Retired Cowboy ________________________

His one Christmas gift became his every day companion.

They saw him through snow, sleet, ice, rain, and mud puddles a plenty.

They kicked the dirt, carried him reliably and almost always did so on the wrong feet.

But seven months of every day wears on a sole eventually.

I told the Panda we would have to be retiring his cowboy boots when peeks of red flashed beligerantly back at me and he responded in despair.

"But how I gonna be COWBOY anymow? I need my cowboy boots! I a real cowboy! I cowboy Andy, Mama!"

I know, Panda, I know.

I've been on a hunt for cheap cowboy boots ever since, to no avail. Been outbid on ebay countless times.

I hope I find some soon---before the cowboy retires completely.

Because a REAL cowboy needs some boots!

Foto Friday ________________________

The Rule of Thirds

I am going to use the help of my trusty assistants today, Robert and Peacock, to illustrate the importance of the rule of thirds. As with all rules, there are exceptions, but for the most part, a picture is more affective if it is positioned in a more artistic way...that is to say, NOT right smack dab in the middle of the picture.

This is Robert. Hello, cutie pie.



And here are two pictures of him.

Both close up. Both sharply in focus. Both show off his amazing skin and sweet baby expressions.



Which of these pictures do you prefer? I bet I can GUESS! ;-)

I'm guessing you prefer the bottom photo and here is why. It effectively uses the rule of thirds!

The top one, although cute, lacks pizazz. It looks more like a mugshot than a baby picture. ( I can say that about my own picture, I won't hurt my own feelings.) The latter is definitely more artistic and more interesting.



What about Senor Peacock?



Which do you prefer? Both are nice, crisp shots of him in all his vain glory. Both highlight his vivd, gorgeous colors. Both accentuate his gorgeous eyes. wink, wink.



I don't know about you, but my eyes are drawn to the top one. It makes a more lasting impression. And lookie there~ his body is slightly off centered!!!

SO~HOW do you do the rule of thirds? There is the simple way and the hard way.

Simple way: don't exactly center your subject in the frame.

"Hard" way: make a mental grid over your subject and position said subject over one of the outer lines, making sure not to have the center of the subject in the center square. Take my pretty, plucked from the road peony for example....I added grid lines to show you how the peony is not centered in the photo. There are pieces of it in the center square but it is mostly in the right side thirds.



Psssst.. One more thing. The photo doesn't have to be horizontal either. It works with vertical photographs too!




So...let's see some off center pictures this week! Any players???

questions ________________________

Lots of questions coming in lately so I think it is time I get to answering....Here are the ones I found, in no particular order. If you have asked a question and it hasn't been answered here, let me know. For some reason Blogger stopped emailing me comments made(though it is still set up to do so) and so comments made on older posts are likely being missed by me.

Here we go!


Peggy asked: Where did you get your quote? And do you have a recipe for the lemonade and tea concentrates?Do you have any other crafty ideas for scrape book paper?

The quotes I found on the Internet. I love the internet. So very very much.

The lemonade and tea concentrates are as follows:

Lemonade Concentrate: Boil 1 cup (or so) of water and stir in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. Add 1 cup lemon Juice (I buy the BIG containers!) Store each batch into separate canning jars. When it is time to serve, pour into a 2 quart container and fill with cold water. You can float frozen strawberries and mint leaves for elegance.

Mint Tea Concentrate: Bring 2 cups of water to boiling, then turn off burner.Dissolve 1 cup sugar in it. Add 6 regular tea bags and four mint teabags and let steep for 5-7 minutes. Put each batch in a separate canning jar. When time to serve, pour into a gallon pitcher and fill to top with cold water. Float mint leaves atop for added elegance.

Scrapbook Paper is so versatile, this question could take me AGES to answer. It is GREAT to make buntings with, you can make homemade envelopes with them, and something I am going to do very soon: PINWHEELS!

Bonnie asked: how do you like that baby wrap?

