White Christmas

On December 25th we woke up to this....

little did we know that within 2 hours we would have over 4 inches in Hartselle. It was fantastic!

Before I could make it in the house and grab my coat Brent and Emily broke out in a snowball fight. Thank goodness they focused more on each other rather than me...

My parents live on my Grandpa's farm. We all decided it'd be fun to ride over to the barn and take pictures of everything covered in snow.

of course we built a snowman... (and found a bit of yellow snow- gross!)

My parents got a lot more snow than the actual city did. We did pause out in my Memaw's front yard to take a few pictures of Charlie and my sister. Here are some of those:

I hope everyone had a very merry WHITE Christmas. I will update more with all our individual Christmas gatherings when I have time. I apologize for my lack of blogging in the past few weeks. It's been super busy around the Thomas house. 

Christmas Anticipation

I am sitting here dreading the four working days before Christmas. I want to sit on the couch, eat goodies and watch Christmas movies right up until go time. However, duty calls and some of us must report to work right up until Friday. I tried to finish my "elfing" this weekend but had no luck. I lack one gift card and a few items for Brent. He's been really hard to buy for this year. He keeps saying "you should have listened all year long to things I like". Really? Because he never wants anything!

We went to PetSmart today to purchase goodies for Charlie's stocking. He keeps sniffing it. I guess he want the rawhide bone. I must say he keeps me warm while I blog... always sitting right behind my head.

Now I'm off to work on Brent's stocking and catch up on a disc full of Dallas. If I haven't mentioned this before I am highly interested in the old TV show "Dallas". Not sure why. I think it's because it's freezing outside and I'm not really busy doing anything else. I love the 1970's attire and characters. The series ran for like 13 years so I'll get to see how things changed dramatically through the 1980's right up until the end in '91. Brent thinks I'm crazy. I probably am.. but I'll be the first to admit I'm hooked! Only 300+ episodes to go.

3 years ago...

We bought Charlie. I can't believe it's been 3 years. Brent knew I wanted a Lhasa Apso so he started searching all over the internet to find one. He found on near Montgomery and we drove (puppy unseen) a few hours after to work and met a lady named Jane who just happened to have the cutest puppy ever in her van. It was love at first lick. Even Brent was smitten. Take a look at our little puppy three years ago...

Only 10 shopping days left.. I better get to "elfing".

Camera Flash Weekend

This weekend literally flew by. I didn't get very much "elfing" as Brent and I call it completed. I did however spend a great deal of time shooting and editing photos. I can honestly say the time just flies by when I'm doing that. If you haven't had a chance yet, go check out http://ashleythomasphotos.blogspot.com/. I enjoy taking pictures in my spare time. I've had a nice camera for a few years but never really had any subjects to shoot. Lately I've found plenty of people willing to let me practice on them. I truly enjoy it. I run around taking pictures and don't even realize I'm doing something that some people are lucky enough to consider "work". I'm always here willing and ready to shoot any child or family that is interested. My cost is free.. I'm a beginner with a passion for something I hope helps brighten other peoples days.

My grandmother snapped a few photos of me taking photos...

It's funny to see how lost in the moment I get. 

Belk Obsession

You know the game you play at your lingerie shower where your best friends ask your fiance questions about the bride... well one of mine was "What's Ashley's favorite store?" and guess what- the BR got it right. BELK! I'm slightly obsessed. It's so wonderful to have one within 5 minutes of my office. It's like my own personal bit of sunshine at the end of a long work day. Well today I went in to kill time before church and look what I found:

I guess I was in a "stripe" kind of mood. Needless to say I am going to swing by there tomorrow to see what else they have because I was in a big hurry today. I recently had a birthday so I deserve a few new tops (at least that's what I keep telling myself when BR asks). Both these were only $21 a piece with my coupon! I'm pretty sure the coupon is open and available to everyone throughout the rest of the week. The sales lady told me it's an additional 15% off sale with or without your Belk card. I know that's not that much but both these started off at $40 +. Anyways I'll be sporting my new "Hamburgular" sweater tomorrow hoping not to freeze to death. Where are your favorite shopping sites this season? I'm hoping to cross a few names off my list tomorrow after work. Happy Shopping to you all!

