One Crafty Mama!

Project 365

2012-01-25T16:22:00.004-05:00

January 18

My Grandpa was an avid gardener. When he passed away I inherited a couple of his orchids. The blooms that spring up each year are such a wonderful way to keep his memory alive.

January 19

This is Xena, my standard poodle princess warrior (my husband named her). She is smart. She knows when I put on my exercise clothes that it means I am going to exercise. So she follows me around the house and stares at me until we leave. She is just part of my furry fan club.

January 20

Here are a few of the 48 cupcakes I made for my daughters yearbook class to sell at lunch this afternoon.

January 21

Another one of the joys of living in a mild climate is that we have farmers markets all year round.

January 22

Here we have my oldest daughter on her iTouch chatting with her boyfriend......the boyfriend that she had just spent an entire day with. I'm sure those of you with teens will find this image very familiar?

January 23

We had rain nearly all day today. I love it when it rains, but I love perfect weather even more.

January 24

My next door neighbor stopped by with some yummy organic cupcakes for us to try...Yummy.

January 25

Two mornings a week I go walking with friends. This morning just happened to be a picture perfect day. The "snow" tree's looked so pretty against the blue blue sky. I didn't edit this picture...this is truly how blue the sky looked this morning.

Cheers and happy shooting!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-22T13:10:00.001-05:00

I was a little rushed this week and most of my shots for SHS I ended up taking yesterday! I hope you enjoy them.

1. Sunset

This is probably one of my favorite shots of my daughter and her boyfriend because I caught them in a moment of laughing and being silly with each other. I can just feel how happy they are in the moment.

2. Black and White

I went down to the farmers market yesterday (in the rain) and I saw this HUGE wolfhound sticking out of one of the booths and it just made me smile. He looks so bored.

3. A day in my life

Since it was raining my husband had to skip his usual trip down to the ranch to ride his horse. He was instead in the kitchen helping me make the gang salads and grill cheese sandwiches.

4. Colorful

Thursday night at almost 8:00 Kate reminded me that she needed as many cupcakes as I could bake for her Yearbook class to sell at the Food Faire.....which was being held at noon on Friday!!
I managed to bang them 48 of them first thing in the morning.

5. Set of Four

My rainy trip on Saturday to the Farmers Market. So many beautiful images to capture.

Photo collage and picture a day shots

2012-01-17T18:46:00.001-05:00

If you are anything like the majority of digital camera owners you probably rarely print out any of the images that you take. That certainly describes me.

In an effort to keep my home clutter free I have slowly decreased the number of photo frames I have on display. Next thing I knew I had hardly any photo's on display. Not good.

After seeing so many neat photo collages on the internet I decided to make my own.

This was super easy to do. I took an old frame and painted it (Martha Stewart Satin Pool). Next I did a little mental math and figure out that I could fit twenty five 3x3 pictures into the 19x19 opening (edited and cropped the photo's in photoshop).

I bought a piece of heavy duty card stock large enough to fit the opening. Then I laid out the photo's and using re-positional photo tape, I stuck the them into place. Now this is where things could get ugly if you are really anal. I used to do stuff like this for a living so I have a pretty good sense of spacing and was able to do this without a ruler. But if lining up things doesn't come easily to you just use a ruler. Once you get the middle row and bottom row straight the rest should be easy to do without a ruler.

Not only was this easy to do it was also really inexpensive. Since I already owned the frame the only cost came from printing the pictures, the card stock and the paint. The total was $10.00.

Now on to a couple more pictures of the day.................

What in the heck am I doing in this shot you ask? I am playing with my new wireless camera remote. So now I can take those selfie shots without having to run like a maniac before the self timer runs out. This is going to be fun.

One of the issues I have with the 365 project is that I sometimes remember at the end of the day that I still need to take a picture for the day. Sunday was one of those days. Fortunately my daughter was going to a friends house downtown where there were loads of great night shots to be had.

Linking up with Seven Clown Circus and Project Alicia for Wordful Wednesday.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-14T20:06:00.003-05:00

Happily participating in another Scavenger Hunt Sunday with Ashley. I managed to spread out the hunt pictures this week so that they would also cover some of my picture a day project. Enjoy.

1. Stacked Up

I look at all of these stacked pots and think.....accident waiting to happen.

2. Winter Wonderland.....well not really!

People, I live in San Diego. Winter Wonderland really isn't part of our winter reality unless we go about an hour away to the mountains or go skiing. And this year, winter seems to have passed us by without so much as a hello. So here is a beach snowman for you instead.

3. Sweet

I just bought several pounds of blueberries for next to nothing. Now to bake them into all sorts of sweet treats.

4. Hole

There were tons of holes to be found in the rocks along the beach. Kind of funny to find Ho carved out near one of them.

5. Frozen

I completely forgot to take a Frozen shot, so I'm sharing one I took this summer of a frozen treat delivery system. Nothing like getting something from the ice cream truck on a hot summer day at the beach. The words art that appear to be sticking out of the truck are actually a tube sculpture behind the truck.

Since I included day 13 and 14 in the hunt I had to find somewhere to stick day 12 and since it didn't fit in the actually hunt photo's I am putting it here......hanging at the end. My neighbor is a macro biotic chef and she brought us over this huge, beautiful box of veggies! Isn't it gorgeous?

Picture a Day

2012-01-11T13:51:00.002-05:00

I am linking up my most recent pictures of the day with Wordful Wednesday over at Seven Clown Circus and Project Alicia. Head over to Angie and Alicia's blog to join in the fun.

January 8

I dragged the girls out of the house for Sunday brunch and then a leisure stroll through the neat little shops on Old Town. That would be me peeking over my camera.

January 9

I don't know how it is in your world, but I usually spend Monday putting my house back in order. On this particular day I decided I had enough of all of the dust on the shelves and got to cleaning them off. Black furniture sucks when it comes to dust.....there is really no ignoring it.

January 10

This is a piece of Rosca de Reyes cake. It is a mexican sweet bread (this one has yummy chocolate on the inside) that is traditionally eaten on January 6th, to honor the day that the three wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus. There are little plastic baby Jesus' baked inside the bread and if you find one then you are next up to make tamales.

January 11

While cruising Pinterest (love that site) we found a tutorial on how to make rings out of Shrinky Dinks. These were our testers. The nicer ones that Kate made she took to school and sold to her friends for $1 (the child is earning spending money for her east coast trip).

This is a fun craft, but it isn't the easiest of crafts to master and our rings do not look like the ones in the tutorial I found! Oh and if you haven't been on Pinterest click on the link on my sidebar and check it out. It is a HUGE time suck, but oh my goodness......it is awesome.

Cheers!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-01-08T12:23:00.003-05:00

1. Laundry

Trip to the laundromat this week to wash our over sized comforter.

2. Empty

Oh the questions you get when you shoot pictures inside of a laundromat.

3. One Dozen

One dozen of my favorite pink glass dishes.

4. Soft

My sweater is soft and unfortunately, so is my stomach! (365/7)

5. One Color

Not exactly one color, but............

Picture a Day

2012-01-06T18:42:00.000-05:00

Before I move on to three more days of this month captured in pictures and I wanted to thank all of you for the lovely comments regarding my blogging return. Your comments really made me smile. So thank you for brightening my day.

January 6th

I actually scrapbooked today for the first time in forever. I am so far behind (middle of 2008) that I wanted to curl up on the bed with the stinky dog and say forget about it. Unfortunately I know that it would drive me nuts to skip anything so I simply got a grip and got started. It felt good. Only 2.5 years to go.

January 5th

I love having a big bed. But with big beds, come big comforters. Big comforters that don't fit in normal consumer front loaders. So I went to the laundromat to use one of their gigantic machines. I killed time by cruising Pinterest and taking LOADS of pictures...no pun intended.

January 4th

Instead of putting the towels in the garage hamper where they will get cleaned, the girls throw their dirty towels in the bathtub. When I opened the shower curtain this morning there were at least seven towels in a twisted pile just waiting for someone to pick them up. Sigh.....I guess it is better than them leaving them on the bathroom floor.

Back in the saddle......again!

2012-01-03T15:23:00.001-05:00

Back in 2009 and started the 365 picture a day project. I completed the project that year without missing a beat. I enjoyed it so much that I continued right into 2010.

I was able to complete 8 months of the project in 2010 before throwing in the towel due to having my beloved Canon Rebel bite the dust. I would have bought a new camera right away but at the time we were remodeling our kitchen and I had serious spending fatigue.

A few months after the remodel I bought myself a Canon 50D, but I just didn't feel like starting the project back up. It is a new year and my 50D wants some real action. So I am jumping back into the 365 project with both feet.

January 1st -- Fog

This shot is the result of me going back and forth all day long trying to decide if I really wanted to do the project. At 10:00 pm I decided that in fact I did want to give it another whirl and after returning home in the fog grabbed my camera for this rather eerie shot.

January 2nd -- Shooting from the hip

I like to shoot from the hip (literally). When I do, I never look at the shots until I upload them to my computer. It is kind of like back in the day when we shot with film and had to wait for the pictures to be developed to see what we got.

January 3rd -- Stillness

My not so little lovelies are back in school today. So I am enjoying the stillness of the house. You know that wonderful peace and quiet that really only comes when no one else is home? It refuels me.

Linking up for a Wordful Wednesday with:

Seven Clown Circus

Parenting by Dummies
Supermom
Project Alicia
Live and Love out loud

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

Cheers to a healthy, happy, creative and productive 2012.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-08-21T17:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another edition of Scavenger Hunt Sunday hosted by Ashley at Ramblings and Photo's. I must confess that I wasn't feeling it this week. The majority of my week was spent running errands (without my camera) and hanging around the house.

Not exactly the stuff of exciting photo's but here goes.

1. Geometry

I wasn't sure what to do with this prompt and then I looked down in my glass of water and whala!

