Simply Staceymarie

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

July's blog challenge from bloggy mom's.

July blog challenge : What I want to be when I grow up.

This has changed from many different things while I was growing up. I know one thing that has never changed is the fact that when playing and dreaming of what I wanted my future to be, It was the role of mother & wife, That is the one thing that has never changed. I still want to be the best wife, which I try to be every day & I wait everyday to become a Mom. No matter what has happened no matter how tough times can be... I never go to sleep at night with out one prayer... Dear Lord make me a Mommy.

Over the years in school I wanted to be an actress, but I could never remember any lines.... a country singer but my highschool choir teacher said I had no talent. I beg to differ because I know I have talent still........ but because of this lady I can't sing in public anymore like year ago that I loved so much to do.

Then I had another teacher that lifted me up and showed me that my writing was important and I had a gift to write and it took me a long while as an adult to realize that I do have a gift and a passion to write. I just started writing my first book I am so super excited to live my dream. I hope it will bring us to making my other dream come true. The adoption of our child.

At this time I am doing something that fills a void and makes me happy, I nanny a sweet little one we call her Buggie. Buggie is a joy to watch and I have had the roll as her nanny for a year and this job couldn't make me happier.

100..... & Kathy's charm giveaway!!!

Well I have hit 100 posts. Yeah!!! I am so excited and can't believe how fast it went. So in hitting that 100 mark I want to do a blog swap & I would like very much to do a few giveaways over the next few weeks. I will cook something up for all of my wonderful readers. I would like to do more giveaways and hope that this will help make that happen. If you are a blogger that does giveaways or know how to do more giveaways I would love the input.

We have our first giveaway for this celebration!!!
I met Katy a few years ago and instantly felt comfortable with her. Kathy has a way about her that she just makes you feel special. Her jewelry is as unique and beautiful as she is.

Kathy McCullough, started her own business Kathy's Charms. Each piece is handcrafted jewelry and Kathy sell's them at home parties and at Tiptations salon in Poulsbo.

Kathy started her own business in April 2009, She had gotten laid off at her job and was wondering what to do next. At that time her husband suggested making jewelry and selling it since that was her hobby for the past 16 years. At that time Kathy thought she would give it a shot.

So a year later she is still loving it and at times she seems still surprise herself with her Mad talent.

She also sell's her product's on facebook. Posting pictures of her jewelry and if there is a item you would like to purchase just send Kathy a message with your e-mail and quantity and product discription and she will send you a invoice through paypal, it is very easy. Or if you live in the Western Washington section of Kitsap County she would be happy to deliver it to you. Also she is booking dates to hold Kathy's Charm Parties and I know I am booking mine for a fun time for the girls in August.

This is what the latest giveaway is a retail value of $30.00
So this is what you have to do to win this......
Blog about this giveaway = 10 points
Become Kathy's charm's friend on Facebook= 5 Kathy's charms on Facebook
Pick out one thing you would buy from Kathy's charms & leave me what you would like on here= 15
Buy something from Kathy's charm's= 10 points for each dollar you spend.
Follow me on Twitter = 5 points
Follow me on facebook = 5 points
Follow my email feed = 5 points
Follow my blog = 15 points.
If your friends follow me on here and follow kathy's charms = 20

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday.............

This is one that I am going to make again and again. I hope you enjoy it as well. I first ate this at my Cousin Tony's house a few years ago and have never in my life ate anything at home as wonderful as his dish. I have order it whenever I go out to dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 medium onion, finely diced
3. 1 medium carrot, finely diced
4. 1 medium celery rib, finely diced
5. 2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, finely diced
6. 1/2 pound ground beef
7. 1/2 pound ground veal
8. 1/4 pound ground pork
9. 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
10. 3/4 cup dry white wine
11. One 28-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes--seeded and finely chopped, juices reserved
12. 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
13. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14. 1 bay leaf
15. Salt and freshly ground pepper
16. 1/4 cup heavy cream
17. 2 pounds penne rigate
18. Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and heat until just shimmering. Add the beef, veal and pork and cook over moderately high heat until just barely pink, about 5 minutes. Return the vegetable mixture to the saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, thyme and bay leaf. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and cook the sauce just until heated through.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well, return to the pot and toss with the sauce. Serve the pasta in deep bowls and pass the Parmesan at the table.

Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen up to 1 month.

Meet Me Monday.................

1. What is one food you could eat every day?

I would have to say BLT's or if it counts fruit snacks!

2. Are you working the career you thought you would be when you were 18?

Ummmm, that is a BIG NO!

3. What is something you wished you had done when you were younger and didn't?

I won't answer this question or even consider it. Because if I changed anything about my life before, I wouldn't have the most awesome Husband, in-laws, and the true friends that took 33 years to find.

blessings that I have today. I chose this path for a reason and I'm very happy with this reason.

(But, if I had to answer, it would be regretting it would be not saving my eggs when I had my

hysterectomy

4. What color are your kitchen walls?

They are the same flat cream color the entire house is and I want to paint this entire house.

I will wait for a while more.

5. Do you remember what your first favorite song was?

Yes the Car's song my best friends girl. Every time I would ride with my dad to the garbage dump we will listen to this and now every time I hear that song I think of my Dad and all the times I have been able to spend with him

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Saleinamarie review

I have known Saleina Epperson for as long as I can remember. She has always had a sweetness to her. We weren’t close friends in school, but I think that was all for the best because now we have a mutual respect for one another that might have other wise not been there. I am grateful to have the chance to write about this amazing lady. Our community is blessed to have her as part of our history, the past, present & future.

Salenia’s story begins with a deep history in the community. Her grandfather Albert C. Mills worked at the mill in Port Gamble his whole life along his side was his loving wife, Agnes Mills together they raised eight children, Linda, Lil, Lois, Aggie, Rena, Liz ( Saleina's mom), Wayne, Kathy, Robert. Like her mother Elizabeth, Saleina attended David H. Wolfle, Poulsbo Middle School & North Kitsap High School.

Saleina was born in Bremerton and spent the first few years of her life bouncing around Kitsap, Mason, & King County, before her parents settled a few miles south of Port Gamble in 1982 when Salenia was just five years old. Growing up there along with her two brother’s Byran & Charles Nelsen, magicaly It was less than a mile from her mother’s childhood home. Her father, Tom Nelsen actually just sold the house not to long ago.

“One of the best things about Kingston is the towns ability to change the visitors state of mind both mentally and emotionally. They get off the ferry and waiting for them is a quaint, down-to-earth town and instantly they start to slow down and relax. They feel so removed from their everyday life, but they're really just a 25 minute ferry ride away from the city...that's awesome if you ask me.”

To watch Salenia talk about her home town is just magical. A true love story. From the little girl she use to be to the grown women raising her own children in the same towns that made her who she is today. It is a great feeling to get to see her be a city lover and small town girl all in the same personality. I like this because I know having family as rich as the two of us do that we have that extra love for our town. It makes us both feel like our town truly is a part of our family.

Ultimately what made Saleina start her business was all the encouragement she received from my husband, family & friends. They all really made her realize her talent and that she could with their love and support come out with a career, the amazing support has left her feeling that her choices have all be the right ones, that lead her down the path that she is on today.

What started her passion of wedding photography was in 2002 with her own wedding, “I LOVE LOVE LOVE weddings.” She said. Newly married, she found herself pregnant & at a family event, her brother had an old Nikon N65 with him, Saleina picked it up, fired off a frame and BAM! She was hooked. Saleina explains that there is really something different about firing off a frame of film.

"You feel like you've really captured that moment in time." In her past she had dabbled with photography and enjoyed it in High school. Like all kids in school she found a hobby at the time. We never truly know at that point in our lives if it will be something that amounts to anything or not. She remembers, “I can still smell the developing solution in the darkroom, yuck!”

From that family event on all she wanted to do was be a wedding photographer. It was the blending of all of her passions, relationships, weddings, photography & the start of someone’s history. She borrowed the camera from her brother that night and started offering to take pictures of everyone that she knew. One thing lead to another and it took her into taking some photography classes and off she went. “ I've never really looked back”.  Saleina said.

