Practicing Patience

Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:39:00 +0000

For those of you that may still be stopping by here, I'd like to remind you (or let you know for a first time) that I'm no longer posting to this blog. You can find and follow me at:

www.courtney-ann.com

Motivation Monday - Worth

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:38:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Wishes

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:37:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:36:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Whining

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:35:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Underachievement

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Teamwork

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:33:00 +0000

Motivation Monday - Success

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:33:00 +0000

I'm moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:23:00 +0000

I wish I could tell you I bought a house and was physically moving. But I haven't yet. But I am moving...sites... So get ready to change your bookmark from here to here.

WWW.COURTNEY-ANN.COM

I've had this domain for about 2 months, then about a month ago I made the move to find a template, host, blah blah blah techy stuff, and I've been working like mad (pending working internet) to get it up and running.

Basically, what's going on is this, I have multiple blogs going on and it's time to combine a couple in a more professional (for photography) and fun (personal) single site. Content of both sites will be the same, just in one location. And as I get more and more photo sessions those will go up too.

*All comments and suggestions are welcome. The site is not complete, but it works. :)
**All past blogs have been transferred. Links may be wonky though. And pictures may be missing. I don't know why that happened.
***I'm now available for hire. :)
****A Pinch, A Dash, And A Splash will continue to stay where it is.

Surprise 30th

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:46:00 +0000

My best friend Rylen, well, she's a wise one. And she's a thorough planner. I mean like, way thorough. She knows how to cross every t and dot every i. And boy did she have me fooled. Here I was, mopping around because I was turning 30 and I didn't want to and my only plan was to spend the evening with my bff at a nice restaurant in Turlock. And I was cool with that. Maybe a little bummed that I wouldn't be doing anything with my family or friends, but I was totally ok with chillin' with Neen for the evening while enjoying good food and a fancy drink, or 4.

But oh no, that's not what she had planned for the evening. Not at all. You see, Rylen had sneakily (yes, that's totally a word) been planning a surprise party for me since March. March people! That's 2 months! I must admit, I was suspicious a couple of times, but I didn't want to invest too much daydreaming and wishing to end up being disappointed. 'Cause that's what I do in my noggin, and it's bad news bears when expectations aren't met by reality.

*Please note, I didn't hold my camera once during my party. What I did hold at all times, filled by Rylen regularly, was a glass of delicious, homemade sangria.

Upon arrival, I admit it, I cried. Tears welled up in my eyes and they spilled out. I tried to contain it, but I'm a girl and that just isn't easy. I love that people came from all over. Bottom right corner = my college roomie and her hubby, they drove up from Fresno. And the adorable little one in the bottom left corner, she came all the way from Korea. My good friends adopted her and had only had her in their possession for a couple weeks. So yes, it totally counts that she came all the way from Korea.
If you notice, everyone was wearing black and/or white. I wasn't. I didn't get the memo. Kaitlin tried to dress me in a HOT pink cute top, but then the zipper on my nice jeans busted, so I went with plan b.

Gotta love sibling pictures. And people pictures. And friends. Lots and lots of friends.

And bestie pictures. And more random people pictures. And nice sibling picture followed by sister picture. And the bocce ball was christen.

Good times. Seriously. Words cannot express my gratitude towards all the planning, scheming, and lying that people went through to pull this off. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!

Rylen, pay back is coming your way! And now I owe you dinner at the Bistro!

To all you peeps that had your cameras present, please send me the link to where you've uploaded them. :)

Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:52:00 +0000

We're not keeping track of time right? No one realizes that Easter was about 2 months ago. So it's ok that I'm just now going to post about my Easter weekend/Sunday? Yes it is, thankyouverymuch.

Saturday, per our family tradition, we dyed eggs. That's right folks, no plastic candy filled eggs in the Montague household. We only use use the read deal. So then we can make egg salad after hunting the eggs. Yep, you heard right again, we still hunt eggs. At (then) 29 to 22 years of age, we hunt eggs. I honestly think mom has just as much fun hiding them every year.

