365 Days of Coffee [& 2011 Love]

Here is what I will be glad for tonight, the last of 2011:

*  The sometimes raucous, crazy, frustrating then sweet and unending love that is Mr. Augustus  *

*  The hard-fought but oft-rewarding love that is Mr. Myron Cat  *

*  The earnest, generous love that is My CKP  * [yes, he was napping:)]

*  The fact that there WILL BE ESPRESSO in the morning  *

Happy New Year everyone, from my family to yours -

-Jayca

365 Days of Coffee [munchkins]

So I picked up some Dunkin Donuts Munchkins to bring to church this morning [I volunteer in the kitchen], but no one else was there, so home they came with me:

Little mass-produced balls of sugary carby delicious fatty goodness, how you taunt me!

You were supposed to be devoured in minutes by less-concerned volunteers, eaten with appreciative surprise by those hungry boys with bottomless tummies!

Not that hungry boy on the far right . . . :)

PS:  Can you even tell that's an Augustus face over there?  It is.  He patiently watched my photo session for about 15 minutes, after which I gave him a Zukes treat for being so good.  Granted, there was quite a bit of muffled whining ["Mum, I'm sitting!  Can't you see I'm sitting?  Siiiiiitttttttiiiinnnnggg!  I want a muuuuunnnnchhhhhkinnnnnn . . ."] but I have respect for a pup that doesn't give up.  

Augustus Portrait #10

He is now entering the adolescent phase, and refuses to 'sit' for pictures:

"Is that the cat?  Am I missing an opportunity to annoy the cat for this?"

"Sigh.  I can see Dad in the kitchen making human food.  I would like some beef stew."

"Cat's gone.  Stew's done.  Might as well get a tan."

365 Days of Coffee [working]

I am sloooooowwwwly working my way through The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and noticed this morning that my extra-awesomely hued new espresso cup/saucer matches the highlighter I'm currently using:

Because apparently I did learn something in college, and that was how to match your outdated learning system to your drinkware.  

On another note, Augustus gave his review of the book a few nights ago:

[forgive the wonky image, I didn't want to miss the low-light photo op while optimally adjusting my camera settings:)]

He believes 'napping' should be in there somewhere . . . 

Augustus Has Discovered Water

And is confused . . . 

 . . . hopeful . . . 

 . . . and joyous!!

365 Days of Coffee [2 presents]

Ridiculously lime-green espresso cup:

and . . . MONOPOD!!!!

PS:  There is absolutely ZERO post-processing on that monopod shot.  Call me crazy [since it's not as though I'm typically a fiend with a Photoshop fetish] but sometimes a good-enough-to-post-without-post shot just feels good.  

365 Days of Coffee [comfort]

Complete comfort may be elusive for awhile, but chicken soup and warm caffeine always help:

Psychologically, at any rate :)

365 Days of Coffee [crash course]

Ladies and gentlemen, I am laid up.

On Christmas Eve, I threw my foot full-force into the corner of my bathroom door [technically I just walked directly into it somehow - in the excitement to wrap presents??] and my pinky toe spent about a full minute being perpendicular to the rest of my body.  I thought I was going to throw up in a) pain and b) sheer panic. CKP was out last-minute grocery shopping, and in an attempt to stop the agony [and having no second opinion], I re-thwacked said toe into a table leg to force the wayward digit back into place.  

I succeeded in the directional sense.  The pain remains.

When he got home, we hemmed and hawed about a trip to the hospital but ultimately decided we didn't need anyone else telling us that it was broken, and charging us a zillion dollars to ice it and tape it [after spending a few hours in the waiting room, of course].

So here I sit [and sometimes lay], with a massive, throbbing stub that begins at my right ankle.

Luckily, Santa came through with pretty much the ultimate reading material for just such an occasion, and I think I'll come out of this Ibuprofen haze all the better:

365 Days of Coffee [Christmas @ Pembrook]

Just a few shots of our day:

New espresso spoons - aren't they the coolest?  Parisian dish from my Grammie.

CKP's new [very manly] espresso cup:

My honey knows how to wrap!!

Cheese, crackers, M&Ms.  Present-opening fuel!

Tired boys:)

365 Days of Coffee [non-denominational]

Between this and the enormous white [sparkly] poinsettia I wore [in my hair] to work today, I think everyone knows that I wish them a joyous season:

This newly-discovered reindeer does, as well.

To my [oh, shoot there are only a few but THEY ARE FANTASTIC]  followers:

Tanya:  If ever there were a spider to inspire . . .  also, I find myself saying "Sigh." more often than I should/ EVER would. Also, you have eyes.  For all things do-able:)

Emilie:  If I ate/made every sort of food as well as you seem to [or attended as many events!], I might consider myself a success.

