live and learn

a sense of awe...

this morning, tom and i went to a funeral, for a friend's mom, at our local catholic church. scott's brother is a priest serving in the military in baghdad iraq and he officiated the service. it was the most touching, beautiful funeral service, i think i've ever experienced. very heartfelt and spiritual, with just enough humor to keep everyone at ease. i grew up in the missouri synod lutheran church, so i know the sense of awe that exists in a large, liturgical church, and i must say that i miss that. i adore my church...but, whenever i visit a catholic, lutheran or other liturgical service, i realize that a part of me, misses the sense of awe, respect, and reverence that is a part of a more traditional church. i was moved to tears more than once...and it had a lot to do with feeling the presence of God, as well as the sadness that comes with loss. whenever i go to a funeral, i think of my own mortality, and sometimes, i think about what i would want at my service. i know i want *my* boys to carry me, jared, josh, ryan, kirby and my grandsons. that is important to me. i tell tom that every time we go to a funeral. today, he said he wants that too. i know i want the songs, "amazing grace" and "lift high the cross". i want uplifting, encouraging Bible verses read, and i want a message of Jesus' love and grace given. okay, now it's in writing, and the world knows! if i die soon, you guys all know what i want! anyway, while we were at the funeral, i couldn't help but think about what a great chaplain scott's brother must be. he had such a great sense of humor and seems so very kind. i'm sure he gives a lot of comfort to the military personnel who he serves. that was encouraging. another sort of unrelated thing that i thought was this: we all worship in different ways and have slightly different doctrines, and yet if we worship the same Savior, why can't we all respect each other's faith? an ecumenical body, united in the same purpose. as long as the bottom line is the same? Jesus is our Savior. period.

i guess my mind is really focused on life and death, because not only did scott and kathy lose scott's mom, but my bud donna lost her mom very unexpectedly yesterday too. i know one of the biggest cliche's in the world is, "life is short", but it's so true...and none of us knows the time or hour of our death. i want to be ready. i don't want to have any regrets. i want to spend time with the ones i love, and not hold back on living my life...doing what i love, and hopefully being a blessing to others. i don't want to be so driven, that i miss out on real life, killing myself to "make" it.

so, i mentioned that i would share my favorite products from the show today. since it is late, i will wait and post that another day when i can give it some proper thought. however, i will share some pretty faces that i promised. i love these girls.

 

this is kim. kim and i have so much in common. i think the main thing being our values. she is a gem.

 

 

tracy has taught me more about this industry than anyone else. she is so proper and businesslike...but at the same time, so fun to be around. love tracy!

 

i am so sad that i didn't do any headshots of jenn. she looks so good! oh well, her facebook profile pic that she took herself is awesome!

 

wendy. gorgeous, intelligent and on the same page politically with me :)

 

 

kelly is so funny...she says that every time we work a show, i try to talk her into headshots! you can see why, right?

   

iliana is so sharp...she always has the best clothes and accessories.

 

 

amy & kl...two of my favorite peeps. love these girls. so glad i got to see them and hang out a bit. i wish i had taken more photos. i always say that at the shows.

update on photography workshop: i'm doing a beginning photography workshop on saturday march 7 at the loft. i have a few openings left, so if you're interested, let me know! there is a lot interest, so i anticipate that it will fill up :)

one more thing photography related. i would like to find an adventurous young couple who ice skate. you don't have to be good...just willing. and not wimpy about cold temps. cute snow gear would be beneficial too. i would also like to find newborn twins to photograph. i am actually dying to do a shoot of multiple newborns....so if you know of anyone that might fit the bill, pass the word.

wow. i've covered the gamut today. i hope you have a great day and weekend. God bless!

every time...

i travel, i have the exact same feeling about coming home. a feeling of gratitude and peace.  i really have a good life and i appreciate it. i go away, i have a wonderful time, i am ready to come home, and i'm always overjoyed when i get here. great to have the opportunity to go, but always awesome to get home!

