Well time to unwind on a Sunday night and talk about my week. My Dad's first cousin, Tina, and her son Chris came in this week from West Palm Beach Florida. I asked them if they were crazy for leaving sunny 80 degree florida for drab and dreary November in Chicago! Before I get into all that's been going on with them, I'm sure you want an explanation for the goofy pictures I posted...

I'm come to the conclusion that I have the power to make almost anyone I know nearly pee in their pants with these photos....and I didn't even post some of the really bizarre ones! I bought a new Mac computer back in March, and I absolutely LOVE it. I hated the Macs when I first started using them for all my graphic design work at school, but I have learned to love them, and I don't think I would ever buy a PC again. Not that anything is wrong with PC's but the Mac does so much cool stuff...like making bizarre photos! Well there is a program that was installed on the computer called photo booth, and it works with the camera that is built into the monitor. When you open up the photo booth it shows a live image, and you can take your picture. It has about 18 different filters that you can click on, and that's where the fun begins.

There's "bulge" which is how I got my eyeball to pop out, "x-ray," "squeeze," which is how my dad made himself look like he's got a shrunken head, and even things like "thermal camera" and "stretch" which makes almost anyone look like a frog, and numerous others that you can play around with. The effect is centered, so as you are looking at the live pic, you can move your head/body around until you get the desired effect you want, and then you can take your picture. Every time I have a guest in my house who has not seen it before, I bring them up to my room and let them have at it. I currently have over 230 pictures of friends and family with these distorted and bizarre photos, and we've all laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. You can sit in front of it for hours and try different effects, and the great thing is, it's instant! No Photoshop required! 

When my Aunt passed away this summer and my Uncle came to stay with us the week after her funeral, he was feeling pretty bummed out, and I would too if I lost my spouse/best friend of 30 years. We knew that using my computer would lift his spirits, and it sure did! We had so many good laughs after pinching his face, blowing his forehead out of proportion, and even making him look like an alien! I never expected him to laugh as much as he did that day, and I'm glad it gave him something to smile about. Around that same time is when I made my famous eyeball picture, which has been e-mailed to MANY, MANY people!! All I did was write the caption "I have some slight swelling in my right eye" and I sent it out. I got so many responses about my crazy sense of humor, but everyone loved it! I even pulled a prank on the ladies at work. There's a picture of the good looking guy from "Prison Break" hanging on the wall by the area where we dip our strawberries in chocolate. I decided to print the picture out really big, and swap that with the photo of the guy.....when they finally noticed it they sure freaked out!! Then it became a big inside joke about how they'd better watch out because "I have my eye on them!" I actually made a little "bubble" out of white paper so it looks like the comics when someone is talking, then I made a new message on it with everyone's name... like, "Donna, you better make a nice arrangement because I've got my eye on you!!" They all got a kick out of it....

Well enough of that.....hope you enjoy the pics. So we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with my family that's in from out of town because I had school and my sis, dad and I all had work, plus the fam had plans to do things downtown and to meet some friends, but we did have a good time last night. We went downtown to Ron of Japan, a restaurant with the Hibachi, where they cook right in front of you. It sure was crowded though, and I got really cranky because I was starving. John told me that he's going to keep food in the car for me so he can feed me when I start getting cranky! The bad thing is I know when I am cranky and it's hard to control until I eat something. I guess I was just tired too. I worked all day saturday and I took a little nap when I got home, but just when I started to fall asleep I had to get up to get ready to go. Plus, the traffic was bad and some of the streets were closed because they had the parade where they light the Christmas lights, so there was about a million people downtown. After I ate I felt better, especially after I had my green tea ice cream, but I just wanted to go home. So that didn't happen and we all went to my sister's house and watched the movie Rat Race. It is so ridiculous and silly but that's what makes it so hysterical!! After getting home at about 2 am, I crashed and spent this morning relaxing. But of course I can never really relax on Sunday since it's my only full day off...that means all the stuff I didn't have time to do during the week gets done on Sunday, like cleaning, homework and projects. Oh well!

I sent out engagement announcements at the beginning of the week, and it's just been really nice getting all of the responses from everyone wishing us lots of luck, happiness, and congratulations! It's been an exciting week for me, and I've been really upbeat. I've been waiting so long for this moment, and it's finally here!!    

