Ray... A drop of Golden sun

Is it embarrassing to admit I cried

very hard

during this video?

It's just that sweet.

And the timing of finding it was impeccable.

Can you just imagine a world

wherein upon feeling blue and "woe is me"

All of a sudden you hear a sound...

the sound

of music.

And a group of happy strangers walk through

your door and spontaneously start dancing.

Even throwing in such classic moves

as the Mac-arena.

Yes Please.

Sign me up for that.

Because all of a sudden I'm feeling a little lighter.

And yes.

You read correctly.

This post does contain a sentence that reads...

Wherein upon...

Ginger turned One!

13 days ago.

Oh there's so much I want to tell you.

So I'll call this part one.

I was not prepared for what I would feel

on Gingers Birthday.

I just kind of thought... Wow One.

We made it a year.

The end.

'The end' of birthday emotion I mean to say.

But no.

No.

First of all, I got a 50/50 approach to "first" birthdays

from the peanut gallery.

I mean that in a kind and loving way- friends and family.

Half thought it was monumental.

Half said, Oh they wont remember a thing so dont give it too much thought.

Well, the side of me that loves the drama

started conjuring up ideas of a grandiose celebration.

And the lazy, procrastinating side of me embraced the latter.

So, torn, I was.

I cut out some balloons out of felt and fabrics

and hung them outside her room

so when she woke up... she'd at least see pretty color on

the walls and think to herself...

What fabulous blobs of color on the wall!

This is an awesome day already!

She was entranced by them throughout the day...

so I'd say it was an accomplishment.

She was getting over an ear and throat infection

so we couldnt go out.

I get the idea that no one recalls their first birthday.

But I also understand that even one year olds appreciate

happiness.

So if I could indulge her in every way possible for the day and

try to get her to set a record for smiles and giggles...

then I'd count her birthday as a success.

So basically we tore apart a couple newspapers.

Watched Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba while

eating a chocolate doughnut.

Played catch about 18 times.

took every tissue out of the tissue box and

All the books off the book shelf.

Read 10 of those books 10 thousand times.

AND

I bounced her on the bed over and over

and over again.

Until I couldn't breathe.

And I received a billion smiles.

It. was. awesome.

Ginger Estelle Treese

March 3, 2009

About 1 hour old.

March 3, 2010

1 year old.

And here are two pictures from the most

exciting place in this dollface's little world.

Our bed.

Dont worry...

I'm not going to insert the obvious and easy joke

about it being Caseys most exciting place either.

Because, how tacky would that be?

This one would be the most precious picture ever.

But I am pretty positive Moses got jealous and

purposely got his butthole in there so we couldn't

hang it on the wall.

If you knew him, you'd whole-heartedly agree with me.

More lovely details,

I'm dying to chronicle...

So hopefully this blogging motivation lingers a while.

Hello again

I really love a unique vintage scarf.

I never really wear them.

But they are just so beautiful to me

I always find myself buying them.

Apparently Casey is training Ginger to adapt

my obsession...

I woke up and came out in the loft to find her with a makeup

sponge and my scarf on.

And that is why I love those two.

Because Casey always remembers the importance of accessorizing

our child.

And because Ginger taking very well scarves and applying fake makeup.

Some people like to brag about husbands doing laundry

or babies doing silly stuff like walking.

Weird.

Tuesday

I've had a rough day
couple days
few weeks.



That's why I need stuff like this in my life...

A Romantic Proposition

Yesterday, via twitter my romantic husband sent me this picture...



along with this question...

@alexistreese... you down?

TMI... I know of no such thing.

Oh, the drama

The other day Ginger threw down such
a performance.
Seriously, it's worthy of an Oscar.

Don't judge me for picking up my camera
instead of picking up my baby.

The beginning...



Uh-oh... Something went terribly wrong.



A travesty with the doughnut she was eating perhaps.



And here we go...
A Meltdown
so terrific I want to put these pictures above the fireplace.





I mean, seriously.





And... she's over it.

Project 365

Project 365 is basically a blog in which
I am ideally
supposed to post a picture every day for 365 days.

Also, ideally I should have started this January 1st.
But that would make too much sense.
And Procrastination is my middle name.
So here we go...
It's a work in process.
If you'd like... you can click
HERE
to check out Day 1.

The Weekend

Was incredibly ordinary.
but well documented...

And I am going to annoy the crap out of you
because Photoshop is my new friend.
So all of these pictures are skewed in one way or another...

First let me show you what Casey did 75% of the weekend.



Oh my gosh! I was coming out of my skin.
First of all I hate naps as it is...
But I wouldn't even consider what Casey was doing "Napping".
It was more like a self-induced coma.
All. Weekend. Long.
Yes Casey, I love you but I'm calling you out.

