My new baby...

The blogging gods must have been listening the other day when I was crossing my fingers that Id own my very own DSLR soon, after almost a decade of lusting after one. Because now, I DO! Introducing, my new baby!!!

Ain't she a beaut?! Found this little gem on Craigslist, like new condish, all original box contents, neck strap and Canon carrying case, ALL for $200!! I DIED! As you know, Id mentioned I was keeping an eye out for a good deal on a camera. I trolled CL for a few days, inquiring about a few different (completely inferior) cameras in the $175-$200 price range. I was about to make the decision to purchase one of them, when something inside me told me to check CL one more time to make sure there wasn't something better. And low and behold, the very first post, posted a mere 7 min before, was my dream camera. I emailed them right away.... and preceded to refresh my inbox every 3 min for 47 minutes, when he finally responded. A couple emails later, it was decided that the mister would go for it the following morning (this morning). And he did. And I died.

Ive been passionate about photography since my early years of high school when I took my first photography class. I loved everything about it. We used to roll and develop our own film, and develop our own pictures. My art teacher, who ended up being my favorite teacher ever, took an interest in my work and encouraged me to compete. So I did. And I did pretty damn well, for being from such a small school. My junior year one of my photographs was chosen to compete at the State Art Competition, and I was the only one from my school, in ANY art category to qualify for state. It was one of the coolest opportunities in my high school career and I walked away from it with 4th place in the entire state of Texas. :)

Anywho, point is, Ive been dying for a camera like this for ages, and its finally mine! I'm so excited for what this means for the blog too. I know I'm just getting started and still figuring this whole thing out, but I'm really excited about the possibilities of this blog. Its just the therapeutic artistic outlet I need.

xo, L

Back In Business & Weight Loss Woes

Well folks, thanks to the tax return fairy enabling me to purchase a new (to me) laptop, I can finally fulfill my blogging dreams. Next on the list is definitely a nice new camera (fingers crossed for a digital SLR), but until then the ole iPhone will have to do.
Anywho. At the risk of being one of those girls that is constantly complaining about her weight, Im choosing to address this issue because at the present time, its a pretty big concern of mine. For those of you that don't know, I gave birth to my second son, Sylas, almost 4 months ago, and have since then been battling that post baby bulge. And let me tell you, its proving to be WAY harder the second time around. After my first son was born, I was back in pretty good shape by the 6 month mark, even after gaining a whopping 70 pounds! This time I gained about 60 pounds, BUT when I got pregnant, I was at least 20-25 lbs heavier than I was when I got pregnant with Cash. Which means I had even more work to do this time. So today, after a month and 10 days of drastically cutting down meal portions, drinking TONS more water, and working out a handful of times, I decided to weigh myself. In retrospect, perhaps I had unrealistic goals for this one month weight loss. They say the healthiest rate at which to lose weight is no more than 2-3 lbs per week, thus, making my realistic monthly weight loss goal 10-12lbs. My impatient self decided that I had to have lost AT LEAST 15lbs, but was shooting for 20. Pretty ambitious, but I figured that since I had so much to lose, that it would come off faster... Not the case. That evil little scale told me my REAL monthly (and 10 days to be exact) weight loss was.... 11lbs.
Im not going to lie, I was immediately devistated when the number came up. Before hand, to prepare myself, I even calculated my previous weight, minus fifteen, and told myself that as long as it was at least that amount, I was good. Nope. It wasnt. Tears filled my eyes, and I found myself weeping over this defeat. For hours actually. I even kinda let this news ruin my day. I know I shouldnt have. I know that to a lot of people, an eleven pound weight loss is awesome. But those people dont look in the mirror before they shower and see a stretched, scarred, and completely wrecked version of themselves. Well, maybe they do, but still. Im the biggest I ever have been, and its a massive blow to my self-esteem and overall selfworth.
That being said, I am working on this. Both on my weight, and on not letting this number completely ruin me. As SO many people have said, it took 9 months to put the weight on, so dont expect it to come off any sooner. I love my baby SO much and am so so thankful for both my kids' health and happiness, so for now I'm letting that be my consolation. I am so incredibly lucky that my babies and mister dont give a damn what that scale says, they love me just as I am. And thats what I'm working on for myself. I just want to feel good about myself and be able to hold my head high again, instead of this constant feeling of uncomfort and embarrassment. Im going to try harder this month to stay positive, work out A LOT more, and put an end to those midnight bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch! I can do this. I did it before, and I'll do it again. Summer, I will be ready for you.

