wide open arms....

so tomorrow we fly into june

~are you ready~

~

i've been working on a little something that i want to share with all of you

~

most of you know that i have a little home for my portrait photography

but 

recently i wasn't loving it and holding it the way that i should 

so

after a long talk with cups of hot tea and chocolate cookies

we parted, knowing that we will both always hold soft spots for each other

~

"be yourself" 

are two powerful words that have somehow magically attached themselves to my heart 

~with help from of all of you~

and 

i really felt it was time to embrace them with my arms wide open

~

so the ruby luna photography that you used to know 

is now 

BE YOURSELF PHOTOGRAPHY

~

you know how these past weeks i've been bad mouthing blogger along with many of you. well i have to tell you something. blogger did something this weekend that made me stand up and cheer. when i decided to change photography blogs, i had to export and import ruby luna into the new space. well let me tell you something. blogger makes this so incredibly easy to do. i was prepared for a headache and some swearing mixed with some butt kicking, but honestly it took me less than 10 minutes and wha-la, all of my blogs posts were moved just like someone had waved a magic wand. 

now granted, my followers didn't get moved over, but i've learned to control my expectations when it comes to blogger. so i hope that if you followed me before, you'll want to follow me again.

~

so the best part of all of this, is that if any of you were thinking about exporting and importing to a new space and were scared to death to try it, i can help you with it.

~

now

onto a new note that has nothing to do with blogging

~

have any of you seen the movie "easy A" on dvd or hbo/showtime. well, i just recently watched it and i have to tell you that i have a huge crush on stanley tucci. 

i've always loved him in any movie he's been in, but i really loved him in this. and the best part, is that this movie is really good and funny and sweet. i think you'll like it.

~

i'll be going now and spending the whole day all confused and backwards, while i believe that it's monday even though i know it's tuesday. 

doesn't it feel like a monday to you, too, or am i alone on this one.

*

i could have been a farm girl....

sometimes 

when a few of us from our photography group get together 

we do this or that or go here or there

last week 

we went to the heartland sanctuary

~

these are all rescue animals

and

they love people 

~kind of the way dogs love people~

~

i can't think of a better way to spend a late afternoon

especially since my hubby came with me

{can you find him in one of these photos}

*

i hope you are loving your long weekend

because of you.....

i don't know how 

to thank all of you for your supportive and encouraging words

from yesterday's post

~

because of you

i have been lifted up

~

did any of you get the chance to see oprah's last show yesterday

where she spoke directly to the audience in her studio

and

directly to us

~

i cried. i laughed. i cried some more.

it was incredibly powerful

~

she hit some of my hibernating and sensitive nerves and set me on fire

~in a good way~

~

there were so many quotes she shared with us 

and 

like a fool i took messy notes and wrote as many of her words as i could

in a notebook

{only to find them all on google this morning}

~i should have known~

~

anyhow

i want to share two of my favorites with all of you

~~

"you have to know what sparks the light in you, 

so that you in your own way can illuminate the world. 

you have the power to change someone's life"

~~

and 

this next one might be my all time favorite

and

as a gentle reminder to myself and to my loved ones

i think i want it on a plaque hanging outside my office

~~

"you are responsible for the energy you bring into this room"

{this is actually a quote by dr. jill bolte taylor who is one of oprah's favorite people"

~

so again

thank you 

all of you

for supporting me the way you do

~

you're all amazing and i'd give anything if we could all spend a girl's weekend 

together

on the beach

~

and

oprah would say

"well. if you dream it and believe it and put energy into it. it will happen."

gosh 

i'm going to miss her

*

happy memorial weekend to all of you

raise your glass....

