Indian Dude

It's been a while since I posted one of my photos, so here's a little snapshot I took around midnight at the U of U campus on one of the last nice evenings of the season. I really like the texture here and the bright yellow leaves.

Also, I've started a new blog dedicated to my stitching and crafting. Niki McStitchy! Cute, huh? I know, I'm a goon. But I can't help it, stitching makes me giddy. Check it out!

Geekery

This photo was taken by Nick at last nights P42 lan party.

It's a.....well....you know....computery, uh, thing.

It's pretty and I like it.

At The Car Wash

Why do I take photos of random things? Because I like random things. Random things make the world go 'round. And also I was bored in the car wash and the sound of my shutter makes me happy.


I liked the rainbow soap. I think we should put more rainbow into more things. The world needs more rainbow.


Swishing action!

I do love a clean car.

The end.

And A Cherry On Top

I made these for my sisters baby shower today. I had to buy two jars of cherries, one for the cupcakes and one for me. I just love those damn things.

Oh. My. Stars.

I don't even have words for the cuteness going on here. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go mop up my brains; my head has exploded.

No Words

I'll let the little shoes speak for themselves.

Let The Stitching Begin

My Sublime Stitching book finally arrived!!

It's dreamy!

I have loads of ideas and projects I want to get started on. Lucky for me I'm getting my wisdom teeth out next week so I'll have plenty of down time to sit and stitch! It will be interesting to see what my stitching will look like under the influence of pain medication. Who knows, perhaps I'll start a trend in abstract stitching.

(Not So) Little Sistah

I had a really fun afternoon doing pictures with my sister, Amy, today. She's about to become a new mom (and me an aunt!) in about eight weeks!

Isn't she the cutest little mama??

I can't begin to express my joy and happiness for her and my brother-in-law. I love you both, and your little bundle, so very much! I can't wait to meet him!

P.S. Welcome October! I'm looking forward to all your Fall-ness and the pumpkins and, of course, Halloween! Seriously, though....almost 90 degrees today? Chill out, yo.

Magic Pills

These are my new magic pills.

They're hand crafted by leprechauns and contain rainbow sprinkles, unicorn dandruff and fairy dust.

Taken each day, these crimson capsules will be the catalyst for an enchanting feeling of remaining upright and will grant the ability to get shit done. To put it clinically: red pills make feel better.

Side effects may include impulsive singing, blue birds on your shoulder, and pooping rainbows.

I Love Unicorns! And Embroidery!

I completed my first embroidery project!

I was hooked from the very first stitch and had such a blast with this pattern. It was unbelievably easy and my mind is already buzzing with loads of project ideas. I'm just itching to get started on the next one.

As you can see, I love unicorns which is why I chose this as my first project. Still, I am passing this first project on as a gift. Everyone should have some unicorn love.

Sakes Alive, It's Cold!

Well good morning, Mr. Storm Cloud! Was that you doing all that thundering last night? Oh, that was a marvelous thunderstorm. I thank you.

It's a chilly 52 degrees this morning and Mr. Storm Cloud is throwing down some icy hail. I like the sound of hail almost as much as I like thunder.



This chilly weather is welcome, a sure sign that Fall is on it's way. Smell ya later, Summer!



Perfect conditions this morning for a hot cuppa tea in my favorite mug.



And it was cold enough I even had to put my elephant socks on. Aahhhh, nothing like a proper thunderstorm, a hot cuppa tea and some snuggly elephant socks. Now all I need is a good book.

Steak And A Cupcake...

And a beer....

My husband has his priorities straight. And really, I can't think of a better alliance of food than the great American steak and a frosted cupcake. The beer just goes without saying.

Eat Your Heart Out

Nick made dinner tonight! Mustard-Maple Pork Tenderloin. It was de-li-cious! And have a gander at that colorful pile of greens there. This is one healthy meal made by one handsome guy!

Nick actually did the meal planning and grocery shopping for the week as well as prepared really yummy dinners the past two nights. Did I mention he does dishes? The man is a god.

I tried to snap a photo of the chef in action, but, as usual, he wasn't very cooperative. I told him I was going to get a picture of him smiling on my blog if it was the last thing I ever did.

His response was that it would be. Smart ass.

Love you!

Meee-ow!

More experimenting with Photoshop.

Yeti's eyes are his most striking feature and I really wanted to emphasize that. I also wanted to give him a kind of aura or ethereal appearance because, as clearly stated by the expression on his face, he is far superior to all humans.


The angle in this shot and the expression on his face is slightly reminiscent of a politician, all noble and meaning business. Just add an American flag and a slogan....



He's got my vote.

(This is what I do, people, when I've had too much wine at dinner and the room is spinning and I can't sleep and want to throw up. I design campaign posters for cats. Really, what else is there to do?)

