Me Monday - Favorite Vacays

this week we're looking back on our favorite vacations.

chris and i are still young in our marriage, so we haven't been as many places as we'd like.

we're working on it though.

growing up, i loved family vacations. so. much. fun.

we usually went to the beach in florida and the mountains in tennessee.

oh how i miss those.

unfortunately, i haven't scanned in any of those photos.

however, i'll tell ya about a few of my faves with my honey!

first off, i'd have to say paris. now, technically, we were on a mission trip in slovakia and paris was just a layover that we missed - so we got to spend a night there.

it was beautiful!

i literally drool when i think about going back.....i saw just enough to make me want it!

another favorite was our trip to nyc this past summer. chris was sick most of the trip, but it was still nice to be there with him and see it all together.

the summer of 2009 we headed of to our great nation's capital for a lil' trip. loved it.

there was soooooo much to see and so much we didn't see!

but it was definitely one of my favorites.

i know i already mentioned nyc above, but i took another trip last may to photograph my baby brother's wedding. it was beautiful and magical. a memory i'll never ever forget.

january 2009 we went to charleston, sc. b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l.

for realz.

i seriously would like to go back and see more of the city and do more.

we had such a good time.

that about sums it up!

lots of fond memories from all those trips and i can't wait to see what we add to the mix this year!

i know for sure we have a beach trip lined up, but hopefully we can throw in a few others!

i want to know all about your favorites! don't forget to comment if you're participating so i can stop by and see!

Italian Beef Stew. Super Yummy. And Under 400 Calories!!!

so i decided to share the most fabulous recipe for italian beef stew!

i changed it up a little, so i'll give you the original and my version.

original:

7 TBSP olive oil, divided

1 1/2 C of chopped onion (i used 1 cup)

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 TBSP minced garlic

1/4 C of all-purpose flour

2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes (i used 1 pound of the pre cut stew meat found in the meat dept of your grocery store)

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper

1C dry red wine

3 3/4 C chopped seeded peeled plum tomato (about 2 pounds) (i'm not a huge tomato fan, so i just used 3 plum tomatoes, which equaled about 3/4 cup)

1 1/2 C fat free, lower sodium beef broth

1/2 cup water

2 tsp chopped oregano

2 tsp chopped thyme

1 bay leaf

(for all the fresh herbs, i actually used an herb paste found in the produce dept of Publix. i used 1 TBSP of it to cover all the herbs needed. you could add more/less to taste)

1 (8 oz) pack of cremini mushrooms, quartered (i used about 1/2 cup of baby portabella mushrooms)

3/4 cup sliced carrot (this is optional. i did not add this portion of carrots, just those above)

2 TBSP chopped basil

1 TBSP chopped parsley

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil to pan. Add onion and carrot; saute 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute for 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from pan.

2. Add 1 TBSP oil to pan. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add half of beef to pan; saute 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

3. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return meat and the onion mixture to pan. Add tomato, broth, water, herbs and mushrooms, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover (stir in sliced carrot if you choose). Simmer for 1 hour or until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size 1 cup).

Nutrition facts: 334 calories; 13g fat (3.9g sat, 0.8g mono, 6.6g poly); 40.6g protein; 12.2g carb; 2.4g fiber; 86mg chol; 4.1mg iron; 387mg sodium; 51mg calc

Enjoy!!!!

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine Jan/Feb 2011

My Granny

Today is my beautiful granny's birthday.
I am so very thankful for her 76 years of life here!
She's precious to me.
And lovely.
And quirky.
By no means perfect.
But perfectly perfect to me.
She cries with me when I'm sad.
Laughs with me when I'm happy.
But my favorite thing about her -
The fact that she's mine!
Happy birthday granny!!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Slacka

Well happy Friday to ya!

I've been quite the slacker lately when it comes to blogging.

It hasn't been intentional.....it's just been crazy busy around here!

I'm transitioning into a new role at work, so life has been hectic! But in a good way!

