Sunday, November 30, 2008

This House is Crazy!

They are REALLY into the Christmas Spirit. Pretty sure they annoy their neighbors. Music, lights on the yard, ceilings, on the sides, all the way up to the road! It lit the entire street!

Check out the video!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Exposing Myself


I just joined this site called Exposaroonie where I can submit photos for a contest.

This time I submitted the photo above to represent the theme lines!

Click below to expose your roonie!


Exposaroonie - Expose Yourself

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Mirror Maze

If you've never been through a mirror maze I definitely recommend it! We have been through two so far and it takes a little getting used to. One is usually enough but the second time we had our cameras with us and ultimately spent more time getting pictures than figuring out the maze.

Even then we managed to make it to the end, turn around, and go back out the way we came with no problem. I only walked into a mirror once (yes it hurts)!


Which one is the mirror, which is the right path??


The colors were constantly changing, reds, blues, greens, multi neon colors, and sometimes going to pitch black. Spooky but so much fun to capture!


Behind loverboy there's a room lit up in purple. It was a large room that had billions of purple lights reflecting everywhere. Way too hard to capture without a tripod but freaky to walk through.



See his reflection everywhere? Sometimes we would get separated and I'd see him pop up in a mirror thinking he was close only to disappear and show up again. Really messes with the mind, only the sense of touch could be trusted.


Colors. Lots of fun funky colors!!!!


The best shot I could get of the purple dotted room.

At then end we were greeted with disco balls!


Overall, amazing experience! Would try again!

Good For A Giggle

My fabulous sister informed me this evening that my father and his girlfriend are trying to decide if I'm engaged or not.

I guess they thought the text I sent my father regarding his "future son in law" went a little too far.

hahaha

Also; my sister is growing up way too fast and thinks she can pawn me in her chess game. haha

What a fun conversation we had today.

Love ya sis.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

Do Want

Today we just shopped with our eyes but I found a new bag I want, want, WANT!





I love this pattern and usually Vera Bradley doesn't do it for me but I can just picture myself packing up for the beach in these.

More dreaming from a dreamgirl.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Our Latest Adventure

Today was a mission unbeknown to me at the beginning. I was simply told to pack my camera and a scarf. So I did both and we went on a hunt for some breakfast.

It was lunchtime at this point but I was really craving some hash browns so we made a stop at Huddle House.



Afterward, we stopped at the gas station to pack some munchies for the road. Guess what lover got?


Finally I was told we were on a mission to find snow! Ever since the cold weather crept in I've been talking nonstop about snow! Just recently the mountains nearby had a snowstorm so my boo figured this would be the perfect time to treat his princess to her dearest wish!



On our way through the mountain we didn't see much but a few icicles. We both decided to continue higher up into the mountain to this mall/ski slope/ice skating rink. Maybe then we will find just enough to make a snowball!

We pulled up and there was no snow in sight! Instead of feeling like we wasted a trip we wanted to capture the moment. They had bears, kids skating, adults falling on ice, stores full of trinkets. Enough to keep us occupied.




We got our tickets for the bear exhibit and on down the pathway we finally found some SNOW!




Granted it was man made practice snow it was still that beautimous white fluffy stuff that surrounds so many memories! I got almost too excited.

We managed to get past the snow and onto the bear exhibit. We found a cute pair cuddling up in the corner. The one kept licking the other until it grumbled and then it would hide it's head under the grumpy one. It was way too adorable.



Back inside we checked out the small arcade where we found a game I've never seen before. It was out of order but it was basically an arm wreslting tool against a scary looking man.




After all was said and done we left the mall on the mountain for our favorite little tourist town, Gatlinburg. It was all decked out in Christmas cheer and completely packed!


It was nice to see everything getting ready for this holiday season. I have a feeling this is going to be a great holiday!

On the way home we stopped at a Christmas store and brought our cameras in despite the weird looks. We got a lot of adorable pictures that I might print as Christmas cards! We grabbed dinner here and had some VERY tasty wings!



We also went through a crazy mirror maze that was a lot of fun to take pictures of. They had glow in the dark golf which the boy and I somehow managed to get the SAME score. Not even trying. What??

To make a long story short we had a fabulous time. I'm sure I'll post more pictures later!

Words that ring true

I follow a ladies blog that I absolutely adore. She's in the between stages of writing her heart out and making it into a career choice. I support the latter simply because her words gave the hook that kept me following all this time. She posted a poem yesterday that was nothing short of adorable. There was a little snippet that spoke straight to my soul and I have felt the need to post it below;

"if this was chapter three
in between your fingers and my skin
i would pencil in forever. and yes please. and this is it."

You can find her poem here

Friday, November 21, 2008

Today's Outfit

Inspired by black and white, my favorite item out of this piece is the bracelet.


black and white by Kroyal

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Elf Yourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards


Do it!