Well another weekend, another blog. This has been quite a week...I am so tired! I've had so many projects, presentations and papers due this week for finals, plus I am wrapping up everything with my internship, then work, then the snowstorm and a painting job. Phew! I was given the day off work on Monday which was nice, but instead of doing work all afternoon I took some time to do a little Christmas and Birthday shopping and to run some errands, then I came home and worked on my portfolio all night so I could present it on Tuesday. I was given the afternoon off because work has just been so slow...I guess everyone is out spending money on Christmas gifts, but not at my work. I think it's just the calm before the storm...I'm sure we'll have a hundred something orders for Christmas. I'm kind of upset that I have to work a full day on Christmas Eve. Heck I'd rather work Christmas Day because that's a quiet day for us...we usually spend time with the family on Christmas Eve. Oh well, I have to put it in perspective and be thankful I have a job so I can pay my bills and save up for that wedding I'm having in a couple of years!

I've been working on a new painting job this week. I actually started it 2 weeks ago but the Thanksgiving holiday put everything on hold...and with school and work I found it hard to make it over there. Since work was so slow again and I was done with school by Tuesday because of finals, I was able to work all day on wednesday, from 8:30-5:30....that was a long time to be on my feet all day. It's so much work doing painting jobs. It's not as easy and cushy as it seems. My back aches from turning at angles to get in the right position to paint, and my feet ache from being on the ladder. I've screwed up my neck and right shoulder from holding up my arm for long periods of time without resting it or stretching it first, and just the repetitive motion of painting for so many years killed it. By no means am I complaining...I actually realized the other day how much I miss it. No matter how achy and sore I get from doing it, I will always love it and I know it's my calling in life. The last painting job I had was in March, so I went awhile without painting. It got hard when I was doing it every week. The only reason I am not is because I went so long without any calls for murals and had to go out and get my job at Edible Arrangements so I could rely on a steady income. I loved making my own hours and working when I wanted, but the calls just weren't coming in. I actually was booked with jobs that kept me busy for nearly two years. At one point I had a 6 month waiting list! Oh well, things change....the jobs seem to come in waves too. I'm hoping it will pick up again, and maybe I can just go back to doing what I love.

The murals I am working on this week are in a wine room, so I did a tuscan window mural by the wine shelves, along with trompe L'Oeil (french for trick the eye) paintings of exposed brick. That is done as of right now, but I still need to do a shelf with some wine glasses and a wine bottle with some grape vines and more exposed brick. The tuscan look is REALLY popular now, and I find myself doing a lot of those paintings. I've even done some in my house for my mom and dad. I am glad they were brave enough to let me paint on their walls! I started painting on the walls when I was 16, and it's funny because people did not believe that my parents would let me do that to practice new techniques....and now people pay me to do it!

I was going to finish up the job on Friday but that monster snow storm came in....okay, so we've had way worse these previous winters, but since there was so much freezing rain and ice, I decided to stay home instead of painting...then for the third time this week I did not have to go into work...woohoo! I had the whole day off on friday...a rare occasion!! A day to myself!! Once the weather cleared up my mom and I decided to spend the afternoon together and go shopping at the new Costco that just opened up in Orland....I think I found my new favorite store! Hahaha....they had tons of free samples, and I felt like I ate half the store. I even tried lamb for the first time! I'm really into scrapbooking, so I was excited when I got 81 Gel pens for 15 bucks!!! Then in the evening I saw my best friend and her boyfriend and gave her an early birthday present since I knew I would not see her today. They were on the internet when John and I were there, and they were looking at engagement rings....they were even going to go looking at some stores on Saturday! I was excited!! It will be fun to do wedding planning with my best friend!! I can't wait until he pops her the question!!

Today John and I headed out to Justice to attend his second cousin Dominic's Christening. It was a nice ceremony, and we headed over to Fox's in Oak Lawn afterward for dinner. I got a few nice pics, however, I did not turn on the flash for all of them and they came out a tad grainy. This has been such a long week and I am thankful it's over. I get to start over fresh tomorrow after a looooong quarter with a new set of classes, and hopefully I will finish my painting job this week so I have one less thing to worry about. Speaking of starting off fresh, I think I'm going to top it off by cutting off all my hair. I'm talking really short...short enough where I can't pull it back. This is the longest I've had it in years, and I am super tired of the tug of war every morning with this frizzy mess!

So I guess this upcoming week will set off a time of new beginnings...I'm ready for a change. John and I are at a new point in our relationship after just getting engaged, I'm starting a new quarter, reflecting on the previous one as a job well done, and working my way into the new year which is right around the corner. I think new hairstyle will be just the thing I need to top it all off.

Change is good...and if I totally hate it.......

HAIR GROWS BACK! :)