MIA

Yes...It's been a while. But I've got a lot to show for it! I've been spending lots of time working on my photography business...new logo, business cards, website, blog and more! There is quite a bit of planning that goes into all of this, but I am thrilled with where we are at so far.

• The website is still being built- I hope to have something published mid-December. It will not be in its final form, but it will be something to look at temporarily.
• Along with the site comes a new blog specifically to feature photos from sessions. I have been eyeing a certain blogging template for a while now, and finally broke down and got it. After 6 hours of work today, I have it in a place where I can share it. I will continue to tweak and make changes to it over the next few days, but go ahead and enjoy what I have for now. You can check it out by clicking here or visiting mariannemess.com

Let's see...what else is new...

• Thanksgiving was wonderful! Lots of gatherings, food and family- just the way I like it!
• I actually shopped this year on Black Friday. I was out for about 8 hours and got a ton of stuff bought. Still have quite a bit left, but it was well worth my time and surprisingly not as hectic as I had expected it would be.
• Christmas decorations are not up yet in the Mess house, but I am hoping to get some of that done this evening. I am full-force in the Holiday spirit, but just haven't had the time to drag the stuff up from the basement and do it.
• Tomorrow night we are going to the Blue Jacket's game (thanks to Christie and Judd). I haven't been to a hockey game in a loooong time and am really looking forward to it! I love the hockey games...and the super pretzels aren't so bad either!
• I got a new sewing machine!! I have no idea how to use it yet, but I am so excited. It was a joint gift from my mom and myself for my birthday- a black friday deal too good to pass up.

Well...I think I'll bring up some christmas decorations and start preparing for Glee tonight! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Updates...

• I cannot believe it is November! Where has this year gone? Every year it feels like the month of November just appears out of thin air- one day it's fall, the next I'm Christmas shopping. I absolutely love this time of year, but I have to admit that I wish fall could hang around for just a tad longer. There are very few leaves left on the trees, coffee shops are switching from apple cider to peppermint mocha, and if you've shopped anywhere you know the Christmas decor is out in full force. I'm already feeling tinges of excitement thinking about the holiday season, but I need a couple more weeks to transition I think.
• I've crossed another thing off the list...I'm playing indoor soccer! It's been 11 years since I've played and I'm a bit rusty. I forgot just how fast it moves and how much running is involved. I've played in 2 games so far and it's starting to come back to me...we are all just out there to have fun, so at least there's not too much pressure!
• The vegetarian thing is going really well so far. It's now going on 2 months and I'm feeling wonderful.
• Today I looked down and saw this...

and it made me laugh. I got this from a friend while we were in LA for work and for some reason it just always makes me laugh.

• For those of you who didn't know- I recently did some interviewing with Limited Brands and was notified yesterday that after 3 rounds of interviews, they've decided on a different candidate to fill the position. Naturally, I was heart broken- but I gave it my all. I felt great about all the interviews and feel proud to have made it as far as I did. Which leads me to the next update...
• I have been working for the past couple months on ramping up the photography business. I've consistently been scheduling sessions and am so excited to be able to release a whole new look and structure to everything. This has been a long process of working with graphic designers, reviewing proof after proof of logos, researching, sketching, writing and more! But I love this stuff and cannot wait to see the final product. It is still in the works, but we have gained a lot of direction and I am meeting with the web designer next Wednesday and hope to get the ball rolling there! Stay tuned...

3 sessions

Over the past month or two I've been keeping busy with some photo shoots and working to establish a stronger "business" feel to my website, blog, and collateral. It's been a lot of work sorting through over 16,000 photos on my computer, but I know all the work will create something I can really be proud to share.

When I began the process a few months ago I tried taking a stab at it myself. The problem was, I was too close to it. I needed fresh eyes and perspective, so I've found some very talented people to help me out. Things are moving along and I hope to have a fresh look very soon!

While sorting through photos, I realized there were some photos I wanted to share from some previous sessions...I got lucky to have subjects who were comfortable in front of the camera and played along with all of my ideas...no matter how silly they seemed at first!

A little game...

Outside my window...it's dark outside, and it's been dark for a while. The colors on the trees are more beautiful than I can ever remember them being before. There are signs of fall everywhere.