2. Brush Strokes

My daughters boyfriend gave her his old guitar and asked her to turn it into a work of art for him to hang in his room. I am looking forward to see what artistic creation she comes up with.

3. Hanging by a thread

Water droplets on the grass.

4. Collage

A collection of wild flowers taken while on a hike.

5. On the dotted line

Young love.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-08-14T00:55:00.000-04:00

1. Against the Light

This was probably the worst week for an against the light shot because the marine layer has been super thick in the morning and evening all this week. The sun was barely peeking through when I captured this shot.

2. Buttons

We picked up this large tin of buttons at an estate sale. Many of the buttons appear to have been removed from an old piece of clothing as they still have either thread or pieces of cloth still attached. They are sitting waiting for me to use them....but right now I am happy to just run my fingers through them.

3. Frame within a Frame

I downloaded my pictures this evening and realized that I forgot to take a frame with in a frame shot. So I had to pull a shot from a couple of weeks ago. This was taken at the San Diego Convention Center.

4. Best part of my day

Get ready for some spray "cheese" because the best part of my day is when I am photographing my girls having fun.

5. Ink

I am always impressed by artist who use spray paint as their medium. I was shooting this rather large and vibrant mural down in Ocean Beach when one of the employees from the store came out and asked me if I wanted to see more. He unlocked the gate and invited me into the side lot of the business.

For just a split second I imagined myself in one of those horror flicks when everyone is yelling at the dumb chick not to walk into woods alone because the scary guy with the mask was waiting to cut her into a million pieces.

Thankfully he wasn't a serial killer........just the young webmaster of Aerosolarts wanting to show off more of their work.

WW - Just Smile!

2011-08-10T12:18:00.000-04:00

My daughter has spent 29 months of her teenager life with a fulls set of braces. I think it goes without saying that she wasn't thrilled.

For the past 29 months, most of the photo's I have taken of her have looked a bit like this.

Now that the braces have finally come off.......................

she can't stop smiling!

What made you smile today?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-08-07T12:57:00.002-04:00

Taking the time to get back into blogging by participating in this weeks Scavenger Hunt Sunday!

Double/Two:

Whatever:

Sweet:

Space:

Bright:

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Flower Puffs

2011-05-10T15:48:00.007-04:00

Do you love Martha Stewart? I do. So much so that I recently plunked down a few bills for her most recent book, "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts."

I have been known to purchase crafty books only to never produce one single craft from the book. Sometimes just drooling over the projects feels like enough.

Well, not this time. There are far too many yummy crafts to let this book go unused. So I give you my first project: Flower puff balls (currently on display in Kate's room).

These tissue paper flower puffs are so simple to make, and here is how: Begin by stacking 8 to 10 sheets of tissue paper together. Then accordion fold the paper until you get to the end (about a 1.5" for the fold). If there is a little tail of left over paper just cut it off.

Fold the long accordion sheets in half to find the middle and then twist a piece of 18 inch floral wire (or any thin wire you have on hand) around the center. Twist the top of the wire into a loop for hanging your puff.

Next use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the ends to make them either round or pointy. My 50 pairs of craft scissors all seemed to dull to cut through all the paper at once so I simply cut it in sections (I'll bet you Martha never has that problem).

Now gently start pulling each layer of paper towards the center. I pulled half of the paper in one directions and then pulled the other bunch in the opposite direction, forming a ball.

Ta Dah.......you have a super pretty decoration to hang in your kids room or better yet, use them to brighten up your next party.

While I am at it I thought I would share the new mirror in Kate's room. I used a can of white glossy spray paint to give this old mirror a hip upgrade.

It was so much fun spray painting the mirror that I am looking for other items in my home to spray paint.

Here is a link to the craft on Martha Stewarts site. Craft on sisters!

Linking up with Angie at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

WW - Smile

2011-02-09T14:29:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I am amazed how the little people that I created can drive me nuts and brighten my day all within a matter of minutes.

One such moment of day brightening occurred while I was rushing around the house putting things back in there rightful place.

I was standing with my back to Kate's bed putting something in her closet when I heard this muffled voice from behind me say, "You can't seeeeeee meeeee."

I turned around to find the above shot. Day brightened!

Click over to the home of Happy Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus!

WW - There is always one!

2011-01-04T20:43:00.003-05:00

After all of the stray pine needles have been vacuumed up and the ornaments have been stored in there individual compartments (I'm organized like that), I do one last sweep of the house before hubby lugs all of the red and green plastic totes back into the rafters of the garage.

I usually feel pretty satisfied that I have packed up every Christmas decoration as I hand those totes up the ladder to hubby.

I honestly don't know why I ever feel satisfied that I got every last ornament because it is inevitable that right after we put the ladder back that I will find that one stinkin' ornament that missed my eagle eye!

Please tell me this happens to you too?

Are any of your holiday decorations trying to blend into the back ground so they can hang out all year round? Do tell.

Wordful Wednesday link up with Seven Clown Circus and Parenting for Dummies and Supermom and A Beautiful Mess.

You Capture - Holiday Favorites

2010-12-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

Emerging from the woodwork to share a few Holiday favorites from this past week.

Christmas dinner made by my Dad. Isn't it always nice when you don't have to be the cook?

Shiny holiday decorations.

The smell of freshly baked homemade apple pie (and yes, I made the crust).

Christmas carols (I only hum due to a lack of being able to carry a tune).

Last but not least......living in a part of the country that isn't buried in snow!

I hope that you all collected a lot of favorite Holiday memories this season. Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year.

~Michelle

Before and After Kitchen Remodel

2010-10-26T15:58:00.005-04:00

After nearly two months of not blogging and an entire summer of cooking in my garage I am back with before and after pictures of our kitchen remodel.

As with most remodeling projects it was a mixed bag of stress and excitement. There were several bumps in the roads but in the end we ended up with a kitchen that is both functional and beautiful.

So lets get the party started!

Here is my old 12'x9' kitchen. I feel compelled to explain that the choice of paint color was from 2000. That terracota color was all the rage in 2000 (really). Reid and Kate were both toddlers when I took on the insane task of painting the cabinets so it took me forever to finish. What was I thinking?

Ahhhh, my lovely ancient wall oven. When we moved into the house in 1994 we discovered that the glides on the broiler were broken. No biggie, you could use it you just had to be really careful pulling it out (so it didn't land on your toes).

When Reid became a toddler she discovered that yanking on the broiler draw was fun. So in a moment of desperation I taped the drawer shut with packing tape. Check out the classy tape residue on the sides of the broiler. Clear evidence of my stellar child proofing skills.

Here is what the kitchen looked like right before we left on our three week road trip. The contractor wasn't supposed to start the demo until we got back, but he had a delay in another job and was able to start while we were gone!

Let me tell you how fun it was to pack up the kitchen in two days and get packed for a three week road trip! Lucky me!

Out with the old and in with the new! While you wow and marvel at the new kitchen let me first say that the cabinets are not black. They are really dark brown.

I love the arch over the window, but what I really love is my Grohe Lady Lux faucet. She is so shiny and sleek and the water flow......like butter.

This is the view from the garage entrance. Vaulting the ceiling gave our 1959 house a completely modern feel. Totally worth the extra money. Oh and the pendant lights.........beauties if I do say so myself.

In the back ground you can see the new Viking Range. We opted for the range route because it was going to give us more storage space. I can't say I miss the wall oven.

Looking at my old kitchen I never could have imagined that what you see before you was possible. It is an absolute joy to cook in.

I hope you have enjoyed the long awaited unveiling of my new kitchen. You are all invited over for my next dinner party.

Cheers!

July wrap up in August!

2010-08-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

July's photo a day shots start off with the last 8 days of our cross country road trip. Looking at the pictures make the trip seem like a distant memory.

Then there are shots of the beginnings of the kitchen remodel which is currently in a circling the runway pattern.

I thought I would pick a favorite picture of the month this time around. I choose the one that I took of Kate holding my old Brownie camera (in her cut off jean legs as.....knee warmers!!!).

I love this shot because it shows Kate's silly spirit. It also reminds me of when she was a toddler and her most favorite outfit to wear was her snow white costume, princess tiara and plastic clicky heels.

As she out grew the dress and the shoes the tiara was the one item to remain. We all thought that she would walk into her first day of Kindergarten wearing that tiara. She didn't! But if she wanted to I would have let her.

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

Busy as a Bee!

2010-07-25T15:26:00.001-04:00

I have had the best intentions to post some shots from our 17 days road trip, but so far I haven't been able to find the time.

Between doing things with the girls and the kitchen remodel I have been one busy bee!

I miss visiting your blogs. I miss participating in weekly photo memes. I miss having alone time.

I almost missed posting picture a day shots from June. Gasp!

For those of you that have asked, the kitchen remodel is moving along at a nice clip. All of the bases of the cabinets have been built. The drawer boxes are in and the concrete counter tops are curing.

I think we have about 2 more weeks until the kitchen is complete. I can't wait!

Surprisingly, cooking in the garage hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. Microwave, toaster oven, coffee pot, electric griddle (which is kind of lame) and my super powerful coleman stove....what more can a girl ask for?

Now if I could just convince some strong men to move my fridge out of my living room and put it in the garage things would be even easier.

You Capture - Vehicle

2010-07-15T11:58:00.001-04:00

I wouldn't consider myself to be a car person. I don't get all excited over new cars. I do however get a little excited when I see old restored cars from the 50's.

I suspect I like cars from that generation because they remind me of my Grandparents. My Grandpa was a car mechanic for Cadillac. So of course they owned their own Cadillac.

I can still remember how little and safe I felt riding in the back seat of that boat of a vehicle. Oh and the sound of the curb feelers as they dragged along the curb announcing my Grandma's arrival will forever be etched in my memory.

Here are a few fun shots of old cars I took during our 17 day cross country road trip.

