Very Neat Kinetic Wave Sculptures

Cordial Missives-Updated!

I updated Cordial Missives today (and yesterday, and all last week and the week before). I think this layout works much better than the previous; a bit more organized and easier to navigate.. and yes I know it's probably too wide for your normal browser window size, but deal with it. It would take me forever to resize all the tons of images on there to make it narrower. The point was to be able to view the work up close and in detail.

Also:
If you're still using Internet Explorer 6.. Don't! Upgrade or use Firefox...please. It's the reason some elements on my site and others may not display properly.

A Font Of My Very Own

$250,000 Child?

An interesting topic came up today between my sister and I as we do our daily back and forthing of emails during work hours.

We were discussing children: what we think of our friends becoming mothers lately, genetics from parents, who's going to look like whom, when we want to start having kids, etc. ... and about having the finances to start a family. Mandy brought up that she saw on Dr. Phil that by the time a kid reaches 18, that it would have cost his parents around $250,000. That's a lot, yes.. if true.. but I retorted that 18 years is a long time and costs can be spread pretty evenly throughout that time. Of course, I personally don't plan on spoiling our kids with expensive win-overs and that things don't come for free, but most other expenses are kinda justifiable by the fact that they're alive, healthy and happy.

There probably is a good and better time to start a family, financially, but I think raising one is do-able on any budget. My dad, for example, grew up in a family of 7, with the only income being from my grandpa's dry cleaning business. They didn't have many luxuries, but they had what they needed, and a family of 7 is a lot to provide for.

Honestly.. I tend to believe that the family who has a bit less can actually get more out of life (of course it depends on the type of family and how they deal with such situations). I was just thinking about the Allstate commercial that says "The best things in life don't cost much.." with the examples of things like, playing Scrabble on a Saturday night, or "it's not the size of your TV that matters, but who's around it." I really like that ad. I would live by those ideas.

I think when things aren't so easy; in situations where everything isn't just given to us (not that we shouldn't avoid making life hard for ourselves), it presents more opportunity for growth, creativity, and character-building. I'd want my family to be like this because those are the characteristics that make awesome people.

Although I do tend to be frugal, or over-frugal, I think that focusing too hard on "geez look how much these dang kids are costing me!!" is not a good way to love your family. I'm sure that I would personally have my moments where my previous whims of being so frugal will challenge that notion once we are sentenced to life with children, ha.. but I'd like to think that loving them would be more important than worrying about finances to the degree of calculating how much they cost during their lifetime.

More wedding photos are up!

There were 750 wedding photos to sort through. I chose about 200 to retouch and format for your viewing! It took me a long time (and a few lessons in html and java script) to set up this little gallery, so please take your time in appreciating it :)

Check them out at our wedsite.

Also, I've been using Wolf Camera to make prints and I plan to do this for anyone wanting some. I can place the order online and have them processed for pickup at a Wolf near you. You'll have to email me and let me know which photos you want (they all have numbers), what sizes you want them, and how many of them you want. If there isn't a Wolf near you, arrangements can be made to have photos shipped your way. You can view a sizes and price list here.

PS, if you use Internet Explorer I suggest you start using Firefox because IE is dumb and has issues. It should be avoided at all costs. Just sayin'.

Completely Confused By A Cricket

So the other night while I was alone in a dark apartment, I encountered 4! crickets before going to bed! Record-breaking. Disgusting. I hate those things. They always dampen my mood. Anyway, I Raided each one, but since I don't like touching bug bodies (even through a kleenex) I tend to put over-turned cups on top of their reacting-to-the-Raid squirming exoskeletons.. with the plan to vacuum them up later. So I put Jon's NASCAR plastic mug thing over this one in our bedroom. It wasn't moving anywhere, so I know I'd been successful in trapping it. Die silently! yesss!

2 days go by.

I bravely lifted the mug so that when Jon comes in at 3am tonight, he doesn't knock the mug, reveal the bug, and have a fit of bug dance on his way to bed, ha. But to my surprise, IT WAS GONE!! Completely disintegrated! ...seemingly. It wasn't on the interior of the mug either. What happened?!? Did it jump away when I thought I put the mug over it? I don't think so, it was pretty crippled. Does Raid + bug + little oxygen = disintegration?!

Anyway I was so glad I didn't have to touch it :)

While You Were Out

Over the weekend (while Jon's been away musicianing in Indiana) I was able to clean up the apartment some, kill 4 crickets, hang all my art on the walls, organize the endless sea of "important papers" in our secretary desk, make a new art print for our bathroom, shop for/purchase and transport a secret item(s) (to be revealed when Jon comes home), hang out with friends and go antique shopping after being worn out from a busy set up Sunday, go grocery shopping, get together some materials to send out to promote my wedding invite business, and update both of my websites.. all in one weekend.

What is it about being without my husband that gives me so much energy to do all that? It's kinda terrible.. but when he's around I tend to lose my focus on other things cause I just want to hang around him. I hope that's a honeymoon-phase thing. Eventually I'll have to be more motivated more of the time.

I think it's actually the anticipation for his return that gives me the adrenaline for such energy. I find myself thinking, 'the more I can do, the shorter the days feel, and the sooner he'll be back!' It works pretty well.

Also a sort of unrelated note (segued by making an art print and deciding what online photo service works really well for doing so) I KNOW you are all waiting for wedding photo prints. I'm trying my best to contact our photographer to get him to send us the disc of the remaining 800 or so photos we haven't seen. You won't go un-notified, I promise. Patience is a virtue...and it keeps the people trying to satisfy your impatience more sane :)