{love, joleen} the blog

i've moved!

2007-01-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

edit: please note that i've made the move to typepad. you can view my new blog here. please bear with me as i'm learning and be sure to change your bloglines feeds + bookmarks so you don't miss anything! xo, joleen

after two years of blogging with blogger, i've decided to move on over to typepad. don't have the first clue what i am doing over there which feels so new and weird! can someone please help me? i can't even find a back-end to custom design my layout using html. any help would be much appreciated! thanks! xo, joleen

things that make me happy today

2007-01-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

♥ snapping this polaroid mid-yawn (which scanned a little pink. not sure why)

♥ alex wearing a sticker label he made this morning that says, "I LOVE JOLEEN"

♥ having friends (and family) like you who send virtual hugs + kind words just when i need them

♥ drinking hot tea

♥ snuggly babies (even if they are sniffly)

♥ quiet, alone time during synchronized naptimes

♥ browsing flickr and adding to my huge collection of favorites

♥ getting ideas and absolutely loving these maternity shots

woe is me

2007-01-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

since i don't have a really pathetic photo of myself to share, you get pretty but dying roses. don't read this post unless you're ready to watch me play my tiny violin while i cry to myself. i am not doing well. not. at. all. some days you just feel so bad you have to tell someone. anyone that'll listen. i am tense. i am tired. i am sick. again! i'm grumpy. i'm annoyed. i have no. more. patience. i want to bury myself into a foot of covers and die for the day. i have two sick, whiny babies that i can't seem to help because they just keep crying. my head feels like it's going to split right in two... one half for each of them. my shoulders are so tense i imagine they could hold just about anything. and they probably are. i have pressure in my chest, a sore throat, and an icky cough. i'm torturing myself by thinking about a photography job i can't take. i'm all around feeling sorry for myself about now.

end of rant.

whatever

2007-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

i tried to blog yesterday but then i didn't know what to write about. my break on friday was much needed and appreciated. it was so nice to hang out with someone my same age (we're both 23), talking about young marriage, eating yummy salad + breadsticks from olive garden, making plans (i get to do a maternity + newborn shoot with her! (she's due in june.)), buying books, and strolling the mall. me time. girl time. i need it more often! we talked about getting together regularly (other than our daily morning walks) for pampering ourselves and i really hope we follow through. it's restorative.

the wee ones came over last night just before 7 and we have them until thursday. they're acting as though their parent's gave them candy, soda, and crack before coming over and we're already a little bug-eyed. ha! yay for naptimes, huh? that and airborne as i'm trying desperately to fight off something...

i've been trying to take out my camera(s) everyday and shoot- random things really, that you can view here. i want to practice and just take tons of shots. i want to develop a personal style and because i like such a variety of things, i am struggling with this. or maybe i'm not at all and am just over-thinking as usual.. lol.. i think my set of personal favorites flows nicely + is a good representation of my work.

um ok end of awkward blog post.

our lazy morning

2007-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

{here it is larger}

thank you so much for your feedback in the previous post. i have to say it proved something to me; and that is "your clients are going to like different things, for different reasons". it's not as though i didn't think this would be the case. it's just so interesting to me when it becomes blatantly obvious. i really do love both versions of that photograph and imagine i'll end up printing them both for myself. the black and white feels classic, strong, and masculine to me, which i love. the color just pops- it's so vibrant and powerful, and that's very me. something about the background on that one isn't quite right even though the tones are the very same in the other. i don't know just what it is.

here are a couple shots from mine and spencer's lazy morning. i just love, love, love how this top one came out. it's probably my favorite photograph of him so far. this just screams his personality. i love when you look at the results of a "session" and see magic. it's astonishing to me that i can sometimes take a photo and see the subject's soul. it makes me just sit, stare, and think. :) ok, i have to run. i'm supposed to meet my walking friend in 10 min. for lunch and shopping at barnes & noble and i need to get dressed. yikes!

my boys

2007-01-05T00:13:00.000-08:00

which version do you prefer?

