A glimpse...

Right now...

• it's 37˚ outside but sunny. A bit of a brisk day but I'll take it. There's not snow.
• Owen is playing and pretending with his R2D2 robot he got in his lunch today at Donald's.
• Lentils and brown rice are simmering on the stove for dinner. Which will be paired with broccoli.
  
• I'm wearing jeans. Which I stared doing after I found a perfect pair. These are not "the perfect" ones, but still comfy. It's a step away from my standard black with a stretch waist.
  
• I'm looking forward to Bingo Night with some mama girlfriends. We have some drinks (me-diet coke with a lime) chat about life, and play bingo.
  
• today we bought seeds to grow in the garden. 2 kinds of pumpkins. I'm sure Morgan will be thrilled. 2 kinds to find room for.
  
• planning for new carpet in the breezeway. I found samples today at Home Depot.
• after I'm done writing I am putting new knobs on Owen's closet doors. Hopefully these will stay on.
  
• thinking about losing weight. I think about it a lot. I don't do much about it. But I'm thinking about doing something about it. It's a start.
  
• wondering how the dog got back in the house because I don't recall letting him in. But maybe I didn't let him out when we got home.
  
• wondering if it's normal to have so much memory loss at 36.
  

Now for the door knobs.

Inspiring...

There is something fantastically inspiring about the work of Tim Burton. I am really looking forward to seeing his interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. It has been one of my favorite stories since I was a child.

I love the bright but antiqued feel of the characters. The attention to detail in the costumes and set. And the dry and dark humor that always exists in his films. Hopefully it will be a winner at the Oscars next year!

A little right now randomness...

I am trying to decide on a photograph to exhibit at an art crawl that my mom's company is hosting. There isn't a space limit really but I don't want to print a ton of pictures or frame a ton. So I've been trying to narrow it down. And then decide on what size to print and how to mount or frame them. Sheesh! I took a little poll on facebook (of the ones below) and basically came up with the dandelion or the leaf. And I think I'm going to do a standout mount on foam board. My finisher is having a sale starting tomorrow so I can save some money on the mounting and go without a frame! I think the dandelion will look real nice at 16x24 or so.

Owen had botox in his calf muscle last week. Now we have intense PT appointments for the next 9 weeks to develop the strength in that muscle. Since this is his first round at the botox the dr. used a fairly low dose to see how it worked for Owen. The appointment went well and the physical therapist was happy with the increased range of motion he had today.

Our day was fairly busy today. PT in the am, lunch with Mimi. A little shopping with Mimi and Naunee and then a haircut. To my amazement I found a pair of jeans that seem to fit me perfectly. Not too tight or too loose in the waist and they are the right length. Which is the most amazing part. It seems I need petite-short jeans. Which I didn't even know they made! And I say "seem" to fit perfectly because jeans can change after they've been on for a bit. We'll see how they work. Oh, and the best part is they were on clearance for $7.00. That's better than thrift store prices!!! After our shopping I took Owen for a haircut. Amazingly he sat still and made polite conversation with the stylist and got a nice haircut. I was very impressed. When I cut Owen's hair it's a disaster. He will not hold still for me for anything. And I've tried all forms of bribery! And now we are enduring the "witching hours" from 4-6pm. When a boy who doesn't nap anymore, but could use a nap, can go from pleasant and calm to a complete meltdown in a matter of seconds and for any reason. And I can be just plain witchy if there is meltdown behavior! So we try to do things that are low stress and are the least likely to cause a meltdown or any crying (for either of us!)

We are anxiously awaiting spring. Hoping for no more snow. And a slow thaw. Parts of MN are susceptible for serious flooding and that is never good. Fortunately we are not in one of those areas. But we do live by a lake so I get a little worried about it. However, we had so little precipitation last summer and fall that the lake was very low. Hopefully the snowfall we've had will fill it back up!

Roses...

