Foto Display Fun

Fun ways of displaying your photos from Photojojo's online store.

Build a photo wall, lamp shade or baby blocks with these nifty FotoClips.

Several strands of Magnetic Photo Ropes would look nice together, as a small photo display. I like the idea of using this in my office, since the photos can be easily changed out frequently. I could even use this for small design comps.

Halloween is so Fun!

Vampire Attack
Originally uploaded by sfraz71.

I brought my camera to work specifically to take pictures of everyone in costume for next months newsletter. While this one likely won't make the newsletter cut, it ended up being one of my favorites.

Photo Op!

These guys were so funny! They caught me on my lunch break taking photos and instinctively moved in front of my shot and posed for me.

Thanks guys!

Gettin' Skinny!

Stacie (me)
Originally uploaded by sfraz71.

Getting back down to my old self again! My goal is 15 pounds, which would bring me back to around my weight in the photo above. So far I've lost about 7 in the past 2 weeks! yay!!! It's been super easy too! Here is how I have done it:

* Workout 2 - 3 times a week
* Breakfast - Oatmeal (Quaker Weight Control) or Yogurt
* Lunch - Salad - lettuce, grilled chicken, green & red peppers, tomatoes, oil & vinegar
* Dinner - Kashi Frozen Entree
* Supplement - Pyrovate (amazing!)

Hopefully I will reach my goal soon. I feel the best I've felt in a long time! Lighter, more energetic!

**Update:
Maybe 15 pounds is a bit much. If I lost that much, I fear I would be too skinny!

Trick or Treat

:)
Originally uploaded by sfraz71.

Did any of you dress up today for work? I thought about coming in white tennis shoes, white shorts, a grey hoodie, carrying an umbrella and wearing a bald cap....as Breakdown Britney! :)

Happy Halloween!

Neiman Marcus Pop Up Book

Love this Pop Up Book by Neiman Marcus! This must have been a designer's dream to work on!

Purchase here.

Confession

Okay "y'all". I actually got the new Britney Spears CD. Hanging my head in shame, as I've always been a bit of a music snob and mainstream usually isn't my thing. But, seeing that a lot of the music I enjoy just isn't cutting it when it comes time to doing cardio, I figured I'd give little Miss Britney a chance. Guess what? I actually like it! It's fun, poppy and danceable. Good job, Brit, now go get the rest of your life together!

Getting deep into it....

This is the month of animals for me, it appears. Along with donating specifically for animals affected by the Southern CA fires, I have decided to become a monthly donor for the Humane Society. It's a cause I believe in.

For as little as $5 a month, you can help the Humane Society to:

Save pets during natural disasters;
Shut down puppy mills;
Save baby seals from brutal clubbing.

Donate here.

Found!

I have fancied passport covers for some time now, but finally found the one I want, thanks to EmilyStyle's post today! Isn't this Kate Spade Passport Cover the cutest EVER? Of course, I lost my passport but maybe if I had this cover it would motivate me to apply for a new passport! Might come in handy when Craig's band goes on tour through Europe in early 2008! "Honey, can I join you in Paris?"

Listening to:

Listening to Kind of Blue by Miles Davis today. It reminds me of my Hollywood days. It specifically peaked my interest when I heard it upon entering my acting class for the first time way back then. Fun, creative, yet naive and struggling times those days were!

{{available at amazon}}

Dog Day Afternoon

Star and Mazzy
Originally uploaded by sfraz71.

Such trauma yesterday! I took my sweet little Mazzy to the groomer for a short haircut, something I always dread doing since I am so afraid of someone hurting her, and what happens? They hurt her!!!

I thought it had been taking them too long to call me to come pick her up, so I called them a few times...no answer. So, I immediately drove over there, knowing in my gut that something was wrong. They told me that as they were trying to shave near her face, Mazzy jerked and they cut her eye! Well, when they told me that, I assumed they were talking about her eyeball. Further into the conversation they let me know that in fact, it was her lash line and not her actual eyeball and that they had a vet look at her, who said she was fine. I will be calling him tomorrow to get details.

I had to hold onto the counter to hold myself upright, I was so horribly upset. Immediately the tears came flooding. They kept telling me she was okay, that it was just a small cut, but I was still devastated. What got me the most was that they kept her there for HOURS after hurting her, without giving me a courtesy call or anything! Poor Mazzy must have felt so alone, afraid and abandoned!

I finally got to see her and her eye didn't look as bad as I expected, but later I noticed it was a vertical slit (theres a V cut along the rim of her eye!)...my God that must have hurt so badly! She's a little trooper though and seems to be doing alright. She looks so tiny though after getting such a short haircut, which makes her seem even that more fragile.

I realize accidents happen and appreciate how apologetic the groomer was, but I won't be bringing Mazzy back there again. For them not to call me is unacceptable plus they tried to blame me for the accident since Mazzy had some matting, which only added insult to injury. Honestly, I don't want to take her ANYWHERE again after this!

How do we protect our pets from this? How can we know who we can trust with our furry little friends?