My Hubby, the Newbie

2007-01-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

I've kind of been MIA this week, haven't I? It has been a rough transition getting back into the swing of things. The week is going well but I'm just incredibly tired. Tomorrow morning I start walking again, which on the one hand I am really looking forward to (for the extra energy especially!). It'll be interesting getting used to waking up at 5:30 again- ouch. Slowly, but surely, I am adding photos from our trip to Kansas, which you can see here. I'll be adding more as time allows. I am really excited to share the above photographs (diptych) with you that Alex took. I just love his attention to detail, don't you? It's the first that he has uploaded to his flickr account. He is always taking photos but says I am hording them on my computer. I'm nudging him to add more soon so please be sure to welcome him! :D

Goals, Not Resolutions

2007-01-01T23:50:00.000-08:00

{click on image to see full size}

Last year I created this goal list for 2006 and in 2005 I wrote this list of 50 things to do before age 30. I'm a list maker. These are not resolutions. These are goals I've set for myself today for the upcoming year. As time passes and experiences allow, I love to accomplish things on these lists but I know that nothing is for certain. By the middle of the year I may not have the same goals for myself or they may be altered for one reason or another. They may even be ignored completely. I don't hold this against myself because that is part of growing up and is the beauty of evolving goals and dreams. It's such a pleasure looking back on past lists to see what has been accomplished and what I should keep on my new list for the new year. It is an exciting time for reflection and dreaming. I'm wishing you big dreams and much success in this new year!

happy new year!!

2007-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to stop by and wish you a happy new year! we are home from our whirlwind weekend in kansas, visiting with alex's family. here he is with his mom on friday night - i think it's such a happy photo! it was a fun, busy trip and we're ready for ~~vacation~~ sleep. (ha!) ;) really, so great to see everyone we missed so much! we can't wait to see them again later this year!

the best of intentions

2006-12-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

i had hoped to share more of christmas before taking off for the the new year festivities but i really just need to take a break. i got a little overwhelmed today trying to get everything together, while still working an 11 hour day (i work 11 hrs./day 4 days/wk.).. i'm just a little bit tired and want to enjoy myself (+ relax!) on the trip. we're leaving for kansas first thing friday morning to visit with alex's family + will return monday. i hope you have a fun and safe new year's eve! i'll come back sometime next week to share some of the things i'm most grateful for in 2006 and some of my goals for 2007! also, i'll probably pop in with flickr to share photos while i'm gone if you want to check there. love + hugs! joleen

a special gift: love monster

2006-12-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

this is my youngest charge with his christmas gift from alex + i. i am so excited to share it with you! this is one of my most favorite holiday projects because, while i made nearly all of my gifts, this sweet love monster was a collaboration between my husband and myself. he helped select the fabrics we used; he turned arms + helped me decide their length; he chose the buttons for the eyes + sewed them on the face; he stuffed, stuffed, stuffed. :D click here to see more of it.

Oh, happy day!

2006-12-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

i hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine! i just love that photograph above (even if i look a little wonky!)- my mom bought us matching pj's which was oh-so-fun. it was just SO wonderful to spend time + holiday fun with this beautifully spirited group of people. i feel incredibly blessed to have such a close + special family. i cannot wait to spend new year's with our other family (alex's parent's, etc.)! below, aimee and i are being our super silly + sexy (if i do say so myself ;)..heh ) selves... for today's wardrobe remix. you have no idea how wonderful it is for me to have a sister as my very best friend. more christmas goodness throughout the week, i'm sure. thank you for all of your sweet comments regarding our family photograph in the previous post + for your well wishes! xo!

Merry Christmas, Friends!!