I think I also like these old cars because I like shiny things and bumpers on old cars are always shiny. Perfect for capturing your reflection.

What do you do with a bunch of old Cadillacs if you live in Texas? Why you buying them in the ground and call them art.

The first shot was taken in Livingston Montana, the second in Williams Arizona and the last two were taken at the Cadillac Ranch somewhere along the I-40 in Texas.

WW - Road Trip

2010-06-16T14:50:00.000-04:00

When I tell friends that we are going on cross country road trip I get a mixed bag of responses. Most people claim that they always wanted to go on a long road trip while others cringe at the thought of being cooped up in the car.

We are all really excited about our upcoming adventure. Ok the teenager is kind of grumbling about being gone for so long, (and possibly spending the 4th of July in Canada)........but I know secretly she is super excited.

The dogs however are seriously disappointed by our choice to leave them behind with a house sitter.

We are taking my husbands laptop, but I doubt I will be posting along the way. So if I'm not on my blog (or yours) for several weeks you will know why.

Hey, you might just see me and the family zipping through your hometown in the next few weeks.

Happy trails!

Happy Wordful Wednesday

WW - Random Birthday Post

2010-06-08T15:57:00.002-04:00

Forty three years ago today, my mom gave birth to her third and favorite child........Me! In honor of my birthday I thought I would share a past birthday memory.

When I was either 8 or 9 my mom asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday. Having recently discovered a love for Sara Lee strawberry cheesecake I asked her if she would buy me one. I remember her being a little miffed that I wanted a store bought cake, but she agreed.

My request didn't stop there, I also asked if she could buy me my very own cheesecake!

That's right.......I wanted that perfectly delicious cheesecake all to myself. Just put that baby in front of me and let me have at it!

I went over to my moms this morning to get the picture of me sitting with my very own cheesecake, but we couldn't find it.

I resorted to my favorite complaint that as a third child there aren't any pictures of me, so my mom whipped out the album which contains pictures from when I was born (which now reminds me that the picture I was looking for is probably in my baby book).

Here is my mom posing at my baby shower with one of her gifts. For those of you that are a little younger than I am, that is a baby car seat.

I'm pretty sure the only reason any of the kids from my generation made it past childhood was because our parents didn't get into a car accident with us in the car.......because you know that seat was used just to keep us from rolling around on the floor boards of the car!

So last week when my mom asked me what type of cake I wanted for my birthday I said, "Cheesecake." But I let her make it this time around and I won't be eating the entire cake by myself.

Happy Birthday to my fellow Gemini's and Happy Wordful Wednesday.

You Capture - My best shot

2010-06-03T10:33:00.000-04:00

Time for another You Capture post hosted by I should be folding laundry. This weeks theme, to share ONE of your best shots from the week.

Yesterday while I was cleaning up the house the birds outside were going crazy singing to each other and flying around the yard.

As I looked out the window to see who was doing all the chirping I saw the most beautiful bird I have ever seen in our neck of the woods.

It was a neon yellow in color and I suspect it was an escapee from someones house or a pet store. Unfortunately the minute I stepped outside with my camera in hand it took off like a rocket.

Instead of the neon yellow bird I was buzzed by these two hummingbirds do a little sky dance.

I honestly can't believe I was able to capture this moment. It would have looked a lot less distracting if the tree wasn't in the back ground, but hey........it is pretty darn cool to capture two hummingbirds looking like they are about to kiss.

WW - My May on display

2010-06-01T19:39:00.000-04:00

I can check another month off of my 365 picture a day project. Much to my surprise I took 611 pictures this month. I say I was surprised because it seemed like most days this month I only took a few pictures.

Since starting this project a year and a half ago I have taken over 14,000 pictures. Wooooweeee, that is a lot of photo's.

No wonder there are finger imprints worn into the grip texture on my Canon Rebel.

My favorite snap of the month........it is the foot shot, but since most of you have already seen that shot I chose the peacock I ~~capture~~, ~~shot~~, took a picture of on Mother's Day.

Such a magnificent bird.

So if you do that math, I shot an average of 800 pictures a month. How many pictures do you take each month? :)

Happy Wordful Wednesdays to you all!

You Capture - Sky

2010-05-27T10:19:00.002-04:00

The theme this week for You Capture over at I should be folding laundry is Sky.

I wanted to share some shots of the sky over one of my favorite places to be.....the beach at sunset. Only I waited until the last minute to leave the house and it became a race to see if I could get to the beach before the sun dipped into the pacific ocean.

I got this shot as I drove down the hill to the beach. I love how the the clouds are lit up by the sun.

I suspect that I looked like a lunatic rushing from the parking lot just in time to capture the sun before it said good night.

The sun took all the color from the sky with it.

As I left the beach I looked up to find this one last shot of a kite stuck flying in front of the moon!

Happy shooting. :)

WW - Copy Cat

2010-05-26T17:16:00.005-04:00

My favorite art magazine is Cloth Paper Scissors. The magazine is filled with mixed media goodness. I drool over the projects and they fuel my desire to create.

However after I pour over the bi-monthly magazine I find myself hesitant to start any of the projects. It is hard to explain but I have a hard time starting anything I don't think I will be good at.

I doubt my own ability to be creative and I realize that the only way I am going to get over it is to let go and stop worrying about the end result.

So when I saw the featured article by Serena Wilson Stubson I knew that I had to give it a try. After all, I had all of the supplies on hand and I already know how to make lollipop flowers.

Feeling the need to make my first project easier and more likely to make me happy (aka: I wouldn't have to throw it in the trash) I chose to copy one of her pieces of art (the cover art).

So here it is. Babies first (copied) piece of mixed media art. It will proudly hang in my daughters bedroom.

So thank you to Serena and other Cloth Paper Scissor artists for sharing their talent with others and helping this hesitant crafty girl to come out of her shell. To purchase Serena's art go to her ETSY page.

Depth of Field

2010-05-18T20:12:00.001-04:00

Back when I was in college I took a black and white photography class. We were taught all aspects of photography as well as how to develop our rolls of film and print our photographs on these huge photo enlargers. I can still smell the chemicals and hear the shutter clicking shut when the exposure was complete.

I loved that class! It was a great creative outlet for my young self.

There was only one thing I didn't like about the class. The professor. He was constantly harping on me for cropping the shot through my camera lens and taking too many shots with a shallow depth of field.

He wanted us to practice shooting an entire scene and then coming back into the dark room and cropping the shot we wanted.

My brain didn't work that way. How I saw the shot in my camera was how I pictured printing it out. Plus, I liked a close crop on the subject with a shallow depth of field and since I was paying for the supplies I was going to shot the way I liked. So there!

Shots that included the entire scene always felt to distracting to me. They still do. I do take shots of entire scenes when necessary, but a shallow depth of field will always be my default setting.

Check out a few shallow depth of field shot I took this week.

Giggles galore erupted when my flat footed lovely flipped up her cavebaby foot while I was checking my exposure for this shot.

My mom brought these delicious banana bread muffins over on Monday. For me food should always be shot like it is just about to enter your mouth.

Kate's first sock monster doll. Tell me that isn't the cutest 11 year old created sock monster you have ever seen? Apparently the crafty gene will live on.

The added bonus with this shot is that the shallow depth of field caused the light coming through the trees to create a slight bokeh effect. I love when that happens.

Head over to 7 Clown Circus to see more Wordful Wednesday posts! On Thursday check out You Capture over at I Should be Folding Laundry to see more Depth of Field shots.

WW - My month in pictures

2010-05-04T18:12:00.001-04:00

I have made it through another month of the picture a day project. Completing April brings the grand total to 485 days that I have been participating in this project.

I have a certain love hate relationship with this project. I hate when I'm busy, tired and uninspired and need to get a shot for the day. I want to stop on days like that.

What I love is that the project makes me think outside of the box (when I'm not tired, busy or uninspired). It also gives me pictures of my life that I would not normally have. So I press on.......

I wanted to share my favorite shot of the month. This is of my 14 year old daughter sprinting the 400m.

This is Reid's first year running Track. She was fast enough to participate in meets, but never fast enough to come in first. In fact, most of the time she came in 3rd place and many times ended up second to last in her heat.

Despite not being the "best" she always tried her hardest and strove to improve her own personal time (and she had fun doing it).

I love that about her and it is why this shot is my favorite for the month.

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

WW - A good day at the ranch

2010-04-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

You know you are having fun when:

You are riding so fast that you leave your hat in the dust.

You know you are having fun when:

Your mom doesn't notice that you are playing with a knife until she gets home an uploads her pictures and by then it is too late to take it away!

You know you are having fun when:

A horse acts like you are her best friend.

You know you are having fun when:

You find the light.

Now for you...........You know you are having fun when?

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

PSF - Playing with Photoshop

2010-04-08T17:36:00.002-04:00

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

I was over at I heart Faces this morning and read a great Photoshop tutorial from contributor Michelle Johnson of My Two Seasons.

Michelle shared how to create that vintage look with your photo's. With so many people who are creating these types of photoshop actions to sell it is nice to find people who are willing to share some of their editing secrets.

If you haven't tried photoshop yet, take it from me........there is a lot to learn!

So here is my first attempt using Michelle's technique. I picked a photo that was kind of over exposed so that I could get that blown out look. I really like the way it turned out. You can see the straight out of the camera shot below.

After playing with this tutorial I went back to I heart Faces to see if there were any other tutorials to try and low and behold I found another great one from Michelle Johnson.

This one is called "In the Fairy Garden." In this tutorial Michelle provide two free textures, so hit the above link to download them for yourself.

I am such a freak for bright, highly contrasty pictures but I do enjoy these soft photo's as well.

So there you have it. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Rocky Road Bark

2010-04-08T12:07:00.004-04:00

I am joining Genny at My Cup 2 Yours for her weekly Talking about Thursday!

