Finally, Art for the Bedroom

To commemorate Chris and I's big trip to Italy (I'm talking saving for five years for this trip!), I am pulling together some of the best photos from our vacation across the big pond and sending them to a printer. Now, we will finally have art in our bedroom. It's only been three years since we've moved into the house...

So, at the chance of someone stealing our photos and saying they are their own, I'm going to post... here:

It took me a while to figure out how to get both color and black and white in Photoshop...




Pretty sure you know what this is



Ancient Rome






Checking out the macro function on the camera



I just really like this one



St. Peter Square



Overlook of Rome



The Trinity?



The Tiber River



Scene from Tuscany



Steps from our hotel in Tuscany down to the pool



One of the oldest villages in Tuscany



Tuscan winery and vineyard



From inside the winery



And the spiral ramp exiting the Vatican Museum



We actually took more than 200, but these were the most wall-worthy photos. Ciao!

Today

Well, it's 2:24 p.m., and I have barely done any actual work today. Yet, I feel like it's been a pretty full day thus far - if not in activity then definitely in my head. Let me explain.

9:45 a.m. - I run down to the print shop on campus to check on a job I took down there late yesterday. I frequent said print shop to get out of the office and to take various design jobs to be printed. The people are good to talk to, and there are more windows there than where I work. Plus, and this is something I was conscious of this morning, I just love the smell of the presses - or rather the ink to be more accurate.

Some people may think I'm crazy, but in the eight years I've been working in publications, I have always gotten some kind of pleasure from the redolence of the press room. Where I work now, I walk into a room and see shelves full of paper or cans of ink. There are three small presses, nothing like the massive machine I'm used to seeing in a newspaper building. And I'm sure some of the smell is the lingering of the chemicals used to clean these presses. Nonetheless, each time I walk into our print shop or take a larger job to a printer in town (or elsewhere), I just take a deep breath and take it all in.

11 a.m. - I am back in my office working on photos that Chris and I took while in Italy last year. I am taking each photo that we really like into Photoshop and working some magic. Now, I've been using this program for years, tweaking photos for newspaper, but it wasn't until I got this job that I realized how little I knew about the program. I have already learned so much in the nine months I've been working here, but I have been doing some Classroom in a Book session when I don't have a project to freshen up skills and learn even more. So in trying to put together a collage of sorts for our bedroom wall, I am working on the photos at work as practice. Yeah, it's technically for personal use, but the practice will help with my job, so I don't feel bad. And don't make me try to feel bad, suckers!

12:30 p.m. (or noon-thirty as I called it the other day) - I'm getting out of my car from having lunch with my husband when I see a coworker of mine who has given himself the title of Director of Crap. If you knew all the things he has to do, you'd realize it's a sad truth. But said coworker said he left something in my chair. When I get to my office, I find two DVDs laying there with a note that says I must watch these two movies and report back to this coworker and another coworker who just absolutely LOVE these movies. What are they? "Airplane" and "Airplane II: The Sequel." These movies are supposedly created by the same person/people that made the "Naked Gun" movies, so Chris will be eager to watch them (and I'm not being sarcastic). I'm always up for a good laugh, so we'll see. The viewing of these may have to come later. I just rented "Into the Wild" the other night, per Mickey and Courtney's compliments on the film, and we must watch that first!

1 p.m. - My boss and I head over to the on-campus health fair that is going on to take advantage of the bone density reader that was listed in the e-mail about the fair to encourage people to go. The reader was "out of commission," so we moved on to some chiropractic nerve reader that told both of us we are stressed (no way!) and have nerve damage on one side of the neck. According to this guy and his little reader, I should have headaches, nervousness, insomnia, head colds, high blood pressure, migraines, nervous breakdowns (aaaahhhh!!!!), amnesia (wait, who are you?), chronic tiredness, dizziness, sinus trouble, allergies, crossed eyes (hee), deafness, eye troubles (oh my gosh, I've always needed glasses), earaches, fainting spells, throat conditions, etc. Sure, I get a headache every weekend, but that's from more sleep than usual, not enough water and withdrawal from coffee consumption. Other than that, none of these apply to me. But I apparently need to go to the chiropractor. Right.