For Valentine's Day Morgan gave me roses. Actually, a couple days before. But it counts. I didn't ask how much he paid. Hopefully not a lot. I hate that "hey, let's mark flowers up for V-day" thing. It's wrong. But the flowers are beautiful and have lasted quite nicely. After yesterdays short lived photo shoot I decided to practice on the flowers. Which have nothing in common with the moving subject I try to practice with! (If you click on the images you can view them bigger. Which is even better!)

This last shot was a happy accident. I had my exposure set wrong for my aperture and got this really over exposed shot but I liked how it turned out anyway.

Red roses are a tricky flower for me to photograph. Red is not a color that my camera easily reproduces. It generally turns out too orange. I end up tweaking the colors in PSE to get them right. Which is something I struggle with. Not the task of fixing but having to do it. I want all my work to be good straight out of the camera. But I think in reality that's not going to happen. Camera sensors aren't as sensitive as the human eye and lighting is rarely perfect. So the chances of things being the way I actually see them is not always high. So thank goodness for Photoshop!

As some of you know I dabble in other arts and crafts. Scrapbooking, knitting, collage art, sewing, jewelry making and have in my life painted, potted and blown glass. I like to use my hands to make stuff!!! But it wasn't until photography that I found my artistic voice. I was talking about this with a friend not too long ago and started thinking more about it. I've always loved photography but didn't really explore it as an art form until we got a digital camera. ***(below thought goes here)***And the main reason is I didn't want to invest so much money in trial and error and the learning curve. Film and the dark room. Rarely do I do things (arts and crafts wise) on a small scale. I didn't have the time or the access to take photography classes in college so it was just not something I ever pursued. Which is the beauty of digital photography. It is so much more accessible now. Which some people find positive and others find appalling. When I start something I like to learn all about it and while the learning curve has been at times frustrating and confusing it has also been very accessible. There are tons of books to learn from, great websites, many of which are filled with lots of knowledgeable people who are willing to answer questions, provide critique and technical support when necessary. Everything I've learned about photography I've learned from practice, trial and error and exploration. It is counter to how I would prefer to do things (I'd rather go back to school in the comfort of a classroom with a trained professional!) but it has forced me to be resourceful and creative and I've gained so much more because of that.

***EDITED*** (To include the part I was really going to write about before I started rambling!)
So my artistic voice. Oh yeah, that, which is what I was going to write about before I got distracted by my own rambling. (And now I'm distracted by how loud the keyboard is at 12:45am!) In any art that I have explored/pursued I strove for perfection. Art+perfectionism=not good. I could never quite get whatever I was creating to look like what I saw in my mind's eye. And I couldn't accept the end product. In high school I used to paint but I stopped because I just couldn't get it right and I would mess with a painting until it was indeed an actual mess. (Which some would consider art). But photography is different. I can photograph what I "see". And I LOVE that. Really love it. And if I don't get what I see in the image I do it again. And again. And sometimes 200 agains. And I am not wasting film or chemicals or paper or even digital space. And after I photograph what I see, I can play with it in Photoshop and make it something else. Or add some text. Or crop it or blow it up. Photography is creating art as perfectly as I can. And because I have that outlet for my perfectionism I can accept less than perfect in my other arts and crafts. Although, the flaw in one of the wash clothes I knitted still bothers me when I take a bath. Seriously people, I have issues!

Practice...

As a photographer I am continually trying to hone my skills. But to do that I need subjects. And it's not always easy to find willing ones. I tried to recruit, okay bribe, Owen to help me out today. But as you can see he wasn't that willing.

And while the picture isn't bad, technically it's a good picture, I know it's not HIS best work! He was a very unwilling subject despite my promises of candy. And I am not as patient with him as I am with other people's children. For example, I would not say to a client's child, "just look out the window and hold still!" And I wouldn't allow a clients child to play with their Buzz doll the entire time either. Or yell, "MAMA!!! I'm just trying to pew here!!" We don't work well together.

So I resorted to subjects that are a lot easier to control. Thank you Woody and Buzz you were great! I will get you some really nice candy the next time I'm at the store!! Just don't give any to that uncooperative child you play with.

