November 30, 2009

reaching for the sky...

it's old and weathered and simple
and
yet so stunningly beautiful
that it takes my breath away
~~
it's just an outbuilding
on a rundown farm
that I have photographed before
but
sitting in the sun this past saturday afternoon
casting shadows
in the late november sun
it was alive with personality and strength
~~
maybe someday
years from now
someone will describe me this same way
and
if they do
I'll be completely happy with that
*
this was taken with my new lens
~that many of you asked me about the last time I was out playing~
it's a 10-20 wide angle
and
it's just so much fun
~~
I could have edited this photo
and
actually thought about that for more than a few minutes
but
then decided to leave it natural...sooc
because
well
sometimes simple
just feels right
*


November 29, 2009

I'll admit it...

living with me is not always easy
~~
in fact
I believe it takes a saint
~~
and
this saint
my saint
my lover and best friend
my air when I can't breathe
my legs when I can't bear my own weight
my only hope when my dreams are shattered
my pillow when everything in life feels as hard as rock
my biggest fan even when I'm sitting quietly reading a book
my right hand when my left hand has a mind of its own
my voice when biting my tongue is a better option for me
turns
47
today
~~
wow
47
years old
and
I have been lucky enough to be with this saint 29 years
~~
don't get me wrong
does he ever do anything that irritates the crap out of me
?
sure he does
but
does all his good far outweigh any of his bad
?
more than I could ever put into words
~~
happy birthday sweetie
I love you so very much
*

November 28, 2009

and flying away with a new blog banner is....

bo bicky
banana fana fo ficky
mi my mo micky
vicky
~~
you won
~
oh
yes you did
~
whenever you're ready to get started
just give me a shout
and
we'll start playing
~~
and
for those of you who didn't win
there will be another blog banner give-away
in january
to help welcome in the new year
*
thank you everyone
who entered my little give-away
you all made my heart feel really happy
*

November 27, 2009

I totally fight like a girl...

this is me
throwing some punches at mother nature
shouting out
"bring it on"
while
feeling really tough in my new fingerless gloves
I did it
I really did it
and
you can do it
too
~
first I took an old goodwill sweater
and
cut off the sleeves to make the fingerless gloves
then
I took a black sweater and the rest of the striped sweater
and
cut up pieces and sewed them together to make this really cool scarf
here's a close up of the gloves
right when I finished them
and
this is while I was playing around with vintage buttons
thinking it would be fun to funk them up a bit
and
here I am again
~total goofball~
feeling even more tough
~now that my scarf is on~
for the winter
mother nature
has up her sleeve
that she's going to pull out any minute
and
sucker punch me with
~~
but now I'm ready
*
if you want to make these and have any questions
I'd be happy to answer them for you
*
and
the winner of the blog banner will be announced tomorrow


November 26, 2009

let me thank you...

for being
who you are
~
my family
my friends
my blog loves
~~
whether you
bring me
hope and inspiration
love and understanding
or
patience and compassion
~~
whether you
bring me
a shoulder to cry on
enough laughter that takes me to the floor and makes my stomach ache
or
a swift kick that gets me moving again
~~
whether you
bring me
my first smile of the day
a steady hand when I'm shaky
or
a raised eyebrow when my mouth gets out of control
~~
whether you
bring me
an idea that is brilliant
a photo that blows me away
or
an opinion that differs from my own
~~
whether you
bring me
a prayer chain that needs to be continued
a personal email where you feel safe enough to open up your heart
or
a phone call just so I can hear your voice
~~
I thank you
today and everyday
for filling me up
and
being an amazing part of my life
~~
happy thanksgiving
to you all
*





November 25, 2009

I'm in the kitchen today...and if you know me very well, this is not where I like to spend my time

it's almost thanksgiving
and
I'm mostly looking forward to the stuffing
~~
actually
I'm hoping that the dessert that I'm making today
~since it has to be refrigerated overnight~
that
required 4 different grocery store visits to find all the ingredients
is
the most
amazing gingerbread pumpkin anything
I have ever eaten
in my entire life
~~
seriously
how can grocery stores
3 days before thanksgiving
not have
pumpkin pie filling
~~
anyhow
are you baking and cooking today
~in between blog reading~
~~
me too

November 24, 2009

I hope you can sew...

