I have released a new theme - Striped Flowers.

It features browns, greens and seafoam blue, along with pretty flowers and stripes. In the theme folder you will notice 3 headers; one which already has text on it, one identical to that which has no text and another which has no text, no flowers. You will also notice 2 footers; one with text and one without and 2 sidebar images; one with text and one without. These were provided do that customizing the theme even further, to add your own personal touch by adding your own unique text or fonts can be achieved easily.

To view a live demo or to download this theme, you may visit my themes page.

I hope that you’ll enjoy using it as much as I enjoyed working it up.

It’s that time again - the time where I post the winner of my contest. I would first like to thank everyone that entered. That was awesome to see so many people participate.

A reminder of what was up for grabs;

Now, can I get a drum roll please………..

There’s a young girl who lives up the road from us (we’ll call her M.) who will be having surgery at 8am in the morning. It isn’t minor. For several years she’s been having seizures and for the longest time doctors were trying to tell her parents that she was putting on an act, that nothing was wrong with her. After several tests late last year, just before Christmas, they discovered the cause of the seizures. She has a large tumor on her brain. They suspect it’s been there for over 9 years because that’s around the time that her headaches and seizures began.

The prognosis isn’t very good at all. They say there’s only a 50/50 chance that she’ll survive the surgery. If she does, there’s a 50/50 chance that she’ll a) be left in a vegetative state or b) have to learn everything all over again, things like walking and talking. M. is only 18 years old and such a sweet girl. Her parents spoke with my mother in laws best friend a couple of nights ago and said that she (M.) was coming up with all sorts of reasons not to go in for the surgery, one excuse being that she’d be missing One Tree Hill (she checked into the hospital a couple of days ago and has no TV in the room). Jo said he’d burn it off for her so that when she came home she could watch it. She must be absolutely terrified and I imagine, isn’t sleeping much tonight at all.

You can’t help the thoughts that dance around in your head.. all of the “what ifs” and so forth. I honestly hope and pray for the best and that by some miracle of a chance she not only survives but isn’t left in a vegetative state after. She has SO much life to live yet. So much she can accomplish and so much to look forward to (prom, graduation, college.. being young.. that’s not including distant future things like careers and families). I can’t imagine how hard it must be for not only the family but M. as well.

It just goes to show you though.. life is definitely short and none of us know what will happen to us tomorrow or if we’ll even be granted a tomorrow. I don’t request this often but please keep M. in your thoughts/prayers/whatever it is that you do to remain positive.

EDIT; I just had to post this because I haven’t laughed so hard in a long.. long time. Krystal is serious entertainment people.

from Krystal C <*******_*********@hotmail.com>
Thanks for the laughs yourself. Keep it up with the half assed photography work!

There are some who may be offended by someone saying that to them. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve gotten featured as an artist in an online magazine, been paid to photograph weddings and do real shoots… maybe I would too. Nah, who am I kidding.

So earlier today I was banned from a website owned by the infamous “Krystal” (not linking, she doesn’t deserve the hits). Earlier as in the last half hour. Why was I banned? Because I replied to an entry she wrote in response to someone writing an entry about her taking their stylesheet. Of course the entry is edited now and no longer includes her disgusting response. My reply wasn’t harsh or even mean, I simply asked “Responding like this makes you better?” I have to admit though, knowing how she works, I knew I’d be banned because anyone that doesn’t agree with her gets that. After I noticed I was banned, I sent an email because she’d JUST unbanned me (after banning me along with other IPs for no apparent reason.. I’d never commented or anything prior to today). With her knickers in a twist, she replied saying I should go back to the US because Canada doesn’t want me. She later replied with threats of contacting my ISP. It’s all completely laughable.

Why do people go to such extremes though? Seriously? If you’re going to rip someone off like it means nothing to you, then let it mean nothing to you. Don’t shut down your site as soon as you’re caught to make adjustments to the layout, the images or the colors. If you weren’t guilty to begin with, you wouldn’t do that anyway.. right? And for crying out loud.. don’t turn around and start insulting the person you ripped off, calling them ridiculous, disgusting and racists names. You obviously liked something about them/their site.

Sometimes I try to convince myself that I’d be happy with or without children in my future. The truth is that I feel like being a mother is something I was destined to be and that being unable to conceive on my own is merely some higher power testing me. I’ve always had that instinct, that motherly instinct. Helping to raise my youngest 3 nephews only intensified those feelings.

Motherhood is something that’s always on my mind. It doesn’t even stop when I go to sleep at night, I still dream about it.

I’m feeling under the weather. Joy! It’s nothing too terrible though. The earache is gone, thankfully. Now I’m just suffering from sniffles and all over ickiness. I think it’s mostly due to the weather though. It’s miserable out. Windy, rainy and cold. I’m glad I don’t have anywhere I need to “be” today. The roads must be an absolute mess from the ice the other night and all of this rain. I’m sure they’ll be much worse tonight, when the temperatures take a dive. It’s actually the perfect day for a good book or sprawling out on the couch, watching a movie.

Due to the weather the last day or so, I haven’t been able to go out and take any pictures. These were some I’ve taken up until then. I muted the colors.

If you’re interested in participating in my most recent contest, you need to do so before 11:59PM EST tomorrow (err, it’s after midnight.. today), January 30th.

Reminder of what’s up for grabs;

I’ll be closing comments at midnight and will announce the winner on January 31st. I’m happy to see so many participants. I do need to make a note though, there were several who commented that did not have a blog. The contest had already been posted, along with the rules and I’m going to stick to them to be fair to all of the participants that do have a blog and did as the requirements asked (posting the entry). If it’s any consolation, my next contest will kick off on February 1st (hopefully) and you can participate with or without a blog. Hope there are no hard feelings.

Earache. No fun.

Thank goodness my mother in law thought to pick up some ear drops after running a few errands this morning. She’s had a touch of one herself, which is why she thought to pick them up.

I guess I’m going to have to start plugging my ears when I shower and stop using q-tips again. Eh.

It might have been cold this evening, but the sunset sure was pretty. I should really consider waking up early enough for a sunrise shot sometime…

You know, you really should consider your surroundings when you verbalize something. Especially if it’s something that others may find offensive.

The other day we were in the grocery store picking up a few things. I made my way down the canned food isle for canned tomatoes. It was there where I noticed two young guys (I’d say they were somewhere in their early twenties) conversing. I never would’ve imagined that I’d stumble into such a situation.. but as I made my way down the isle, I realized they were talking about some woman they “liked” (that’s putting it nicely people). One of the guys made an awfully disgusting comment regarding the woman’s rear end. Now I’ve heard comments about rear ends before but never anything like this - the guy said “Yeah, that’s a fine piece of real estate“. I could feel my eyes bulging from their sockets. I’m surprised they didn’t fall out onto the floor, that’s how shocked I was. I just wonder if people simply don’t care or if they just got lost in the conversation, perhaps just forgot where they were. Either way, it just amazes me.. the things people say. For the woman’s sake, I hope she’s never taken these guys up on any offers they may have given her. Eww.