After leaving the health fair, I stopped in the Blood Vessel to give some of the good ol' red stuff. While squeezing the heck out of a stress ball in the shape of a blood drop, one of the nurses turns on some music. Then I realized what the song was and broke out into laughter. Nothing like giving the gift of life while "One Toke Over the Line, Sweet Jesus" is ringing in your ear! Just to complete the visit, I walked out with a T-shirt that reads "John Donor" on the front with the trademark green and yellow logo. The back says "Save a Life; Ride a Tractor." I have no idea what that has to do with giving blood, but whatever.

1:45 p.m. - After sitting down at my desk, I sift through e-mails, one of which is something I see at least three times a day. The college feminist group is throwing some get-together, hosting some speaker or acting out the "Vagina Monologues" again. Oh those feminists! I'm all for women's lib but I'm not obsessed with it, you know?

Now - Now I must bid adieu and deliver some brochures to one department, drop off some mail and go sniff the print shop one last time for the day. Thanks for letting me share.

Oh, and I got highlights in my hair the other day - for the first time ever! I like it, but I'll have to show you a photo later. "Work" awaits!

The Countdown

51 days. That's roughly 7 weeks. And that's how long it is until we go on vacation.

All this talk of vacation, plus the warming weather (well, some days), has got me craving the beach. Back in January, I booked us a spot on St. George Island, located in the curve of the panhandle of Florida off the coast of Apalachicola. We've been there before after a long search for a place that is dog-friendly, and we completely fell in love with the place.

There are no condos here, no high-rises, just rows of quaint little beach cottages and larger beach houses, accommodating everyone from a couple to a huge family. And best of all, for us, we get to take Sadie (and possibly Jewels, although at this point, Chris is firmly against it and I'm mostly against it because we want to relax).

The island is about 12 miles long, if that, and maybe 2 miles wide. There's one little grocery store, two or three restaurants and a gas station. Wake up early enough and you see the shrimp boats out catching your dinner for that night! (This sounds like an ad, but it's true.) A guy brings a cart with fresh seafood to the island every morning after the boats have come back into the bay. There are no amusement parks, barely any people, lots of white sand and the water is that nice teal color.

So, I am seriously about to jump out of my skin in anticipation! I don't feel stressed out or anything, but just the idea of a week of lounging, swimming, reading, cooking and seeing the ocean makes me happy inside. I won't be talking on the telephone. I may blog if there's internet connection... but I doubt there is.

Maybe if people can commit, and I mean TRULY commit, to a long weekend getaway, we could all rent a place there sometime. It is 8 hours away though, so that might be stretching it. Oh well! But see how beautiful:



Here, you can see the bridge that brings you onto the island:



And where I'll be sitting, sipping on a Newman's Own fruit drink purchased from a local sandwich shop while listening to Jack Johnson and watching Sadie romp in the waves:

Have a Lucky Day!

Top o' the Marnin' to Ya!

It's St. Patrick's Day, and I forgot to wear green. So pinch me already! I'm going home for lunch and will most-likely remedy this situation. But on to the important stuff. I love celebrating the Irish. Why, you ask? Because I'm exactly one-eighth Irish. Yes indeedy! I can hold my liquor and whip out a nice accent any day. My grandmother on my dad's side was half Irish (her mother was Irish and her father was Italian - those two seem to mix a lot!). She is the wonderful person who named me and who insisted that it be spelled M-E-A-G-H-A-N. Good ol' grandma!

So in the true spirit of all things Irish, I tip my imaginary green hat to ya and share a list of famous Irish people with you, courtesy of Wikipedia, which of course knows everything!

