Photo of the Week - Week 35 (a week late) - Friends

For the friendiversary weekend, the girls wanted a photo shoot.  I still didn't have my new lens so I grabbed Dad's camera and we headed out.  It is hard taking photos with a camera you are not used to.  These are NOT being shown to you as great photos.  These are being shown to you to show you how silly my girls are.

So this was right before Dad's camera died, but the girls were being more goofy than photo shooty (is that a word?).  Right after this shot I told them to channel their inner model, to feel it, feel the wind blowing through their hair.  The response?

Oi!  Goofy girls.  At least one of them held her composure.  Well until this was snapped anyway.  Such a fun day.  Photos didn't quite turn out that day, but there is always tomorrow!

Week 35 of 52

Location:  Mecosta, MI

Subject:  Goofballs

And the Bookmarks

Do you read?  There is a lot of reading that goes on in this house.  A lot!  Cameron keeps asking me if I want a Kindle.  My answer?  Nope.  I love the feel of a book, the smell of a book, the turning of the pages... yep, I guess I am a nerd.  I remember when I was younger and got my little fingers on some actual cash.  I would head to the Hallmark store and spend it on bookmarks.  Loved them.  So now, I am making them for others to enjoy.  Say booo to technology and yes to a good book.

So the first batch of bookmarks are complete.  Many lessons learned so the next batch should be even better.  And I am thinking I like the short, wide ones better than the more traditional size.

Then again, I kinda like this standard width but shorter size.

Product Photos and a New Model

Well, not new really.  I have known here for what 14 years - YIKES!

A couple of the new necklaces I made did not photograph well on their own.  And since I have seen suggestions that some like to see the "merchandise" modeled on a live human being, I asked A. to help me out today.

Please pardon the interruption for some random ramblings gushings, from an in awe Mom.  You see, I am not sure when this happened.  But it has been slowly happening for some time now.  I even mentioned this to Rachel the other day.  But somehow this gorgeous creature that came into my life a little over 14 years ago:

Has turned into this gorgeous creature today:

Not sure I like this at all.  Scratch that - I DON'T like it at all.  Why can't they just stay little?  Like for FOREVER!  Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled blog.

So here are the latest necklaces being modeled by A.  They have not been posted to my shop yet because I can't decide if these photos are what I want to use yet.

So there they are - what do you think?

For Dad - The Gravesite Has Been Exhumed!

Before you all freak out and wonder what has gotten into my crazy head, let me explain.  As mentioned before, the previous owner grew and sold flowers.  So there were lots of flower beds around here.  Some were taken out to make way for the garden, some to make way for the pole barn, and some are begging to be redone but that is a project for next year.  This one out front though, is well, hmmm, an eyesore of sorts.  The flowers in it were not bad, more day lillies and some interesting ones smattered throughout, but its shape more than anything is what we didn't like.  It was a big long rectangle out in the front, covered with flowers.  Therefore, it has been known as "The Gravesite" since we arrived.

So before the snow arrives, we set to work removing it.

Cameron brought up the trailer before he left to go chop wood with Z.  J was our hauler after that.  Then us girls got to work filling the trailer with the lovely broken up concrete that served as the border.  Why someone thought it was attractive in the first place is beyond my comprehension.

When we finally were rid of all the ugly concrete we started saving the nice dark soil that filled the flower bed.  We discovered that there wasn't quite as much as we thought.  Buried in the soil were logs.  Hmmm, go figure.  I am sure there is probably a logical explanation.  But it made a somewhat easy job that much harder.  The lillies that were growing in there had penetrated all that wood.  So we couldn't just grab the logs out, we had to chop away at the roots until they let go of the logs.

So now, the gravesite is no more.  Just a bare patch of ground as a reminder.  Hopefully next year it won't take too long for it to be overgrown with grass.

I apologize for the blurriness of this photo.  Not sure what was going on with the camera or the operator but something wasn't jiving.  We were showing off our dirty hands as proof of our hard work.  Notice Z is NOT showing his hands :o)  And another youngster, who shall remain nameless, was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, and a comment was made towards the end of this whole event that it was still pure snow white.  A few quick minutes later it was not.  When Dad asked what happened to the shirt the reply was "Mom said it was still white so I wiped my hands across it to make it dirty".  MmmmHmmm, not sure THAT was the point I was trying to make.