Bella:  Laugh.  Just . . . all kinds of laugh and fond, kind words.

Merry merry to those I missed and those I've included [judge me not for my wonky internets connection] please be full of peace, sunshine, sparkly fruit and flowers  

365 Days of Coffee + Augustus Portrait

What week is this for the puppy anyway*?  I feel like I've been taking dog portraits my whole life.

Coincidentally, I bet he feels the same way!

*It's week 17 of his alive-ness, so week 9 of portraits.  Really, I could have just looked it up earlier.  And re-written the beginning of this post.  What a bum:)

Also contributing to my bum-ness:  The fact that I forgot to put on his 'new' Christmas collar for the poses.  He broke last week's, and this one is all of two days old:   

Sigh.  

365 Days of Coffee [sparkly pears]

I would really like someone to tell me what is festive about sparkly Styrofoam pears:

Because then I could explain it to the honey when he picks this branch up, shakes and inspects it while asking that exact question.  

365 Days of Coffee [corn bread]

I made the world's healthiest corn bread tonight, in an attempt to combine my love of not weighing 900 pounds by the end of the week and my parents love of all things fattening and delicious.  This was the whole-wheat-flour/Splenda/soy milk result:

I won't say that it's the best, but ya know . . . I've had worse.  I should say that I've made worse.  And when I've been wandering around museum grounds all day - pretending to be worldly and cultured - and am faced with two BBQ chickens [courtesy of the honey's splendid slow-cooking] and a father who can't handle a meal without starch, quick n' doctored corn bread is just the way to go.  

Of course, this is how I feel now, healthy recipe or no:

[picture of a painting in the parlor of Ca d'Zan - more and better pictures to come because that's just my most favoritest place ever] 

365 Days of Coffee [handy post]

We went to LeLu with my parents for an afternoon pick-me-up, and while trying to capture the awesome-ness that is my manicure, I got all handy with other shots:

Seriously.  I'm in love with my Christmas nails.  Great macchiato, too - although CKP kept trying to to coerce the barista to put it in a real espresso cup vs a to-go one.  

My father's hand, going for some coffee cake.  Are his nails longer than mine?  He was being dainty on purpose, btw.  I feel like I need to make excuses for my dad's womanly fingers.

My wonderful mother's.  I want her whole ring collection.  

A berry-berry-berry 'smoothie' for the moms, some sort of cayenne-pepper/Ghiradelli/espresso creation for CKP [and, of course, his hands, too] 

Not kidding you with the nails-love.  

Other shots from the shop:

365 Days of Coffee [resting happily]

Smiles to all!  

My family made it into town and to my home safely, which means I can rest.  I figure they've seen the house spotless, the Christmas decor perfected, the puppy perform his three tricks, felt the warm sunshine and they've been fed.  I will now rest happily this evening [actually, in about 10 minutes] and enjoy their time here - stains, accidents, rain, whatever.  I've done my best!!

365 Days of Coffee [crack-tastic]

I was going to call this post "cracking up" [because I'm soooooo original] but 'crack-tastic' is actually more fitting.  A college friend used to say it whenever crazy things were coming her way, one on top of another - "Another presentation?  Crack-tastic, I'm on it!" - so even if it sounds pretty, um, juvenile you'll just have to trust me:

That is a cup with a pretty serious hairline fracture sitting next to my looooong  to-do list. You see, my parents are coming down from the Northern Reaches Of The U.S. tomorrow.  And staying with us for four nights.  And arriving at the house while I'm at work.  

So everything has to be all guest-ready [fridge stcoked, beds washed, floors done, puppy bathed, everything dusted, laundry put away, gift bags made and placed just so, etc etc etc] by tonight, because I am so not capable of doing it when I get up at 4AM tomorrow.    

Friends, I am tired.  So when that pretty serious hairline fracture turned into a pretty serious leak, it was all I could do not to scream at the spreading stain "crack-TASTIC!!!"

 

365 Days of Coffee [so many questions]

CKP tends to ask me questions about my photos:

"Aren't you too far away?"
"Why isn't that part in focus?"
"Won't they be able to see the dust in that picture?"

Today, I wish that he'd been around as I went all effects-editing-crazy on this bucket of silver stems, because he would have asked [before I'd spent 45 minutes on it]:

"Why is the espresso neon orange?"

My answer:  BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME NICE STEMS.

Augustus Portrait x 4

Our big puppy is four months old.  Here are his glamour shots to mark the occasion:

First, modeling the new Christmas Collar:

The average weekly shot:

"You're finished now, aren't you?"

"Good, because this pup is pooped."

365 Days of Coffee [22 points]

Although I'm pretty sure I would be disqualified for having an extra letter.  And for using two words.

What do I think this is, Quiddler?