Girl

I love it!!



A Sneak Peak of the Rugged WoodsWOman that Mr. Ryan is working on for me. What a sweetie!!

2nd Copy Sold!

I sold my SECOND copy!! WHOO HOO!!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.

It's Been A While

Sorry about that, I know it has been a while since I posted anything. I have been trying to get everything ready for our vacation (cleaning the house, doing laundry, packing, etc etc etc). We will be heading out tomorrow evening, whoo hoo. I will be signing off until we get back. I am sure I will have TONS of pictures. Stay tuned!!

Cow Auditions

I don't know if they just play these fun commercials in California or all over the country, but if you haven't seen them - CHECK THEM OUT!! Real California Milk has commercials that are auditions from cows that want to come to California... they make me smile :) Check them out here.

The Veggie Grill

Ryan and I went to The Veggie Grill for lunch today at the Irvine Spectrum. I LOVED IT!! It is an all vegetarian/ vegan restaurant. I wish there was one closer to Oceanside, but I guess it will have to do. I had the Grillin' Chickin' and Ryan has the Bayou Chickin'.

Grillin’ Chickin’ . . . . . . . . .
Grilled chillin’ chickin’, avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cilantro pesto, chipotle ranch on a wheat roll.
Bayou Chickin’ . . . . . . . . . .
Chillin’ chickin’, lightly blackened with cajun spices, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, spicy vegan mayo.

Check out all of their media plugs they are getting (Veggie awards, etc) here.

Hemp Rainbows

I went to the Rainbow Store on the way home from Irvine (I met Ryan for lunch for our 6 month anniversary and I was off for President's Day). It is located in San Clemente, so I figured I would just go and pick up a pair rather than paying shipping, having a truck deliver them, etc, etc, etc. I had put the Hemp Rainbows on my Christmas List, but I think since they are extremely hard to find in stores they were left for me to get myself :). I decided that today was the day so that I would have them in time for the Virgin Islands.

Double Layer Arch Hemp Top Strap

100% Natural Hemp Fiber
Triple Glued
Double Layer Arch Support
Rainbow® Trac Bottom
Guaranteed for the Life of the Sole

Weather

I worked this past weekend... Working 10-3 Saturday and 1-6 Sunday. Today is President's Day so we decided I would take the day off. I thought it would be a nice day, be able to go enjoy the day, but unfortunately the weather is NOT cooperating! We have flash flood warnings right now and it is supposed to rain all day... BOO. I mean of course the rain is good, especially seeing that we have been in a drought for who knows when, so the rain is a positive thing, but I just would have preferred it would have been raining here when we were in the Virgin Islands next week :) Hehe...

White, windy, white West

Heavy rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds will continue to impact the West today.

The heaviest rain and snow is expected across California through tonight, with some thunder possible near the coast.

The rain and snow will spread into the Great Basin tonight and tomorrow, with some locally heavy rain and snow continuing across California.

Happy 6 Months!

1 year ago today Ryan and I got engaged. 6 months ago today Ryan and I got married.

Happy 6 month anniversary babe!!

Thrifty VDays

(Ryan and I consider Valentine's Day a Hallmark Holiday, but I am glad people are deciding to BE together this year rather than WASTING money on things you don't need... Maybe it is a change that NEEDS to happen... Just a thought :) ).

My thrifty Valentine: The thought counts even more this year

Alas, even Cupid is feeling the affects of the recession.

This Valentine’s Day, the nation’s lovebirds – squeezed like everyone else – are getting creative, choosing foot massages and chocolate fondue at home over a dozen roses and a high-priced dinner out.

Others have turned the traditional adult night out into a family affair, baking heart-shaped cakes and celebrating what they see as the real meaning of the holiday.

In short, this year is more like Valentine’s on a dime, as Americans plan to spend about 20 percent less than last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

More of the article here.

Happy VDay!

Toms

Name Game

Got this off of Tami's daughter's Facebook :)

1.YOUR REAL NAME:
Carlee Padot McClurg

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Elaine Joseph

3.NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Robert Robert

4.STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Padca

5.DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue monkey

6.SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Rene Monroe

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Yellow Mountain Dew

8.FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Carg

9.STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Cherry Garcia White Chocolate Chip

11.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of last name plus izzle)
Padizzle

12.YOUR Drunk NAME:(2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first two letters of your middle name, last two letters of your first name then last three letters of your last name):
Adreeeurg

Cutie Koala

Koala Doing Well After Wildfire Rescue

SYDNEY (Feb. 12) -- Sam the koala, the most famous furry survivor of Australia's worst-ever wildfires, is healing well thanks to the efforts of caretakers at a rescue shelter — and she even has a new boyfriend.