Today's Outfit

Ok this site is seriously addicting. I want this sweater so bad!!


winter by Kroyal

This Will Be Too Fun


Fun by Kroyal

My fun outfit for the day. Check out that necklace.

A girl can dream....

Apparently, I Rock Too Hard

Today was indeed an interesting one for at least 15 minutes. I went to work as usual and the recording of the news my boss mentioned to me kept cycling in my head, pressuring me to keep the good work up and up. "You're number one in Image 7 sales! That's incredible! Keep up the good work" he said. Ok cool, no pressure then. So in an effort to keep my numbers on the up and up I lit that little fire under my butt to keep me chasing after customers.

Let's rewind, I was hired as seasonal. Cool, works for me as I have plans to attend college after the holidays and really just need a job until I get my class schedule. At my interview he stated that I could be made permanent if I do a good job and listen, lets be frank, I excel in customer service and am apparently pretty good at selling too. A little bit of part time work throughout the school year could help with the bills so I have vested interest in keeping my numbers as high as possible. So voila, carrot from string has been dangled in front of face.

I understand this company has "expert" salespeople who know pretty much everything about the items that make them money. That's cool, I have not had any problem giving them those sales when they're free. I do have a problem when they're not anywhere to be found until I've gotten to the end of a spiel and am packing up the goods for purchase. That was my baby I helped nurture, I reserve full rights to the benefits. Unfortunately, it seems we have some whiners in the house.

After completing a sale today a coworker comes up and says "Don't hate me but [manager] says Image people have to stay near the image stuff." I just sort of looked at him, maybe I blinked, I don't remember. Luckily the district manager strolled up and wanted a piece of the pie. We took a walk and had a talk. There's cause for concern that I'm selling too much and his worry is I'm not doing it correctly. As luck would have it though he stepped out onto the floor as I was ringing items up and asked the customers billions of questions on things we should offer them to make a better sale. I nailed every single point, I had all the paperwork filled out correctly, the customer was properly informed of everything, I hadn't missed a beat. That was my firepower.

How can a manager tell an employee not to sell? He can't, and he didn't much to the distaste of my fellow whiny, insecure coworkers. So what could have possibly been a scolding turned into an conversation empowering me to continue hitting those numbers. Take that whiners! If you wanted that sale you should have been there when I scoped the room for you.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Just Let Go

Letting go is probably one of the hardest life lessons one will have to learn. Eventually we will need to know how to cope with certain circumstances that only release can calm. Sometimes we will have to let go of fear to move up the next rung on the ladder. At one point in our lives we will have to release the hold on our childhood and move forward into adulthood. It reminds me of one day when I was 11 that I went into the playroom to live in Barbie world when suddenly I decided it was time to give it up. I walked out of there and told my mother I was done playing with Barbies, she could toss them for all I cared and I never played with them again.

Other times it's letting go of a certain emotion that is ultimately holding us back. My most recent "letting go" moment has been when I realized I could no longer hold onto my anger. Three months ago I went through some trying times brought on by people I trusted, lots of them. It's a time period I'm not soon to forget as it taught me that not everyone is truly your friend even if they go through the motions of being one. It also taught me that these same people will go one step farther and try to hurt you. That was a hard pill to swallow and in the process I became angry. So angry I could barely see. I just wanted revenge, I wanted to self defend, but I couldn't have either. I was drowning in a sea of endless anger.

Now I can let go. I'll never forgive, and I'll never forget the lesson they taught me but in it's place is a happiness I've been seeking for a lifetime and an excitement for the adventure that lies ahead. I'm lucky to be out of that situation and I see that now. I'm better off for the lessons I have learned and am thankful for that now.

So now it's time to let go and grasp onto the next monkey bar in this string of life. Let's go!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

To Be In a Dream


I can't help but feel the desire to rest in a hammock laid out by the ocean with dear friends while a guitar strums nearby to the beat of the waves. I can also picture myself in a bar that contains no walls but a ceiling for those unknown bursts of tropical rain. Surrounded by deep hues of reds, greens, yellows just hanging by the sandy beach. Sitting back while surfers carry their boards back to base to log the waves they captured that day and slather aloe on their newly burned noses.

Or maybe I'll be on a boat caressing the blue sea beneath us chasing after the dolphins jumping at the bow on our way to a secluded island hiding treasures of the deep. Upon arriving maybe I'll put on some snorkel gear and check out the moving rainbow beneath the water and the view of the sun trying hard to break through onto the ocean floor. I would possibly gather the strength to swim to shore to relax on a branch surrounded by sand and soak in the view while wondering how life is so sweet for the eyes.

How about instead I'll gather all my items, most importantly my latest book and mp3 player loaded with beachy tunes, and drag them to the shore to sip on a drink with a little umbrella.