First of all, the Irish are, no doubt, good looking and talented! Actors/actresses include:
Pierce Brosnan - he can double O my 7 any day (just kidding, but I had to say it)
Daniel Day-Lewis - he just won an Oscar, adding to the shelf of awards he has already started
Colin Ferrell - OK, so he's not really talented, but he's pretty good-looking minus the Miami Vice hairdo!
Maureen O'Hara - If you don't know who this is, look her up. She was an old Hollywood beauty and great in The Quiet Man with John Wayne (she also played the mom in the original Parent Trapp). She's got flaming red hair and is just beautiful!

The Irish are also pretty funny:
Conan O'Brien - This 6 foot 4 incher is not only funny, but he's a genius! He was valedictorian of his high school class, went to Harvard and was a writer for Saturday Night Live. Plus, his middle name is Christopher, so he's awesome!

And boy do they know music:
U2 - The band from Dublin has made music history.
Enya - Not a huge fan, but she has a pretty voice. Also, her music tends to sound a bit Celtic, which is cool.
Van Morrison - I had no idea he was Irish.
Sinead O'Connor - She's effin crazy, but she has an OK voice. I figured by the name she was Irish, but you know...
The Cranberries - I actually really like this band.

They can write as well:
James Joyce - His real name is Séamus Seoighe and he wrote "Ulysses."
C.S. Lewis - His "Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters" are controversial but good writing.
George Bernard Shaw - Author of 'Pygmalion," on which "My Fair Lady" is based.
Oscar Wilde - This guy was a humorous smartass and apparently liked the Greek style of love (having sex with anyone and everyone), but his "The Importance of Being Ernest" is hilarious!

They can govern a country, but then get shot:
John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Though his life was ended on Nov. 22, 1963 (and yes, I just knew that... Nov. 22 is my b-day), he made his mark in history and was a member of a controversial and possibly "cursed" family. He was apparently quite the hotty in his day as well (according to my mom).

So there you have it! The Irish get their own day, and I invite you to celebrate with me. I'm sure many of you don't mind the beer drinking and green wearing. I'm considering putting an "O and an apostrophe" before our last name. Try it with yours, just for today! And I leave you with an Irish quote from some anonymous person:

An Irish youth proves his manhood by getting stuck in a pint, in a woman, and in a fish-in that order.

Slán agat!

Marriage

Did anyone read that title with the speech impediment of the priest in "Princess Bride?" Cause you should have if you didn't - it's just better that way.

I'm writing on this topic today, because over the past four months or so, the idea and the topic of marriage has been discussed quite a bit around me. About five or six years ago, this word seemed to be more of a replacement word for "wedding" to so many people I knew. I guess when you are planning on getting married, so much thought goes into that one day, that special event. For Chris and I, the day was really special, but the many, many days that followed was what we were really looking forward to.

But I found myself talking with several friends weeks or even a year later who seemed to have the same comment: "marriage is not what I thought it would be." Well, I'm certainly not an expert on the topic, but I don't think anything is really what you think it's going to be. It could be a little better; it could be a little worse, but either way, it's always a good idea to expect a few surprises.

Now I'm faced with questions and comments from people I know that sound more like this (keep in mind most of my friends are women): "my husband is leaving me" or "the wife of one of our friends is leaving him." We're talking people who have been married for five years, give or take a year or two, and my jaw just drops - along with my heart. One of these people I care about deeply and have been friends with for a VERY long time, so I just don't understand.

One of the things that comes along with hearing this so much is that it makes me examine my own marriage. What if Chris left me? Would he leave me? I mean, I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. What if this starts to wear on him? But in examining my own marriage - because that's the only marriage I know - I also ask these people how things go with them and their spouses. Do they talk? More importantly, do they listen?

So in this time when it seems so many people are having trouble or, for some, didn't really care to begin with, I'm going to offer a little advice. Why? Not because I'm some self-proclaimed marriage counselor or because everything is always right as rain with Chris and me, but because even though we have troubles, too, we've got a good thing going. And frankly, I think everyone deserves to be just as happy, one way or another.