i struggle posting on my blog when i get back from trade shows, because i'm so overwhelmed. so many people i love and admire, so many beautiful, fresh products, so many ideas swirling in my head. i want to share, and yet i hate the idea of leaving anything or anyone out. i do have a new bff-

  i loved her on dancing. her age, combined with her killer bod, really inspired me. and in reality, she is so beautiful and seemed truly gracious as she painted. she made me want to paint. paris hilton was there too, but i couldn't get close enough to even catch a glimpse. i think i would rather see jane seymour anyway. oh and jenn and i saw deborah norville too.

i know i am behind on emails. i have 210 in my inbox right now. i will get on it. tomorrow i'll update on where i'm at with openings for the photography workshop. so excited about this!

so much more to say, but i'm dying to work out! i missed it! i can't believe it, but it's true. i'm ready to get back on track with eating and working out. feels so good.

more on the show tomorrow. i'll get my photos organized and share some pretty faces :) i'll also list some of my favorite products. i still love new products. my excitement doesn't seem to fade on this!

i've missed my connection with you all!

God bless you!

don't do it...

there was a time not so long ago, that i said that i wasn't going to shoot weddings anymore. ha! i thought at the time, that i was making this strong stand, that was right for me. wrong. now, i realize that it was just fear, that made me say/think that. stepping out in faith, not letting fear rule, has been one of the biggest things i've learned in the past few years. i want to experience all that i can and not be held back by fear. so, now i am photographing weddings, and loving it. i get nervous, but not to the point that i'm paralyzed! i actually truly enjoy it. i've been talking to lots and lots of engaged couples lately. booking lots of weddings, and looking forward to shooting them! the new issue of wedding essentials magazine will be available in about a week! and a certain local bride and groom's wedding that i shot will be featured! i can hardly wait! more on that soon.

i mentioned earlier this week, that i would have some dates set for upcoming events at the loft, by the end of the week. well, i have one date for sure!  i will be offering a repeat of the beginning photography workshop that i had at the loft back in november!

*beginner's photography workshop at the loft.

saturday, march 7 2009 10 am-3pm

this class will focus on the basics...using available light, camera settings, connecting with subjects and lots of other tips that have made a huge difference for me. this class is the class that i wish i would have been able to take when i decided that i wanted to learn about photography. all you need is a digital SLR camera. this is a very hands-on class.

email me at bnovacek@aol.com for more info. i do have a waiting list from the last time around, so those folks will be received an email shortly with first chance at this class. you must pre-register for this one. thanks!

the other upcoming events will be announced with dates very soon!

i'm getting ready to leave to attend CHA. working the show is a lot of work, but it's work that i really enjoy. connecting with friends who love what i love, and always meeting new people who are passionate about our craft. these are my people! come by and see me in the creativity booth-it's #3835. also, check out the melissa frances booth #4077 and fiskars...which i'm not sure what the booth number is, but it's typically a large enough booth, that you won't miss it! 

earlier this week, i shared just a couple of shots of this adorable family. i had spent so much time writing about teenagers, that i didn't really do that shoot justice as far as sharing. so here are a few more that melt my heart-

  

i have a candy dish at the loft :) 

   

 
     

 

such cuties!

a quote i'll leave you with. i believe this with all my heart.

"be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts." proverbs 4:23

God bless your day and weekend!

enjoying the process...

life is constantly changing, things never remain the same. sometimes, that's scary to me, other times it's exhilarating. living in the moment is the only way i can deal. that and clinging to the fact that the Lord never changes. that is the one constant, and i find it comforting.

there are several really good things happening in my world right now. so the changes coming are good changes! nothing earth shattering...well, at least not to most. but i'm excited...and trying to just enjoy the process.

another thing i'm pondering recently is how materialistic i am? i love beautiful things, and i love to shop and find bargains. BUT, i'm trying to figure out if i'm too into my stuff? we received an e-card at Christmas time from my aunt and uncle, sis and jim. they are pretty amazing people. uncle jim is a wonderful photographer...probably the first influence toward photography in my life. he was doing really creative, candid stuff and capturing all sorts of magic, back before i saw anyone else (in my admittedly, sheltered life) doing this. they are both into education and service. not materialistic at all. i aspire to be more like them. sis has been a teacher, marathon runner, vegetarian, health-conscious person for as long as i can remember. and when i say teacher, i mean an extra-ordinary teacher, taking special needs children into their home as their own, so they could attend the school that had the programs they needed in the rural area where they lived. when their nest was finally empty, they joined the peace corps and lived and worked in south africa for a couple of years. now, they're involved in habitat for humanity. so anyway, when we received their card and i was reading what they had been up to this past year, it occurred to me again, how very cool and inspiring they are. always thinking of others and what they can do to make things better for others. they are not into stuff...other than maybe a good camera? thanks sis and jim for being such an inspiration to me! i'm so blessed to have such a wonderful extended family!

