back by popular demand

Sooooooo, since I decided to privatize my blog I've had a few people complain that they won't be able to get auto updated as to when I actually post...

A long time ago I had it set up for email subscription and even though the blog is private, it seems to still work! Therefore, I've inserted a link at the top right corner of the page so that you can still subscribe to the blog. As long as you use the email you log in with it should work for you :)



Click on the link and it will prompt you to enter your email in order to sign up. Hope it works! :)

last call before the big move

Over the past few months there has been a lot of change in my life. Ok I guess it's really been more like a couple years of change now! I don't really see it stopping very soon!

Anyways, all this has gotten me to thinking about my blog and the fact that it has been a very public account of my life in the past. For some reason, I found it absolutely fascinating in the beginning knowing that total strangers would read what I wrote... now it's totally terrifying. Ironic huh? Am I just paranoid? No, I don't think so. My life has evolved into more than just me now and I want to still share, but only with those I know are reading.

Therefore, if you would still like to read my (much more frequently updated) blog please leave a comment with your email, or send a message to me aboynamedbarry{at}gmail{dot}com and I will be sure to add you!

I have so many things I want to post about... pictures, personal things, random things etc, but I just haven't felt the freedom to do so. This is my solution :)

ps if you have already commented on facebook to let me know you want to be added, no need to comment again :) I gotcha ;)

Valentine's Day

In the past I've expressed my opinion about Valentine's day being a commercial holiday that I do not appreciate. I feel like it's a little cliche and anything done on that day loses a little bit of lustre if only because it's somewhat expected and everything's already been done before.

Anyways, that hasn't changed now that I have my own Valentine :) But I will not lie and say that I boycott the holiday based on principle. Fact is, I think everyday is a good day to say I love you :) And if it happens to be on February 14, then so be it :)

I don't have any real vases yet, so when my man brought me roses, I had to split them into 2 vases. Putting one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom.



This gorgeous rusty orange rose I have is from my mom. She brought it to me on Friday when I was with the new kids I'm watching a few days a week.



And you may have noticed the blog changes. I thought in all sincerity that I would never get sick of my old blog design, but alas, I have. I wanted something brighter, whiter and simpler. So I've widened the margins as well, so now I'm able to upload pictures here just as big as I can on my photo blog.

I have a bunch of posts in line to go up since it's been a few weeks since I've blogged. Not really sure why that is, since I've had plenty of time really. I'm really enjoying this time though... because very soon, I'm not going to have any left!

blind leading the blind...

the title of this post surely reflects the fact that i could not think of anything better for a title. the basis for this post is the cool little widget that sits on my sidebar just below my picture.

The followers widget

Just today (as i was sitting in the bathroom, tmi, i know) I was pondering, how/why I now have people following my blog who i don't know. what's worse is that it seems some of them don't even have blogs themselves! well, maybe you do, but it doesn't always link to your profile.

And sometimes (this next one drives me crazy) i will get comments from people and i can't respond to them. of course, if i really want to respond, i'll sometimes be all stalkerific and find their email on facebook... but that's only if we're like somewhat IRL friends (in real life) cuz i'm not friends with people on facebook that i don't actually know... unlike the blogosphere.

So, my point here is this. Currently, out of the 22 followers i have on my blog, I know 11 IRL, 7 are known bloggie friends, 4 i don't know and 2 of those 4 do not appear to even have blogs.

i should be sounding rather obsessive about now... with waaaaay too much time on my hands.

So relax, if that's what you're thinking, then you're right.

Here's another thing. I use google reader, and within that, I can see how many people are actually subscribing to my blog through reader. i have 50!

Anyways, the only thing i want to know is, from the people who i have never corresponded with, or don't already know personally, why are you following my blog? I'm just curious ya know :) And along with that question, I have another

I have never done this because I don't really have a huge comment section waiting after every post, but I will throw this out there... is there anything about me that anyone out there wants to know? I will answer (pretty much) anything... except questions about years 10-14 or of course that incident back in '02 involving my attempt to become a famous movie star by pulling some pretty ridiculous antics... oh wait, that wasn't me.

So, there ya go. Ask away... it will give me some good blogging fuel if nothing else! what do you wanna know about me?

blogover!

I have been wanting a bigger format for my blog for awhile now so that I can upload my pictures bigger... so again, I asked Lex over at Indellible Creations how to go about it, and being the amazing person that she is, she offered to do a whole new blog for me!

So, we got to work on it a few days ago, and TADAAAA!