This week the talkin' is all about desserts and let's face it.......most of us love dessert!

So in honor of yummy easy to make desserts I present: Rocky Road Bark.

The cast of characters!

5 Whole Graham Crackers
6 T butter
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 C milk chocolate chips
1/3 C mini-marshmallows
1/2 C chopped pecans (or any nut you enjoy)

1. Line a 8x8 square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure the foil is tucked into the corners with at least 1 inch extending up the side of the pan. Place a single layer of graham crackers along the bottom of the pan. Cut the graham crackers to get them to fit tightly in the pan. (I used 4.5 crackers).

2. Next, combine the butter, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Pour the mixture over the graham crackers and spread with a spatula. Then place the pan in a preheated oven (275) and baked for about 10 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbling.

(I use my toaster oven at 250 and it takes about 5 minutes for the caramel to bubble.)

4. Next sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the caramel/crackers. Return to the oven for approximately 1 to 2 minutes to soften the chocolate chips. Remove from the oven and gently smooth the chocolate over the caramel.

5. Now sprinkle the pecans and mini marshmallows over the top of the chocolate. Cool the bark for 30 minutes before putting it in the freezer for another 30 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.

(I am impatient....I skip the cooling and head straight for the freezer)

6. Remove the bark from the freeze, peel off the tin foil, cut into squares and enjoy!

Have a sweet day!

WW - Equine Humor!

2010-04-06T22:35:00.002-04:00

Our horse Rusty loves a good horse joke. How about you?

"A Preacher wanted to raise money for his church and, being told there were fortunes in race horses, he decided to purchase one and enter it in the races. However, at the local auction, the going price for horses was so steep he ended up buying a donkey instead. He figured that since he had it, he might as well go ahead and enter it in the races, and to his surprise the donkey came in third.

The next day the racing sheets carried the headlines, "Preacher's Ass shows" The Preacher was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the races again and this time he won!

The papers said, "Preacher's Ass out in Front" The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the Preacher not to enter the donkey in another race. The newspaper printed this headline, "Bishop Scratches Preacher's Ass" This was just too much for the Bishop and he ordered the Preacher to get rid of the animal.

The Preacher decided to give it to a Nun in a nearby convent. The headlines the next day read, "Nun has the Best Ass in Town" The Bishop fainted. He informed the Nun that she would have to dispose of the donkey and she finally found a farmer who was willing to buy it for $10.00. The paper states, "Nun Peddles Ass for Ten Bucks" They buried the Bishop the next day."

***So that was really a donkey joke, but Rusty thought it was heeee-sterical!***

Happy Wordful Wednesday

I am still around!

2010-04-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

I really enjoy blogging. Let me rephrase that, I really enjoy reading other people's blogs. I only mildly enjoy creating blog posts.

I have met some fantastic people blogging and really enjoy keeping up with their lives through their blogs. Unfortunately sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.

When that happens I need to force myself to stay off the computer and focus on getting things done. Hence my recent bloggy break.

Anyhoo......I miss everyone and will be around to say hi and catch up.

I felt like I needed a picture to go with my post today so here is a collage of my March 365 picture a day project. You probably wouldn't notice this, but I discovered today that I didn't have a picture for March 18th!

I have been so busy that I have only been posting my 365 shots once a week and I am pretty sure that I deleted the few pictures I took on that day. O'well, such is life.

Have a great weekend everyone!

WW - Goodbye and Good Riddance!

2010-03-10T13:32:00.001-05:00

Good bye ancient dishwasher that has spent more years storing dishes than cleaning them.

Good bye 1980's oven that after a year of using a chopstick to get you to light has finally bit the dust.

Goodbye 15 year old KitchenAid fridge. Despite your cosmetic issues due to your old age, you are still going strong and while you must leave, we will replace you with a shiny new big sister.

Goodbye impossible to clean cooktop with your melted knobs.

Goodbye 1959 kitchen cabinets. Remember when I spent nearly two months painting you? I do! Reid was 3 and Kate was only a few months old. What was I thinking???

Goodbye ugly kitchen!

You served us well, but it is time to GO!

Hopefully in a couple of months I will have a new kitchen to show off.

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Did you notice my new flashing header???

It was created by Jenny at Through Jenny's Lens!

I was lucky enough to win my header (THANKS Jenny) but for a low price you too can have your own flashing header! Go check her out.

WW- February 365

2010-03-03T14:21:00.001-05:00

Here is the month of February as seen through my camera lens.

This year I am doing a much better job of keeping my 365 photo's organized so that at the end of the project I can turn the entire collection into an album.

I created the collage on Picnik.

Happy Wordful Wednesday
stop by Angie's to see more!

Capturing shapes

2010-02-25T13:23:00.002-05:00

This weeks You Capture challenge over at I should be folding laundry is all about finding shapes to photograph! I am always drawn to geometric shapes and patterns so this was a fun challenge for me.

Here are my shots from a local artist village that is so full of color and shapes that it makes my heart sing every time I visit.

This number 15 is the address number hanging from an artist studio. Made me think how much fun it would be to do this for my own house.

More circles!

Rectangles covered with layers of yummy paint!

Colorful stone walkway. This one particular artist had painted mini works of art in front of their studio.

I wonder how my neighbors would feel if I painted my driveway and walk to my door like this stone walk way.

Also playing along with Photo Story Friday!

Hosted by Cecily and ???

WW - It is and isn't!

2010-02-23T20:11:00.000-05:00

Do you want to know what this is?

It is the "belt" of my sweater.

Do you want to know what it isn't?

It isn't a toilet dip stick!

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

PSF - Lasting memory

2010-02-19T14:33:00.002-05:00

Another PSF about flowers, except today's flowers are special. This PSF is about my Grandfather and the living memory he left behind.

My Grandfather spent most of his working life as a mechanic for Cadillac. He always seemed to have a hint of the smell of car oil on him. Probably because it was ground into his hands and forever stained his nails.

He worked on cars back when they were all as big as boats and had curb feelers.

I'm not sure if my Grandpa loved his job, but I do know he missed going to work once he retired. He often told us of the time that Elvis Presley was visiting San Diego and stopped in to have his car serviced.

He said that there was a coke bottle rattling around in the back seat of his Caddy and that my teenager mom was so mad that he didn't swipe it for her.

I may not have know if he really loved his job........but one thing I do know is that he loved gardening, and he had one major green thumb. He had a vegetable garden, fruit trees, nut trees, orchids and container plants too numerous to mention.

When he passed away at the age of 87 his garden has shrunk quite a bit, but his orchid collection survived. This orchid is from his collection.

We may not have my silly Grandpa around anymore but each spring we are reminded that he was once a big part of our lives.

Happy Birthday Grampi!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

WW - Things that make me smile!

2010-02-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

I love when fellow bloggers makes me smile. Jinksy over at Napple Notes posted the Washington Post's Annual Neologism Contest winners (who knew there was such a contest)! These alternative definitions really made me smile. Thanks for posting them Jinksy!

Here are the winners:

1. Coffee (n.) the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) to attempt an explanation while drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.) (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

PSF - Sunshine found here!

2010-02-12T13:10:00.000-05:00

Considering so many of you are buried up to your eyeballs in snow I thought I would stop and smell the flowers for you.

Ok, these poppies don't smell like anything special, but they sure are purty!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Hosted by Cecily and Mamarazzi

WW - Easy Valentine's treats

2010-02-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share the super easy Valentine's Day treats I made for my Girl Scout troop. They are so easy to make that I really don't need to provide steps.......but what the heck.

Start off by making a batch of rice crispy treats.

Next cover your mini cake pan (mine is from Wilton) with saran wrap (for easy clean up).

Next put some butter on your fingers and start piling each heart shape with the rice crispy treats.

Once you have all six filled, firmly push them into the pan.

Next place Wilton Candy melts in a disposable decorating bags and melt them in the microwave.

This is such an easy way to melt candy melts, no mess.

Snip the ends of the bags and decorate the hearts with the chocolate melts and sprinkles.

Shove a stick in the bottom and you have yourself super-de-duper Valentine's Day treat.

(one batch of rice crispy treats make 8 hearts with a little left to eat off the spoon)

A very Wordful Wednesday to you!

PSF - Old school entertainment

2010-02-04T17:33:00.004-05:00

At the risk of sounding really old.........I grew up in a time when the viewmasters was an exciting toy.

It had a simple design that delivered brightly colored images. I can still hear the sound the toy made as I clicked to each new image.

I was going through some very neglected drawers in Reid's closet and I found five old viewmaster cards from when the girls were little.

Would you believe that in this age of high tech everything they are still making viewmasters?

I guess there are enough parents still wanting their little ones to enjoy a little low tech fun.

Did you have a viewmaster as a kid?
Did you buy one for your own kids?

Hosted by Cecily and Robyn

WW - One down, Eleven to go!

2010-02-02T19:23:00.001-05:00

Here are the first 31 days of the new year as seen through the lens of my camera.

Are you doing the 365 picture a day project and I don't know about it?

If so let me know so I can come by for a look see!

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

The collage was created at Picnik.com

Click HERE to view my 365 project

PSF - Mario!

2010-01-28T20:53:00.006-05:00

I wasn't much of a video game player.........that is until we got Super Mario for the Wii! When the girls and I play we laugh so hard (and bicker just a bit)! My husband sometimes threatens to turn the game off when there is too much whining!

When we play you will hear the following comments:

"Don't die, don't die"
"Go in a bubble"
"Pop me"
"Oooooohhhh noooooo"
"Hey, thanks for killing me"
"You thief, that was mine"
"You die and I'll go in a bubble"

In honor of our mother daughter bonding over Mario I made the girls mushroom charms. Even though I am getting pretty good at the game I'm not sure what these mushrooms official names are. I just know they make you big.

Hosted by Cecily

PS: if you read my WW post, I switched to the new blogger editor.
Me no likey!