another *thing* that i've found inspiring lately, is this blog. i would say i'm borderline obsessed. i think her philosophy on so many things is similiar to mine...but her ideas are so practical and inspiring! before the holidays, i didn't read blogs much, but i must admit, this month, i have caught up on my blog reading (in comparision to pre-Christmas). read it, look at her pretty images and enjoy!

congrats to one of my first scrapbooking friends on 2 peas, melissa on the birth of her third baby boy! melissa is super talented and just as sweet! love her so much! 

remember  murphy? such a cutie! not only did she star in the norenberg's Christmas cards, now she's also starring in their notecards-

  

love this idea so much!!!

while i had my camera snapping, i took these-

  

  

     "draw near to God and He will draw near to you" james4:8

God bless you!

on a lighter note...

thanks for the comments and emails regarding the post yesterday. as you know if you read it, i was apprehensive about writing it. so it's good to know that it encouraged a few of you :)

i finished a project yesterday, that was really enjoyable....i think i would find doing styling photoshoots inspiring to do. i shot a vignette in my living room for the cover of healthwise. i was moving furniture around and hanging quilts around on the walls as backdrops....so fun, and much more challenging than i initially thought it would be. the Lord smiled down on me, by letting the sun come out.

i had lunch with a group of friends to celebrate our friend tammy's birthday yesterday too. i am so thankful to have such an awesome group of friends. i adore my husband and family (as you know, if you read my blog), but i need my friends. i always feel refreshed after spending time with them. i'm heading to bagels this morning, and then i'm going to do a little shopping for a few things i need for my upcoming trip to CA. we also need groceries. last night we had beans and rice, and a spinach salad...just using what we have. i made a pear tart over the weekend, using some of the abundance of pears we have. it was really good-but if i make it again, i won't do the simple syrup over the baked tart. it would have been sweet enough without the syrup drizzling. why is it so gratifying to make use of things we have on hand? i do hate to throw anything food-wise out. 

over the weekend, i took a few shots of jared and beth(one will be featured in healthwise in february). we had given beth the hat for Christmas...i wasn't sure if she would like it, but i was thinking of how adorable it would be for a shoot...

  

    

 

to say that i'm excited about their upcoming wedding/marriage would be an understatement! i love how they are with each other...such a good match! no date yet...but soon, i'm told :)

have a great day, and God bless!

but i don't want to.....

(said in a whiny voice) sometimes, a topic for my blog comes to my mind while i'm having my quiet time, and i feel as if, it's something i'm "supposed" to write about. and sometimes, i don't necessarily want to. i know that i am an observer of life, as well as living my own life...so maybe some of my writings come as a result of my observations. and it seems that the older i get, the more i observe and sort of "get" things. perspective and experience do have their benefits. anyway, i'm not an expert on anything, so my lists and writings are simply my opinions and may result from my observations or experiences on a particular subject. hindsight is a powerful thing.

so today with trepidation, i will proceed with my tuesday list.

*b* list on raising teenagers

1. love unconditionally. whenever i question what love is, i always refer to the love chapter in the Bible, i cor 13:4-8. loving unconditionally means a lot of things, but it doesn't mean to be a doormat, or a pushover. sometimes it means you have to do really difficult things. 

2. recognize your influence and use your leverage when you need to. sometimes i see strong successful adults turn into a sort of spineless, unrecognizable person when confronted with their teenagers. i remember it happening to me. they know how to push our buttons. take a step back, so you can see things more clearly, and so that you aren't acting according to your emotions. sometimes i remember feeling sort of helpless when situations arose, and in hindsight i can see that i really did have more influence and leverage than i realized in the moment. enforce some of that, when you need to.