I have two. One was gifted to me and it called a Mai Tai. I LOVE it. Not only does it suit my style (like perfectly) but it is cool in the summer to wear. It is great for walking and carrying but now that Miss Adyay is older, if I have work to do or lots of bending, I don't feel as supported with it. So I use my Moby Wrap (I won it!). I love it so much for working. Not the PRETTIEST thing in the world (when you win something, you don't have color options!) but it is more supportive than any other babywrap ever. I have back problems and find it to be super comfortable on my shoulders and back too. I think this is because you can pull the shoulder straps over your arms, thus alleviating strap pressure. I DEFINITELY recommend it. It is simply a long piece of fabric~ six yards I believe that is slightly tapered at the ends. Six yards could make you TWO because the strip is not that wide. I intended to make one myself but them I priced the fabric! SHEESH is fabric crazy expensive!

Paula asked: Do you think for an older girl, I could use two of the same pillowcases and make it (the pillowcase skirt)??

I am CERTAIN that would work splendidly. Oh...and the green skirt that Corynn loves was fashioned the same way as the other two, I just didn't shorten the length, that's all. :-)



Nanci asked: You would have moved by last July, so are they from Memorial Day last year OR are they from 2007?

You were right. The top Fourth of July pictures that I posted were from 2008 but the last one was from 2007. I guess I wasn't paying close attention. My how time flies.

Rosemarie asked: How do you handle your fear of death? I suffer from the same thing. For me its even turned into panic attacks as a result. Just wondering if you have anything you do to keep it in check. As a Christian I know I SHOULDN'T fear death....and yet I do, which brings an awful lot of guilt.

Rosemarie~I wish I had a better answer for you, one that would take your fear (and guilt) away but I am regretfully inadequate as is this response. I am in your same boat...In fact, this blog of mine was actually startedin a morbid sense: so that if ever I die, my children would know (even if they never got the chance during my lifetime) 1) that I loved them more dearly than all else and 2) they would KNOW me and remember me, even if/when memories fade. Truly, knowing that I have laid myself bare here comforts me in knowing that my children will have a means to remember me and my love for them. In my case, I fear my loved ones dying (mainly my husband and children) because I fear how I would ever live without them and I fear myself dying, for the suffering I might endure and for the suffering my family would endure for me. I do not despair over heaven or meeting God and I do look forward to the day that I can be there with Him. I would just rather Christ would return to Earth for His saints BEFORE death! hehehe I don't believe that these feelings disappoint God (He is compassionate and understanding, and He knows our frame) and therefore, I don't believe we ought to feel guilt. (That doesn't mean I don't at times.) I DO know He is the one who can take the pain away, the fear, and the grief.

When I am overcome with worry, fear, guilt and/or panic my only treatment for the affliction is to pray. Over and over and over. I do not stop praying. I don't care if I repeat myself. I don't care if it is through sobbing. I could pray the same thing over and over again "Lord, get these thoughts out of my head." "Lord, give me comfort." I am certain that God doesn't mind redundant prayers if those are the thoughts on your heart. Eventually, I am given peace enough to fall asleep or think on other things.

I think it is less important that we FEEL these fears and MORE important what we do in response to them, and more specifically WHO WE RELY ON during these times. If you are seeking comfort and peace from God, then you ought not to feel a LICK of guilt.

As I said before, this blog gives me comfort in knowing that someday my children will have access to me, my thoughts, my dreams for them, my adoration OF them, and who I am.... even when I am gone. But even when I am not overcome, I am always trying to make the moments here on earth with my beloveds as memorable as I can be.

Rely on God, even through the dark moments, and you will be safe no matter what your circumstances.

Michelle asked: Did you go to the R*** "all over town" yard sales the first week of June?

I DID! In fact, I found a childhood doll of mine that had me almost in tears (in a good way!). Three dollars of happiness. I'll have to show you a picture! I also got a lavender plant! It was loads of fun...and PACKED with people! :o)

Michelle asked: I ordered 599 prints off of snapfish (hiding my face). Yeah. That is disgusting, isn't it?! :P

ummmmm...no. That is about how many pictures I take in a week. *blush*

Wilm asked: Have you ever made a pavlova (we call them a pav for short!)? Very Kiwi dessert. Basically a soft meringue dessert (inside soft with a crunchy outside)served with lots of cream on top. And decorated with lots of fresh fruit - often lots of strawberries. Which is why I just thought of it! If you would like a recipe for it, I can send you the one I use.

