1 Hundred Photos. 1 Million Memories.

Speaking of photos, this one, entitled Trolley cars on Powell, by Raceytay is perfect. Love. 

And here is what I am going to work on tonight ...

Right now, Snapfish is offering 100 prints for about $6 (including shipping).

Since bringing Andrew home, I have been diligent about printing photos. On the backs, I write the name of each person in the photo, the place, the date, and a memory.

Time consuming? Somewhat. Purposeful memory making? Absolutely.

Here you go:

1. Upload 100 4x6 prints.
2. Redeem the coupon code: PRINTSFREE at checkout.
3. Watch your mailbox earnestly for sign of life.



Join me?

A Life in Pictures: Apple of My Eye

'Tis the season for sweatshirts, pumpkin bread, and fiery leaves.

Over the weekend, my family celebrated fall at the apple orchard. I am working to establish traditions for each of the seasons. (Why limit traditions to 2 months out of the year?!) This idea is definitely a keeper.

A Life in Pictures

When people ask if my son has a nanny, I answer, "Well, yes. But she's golden, four-legged, with a cold, wet nose."

Tomorrow night our social worker comes to visit us for our first adoption post-placement visit. I can't even believe it's been two months today since I first laid eyes (in person) on my little boy!

In some ways, the time has flown. In other ways, I feel like my son has always been a part of my life. Strange how that happens, yes?

I was recently telling a friend that I am going to endeavor to take a family photo on the 5th of each month since our first family photo was snapped on August 5th. (Nothing fancy--just a photo that I can print when deals like this come along!) My friend responded that she wished I would post more photos here on House Honcho.

Good idea.

Beginning today, I am going to publish a photo each Wednesday that represents something going on in my life here at home. I will still respond to questions. Keep 'em coming! But maybe, just maybe, these photos will give you a glimpse into the craziness of my super cool family ...

Picture Perfect!

I have a doozie of an article I am itching to share, but that will need to wait until tomorrow night. First things first ...

You know those tasks that are necessary and easy, yet they land in the "headache" column? Call me crazy, but I consider printing photos to be one of those "mundane annoyances." I know it's necessary. I know that photo albums are important. But who wants to drive across town and stand in front of a printer for fifteen minutes?

I take enough pictures to fill the Grand Canyon with prints, but I dread printing photos like I dread going to the dentist.

So this is really good news ...

Now through October 5th, get 100 4x6 prints for $1, 200 for $2, or 300 for $3!

Serious savings, Friends! Click here.

Right now I am uploading my own set. I am pumped ...

Keys to a Guest House in Thailand

Tonight, in lieu of thinking--which seems a tad harder than building a pyramid by morning--I am going to post 5 photos from a tiny guest house I visited over the weekend here in Thailand. Make yourself at home ...

All Thai'd Up

Today I (officially) became a mom. So forgive me for keeping this post short.

There is a reason I consistently mention in the daily e-mail that cords are the fastest route to clutter ...

My View: Two Paths Diverged

The above photo, taken by my husband, is the view from our room. (I want to take it home!)

As the sun begins to rise in the western part of the world, my Sunday in Thailand is coming to a close. And here is what I am thinking about today ...

God is good.

He is good, not only when He gives us what we do not deserve, but also when He does not give us what we think we need.

How often have we prayed and asked for something, only to learn later that we wouldn’t have wanted what we thought we needed had we known what God already knew?

These last couple of years have not been what I thought they would be. (Who am I kidding? These last few days have not gone as I had planned.) But here is what I believe with all my heart:

God's sovereignty always dictates that my future will be better than anything I have planned. Seeing the end from the beginning, God will always direct my path so that each step will coincide with His goodness.

Every disappointment--every single one--is an indication that God has something better in store for my life. How can I be sure? The "something better" is God's best. And nothing can beat that.

Thai Top Ten

The photo above is of a dwelling here in Bangkok. There are several homes like this throughout the city.

Tonight, I'd like to share 10 things I've learned in Thailand, in no particular order.

1. The motorbikes outnumber the cars at least 10 to 1.
2. On the above-said motorbikes, women ride "side saddle."
3. At the street vendors, people buy soda in bags. As in ... they pour soda into a plastic bag and stick a straw in it.
4. The McDonald's restaurants in Thailand serve apple pies, cherry pies, and tuna fish pies.
5. Thais smile ... a lot.
6. Thai people would rather do anything than tell you bad news. So, even if the news is bad, it sounds good.
7. There are over 50,000 restaurants in Bangkok. People here like to eat.
8. The driving here is crazy, but I've only seen 1 accident so far ... and it involved an American driver.
9. It costs roughly 80 U.S. dollars a year to attend the local university. (Less than the price of my college psychology textbook.)
10. I love this city more than I ever thought I could.

