a Sweet Life Saga

Hopefully, it won't be too much longer before we can get back to Living Intentionally!! I'm just sayin',

....and moving!!! I'm just sayin',

But I will be back soon! I'm just sayin',

Well, we aren't actually on the road again yet, but we will be in a couple of days.  As much as I want to continue my posts about Living Intentionally, I'm going to have to postpone those posts until next week, when we are settled in Texas.  I would really love to post a few things over the next few days but it will be difficult to do so because we are having a large moving sale this weekend, we will be completing our packing and loading, and our internet is being turned off later today. I would like to wish you all a wonderful weekend --  enjoy the sunshine and the bit of warmth it brings.  If you happen to be out and about, drop by the sale.  You can contact me via by leaving a message here regarding your interest and I will send you my address.  I can access e-mail via my "snerd" phone (as my hubby calls it)! I'm just sayin',

I told you yesterday about one of the Christmas gifts I received...the gift that keeps on giving.  Why?  Because it is a devotional which means I get a new gift every day of the year!  I also explained about the author's counterintuitive principles.  The first two on her list were: Fake It and Scrap Your Priorities.  Craziness, right?  Let's see....   The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well.  ~ Joe Ancis We always seem to think that everyone else has it all together while we are falling apart.  That is just not the case.  Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, has issues in their life.  It is just how life is.  No one escapes with everything all put together all the time.  I knew of someone who I perceived had it all together.  One day, we found out everything wasn't as it appeared on the outside.  The sleek, seemingly put together woman with the perfect life that we saw on the outside, wasn't so put together after all.  She was normal just like th

I received an awesome devotional from my BFF for Christmas.  It is entitled Inspiration for Girlfriends .  All devotionals have some really good advice on how to live our daily lives.  There are always stories that inspire us and give us "food for thought".  The devotion for January 23 was "Living Intentionally".  The author states that she has found truth in some counterintuitive principles.  The first principle she adopted was to get more done - stop working .  She found that by shortening her work day, she was more productive and more focused, therefore, accomplishing more of her "to do" list.  Makes sense, right?  She goes on to say that we should live life on purpose rather than just letting life happen. Other counterintuitive principles she proposed include: Fake it Scrap your priorities Stay behind Break a hip Whine Be confused Disappoint someone Spend it all today Now, if you are like me, you find these principles very confusing.  Eve

Recently I attended the Professional Photographer Association's ImagingUSA conference in San Antonio, TX.  My husband and I attended many classes.  We opted for the "divide and conquer" approach in an effort to get more bang for our buck.  Actually, since I was a new member the conference was free, but that is beside the point!  We are cheap and can squeeze some change out of free! At the end of each session, we compared notes about what we learned and what would be beneficial in my photography business.  We actually discovered that the pearls of wisdom could apply to any business.  One message that was woven throughout the entire conference was this:  know the rules of what you do and develop your own personal style.  Translated for photographers:  it is wonderful that you love picking up that camera and clicking away until your finger can't press the shutter button any longer.  BUT, if you don't know the rules of photography, you and your business will never s

We are not big fans of TV shows....especially when you don't count anything that comes on the Hallmark Channel, Food Network, HGTV and episodes of How I Met Your Mother.  However, we do have one horrible TV vice...My Big Redneck Wedding.  I know you are asking yourself how can two normal, classy, sophisticated, intelligent people watch such an absurd show.  But we can't help ourselves.  We are drawn to this show like a moth to a flame.  The outrageous lifestyles keep us on the edge of our seats the entire time.  We dare not miss one minute of the show lest we miss something that will keep us entertained the entire week. Friday night was the season premiere.  We missed it.  Fortunately, we were able to watch the replay of the season premiere tonight on CMT.  The redneck wedding showcased was between Jessica and Justin in Deatsville, Alabama.  Justin's words had to be subtitled as no one could understand anything he said.  Justin explained that Jessica's parents didn'

Yes, we've been on the road traveling a good bit and preparing for our move to Texas.  However, I have tried to prepare as many normal meals as possible for my family.  One of their favorites is my homemade Chicken Pot Pie.  While I don't eat Chicken Pot Pie, they have told me it is very good.  I can only take their word for it and show you a photo of the dish.  If you ask me nicely, I will share the recipe when I return to Texas.  It is quick and simple and your family will love you for it!  By the way, don't forget about the moving sale January 28-29, 2011.  We are raising funds for the trip back!  :-) I'm just sayin',

