Snap Happy

Yesterday I visited the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena with Kelly and spent the whole glorious day experimenting with our new cameras. Kelly had her snazzy Nikon D80--complete with a borrowed macro lens--and I was breaking in my new yet already adored Nikon D40, the smaller, lighter, and cheaper (yay!) little sister to the D80. By the time the day was done, I'd taken a whopping 478 shots. That's more than I took on our entire weeklong honeymoon trip to Tahiti. But by the time I got home, downloaded them to the computer, and weeded through the blah and blurry shots, it was down to a much more manageable 255. You know how photographers say that you're lucky if you have a full day of shooting and end up with one really great shot? Well, I'm choosing to be encouraged by the fact that of those 478 pictures I ended up with not one but two shots I truly love. Ready to see them? Here you go. This little rose was up high on a bush, so I passed by it at first, thinking I couldn't get a good shot. Then Kelly came by and held it down for me so I could snap away happily. I got this one after changing my camera setting to "more vivid." I love the yellows it brought out in the foliage and the contrast it added to the bench. Thanks to Kelly's urging, I started a Flickr account to keep track of and share all these photos as I learn to use my camera. I haven't figured out yet how to add fancy slideshow links and whatnot to my blog, but if you're interested in seeing 30 or so of my other favorites from the day, visit my Flickr page here. I'll get around to adding a permanent Flickr link to my sidebar later. Enjoy!

Surprise Makeover!

I woke up this morning feeling unexpectedly inspired to do some blog housekeeping--starting with a pretty girly makeover. Hope you like it!

PS: I took that banner shot with my much-loved new camera, which I'll post about later. Happy Friday, everyone!

TJ's, I Love You. But . . .

Am I the only one who can't stand other shoppers at Trader Joe's? Really, is it just me being an anal-retentive, type-A beeyotch, or are they the most disorganized, self-absorbed, clueless shoppers this side of the closest Pic & Save? Sorry, Big Lots? (Yes, that's so much classier.) I get why the stores themselves are always on the small side, even though it annoys me to no end that the lines for the checkout extend into the aisles of organic corn, bean paste, and whole wheat penne. I even understand why people are so pokey and indecisive as they scan the wide selection of cheeses (sharp, extra sharp, New York, Wisconsin, swiss, light, organic, herb, the list goes on and on). But come on, people. Why do you have to do it while your cart is jutting all akimbo out into the middle of the already tiny and cluttered aisle? Or better yet, why do you think it's ok for you to just abandon it right in front of the arugula while you mosey on over to peruse the selection of tomatoes on the vine? Why? Why? Why? Can't you see that there are like 50 other people milling about? Because, really, that's the source of my frustration at TJ's: People don't really shop there in the sense that I shop--that is, by going in with a good idea of what I want or need, a mission to find each item as quickly and efficiently as possible and then, oh what the hell, do something crazy like LEAVE. No. Instead, the typical TJ shopper mills about somewhat aimlessly, standing for what seems like hours in front of the tower of fresh bread, their cart blocking 2/3 of it while their body blocks the other 1/3 while they read each and every single label. Panini! Crostini! Peasant! Baguette! Just pick one, please! Or at the very least be aware of me standing beside and slightly behind you, waiting patiently at first, then swaying back and forth as I transfer my weight from foot to foot, then staring right at you, willing you to look at me, notice me, affirm me, dammit! Sigh. Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just me?

Naughty

Hi folks! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Audrey. I have my Uncle Matt and Auntie Denise (otherwise known as Ung and Nene) wrapped around my little finger on account of my being so cute and all. This weekend I was at their place, and Nene snapped a whole mess of pictures of me with her new camera (which she'll blog about later, I'm sure). She caught me doing some of my favorite things. Like loving on my bestest pal, Bling. And reading, of course, which is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I'm telling you, kids, I L-O-V-E love books, and I really get into them. Which is why Nene should have known better than to put me down for my morning nap while my crib was pushed right up against her bookshelf. When she came to get me, I'd pulled a bunch of them down to peruse and was deeply engrossed in this one: Did I mention that it was Easter Sunday morning? But for those of you out there who are judging me right now, thinking that I'm naughty, shouldn't the real question be why would my Nene keep such a book in a home where a toddler is present? For shame, people! For shame.

1 Year Plus 1 Day = Wedded Bliss

Yesterday was our one-year wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a casual dinner out, creme puffs and mini eclairs from the French bakery that made the croquembouche for our wedding, and a bottle of red wine gifted to us from friends Tim and Karen Bren. I have been a married woman for one year and one day. Lordy. In some ways it feels like this has been the fastest year of my life, and that the wedding and honeymoon and endless planning and phone calls and scheduling were all just two months ago. But on the other hand it also seems like another lifetime ago. And I can hardly remember what life was like before being married to Matt, which according to my mother-in-law, is a good sign. Indeed.

Shameless Plug

Do you know my friend Barbara? If not, you're missing out, because she's one remarkable woman: A great laugher, strong, compassionate, and one smart cookie. She also happens to have MS--was diagnosed two years ago--which sucks royally. Sunday, April 6, Matt and I are participating in the MS Walk at the Rose Bowl. Care to join our team and come walk with us? Or to make a donation to the cause? If so, check out my MS Walk donation page.

Ok, Ok. I'm Back. Again.

I know. I've let you down again. Blogging just hasn't had any appeal to me lately, despite the fact that many things have happened to blog about. We went to Portland and had a lovely little vaca. My sweet husband celebrated a birthday. I got (and still am) sick AGAIN. We visited my parents out in the boonies and actually had snow. A whole mess of happy, exciting things (minus the sickness part)! But somehow the inspiration and motivation to blog any of it has eluded me. Perhaps answering Molly's personal tag will jump start me back into it.

10 years ago I was...
Just starting work at my current job--and thinking it would be a "temporary stepping off point" to something else. Sigh.

5 things on my "to do" list today:
1. grocery shopping
2. lunch meeting with a printer
3. 1 hour total on the treadmill (1/2 hour already done this morning!)
4. pour gallons of Liquid Plummer down the shower drain
5. going to bed early because I didn't get enough sleep last night and as a result I'm a Cranky McCrankerton

5 things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. Invest for ourselves and loved ones so that their material needs on this earth would always be met
2. Donate anonymously to various causes and individuals
3. Start a not-for-profit business of some kind so that I could invest energy into something I care about
4. Have one of those whole body scans done where they examine all your organs for traces of disease, so that I can stop obsessing about the tiniest ailments
5. Buy a quaint, moderately-sized house somewhere lovely and live a modest, quiet life

3 of my bad habits:
1. Procrastinating
2. Worrying
3. Laziness

5 places I've lived:
1. San Dimas, CA
2. Glendora, CA
3. Lake Arrowhead, CA
4. Waco, TX
5. Covina, CA

5 jobs I've had:
1. Editor
2. Assistant to a successful and uber-rich yet mean, nasty, and hateful investment banker
3. Counselor at a boarding school for kids with emotional and behavioral problems
4. Barista
5. Assistant in a medical office

Things that most people don't know about me:
1. I'm still madly in love with and terribly sentimental about my childhood stuffed animal, Teddy 2. I can't resist any WE or Lifetime tv movie--especially Christmas-themed ones
3. When I was in jr. high I was obsessed with reading fiction books about kids with cancer
4. I'm afraid of fish tanks
5. I once quit a job after my very first day of work (one word for you: retail)