from a distance...to...in my bag

 Day 13: from a distance

{Fire Island Lighthouse through the mist}

Day 14: flowers

{along the boardwalk}

 Day 15: my shoes

{sand is the only acceptable footwear on the island}

 Day 16: what i ate

{taco salad}

 Day 17: on the shelf

{Little House on the Prairie--the entire boxed set, for my enjoyment}

Day 18: in my bag

{on any given day--the essentials}

Day 11: close-up

Oh, baby! Let's catch up!

As mentioned in my last post, I traveled home to Connecticut for the weekend to celebrate the imminent arrival of my little nephew with a baby shower for his beautiful momma, Meg. It was a great time, and I am so thankful for all the women who were there to celebrate this joyful time with our family. Meg was truly "showered" with all kinds of goodies and love--we are blessed!

The prompts for the 30 Day Photo Challenge could not have been more appropriate to be taken during these days that I was away, so while catching you up on the shower, I will also be catching up on my photos:)

 

Kaitlin and I made onesies from each of the aunts and uncles...Aunt Benny loves me...that's me!

 We decorated with clotheslines of baby boy clothes...

 ...And white roses with babies breath in blue vases

Kaitlin made cake pops...

 ...with red hair!

 Lunch was simple sandwiches, salads and chips.

 Meg was literally showered with gifts!

 Day 9: faceless self portrait...I love my feet...is that weird?

 Dessert...

 ...including Baby Blue Punch!

 Love my sisters! 

(me, Meg, Kaitlin)

 Day 11: something fun...recreating a picture from Meg and James' wedding, except this time we're kissing Beansprout:)

 Day 10: something i made...bookmark favors, since we asked everyone to bring a book for the baby

Baby boy colors, but flowers on top to make them a little more feminine for our female guests.

And now the countdown begins--six weeks until I become an auntie for the very first time! We can't wait for you to get here little one--you are already so very loved!

Days 7 & 8: something new & technology

I missed yesterday's "something new" post! Fact of the matter is, I have a variety of new things that I could have taken pictures of, but I just didn't! I've been working on a project for my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend (I'll show you pictures after the party, as I don't want to ruin the surprise for any readers who will also be guests), so every night when I get home from a full day at my internship, I'm putting in a few more hours with my sewing machine and iron...love.

So, today's "technology" picture is going to also serve as my "something new" because it is both! For the past three days I have been putting together this massive spreadsheet database to help us to report the types of services our call-line is referring, the demographics of the consumers, follow-up tasks, etc.

 Talk about jumping right in! Today I finished the template and the first month of data--yay! It was a great accomplishment, and I can see the subsequent months of data entry going much more smoothly. Technology can be a beautiful thing, and it helps us to create new ways of presenting and sharing information all the time.

Day 6: childhood memory

Yesterday, I started my internship for this academic year. I'm starting a bit earlier than the start of the school year because I have to get in an extra 18 days of work (loooong story) in order to meet my Americorps requirements (another long story). Part of my internship hours are being completed at the Department of Social Services with a county program called NY Connects. The other part of my time will be spent at the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley in Troy, NY. Both organizations deal with issues of aging, with a focus on helping seniors to "age in place" as opposed to traditional long term care options such as nursing home care and assisted living.

At any rate, both of these locations are accessible by city bus, and it's easier to travel by that method as downtown Albany and the entire city of Troy have awful parking. So, for the past two mornings (and for about a hundred more over the course of the year) I have been packing up my backpack and walking to the bus stop across the street from my apartment to catch the bus--just like when I was a kid.

Day 5: someone i love

My grandma, Patsy, is and always has been a beautiful woman who I love with all my heart. We have so many fun childhood memories at my Grandma and Grandpa's house in White Plains, NY. Grandma has had Alzheimer's disease for a number of years now, and she has moved from her home to an assisted living facility to a nursing home as the disease has progressed. At this point, she no longer speaks, but she still expresses herself and lets us know that we are loved and our presence is appreciated. My mom sees her almost every day, making sure that she never feels alone or forgotten. Though I wish that she was still able to participate in our lives the way she did when we were younger, I will forever be thankful for her time, patience, laughter, butterfly kisses, care, excitement, lessons, hugs, spaghetti sauce, Easter eggs, card games, beach days, scoldings, overnights, stories, joy, understanding, support and love.

Day 4: favorite color

James and I had lunch at Giffy's Bar-B-Q today, and their name on the placemat just happens to be my favorite color! Good, old-fashioned green. Since green isn't the most exciting thing to talk about, how about we talk about the BBQ!!!! Amazing!!!!!! I had ribs, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw and cornbread with delicious honey butter. Wow. James had chicken with a mashed potato and corn.

We said we'd share, but we didn't. We sort of sat there in silence and inhaled our food. And then we sat in more silence because we were too stuffed to talk. Then, we ordered a piece of chocolate cake (which we did share) and inhaled that as well. Needless to say, I came home and slept for about two hours. It was a beautiful Sunday!

Day 3: clouds

I'm cheating with my picture today because:
a) I was working hard at our yard sale all day and didn't have time to take pictures
b) There were not many clouds in the sky today, and those that were were not picture-worthy
c) I have a hard time completing these "challenges"--taking a picture every day is tough (as you can tell from my 7000 Words page)

So, here is a picture that I took last summer in Rockport, MA. I love the way the setting sun lit these streaky clouds on fire! The colors were amazing.

Day 2: what i wore

James and I just got home from a wonderful Mexican celebratory dinner. Why? Because today was my last day with the children...thank God! Not that I don't love them somewhere deep in my heart, but I was ready for this summer to end.

I've been spending the summer wearing boring shorts, tank-tops and "practical sandals"--no offense to the mommies out there, but I felt like a frumpy, boring mom. The thing is, most of the other moms at the pool looked better than me! So, there goes my comparison anyway!

At any rate, I am so excited to get back in the swing of wearing jewelry and cute outfits, doing my hair every morning, and investing more than 10 minutes in my morning routine.

And so, tonight, in preparation for my date tonight, I put on a new shirt (purchased today) and an old necklace that hasn't been worn in a very long time. And so, here's "what I wore" on Day Two:

 

I love turquoise, love the print on my top, and love my freckles! 

Day 1: self portrait

As I said, today is the perfect day for a self portrait because I just got home from getting my hair cut. And boy did I get it CUT! I could not be happier with the way it turned out. My hairdresser is pretty much awesome, and he has not an amazing job with my hair at all of its various lengths. I think this cut is going to stick around for a while though. So, without further ado, my self portrait.

 Can't wait to style it on my own and have some fun with a REAL hairstyle!!! So long ponytails--you're just not for me!

30 Day Photo Challenge

I'm a little late on the start of this 30 Day Photo Challenge, but I'd like to give it a shot. So, starting tomorrow, I'll share a picture every day following the prompts listed below.

 Why not start today? I actually have a really good reason. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, and since the first day is a self-portrait, I thought it would be a great way to show off my new do. Wish me luck!