Nicole Neff Photography

Dear Mr. or Mrs. Hacker-

Go ahead. Pat yourself on the back. For six months, you successfully took from me money that was not yours. I’ll admit, I was lax about checking my bank statements. I got busy with work and life and I felt pretty secure about my business account since my husband works where we bank.

It was $19.95 here, $24.95 there. All to fuel your pornography addiction (shame on you…you should really get a more meaningful pastime). In the end, you took $144.65 that was not yours. But while checking my bank statements to prepare my taxes, I noticed a charge I didn’t recognize. You took the rug from under my feet when I found out what you’d done. Your momma apparently didn’t raise you right. That’s right, I said it.

So I contacted the FBI. Sure did. Bet you didn’t know that in my day job, I get to hang out with some pretty cool people — DEA, ATF, Secret Service and even FBI agents. In some research done by one of the FBI agents, we know that the IP address used to make the purchases with MY money was located in Florence, Alabama, was just a proxy to hide your true identity and location. And there is nothing they can do. But rest assured…people like you always get caught. People like you can’t even stop at little schemes like taking a little money here and there. Eventually, it will be something bigger and you’ll make a mistake. And then you’ll be caught. And I hope you pay.

So I hope you enjoyed this free money while it lasted. The web site that processed the payments has put a stop on the account and I’ll for sure be checking my money more closely. You’ll have to get your kicks with someone else’s dollar from now on.

And just in case you didn’t know already, I despise people like you — you lazy, dishonest people who would rather take others’ money than work for it yourself. At this point, all I can do is laugh. So might as well have a good laugh at your expense, you slime ball.

Love,
Nicole

…you might notice some big changes. I’ve been making myself a priority again after a demanding 2009 in which I was stretched too thin, and have dedicated myself to a healthier, happier, less-stressed me.

So what are these changes, you might ask?

For one, I’ll be getting Invisalign braces very soon. I go today to make my first payment (ouch!) and after that, I should have the trays on my teeth within three weeks. Within 16 or so months, I should have a healthier, prettier smile and no more gaps in between my teeth! I honestly never thought I’d be able to say I am getting braces. We didn’t have the money growing up, and for some reason (which I still can’t understand) my childhood dentist never suggested them. I was always so self-conscious about my smile growing up and continue to be today, so much so that I secretly longed for braces. (I’ll let you in on a secret I don’t think I’ve told anyone…when I was a little girl, I used to take paper clips, un-bend them and stick them around my top teeth to pretend I had braces. Sad, right?)

Next, I’ve been shaping up. I’m so proud to say that I’ve been religiously working out six+ days a week for nearly two weeks now. I realized one day while running on the treadmill that with the gym five minutes away from my house, I just don’t have an excuse not to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Since then, I’ve been getting up at 5:00 a.m. and working out in the mornings. If you know me, you know this is HUGE – I am SO not a morning person. I’m training for the Indy Mini Marathon, but also I want to be healthier and have plenty of lean muscle. I’ve already lost three pounds, and would love to see the scale hit the 140’s. At my current weight of 153, I’m SO close, but it will be difficult because I gain muscle so easily. I usually get so discouraged when the scale doesn’t budge, but I’m in it for the long haul this time. No more giving up!

And finally, just for fun and because I love change, I went blonde last night. Blondes do have more fun, right? I normally have my hair colored at the salon, but because braces are going to be so expensive, I figured I’d skimp for now and go with a box color. While it wasn’t as light as I’d hoped it would be, at least it’s not orange like it turned out once. Just a little tip - choose the colors that say “Cooler” if you want to tone down the reds in your hair. I learned the hard way.

So what changes are you making to improve your life, or what changes are you wanting to make, but are just too scared to make the commitment?

And nope, no picture this time. Just wanted to post something so you all know I’m alive!

If there’s one thing that Tyler can make me do, it’s laugh. He is my personal comedian, and I love him for it.

I think there are times when he doesn’t realize he brings a smile to my face. Often when I’m in the office editing photos or working on something photo-business related, I’ll hear him do or say something from the other room that makes me giggle. Usually it’s his laugh that does it. I’ve often heard him watching Leno, The Office or, lately, Arrested Development and he just erupts in laughter — his special laugh for when something is insanely funny to him. (It’s an almost girly, high-pitched laugh…don’t tell him I told you)

Then there are times when he’s playing fetch with Lola. She’ll do something insanely stupid (like the other day, he was teasing her with a toy and she totally just jumped head first into his chest) or be running so hard after her toy that she’ll slide  into our cabinets in the kitchen, and he begins laughing hysterically.

I remember back when we were dating, there were countless  times that he made me laugh so hard that I couldn’t stop. I’d have tears in my eyes and could barely breathe. Usually it was because of a silly joke that only someone who knows his sense of humor would think is funny. Or a silly face he would randomly make.

Now that we’ve been married nearly five years (FIVE years-WOW, hard to believe!!) I still have moments of doubled-over, tears-in-my-eyes, I-can’t-breathe laughter, but they don’t happen as often as when we were dating. Blame it on us being all grown up or having the responsibilities of being married, but it’s these funny moments that I truly treasure.

Take my last birthday, for instance. We went to dinner with some close friends, and all I wanted was a simple picture with Tyler. Every time our friend would snap the picture, Tyler would do something totally random to ruin it. And I’d start laughing, then compose myself for another picture, and he’d do it all over again. It’s these pictures that I treasure so very much. We’re not smiling fake smiles and posing, but we’re in our element. (Yes, these are all images taken with a point and shoot…my motto is ”a picture with a point and shoot is better than no picture at all”…especially when it comes to remembering the fun times in life)

Tyler, thanks for always knowing how to make me laugh, but most importantly for loving me in a way only you know how (even when I’m incredibly un-loveable). I’m so lucky to have a man that shows his love for every day of the year, not just Valentine’s Day. I love you!

This year for Valentine’s Day (Eve) we went to Casino Aztar and saw Little Moe & the Atomic Two-Tones play. That band is fabulous, and you know what else? Their music is also great for swing dancing. And so I did. Twice. It was a blast! Most importantly, though, I had the best-looking date in the place.

And we had some fabulous company…my little sister Ashlie and her husband Zac.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!