Randomocity in the life of LT:

• I finally saw Despicable Me. Could possibly be one of my new favorites! LOVED it! "Liiiigggghhtt Bulb." Watch it and you'll see.
• In recent weeks, we've amped up the Netflix que. Last weekend we watched Emma....the one with Gwyneth Paltrow from years ago. SO good. Why have I never seen it? I love, love, loved it. Chris hated it in the most horrible way. But he sat through it.
• Tomorrow I'm living life by having lunch with my granny at a Japanese restaurant. Love me some hibachi!
• This week I've been trying out a few weight watchers recipes. Can I just tell you that they quite possibly could be some of the best meals ever....and good for you. How can that be? Delicious and healthy? Unheard of. So needless to say, my motivation has increased! I made Italian beef stew one night, and last night i made pecan chicken with mac and cheese. oh my, so good! Tonight we're trying chicken jalapeno tacos.
• A hair cut is desperately needed and shall happen tomorrow! yippee!
• Chris has been quite sick for the past 3 weeks and pretty much hasn't left the house. As you can imagine, it's been quite the culture shock for us. I'm desperately waiting for the new meds to kick in. And I do mean desperately.

And there you have it. That just about catches everything up. Have a marvelous weekend!

Me Monday

it's time for our second installment of me monday!

yay!

the topic of choice today: your favorite celebrities.

these are in no certain order.

just my absolute favorite actors...all of which i would love to be best friends with!

let's start with sandy.

sandra bullock that is.

LOVE her.

love her lots.

love every movie she's in.....yes, even all about steve.

next on the list, lauren graham. you may know her best from gilmore girls (which is next on my netflix que to watch). i personally love her in her new show, parenthood. i think she's gorgeous.

oh dearest julia roberts. i heart her to the infinite degree.

she is my absolute favorite forever and always!

for me she can do no wrong.

yes, i am team jen all the way! still haven't got over her break up from brad.

and for the record, i love the movies she's in.

they never seem to be big box office hits....why is that?

i think most of them are really good!

now ladies, this is a man.

mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

droooooool!

i love him mucho.

he's my get out of jail free card.

i mean look at him!

gerard butler....enough said.

the fabulous anne hathaway. love her too. i think she's so classy. she reminds me of a modern day audrey hepburn, who, we all know, that i absolutely adore.

and finally, amy adams. i just love her. according to her latest interview with marie claire, i believe, she's not as innocent as everyone portrays her to be. she's got a little wild side.

and she's preggy!

nonetheless, she's cute as a button and i like her!

ok, tag you're it!

i want to know who your favorite celebs are!!!

Me Monday

hap-hap-happy monday.

it's here.

that dreaded first day of each work week.

why do we all hate it so much?

i have decided that we need something to spice up our mondays.

therefore, i have created "me monday".

that's right, each monday I will be posting lists of my favorite things.

and i want you to join in too!

soooo....a) read mine and b) write yours.

just leave a comment letting me know you're joining in and we can all hop over and visit you!

and just to make life easier for ya, i've listed the topics on my side bar.

and....if you all are nice and play along, i might try to conquer the mr. linky thingymabob to start linking over to your blogs.

so are ya in?

well i'm in, so this week's list is:

a lists of my favorite things to do in my home town

so if we're strictly talking about the exact town i live in, then that's marietta, ga.

i could go on and on about things to do in surrounding areas, so maybe i'll save that for another day.

today, i'm just going to focus on the great town of marietta.

i love this city.

and although i might be biased, i truly have not found a prettier city square.

i take a ton of photos for my clients at the square. see the picture below....it doesn't do it justice. there are just so many rustic alley ways and such. and there's always something going on there. a farmers market every saturday, festivals, taste of marietta, parades, car shows, etc.

and the shops are just fabulous! antiques, bakeries, novelty stores, and restaurants.

marietta is probably best known for the big chicken.

it is how we give directions to get to everything in the city.

everything.

if you don't know where the big chicken is, you don't know where anything is.

seriously.

it's basically just a kfc with a giant chicken that moves its eyes and beak.

but it's a landmark.

and the sweet tea is good.

marietta has a ton of antique stores. i love them.

i actually went antiquing this past weekend. i love to look around and get inspired.

luckily we have a mall. and lately it's getting cooler and cooler stores. this makes shopping a breeze and well, i love to shop.

aside from shopping and the square, marietta has something else that i just absolutely love.

kennesaw mountain.

this mountain is where a portion of the civil war was fought.

it's a national park now, but it's beautiful.

and it's a real mountain with hiking trails to the top that are brutal on the legs. quite the workout.

recently, they've added a walking/biking trail that goes around the base of the mountain.

this a much flatter surface that i heart.

i love walking it! it's peaceful and a great workout.

needless to say, i love my hometown.

for realz.

there's a little bit of everything here....and its so picturesque (and we all know that's the way to my heart).

so please, tell me about your hometown!

Cherries In Winter

So while being forced to stay inside during this current winter storm, I went to Target and purchased some random reading materials. A few magazines and then this book:

Cherries in Winter.