More Fun With Photoshop

I'm having some fun experimenting with the various aspects of Photoshop. The shot of this little flower girl looking at herself in the mirror was just too cute to pass up playing around with. I'm not sure that I'm 100% happy with it yet, but for a first attempt I'd say it's not too shabby.

My Friend Becky

This is my friend, Becky! Ain't she cute?!

Circumstances in life are moving her to Florida next week and while I believe she is heading on a positive path, I'm sure gonna miss her guts out. Of course, we will keep in touch, but I'll miss the opportunities to hang out.

We met at work four years ago and quickly became friends. I always looked forward to the days we worked together because when Becky was there, I knew it was gonna be a good day. Her cheerful and giggly personality could brighten up any day and she was always a great ear when I needed to get something off my chest. She can also be credited for finally turning me on to MySpace and teaching me how to text like the cool kids do!

I love you, Becky! Thank you for always brightening my days and for being such a great listener and friend. I wish you all the peace, happiness and opportunities that you deserve.

Love,
Niki

Bee 'Tocks

When I woke up this morning and glanced out my window, I noticed this one lonesome flower peeking out of a crack in our back fence. I liked him, so I moseyed out in my underwear to snap a quick photo or two. I'm pretty sure the neighbors weren't up at this early hour. And if they were, I sure hope they weren't looking at the strange girl crouching in her underwear and staring at a hole in the fence.

As I was snapping my shots and feeling the weeds that are our "lawn" tickling my bottom, this little guy came along to partake in some pollen. Good morning, Mr. Bee!



Nice 'tocks!

A Day At The Gynecologist!

I may have reached new levels of blogging obsession, for today I brought my camera to my vaginal exam. Hell...why not? What could be more fun than a vaginal exam? I mean, besides everything in the whole world?

The point is that I do not look forward to this annual ritual of violation so I decided to add a bit of fun to it. I brought my small camera so as not to be detected taking photos. I didn't want people thinking I was weird or something. Psh.

One of the many enjoyable tasks of visiting the gynecologist is peeing in a cup. It must be done every time. Honestly, I don't even know what they're checking. Ph levels or pregnancy, I think. Whatever. So here is me with my little pee cup, which I have written my name on as instructed. Hello little pee cup. I hate you.

Once in the exam room there is much to catch the eye. Wonder what all this stuff is for?

"Do not use in eyes and ears". Noted.

Well doesn't this look cozy and inviting! Just strip down naked and drape these cut up old bed sheets over yourself. They won't actually cover a damn thing and you'll be all exposed, but just relax until the doctor is ready for you.

While you're naked and waiting, why not enjoy some reading material.

There, all done! This is what I came here for. It's called a Pap test. You don't even want to know where that stick thing just was and, quite frankly, neither do I. But there it is. See you next year!!

Peanut Butter Cookie Time!

Wow, am I a food blogger now? I guess so! It makes sense since it's combining two of my favorite things: photography and eating. And cooking. So three. It combines three of my favorite things. Oh, and writing. So four. Four of my favorite things.

Who wants cookies? I share with you!

How To Win Friends And Influence People

The "experts" out there will have you believe that their rules and books and step-by-step programs are what it takes to excel at winning people over. But there really is no need for all that. This, my friends, is your golden ticket to winning anyone over.

Olive cheese bread (recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman). It's food-gasmic. Food-vana. It's just damn good. You will shine at your next office picnic or pot-luck gathering and those who experience this divine creation will sing your praises. And who couldn't use a bit more of that?

I have been considering this dish for an upcoming event I am hosting and decided to take it on a test run at a small gathering of friends this evening. I didn't need to win these people over, they already love me! They were my unwitting test subjects from whom I was hoping to gain valuable feedback. There were no leftovers.

As I sat down to create my shopping list, I grabbed the first magazine handy to have something smooth and firm to write on. What an ironic choice. I guarantee this bread will do nothing for your waist line except expand it. But trust me, you won't care.

The ingredients are fairly simple. Two kinds of olives (black and those green ones with the pimentos in), green onions, butter, mayonnaise, a loaf of French bread and, the shinning star of the piece, shredded Monterey Jack cheese. An essential tool for the success of any recipe in this house is the purple squirt bottle filled with water, which keeps cat fur from infiltrating the process.

The completed mixture in my most favorite mixing bowl. I love this bowl in it's bright, sun-shiny yellowness. The most difficult part of this step was not eating every last bite of this mixture with a spoon. Because I easily could have.

Okay, I had a few bites. But I was able to successfully get the majority of the mixture onto the French bread, which was really the whole point of this endeavor.

While the bread is baking, take care to leave the dirty dishes for someone else to clean up, like a husband, for example, and go watch a favorite TV program or do some Yoga or something.

Actually, I did the clean-up myself. The husband was busy on an important project. I didn't mind.

Fresh out of the oven in all it's gooey, cheesy deliciousness.


Slice and serve to those who will be your eternal admirers. Or just keep it all for yourself. I won't judge.