I just looooove it :) Can you tell

Thanks sooo much Lex! You ROCK!

and keep checking back cuz i was too excited to wait and post this when everything was done :) It will be all uploaded later on today!

focus

I am aware that this blog has been turning into a personal promo for my photography business. I guess that's ok... sometimes. But i think it's been too long since I've been writing meaninful (or even funny) stuff.

I made a list of potential things to blog about the other day, and I want to get back to it. I love writing, and the reason I started this blog was to allow myself an outlet for that side of my creativity.

So here i go, attempting to get back into the spirit of true blogging and writing the things i want to remember the rest of my life... or at least the things i think about and make me wonder :)

Hold on tight, it can only get better from here!

a request to my super duper readers :)

I'm currently working on thinking of things to blog about that DON'T involve my photography business, but in the meantime, I wanted to ask you all a favor.

I don't really understand how or when or why I somehow happen to have so many readers. But I do, the stats don't lie... but the comments do! how does that work anyways?

Ok so, I posted over at my photo blog today in an attempt to spread it around. I just want the blog to get traffic mostly right now, and since I'm not really sure how to do that without being blunt, that's what I'm doing!

So here's what i'm asking. If you have me added or linked, or whatever you call it, would you please hop on over to my photo blog and link me there too? :)

I will love you oh so much!

Ok, back to real world blogging. I have a list I made in church the other day... bad me! why was i thinking about blogging during church...


another hilarious post from one year ago yesterday: but my lips hurt real bad

read it, you know you want to ;) you might understand the hidden side of chapstic addiction better after you do LOL!

my first guest post!

Today, I'm over here at Sgt and Mrs Hub giving a review about the camera I currently use.

It's my first guest post, and honestly I'm a little beside myself. What is the proper etiquette in a case such as this?

Should I sit in front of the computer all day and STALK her blog just so that I can see the comments coming in???

I could continue speculating as to what my options are... but i'll just stop there. because going any further would be just that. speculation. Since my intent IS to sit her and stalk the blog aaaall day LOL!

Too bad i actually have a life... otherwise my butt might become attached to the chair. besides having a life, there is a 7 month old in the background who has decided to wake up... Well I guess if he never actually went to sleep... he's not really waking up.

This brings me to a point I have been meaning to make for like at least a month and have not gotten to doing it yet!

About a month and a half ago, I took on a new charge. He was 5 months at the time, he's now 7. and his name is Jonah. He is super adorable and soooo laid back. Except when it's time to go to sleep. HA! I won't even go into that.


He's adorable right? Seriously, his cuteness makes up for the whole not sleeping thing LOL!

I just basically wanted to share him with the blog world and give myself yet another excuse for my highly intermittent blogging.

Alrighty, I'm back to stalking Andrea's blog now! Come on over and check it out :)


post from one year ago yesterday (again with the yesterday, but seriously, if it was lame, i would just skip it. and trust me, there were a lot of lame ones. this one's actually funny): where are you black sweatshirt?

one year bloggie birthday

Today marks the day of my one year blogging life.

I have had more fun with this silly little blog over the last year than I could have ever imagined!

I've made new friends and been able to connect with people I've always known but not really known :)

Anyways, before I left to pick andy up from preschool this morning, I actually had something exciting to write here. I thought to myself, "self, you should at least write a few words so you don't forget what it was you were going to write." and my other self said, "noooooooooo, that's silly. You don't need to write it down! of course you will remember what it was. You do after all have a mind like a steel trap (with a lot of holes in it)"

Of course I forgot what it was. And I was hoping that by sitting here long enough, typing about how I don't remember it... that I would remember. But I don't. So I decided instead to make this post pretty much as boring as possible. If you're still reading by this point... I seriously owe you a hug. You must really love me haha!

Anyways, these pictures below are to represent "BB" and "AB" Before blogging, and after blogging. Not much difference, and I feel really lame-O posting this entire post but haha this is my blog and I can do whatever i want!



Me about 3 months before blogging ever occurred to me.

Stats:
- 5'6"
- hazel eyes
- long, almost blonde hair
- single (in the midst of emotional turmoil over an unnamed member of the opposite gender)
- at my lowest adult weight
- two whole and intact eyebrows
- yellow teeth (gross)




Me after 51 weeks of blogging.

Stats:
- 5'6" still
- hazel eyes still
- short, totally blonde hair
- single (no longerin the midst of emotional turmoil over an unnamed member of the opposite gender)
- still at my lowest adult weight (woohoo!)
- one whole and intact eyebrow (the right one decided to go rogue and with the aid of some well meaning tweezers went on a vacation, it's decided to take it's time coming back...)
- slightly whiter teeth as a result of Crest whitestrips (yay!)