I love to read, but I really don't know a lot about what's out there.

So I usually just randomly pick....and yes, at times, I do judge the book by it's cover.

I finished the book yesterday.

the Verdict:

LOVED it!

The book is about a writer who has recently been laid off and finds comfort in her grandmother's recipe file.

I have to say that this book really struck a cord with me.

Probably because food has always been at the center of my family.

For as long as I can remember, I've always been in the kitchen with a family member cooking.

And the great thing is all the stories and memories that go with all of our family recipes.

Priceless moments.

My grandmother's birthday is coming up this month.

I'm going to buy her a note book.

I want her to write down ALL of her favorite memories.....about childhood, marriage, love, etc.

How awesome will that keepsake be once she passes on, to keep her memory so alive?

I definitely say this is a Must Read!

Burgers, Beauty and Snow

Are you sick of hearing everyone talk about the snow?

I am.

My work is currently on snow day #4!

4 I say!

I was stuck in Raleigh but made it home yesterday! Yippee!

I don't think Chris has ever been so excited to see me.

Wanna hear about my grand entrance?

So here I am, having been gone since Sunday. Chris and I rarely ever spend nights away from one another....we're just normal boring people. And of course, since he's been trapped in the house since Sunday, cabin fever was setting in. So he was extremely excited and looking forward to my arrival!

Our neighborhood was/is pretty iced over, so his dad picked me up at the airport.

So we get home and his dad drops me off at the top of the driveway. Chris comes running out onto the porch....so happy I am home. I look up, smile, grab my bags, and then bust it.

That's right, feet slipped right out from under me and I slid down my driveway on my butt like it was a slide.

Luckily I found it comical.

Until today.....I seriously think I knocked something out of place on my fall.

My hip hurts soooooo bad!

Kind of wish I had a picture of the event for you.

Moving on....so today I may have made the best burgers ever.

Ever!

I was feeling the need to get a little creative in the kitchen. I wondered over to the pantry to see what I could find.

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce.

This was my magical ingredient. I must have been in a creative mood when I bought them because I've never cooked with them. For some reason my brain thought they would be perfect for today....and they were!

I took a small packet of lean ground sirloin, chopped up two peppers and added some of the sauce along with a couple splashes of worcestershire, garlic powder and some crushed croutons....to hold it all together. Mixed it up real good and made some patties out of it. I topped it with Monterrey jack cheese and threw a little A1 on top when it was all done. I served them on garlic toasted buns and it was DELICIOUS!

Yum, yum, yum!

It's a must try.

Now I'm trying to find all the other uses for chipotle peppers!

And finally, it's time for your beauty tips:

• Glowing skin when no time to fake tan: Mix equal parts of body shimmer with body lotion. It will reflect the light and give you a glow. There's also shimmering lotion available now.
• The quick natural alternative to a face lift: Separate an egg, whisk the white until slightly stiffer then apply to face for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
• If you need an exfoliator to remove dry skin on your face, add a little sugar to your face cleanser.
• Need to make a pimple look less visible? Dab a little nasal decongestant on it to constrict the blood vessels and reduce the redness.

Can I Be Honest?

I have a serious guilty pleasure.
I don't typically share this.
But I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Britney Spears.
Yes I have been saddened by her poor choices.
Hey, come on......we all go a little crazy every once in a while.
But her music makes me happy.
I love it.
I know, it's not really the best lyrics or messages in her songs.
I can't help it.
I'm a total addict.

I would love to see her in concert. For realz.

Anyway, I digress. She has a new album!!!!!! YAY!!!! Her new single just came out on January 7th......you can click over to this story below and hear it! It's great! Classic Britney. Classic.

Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Blasts Onto Radio - Chart Beat Billboard.com#/column/chartbeat/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me-blasts-1004138553.story

If You Wish Upon A Star.....

So currently Atlanta is experiencing a wonderful, great snow storm. I, on the other hand am in Raleigh on business. And it is currently sleeting. And chances are I won't make it home tomorrow because the airport is iced over. Lovely.
On the up side, I am in a fabulous hotel......with a TV in the bathroom mirror! It's amazing! And there are a ton of shops walking distance in the area where the hotel is, so I'll manage if I'm stuck another day!

I enjoy traveling. I get to go to Miami next week for another business trip. I won't have any time to play, but maybe I can see it from the office window!