Big pile of leaves is next on the cleanup list, if it ever stops raining that is.  Any volunteers?

Winter Must Be Close

Must be because my snowbird parents have flown south.  Mom and Dad left in the wee hours of the morning yesterday.  With a truck so loaded down one would think they were not ever coming back.  To see them go was sad, but we know they will be back.  The house seems so quiet today without them here.

But winter is for sure coming.  Days are getting shorter and colder.  So many things to get done before the cold really sets in.  We plan on making the dogs a little more comfortable this year.  We have to make sure the snow plow is up and running, get the wood furnace installed and operational, clean out the garage so both vehicles fit so I don't have to scrape windows every time I want to go somewhere, and the list goes on and on.

So with all that list to do one would think I would get busy on one of those items.  Instead I have been busy on new jewelry and new bookmarks (coming soon to an etsy shop near you).  Much more fun than actual work for sure!

This weekend was busy too.  Last minute things to go with Mom and Dad, and Sunday was football.  Not watching, playing.  There was a pretty good size group met up to play football.  The brothers played, the sisters visited, the kids played on the playground.  Tons of fun and met some new people from a different congregation.

When we arrived home Dad led us into the living room to examine the fireplace.  I thought something had gone wrong but inside was this little guy.

Thankfully he went outside without protest and without flying all around the house!

Sunday night ended blissfully with the ordering of a replacement lens for me!  YEAY!!!!  It will be like being reunited with an old friend.  I can't wait for it to get here!

UPDATE:  Mom and Dad made it safe and sound to Arizona.  But sadly they forgot to take some very important little packages so (insert big dramatic sigh) I guess that means I will have to drive down there to deliver them myself.  What do you say my Tucson peeps?  Should I come?

Photo of the Week - Week 34 - Hunter Hayes

Week 34 of 52

Location:  Grandville, MI
Subject:  Hunter Hayes

So if you will remember back in July I went with the girlies to a Taylor Swift concert in Grand Rapids.  It really was fun and they had a blast.  Well . . . one of the opening performances was by the young gentleman seen in the photograph above.  Hunter Hayes.  Since that fateful day in July I have heard at least one of his songs on a daily basis and hear a string of facts daily by Miss A.

Then she announced that he was holding his own concert and wanted to go and would spend her babysitting money on tickets.  Tickets were cheap enough and the venue small so, off Rachel and I went with A. and her buddy L.

The concert place was pretty small which was nice because as A. and L. stood in the crowd up front Rachel and I could sit at the tables in the back and still keep an eye on them.  A. made those cute little #1 fingers so we would watch for them to pop up and know exactly where they were.

After the concert Hunter Hayes announced that he would do a meet and greet and stay until everyone in line got to meet him.  Uh Oh!  Yep, we spent more time waiting for the girls to get through the line than we did for the concert itself.  As the girls were waiting in that line, his band members came out and were meeting people on the opposite side of the room.  I did something I have never, ever done before.  I grabbed two of A.'s #1 fingers and took them over for the band members to sign.  I shocked even myself but A. didn't seem too surprised.  They all asked where the #1 fingers came from and seemed impressed that A. had made them.

Then they finally made it up to see Hunter himself and he was equally impressed with the #1 fingers and said they were awesome, which of course only caused more swooning from the girls.  The designated employee snapped the photo above and the girls walked away limp with the biggest smiles.

The only sad part of the night was sitting at the table in the back realizing that I am now an old Mom waiting at the back of the room while my teenager (YIKES!!!!) is up with her friends.  I consoled myself with the fact that at least I am an old mother who takes her daughter to concerts, and the fact that I have an awesome sister who goes and sits with me.

Photo of the Week - Week 33 - Does

This past week we have opened the front door a few days and discovered deer across the road.  They are munching on the fallen apples.  The other day it was a big buck and a lady friend.  This day it was these two sweet little does.

We tried to be as quiet as we could but they hear everything. 

Week 33 of 52

Location:  Mecosta, MI
Subject:  Apple Munching Does