Old Year/New Year

In with the old, and out with the new. See how this year is going to kick last year's ass:

OLD YEAR - I slacked on the blogging.

NEW YEAR - I shall be better at blogging. And now I have an iPhone so I can blog on the go!

OLD - Got laid off. Looked for jobs to no avail.

NEW - Will land a job...so that my photography business can be what it was intended to be, a side job. 

OLD - Overwhelmed by life (see above) to the point that I would literally walk in circles around my house noticing random things that needed to be done/put away/thrown away but couldn't actually do anything about it.

NEW - Create a system for being more organized and productive. Let me know if you know how I can do this.

OLD - WAY too many mornings of preschool drop off in glorified pajamas. Stacy and Clinton would not approve.
NEW - I will get dressed in the morning like a proper person.

OLD - Used the excuse of "I'm still nursing" to get away with eating whatever I wanted.

NEW - I'm still nursing, but the end may be in sight so it's back to the treadmill...oh by the way, we got one for our house. Mike won a raffle for a Best Buy gift card, so we put it towards a manual fold up one. Sweet. And while I will still be baking and making ice cream, I'm really going to try to cut back on sweets...at least those consumed before 10am. (First thing I put in my mouth this morning was a brownie. Don't judge.)

OLD - Said I was going to run a half marathon, when in reality I think I can count the number of times I went running on one hand and still have a couple fingers left over.

NEW - Run a 10K. That's more realistic.

OLD - Extreme Grouponing!
NEW - I've unsubscribed from just about every email I'm on. It was taking WAY too long to go through them all each day, and I really wasn't buying anything anymore. Even though I only bought things I knew I would use anyway, it's money better put towards preschool and food. So I will rely on Facebook and the couple daily digest of deals emails I'm on. I'll be extreme in other ways.

OLD - Took lots of pictures.

NEW - Take lots of pictures but be in more of them.

Not bad for my first stab at blogging in the '12, eh? 

March 11 can't come fast enough

The good news - my least favorite day of the year is over. The bad news - many more shorter days ahead, until December 21, when we can then add precious minutes to each day again. I freakin' HATE the end of Daylight Savings Time. Boo! Hiss! I live in a binary world where dark equals stay indoors and go to bed. I need the sun to keep me awake and warm. This dark at 5pm nonsense just doesn't cut it. I feel like a blob in my sweats when I have no desire to leave the house and it's not even dinner time.

Yesterday was a miserable excuse for a day. It wasn't just that the kids were up before 6am, but Sidney did not have a good night and we woke up to cold and rain and had to schlep to ballet class and a birthday party. All day Mike and I kept looking at each other and the clock wondering when it would all end. After a quick afternoon errand outing, we came home fed and bathed the kids, and 7pm bedtime (for them) could not come fast enough. We each downed a glass of wine, watched some TV, and bundled up to end the Day That Would Never End. (It rolled seamlessly into the Night That Would Never End, but that's a topic for another post.)

So to get myself through these dark, cold times, I decided to put together a Top 5 List of Things That Make Winter (and yes, if I have to wear thick fuzzy socks I call this winter) Suck a Little Less. Because there are no trips to Hawaii any time soon.

5. SWEATERS - This would be more aptly titled Winter Wear, since in addition to cozy, snuggly sweaters, I also love scarves and tights and tall boots. And my Uggs. I adore my Uggs. I wish I could sleep in them. I actually don't own as many sweaters as I once did, but when I have income again I plan to change that. Tights are easy to obsess over because they're cheap - Target has amazing ones. And scarves are really more for show than warmth, but I love them all the same. If my body has to suffer through the frigid LA winter (shut up) I may as well look good and feel warm.

4. SOUP - I love soup. And to be clear, soup is not exclusively for fall and winter. I enjoy soup year-round. But yesterday was the perfect day for it - it was cold and rainy, we were exhausted and feeling a little blue, so I whipped up a quick pot of mushroom barley soup. Mmm. This week I'm also going to make curried carrot and parsnip and creamy potato with kale. One pot meals rule!

