I hope that neglecting this space doesn't become a habit. Learning to budget my time is first on the long list of things that need to be done, ASAP. I'll leave you with my second mirror image, and hope that you are having yourself a wonderful week thus far. We'll catch up soon, I promise!! xo
I like the theme this month over at the self portrait challenge site. My first attempt:
Definitely pop over there and see what's going on.
sparkley eyes illuminated by candles.
More shine here.
Sorry I've been gone from this little place. I started reading Breaking Dawn and did not tear myself away until I finished it. I loved it, but I was sad to say goodbye to the characters. Back soon!!
I took all my pictures for the SPC June theme in one day. This is the last of the bunch which means, I'll have to take a few more. How I wish I had a remote fro my camera.
For this picture, I used Raspberry Tea from the coffeeshop action pack (found on Flickr).
I had a very healthy pregnancy, gaining a normal amount of weight and very minimal sickness. It was the happiest time of my life. I won't lie... the end was nasty... baby doing acrobatic flips in my belly and all. That is a very uncomfortable feeling. But that's about the biggest complaint I have about that experience. I was very active and I worked everyday up until my maternity leave started (11 days before I gave birth).
One little side effect of the whole experience that hasn't been so lovely: stretch marks. Oh, God.. I wish I could embrace them already. They're like tatoos: marks left from a beautiful time and a beautiful memory - except - I didn't get these on purpose. I've got the kind of skin that they love, lucky me. So even if I don't love them, they're still here, etched forever in places that I can't hide.
Funny, they're more exposed in the shadows than the light.
See more nudes here.
For years and years I belonged to a traveling Serbian folk dancing group. I know what you're thinking... She must have been the life of the party... Yeah, I can admit it.. I was a nerd. But a popular nerd with cute boyfriends, thank you very much. This folk dancing hobby of mine did not cramp my style or shatter my reputation. In fact, my friends thought it was cool. But they were also kinda teetering on the nerdy/misfit side so I don't know how much their opinion will help me here. Hmm. Ok, well, let me just say this. I had a lot of fun traveling around the US with this group. We danced at a lot of music festivals around the country - and - how many of you can say you danced on stage at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center? Can I see a show of hands? Anybody? If you know me, you know that I am a very traditional girl. I loved exploring this part of my dad's Serbian heritage - learning the stories behind the different dances and the work that went into making the costumes. It has been years since I've worn my dancing shoes but as soon as I slipped my feet into them, the memories began to flood back, which is weird because we did a lot of drinking on those trips.
The shoes are called "opanke" or "opanci". Go here to see the different styles one might have worn hundreds of years ago or here for some English translation. These are mine, a little dusty from sitting on the top shelf of my closet for 15 years. 
Today is Day 6 of Art Every Day month. Yesterday I made a decoupage box. I loved it so much that I made another one this morning.
Heart Shaped Box - Painted on the inside.
Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I love to cook. I love it. From buying the freshest ingredients, to the chopping and prep, and tasting the final result. My favorite part of the day is eating dinner with my family, all of us seated around the table... sharing conversation and bits of our day over a nutritious meal cooked with love (and my favorite orange spoon).
On the menu tonight? Lentil soup.
See more photos of people with food here.
**The recipe**
Lentil Soup - Serves 8-10 (freeze some in small containers for a quick meal)
1- 16 oz. bag of lentils, 2 tbsps. olive oil, 2 small onions chopped, 2 celery stalks chopped, 2 cloves of garlic chopped, 2 cups of cubed ham, 1 ham-hock (gross & optional, but adds alot of flavor), 8 cups of water. Salt and pepper to taste.
~Rinse/ wash the lentils, soak them in water for one hour, then drain.
~In a soup-pot, heat 2 tbsps. of olive oil on medium/high heat.
~Saute onions, celery, and cubed ham for 10 minutes or until onions are softened and clear. Add chopped garlic and continue to saute for another minute.
~Add lentils, ham-hock and water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to a lower setting. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for 1 hour.
~Stir, taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. (I added 1 beef bouillon cube). Add water if needed. Cook the soup for an additional 30 minutes to one hour - depending on the consistency of the soup - I like it a little thicker so I cooked it for 2 hours total.
~When it's done, remove and throw away the ham-hock. It has very little meat on it. Enjoy!
We are a family who loves our sweets. A meal is never completely done until the plates are cleared and we're sitting down with a cookie and a cup of coffee (or milk!).
See more portraits here.
The cookies pictured above (because somebody already emailed to ask!) are available at Trader Joe's. Triple Ginger Snaps and White Chocolate drizzled Oatmeal Dunkers.