Frosty morning...

Saturday we woke to beautiful sparkly snow that only happens a few times in the winter. The trees and bushes and fences were all covered with it. Owen and I traipsed around the yard for almost an hour taking pictures. Here are a few of the images I captured.

I am a little bit obsessed with snowflakes. Images of them anyway. I love the work of Wilson Bentley. Although I'm not as obsessed as he was. And I like to capture them in a natural environment rather than individual flakes.

After I was done taking pictures of the snow he let me chase him around and take pictures of him. He usually holds still for about 2 and then it's a crap shoot as to whether I'll get anymore. Although it's blurry, the last one was my favorite.

Bathroom art...

Recently we repainted the bathroom. Here is a picture of it, sans decor.

You can't really tell in the picture but the paint color is not white. It's called rose dust. It has a subtle pink tint to it. White was just to stark next to the beautiful pink tiles. (Yes, that's sarcasm you detect). The wall with the mirror (where it's lower and indented) and the ceiling of the shower used to be a burgundy like the accent tiles. The rest of the walls were white with flowers painted on them. At first I liked the flowers. There was a bathmat that matched them. But I bleached the bathmat and the flowers did fare so well. And then it just got old. We had intended to remodel it completely this previous spring/summer but because we lost so much value in our house we couldn't take the money out to do it. We decided to make due with paint.

Now on to the redecorating. I found the hearts shower curtain at Target for a good price, and while it's not what I was originally intending it brought a little more brightness into the room (especially in January). Now I'm working on art for the walls. Really just one wall. The space above the toilet. I bought 5 Ribba frames at Ikea last week and am working on things to fill them with. I have paper taped to the wall so I can get an idea of how I want them arranged. I have three 6" square frames and two 9" square ones. So far I have one little piece finished.

Here it is. I cut out progressively smaller flowers with my cricut using glamma vellum paper.

Then I stacked them up, adhering them to each other with a pop dot. And then I added a little bling in the middle.

Now only 4 more frames to fill!

Love songs...

What is your favorite? This was the subject of a post on Cathy Z's blog the other day. And incidentally she and I have the same favorite. And since it's Valentine's Day soon, I thought I'd share it with you.



And the lyrics to the song.

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

And in a white sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I wasn't a Ben Folds fan until after I met Morgan. He has quite a varied taste in music and it includes Ben Folds. I love this song because it's simple and beautiful. Both in the lyrics and the musical composition. If you aren't familiar with his music I would highly recommend checking him out. And as I mentioned he did the music for Over the Hedge. Which we watched again today!

One word...

I stole this from Rachel's blog.

Your Cell Phone? Pink

Your Hair? Red

Your Mother? Strong

Your Father? Gone

Your Favorite Food? Sugared

Your Dream Last Night? Weird

Your Favorite Drink? DC

Your Dream/Goal? Artist

What Room Are You In? Study

Your Hobby? Creative

Your Fear? Death

Where Do You See Yourself In 6 Years? Older

Where Were You Last Night? Home

Something That You Aren't? Tall

Muffins? Bran

Wish List Item? Technology

Where Did You Grow Up? Minnesota

Last Thing You Did? Read

What Are You Wearing? Clothes

Your TV? Tube

Your Pets? Dog

Friends? Good

Your Life? Busy

Your Mood? Fine

Missing Someone? Yes

Vehicle? Betty

Something You Aren't Wearing? Earrings

Your Favorite Store? Target

Your Favorite Color? Green

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Tonight

Last Time You Cried? Friday

Your Best Friend? Morgan

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Bathroom

Facebook? Yes

Favorite Place To Eat? Table

Let me know if you play with us!!

Obsessions...

Well, maybe when you are 3 1/2 doing something over and over isn't called an obsession. It's just repetition and comfort? And anyone who has or has had small children will understand this. Owen LOVES to watch movies over and over. For awhile he would watch the same one day after day after day. And other times he would mix them up. But one of his most favorites, and the one he's watching right now, is Over the Hedge.