Paige and her beau Coleman. The Easter bush, as we call it because it always is in bloom during the week of Easter. And my little doghter.

Mom and Dad playing handbells at church. Dad also played the trombone, but people were blocking him and I couldn't get a good picture. Back in high school, I played handbells at church too. Good times! Oh, and there's me, partaking in the egg salad goodness... I only really have egg salad sandwiches once a year, so you better believe I take advantage.

And that was Easter. I didn't get all that many pictures, but what I did get will definitely keep the memories alive. Egg dying - always a hoot to see what mess my brother will make (like the above picture). Church - always a good thing for obvious reasons. Hunting eggs - who doesn't like a friendly game of who can find the most eggs? And of course spending time with family and loved ones.

Hope you all had a great Easter too. 2 months ago...

*I'm going in order from my list of stuff I need to catch you up on. Please bear with me. I spent a lot of time over the 3 day weekend getting pictures edited and ready to be blogged about. I'm organized now. I have a list to prove it. Maybe I'll go in order according to my list... Either way, watch out, here come the blogs!

Motivation Monday - Stupidity

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Stacked Thank Yous

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:25:00 +0000

Remeber when I said that I have a bunch of thank you cards stock piled? Yea, well, I found a way to use them up.

It's called. Thank-everyone-for-coming-to-your-birthday-party-with-or-without-a-present.

Ten on Tuesday - Thursday Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:31:00 +0000

I'm late. Again. So sue me. I'm busy. And my internet sucks. It's not sucking right now. Kinda. Speaking of internet, who do y'all use for service? Do you bundle it with your TV and/or phone? I need to change who I go through to someone that works. Help!

What is your favorite piece of furniture in your house?
Ummmmm...my bed... It's so comfy.
If it was raining so hard on a Saturday that you couldn’t leave your house, what would you spend the day doing?
Yep. I'd love it. Sleep in for shizel. Watch movies. Putz on the 'net. Read a book from my stack of books to read. Bake/make something in the kitchen. And if I got bored enough I'd clean. But only if I was super bored.
What was your favorite candy as a child?For some reason I loved Abba Zabbas. I don't know why. They were always so heard to chew/gnaw on, but the peanut butter center was so worth it. Oh, and big chew bubble gum. I don't remember being a chocoholic when I was younger, but I sure am now!
Did you get an allowance? What was it based on? What did you do with it?Nope. I did not get an allowance. Chores were expected to be done and my parents didn't believe in rewarding for something that had to be done. Plus, I've been working since I was like, 7, so I've been getting a paycheck since then. Granted, it was only like $5 at the beginning, but still. That's what happens when your family owns a business.
Do you have a favorite Etsy store?I have a lot of favorite Etsy stores. I "favorite" a lot of items and sellers. Sometimes I favorite to come back and order something later. Sometimes it looks like something I can totally make, so I favorite it to save the idea.
Do you prefer time with family or time with friends?Yes. Haha. I prefer time with both, separately or together. Whatevs. I like having people around.
Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, or Animaniacs?Tiny Toons! I have something for things in miniture, and they were miniture Looney Tunes, just much much cuter.
Best daytime talk show: Oprah, Ellen, The Doctors, Tyra (ha!), Dr. Oz, or Dr. Phil?What's a daytime talk show? I don't get to watch any of them...darn work... But if I could watch one of them it would either be Oprah (duh! she's gives out cool stuff!) or Dr. Phil (cause he's straight forward and real).
Would you rather have the power of invisibility or the ability to fly?Fly. I could get from here to there so much quicker.
Name 1 thing you love about being an adult.Making my own decisions. I guess.

Your turn!

www.rootsandrings.com

Motivation Monday - Sanity

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:31:00 +0000

Want another excuse?

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:52:00 +0000

Here I am. Behind in blogging. I blame my lack of consistent internet. And how can one research internet providers when one is using "borrowed" internet?