No, I've never made one before but it sounds delicious~ and a good way to use some EGGS too! If you are willing, I'd love you to share the recipe!

Jerelene asked: Does the baby suck her 3rd and 4th fingers?

She sure does. We say it is her special way of telling us she loves us, because her hand makes the sign for I love you. :-)

Linds asked: Love it! I Cant wait to try your other tutorial :) Did you just hem the bottom and make a waist?? Off subject question: do you cloth diaper?

Actually, this was the first skirt I made trying to replicate the initial yellow twirley skirt so I made the wedges but because their were so few it looked like I COULD have just hemmed the bottom and made a waist for the same effect.

Cloth diapering. Ah, the big question.

I am VERY schizophrenic when it comes to cloth diapering. Short answer is no. But there are times when I put them on too. Newborns are easy to cloth diaper (which I always remember when my babies start on REAL food.) I always take cloth for when babies go on creek visits. Those swim diapers are so expensive! I only have about two or three that I got at yard sales, I've given many away. Getting diapers for almost nothing due to CVS shopping has definitely helped me happily oblige touching poo as little as possible, but CVS just hasn't been as happening a place as usual lately....

And now for some photograhy ones....

Peggy asked: Any tips on taking pictures of the family pets?

Peggy asked: how do you manage to get such beautiful shots of yourself?

They cAll me Mommy asked: Thanks for these tips! I would love to hear some of your secrets for taking inanimate objects vs. moving targets like kiddos! What are some tricks you have to make things super clear/sharp?

~Since I am almost out of Foto Friday topics....I will keep these for some posts. Thanks for the suggestions!

Under the Son asked: Do you mind my asking what kind of camera you use?

I have a Canon Rebel XT. Basic model with the normal lens. Someday I would LOVE to have the MACRO lens though, oh my, would I. It's a good one!

They Call Me Mommy asked: can I ask you one tiny question...pretty please? :) I seem to have trouble with the white balance inside my home...I don't know if it is just my lights or what but a lot of my indoor photographs (especially at night) that I take without flash end up orange...I set my camera on the right setting for the bulbs that I have in my light but I still end up with an awful orange...should I just give up and always use flash at night? Any tips?

There is a reason why I am not discussing "fancy camera" stuff...and that is because I am sorely lacking in that department. I DO know that sometimes the white balance doesn't work for me either under the proper settings. Sometimes, I put it on say, tungsten, when I actually have florescent lighting because the coloring looks better. There is a way to CUSTOMIZE your white balance by using a sheet of white paper. Check your manual to see if that is a possibility in your case. If it ends up orange but still clear, see if you can adjust the colors through Picasa or a photo editing program. Sorry I am not very much help!



LAST one....

Peggy asked: how is your garden doing?

Wanna see?!?!?

The Garden Update ________________________

You've asked how my garden is growing and I think it is HIGH time for an update.

This is how it looked last time I shared a photo.

I am pleased to report, for the most part it is thriving. Some of my seedlings didn't make it~ my green peppers, banana peppers and jalepenos were nice and hearty going in and then one day~ the green peppers were gone and the rest of the peppers have hardly grown. I can not account for what went wrong. I hope it isn't too late to get a few plants from the greenhouse....

I also hope I didn't get the peas and potatoes in too late....

As you can see, I laid out cardboard and newspaper in the walkways and Mattie covered it in hay. Really is nice to walk down there without getting "kissed" with stinging nettle and/or spreading more weed seeds around.

This is the view from the patio, where we eat every single meal nowadays. Even when it rains. My patio is one of my favorite spots....ever.

Now for a closer look.....

and more ________________________

Peas. I hope I didn't get them in too late....

The "Kinder Garden" is the tire I filled and let the kids go on. They worked in their space while I worked in mine. They would take whatever I was planting and plop it in their dirt without noting spacing or needs or anything. They even sectioned it off with string if you look closely (completely disregarding the strings while planting, mind you)

They were seriously impressed with all the plants growing.

They even marked their territory....