Hopefully I was able to salvage this post to some degree. I've come a long way in a year and i keep looking back SO glad that I started this blog. It has been a lot of fun and I thoroughly intend to continue this blogging fun :)


Post from one year ago today: does God play poker? aka MY FIRST POST EVER!

go look! go look!

It's 10:22 on 10/22 and IT'S UP!!!

It's now official. I have been working up to and waiting for this day for weeks now!

I'm sure you're totally as excited as I am ;)

Anyways, please go check it out! Then come back and tell me what you think!

amandaslakesphotography.com

Also check out my brand new photo blog while you're at it!

my dear followers

Dear friends, followers, family and stalkers,

I have an apology to make.

To you.

I'm nearing my one year anniversary of blogging and looking back have realized just how far i've come in such a short time. I never imagined that people would actually read my blog (of their own free will).

I could never have predicted how many things in my life have changed in the last year...

And I also never thought I would have to do this next terrible thing... the thing I am about to share with you.

Today, for the first time ever...

I clicked the button on my google reader... the one that reads:

"Mark all as read"

It's true.

I did it.

The truth is, I love my bloggie friends and this great blogging community that I have become a part of... however, real life calls. And lately it's been calling to the tune of 70+ hours a week.

Not including social activities or business planning.

My life is INSANE.

Last night I had a minor meltdown about the fact that I have so little time to do anything that deviates from my jam-packed schedule.

... and I decided that I would have to make some sacrifices.

There are a few things that I'm cutting down on and some I'm actually giving up...

But since I love blogging so much and I really feel that it helps me stay focused, that is not one the things to be going.

However, I am going to change my reading/commenting madness policies.

I am going to try and read blogs during the week... but if I don't have time, at the end of the week... they're all getting marked as read. And a new week begins.

Anyways, I wanted to let you know so you didn't think i dropped off the face of the earth! I'll still be around, I just can't be around as much as I used to be. When winter rolls around, we'll see if that changes... but honestly, I thought that when fall rolled around, things would slow down. I'm busier now than I was in the summer!

Ok, enough said. I hope you all have a wonderful evening. I have a LOT of pictures and will be sharing them as soon as I finish editing them. I did 2 shoots last week and have 3 scheduled for this week. YIKES! and then more next week... my goal of 3/week for next summer is starting to look more realistic...

Also, my website is coming along quite nicely! I don't want to jump the gun... but a little birdie told me it may be out sooner than planned ;)

what's more important than blogging?

I am currently in one of the worst blogging slumps of my blogging career.

After thinking about why this is happening, I realized there are a number of things contributing.


A) somehow, I have found more important things to do than blog *GASP!* I know, I said it...

there is unfortunately more to life than blogging... please don't burn me.


B) My computer is at best buy rendering me somewhat useless. I rely on that thing so much for pretty much everything. I called today and found out that they probably can't fix what I took it in for to begin with... I'm going to write an open letter to them in a post later on.


C) I have some SERIOUS frustrations right now, and while I don't like to rant on the blog, there are times when it is therapeutic. I don't want to express myself in this format however, because I never know if this person I am annoyed with will read it! And since this situation is taking up more brain space than it has been allotted, I find myself at a complete loss of things to write.


D) Because I have no computer, I have no way to process pictures. Usually when I can't think of anything to blog, I just upload all my pics and figure something out. Not now though... darn you best buy


That is it. Seriously, that's all I have for now. But rest assured that I will work on my open letter and submit it to you all in short time. Thank you for not abandoning me :) haha

Nope, not me!

MckMama is beginning a new blogfest called "not me! Monday"

It is really quite funny and although in the beginning I didn't know how to do it, I quickly figured it out and decided that this actually make for some pretty hilarious blogging :)

So here goes nothin, as I tell you what I didn't do this week:

On Friday night I most certainly did not stay home and sort pictures. I did not stay home just so that I could save my car from accumulating any more miles... nope not me!

I did not tell my good friend that I couldn't babysit just because I wanted to sleep in on Saturday am...

On Saturday night I did not go to the overpriced movie theatre and movie hop... and I most certainly did not see two of the most disgusting movies I've ever watched in my life one right after the other...

and while i was at the movies, I absolutely did not buy a medium refillable diet coke for $5.50. And after I was done not buying it, I did NOT decide that alicia and I could together get it refilled 4 times for a total of 220 ounces of diet coke.

