Now I knew she'd made some real changes to her lifestyle and dropped eighty (yes, really) pounds in a year, but that still didn't prepare me for when I came home to find Half Cheryl!! And at sixty years old, no less! (She just turned 61 last month.) Here's Cheryl from her visit two years ago:

And now:

RIGHT?!? Half Cheryl! Mom and I spent the whole time pumping her for inside information, but really it boiled down to the same old adages - cutting calories, a strict regimen, good exercise, and willpower made of steel. The woman is a role model! And such a reminder that I have got to get my ass in gear.

So don't let it fool you when I say she made baked stuffed shrimp for dinner, we each only had 1 or 2!

We had that along with pesto salmon that mom made (double yum) and for dessert Cheryl brought this spice cake all the way from Sacramento because she liked it so much and wanted to share:

The next day we decided to go down to the Balboa Fun Zone (I know, not exactly the most imaginative name) to do a habor boat tour. I think we had the perfect weather that day - around 70 degrees, slightly breezy, chilly in the shade.

It was so much fun! I've been out around the habor on a boat before, but never with a tour guide pointing out celebrity homes and such. And since it's offseason there were hardly any people. Just lovely.

Of course we were super early (and you guys wonder where I get it from!), so we tooled around a bit:

And on the boat tour itself - it was nice to get out in the fresh air after being sick half the week, and someone brought their yellow lab so I was even happier! :) Plus it was that lovely light hour between 3-4 in the afternoon.

I think my favorite house is a tie between the one that my man Humphrey Bogart once owned:

Or the one that used to be John Wayne's:

I think either one would just about cover my requirements and house my entourage. What do you think?

That night Cheryl made Cornish game hens - kill me now, because I am complete:

Sunday was spent having a leisurely morning, then in the afternoon Cheryl, Lars, Sarah and I took Dante down to the dog beach in Huntington. It's so beautiful and relaxing down there, and seeing all the happy dogs is good for my chi. :) It was such a perfect afternoon, and low tide with fairly warm water so we spent a lot of time with our feet in - even Dante! He went all the way up to his knees - quite an improvement from the first time he went. He'll run in these great big circles, always coming back to check on us.

How could you not smile with that perfect combo of weather and setting?

I wish I had recorded Cheryl's laugh, because it really is the best; so infectious!

One of my favorites is the last square in this set, of Dante running to catch up with Lars and Sarah. :)

And my absolute fave for the day:

That night was spent having some yummy In-N-Out for dinner and watching Up. Perfect lazy Sunday!

Next morning, mom and I had already arranged for the day off of work, so we took Cheryl to Disneyland, since she hadn't been there in at least 15 years. It was so fun! Not crowded at all, no lines longer than 30 minutes, and nice cool weather. Unfortunately my camera's focus points were going all wonky so I just have a few shots mom took with my point & shoot:

Cheryl's favorites were Buzz Lightyear and the holiday version of Small World. :) We didn't have the energy to stay for the parade, but it was really the perfect day, and we hit all the rides we wanted to.

Unfortunately we had to go back to work the next day, but that night we all went and saw The Wizard of Oz in theaters (a special one-time-only thing for the 70th anniversary), which was great because how often do you actually sit and watch it all the way through? I can't remember the last time I did. What struck me most is that literally half the movie's lines are part of our culture and vernacular now. Like if I say "and your little dog, too!" you know exactly what I mean, or when I say "Lions and tigers and bears" someone is bound to say "Oh my!"

I'm so glad she was able to come down, and Cheryl I can't wait to see you in April!

xoxo

1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse at the moment.

2. Your hair: recently underwent a drastic change, from something like this:

to this:

Having bangs makes me feel like a kid again, but I love it!

3. Your mother: is the hardest working person I know (besides my dad, of course). We totally butt heads, but we also get along amazingly well because we're so much alike. It sounds cheesy, but she's truly an inspiration. :)

4. Your dad: is one of the funniest, cheekiest people I know. He gets such a wicked glint in his eye!

5. Your favorite food: Coke.

Well, and sushi and my mom's spaghetti and scampi from The Olde Ship. And Mindy's almond cookies.

6. Your dream from last night: Pass!

7. Your favorite drink: See above. Also fell in love with Pumpkin Spice Lattes this fall.

8. Your dream/goal: Right now, it would be to make a living at photography. I'm thinking Nancy and I need to go into business together, because she'd keep me on track and in the black. :)

9. What room are you in: the office.

10. What is your hobby? Digital scrapbooking.

When I first discovered it four years ago, I couldn't believe my luck, I'd finally found something artistic that I could do! (Always sucked at painting, drawing, crafts, etc.) That led to a deeper love of photography and now I have more creative outlets than ever. So thankful for that.