Pretty, pretty beets....

and more.... ________________________

I read that if you plant pole beans by corn, the beans will use the corn as the poles~anchoring the corn in the ground and offering support for the beans.

I will never do that again.

The corn didn't grow fast enough for the beans and thus, I had to teepee the things, but now, the corn will likely be suffocated by bean teepee. Thankfully, a neighbor does really wonderful growing corn and sells it pretty cheap.

That experiment? Failed.

Radishes are growing great. Even though I hate them. I planted them only to deter bugs from the cukes. Maybe I will force myself to like them.

The one row of corn that may survive....planted JUST outside the teepee zone. Hello corn! I've tried to grow corn before and it has never worked, so this row is especially beautiful to me.

My first flowers from my cutting garden. The wildflower seeds didn't take (whaaaaaaa!) but the zinnias, cosmos and gladiolas are looking good!

and MORE garden! ________________________

Potatoes are two tires high now and could use a third pretty soon. I can't wait to see planting them in tires actually works!

These are the winter squash ans summer squashes. I read somewhere that you can train squash UP.

We shall see!

All these experiments going on!!

My little tomato seeds have made me proud. They are becoming quite the adults now! I ran out of tomato cages early on, so I used metal fence posts for some stakes, and then ran out of those so many are staked with sticks!

But they don't seem to mind....

Sarah ________________________

Because 26 chickens, a calf and a dog were not enough animal mouths to feed, we now have a feline one too.

Corynn has been dreaming about a kitten for a L.O.N.G time. In her mind, that and a horse would make her life complete.

We found a gray kitten in the garage one day and Papa said she could have it. Of course "it" was a MEAN, awful, wild little thing. She was tucked in the corner and the children couldn't reach her so I came out and cooed to her while stretching my hand out for her.

Of course, little kittens look awfully cute on the outside but within a moment I was attacked by the savage little beast. I mean, that cat sounded like (and looked like) a mountain lion when I got too close. I drew back my bloody hand and told the kids not to bother the awful thing anymore.

And then Corynn wailed because HER kitty was so awful and I was the mean one who said THAT cat wouldn't be a good pet.

We never did see that kitten again (and I say, HALLELUJAH! to that!) but a week later, Papa came home with one that some friends gave to us. (Thanks Terrys!!)

YAY! A kitten!

We held her and stroked her as she purred away until one minute, she escaped from our hands and hid underneath our house.

for three days.

We could not coax the thing out and we weren't sure she was getting the food we set out for her (we DO have a rather determined pooch, after all) and by the third day I was wondering if she might have up and died under there. But that very day she popped out and acted like nothing had ever happened.

She was no longer spooked, she was cuddly and sweet, and she was hungry.

She's been underfoot ever since.

Corynn named her Sarah (and I loved that name for a child but I can't see naming a girlie that while we have a cat named that also so we now have quite a conundrum!)

Despite having a STRICT no animals in the house policy, Sarah has somehow made the rules BEND ever so slightly, as she is allowed in the front room and enjoys cuddling up on the new pillow seat. And okay, she SOMETIMES comes into the kitchen for a quick treat.

But that's IT! :-)

She's normally very sweet.... ________________________

...except when she is feeling fierce.

She can really get you shaking in your boots!

*yawn*

Saul ________________________

We also had a pet turtle for two days.

We passed him on the way home from church, making his way across the busy road.

We had just learned in church that morning about Saul and how slow he was to trust in God and so we dubbed him Saul.

He was our pet for two days before we took him to our creek and let him go. Every time we head down there now, we keep our eyes open for Saul. Maybe, to thank us for freeing him, he will pop out and say Hello.

If not, he was fun to have while we had him.

Late, as usual ________________________

Our Fourth of July was casual and low-key, filled with work, work, work.

But around 3:00, I started thinking it would be a shame to let the day go by without SOME festivities, and festivities are always more fun SHARED.

SO very spur-of-the-moment and impromptu, I called my sister and told her and the kids to come over for a S'mores and Sparklers night. (Her hubby had to work, you see)

Which they did.

There is no real photographic genius to show, but here are a few worthwhile ones for posterity.

I told Mattie about the S'mores night and he got right to work making a firepit and some rustic wooden benches.

