Taken by Nicole, a true talent

Isn't my sister-in-law Nicole super talented? She inspires me so much. She is part of the reason I want to get back into photography again, after an absence of several months (due to obvious reasons—see previous post).

These were taken in Savanna this weekend...we both went out to play with our cameras while grandma Claudette watched Jack. I almost felt awkward at first, not knowing where to begin, but Nic helped me relax and get back into the artistic groove.

I love her work.

Thirty-six

Me at seven. I love my gap-toothed grin and wonderful posture in this picture.



Yup, it's that time of year again. It's the time of year when I usually get really depressed for no reason and feel sorry for myself. That was the case last year.

Not sure why I get so moody on my birthday, but this year? None of that. Which surprises me, because I'm laid off, underemployed, and money has been tight—Pete has had his of hours cut, too. And now with the baby on its way, I often lay in bed at night, worrying about the future and what I'll do when unemployment runs out, hopefully something which I won't have to worry about til next year (please please please give me an extension, IDES!).

But things just seem rosier now for some reason. I think there are many reasons for that. The fact that I'm no longer working at a job that I've HATED for the last few years is one. The fact that I'm starting to mix things up with my freelance work and continue to do what I love, at home. The fact that I get to work at home (for now), preparing for the future, for when I am taking care of our little bean and so lucky to be able to spend my time with him/her. And that's one of the biggest facts of all: the little bean. I've droned on and on about how wonderful life is with the baby coming and with something meaningful to look forward to, but I gotta tell ya, it's true. It does change so much, and he/she isn't even here yet.

True, my health still isn't wonderful. A lot of that has to do with being preggers, and I think that tends to distract me from the fact that there are still underlying health issues that I'll have to deal with once the baby is born. But again, I have the opportunity to raise a child, love them, teach them, laugh and cry with them, and of course, lose lots and lots of sleep. But it's all worth it.

I also just feel more comfortable in my own skin. The fact that Pete still finds me pretty when I have a face full of acne (thanks, hormones), or that he calls me Sexy Bear in my pregnant state and actually finds me attractive (yet cute with the tummy and all), does a lot for me confidence-wise. So does the fact that I don't care if I have 2 readers of my blog, or 22 readers, or whatever; my blog is for me, and for those who care to see how I am or what's bugging me or what's making me (or them) laugh. So does the fact that I can have fun with my camera and try new things and play as if I were a little kid again—albeit, a kid with an expensive and complicated camera. So does the fact that I have a loving family and friends who never notice when I've put on 10 pounds (well, until now, lol) or when my hair is misbehaving (almost daily) or when something isn't fitting quite right. They do notice when I'm not feeling my best, and they are always there to help me feel better, offer advice, make me laugh...whatever it takes.

So, to cut this ramble short, I just wanna say that 36 is looking pretty darn good. Yeah, it's on an average weekday, and not on the usual holiday weekend it falls on 3/4 of the time (grrr). Sure, I have no particular plans today and we'll probably just eat meatloaf I plan on making for dinner. And yes, life will go on as always, trudging (or leaping or rushing or tip-toeing) toward 37, then 38, and beyond. And I'm cool with that. I haven't been able to say that for several years, but I definitely feel it this time around.

Happy Wednesday, September 2nd, everyone!

A trip to the Garden

Georgia and I are headed to the Chicago Botanic Garden today, after we have a hot breakfast somewhere nearby (I'm scoping things out now).



We hope to have a day full of running around with our cameras, enjoying the weather (please cooperate!), and having a few laughs (or more). I'll be posting my results later this week on vivid.



UPDATE: This has since been postponed to next week, due to our crazy Chicago weather. But I'll be sure to share pix after we visit!

Lovely snapdragons and such

I know I'm constantly singing the praises of Trader Joe's, but there's a reason for that. One big reason (besides their wonderful pretzel bread) are the gorgeous flowers. Every time I go there, I find a new selection to choose from. I've gotten everything from irises to carnations, and have never been dissatisfied with the quality. Plus the prices are great—these snapdragons were $5.59 per bunch (I have a bunch of white and a bunch of pink here). Most of the flowers run around $5 a bunch, and even the pricier ones, like lilies, are still a deal at $7 and some change per bunch.



And yes, that's this print...



...in the background on my living room wall. I love looking at its pretty colors whenever I walk in the room.



And I just finished placing an order at Michael's for this print (above) to be custom framed as well. It's going to look like this.