I DID remember that diet coke has caffeine in it only after I was done not drinking ounce #48.

I did not keep drinking the DC after realizing that because that would have been plain stupid...

I did not go to the bathroom at the movie theatre 8 times in 4 hours... that's just gross. Who drinks that much anyways?

On the way home from the movies, I didn't almost get pulled over for speeding... and I seriously did not pull down a road not on my normal path just to avoid the cop.

After I got home I didn't hide the car in the back and sneak into the house because the cop was not driving around on my street looking for me...

I did not start doing laundry at 2am so that I would have clean clothes by the time i had to get up at 6:30... nope, not me!

Well, that's what I didn't do the last few days... what didn't you do?

Go on over to MckMama and link up so I can see how much you didn't do this week :)

i'm too analytical

It seems to me that I get the most comments when I write about awkward or gross things.

Come on you guys, seriously, is that what we've lowered ourselves to?

Ok, ok... i can understand the highly mathematical logic behind this,

"IF it makes me laugh, THEN I will comment"

Why do we do this? Because we are sick and find that when we are reading about someone else's disturbing reality we find some satisfaction knowing that WE ARE NOT ALONE!

Every so often I check my google analytics (if you haven't installed this into your blog, you totally should)

It tells me all kinds of things, such as:
- how many hits I get on my page per day
- what countries my blog is being read in (currently including but not limited to india, egypt, france and argentina... there are actually 28 countries, but i'm sure you're not interested in the complete list)
- what people typed into google to get to my blog

Oooooo, and this is where the fun begins.

I seriously cannot handle some of the things people have typed (because i've never typed a question into google like it's my best friend.

--------------------------------------------------

So here I am going to share some of these nuggets (ps i hate that word)

1. "can amusement park ride trigger asthma attack"

The answer to that, I do not know. However, I do know that it may trigger you pee your pants.


2. "I am a failure at life"

Wow, thanks for that. I mean seriously, I can't think of a better compliment than that MY blog would pop up after typing in such a meaninful statement...


3. "I feel like I have to burb but I can't"

Well ya know, sometimes when that happens to me, I go to my friend google and type it in there... just in case someone out there happens to have a solution to helping you BURB. I hope that my post about my dad's suburban helped you out with that.


4. "my life is not exciting so I want to go home with God"

Well, I'm not sure that is the solution...


5. "travelers diarrhea turkey batman"

Hmmm... I'm pretty sure that when they happened upon my post about Otis aka Kyle their search didn't end... just a guess...

--------------------------------------------------

So far, those are the only ones worth being mentioned on here. There are a lot, but none as exciting... who am I kidding actually, this isn't exciting...

Well hopefully at least it will be interesting. And if nothing else, I hope it inspires you to get your own google analytics. it will provide you with entertainment of that i'm sure.

i'd like to thank

*taptaptap*

umm, is this thing on?

*loud shrilly feedback noise*

Oh hi...

*grins*

I'm new at this so please bear with me. I don't even know what to say really!

So I'll just start and see where this goes.

All of these months I've been sitting in front of this computer pining away for some comment love and possibly, just maybe, someday being nominated for a bloggy award.

I've never complained... have you heard me say anything?

Well, my patience paid off and wouldn't ya know it, I was nominated for an award that I couldn't be more proud to accept!

Thanks Jyl!

I can only speculate why she would nominate me for this award, and since I'm so humble it's hard for me to think that maybe she loves me for my amazing photography skillz.

Or maybe because she knows how it's cool to pee your pants.

ooooor, I think it's really that she finds some sick satisfaction knowing that she has the resolve and resistance to NOT EAT AT MCDONALDS anymore...

Whatever the case, I am honored and pleased to accept this award. I mean, heck, it's just one more reason to open my blog each morning and stare at it in complete awe realizing just how much I love my blog... (i may or may not actually do that)

And now that I have received such a lovely award, I would like to distibute the love asitwere and let you know who my faves are!

I'd like to say that these ladies entertain me daily, but due to the realization that people DO HAVE LIVES besides their blogs (pssshh! who ever heard of such a thing!) I will reserve judgement on just how often any one of you blogs!

Because we all know that I've never gone a day... or two... or a week... without posting.

So without further ado, here are my picks!

1. Michelle at Not So Daily Chronicles
2. Melissa at He Who Kneels Most
3. Laural at Mamasphere
4. Andrea at Sgt and Mrs Hub
5. Susan at Fordy Days and Nights

If you wanna share the love too, now that you have received this award, feel free to pass it along!