xo, L

ps. Ive got a couple more posts in the works, including a step by step recipe for something muy delicioso, AND an incredibly late Valentines Day post. So stay tuned! :)

Meet the Famn Damily!

Introducing.... US!

Mama

Likes: thrifting, cooking, crafting, instagraming, pie, wine, kitty fights, tattoos, taking pictures, homemade vanilla ice cream, making lists, all things vintage, celebrity gossip, Indie british chick singers, traveling, NYC, and beer.
Dislikes: cleaning the toilet, liars, fakes, copycats, scorpions, scary movies, green beans, donuts, bad grammer, bigots, broken plans, being broke, traffic, and the dark.

Daddy

Likes: gaming, beer, zombies, horror movies, comics, his truck, guns, tattoos, assassin movies, MST2K, working on cars, cheesy jokes, wrestling with Cash, anime, anything Playsyation, wings, beer pong, loud music, American Honey, all things German, WWII, pool, classic cars, and kissin' on Mama, or course :)
Dislikes: misbehaving boys, grocery shopping, cooter movies, kitties pooping outside the box, leftovers, foods that are mixed, country music, U2, and being in the sun without sunscreen.

Cash Liam - Age, 2.5

Likes: Yo Gabba Gabba, chocolate milk, exploring outside, the park, Grandpa's Ranch, being loud, his cousins, Ozzy, anything chocolate, Sesame Street, Curious George, dancing, MST2K, wrestling with Daddy, kissing Mama, his room, his brothers room, older kids, hiding his toys, putting things in order, baths and counting.
Dislikes: weird (to him) foods, getting his hair washed, when mama cleans up his toys, when people that come over leave, being told what to do, or what not to do, and babies.

Sylas Max - Age, 3 months

Likes: Mama, being held, feeding time, making goo goo eyes at Mama, cooing, the kitties, his brother, being changed, binkies, chewing on his hands, daddy, sitting up, looking around, and spooning his puppy.
Dislikes: when his binky comes out, and when he can't see Mama.

Ozzy

Likes: treats, chasing and picking fights with Wizard, lounging against the wall or in window sills, playing with Cash, loving on Mama and Daddy, chasing things under rugs that aren't there, and looking out the window
Dislikes: smoke, and when Wizard doesn't play with him.

Wizard

Likes: sitting pretty, laying in Mamas spot on the bed, being brushed, going outside, treats, compliments on his mustache, being pet on his terms, cuddling with Mama at night, sleeping on Sylas' changing table, and being left alone.
Dislikes: loudness, being chased and provoked by Ozzy, when Cash gets in his face, being pet without his permission, over petting, and his hair getting tangled.

Blogging Virgin

Welp, I've decided to finally make a full commitment, and start a real blog. I've had a tumblr that I tried for a while years ago, but quickly lost interest and was never able to keep it properly updated. But it's a new year, and I've decided to make blogging a priority in my life. Ever since I finally finished Nursing School a few months ago, and gave birth to my second son, I've been a SAHM to him and my oldest son. I've been playing with the idea of starting this blog, to document the goings on of our family, and the growth of our boys. This blog will be something we can look back on and remember details of their younger days. So here I go. Bare with me while I get acclimated and settle in to this new blogging life. I'll do my best to be somewhat entertaining... Happy Reading!

Next up, a meet the family post! Stay tuned!