2006-12-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

Love,
The Thiessen Family

Holiday Survey

2006-12-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate with marshmallows and a peppermint stick!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrapped.
3. Colored lights or white on tree/house ? We don't have a tree this year but we still have lights everywhere. They're all white but if we had lights on the outside they'd be colored.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? We didn't this year because I didn't see any at the checkout.
5. When do you put your decorations up? The weekend after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Do deviled eggs count?
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Staying up really late with my sister, trying to sleep but watching Christmas movies instead. :D
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth? ( I like Heather's answer)
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open immediate family gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa gifts on Christmas day.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Usually lights + ornaments (new ones and childhood ones for both of us).
11. Snow… love it or dread it? Love it! But, that's because we live in SoCal where it does NOT snow... so it's fun to visit.
12. Do you know how to ice skate? Like riding a bike. LOL
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I've had so many! I would have to say that there have been two gifts that I remember most not so much by the gift but the way they were presented. When I was 5 or 6 my parents rolled out a mint green scooter and I thought that was THE coolest surprise! When I was (hmmm 9-11?) I got my first (previously loved) sewing machine. It was given to me in the way of a scavenger hunt. My family is genius I tell you!
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Family- who wouldn't say that? ;)
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Fantasy fudge, thank you very much.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? My family still spending the night at my parents on Christmas Eve. That tickles me.
17. What tops your tree? a silver glittery star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Well I ain't gonna lie... (ha!) I really like both. ;)
19. Favorite Christmas Song? My Grown Up Christmas List
20. Favorite Flavor of Candy Canes? Peppermint-duh!

Thanks Heather, that was fun. Now it's your turn!

wardrobe remix

2006-12-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

{click on the images to enlarge}

One of my goals for 2006 was to participate in a project called wardrobe remix for at least 14 days. With only 14 days until 2007, I began on Sunday- talk about procrastination. ;) You may recall that I did a similar project in May, called month of moi, where I took a self portrait every day. This project will focus more on fashion and how I interpret that to be on a daily basis. I thought this would be a fun little documentation. You can see 'em all here.

PS - I look angry in today's pic (top)- I'm not, I'm just really tired + my tummy hurts. :/

i love...

2006-12-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

my family! :)

happy monday, friends!

abuse

2006-12-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

{sad bear purchased from hotdog n' bun booth at felt club.}

i was sitting in a restaurant booth with alex today at lunch, looking out the window when i saw a young man begin an altercation with the woman he was with. horrified, i saw him in her face, yelling at her and pushing her into the car they were standing against. then he shoved her into the passenger seat and began to hit her. he ran around to the driver's seat and like that, was speeding along. shocked and horrified, a scream was going on within myself. hadn't anyone else seen what was happening? couldn't i have run out the nearest exit and yelled for him to stop? embarrassed may have made him worse once they got home, i suppose. my heart broke for that girl and i cried silent tears for her into my lunch. how do people find their way into abusive relationships? it's seems uncommon since, like most negative things, it's rarely talked about. still, i'm sure it happens more often then we think. feeling helpless, all i could do at that point was pray for her and her situation- and thank god i've always felt treasured in mine.

i ♥ shoes!!

2006-12-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

oh, how i ♥ my new leopard print wedges from target! target has to be my favorite shoe shopping place because i find so many shoes that are super super cute, always with the season, and inexpensive- so i don't feel bad if wear out more quickly (which i find they don't, really). i was just browsing online and my goodness!! there are so many adorable shoes that aren't in my store! i hope i get target gift cards for christmas! lol ;) here are shoes i'm oogling:
♥ sibley cork platform wedge
♥ tosca modras wedges
♥ delila gatherd pumps
♥ annabell canvas demi-wedge
♥ tessi polka dot basket weave wedges
♥ sasha menswear skimmers
♥ blue mod dots rubber rain boots
♥ andrea platform pumps
♥ chiara tall shaft boots
♥ tysley platform wedge
♥ sarah buckle skimmers
btw, i've recently started a new set over my flickr called i ♥ shoes and of course will be adding to it. ps- i'm a size 9. ;)

Plug

2006-12-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

First off I'd like to say thank you again to my Brad for thinking of me in this gift. His sister recently passed away and he was given a box of her belongings. From this my parents gave me a porcelain doll and a jar (vase?) of these wooden spools of thread from the box... which I LOVE. I just did a photo session with them for fun and for the current (FIBER) issue of Portals (which we're putting it to bed this weekend. Yay!) I have to say that it is honestly my favorite issue so far. I am so excited about it and really think you're going to love it! Don't forget to pre-order your copy here.