Anna Claire

I've got several things left to do before the big day. I'm off to internet shop until bed. I wanted to leave you all with a few pictures of the cutest little girl around. Click here to see the sweet Anna Claire :)

Sunday Rewind

Today was fabulous! Besides the freezing temperatures outside all went as planned. I was able to spend time with two precious families practicing taking pictures of little people. The comment I made a while back about Charlie not being able to keep still is an understatement compared to children between 15 months to 3 years! It was fun though! Made me want one of my own (Brent...are you reading?) in a few years. I've only had time to edit one session so far. check it out here. I promise to edit the other as soon as my fingers thaw out. Brent ran off to the grocery store without me. I think he realized I was in zombie photo editing mode and decided he'd best go ahead instead of waiting on me. Hopefully he will be back with ingredients for a yummy soup. Sounds like a Soup & Dallas (yes the series from the 80's) kind of night.

Christmas Card Fiasco

So each year there is a debate over "which" photo to use for our little family of 3's Christmas card. I can always get a good picture of Charlie but doing the same of Brent is tough. He refuses to take photos. I mean he makes this weird face and gets grumpy and doesn't want to go with the flow. Blame me because I always have a camera in hand asking him to let me practice this or that on him. Flashback to Thanksgiving.... My sister Emily took 3 pictures of us in my Memaw's front yard. I insisted we just use one of those and Brent was not a fan. On Thursday I declared that when he came home I would have the tripod set up in front of the tree and we would be taking a new family photo if he wouldn't allow me to use the Thanksgiving candid. I got home around 5:30 and worked with the light settings and eventually gave up because the camera would not focus on me while I was practicing our set up. If I held the camera it focused perfectly on Charlie but as soon as I put it on the tripod it focused on the tree rather than the human. Frustrated, I gave up and put my pajamas on and removed the small amount of makeup left from the day. Sure enough Brent came in around 7 and wanted to know why the camera studio wasn't up and running. I explained the predicament and he declared "You either do this now or never" so I ran up, changed again and put on new makeup. We wasted 45 minutes with the self timer! Seriously.. our tree looked fabulous (each ornament in focus) but our faces were a big blur :(  Needless to say we will have the Thanksgiving photo along with a super cute low light shot of Charlie gracing the cover of our Christmas card this year. I hope to have them mailed by the end of next week (Shutterfly should have them to me by Thursday *fingers crossed*). Here are a few out takes from the session:

our pretty tree

Brent giving Charlie a pep talk to look at the camera

Here's how much better things go when the camera is in my hand rather than on the tripod:

Tomorrow is a Big day. I am fortunate enough to take pictures of two precious families. I just pray the pictures turn out okay :) Brent and I will do church together then split up. I hate spending the day apart but he didn't feel like tagging along on my adventures. Instead he will be heading to the nursing home to visit his grandmother. He has prepared a tin of candy and a stuffed Christmas decoration animal to take to her. He really is the sweetest thing. 

We received our first Christmas card in the mail today and it was from the first family I took photos of earlier this year. I have to share it here because it made my day.

Kitchen Reveal

The kitchen is finally finished! I am so proud of Brent and his dad and the work they did. Granted I did walk in and tell him I hated it one day because I was so fed up with how long the grout process was taking and the amount of dust that was accumulating on everything! (Who am I kidding? Brent does all the cleaning so I shouldn't ever complain)

They removed our old countertops and Lowe's installed our granite. My dad then came and hooked up our new undermount sink and faucet. Brent and his dad then spent 16+ hours in one day laying the tile. Tack on another month of grout work and voilà- a finished Kitchen :)

Lights, Camera, Charlie!

Since I got my new low f stop lens I can't stop trying to blur out backgrounds. I have been working on shooting Charlie in low light (in manual mode) and as you know you need your subject to be STILL for this to work. Little Lhasa loves to wiggle! Anyways, I've been able to get a few cute ones so far. Lord knows I'll make him do this a few more times before the Christmas season is over. Look for one of these coming to a Christmas card near you...

GEICO Commercial

Brent and I find this commercial hilariously funny. I guess I've been living under a rock because tonight was the first time I've seen it. Enjoy :)

New Photos

Be sure to check the "Happy Hobby" Photography Link to the left if you would like to see my Sister-in-Law, her husband and their Lab puppy's pictures from today. We were able to take a few photos out at a Christmas tree farm. Fun! Be sure to follow that site as well. I hope to have plenty more pictures to add in the near future. Remember, I take them for free :) I just love photography and making people smile. If anyones interested in having any made please let me know.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. It's really mind blowing to sit down and realize what all we have to be thankful for. Have a good week.

from my family to yours...

