New Dance Studio - Open House Party!

Here is cutie Madison!

I got to photograph the ever so cute Madison yesterday! She is 3 months old and a doll!!!

Achieving goals for 2008

Image by Colleeeen!

I don't do New Years resolutions. I make goals and try to achieve them.

I made a list:

--Purchase another camera, because I have a lot more weddings to shoot.
**OH ding ding ding** I purchased a new camera today! YAY! And I'm about to purchase 3 more alien bees, 30x60 softbox, and the way cool vagabond battery pack.

--Invest invest, invest
**Ding, ding, done! People, this is IMPORTANT. For those reading this - even if you don't have much to invest - all it takes is like $250, even less! Do it now & keep adding every month!**

--Establish my major in school and stick to it. It changes every day. I want to do visual design, sculpture, set design and costume design. I want to do it all!
**Ah yes, I need to get with a person on campus who can direct me in the right direction - I'll be making that appointment when I'm back on campus**

--Go to Florida and talk with the Disney recruiting offices & find out what they look for in potential candidates for employment.
** Ah yes, another cool goal! Doug & I are planning a trip to Orlando for this year!**

--Learn how to sew better and make a huge crazy gown to put a model in for a photoshoot.
**Hmmm....I need to do this!! It can't be that hard!**

--Sign Doug up at the hper for our workouts
**It's only $18 a semester for him to join! Cool!**

--Be involved in some kind of charity event
**I need to get back into fund raising for people. I love that kind of thing!**

--Have some kind of functioning, 1/2 way working communciation with my ex.
**My goal is to somehow have a somewhat 1/2 functioning parental something with my ex. They interpret is as me wanting to be friends or be with my ex (YUCK!) but I'm just trying to show our daughter that we CAN be her parents. It's a shame. It may take until 2018, hopefully not.**

Why is buying a car a pain?

So I went looking at cars. I test drove some sweet acuras after hunting down a salesperson. Then I went to about 7 more lots and not one person would come out to help. I want the salesman to bother me. I want to ask all the questions. I want to tell them "don't give me a sales pitch, the car will sell itself." I like saying that. Well...maybe it was cold last week and the salesmen were being dummies. The last lot I pulled into, I sat there forever and no help. So I dialed 411 and got the number. I called them up and said "do you not want to sell a car????" After telling the saleman he was lot #7 of NO help, I decided to call and gripe. I told him I wasn't gonna go back that day but maybe the next because I saw a Mazda6 that I wanted. Well I went back the next day....car is gone. DANG IT! Well the salesman says "it's getting detailed" and then he asks me to drive him down there so I can see it. I do...and the car is NOT there. The detailers drove it back to the lot as I was driving the salesman to the detailer. I said "forget it. I give up." And so I did. I gave up. Forget it. I haven't had a car payment in about 12 years. I have an old 1995 Honda, but she has been so good to me! That car just keeps going.

I went looking for a new car because I have booked all these weddings in Little Rock and further out. I figured I'd either just rent a car or pay someone to drive me in their nice car. HA! I may go look at one more lot....one that I haven't been to yet. And if I get no service, I truly give up on my search.

Happy New Years!

I went to the Blue Masquerade Ball last night to ring in the new year. It was so much fun!
I am the queen of makeup and hair......muah ha ha ha ha!!!!! I LOVE to do crazy hair and makeup!

My horoscope

This one is mine:
PISCES - The Partner for Life

Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. Messy at times and irresponsible! Smart but lazy. High appeal. Has the last word. Good to find, hard to keep. Passionate, wonderful lovers. Fun to be around. Too trusting at times and gets hurt easily. Lover of animals. VERY caring, make wonderful nurses or doctors. They always try to do the right thing sometimes get the short end of the stick. They sometimes get used by others and hurt because of their trusting. Extremely weird but in a good way. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. Always gets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet. Good friend to other but need to be choosy on who they allow their friends to be.

Pisceans are interested in everything that isn't quite real: illusion and disillusionment, fantasy, drama, emotion, art, and spirituality. So any date that involves the arts, from painting together to attending the theater, will make your Pisces smile. Romance will be appreciated by this Sign, so try a beach picnic with wine and cheese or high-tea in a garden. Whatever you do, put a little magic into your date - creating the right mood will romance your Piscean more than any money you spend.

Oh my...it is almost right on! This line says it all: Too trusting at times and gets hurt easily. That has happened to me more times that I want to count. I am WAY to trusting. And I get used a lot because of my trust. And yeah...."magic" of dates with Doug, emotions, art, etc.......that is so me! LOL


This one is Doug:

GEMINI - The Twin (Doug is a twin! Crazy!)

Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners Very Good at confusing people... Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you out. Gemini's will not take any crap from anyone. Gemini's like to tell people what they should do and get offended easily. They are great at losing things and are forgetful. Gemini's can be very sarcastic and childish at times, and are very nosey. Trustworthy. Always happy. VERY Loud. Talkative. Outgoing. VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE.

This is so Doug! Gemini's will not take any crap from anyone -- that is SO Doug!! After comparing the two - we are a match made in heaven! His love is definitely one of a kind. I've never experienced anything like it before.