3. be strong. i don't think any season of life has taken more energy, than raising teenagers. i know it's physically exhausting to parent toddlers and young children, but raising teenagers requires an emotional strength that is way beyond the physical exhaustion. teenagers know that. they know that they have power to wear you down. they know how to guilt-trip you. stay strong and know that this too shall pass.

4. don't bail them out. it's so tempting to try to make their life easier. but really all that does is prolongs their maturing. they need to face some challenges that they figure out themselves while they're under your roof, so that you can gently guide them through it. then when they're out in the real world, they'll have some skills to make it.

5. don't encourage a sense of entitlement. i think this is huge. i see it so clearly in hindsight. i think they need to know that you don't owe them any of the luxuries that they are enjoying. seriously. there's a fine line between giving them the things they "need" and spoiling them with stuff that's just way beyond helpful in the long run. i see some young adults not realizing that they may have to pay their dues, in order to enjoy the same luxuries that their parents have worked a lifetime to earn. i think it's healthy to struggle a little when you're young. it seems to not only build character, but also a sense of appreciation and gratitude. it's hard to truly appreciate things you've never had to do without. spend time with them, listen to them and love on them...don't try to give them everything materially. that's a whole new topic.

6. teach them values over how things appear on the outside. not rules, but values.

7. don't automatically say no. sometimes i think it just becomes habit. say yes when you can and when it's appropriate. listen to what they're really asking.

8. figure out their love language  and speak it! invest in them. 

9. from the time they are young and never let up when they are teenagers, teach them that the world does not revolve around them. compassion for others, thoughtfulness, servitude, and respect.  the teenage years can be very self involved years, if you don't instill this in them early. i love my cousin er's morning prayer with her children, "help me to be a blessing to others" so simple, but profound. and you can see that she has instilled this in them. it's not a random prayer. it's a way of life. find a way to serve others as a family. live it.

10. it's never too late. i remember reading a parenting book when my kids were in their teens and reading this. i was convinced i had messed them up for life with all the mistakes i had made through the years. (which by the way, i think we all tend to do when we have teens....we think we have made such massive mistakes, that they won't be functional, well adjusted adults) this encouraged me so much! never quit trying!

11. don't worry, pray. single most difficult thing to do, in my opinion. i would meditate on this verse, "for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 tim 1:7 i spent many late nights in prayer. i believe that is the single most powerful thing you can do as a parent.

12. don't enable them. don't tell yourself that it wouldn't be loving to have them move out when they are not respectful, when they reach a certain age. i remember teasing my kids when they were in their young teens, and i would make them get up and help with things around the house, that i was just making sure that they weren't going to be 30 year olds living in our basement! if you make it too easy for them, they'll never even want to be independent. it's healthy for them to move on. that's our job, to give them the necessary skills to make it without us. right?

13. this should have been number one. teach them about the love of the Lord. live your faith and tell them about your beliefs. BUT, make sure they understand that they need to make their faith their own. they can't ride your coattails. faith is such a personal thing. a relationship between God and them.

14. finally. don't let them(your kids) steal your joy. famous words of jamie meyer. so true. and remember to enjoy them and keep things in perspective...what they are going through is normal, they need to figure out a way to be independent.  if you have young children, this probably makes no sense to you. but it will.

*edited* while i was showering, i realized that there are many, many more things to be said...my little list isn't adequate. allowing and encouraging their individual interests, avoiding "fixing" things we did wrong as teens, through our children, and finally, not allowing for the transition from child of mine, to independent person. that day will come. and it can be a very, very rewarding thing. letting go is tough, but so worthwhile.

believe me, i didn't do all of this, all the time. this is written after the fact. i've been through it and wish i had had more guidance. i was the first of my group of friends to experience raising teens, so i didn't have much "help" or encouragement. in fact, i think my friends were all appalled by what i was going through with my kids...and my kids were good overall. they were normal, but no one could tell me that.

a word to teens: i know this is written from the perspective of a parent. forgive me for the generalizations. i hope that you are on a path of high standards, based on your values, and not on peer pressure. and this is VERY important, don't ever forget that your parents love you and are probably the only people in the entire world who will stand by you no matter what, throughout your life. there are so few people you can truly count on to be there for you in such a way. respect them and recognize that they're doing the best they can.

whew. see why i didn't want to write on this? hopefully there is a reason for it!

i had the privilege to do a photoshoot over the weekend for this adorable family-

 
 

this sweet pea is almost 1 year old.

  her big brother is pretty cute too.