While on the plane yesterday I made a list.
Surprise surprise.
I made a list of all the places I want to visit before I die.
Did I say I love to travel?
So here it goes:

• St. Lucia - an all inclusive vacay
• A cruise to the Caribbean
• Paris - tour of France as a whole; i seriously salivate over the thought of this!
• London
• Ireland
• Scotland
• Italy

I feel that Chris and I just need to take a two week tour of Europe. That should satisfy a little of my taste buds! This would be the perfect 10th anniversary present....we have four years to save!

Ok let's look at a few more domestic places:

• San Francisco
• Washington
• Vancouver
• A drive up the West Coast
• A drive up the East Coast
• Maine - can we say lobster?
• Niagara Falls/Canada
• Chicago
• Kansas - want to see lots of sunflower and corn fields
• Colorado - want to go skiing
• Vegas
• Montana

Just think of the photo opportunities at all those places! Oh my heart is pounding just thinking of it! It's time to prioritize the budget and make it happen!

Photos Galore!

Ok, so I finally caught up with posting a few photos.....sooooo....click on over to my photo blog:

http://sweettphotos.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

I Need Yo Advice!

Ok, so this year I plan to totally revamp my photography blog. Currently it's a little....well....lacking. Yes lacking is the best way to put it. I want to add a weekly Q&A segment as well as tutorials and guest bloggers. I want it to be interactive with peeps.

So here's my question for you:

What do you want to learn about photography? Any techniques or processes?

Please, please, please help me out here and send me your questions! Your friends can ask too! You can leave them in the comment section OR email me at lauren@laurenthomasphotography.com

Please ask away!

If I don't know the answer, I'll find it for you!

Spread the word my peeps!

Beauty, Beauty, Beauty....that's You!

Hi dolls! So, for Christmas I received a book of the 1000 most asked questions about beauty.

The minute I got it I knew it was going to be a new section on the ol' bloggy blog! So if you'll notice, at the top of my blog is a section called "beauty secrets". I'm going to be throwing in a few of these little gems on my blog throughout the year, but I'll link up to all of them on my beauty secrets page. I'm pretty excited about it!

So let's get started!

We're gonna start with Five Minute SOS. These tips are all emergency fixes, most of which you can pull from your kitchen pantry!

• Dark patches on your elbows and knees? Take care of them by sprinkling sugar onto half a lemon and rub into the area to exfoliate and bleach the skin.
• Need a natural skin brightener? Mix equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice and massage into your skin for five minutes then rinse off with warm water.
• Need a quick fix for dull skin? Mash up a crabapple, slather it on, and leave it on for as long as you can. It contains natural alpha hydroxy acids to soften and exfoliate skin.
• What should I carry in my purse to give my skin some instant protection? Beauty editors swear by Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream - it offers intense moisturizing and protects against chapping.
• Stained hands? Remove ink stains by rubbing toothpaste over the marks.
• Attacked by fake tan stripes? Mix lemon juice and salt together and use on a loofah to rub the streaky area.

Change Is Comin'

Step one of new years resolutions complete.

That's right...project graduation is now underway!

I registered for spring semester yesterday and I'm so excited!

Now, I probably have about a year and a half before I finish, but I'm on the right track!

And, to no surprise, I have changed my major yet again!

BUT to my defense, this may be the best one yet! (and i think it'll stick this time).

The degree you ask?

Human Services.

My heart beats for the hurting.

And I just figure, what better thing to major in than something that can help me help others.

Let me say...I do NOT want to be a social worker.

But I feel so drawn to this.

AND it will totally help me out in a major way with the non-profit I'm starting this year.

Can I tell you how excited I am about this?

In case you don't remember, I'm starting a non-profit to offer free photography services for families in unhappy circumstances......mainly those affected with terminal illness.

I want to capture one last happy moment for them to cherish before their loved one passes away.

And I have FINALLY decided on a name. But I can't tell you yet ;)

Not to worry - there will be an official roll out soon!

That being said, the school I attend offers a certificate in starting a non-profit and all those classes will count towards my degree.

Even better right?

Again....so excited!

So I really feel good about how the year is starting off.

And to that note, let me leave you with a song that is totally rocking my face off right now....doing major, major, major things in my heart!

(and for those who can't open the video, I've put the lyrics below)

Matthew West - My Own Little World

In my own little world it hardly ever rains

I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe

I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet

In my own little world

Population: me


I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church

I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give ’til it hurts

I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see

Yeah,it’s easy to do when it’s

Population: me


What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

I could be living right now

Outside my own little world oooh


Well, I stopped at a red light, looked out my window

I saw a cardboard sign, said “Help this homeless widow”

Above that sign was the face of a human

and I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”

So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye

I thought how many times have I just passed her by?