So here's a run down of what I have to share:

Easter - better late than never...?
Twins dedication
My new blogsite that I've been working on
Jordyn's senior pictures
My birthday
Madera Wine Trail
Bocce Ball court
I need to update 101 in 1,001...
How to capitalize your birthday with retail store (darn right!)
My running/roller blading/exercise schedule (so you can help hold me accountable)

And after this weekend:

Paige's graduation
Tamara's wedding
visiting Mark and Melissa and kiddos

Ok. I think that's it for now. And I think that's plenty. But it will have to wait until later Friday afternoon. Because tomorrow straight from work I'm driving to Fresno to stay the night with Mark and Melissa, then Friday Paige graduates, then Saturday is Tamara's wedding.

I'm tired already.

Ten on Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:16:00 +0000

Look at me! It's Tuesday! And I'm doing Ten on Tuesday! Wowee!

Join the fun! Visit Cheslea for the questions and more fun answers.

If your name was a verb, what would “to Courtney” mean? (Insert your own name though…)Now that's just a silly question! And my brain is fried to the point that I can't think of anything creative. :(
What myth have you always wanted to prove or bust?
Ummmm...
If you had the ability to get a message out to the entire world, what would you say?
Jesus loves YOU!
I know you’ve answered a similar question before, but it’s been awhile. Please name your current top 10 blogs.
My google reader is FULL! Like I follow WAY too many blogs. Seriously. Pioneer Woman would be #1, there everything else is #2.
Do you have a junk drawer?
Do I have a junk drawer? Of course I do. In fact, I need to clean out the junk drawer, to allow room for more...junk...and stuff.
Bottled water or tap?
Filtered tap. If it's gonna be bottled water it has got to be a mountain spring water kind. None of that filtered in LA crap (like Dasani or Aquafina) blah! I can't drink that stuff!
As a kid, did you have a favorite Biblical story?
I can't remember. I know a lot of the fabric sticky board stories were all about Jesus' life, I liked those. Still do, just the big kid versions. I so wish Veggie Tales were around back then.
What is your favorite black and white movie?
Miracle on 34th Street. Wasn't that in black & white? Pretty sure I remember seeing it in black and white...
Aside from your engagement/wedding rings, what is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own? Does it have a story behind it?
I don't wear a lot of jewelry. I wear a pair of diamond earrings (from an ex), because duh they're diamonds! And I wear a white gold diamond ring on my right hand that I bought myself. That's about it. Sometimes I'll put on a necklace, but not very often.
What sports/activities do you hope your kids will be involved in? (Answer for both a boy and a girl)
Whatever they are interested in playing or have an ability in. I'll definitely encourage her/him to sign up for/try out for sports, but I'm not going to be one of those "sports are life!" kind of parents. School and homework will always take priority.

Motivation Monday - Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:29:00 +0000

Randoms...