What would Thanksgiving be without embarrassing stories and reliving funny days from years before? My family had the opportunity to introduce Brent to the "Pig Movie". Granted it was not an easy task. The VCR attempted to eat the VHS and my Uncle Tom had to take the VCR apart and surgically remove the intertwined tape from the broken pieces within the player. He then converted it to DVD and shared it to my dad's facebook. Instead of humiliating myself I thought I'd share it here rather than on my page. The Pig Movie was a 3rd grade book report completed by my sister, Emily, back in 1997. My sisters and I were in 6th, 3rd and 2nd grade. Needless to say my sisters usually had pretty creative book reports because Lori taught elementary school kids for years. This is the most screen time any of us have seen. Hope it brings a smile to your face at our expense :)

Cast:

On the Scene Reporter: Emily

Desk Reporter & Surviving Brother Pig: Myself

Police Officer & Baby Pig: Meagan

Big Bad Wolf: Dad

Thanksgiving Preview

Being from a large family has it's perks- Multiple Thanksgivings :)  We started the holiday season off right yesterday at Memaw & Papaw's Thanksgiving Lunch. Needless to say everyone left full and satisfied.

As always, pictures were taken:

Charlie manning his post

walk around buffet style lunch

pretty sister- Emily

"stop taking my picture"

I can't wait for Thursday. We will be back in Hartselle for Grammie's Thanksgiving Feast. YUM!

Christmas Cards

It's that time again... time to beg my sister to take a photo of our little Thomas family and put together a Christmas Card. When I asked Brent to do this he suggested we use a photo from Halloween. To this I said, "We were dressed as indians." His response, "Greetings from the Thomas Tribe...Merry Christmas to you and your people." Seriously? NO! I hope my sister is able to capture a good photo of us sometime tomorrow or Sunday. Looks like Charlie will get a bath tonight to get ready for the occasion. I plan on using Shutterfly to order our cards and hopefully send them out by the beginning of December.

Here are a few of my favorite designs:

(check out http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards for more designs)

For some reason I'm always drawn to red... be it wrapping paper, bows or ornaments. They have hundreds of cards to choose from so I may change my mind but I'm leaning towards something simple (1  photo). Shutterfly is doing an awesome give-a-way for us Blogger users. If you're a blogger and interested in obtaining 50 free holiday cards for yourself click here. 

Thank you Shutterfly for the fabulous holiday treat!

Big Day

Tomorrow is the big day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWIN (Jessica). It's back to normal with an Alabama Football game on my birthday. Granted it used to be the Alabama/Auburn game. Tomorrow we will DVR the Bama game and hit up my favorite restaurant: Chuck's Fish. Then spend time watching Alabama take care of business while sharpening up for the big game next week. Brent spilled the beans that he purchased a jewelry box for me but that it won't be delivered to our house in time. I did get my present from my grandparents (new Tory Burch flats) and I'll be wearing them tomorrow celebrating the big 26! If only the gave you the day off for your birthday.... Goodnight All!

Auto Show

I know it sounds like a weird place to spend and Sunday afternoon but I thoroughly enjoyed the 2011 Auto Show at the BJCC today. Brent made mention of wanting to go and I though "Oh no, boring old antique cars". Not that I don't enjoy old cars but I was forced to attend many a car show growing up with my Memaw & Papaw and they always seemed to bore me. This was like visiting every car lot under the sun (except Mercedes & Hyundai) and seeing every model for 2011 and being able to sit and maneuver around in them.  Brent and I have been preparing to upgrade my 2006 4 Runner to a new SUV at the beginning of next year. Our two options are the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Both were super nice in the 2011 models. I can't wait to actually start test driving the options and make sure I can back that big tank up.

GMC Yukon

Chevrolet Tahoe

 
The Tahoe & Yukon are basically the same thing...just a few minor differences. What I did learn is that GMC produces roughly half as many Yukons each year as Chevrolet does. I was also told that the GMC seems to have a few more options included without having to add them. That is reflected in the price tag though as Yukon is a tad bit more expensive. I'll leave the executive decision up to Mr. BR.

We were really surprised with a new car put out by Buick. When I think Buick I think "grandma". However, Buick stepped up their game with the new Regal. Brent currently drives a 2004 Camry. He has aspirations to drive a big truck. If the truck scenario doesn't work out (AKA we still live in the town home when it comes time for him to upgrade) I really hope he checks out the Regal. For it's price point it seems to be the most luxurious. It's one car I'd gladly trade in and out with him and my big SUV.

Here are a few photos:

Time for the Amazing Race! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Darkness

I'm not digging this dark at 5pm thing yet. I typically work 8a-4:30p...however in my new role I'm sometimes there later and can't stand leaving when it's pitch black outside. I find myself assuming it's 8pm on my drive home. It's a huge trick on my mind! I did love Sunday morning when I woke up and realized I had an extra hour to sleep before going to church. I felt so refreshed.