So I gave her some money then I drove on through

And my own little world reached

Population: two


What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

I should be living right now

Outside my own little world yeah, yeah

My own little world oooh


Father break my heart for what breaks Yours

Give me open hands and open doors

and put Your Light in my eyes and let me see

That my own little world is not about me


What if there’s a bigger picture?

What if I’m missing out?

What if there’s a greater purpose

That I could be living right now

Well I dont wanna miss what matters

i wanna be reaching out

showing the greater purpose

so I could be living right now

Outside my own little world oooh

My own little world yeah

My own little world oooh

Photos from Christmas in OK!

Chris and his pipe!

My nanny and me.

My sis-in-law Christie.

My sis-in-law Raegan.

The cabin we stayed in. It was so nice!

Me and my baby bro Cody.

And my otha lil' bro Shane.

Me and dad.

The whole gang.

Memories for a life time. :)

Well Hello There 2011!

Where has the last decade gone???

Or the last year for that matter?

It moves to fast.

And as each day passes, it's another day that we'll never have a chance to re-do.

We only have one shot.

I'm in a weird place this new years.

Not sure why.

I just happened to look back at last year's resolutions and I haven't completed any of them.

Seriously! Why?

Why not?

I don't know why, but I feel that since it's a new year, a new decade, it really is a chance to start fresh.

For real.

This year, my resolutions are extremely important to me.

I don't want to let another year pass by only to realize I've accomplished nothing.

This new decade that's starting is the decade (not year) that I turn 30.

It's gonna be big.

So my goals are big.

The resolutions I'm setting this year are to set me up for success...and I'm pumped!

So enough blabbing - here they are:

• It's time to get my non-profit up and running. still deciding on a name but basically i want to bring smiles and memories and happiness to families suffering unhappy circumstances.
• It's also time to figure out my education. i need to finish up my degree and get in some education for photography. gotta keep learning.
• i want to be more creative in the kitchen.
• i desperately need to work on a quiet time regimen with God. gotta get priorities set in the correct order.
• i want to invest more into my friends....and i would love it if they'd invest in me too.

And there you have it. Everything I want to accomplish can fall under one of these. I'm excited.

Here's to a refreshing new year!

First Things First

Ok, so before I can get started with the resolutions for 2011, I have to recap 2010! So....here we go:

1. What did you do in 2010 that you had never done before?
Branched out with trying new foods....especially veggies! Turns out I don't hate all things green.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I think I kept portions of some. The ones I'm making for 2011 are going to be much more internal - like personal things I need to achieve. Not your standard lose 50 pounds.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, our best buds Todd and Lyndsay had their sweet baby girl, Lola, at the end of November.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My cousin passed away.

5. What places have you visited?

Let's see, this year we went to NYC, Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Broken Bow, Oklahoma.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A sweet, precious baby to call my own and make me a mommy. I'd also love to have a lush savings account!

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched in your memory and why?
I've got two - February 20th and May 15th. Both of my little brothers were married this year and I had the privilege of photographing both. One was in Texas and the other was in New York. Both were fabulous!

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
Hmmm....I guess that would be the way my photo business has picked up. Good stuff!

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing serious.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
That would be my newest camera. It's the mac daddy and I love it!

11. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, bills, bills. Oh and the camera and computer.

12. What song will always remind you of 2010?
The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert.

13. What do you wish you would have done more of?
I really wish I had been better about carving out time with God each day. I pretty much sucked at that in 2010.

14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
Eating. hahaha. just kidding. Probably stressing out.

15. What was your favorite TV program?
That would have to be a tie between: Modern Family, Jerseylicious, Giuliana and Bill, Psych and Covert Affairs.

16. What was the best book you read this year?
I'd have to say Something Borrowed and Something Blue. Both were easy reads and really, really good!

17. What was your favorite film of the year?
Considering I just spend 20 minutes trying to figure out what the last movie I saw in the theater was, I'd have to say I'm really not sure! Lame, I know!

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
This year I turned 27. We went to dinner. That was about it. Maybe next year a party will be in the cards.

19. What political issue stirred you the most?
Ok, so politics is an area that I wish I was a bit more educated in. However, I am not. That being said, I also don't remember the last time I heard the news. So, I'm gonna have to say I don't know. Wow, what's wrong with me?

20. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm...I meet a lot of people throughout each year. It's hard to narrow it to just one because they are all wonderful in their own special ways!