Oh....holidays

Although this is the 2nd year in a row that I did not get my daughter for Christmas...I made the best of it. My ex knew the custody papers got screwed up but did he care? Nope. I was pretty devestated not to have her this year because I didn't get her last year either. But I believe in the saying of "what goes around, comes around." Doug and I made the best of the situation. We went to see a movie wiht Diana, Jim & his brother - I am Legend - It was pretty good but not a favorite for me. It was kind of a scary movie. After we came home I made green bean casserole and we headed off to Lucy's for fun. A bunch of people were there and my friend Sara and her sister came along. We ate tons of food, played scattegories and then played dirty santa but the key to the game was the gift had to come from your house. It had to be something you wanted to get rid of. OH...I took it to the extreme and packed 2 boxes full of crap! It was HILARIOUS!!! I don't think I ever laughed so hard. It really was a good time despite the fact that I didn't see my girl. There is always next year and Doug and I are planning on taking her on a Disney Cruise for Christmas 2008 or maybe in the summer.

My sweet Doug spoiled me ROTTEN. He got me a diamond necklace from Kay. I need to break out the pro camera with macro lens so I can take a better photo. He also got me a new point & shoot digital camera - Nikon S51 - this way I can keep it in my purse for quick, fun things! He also got me a 19 inch flat screen computer screen. It's a wide screen. I love it! He spoiled me rotten. Amelia got me pink luggage.

My parents got me a gift card to walmart and a digital photo keychain that plays 60 photos. How cool is that? Doug's mom got me a candle and a nice gift card to Hobby Lobby. I love that place! Really, I got a lot of stuff.....I'm entirely blessed and loved by many.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays everyone!! I'm happy to see 2008 come in and I can't wait to see what is in store! I booked another wedding through Janet Hudson-Shcroeder today! She is keeping me extremely busy with weddings! I'm excited because she is so busy! She has almost my entire spring/summer/fall booked for me....the dates are filling up so quickly!

Have a great holiday and be safe!

discombobulated

Discombobulated.

This describes how I feel today.

This photo of Melanie says it all.

I know a lot of "discombobulated" folks this week.

Is it the weather? The upcoming holidays?

I'm ready for 2008. I'm ready for the warm weather. I'm ready for changes.

I'm ready for communication. I'm ready for open minds. I am tired of excuses. I'm tired of control. I'm tired of being tired. Why can't people get along? Why are some people so petty? Why do some people not care about others? Why are people selfish? I have too many questions. I have to keep my faith in God and know that He has all those answers and in the end....we end up answering to Him when we stand before Him.

Sigh.....2007 was good and it was bad. It was a mixed year of goodness and crap. Why is it that being an adult is so danged hard?

Life is too short. WAY too short. Too many people I know passed away in 2007. Life is too short to hate, to be angry, to hold grudges. The past is gone. LONG gone. You can't change it, you can't bring it back and I want to tell some people I know "LET IT GO!" There are no personal vendettas, there are no pointing of fingers.

Sometimes I daydream about moving to Hawaii or Florida. I love daydreams. Daydreams are miniature escapes from the realities we all face on a daily basis.

My hope for 2008 is that everyone makes an effort to let go of the past. To figure out what is the most important in their lives. To learn respect for one another. Peace. Love. Happiness. I know it's not a perfect world, but trying to bring about the peace and harmony is a step forward. Be a good example to show others ...

Peace. Love. Happiness. 2008.

The talent show and headshots

So I entered the roller girls talent contest. I belly danced with my sword and wings. I tied for 1st place ;-) I don't care for my "pose" in this picture but it was the only one I took with my camera. I did get some of my dancing on video and now I just need to figure out how to do a youtube video! HA!



From the roller girls talent show. Yes, that is a wig! It's actually really long...goes to my butt!




I went thru some boxes of CD's and ran across this CD of pictures of my performance in Chicago from a couple of years ago. I forgot all about this!



Heather is casting a national commercial and I submitted my headshot along with Amelia's. They are casting 19 talent for the commercial and it will be filmed here in Fayetteville.

Masquerade Ball

I'm going to the masquerade ball that art amiss is hosting. Colleen & her hubby, Sara, my sister, Doug, Duane and Terra & her hubby are all going. I got to find Doug a blazer and I'm going to paint skulls on it. I am painting my mask on as well! Wooo!

http://www.artamiss.org/blue/index.html?PHPSESSID=c37349da5c3497ed4c0521332123204d
That is the link to the "ball"


The start of my costume.....I can't wait until I complete it. This is just the base of what I have started.


All of my rhinestone jewelry. Yeah, I'll take the price tag off! HA!

Wii !!!!!!!!!

We had Christmas early. Sunday was the only day the entire family could get together for Christmas. We also had Amelia's bday party that afternoon, too.





Amelia's bday party .... we went to the bowling alley.




Santa asked me to come sit on his lap! How could I resist?


Santa asked me if I was good or bad.


And my answer! HA!!!


Antonio's look says it all!


All of the excitement.


One of Amelia's Christmas presents.


Antonio got a foosball table.

RIP Jason

My brothers best friend Jason passed away last week. He passed from a long hard struggle with cancer. I considered Jason a brother to me since he was my brothers best friend. I remember always giving him a hard time and he dished right back at me. I feel so bad for my brother because I know what a good friend Jason was to him. He was too young, 34 and has a son around the same age as my little girl. Cancer is so real and so awful. It hits so close to home for me.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jason's family and with my brother.

Rest in peace.

WOW! Edgar Cruz

Edgar Cruz - look at the passion in his face! wow!


This is the owner of ONDA OK magazine, JP & his wife Naomi.


This is our table singing along to the Bohemian Rhapsody and waving our arms in the air!

I was invited to a church in Rogers to photograph Edgar Cruz play guitar. I was shooting for ONDA OK magazine. They served a Mexican dinner and then Edgar came out to play. I was AMAZED. This guy can play guitar like I've never seen before! I was really impressed!

Here is a youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3avSlilOzAQ

Check out his Bohemian Rhapsody. He really got the crowd to participate and had us sing along. It was great!