whatever

my dress....

you girls are funny.
i didn't think of sourcing my date night clothes.....what was i thinking?

the dress is from the dress barn   (moo.)   
(please tell me why anyone would name a women's clothing store the dress BARN????) 
i checked the website and it's not there....i got in may.
the cardi is from target of course....also in may.

the flower is from made4adoption.
YOU NEED ONE....or four.
and she needs you to get some....she's adopting and her etsy sales go to her adoption fund!
(she is going on vacation without internet soon so be patient if you have a question for her. )  

and the hot mama shoes are from PAYLESS!
:)

and we almost had an emergency that night when i couldn't find my spanx!
i might have cancelled the whole date if i didn't have those.
they are THAT important to me.
i have had five babies living in this body don't forget. 

the maxi dress i was wearing in the video (previous post) is from CATO fashions.
they don't have online shopping.
and like dress barn being that it's VERY hit or miss.....but that dress had my name on it.


it had ties at the neck but i sewed them back as straps instead....since we don't let our daughters wear strapless dresses i figured it wouldn't be too cool for me to go to a party with them....in a strapless dress!  ha.

someone asked how tall i am.
i am 5' 7".   the heels make me very tall but i like that.....my husband is tall.
and he likes the heels so i love the heels.
if he was short....i'd wear heels for GIRLS NIGHT! 

Ali left this comment:
Okay, you look sassy and ready for your big date!  I don't know how you manage to go shopping for clothes with your kids!  Please give me tips!  I've gone a little frumpy these days ( I have 3 kids) tell me how to juggle date nights and cute clothes! I want to be a cute Momma too! :)
 
ok ali....i had to think about it....

#1 - i don't take my kids shopping with me most of the time.
       i do enjoy shopping though...i don't know how you women that hate going shopping ever find      
       anything to wear!!! 
       when i used to have to take my kids shopping i gave them lots of candy.
       suckers and smarties.
       it keeps them happy and quiet and me productive. 

#2 - i usually pick one store because i don't have shopping DAYS i have an hour here or there.
       i usually shop at Target, Old Navy, Kohls, Dress Barn and CATO.....because they are easy and affordable. 

#3 - i try on EVERYTHING i even remotely like.
       that way i usually find something that fits and is cute. 
       sometimes things are really cute even if they aren't so much on the hanger.
       i try on like 20+ items.  

#4 - i just get one or two things usually.
       one piece at a time....i have never bought a "summer wardrobe"

#5 - know your own body....use the body slimming products out there....if you think you'd need them.
       they are awesome...makes a really REALLY big difference....sometimes a whole size!  

..........................don't settle for frumpy...............................................

tell yourself that YOU need some time for YOU and find that PRETTY girl again.

it is important as a woman and as a mom and as a wife.

it's not about how much money you spend.
it's not about labels (hello....dress barn and payless???)

taking time for you will help you feel GOOD about yourself.

moms need to feel pretty too.
WE DO!!!  

and when i feel frumpy....i don't feel confident...or pretty.....

i am not saying to go shopping every day.
or to run away and look out for only you.

but take a little time out for you even if it's once a month.
to remember that you are more than a mom.
some way.
some how. 
if YOU don't do it.....NO ONE will do it for you. 

go one night when your husband is home from work and stay out till the stores close....and then go to B&N and read till they close too!
 
go with a friend and both try on everything!

go with a friend and have her be your style consultant!

take time for you or you may end up with a track suit in every color
and MOM jeans before you know it.

your husband will quickly realize you are a happier woman if you've had some time away from crazies at home....if he is supportive of that....it's a win-win.... and dont let him call/text you every ten minutes either :)
i've been known to turn off my phone....to be really OFF the clock from home.

AND GO ON A DATE!!!

get a sitter and GO.
eat dinner where they serve you....not ordering at a counter...but if that's all you can get....TAKE IT!!!
get REAL yummy grown up food.
get a drink if you can't stop thinking about the kids or if you feel crabby or distracted or mad.
trust me....i KNOW.
about hour into our dates i always think
"WHY don't we do this every week?!!! i love this guy so much and i NEED time with HIM" 

PRIORITY.

you
and him. 
do it.