 

 

so thankful to get to do this!

God bless you!

thinking ahead...

i do have a vision, but i have to admit, that i don't always have the mindset to plan for things that are months ahead. i've found that in business(and otherwise), it's essential to think and plan ahead, as long as i can be flexible if things don't go exactly as planned. so, this weekend, i tried to at least get things lined up in my mind. they're not all on paper yet, but it's coming. that's my goal for this week. i've turned in photos and creations with deadlines, and now i need to focus on my plan for the loft and photography for the next couple of months. here are some of my ideas....

1. a second beginner's photography workshop. the first one went very well, and there seems to be much interest in another (from folks who couldn't make the first one)
2. a mini book class at the loft. i've been working on the final project, and i'm very excited to finally do this!

3. a more intermediate photography workshop. i had grand ideas for this one initially, so i'll have to get a lot of details pulled together to have it work out in the way i visualize it.

4. mini photography sessions. i've had a lot of clients indicate interest in this. i think it would be a great way to give new clients a taste of what my style of photography is, and according to my current clients, it would supplement their once a year full out family shoots with little ones who change a ton in a year's time. so my thought is, to offer 1/2 hour sessions at the loft for a lower sitting fee rate, and i would get to spend the day at the loft, doing what i love to do, all day!

5. this one isn't for the loft, but i really want to restock my etsy shop after almost a year! i have ideas : )

so those are a few ideas i'm trying to pull together. i hope to have definite dates and details by the end of the week. i'm going to CA at the end of the week for CHA (the craft and hobby association's winter show) i'm looking forward to it so much! can't wait to see friends, new products, and enjoy some warmer weather! such a nice break from the frigidity around here.

update on my spending cutdown goal for this year. i've done really well ( i know it's only january 19...babysteps!), but i caved a little on saturday. tom and i had a really nice day...we shared a delicious greek salad at king kong's (one of our faves) and did a little shopping, followed by seeing a really lame movie(which i'm almost embarassed to admit that we saw....DUMB show!) so, while we were shopping, i drug tom in z gallerie to show him a lamp i had seen the week before (but didn't purchase by sheer willpower!). it was marked down by 25% the week before. so we were looking at it, and a salesperson walked over and asked if we knew there was another 10% off everything in the store! with the discount, it was as affordable as a lot of the lamps at target. (i'm a justifier when i shop) tom is normally my voice of reason, and he actually thought it was a decent buy. 

i have wanted to replace the floor lamp with a table lamp for a long time...i actually moved the floor lamp to the living room, where we desperately needed more light (desperate might be a little strong) anyway, i have no regrets. my main goal with the cutting back on spending was to stop buying without a lot of thought.

crummy photo. it's super gloomy today.

another 09 goal update. i worked out 3 days in a row last week. the only bad thing is, those are the only days i worked out. still, i'm not discouraged. i've been trying to really get refocused and figuring out what i need to be spending my time doing. and not forcing myself to do things through guilt alone.

and since it is martin luther king jr day...here are a couple of my favorite mlk quotes:

If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

end of quotes. lots of food for thought.

God bless  your day.

finding a moment...

maybe it's because i have 4 little ones here this morning? i have a new appreciation for young moms. not that i didn't before, but it's much more fresh in my mind this morning. yowsa.  we had scrambled eggs, toast and pears, oranges and bananas for breakfast. now i have one asleep and sesame street is on...so i found a moment.

yesterday, i had a super productive day. one of the major things i worked on was my studio. i had been wanting to do a major overhaul for a long time. it ended up not being that major, but i do feel much better. i wanted to come up with a more efficient system for storage. sometimes it's easy to get in a rut in your own space, ya know? i was there. i may still be. but i purged again and i toted all of my finished older scrapbooks to the basement bookshelf. we do spend a little time down there and when we do, it's fun to pick up a scrapbook and reminsce. so i freed up a whole shelf in my studio closet, and was able to move a bunch of totes from the guest room to the studio. my goal is to have things so streamlined, that i'm not storing any products anywhere but in the studio. and ultimately i'd like to have things organized enough, that i can see everything i have. if that makes sense?  i'm way too visual to have things tucked away in places where i can't see them.