i wasn't chewing gum, but when i choked a bit and my face turned red, he probably thought i had just swallowed a worn out piece of cinnamon trident.
~
he had just asked me how full my photography calendar was for the summer and all i could think about were the tiny stars i had doodled all over the month of june
while i was on hold making my yearly mammogram appointment.
~
i told him it wasn't nearly full enough and he asked where i've been advertising. i quickly looked down at my feet wishing there was something near them to kick besides myself. i told him i really don't advertise and when he asked why not, i told him about my fear of letting what i love to do, what i'm so passionate about, turn into a job. a real job, that might sabotage that love.
~
he said that can only happen if you don't know how to say no. then he said, you're good enough to be advertising. with a deep breath from me that wished it had someplace to go, our original conversation
resurfaced and he was back to showing me the new camera bags that had just come into the store.
~
as i drove away, i banged my hand hard on the steering wheel and thought damn.
he's right. how am i ever going to fly, if i keep tying bags filled with self doubt,
questions and concerns,
in 36 bitter tasting flavors, to my ankles.
if i don't get rid of them, i'll be grounded for the rest of my life.
~
so here's to change.
here's to untying those bags that hold me down. that maybe hold you down, too.
raise your glass
*

just a quick note....

hopefully i will be here tomorrow

as

blogger is hating me right now

~

keep your fingers crossed for me

*
edited
i think all that finger crossing worked as now it seems to be smiling at me
oh
blogger
you fickle fickle thing you

chickens for sale...

i don't know what the farmer's markets are like where you live, but here in madison once spring arrives, they are everywhere and often. on saturdays the hubby and i have our choice of three markets to visit. wherever we go, we always fill our bag with an interesting mixture of goodies. guess who has fresh cilantro growing in her kitchen. 

guess who doesn't garden or grow anything with much luck.

on wednesday there's another market i go to that is within walking distance of anthropologie

{that's what i call a win win}

and

then on thursdays, there is one within walking distance of our house. at that market, there is a vendor that makes and sells the most incredible pumpkin bars, smothered in velvety cream cheese frosting. maybe the best i have ever had. at the other end of his booth, he sells scrumptious and squeaking fresh cheese curds. if you don't know what a cheese curd is, buy a plane ticket and come visit me. 

i promise you won't be disappointed.

i kind of wanted to bring this chicken home with me. or at least take it to my sister, who already has a chicken coop full of the best laying feathered friends anyone could ask for 

and

say 

"surprise"

*

we have a winner.....edited

first of all

i want to thank all of your who entered this give-away

~

the number of comments blew me away and your determination did not go unnoticed

~

last night mary beth and i were on the phone together

with our computers in front of us

while my sweet hubby used the random generator app on his iphone to pick the winners

~

the winner of mary beth's new book is

stephanie

at

{dancing waves}

AND

the winner of my photo

is

oh

not so fast

you silly little monsters

{sorry i've been watching too much lady gaga lately}

you have to go visit mary beth {on this post} to find out who won

~

okay okay okay

jennifer higgins

YOU WON MY PHOTO

~

thanks again everybody for playing

~

you're just the best

*

{stephanie and jennifer, please contact me asap with your email and mailing information}

last chance harvey....

don't forget

~~

the

give-aways

end tonight

~~

where do you enter

right

here

{run there quickly and get your name in the drawings}

~~

when will there be a winner

TOMORROW

*

happy sunday

just a little reminder....

that you might win this photo

taken by yours truly

just by entering this give-away

and

if that's not enough

you might win

an amazing new mixed media art book

by mary beth shaw

by entering

this give-away

~

seriously

who doesn't love to get something for free

right

*

{and because i love you, i'm letting you enter your name for both contests once a day through sunday}

when the wind blows...