I hope to shoot more photos this weekend. My sister-in-law asked if I'd take some of her and her family (Mike & Dex- the dog). I hope they turn out well. I absolutely love taking photos of people.

Things are about to get exciting around the Thomas household. I've got a birthday next week, followed by one Thanksgiving celebration after the another. Our office was lucky enough to get Thanksgiving and the day after off and I could NOT be more excited. Big day of shopping & football for me on the 26th.

Last Sunday at church we had the pleasure of hearing the author of our pre-marital counseling book speak. It was so random! Our church just concluded a series on unmasking ourselves and this last week happened to be focused on our relationships. It was so nice to see the author speak in person. Brent and I both looked at each other and asked if we remembered anything we read. Unfortunately, neither of us could remember much. I know we took it to heart then but apparently we did not fully take in what we read. That seems to happen to me all the time. I think I read to fast and never really take time to mentally absorb all the words I'm processing.

Well enough with the randomness- I'm going to heat my leftover tortilla soup and watch Brent clean our tile backsplash. I promise to post pictures of the finished project-before Thanksgiving-- that's my deadline for him :)

By Request

Here are photos from Halloween. "Dances with BR's" & "Squating Pigeon" had so much fun at Brent's work Halloween Party. Brent picked out our costumes...and character names. He really got into this indian character.

{proof that he indeed did sing karaoke with a chilean miner}

New Hobby

Today was a great day. We went to church (early at 8am) and followed that up with a day of loafing & visiting family & friends in Brent's hometown of Calera. Brent's best friends wife (my friend Jana) noticed that on my 101 in 1001 list I had a goal to take photos of a family. She asked if I'd be interested in practicing on them and I was so excited for the opportunity. I had so much fun capturing their interactions. For the record, my lighting skills need great improvement and I broke down and shot on automatic because I was worried my subjects would be agitated if I kept messing up. They were troopers and I thank them so much for letting me be a part of their world for an hour. Click here to see  a few of my favorites from the day: http://ashleythomasphotos.blogspot.com/ 

***You'll also notice the new gadget I've listed to the right of my blog. It's a direct link so you can check from time to time if there have been any updates. I hope everyone had a great Sunday.

bad habit

I can't believe I'm admitting this but I started biting/ picking my nails again. I absolutely hate it and did it for 23 years of my life. After meeting Brent and deciding one day he'd put a ring on my finger I stopped. (Who wants to have gross nails when people ask to check out your ring?) Cold turkey...well finger by finger until finally I had 8 of 10 pretty nails. By the time the wedding rolled around (8/2009) I had pretty polished manicured nails on all 10 fingers. That lasted until the Alabama/Tennessee game last year and the blocked field goals drove my picking into overdrive. I managed to grow the nails back out and had them until the BCS championship game got a little too close and I had to force myself to stop because we had just won the title and I was lucky enough to be in Pasadena to witness it all. I believe South Carolina (earlier this October) was the death of me. I've managed to pick all nails off and am thoroughly disgusted with myself. I thought it was a one time instance but it's October 30th and the habit is in full swing. I hope by writing/ publishing this I will hold myself accountable and break this nasty habit once and for all with tomorrow being the first day of freedom. Wish me luck... Mind over Matter.

59 Days until...

CHRISTMAS!. I've purchased 1 persons present. How pathetic is that? I always tell myself I will get started shopping early. I'm usually good to buy the first gift right after Thanksgiving but really need to spread the ca$h out this year and shop early. Has anyone else started shopping early? Any good deals anywhere? I don't even know what to get my loved ones. Needless to say I have NO idea what to get Brent this year. Hope everyone else is in the same boat as me. Here's to a happy FAST approaching holiday season. Yippee!

Weekend Roadtrip

This past weekend we were able to head to Gatlinburg and Knoxville with several good tailgate buddies. It's became a 3rd Saturday in October road trip tradition. We all head up Thursday after work (or in the Thomas family's case--half day Thursday) and stay until Sunday. Nothing beats a big cabin and a Roll Tide Victory. (Special Thanks to my friend Alicia for awesome tickets) Here are some photos:

To top off the trip Charlie was able to go camping with his Memaw & Papaw. He LOVED it (you may wonder how I know this since he can't talk but I could just tell the way he lit up when he saw my grandparents and how much he pouted once we put him in the car to come home). Here are some photos my grandmother and I staged of the dog... I know..I'm crazy dog mom.