 

closet shelves...not too pretty, but way more organized than it was!

 

 

i have accepted the fact that if i'm making stuff and being creative, my room will not be pristine. for me, it's impossible! BUT it can be functional and pleasing to me, nonetheless. i think perfectionism is the enemy! and i was just thinking that if perfection stifles me, how must it effect children? and then i remembered something one of the coolest moms i know, my cousin kelly todd, said to me over 20 years ago when my kids were small. i was proudly telling her about how i was enforcing this new rule with my kids, where they had to pick up one set of toys before they could get out another set. she had older kids at the time, and she just sorta laughed and told me that she thought it was important for kid's imaginations, to mix and match sets....like using legos to build a house for their playmobil people, while setting up a grocery store with the pretend plastic food from another set. it made sense to me and i gave up the idea of tidiness...and interestingly enough, found that my kids were much more content. i do understand that there is a fine line between keeping your sanity with orderliness, and allowing big messes. but i honestly think you have to allow big messes or your kids are probably missing out...like mine were, until kelly spoke her words of wisdom :) we just cleaned up at the end of the day, from then on.

on another note. is it just me, or is texting out of control? i'm seeing people text in church, and everywhere else. i think it's crazy. how old do i sound? ha! seriously, i hate to see it in church. so disrespectful in my opinion. i heard on the news that a 14 year old girl texted 14,000 times in a month. are her parents unconscious? and her punishment, is no texting after dinner? oh my. i think it's an addiction for some kids. sorta like the computer is to me :) pot say hello to kettle. but at least i draw the line at church. and when i'm driving, or out to dinner with my loved ones. you get what i'm saying, right? no place is sacred.

today is griffin william's 5th birthday! the best part, is that he is walking and doing really well. he even went back to preschool yesterday. happy birthday big g! i don't have any new photos from today yet, but he has been on the blog quite a bit recently!

tonight we have our small group for church. we're doing a 6 week study on prayer by jim cymbala. we started last week and it was really good. i'm looking forward to it tonight!

have a great day and God bless!

tuesday is the day...

i'm going to attempt to do a weekly list. but this is not a set in stone thing. i've learned that i need the structure of a plan, but i MUST be flexible! so we shall see how i do! i'm still muddling my way toward organization around here, and hoping to move forward on my projects as well.

update on the scale and pedometer (not that anyone would care!) i weigh myself about 10 times a day. i've never owned a scale, so i've been a little too into it. but i think it's tapering off. and i have lost a pound this week! and the pedometer is fun. i have discovered that i'm not as sedentary as i thought i was, with all my sitting and editing. one thing that seems to make a difference, is the spread of our house....and the pedometer doesn't even take into consideration that 90% of my steps are literally on steps. you can't get from one room to another in our house without going up or down!

about today: it's my mom's birthday! happy birthday mama! i hope that she has a really great day in spite of the nasty cold weather! it's also my friend cheryl's birthday! yesterday would have been my gramps' birthday...oh how i miss him and gram. so much. i think of them often. gramps has been gone since brooke was 18 months old. i haven't forgotten....not even close. he had such a powerful impact on my life. it's interesting too, because many of my favorite characteristics of gramps, tom has. tomorrow is cari's birthday! happy birthday to all!

about tv: there are some worthless shows on. duh. has anyone seen "momma's boys"? wow. can you say control? that show is nothing but a power struggle. there are enough potential problems between the two women in a man's life, without the added drama that show creates! of course, that's what they want on a show like that. here's my thought: if you raise your son with good values and good decision making skills, shouldn't you trust his judgement on a woman? i think it's a matter of mama taking a step back and trusting. not competing. weird. one thing i don't want to be, is an overbearing mother-in-law. ick. and then there's "the bachelor". this season, i don't even really care! waste of time. tom refuses to be in the same room as that show. he's smart. 

  on to the list!

*b* list of skincare

(with a disclaimer that i'm NOT even close to an expert! i've just had a few people request this one! probably based on my age!)

