Cup of Tea

Tea.

Warm. Comforting. Aromatic. Earthy. Relaxing.

I love tea. I haven't always loved tea. In fact, it wasn't until fairly recently that I've enjoyed drinking tea. Tonight, this is my cup of tea.

I'm one of those weirdos that drinks tea all different ways. I like it plain, with sugar, with honey, with milk (soymilk), and iced. It's tasty just about any way, especially in the cold winter months of the midwest.

This is my favorite kind of tea. I'm more of a fan of darker teas, although in the summer and during the day I enjoy green or white tea. I tend to appreciate more of a bitter taste, and I leave my tea bag in my cup the whole time. My favorite part of drinking tea is at the end, when it's chock full of left over flavors and fairly bitter.

It is my understanding that different people enjoy tea a diverse number of ways. I was recently looking up some information on how to drink tea in straight up milk (a lot of folks said they didn't drink it that way, because it never is able to get strong enough).

There was a big debate on that forum about the many different ways to prepare and drink tea. Some people say water should be poured just before boiling. Others say it needs to boil 10 minutes. (I simply boil mine until I notice it's boiling, then I pour it over my tea bag). I thought it was interesting the different things people do with teas, and the fact that so many were adamantly against certain ways of preparation, etc.

I'm curious... how do you drink tea? Why do you prepare or drink it that way?

New Camera

So I got a new camera yesterday... well, it's used, but it's new to me. :) Canon 5D, purchased new by the original owner (a photographer) in 2008. I am excited about my new acquisition!

The buttons and setting adjustments are fairly different than anything I have ever worked with, however the full-frame sensor is completely worth the short learning curve. I took it out today to learn a few things about it and just get used to the layout and feel of the camera. I highly enjoyed my time spent with it today, and I am looking forward to the next day I can get out with it again! I am doing photoshoots on both Thursday and Friday, so I am excited to use the camera on some human subjects! Haha...

I currently have 2 lenses for my camera, a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 prime lens, that I use mainly just for portraits, and a Canon EF 28-200mm f3.5-5.6 USM that I am using for general all-purpose and some portraits. I used the latter for my adventure today. I am fairly pleased with the lens, especially considering I got such a good deal on it after trading in a bunch of old gear. It's a used lens, but in good shape. I'll pretty much be using my tripod all the time with it, but that's fine. :) The handheld pictures I got today were pretty sharp, however I believe in low-light situations, they won't be quite as sharp.

The lens had good reviews overall, some amateur photographers gave it 5-star perfect reviews, some of the pro's gave it lower reviews. It will be good for the time being until I can afford some L series lenses (which, quite honestly, probably won't be for a long time).

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the fun pictures! There should be more coming soon, as I can get out and use my new gadgets!

Do Something that Scares You

"Do something that scares you"

That is a statement on the back of one of the T-shirts that Caribou Coffee was issuing to their employees for a summer promo. I didn't get that particular shirt, but a couple coworkers did. I chose not to get the shirt because I am not the type of person who enjoys doing things that scare me. In fact, I try to stay as far away from things that scare me as possible. (**Disclaimer: I no longer work for Caribou Coffee, and this post was in no way intended to promote or harm the company.**)

I've always had a list of things that I really want to do, if only they didn't scare me. I am not a thrill-seeker or a risk-taker. I don't like adrenaline rushes. I enjoy peace, quiet and safe things. I believe the reason why I do not take risks is that I have a particularly keen sense of the negative possibilities and outcomes of said situations. I have recently been trying to look at things in a more positive light, and believe me, it has been difficult to change a thinking pattern that has been a part of me for pretty much my entire life.

The point is, I actually did something that I've always wanted to do but have never done because it scares me. I explored an abandoned house on a spontaneous road trip I took for a day this weekend:

I know what you're probably thinking. Abandoned houses aren't scary. Well, they are, to me. When I see an abandoned house, I see possible contact with weird germs or illnesses, wild animals, wood ticks, exposed rusty nails, angry police officers or bad flooring that gives out from underneath you. But I've always wanted to explore an abandoned building.






So I did it. Here's more photographic proof:

Just for fun, here are another couple of photos I took on my spontaneous road trip:

I have a few other things on my list of things I'd like to do but I don't because they scare me. I'd really like to travel internationally, take a road trip to a big city, ride in a sailboat and fly in a hot air balloon. Among other things. And I know I am going to face these fears and conquer them.

What are some things you've always wanted to do, but have not done, because they scare you?

New Look - Don't Worry!

No worries! You're on the same blog - My Thrifty Friend!

I just changed the look. I've been wanting something cleaner, fresher and brighter. So I chose this look. But you're still on the same blog, no info has been lost. :) So read away!

Setting Goals

I wanted to post about goals tonight. But first, I wanted to share with you a photo I took (as always, with my phone) this evening of the sunset on a lake near my home.

I was cleaning up and came across a three-ring binder that I had put some goals in about 7 or 8 months ago. I still have the same goals, but I found it was difficult to tackle all of them at the same time. I am really organized when I have something I'm working toward, and I tend to even go overboard to such an extreme of organizational perfection that I give up and lose steam (I know none of you are guilty of that... haha).

I agree with having goals in different areas of your life, like I said before, it's just difficult to try to accomplish all of them at the same time. The 7 areas I had sectioned for goals are:

• Personal Goals - Just personal things I wanted to do, things I had put off but wanted to get done, etc.
• Spiritual Goals - Bible reading, prayer and worship goals
• Financial Goals - Budget goals, Savings goals, etc.
• Physical Goals - Exercise goals, dietary goals, etc.
• Familial Goals - Contacting family members, doing things for my grandparents
• Social Goals - Blocking out time to spend with friends, meeting new people
• Reading List - A list of books I want to read

I did some research online to figure out what the best way is to make goals and follow through with them.