It's an odd size and large, so unfortunately I can't just grab a frame and mat off the shelf and do it up nicely.



These lilies were on my display table for over a week, but were starting to lose petals, hence the purchase of the snapdragons. But then I realized there were a few flowers that hadn't opened yet and the lilies had some more life in them, so I just swapped the lilies over to the tv stand, and the snapdragons to the display table.



And of course these mums were on the tv stand, so they had to move upstairs to our bedroom. Pete probably wonders why I've gone so flower crazy, but they're cheap and pretty and I have lots o' vases for them.



But I couldn't resist this pretty iridescent vase from Target. The color in the very first photo in this post is more accurate. It's normally a $40 vase (which I would never spend on a vase like this) but it was marked down to $9.98. Quite a bargain, eh? And the custom framing job on the black and white image was half off. Oh yes, I am forever finding great deals on the clearance shelves at various stores, as well as having become a coupon-weilding fiend!

"Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida" by Toni Frissell

I was browsing through the selection at Allposters.com (hey, they keep sending me all these coupons) and was particularly interested in black and white photography. I happened to stumble upon this image by Toni Frissell called "Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida," and was instantly captivated.


Toni Frissell

There is something very surreal and ethereal about the image, reminding me of murky yet vivid dreams. I think it would look great on the wall next to our bed, or over the entertainment center in the living room, simply framed in black and matted in white. Sometimes I think I have so much color in my house that I need to have a block of black and white every so often, and this image is absolutely perfect for that.

Not only do I adore it, but it certainly invites thought and comment about it. I'm not usually one of those people that buy mass-produced prints. Well, I do, if I really love something and it's unique and original, and I think this falls under that category. I just think it's so gorgeous.

The Nature Conservancy: 4th Annual Nature Photography Contest

Check out the photo contest going on at the Nature Conservancy. Submissions are due by September 30th, so you have plenty of time to send something in!

Dollie vs. a bowl of cherries

If you are a photographer and have pets like me, you know that you often get "helpers" that "assist" you in your photo shoots. They tend to move stuff around for you or pose in your shot to help you focus. Sometimes the ensuing photograph is better than the intended original, but often you get a blurry mess. Other times you get something interesting or even worthy of saving. In any event, you have a laugh at your furry children's antics.



Such was the case this past weekend. I had bought some cherries at Target and decided, on a whim, to take some photos. And since our dining room floor is still unpainted, I thought the white bowl and red cherries would look pretty with the blue-green-brown floorboards in the background. I set the bowl on the floor and started to take pictures, snapping off a few somewhat blurry but colorful images.



I was just getting into it when a furry head popped into view in front of my camera lens. Dollie (the cat in my blog banner, for those of you new to this blog) had somehow caught wind of this impromptu photo session and decided to help herself to one of the cherries. She picked one out of the bowl with her little monkey paw (I swear she has opposable thumbs) and started to play a game of cherry soccer, Dollie-style. I just sat back and watched her for a while, snapping a few pix but mainly enjoying this burst of spontaneous game play. She played with her little "ball" for quite some time, until it was either squishy from being batted about or eaten by one of the dogs (Adora likes cherries, we've discovered).



Later on, the bowl of cherries was sitting on our enamel table in the kitchen, and Dollie decided to play some more. She hopped up on the table, took another cherry out of the bowl, jumped onto the floor with it in her paw, and started playing soccer again. I had to laugh and watch her again, since she obviously was having fun and was oblivious to the world around her as she played. Dollie partially hid inside a plastic bag at one point, using it as a sort of blind, and repeatedly pounced on the hapless cherry. Another tactic was to send the cherry flying under and around the construction equipment in the dining room, whereafter she'd chase the little missile and intercept it in different ways. This game play is not unusual behavior for Dollie, but it always surprises and delights me. Max is a much calmer, more relaxed cat, and very rarely plays at all, but Dollie is full of mischeif.



What a weird, weird cat.

Two thoughts

Found this situation last week, and this is what went through my mind:

1) That damn cat knocked over the plant again! Another mess to clean...grrrr!
2) But wait—oooh, lookit the pretty colors! I really like the lighting and composition, too. Where's my camera?!?

Glad I am of two minds :)

Lunch, photography, and antique shopping with Georgia

Yesterday, Georgia and I met up for lunch in St. Charles. We had a lovely Mexican lunch featuring cheesy enchiladas, saucy eggs and salsa, and lively conversation. Afterward, we headed outside to take pix but quickly found it was either too cold or we ended up in weird spots (like abandoned storefronts and a bizarre indoor mall). All the cool antique shops seemed to be closed on Mondays (??) but we finally stumbled upon one further up the street.

