But my favorite shot of the day was of Kells. 
More pics can be found at Flickr.
And as for that lovely shade of yellow, doesn't it remind you of cold mustard and ham sandwiches on Wonder bread that you savored as a child? Or pollen from a big summer blossom of some sort? What's that? Did I hear you correctly? Baby dookie? Hmm. I suppose that, too. But I like to think more positively. Surround myself with goodness and light and all that business........ Ok, people, cut me some slack. It was the mid-90s, and wallpaper borders were still in. Sorta. And at the time I really liked this fruit pattern. I cannot deny my past! The point is, though, that some time ago I stopped liking it. And I never liked the color and cheap construction of the cabinetry. 
It's hard to tell in these pictures (you mean I have to focus, compose, AND pay attention to lighting and such?), but they have a purply-pink tint to them that is just...unpleasant. It used to be worse, though. The knobs were shiny brass. Ugh. A couple years ago I spray painted them all silver--a temporary fix. 
But the time has finally come to do something about this sad, outdated, worn out looking kitchen. We started by choosing a paint color for the cabinets. Here are our two test patches. We chose the darker taupey-gray color on the left to complement the granite. 
And last Saturday we tore the kitchen all to heck and got started. 
You know some of you out there who confess to me that your house is a mess, and I say something like, "You should see mine! I'm living like a crazy hoarder on a Jerry Springer special!" and then you guffaw and say something like, "Yeah, right! Your house is never a mess." You can't say that anymore. I have photographic evidence right here. We removed the cabinet doors, and painted the facings, walls, and the ceiling. Here's the new paint color next to the old. 
And here I am wedged behind the fridge. Gads, this is an unflattering picture. Oh well. Just keeping it real here, folks. 
Matt was in charge of painting the walls, and I must say he did a fine job of it. Every single exposed hair on his body was matted with paint by the time he finished, but he never spilled and the walls looked beautiful. 
Again, my cruddy photography makes it hard to see, but it's a really nice neutral off white with a touch of beigey-gray. We also tore out our old, ugly oven hood. 
That sucker was a pain in the arse to tear out (at least, er, it looked from my vantage point sitting at the dining room table with a cold beverage like Matt was having a hard time of it), so Matt was especially happy when it finally came loose and went straight into the trash bin. 
(Please don't ask about his t-shirt. Someday I'll do a post on his shirt collection, but until then I don't want to talk about it.) Installing the new one was no picnic, either. It involved going to Home Depot and buying some round saw attachment thingy for our drill, which we used to spray wood shavings all over the dadgum house. I mean, er, to drill a hole in the existing cupboard. We don't own any safety goggles, so we improvised by using my old $7 Target sunglasses. 
But once we'd done that, everything else went smoothly and before I knew it I was the owner of The Quietest Kitchen Fan On the Planet. 
Now all we have left to do is:
Refrigerator + linoleum + gravity + friction = a more expensive kitchen remodel than we'd anticipated. Stay tuned for more progress reports!
...go out to all those who sponsored me at the Annual MS Walk that Matt and I participated in two weeks ago! I easily surpassed my fundraising goal, and our little team of four raised almost $2000 for Multiple Sclerosis research and services for people living with the disease. People like my fabulously brave and smart and funny friend, Barbara. It was a beautiful day in sunny Pasadena--a little overcast and not too hot, which was lovely. So the actual walk itself was pleasant and not very strenuous--although it was a little 
bit more work for Matt, who was sweet enough to push Barbara's wheelchair most of the time. (My husband has mutual platonic lovefests with so many of my closest friends! It makes me feel truly happy and blessed to know that he loves my favorite people almost as much as I do, and they love him back. But then again, how could they not?) Seeing men and women with canes and walkers along the route, slowly making their way along but determined to do it on their own two legs--however unstable and wobbly--was not only inspiring but convicting. I mean, how often do we acknowledge and thank God for the simple fact that our bodies work the way they're supposed to? That they get us from place to place and process the food we eat? Usually I only notice my body when something's not working right or--more commonly--when I don't like the way it looks. Shame on me. But thank You, Lord, for my health. Praise God! Getting back at the topic on hand...this is Barbara's brother, Reynold--another special friend of ours. 
I've actually known Reynold longer than I have Matt, and I love him so much that I could have married him. That is, if he wasn't, well, into guys. I made him put on his commemorative MS Walk t-shirt, even though it was too small so that I could take a picture of him and Barbara together. 