1. Winners: Feel free to put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate 5 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on nominees' blogs (so they know they were nominated!)

noreply-comment@blogger.com

Does anyone out there know what I'm talking about here?

This could be the single most annoying thing in my bloglife... to date.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting comments, like any normal blogger...

and I LOVE responding to them and chatting with new bloggie friends.

However, there are times when I receive a comment,am all ready to respond because they made me laugh/think THAT much,I hit replyAnd I see this:

noreply-comment@blogger.com

AAAAARGHH!!!

So i thought i would write a note to my readers, and especially those who comment chat with me to let you know that I want to talk to you!!! But sometimes i can't!!!

So here's how it works, there is a little check box that all you have to do is give a little teeny tiny click with your mouse, and then VOILA! we can email!

Go to your dashboard and then next to your picture, click "edit profile"

the third box down says "show my email address"

Click it and then whenever you comment, I (and the rest of the blogosphere) can comment you back!

Now go do it! hee :)

the new do

After posting the "different view" yesterday and receiving so many rave comments on my new hair color, I was inspired to go out and do a self-portrait photo shoot today so that I would have something to show you all.

These ended up coming out much nicer than I expected, but I can't choose which one I like better. Truly and honestly I am not reaching for a compliment here... I'm just sayin, I couldn't choose, so I picked both.

So here's my new color and today it actually looks good! That may or may not have something to do with the fact that I actually did more than dry it with a towel *grin*

Ya know what's cool about the blogosphere?

This is one of the most drastic color experiments I've done... and I can't say ever, cuz it's not true. Just the most drastic in quite a while. And I wasn't even that excited about it. But after yesterday, I was like "yah! i've totally got blonde hair!" It's slightly more exciting this way i think :)

Anyways, I have a lot of things to blog about... all in good time my friends, all in good time. My life has been a crazy cycle of a never-ending list of things to do lately. I'm sure you can relate.

And this blog seems to have taken a place dangerously near the top of my "thingstodo" list... and that includes reading other blogs! If you get like 3 comments all at once from me, then it's because i haven't had a chance to go through my reader in the last couple days and I'm just getting to it!

Oh well!

T-minus 82 minutes

Until I am free from my day job and off to Darien Lake! WOOO HOOOOO!!!

If you can't already tell I am uber excited about this. And since I haven't been coming up with the most fascinating blogging material lately, I have decided to consult a professional.

Her name is Alicia, and if you are up for a good laugh, please go visit her latest post. I do not have a response that is worthy of even being said, for that is how funny I find her. And what's more, I get to spend the rest of the day with her!

Yep, that's right... Two 20-something girls in an old pontiac grand-am cruisin along with the ac OFF. Seriously, does it get any better than that?!!??!

Ok, off you go... click on the link, you know you want to! Do it now!

Another fabulously hilarious post by Alicia

And when you're done, comment and tell her how funny she is and that she should seriously BLOG MORE OFTEN!!! (um, ok it sounds like i may or may not have had a few too many peppermint patties this morning... sugar high wearing off...)

I'm a happy girl!

I am sooooo happy that my new blog layout is finally up! and when I say finally i really mean like only a week. it really wasn't that long, i just get so excited about stuff and then it feels like forever!

I found Lex through Jaci and since she was doing very inexpensive makeovers at the time to get herself started I jumped at it! She has now raised the cost to $45 for an entire makeover and it is very worth it. She is fun to talk to and she literally did everything I wanted! You can find Lex at her BLOG Indellible Creations.

I was so happy to do this finally, i've been wanting to do a total renovation of my blog for a long time now... but since i'm only enrolled in the school of google... and it takes time to learn new things, such as html etc... I haven't been able to figure out enough to make it look anywhere near as cool as she did!

So thank you so much Lex! I totally love my new blog. You ROCK!

I'm off!

It's finally here... after literally months of planning and preparation we are leaving for Mexico tomorrow morning!

I'm all packed... and I should be ready for a good night's sleep... but we'll have to see about that. I'm pretty excited, not sure if I'll actually be able to!

Hopefully I will have internet down there... I think that I will, but there is a serious question of time. My "weblife" is not as important as what's going on down there :) So we'll see. But it would be nice to get on and post a few pics :)

If i am not able to get on, then you'll always have the auto-posts. I hope you enjoy them, I had fun making them. While I tried to get one for every day, I was unsuccessful... but there's still enough to keep things interesting.

Buenos noches blogland! hasta la vista... or in two weeks!