 

:) goodness that was a loooooong wordy post!
can you tell i am passionate about moms not losing who they are?

i became a motivational speaker for a minute......
at least i didn't say "i live in a van down by the river!!!"
i'm going to quickly hit publish before i decide to delete this whole post. 

do you have girls any other questions?

lets hear them!

 

answers two.

what are your favorite blogs?

here are a few of my faves in NO particular order:

julie     ashley   PW   shauna    kimberlee    nic     michelle    laura   *e*     tara    jasmine  kelle  wendy
sarah      carissa    megan    jess     elizabeth    crystal     melissa     edie    jeanne     elisa   amy
julie   heather    amy     karen     aimee    jenny      kristin    courtney     heather    marylea    emily   

how is that for a list?! 

how long have you lived in that house?
6 years.
we moved here when annie was 2 weeks old.
it was planned for months.
we chose to leave the "city" life (chicago-land area) and move back to small town kansas.
just 25 minutes from where both craig and i grew up.
it was one of the best decisions we ever made for our family.
we haven't regretted it once.  

this house was a real project.
 our living room.

  the playroom/guest room.

 our kitchen.

 talby and annie's room.

the yard had no grass.  the walls were all wallpapered.  and it was not pretty.
but craig and i could see the potential and it had GREAT bones. 

and we've been working on it ever since.

who gave you the Meg quilt?



my super fabulous friend PAM who took me all the way to africa.
she was so excited to give it to me shouting "IT"S THE NAME OFF YOUR BLOG!!!"
i loved that by making it she got some time to be creative for HER.  
that made me as happy as the gift itself...to know that she enjoyed her sewing time while making it.
it's so cool.
pam you are an artist!

how did you find time to be creative when your kids were little?
i just did it.
i had scrapbook stuff out everywhere all the time.
i painted a dresser in the middle of my living room.
i sewed on the dining room table.
i just did it.
i couldn't NOT do it....i have to make stuff.

(this was in 2008 with my scrapbooking girls)

go away with friends for a craft weekend...or have one at your house.
that was so good for my creativity and social needs when i had little ones at home.
find a retreat house near you or a rental and GO!

and sometimes...you don't even need to bring crafts. 

when did you get to start sleeping through the night?

we finally got to sleep through the night on a regular basis about 2 years ago.
when annie turned four...everyone else was older and we realized we finally felt rested.
it was a 13 year stretch of rarely sleeping all night.
and we survived.
i think my bed is my favorite spot in my whole house!


i love to sleep....is that bad?
what does that say about me? 

what kind of lens do you use....and camera...auto or manual?

i have a Canon 50D with a 24-105 lens.  

i also have an 85mm lens but it's hard for me to use.  i feel i have to be VERY far away when i use it.
like shouting to the families i am shooting...but it's a good lens. 

i am ready for a new lens....if i can save my money long enough!

i had a 50 mm lens but i sold it to lauren when i sold her my Canon Rebel in April.

i used a canon rebel since i started this blog until this past april....it's a great camera!

i shoot in auto focus but will be switching to manual more this year....when i can....i hope.

can you tell us your birth stories?
absolutely!
here we go.....it was 1995.....on a dark and stormy night....

just kidding.

check out these lovely photos....

newborn lauren in the purple hat.

<--- 1998 pregnant with scott.

my birth stories are more funny than anything else.

i had epidurals with all my girls and not with my boys.
i chose to have the epidurals because it hurt more than i could handle.


newborn scott.


sean just born.