WW - Bigger photo's in blogger!

2010-01-26T20:11:00.017-05:00

I have received a lot of emails lately asking me how I get my pictures in my posts so large.

Since most of my request seem to come after my WW posts I thought this would be a perfect time to share.

When I upload my photo's I use bloggers standard upload.

I choose center and large for the photo size.

No matter how big your file is, when you select large, this is the size that blogger gives you.

Now for the changing part!

After you upload your picture click on the Html button (located next to the compose button). Doing so will show your pictures code.

Now that you are looking at the code, locate the width and height of the picture (see below).

Make sure not to delete anything extra. You should delete from the word "width" to right before the " mark after the px;.

Next change the number S400 to S 640.

Then click back to the "compose" mode and your picture will now be bigger!

Cool huh?

I'm not exactly sure where I discovered this information, but I believe it was from a tutorial on the website I heart faces! I should probably confirm that, but I'm too lazy.

So go forth and post Biggy pictures.

Side note: Thanks to my smart blogging buddies, I found out that all you have to do in Blogger to make your photo's really fat is up date your editor and they give you the option to pick the big size photo's. Go to your basic settings to change to the updated editor.

See......even I learn things while I'm trying to teach you something new!

Side note: You do have to have enough space in your column to accommodate a large photo.

PSF - Whatcha looking at?

2010-01-21T13:20:00.009-05:00

Welcome to this weeks addition of Photo Story Friday.

I was so excited when Cecily asked me to co-host with her this week because Photo Story Friday was one of the first meme's I ever participated in! So if you haven't participated before jump on in.....the water is warm (despite what the follow pictures might suggest).

On with the show!

While the peeps whip out their camera's and snap shots of the stormy seas.

(Give us a break.....we don't see weather very often.)

The seagulls stare at us and wonder what in the heck we are doing..............

hanging out at the beach without food for them to steal!

Ever since I saw the movie "Finding Nemo" I can't look at a seagull without imagining them saying, "mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine."

Hosted by Cecily and Michelle

To play Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
<center><a href="http://mychaosmybliss.blogspot.com/2007/06/photo-story-friday-and-rules.html" target="_blank"></a><br/>Hosted by <a href="http://mychaosmybliss.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="http://michelle-onecraftymama.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Michelle</a><p/></center>

WW - Random signs!

2010-01-19T19:31:00.005-05:00

Awwww, shucks! Don't go harshing my mellow!

(Union Bank: Ocean Beach)

Another Wordful Wednesday hosted by the lovely Wordpress pusher Angie!

************

Hey, you 365er's (yeah, I'm talking to you).....Chris is hosting a link-a-do for those of you that want to share your 365 blogs. So head over and link up!

Hosted by Chris

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Last but not least, on Friday I am going to co-host Photo story Friday with the talented Cecily at My Chaos My Bliss. What is PSF you ask? Well, it is just like Wordful Wednesday only it takes place on Friday! Capeesh?

Hosted by Cecily

PSF - Caught red handed

2010-01-15T13:43:00.007-05:00

I discovered over this past year that I like taking pictures of interesting people that I don't know.

Unless you are a celebrity I imagine that most people would find it odd to see a stranger snapping their picture. So I try to do it on the sly.

Yesterday I got caught trying to be sly!

I was sitting at a stop light watching the dude in the ill fitting statue of liberty costume trying to stand like Lady Liberty when I thought, "hey that might make a funny shot."

I quickly adjusted the exposure, focused and BAM....he looked over his shoulder before I could put my camera down.

Instead of screaming at me or asking what in the heck I was doing he turned around and proudly gave me his best sign holder pose. If my 14 year old would have been in the car this would have been the point where she would have said, "Awkward."

It was super awkward but hey, Mama has a 365 blog to think about and shots like this one are just too funny to pass up.

Hosted by Cecily

The power of the Girl Scout cookie

2010-01-13T12:31:00.007-05:00

Buying Girl Scout cookies may not help your ultimate weight loss goal, but it does helps young girls reach their goals.

Nearly three years ago my troop made a goal to raise enough money through the sales of girl scout cookies to pay for the entire troop plus, two adults, to attend a weekend long horse back riding camp.

They each had a personal goal of selling 300 boxes in two years to cover the cost of the camp. Most of the girls reached their goal in the first year and the rest reached it the second year.

Well, we "finally" went to that camp this past weekend and I have to say that it was the best $2035.00 our troop has ever spent.

Being a horse back riding camp they did a lot of......horseback riding.

They also got to learn how to do vaulting on the back of a rather ginormous horse.

We all tried our hand at archery.

And took care of a lot of different farm animals. Which is a rare treat for these city girls.

So the next time you think of ignoring that cute little girl asking you to buy an over priced box of substandard cookies, remember.....not only will your $4.00 go towards supporting a great organization, but it will also help support the GOALS that the girls are striving to reach.

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

PS: The girls also raise money to do things for others. Like the Valentines treats we create each year for the Senior Citizen home or cooking dinner for the families at the Ronald McDonald house.

WW - Hollywoooooood!

2010-01-05T17:28:00.003-05:00

I have lived my entire 42 years in Southern California, but up until this Sunday I hadn't stepped foot on Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame.

So this past weekend we jumped in the car, braved the smog and traffic for our chance to check out Hollywood for ourselves.

Our first stop was the Hollywood walk of Fame. The atmosphere on Hollywood Blvd was buzzing with energy and weirdos!

Walking up and down the street reading all of the names of stars that have paid $25,000 to have their names immortalized for all to see (and walk on) was kind of fun.

It was an interesting collection for sure, with many names that made us say, "Really"? We actually walked the most popular section of the street twice because Reid wanted to find Leonardo decaprio's star.

We couldn't find him! So when we got home we checked the list of stars and discovered that Leo has not been given a star yet, but Vanna White and Pat Sejak have!!! Really?

What was most interesting to me was watching which "Stars" drew people's attention. Many were ones you would expect and some made me go.......Hmmmm!

Most of the action was happening out on the sidewalk in front of Grauman's Chinese theater.

There were numerous people dressed up as movie stars/characters just waiting for a chance to take their picture with you......for a small fee.

There we several Captain Jack Sparrows and characters from Pirates. Snoopy, Elmo, Little Mermaid, Dorthy, Jesus, Elvis, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, a Snow White drag queen, and two Michael Jacksons were among the crowd. Star Wars and Marvel Comics were also well represented.

This guy is the Bumble Bee from the Transformer movie. We all thought he had the best costume, but there wasn't a single character that they girls had any desire to pose with.

That is until a skinny pale guy with sparkly skin walked up!

Oh yeah baby!

While we waited for the girls turn with Edward, Elvis and Jesus walked by looking more than a little annoyed with the crowd around this vampire wannabe.

Elvis said, "Hey...whatcha all doing waiting on that guy, Jesus is the one you need to be hanging with." We all laughed, but something tells me that the minute Elvis and Jesus had their chance they hustled young Edward to the less busy section of the street.

Join Wordful Wednesday at the recently remodeled Seven Clown Circus!

Photo Hunt Challenge #5

2010-01-01T15:54:00.016-05:00

Here are my photo's for Kristi's December Photo Hunt Challenge.
If you want to see more please click on the above link!

1. Holiday Lights

A neighbors display.

2. Holiday Spirit

Hotel Del Coronado.

3. Holiday Treat

The girls gingerbread house (which is picked clean).

4. An Ornament(s)

Balboa Park

5. A gift-wrapped package

The girls new Christmas Eve PJ's.

6. Window Display

The Spreckles Sweet shot window display at the Hotel Del.

7. Holiday Icon

Ho. Ho. Ho. Window display, Hotel Del.

8. Tree

Christmas tree in the organ pavilion, Balboa Park.

9. A Tradition

Decorating our own Christmas tree.

10. Something that says Noel

These are candle holders that were my Grandmother's.

11. Something Precious

Seals at La Jolla Childrens pool.

12. Something Peaceful

Fountain at the Hotel Del.

13. Something Hot

Ranch Christmas party bonfire.

14. Something Cold

Ocean Beach pier/pacific ocean.

15. Something Red

16. Something Green

17. Motion Blur

Mission Beach boardwalk.

18. Black and White shot with selective color

My daughter Kate!

19. Infrared Photo (post process)

Boat sculpture; Contemporary Museum of Art.

20. Macro Shot

A dew drop hammock in my back yard.

365 Project - the last twenty days!

2009-12-31T14:14:00.003-05:00

I feel like I have been beating a dead horse by showing you all my photo's for 2009, but this is it folks.......the finally 20 days of the year!

I hope that in showing you my 365 project that you have been inspired to start your own picture a day project in 2010.

To join in all you need to do is start taking pictures everyday. No need to sign up.

How you share your project is up to you.

Many of the 365 bloggers I visit have a blog dedicated to their 365 project, but it isn't necessary.

I hope you will join me in 2010!

Have a safe New Year's Eve!

365 Project - 3rd Installment

2009-12-30T13:46:00.005-05:00

Only two more days left in this year's 365 picture a day project!

I present you with the days of my life between August 14th and December 11th.

Charge up the batteries in your camera.......2010 is almost here!

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

Scroll down to see days 1 thru 225!

365 Project - 2nd installment!

2009-12-25T15:52:00.008-05:00

So, you're thinking of doing the 365 photo a day project in 2010? Here is some advice on making it through the project:

1. Always keep a camera with you.
When you grab your car keys, grab your camera bag!

2. Don't feel that every picture has to be a work of art.
Some of my most treasured shots are the ones that captured our daily lives (see day 120). The project should reflect your life and let's face it, sometimes life is boring.

Don't let those uninspiring days drag you down. Just when I would feel like quitting I would get a great shot that would make me happy I didn't give up.

I present to you April 11th through August 13th.

Several people have asked how I created these collages.

I used Picnik.com.