As you know, we are moving to Dallas, Texas due to my husband's job change.  Last week we moved part of our household, attended a photography conference in San Antonio and returned to Alabama, all within the span of 7 days.  You can read about those adventures in my previous blogs. Today was spent preparing for the last phase of our move and tagging items for our moving sale.  The moving sale will take place January 28-29.  We primarily have furniture for sale...can't take it all with us, so it has to go to a new home....someone else's home.  Some of the items we have for sale include a clawfoot bathtub, desk, bed, chest of drawers, nightstand, deck furniture, garden-type items, a kiddie swimming pool, a decorative yard bike and lot of other odd and end items, including photography props and a studio!  If you think you might be interested in anything, let me know.  You can also ask and I might have it available! I'm just sayin',

Johnny Cash recorded a song entitled, I've Been Everywhere Man .  The chorus went something like this: I've been everywhere, man. I've been everywhere, man. Crossed the desert's bare, man. I've breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel I've had my share, man. I've been everywhere.   The song goes on to list all of the places he's been.  I'm going to replace those lyrics with places we've been over the past week: Tuscaloosa, Meridian, Jackson, Vicksburg, Monroe, Shreveport, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Katy, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Bridge City, Lake Charles, Hammond, Ponchatoula, Slidell, Baton Rouge, Hattiesburg, Laurel and Birmingham. For the past week, we have done little else but travel.  We are tired of being in a moving vehicle is an understatement.  We were glad to be back at home.  Granted, all we will get to do is pack for the 2nd phase of our move to Texas, but we have a whole 10 days to stay put in one place!  We'r

The past 6 days have been hectic and busy.  Last Thursday we moved to Dallas, TX.  On Friday we unloaded our belongings into a storage unit.  On Saturday we drove to San Antonio for a photography conference.  On Tuesday we left San Antonio to head back to our home in Corner to finish packing to complete our move. It is about a 15 hour drive from San Antonio, TX to Warrior, AL.  We knew we couldn't handle all of that time on the road in one day, so we chose to break it up by staying over in Beaumont with one of my husband's friends. While on the road from San Antonio to Beaumont, I started thinking about all the changes that have taken place in my life in the past few days.  This is what I've learned: Texas is flat. Texas has a speed limit for daytime driving and a speed limit for night-time driving. Texas is flat. Texas charges you to drive on some of their roads, known as toll roads (I do not like this idea at all). Texas is flat. You can reach exit number 850 and sti

I have thoroughly enjoyed being at the PPA ImagingUSA conference in San Antonio, TX.  I have learned so much in the classes and have had the opportunity to find some interesting vendors.  I think I've learned just as much on the exhibit floor as I have in the classes. New adventures are on the horizon as I will be applying all I've learned here to my new business in Dallas, TX.  I will probably change the name of my studio and streamline my photography to find my "niche".  Finding your niche, your inner self and what you life to photograph are vital to your photography business.  There are probably around 10,000 photographers here, which is a bit intimidating.  But everyone brings something to the table and we can all learn from each other. I've decided to become a part of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep photography.  NILMDTS is a non-profit organization that offers portrait sessions to parents of terminally ill or stillborn babies.  Photographers join on a volunteer

Yesterday I wrote about our experience with the "wooo" girls in the lobby of our hotel.  It turns out Kallie and the "wooo" girls stayed in the room next door to us and were up "wooo"-ing until about 4:00 a.m.  Needless to say we didn't get alot of sleep.  And when the alarm clock went off at 5:00 a.m. for us to get up and get ready for our 7:00 a.m. photo classes, we didn't make it.  Unfortunately, we didn't make it to our 9:00 a.m. photo classes either.  When we finally woke up we decided it was time for a hotel change, not only because of the "wooo" girls, but also because I couldn't get to sleep worrying about having to shower in the dirty bathtub. After getting dressed, we immediately asked the parking attendant for our vehicle and drove to another hotel, checked in, returned to the previous hotel, checked out, grabbed our belongings and made a run for the border.  We are now happy in a different hotel, which happens to be ri

There is nothing like staying at a hotel and being away from home. I'm being sarcastic of course as I hate staying in hotels. I'm a germ-a-phobe and hotel life just doesn't work for me. But, it is the price I have to pay to attend the Imaging USA photography conference here in San Antonio. I have to block certain things out of my brain so that I'm not curled in the fetal position on the dirty floor crying like a baby and sucking my thumb. As it is we are having to get the cleaning service to come and clean the bathtub just so that I can get in the shower. I'm in the hotel lobby accessing the one hour of "free wi-fi" on my laptop. I can't stand being in the room until the shower is cleaned and if I don't stay out of it for a bit, I will find myself pacing the worn carpets until they are worn completely through. We germ-a-phobes worry about the germs that are breeding in our environment. I have to sleep in this environment therefore, I need r

