The always necessary picture proof of a blogger meetup

A few of you asked what in the world I was painting in my daily photo. Well since you asked…

The new paintings to go over our bed

(For anyone who has already read this and commented on the picture in Flickr.. THANK YOU! Gosh you guys are so sweet you have no idea.)

I had to replace the previous painting that hung above our bed because it looked as my husband so lovingly described it like poop smears. That’s what I get for painting while drinking and watching Sixteen candles.

This time I painted completely sober while watching Sex and the City. What is it? No clue.. maybe a branch with the buds of new leaves? I just wanted something big and simple that would not resemble poop smears and would not compete with the numerous patterns going on in our room.

And viola… the picture of… something that does not resemble poop smears.

SUCCESS!

(and I totally made our bed just to take this picture. le sigh)

And one last poop smears just for Kerri.

A little on my painting history. I took several classes in high school (with Alyssa!) and took another class in college. I haven’t really painted since, and even in those classes I wasn’t all that great. It’s just something I like to do every once and a while. So I just kind of paint whenever I actually have time and whenever I can clean the paints up in time before I have my cat tracking blue paw prints throughout the house. And just to show that the limited skill I do have just runs in the family, one of the many many paintings my grandma has passed our way over time:

And yep, that would be me in that painting.

What are your plans this weekend? My dad is coming to visit on Sunday evening. Also depending on how much work I end up with, we even may try to take the dogs to the beach. We’ll see. But I hope you have a great one!

Well it started out in a very different way from all other years. Cale’s grandma Verla passed away right at the start of the new year. It was the first of two funerals I would attend this year. While the passing was not a surprise, it was still very sorrowful to lose a member of my newly-acquired in-laws. Then the day after our one year anniversary I got a horrible message. Our friends’ son had passed away. I read her email over and over. I couldn’t believe it. Then I ran in to Cale getting ready for work, and I sobbed so heavily and deeply, barely able to relay the news to him. I called her saying of course we would be there. And we were.

On January 2nd, the day after Verla’s passing, I took (and later not surprisingly found out that I did not pass) my first CPA exam. And the rest of those exams would take up the good first half of my year. I took two tests each testing window until my last one on July 2nd. And after that first fluke test, I passed all four, which resulted in a nice bonus that funded my very first DSLR camera.

At the beginning of 2008, I never would have imagined that a new camera would sky-rocket to the top of my wishlist. I slowly began to take an interest in photography throughout the year as I learned how to work our little point and shoot and as I began to blog more often. In January I wrote a total of three blogs that entire month. February there were four. March there were fifteen, and it just increased from there. Then in April I started participating in Exposaroonie. The regular challenges pushed me to learn and experiment with photography. And you know what? It was fun. So fun that during the latter part of this year I started up my Daily Me: a self-portrait everyday. It’s a great way for me to drag my camera out every day. So I guess you could say in 2008 I found a great new hobby.

I also lied before when I said I never went anywhere. But actually 2008 held several adventures for me. Earlier in the year we had visitors to our little cottage. Chris and Alyssa visited and we all went to San Francisco and, among other things, got yummy donuts. My husband and I took a short weekend holiday to Carmel to celebrate our one year anniversary in June. We both ended up with severe sunburns and spent the remainder of the weekend recovering. Then my family all joined in Tahoe for some adventures that included dog diarrhea, bears, and more sunburns. Our last trip was to the California coast for my sister’s birthday, whose pictures have still yet to be seen on this blog, as my ultimate procrastination has caused a four month delay in posting apparently. One other adventure that I took solo was to Orlando, FL for a work conference. Of course it wasn’t entirely uneventful, as I went early to visit Disneyworld and I did take a break in the week to make it to an Obama Rally in Kissimmee.

There were also smaller trips throughout the year. Mostly to Bakersfield to visit family. And as the year went on, the trips became further apart, which was not a bad thing. I was learning to be more independent. To enjoy my weekends of leisure. To get the most out of our visits when we did make them. Halfway through the year I made a special trip to Fresno to visit with Morgan and to meet some new friends. Because over the year, I met people through this blog that are my friends. This blog that I only posted in three times in January grew in a way that allowed me to meet people; awesome people at that. Awesome people who I shared the contents of my purse with, came to our Christmas party, and who I exchanged scarves with. It also allowed me to stay up to date in the day to day lives of my “real life” friends and family. I got to go to my best friend’s baby shower and cried when I got to hear as she was going into labor. Alyssa inspired me to craft. Talia inspired me to cook. Cait shared our seesterly love.

While I didn’t get married in 2008, I did get to celebrate a one year wedding anniversary. Not only that but I learned a lot about being married and what all that entails. Following the wedding I was bound and determined to be a perfect wife. I wanted a perfect house, to cook perfect meals, and to do it all. As I started having to stay at work later and later into the evening, I saw my dreams of being the perfect wife slip away. I was asking Cale to cook dinner and was watching the dust pile up. But you know what? Cale didn’t care. He taught me a lot over this year about being a good wife. He showed me that it’s not about what I do, but it’s about coming home and being there. He showed me how to be romantic. He showed me that no matter what happens at work or elsewhere, I can always come home and get a good cuddle. Our relationship grew tremendously over the past year, and at the start of the year, I never would have thought that it could get any better. But it did.

So I guess all that was just to say.. Wow. 2008 wasn’t all that boring. While I don’t have any monumental life experiences headed my way, I can’t let life pass me by. So much can happen that could just dissolve into oblivion if we don’t take a second to savor it and to put it into our memories. Looking forward to 2009 I know that I can count on another year that is eventful. No matter what eventually happens.

