Community Clothes Closet

So a lot of you know my sister-in-law, Carla Moody. I swear this gal has more energy than 12 two year olds put together. Every time I see her she has some big project she is working on. For years, she has been telling me about this "Giving Garage" that she has going and I thought it was real sweet and all. It started out with some donated clothing and baby goods in her garage that she was basically the distribution center for folks in need. So I pictured a few RubberMaid totes and maybe a pac-n-play or two out there. Well last year, I went and checked it out. Holy shit! Her garage was lined all the way around three shelves high with donations sorted beautifully according to gender and size. Then tons of toys and baby supplies to boot. I started to really think about the massive amount of work this was to orchestrate the goods coming in and goods going out. She had an answer to every question. She had a major support system in place through her church.

For example:

     * a ladies group who repairs high end pieces (prom dresses, suits etc) that are in need of slight repair before handing back out. 

     * a no waste policy where tattered jeans get sent to specific countries where they are in high need and same for beat up tennis shoes

     * tattered baby clothes are cut into rags and sold to construction crews 

     * local boy scout troops build shoe racks

     * younger children are helping to make homemade laundry detergent and bottle it 

     * small groups will pack snacks for low income students to hold them over for the weekend

What more could she possibly do, right? Expand. So she did. She combined forces with another woman, JoAnna Johnson, and established the Community Clothes Closet out of a 3,000 sqft warehouse in Justin, Texas. It's a basic metal building that's not air-conditioned but it meets their needs. It's a starting point for a much larger (yup!) vision that Carla has. They accept donations on specific days so their volunteers can sort it and hang it and allow their customers to choose from it. Everything is free. They make rent by having rummage sales throughout the year and private donations. She has an on-call system for emergencies like home fires in their area. It's amazing. Carla wrote, " I just love how everything is exactly what we need. I could write for pages how we needed something or wanted something... and got it. Like hangers, and shoe racks. We asked... and now have abundance." Ain't that the truth? 

OPEN DOORS – The Community Clothes Closet’s rummage sale takes over part of the yard at their new building. This Justin photo by Mary Wendell

The sorting room

Project 52: THIRTY FOUR

Thursday night I broke out of my creative comfort zone and signed up for a paint and sip art class with some ladies from my MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers) group. It was a blast and a welcomed mommies night out. I invited along one of my old friends from high school, Kelly Clark Black. We never really ran in the same circles but became good friends through soccer where we were Co Captains (which I believe is a title that warrants capital letters being that it is super important and comes with great authority or at least I really believed that at the time- ha!). Anyways, this is what I love about old friends (wait! I mean old friendSHIPS, not friends) is that it's just really super comfortable. There's a little peace in knowing they have known you for so long and get where you are coming from. You don't have to explain you weren't coming from a place of ego because shit they knew you when you wore a tie to school every day and didn't wash hair for days at a time (or maybe you still don't). They knew the awful boyfriend you dated for too long and your freakish obsession with gangsta music (word up Kelly). You saw each other go through some really hard and sad things even if you weren't particularly close at the time and you just don't have to go back through it. It's easy. So here's to my new friends and my old friends AND to drinking while painting!

Kelly with her personal interpretation of poppy fields and my failed attempt to imitate the teacher's work. Should have gone off the beaten path. Next time...

UPDATE on P52: TWENTY ONE

So guess who just got their first pair of Keens?? My big dude, Rhett Jameson!!!!

Now if he could just walk...

Project 52: THIRTY THREE

Where has the summer gone? Well it's hard to explain, but it's things like Sea World, swimming, house projects and of course celebrating Ella's baby doll's 4th birthday. Happy Birthday Baby Father Kevin! (Yup, she named him after our priest and I agree she's a hoot and a half! Although technically she should call the baby Monsignor but I guess that's really getting technical...) Anyhow, last week she kept bugging me to pick out a birthday card while we were at the car wash for her baby which of course we looked but didn't purchase. Then she wanted a cookie cake at HEB which again I let her look but didn't buy. Then we got home and that little girl just set to work. About a half hour later after she begged for birthday candles and cupcake wrappers and invited me to a birthday party and I finally got the picture. It was baby's birthday. My sweet girl had set up an entire little party in her play room for baby. She went through all the motions of baking a cake in her kitchen before setting out cupcakes with plates and forks. Even had a special seat for  the birthday girl. Of course we sang to baby Father Kevin and let her eat as much as she wanted. It was the sweetest thing up until Rhett wrecked the scene and Ella took a swing at him.