I am thinking...about how relaxed I am after a full day of pampering and relaxation. Oh, and about how much I wish I could go to J. Crew and buy 1 of everything!

I am thankful for...David and all my friends and family for bringing so much joy to my life. I am thankful for yoga. I am thankful for my health and for feeling refreshed and optomistic.

From the kitchen...organic chocolate chip cookies and milk. The cookies didn't smell the best when they were baking, but tasted delicious!

I am wearing...a white tank top, a gray wrap sweater and yoga shorts.

I am creating...a scrapbook to document my Day Zero list, baby blankets, and a photography website.

I am going...to watch The Office then go to bed!

I am reading...magazines and quilting books from the library.

I am hoping...to visit friends tomorrow and take some pictures!

I am hearing...the TV.

Around the house...tv is on (The Office), cookies are out of the oven, and I've been able to keep things fairly clean since last weekend.

One of my favorite things...yoga. I've only been practicing since May, but I am in love. I love the way it makes me feel and how strong I have become. It requires me to settle, breath, focus, stretch, practice and honor myself. It's changed my life.

A few plans for the rest of the week...tomorrow I am visiting with friends and Sunday I am going to attempt to play some indoor soccer! Other than that, I have nothing planned!

A picture to share...

from the pumpkin patch we went to last Monday in Kirkersville, Pigeon Roost Farm. For some reason this year I cannot get enough of gourds, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, farm animals and all things fall! I love this time of year!

#27...A trip to the Columbus Zoo

I've been wanting to go to the zoo for a really long time now. I go every year for the Christmas lights, but can't remember the last time I went during the summer- when the animals are actually out and it really looks like a zoo.

So today, we decided to go. I've been dying to see the baby elephant (hence #27 on the list) and it was wonderful to go on a Monday! No line at all...we walked straight up to see him. And here he is (with his mom)...all 847 lbs.

Now is that's not one of the cutest things you've ever seen??

We made it a point to see everything. It took a while, but it was wonderful. It was a beautiful day, and the animals were more active than I can ever remember them being. Here's a bunch of other shots from our day at the zoo.

Another baby...he was adorable!

I think stingray are the silliest looking things...they look like happy little clouds to me!

This is my favorite picture of the day...he was so sweet. I just wanted to climb in there and give him a big hug.

What a great way to spend a Monday. The zoo was followed by lunch, a nap, some cleaning and yoga class this evening. Now if only every day could be this enjoyable!

Second Sewing Project

Well, it took quite a bit longer than the first project, but I finally finished my second quilt. This time around I really wanted to play more with patchwork, which was a lot of fun, but definitely time consuming!

I am loving how warm this quilt is as well...and with the crazy weather we've had over the past few days we've been getting quite a bit of use out of it!

World Vegetarian Day

{Warning: This blog post is not only long, but also voices my personal opinion on a particular issue.}

As you know, one of my Day Zero tasks is to eat vegetarian for 3 consecutive months. Well, I am proud to announce that yesterday marked my 2nd straight week of no meat!

Now, most of you know that I'm not a huge lover of meat. I was usually the kid who chewed on a piece of meatloaf for hours before sneaking into the bathroom to spit it into the toilet. When my parents fixed steak, I usually had them cut me a piece that was about 3-4 bites, which I doused in ketchup to mask the taste. Hamburgers had to be covered in cheese, pressed as thin as possible, and I usually only ate the outside ring (the inside was still too thick for me). And I was never a hot dog girl. But the worst was beef stew. Oh, I can still remember that smell in the morning...waking up and knowing the crockpot was on and beef stew it was! Oh how I dreaded those days.

Now with all that being said...chicken was my best friend. I knew I didn't care for red meat, so as I grew up I went the route of the "no red meat" diet. I'd done a little research on the hormones and antibiotics that are fed to cows and decided to rule all red meat out of my diet for health purposes. But I've always been able to rationalize eating chicken and turkey. I married a vegetarian and so cooking has never been a big deal in our house. I don't prepare meat, as neither of us really eat it. And I've taken a particular liking to soy products. Strange, I know, since I'm the pickiest eater out there.

