Maternity Pictures!

This will be a photograph-filled post, my favorite kind. I have some new pictures of my gorgeous friend Alana, her hubby Jarred, and their baby Jax Michael! This was our second "session" and I tried some new camera tricks, but I think I need more practice. I'll be glad when grad school is finished and I have some time to focus on photography. I think these pictures are beautiful, but this beautiful family made my job very easy. Love you guys!

This picture melts my heart.

At this time last year...

I mentioned in my very first post that I've been reading a lot of blogs lately. I read one, which links to another one, which then points me in the direction of another wonderful blog. I love it. I get to meet strangers and they inspire me from different corners of the globe. A lot of the blogs I read are written by Mamas who often speak of what was happening in their lives at this time last year. They tell stories of their baby starting to kick, or discovering the pain of giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome with no warning.

In my life, a year ago at this time, I fell... hard. Yes, like the head over heels in love kind of falling. I can't quite explain how it happened - friends and family insisting that they had my perfect match, but there was a catch - he was on the other side of the world, Afghanistan to be exact. It all started with a message here and there to appease everyone's pleas for us to talk. Then it turned in to running home from work to check for a new message. Then came the late nights - I stayed up until midnight and John would head to a computer when he woke up and we would chat until 2, 3 sometimes 4 in the morning. I laughed out loud. He told me he missed me. He told me he couldn't wait to hug me and I told him that I could eat as much as he could - huge mistake. Our life together has changed so much - first of all, we met. Then we started our relationship long distance. Then we shacked up. He drives me crazy and he makes me happy. I love him.

There is the once promised, too much information, too gushy for public to post... post. I couldn't help myself. Here are some fun pictures to go along!

A few days after we met in real life. I was sold - and skinny!

Just a couple of tourists being in love...

Fourth of July

I'm so very happy that JJC popped into my life. He made me laugh and feel at ease and he loved me, like really loved me, and a year later, he still does. A small miracle. I still think about our late night chats, or our first meeting and get all fluttery and giddy. Or sometimes I just look at him - it has the same effect. Ok, no more sap... thanks for letting me sicken you with all of this!

The Finger Lakes

The plan was: two days, the boyfriend, the in laws (ok, not officially, but you get the point), one car, and 20 or so wineries or vineyards. It is no secret that I am quite the lightweight, so about 4 wineries in I was ready for bed, and at about 7 p.m., I was passed it in our hotel room. We left at 7:30 a.m. - yes that means I had to get up at 5:30- in order to make it to our first stop on Keuka Lake just in time for the tasting room to open...



Bully Hill was our first stop and probably my favorite - sweet wines and a funny presentation. There was no wine snobbery just a couple of old guys making jokes about getting girls drunk and taking advantage of them. Overall, a good time.



















Also, we got this wonderful picture. I finally know
what it is like to be blond... and have boobs

I love this picture so very much... this was about the time that JJC's mom insisted on taking "engagement pictures," to which I inevitably yelled, "Minus the engagement, Sue!" while shooting JJC an evil look. It was hilarious and depressing at the same time. She insisted that they were still good if we got engaged within the month. I very much appreciate her excitement and that she thought that was possible - clearly it was not.

(Still love him though, to the moon.)

Here are a few more pictures that I like...

Sue and Cuff at Bully Hill. Cuff was already sick of my picture taking, but he got used to it.

Keuka Lake

I would for sure use this as an engagement picture. Good job, Sue!

Eventually I will learn to make those cool picture collages that I see everyone using.
For now, you will get a row of pictures!

Almost 4 months later...

In an effort not to quit every single thing I start, I'm coming back to the blog!

Not too surprisingly, my last post was authored a week before the new school year started and a month before we adopted a puppy! No excuses... I'm sure ALL of my many readers are wondering what is happening in my life!

Meet Theo Reginald Cramer!

No, he is not a German Shepherd, so don't ask if he is.

He is supposed to be a Border Collie mix. I look at those ears and get really scared that the other ingredient in the mix is Chihuahua. I'll just tell myself there is no way and I move on. We are almost certain the he is mixed with an alligator and a monkey though.

On another note, my friends are pregnant - like all of them. I couldn't be happier for them and their babies couldn't ask for better parents, and I'm not just saying that to be nice.

Alana and Jarred are one of my most favorite couples in all of the world, they have a relaxed, wonderful love that you just can't deny. And Jarred has some awesome ninja moves. I'm so happy that Alana popped back into my life after college and that she brought Jarred along with her. All of this mush is to say that Alana and Jarred asked me to do their maternity pictures. I was really, honestly honored that they thought of me. So, I wanted to include some of the pictures, and really - I'm kind of proud of myself. Just throwing that out there.