*edit* while i was working out, i realized that i had forgotten something important. see #9 and thereafter :)

1. personally, i think it all begins with genetics. and then, i think it has a lot to do with what you eat. so based on this, here are my thoughts on eating habits and skin. i try to eat good food. lots of fresh and raw stuff. tom and i have been eating tons of fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, bananas, pears and pineapple) and salads with lots of varieties of vegies (i'm not talking about iceberg lettuce either!) spinach, greens, mushrooms, celery, green onions, tomatoes. also, i'm a big believer in flaxseed consumption. i sprinkle it on my oatmeal or yogurt every day. i would love to bake my own bread and use it in that....but i haven't gotten that far yet. another thing that i think a lot of people miss, is the importance of good fats/oils for good skin. i read an article about this quite a few years ago. olive oil, avocados, nuts (i use the no preservatives, refrigerated kind of peanut butter too)....good stuff, that is actually vital to healthy skin. i think it's just key to remember moderation. in all things. don't get me wrong...i do eat junk too. i just try not to overeat the wrong stuff. i eat a little chocolate EVERY day. but i rarely ever OD on it.

2. i'm not a huge fan of any one particular product. i do really like philosophy products (by the way, check out the savings on the starter kit on their homepage!) and origins. but i don't use any one product line exclusively. i think it's important to evaluate your skincare needs and go with that. i know that if i were younger and had an acne problem i would try proactive. my niece has had dramatic results when she uses it. 

3. discipline. this has been the biggest thing for me. i used to be super lazy about taking care of my skin. in my 20s, there were many times when i would go to bed with makeup on. now, i am finally disciplined (probably out of sheer fear!) about cleansing and moisturizing, morning and night. 

4.   fresh air. i think this is another important aspect of good skin. i don't think it's healthy (in many ways) to sit indoors with no fresh air or even ventilation. i may take this one to an extreme. i spend as much time outside as i possibly can....other than in january. ha!

5. cleansing. k, back to products. i'm all over the place! right now, i am loving philosophy's microdelivery cleanser. it's a gentle exfoliant, in addition to cleansing. as i've gotten older, and my skin is getting more dry by the day, i have found that exfoliating is almost as important as moisture. took me a while to figure this out, but it's made a huge difference!

6. moisture. i'm using philosophy hope in a jar right now. but i've used oil of olay too, and it's fine. another thing i would highly recommend is burt's bees radiance eye cream. i was getting some major wrinkles around my eyes, and i have to say that since i started using this, the wrinkles aren't nearly as noticable....although i think the 10 pounds i've gained may have something to do with that too! that is one of the only bonuses of having a little extra weight! 

7. smoking. no offense to those of you who smoke. but i think you are fighting a losing battle. smoking and skin are enemies in so many ways....the most noticable to me, is the wrinkling around the mouth.

8. treatments. speaking of wrinkling around the mouth...i didn't so much have that problem, as i did peeling and that ugly seepage of lipcolor. whenever that starts happening, i use this lip treatment. it lasts a long time! and works great. the lip balm that comes with it, is luscious!

9. drink lots of water! so important.

"Proper hydration is essential for healthy, younger-looking skin. Drinking water helps to give your skin the moisture it needs to maintain elasticity and suppleness and to prevent dryness.  The body also relies on water to detoxify properly, allowing yourself to look and feel your best." alana gold

10. low maintenence days. i try to have a low maintenence day every week. no makeup, no hair products. just cleanliness and moisture for the skin. i think it's important to give your skin a day off.

11. sunscreen. i'm not a freak about this. i do use a mild spf daily. but i think with the vitamin d deficiencies they're finding, maybe too much of even a good thing, like sunscreen, is too much.

on a sidenote about skin:when i was in my 30s, tom always complimented me on my skin. at the time, i thought that was a sort of an offhanded compliment...as if that was the only thing he could think of, that was okay about me! i think at that time, i took good skin for granted. NOW, as i've gotten older, i realize that it is something to appreciate...without it, it can make a real difference in a person's appearance. so now, i like to hear him say that i have beautiful skin!  and come to think of it, he hasn't said that in a long time!

here are some lists i'm thinking about for the next few weeks:

what women wish men knew about valentine's day

budget-wise decorating tips

what makes a house a home

photography tips

whatcha think? again, these lists will consist of my opinions! and i'm not claiming to be an expert! i just like to share ideas and thoughts. i would love to hear any skincare tips from you all! i learn a ton from all of you when you comment.

so after the holiday break from photo-taking, i am ready to go! i had a blast with eric and libby! they have so much chemistry...unbelievable...and i hope i captured it.