That's where I really felt some magic, as I browsed through milk glass bud vases, charming children's books, and dainty tea cups. Georgia found a pretty vintage pin, gorgeous sparkly necklace, and lots of old photographs and sheet music. I was torn on a few purchases (like a beautiful tarnished silver-plated pitcher), but we both reasoned that we don't go out getting our hair done or out on the town all the time, so what harm is there in finding unique treasures at reasonable prices? Most of what we purchased was under $10 each and really cool (I emphasize cool).

And of course we hit the streets afterward and found lots to photograph, now that we were laden with bags and delicate things. The sun forced its way out and things seemed really interesting, now that our senses had been dazzled by the antique shop. I think we would have taken many more pix, but I had lots to carry, and Georgia had to get home early. It was a lot of fun hanging out with Georgia (I've missed her!), and we had a great time finding timeless treasures.

Here's a photographic synopsis of our afternoon:



We met at this Starbucks in downtown St. Charles, next to this beautiful marquis. Then we headed across the street to have lunch at a Mexican restaurant.


Our bellies more than full, we found that a funky yellow door was calling our name across the street, but the lighting and temps weren't cooperating with us. Plus the antique shop that belonged to this door was closed, and we were f-f-f-freezing! Georgia stopped at her car to get another jacket, but we were both still rather chilled.


After heading further down the street in search of more antique shops, we paused to take pix on the bridge over the Fox River. We were both freezing our butts off here, but bravely struggled on.


The rooflines of the shops downtown are both historic and beautiful. We finally found a cool antique shop where we browsed (and bought) for a long time. We had a blast looking at all the little trinkets, housewares, and artwork there. It was so much fun, I could have stayed there another hour or two.


On the way back to our cars, we passed the famous Hotel Baker. Someday Pete and I plan to have the Sunday Champagne Brunch—perhaps for our anniversary?


Behind the hotel is a deck and gazebo overlooking the Fox River. Lots of weddings happen here.


Back at the yellow-doored shop, we paused to take pix of the windows and their spoils. Here's Georgia composing a shot across the street.


There's that beautiful marquis again, next to some cheerful blue storefronts.


Technical difficulties? Georgia tinkers with her awesome camera while I attempt to prevent myself from breaking my antique shop goods, which were carefully packaged in bubble wrap and bagged.


I still managed to squeeze in some window shots of my own. This one is my favorite. I love the blue sky, yellow bus, green wall, pink couch, and white display case.


Georgia and I bid farewell, and on the way to my car I passed this pretty blue birdhouse.


Then I happened to look down as I crossed the street and saw a bright red patch of sidewalk beneath my feet. I managed to squeeze off a shot before I moved on.


Back home, I took pix of my finds. Here's me holding the silver teacup.


Another view of the teacup. That's a container of spaghetti sauce–colored dish water in my kitchen sink, but it makes a nice backdrop, no?


Here's a cute little bird and nest I got for $3. He's so cute, isn't he? I like how he's (she's?) admiring my robin's egg–blue ring, as if it's an actual egg.


And yes, I got the tarnished silver-plated pitcher. I will show more pictures later with flowers in it. See the reflection in the pitcher? Looks vaguely ring-like....


A charming blue bird paperweight was another inexpensive purchase ($4.50). There's that ring again...yes, I'm a nerd.


A spread of vintage magazines, including The American Home, and Better Homes and Gardens. I did take a picture with my ring in it, but it just looked weird. Anyhow, I love the colors on these covers! Totally frame-worthy.


A vintage Life magazine cover. I'm trying to figure out who the baby on the cover is (the caption is "one year old") but I don't see mention of him (her) inside. I just loved the photograph though.


And here it is with my ring, lol. The baby looks creepier here....


The magazines I got: Life (1937), The American Home (two issues from 1938), and Better Home and Gardens (both from 1926).


As I was catching a moth that was getting in my photographs, he posed on a measuring cup I was trying to catch him with. I snapped a picture and let him go to the great green world outside.



Later on, I was flipping through one of the issues of The American Home and saw the right-stack version of our Magic Chef 1000 stove (ours is a left stack, made circa 1935 and affectionately called Millicent, shown below). How cool is that?!



There you have it! A fun afternoon of good eats, photography, antique browsing, and catching up with an old friend. Can't wait for next time!