We have finally arrived in Dallas and are settling in. The drive took a little under 12 hours and it took less than 5 to unload most of our belongings and throw them into a storage facility! Tomorrow, we are off to San Antonio for the ImagingUSA photographer's conference. I hope to learn new and exciting things and receive lots of free gifts!! I've never been to a conference as an attendee, only as a worker bee.  It will be a new and exciting experience.  When we are not in classes, we will be enjoying the sites San Antonio has to offer, specifically, the Alamo! Catch you on the flip side! I'm just sayin'

As I've stated previously, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to have a blog post every day.  It is January 13th and I've missed 2 days.  Not good.  So, in keeping with the Resolution, I have to post something...doesn't really matter what it is.  Today's post has nothing to do with anything.  I just needed to post something under the date January 13, 2011!  Hopefully tomorrow's post will be less disappointing! And for good measure, I'm throwing in a cool picture of Marilyn Monroe....remember, diamonds are a girl's best friend! I'm just sayin',

Our life has suddenly become very harried and frenzied!   We decided to relocate to the Big D within the next few weeks.  Why??!!  Because I decided I want to become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader!  It is has always been a dream of mine and before I turn 30, er, uh, I mean, 40....oh, crap, 50 later this year, I want to give it a go.  So off we go!!  The Dallas Cowboys definitely won't know what hit them when I take the field!! While I'm on my life's quest to become a 50 year old cheerleader, I decided I would try to list the other things commonly associated with Texas.  This is what I have so far: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Lone Star State The Alamo Texas Hold'em (a poker game for those of you who might not know what this is) Texas Longhorn Cattle Now, there are probably so many other things, but since it is nearing midnight and my brain has reached the limits of its ability for the day, I just can't think of any others to add to the list.  However, if yo

As promised, I am posting some photos (most of which you can see on my Facebook page)from the first southern snow of 2011. Albeit, it is more ice than snow....the forecasters always get it wrong! However, it is enough to keep everyone, well, most everyone, off the streets of Birmingham. Ice is something we take very seriously here in the south because our cities are not properly equipped to deal with such things. Additionally, while you folks in the north have nice sleds and such to use over hill and dale when it snows, down here, we usually just make do with a garbage can lid or anything else we have laying around the house that we think will glide well over icy streets. Hope everyone has had a great Monday/Snow/Ice Day! I'm just sayin',

I know, I know, you are going to say this is a pretty lame post.  And you would be right.  However, I did place an item on my New Year's Resolution list that stated I would post a blog every day.  Yes, I've already missed one day but I'm trying not to miss another one.  Therefore, I will post something, even if it is lame.  :-) The big snow of '11 has arrived.  The version of the storm in our area began with ice pellets, which is usually an excellent foundation for snow.  It means it is definitely gonna stick!  I can't wait to get outdoors to start taking some photos tomorrow, not only with my Canon 5D but also with my new Diana Lomography camera that I received for Christmas.  Those will be some awesome photos.  Lomography cameras take some really cool  photos!  Since it is a film camera, it will take a while to post the final results, but post them I will! Until tomorrow, and the ultimate snow day, I'm just sayin',

Who knew that the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 would find the south enveloped in snow!!  North Alabama experienced the first white Christmas in quite a few years and we figured that would be the end of it.  However, once again, we are gearing up for snow here in the south, which means frantic visits to the local grocer for bread and milk.  I don't understand the bread and milk thing.  Water is free.  And I would rather have something tastier than a PB&J, even if I have to roast wieners over the fire pit outside.  A tasty hot dog beats a plain PB&J any day of the week!  Our trip to the store includes the fixings for chili cheese dogs!  And lots of Coke and Mt. Dew.  Gotta have that sugar high to play out in the snow!  And don't forget the ingredients for snow ice cream!  YUM!! The Sunday and Monday prediction is for 6-10 inches of the white powder.  While it may only snow 1-2 inches, in south-speak that is 1-2 feet of the white stuff covering the ground, as we

We have been entering daily for a chance to win the HGTV's Dream Home 2011 in Stowe, VT.  If you are entering as well, STOP RIGHT NOW.  You are not going to win because it is my house.  I LOVE snow!  I LOVE Vermont!  I want to sit in front of that beautiful fireplace in the den (with the fabulous windows) and gaze out over the slopes!  I want to relax in the pedestal tub while reading a good book and look out occasionally to watch skiers swoosh down the mountain.   If you feel you MUST enter, please be sure to enter my contact information correctly.  I don't want my new house, car and all that cash mistakenly given to someone less deserving than myself!  I feel I've suffered through too many humid Alabama summers already and spending the summer (as well as the winter) in Vermont would be pretty close to heaven for me! I'm just sayin,'