2000 - 10 days before sean was born.                                          talby just born.


my boys' labors were quick...both 5 hours total.
talby's was long (for me) and lauren and annie were induced....meaning longer HARD contractions.

i had no c-sections or horror stories of 30 hour labors or morning sickness.

i learned how to breath....on my 5th baby.  
i never knew i was holding my breath during contractions.
but i was.
i never took a lamaze class....or had help from a lactation consultant...because i thought i knew it all.
and believe me....i did NOT.
chicago jen's mom was my labor and delivery nurse who taught me how to breath.  i love her.

we barely made it to the hospital with sean....that was crazy.
craig had to lie down....on the delivery room floor.
it was all just too much...happening too fast...he was light headed...and then BOOM...there was SEAN!


craig and talby.

one of my most favorite photos...
talby liked to be held after her naps....this day we were cuddling on the porch swing.....with baby annie crowding in on our space!


2004 - my friends lisa and chicago jen were at annie's birth.....that was AWESOME!

 

talby and annie                                                                                newborn annie.

with scott and with talby i went into the hospital before i was in real labor and came back home.

i wish i would've nursed longer but i had a crazy deep down reaction after a few weeks in with all of them
that i needed some breathing room!  
i just couldn't nurse any longer.  
i felt smothered.  
but it didn't feel that way feeding them a bottle.  
the shortest i lasted nursing was 2 weeks and the longest was 6 weeks.  
i always wished i was one that could have made it a long time....but i wasn't. 

are you going to stay home now that your kids are in school?

i sure hope so.
i have my photography business and this blog and the etsy shop to provide income so YES i will be staying home....if you can even call that staying home....because really....that is a lot of work!

what does craig do for a living?

he is a commercial banker.
and he looks good in a suit.  
mmm-hmmm.

do you have any advice on raising teenagers?

pray.
stay consistent.
try not to yell or engage in arguments.
find a close friend to share your feelings, frustrations and fears with...don't hold back.
talking about things you are dealing with out loud makes a HUGE difference in how you feel.
with a trusted friend you can share ideas, get advice or let them show you a new angle of parenting.
it's safe.

that is all i have learned so far..... 

was your house in a magazine?
not pictures but linda featured me as a Blogger in Flea Market Style in 2010.

and there was a blurb in Country Living in 2009 called My Country Life



do you have a kindle....do you like to read....what is your favorite book?

we got sean a kindle for christmas but i don't have one.
nor would i want one.
i am not a reader.
i wish i was....
my dad and my sister are crazy about books.
sean, lauren and talby are in love with reading.
i don't have the ability to concentrate that long.  
i did read "A Long Way Gone" last year before going to africa and it was fascinating.



and so sad....and traumatic.
i think it was made so much more real because i went to that exact place the next week.
and met boys who would have been that same age.
it was a life changing book to me.

and of course....Crazy Love.  

 

why do you workout in an assisted living facility?
:)
i live in a small town.  
i drive to a different really small town to workout because the gym there is nicer....and less expensive.
you can buy a membership there because it's the only place in that community as far as i know.

i like it because i am the youngest...it's REALLY quiet...and it's almost always nearly empty.
the machines have tv sound with headphones and i can watch will & grace on lifetime and no one cares.
or regis and kelly!

 
(this is not at my gym...this is a stock photo from google images...and these people look way more active than at my gym :)

if you want to feel strong and fast and young....workout at a retirement center! 
seriously...it's helpful mentally.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WOW that was a really long post!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

answers.

first thing.....

apparently the awesome quote came from the show How I Met Your Mother.
i have only seen that show twice so i googled it.
here it is.

i want to say that i know OF COURSE it's not easy to just overcome being sad.
and i wasn't sad.
just feeling BLAH.

it's january.
that is what i do.

but i do really like the idea of BEING AWESOME.
:)
i mean just say it out loud  "today i will be awesome"
you will feel it.
it's helpful.
i dare you to try it.

