Friday, September 11, 2015

7 Quick Takes about Things That Look a Lot Better, Awkward Photo Shoots, and Playtime in an Amputee-Friendly Household

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! That means 7 quick takes for the last 7 days.

1


Did you visit this week and wonder if you were in the right place, because this site design was so cohesive, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing?

It's true. Unremarkable Files used to be pretty ugly. (But thanks for not saying anything.)

If you're a new visitor, or you're scratching your head going, "It wasn't so bad, was it?" please see below.

BEFORE:

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

AFTER:

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


2


On a related note, the worst person to design a new website layout is an indecisive perfectionist with a ton of kids and an extremely superficial understanding of HTML. Who is also too cheap to hire a real web design person who knows what they're doing.

It took me a few months just to zero in on a design I liked; it took months longer to figure out how to actually implement those changes in computer-language.

3


Under the old site design I'd been using a picture of me that was about 7 years old, because I hate getting my picture taken. Mainly because if you tell me to act natural and point a camera at me, I guarantee you that I'll turn into the most awkward robot you've ever seen.

My inner dialogue while Phillip patiently took pictures and showed them to me on screen went something like this:

Smile! 

No, that's too big  I look insane. 

Now it's not enough, I look crabby. 

Let me see the camera. Wait, has my hairline always been a little higher on one side than the other? How did I not notice that before? 

Okay, focus. Just smile like a regular person. 

I said like a REGULAR person!

Don't stare directly into the camera, it's creepy. 

No, that's even creepier. Let's try something different. 

How about something whimsical and candid-looking? I know, I'll pretend I'm looking at something funny and laugh  HAHAHAHAHA! Nailed it, now let's see the picture!

Well, that didn't work. Now I just look like I'm smelling something really bad.

If I were to list the most awkward moments in my 33 years on earth, taking this picture would most likely be in the top 10.

(P.S: Enjoy this profile picture for the next 5-10 years, by the way. I don't foresee another in the near future.)

4


I hope that you all had a fun-filled Labor Day weekend, because ours was the most boring ever. Phillip had some reports due at work so he just disappeared into the basement and worked on them for 14-16 hours a day on Friday, Saturday, and Monday.

He did take Sunday off, which was something.

He also took a break for a few hours on Saturday, mostly because we made a family outing of it when he took a trip to his office grab some papers he needed (which my son promptly spilled water all over in the car.)

We went to the park, ordered pizza, and went for a hike on a conservation trail.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
The kids smelled the pizza coming from a mile away.

5


Actually, "we" didn't really go for a hike. Phillip took the kids for a walk while I took a nap in the car.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


After getting up so early to get everyone on the school bus all week, an unscheduled 45 minutes of sleep felt so glorious I didn't even feel guilty about missing out.

(Update: I later figured out that I was so exhausted because I was pregnant. Go figure.)

6


We recently brought my preschooler's baby dolls down from the attic so she could start playing with them again, and we noticed that one of the babies' hands was... not looking so good.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

My 3-year-old was a little upset, but instead of tossing a perfectly good doll in the trash or just letting her look like she was infected with gangrene, we decided to wrap it up with a piece of fabric and call it a cast.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
We're playing doctor, okay??

7


Lastly, I had a slightly mortifying moment when someone dropped in by surprise and was treated to a viewing of my dirty house, rat's nest hair, and ratty PJs.

Unfortunately in this case, "dropping in by surprise" means that we had a 9 AM appointment and I totally forgot about it. Oops.

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15 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, my! We could totally be twins! I had to literally FORCE myself to hire a blog designer because I was making myself crazy, and I went to a friend's mini-shoot session so I'd have a decent picture. I don't plan on doing that for another couple of decades. And my whole life is "dirty house, pjs, ratty hair". If I put on real clothes and makeup people don't recognize me.

Carolyn said...

You know it's bad when your 2 year old not only notices, but comments on how you're wearing "real pants" for the first time in weeks...

Jenny Evans said...

Pajamas cover your legs. What about that sentence says "not real pants" to you??

Carolyn said...

And yoga pants are absolutely real pants. If the word "pants" is in the name, then they are real pants.

Anonymous said...

Oh my glob, you always have me cracking up with your posts! Loving the new design and image!

Unknown said...

LOVED your inner picture taking dialogue. I have crazy person dialogue with myself all day!

Rachel said...

The new design is looking awesome! I have no idea how to design my own blog, so I'm impressed! I don't mind getting pictures taken, at all, but changing a profile photo on all blog accounts and social media? That, I mind. That's too much work! My profile photo is from when I was 16. Shhh. And I have no plans to change it. I'm still the same person.

Anonymous said...

Jenny, you are soooo funny!! I look forward to your posts because I'm guaranteed to laugh!
Good save with the doll!
Melinda

Unknown said...

I guess your inner dialogue doesn't show because I have always thought of you as a photogenic person. Sorry most of your weekend was so boring. Except for that great nap! Mamasan

Unknown said...

I was about to say I liked your 'new' haircut. I do love the new design though. I want to redo mine but I am pretty sure I still stink at designing just as much as I did 8 months ago.

Jenny Evans said...

I like your site design! And I don't think it's a prerequisite to know what you're doing. I'm exhibit A.

mumturnedmom said...

Love the new look :) A nap, wow... maybe that's what I should do with my new found freedom with all three kids at school?!

Queen Mom Jen said...

Haha! I think all of my 4th child's toys, having gone through a few siblings before her, look like that doll. At least she has toys! Oh I just love when I forgot appointments like that, I sat through a home teaching message once in a swim suit, because we had forgotten and the kids and I were out playing in the sprinklers after dinner one night....

Random Musings said...

Love your design :) I feel your pain from your photo shoot. I hate having my picture took. I have a very similar inner dialogue running! #sharewithme
Debbie

Let's Talk Mommy said...

Great new design hunny I am the same I have been working on my new design for three months and I can't even get the logo colors I want down to three. I keep changing my mind and I am ocd perfectionist with little html knowledge so it gets frustrating. lol Have ropes a few people in to help and made it worse by more things to choose from and I am indecisive. EEK Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme