Photo Challenge: B&W

This week in the Click Chick photo challenge is the chance to showcase our fabulous black and white photographs.  B&W is one of my absolute favorite styles.  It can make an average picture more glamourous, and clients always love them.  Here are a couple that I adore so much, I even have them hanging on my wall here at home.

This one has made it on here before, but this shot from Amsterdam makes me very very happy.

My gorgeous mother, looking fabulous like always while spending a couple days with me in Venice.  I possibly should have held off on this one until the "mom" post, but it's too cute not to share right now.

Friday's Letters

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy

Dear Friday.  I'm too exhausted to be productive, so I think the puppies and I are just going to be lazy and cuddle all day.  Sounds like the ideal Friday to me.  Dear Ryanair.  Only you would have €9 flights to Pisa, a deal that a friend and I jumped on immediately.  Two days admiring the Italian culture?  Why not.  Dear Pisa.  The Leaning Tower was kind of fun, and I love your walkplatz [no idea what the term is in Italian] but other than that, not much going for you.  Nice little town though.  Dear Cinque Terre.  You are the best thing I've ever done.  The amount of gorgeous photos I was able to take is astounding, your weather is beautiful, the food is amazing, and the culture is wonderful.  Thanks for having us.  Dear Erica.  Wouldn't have chosen anyone else to experience all of this with!  We climbed mountains, persevered in our attempt to find the Mediterranean in Livorno, and stayed strong when being assaulted by crazy bus drivers and beggars.  Good work.  Dear Italian men.  I've discovered you have a thing for redheads.  Not so pleasant on my end, especially when dealing with the creepy old hotel owner named Paolo.  Dear husband.  I wish you had been able to go with me, but I'll save some other amazing trips for you instead.  Paris?  Switzerland?  Rome?  All three?  Sounds good.  Love and miss you!  Dear lovely ladies.  Hope you all had as wonderful a week as I did!  And hopefully you're not as hip or foot sore as I am.  Any amazing events that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear!

Photo Challenge: Happiness

Perhaps I'm introducing photo overload, but this week's challenge leaves a little room for interpretation. I would love to show how happy I am with my life, but taking self portraits all the time seems a little narcissistic...instead, I'm going to show you a few things that make me happy.

Sunsets in foreign lands.  This one is from my recent trip to Cinque Terre, Italy.

Dogs.  Geez do my dogs make me happy.

Very very very happy.

Laying in a Belgian park with my best friend.

Warm, sunny days and pretty patios.

The knowledge that while my husband is gone for another few months, one day he'll come home to me.

Friday's Letters

Dear Friday.  It's rainy and dreary, so I've made plans to warm up by spending a coffee date with some friends.  Dear spring break.  You were a much needed vacation from work, school, and commitments in general.  Thanks for letting me take it easy for a couple days!  Dear Amsterdam.  Holy crap, you kicked my butt.  So much walking!  I think I'm still recuperating from late nights, miles of hikes, and gawking at all the beautiful architecture.  Dear Pisa.  You're next!  Can't wait to fly in Monday for a whirlwind trip, taking in your beautiful sites.  I'll admit, though, I'm more excited for Cinque Terre.  Sorry.  Dear work.  Booked for May.  Money in my pocket.  Dear blonde hair.  I don't think you're going to last much longer.  I'm not sure I can be a blonde...probably getting switched back to ginger status this weekend.  You were fun while you lasted though!  Dear PCS season.  You suck.  Everyone decides to leave, which means I have to make new friends.  Lame.  Dear weather.  I know I said it's rainy and gross, but I'm so so so freaking happy that you allowed spring to make an appearance.  Forties?  I'll take it.  Even better, I have 65 and sunny to look forward to on Sunday...which means the girlfriends and I will be having a picnic!  Hooray!  Dear husband.  I apologize for being so pessimistic and needing constant reassurance from you.  This deployment is still taking forever, is still the hardest one yet, but I'm trying my best to back off.  I love you and miss you, and cannot wait until you come home.

Photo Challenge: Silhouettes

Amsterdam, Holland

Very excited to be linking up with LWLH this week to show off some silhouette photos.  I'm not too fantastic at these types of pictures, so this was an awesome challenge to help me feel a little more comfortable with camera settings.  I'll admit, though, the second one is kind of from a year ago...hope that's not considered cheating!
I regret having missed the past couple challenges, so I'm hoping the hostesses will allow me to play catch-up next week!

Why I'm So Exhausted

Being a 'single' lady isn't necessarily hard.  Being a single lady after being married for a couple years is a little more difficult.
Timmy has been gone a little over 2 months.  Not even 2.5.  It feels like it's been 10.  I'M DRAGGING ASS.
I think if I had spent the time after we married like I did the time before we married, I would be used to handling anything and everything that pops up.  But when reintroducing myself to full time school, [usually] full time work, on top of staying sane and social and taking care of dogs?  I'm pooped.  Wake up at 545 to get the day started; come home from work around 4; immediately walk the dogs for an hour; do as much homework as my brain can handle that evening; crawl into bed around midnight.  Weekends are filled to the brim with catching up on laundry or housework, seeing friends, making hasty jaunts to dreamy lands filled with colorful buildings and ancient architecture.  They're spent marking the time until my husband comes home and I don't have to deal with everything on my own anymore.
The point of this is that blogging, while still a joy and an awesome outlet, doesn't rank high on my priorities anymore.  While it used to be a way for me to connect with others, not having many friends in person right after moving to Germany, I now am too busy and so social that it's not really needed.  I still enjoy it, but would rather spend my focus and time on things that need to happen instead.  I keep making promises that I'll start it back up, it'll be a regular thing from now on; I'm not going to hold myself to that anymore.  Just adds more pressure to an already busy schedule.  Instead, I will do my best to post at least once a week, to force myself to sit down and relax for a few minutes before speeding through the day like a madwoman.
And just because I'm not so great at keeping up with my own end doesn't mean I don't read your individual blogs.  I love glancing through them daily, and don't plan on stopping that anytime soon.

Weekend in Pictures