OK.
great questions girls...i love to answer questions.

question one:
what is your favorite NON-disney movie?

i have a bunch.   
i will share by category:
   
suspense - Signs 
                The Fugitive 

drama -  i can't think of any!!! i am blank.

chick flick - Julie & Julia.
   
i love so much about this movie.
i love the blogging.
i love the acting....meryl streep is just....amazing.
what i love the most....the love between paul and julia.  it's beautiful.
"it was julia.  it was julia all along"
makes me tear up.

i also love...You've Got Mail 
                  Sleepless in Seattle 

romance -  The Holiday
                 The Family Man
                 anything where i get to look at Mr. Clooney 

comedy -  Parenthood is a CLASSIC.
               The Money Pit also a CLASSIC. 
               and to me....anything with Vince Vaughn or Will Ferrell...

action - Bourne Identity...Bourne Supremecy....Bourne Ultimatum
             Mr and Mrs. smith....they are both just so easy on the EYES!!!

question two:
what's going on in the dining room?!! 

well whenever i take pictures i don't like them much....so i have been waiting.
but i am just going to show you.
the light is funky until like 20 minutes before sunset and then i'm making dinner.
so these are from this morning. 





print is from the wheat field....matte is micheal miller fabric.




print from studio mela....matte is an old map.

all my frames are from the thrift shop or antique store....i have been collecting for years.
the yellow lamps were silver from a garage sale 10 years ago.


now the red box is across the room and i asked sean to display his lego space shuttle in that space.  :)
it's perfect size and pretty safe from being knocked over and it's in view instead of in a box.


pool table....from a friend's garage.  foos ball table...from a friend.  and now a ping pong (dining room) table for $10.

dining room twice a year....game room the other 363 days.


 

that caricature is of lauren when she was little made at Six Flags.  i found it again...i love it.
also her octopus art made in first grade.

the chandelier is from the kane county flea market in may of 2010.



bird canvas is from Pier One....in a antique store frame.
craig's chairs are from craigslist.  
now his friends can sit down inbetween turns playing pool.  :)




my sister painted this for me for my birthday.  
SIGH.
i told you i love cow paintings.....and this.....i LOVE.
also in an identical frame from the antique store. 

the paint color on the walls is antique white.
the trim is done in Kilz primer first then Ultra Bright Behr semi-gloss paint. 

question three:
does your hairstyle have a name for me to tell my stylist?

i am pretty sure it's called a wedge haircut....amy please speak up if i am wrong.

 

 

 

 

question four:
where in the world would you like to visit?

i think anywhere tropical is where i would want to spend time with craig...all alone for a long time.
this was in google images....don't you just feel GOOD when you look at it?
i can practically smell the ocean.
mr. duerksen.....are you looking?  can you feel it???


but i also really want to see more of Africa.
all over Africa.
i want to see it...experience it....meet people....open my eyes...help where i can....love who i can....
ALL OF IT.

i want to have africa in my heart forever.

question five:
when did you decide to start charging for photography?
when people started asking me to take their family pictures.
they encouraged me and built up my confidence with compliments and telling their friends about me.
i charged a small amount at first so i could get experience and decide if i even enjoyed it as work.
when i realized i did then i just went for it.
it was scary.  and vulnerable.
but worth it.


question six:
what do you do all day with the kids in school?
enjoy a quiet house.
i spend a lot of time on the computer....blogging, answering email and reading blogs.
i do laundry, i pick up the house (a little), i go to the grocery store (UGH...this is so old to me....i am over it).
i workout a few times a week.
i edit photos from may - november and then hopefully sew from january - april for my etsy shop.
i read my bible study stuff or a book to help me cope for that given day
(Crazy Love....Praying the Sriptures for your Children...Love and Logic...5 Love Languages....)
i make dinner.  
if i am tired i take a nap.
this next few weeks i will be purging all the closets and rooms of all the JUNK.
bags and bags i am sure.
i am not a schedule kind of girl.
i am the opposite.  
so i just do what i need to for that day...and what i feel like doing....schedules make me crazy.
and i like to go to lunch if my friend asks or run to target in wichita on a whim.


question seven:
where do you find inspriation?
blogs.  
blogs are so cool.
anything you could want....it's there!  

occasionally i go to B&N and get a BIG pile of books and magazines i want to look at...a coffee...and i sit.

but knowing i will sound like an old lady....
it's usually too loud in there.
the music is ok but someone is ALWAYS blabbing away on their cell phone.
i cannot stand that.
and with my ADD brain i can't focus on anything but that person on the phone...driving me crazy.
i bring my iPod now and try my very best to tune them out.
 

