right that I am happiest.  

My Husband Antonio: Just waking up and seeing him each morning makes me happy. He is the most wonderful man.  He has so many amazing qualities. He is silly and makes me laugh. Just knowing that I am lucky enough to have him love me makes me happy.

Family: They are some of my most favorite people to be around. I love talking to my sisters. Next to my Husband they know me best. 

Friends: I know I have some of the world's best wonderful friends.  They are so supportive and loving. 

The Pug: She is the goofiest pug you'll come across.  She has so much personality. She is my little buddy during the day, always making me smile. 

6.  What is your favorite song/artist? 

I love most Music, I don't really have a favorite.  But, if I must have, one I'd chose the Motab. The music is so uplifting and I have a great appreciation for music. My favorite song would have to be "Come, Let us Renew." Especially the last verse. Look it up....# 217 

7.  What is one word you would associate yourself with?  Why? 

Love, Because when I love someone, ( Hubby, Family,Friends, Church) there is very little to stop me from doing anything I can for them, if they need me and even when they don't. It is very hard for me to turn my back on anything or anyone that I Love. Someone once told me that I am like a Momma bear with her cubs. Don't mess with those I love.   

8.  What is the one song that comes to mind when you think of me?  Why? 

This is a tough one.  "It's raining men.Hallelujah it's rainin' men"  Every where I go with you, you always seem to attract men.

Umm...I just need one...THE one.  Hello...is anyone listening?

9.  What are you passionate about?  Why? 

My Marriage and Family. It takes constant work and love.  It is one of the things that I value most in my life. It is one of the few things in the world that I think is worth being passionate about. Imagine what the world would be like if more people felt that way.   

10.  What are you scared of?  Why? 

Failure. I don't like to disappoint those who I love.

April you are amazing...life without you would be very different and not very lovely at all.  Wal*Mart is not the same since Antonio took you to Texas.  Good thing I have nowhere to drive, it's no fun alone.  We still have vacations and AT&T may take all my money, but at least we have the cell phone!  Thank you for not believing your first impressions and for allowing me to be part of your life.

Long live drunk chicken, diet coke, midnight WM runs and BFF's.

I'm taking two May-mester classes that started today.  One is Leadership Communication (exactly what you would expect) and Subversive Sinema (a film studies course).  

I don't want anyone feeling left out so I thought I would share one of the films that we watched in class today:

I know...so friggin annoying...right!  I wanted to scratch my eyeballs out.  

We also watched Anemic Cinema.  You'll love this one:

No, you don't like this one either?  Me either.  You are lucky, the first time we watched it we didn't get music.  Believe me, music makes this so much less painful.  Do you get it?  Anemic Cinema...it's almost an anadrome (a word which spells a different word when reversed).  Which is actually supposed to make this film make sense.  Technically it's an optical illusion.  The creator used a turn table with a flat image to create all the spiral spinning.  The text in French are advertisements, I understand.

We saw a few other films, but I think the Geneva Convention had some special wording about torture and I don't want to get taken away this close to graduation.

Yes, I do realize it's still a few months off, but a girl has to have goals.

Happy Mother's Day...MOM!

I love you.

xoxox

Saturday with Charley

Charley came to hang out today.  We had a great time doing laundry and cleaning my apartment.  She especially loved the time she got to hang out in the laundry basket while I changed the sheets on the bed.

more CAKE

My friend Marci's son (Jared) graduated from UGA with a degree in Agriculture today.  She asked me to make him a cake.  Wallah!

Marci's other son, Justin is turning 20 something today so he got his own cake.  Doesn't this one take you back...yummy!

Spring 2009 semester grades are in...

The final results of spring 2009 semester are:

PR Principles: A

Marketing: A

News Reporting & Writing: B

Com Research: B

Philosophy: C

Internship: S

The "S" for my Internship is like going back to grade school...satisfactory.

I'm so happy with these grades.  Sure, I was really trying for at least a B in Philosophy, but from what I understand Philosophy doesn't exist, therefore the grade doesn't really count.  So I'm good.

No classes need repeating and I can start Maymester on Monday with a fresh outlook...whew!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...

I am thankful that Spring 2009 semester is OVER!  No matter the grades, there's no looking back...it's done, finished, out'a there!  Come what may.  And so far of my 6 classes I can report (1) A & (1) B...so far so good.

I am thankful for dish washers.  Every time I am on the phone with Anne I am reminded of how great we have it and this week we actually discussed that we are both so thankful for a machine that makes my dishes clean.  Because wow...for a single gal in the big city, I create a lot of dirty dishes.

I am thankful for my MOM!  It only seems fitting, but no holiday is needed for me to know how amazing my Mother is.  She is always checking in on me and encouraging me in any way possible.  This week I called her to share the news about petitioning for graduation and she asked if I was going to keep going?  Wow...thought provoking...graduate school.  Yikes.  Maybe I will think about that again in a few months.

And lastly, I am thankful for my besties.  I know I am dedicating a series of posts to them and it will likely go on forever...but having just had dinner with Heather and received calls/emails/texts from a number of other besties this week I just feel a lot of love and I just want y'all to know that I appreciate it.  *hugs*

babies, sleep and life

I just heard that one of my dearest friends from my high school years (Janet) had her first baby (boy) yesterday.  I sent a quick email (or two) to get more details, oh how splendid.  Janet and her hubby have been trying to have a baby for some time so this is so very exciting. 

Since I don't have any Little's of my own and the dozen in my borrowed stash generally only come stay with their fav aunt once they are potty trained and sleep through the night, I don't get to experience much of that "stay up all night with a new born" stuff that I have heard so much about.  Most recently Kelly has told me of Charley's battle with the bink...she wakes up at night and can't get back to sleep because she can't find it.  So Kelly (or Justin I assume) takes the journey to make it right and then they are back to their slumber.  