* My first piece of advice is to those who are not married but are considering it. First of all, even if a small, itty bitty part of you thinks that if things don't work out years from now, you'll just get divorced and go your separate ways, DO NOT (I REPEAT) DO NOT GET MARRIED. Why would you enter into something that is considered an unbreakable covenant, only to get out of it later?

Now, people change and things happen, so those of you who didn't take marriage lightly but have found yourself without your mate, don't get offended. You didn't know this would happen. But for those of you not yet married, don't take it lightly to begin with. On that same note, maybe marriage just isn't for you. If you can't see being with one person for the rest of your life, maybe just a long-term relationship is for you. Yeah, yeah, I know! This may go against some religious beliefs. But I guess over the years, a combination of God and the brain He gave me has led me to believe that marriage just isn't for everyone.

* Secondly, if you are planning on getting married, what do you know about the person you are marrying? When Chris and I were engaged at the ripe age of 20 (we were 21 when the wedding took place), my mom told me we were too young to get married (she was 23 - HUGE DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE! ???). I promptly told her that I'd rather be young and get married than not know important things about the person I am marrying. She and my dad dated for a year before getting married and she didn't know he was a drinker. Nice. Does the person you are marrying want kids? How are they with money? How is their work ethic? Does he/she have similar opinions on your family as you do? How do they spend their free time? Is he/she a looker or a flirt? Do they shower regularly? (ha! just kidding - I sure hope they do!) What about their religious beliefs? And what about their common sense? These are important questions, people. Ask them.

* I think one of the most important attributes of a solid marriage (or any relationship) is communication. Sure, you've heard plenty of people say this, but do you really know what that means? It means sitting down and talking out a difference or a problem without yelling about it. It means telling your spouse everything, even when it's hard. Confession time: Before Chris and I got married, we went to separate colleges. They were in the same town, but we were both so busy, we did not see each other much on the weekdays. During one year, a guy friend of mine at school and I got pretty close (and I don't mean anything physical happened, so chill out). I started getting feelings that I didn't expect or want. BUT, in rationalizing the situation, I realized that it wasn't that I really liked the guy. It was that I liked the attention he gave me. So, as hard as it was, I went to Chris and told him about the whole situation. I told him that I felt like I needed just a little more of his attention (don't get me wrong, I would not take him away from the things he enjoyed or was working on), and we made a decision to make time for each other during the week - even if it was just an hour here or two hours there. That honesty and openness has spilled over into our marriage. Chris tells me what he is thinking, and I tell him. When we first got together, Chris expressing how he felt about something was just not happening. I guess you sometimes base your own relationship on your parents', and in his family, they never talked about ANYTHING (sorry Chris, I hope that's OK to tell), but making sure your spouse knows you want to hear that and that you won't blow up or overreact about it is a must!

* Also important in a relationship: having your own identity. Sure, two become one when you get married (everyone say awwwe), but you have to maintain your individuality or you'll lose it, literally. I think that's why so many moms go crazy when their kids move out. They lose that identity of being the mom. So ladies, when your husband wants his guy time, don't have a hissy. You're going to need your time with the girls as well, cause let me tell ya... he doesn't care about your nails. He doesn't want to hear the latest gossip, and he doesn't care what shade of lipstick you are wearing (as long as you don't look like a hooker). Having time by yourself is important as well. Fit this in! I'll admit, this can be really hard for me, because I really like my husband. He's a stand-up guy! Seriously, he's my best friend, and I like to be with him... A LOT. But he needs his space, and we both need to know who we are as individuals - period.