Super excited to sing

Rhett getting the evil eye for knocking over the birthday candle

I Know Enough to Know I don't Know Enough

So for Mother's Day, Ryan bought me a Groupon to Lander's Photography School. I FINALLY took my class called Getting to Know Your Camera and HOLY COW was it helpful. I'm seriously afraid to admit to you all how much I didn't know!!! I'll put it to you this way: the instructor started the class by laughing about a few students who didn't even know how to focus their lenses (LOL but I totally was not laughing....). I learned more in this 2 hours then I think I would have learned in 12 on my own. Taking a class put it all together for me and answered a lot of questions quickly and easily for me. So am I a pro now? HELL to the no! But I do know WAY more about my fancy camera and about the exposure triangle (now I sound fancy right??) So here is the gist of what they covered:

-lens types and how they work

-what all those numbers mean on your lens

-shooting modes (you only need to use 3!). This was life changing for me. Apparently I have been using my uber expensive camera like a point and shoot. Ain't that sad? So this shows you how to get into a semi-manual and manual mode.

-how to get your camera to shoot in continuous shooting mode

-white balance and what the hell is it?

-meter settings (I'm still really freaking confused on this concept.... anyone want to teach me more?)

-Setting your jpeg quality

-zeroing out your meters (yeah... practice)

SO basically I need to take my camera out for a spin. I think the thing to do from here is play play play. There is just a ton to learn. Seems like the more I know, the more I realize how little I know. To all my photographer friends- I knew you were really talented and gifted but now I'm just in freakin' awe!

www.landersphotoschool.com
210-681-8552

Project 52: THIRTY TWO

For any of you who know me well, you know I HATE going to the dentist. I mean a deep seated extraordinary fear of just walking into the office. I panic just making an appointment. I know I know, I'm a nurse. I should be a better patient. blah blah blah. I still hate it.  I haven't had anything really major since I was 5 years old and yet the fear is that palpable. I keep a small pharmacy on hand JUST IN CASE I have a dental situation. I even have the best dentist in the world- he's kind, conservative, gentle and has been my dentist for over 20 years. BUT I still panic. So last week I had to start taking Ella in to see him for regular cleanings and they suggested she watch me first to get the hang of things. OH MY GOODNESS. I have to be a mommy and be a patient?? SO, I put on my big girl panties (took a xanax) and calmly had my teeth cleaned like the grown ass woman that I am. That little stinker of a child that I have sure did think it was funny to have mommy strapped down to a chair with a mouth full of shit. So she went on a tickling rampage. I'm so terrified of being poked with all those archaic looking "instruments" that I didn't dare move so the hygienist paid no attention to the fact that Ella has gone ape shit on my feet. To me, this was like the equivalent of water boarding. I gave Ella the "HOLY HELL MOM IS CRIZZAZY" eyes and she finally sat back down. Then it was her turn. I was nice and didn't tickle her. 

Project 52: THIRTY ONE

Shit I'm late. But I have real good excuse this time. Real good. My sister got married!! I know I know, I should be posting a beautiful picture of her on here but I have NONE! I just couldn't manage a camera and two kids (and my glass of wine)! Sooooo I'll have to dedicate a little wedding post to her down the road once her amazing photographer, Elizabeth, has her pictures up and ready.

Seems like it has been a little while since I've posted on this little (ah hem not so little!!) guy. He just melts my little heart. I know I should be a good mommy and post his little stats but my brain is so fried between him and my little blonde tornado that I really just can't keep his numbers straight. But here's what I can tell you about our little Rhett Jameson at 10 months old: He has learned to say "uh oh" thanks to his best buddy, Pop Pop. The best part is, he totally uses the phrase at the absolute right moment. Mommy drops the sandwich and Rhett chimes in, "uh oh". Seriously funny. He has a husky little laugh that he barely lets out and when he does it gets us all going. Rhett is all about grahm crackers and yogurt. If you even so much as toss it past his peripheral vision, the kid flips out. You really have to handle these items with care in our kitchen. Rhett could be flipping his shit like a crazy man but will stop like a tranquilizer dart to the neck with just a hint of a back massage. Homeboy LOVES LOVES LOVES massage. And I mean good old fashion massage. Start with the shoulders and the back, then neck, arms, legs and feet. Even loves his collar bones. I mean it paralyzes him. He even makes little noises. I'll have to get some video- he's a total old soul. He's not all sweet though. He has a little naughty side. I think he is understanding "no no" quite well no but he seems to really relish in hair pulling. It really gets his goat. No one seems to be immune from it either. He'll go for babies, Ella, mommy and especially our cat.

This was taken on Wednesday at Funtastic Playland. I looked up and he had climbed all the way up this little boat so I took a quick pic. Right after this, he tumbled down! Not too pretty. I kept waiting for him to say "uh oh".