Sam, who captured hearts around the world after she was photographed drinking from a firefighter's water bottle, has also won the affection of Bob, another koala whose paws were scorched in the weekend's inferno, caretaker Lynn Raymond said Thursday.

"Bob is her protector — as soon as she is moved, he's on the move, too. It really looks like he's making sure she's OK," Raymond said from the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, 100 miles east of Melbourne in Victoria state, where the deadly fires continue to burn. "They're good company for each other."

Neither koala is likely to be healthy enough for release for at least four months, and are being comforted by caretakers who salve their scorched paws every few hours.

More of the article here.

Love & Marriage

I got this from Tami's facebook page and thought I would fill it out for me...

1. When was your "engagement" anniversary?
February 16, 2008

2. When is your "marriage" anniversary?
August 16, 2008

3. How long have you known your spouse?
6 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged?
4.5 years

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time?
He liked the girl that lived across the hall from me freshman year at the University of Michigan, so probably Mary Markley Hall :)

6. What is your spouses full name?
Peter McClurg (Okay, okay, it is Ryan Charles)

7. Do you have any children yet?
No

8. How many?
Zero

9. Do you have any house pets?
Blackie, but he is a 'car pet'

10. Do you own a house or rent?
Rent an apartment

11. Do you live in the country or town/city?
The BEACH! About 5 blocks away :)

12. What is one of your favorite activities together?
Geo caching, bike riding, being outdoors (normally at the beach), making art, etc

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
Fiji

14. How many siblings (including in-laws)?
1 brother, 1 sister in law

15. What church do you attend?
North Coast Church, Vista, CA

16. Is this the church you were married in?
We weren't married in a church :) We were married by the San Diego Bay - Bali Hai Restaurant

17. What town is your current address at?
Oceanside

18. Do you work or stay at home?
We both work, but would both rather be vagabonds :)

19. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Fiji

20. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples...
Love God, Love your spouse, Unsaid expectations go unmet

McDot Shop

I have been posting some of my art pieces on an Etsy store (which is a website where you can sell your homemade pieces). The website is: http://www.padocarl.etsy.com . I called it The McDot Shop. There are currently 20 pieces on there. I have sold 1 piece so far. CHECK OUT THE ART I'VE BEEN WORKING ON.

Welcome To The McDot Shop.

Just a little piece of info, McDot has nothing to do with any fast food companies [it is actually the combination of my last name and my husband's last name - I tried to talk him into both of us changing our last names when he got married, but he didn't go for it :) ].

Valentine's Gift

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Maybe you could buy it for your loved one for VALENTINE'S DAY! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.

Tomorrows Office

LECTURE CIRCUIT (Part 2) | 02.12.09 | 9/8c PT | TV-PG L

TOUR OF THE BRANCHES PART TWO -

Michael (Steve Carell) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) continue their tour of the branches with Michael taking a lesson from their visit to Utica. Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Jim (John Krasinski) struggle to fulfill their new party planning duties with a grumpy staff. Angela's (Angela Kinsey) new cat causes a stir.

Weird Weather

Thanks Dad for reminding me of the weather in Temperance :). It seems like the last couple days it has been WARMER in Temperance than San Diego - HOW WEIRD!! It has been raining since Thursday of last week (today being the first day without rain during it) and it has been on the chilly side (I mean chilly side for San Diego, not chilly compared to Michigan, don't worry I STILL remember the cold weather from MI). Even at 4:30pm in San Diego (which means 7:30pm in Michigan) it is within 2 degrees, but fortunately it isn't raining here like it is there.

All that being said, I can't wait to be in the 80-90 degree weather in the Virgin Islands (we will be there in a week and a half, whoo hoo).

Sir Tudball

Kevin is working with a buddy of his that started a clothing company up north. Check out his bio page on the Adoni Clothing website. You can even buy one of his tee's - Rain Cloud Fish (which is what the image is on this post).