I bought this skirt at a craft fair
and
I think it's the best thing since fingerless gloves
~
the girl making them
told us how she has all of her friends give her
what would be their "goodwill" donations
and
then she turns the old sweaters into winter skirts
and
the t-shirts get turned into summer skirts or bikini bottom cover ups
~
all of them have draw string waists
for basically
a perfect fit
~
oh
I hope you can sew
and
make some of these
~
AND
then there's this fabulous thingy over here
~I just ran to goodwill by the way so I can try this~
and
then
look in her store while you're on her blog
ummmm
did you see her fabulous fingerless gloves
~holy crap~
they look like my skirt and now I want those
~~
this is totally what happens to me this time of year
~~
and
~one more thing~
can you see the slightly crooked smile up top
well the braces are going back on sometime in january
because
the tooth that had to move the most the first time around
is being a little shit
and
not cooperating
and
if it were any other tooth than a front one
then
so be it
but
nooooo
it had to be smack dab in the middle of my face
arrghhhh
and
you might say what the heck is this crazy woman talking about
it looks just fine
but
what you see here is my half smile
at most
and
usually I smile with my whole face
and
well
it's bugging me
and
besides
I paid for straight teeth
*

November 23, 2009

did you know....

I'm having a give-away
~~
when I wrote this post
a few days ago
thanking all of you
for your love and inspiration
I left a little note
about winning a custom made
blog banner

and
some of you
might have missed it
~~
so I just wanted to make sure you know you still have a chance to win
since
I won't be drawing a name
~or two~
until thanksgiving evening
~~
so
if you'd like a custom made banner
made with some of your own personal photos
~and lots of your input to make it exactly what you want~
layered with a few of my nature shots
leave
a 3 word comment
or
here on this one today
letting me know what you are thankful for this thanksgiving
*
and
the cat
that's lucy and she belongs to my sister's kids
and
since I don't have a cat
I think everything she does is absolutely hysterical
~
she's a bit of a diva
can you tell
*