At the end of it all maybe I could find a volcano that runs natural hot springs. Then I could wrap myself in a wonderfully plush robe and make my way to the poolside bar for a deliciously tropic drink to relax the days troubles. In the process I would search for the right hot spring tucked away in the dark with greenery as a curtain. I would most likely slowly sink into this natural hot tub and rest on the soft black sand near the miniature waterfall which could also act as a massager.



Yes, that would be the perfect way to end the day. Indeed that would be the perfect way to live a life.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Our House Has Fallen Ill

Not of the human variety but our precious fish. It's quite surprisingly upsetting. Maybe not the loss of Tammy the Tang except for the fact that we had just purchased her and it seems that with her arrival came the parasite Ich which has hit every living thing in our saltwater tank. We will forgive her for bringing this unwelcome guest as long as the others survive. Until then we will continue to kick ourselves for not hesitating on the purchase and cross our fingers that the buggers make it through. Our lionfish is not even looking at food. Worrisome considering he was first in line and always an avid hunter from day one.

To make matters worse one of my red blooded parrot fish that I've had for over 5 years is now looking sickly! I can't find anything online to diagnose her with but her scales have turned pale except for even red lines throughout, her eyes no longer poke out but in instead, and her demeanor is rather lacking. Desire for food has gone out the window as it seems staying in one place is the main focus. I tested the water as I remember from my pet store days that "the first signs of bad water is a sick fish" and everything came out with perfect numbers, nothing off even a little bit! I haven't done anything extreme to the tank to cause an undue amount of stress either. Besides, these guys are used to stress, they've moved with me 5 times, once being across state lines with a 24 hour period of being stuck in a huge bucket that at one time held ice cream. Stress doesn't even exist in their dictionary!

It's very saddening as these buggers have lived with me through some of my fierce life changes. Their personalities are bigger than their bodies and they're a mating pair(though not breeding, that's impossible for this species)!!!

I hope with all hope that she pulls it through, I don't want to miss her classic glares from behind the tank glass, her ever hungry mouth snipping at the water when I walk nearby, and her incredible need to defend a territory made up of fake driftwood and cloth plants.

Oh dear friend, just keep swimming.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Our Theme Song(s)

So this relationship has a tender love for the sweet sounds that float from our speakers. Sometimes they come with thick beats, other times they're sweet symphonies of colorful tunes. We both agree that music speaks the truths of the heart and sometimes say the things we can't. One of our favorite past times is finding songs that identify the truth in us as a whole. The newest one we have discovered is by The Moldy Peaches. We had first heard of it in the movie Juno but when it came up again in life we had to search the depths of the internet for it. We did and it was called "Anyone Else But You". Take a listen; maybe you can feel the beating of our hearts as well.


Saturday, November 8, 2008

So Today I Did It

I sent in my application to attend college for Photography and Business. You have no idea how excited I am. For the past five years since graduating high school there was a lot I had to sort through before focusing on my scholastics though I always knew I would go back. Granted it's a two year school but my credits in Business can be transferred should I decide to get a higher degree. The school I applied to has an INCREDIBLE Photography program and a lot of people I know say it's a million times better than UT.

I'm excited to learn as both of these subjects will further myself along in life and ready to apply it to my actual life.

Wish me luck on getting financial aid because without it I won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

I Can't Wait to Get Some Stamps

Lately I've been feeling a longing for some fancy notecards and a delicious pen. There's nothing better than receiving a friendly letter in the mail amidst all the bills and junk. I want to start sending out snail mail so give me your address and check your mailbox!!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Fall's Photoshoot

So today Lover and I had the same day off and we felt like getting out of the house. We went downtown to the World's Fair Park with our cameras in hand and had a BLAST photographing everything we could. I am so pleased with the captures I got. They turned out just the way I wanted with little post processing!

Tomorrow it's back to the grindstone and God knows when we will have another day off together but today was indeed a fantastic one.

Bull in a China Shop

Yesterday evening Justin and I were enjoying a quiet night in with no kids asking for candy, I guess they don't believe in trick or treating here. I've been here for 3 Halloweens and have had 1trick or treater the entire time.

Anyway, I did some things consistent with the kroyal and being a woman (ie crying, screaming, calling names, pushing buttons (Mandy you would know )) I am and had to apologize to Justin for it later. He simply said "It's ok, I'm fluent I kroyalnese, you are the bull in a china shop" A little confused I had to inquire just exactly what a bull in a China shop was.

This is his response;
"Well, it's like this. You are the bull in the China shop that tinks one glass, watches it jiggle, and giggles a little bit. However, this doesn't satisfy you so you tink it a little harder so it hits another glass and they both jiggle. You giggle in amusement but it still doesn't satisfy you. You then tink it so all the glass smashes on the floor in a devastating way. Only then do you go 'Oh I didn't mean to do that!'"

Meanwhile, I'm laughing my booty off during this explanation because YES I am exactly as he is describing. It probably all started when Mom and Dad decided to spawn another Royal and I thought it was a punching bag until I went too far countless times only to do it again.

Someone give this man a medal.