**Update:
Just found these tips for hiring a groomer from helpinganimals.com:

Accident Prevention
The best way to prevent accidents is by taking precautions and doing research. If you must leave your animal companion at a grooming salon, take the following steps to ensure his or her safety:

Consider using a groomer who makes house calls, so that both your animal companion and the groomer are under your supervision. If that’s not possible, ask to be present during grooming.

• Check to see whether the groomer you are considering is a graduate of a training program and a member of any trade organizations. Although groomers are not required to be licensed, association with groups like the National Dog Groomers Association often indicates professionalism. Evidence of participation in industry seminars is also a good sign.

• Find a groomer with experience. Groomers who have many years of experience in working with animals will be more confident in their skills and limitations and should be more comfortable with animal behavior than those who have less experience. Any reputable grooming salon should have at least one veteran groomer on staff.

• Request references from other clients.

• Ask if any animals have been injured or have died in the salon’s care. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the facility.

• Request that your dog be hand- or air-dried. Cage driers can malfunction and inadvertently be left on, leaving your companion animal with no escape from the heat.

• Be sure to alert the groomer of any health issues that your animal companion may have.

What You Can Do
You can help prevent grooming accidents by contacting your local and state representatives and pushing for stronger regulations in the grooming industry. Lives can be saved and tragic accidents can be prevented through laws that require groomers to use only dryers that must be reset after a period of time rather than those that reset without a break, laws that set time limits on tethering and standards on the types of tethers that may be used, and laws that prohibit the use of sedatives or tranquilizers.

If your animal becomes injured at a grooming salon, you can file a small-claims suit or a lawsuit against the groomer or salon. Remember that a story about your animal companion’s injuries on a local television station or in the newspaper can help prevent future tragedies. Public awareness is a powerful tool.

Express Dress

Pretty sweater dress from Express! Wouldn't this be cute with gold accessories?

Dolman Sweater Dress

Freelance Fun

Something I am working on for a friend. This is just a preliminary design idea.

Cute? Or not?

A Spring in my Step!

Thanks to Craig and my new shoes, I walked into work a little prouder (and more comfortable) today! Macy's had an amazing sale last night, plus Craig had a coupon for an extra 20% off all purchases so we made out like bandits! I was able to get a couple pairs badly needed shoes for about half off! Nine West. Jessica Simpson. The pictures don't do the shoes justice.

**Update: Uh-oh! The Nine West's are killing my feet! They are cutting into my heels! Owie!

Wedding & Portrait Photography Workshop

This looks AMAZING! This Rimrock Workshop is for more experienced photographers, but I sure do wish I could go and just shadow everyone! Seriously, they should do something like this for beginners or amateur photographers!

Maybe I ought to look into taking some more hands-on photography classes. The one I took was distance education and I don't feel there was enough personal attention, plus there were no class field trips! ")

I am a member of a photography meetup here in town, but they never meet up! Maybe I just need to start practicing more. Photography interests me immensely and I would love to learn as much as possible, it's just hard to do on your own sometimes. For someone like me, a mentor of sorts would be extremely valuable.

{{via Jessica Claire}}

Help the Animals Affected by the Fire

Please support the efforts of the Humane Society in San Diego by donating today. I did! When I think of animals affected by traumatic situations like the fires in Southern CA, my heart just breaks for them!

I am going to look into how to help the animals in Malibu as well. I lived there long ago. As a matter of fact, I had moved there right after another big fire they had. I miss Malibu! I'm sure it's a different place now though.

**Update
The Humane Society also has a national disaster relief fund you can donate to.
Humane Society of the United States

Please contribute to this worthy cause.

instant architecture : molding

Oh, how I wish I owned my own place AND had the money to decorate how I wanted! I love how finished molding can make a room look! Domino Magazine online has a great How-To. Actually they have a LOT of cool things in their DIY section. I haven't been looking as regularly as I used to and was glad for the reminder when I saw that Oh Happy Day had posted about this today.

{{found via OH Happy Day}}

Peruvian Minute Soup

This soup is soo good and very simple to make. I use whole wheat angel hair for the pasta. I also add a small amount of very small slivers of jalapenos that I saute with the garlic, onion and red peppers. And I add two slices of jalapeno as garnish. Soooo good!

Peruvian Sopa a la Minuta
This is aptly named "minute soup" because it is quick, as well as delicious. To spice it up, before serving add minced Amarillo chile, or any similar South American chile variety.

Serves 4

1 pound ground beef
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves fresh Garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 " dice
1 tablespoon ground Cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 pound Capellini pasta

In a large saucepan, season the ground beef and brown completely. Remove from pan and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, water, potato, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and simmer until al dente, about 5 minutes. Return the browned meat and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Discard the bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

{{via Whole Foods}}

Gobble! Gobble!

In preparation of Thanksgiving, the turkeys are livin' it up downtown in Brookeline, just outside of Boston!

"Over an eight-hour stretch last week in Brookline, a lone turkey walked Beacon Street, strutting at times, preening at others, and napping every now and again in the landscaping near the sidewalk."

Read the full story here.

AT's Fall Color Contest

Apartment Therapy's at it again! Their color contest is in full swing. You can view all of the entries here. I love the entry above (Peque & Papuchi Move Beyond Beige)...the color scheme is so calming to me and they have my lamp!