11. What is your fear? Heights. Cliffs. Spiders. Bugs in general. That pretty much covers it.

12. Where were you last night?

(Disneyland.)

13. Something you are not: Unsympathetic. I can't help but understand someone else's point of view or being empathetic. However, if you're being irrational, that's another story...

14. Muffins: Um, are good? But I'd prefer a cupcake.

15. Wish list items: Have to be honest and say it can be rather long, but the things topping it right now are a new iMac (it's official, I finally took it in and the part costs almost as much as getting a new one), an iPhone, an Instax camera and to get my camera professionally cleaned.

16. Where did you grow up? In Bergen, Norway until I was four, then we bumped around SoCal for a bit until settling in Orange County for the better part of my childhood.

17. Last thing you did: Answered the phone.

18. What are you wearing? Long cream cardigan, black patterned top, light brown pants, flats, glasses.

19. Your TV: loves Chelsey Lately, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Community and Project Runway. Quite good taste, if you ask me, but the thing has a mind of its own.

20. Your pets: Well, clearly,

And they're not technically mine, but I somehow also wound up with these Terror Twins in the house:

And eventually I'd love to wind up with one of these sweet faces:

Frenchies are soooo cute! :)

21. Your friends: Are amazing. I'm incredibly lucky that they're still around, putting up with my crap!

22. Your life: Getting better all the time. [Except when I'm down with the stomach flu.]

23. Your mood: Determined not to give in to this cold!

24. Missing someone: Haven't seen the BFF in more than a week! Boo!

25. Vehicle: A 2003 Corolla with none of the trimmings - not even power windows/doors! But I still love my wee beep beep. Its been very good to me and my wallet.

26. Something you're not wearing: Hmmm...I'm gonna go with contacts. ;)

27. Your favorite store: Banana Republic. And of course Etsy! Plus I can't forget B&H for all things photo.

28. Your favorite color? Oh boy. There's lots! Been wearing a lot of purple, teal, pink and grey lately.

29. When's the last time you laughed? Just now, reading Katie's latest rant on Facebook. The girl knows how to crack me up!!

30. When's the last time you cried? Watching Up this past weekend. How can you not?

31. Your best friend: I'm lucky, there's a handful I consider to be the best. :)

32. One place you go over and over: Target. Who doesn't love it?

33. One person who emails me regularly: My mom. And Nancy.

34. Favorite place to eat: At home. And maybe Five Crowns. :D

35. Where do you want to be in six years: Wherever it is that I'm happy and successful. I wouldn't mind having a bun in the oven (at least) by then either!

Okay, I'm tagging my mom (you can do this on Facebook, I'll show you), Nancy, Nikki and Caroline! I want to hear what my most faithful commenters think. :)

But I've got to suck it up, because Cheryl arrives tonight and I can't wait! It's been too long.

So in lieu of some real content, here's other people's blogs that I've been admiring lately:

~Pie in a jar! Genius! From Miss James of Bleubird Vintage.

~You Look Fab. Awesome wardrobe inspiration and how to translate trends into real life.

~Regretsy. Few things have made me laugh harder. (Not safe for work!)

~Just Me and My Dad. Such a sweet blog! This father and daughter each take a photo a week based on the same inspiration. Love their different interpretations.

Hope none of you have had this same stupid stomach bug!

xo

So I had missed the first couple of walks they held, but was determined to make the one at Griffith Park the weekend before last. Not only were we shooting the 38th Annual Sidecar Rally, but afterwards we'd be exploring the abandoned zoo, which is the original site of the L.A. Zoo that they've made available to the public (no, not creepy at all...). And they also offer prizes to winning shots! I didn't win, but I was still really pleased with what I was able to capture.

I should note that when I'm nervous or around people I haven't met before, I'll crack jokes. It's a nervous habit; laughing (especially when it's shared) always calms me down. So, when we gathered round at the beginning to go over the game plan, Frank was saying that they [those at the rally] were all chromed up, shiny, roaring to go, and I before I knew what was happening I was saying "And those are just the guys!" About half the group turned around to look at me. I can only hope I didn't turn too red, but at least most of them were laughing. A few later asked if I'd seen anybody I liked (the minimum age of the rally participants was 50), hardy har har. Guess that'll teach me!

At any rate, I had an awesome time. Mindy, Sean and Nikki caught up with us just before we headed up the hill to the abandoned zoo, which made it even more fun.

