And prom.

Contrary to what we parents and kids think of what that means (expense, worry about drinking and driving, & inattention to curfews), the word is short for promenade which means “to march proudly as you show off your dress and tuxedo.” And can also be translated by parents to “look at my beautiful baby is on a date – waaaaa…”

But that’s just me.

This latest prom was full of the standard photos of beautiful girls in their gorgeous dresses lined up in a row and at just the right angle.

So pretty! If the girl decides that she wants to go to the prom, I’m going to call one of these ladies and ask if she could borrow one of their dresses. Guess which one…

Though the girls are all pretty, my very favorite photos are of the boys.

By the way, the boy’s shirt arms were horrendously wrinkled and I wouldn’t let him take off his jacket until an hour into the gathering while the wrinkles worked themselves out.

Boys don’t take the prom or the photos or just about anything seriously.

Look at LCAT Chris…he’s not even dressed up. Actually he didn’t go. He just showed up as a show of solidarity for the boys. Boys do that…girls probably wouldn’t and I should know – the girl refused to go with me to get photos.

I just love LCAT Chris. He’s the sweetest kid and one of the boy’s bestest friends. How do I get him into the family?

Did I just say that out loud?

I also love these two.

They have a type of communication that just so – primal. And makes no sense to anyone but them.

It’s just too cute.

The boy was a little bit bummed that the prom was the same night as the final game of the National Capitals vs Rangers vying for the Stanley Cup. I think if he had his preference he would have stayed home, which wouldn’t have gone over well with his date.

And I wouldn’t blame her.

Here’s my other favorite shot – of the paparazzi. I caught Miss Deb with her eyes closed but I don’t think she would mind. It’s the only photo I have to illustrate this point.

I just love them…

This giveaway is for a workshop with Crave Photography AND a 50 mm 1.4 lens AND…lots of other goodies from other vendors and you and I know well. Two of my favorites are in this giveaway, the wonderful Jodi at MCP Actions and Kelly Moore Bags. I have products from both of these vendors and I would love more – call me greedy…

Enter now – and more than once! It’s ok, it’s legal:)

Here’s the link. What fun!

Last year the family and my parents went to a wonderful place on the water called the Yellow Fish or Fin or something like that. It’s great place with the best poke, a raw tuna delicacy that’s a staple in Hawaiian menus – but don’t look for it if you go there. It’s not called poke on the menu, it’s called something else. The name escapes me right now – it’s been a long time.

I can’t remember the name of the restaurant nor of the dish – I understand this is no help. Where am I again??

Moving on…

We made a reservation for a specific time and waited two hours past the specific time with no explanation (though it was so busy it was pretty obvious why it was so) and no apology. And no discount.

I thought a rumble was going to break out in the restaurant among the waiting diners. I’m not kidding.

By the way, though the Yellow Fin (Fish, Fad) was busy that day, I would still recommend their food though it’s a bit on the expensive side.

Really – where am I?

The husband asked me what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day and I told him I didn’t want to cook or clean, I just wanted a laid-back day with take-out food for dinner. Since he was home for a total of a half day that week, I think the request made him happy.

After church the kids asked me what we were doing. I said nothing. They said, “Do you want to go out to eat?’

No I said. They asked, “Can we go fishing? Or to the beach? What are we going to do for lunch?”

All questions which resulted in a blank stare on my part. Apparently their friends were taking their moms out to eat, going kayaking, scuba diving or whatever – and I’m boring. It’s my day – I can be boring. And there’s no way I’m going fishing.

I invited them to make lunch by themselves. Find something in the pantry and the refrigerator and throw it together, I said. The boy slowly made his way to the cabinet and opened it. Then he announced there was no food in the house.

I shrugged my shoulders.

The boy then got creative and rolled up his sleeve. He ended up making the the most delicious mac and cheese he’s ever made. Or rather, it’s the only mac and cheese he’s ever made but it was still really impressive. He chopped up some chicken patties and threw them in for protein. The girl then found a potato in the refrigerator and he chopped that up and threw it in too. Yes, a potato in the mac and cheese is surprisingly good. It’s much better than I could have made so I’ve decided that I will from now on leave the mac and cheese cooking to him.

And now to the real point of this post. The girl (who is much more resourceful than the boy – it’s just the truth) took out the Sam Choy cookbook and started looking through recipes of dessert.

She then chose not one, not two, but three desserts and decided to get busy. She made a list of groceries and asked (told) the boy to take her to the store. I gave them my credit card and sent them on their way. Yes – with my credit card.

She then spent the next four hours mixing and baking and chopping and cleaning. I sat at the kitchen counter and watched her thinking that this is what it must be like to watch someone else cook in my kitchen.

The view is amazing.

I love that she put on her horse apron, it’s so cute.