question eight:
how do you take indoor pictures with out a flash?

i usually shoot in P because years ago Karen Russell said that is what she shoots in (or did at the time).
and i change my ISO to a higher number because you need more light in when you're inside.
i also change my White Balance to whichever setting we are using....Sun symbol if it's lit well from the windows...
or AWB it's just overheard lighting.
i honestly do not like my inside photos...but if you do....that is how i get them.
i feel i need to learn a LOT about my camera still....every day.
indoor pictures are hard for everyone....i think. 

our house has lots of big windows so in the day we have good light but i think you were asking about at night?
 

this is at night.
all the lights are on...chandliers and recessed lighting...brightly lit...my ISO was probably 1600...on AWB.
did i answer your question?

question nine:
what do you use to edit your pictures?

every photo that has been on this blog has been edited in iPhoto or Picnik.
i did buy Photoshop but STILL haven't loaded it.
who has time for this?!!
i need to do it but i just feel overwhelmed and don't want to fail.
soon.
soon.
soon.  

question ten:
what kind of make-up do you use?
in june 2010 my friend Kimberlee took me for a MAC-over. 

it was fabulous.
i was hooked.
i love using grown up make-up....i feel pretty (oh so pretty...i feel pretty and witty and...ok i will stop now).
i want to do a whole post about it sometime....with video.  :)    
would you like that?
but my mascara that was asked about specifically....Maybeline Great Lash.
cheapy in the green and pink package.
love it.
use it everyday. 
************************************************************************************************* 

ok...more questions to be answered tomorrow.
THANKS for asking.  
now i will return to my cleaning binge.

much better.

oh how it helps to exercise!!!

it's totally part of the making of the AWESOME-ness in a day.

YAY for treadmills in assisted living facilities that no one is in at noon so i can watch what i want guilt free.

*******************************************************************************************

right now i am watching my favorite disney movie with my two little girls.


 
it is so funny.....david spade....so sarcastic.  
i love this movie.

my favorite.

"cheese me no likey"

*******************************************************************************************

 

SO...i seem to have nothing to tell you about.

do you have any questions you have been dying to ask me?

 

answers

it was so nice to hear that you all agreed the afters were better than the befores
of our kitchen remodel.
ha ha ha.

you had lots of questions and i have lots of answers.

how long did the remodel take?  

3 months...november - january.

how did you survive?  

we moved the refrigerator into the living room...set up a folding table also with throw away utensils
and the microwave...and that was what we used.  
it was kind of crazy but so much changed in the new kitchen everyday that it was exciting.

how did you decide what you wanted? 

we remodeled our kitchen LAST in our home in illinois and then we moved.
all that work and money and we didn't even get to enjoy it.  so when we bought this house we decided
we would do the kitchen FIRST because it is the most important room to us.
i knew i wanted the exact same cabinets i had in my IL. kitchen.
i had a baby at home so i spent hours and hours sitting and dreaming up what to do.
and i had years of magazines pictures in a file that i used to put it together.

did you design it?

yes.  i designed it all.  i like to draw so i gave my detailed drawings to the cabinet guy brad and our contractor bernie and said " do it like this".  
i wonder where those are now???

can we move in?
 
that depends...are you good at laundry?  cooking? cleaning?  i may consider it if you are....

is that a real chalkboard or just chalkboard paint?

it is an old school chalkboard...running the other way...from a garage sale.
(sarah has the paint on the wall and it looks great too...so if you can't find a huge chalkboard at a  
garage sale...do what she did!)
the kids' dinnertime chores are written way at the top.

what kind of dog is that?

waffle is a golden doodle...half poodle/half golden retreiver.  and he needs a haircut.
they do shed and i don't know if they are hypoallergenic.
but if his hair is short...there is practically no shedding at all.
our friends had one liter of these in 2008.
this entire liter of puppies is the happiest bunch of dogs i have ever seen!
but they aren't having anymore puppies unfortunately...and i don't know anyone else to find one for you.
check your classifieds or google golden doodles in your area.
(those are the most frequent questions i am asked about waffler)
 
how did you have the patience for a kitchen remodel?

