For several years now, I’ve been receiving baby-related sample products in the mail. Diapers, wipes, coupon packets, you name it. It’s been going on much longer than I’ve been in a kid-related business and began about a year after I got married so I suspect my information was pulled from various wedding vendors by companies who figured diapers and formula were the next logical step. More recently, I’ve been stocking some of it away for client emergencies although I suspect they’ll stay on the prop shelf because most clients come prepared with those sorts of things.

But last week I received two 13oz cans of Similac and that’s put me over the edge. I began my quest to stop the mailings. Similac’s enclosed materials list strongmoms.com as their website. You have to call them to be removed from their list (1-800-227-5767) but it was a very easy process and they were quite apologetic about it. I asked if they could tell me how my name  might have been added to their list and the operator said it looked like it came from People’s Choice but that she didn’t know anything more about it.

Good enough – I googled and found People’s Choice Lifestyle Database for post pre-natal and post-natal mailing lists. It listed Michael Piczon (703) 547-4973 as the contact. After several calls and a voicemail, I spoke with Michael who took my name, said they’d “see what they could do about it” and hung up. I’m not feeling reassured.

However, that reinspired a kick I was on last fall to rid my life of all junkmail. So today I printed, signed, addressed and mailed letters to 13 different mailing list/marking companies, requesting that my name and address be removed. I don’t entirely trust companies to do as I ask but I have noticed a marked decrease in junk mail/catalogs, etc. since my attempts last fall.

If you’re interested in cutting down on junkmail, here are some websites that I found to be helpful:

• http://www.dmachoice.org
• http://proquo.com/
• https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
• http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/

And for some additional interesting reading, Ed Koehler over at thedeets.com has detailed various ongoing battles with the Yellow Pages industry. (The rest of his blog is a good read, too.)

For several years, Comptine D’une Autre Ete by Yann Tiersen has been one of my favorite songs. It’s on the Amelie soundtrack, although that’s not where I originally discovered and, more recently, has made its debut as my iphone ringtone. Yesterday, I was looking for an online clip of it to play for a friend with whom I was discussing ringtones and I discovered this on YouTube.

It’s an animated video made by then 18 year old Aidan Gibbons as part of a university project. I think it’s really well done and am apparently not the only one as it’s received several awards and even has its own FAQ page.

In addition to having made a really cute movie set to a song that I really like, Aidan uses the word “gobsmacked” on his website which, having watched entirely too much Kitchen Nightmares, i>Hell’s Kitchen and Tabatha’s Salon Takeover as of late, I am dying to work into my vocabulary.

(I don’t think that’s going to work very well, though.)

(Also, don’t judge me for my taste in television.)

(Because those shows are really at the top end of what I watch. I have no shame.)

(Well, a little shame.)

“Post up something for me to look at,” says Ben. I know, right? Sadly, most of my work lately has not been the look at type. I’ve been assembling albums and shipping orders and, with a few exceptions, am mainly done with sessions for the year.

Here’s a few peeks:

An image box that went out recently…

Cuteness, no?

And a Christmas card…

Sorry, that will have to suffice for the look-ats for now! Meanwhile, while I am editing away, faithful kitty sleeping by my side, sugar cookie and warm cashmere candles burning and Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas playing (I am normally a Christmas music purist but for some reason, have allowed this one to sneak in), here are some links for you to check out:

Swiss Miss – this is a new favorite. Designery goodness!
Poolga.com – unique iphone wallpapers (this might be slightly nsfw on some pages)
this aint no disco – photos of insanely gorgeous workplaces
Etsy – I want to buy all my Christmas gifts from here this year. I guess I’d better get started.

That will have to do for now. And now I am back to work! Once I’m done editing and all my orders are shipped, I’ll be replacing the hard drive in my computer to prepare for bigger and better things so if you never hear from me again, that probably didn’t work out so well.

I’ve been a bad blogger. I turned a year older earlier this month and I just can’t keep up with the youngin’s anymore. Actually, I’m just busy getting ready for the Christmas season. Prints, albums, Christmas cards…all being dropped at my doorstep and then shipped off or delivered to waiting families. It’s exciting times!

And Thanksgiving tomorrow! My sister and I went to my parents’ house today to help my Mom prepare for tomorrow’s dinner. Pie and pumpkin bars and crescent rolls and green bean casserole today…the rest of the goodies tomorrow!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Lots of changes and lots of good going on. I’m so thankful for the wonderful photography year that I’ve had – the great clients I’ve been able to work with, the cute kids who finish our sessions by asking for another play date, the weddings I’ve witnessed, the opportunity to leave my job as a technical writer and pursue my passion full time. In addition to that, I’m thankful for my most excellent friends, both new and old (silver and gold?), a supportive family with parents that live nearby (and who I probably see a bit too often), and all the ways in which I am so lucky. There are lots.

(andalsomyiphoneandupcomingnewcameracoughcough)

Hope you all have wonderful holidays! What are you thankful for?

I’m back! I spent a few lovely days at a cabin (and by that I mean trailer) in Siren, WI. And I completely shunned the geek in me and didn’t bring the laptop. I rather enjoyed being able to log off and just enjoy the outdoors, the lake, the birds and grilling, pontoon rides, campfires and s’more makin’ with good friends. I didn’t enjoy the ticks quite as much but I think I’ve removed them all now.

Four days seems a bit like forever. Days spent outside are so much longer than days spent parked in front of the computer. But alas, I am back in front of the computer and have lots of catching up to do, emails to return, albums to assemble, etc. But I gotta say, having a real toilet again is AWESOME! :)

The weather is gorgeous today and I did get a chance to get out – over to Edina to have lunch with Scott and then for my first trip to Sonic which opened nearby recently and has been insanely busy ever since. (It was still too busy…it’ll be another few months before I go back there, I’m sure.) But I’m home this evening, working to get a bit caught up before the holiday weekend festivities begin and with the nice weather and the sound of early fireworks outside, I feel a bit like everyone is out having fun and I’m missing it!

So a little bit of fun between work. I saw another photographer suggest that we post ten random things about ourselves that people might not know. So here are my ten.

1. I drink Diet Cherry Pepsi for breakfast.
2. I spent several summers teaching archery and even got my certification to do so.
3. I’ve also been certified to work for a private investigation company.
4. I camped alone overnight in the woods in Pennsylvania with only a poncho, flashlight, lighter and harmonica. It rained the entire time and it was a very long night.
5. I like to drink from plastic cups, not glasses.
6. I don’t like a lot of very common foods (like tomatoes) but I loooove sushi.
7. I saw Michael Jackson in the airport once when I was younger and he was popular in the good way.
8. My first job was at Creative Kidstuff. I started off as a seasonal worker and my job was to wrap gifts. That’s a dangerous skill to have because your family will want you to wrap all the gifts they are giving, too.
9. When I got my first computer, it had to spend a lot of time in the shop because I loaded drivers for the wrong operating system on it twice in a row. Now I can build my own computers.
10. I would really like to go to India someday.

Now you should all share one or two or ten random things about yourselves in the comments! And then have a happy Fourth. :)