While this particular memory may not be entertaining to those of you who were not involved, it was and still is entertaining to the Real Magnolias.  It is not particularly funny, just entertaining.  And a special memory for us girlfriends. On November 8, 2002 (you should be impressed I know the date), we held our monthly party, er, uh, meeting.  Remember, we always had a theme.  The theme for this particular month was NERD ALERT.  We, that is most of us, came decked out in our best nerd clothing.  Some, who shall remain nameless, thought they were much too attractive to dress in such a way, so they didn't.  Sam, you were the only one!!  Given that you brought very entertaining photos and some really good gossip, we eventually forgave you! Paige hosted this austere event and prepared a delicious dinner of pasta and garlic bread.  Naturally, Mike was there.  Fortunately, he never missed a meeting.  As I mentioned earlier, Sam (who refused to dress appropriately for this event), pulle

Blogging is a term that hasn't been around that long, but the concept has become very popular.  It seems as if everyone has a blog these days, including yours truly.  After reading many blogs, I've come to the conclusion that blogs have taken the place of those old-fashioned diaries we used to have as kids.  It is also very similar to "journaling", with everyone making their thoughts available for the world to read.  Thoughts, dreams, goals, fears, inhibitions, loves, hates...you name it, are no longer held in a small book clutched tightly to our chests.  We open ourselves up for ridicule by the entire world! I can't recall ever being one of those kids who wrote in a diary, but I can remember journaling on occasion and still have the bizarre ramblings to prove it.  But, if I were going to write in a diary, my entry for today would look something like this: January 4, 2011 Dear Diary, It is 4:30 in the morning.  I was awakened by a peculiar dream.  I am sure a

I cannot tell you how many stories there are that involve the Real Magnolias. I've been going back through The Book and laughin g at some of the things we said and did. I have been struggling with which story to tell next because they are all so memorable. I've chosen a rather tame one for this blog. In January, 2002, we decided we wanted to do glamour portraits. Remember when those were popular?? Yeah, about 100 years ago, right??!! One of our friends had her own photography studio at the time, so we held the event there. Everyone seemed to be quite excited about getting their hair and makeup done by professionals (we had a bonafide makeup consultant and a not-so-bonafide hair stylist in our group - she shoulda been bonafide though because she did an awesome job). Everyone looked stunning for their photo shoot. I chose to not have a portrait made. I HATE getting my picture taken. But I did help in the wardrobe department. My job was to be the "official boob

Recently, my husband posted one of his controversial blogs.  Nothing new about that.  However, since posting this particular controversial blog , his blog traffic has increased 10,000%!  He has been trying to figure out why his blog traffic increased so dramatically.  Tonight, whilst performing his daily research on why the large increase, he stumbled across the reason....Taylor Lautner!  In this particular blog, he posted a photo of Taylor Lautner....shirtless!  And, given the way Google's search engine works, the shirtless Taylor was traced right to the hubby's website! Now, I must admit, I have no idea who Taylor Lautner is or what he does.  He just doesn't fall across my radar...ever.  However, since we have come upon this little gem, I'm going to give him a try it and see what happens!!  While you're at it, please feel free to become a "follower".  When the Taylor Lautner hoopla dies down, you might find some entertaining stories throughout the blog.

I hope most of you are keeping up.  The Real Magnolias stories are not going to be consecutive posts as I do have other things going on in my life that I feel the need to write about.  Not alot mind you, but other things nonetheless.  :-) In the previous post, I mentioned Monica, the Czar.  Monica had a nasty habit of being the mom and trying to keep the rest of us from ever having any fun.  Thank goodness she was never successful!  However, one thing she was quite successful at was making new friends.  I use this term loosely as it was usually people she would pass on the street.  Monica felt it was her place to not only be the Czar in our lives, but also in lives of strangers.  For Monica never met a person she didn't take the opportunity to talk to.  When she would see someone that she thought she would be able to strike up a conversation with, she would stop them to talk.  Said conversation went something like this: Monica, the Czar: "Hey, do you have the internet?&quo

Let me preface by saying Happy New Year -- 2011. Eleven years since the dreaded Y2K brouhaha. The technological world as we know it did not collapse, it improved. And we are all the better for it. So, on to the current blog post. By the way, one of my New Year's Resolutions, well the only one really as I didn't bother to sit down and make a list, although I suppose I should have and still might, is to post a blog on a daily basis. I give it a week, tops. But at least I'm going to give it my best shot! :-) Last Christmas Last Christmas I gave you my heart and the very next day, you gave it away ....yeah, I know, a sad Wham Christmas song from the 80s. Fortunately, that is not what this blog is about.  Last Christmas we traveled to Texas to spend the holiday with my in-laws. En route, we ran into a pretty heavy snow storm. That's right, in Texas. I was surprised as well.  While I love snow and cannot figure out how I ended up in a state (Alabama) that experi