     

    

   

hot, right? they'll be getting married in 4 months!

i hope you have a great week going-God bless!

little things....

i wrote about my winter loves on friday, and it occurs to me the profound effect little things have. at least for me. i don't want to overlook this fact. recently, i think i had let a lot of the little things go...which can be a good thing, in order to accomplish big things. but i think ultimately, you have to get back to paying attention to the little things that are important. like that cup of tea in the afternoon, reading the paper, stopping by the thrift store once a week, lighting the fireplace, etc. i was so busy this fall, that there would be days that would go by without reading a paper or doing any of these little daily or weekly rituals.

over the weekend, i thought of a bunch of different lists i want to do...some silly, some serious. i just love lists. i think there are blogs that consist solely of lists. i might do a weekly list? i've had a few suggestions via the comments and emails about what i should do lists of. good ideas, as long as everyone knows that the lists are my opinions.

the weekend was lowkey, which was great. on friday night, tom and i went to gran torino. we loved it. but let me preface that, by saying, that we went into it, knowing that it wasn't what we thought it might be. i think you have to go into it, realizing that it's hard to hear some of the racial slurs and rough language. i don't want to say too much and give it away, but i think it has a great message overall. a message of personal change, confession, tolerance, acceptance, and humility. by the way, i loved the priest's character in the show.

on saturday, we worked around the house, and then did some grocery shopping. i used to enjoy doing the marketing, but lately, i really hadn't. so in the quest of eating better, i decided i needed to enjoy the process again. i love fresh beautiful food. i want to cook with it. it inspires me. so we went to costco and bought tons of fresh beautiful produce, and good quality cheeses and breads. and it's working! last night, we had fresh fruit and bagels and cheese for dinner. tonight, i'm making a huge caesar salad, which i think we'll share. the one thing about cooking well for two, is that we always have too much, and unlike some of the less nutrious meals i make, they don't keep as well. but sharing is a good thing and something that i used to do more of. after shopping, we went to borders and met suzy. tom headed home, opting out of eating sushi with us. suzy and i ate a lot of sushi. we had a great time catching up and eating at our favorite sushi place.

yesterday, we went to church and then spent the afternoon working around the house again. i had a shoot later in the day and then we hung out at home all night. i love weekends like this. so refreshing. we didn't accomplish any big projects, but i did make a list of stuff i want to get done. painting, electrical (i still want an electrician for a day as a gift someday), custom sewing projects, rearranging, and several major purchases...as the year progresses. i have learned patience. i would rather have a project accomplished that is well thought out and done the way i KNOW i want it done, than done hastily, with regrets later. so just having the list made up, is huge for me.

over the holidays, i almost caught up on editing our family files. that feels good. i was months and months behind. i'll share a few shots that i missed when initially scanning through them months ago. a good argument for not deleting files too quickly. what may seem like a shot that should be deleted at first glance, may later prove to be a favorite...

 

 neither shot is the best technically, but i still love both!

another fun thing that happened over the weekend, was that my first cover of healthwise came out in the saturday edition of the omaha world herald! very excited about this opportunity. i am already focused on the next issue! tom loved the way the credit was worded on the inside of the paper...."to de-stress, read becky's blog at www...." so if you found me via the healthwise edition, welcome! i'm seeing more traffic, so i'm sort of assuming that's what is happening! thanks for reading...and looking!

   

i hear so many adults say something to the affect, that they don't know what their life's work should be. i found this quote that i think sums it up pretty well.

"we find scores of people in middle life who are in the unhappy position of doing every day work, which they hate and which does not express their personality, when each one might have done brilliantly in another sphere if he had given a day's prayerful thought to a decision which affected half a century." springs in the valley devotional

i know that there are many who HAVE spent time praying about their life's work and still don't seem to know. sometimes i think it has more to do with fear of failure, than it does with not knowing. taking a step of faith and trusting that even if you fail, you have given it your best. baby steps toward your destiny is another way to get there. start small...just start.

God bless you!