Ah! She couldn't be more beautiful. I've always thought that it is so easy to take beautiful pictures of beautiful things! Thanks for proving my point Alana!

Photography has always been an interest and goal of mine. I remember being in Mrs. Bielak's class - 5th grade I think - and the guidance counselor asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said "a photo-grapher." I think I remember the moment more because she corrected my pronunciation, but it still proves that the dream has been real for a long time. I'm very lucky that Santa and my mom worked together to buy me a wonderful camera, and I really want to learn how to use it. I'm almost embarrassed to say that all of these pictures were taken on manual - a crime in the photography world, but I didn't want to risk messing anything up. I will probably post some more pictures in another blog. On a side note, I can take your pictures too! And I probably won't charge you anything!

I tried my very best!

One of my favorite quotes is, "What my baby wants, my baby gets." Fortunately I hear it all the time from JJC, well now that I think about it, it has been a little while. When my baby asked for a cake, he got one... kind of.

This is the mess that I created tonight.

I really consider myself a decent cook - until someone gives me a recipe. It sends me into an absolute panic, and my poor mother has to suffer because of it. I call her every 5 minutes with "What the beep is the difference between stirring and folding" or "How the beep do I know if this jello packet is 3 ounces or 6?" Obviously there are plenty of beeps involved. Apparently all of my beeps and rage mix with sugar and flour just swirl around and turn into a tornado, that is the only explanation I have for the way my kitchen looks after I cook. Luckily, JJC's cake request coincided with my recent obsession with baking a cake and putting it on a cake stand, that worked out really well too. It is now covered in icing and I'm guessing will never be used again, but it's cute!

Here is my cake journey...

At this point I hadn't messed anything up, but I had called my mom 3 times...

The rage and sugar tornado came quickly

At this point I thought we were going to do alright. I was so naive.

Finally, this is what we got! Now my fingers are crossed that it tastes A LOT better than it looks.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I burned the cake and had to cut off the edges because they were brown and chewy... just the icing on the cake! Pun intended.

A few things I just can't deny...

These are some fabulous shoes...



She is a fabulous study partner...



Even if a sunny Friday afternoon has to be spent like this...



Finally, this is a fabulous way to decorate our little deck...






All of this fabulous-ness followed a wonderful weekend. I got to see some lovely friends who are going to be mama's very soon, and some who are not gonna be mama's soon. I spent Saturday afternoon at Sunset Hills with one of sisters and the parents. My mom made it half way through the tasting and was a little giggly and my dad ended up drinking the wine-o-rita... never have I seen a person love tequila as much as my parents do. The wine-o-rita didn't actually have tequila, but it was close enough for them to choke down. Sunday brought a lovely brunch with Mer and some antiquing and coffee drinking with Lash and my mom. It was all pretty fabulous, indeed.

I hope to do better with my resolution to take my camera everywhere... well I took it, but I didn't use it, so that doesn't really work.

Thursday is Mexican night... from now on!

That was JJC's exclamation following a fairly fabulous fajita night! I love that my man loves to eat - and cook - and clean. Anyway, we decided to make fajitas tonight a they were delicious-o.





This yummy-ness was the result! Chicken and steak with peppers, onions and a cilantro-lime sauce that I love and use on everything I can...



He made me promise that he would not be the subject of my photographs when I declared that I would going to take my camera with me everywhere... Oops.



I love pretty food. End of story.

Maybe I'll give this a try

I've been lovin' me some blogs lately, so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't think I'm a great writer and my life isn't incredibly interesting, but I thought this would be fun anyway...

I'll start by explaining my blog name - I've always found it funny/depressing that my name means "ill-omened" while others get to have meanings like "princess" or "noble meadow" - ok, that would be bad too, but not as bad as mine. Then the other day, while exploring a hippie bookstore, Jo found a book that tells you everything about you based on your birthday. My weaknesses - flighty and unaware. Duh. So I figured if I'm doomed to have bad luck forever, at least it is balanced with blissful ignorance.

Would you like an update on my life? Of course you would. If not, you wouldn't be reading. I'm currently living in the "sin pad" (my mother's name for my home) with a man who I love and admire. An incredibly long and gushy post could, and I'm sure someday will, be dedicated to him. The short version is that he makes me laugh, challenges me to be a better person, fought hard for our country and loves me like I've always wanted to be loved. The boring part is that I'm working as a speech therapist and trying to survive grad school. I don't really like those parts of my life so they will likely not show up here often.

I've learned from the blogs I love, that fun posts are short and not self centered and contain tons of photographs. Oh! I forgot, my inspiration for the blog are those that I love to read that happened to be filled with beautiful photographs. I've decided that I will live with my camera by my side, and I should have somewhere to put them. Hopefully this will be the last all-about-my-life blog.