Awkward & Awesome Thursdays

Welcome to this week's edition of "Awkward & Awesome"

{images above: "scenes" from my WVU snowglobe}

Don't forget to check out my friends' blogs to follow along on their "Awkward & Awesome" posts as well. Erica and Heather never dissapoint! Have a great weekend...and here's hoping you avoid any awkard moments and only encounter the awesome ones. {but if you have the inevitable awkard...I hope you're able to laugh about it!}

The Awkward:

•  Having to get a perscription filled for 31 tubes of  cream...all at once. Talk about getting weird glances, especially as the lady at the counter shouted back to the pharmacist "do we even HAVE that many?!" Totally appreciated her subtly in asking that. Ha!
•  {ok, before you all go running and hide your children in fear of whatever has made me need to get that absurd amount of anything from a pharmacy, let me calm your fears.....I'm having surgery on my nose soon and I simply just have to do this nasal rinse everyday leading up to it; this cream is what I mix into the solution.}
• While I'm on the topic of noses...do you use those netty pot things? The whole squeezing liquid up one nostral and having it come pouring out of the other really just falls on top of the "awkward" list for me. Especially when my cat hops up on the counter and watches. Everytime I use it I just can't help but giggle...which of course makes me wind up tasting the solution, which makes me grimace...and that's a whole 'nother level of awkward to catch a glimpse of yourself doing in the bathroom mirror...ok, I need to change to subject. Why couldn't I have just knocked over a huge display of Animal Crackers in the store or something? I'll try to do better next week.
• talking about your nose and things you put up it. awkward. {Sorry!} hehe

The Awesome:

• Snowglobes! Even cheapies at the tourist trap shops along the highways....little worlds with glittery snow falling on them just make me happy. My hubby & I have a big WVU one that plays a music box version of "Country Roads" when you wind it up. I love it!
• Enjoying a book that just sucks you in...I love getting lost in another world. I've been trying to read for at least 30 mins every night before falling asleep, and the past couple books I've picked up have had me burning the midnight oil because I just couldn't put them down.



Awkward & Awesome Thursdays {a fun little group posting}

{above images: Left- My sweet lab, Quilla, lying next to her leash by the back door this AM

  Top Right-my new spice shaker, a gift from my Mom & Dad. Bottom Right- Salt shaker, bought on a trip to Mexico with my hubby}

This week's "Awkward & Awesome" is brought to you by the letter "C"....for coffee. Somehow, despite how "chill" this week's schedule has been for me, {no thanks to Hurrican Irene forcing me to reschedule sessions},  I just can't seem to get enough of it. Maybe it's the effects of a post-adreline rush from the triathlon, but I have been seriously dragging the past couple days! Not cool!

For those of you new to the blog...Welcome! Awkward & Awesome Thursdays is a fun little group posting I do every week with some fellow photographer friends, Heather & Erica. It's a light-hearted little way for us to stay in touch, and for you to get to know us a bit better. This late in the week sometimes you just need a giggle {and it's OK with us that it's at our expense} or a little good news...but be careful, sometimes these postings can have side effects! Erica once blogged about her orange fingers courtesy of a bag of Cheetos...and despite my best efforts to restrain myself I wound up caving to the craving her post created. I think I'm still running that indulgence off at the gym...

Since I didn't get a chance to post last week, this week will focus mostly on my experience competing in my first triathlon!

The Awkward:

• Things you don't want to hear from a fellow racer just seconds before starting the swim portion of a triathlon: "I hope I don't get pinkeye again from this swim. Last time I swam in this lake I got it from the water..." For the first couple minutes I found myself doing a modified version of the breast stroke...I did NOT want to stick my face in that watert...
•  This one would be better with a visual aide, but my "creative problem solving" {I certainly can't call it genius engineering, although it worked - so maybe I can?} to get my bike rack attached securely to my VW Bug Convertible so that it could handle the 11+ hour drive I had to make. 
• I SO love my Mom & appreciate beyond words her undying support, but I still giggle thinking about this: I was home for a couple days before heading to my race and needed to get some of my training in. My rockin' Mom decided to buy a bike so she could ride with me.We did an 18+ mile ride with me on my racing bike...and her on her little "cruiser" - complete with a basket and a little bell that went "cla-ching, cla-ching."  I would ride a few miles, then stop and wait for a while for her to catch up. I'd see her peddling away in her matching turqouise outfit, basket full of "gear," waving to me as she got nearer. She's so darn cute, but that was such a hoot to see! {I love you, Mom!}
• The swim start to the triathlon: I had my "happy place" during the 2 minutes we were treading water before the horn went off. We were all spread out and I was ready to just zoom off ... but apparently my happy place was THE happy place that EVERYONE in my heat wanted to be in. The 10 second countdown began, and all of a sudden everyone seemed to magically get sucked into my foot of water. The horn went off and it was suddenly like this pirana attack of stranger's feet on my face and arms. EEEEW!
• The way your legs feel after you get off the bike to start the run portion of a triathlon...twleve hundred pounds of concrete tied to each leg would be about equal.

 The Awesome:

• My Mom  loving me enough to go buy a bike to ride along with me.
• Getting over my completely irrational fear of riding a bike. Not only did I complete the extremely steep-hilled 17.5 mile bike course, but I rocked it!
• Crossing the finish line.
• Crossing the finish line and having your Mom & Dad literally RIGHT THERE to give you a huge hug.
• The post-race "high" you get :-) I can't wait to do another one!

And here's one hell of an extra special "AWESOME":

• Getting the news that your hubby's latest CT Scan shows NO SIGN OF ANY MORE CANCER! woooo-hoooo!!! We've been waiting for that for over 2 years now.... 

Awkward & Awesome Thursday {A fun little group posting}

Welcome back for another Awkward & Awesome Thursday!

The Awkward:

• You know those dayz dais daze days where every word you type just looks weird and you  suddenly can't seem to spell worth a lick? I'm having one...
• Me. On a bike.  (reality check: my triathlon is less than 10 days away now! oh, @*#$ !)
• Gooseberries. blechk!! So very sorry gooseberry farmers & gooseberry lovers...but what are ya thinking? I saw these seductive little translucent pods glowing in the artificle artificial (see, told ya) sunlight in the produce aisle. They looked so intriguing, so delicate, so....good. I had to have them! Had to! I excitably hurried home and called my Mom to tell her about these gorgeous little gems I'd just discovered. I carefully opened the little pod, popped the waxy fruit into my mouth, took one taste....and immediately spit it out, gagged, made all kinds of weird noises, and waved my hand in front of my tongue as if that would really help get rid of the bitter aftertaste. My mom...simply laughed. 

The Awesome:

• Birthdays! It was my fabulously incredible, sexy, funny, heroic, sweet, goofy, & selfless hubby's 33rd Birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, sexy butt! I love you!!!
• My Trainer, Nick...ok, I've really not enjoyed a second of my training sessions, and I've had to explain to him several times that telling a gal that she's "thick" is NOT the compliment that he claims it is, ("Athletic" = OK, "Curvy" = OK...."thick" = NOT OK.... ) but I think he finally got the message. And now that I'm a week out from my tri, I can finally appreciate all the pain and suffering he's put me through. So I'll let the "thick" comments go...for now...and will appreciate the fact that because of his training I'm starting to feel pretty bad-ass in my workouts. In fact, if I can just get over my silly fear of riding down hill on a bike, I think I've actually got this triathlon in the bag!

OK, so I feel pretty bad for knocking Goosberries so hard, and for spitting one out and not bothering to give it a second chance, so to play nice here's a link to some Gooseberry Recipes. I hope that redeems me in the eyes of any Gooseberry Advocates out there....

Have a fantastic weekend! I'm taking the next 7 days to focus HARD on last minute training for my upcoming Iron Girl Triathlon. Wow, can't believe in just a few days I'll be able to say I did this...and I'm sure while I'll be cursing my friend, Ali, for getting me into this while it's going on I know I'll be thanking her profusely when it's over. This is certainly not something I'd have signed up for on my own...so cross your fingers for me & my race buddies Ali & Kirsten, and say a little prayer to the Bike Riding God that I can get through the 17.5 mile, 4-hill course without winding up kissing the pavement. THANKS!  And don't forget to check out Heather & Erica's blogs for their weekly dose of funny :-)

Awkward & Awesome Thursday {A fun little group posting}

Welcome back for another Awkward & Awesome Thursday!


The Awkward:

• Realizing that after almost six years of marriage you still have the stickers on the majority of the gorgeous crystal glasses you registered for. {I think it's time to have a few people over for dinner & drinks!}
• Dog farts {and the faces they cause you to make}.....gross! I don't know what Quilla got into....
• Taking your car to the car wash, and getting completely tangled up in that huge industrial vacuum hose.

The Awesome:

• Seeing my cat & dog snuggling together all the time will just never get old. I love that they're such good buddies!
• Clinique Bonus Week...getting whatever cute new cosmetic bag they have always makes me happy. It's like a little makeover for my lipstick and mascara.
• An exterior shot of the Extreme Makeover home being built was the cover photo for the Spartanburg Journal this week! How cool! I'm not an architectural photographer, so for that to be the type of image that becomes my first cover shot is something I'd never expected, but I certainly enjoyed it happening!
• Being spoiled! Not one, but TWO bouquets of sunflowers were delivered to me this week; one from my wonderful Mother- and Father-in-Law, and yesterday one from my super sweet hubby. My living room looks so bright & cheery now!

Thanks so much for stopping by these week...don't forget to check out Heather & Erica's posts, too! XOXO

Awkward & Awesome Thursday {A fun little group posting}

I've really been enjoying this new little weekly blog theme; a big thanks again to my friend Heather for getting a group of us together to start doing this! I really hope you've been able to get a few giggles on our behalf...we've definitely all had some pretty awkward "awkwards"  to share! Thankfully, we've also had some pretty incredible "awesomes" to share as well...


Without further ado, here are some of the moments from my week that have left me both smacking myself in the head with embarrassment, and smiling big...

THE AWKWARD:

• Feelin' all pumped and ready for an awesome workout in some schnazzy new cross-trainers....and then looking down while you're a few miles in only to realize you never took the huge tag/info pamphlet off the shoes. Now everyone at the gym is aware that you have a 15-day test run of the shoes. nice.
• Why is it that every plant I bought for my garden out back has withered away, but the weeds are all growing lush and plentiful? I will win this battle....someday....
• I know that I'm going to be 32 and that everyone on the planet has to go to the Drs and should really just get over it already, but seriously...all the questions you have to fill out or answer when you're seeing a new Doctor? I really wish the "ice breaker" questions when meeting a Dr for the first time could be more like "Did you see Hangover 2? Wasn't that hilarious?" rather than "and when was the first day of your last period?" 
• 23 days 'till the Iron Girl Triathlon. WHAT?!!! 

THE AWESOME:

• New running shoes....I love the extra little "bounce" they add to your step!
• Skype! I know we're behind the eight ball a little bit, but two months in to this deployment my hubby and I FINALLY had the chance to see each other. Pure awesomeness to see his smile.
• Noticing that all the squats and lunges and hours spent at the gym may finally be paying off....I do believe my booty is a little bit perkier! (or maybe it's just the extra bounce from my new shoes....either way, I like it hehe)
• Friends that convince you to do things you'd never do otherwise....like sign up for a triathlon. Seriously Ali...I love ya....I hate ya, but I love ya....

OK...I have a TON of blogging to catch up on over the next few days, so stay tuned. But don't forget to hop on over to Heather and Erica's blogs to share in their Awkward & Awesome's as well. Love those gals!  


{Above Image: Kristen, one of Awesome instructors at Omni Fitness. She kicks my butt twice a week...and was one of the Featured Members I photographed last weekend for the gym's monthly Spotlight.)

Awkward & Awesome Thursday

{insert photo of me & Paulie here}

Wow! To say that the past seven days has been a blur would be a HUGE understatement. But what an awesome, humbling, {exhausting} and emotional blur it was. I am so grateful for the

experience I had getting to photograph the behind-the-scenes action of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build. I will never forget this...and I have the 1,200+ photographs to prove it. yikes!

So for this week's "Awkward & Awesome" images I have a very cute shot of myself with EMHE Designer Paulie. I've been so excited to post it here...but for some reason my blogger is being temperamental today and I keep getting the dreaded "box with the red X." Boo! But that's OK, 'cause it is "Awkward and Awesome Thursday" and to have a post on a photography blog that doesn't include a photograph definitely fits the awkward category. 

Without further ado....here is this week's "Awkward & Awesome"

The Awkward:

• Talking to a group of people you had just taken a photograph of and asking them what brought them to Fayetteville from Nashville, TN...at a country music concert... in the VIP tent...{whoops! in my defense they had changed their shirts since they stepped off stage! sorry, guys!}
• Nearly face-planting at the construction site in front of a whole slew of people. {How was I supposed to see the hot pink wire tied to the stakes that was outlining where a wall was going to go?  Certainly the man bent over hammering in one of the stakes to stretch that wire wasn't a dead giveaway that something was there....and certainly I wasn't really that silly to not be watching where I was running to on a construction site! }

The Awesome:

• This entire week! Seeing a community pull together to build a home for a wonderful family and the Women Veterans who they so lovingly help was just beyond words.