3. FLAVORS - Two words: gingerbread and peppermint. The gingerbread one is a bit puzzling to me since I actively hate ginger. Like with a passion. But I make exception for gingerbread cookies (especially if they have cute frosting and candy decorations) and gingerbread lattes at Starbucks. And peppermint is a year-round love, but winter brings out peppermint ice cream and chocolate covered peppermint Joe-Joe's at Trader Joe's, otherwise known as crack. They are like peppermint oreos, but with more crack. And THEN they mix the ice cream and the cookies and sell peppermint Joe-Joe ice cream, causing me to have to apologize to the treadmill when I go to gym.

2. CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S - Yes, I'm the nice Jewish girl who loves Christmas. I mean, obviously not for the religious part nor do I condone the hyper-consumerism that tends to overshadow the aforementioned religious meaning. But I love sparkly things and bells and the color red and the smell of pine trees and twinkling lights and...okay, so really I just want to do Christmas crafts. There, I said it. And the arrival of Pinterest into my life isn't making my obsession any better. And movies! I love Christmas movies! Well, really only the comedies...seriously, stick me in front of the TBS 24 hour CHRISTMAS STORY marathon or CHRISTMAS VACATION (c'mon, we all need a little more Griswold in our lives) and I'm a happy camper. But I will refrain from the winter confusion that Jewish kids often experience here in secular/Christian America and stick to dreidels and stuff. Whatev.

And for all you New Year's haters out there, I say you're wrong. It's an excuse to get dressed up and go out and do something fun...I realize the irony in my saying that, given that 2 out of the last 3 NYE I've been asleep by 10pm, but in theory I love the holiday. Our friends got married on NYE (best idea EVER!), and in the BC era (Before Children) I was always known to find something fun to do instead of sit around and bemoan that I have no plans and it's just a night where you look at the clock, blah blah blah. That's what people who have no plans say. This year, NYE is Saturday night and we have babysitting (thanks Grandma and Grandpa!), so I'm determined to do something awesome. Stay tuned.

1. MY BIRTHDAY - Otherwise known as Everything Goes on Sale Day! I mean, the MALL celebrates with me, amazing right?! I can stock up on the aforementioned sweaters and boots and sparkly things, and that's a celebration in itself. Mark your calendars - December 26 - and let me know if you will also be in need of retail therapy after this hellacious year. I know I will be.

Stay warm!

Can we rewind and talk about Sukkot?

I've decided that Sukkot is officially my favorite Jewish holiday. I have always, or least since moving to LA, loved the holiday, one that was often overlooked growing up because by the time Yom Kippur was over it was back to "normal". There was one at my synagogue but the rotting fruit and fading paper chains that hung from it were far from appealing. It was only in recent years that I kind of became obsessed. In fact, we've been known to shamelessly invite ourselves over to people's homes for dinner just to be able to sit (and eat) in their sukkahs when we lived in an apartment and didn't have our own. I had a bad case of sukkah envy. I think it's because I really love fall - even though in LA fall lasts about a week, and Sukkot almost always is during an Indian summer. I did live in New England for 3 years, so I have a true appreciation for the season. And there's something terribly romantic and soothing about eating outside...I do have an obsession with patio furniture, remember? 

When we moved into this house with a real backyard, the first thing I thought to myself was "Now we can build a sukkah!" (And then I marveled that we had our own washer/dryer...a close second to a yard big enough for a sukkah.) Well that first year proved to be more difficult that I imagined...we had less than pleasant neighbors with whom we shared the yard (despite them being Jewish, I'm sure they would have tattled on us to the management company for cluttering the yard or something), and I found out that they're not exactly cheap. We did not have $300+ kicking around, so I spent the fall of 2009 in major sukkah-lust.

And we all know what happened last year during Sukkot...! Suffice to say my pregnant and bed-rest state put me in no position to build a sukkah, and it turns out I missed half the holiday anyway. Too bad because the record breaking heat last year would have made for so many perfect outdoor meals. But I happen to think it's so cool that Sidney's Hebrew birthday is the first day of Sukkot...all the more reason to love the holiday. That, and the fact that we got to have his bris in a sukkah...couldn't have scripted it more perfectly.

So now we get to this year. I was determined to make it happen, come hell or high water. But if we didn't have $300 kicking around 2 years ago, we certainly don't have it this year...so I was trying to be creative about how we could do it on the cheap.