YAY KEV!! You are one of the coolest designers I know (sorry, but my hubby ranks #1... you are a close second :) ).

Lost Generation

My sister-in-law sent me this cool video... Check it out!! Watch it all the way through!!

Dolphins to Shallow Water

200 Dolphins Flock to Shallow Waters

ORION, Philippines (Feb. 10) - At least 200 melon-head dolphins flocked to shallow waters of Manila Bay on Tuesday, prompting a massive rescue by hundreds of volunteers and fishermen who used their boats and hands to drive them back to deep seas.

The unusual occurrence may have been triggered by a sea quake that could have damaged the dolphins' eardrums and disoriented them, or the pod could have been following a sick or injured leader, Malcolm Sarmiento, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said in a telephone interview.

He said the dolphins — between 200 and 300 of them — were spotted about a mile off shore, swimming back and forth between Pilar and Orion townships in Bataan province.

Fishermen and villagers trooped to the beach and waded into the chest-deep water, clapping their hands and hitting the surface to drive the dolphins away. More than 20 boats with their engines shut guided the animals to the open sea.

"It's something unusual. It's the first time that such a large pod has entered Manila Bay, and is acting strangely," Sarmiento said.

Alberto Venturina, the provincial veterinarian, said three dead dolphins found beached farther up north in Abucay township include two adult females, one of which was pregnant, and an infant male. The two adults had damaged eardrums, he added.

Check out the rest of the article here.

HIL-A-RIOUS

Saw this before church this morning and couldn't stop laughing :)

Scary

Went and saw Coraline (more on that in a future post) and we saw this SCARY FRIDAY THE 13TH poster that I thought I would take a photo. Does it look real?!

"Sloppy" Holes

Ryan and I made our first batch of donuts tonight!! Check out the pictures of the process.

Here is the recipe where we got the idea from.

Take our word for it, they are yummy!! We are excited to be able to start sharing them with our friends and family.





Check out the rest of the pictures here.

Check It Out

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.

Hair Trim

So it has been about 6.5-7 MONTHS since I got my hair trimmed last. I figured it was about that time. I went over to the Oceanside School of Beauty for a cheap haircut. I got about an inch cut off, even though I am sure no one will be able to tell. I just thought it was something that needed to be done. That was a good story, huh.

TOMS & Element

AWESOME



TOMS Shoes + Element Skateboards are thrilled to announce the launch of a One for One Collaboration. Both influential brands are teaming up to help children around the world by giving shoes and skateboards using the TOMS One for One model¬ – shoes to protect feet from disease and skateboards to provide an alternative to the hardships of their daily life.

For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. As part of the One for One Collaboration, for every skateboard purchased, Element will give a skateboard to a child in need.

The collection includes three limited edition women’s shoes, two men’s shoes and two skateboards; one performance deck and one longboard.

When TOMS Shoes Founder and Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie, and Element Founder Johnny Schillereff crossed paths, they realized their passions paralleled and their combined efforts could only strengthen the power of their messages. Both Element and TOMS, companies with roots in honest and ethical business, felt the One for One model would be the best way to create the greatest good to help those in need.

“While selling shoes and skateboards, the collaboration will hopefully inspire people to operate on a business model that is more socially aware,” Blake says proudly. “We would like to be examples of how small and large companies can work together in an unconventional way to make a difference.”

Johnny agrees, “Yes, we’ll give away a lot of shoes and skateboards, but like Blake said, more importantly, other people will see this happening and will learn from the experience. Hopefully the idea of sharing and helping will become viral.”

Element and TOMS are looking forward to the launch of this One for One Collaboration and planning their first collaborative Shoe and Board Drop in Durban, South Africa, one of the world’s most dangerous cities.

Element has already made a footprint in Durban by giving significant monetary and product donations to the Indigo Skate Camp, a safe haven for children as an alternative to their daily life on the streets in Durban.

In just two and a half years, TOMS has given over 130,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, South Africa, Ethiopia and the USA.

Coraline

Got to say, I am stoked for CORALINE. It comes out this weekend and if it keeps raining like this then Ryan and I might be there opening weekend :)

Parking Ticket Update

So it has been over 3 weeks since I got my parking ticket. I went down to the office on Monday to check in. I didn't want the 30 days to pass and then have my fine doubled all because I was waiting to hear back about the citation. They said that the parking mediator had suspended the citation and passed it along to the officer that wrote the ticket. She said that normally the letter about the citation would arrive 3-3.5 weeks from the date of the ticket. Monday was 2 weeks, so my 30 days would be up on Friday (because of course they don't count weekends, yet they don't work on weekends on RESOLVING my complaint). Anywho, I was planning on walking down to the office again today but it was raining. I checked the mail and I had a letter from them. So 3 weeks ago I wrote a letter explaining my innocence, supplied multiple pictures, etc and the letter I got back today says:

"UPHELD : PARKED IN HAZARDOUS MANNER".

Wow. So my options from here are. Pay the ticket and eat the fine. Or pay the ticket, go to an Administrative Hearing and POSSIBLY get the fine refunded. (Yep, you got it, I have to pay the fine either way I go, but I MIGHT get it back if I waste more time on it) I am going to chat with Ryan about it, and maybe a couple more people to see if anyone has gone to the Administrative Hearing and try to gauge if it was worth it. If it was like a $20 fine I wouldn't care, but it is almost $100, FOR SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT SEE AS WRONG, AND SOMEONE IS PARKING LIKE THAT EVERY DAY ALL DAY! I will keep you all up-to-date (even though you may not care as much as me, hehe). I have 21 days to pay the fine and decide if I want to proceed with this litigation.

Flu-ish

So I have been at home in bed for the last 2 days. I think I have been up for like a total of 8 or so hours over the last two days. I am praying that this flu bug gets out of me NOW. I just hate feeling sick and not like me. For the past 4 days or so I have just been so sluggish and blah. I know it's not like I can do much but try and get better, but at times I just feel like I am wasting away, sleeping in bed all day. Crossing my fingers that I will be better by tomorrow :).

Pictures

Here are some pictures that my father-in-law sent us this evening.

The house in Cheboygan... covered in snow:

Mullett Lake Drive:

The lake covered in snow:

MJ in his sunnies:

MJ being silly:

MJ and Grandma Char:

MJ and his hat for the Virgin Islands:

Hunter, trying to be a lap dog, like normal, laying in bed on the way to Florida:

Flu 1, Carlee 0

Yep, I'm sick, and it STINKS!

Fighting Something...

Yesterday Ryan set his alarm for 9 so that he could go out and get some surfing in before the day started. He didn't wake me up and I ended up sleeping until about 11:30am. I probably should have guessed that I was getting sick by this freak occurance of me sleeping for so late, but I just brushed it off as my body was sick of waking up at 4:45am during the week and just needed some rest. Well, yesterday I felt fine, but was drained by about 10 and think I fell asleep shortly after that. This morning I woke up at about 9 and felt like I was really getting sick. You know that feeling of when your 'nasal liquids' had been draining down your throat all night? That and itchy ears was my tip that today was going to be a day of laying in bed. We went to church and got home about 12:30 or so. I ate lunch and decided to nap by about 1. Ryan went out surfing and was planning on being home around 3 so that we could go over to our friends for a Super Bowl party. When he got home a little after 3 I was still out and decided that I would stay in bed, rather than not feeling well and possibly getting others sick. I woke up around 5:30 this evening and decided I should probably take a shower so hopefully by tomorrow morning when I feel better I will be ready to go to work. I am still feeling yucky (achey, nose runny, etc), but I am hoping that I will be able to get more sleep tonight and be over this by tomorrow morning.

The Office Special Night

STRESS RELIEF | 02.01.09 | 10:30 ET/7:30 PT | TV-PG L

STRESSED OUT IN THE OFFICE - SPECIAL ONE HOUR POST SUPERBOWL EPISODE FEATURING GUEST STARS JACK BLACK ("SCHOOL OF ROCK"), JESSICA ALBA ("FANTASTIC FOUR") AND CLORIS LEACHMAN ("MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE") - After Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) fire safety seminar goes awry, he must make amends to the stressed-out office. Michael (Steve Carell) tries a number of ways to get his employees to relax before discovering that he is the number one stressor at work. So that people won't feel afraid of him, he insists on a no-holds-barred roast of himself. Also, while watching a pirated movie, Andy (Ed Helms) is convinced that Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) are film gurus.