The desserts were all delicious, she did such a great job! I’m incredibly impressed by my kids that day. The husband went to pick up our take-out food and said it was full of waiting moms and families. He declared that we had the best plans – it’s beats fishing or kayaking – or scuba diving. I’m kidding – no one went scuba diving as far as I know. I then sat on the couch and watched The Vow. I was so happy with the day that I didn’t even shed a single tear during the movie.

It was the best Mother’s Day ever!

I have plenty of photos to post but I’ll start with Jonny here. Jonny is usually a quiet, reserved and serious guy.

But never forget that underneath the calm surface lies a teenage boy. He’s only 24 years old so his teen years weren’t that long ago.

So watching him play in the mud like this shouldn’t be a surprise to me.

Nothing should surprise me. But yet it still does.

I don’t like to get dirty – which explains my reluctance to garden. For some reason people wanted to come up and hug me that day, my cleanliness was too tempting a target I suppose. I had to threaten some people with their lives if they did…

I followed Jonny into the shower after his run.

I know how that sounds but he’s like a son to me so I wasn’t all that concerned about what other people would think.

It was obviously cold and I had to laugh. Look at his teeth.

As I stood there and shot photos I began to think it was a little weird that I was there so long.

A little voyeuristic I suppose?

Alright, one more shot before I walk away.

I saw him in church yesterday and he said to me, “Puna, did you get photos of me during the run?”

Oh did I ever:)

Happy Monday!

Everyone else looked like they had a great time though…

For Mosaic Monday.

And then on Sunday, I will be enjoying a take-out Mother’s Day dinner. Why? Because I don’t want to go out to eat – too busy. And I asked for a day off from cooking. Which means take-out. An even better present? That the two teens in my house will clean their rooms.

It’s all I ask.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to my own mom and all the wonderful moms out there….

This is the real deal people. It’s not a Korean knock-off.

It comes with a key. I guess if someone stole the bag they wouldn’t want to damage the bag to get what was inside so the key is a deterrent.

That’s what I think.

Now the real reason for this post.

My friend is selling the bag for you see – she’s getting married this fall and would like the proceeds to go toward a once-in-a-lifetime wedding. She got the bag as a gift – from a former boyfriend. So her betroth also wants her to sell the bag for that reason alone.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never received a Louis Vuitton bag from an old boyfriend. I’ve never received anything of value what-so-ever from an old boyfriend – which is why they are old boyfriends.

But my friend…well, things didn’t work out and she kept the bag. Lucky girl!

This bag is in perfect condition.

From end to end.

My friend keeps newspapers in the bag so that it will keep its shape. Really. And she kept hugging the bag and calling it “she” – as in “She’s beautiful.” “I hate to give her up.” “She’s so fun.”

There’s definitely going to be some separation anxiety.

The bag has a beautiful maroon color on the inside.

This bag is called the Speedy 40 Multicolor. It retails for – are you ready? $2890. I’m not kidding. Why did she let that boy go? Oh never mind.

Here she is with her credentials. For some reason I couldn’t take enough photos of her.

My friend would like to get the high hundreds for her. But don’t quote me. I’ll let you know when she goes on auction. Of course if you really want her, let me know and I’ll make sure to tell my friend. There may be a background check involved…we want to make sure she goes to a good home:)

And here we are, two years later and it feels like home.

This wonderful group of women who have done so much for their families and their communities now have decided that they will give back to the world too.

So the Vision and Verb Shoppe is now open.

You can purchase fine art photography or notecards of your choosing, including the image above. The profit from every purchase sold (approximately 50%) will be given back to the larger world in allotments of $25 loans to men and women seeking to start their own businesses. The conduit for these loans is KIVA, a non-profit organization that enables us to lend to the “working poor” around the world.

It is just pure joy to be a part of this.

So go…give…and thus receive more than you can ever imagine, the knowledge that you have given the gift of hope and opportunity. To begin shopping, click here.

Be blessed.

I read about the trail in the local paper and stored it away in the back of my mind. I will visit – soon. Then last week a friend texted me from the boardwalk. It’s beautiful, she said. I thought of you, she said. You have to come!

Among the beautiful scenery are places to sit and soak in the view. There are also placards along the way that explains the history of the boardwalk, the wildlife  and the indigenous foliage. The husband stopped and read each and every one. He’s like that.

The dog loves it too. I’ve been negligent in walking her much last winter. Poor girl needed and wanted the exercise. We got lost the first time we walked it together. For some reason, that’s easy for us to do. We had to call our friend who recommended the walk and asked how to get back to where we started. I can be directionally challenged at times. It was so beautiful though that I really didn’t mind too much. The dog however, was ready to get back after about 5 miles or so of walking. The inactivity of last winter caught up with her.

I hope to be walking it often this summer and hope to capture some wildlife with my lens.

For Outdoor Wednesday.

I’ve never played Angry Birds but since so many people know what it is, I think I may be missing something. These cupcakes are adorable though. It was a double celebration yesterday, it was Staff Love Day and cmillions birthday. You wouldn’t know what I mean, how could you? but yet it was special all the same.

I just love these cupcakes:)