An Adventure into Photo Editing

i've only just dipped my toe into this pool, but i sense an addiction folks.

A Contemplative Mood

it is new year's eve eve. i can't believe it. one more day and 2008 is behind us.

time goes so quickly these days, sometimes i wonder if i haven't fallen into a time machine without knowing it.

i typically get really contemplative, introspective, sometimes a little melancholy, hopeful, anxious, motivated, inspired, etc this time of year. truthfully, this year i've been so busy at work i haven't had much time to entertain those feelings (sad, but true). but now that i take a break from emails and documents and the like, i am starting to feel them.

2008 was a great year overall. i enjoyed year 2 of a marriage that, simply put, fills me up every day in myriad ways. i enjoyed many opportunities at work (and of course weathered frustrations and complications as is only natural) and have certainly advanced my career to the next level. i got better with this blog thing and have enjoyed the doors that an active social media footprint open (and i will continue to do more of that in 2009). i've enjoyed infinite delicious moments with my friends, family and fur babies and have recognized my blessings as often as possible.

i welcome 2009. early into the year, i will usher in a new decade (wow, scary) and my hope is that it just gets bigger and better from here. more blogging, more adventure, more travel, more life experience, more time with family, more time for me. i want to explore uncharted territory and relish in familiar territory. i want to make a difference and feel inspired. i hope to find motivation in new places as well as old. 

hubby and i are going to start our tradition of new year's eve goals (his, mine and family) so i'll hopefully capture all of this in more concrete detail, but for tonight, i'm contemplating and these are the topics on my mind.

what do you think about as one year gives way to another? what's on your list? i'm continuously amazed by the concept of time as each year passes. the older i get, the more i'm aware of it. the more i want to own it, enjoy it, squeeze every drop out of every moment. i know it is only natural, but i'm not a huge fan of that "where did the time go" feeling. so next year (hello 2 days from now!) i will focus on living in the moment so i don't lose time. conscious of the moments so when i arrive at a new year, it is earned, won, lived.

oh, and also, i'll document those moments much more with my fancy new camera.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

It is 60 degrees in Chicago today. Very strange on multiple levels. It would be great were it not for the wind, the rain, and the tornado warnings. Sigh...

What happens when excessive snow & ice melts rapidly:
2 little guys wishing away the rain
We want to go for a walk please?!

list love. an update.

i was reading a few back posts today and couldn't resist checking in on my much talked about list post.

it got me thinking...that maybe i should do an update post. and then that maybe i should get to work on those entries that i haven't checked off yet. 

first the status...

go see the ballet. CHECK. we saw the nutcracker last week. loved it too. even hubby. definitely still love ballet and there are more performances in our future.

establish date night. CHECK. we've been really pretty good w/ this one. still lots of restaurants on the list (different list. different post) to try, but that will happen when you live in a city. we've also had lots of travel and the holidays in between, but still...it was a good habit to start and i think we've done pretty great so far. onward.

that whole photography thing. HALF CHECK. got the fancy new camera for xmas. i've been snapping away and channeling annie liebovitz ever since. next up - register for a class and actually learn what the hell i'm doing. or not doing, but what i WANT to be doing.

positive thinking. WORKING ON IT. that one will be an ongoing check. a work in progress if you will. because really, i don't think that one is something anyone can ever fully check off the list, right? but in any case, i'm trying to be conscious of it, so i'll count it...for now.

i'm pleased with my first progress report (what? so clinical.) - it was an ambitious list at best and i think i'm plugging along nicely. especially when you factor in the working, traveling, daily grind and just plain living that has happened in between said progress.

so i'll keep at it. and i'll add to it. and hubby and i will do our first annual new years goal cards and they'll become part of the list too. and frankly? that list doesn't stand a chance. one at a time, we'll conquer every last item. we will. 

enjoy your dwindling days of 2008 folks! and don't forget to check in with your lists.

Christmas Chaos!

sorry for radio silence all. it's been an insane couple of weeks and i just gave up attempting to keep connected online. 

since we last spoke, hubby turned 30, we enjoyed a great mini break in beautiful breckenridge, co and we enjoyed our first family christmas in chicago.

but before getting to all of that, i wanted to finally share some images from our first annual carretta family xmas party at MIL's a few weeks ago. it was great catching up with family and the decor was outstanding. i couldn't stop snapping photos of it as you'll see. the kids were adorable and hubby even got a mid-party shout out with a birthday cake and song.

i'm also sharing a couple of shots from breck - other than the side effects from the altitude (namely the difficulty to BREATHE) i fell completely in love w/ the place.

enjoy and i hope that your holidays are bright and merry and surrounded by all you love. 

oh, and speaking of photos...i got that fabulous xmas present i mentioned previously - a fancy, new camera. so...you'll clearly be hearing LOTS more about that.

season's greetings all! 

scenic CO

apres ski in the lodge - that day was frigid!
hubby sporting keely's pink goggles w/ my rental helmet. quite a look, no?
lodge - view from gondola ride
a passing gondola
hubby's birthday cake at the holiday party
this is MIL's chandelier. i heart it so.
beautiful holly berry wreath. it matched the candles in the chandelier perfectly.
the boys hung out in an upstairs bedroom. we snuck them yummy treats off an on though. :)
niece annie (4) and nephew jack (2)

The Windows are Frozen Shut and My Eyelashes are Permanently Stuck to My Eyelids

happy monday folks.

you know what is absolutely, totally really not cool? a more than 40 degree temperature change overnight. now, i'm coming up on my 2 year anniversary with chicago and i'm nothing if not studious, so i've learned that the weather 'round here is um...a little nuts (or bat shit crazy - depends on the day). but c'mon...we returned from our lovely adventure to MIL's holiday party (another post. i promise.) and were just enthralled with the temperature gage in our car which climbed steadily toward 50 the closer we got to the city. my dad always told me that things that seem to good to be true typically are, but it seems i'll never learn.

fast forward. we awoke this morning to hubby running slightly late thanks to the trusty snooze button. this is bad any morning, but especially on a morning when you have a 7am flight to CO. and even more so when you look out the window to discover that your neighborhood is an ice rink. seriously. ice rink. that is what happens when it is 50 and then it sprinkles and then it is FIVE DEGREES and then you factor in the GALE FORCE WINDS and it is more like negative 20. layer those facts with one yorkie who refuses to potty and a commute of wind slashing your face like needles and windows so frozen they won't roll down to retrieve your parking garage ticket (yep, i drive when hubby is out of town. sue me.) and you've got one hell of a monday morning folks! so that's the bad news (sort of - not really bad news in the grand scheme of things i suppose).

but i have good news too. lots of it actually. for one, i stumbled across this awesome new addition to my blogroll. and that sidebar quote! going on the office white board for sure. i love it and i believe it. so much so that i'll say it again here. "my life is exactly how i made it. good." love the ownership. love the assertion. love the spirit. love the message; read: I'M in charge. put it on your bulletin board or your monitor or your fridge people. and then live it. every day.

also, i'm headed to CO on thursday to join hubby. i haven't skied in a couple of years and i'm psyched. we're going to see some old friends, check out the town, ski major powder for the first time and usher in another decade for hubby. that's right - he's going to be 30 years young on friday. so i have enough north face gear to protect a small nation from the cold and i'm heeding everyone's warnings about the water. "hey everyone. it's me. i hear you on the water. i'm going to drink it. lots of it. thanks!" and as always, i'll share our adventures with all of you. so meet me back here, won't you?

i hope your week is off to a good start. or at least that you have plenty of good news to balance any bad. sometimes, that is all you can ask of a monday. :)

Total Holidaze

Hi folks, apologies for being a little quiet these last few days. I even missed Love Thursday (gasp), but don't fret - I was still thinking of you and sending lots of love into the universe. Really, I was.