I found one blog that talks about the 9 mistakes most people make when they set goals. I am guilty of a lot of these! To see the original blog, which goes more in-depth, please click HERE. These are the 9 mistakes that are outlined:

1. Not writing your goals down.
2. Not having a system to remember them.
3. Not reviewing and rewriting your goals often.
4. Setting goals you don't really feel for/are interested in.
5. Not setting clear goals.
6. Not setting deadlines.
7. Not making a plan.
8. Not reviewing previous failures.
9. Not keeping your focus in the right place.

Now that we know what not to do, let's look at a cool technique of what should be done! To see the original blog for this list, please click HERE.

The original blogger suggested a SMART technique:

S - Specific - don't make vague goals!
M - Measurable - KNOW when you have success and when you have failure.
A - Attainable - be realistic!
R - Relevant - do you really struggle in that area? Should you be making goals in other areas?
T - Time-Based - no procrastinating!


I am going to apply the SMART technique and ward off the 9 common mistakes of goal-setting! My first section of goals to achieve will be my financial goals. What kinds of goals are you setting, and how will you achieve them?

Photography Technology Advances!

Ok, so I know my blog isn't really about technology. But this cool photographic gadget I saw in the news this morning got me excited! No, I'm not getting one (seriously, the price is beyond what I would consider reasonable for ME, and I really prefer a real DSLR). I just wanted to share it with all of you, so you could experience the coolness with me!

The technology used to create photographs and log memories visually has advanced by leaps and bounds. The vintage cameras in the photo above are a huge advancement from the world's first camera, seen below:

Interesting, isn't it? How would you like to take one of those on family vacation? Not me...

What I am so excited about is the first digital point-and-shoot with interchangeable lenses from Canon, the EOS M!

 
I love Canon products, and I am always excited to hear about new photographic equipment from Canon. It is mirror-less, which allows for it's very compact size, and the quality of images I am predicting to be excellent, as the sensor and other features are quite nice, and rival older DSLRs. When it comes out, it will retail at around $800.00 USD.

Here is the article I read this morning, and you can come to your own conclusions:

http://mashable.com/2012/07/23/canon-eos-m/

Enjoy!

Put on your walking shoes and forget the watch!

Yesterday, I decided to take a walk. Taking a walk is not an out-of-the-ordinary thing to do, but it is for me. I haven't taken a walk since I was, well, probably since I was in college. Which wasn't THAT long ago, but it has been a few years. I simply walked to the thrift store (I didn't buy anything, mostly because I didn't want to carry it home). I walked the same streets I drive every day, sometimes two or three or four times a day. But as I was walking, I noticed something.

I was seeing things I had never seen before. Even though I drove those streets a few times a day for a year since I moved in, I was seeing things I had never seen before. Some flowers here, a very pretty landscaping job there, or even just neat aspects of architecture on the houses of my neighbors that I never noticed. I also was greeted with a friendly “hello” from a girl on a bike passing by.

My life has been a little slower the past few days, because I have had some time off of work, but have not had much resources to just go and drive places. I've had time to really study out my Bible, pray, clean my house, organize some things, and watch a couple movies that I have been wanting to watch. I have been forced to look in my cupboards and creatively come up with some food victories (and food failures... that I will probably never make again). It's interesting when you slow down to smell the roses.

Sometimes we get too wrapped up in the “busy-ness” of life, that when life slows down we look for things to make it busier, to fight boredom. Our society and culture today has become instant-gratification-oriented. But between the instant oatmeal and instant messaging, I encourage you to sit down and enjoy the slow times. Dare to sleep in. Dare to actually do that project you've been putting off. Challenge yourself to make something new from what's left over in the cupboards instead of going out to your favorite restaurant or taking a trip to the grocery store.

You are Beautiful

Sometimes thinking outside the box requires some change in thought patterns. The other night, I was fussing at myself about how I didn't like this or that about my physical appearance. Standing in front of the mirror, between making funny faces at myself, I just saw the things I didn't like.

Yesterday, I was inspired to read Genesis. So, naturally, I just started at the beginning, when God was creating everything. I came to the part where he created the first people. It said that they were created in His image. And it just... connected.

I am created by the God of the universe to be exactly how I am.

I am created in the image of the God of the universe.

And He thinks I am perfect and beautiful.

From that moment on, I just couldn't allow myself to stand in front of the mirror and simply see flaws. I had to see the beauty, and I had to see God. So, I put a small reminder up.

Excuse the picture blurry-ness... but it says "You are beautiful because you were created by God, in His image, and God doesn't make mistakes!"

From now on I will push myself not to view the flaws, the things I think were put there by mistake, but I will push myself to see the things that are beautiful. The things God put there on purpose, because He doesn't make mistakes.

Thrift Store Finds

So... this past weekend I visited a couple of thrift stores for the first time and came back with a couple of great finds! I am so excited!!

The first one is a Panasonic video camera (I tested it in-store and it works!). It records onto a mini DV tape and back when it first came out, it was one of the best.

I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I will. :) Pretty excited about it.

My other find was this trunk:

I have been looking for a trunk like this at a reasonable price for about a year as a coffee table for my living room. It is exactly what I was looking for! And, instead of paying $80...  I only paid $15! Pretty good deal in my opinion. It is now settled down in my living room with games safely stored inside. Not sure what else I will store inside, but I will figure that out.

Just wanted to put up a quick post of the great thrift store finds I had. :)