November 22, 2009

back to not judging....or possibly opening a can of worms

we had a great time
walking around downtown yesterday
~~
we saw a little bit of everything and brought it all home on our cameras
adorable kids
interesting clothing options
funny signs
amazing architecture
street musicians
talented artists
~~
but
this is the photo that will stay with me for a very long time
because
a little piece of my heart broke off when I took it
~~
when did any us of decide
that we had the right or even the ability
to judge anyone else
that wasn't
"just like us"
~~
seriously
when and how did that happen
~~
because guess what
we're all
~each and everyone one of us~
"just like us"
~~
last time I checked
we all laugh when we're told a joke
we all sleep when the day has filled us up
we all feel better when we have a warm hand to hold onto
we all know that the sky is blue
we all have hearts that beat loudly inside us
we all bleed when we've been cut
and
we all feel a world of emotions
when we've been left out
talked about
pointed at
made fun of
or
ignored
~~
sure
the lady next to you on the train had really bad body odor
~but we don't know her story to judge her~
~~
sure
the heavily bearded man walking down the street had liquor on his breath
~but we don't know his story to judge him~
~~
sure
the house with the boarded up windows ruins the look of the neighborhood
~but we don't know the story of the people inside to judge them~
~~
we don't
plain and simple
we don't
~~~~~
she didn't mind at all that I took her photo yesterday
and
she didn't even ask what I was going to use it for
~~
I can only hope and pray that she somehow knows that I'm using it
for good
for love
for understanding
~
for letting people know
that we don't have the right to judge anyone
based on
who they love
who they want to come home to at the end of the day
who they want keeping them warm
who they want holding their hand
who they want making them laugh
because if we did
we'd all be judging our friends and family
~~
haven't you maybe said or at least thought
~~
"gosh I don't know what she sees in him"
"how did those two end up together"
"how can she even begin to think he's handsome"
"do you think they'll get married"
~~
I thought maybe you had





November 21, 2009

kind of sappy...

we went on a nature walk yesterday
around our favorite pond
~~

and
after not seeing each other
for almost three weeks
a funny thing happened

we couldn't seem to take our eyes off each other
~~
{amazing isn't it that after all these years we still like each other}
so
maybe today
we'll head downtown with our cameras
and
if you're lucky
we'll get cool photos of madison to share with you
instead of photos of us
*
and
maybe I'll wear a pair of jeans
that don't make my butt all saggy
and
frumpy dumpy

November 20, 2009

don't rock the boat baby...well, maybe a little bit

I apologize
~
I'm not a great linker
really I'm not
~
and
there are so many of you who deserve huge shout outs
for
your amazing words
inspiration
photography
warmth
and
overall
"I want to spend an entire day with you because you make me laugh and smile"
blogs
~
but
I can't even imagine where to begin
~
wait
that's a lie
~
I do know
~~
today I want you to meet
he's a merchant seaman
and
has an amazing sense of humor mixed with life knowledge
which makes for great stories
and
you'll think to yourself
while reading his blog
"I just want to sit and have a beer with you"
well
at least I do
~~
anyhow
if you have some extra time this weekend
can you go and visit my friend
~
he's on a boat with dudes
for long stretches of time
with just his computer and his camera
and
even though he's happily married
he could use some blog loving from all of you
*
and
when he totally acknowledged me out of the blue
on his blog
and
made me feel like a rock star
well
I decided it's time to make him feel the same way
*

November 19, 2009

you've got to be kidding me...

another photo shoot
all because I refused to sleep through the first one
well guess what
?
you're gonna have to take me wide awake
again
because
even with your studio perfectly heated
for a naked baby like myself
and
that soft music playing on your ipod
I am not going to sleep and be molded into those cute baby poses that
other babies somehow figure out how to do
~
so there
~~
but
I can tell by the way you look at me and hold me and talk to me
and
don't even flinch when I spit up all over you or pee on the floor
that you totally love me
~
yep
I have your number
miss photographer lady
and
you are putty in my hands
*
oh
she is just the sweetest baby ever and I will take her and love her and hold
and photograph her anytime she wants to come over and play
**
oh
and
there's a few more photos over here

November 18, 2009

because of you, I smile...

there aren't enough words to use
or
hugs big enough to send
that would adequately thank all of you
for being so supportive of me
and
all that I do
~~
yesterday
your comments jumped off my computer screen
and
into my heart
and
by the end of the day I was filled with more love
than I could have ever imagined
~~
so how do I say
thank you
to all of you
loud enough
?
the kind of loud
that has all of us doing the chicken dance
and
the limbo
~under a flaming stick~
on a dance floor
~~
well I can only think of one thing
A-GIVE-AWAY
~~
who want's a new banner
?
if you do
leave a 1-3 word comment on this post
telling me what you're grateful for
{only 1-3 words}
and
on
thanksgiving day
I will pull a name out of my
new winter felted wool
hat
and
create for you
an artsy banner using your photos
as
a huge thank you
~from the bottom of my heart~
*
and
the beautiful horse above
that cracked me up when he actually smiled at me
~~
well
the other day on my way to my sister's house, the sunflower park had horse trailers in the parking lot
so I pulled my car over for a closer look
and
was able to catch 3 wonderful ladies on horseback
who told me
"of course you can take photos"
~~
there's a few more over at ruby luna worth seeing
only
if you have any time left
now that I've practically written a book
that's probably sucked up a chunk of your day
*