My 100th Post and the Last Day of the Year!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!  

Let's make 2011 bigger and better than any year before.  Wishing you and yours prosperity, happiness and all the grace God has to offer in the New Year.

With love,

nicolemarie

Might not make it...

Yesterday, I realized that the first draft of my thesis is due in three weeks. YEEP! Part of me goes into complete panic when I think about all of the stuff I need to do for this thing and the other part of me pretends that it will all just go away if I ignore it.  

My thesis is going to focus on international adoption - a topic I'm very interested in - yet I'm still struggling to find my motivation.  Where will I come up with 60-80 pages of content??!!  I'm a "short-winded" writer so the idea of coming up with this much research overwhelms me. I have a feeling that once I get going things will flow but until then, I'd rather just sit here...staring at the wall. :)

So in love

Did I mention how much I love Michael Sullivan's version of the movie/mini-series Anne of Green Gables? It's my favorite movie everrrrr.  I'm a complete sucker for love so the underlying love story between Anne and Gilbert hooked me from the beginning.

My mom got me the DVD for Christmas so I got to re-live this classic in High Def and it was fantastic!  I watched it days ago and I still feel warm and fuzzy inside.  It's amazing to me that film - a fictional story - can actually effect a person's emotions.  Powerful stuff.

I used to think I was a complete cheeseball for loving this film but over the years I've realized how many people love it too.  I'm still a cheeseball but I'm not alone! lol

Here's the trailer.  If you haven't seen it, add it to your Netflix immediately!

Almost there!

In just 11 days, my photo project will come to an end.  I am so excited to put my portfolio together and share it with friends and family.  I drove past a carousel near my house yesterday and I just knew I had to take a photograph with it.  Earlier this evening, I drove to the shopping center where it stood and realized that there was no one around!! It was perfect and I was giddy.  I set up my tripod and in the middle of my test shots, the thing started moving! The whole time I was there, I thought the carousel was closed for the day.  It turns out that the homeless person I saw hanging around the place was actually the woman running the carousel! oops.  


I chatted with the woman for a while and she told me that a ride on the merry-go-round was only $1 and I could purchase tickets at the toy store across the way.  After I gave her my ticket she looked at me oddly when I didn't go inside the ride but she played along when I gave her the queue to start the thing as I started  shooting.


I still have a lot to learn about shooting various lighting and movement but I caught a couple of really great shots.  Here's one of my favorites after editing.

Beautiful, Beautiful

In the craziness of life, it is so easy to focus on all things negative while brushing away anything positive.  Lack of money, mounting bills, strained relationships, the nightly news...all of these things can really wear a person down.

Today, I got a little reminder that God has made my life soooo beautiful - not perfect, but definitely blessed.  Yeah, I've been broke, but I've never known true poverty.  I've been sick, even near death a couple of times, but here I am today.  I struggle DAILY trying to live a life that's pleasing to Christ, yet I'm encouraged because He sees more in me that I EVER could. I have a past and some of it is not very cute and yet with my heart's outcry for forgiveness, God FORGETS EVERYTHING. That's just amazing to me.  

This song has been speaking to me lately and I wanted to share.  Lyrics below. Listen and love!



Album: My Paper Heart
Artist: Francesca Battistelli

Don’t know how it is You looked at me
And saw the person that I could be
Awakening my heart
Breaking through the dark
Suddenly Your grace

(Chorus)
Like sunlight burning at midnight
Making my life something so
Beautiful, beautiful
Mercy reaching to save me
All that I need
You are so
Beautiful, beautiful

Now there’s a joy inside I can’t contain
But even perfect days can end in rain
And though it’s pouring down
I see You through the clouds
Shining on my face

(Chorus)

I have come undone
But I have just begun
Changing by Your grace

New Lens!!!!

I ordered a new camera lens and it was delivered today!!  It's actually the discontinued Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II lens and because it's no longer being made, it was reeeally cheap!  

I took a few test shots tonight when I got home and this thing takes startingly clear pictures.  I think you can see the insides of my pores in this pic! 

Ok so this is harder than I thought it would be...

When I envisioned the 30 Days 'Til 30 project, it seemed simple enough.  One picture a day for 30 days shouldn't be bad at all - and it wouldn't be if I didn't have a J.O.B.  But getting home late in the evenings has put a little crick in my step.  Even so, I'm determined to finish what I've started.  

The other night, after midnight, I realized that I hadn't taken a picture for the day.  I got up, picked out an outfit, put on some makeup and set up my tripod, sleepy bones and all.  What's funny is that so far, that picture is my favorite out of the last few days.  

One of the photos from that night

Well, it's late and I'm not sure what today's photo motivation will be.  I'm trying to stay creative but one of these days, I might just end up with a single, solitary picture of my cat.  :)

Until next time...

30 Days 'til 30

A friend of mine gave me an idea about chronicling the days leading up until my 30th birthday so I've decided to do a picture diary.  My goal is to take at least one picture everyday leading up to the big day!  I'm not sure what turning 30 will mean for me; it's just crazy to think that I'll be jumping into another decade soon.  But for now...I'm TWENTY-NINE!!! I won't be able to honestly say that for much longer so I'm going to say it as much as possible in the next 30 days. :)


Until next time...

30 Days 'Til 30

Time keeps right on flying...

The weeks used to go by soooo slow during the semester but now that I'm on winter break the days and weeks are flying by!  WHY IS that??

I'm really trying to relax and enjoy the time off but each day that goes by is like countdown clock to January 10th.  Not only is that the first day of my spring semester, it is also the 30th Anniversary of the day I was born!!!!  Did I ever mention that I was due to be born on March 17th?  Yeah...things didn't exactly go as planned...

I've heard my mom recount the story of my birth countless times and I'm still amazed that we're both here today.  Her. Pregnancy. Was. Rough.  Mom had me later in life and there were several complications leading up to my birth.  At one point, they thought she was having twins! Exciting right?  Well, not exactly.  It turned out there were two grapefruit-sized tumors on her ovaries taking up all my living space. hmfph! The nerve!  So they cut mama open, baby still inside, removed the foreign objects and sewed her back up.  I wonder if the doctors could see me moving in there... Yikes! That's a little too National Geographic for me.

Thankfully, that process went well and my mom went back to being a regular pregnant lady.  Two months before I was set to appear, my mom's blood pressure sky rocketed, I was in distress and she was in labor.  My dad was away so the doctors had to ask my poor sister Debbie to make the decision on whose life to save: "Your mother? or the baby?"  Now, people...let's think about that...what would YOU say?  "Baby?!!? The baby??? I don't KNOW her. Save my motha!" hehe.  I'm don't think those were my sister's exact words but that's what I think I would have said. :)

The members of our home church were in the middle of a party when they got the news and the event quickly turned into a prayer session.  I don't remember much from this whole ordeal :)  but apparently my mom was in a coma for a day and I spent almost two months in the hospital. 

But look at us now! Almost 30 years later, with a story to tell.  Moms is probably in better physical shape than me and I'm doing A-OK.

I say ALL of this to say, I can't ever take this life lightly.  It was TRULY a gift.  Each day that I am blessed to have four functioning limbs and a sound and stable mind is a day to give thanks. I know that I am here on this earth for a specific reason and I can't wait for God to reveal His ultimate plan for my life!! 

I don't know how this blog post ended up being the story of my birth, but here we are! lol

Debbie and the runt: Thankfully, she grew to know and love me :)

With love,
nicolemarie

Matisyahu - King Without A Crown

This is such a great song.  Performed live at Stubb's Music Festival by Hasidic Jew reggae artist, Matisyhu.  Listen and love!