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:12:00 +0000

I have a thing with Thank You cards. No, I don't buy every pretty pack I see, but every year around Christmas time I buy a new set of 20. Then I only use about 10. Then I have 10 left over. Then at Christmas time I buy a new set of 20. Only use about 8. 12 left over. 12+10=22. Do that math over a couple years and I've got a collection of Thank You cards. Maybe I should just start randomly sending out Thank Yous. "Thanks for washing my car automatic Chevron car wash". "Thank you for comment on Facebook friend". "Thanks for watching my dog all day Mom".
I want a pair of boots. Not like boots with the fur (or apple bottom jeans for that matter), or boots with a heel that zips up to thigh. I want good, comfy cowboy boots. Something that doesn't scream "I belong on a farm" though. I haven't had a pair of boots since my 4-H days. Red Justin lace ups... Red because they stood out while showing, flashy to catch the judge's eye. I tried to wear those things until the cut the circulation off my pinky toes. RIP red boots... Now to find a new pair...
I need a new camera. Ok, maybe my need is clouded and fogged up by my want. But here's my logic (remember, I can talk myself into or out of anything based on logic, I'm a pro-logicologist - yes, I just made that word up): My current little Nikon D60 is a good little camera, a prosumer camera is what they call it. But I'm not a prosumer anymore, I'm moving into the pro category. Plus, it has a few dead pixels which are very obvious in poor lighting conditions. Plus, the few lenses I have to go with it, well, for some particular Nikon reason, they don't auto focus with my camera body. Therefore, with my poor contacts needed vision, 7 times out of 10 they are out of focus...fuzzy, and not in the cool artsy way. I have 2 reasons that are holding me back from upgrading to what I want...the D700...1) Price. Remember the Riley fiasco in February? Ya, there went my camera (and saving for a house) money. 2) The days of automatic exposure will be over. I'll have to manually set ISO, aperature, and/or shutter speed. Which I need to learn to do anyways, 'cause all the cool kids are doing it. Ok, so we'll say it's really only 1 1/2 things holding me back. Maybe I'll just order myself a birthday present sometime this week...
Is it sad that I'm more excited about Sex In The City 2 than I am my own birthday? It's true. My birthday just never seems to be a big deal. I could tell you stories, but I won't, I'm trying to move past them. And I just don't want a birthday this year. I don't want to turn a year older. Kaitlin says I'm going throug a midlife crisis. I agree. Turning 30 is depressing me! You have no idea how bad it's depressing me. But I love me some Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha! And cosmopolitans!
So far today I have: Found the bottom of my work email (personal email is another story). Found the bottom of my google reader. Just in time for it to start filling up again... But I'm finally feeling a little less overwhelmed.

And since every post is better with a picture... Yes, I was bored one day. I was playing with my camera. And I had faux fruit loops. If you count them, there are 30. Because that's how old I am today. Today I am 30 fruit loops old.

Monterey Day

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:47:00 +0000

(Son of a gun. This was supposed to post like two weeks ago! Here it is, much later than what it originally should have been. Oops.)

If you maybe follow my photography blog (soon this one and that one will be combined), then you know that the weekend before Easter I went to Monterey and Carmel to take senior pictures for a friend of the family. We had a fun time. But while I was taking Katy's pictures, I was also snapping some of what was going on around me. Hope you enjoy!

The end.

Ten on Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Thu, 13 May 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Once again, I'm a two days late. And yep, I'm a dollar short too. I almost decided to not do TonT this week, because I read one of the questions and it had to do with your wedding. I haven't had a your wedding, so I was just gonna skip the whole thing. Then today I actually read the rest of the questions and they weren't all about your wedding like I thought they were. So here I am. It's ~~Wednesday~~ Thursday. (This was Wednesday's note, but today is now Thursday: I'm practically falling asleep at my desk, though not from boredom or nothing to do, I'm just downright exhausted. 1 cup of coffee and a mini bag of popped almost ~~burnt~~ popcorn later I'm good to go...kinda.)

What was your high school superlative (if you didn’t have one- what would it have been)?
I didn't have one. And I honestly have no idea what it would have been. High school buddies, help me out, what would you have voted me as?
What sports did you play in high school?
Softball freshman year - horrible coach. Cross Country sophmore year - realized I don't like running. Track sophomore year - did it because of a boy, bad idea. So concludes the end of my high school sporting.
What was the best part about your wedding (if you’re not married yet, what are you looking forward to)?
N/A - I look forward to the opportunity to actually get married.
It’s your last meal– what Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Entree and Dessert would you choose?
I love food. It doesn't have to be fancy. Nothing in particular is coming to mind. Just feed me, or don't, it's my last meal so it's not like I'm going to starve to death.
What song is your guilty pleasure?
G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah. I honestly change my favorite song as often as I change my underwear. I like just about all music too. So, pull a random song out of a hat.
What is your favorite professional sports team, and why do you like them?SF Niners and SF Giants. Although, I'm not a die-hard-gotta-go-to-as-many-games-as-you-can-in-a-season-wear-jerseys-and-paint-your-face kinda fan. They're my teams, I root for them.
What is your favorite reality show and why do you like it?Amazing Race all the way! The Cowboys totally should have won! I so want to be a contestant on that show. I love it because of the traveling, and the experiences they get. And it just looks down-right fun, and challenging. That's really about the only reality show I watch. Oh, besides The Hills, 'cause I gotta get my drama from someone else's lives.
How would you classify your home decorating style (modern, classic, french country)?
Comfy, warm, welcoming. Not modern, not classic, but also not traditional. When I buy a house/move I want to go with more of a rustic chic look. Dunno how I'm gonna pull it off yet though.
Pizza- deep dish or thin crust? White sauce or red sauce? What toppings?
Chicago deep dish style. Red sauce. Sausage for sure, don't know what else, more meat maybe. Or normal crust, red sauce, canadian bacon and pineapple. Or normal crust, white sauce with chicken, garlic, bell pepper, artichoke hearts. Want the recipe for the simplest (and healthy in my opinion) pizza to make and is so yummy? Go here: Boboli Pizza.
Favorite weekend getaway within a two hour driving radius?
Monterey/Carmel. 'Nuff said. 3 hour driving radius? The ranch near SLO.

