Holiday Blog Banner

Check out my new Holiday blog banner. I set up my Dickens Village in my boyfriend's house. He has much more room for my massive amounts of Christmas decor. (As it is, my huge nativity is set up on my dining room table.)

May I just say how happy I am that he likes this collection of mine as much as I do? I think we might have the start of a "tiny" obsession on our hands.

~~~~ooOOOoo~~~~

p.s. The fluffy snow and name tag were added with www.picnik.com. I love that site for quick and easy photo edits. 

Cheap Drop Cloth Curtains

I wanted/needed curtains in my living room. A long time ago, I saw somewhere online where someone used canvas drop cloths as curtains. Since I have a huge sliding glass door in my living room, I thought this would be cheap and easy. I bought two 6 ft x 9 ft canvas drop cloths at Lowes for $10.98 each, and they've been sitting in my linen closet for well over 8 months (if not longer).

Well, now that I have a tall, dark and handsome boyfriend (ok, only the tall was needed for this, but it doesn't hurt that he's also nice to look at), I decided to put him to good use. I had him hang the curtain rods that have been sitting around for as long as the drop cloths, and then, just to see how it would work, he draped the cloths over the rods for me. 

Not bad! Actually better than I thought they would look! We both even agreed that we liked the possibility of a built-in valance. Especially since that meant no cutting necessary. 

My plan is to dye and wash them first because they will probably shrink. Then, I have to figure out how to sew them. If you know me, that's not a skill I am very strong in. But, we will see how it goes. 

I was also thinking of embroidering some big flowers on the curtains. Maybe using dyed shoelaces or ribbon! Oh, my mind is whirling with ideas.   Any ideas of your own are welcome. 

*UPDATE here!

Sherwin-Williams Colormix 2012

I like this:

Eat This Crumpet

That boyfriend of mine. He's very creative and funny, and I love it when you put the two together.

There is this artist's blog that I made him follow. His name is Marc Johns and I've always liked his simply rendered, witty little watercolors. I must admit, though, just how envious I am of his selling power, something I'd love to be able to do, and so, at times we do poke a little fun at him.

So, one day, I get an email from my bf with Marc Johns' most recent work, pictured below:

source: Marc Johns

See, my bf loves crumpets, and almost every evening when we are talking on the phone, he's having one for dessert. A crumpet, that is, not a trumpet. So then, a few minutes later, I get this masterpiece, inspired by the above artwork:

Need I say more? 

Well, I will. I loved this so much, I asked him to draw something else for me. He asked what I'd like him to draw and the first thing that came to mind was a flying boat.  His response was, "you mean a sea-plane?" I said, "I'm thinking bird wings, not plane wings". 

Awesome.

About A Boy

It's been awhile since I've blogged, and it's because of a boy. It's amazing how you lose all track of time when you meet someone...and you really like them...a lot. 

But this post is not really about that boy. I just brought him up to explain my absence and the fact that I was recently telling him a cute little story in the "History of Foo", and I thought it was something that others might like to hear, too. You know, just something to get the blog ball rolling again. So, here it is: 

"After my divorce, my first home of my very own was here [link removed to protect the innocent].  I remember a lady that lived in the building next to mine. Her name was Siobhan. She told me she had her name legally changed to get away from her family for some reason that I can no longer remember, but it was something very mysterious.

Anyway, I'd see her out walking her dogs when I came home from work. She was a bit odd but nice. Siobhan was very talky talky to me, and I would think to myself how nice it would be to make friends with a neighbor just like you see in sitcoms and such. You know, like 'Friends'. So, I went over to her apartment one afternoon, and as we were sitting there watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, she started feeling my leg. 

And then I told her I had to go....and I never went to her house again." 

Hey! Thanks, Liebster!

I usually don't like surprises, but this was a really nice one. I was just sitting here reading my niece, Maria's, newest blog entry, when she started to mention this Liebster Blog Award she received from one of her blog friends. I thought, "aww, that's so nice". 