Aren't they fabulous?! It's great to have a firepit and we've talked about making it a weekend tradition to use it.

Andrew's first S'more was less than delectable.

S'mores, sparklers and laughs until long past dark when we bid the Brown's farewell and tucked our own sweetlings into bed and then Matt and I spread out some blankets and soaked up the last bit of warmth from the fire arm in arm under a bright, nearly full moon.

I can think of nothing better.

Me and Miss Addie Mae ________________________

Somewhere along the lines, her pet name went from Bunkin to Addie Mae.

Not Addie. Addie Mae. Which, ironically, has the same amount of syllables as Adele' so it isnt actually "shortened".

This is her nickname.

Unless Panda is saying it, and then it is "Adyay".

Interestingly, all are very fitting.

The Book Exchange ________________________

A lover of books, I wanted to encourage the children in my life to take up a few good ones this summer. A perfect way to do that, I thought, was to host a Book Exchange. This is my story....


For weeks I've been thinking about it. For weeks, I haven't planned a thing because I wanted the invites to be perfect and they stumped me. How could I get people excited to come, even if maybe they aren't as big of readers as we Newmans are. The invite had to be fun and unique.... eventually got the idea to replicate the library card system. After fooling around too long in Microsoft Word without success, I started looking online for something already made. Something....ANYTHING. Thanks to this site, I found a free printable and template to use!


The invite was on the library card and it fit into these funky little card pockets made from scrapbook paper. I loved them. How could anyone NOT want to come?!? Once I had my invites done, I put it out of my head for a long time. It would all come together smoothly, things always do, right!?!

The week before the party, the planning began. The shopping happened. The house was cleaned. The night before the party is where my story starts.

1:39 am....Went to bed, exhausted after a day of finishing up the last of the house-cleaning, food prep, decoration making, and getting tables set up outside. Why so late? Because around 10:30, after cleaning up the kitchen from a productive day, a light bulb went off in my head that reading quotes would be a perfect addition to the decor. Scoured the internet which led me to a free site for FABULOUS printable BOOKPLATES, perfect for coloring and personalizing. Printed on sticker paper, these babies would be the PERFECT take home trinket while also serving as an activity to occupy the children. It was a craft that could be used for ALL ages (not too babyish, not too difficult) and one that didn't require supervision. SO. HAD to do that. Except~I also had to WRESTLE with the printer, which was not my most favorite friend.


6:00 am.... Woke up. Before I even opened my eyes, I heard it. Rain. Lots of it. But the weatherman said it would be SUNNY! He ASSURED me--all week LONG! I lugged myself out of bed and swallowed my feeling of dread and stiffly shuffled to the window. Even without my contacts in, I could see blue sky. It would stop. SURELY the rain would stop.

Headed straight for the computer. Tried again (in vain) to print the bookplates I had worked on just a few hours earlier. And the quotes. I had already determined they were perfect ideas and could not be sacrificed, no matter how ill-bahaved the printer. Again, said printer was stubborn and I knew that I couldn't waste all my time on the computer when there were lots of things to be done.

So I took a shower and got myself ready. When I stepped out the shower, thunder crashed. The room was as dreary and dark as the outside and one glance out the now-dripping window, I knew I was going to have to think of something else.


The bookplates weren't printing. The quotes I would have to forego. And NOW~I had to make a backup plan to house dozens of people (and CHILDREN!) in our home when I hadn't given it a second thought. I nearly panicked. Called Matt, nearly in tears. WHAT was I going to DO!?!? THis is NOT HAPPENING!

Calmly he said "Now is when your true hospitality will shine through." It made me stop in my tracks. It was true. Hospitality is not in the finery or the perfection of an event, but in the welcoming spirit and cheerful disposition. If I were to begrudge the situation and become bitter, I would be setting myself up for disaster. I realized, once again, what a treasure my husband is.