After he squeezed into it, he asked, "Does this look gay?" Yes, yes it did. But then he had to get out of said too-small shirt, which proved to be a bit of a challenge.
Yes, we laughed at his expense. A lot.
I've long been a fan of P-Dub, and it was the amazing photography on her site (as well as the fact that she taught herself to take these awe-inspiring shots within a year of owning her camera) that inspired me to eventually invest in my now beloved Nikon D40. Anyhoo, I've always wanted to try out her Photoshop trick for making eyes pop. Problem is, I didn't have any good pictures of anyone's baby blues or browns or...you get the idea. So the other day my dear friend, Kelly (one of the most gorgeous women I know--inside and out), agreed to let me take some shots of her stunning hazel peepers. They were already striking straight out of the camera, but then I applied Pioneer Woman's eye tricks, and voila! 
Beautiful, beautiful girl.
Ok, first let's just address the title of this workout dvd, shall we? I find it somewhat offensive, but I can't place my finger on what it is exactly that ruffles my feathers. Is it the direct reference to and acknowledgment that I have fat? Is it that it's female fat, which automatically makes me think it has to do with girly parts? Maybe it's just that it's so direct and to the point: Females have fat and it needs to be shrunk. Except, of course, the females on this video. There are about five of them working out around Denise Austin, and all of their body fat combined would probably be about as much as what I'm carrying around in my left leg alone. But moving on...I picked this video to balance out my primarily walking-only workout regime because I read multiple reviews online that it was a great one for battling the dreaded tummy fat. [Boo, hiss.] I just did the full 40-minute workout for the first time, and while I thought about being totally honest and "keeping it real" by photographing my sweaty brow and drippy hair at the base of my neck and posting them here for you to see, I realized I was way too vain to let anyone see my hair sweat. Here's what I am willing to let you see: 
Oy, taking my shoes off at the end is my FAVORITE part of any workout. (That's my poor, abused balance ball off to the left. Pray for it.) What I liked most about this workout is that she's constantly switching from working the arms to the abs to the butt to the legs--never staying too long in one spot, so you don't get overly tired or jelly-muscled. She works it, moves to something else while those muscles get a rest, and then comes back to them. The first half uses hand weights and the second half uses the balance ball, which I like a lot. And I only fell off my ball once. Well, maybe twice. Unless you're in really fabulous shape, you will definitely feel like you're getting a workout with this--especially if you use weights appropriate for your fitness level. Mine are, uh, three pounds. Each! But, honestly, I could have handled heavier ones. The only downside, really, is that Denise Austin is possessed by Satan. As evidenced by this photo: 
Not convinced? Ok, this one. 
And this. 
But if you don't mind her demon eyes burning into your very soul and her constant demands that you "show [her] your smiling face!" then I'd recommend you give this poorly-named yet well-organized workout a go. By the way, if anyone out there has some favorite dvds to recommend, please mention them in the comments!
Maybe at some point people thought you were fashionable, but I think now is the appropriate time for me to be honest and tell you the truth: I never liked you. Sure, you provided a nice little breeze on a hot summer afternoon or when the oven was on. But how can I put this delicately? Hmm, I can't. Because the truth is you're butt ugly, and it was high time for you to go. 
Goodbye. Good riddance. Now....hello, lovely! 
Don't you want to come over and eat with us now?
I loved the simplicity of the flower, the muted and delicate colors, the bits of dew on the petals. But I knew it could be better. Here's how it looked after cropping and using some Photoshop tricks. 
Wow, huh? Mind you, I didn't add or enhance any colors at all--just tweaked the contrast. Here's another favorite of mine from the day, this one taken by Kelly. 
Everyone get it out of your systems and let out a collective, "Awh." Ok, moving on. This is a fab picture, yes, because my husband is The Most Adorable Man on the Planet and the way my face is nestled into him you can't even see my second chin. (Sigh.) But it's a little gray and blah in the color department. Know what I mean? This is no reflection on Kelly's photography skills, which I think we'd all agree are admirable. The grayish cast is just something you have to deal with in digital photography, or so I've read. But looky what happens when you move on over to Photoshop and adjust the contrast, correct for skin tone, and add a cool burned edge effect. 
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have so much fun experimenting with this thing that if you have a beloved photo you'd like to have enhanced, send it on over and I'll give it a go! Come on, don't be shy. But no boudoir shots, please. You know who you are.