Without further ado, here's a few of my favorites. To see the full set (with my comments/explanations), click here.

The people watching was amazing, of course:

And my absolute fave shot of the whole day turned out to be my very first one:

Afterwards the four of us headed to Swinger's in West Hollywood for lunch. Holy mother was it good food! Definitely will have to go there again.

I'm not the most creative when it comes to costumes, so I was thrilled when I found an Alice in Wonderland costume for more than half off through Disney (bonus points for the skirt being just the right length, i.e. not slutty). All I had to add was bangs, white stockings, black headband and black Mary Janes (three out of four I already had).  Easy peasy! And yes, I totally wore the same thing both nights. And I'll probably rock it next year, and possibly the year after that, just so I feel like I got my money's worth. :)

Alice in Wonderland and the Land Shark = obvious pairing.

First, party at the Otley's Friday night - they had some awesome decorations! Too bad I didn't get any photos of them. (Don't ask why I make such ridiculous faces. I blame the G.A.T.E. program.)

Then Saturday night was the party at Sophia's. Katie was Collette Reardon (unfortunately Colby wasn't feeling well so they had to scrap their original idea) and Nikki and Lindsey were adorable chimney sweeps. Also at the party were some Blues Brothers, Dick in the Box and the "needs more cowbell" guy from SNL among others. :)

I think my favorite costume this year was Katie's, by far. What do you think?

November is turning out to be a crazy month for me. Here's a sampling of what's coming up:

• The SmugMug meeting hosted by the awesome Jasmine Star
• Birthday celebrations for the lovely Lena
• The Orange Historic Home Tour on Sunday
• A free small business lecture (taught by the amazing Tracey Clark!)
• Cheryl visits the 13-17 (so many fun things planned!)
• The Wizard of Oz in theaters (if you love it too, check here to see if there's a screening near you!)
• Another Faded & Blurred photowalk - this time in downtown LA!
• and then its time for Thanksgiving.

Holy heck.

Sooo...how was your Halloween? Did you stay in? Party it up? Take the kids out?

xo

I'd kill for mad photog skillz like this:

And a print of one of her gorgeous sketches, like this:

Yup, got a girl crush. For sure. So who's your girl crush? Don't be shy!

xo

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

More of the Outlander series (which I finally finished last night), namely A Breath of Snow and Ashes and the latest release, An Echo in the Bone. Boo to catching up! Also read In Style, of course. I'm addicted. I also just read The Art of Racing in the Rain in two days. :)

What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?

Actually caught a few, saw Whip It and The Invention of Lying in theaters and finally rented Away We Go, which was SO good. Talk about poignant commentary on current American family culture! 

What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?

Oh wow. It was my birthday this month, so I had an amazing sushi dinner with friends, yummy homecooked dinner with the fam and a trip to Vegas. I'm a lucky girl! Plus this month there were several trips to Disneyland to see the Halloween fireworks show and ride scary Space Mountain. This weekend we went to two different Halloween parties! And of course I've been taking a ton of photos along the way.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?

An awesome jacket from my parents, tons of hilarious birthday cards, a cookbook, scarf and earrings from Nancy and Kris, money to fix my poor iMac from Nikki, gorgeous embroidery from Mindy, Starbucks merch from Laura...again, I'm a lucky girl!

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

Books, of course, are always special. I'm gonna need a whole room devoted to them eventually. Also indulged myself with this lovely gocco print and this supercute coffee cup sleeve (I know it sounds frivolous, but it saves paper and the seller donates to sighthound rescue!). Also got costumes for me and Dante...to be revealed in photos later.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?

None to speak of, knock on wood, except a few medium-scale migraines.

What were my accomplishments this month?

Edited and delivered an engagement/portrait session (technically shot in September), kept up with Project 365, attended an awesome photowalk, helped my mom rearranged the office and family room (still a work in progress, but we're getting there).

So what are you answers, dear readers? I love to know what people are up to...part of the reason I'm so obsessed with reading blogs and Facebook! :)

xo

So we headed over to Fullerton one very hot afternoon and spent some time at Hillcrest Park and wandering around downtown. All they had to do to look good was smile, so they made it very easy on me.

Here's some of my favorites (to see more, go here):

Hooray for sunflare!

Pee Wee was a natural! And only a little bit of a scene stealer.

Stop. Cuddle time.

Like Jennifer said, totally 90210 right? But I still love it.

This is what happens when I ask people to give me Blue Steel:

He's got heart.

Fierce!!

I know, I'm jealous of her eyelashes too:

By that time the heat had taken its toll on us and the pups, so we called it a wrap.

