I don’t have a whole lot of commentary today.  (Yeah, I know and I was getting so good at it!)  : )

My next week and a half is packed pretty full, but most of it will be fun. : ) And you’ll be seeing some of it here!  (Excuse me while I celebrate).  But for today, enjoy this simple little image. And the fact that I think we’re finally seeing Spring around here!  : )

Enjoy your Tuesday.

It was my birthday last weekend. Yay!  : )  It was a good birthday, in case anyone’s wondering. But I bring this up because of a present I got. It remotely fires my camera, which means self-portraits & family photos (that I’m in) are much simpler. I no longer have to click the button on my camera & then race to get into the image.  Now, I can point my little remote at the camera, click the button & after 2 seconds (so I can hide the remote in my hand), the camera takes the image. Nifty, right? : )

So, of course, I took my new toy camera equipment for a test run.

So these aren’t the most original/artistic images.  In fact, you can tell I’m laughing at myself.  But pretend like they’re fantastical, or at the very least, excuse me because I’m testing equipment. The remote is hidden in my hand by my sunglasses. It’s that small. Neat, right?

Of course, here’s an image of the remote (from Amazon) in case anyone is interested in experimenting for themselves & has a Canon EOS. (Click on the image to be taken to the Amazon page).  After my first test run, I’m very happy with it. It’s simple to use & so very worth the investment if you’re interested in self-portraits.

Canon Wireless Remote Control RC1 for Digital Rebel.  Works with Canon EOS cameras.

And, no, I’m not nerdy for asking for camera equipment for my birthday. I’m super-cool. (If you must laugh, do it where I can’t hear you).  ; )

I really love cacti.  They’re pretty & oh-so-deserty.  Oh, and they’re hardy little plants, so I’m pretty sure that’s why they’ve survived our oddly cold winter. So, add a spider web to that coolness and I’m a happy girl. Spider webs are very pretty, delicate and skillful. Of course, I hate the spider part, but the webs are pretty. So I was super excited to take this image:

Did you get a good look? When I downloaded this pretty little thing & pulled it up to get a look bigger than my 2 inch LCD screen I realized that the friendly spider not only made it into the photo, he (or she) brought along a helpless little fly friend.  Neat, right? Even neater is the fact that I didn’t know that creepy arachnid was there, so I didn’t even have to go to the trouble of freaking out while getting a pretty shot. Yay!  : )

Have a lovely (real) spider-free Tuesday.

So, since it’s still cold, cold *cold*, I decided I’d see how I could take advantage of the situation instead of whining about it. Or at least whining about it less, lol.
So I got out in the cold & after spending about 5 minutes straight trying to take pictures, I returned to my car with a red nose & frozen fingers & a bit of condensation on my camera’s LCD display from pressing my freezing cheek to it.
So I changed my tactics. If the weather was going to attack, I’d just return to my fort (aka car), get warm, and then venture out again for another go. So that’s what I did. Over & over. Though I did drive between excursions, so the scenery changed. : ) It kept me sane and at least slightly less cold.

And through the exploration, I decided I’d run a 4 weeks series of Winter’s Nature. Spring/Summer doesn’t have a monopoly on pretty nature, so I hunted some down.

Look!  Baby pinecones!  lol. (I have no idea if that’s what they really are, but they sure look like it!)

The “frame” on the image is thanks to Rita over at Coffee Shop Photography’s Free Actions. I’ve loved this bordered look for a while & thought I’d try it, especially since she made it so easy, though you should still check the tutorial so you know exactly how to customize it. : )

Happy (Cold) Tuesday!  Enjoy the weather as much as possible.

Well, after a hunt for green high heels that fit my specific requirements, I decided I’d try something new… and hope I didn’t fail completely.  I didn’t. : ) Which makes me very proud since I haven’t painted anything for 4-5 years, but I found a pair of canvas shoes on sale & dug out my old paints, to produce these:

The shoes started out as that subdued teal color (check the inside of the shoes) & I painted them a popping bright green.

Then I really tested my skills & tried to paint those little cameos. Believe it or not, the one I like best is the one I didn’t try to sketch out.  Figures, right? lol.

I stumbled upon this idea via this etsy shop.  If I had more spare cash laying in corners, I’d spend a lot more of my time on Etsy. lol.

And that’s what they look like on my feet – phenomenal, right? (Please ignore the bit of old nail polish peaking out of the shoe.  It will be removed by the end of the day, I promise. ; )  I still need to spray them to seal the paint on, and now that I’ve taken these shots, I see a few places I may want to touch up. Little things that I can’t see when they’re on my feet & I’m not studying them. : )

But all in all, I really am pleased. And now I have more custom-shoe ideas. Anyone got old shoes they want painted? ; )

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. : )  So I thought why not take a few “heart” pictures.  Here’s a little mini-series for your enjoyment.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  From me, to you.  : )

This little tree stump bridges the fence between our neighbor’s yard and ours.

Every time I look at this image, it makes me think this tree has a nose (please, someone, tell me that they see it, too), which leads me inevitably to Ents & Narnia wood nymphs. What can I say? I love fantasy. And since I’ve now brought up a literary topic, may I just say that Terry Pratchett is hilarious. I mean, he used to read the dictionary for fun as a kid — how cool is that? (And I mean real cool, not sarcastic cool, just in case you couldn’t hear my tone over the internet). I mean, I was an English major, after all, and there are just certain levels of cool that go with that. ; )

Happy Tuesday!

It has been raining (and freezing) a lot this winter. When the weather is like this, it’s not only bad portrait weather (Who wants their hair all frizzed out because of the weather?), but it’s much easier to stay inside, you know, where it’s warm.

So, with all of this picture-less weather, what’s a girl to do when she just got a new camera?

First, she gets something warm to drink.  Vanilla Carmel Tea, Coffee & creamer, or Apple Cider, it doesn’t matter too much as long as it’s tasty & warm.

Then she slips into her super-cute new rain boots.  Which she loves. A lot.

Then she hunts around the neighborhood and finds some winter details.  Neat seed pods, right?

And, then, hiding behind the winter pods, she finds some surprisingly pink berries.  Seriously, they were that pink.  Haha, I found you, you hint of Spring time!

Finally, she gets very, very cold (and a little wet) and decides it’s time to get home before her ears get so numb they give her a headache.  And snuggles up with a book, and, of course, another warm cup of yumminess.

Rainy weather, I love you. But couldn’t we get a few consecutive days of temperatures over 55?

Entwine #2.  I hope you enjoy how I’ve interpreted it this week. I mean, what could be more figurative than a set of wedding bands? : )

Aren’t those bands lovely? (And, no, they’re not mine & Chris’ — ours are silver because I love silver more).  : )  These are a set that my mom inherited from a family friend that she let me borrow to take some images with.

I love macro images like this and it’s one of my favorite things to capture at weddings: the details that make the day unique.  I think it’s those little things that the couple takes time to plan, but can still miss in the busyness of their day.

Well, enough philosophizing from me, Happy Tuesday to All. ; )

Trapped Inside Your Fairytale.

{by me}

Hope you enjoy. : )  Sorry it’s so short for a Friday post, but I’d like to believe it’s pretty enough to make up for it. ; )