Motivation Monday - Propaganda

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:27:00 +0000

Swamped

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:12:00 +0000

Have you ever had the feeling that you're sinking and sinking fast? I'm busy at work. I'm busy, maybe even busier, at home. I've got big things to come in the near future, but first I have a couple deadlines to meet. And it doesn't look like time will be freeing up for awhile... *sigh*

So, I'm here. Just trying to keep my head above water.

Ten on Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:31:00 +0000

Yep, it's another Wednesday edition. Although, I keep thinking today is Thursday... *sigh*

Do you prefer markers, crayons, or colored pencils?
For coloring, crayons. For writing, markers - extra fine point sharpies - I just don't like how it bleeds through the paper.
As a child, how did your parents celebrate your birthday? (Parties, cake, you pick the dinner, etc.)Mom would make my favorite dinner. I'd eat off the "you are special" plate. Parties happened up until I turned, like, 13 or so. Cake always happens. Mom still makes my favorite meal (our we go out). And I'm thinkin' this year deserves a party. Shoot! I better get planning!
How do you feel about leggings?
I feel like I jiggle too much when I attempt to wear them. And yes, when wearing leggings, your top must cover your dairyaire.
How do you prefer to follow directions? With a map? Words?
Maps, verbal, landmarks, based on address, handwritten, etc. I'm really good with directions. Honest.
What do you eat for snack?
Apple, yogurt, granola bar, chocolate, water (ok, so you don't actually eat that), candy, etc.
Have you ever ordered anything from an infomercial or bought any As Seen on TV products?
Remeber Nads? The safe at home waxing stuff? The creator/founder/advertiser was an Austrialian mom? Ya, I ordered that. Tried it. Then returned it. Now I'm a bit leery about ordering stuff from infomercials.
What’s your favorite thing about summer?
My favorite thing used to be the break from school. But that doesn't happen in the real world, unless you're a teacher. Now...I love the fact that it stays light so late. BBQing. Cold, slushy gin & tonics. All the fruit and veggies in season. Who am I kidding, I just like the fruit!
Do you have a tattoo? What and where is it?Nope. I don't like needles. I almost gone one once. Maybe I still will. Maybe for my birthday. Eek! Better start mentally prepping!
Are you good at journaling?Ha! I like to think I am. But then I start and about 2 1/2 days later I lose interest, or time, or words. That's why I blog, right? It's like journaling, but you can add pictures and the whole world can see/read it.
What’s your favorite way to eat a hamburger?
Well done. NO mayo, or mustard, maybe ketchup, but BBQ sauce preferred. Onion, maybe lettuce, NO tomato. Cheese? Yes, please! I like my bun toasted and my meat seasoned. Bacon is a bonus, but pickles stay off. Ultimate fatty favorite burger: Bacon Western Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. Best burger joint I ever ate at: Bobcat Bites in Santa Fe, NM.

Now your turn. Go visit Chelsea at http://www.rootsandrings.com/ and answer the questions yourself!

Motivation Monday - Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (Courtney) — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:25:00 +0000