I am not getting paid to say this, but as far as online editing software goes, Picnik is awesome! You can create the collage in PS3 but it is so much easier to use Picnik.

Basic services on Picnik are free, but you have to pay to use the upgraded features. It is really inexpensive. So treat yourself.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My 365 Photo a Day Project -1st installment

2009-12-17T16:37:00.008-05:00

It is hard for me to believe that there are only fourteen (and a half) days left in my 365 picture a day project.

As hard as it is to believe, I have a daily photo as proof that my year just flew by. Three hundred and fifty one days of proof to be exact. I look back at each photograph I have taken this year and in some ways it feels like I took each shot just the other day.

Then I recall what was going on in the photograph and I feel miles away from the day I took it.

I was going to wait until the end of the year to share all 365 photo's, but seeing that many pictures at once is......over whelming!

So I am going to share them in smaller clumps until the end of the year. Here are the first 100 days of my project. Starting with January 1st and ending on April 10.

If you love taking pictures as much as I do, I highly recommend starting your own 365 picture a day project. It really isn't as hard as it might seem.

In the next few installments I will share tips and advice on how I managed to capture everyday this year in photo's.

WW - Christmas tradition

2009-12-15T22:00:00.004-05:00

When I was a child my mom would only put a few presents under the tree before Christmas. They were usually gifts that relatives sent in the mail and were so few that they really didn't make a big impression on us.

The bulk of our gifts remained hidden in my moms massive closet and didn't make there appearance until after we were sound asleep on Christmas eve.

It was so exciting to get up Christmas morning and see all of the presents spilling out from under the once present barren tree.

This is a tradition that I have continued with my own girls.

Typically I procrastinate and end up wrapping (cursing) all of their gifts on Christmas eve. I am not doing that again this year. See.....I already started!

So my bloggy friends inquiring minds want to know.
What is your Christmas present displaying preference?

Head over to 7 clown circus for more Wordful Wednesdays!

****I stamped the tags using clear set from Inkadinkado. Would you believe that I didn't even realize the tag said it was from Santa until I went to write down their names. Those are their Christmas Eve presents, not a gift from Santa (I'll have to fix that).

WW - German Decorations

2009-12-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Wordful Wednesday!

Like the proverbial Halloween Costume shots in October, I now give you the proverbial Christmas decorations shots for December.

During my moms many trips to Europe she brought us back wooden decorations from the Chriskindlesmarkt in Germany.

Here are a few of my favorites.

This Santa is a incense smoker. It kind of feels wrong watching Santa smoke, but it is so neat seeing the stream of smoke trail out of his cookie hole.

I'd show you, but I ran out of incense cones.

These adorable carolers have a candle on either end. I never used to burn the candles because I was worried I wouldn't be able to find new ones. Last year I found some similar candles at Cost Plus so now I can burn baby burn.

This cutie is sitting on what is called a pyramid.

You light the candles and the heat causes the windmill to spin the center people and make them really dizzy.

The two pyramids we have are actually for my girls. Would it be wrong of me not to remind them of that fact when they move out on their own?

I hope you enjoyed viewing a few of my favorite German decorations.

Now head over to Angies to see what everyone else is showing off!

Merry Sitsmas

2009-12-08T15:16:00.005-05:00

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas on this Merry Sitsmas kind of a day!

And of course a Happy 2010!

Baby Steps!

2009-12-07T23:41:00.007-05:00

My blog is under construction (finally)! I have been wanting to ditch the old background for eons, but I have been holding on to the old look because I dread making design decisions.

Well, I am finally taking the plunge because I was lucky enough to win a flashing blog header from Jenny at Through Jenny's Lens .

However, I am totally dragging my feet picking the pictures for the new header. Looking over my 10,000's pictures makes me realize what a perfectionist I am. Why? Because I look at all of my photo's and I don't find any of them worthy of a cool new header.

Sigh! I know that I seriously need to get over it, because they don't have to be perfect shots (oh that is hard to type).

So I am taking baby steps by putting up this quickly created header (by me) and changing the blog layout/size (thanks to Jenny).

If you don't know Jenny, head over to her blog and check out her header.

It is so cool!

Photo Hunt #5 Challenge is here!

2009-12-03T20:05:00.008-05:00

The 5th installment of
Kristi's Photo Hunt Challenges is here!

This will be my third Challenge and let me tell you, it is a lot fun to participate in Kristi's photo hunts!

There were so many great shots submitted for Challenge #4.

Click HERE to view Kristi's top picks!
(I think you can still vote on which shot is your favorite)

Scroll down to see this months list and then click HERE to find out all the deets!

Here is the list:

1. Holiday Lights
2. Holiday Spirit
3. A Holiday Treat
4. An Ornament
5. A Gift-Wrapped Package
6. A Window Display
7. A Winter/Holiday Icon
8. A Tree
9. A Tradition
10.Something that says Noel
11. Something Precious
12. Something Peaceful
13. Something Hot
14. Something Cold
15. Something Red
16. Something Green
17. Motion blur
18. Black & White Photo (with selective coloring)
19. Any photo using an Infrared Photography Technique (in-camera OR post-process)
20. A Macro Shot

WW - It's beginning......

2009-12-01T20:50:00.006-05:00

............to look a lot like Christmas!

Xena and I took a walk around La Jolla this morning.

Here are just a few of the snaps I took of the Christmas decorations on display.

So, how many of you have your Christmas decorations up?

Melting Beads.....it's oh so fun!

2009-11-26T21:55:00.012-05:00

If you have girls you probably have a huge collection of various plastic beads. At some point your girls will probably out grow the desire to string endless strands of pony bead necklaces and you will be left wondering.......What do I do with all these left over beads?

I have the answer for you.........

You melt them!

By doing a little web surfing I found out that you can transform plastic beads into bowls, sun catchers, lamp shapes, night lights, jewelry and cool Christmas ornaments!

For our first melted bead projects we made a few sun catchers.

Here is what I did.

1. First, decide on a shape you want your sun catcher to be. I used some light weight disposable Reynolds molds that I bought at the 99 cents store.

You can also use cookie cutters, pie tins or just free form it!

2. Place the beads in a single layer on the bottom of the form. Try to fill the entire area the best you can to avoid holes (but holes can be cool).

3. I melt my beads at 425 for approximately 25 minutes. The time needed to melt the beads will depend on a few factors, size of your beads and your oven. Less melting times = the beads holding more of their original shape. More melting time = more blending.

Warning**Melting beads lets off toxic fumes that are strong enough to lower your IQ!

So, I highly recommend that you melt your beads in an old toaster oven that is placed on your back patio or another well ventilated area.

If you aren't worried about your IQ and use your indoor oven make sure you have plenty of ventilation by opening the doors, windows and running a fan or two.

Just the little whiff's I got by opening the door to the toaster oven was enough to make me feel like I had probably lost a few brain cells in the process (but it is worth it).

More molds!

4. After we melted our beads we let them cool and then peeled them out of their tin foil forms. I also tried using a cookie cuter and the cooled plastic popped right out of it.

5. Next I grabbed my supply of soft 24 gauge wire to wrap around the girls creations.

After a few wraps and curly-q's.

A sun catcher was born!

After looking at these completed sun catchers I was thinking how cute they would look with some coordinating seed beads added to the wire.

The possibilities are endless.

Here are some links to some other melted bead tutorials:

Bowls
Bracelet & ring
Art
Lampshade
Night light cover

Happy Crafting!

WW - A Thanksgiving to be remembered

2009-11-25T11:13:00.005-05:00

My most memorable Thanksgiving would have to be the Thanksgiving that Jim and I enjoyed a romantic lobster dinner for two.

In the hospital!

Ok, it wasn't really all that romantic, but it was a special lobster dinner and one I will remember for the rest of my life.

You see, 11 years ago on the day before Thanksgiving my beautiful daughter Kate was born.

Kate wasn't supposed to arrive until December 5th and she wasn't supposed to arrive when her Daddy was a 4 hours drive away (that's another story).

But as all parents know by now, kids don't always play by the rules.

Back to the lobster dinner.

Since Kate made her appearance the day before Thanksgiving that meant that I would be spending my Thanksgiving in the hospital.

The hospital I gave birth at used to provide all new parents with a special dinner before the were discharged.

One of those choices was a lobster dinner, wheeled into your room on a beautifully set table.

This wasn't your ordinary hospital food! It was delicious!

I found out later that the hospital was going to discontinue offering Lobster as a dinner choice after November 30th.

So it was a good thing that she came 10 days early!

After all having a baby without drugs deserves more than your standard hospital food.

But Thank you little Bee for speeding into my life.

And on this day I want to wish you a Happy 11th Birthday!

Wordful Wednesday!

WW - Not following the rules

2009-11-17T18:23:00.011-05:00

Braces Schmaces!

{PS: that is rock candy, not corn on the cob}

WW -- Could be a new obsession

2009-11-11T14:11:00.006-05:00

The other day while I was surfing around the web I discovered Ttv photography.

Ttv photography stands for through the viewfinder.

You use your SLR to shot a picture through the lens of a Kodak Duraflex (or similar type camera).

The shots taken this way are super artsy fartsy and right up my alley.

Who doesn't like being artsy fartsy?

Just my luck......I have my Grandparents old Kodak Duraflex camera!

I got it out, but didn't dust it off (you want a little smootz on the lens), and started shooting.

I have a lot to learn and need to practice, but here is my first attempt.

I have been practicing and learning how to use photoshop CS3.

Here is my homespun cross process.

And a slight sepia effect!

So what do you think?

Does shooting through the lens of another camera sound like fun?

Wordful Wednesday

PSF - We have been labeled!

2009-11-05T21:29:00.009-05:00

I love my dogs, but they have issues.

They do not enjoy visits from the mail carrier....a common dog phobia.