I got off the phone and set to work. Emptying out the front foyer room in order to make room for a book table. Hanging outdoor decorations IN and scattering picnic blankets on top of carpeting. Improvising. Whittling away the moments that were intended to be devoted to setting out paper goods, cutting watermelon, smearing peanut butter and plunking raisins for ants on a log celery sticks, placing chairs outside in a circle for seating. All the while, I am trying to fathom WHAT a boatload of children are going to do INSIDE for a few hours while it pours outside, mentally preparing myself for the devastation to ensue. I gathered a bunch of coloring books and had Corynn gather writing supplies and created a little coloring table, knowing full well that would occupy them for mere minutes. Coloring pictures, not bookplates. But I wouldn't think about that right now.



Frazzled, to say the least. But I realized that the only thing WORSE than it raining was no one showing up BECAUSE it was raining.

9:30, a half hour before guests arrived....the sun began to shine. I went outside in disbelief, staring at the blue, fluff-clouded sky. Was God teasing me?!? After emptying a room, drenching myself by bringing soaking sawhorses and boards inside for makeshift tables, and using up all my minutes that were needed for the still-not-crossed-off to-do list?

~Cut watermelon
~Make drinks in pitchers
~Put out Parking sign
~Haul chairs to yard
~Finish up food table
~Take pictures!
~Crumble doritos in salad
~Ants on a Log
~Organize plasticware and paper goods

NOW the sun was going to shine?! Couldn't God have planned things a *little* better?!?

(I was incredibly thankful for the prep work I did the day before to make hostessing an easy job. Choosing food that could be prepared the day before, making up concentrates of homemade lemonade and iced tea in canning jars, etc.) This is all that is left of the concentrates...and each jar made ONE gallon. For the tea I floated some freshly plucked mint springs, for the lemonade frozen strawberries made the perfect ice cubes. Because the concentrates were already made up, I could refill as needed without anyone noticing.


9:35....I realized that with the sun shining, that means that the children won't be cooped up indoors!!!!! That, I realized, was reason enough to REJOICE! I stopped mid-work and praised God for the sun and apologized for my lack of gratefulness up until that point. Then, I began the work of taking things BACK outside mere minutes before people would be arriving.


I totally swiped the paper bag flowers idea from Martha Stewart. Even though they somehow didn't look JUST like hers, they still were very pretty.


10 o'clock~the first guests arrive.

Still there was much to be done and so, my first guests (ironically, neighbors I had just recently met and people I was hoping to get to know better) and then the next few were enlisted to help me. The next 10 minutes or so were hastily spent finishing up details, foregoing details (no ants on a log, this time), introducing people and making small talk and then incognito heading inside to gather something else or do something else.


Old books and some beautiful hydrangea blooms were the table decorations. It was hard to cut the dinnerplate-sized blooms from my plants, but they looked lovely on the tables.

I headed upstairs for something and lo and behold! The quotes were printed and some bookplates were on their way out of the printer. I grabbed the quotes and laughed at the bookplates. There was no way I would have time to cut them apart. I knew my own limitations and I was ok with that because, well, I wanted to show true hospitality, which couldn't be done cutting paper up with guests downstairs.

Bookplates, anyone?!? hehe

After the initial few moments of making up for lost time, everything was ready and it was party time. As hurried as it was, everything was accomplished by only just a few minutes past 10 o clock. Sure, there were sacrifices....one being, no pretty before pictures!....but turns out, those things weren't what made the party fun. It was the guests.

Only about half the guest-list were able to make the "raindate" so it was a smaller crows than expected, but, given the circumstances, I was thankful for it. Having 50 or so people, some of whom had never met each other, it was a pretty big job making sure everyone was comfortable, mingling, and having a good time. I hope I was at lest successful in that, if nothing else. That of course, explains the lack of photos DURING the event as well.

One of two photos I took during the actual party, can you guess who had the MOST fun?

After the eating, the visiting, the book gathering and the laughs, the children donned their swimming garb for some water splashing. Water splashing at the creek, that is, not from the sky. And treasure hunting. I laughed when I saw that the same group of girlies decided to bury all the treasures they found by the creek (including circuit board, flowers, crawfish tails and claws, wire, flint, and other precious (to them) stones.)

Overall, there were several things that I would change about the party (and will, for next year) but I know that the guests didn't even notice and/or weren't bothered by them. I'll know for next time....I think I would like to see this become an annual event!

After all, there is NO better way to encourage some good summer learning for our children than to offer them good books!