And then I saw it...finally, my Extreme Grouponing was really paying off. A daily deal for a sukkah kit!!! But still, it was $175...hmm. I posted the deal on Facebook with a call out to anyone who might want to share the cost (and rights to using the sukkah too, of course), and my friend Sara (love you!!!) saved the day. Or, rather, saved Sukkot...

Birthright Israel NEXT was offering sukkah grants to any birthright alum who wanted to build a sukkah, for up to $200!!! Faster than you can say "schach", I had that application filled out, submitted and approved. Best Sukkot EVER - a free sukkah!

The deal was bought, and after some minorly-shady business transactions with a lovely man named Yehuda (he had me write the check for the delivery fee out to CASH...), we had all the pieces in our yard about 12 hours after the most rockin' Yom Kippur in history. The exuberance from neilah and the break fast spilled over into the next day and we built ourselves one amazing sukkah.

Daddy's little helper...

Mike was a naysayer before this all happened...and when he saw how easy it was to assemble he quickly converted over to Team Sukkah and got really into it. We loved shouting "schach!!" as we piled discard palm branches onto the top (which I collected from the green landscape recycle bins in our alley, just like a real Pico/Robertson Jew!), and both kids were just mesmerized. And then the real fun began - decorating and meal planning. I went a little overboard with my ambition, including a failed decoration project and more meal invitations than I could possible follow through with. But it was worth it...we ate every meal outdoors, and I could not have been happier. They don't call it the Season of our Joy for nothing.

How could you not feel warm and fuzzy sitting in here?

I just love this temporary dwelling so much (or the tent in the backyard as Mike's boss called it). In fact, I can't bear to take it down...the holiday has been over for more than a week, and it's still standing. Well, really because we haven't had time, though I'm still a little wistful about having to pack it up. But it is temporary - like everything - and we have a whole year ahead of us of new challenges and joy before next fall when we force ourselves out of the comfort of our home yet again.

The blog is going private

Too many creepers out there...there's been some sketchy activity and I have to protect myself and my kids. But I still want to share stories from my life and photos, so I will give you permission to continue following if I know you, or if you can tell me through whom you found the blog...I know there are friends of friends that follow, but I need to verify your source. Leave your email in the Comments section, or email/message me directly.

Thanks!

Fastest year EVER

And just as quickly as he charged into our lives, Sidney turned 1.

WHAT?!

Ivy's first year felt like, well, a year. Sidney's felt more like, oh, 20 minutes. I remember exactly this time last year when I was a nervous wreck, just trying to keep him inside through High Holy Days. And then he arrived, and our world was changed. He is the absolute light of my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here is my birthday letter to him:

Sidney-

On your first birthday, I wish you many more days and years of curiosity, adventure and love. May you find many more cords, wire hangers, and remote controls to play with...just don't hurt yourself. May you learn to stand up for yourself when Ivy loves you just a little too hard and you fall down. And may you continue to make me smile and my heart burst every time you walk into a room. I love you so much and have so much more I could say, but frankly I'm too tired. (And may you also learn to sleep past 4am.)

Love you,
Mommy

Does he know how to rock 1, or what?

There's always a silver lining - will shoot for food!

I've often pondered the idea of taking my photography to the next level. I love taking pictures, I do a decent job at it, and it would be a great way to earn a some much-needed cash. But I have a few problems with the idea.

1. I know I’m not a pro, and I don’t want to insult those who are. I would never pretend like you’re going to get something professional-quality because frankly this is my hobby...I wish I could dedicate my every day to this and learn more techniques, spend more time editing, buy top of the line equipment, etc. And professionals cost what they do for a reason - they spend a lot of time on the photos, between traveling to shoots, taking the photos, editing them, and printing them, not to mention the cost of their camera equipment, editing software, and other supplies. I would be offering something much less expensive, but again I have no desire to drive the market down (not that a few measly photo shoots by me would do that, but it’s the principle). And even if my work was professional quality, I would essentially be shooting myself in the foot with the low price I would charge.

2. I don’t want to come off as one of those people who’s like “Oooh, I have DSLR so OBVIOUSLY I’m qualified to have my own photo business!” I mean, I never shoot on auto, I know my aperature from my ISO, and I’m pretty good at getting the best white balance for a shot. But still...just because I have a nice camera, a bunch of lenses, and a speedlight doesn’t mean I’m any better than the average mom with the same equipment and hobby. Nothing wrong with just being a momtographer!