I really couldn't tell you how many times he's seen this movie! It's quite a few. And I don't watch it every time he does but I've seen it a whole lot of times too! And as far as animated movies go, it's one of my favorites. Being a Dreamworks production means it is top notch. But being filled with the music of Ben Folds is a huge help! If you've not seen it, I would highly recommend it. Unless you are easily offended by humor about suburbia. Then don't.

Beautiful baby fingers & toes...

Is there anything more beautiful than baby toes and fingers?? Okay, maybe all the beautiful squishy rolls of babiness (but I'm only posting fingers and toes today).

I had the pleasure of photographing one of our ECFE friend's new baby. She is a little darling. Here are some fingers and toes.

About love...

"Love is the one treasure that multiplies by division. It is the one gift that grows bigger the more you take from it. It is the one business in which it pays to be an absolute spendthrift. You can give it away, throw it away, empty your pockets, shake the basket, turn the glass upside down, and tomorrow you will have more than ever. "

-Author Unknown

A surprise...

This morning while checking my e-mail I had a message from Bonnie Rose letting me know that I was on The Fresh Reflection blog. So of course I stopped over there to see what was going on and up pops my picture! I was a little shocked and stunned because I have no idea how the picture got there or who sent it (since I'm the only one with the actual picture.) But I decided not to freak out because I like the blog (I found it one night blog hopping) and I like the idea behind it. And I like the picture. It was taken by my friend Lisa for my website. And to whoever sent it in, thank you, that was very kind of you.

A new project...

I have been pondering a new project for 2010. Well, that's not entirely accurate. I haven't been pondering a specific idea but rather the idea to have a project for 2010. And I was at a loss. I don't like the pressure of 365 days of photos. Until today I haven't taken any pictures yet this year. Very uncharacteristic of me. I wasn't sure I wanted it to be photo, craft or both related. Or if it should include some goals. I have enough goals though. Eventually it just moved to the back room of my mind and I hadn't been giving it much thought at all lately.

However, today while we were baking chocolate chip cookies, and I was compelled to get out my camera and photograph my beautiful creation, it came to me!!

This year I'm going to amass a collection of images representing love. And now you may be wondering "hmm, what would that look like?". And that's just it. I don't know. Hence the idea. today it was the chocolate chip cookies. I love them. They turned out perfect. I loved the time Owen and I spent making them together. I love eating them. We put love into them while we were baking them.

Some people may disagree with me and say you can't love *things*. And I'm fine with that. Disagree all you want. I don't care. Love IS an expression. I get that. And I can see that. And hopefully I will photograph it. But love is also how you feel inside. When you eat that warm gooey chocolate chip cookie (that maybe someone who loves you made). When you slip your feet into your most comfortable pair of shoes (that you loved yourself enough to splurge on).

My point is, love really IS all around us. (Thank you Love Actually, I love you too!) And this year I want to make a point of capturing it and documenting it and showing it to others. Our world needs more images of love. It's rather intangible at times and I think if people can see it then maybe they can feel it more.

For today, here are the cookies. LOVE THEM!

Random...

So it would seem that over the last six or more months I've been neglecting my blog. People stop by but no one is home. (As evidenced by my lack of posts!) However, I am not really neglecting my blog, I just don't seem to have a lot to say. Or I say it in short bursts on FB. My BIL commented one day that his updates page is mostly updates from me. Maybe he'll figure out how to block me from his updates page and won't be inundated with my thoughts every time he signs on to FB!

My life isn't really all that interesting. Which means not much to write about. And then there's my notorious short attention span. When I think of something I want to write about it's frequently in the wee hours of the night/morning and I may narrate in my head but don't want to get out of bed and turn on the computer because if I do I most certainly will not fall asleep. And I know this because I used to do it and I didn't get back to sleep. Now that O isn't napping much anymore I can't do that. If I do I am worthless during the day. And that isn't a good thing with an energetic 3 1/2 year old terrorizing the house. Which brings me to another distraction from blog writing. Owen won't let me be at the computer for very long without climbing into my lap and wanting to see something or type too. He loves to type messages to people. Of course I need to start the message so that people know what's going on when they get it. And he loves getting the messages back from people!!

