i pretty much loved it before it came, and now that i have it in my hands, i am confirmed in my love.  its beautiful.

it came in a pretty bag:

its really really quality:

it holds a lot of goodies:

and i look fab with it:

so yeah. im happy. if you couldn’t tell.

there are a lot of resources out there that really give you a good education on what is happening in our food system and its not comforting. Watch Food Inc, Watch The World According to Monsanto, Read books about it. I am not a complete pushover. I know there is a balance and i know that these movies have been made from a persuasive angle and are TRYING to make you believe something, but the evidence is starting to pile up and i am beginning to see that its not just an ad to get you to pay more for the same foods. There is good reason, and its not only for health… its also humane.

the baby step changes we are making:

1. all dairy products must be organic. no hormones. etc.

2. meat. grass fed cows, free range chickens, healthy piggies.

3. eggs from happy healthy chickens

4. as much local produce as possible and the rest should be organically grown… especially corn and soy. (i hate you monsanto)

5. body products with chemicals that i can read out loud easily. look at the back of your shampoo and give it a whirl.

ON TOP OF THAT, I am trying to make my own cleaning products for the apt. The 5 things you must have for a clean green house are borax, baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and salt. They will work wonders and you will save a ton of money this way. I made some electric dishwasher detergent yesterday and it works out to be about 20 cents a load. FOR HIPPIE SAVE THE EARTH type of dishwasher detergent. nice. I got it from this book: Clean by Michael de Jong

so thats what ive been up to. partly anyhow.

a few of my favorite things are included in this photo:

1. my diamond from Daniel Gray

2. my camera with one of my new fabulous lenses that you should go ahead and be jealous of… 85/1.4

3. my green eyes

4. my absolute favorite t-shirt

5. the "wedding ring" dan wore on the kayak trip from Canada to Key West

6. the biceps i earned last year

9/52, originally uploaded by bpmuzik.

we got an external flash this week. i would describe it to be the HIGHLIGHT of the week.

i am so humerous.

this was taken in low light with a flash and i am really pleased with the light results. i cant wait to take more.

This week we had a lot going on but we also had some good down time. Here’s a glimpse into our apt and a few more redheads…

This week I was given 2 new lenses for my camera. I am spending my days trying to figure them out and its a black. this was taken with a 14-24 wide angle… still learning. having FUN

honestly… this was taken a day late. i took it on SUNDAY, Valentines Day. Either way, it works for a picture of the week. We were tired most of the week, travelling to Charleston and back. Dan was knocked out cold in this photo. We spent the morning watching Lost on Hulu. Romantic I know. He did get me some V-day balloons.

Favorites:

“Go for it,” “Make it happen,” and “Why not?”

I believe these are all in the same vein and mean about the same thing to me and are rather interchangeable depending on the situation. This is one of my most important personal philosophies as well and a big inspiration to my life. I truly believe that you get what you go for. The end result may not be exactly what you pictured but if you take a step back, you will understand how you got there and you will most likely not regret giving it a try. Im all for security and comfort, but not settling for good enough rather than great. Sometimes it actually makes me sad to hear people say “I have always wanted to do that but… “

Bradley Hathaway: Silence

That silent voice that just spoke nothing, that is me, I’m listening to your plea with open ears Counting all your tears flowing from your irritated eyes
Searching the skies looking for that hope that beyond there lies.

I think this is absolutely reassuring and comforting and all things i need sometimes. The most moving part for me is that God is counting all my tears. I heard a sermon once that said that god is keeping all my tears and will know the number of them, as well as the hairs on my head. Nothing is done in vain and he cares. This spoke to my heart in a deep place.

also:

I can’t work completely out of my imagination. I must put my foot in a bit of truth; and then I can fly free. -Andrew Wyeth.

The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair,- Relient K

Least Favorite Quotes:

“Do it while you’re young.”

I mean what does that mean? Do i have nothing to look forward to? Does growing old mean i have to grow boring? I hope not. I know this typically comes from a place of … my body isnt working as good as it was, ive got kids, ive got a big fancy job…. but i dont want those things to make my life handicapped to a degree that i cant do the things that i dream of. I guess what im saying is id rather this quote be erased and changed simply to “Go for it” as stated earlier…

“My husband is so [insert negative complaining comment here]…”

I admit I am personally guilty of this, but i hate it when i do it as much as when they do. I just dont think theres a place for it. Is it so we can fill silence with some sort of feminine holier than the husband crap or something? We are not better, we are even, and we need to love them for being them. I love mine. That’s for sure.

“Just wait until you have kids.”

Is that some kind of threat or something? Is it horrible? I mean I kind of look forward to it and i hope the craziness that i KNOW that it will be is something that i LOVE rather than hate. So… i will just wait, but i wont wait in dread thank you very much!

i’m so stinkin’ buff ain’t i?

1. What are you most afraid of?

being murdered. its true.  i can break into a sweat at night if i think about the wrong things. i am terrified of it.

2. Do you use a flat iron or curling iron?

flat iron when im not feeling lazy, which is rare. i need to step it up in the beauty dept. laziness is a bad excuse.

3. Hands-free or phone to the ear?

phone to ear. i think those headsets are creepy.

4. Do you have a matching bedroom set?

nope. i wish i did. or atleast all the same color.

5. Do you believe in the paranormal?

yes. i believe in ghosts, angels, demons and the unexplained.