Prima Dollies

2006-12-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

{Photograph used with permission of snoopygirl! Thank you!}

These are Prima Dolly Ashlette, Prima Dolly Ginger, + Prima Dolly Violet. Violet was the next beauty on my list and lately I've been watching her on eBay. I found this auction that was offering all three PD's for a really great deal, including international shipping. I told Heather about it who said that Sharon was interested in getting a Blythe also. (Heather has two now). So, I had to ask Alex to tell me if I was already getting her or if I could move forward with the auction. He said that he had, in fact, purchased her for me (aww!) but that the deal had just fallen through (boo!) and to go ahead and move forward. Yay! So, on their way from Hong Kong are these three beauties- sisters- fraternal triplets if you will. I've gotten permission from both girls to go ahead and open the boxes so I can take photographs of our sisters together before they move on their way. I cannot wait! :D

My Favorite Passage In A Very Good Book

2006-12-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

"Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry... have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere--be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost."

-Francie Nolan
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by, Betty Smith

ohh and psst...
took some pics of Inka today that you can see here. ;)

am i really posting for the third time today?

2006-12-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

why yes. yes i am. i can't wait until tomorrow to share this utter cuteness with you. i recieved this weeks ago but it took me a while to notice it in the box and wasn't until today that i set it all up to take photos. what took me so long?? this super cute lil' gnome is from beshka. she sent me this wee kit that came with the 3" gnome, a mini rectangle of astroturf (ha!) and different postcard images for backgrounds. i LOVE this! thank you, beshka! :D

holiday hubub

2006-12-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

{click on the image for photograph credits}

this morning i put together this mosaic of christmas inspiration, which is also my new desktop image. what that heck happened to my holiday mojo?? do you have it? it got lost about two weeks ago and now i'm frantically trying to locate it so i can finish everything on time. i've now come to grips that not every gift this year will be handmade. i am happy that a lot will be if i could just finish things instead of leaving them all half done. today i am finishing up with issue #4 of portals (hallelujah!) and then i can focus my attention to christmas for the next week and a half. this upcoming weekend will be santa's workshop at casa thiessen- that's for dang sure. how are you doing with your gifts? am i the only crazy, frazzled, panicked one?!

Questions Answered, Etc.

2006-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

{Our first dolly family photo!}

First of all, thank you for your super sweet comments regarding my hair. I don't know how "brave" it was. I kind of viewed it as rebellious thing. Against myself and my ideas of structure. Against anyone who doesn't like it. It wasn't about being even or "perfect" but the epitome of carefree! Plus, it grows back so quickly- any damage would have been temporary. ;)

So there are just a couple of questions from the recent comments that I'd like to address. I'll do it here in case you were wondering as well. Soleclaw wanted to know why Maileena didn't go to the meet. There are two reasons. One was that I was running a wee bit late and she wasn't fully dressed. It didn't occur to me to finish dressing her there... der. So, she had to wait in the car.. *sniff* The second (and very embarrassing!!) reason makes me feel oh-so-bad that I haven't been able to share it with you until now. The day she arrived I thought I would welcome her with a special dress. So I had her on the ironing board while I was fitting her and then took her over to the table to work. I noticed there was something on the bottom with her hand and when I went to take it off I realized that I had burnt her with the iron. Oh the shame! I cried and cried. If there is anything good about what happened it's that you cannot notice it unless you're really looking... see here how her right hand is bent a bit? The other good thing is that she is my only girl that can hold things like this.

To the person wondering what Blythe dolls were, check out This is Blythe for just about anything you'd want to know!

Karissa and I took a short trip to the beach today. It felt like going home and hurt my heart to leave so soon. There are more photos from our trip here, including one of us sitting in traffic for 3 hours. Argh.

Ok, I'll try to think of some new topics for the rest of the week... ;) Thanks for indulging me.

chop, chop, chop!

2006-12-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

on a whim tonight i began chopping away at my hair... no plan or anything. ended up with a big pile of hair on the floor and this new hair style. i threw on a red top for these shots so i could participate in this month's self portrait challenge (it's been a while!). ;) i have more blythe photos to show you but i'll give you a day's break. heh!