It is no surprise to anyone by now that this is my favorite time of year, but I can really become my own worst enemy during the holiday period too. How you ask? Well, I really love the holidays. I mean LOVE them. And I have no less than a million ideas bouncing in my head constantly about great ways to celebrate and do thoughtful things for everyone. Seriously - everyone. All those I love most, co-workers, the dog walker, on and on. But what I forget to factor in every. single. year. is this my friends...TIME. And one other little thing called WORK. So, I go into the holiday period with my eyes all aglow and my busy brain spewing creative and thoughtful ideas and then I get incredibly pissed at myself when I don't pull it all off.

Don't get me wrong. I still have a major holiday crush. I'm doing the annual holiday party circuit with a smile. My house is twinkling and glowing and festive. But I had a million ideas that I didn't get to this year and I still feel like a complete failure on the gift front. I haven't finished my shopping for one. And for two, I wanted to be creative this year. Not just another damn toy or trinket or whatever. Gifts that mean something. And I thought about it and researched and came up with fun ideas. And then I lived at work for pretty much a full week and all that went OUT. the. window. Sigh...

One of these days (years?), I am going to figure out how to relish every moment of this season I adore and I'm going to let myself off the hook already so that I don't arrive in January with shocked eyes and total awe that the holiday season is over (again). I mean, I haven't seen Love, Actually or the National Lampoons Xmas Vacation movie ONCE this year. That's criminal. :)

In the meantime, enjoy the total cuteness overload that is our official photo with Santa Paws. You're welcome!

Santa PAWS is Coming To Town

Twas a few weeks before Christmas and all through the city...

Doggies were lined up for Santa Paws, ready to pose pretty...

We waited in line with many new friends...

Cooper growled at Santa, but eventually made amends.

We've posted a few pics of our fun for you to enjoy..

But you'll have to wait for the final shot of Santa and our boy(s)...

Keep checking back for more fun and good cheer...

And until next time we wish you much merriment as you finish this year.

woof woof!

this is the special treat santa paws gave us after our photo session

us in the car, SO ready for santa paws
waiting in line w/ Mommy - it was cold cuz the door stayed open to accommodate all those pups!
a shot of the festive store. there was hot chocolate and yummy pup treats for the fun day!
a photo of our destination for fun (today at least)

He Knows if You've Been Bad or Good

I'm excited and anxious. Excited because I just finished crossing a lot of items off one of my treasured lists. And that included lots of holiday shopping and seeing the lights and decor and even the insane mass of people that have descended on Michigan Ave couldn't dampen the holiday mood.

Anxious because I have to spend much of tomorrow at work. This sucks in 2 parts. 1) I don't particularly enjoy giving part of my Sunday over to the job, but sometimes, it happens so I can totally get over it. But in the instance of 2, it's harder. I have SO much to do. I put a good dent in the list today, but I had lots planned for tomorrow that will have to be postponed...and since this is the last weekend we are in town before Xmas, this could get really interesting. I know everything will get done - it always does - but still, I'm anxious.

We're visiting "Santa Paws" tomorrow, so the boys got in the spirit of things a little early. Enjoy this whopping dose of cuteness. You're welcome!

The best surprise - these adorable 12 Days of Xmas plates showed up at my house yesterday. Thanks MIL! You're the best.

Santa Jack
Santa Coop
Double Santa - w/ Jack looking a little possessed (oops)
Could they be cuter?

Baby It's FRIGID Outside - Vampire Love

The temps in Chicago late this week have been increasingly frigid. I've been layering the North Face Puffer vest under the North Face puffer coat. Yes, I look like a middle linebacker, but I'm maintaining some level of warmth, so I'll sacrifice the sex appeal. :)

One good thing about cold temps...the inspiration (as if I've ever really needed much) to grab a soy chai latte and curl up with a good book (and fur baby snuggle action). Especially perfect for right now, as I am completely obsessed with this Vampire series! I mean seriously - who knew?