But something has always intrigued me about vegetarianism (is that even a word?). Dave has never pushed it on me or tried to convert me. In fact, we've even had the discussion of how we would someday raise our children, although there was never any conclusion to that as we hold different opinions. But I've always kept it in the back of my mind. I love animals, but I also love Grandma Mangia chicken, and Chicken Milanese Pomodoro, and the occasional Stromboli- not to mention a good chicken tender!

All that aside...I found myself wandering through the library about 2 weeks ago. I happened across a book that I thought was a certain health book that I had been wanting to read. Naturally Thin was the book I had intended to read, but picked up Skinny Bitch instead by mistake. I took it home and dove right in.

In the first few pages, the authors had me laughing so hard at their very point blank approach to convincing you to eat right. But underlying the swear words and humor is very real information about the food we eat. What's added to those foods, what they do to our bodies, what lies we are being told about the foods we need to be healthy. I read the first few chapters in amazement. I immediately put down the Fresca (aka "liquid satan") I was drinking and had an urge to empty my cupboards and head to Whole Foods.

But something else happened at Chapter 6..."You Are What You Eat". We've all heard it. But does it stop us from eating anything? No. But have we really, really thought about what it means?

I spent the majority of chapter 6 knelt over the toilet with tears streaming down my face. This is where I learned the truth behind what really happens in slaughter houses. Everyone knows it happens, and sure, you know it's not ideal. But imagine as bad and disgusting and inhumane as you possible can...and then double it. Or triple it. Or more.

It's still worse than that.

Imagine yourself eating meat that was condemned and then repackaged after the inspectors left. Imagine chickens beaks being sawed off with a hot knife so they can't peck at each other since they're raised in cages too small to even turn around. Imagine animals being skinned, burned, and cut up while they're still alive.

If it were up to me everyone would have to read this book.

I know what you're thinking...why would I want to read it knowing all this? You should read it because you owe it to yourself. You deserve to be educated about the foods you put into your body. You deserve to know the truth. And in our society, you have to seek that information out for yourself.

Please know that I don't expect everyone who reads this book will take away what I did. And that's alright. It's a personal choice. Maybe you'll read it and decide to rule out Trans Fats or buy Cage Free Eggs or to limit the amount of meat you give your daughters knowing now that the hormones in the meat trigger early development. Whatever the case may be, I promise you will walk away feeling empowered to make a better decision about the foods you put in your body.

So, after reading this book- it was without a doubt that my 3 month adventure into the world of being a vegetarian would be a cake walk.

In fact, I have no intention of eating meat ever again. Ever.

And that is the story of how I came to be a vegetarian. And I thought it would be appropriate to share today, on World Vegetarian Day.

I challenge you to go 1 day (24 hours) without meat in honor of today!

And in case you want to read the book...

Skinny Bitch

by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

dear gLee, you have made me so happy. i love wednesdays and it's all because of you.

dear scrapbooking girls, it's been too long. way too long.

dear jennifer, i hope our game of phone tag ends soon. we miss you guys!

dear angie, the quilt just melts my heart. you are so talented. i almost wish i could change my name to abigail elise and keep it for myself. thank you.

dear apartment, how do you manage to become so disorganized in a matter of hours? weren't you just clean? i'd really appreciate it if you pitched in a little bit around here and cleaned up after yourself.

dear buckeyes, please win the game on saturday. please.

dear wardrobe, hang tight, there will be lots and lots of new friends joining you very soon!

dear job market, you suck.

dear husband, i hope you're having a good casual friday. i'm looking forward to spending the weekend with you. i love you.

Wouldn't I look fabulous...

riding this insanely cool bike...

Well, I've been drooling over them for a while now and they are giving one away every week! I have my fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed hoping I somehow get lucky enough to win! Oh, and wouldn't it just work out great if I won it...then I could:

• cross off #42 by winning this awesome bike!
• cross off #45 and #36 by going on a bike date in a sundress and I could fill the back with food, wine and fresh flowers for a picnic!

I think it's meant to be!!

Quick Question:

Do you think I should be able to count Chocolate Goldfish Crackers as 1 of my 5 new foods to try for #9 on my list? I mean, technically I've never had them before and so they are new to me.

Something tells me this might be cheating.

If it's not cheating, then I think I should probably try the chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I've never had that either.

Today looked a little like this...