I don't usually cook dinner on the weekends.
When I grew up, We'd ask mom what was for dinner and she'd
say, "Fend for yourselves."

So Peggy close your eyes because this is what your son fends...



Vegas had rain all weekend which I'm grateful for because when I saw all
your snowstorm pictures- I kissed my cheap tires
and thanked my lucky stars it doesn't matter one bit that we do not own a shovel.

Behold, Raindrops outside our window.


And what do you do on a rainy day...
besides lie comatose?
Organize!



Don't judge me.
It has to get worse before it gets better, right?

Of course Sunday we did the super bowl thing.
Seriously? 5 hours?
I'm super competitive but I feel like after 2 hours
of playing or watching the same game- I'd be like
I dont care.
I just want to read US weekly and watch Keeping up with the Kardashians.
But the afternoon was not lost because I got to hold this
little ray of sunshine



Clive Roderick Treese

Beautiful. Angelic. Heavenly.
I couldn't hold him too long because I was seriously
thinking about how to convince Casey to donate his sperm.
Sorry, it's true.


Oh my goodness Clive!
I'll love you forever!

Ahhhhh! Let's move on to skateboarding
so I can get my mind off newborns.



How cute is Tyler on a skateboard?!
Tyler was once a newborn baby.
I want a...
Crap.



I love that I caught a smile he was skating.



Casey liked this picture of him...
but it was hard to edit.
Clark was standing on the ramp so I cloned the sky over him.
Sorry Clark.
And I had my 50mm so it was kind of a struggle to focus.
See his ghoslty left arm?
Oh well.



More Casey.
I had to document that he was awake for at least a few hours this weekend.

But this is the money shot...



Can you say BOOTAY!

And what's a post without this munchkin...



Soon she'll understand why her food just seems to disappear.

That was our weekend.
I was grumpy, irritable, restless but there were some lovely moments
hidden in there.
C'est La Vie, right?

Nic Ara Gua

I have to break words up like that... so I know how to spell them.

What are the rules when making New Years resolutions?
There are none, right?
So it's perfectly acceptable for one of our resolutions to be...
Take a REAL vacation
right?

Well, I just got this email from Casey.
One place he's thinking about is
Nicaragua.
Hmmmmm.
He sent me this picture...
and suddenly, Im not surprised at all.



The hotel he wants to stay at is a treehouse.
Why are all boys obsessed with treehouses?
It makes me think of the Sandlot and that cute chubby kid
For.E.veR

I'll have to look into Nicaragua.
Because at first glance I'm thinking...
maybe not.
Have any of you ever been?
Or do you have some suggestions of beautiful vacation spots.
Prerequisite... Must Have Beach.

Happy weekend.

Focus!

I got a 50 mm lens for my birthday.
I don't pretend to know anything about photography
But I do know this.
My DSLR could possibly cure cancer
that's how fabulous it is.

This all stems from babies.
Truly. If this was a perfect world,
We'd go in for an ultrasound and the doctor would say...
Would you like to know what you're having?
Oh, Yes please.
It's a girl! and wait... I see something else...
Huh?!?!
Yes! Let's try and get a better look... Oh yes... this is incredible...
You're also having a.... a.... A CANON T1i DSLR!!
So that's why my heartburn's been so gnarly!

Babies should come with instructions, bags of money and a dope camera.
I know. I took the words right out of your mouth.
Anyway. I asked for a 50 mm because...
RESEARCH.
And by research... I mean, I typed best camera lenses in my google bar.

Turns out... It was a super choice.
This lens is SO fun and serves it's purpose well.
Personally (now remember I know NOTHING about what I'm talking about)
I love being able to put my camera in manual and try to get as focused
as I can on my subject and have everything else incredibly blurry.
It feels like the picture is screaming at me.
That made sense in my head.
The 50mm helps me achieve the "screaming affect"
Of course I could have bought a macro lens but
it would have cost me about 10 times more.
Just not to that level of devotion yet.
The biggest problem is
things look perfectly focused in that teeny tiny window
and yet, sadly...
focus no bueno.
:(

Oh well.
Here's some pictures taken with the 50...





Moses, my love.
My Sweet Co-dependent Love.

AND... BEHOLD! The baby who came MINUS the instructions, bags of money and camera.
But I kept her anyway.














No.
You may not eat my baby.
But trust me, I completely understand the temptation.

Now I'm going to show you why it SUCKS to have your camera on manual
when you are a beginner.




Man, I am dumb!
Why is my focus on Ginger Ginger and not Mirror Ginger?



Alright. a mistake so nice I did it twice.
Im awesome.


Um excuse me while I go drink a gallon of bleach in an effort to PUNISH MYSELF.
Seriously... I swear I thought it was in focus.
I probably was shaking from the excitement of the photo opp.

In all honesty, I have hundreds more like that.
I'll spare you.