More and more I find myself wanting to write about things that are a little on the sad or depressing side too. Long winded posts about Nikki and how much I miss her. Soap box posts about insurance (health, home and auto) and how I hate it. The solitary nature of being a SAHM of an only in the winter. The ebb and flow of my creativity. (It's currently more on the ebb side, in case you were wondering.)

BUT I don't like that I am not writing here. I like to share andI like to read what other people are writing about.

So for today, a little glimpse at somethings I'm missing and that I'm grateful for.

Right now I miss:

• Nikki. Life isn't the same without her. And it won't be. And I have a hard time with that. And so do a lot of other people. The saying, "finding a new normal" is so true.
  
• Having grandparents. We had lunch with our school friends today and one of the kids great-grandma was there. It was so fun to have her with us. And I realized how much I miss my own grandparents and the older women I had gotten to know at our previous church.
  
• Warm weather. We had rain today. Yes, rain in MN in January when it was 30˚. I don't know how that happens but it did. And it was yucky! The snow is dirty. My car is filthy! And the sky is gray, gray, gray! The only good part has been the ice skating.
  
• A good nights sleep!
  

Right now I'm grateful for:

• My friends. I am blessed to have some really great mom friends to spend time with. Who also share my hobbies and interests. And great non-mom friends too. That remind me that I am more than a mom. I am still Heather.
  
• A good husband. Sometimes it seems like a good man is rare. So I'm glad to have one.
  
• Owen. I am really enjoying his 3 1/2 ness. He is so curious about so many things. And he's so fun and silly. And says some really goofy silly things. Yesterday he was sitting on the floor in the kitchen talking (to me or just himself I'm not sure) and he said, "when I throw up on the floor, I go to the doctor and have a check-up. Then I go home and sleep." I think this came out of him remembering when Ludwig threw up one day. And incidentally we don't take him to the doctor when he throws up. Because when he throws up it's because he's worked himself into a tizzy and just throws up.
  
• My home and all the other creature comforts we have that so many people don't have. There are lots of *things* I think I'd like to have but in the grand scheme of life, we really have all we need.
  

Happy New Year!!!

We had a rather uneventful New Year's Eve. We had a nice dinner of Runza's imported from Nebraska (I KNOW that's not the correct use of the term import) courtesy of my BIL. We played one of Owen's new games (Cariboo) and then it was bedtime for O. We crashed shortly thereafter.

Today I sorted through, archived, and deleted photos from the computer and now have a blank iPhoto program to start the new year with. I love that. Owen and I baked brownies in The Perfect Brownie pan that we got for Christmas. I'm planning to tidy up my craft room since it is a disaster area from creating and wrapping during the holiday season.

Every January I am over come with the urge to purge, clean and reorganize all areas of our home. This year I think I am going to make a list and tackle it a little bit at a time week by week. It may take an entire day for me to tackle the mail basket and file cabinet. More than anything I abhor paper clutter. Newspapers, magazines, mail, recipe print-outs, receipts. I'm fairly good at organizing things and keeping track of stuff but the paper things just seem to get out of control. Insurance papers and investment statements and all that stuff that needs to be filed. I cram it into a basket planning to do something with it later and then the basket gets too full! So that is on my t0-do list for January. Our file cabinet needs a good purging too.

I've also been busy purging old toys and clothes. Owen's closet is full to the brim with all his clothes from the last 3 1/2 years. I either need to find a new system/place to put them OR they need to go.

I'm trying to subscribe to the motto that we don't have anything in the house that isn't purposeful or beautiful. Which can be hard to do!

And now I'm off the do more cleaning, purging, and sorting! Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

Six days until Christmas...