7:30am- wake up 15 minutes before my alarm and realize I should go ahead and get up so I'm not rushing around. no missed calls from Melanie must mean she didn't go into labor last night!

8:30am- leave the house and head to Melanie's for a belly shoot. I'd never done maternity shots before and I had so much fun doing it! Melanie's beautiful as it is- but seeing her with Lena and another little girl on the way just makes her even more so. I am so happy with how the photos turned out-here's a favorite so far:

12:00pm- head home. feeling a little sleepy at this point and my creative brain needs a break. looking forward to a little rest before i start preparing for photo session #2 for the day.

2:00pm- nap. ahhhhhhhhh

3:00pm- time to start working on preparing for the family shoot this evening. really looking forward to a new family and new ideas, but starting to get my normal nervous self whenever i get within a few hours. a good nervous, but just the kind where my mind starts flooding with thoughts of showing up without my camera or a screaming kid that wants nothing to do with me.

5:30pm- head to gahanna for the shoot. i pull up and see a beautiful family playing in the driveway. i know this is gonna be good.

6:00pm- photo time! we start with a few of my ideas and gradually they get back into their routine of digging for bugs, playing baseball and lots and lots of tickling. more photos to come this week, but for now here's one that I just cannot get enough of...

8:00pm- home in time for Dave and I's date with Big Brother!

9:00pm- begin a long night on the computer sorting through the oh, 800 pictures I took today.

i was reminded that it was days like today that I dreamed of having when i lost my job. it seemed so far away back then, but today was real. it was creative, it was exciting, it was new, it was challenging, and above all else, it was fulfilling.

you may have noticed though that Dave's name was not mentioned in much of my day today, so I'm off now to spend some time with him...have a good night!

Like a kid in a candy store...

That's the feeling I got when I walked into Sew to Speak yesterday. It's a great little fabric shop in Clintonville and I was in love with all the beautiful prints and the endless possibilities. I dream of a day when I have a nicer machine and I can go to a class there and make a dress!

So here's the prints I bought yesterday. I'm using them for a patchwork quilt. The project started as a table runner, but I think I like it so much that I'm going to end up making a quilt out of them! Aren't they delicious?

So that's what I'll be working on tonight while I watch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance (dance, dance). Sorry, I can't say that without the reverberating (dance, dance, dance) like the intro song. This means nothing to you if you don't watch the show. Anyhow, Go Jeanine!!

I have a fun day planned today...started the day with physical therapy, now off to lunch with Leslie, brainstorming my Etsy shop, yoga and then sewing! Now if I only had another bottle of that Strawberry Riesling!

Ciao!

It's moments like these...

when I am so thankful to have my days to spend as I please. Last week I headed to my dear friend Angie's house for a visit and some creative time. It was wonderful! I couldn't believe how much Lauren had changed in just a few short months- her hair is noticeably lighter and she's developing such a personality!

(Lauren)

The weather was beautiful and so that evening after dinner (and the most delicious cheesy bread I've ever tasted!) we took a trip to Lake Erie to let the boys splash around. What a treat to be so close to the water! I loved watching the boys splash and run along the beach. I tried to think back to a time when I had so much energy and couldn't care less that the water was cold or dirty or that I had sand in my shorts.

(Holden)

(Parker)

(Lauren and Angie)

(Holden)

And that night, after the kids were asleep, we started crafting. I've always admired people who can sew- and Angie is one of those talented people. She makes the most beautiful patchwork quilts and after watching her work I became intrigued. I started to wonder if I could teach myself (with the help of some family, friends and the internet) how to sew. I have a sewing machine, but it is just a tiny thing that is not meant for heavy fabrics. It's very basic, but I figured that's where I was at with things as well. So I picked Angie's brain, dug through her books and was so inspired by the endless possibilities. So over the weekend I took a trip to JoAnn. I got a few yards of fabric, some thread, some batting and some yarn. I took my sewing machine to my mom and got a crash course on how to use it again. And Sunday, I made this...

It's far from perfect. The binding was very tricky and I really need to work on sewing in a straight line (who knew it was so hard?), but I got the basics of it. It was a great first project and now I am feeling ready to try again. I think the next one I will begin to play a little bit more with a patchwork style and see where that gets me. Wish me luck!