craig and i are a good team.  
he likes my designs (at least he says he does)...he is very flexible and encouraging with my vision/ideas.
i really like how hard of a worker he is.
we both like to get good deals.
and we take our time figuring out what we want.
and he is such a good painter!  he is so detailed.
so much so that he's asked me to stop painting a few times...because i was so messy he wanted me to go.
 
working with all men (contractors, electricians, plumbers, carpenters) can be a challenge because i don't like confrontation and i really don't like being treated like a dumb girl.
and that happens every once in awhile...but not too much.
i know what i want when it comes to my home down to the last detail.
so that caused some tension for me sometimes...and of course...tears because i am a girl.
but other than that...it doesn't take too much patience when you are so excited.
bernie, our contractor, showed up EVERYDAY and worked all day till the job was finished.
he rocks.
he never made me cry.  :)

and i have a few kids around here to distract me...helping with the patience. 

what made you decide to put in the wall of windows?

that side of the room was previously a porch.
in the 70's or 80's the homeowners enclosed it with 12 skinny tall windows and a door.
none of them worked anymore.  
we decided to use 6 big windows and closing up the space where the door had been...
gaining 3 more feet of counter space in the process.


the wall with wood slats is gone and a steel support beam is in it's place.
the door on the left is now a wall (with the red EAT letters)
the floor was cement on this half and slanted because it was a porch.
it had to be leveled and then the wood floor laid down across both rooms. 

stop looking at my dirty dishes!  
   
do your wood floors stand up well to high traffic?

yes.
i am in love with wood floors.
we have no carpet i our entire house...and only 2 rugs.  one of them came with the house!
they are scratched in a few places but i don't mind.  
and i HATE to vaccuum.

how should i paint my cabinets?

these are all new cabinets painted by the cabinet makers....so i can't help you with that.

where did you get your slipcoverd sofas?

the white ones are from world market.  the blue is an old couch from our IL. days...

what color is the paint on your walls?

you know...in the mess of the remodel we threw out the can.
after we'd used literally every single drop and we don't know what color it is!  
that is BAD.      
it is a creamy off white...just different enough from the bright white cabinets to show a difference.
it's not yellow.

where did you get your chandeliers?

chicago jenny gave me one for our IL kitchen.
she had taken it out of her house and it was sitting in her garage!!
she walked into our new kitchen and started laughing and called her husband in to show him
my new light i had bought at the flea market.  identical to hers...that she was getting rid of.
so when we moved to kansas she gave it to me as a going away gift. :)

best gift ever.
so i had two chandeliers that were nearly the same.  
yes...i took my light from my IL. house.  we put in a different one though...

some of my friends were here yesterday baking for their friends fundraiser...it was a blast.
but you can see the chandelier.
(and i need some more globes...any one have one they don't want anymore   :) 

i find chandeliers at antique stores and flea markets.  
my friend diana gave me one from her dining room and it's in my bathroom.
they were all brass and i spray paint them white.
  
should i take my cherry cabinets out and put in white?

that quesiton is too big for me.
it's a personal preference.  you want to be happy in your home...so you have to decide that for you.
i like cherry too...they are pretty. 

where did you get your roman shades?

a little place called the home depot. 

how do you keep the white cabinets so clean?

ha ha ha.
now that is just funny.
right now i can see spaghetti sauce...footprints...hot cocoa splatters...all kinds of gunk on them.
you just have to wipe them off like everything else.
but you can use clorox clean up at least.  
and annie loves to use cleaning wipes...often the cabinet cleaning job goes to her on saturday mornings.

what kind of appliances do you have?

the dishwasher is a kitchenaid from best buy.  it's great!  it get used every single day 365 days a year.
(except i guess you aren't supposed to put pieces of broken glass or bobby pins in them...who knew?)
the cooktop and double oven are Jenn-Air and we bought them off ebay.
one was a floor model with a scratch and one was an older model...but still looked great to us.
the refridgertor is GE and we got it at sears.
the microwave is GE from home depot.