I fully acknowledge that I'm way too old to be crushing on Edward Cullen, but the truth is: I don't care. I love him. I do. And I cannot get enough of Edward and Bella and their twisted, but totally romantic story. Haven't been quite this obsessed in a long time, and I'm digging it. 

Lot's more to say (not to mention my current to-do list, yikes), but sorry, it will have to wait. Edward is keeping some major secret from Bella and I must find out what it is. 

Brrrrr!

Love Through the Lens

Checking in briefly today - work is absolutely consuming my life currently, but that is the way it goes sometimes. I'll chalk it up to learning and growing and gaining great experiences and just trudge ahead.

But before I do...I could not dream up a better post for today than to celebrate the beautiful story of my friend's recent engagement.

My favorite part of this excellent story is the photo documentation. It's beyond awesome that this special couple will have this milestone moment permanently documented to share and revisit throughout their life together. I think it takes a special guy to add such a special element to what is definitely one of life's sweetest moments.

Take a read and send Beck and Jason good thoughts. It's a hell of a ride kids - and you'll love every twist, turn and bump along the way.

Happy Love Thursday everybody! I hope the images you encounter today (and always) remind you of love and inspire you to share it.

Thanksgiving 2008

We typically spend Thanksgiving in Indiana with BJ's Mom, but we changed things up this year and spent the entire week in M'town with my family. True to form, my parents planned lots of great activities for us and the week truly flew by leaving us with great memories, fun photos and a little sad that yet another fantastic holiday is behind us. 

We kicked things off with an uneventful and easy drive from Chicago to WV and then began the week in earnest. We did some initial cooking and Turkey Day preparations and I even conquered a gorgeous banana pudding that got rave reviews if I do say so myself (me in the kitchen - big deal, so I get to brag just a little). :)

Our great family friends Bobby and DeeDee hosted our family plus their own for a very festive Thanksgiving dinner and everyone had a marvelous time. Their granddaughter Eva Claire is one of the cutest kids ever and she kept us all entertained throughout the evening.

And of course, no Thanksgiving holiday would be complete without sports, and boy, did we get our share. First of all, the televisions in my parents' house were forever tuned into one game or another and we attended the annual "Backyard Brawl" the day after Thanksgiving this year. They play at Heinz Field (home of the Steelers) and we had a fabulous time even though my fam was disappointed that the Mountaineers didn't pull through with a win. Next year!

We wrapped up the week with a lovely spa day at one of my new VERY FAVORITE places - Nemacolin Resort in PA. Mom and I joined Margaret (another terrific family friend) and spent the entire day being pampered - it was bliss. We headed home for one final (and very yummy) dinner and then called it a week. 

Mom & Dad - HUGE thanks to you again. You made it the best holiday yet. We loved every minute. Oh, and a special thanks for all of that food you packed for our journey home too. Our extra lengthy drive was a little better since we had yummy snacks to distract us. You have to love parents who still make you a PB&J just shy of your 30th birthday. Thankful indeed! You can see more holiday documentation here (just in case you can't get enough of us - haha).

I hope everyone's holiday was just as terrific. We returned to a winter wonderland here in Chicago and much to my delight, the holiday decor is out in full force. I plan to take it all in this weekend, along with more than my fair share of errand running. Be sure to keep checking back for more holiday fun. We've got LOTS planned this year.

Mom, Beeg & I at the WVU-Pitt game

Back in Chicago - first day of getting all bundled up - brrr!
Winter wonderland back in Chicago!
Dad & April - self portrait on way home from dinner
We LOVED this wine wall at a yummy restaurant in M'town
Nemacolin Spa & Resort - isn't it lovely?!
Beeg in I in the box at the game.
Matt and I at the game...
Self photo at Thanksgiving Dinner
DeeDee - our lovely Turkey Day hostess
Cute little tables set up for dinner
My prized banana pudding - isn't it awesome?! :)
Lovely snowfall on our first day in M'town