And one more note from the weekend...this past Saturday we celebrated my dad's 61st birthday (or as he says- his sweet 16 if you reverse the numbers!). I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful, wonderful father. He is optimistic in the most trying of times, he's a teacher, he makes me laugh with his really bad jokes, he's just the right amount of serious when he needs to be, he believes in me and he makes me proud. I hope you had a wonderful birthday, dad! Here's to another year of good health, happiness and love. I hope you win big in Vegas!

What else to do on a rainy Wednesday morning?

Just saw this link on another blog and had to do it...go to madmenyourself.com and have fun! Here's me and David...what do you think? Do they kinda look like us? They didn't have jeans, so I had to make do. Make one of yourself and share it with me when you're done!

Summer Nights

Last night Dave and I headed to his parent's house for an impromptu cook-out. I harvested some beans and potatoes and got to work in the kitchen, while his mom and dad fixed free range chicken and corn. There was something very exciting about cooking with the food I had grown. I'm not much of a cook to begin with, but I was anxious to taste it and share our freshly grown vegetables with family.

After dinner we headed out back to relax. For those of you who have not been to their home, I must tell you it is a treat! From the back porch you feel like you're in a tree house. A long 2nd story deck with swings leads downstairs to a path and bridge that overlooks a creek. The yard below is home to a beautiful garden filled with fresh vegetables and flowers. If you're lucky, the deer and it's fawn might even be around. It's serene, it's calming and it's fresh.

Steve brought a large bucket full of fresh cut flowers upstairs and Jane and I spent the evening arranging 8 vases of zinnias, sunflowers and baby's breath. It really was the perfect summer night. It really made me realize the joy I get from working so closely with the things we'd grown ourselves.

Let's call the whole thing off...

So today I decided I was done waiting...a few of the potatoes had to be harvested so I could see if it really worked! To my surprise, it did! It was so exciting digging up the potatoes and I cannot wait to dig up the other 6 plants shortly. This means I will be able to cross something else off my list, because you better believe I'm eating these guys!

here meaning the place where i only post things that make me happy

a place dedicated to stories and photographs as i check things off my day zero project list

a place where i hope to reflect who i am, what i love, and what makes me smile

i've been learning a lot about myself lately- and i realize that i do things based on some unwritten set of rules that i think exists. i think i need to post more on my blog and if i don't then i'm a bad blogger. i think that i like the look of my blog and then a month later i am bored with it but feel bad changing it again. i sometimes don't post things i love strictly because i don't think they'll match the colors or style of my blog page. some may say i'm a bit ocd about it all...but i think i'm just overly concerned with the visual appearance of things. and yes, some may say that's the same thing.

but that's who i am...the world speaks to me visually and i want to figure out what it is that really makes me happy. now, i'm not talking about people or vacations or an original pinkberry with kiwi, strawberries and yogurt chips- we all know those things make me happy. i'm talking more about a personal style.

this project is a reflection of me and is a living record of my style. as long as i post things that make me happy, then i should always be able to look back and see the real me.

so i've started with a clean slate. a white background if you will. no photos will clash with this.

i've posted a photograph of vintage cameras at the top- because i love the photo, i love vintage cameras, and i loved the color scheme.

and i've posted the "just breathe" photograph for many reasons. 1- i love the mixture of nature with the clean, modern text. 2- i love words and fonts. 3- anything hanging on a clothesline is instantly more appealing, especially when it's not clothes. 4- i get the sense that in this very calm photograph there is still chaos somewhere. i feel like if we took a wider photograph there would just be noise and people and decisions and to do lists all over the place. and 5- it reminds me to do just that...just breathe.

now, to give you a lay of the land...

- on the right is where the list will live. i will update here with my progress as i check things off the list. i've removed the "in progress" update...a good friend of mine once said "you've either done it or you haven't" and i totally agree.

- the blog will be used for sharing photos and stories of me completing the 101 things and anything else i feel like sharing just because it makes me happy.

so, welcome. this is ultimately my journey, but i am so glad you're coming along for the ride.