looking at these photos

 that i took on tuesday

reminds me once again 

why i try to never pose children for a photo shoot

and

i try to never ask them to smile or say cheese
instead
i've learned that
"booger head"
"did dad just fart"
and
"did a bird just poop on my head"
work perfectly

just let kids play

~

just let them be themselves

and

to all you cat lovers

i about busted a gut when the extra kite string on the ground 

became a temptation that this cat couldn't resist

i mean seriously

this made me laugh out loud

and

to think that some people believe cats aren't helpful

~wrong~

and

when the kite comes down

you start all over again

*

{don't forget about the amazing give-aways over here}

hip hip hooray...it's a give away...times two

the amazing and talented mary beth shaw

is giving away another copy of her new book

and

lucky me

i'm hosting this week's give away

~

mary beth and i have known each other since 2005. the hubby and i were living in st. louis then and met mb at a fantastic art show, when we bought some of her artwork from her. after that first meeting, it seemed like every art show we went to, there she was and she ended up calling us her

"art show stalkers."

then

we moved to wisconsin and i thought our stalking days were over, but that was short lived as she ended up having her booth in madison's largest and super amazing art fair on the square

and

as soon as we saw each other, we just laughed. we were still stalking her, even if she did come to us.

{2009 at katherine's house}

i can't even begin to tell you everything she has done with her career, but it has sky rocketed. from selling her art, teaching, designing her own line of stencils to writing a book. she hasn't stopped moving from the day i met her. she's what we call a firecracker. or a little spitfire.

~

when she was writing her book, she asked me if i wanted to add some of my artwork to it and at that point, the artist in me was long gone, as the photographer in me had taken over, so i said "bless you for being so sweet, but photography is where my heart is" and she totally understood. she never did ask me for one of my recipes. obviously she knows that i don't cook.

{mary beth, me, elena, katherine}

lucky for me, one of the places she teaches at is valley ridge art studio, which is only about 75 minutes from my house. so last year i was lucky enough to take her class and even though she taught me and a room full of eager women for two full paint filled days, by the end i had mostly learned that i can't even begin to do what she does. not even close. please, give me a camera any day instead.

~

so for this give away

leave a comment here telling me either your number one favorite art supply that you can't live without or your one, all time favorite food that would crush you if you could never eat it again.

~

a winner

will be drawn monday morning

so you have until sunday night to leave your comment

AND

then you can head over to mary beth's blog to win a give away on her blog

{hint: it's one of my all time favorite photos printed in an 8x10}

~or smaller if that works better for you~

~

whew

i think i gave you all the information you need

now

go ahead

and

play play play

*

ps....you can enter this give- away once a day through sunday because we're nice that way

looks like the tango to me...

i never finished what i was sharing.

last week i only gave you part of my weekend and never followed it up with the rest of it. my bad. so i decided today i better play catch up before my current photo overload, that's dancing all over my desktop screams uncle and starts running around the back yard pulling its hair out.
*

sharing the good stuff...

i've learned something new

~

i have always used my macro lens while in auto focus
{not auto mode, auto focus}

which has provided me with some photos i've really loved

but

now i use my macro in manual focus 

and

ohh la la

what a difference

~

on a windy day 

shooting anything outside that can move in the wind

is really hard to do while in manual focus

so it's not worth the headache

but

on a calm day 

or while shooting inside

use your manual focus and i think you'll be presently surprised

~~

now

if all of you comment saying you already do this

i'm going to slap your hands and ask you why you didn't tell me this sooner

because

i think we need to share the good stuff with each other

right

~

so today

do you have 

special shooting techniques

or

a lens you can't live without

or

a camera bag that has changed your life

or

camera settings you swear by

that you want to share with everyone

 here 

as a comment

that i can republish on a future post
linking back to you

~

if you do 

i'd love to hear from you

*

ps....thank you all for the amazing amounts of congratulations from yesterday's post. you're the best.

the news i received on friday the 13th....

Dear Beth,

Good news! Your article, “Happy Mistakes,” which appeared in the February/March2008 issue of Somerset Memories has been chosen for Stampington & Company’s annual publication, “Hand Crafted: The Best of Stampington & Company.”
 

For the reprinting of your article, we would like to present you with a complimentary copy of this special publication, and a check for $50. 

now granted

i will never walk under a ladder and i still think a black cat crossing my path

is a bad omen

but

the number 13 

well

we're pretty darn good friends

*