do you help people with decorating dilemmas?

no one has ever done what i suggest.
ever.
so i will say no.  

can we see the rest of your house?

no..it's too messy.
just kidding.  there is a photo album in the left sidebar...if you haven't seen that.
but i do have a few more before and afters to show sometime. 
but the afters are too messy to show you today.     

so that is that.
any other questions? 

answered (longest post ever made in the history of the world...)

cindy asked "where do you live in Kansas?"

well cindy...that feels strange to just blurt it out to the world...so i will say 
in the very middle of the state.
the good part.

and she asked "what tips do you have for starting a photography business?"

i decided to just give it a try...said yes when people asked me...even though it made me feel sick to my stomach the first 10 times at least.
but i put no pressure on myself.
meaning i said "if this doesn't work, if i am away from my family too much, if i am not good enough, if i am not happy then i will say at least i tried it."  and that would be that.
i have not put any money into marketing the business yet.
it has all been word of mouth...
so my biggest tip is get out there and try.

misty asked me "how do you edit your photos?"

i use the software with iPhoto for all my personal pictures.
i use that and Picnik for my work photos.  i want to learn photoshop but i am big fat chicken.
but it's on my 35 things list so sometime this year i will do it.

she also asked "how do you get so many people to follow your blog?"  

misty...you meant that in a nice way right?
i am sure you did.
i think people come here because....it's colorful...bright...cheerful....focuses on the good...
lots of fun places to click that aren't ads..
or maybe it's to laugh at how cooky i am to have five kids and drag them all over the country for photos?
my first big break was today's creative blog.  and the inspired room after that.  
those were when my stats jumped big time for the first time.
but i am certain they don't come for long wordy post like this one that focus on ME ME ME.
 
and she asked "can you give tutorial on tye dye?"

maybe someday...but it was so stressful this summer that i couldn't focus.  
i just use the box they sell at walmart in the craft dept. and followed the instructions...you can do that!

AND SHE ASKED..."how did i learn to sew?"

i took home ec in high school and made a lovely maroon and yellow Trojans sweatshirt that was never worn because i made it way too small for me on accident.
but then when i quit selling Creative Memories (fun fact right there)
i had a small amount of money to spend...
i bought a wicker loveseat (that my husband threw away when we moved to ks...w/out asking me!!!)
a chenille bedspread (that is now been made into pillows all over etsy)
and a $99 sewing machine from sears with my mother.
she taught me how to thread it, sew a straight stitch and even make a button hole...that was awesome.
thanks mom.

sara asked "what is your favorite room in your house?"

i guess it's the kitchen.  i spend 98% of the day in there so...
the kitchen.

and she asked "what is your favorite restaurant?"

in wichita?  Red Rock Canyon...i love it for dinners with craig on a date.  
it's dark..i have a thing for lighting in restaurants...i don't like to see other people.
and it's good food..a real treat.  
but i will never order the Moo, Cluck and Oink because it's just WRONG.
on a date you should never have to say those words.  
period.  
so i order the steak and glazed carrots and smashed potatoes and i am one happy woman.

and my MIL makes cinnamon rolls so i don't think i have had the breadbasket's. 
but i do love their coconut cream merrengae pie.

mindy asked for some "tips on organizing"
ha ha ha.
good one mindy!  you have my family crying with laughter.

i apologize profusely if i have given the illusion that i am organized...
i am not.
we have a few routines but i usually mess those up too.
the chore chart is probably as organized as i get.
and the two middle kids switch off unloading the dishwasher and the two oldest switch off loading it. 

i also do things like forget to pick my kids up from events...
miss programs or promotions...
lock my babies in the car with the keys accidently which resulted in mall security rescuing us...
burn food almost every meal...
and my house is a mess!

abby and sara asked "how did you choose your children's names?"

lauren is named after my sister Lorel.
scott is named after craig's brother that was still born...sweet baby scott.
sean is a name we both liked.
talby is a name i heard (friend of craig's whom i have never met) when sean was a baby and i saved in my head for the next baby.  i love it.  it's so perfect for her.  (it's pronounced like talbot's but it's tal-bee)
and miss annie...we decided when we looked at her.  ann is a family name too.

cassie asked me "have you learned how to cook pork yet?"

it's only been two weeks!!! the answer is no.
but craig made some kind of pork in the crockpot on sunday and it was goooooood.