I organized a little Christmas gift exchange for some of us bloggers to get together and meet and greet and drink. It was really a good time! I got to meet my fellow CPA-er Susan for the first time, Alyssa got to break in her house with her first party, I introduced some Fresnans to Dewars Peppermint Ice Milk, I got to feel a baby inside my cousin’s tummy, and I got to hang out with my seester. Whew. There are some links for you.

Cait and Jimaie

Alyssa enjoying our mulled wine (not to be confused with mold wine)

Sarah and Susan

Showing off our gift exchange loot!

So whenever I talk about how much I love the ladies I’ve met through this blogging stuff, I’m not kidding one little bit. It was such a fun little get together. Something we should definitely do more often.

Sorry this write up is kind of short but I just got done working for the day and I’m ex-haus-ted. It’s hard getting ready to take time off! At least December 22 through January 4th I am a free woman. Maybe then I can catch up on some of the blog reading I have not been doing.

Wrong. The one main present I got the supplies to make? Still sitting in my nightstand ready for me to put together. So instead, she got the secondary gift and other cute little goodies that I gladly picked out. Because if I don’t have a baby to accessorize, you better believe I’m going to use little Maddie as an opportunity to visit Janie and Jack for some shopping.

Part one of the adorable Janie and Jack goodies.. but I forgot to take a picture of the rest

A baby shower present from Auntie Steph isn’t complete without an etiquette book

I made this little bonnet for Maddie. The night before. Because I’m that much of a procrastinator. Hopefully it fits her head. Maisie wasn’t too keen on being my head model, so I had to use the shopping bag.

All wrapped up and ready to be opened!

Then I got to Morgan’s shower and ate one of these lovely cupcakes. They were so yummy! Good job Mimi and Grammy!

As you saw here, we met up at Starbucks and chatted to round out the evening.

I still find it highly ironic that now I look forward to visiting Fresno. That is something I never expected as I was suffering through my early years of college. Sure I had friends, but looking back fondly on my Fresno days? Never… Except, I actually do. I had such a great time meeting Morgan and others that I would never take back a minute of my time at Fresno State. It brought me such amazing friends. Moral of the story? I’m so glad I got to go to Morgan’s shower, and I’m so happy for her and her hubby’s baby that is rolling around in her tummy right now. That baby who I totally got to feel kicking this time! Yay!

Michael: Phyllis and Bob — their celebrity couple name would be “Phlob.”

Anyways, vlog, vlogging, phlobbing aside. I recorded a video for your enjoyment. It’s long because apparently the second I have a captive audience I cannot shut up.

Thanks to Hollie, Ashley, Tristan, Lauryn, Sara, Sarah Marie P, Lauren, and Talia for all your questions! Hopefully I answered them to your satisfaction!

Now this isn’t my final video blog. Stay tuned tomorrow evening for the answers to your questions. Thanks so much for your submissions! Until then, enjoy our little video.

Friday Cale and I decided that a day trip was necessary for this three day weekend. We have very much enjoyed our past weekends spent at home, with plenty of time for relaxation, but a one-day break from the ordinary was needed. I was in desperate need for a girl’s day with my lovely friend Morgan, and thankfully she was up for the company. We thought this would be a perfect opportunity to meet up with our blogger buddies Sarah Marie P and Jimaie at Teazer (that no, is not a strip club as my husband first assumed. It has some yummy teas and juice blends). Of course four blogger ladies could not get together without the opportunity for a mini photoshoot. We attracted a bit of attention (i.e. honks, whistles, and “hey ladies”) being in the Tower District. But it was a great time seeing these ladies whose lives I’ve read so much about. The oddest part was hearing the voices that match the writing, and OMG they’re moving. I can’t wait to go visit again because I don’t think I can go to Fresno now without meeting up again with my lovely friends.

Morgan’s Honolulu.

All the yumminess.

This was a group of some pretty adorable shoes as well.

Morgan and Jimaie

There were many laughs that day

See I wasn’t kidding

These two ladies are such goofy and good friends; you just smile being around them

Me and Sarah

All four of us

Of course during our blog meetup, Morgan and I left our husbands to bond by themselves. We rounded out our day with some chatting at the Gable’s home, a dinner at CPK, and then some book browsing at Barnes and Noble. I think by the end of the day, our two husbands grew even closer than they had already become by playing Call of Duty all week long together.

The only seats available in Barnes and Noble

The hubby and I got our much needed trip out of town and got to spend a day with great friends. I don’t think it could have been any better. How was your Labor Day weekend?

My hubby

Ashlei and Kourtni

Lydia and Jerusha

I love that this has become such a community. Check out the other new blogs that I read on my sidebar. Not on there? Leave a comment, or send me a message through the contact button above and let me now. Updating that blogroll is a daunting task, and I could have easily left someone out.

Morgan‘s husband also started a new blog. He is starting a new blog series that I wish had existed when I started blogging, and I fully expect to learn new things even after blogging for over a year. Like recently, have you noticed the coolness that is my new picture caption styling? Courtesy of Justin. So be sure to subscribe Blog Yourself to learn a thing or two on how to get the most out of your blog.

What does this week hold for you? Mine includes patiently waiting for this and this to arrive at our house as a result of this. Yeah we’re responsible. Also maybe starting to seriously train for that triathlon. Sigh.