Slowly she invested in new gear, computers, software, websites, wedding shows, bigger better gear, training & in this economy they did this all without accruing any debt. I know that this has to be a big challenge. In the end, I am sure that she feels so accomplished with doing it this way. One thing that it has taught Saleina is a great deal about patience. I find this so inspiring to be debt free with your own business is this economy is truly something to be proud about.

The word about Saleina Marie Photography is really spreading fast.
“I think building the business over the last six years has really prepared me to be able to handle where I am now.”

The very best part is the fact that she hasn’t had to miss anything in her children’s lives. Coming up with the hours she can or can’t work and having her life long love & best friend her husband, David or other family be able to be with their two children (one girl (5) + one boy (3)), When she does work it is a great bonus for any mom. Not having her own Mom in her life she knows how precious her time with her children is. It might seem silly or little to some people to not miss a school or sports event, Saleina is able to be there and not miss a beat of their crazy busy.  (removed text) “I am so blessed! How awesome is my job? I get to meet & work with fabulous people, share a super intimate day with them, and create a journal of the day they committed to each other...a little piece of their history. That rocks! “

The one charity that Saleina holds near and dear to her heart is the Hospice of Kitsap County. When she lost her Mom seven years ago, they were amazing to her mother & her family as a whole. “They really helped my family so very much. What they do is absolutely unbelievable.”   Every year she runs in the Whaling Day's race in Silverdale trying to raise money & awareness for them. They mean a lot to her and many families in the community. The other thing that she raise’s money for is the public & Private schools. Saleina donates a family portrait session to a couple of the local area schools every year. It is something she finds herself wanting to give back a little bit to her town.
Her plan is to continue to learn and grow as a person and photographer and sharing it all as she goes.   feeling like the sky is limit for her and that to Salenia is a good feeling.
Saleina made it a point to tell me her outlook on her self evolving that on a personal level patience & perseverance is something that she tries to remember daily. This just tells you the kind of person Saleina is, she will continue to learn and grow. Not only as a photographer but in her personal life as well.

What is different about her then some wedding photographers is the fact that she takes the time to sit and reflect she thinks of her peers in the photography community as her allies, when most people would think of it as someone that is their competitor.
When she is meeting with a client she isn’t the important one.  Saleina Marie Photography is the back ground, not the focus. “ I want to be a person that lifts up others...whether they choose me for their wedding photography or not,” she states.

When I asked her why she decided to keep her business local, She quickly and honestly answered “I love it here. I lived in the city after high school and I loved it, but in my heart I'm kind of a country girl. Being here I can have the best of both worlds. I really just can't imagine being anywhere else.”
So do yourself a favor & check Saleina Marie Photography out, she is crazy talented & I know the next time I do a family photo session I know that I will contact her for sure. My husband & I are planning on re-newing our vow’s next year and if I can talk Saleina to take the time to do our photos I know who I want to do them.

Salenia’s contact information is: www.saleinamarie.com or saleinamarie@gmail.com

Sunday, July 4, 2010

From my family to yours...

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all had a fun and safe weekend.

I will be MIA this week until

Friday!

We are goin' camping.

I am so excited and just can't wait.

It is a lot of prep time

but it is so

worth it.........

It is the feeling of Summer when the 4th rolls around

then I get to go camping.

I promise that when I get back I will have

lots and lots of post worthness...

Eclipse review....

By far...

hands down...

without a doubt...

This was the best Twilight movie yet.

Edward's what can I say????

He was actually breath-taking.

Beautiful, actually.

And charming,

and romantic...

I am not a a Jacob fan......Until now!
WOW what a hottie...

He was cute and at times I wanted

to go to take his side..

And the fact that Jacob somehow got even more smokin' hot,

and ran around for the majority of the movie sans shirt...

well,

it was a nice bonus!

The chemistry between the Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle was palpable...

and they all kicked up their acting abilities for this one,

and actually had me laughing at times with their witty one-liners.

I was nervous about the new Victoria going into the movie...

I'm kind of an obsessive freak about consistency...

and I hate when actors get changed out.

But she was good-

and the fact she wasn't the same Victoria from the first two movies didn't distract me too much but that wig has to go.....and I did really like the other Vicotria a bit more..