They pose no threat to the mailman, they just like to bark like lunatics when the mail carrier comes to the door......and Xena sort of throws herself against the screen.

Truth be told, Xena doesn't discriminate. She does barks at every visitor.

Because my dogs go a little nuts when people come to the front door we installed a heavy duty security screen door. I hate the way it looks, but it was necessary to keep Xena from break down the screen door when she is being possessed by the devil.

I figured that the heavy duty security door and the fact that Xena has never taken a nibble of any of our mail carriers would provide all carriers with a sense of security.

Today I discovered differently!

Our mail comes with a warning!

This Dog Warning Card was accidentally left in our mailbox today.

I say accidentally because on the form it says "Case in front of mail for address where dog poses a threat -- do not deliver this form." Whoopsie!

We have had a string of sub's lately, so I understand the need for the form.

If you approach my door while day dreaming you might have the hooey scared out of you by a psychotic poodle and chihuahua.

Hosted by Cecily and Emily

WW - Field Hockey Mom

2009-11-03T13:11:00.012-05:00

After nearly 7 years of being a Soccer mom I can proudly say that I am now a full fledged Field Hockey mom.

Reid is two games away from completing her first season playing Field Hockey for her High Schools Junior Varsity team.

Their team was young and inexperienced, but despite that they played well and have improved tremendously since the beginning of the season.

The short clip below is of the two goals Reid scored in their game against La Jolla.

She is number 9 and is on the far side of the field. You can see her more clearly after she scores the first goal.

The person who scores gets to retrieve the ball from the goalie box and run it up to the mid field.

Reid certainly isn't shy about celebrating her victory. Maybe we need to work on her modesty!

This shot was taken after another game that ended in a tie. The girls lost their fair share of games this season, but it never seems to get them down. It is fun to win, but it is also great to enjoy playing the game.

This Field Hockey mom is certainly looking forward to the next season.

For more wordful wednesday entries visit Angie at 7 clown circus!

**If you want to see more of my shots, scroll down and check out my entries for the October photo hunt challenge.

October Photo Hunt

2009-11-01T13:08:00.008-05:00

Here are my entries for Kristi's October Photo Hunt Challenge.

This month Kristi put the C in challenge. But I had a good time trying to find shots to represent each of the challenge categories. I hope you enjoy what I came up with.

Click on any of the images to view them larger.

1. Fall Activity

Decorating for Halloween is one of my favorite fall activities!

2. Fall Treat

What my friends is better than bathing yourself in 7lbs of Halloween candy?

3. A Harvest

A shot from Pikes place market in Seattle (archive).

4. Leaves

5. Fall Color

This is what fall color looks like in the desert!

6. Something Orange

I tried to avoid the pumpkin shot! :)

7. Something Spooky

Would you believe that I got a little creeped out taking this skeletons picture?

8. A Cemetery

One of the oldest cemetery's in San Diego. Located in Old Town.

9. A Costume

I couldn't help myself!

10. A black and White Photo

Kate playing in the car with some plastic crap she bought in a vending machine.

11. A Critter

This little bugger is digging up the High School fields!

12. Symmetry

Not your ordinary ballerina!

13. Contrast

14. Texture

15. Logo & Mascot :)

16. Neon

17. Inspiring

I find taking pictures of the things around me very inspiring.

18. Entertaining

We have passes to Sea World and no matter how many times I watch the Shamu show I always find it entertaining. I took this shot in July!

19. Something Fast

Crazy spinning ride at the board walk down by the beach.

20. Something Slow

A little honey for your tea??

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:22:00.002-04:00

Here are my Halloween chickies!

Kate tried on 8 costumes before settling on the Polar Princess.

Reid tried on the Indian costume and was done!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween of years past!

2009-10-29T21:25:00.011-04:00

This week I am combining my Photostory Friday post with Alicia's Flash Back Friday over at More Than Words.

I'm not being very original this week, but I wanted to share snaps from Halloweens past!

Reid was a Dalmatian for her first Halloween.
The next year she was a Razorback Cheerleader.

My mom bought Reid this cat costume and she HATED it! She cried when I forced her to put the hood on and then refused to let me take her picture.

A bunny and a 50's girl (tiger is our neighbor).

Those things on Kates head were my sad attempt at making bunny ears. Pipe cleaners don't hold up well when an 11 month old is involved.

Blue and Cinderella!

Lunette from the Big Comfy Couch and a Genie!

Kitty Cat and Snow White!

Kate wore that snow white costume at least once a week for several years.

Flower Fairy and a Pirate!

Spiderella and a Hippie Chick!
Pirate and Goth Girl!

Vampira and Greek Goddess!
Pink Fairy and a Doll!

Goth Girl (Reid's costume from '05) and a Crazy Doll!

This year for Halloween the girls are going to be............

Hosted by Cecily and Carissa

WW -- Photoshop

2009-10-28T15:18:00.005-04:00

I have Photoshop CS3.

I have been known to be a little impatient when it comes to learning how to use new software.

I don't want to read how to use anything, I just want to use it.

You can't do that with Photoshop (well you can if you are into frustration).

So last night I opened up my hubbies laptop, sat it next to my iMac (which was a little grossed out because his laptop is a Gateway) and started watching tutorials on how to use Photoshop CS3.

Wanna see what I did?

This is the original shot of Kate jumping down some steps.

I decided Kate needed to be seen jumping elsewhere so I cut her out of the above picture and pasted her into a few other shots.

Here she is jumping in front of Mt. Rushmore!

Here she is jumping for joy in La Quinta.

Learning how to use Photoshop is going to be fun!

**********

Have a happy Wordful Wednesday over at
Seven Clown Circus!

PSF - Last minute costume idea

2009-10-23T10:21:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I was looking for something different and fun to wear to my daughters Elementary School's Halloween party.

After a quick search on the internet I found an idea that was right up my dog lovin' alley.

Create a shirt for your very own Attack Dog Academy....only you are the cruddy training that has been chewed on one too many times.

You will need an old white shirt (I used a mans button down dress shirt), some scissors, needle and thread, a stuffed dog and sharpie markers in both Red and Black ink.

Take the scissors and cut/tear holes in the shirt so it looks like you have been attacked by your dogs. Use the red sharpie to add blood to the ripped areas.

On the back of the shirt add the name of your Attack Dog Academy.

Of course make sure to identify yourself as a trainer on the front pocket!

Finally, sew a small stuffed dog by the mouth to the edge of the shirt tail or sleeve.

This was so fast and easy to make and the kids thought it was hysterical.

Here are my real life attack dogs practicing on each other!

Another funny quick costume:

Take several Smartie Candy rolls and pin them to your pants.

You are now a Smarty Pants!

Do you have any funny quick and easy costume ideas to share?

Hosted by Cecily and Kelli

WW - Really?

2009-10-21T12:11:00.003-04:00

As we relaxed at the La Quinta Spa and Resort this weekend, I sat down and pondered this question........

Is this really the best place for a telephone?

Wordful Wednesday

WW - Halloween Product

2009-10-14T11:29:00.008-04:00

For this weeks Wordful Wednesday Angie asked us to show off our fall decorations.

I am entirely to lazy to put away my regular stuff and put up fall stuff, so instead I am going to share with you the killer colored hair gel we found last Halloween.

If your little ones (or big ones) want a hair gel that will give you great color and make their hair stick out in spikes stiff enough to poke out their siblings eye, Fright Night Spike and Color styling gel is the stuff for you!

These are the colors I picked up the other day!

This is what Reid looked like last year with streaks of pink and blue (the only colors I could find because I waited until October 30 to look for some)!

Even Kate got in on the action!

Best spiking hair gel and color I have tried.
It smells great and it was easy for the girls to wash out of their hair.

Reid wanted to use it on a regular basis, but the school policy specifically says no funky colored hair allowed. Shucks!

Click HERE to see more Wordful Wednesday entries over at Seven Clown Circus! or 5 minutes for mom.

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

2009-10-12T14:40:00.004-04:00

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

I don't usually post recipes, but I found this recipe on allrecipe.com and let me tell you, it is about the best ham and potato soup I have ever tasted.

Not only is it really yummy, but it is fast and easy to make. I made a batch other day and we nearly woofed down the entire pot.

PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 25 Min
READY IN 45 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
* 1/3 cup diced celery
* 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
* 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
* 3 1/4 cups water
* 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
* 5 tablespoons butter
* 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

**My notes: I sauteed the onions and celery for a few minutes in a little bit of oil before adding the water and potatoes. I also used 3 bouillon cubes instead of the granules and I added the cubes with the water. I also omitted the salt as the bouillon cubes make it plenty salty.

Enjoy!

PHOTO BY: cookin'mama

WW - Atlantis

2009-10-06T22:31:00.001-04:00

On Monday I spied with my little eye this man meditating on the beach.

I watched as he struck a variety of yoga like poses.

At times, his poses made him look like he was doing more than just exercising.

He literally looked like he was praying to the ocean.

No matter what, it looked very peaceful.

When I got home I downloaded my pictures.

I immediately noticed that in one of the two shots that I took of yoga man, there was a red glowing dot just to the right of his head!

For the life of me I can not figure out what could have caused the tiny red flash.

Could it be his aura?

Perhaps the red eye of a passing seal?

Or maybe yoga dude is a merman and was communicating with his family in Atlantis.

Wait......was Atlantis off the coast of San Diego?

What do you think it could have been?

*************

For more Wordful Wednesday entries please visit:

Seven Clown Circus

Macro Monday - Knobby knees

2009-10-05T14:33:00.003-04:00

You would poop on people too if you had knees like this!

For more Macro Monday entries please click here.

Sky Watch

2009-10-01T13:48:00.005-04:00

(Please click on the image to enlarge)

Rainbows are too rare not to share!

This shot was taken on 9/27/09 at 6:00 p.m. in Southern California.
If you look closely you can see the moon in the right hand corner.