3. I’d feel weird charging people I know money. It’s just awkward, mixing business and friendship. But maybe I need to get over that...and if I don’t know you, I’ll accept cash or check! Besides, my time isn’t exactly free - I have a lot of things to do, so unfortunately I can’t really give too much of my spare hours away for nothing, even though I love taking pictures.

All this being said, I thought I had found a happy medium. My dad is also a photographer, and the person from whom I inherited my love for this pastime. You could call him an advanced amateur but really he’s semi-pro. It’s not his primary profession, but he does get a lot of jobs as a photographer. And he doesn’t even always get paid in cash. He’s much more of a fan of the barter system. That’s right. Bartering.

I couldn’t even begin to count the number of free meals my family has eaten in Little Italy or how many pounds of brisket live in my parents’ freezer thanks to my dad’s photos. He’s shot weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and nearly every family event for the Bussalaccis.

When my friend Kitt asked me to take some photos of her family, I decided this was it. So it is with minimal fanfare that I announce the commencement of my photography “business” - Silver Lining Photos (like my last name, get it?). I am available pretty much only on Sundays (and weekdays, until I start working again full time) and I like most foods...I’m kosher, mostly vegetarian, have a serious sweet tooth, and usually available for Shabbat dinner. Oh, and Mike and I need a date night...have I mentioned how wonderful my kids are to babysit for?

Here’s what you’ll get - some really nice pictures. And it will be affordable...not to take aim at pros (again, for the most part I think their prices are fair, but we are living in a DIY age), but we all know that professional pictures are not in everyone’s budget. I do have prices, but I will also barter...in fact I've already done a family shoot in exchange for a night of babysitting!

Take a look - I can't believe I'm doing this! http://silverliningphotosbykim.blogspot.com

It really IS the most wonderful time of the year! Sort of...

Back to school always reminds me of the Staples commercials where the guy would ride through the store on a shopping cart with the Christmas carol "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" playing in the background. Yes, yes it is. Ivy's 6 week break ended this morning as we both happily shipped her back to preschool. The whole vacation thing was really starting to wear on me, and her. She loves structure and was so excited to be back with her friends and teachers. Cause for celebration, and I did with my friends next door at Bloom for breakfast. The only thing missing was mimosas. Oh well, maybe next year.

Truth is, it was a bittersweet day. I was a little wistful that my big girl is now in the older kids' class at school (where has the time gone? etc) but it will be nice not having to scramble for childcare when I have work to do. Which is where I start to really get bummed out. Despite my numerous consulting gigs and projects that I'm juggling, I'm still technically unemployed. And while I'm certainly as busy as someone working full time, I don't have much to show for it my bank account and that's troubling. I had hoped today would be a fresh start for both Ivy and I - school for her and a job for me. But alas... I've gotta land something soon, or else...well, I'm trying not to think about it.

At least now that I have a specific period of time during the day in which I can focus, I am really working to get my photo stuff up and running. I hope that will be my next post, as early as next week even. It just takes time, and I keep getting distracted by other things. Clearly self-employment is not for me in the long run.

So when I need to get out of the house to be free from home distractions I head to Paper or Plastic, or IKAR satellite office as it has become. I always see people I know there, and today I threw all productivity out the window because of it. First, I find myself sitting next to an Obama dead-ringer...who turns out to be an Obama impersonator. Fascinating. He was really cool, and actually from Chicago too. And then my heart went all a-flutter when my Food Network hero walked in the door - can you say Aarti Party?! Since I have no shame, I went right up to her and said I was a huge fan. Hugging and laughing ensued, and we were old friends by the time she left. Needless to say, I got nothing done from that point on during my first day "back to work." Oh well, that's what tomorrow is for.

I should have worn makeup today, and not a shirt that makes me look pregnant...

Sid, meanwhile is now running all over the house and I don't know how he gets cuter by the day, but he does. The big birthday is coming up, and my head is already swimming with all the baking and decorating projects I'm going to have. I could not be more excited, and also in utter disbelief that we're closing in on a year. Poof - gone in a flash!