Ryan came up with the idea to take a weekday road trip to Flagstaff (goal number 1) to go to Cardinals training camp since neither of us had been before and part of that wonderful plan included waking up at 5am to drive there…which means I got to cross see the sun rise and set in the same day off my list! (goal number 2)

It was a great day and I ended up meeting a few of the players which was really fun. I like them all but I’ve got to admit my three favs are Larry Fitzgerald (who doesn’t love him?!) Jason Wright, and Darnell Dockett (mainly because I’ve kind of “gotten to know him” through his twitter and because he rocks at defense.) Can’t wait for this season, but Kurt Warner is greatly missed already!!

Why don’t you go out and make a list of goals of your own?? The feeling you get from crossing one off is great. :)

Proof that I was actually awake before the sun:

I caught Dockett staring at me before practice ;) Ryan and I couldn’t figure out why exactly he was looking at me for so long!

Ryan got this awesome shot of Fitz doing his thing.

My shirt with all of the signatures from the day :) Now I just need Fitz and Dockett to sign it! (and maybe Beanie Wells and Hightower too)

Finally the sunset on the way home! There was also a big double rainbow but it was really hard to get a photo of it from the passenger seat on the freeway.

I hope you like this little glimpse of what it’s like to be me. :)

1. I started out my day with the most scrumptious Ecce Panis foccacia rolls ever. Yum.

2. Drove out to apply for a job with a second company to be a respite caregiver.

3. Got motivated to work with some Vitamin Water! My favorite flavor is XXX, but we were out. :(

4. I am in Spanish for summer school and every Monday I dread the HOURS it takes for me to do my homework.

5. I got my new macro lens this weekend and I was playing around with it for a little while today. Can’t wait to use it at this Fall’s weddings!

6. Started on my second biz book of the month, The E-Myth Revisited. I’ve started it twice before but I’m really going to finish this time!

7. My fav pizza is from Domino’s – cheese with pineapples. I’m allergic to pineapples normally but not these for some reason!

8. I was super excited to get new chip clips for my apartment because I’ve been using small paperclips for way too long.

9. A late-night quick snapshot of where I had to spend most of my day! Thankfully I had a little lap buddy :)

Today wasn’t the most exciting of days, but it was part of my life so I will embrace it for all of its worth!

Look at this gorgeous spot they had the ceremony at!

The two of them were so in love with each other and had an emotional and sweet ceremony. :)

I’ve never witnessed this at a ceremony before but right after the first kiss, the family all started singing the couple’s favorite song and dancing together! It was a really nice and personal touch.
Wedding season is about to start up again soon in AZ so there will be plenty more wedding posts in the next few months!

I wasn’t at home when I made it and only had my small point and shoot camera for these pics, but I did the best I could with what I had. :)

Here are the ingredients I used, it’s modified a bit from the original recipe:

Servings: 8
Skills: Intermediate
Prep Time: 20 min (not including thaw time)
Bake Time: 30-35 min

Ingredients

1 Loaf Rhodes™ Bread Dough, thawed to room temperature (this takes way less time than the bag says, maybe 1.5 hrs total)
1/3 cup light Italian cheese salad dressing (go light on the dressing, otherwise it spills out when baked!)
1/2 pound thinly sliced pastrami (I used one container of meat per loaf)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (the recipe called for swiss but I prefer mozzarella)
A few chopped up green olives (optional)
1 egg white, beaten

Instructions

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll loaf into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes. Remove wrap from dough and pour dressing lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with pastrami, mozzarella cheese and green olives. Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.

Lift braid with both hands and place on a large sprayed baking sheet. Brush with egg white. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool a bit then serve! It makes pretty good left overs too. :)

This is the inside before braiding and baking:

The final product:
Thanks Shannon for making it with me! (and Ryan for making sure the food didn’t go to waste) ;)

I’d love to hear if you try the recipe and if you’re interested in me posting other recipes I find and love in the future!

Here are some photos of the pie. It wasn’t as gooey on the inside as I would have liked, but it was still delicious!

We soaked the apples in a combination of cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, and a hint of vanilla.

Ok the edges didn’t turn out perfectly…but my stomach sure didn’t mind!

This second list is about 101 goals and dreams I want to do to expand my business, my experiences, and just to enrich my life. I have 1001 days to complete it and since I finished making the list on July 16th, 2010, I have until April 12, 2013. No matter how many I actually complete by that day doesn’t matter to me as much as the fact that I’ll be doing things that I want to do and that make me happy. I believe written goals are way better than ones that never get written and worked towards. I hope that this list helps bring me more success and happiness in my life! (and helps me get over some fears too)

So here is my list. I’ll try to keep it updated and possibly blog about some of the items once I complete them. (I started making the list about 2 weeks ago and have already completed 3 things!)