Well, surprise, surprise, as I read on to find that, not only did my niece pass on the Liebster Award to her mother's blog (my sister), but also to me and my little blog!

And per her own words, she swears she gave no familial perks when choosing, even stating how much of a loser it must make her appear for doing so (Talk about honoring thy family, right?), even though she used the strict criteria of "content, dedication (aka frequent posting) and fantastic and ever changing banners".  It's probably that and the fact that she only follows a handful of blogs anyway. But I'll just go with the fact that my sister and I have awesome blogs, and it's only natural that we are the chosen ones. =) Therefore, I'll graciously accept this award, Miss Maria. Thank you! When do we walk the red carpet?

According to Maria's quote of someone else's quote of, I think, someone else:

"Some time (in the recent past), somewhere (rumor has it that it might be Germany), someone (I guessing he/she was named Liebster*) decided to do something nice for a whole lot of bloggers and started the Liebster Blog Award.

It’s an award you receive, but it is also an award that you give. If you receive a Liebster Blog Award you are asked to choose 3 other bloggers and send them one as well."

*UPDATE: I just wanted to clarify that the receiver of the award should in no way feel obligated to pass the award on. It is a gift given with no expectations. =)*


After a little further research, I've also learned that this particular award should be given to smaller blogs, which is cool for us little people. I would love to pass on this award but seeing as I follow well over 300 blogs, this will take some careful consideration.

Okay, maybe not, because three already popped right into my head:

First, is Irene, whose got two blogs I follow, so I'm thinking I'm allowed to consolidate and count them as one. The first one is I Can't Stand Meeting You; her funny and personal letters to Stewart Copeland, former drummer for The Police/now film composer extraordinaire. And don't worry, Irene is fully aware of how it might look at first glance for her to be writing letters to someone she doesn't know. That's no bother to me, though. I'd probably do the same thing if I'd thought of it first. =) Her other blog, Maturity Is A Bitter Disappointment, is about her everyday life. She's sharp and witty and makes me laugh. Plus, she and her husband just had their first baby, Jules, and  I'm looking forward to many funny Mommy stories.

Second is, Forgotten Disc Friday, because every Friday he digs down deep into his music collection and listens to an album front to back (technically, it's not front to back anymore if it's a cd, but I'll never stop using that phrase) and then he gives a detailed personal review of each song, the disc overall, if he's ever seen the band live, where the band is now, and his overall analysis of the album; whether it's weathered through the years or not. It's a cool site. Check it out.

And finally, some photography, at Tattered And Lost Vernacular Photography. It's just what it sounds like. Old and sometimes tattered photographs that are picked up at garage sales, thrift shops, antique shops, etc, are given a new home and new life on this blog. My favorite was the recent multi-posting of The Strangest Photo Album I Ever Bought.

There are blog awards given out left and right in the blogging world. Believe me, as mentioned above, I follow 300+ blogs and awards are shelled out left and right, but The  Liebster Blog Award is all about the little guy, and giving them some well-deserved kudos, and maybe a few more followers, too.  So, I hope you  visit three of my faves, and thanks again, Maria, for honoring me. 

*I'm thinking since it supposedly originated in Germany, that Liebster is meant as "dearer", or "liebst", which is love, in German. So, we're the dearest, loveliest of blogs. =)

Blur, Freeze, Pan, Experiment

Our second portfolio in digital photography class consisted of:

MOTION BLUR:

Motion blur is pretty self-explanatory. The main subject should show motion blur and the background should be in focus. Don't get blur confused with something just being out of focus. Blur is achieved with a slow shutter speed. The umbrella was shot at 0.025 sec (1/40) shutter speed. The flag was shot at 0.4 seconds.

FREEZE:

Freeze is stopping motion. Freezing the main subject while it's in motion. I must say, I'm pretty happy with that flying doll. Throwing her in the air with my left hand while snapping the picture with the other. That took a few tries. To freeze something in motion you need a faster shutter speed. The scarf was shot at 0.005 sec (1/200) and the doll was shot at 0.006 sec (1/160).