The List

for myself...

i will do these things for me, whoever that is

1. find a job
2. give up diet coke- FOR GOOD!
3. run 3 5k races (0/3)
4. add to my antique camera collection

5. go for a run in the rain

6. lose 10lbs (goal weight) (0/10)
7. wear a bikini
8. make a new friend
9. try 5 new foods (0/5)
10. work out 7 days a week- do this 10 times (2/10)
11. finish my Listography book

12. get my eyes checked
13. finish my Five book

for others...

since things don't always go right, it's nice to have someone like you on my left

14. write a thank you note to an old school teacher

15. reconnect with an old friend

16. plan an outing with each of my nephews (0/2)

17. surprise someone

18. send a care package to a friend full of inside jokes

19. create a scavenger hunt for someone i love

20. make a mixed cd for a friend

21. email/write a letter to someone who inspires me

for entertainment...

my little reminder when i'm looking for something to do on a friday night

22. host a game night

23. do a line dance

24. play soccer

25. throw an outdoor dinner party- complete with tablecloth, centerpiece, dinnerware, etc

26. finish a 2000 piece puzzle

27. go to the zoo to see the baby elephant

28. go to a musical

29. go to a drive-in movie

30. go to a playground and swing

31. initiate a water balloon fight

32. go to the midnight showing of a movie

33. go to a baseball game

because i want to...

"goodbye" she said...i'm off to join the circus

34. send a postcard to PostSecret

35. audition for a game show

36. go on a grownup picnic and drink wine

37. make homemade pasta

38. print my favorite photograph from our wedding

39. try pizza from 5 new places (0/5)

40. buy ice cream from the ice cream truck (bonus points if i have to chase after him!)

41. watch Girls Just Want To Have Fun with Leslie

42. win something
43. sleep in front of a fire

44. start a new tradition

45. go on a bike date in a sundress

46. pull a great April fools joke on someone

47. test drive a car that's out of my price range

48. blog every day for 1 month straight

49. send 15 postcards on Postcrossing (0/15)

50. wear a flower in my hair

51. write a message in a bottle...send it out into the ocean

52. create a time capsule and burry it when dave and i buy a house

53. try out a snuggie

54. buy lemonade from a kid's lemonade stand

55. carve mlm + dsm 4 ever in a tree

to see the world

get your kicks on route 66

56. visit a state i've never been to before

57. make it to either Pinkberry or Sprinkles Cupcakes

58. go on a road trip with no predetermined destination

59. get a passport

for organization

a place for everything and everything in its place (well, almost)

60. clean out my car once a month (3/34)

61. organize my music/playlists

62. back up all my photos onto an external hard drive

63. update my contacts on my computer/phone with birthdays, emails, etc

64. make the bed every morning for a month straight

65. organize my scrapbook room and supplies

66. clean out my closet and be realistic about what to keep

giving back

i am fairly certain that given a cape and a nice tiara, i could save the world

67. complete 40 hours of volunteer work (0/40)

68. volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

69. pay for the person behind me in line

70. leave a large tip for a really good waiter/waitress

71. donate 15,000 grains of rice on freerice.com to help end world hunger (1,250/15,000)

72. leave a book through Bookcrossing

73. write a letter to a political office about something i'm passionate about

for mother earth

i might like you better if you recycled

74. use reusable shopping bags when I go to the grocery

75. eat something from my own garden

76. eat vegetarian for 3 consecutive months

77. get a bird feeder and hang it outside my window

for my wallet

they say money can't buy happiness...all i'm asking is the chance to decide for myself

78. buy a house

79. return all library books/movies on time

for learning

conjunction junction, what's your function?

80. learn to write my name 3 different ways (0/3)

81. teach a skill to a child (ex- high five, word, tie shoes)

82. read The Secret

83. start a family tree

84. take a dance class

85. learn how to blow up a balloon

86. find out my blood type

87. read my favorite childhood story to a child

88. teach an old dog a new trick

89. be able to read my camera guide and understand it all

90. play rockband on hard level

for the love of art

do something creative every day

91. write/illustrate a children's book

92. buy a coloring book and fill every page

93. create a Wreck This Journal

94. complete the sh1ft project (monthly photography projects) six times (0/6)

95. enter a photography contest

96. start a new scrapbook

97. create a photography portfolio (hard copy, not on the computer)

98. take a portrait of everyone in my family

99. visit and photograph 15 places significant to my life up until now (0/15)

100. make an inspiration folder on my computer

one final to do
101. inspire 5 people to make a Day Zero Project list