My 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days

1. Take a self defense class

2. Try two new cookie recipes this Christmas

3. Travel to Spain

4. Write a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days! – DONE!

5. Answer the “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind”

6. Find out my blood type

7. Start an Etsy store – DONE!

8. Take a random weekend road trip- DONE!

9. See the Northern Lights

10. Grow a garden

11. Go on another cruise

12. Visit Paris again

13. Visit London again

14. Organize and label all technology cords

15. Book an out of state wedding

16. Finish my degree

17. Pay off student loans

18. Visit Italy

19. Learn to play “Claire de Lune”

20. Be completely financially self-sufficient

21. See the pyramids in Egypt

22. Visit Australia

23. Send a message in a bottle

24. Visit Disneyland again. – DONE!

25. Create a wedding welcome packet.

26. Network with at least 3 new wedding professionals.

27. Make a sample wedding guestbook.

28. Get photos taken of Ryan and me.

29. Go jet skiing.

30. Get published in a magazine.

31. Paint something for myself.

32. Video record 4 different personal events for myself.

33. Get a Vimeo account to share videos on.

34. Organize my room to work well as an office too

35. Take portraits of my Oregon family.

36. Re-do my room cork boards

37. Make a posing inspiration book

38. Get a PPmag subscription

39. Get a fashion magazine subscription – DONE!

40. Sell my old MBP – DONE!

41. Go to Canada

42. Make/buy 5 new Christmas templates – DONE!

43. Make/buy 5 new everyday card templates.

44. Put a note in a book for a stranger to read.

45. Write a letter to myself to open in 5 years.

46. Write a letter to Ryan to open in 2 years.

47. Read and take notes on four business books. (1/4 Done)

48. Find a personally inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor.

49. Try yoga

50. Make ice cream from scratch

51. Go skiing again and try to fall less.

52. Go horseback riding for the first time.

53. Get a sample sterling album.

54. Get a massage

55. Bake a pie. – DONE!

56. Frame and hang 3 new personal pictures. – (2/3 Done!)

57. Write a list of 50 things that make me happy

58. Carve my name on a tree

59. Take some photos of something other than people.

60. Get at least 2 prints made of the photos not of people.

61. Write down 20 dreams I had in a dream book.

62. Make a playlist with 25 songs I truly and will probably always love.

63. Mail a secret to Post Secret

64. Own that perfect little black dress

65. Send out my own business Christmas Cards.

66. Get an apartment in Phoenix.

67. Go on a movie-marathon: three in one day at the theater.

68. Make a photo book for myself from a vacation.

69. Take a vacation awesome enough to have a photo book made from it.

70. Make a photo book of non-people photos.

71. Learn 10 new recipes.

72. Make a recipe binder/book of my favorite things to cook.

73. Write down my pp workflow and check through it for every client.

74. Get a smartphone.

75. Get a white board to further organize office.

76. Help someone make their own 101 in 1001 list

77. Learn to drive stick shift.

78. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day – DONE!

79. Create an info packet all about albums.

80. Go a full day with no phone or internet.

81. Get two weddings published on an online style/wedding blog.

82. Make a get together for young wedding pros.

83. Meet 4 new online photog friends in person.

84. Get a macro for ring shots. – DONE!

85. Buy a rolling camera bag.

86. Fix my off-cam lighting situation. – DONE!

87. Shoot a wedding in California.

88. Shoot an engagement outside of Arizona.

89. Visit 3 new states I haven’t been to.

90. Visit the four corners

91. Go on a road trip to somewhere other than CA.

92. See a Cirque du Soleil show

93. Clean out closet of old clothes and replace 50% of the donated ones with new ones.

94. Go in a hot air balloon

95. Create a survey for past clients and have some complete it.

96. Send out 15 anytime cards to friends for no reason.

97. Get a dedicated video-only camera.

98. Grow out hair and donate it to Locks for Love.

99. Go swimming in the natural pools in Sedona.

100. Photograph around UofA before I graduate so I can remember it.

101. Read Dave Ramsey’s Money Makeover and make it work for my life.

Every one of my wedding commissions includes some kind of flushmount album because I believe every couple deserves one! Below are some photos of a sample flushmount album I have:

Each album features a beautiful leather cover that’s available in a variety of colors.

The album features lay-flat binding without a gutter so the photos can go right over the crease without interruption!

Each page is thick, sturdy and high-quality so it will last for decades!