Home Is Where Your Story Begins

I don't think I could love Thailand any more if I tried. This place is great. Below you will find a bit of home life, compliments of a tired yours truly.

In the photo above, you will notice that the bathroom is (literally) the size of a closet. Notice the space between the sliding door and the edge of the bathtub.

In the photo above, you will see the typical homes in Bangkok. (FYI: I would choose to live in the red one. Although, the white one comes with a 7 Eleven.)

In the photo above, you will see the supermarket setup. These "stores" are located throughout the city on the open street. Right above the egg noodles and the local spices you are likely to find Pringles. Nice.

Fourth of July Photo or Bust!

Photo by: me. Happy Fourth of July in true "we-clean-the-office-on-Friday" fashion!

What is a veteran?

A veteran--whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve--is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

--Author Unknown

Thank you to the many who serve.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Chasing Fireflies

Tonight, I bring you photos of a lovely outdoor celebration I attended on Friday night.

The party was hosted by my parents as a book launch. (Read between the lines: We wanted to celebrate with some of our dearest friends who have supported us during the past 27 months.)

Perhaps some of these photos will inspire some outdoor creativity ...

And what a night it was . . .

A Picture's Worth

Tonight--in keeping with Junk Drawer Monday--I am going to share 4 photos that made me smile today.

In honor of Stamping Out Hunger (held this past Saturday), Laura Czajka Martyna from North Carolina made this fabulous cake. Her husband is a rural route carrier. Isn't this PERFECT?! I love it! One of my children may get a surprise mail truck birthday cake one day!



Nothing warms my heart quite like an estate sale. And summer is my season for visiting homes all over the city and taking photos of various treasures. Check out my recent favorite finds:

I'm totally unsure what someone would do with this statue, but it intrigued me.



This enchanted gargoyle was going for $195.00. (I say "going," but he was still there when I left.)



And finally. Words cannot describe what I felt for this poor, one-legged Santa. (Well, yes, one word can describe what I felt: WHY?!)

I have a great blog-related announcement to share tomorrow. Do come back!

Rule #1

Photo by j_rodenhouse

Thankfully, I am still operating under a cloak of anonymity.

Otherwise, I would have to clean up rotten tomatoes after what I want to talk about today. I would like to discuss Rule #1 in operating a clutter-free home environment. And I warn you, it is not fun.

In short, we must separate our feelings from our stuff.

The number one reason we hold on to things that are past-date/out of style/unusable/unattractive is because we have attached a memory or a feeling to the object that we believe we are throwing away if we discard the item.

Throwing away the box our engagement ring came in is not throwing out our memories of that day. Tossing the coloring pages of our now-grown children is not eliminating our feelings for our offspring. Throwing away the seventh grade bug project...well...that just needs to be done.

But for reasons known only to Freud, it's easier said than done.

I once heard a really great tip from a lady whose home is void of "emotional clutter." She suggested that, in lieu of filling the house with these emotionally-charged items that will gather dust and take up space, we snap a photo of the person we love holding the object in question. Then, we insert the picture into an album and toss the thing we really don't need.

With this strategy, we win on two fronts. We've eliminated something we aren't using. And we have another photo of the person we cherish.

Say, "Cheeeese."

Photo by SqueakyMarmot

You remember the days.

Your camera used film, which meant you had to wait a whole three days to see how the photos you took of that once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated moment turned out. And if your grandma's eyes were closed or you put your finger over the flash...well...you could at least cling to the memory and point to the photo that looked like the moon on a foggy night and say, "Really! That was the moment he smiled for the first time!" And no one would tell you it looked any different.

Now that digital cameras have annihilated the use of film cameras, (is "film" even still a word?) you have nothing to worry about. Almost.

While we now have the luxury of snapping pictures in real time--and can actually document events and replay them in flipbooks--we, as a picture-taking generation, are guilty of making two costly mistakes when it comes to photos.

1. We fail to print pictures. Yes, we take twice as many. (Or, in some cases, we take 1600 times as many.) But our albums stand empty on the shelves. And really, what's the point of having 200 shots of a birthday party if later, we can't produce one photo to prove we were there?

2. We fail to back up photos stored on our computers. One crash and the last 6 years are gone.

There is hope. We can remedy both of these problems. But there is no time like the present.