J & J, I know everything is going to go perfectly for you guys this weekend, but I'm sending you happy thoughts anyways. And Jennifer, you're my hero for pulling off a wedding while finishing up your masters - good luck next week! Can't wait to see the wedding photos!

xo

NANCY HAS LAUNCHED HER PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS!

Phew! I feel better.

Nancy and I first met one early morning back in 2002 when I came in to interview for a position in her department, which was customer service/advertising for a local residential real estate company. I got the job, and we hit it off pretty much immediately. The oldest in the family, younger brothers (she has three, I have two), sarcastic sense of humor, love of food, love of history and learning...we had a lot in common. We grew close quickly, even though she was technically my supervisor (and the best one a girl could have!). The more I learned about her, the more I admired her.

When spots opened up in our little department for more people, my two best friends Nikki and Katie (aka the Glowin sisters) wound up getting hired and we soon became the tightest-knit group of employees you've ever seen! It was a perfect way to work through college, and I'm so thankful for the experiences we had. But most of all I'm thankful for the awesome best friend I gained. :)

So now we have a shared passion for photography, and in the past year she's been taking classes and racking up amazing photos for her portfolio like there's no tomorrow. Every time she adds to Flickr I'm in awe. The girl has the eye, there's no doubt. But she also has the drive, ambition and brains, which has led to the official launch of her website and blog today!

If you're looking for a photographer in the SoCal area, look no further than Nancy Orozco Photography! Why? Because you'll wind up looking this good:

So get yourself over to her blog, because she's giving away a photo session!

Nancy, you'll always be my Team Leader, and I can't thank my lucky stars enough for having a friend like you! Besos!

In that spirit, I've decided to share with you some pretty things I've had my eye on (friends and family, you might want to look away), so that my careful hoarding doesn't go to waste. :)

For the chef, how about a custom cake pan (sooo cool for when you bring a dish to a party) or a personalized cookbook from TasteBook? Mom and I have been trying to remember to get photos of her recipes so we can do this (eventually). So pretty, right? You can use your own recipes or get one already designed on a certain theme:

For the fellow bookworm, I'm in love with these stunning art printed book jackets:

and these adorable notebooks.

For a romantic, these mini diaries with questions already in them are genius (what a heirloom for your kids someday!), and pretty to boot:

This cameo vase is also lovely (and on sale), and I know a couple certain someones who happen to love cameos... ;

I really wish I knew more moms, because this shirt from ThinkGeek cracks me up every time I see it:

Plus I want like 40 other things from there, but I won't bore you with the details. :)

How adorable is this little Peggie family?

Love this artist - they're fully customizable, and they make cute wedding cake toppers too!

Don't even get me started on my Etsy wish list...you can take a peek by following the widget on the right.

Of course I have to give some options for my fellow dog lovers and owners...such as this hilarious shirt:

Or this one:

As for something to actually get for your dog, this seller makes the most awesome custom dog tags, I'm dying for this collar for my little criminal, and thin-skinned pups definitely need this hoodie for the colder months. And I'm dying for this camera so I can finally settle the question of guilt: kittens v. dogs. ;)

And finally, fellow photo enthusiasts, a few things I've had my eye on are the Fujifilm Instax camera, which seems to be all over teh interwebs these days, and the Diana lens adaptor - now you can get those awesome film effects on your usual dSLR! (Although I think I still want to play with actual film, but this would be a cool extra lens to play with.)

Of course, on my budget and with my mad digital scrapbooking skillz [insert laugh track here], I don't buy everything, I make quite a bit too. Last year I made desktop calendars for my parents and myself, plus Nikki and Katie using these adorable 5x7 calendars by the ever-amazing Penny Springmann:

That way I was able to print them at home on 5x7 photo paper from Costco and inserted them in plastic frames. Memorable, meaningful and budget friendly! :)

Also, two years ago I started a tradition of forcing asking everyone on the American side of the family (including aunts, uncles, cousins and significant others) a set of questions, then using their answers plus photos of them from that year to make an 8x8 scrapbook album. We all love seeing everyone else's answers and it was a huge hit! Last year I didn't even have to buy the albums, just gave them the pages and had them add them to the album from the year before. It takes a huge amount of time but it's totally worth it to make a family heirloom like that.

The cover (it actually says "shot of aquavit", somehow the cover insert got pushed a little to the left):

And some of last year's pages:

For 2008 I made an insert page as the cover, with a new funny title inspired by mom. You can see it here. As a digital scrapbooker it's also fun to see how my style has changed/progressed. :)

Are you still with me after that novel of an entry? What are your plans for gifting?

xo