5 until Christmas Eve. Owen is beyond excited! But he is very patient too. Probably because he's been waiting so long that he's just forgotten about asking about it. He began asking questions after Thanksgiving when the neighbors started putting holiday lights in their yards. He wanted to know why, "we don't have any Christmas". We don't put lights in the yard so he thought we weren't having Christmas.

Morgan likes to take the decorating slowly so we didn't put the tree up until last weekend. I had started with other decorations the previous couple of weeks though. It would be easier for me to do it myself but we keep all the decorations in the attic and that is not a place that is easily accessible for me!

Here is our tree after getting ornaments on Monday night.

And one of my favorite glass ornaments. We are mostly finished with our gift shopping. Just a thing or two left. Morgan made two loaves of Stollen today and they are baking in the oven right now. I have some baking to do also but probably won't start on that until Morgan gets the kitchen back in order from the Stollen!

I was wrapping gifts today and Owen was working in my craft room with me. He loves to "work" in there. Which mostly means cutting up paper or using my punches. Today I got out my old fiskars trimmer for him to use. He was having a grand time cutting paper. Then he made a present for my friend Maggie. More cutting of paper and lots of tape.

Morgan is on vacation until after Christmas. Should be interesting having him around the house during the day. We haven't been home together like this since before we bought the house. When he takes vacation we usually go somewhere. But he has a lot of time to use up or he would lose it. Should be interesting!

Hello December...

I can't believe it's already December. This year has flown by. I'm always amazed at how the passage of time seems so much faster as an adult than it did as a child.

Owen is already excited about Christmas. He sees all the lights in people's yards at night and asks why we aren't having Christmas. We've been busy trying to explain how the lights are just one way that people get ready for Christmas and prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Part of getting ready for Christmas is celebrating Advent. Morgan is big on Advent. He doesn't like to rush into Christmas. And to be honest, neither do I. I guess it's just another way to make things last longer or enjoy it more. We have an Advent activity calendar that I made last year that has tags with activities on it for us to do everyday. Not anything huge and spectacular. Sometimes just little things. We also have an Advent calendar from Trader Joe's that Owen can open a little door on and there is a piece of candy inside. Fortunately the candy pieces are quite small so I won't have to feel bad if he eats it in the morning sometimes!

We also set up a Nativity set each year. This year while I was looking for the Lego Advent Calendar at Target (which they were out of) I found this great Playmobil Nativity Set.

We got it out today and put it together. Owen LOVES it! We set it up in his room on his dresser where he can see it and play with it. It came with a small book with the Christmas Story in it. Owen keeps calling the wise men soldiers and Morgan likes to call them wise guys.

I'm going to attempt to do a little Daily December journal this time around. I've attempted the last two years and even made a couple little journals but never got them finished. This year I haven't put anything together yet so maybe not planning it will help me accomplish something!

Thursday Thunks 10/22...

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by

Kimber, the number 70, and the color mellow.

1. If you were to start a meme (or a second or third), what would you call it and what day would you pick? I would pick Wednesday and I would call it time wasters for Wednesday.

2. When a celebrity endorses a product, do you really believe they like it/use it? Depends on the celebrity. But most of the time no, not really.

3. Why don't zombies ever just eat each other? I don't know and where did Zombies come from anyway!?

4. If you were an elephant, would you rather roam free or be in a zoo? I think I would rather roam free as God intended.

5. The doorbell rings on October 31st, do you answer it? Only after dinner and before bed time. After that, no. Unless it's the police and they've announced themselves.

6. If you see a piece of paper on the ground while out & about, do you pick it up? Probably. If there is a trash can near by. And it's not super dirty and gross. I hate litter and try to pick it up if I can. If so, do you look to see what it is? Sometimes.

7. If Jon Gosselin and Octomom got married and then their own reality show, do you think she would try to get pregnant again for better ratings? I think she'd try to get pregnant again if the opportunity presented itself even if Jon Gosselin weren't involved. That woman scares me.

8. If Thursday Thunks was to be put on hold or quit completely, would you be sad? Yes. Why, is this leading up to something? Are the Thursday Thunkers thunked out?