To see Sky shots from around the world visit the Sky Watch site.

October Photo Hunt

2009-10-01T13:30:00.004-04:00

For those of you that enjoyed seeing my pictures for the August Photo Hunt I'm here to tell you that the October Photo Hunt Challenge is up.

Please visit Kristi's blog to view the rules and get in on the fun.

It is a great way to challenge yourself as a photographer!

***********

Here is the list of items to photograph (all subject to photographer’s interpretation).

1. A Fall Activity

2. A Fall Treat

3. A Harvest

4. Leaves

5. Fall Colors

6. Something Orange

7. Something Spooky

8. A Cemetery

9. A Costume

10. A Black & White Photo

11. A Critter

12. Symmetry

13. Contrast

14. Texture

15. A Logo/ Mascot

16. Something Neon

17. Something Inspiring

18. Something Entertaining

19. Something Fast

20. Something Slow

WW - It is official....

2009-09-29T22:20:00.004-04:00

I have NO will power!

Yah, I said it.

Now would someone throw that evil left over birthday cake in the trash before the producers from the Biggest Loser come knocking on my door.

***********

Check out the Wordful Wednesday action over

at Seven Clown Circus! and 5 minutes for mom.

Birthday games!

2009-09-28T13:39:00.002-04:00

On Saturday I threw a slumber party for Reid's 14th Birthday.

I haven't thrown Reid a "kid" party since she was 11 so I wasn't sure exactly what to do with a bunch of 14 year old girls!

Did they just want to hang out and listen to music? Should we play games?

We decided to do a little of both and I thought I would share what was popular with our set of teens.

We are big fans of the show Survivor, so taking inspiration from the show we had ourselves an auction.

I let Reid pick out 15 small gifts and we put each one in a brown paper bag (more gifts than guest).

I gave each of the guest $400 worth of play money.

Then we let the bidding begin. The gifts ranged from really cool, to kind of silly. It was an absolute hoot to listen to the girls try to outbid each other. Watching their reactions to what they won was even more of a hoot.

It produced loads of giggles!

**********

Since Reid is so crazy about music we played "name that tune." Considering it was Reid's play list and there was no way anyone could beat her, she acted as the DJ.

For prizes, I bought a pack of 100 rubber bracelets to toss to the girls as they correctly guessed the name of the song. I gave each girl 4 bracelets at the start of the game and then I would randomly toss bracelets to the girls who weren't guessing as much.

The girls loved having "prizes" tossed their way.

****************

We also played musical nail polish. We had enough crazy colors so that each guest had one bottle to start with. Then we played music as they passed the polish. Each time the music stopped they girls painted one nail with the polish that they ended up with.

Again, another game that they enjoyed......just make sure to play this one in a well ventilated room.

So there you have it, a few Teen tested and mother approved party games for your next Teen birthday party.

WW - Organza Flowers

2009-09-15T22:35:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting to learn how to make my own vintage looking organza flowers, so this weekend I did a quick search online and found this tutorial (I love the Internet).

I rushed up to the nearest Yardage town and grabbed up some organza in colors I thought the girls would enjoy.

Here is the recipe: a source of heat (candle), scissors, organza, beads, thread and needle.
Go to the Tutorial to get specific instructions!

This was my first attempt. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Looks pretty good as hair clip!

This was my attempt at making one half the size of the others.

My review:

This is a fun and easy craft that even you non-crafty ones can accomplish with success (watching the organza melt is mesmerizing).

I followed the tutorial for the first one and then tried some different techniques on the ones that followed.

With a little bit of practice and maybe some different material anyone (even you) can create some really cute vintage looking flowers.

I am going to be making them mainly as hair accessories, but you could use them on scrapbook pages, cards and on top of a present!

You can even adorn your poodle!

Join in the Wordful Wednesday over at
7 clown circus!

A Give Away and PH Favorites!

2009-09-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

A GIVE AWAY heads up!

A Nut in a Nut Shell is having a giveaway for this lovely necklace from

Lauren Nicole gifts. Head over to A Nut in a Nutshell to see the details on how you can win!

*************************

Kristi has picked her top 14 shots in 3 of the 20 photo hunt categories and some of my shots made the cut.

Click HERE to see Kristi's favorites.
(you can cast your own vote too)

Carry On!

PSF and Give me your best shot!

2009-09-10T16:22:00.006-04:00

I take pictures every single day.

Taking pictures so frequently makes me look at the world around me just a little bit differently.

Apparently it is also rubbing off on my girls.

On Saturday while we were walking around the cross up on Mt. Soledad, just as we came into view of the flag and cross Kate stopped in her tracks and said, "Wow, that would make a great photograph." Then she proceeded to tell me how I should frame the shot.

Not a bad thing to rub off onto your children!

A side note: I took this shot!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

WW - Liar, Liar!

2009-09-08T23:02:00.001-04:00

I take a lot of pictures (aka: 365 project).

Sometimes I take pictures of things I'm not allowed to photograph (that is fun).

This cool antique register is one such item I knew I probably shouldn't be snapping (but I couldn't resist....'cause I needed something silver for the photo hunt).

When the store clerk saw my camera in hand he asked if I was taking pictures (who me?).

I lied and claimed to only be holding the camera to keep it from hitting anything (tight & crowded store after all).

I felt bad for telling an obvious lie in front of the girls (bad example).

But I told the girls that I wasn't sure if the man would try take my camera if I told the truth (whoops, another lie).

I think the girls are too old to believe my last lie (work on clever lies)!

I would never lie about how fun Wordful Wednesdays are a 7 clown circus.Do come and play!

WW - Meet Rusty!

2009-09-02T18:49:00.004-04:00

What in the heck is wrong with me!
I almost missed a Wordful Wednesday over a
Seven Clown Circus!

Geeze, you would think I was busy wrapping up summer or something!

While the girls and I were on vacation in South Dakota, my husband bought himself a horse!

Meet Rusty the Wonder Horse!

He is a 6 year old buckskin Draft/Mustang mix, which means he is a big boy.

The family is over the moon excited about our newest family member.

Want to know what I am most excited about?

The totally cute Tack room we are renting!
We can dress it up anyway we see fit.

Tell me, is that not the cutest little ole tack room you ever did see??

***********

I participated in a Photo Hunt last month.
Scroll down if you want to check it out!

August Photo Hunt!

2009-08-31T12:25:00.023-04:00

Here are all 20 of my entries for Kristi's August Photo Hunt Challenge!

Please stop by Kristi's to see what the other entrants captured.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

#1 - Fountain (at Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota)

#2 - Path (Mickelson Trail - Hill City, SD)

#3 - Fence {Newton Fork Ranch, Hill City, SD)

#4 - A Symbol (Harley Davidson Motorcylce, Hill City, SD)

#5 Black and White (horse statue)

#6 Clunker Car (Hill City, SD)

#7 Cool Car (Deadwood, SD)

#8 Portrait (Custer City, SD)

#9 Amusement (shore break La Jolla, CA)

#10 Back to School (Field Hockey Team picture)

#11 City (Downtown San Diego, CA)

#12 Suburban (Car Wash)

#13 Country (Hill City, SD)

#14 Domestic (IKEA plastic kid plates)

#15 Something Wild (Buffalo Custer State Park)

#16 Something Silver (Antique cash register)

#17 Something Gold (Citrine Geode)

#18 Something Shiney

#19 Something miniature

#20 Something delicious (Chubby Chipmunk, Deadwood, SD)

WW - American Legends!

2009-08-26T11:11:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago we braved the sweltering heat of lovely [insert sarcasm] Lake Elsinor to see the Bob Dylan Show.

When we arrived it was a skin melting 95 degrees (at 5:30 p.m.).

Check out this ginormous line going into the ball park!

Fortunately the line moved pretty quickly and once in the ball park we were relieved to see that the seats were all in the shade.

Being a concert, no camera's were allowed. But that didn't stop me (or a ton of other people) from smuggling in my point and shoot for some substandard shots.

First up on the stage was Willie Nelson.

This was the first time seeing him in concert but not the first time hearing his music. I'm not a country music kind of gal, but I can enjoy a good Willie Nelson tune every now and then.

Even in the 95 degree heat (and light of the afternoon) the 76 year old icon held his own.

The next act up was John Mellencamp.

The last time I saw him in concert was back in the late 80's.

He did not disappoint.

I took this shot from back in our seats and as you can see I couldn't hold the camera steady and John insisted on bouncing all over the stage.

We moved down into the crowd for Bob Dylan.

When I took this picture the blue laser beams from above caused Bob and the band to burst into flames!

Just kidding.......Bob is alive and well!

Bob came out on stage wearing what looked like a bell boy uniform. He stood behind his key board and began signing.

True to form, you could hardly recognize the words coming from his lips.

I sometimes wonder if he sings like that on purpose as an inside joke with his band.

Please say Hi and then cruise over to Angies for more Wordful Wednesday entries!

The Black Hills

2009-08-21T13:07:00.001-04:00

Good guesses on where we are on vacation, but as you can see by map we are staying in Hill City South Dakota (correctly guessed by Amy @ Get Real Girl).

The cabin pictured in my last post is at the lovely Newton Fork Ranch.

The 6 real log cabins are owned by my moms BFF.

We happen to be staying a few miles away in her BFF's personal log cabin. Which is even more beautiful than the one pictured.

We have been having a great and I will have loads of pictures to share when I get back!

On Vacation!

2009-08-16T11:23:00.002-04:00

The girls and I left this Friday for vacation with my family.

We will be gone until the 23rd.

We are staying in a log cabin........Laura Ingall style!

Any guess where we might be?

{WW} - Surfing!

2009-08-12T11:08:00.007-04:00

When learning to surf.........

it is most helpful.............

to have a Daddy that is willing to be your surf board Valet.

Happy Wordful Wednesday!Head over to Angie's to read more WW's.