...five minutes before you leave for church you see some blossoms in the backyard and know they'll be gone the next time you have a chance to take a picture. So you hop the fence, run across the yard, try to stop the dog from getting you dirty, find the blossoms and snap away. 

...you carry your camera everywhere you go, even if you're only going downstairs.

...your camera has a name (In my case it's Alberta. Please don't ask how I arrived at that name...).

...you're extremely sad when you camera has run out of battery.

...you want to travel to other places so you can take pictures.

...you're always dreaming about the amazing camera you wish you had.

...you miss a lot of things because you're always taking pictures.

...you're barely in any of your photos.

Yep, I'm definitely a photographer!

What about you?

-carlotta

I didn't know it was possible to love a store so much...but I've found out that it is possible. IKEA is my favorite store ever. Even more than PBTeen (Gasp! Did I just say that?! I still love PBTeen to death, though). I was already in love with IKEA before I had ever really visited it (I went once when I was maybe 5, but I don't really remember it), but from what I had seen on the website...Someone help me before I faint. That one fatefully wonderful time I went to their page online, I knew I was going to need therapy. 

So, can you imagine how excited I was when we pulled into the parking lot? I would've been jumping up and down if the seatbelt hadn't restrained me. Squeal!!! Seeing this picture makes my heart go pitter patter all over again (I told you I need therapy...)

This whole dining set - a table with four chairs - was only $99.99. $99.99! I almost bought it. Kind of. I wouldn't have known where to put it anyway, though.

I fell in love with this poster, even though I don't live or have any connections to New York (except for my dad's cousin that I hardly know). I loved everything about it...but I didn't dare look at the price. I didn't want to tempt myself even more, as I knew I didn't have room...sadly I can't find it online.

Does this lamp look familiar? I loved it on the website, but I wasn't sure if I liked it in real life...ah well.

They had the most amazing fabrics, really more pieces of art than fabric. I should have gotten some...I don't know what I was thinking.

Here's what I ended up getting, though...

I got two of the same tables, one is a nightstand and the other a coffee table. I also got a lamp...can you see it on top of the books? I love it.

My new nightstand is so much better than the one I had (above)...excuse the dust.

(My coffee table)

I also got some of the vases I was raving about :) 

On the website it said they were $1.99 each, but when I got to the store they were $2.99 each. It wasn't a big deal, so I picked up a couple. As I was checking out, I asked the cashier if the $1.99 was an online only special, or if the prices just got raised. I figured I didn't have anything to lose. She said yes, it was an online only special...oh well. 

But as she was finishing up scanning my items, she said "Well, I'm not supposed to, but I'm going to anyway." When she gave me the receipt, I saw that she had given me the vases for $1.99! I was totally fine with paying $2.99 - it is only a dollar extra - but it was so nice of her to do that.

It just goes to show...it never hurts to ask :)

I digress.

So the grand total for the 6 items? $32.41. Man. I couldn't get one of the tables for that little anywhere else.

I love IKEA.

-carlotta

I'm going to try to show you some of the things we did in Texas in pictures...

IKEA! It needs another post of its own :)

Lilly at the German Fest in her lederhosen and braids :)

Also at the German Fest...

We drove to Kemah...it was so pretty.

On the tram at NASA.

Moon rocks...It was pretty cool.

On the way back yesterday, we stopped at Dealey Plaza. 

I could have written a lot more and posted tons of pictures, but I didn't want to go overboard! :)

Posts will be back to normal now...

-carlotta

I apologize this is a little late...It's been a crazy day! 

Happiness is...

...going to Texas. It was amazing...and I needed that break! It was a nice change.

...blossoms. Oh man. They're beautiful. I'm beginning to wonder if we almost skipped spring, though...it was 90 degrees today. NINETY. 9-0! Wow.

What are two things that made you happy this week?

-carlotta

PS My Project 365 blog is updated! I'm rather proud of myself that I didn't miss a day :)

Stay tuned for a post about our trip to Texas...it'll be ready either later today or tomorrow...