* Since this post is getting really long, I'll just make one more point. Keep it alive! Keep it fresh. I think a lot of people miss that newness of a relationship. That's understandable. So do something together that you haven't done before. Tell each other what other jobs you would have or places you'd like to go if the sky were the limit. And I'm NOT going to talk about OUR sex life, but about sex in general. Keep this alive as well! Try different things, be educated and know what makes the other person happy. What? Do something other than the missionary position? That's right! Read Redbook - you'll get some ideas. I hear a Kama Sutra book by the bed could be interesting as well. Oh, but realize that when you're 80, you may not be having sex anymore. And that's OK. It's a big part of a relationship, but it's not the basis. I mean, what if she's 9 months pregnant or he's just had a vasectomy. There are going to be times when it doesn't happen. You want everything else working well for that to no matter so much.

So I really want to hear some advice from other people, married or not. Do tell!

Tag, I'm It

I have been tagged, tapped, beaten over the head - whatever you want to call it - by Courtney to share the best of my blog, which actually hasn't been around all that long. So I will do my best.

I am going to copy some of her topics under which these blog posts fall under but may replace one or two with my own. Here goes:

Family: I haven't gotten into much detail about my family on here. I've considered writing an entire book about my family, but I'd probably have to wait until much of them are dead to release it. They'd get offended, because, well, as Jacob puts it, I'm mean. But for a little touch about our families, see this.

Friends: Geez, I never write about anything important! I guess I haven't really written much about my friends either, but this one includes my bestest friend ever, so you can check it out.

Procreation: This blog is where I let all the cats out of the bag. These are my thoughts, plans, fears and excitements about possibly having kids.

About something I love: This one is easy. I devoted an entire blog to Sadie.

One for the readers: I wrote this blog after some crazy thoughts, but it seemed to hit home with most of my readers. I guess that's because I mention most of them in the post.

So now, I'd like to tag the following people: Severo, Jacob, Kari and Chris.

Sex Sells?

So I came across this interesting story yesterday. You really should read the whole thing, but I used to write for a newspaper and I know most readers are lazy. So I'll sum it up for you:

Basically, Victoria's Secret is reconsidering its audience. They've been selling cute little pink polka-dot panties and camisoles now for about five or six years to appeal to the college-age girls and then have also launched the annual fashion show in recent years that includes more than gorgeous models in shiny bras and panties with huge wings attached:

I believe she's smart; don't you? Oh, and what's up with the dogs?

Anyhoo, they seem to have realized that most of the people who would be shopping in their stores are the ladies that fall somewhere else on the spectrum. You know, a little closer to REALITY!!!

Now, I don't know about you girls (and hear me out on this guys, too), I'm not sure I'd get a reaction I would like walking into our bedroom in little girl panties or wings. Sure, if I looked like the above model, I could probably wear whatever the hell I want. But on my best day, after months of working out and starving myself, I'm just not sure it could happen. And I admit, I have shied away from VS in recent years because of the pink. I'm not a pink girl. I might have two shirts that are pink. It just doesn't say sexy to me, unless it's paired with black or something. Apparently, the company did pretty well with the pink in appealing to the college crowd, which just makes me ask: Where did these girls get the money to buy anything from Victoria's Secret? I'm sure mom and dad would love to know that the allowance was going to some dorm room enticement!

This whole "getting back to our roots" campaign reminds me of the Dove ads from a few years ago where they used real, ordinary women to advertise their skin products. Maybe VS is trying to go a little more in that direction? Nah, I'm sure I'll still see the lovely Swedish things pounding down the runway in heels next year, the only things bouncing being, well, you know. But maybe they'll be donning real lingerie with a little lace here or a little satin there.

It would be great, too,  if I didn't have to pay $45 for a short satin nightgown. (This is why TJ Maxx gets my business. They have a great selection, by the way.) And a shout out to the 40s and up. Hey, they need sexy lingerie, too, as well as the not-so-small ladies. Gotta keep that heart rate up, right?

So, Vicki, thanks for deciding that maybe the REAL women of today want a sophisticated sexy, maybe even a little classy at times. Trash those pink polka dots and wings. And even though I'm not sure what "ultra-feminine" really means, let's try it!

For a humorous take on bras in general, visit Courtney's blog at Malfeasance.

One last tip - VS, just make things that will fit people like this: