kids vs. food vs. parents vs. ME

Being a "Big" in the Big Brother Big Sister program is definitely a learning experience. I knew that it would be from the begining and I am so optimistic about the things that we approach in our friendship/mentorship.

I am learning SO much about myself, about other people, and most of all.... kids. Wow. With not being completely positive if having a child of my own will be in my future, I know that kids are a huge element in our world and adore them so much. My love for kids brings up so many emotions when it comes to the way they are parented, the way they are treated, and the way they treat themselves.

I am on this recent journey to help mentor my "little" on the importance of nutrition and health. Coming from a family that was "low income" as a child living with a single parent, and my "little" being on the list of "low income" with both parents at home, I know how difficult it can be to feed these little growing bodies. In a generation of FA(s)T FOOD the alternative is time consuming, more expensive, and more complicated to buy and prepare. I get that.

So today I went to the library and pulled as many books as I could on nutrition and cooking for kids (and a few for myself). The issue I have had is giving my "little" an option (because I am not there to be her parent) of what to eat when we go out.

"Fries!!!.... maybe chicken strips too. OH, and a mountain dew!"

Ok, I usually refuse the soda to the server.

But how do I go around this without stepping on the toes of the parents? That is my challenge.

{Couple books I pulled}

Carbonated Beverages-The Incredibly Disgusting Story

http://www.rosenpublishing.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=55302&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Weight Watchers-Eat!Move! Play!

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=87051

Dinner for Busy Moms

http://www.dinnerforbusymoms.com/

Yum-O The Family Cookbook from Rachael Ray

http://www.yum-o.org/

Any suggestions that YOU would like to share about child nutrition???? Please comment & share.
Aj

easter veggie tray

Here is the veggie tray I made for this Easter's lunch at Grandma's today. Kind of fun, right? Maybe this would make kids eat their veggies more.

Rabbit Food.

Hope everyone had a {GARNISHED} EASTER!


Aj

cute spring clothes & rabbit food.

A relaxing start to my morning, sipping on coffee, & planning my wardrobe for this

Easter Sunday.

OH, and I cant forget to make my veggie tray for Easter lunch. I title it

"Rabbit Food".

Using individual cups with a dallop of garlic tzatziki dip in each mini cup, then a sliced carrot, asparagus, and some broccoli trees placed strategically.

Ill post a photo this afternoon for the result!

(maybe, if it turns out ok. I'd hope that I cant even mess this one up)

hello earth, i think you're pretty

Happy {Earth} Day

How cool was it that coffee shops all around Seattle gave out

FREE DRINKS

if customers brought in their own travel cups!

Any other fabulous ways that companies were promoting

EARTH DAY today?

(unfortunately, I realized I did not go above & beyond in lieu of our beautiful piece of the universe).

BUT, why just limit it to 1 DAY!?

My Earth Day will be tomorrow!

Aj

photo shoot sesh 2

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I would be doing makeup artistry and styling (again) for a fabulous shoot with 2 fabulous women. The shoot was amazing and the completed images were even more impressive! Always a pleasure working with this team.

Let the bags inspire.

Love it. Or dump it.

In The Sack.

The transformation

Designer-Alexis Cristianne

For more images and info on these bags or photos visit
Alexis at: http://www.tienlimited.com/
Andrea at: http://www.lifeiluli.com/

Love. Comment. Share.

Aj

an expensive lesson.

Today I realized something about myself and came to terms with it. The way I feel about money is way more than just the ability to purchase something. It's an emotional thing. It covers my insecurities.

Wow.

I can't believe I just admitted to that. Phew, I didn't even die after I said it either.

Curious if any of my wonderful readers have an emotional tie to money as well.....

(no pretty image on this post. I mean, really, that was hard enough to admit and took all of my energy)

morning cup of......

My ideas & experiences are the coffee beans. My writing is the brew process. My final post is my morning cup of coffee.

It starts my morning. It starts my week, in a way that a cup of my fave java would do.Let it allow you to sum up what your morning cup would be filled with as well.

Morning Cup of...................

a Growth Spurt

I feel as if someone is testing me these days. Like they put a crack in the pavement and see if I'll fall into it, or notice it first and walk around it. Or, they give me LOADS of money and test how I will react to the benefits. OR, the opposite! They remove all that I have, and challenge me to grow from it. So, that is what I will do. I will GROW. I have faith in myself that I will respect what is thrown my way and move forward with life with a stronger armor.

Now, if it were only that easy. To look past the negative things that occur in life and keeping positive can be so tough. It's so much easier to just crumble and break down then bask in the turmoil. But I refuse! (Ok, yesterday I may have crumbled a tad) :) Today I will embrace the positive things and CREATE more optimistic parts of my day.

I will challenge myself to turn some of the negative into positive today. To chip away at that hard rock that seems to be sitting... well... on my entire body at the moment. Here, is to creating my GROWTH SPURT!

Aj

it's personal

I recently went to a networking seminar that regarded women & finances & business. So interesting! We each were given a sheet that had 9 "life values/areas", and were told to rank these in order of importance. I looked around and saw everyone scurrying to write their numbers 1-5 down. I froze. I got this overwhelming feeling of anxiety, emotion, and failure. Why was it so easy for everyone to do this, and I was freakin'?

After everyone (but me) had completed this, the speaker says "I bet that if I were to look inside your check book, I would see completely different values than what YOU had listed". Fascinating. I bet that's true. She continued on about how we are not putting our money towards the things that are most important to us, instead we go for some insta-grat (instant gratification). So true again.

The reason I am posting about this, is.... well, my sheet that remains empty of my rankings, is still at my desk. It stumps me every day. I look at it and think of the things that I feel are SUPPOSE to be the most valuable, the things that I WANT to be, and then a mix of things I feel actually are of importance to me.

Here are the 9 items (in no particular order)

• 
  
  business




• 
  
  family & home




• 
  
  physical health




• 
  
  financial & material




• 
  
  spiritual growth




• 
  
  spouse/relationship




• 
  
  friends & recreation




• 
  
  career & professional development




• 
  
  personal growth

What would your order of rank look like? Or, do you struggle with the overwhelming emotion with it as well? I'll try it again. Would love to hear your comments on this.

To see more, check out the author who created this list at http://www.thegodwingroup.net/ Audrey Godwin is a NO-B.S. CPA/Author that tells you how it is when it comes to women and their finances. :) Not gonna lie.... I needed to hear it!

and the camera goes....

After playing around a little with where to put the vintage camera.... I placed it in our bedroom with a collaboration of books and little kitchy items I had around the house. For now, it works. Untill I change things up again on my next day off. :)

click. shoot. garnish.

There is nothing I love to do more than scour antique stores and thrift stores during my free time. Lately I have been so drawn to vintage cameras and always on the search to find these chic little pieces that were once "so in the past". Maybe it's my career goals in mind that inspire this {ob-session}. Just maybe.

Now that I have acquired {2 vintage photo-catchers}, I am trying to find a fun and appealing way to display them (when I am not using them for photo shoots and vignettes).

As I continue to dream up of some "poses" for these cameras....

I am always so drawn to clusters of the same item.

Thought this little idea could be cute next to my findings.Kinda love this "timeline" of cameras..... or....

(what else could I find an obsession with, to create this

{wall of sames}.

Open up some windows, let the sun shine in, it's time to play!

Aj

{photo shoot}

This morning I will be assisting on a {fabulous foto shoot} with 2 amazing & inspiring women. Just being in the presence of these women spark so many creative thoughts, dreams, and visions! I love a team of women that inspires so much creativity. I think the first "meeting" we had together, we sat and chatted for hours, and pretty sure over just one cup of coffee.

Today's shoot is very {high fashion}. Intense hair, makeup, and some minimal props but intense poses. TOTALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! Great way to start the weekend!

Wig=check. Tear sheets= check. Few props= check. Makeup kit=check. Styling kit=check!

I think Im ready! Ooo, probably should get myself ready.......

Visit these ladies' sites and see all the fabulosity Ill be in the presence of.

http://www.lifeiluli.com/

http://www.tienlimited.com/home/

{couple shots from our last session}

photo cred: www.lifeiluli.com

Aj

a start.

After days & days, and hours & hours.... I finally got my website up.

Check out my new site!

http://www.adrianjosephine.com/

It's in the making.... but it's a start!

nostalgic reads.

When was the last time you went to the library?

The good ol' abundance of book covers & pages.

The sound of the plastic covers that reminisces of elementary-school days. The dreamy distance from reality as you get lost into the titles, the subjects, the photos.

A quick escape, and it's at no cost! Aww... Today, I went to the library that sits just about one mile from my house. I'm not much of a reader. I am critical of novels, and don't have the patience for books without photos. {surprise, right?} However; I did devourer some books of my favorite topics

{photographic images, makeup artistry, entertaining & styling, local history, successful women, self help, and good music}.

From a large hardback book covered in that nostalgic sounding cover, to audio books galore, and toss in Casablanca on DVD.... I walked out of there with my arms full. Who knows if I'll read/listen to everything I picked up.... but the escape and journey I had, was totally worth it!

Now... which one do I start?

Aj