I am not sure if Heavenly Father just has a crazy wacko sense of humor or what, but maybe since I don't get to (yet) have those "stay up all night with a new born" experiences, he causes me to stay up all night for other reasons.  

School for instance.  I do my best writing late at night, or maybe I just think I do.  Imagine me as Carrie Bradshaw, except without the cigarettes (ooh yuck...we don't do that sort of thing) and also without the sex (yeah, cause cute husband is lost in the hundred acre wood) and there I sit at my laptop clicking away at the keyboard.  My topics are less risque and generally must be turned in for a grade, but still we are the same.  I may not be making money with my words right now, but one day, just you wait Henry Higgins, just you wait!

Recently more of those "stay up all night with a..." moments can be filled with the words back and pain.  I don't like to complain about my back pain, mostly because I don't like to hear people make comments about my boobs.  I know the girls have something to do with it, but I also know my back and I know that the pain that keeps me up at night is from the accident.  I don't like to complain about it because I know there is nothing that can be done and also because I don't like to think about it.  It's been a while...like 4 years this past March, but seeing red tow trucks always put me into an emotional tailspin.

Blah, blah, blah...the point of my ramblings please?  The last few nights, in addition to the stress of school and quite possibly encouraged by said stress, I have been kept awake at night by back pain.  I have such a blessed life, I read all the time about people in horrible circumstances and some that even lost their lives.  My friend Patti was in an accident a few years ago (hit by a drunk driver) and she was in the hospital for a week.  They wouldn't even keep me for 2 hours.  Regardless, last night, 2:20 a.m. I was up for the seventh time for no reason what-so-ever.  A bit later when I finally convinced myself to take a turkey pill (I am taking them almost every night lately) I went back to bed.  But not before I saw my camera.  I thought "hey, I'll take a picture in the dark and see what happens."  With the flash, it was nothing exciting, just my messy bedroom.  But without the flash, it got very exciting!

I could hear that the shutter hadn't closed yet so I did a little jig and got this awesome shot.  Can you tell what time it is?

And I love this one, it reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it.  I'm sure it was something I played with when I was a little girl (yeah, cause I've never been a little boy).  And I remember swirling it around in the dark making circles and writing my name.  It might be sparklers I am thinking of, but I don't think so.  Any ideas?

Any guesses on what I am taking a picture of in that one?  It's a tough guess, and I don't have any cool prizes...although if someone does guess I might be inclined to see what sits in the Katherine Closet of Re-giftable Merchandise.  Ha!  yes, that's right...re-giftable merchandise.  I try to remember who gives me things so I don't give you something that you gave me...but there's no guarantee I won't give someone else something that you re-gifted to me FROM THEM!  ha!

OK.  It's late, 11:32 p.m. to be exact.  Charley is chill'n at her aunties house tomorrow so I can bake up some deliciousness in the form of cake for a b'day and college grad party.  I might have to get up super early to get in a good swift walk on the treadmill of death and run the sucker upper around the shags so CM won't eat anything...wow, I should really get to bed.

Oh, but not without first showing off this additionally fantastic and very seasonal photo that I took yesterday.  

Who do you think of when you see this picture?

Oh, I forgot...ONE MORE THING (did I already use that line?)  Tonight I had the best surprise on my doorstep.  FLOWERS!  I never get flowers, only once in a very distant while and oddly enough, the last time I remember receiving flowers it was from the same (fabulous) person.  Jaimie Bermann, she is so in tune with the spirit and teaches the best R.S. lessons.  For a while I was her son's Primary teacher (at church) and we became fast friends.  Jaimie, the Flower Fairy, left me "good luck on your finals" flowers on my door!  How seriously sweet is that!?!

Aren't they gorgeous!  And a pretty sweet photos if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow is Thankful Thursday...do you know what you are THANKFUL for?

Happy Dance

I am doing the happy dance ::

That's because I took my last exam of the semester & petitioned to graduate today.  Basically I have to ask permission from the Registrar, they have to look over my course work and say "yeah" or "nay".  It will be about 2 weeks until I hear anything and technically I won't actually graduate until December, but hallelujah!

As for this semester, the jury's still out...which means I am waiting for grades.  I never thought I would have to retake a class, but this semester might prove that thought wrong.  We shall see...hopefully my professors will have pity on me!

Green Georgia

I may have mentioned this once or twice before, but I *heart* Georgia in the spring.  I know it brings allergies that words cannot describe and endless rain storms that make you wish you had invested in those rain boots you dreamt of.  Alas, the lush green world that evolves around you in the Georgia springtime is so worth it!

Lately I have spent a lot of time inside, mostly because studying for finals outside in the rain is a bit of a kill-joy.  But today on the way to bomb my philosophy final I noticed that the lily pads in the pond at the front of my complex had bloomed :: 

Today I also noticed that there is a honey suckle bush growing outside my patio!  Oh, I think it is simply divine and takes me back to picking honey suckle flowers off Grandmama's bush in Carlsbad ::

And since this is a post all about what's been growing and sits green around my life...an update on my patio garden.  I realized recently that my patio gets no (and I mean...NO!) sunlight.  At all.  None.  Zilch.  Zero.  Kelly said I could bring them to her house, but then I have to go over and water them every day and well...I'm a bit on the lazy side for that.  Anne did assure me however, that even though they do not receive direct sunlight, they still get all the yummy nutrients from the sun.  Strange.  I am not convinced, but we shall see.  

As of now, nothing is dead yet and thanks to all the rain lately, they are nice and damp...constantly!

If you left Georgia and moved to the desert, we miss you and you can always come back.  And if you are in the desert and want to come to Georgia...we might consider sending you an application, but we have strict policies here.  Strict I tell you, strict!

Bloom where you're planted!