Heather asked me "why don't my pictures with my new SLR look any better than with my point & shoot?"

you have to mess with your settings...read photography blogs and do what they say...read books... 
ashleyann...karen russell...they give great tips and i have learned a lot from them.
but just using your auto green square setting won't get you better pictures.
i change my settings almost every time i pick up my camera...because your light is different each time.

and she asked (and many people have asked me this) "how do you get your picture so big on your blog?"

i don't know anything about blogspot.
sorry.

AND she asked "will you sell your prints on etsy?"

maybe someday i will heather...when i have some time to focus on the shop...this winter?  hopefully.

meaghen wanted to know "how are your indoor shots so bright."

i shoot in bright rooms.  our kitchen has two walls that are all windows...so it's bright.
i don't shoot in the dark rooms.

 and she asked "what does craig do for a living"

he's a latex salesman.
he's an architect.
he works for the yankees.

another heather wants to know "how can i see chippendales in kansas with you?"

oh heather...i tried to take you...but you insisted on going on a week long trip to hawaii with your husband instead.  ha ha ha ha ha

Kelly asked "can i move in with you"  

i might consider this kelly if you agree to take the morning carpool run.
i really dislike getting up at 6:30 and driving all around our town in the near dark listening to 
fighting kids and radio disney.
and you'd have to take over the laundry too...my enemy.

erica asked "did you always want a big family?"

yes erica, i did.  
always.
craig says five is enough.  
and i respect him because he is my wonderful husband.  
so i only bring up how i long for more babies once a week or so.

but i will agree with him very much that it is not easy having such differing ages in the house.
a high schooler and a baby would be hard for me.
i could do it...but it would be exhausting.  

jennifer asked "can i set up a photo session with you?"

yes.  but in the spring.
i took my last photo session of 2009 today!  
i will use november to finish editing every shoot i have left
and then i will spend december with my family.
then i will sew and fill my etsy shop all winter.
then i will start back up with photo sessions in the spring.
i only take pictures outside (except newborns...they are done in my kitchen all year round) so 
with this weather...i am done till spring.  
jennifer...i will put your email address on my spring schedule list...thanks!

 who else would like to be on that list?  email me.  

diana asked "are we related?"

you have duerksen spelled differently in your comment...so probably not.
but if that was a typo then probably yes.
you know these communities...we are all related pretty much...it's that mennonite blood.
not mine but craig's.

keri asked "what bible study are you doing right now?"

i was going to write a post on that this week!  thanks for asking.
we are studying Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow.
i really really like it...and i don't get anxious.

and she asked "are you dressing up for halloween?"

no.  craig even suggested we skip it this year all together...but the kids wont' agree to that!
we quit buying new costumes a few years ago.
they have to use what we have or come up with something on their own.
no one is ready in the least...it's one day away for school parade, etc.
  

AND she asked "what is your dream job?"

ok...this is corny...i know...
i have my dream job keri.
i am serious.  
i love being a mom and a wife...and now a little bit of a photographer/artist thrown in.
i don't think anything else could satisfy me.

but if you want me to DREAM...let's see...
george clooney's assistant?
i wouldn't get anything done though because i would just be staring into his eyes all day long!

and the last question was from erin... "what did you decide to do with the 3rd floor?"

boring answer for the last question...nothing.
we have many projects in our heads but nothing that we are ready to start on soon.
but i liked the idea of filling it with beds like a dorm...think Facts of Life.

ok...my fingers hurt.
and my eyes are burning from staring at this computer screen.
that was the longest blog post i have ever seen.
go get some visine so you can carry on with your day...i am so sorry.

thanks for asking.
if you like this...let me know in the comments and maybe we'll do it more often.