EXPERIMENTAL:

This was my favorite. Experimental is doing all kinds of funky stuff with the lens. The tree was done while turning the lens zoom in one direction and the camera body in the opposite direction while snapping the picture. All three actions in one swift movement. The night shot was just zooming the lens out while snapping the picture. I love the colors in that one.

and PANNING:

And finally there is panning. We only had to turn in one of these. I guess because it's the hardest one to accomplish. Panning is just that. Snapping a moving target while panning your body and the camera along with it in one smooth motion so the background blurs and the moving target is in focus. And I'd also consider my doll picture to be a pan, but in a downward vertical direction, since she is caught in focus and the background shows motion blur, and not just soft focus. Harder to do than panning horizontally.

We had to turn in a contact sheet with 225 photos with equal amounts of all techniques and only had to fully edit 7 photos to be critiqued.

Our next portfolio project is all about depth of field.   We'll be shooting 250 total photos for this assignment. This should be fun.

Stuff & Nonsense

Stuff I'm thinking about:

• Anyone seen the new show on Oprah's OWN network, 'In The Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman'? Dr. Berman is a sex therapist who helps couples figure out what's going wrong with their sex lives. Two things: 
• It's quite interesting to get a glimpse of what makes people tick...in the bedroom. 
• I can't help wondering how the children of these couples feel after they find out why the camera crew is there, and to know what life is like at school after the show airs and all their friends have inevitably seen it. Personally, I think I'd ask to be home-schooled after that.  
• You know how on facebook everyone updates their status with what they are doing and what's going on in their lives? I often wonder if facebook friends get mad at each other if, say, Susie and Janey meet up for lunch only to find that Janey had no idea that Susie's house was recently burglarized, and Susie had no idea that Janey's kid got braces, or that Janey went to see that big concert the other night and got totally wasted, just like the good old days, all of which was posted on facebook, for cryin' out loud!  Do you get mad if your friends don't keep up with you?* 
• I think I want to live in the country some day. I'd like to have an expansive view, not one of my neighbor's satellite dishes. 
• I'd also like to live in New York City for a spell, first. I think it would be great to be able to live without a car. (see below)
• In order to appreciate being single, you have to experience being married. I think the reverse is also true, but speaking for myself, only when it comes to home/vehicle maintenance issues. 
• Sometimes, when I am making my coffee, I hold my spoon nice and dainty and act like Lily Tomlin in the Snow White fantasy sequence from the movie '9 to 5', one of my favorite movies of all time. 
• I don't like very many people. If I do like you, consider yourself lucky...or unlucky. Whichever. 
• Hmm, maybe this is why people keep journals; once you get that thought down on paper, you no longer have it rambling around in your head taking up space.

*for those that don't have a facebook account and would never dream of getting one; don't judge. It's unbecoming on you. 

Fill The Space With Color

I took B/W film photography way back in the late 80's/early 90's and pretty much know my way around a camera, but I still have to take a digital photography class for my Computer Arts curriculum. And really, that isn't a bad thing when you love what you are doing. Plus, I've actually learned some new tricks on photo editing, which is always good.

Our first portfolio assignment is all about color. Our one basic rule was to "fill the space with color". We had to turn in a digital contact sheet with a minimum of 200 photos, but thankfully, we only had to edit 5 of those photos. And that's not saying the other 195 pictures could look like crap. You had to get rid of all the (as the prof calls them) "blinkies and blurries". I think "blurries" is self-explanatory, but I had to ask what he meant by blinkies, which are any pictures with people whose eyes are closed. Not that we would expect to have many of those in this assignment.

Here are a few of my favorites:

An awesome quilt my sister made me for Christmas

A plant in the lobby of our office building that always catches my eye when I pass it.

Let's see if anyone can guess what this is.

You can see a few more at my flickr page. I haven't loaded all 200, because, really, I can't put a picture on my flickr page that I haven't edited first. ;)