Besides, of the leftovers....we got quite a few new reads!

With a Bang ________________________

Our Fourth of July didn't look like that THIS year (that photo is from OTHER 4th's though I don't know which) but it was fun.

Tomorrow is the big day (outdoor picnic) and there is much still to do, so I'll only share this photo today. More to come though.

I just had to pop on here quickly to announce the winner of the weird contest. I don't think ANYONE will be surprised to hear that Amy won with her toenail story. In fact, several other commenters TOLD me to vote for you too, Amy. I think you are WELL deserving!
I SERIOUSLY laughed so loud I think I might have woken one or two of the kids up from their sleep (upstairs!) the night I read your story! Golly, that is FUNNY!

Email me at sgrbear724@yahoo.com to share your address and I will get your prize(s) mailed out to you on Wednesday. Since the prize has been a secret thus far, I'm gonna keep it that way so the package will be that much more fun to open.

Thanks to all who participated. It is good to know I am not alone in the quirky-factor. All of you who didn't participate (I KNOW I have more than 17 visitors), you just keep TELLING YOURSELF that you aren't weird. hehehe

Happy Independence Day! ________________________

These photos were confiscated from the archives because frankly, we aren't looking too pretty today.

Or patriotic.

Today I am spending in the much-neglected-because-of-all-the-rains garden and everyone else is spending painting the garage doors.

Very....holidayish...wouldn't you say?!? Well, maybe not now---but I promise, I won't let the day pass by without sparklers and smores. It's the least I could do.

Hope your Fourth of July is HAPPY!

Foto Friday ________________________

It is 10 am FRIDAY morning....yeah, ummmm, FRIDAY, that's it! Because who in their right mind would be blogging on July 4th~and not only that, but a Foto FRIDAY post on a SATURDAY?!?!

Not I, THAT'S for sure.


Today's Foto FRIDAY tip is this: FOCUS ON THE EYES!!!

If all the rest of your photo is blurry, HEY! That's alright as long as your eyes are in focus. Case in point:

(this is my niece, Cassandra)

Eyes are so very descriptive. They can be happy, they can be sad. They can be serious, they can be smiley. Sometimes, you can see through them into a soul. The photo below, of my Opa, is haunting to me and I am drawn into it. I love the crevices of his skin, I love his reserved smile...but his EYES are what capture me. Every single time. I printed this photo and hung it on my wall, I love it so much.


It is no secret for anyone who has been visiting this blog for any length of time, that eyes are a weakness of mine.

AND eyelashes, which are happily in abundance around here...

For those practicing to focus in an exceptional way (you know who you are), eyes and eyelashes are excellent tools to help train your eyes to know when the subject is in focus. I think this is because they are just small things to focus on (pun intended) rather than seeing the whole picture and getting lost in too much information.

This week, get up CLOSE and focus on those eyes and lashes. C~for you specifically, I'd like to see you take a picture so close that only the eyes (or eyelashes) are showing. Enlist the help of your brother and sister maybe? They can be models. I know a certain brother who has amazing eyelashes! winkywink.

If you make sure your eyes are focused, you can rarely go wrong with a photo.

(PS. The first photo posted is of my own eye and if you look closely, you can see the bricks of my old house, and my arms cradling a camera which is almost perfectly lined up with my retina. The reflective nature of eyes is really fun to play with! Try it, you'll see!)

Cars, boys, and babies ________________________

A dear friend had a dear one of her own (her fourth) and instead of kisses and cuddles, I gave a box to the postman. With love tucked inside.

I was so proud of myself at the completion of this project, the first "BIG" project that found me four hours away from the gentle teaching arms of my mentor that had always accompanied me before.

My first time flying solo on buttonholes.

And pleats.

And SNAP enclosures.

(PS. Kris Z., I thank you and praise God for you every time I walk into my craft room. And I am NOT just saying that. This machine is amazing.)

Nanci, I think you would have been proud of me.

By the way~ are these not the CUTEST buttons you have ever seen? I have no recollection of buying them-it must have been ages ago. But when I was scouring for bright orange or green or teal buttons for this project, I found them and practically jumped through the roof with excitement.

PERFECT.