Building the Wall

Why is it so difficult to fill frames with photos? It's not easy selecting images to stare at for days on end. And I know there are photos yet to be taken I will want to add. But I like where we are headed. Now, getting to our bedroom is another story. It's the room that bugs me the most. It's the room that needs the most. ugh.

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

The Grad Party

Let's party every weekend. No, really. And I'm kind of excited for teenagers. No, really.



Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

The Good Report

1. L played at the neighbor's while I ran a bunch of errands. It's so much easier with just M.

2. A nice email from a friend. Relationships are important. I believe they are THE most important. I'm working on some.

3. This week L stayed in her bed more nights than she slept on our floor. So many nights of uninterrupted sleep this week! This is a gift from above. So grateful.

4. The sun. Glorious sun!

5. Dumped an entire batch of salsa all over the fridge and kitchen floor, but the hubs did all the cleaning up for me.

6. The hubs sold one of his motorcycles.

7. I scored much needed summer tees for the girls at Old Navy's extra 50% off clearance.

8. My sister gave us a bunch of firewood. (Holy smokes what was I thinking about getting a fire pit? the price of firewood is ree-dick-you-luss!)

9. My sister took L for an afternoon. (running around her kid packed neighborhood).

10. Bria brought L back to us later that day.

11. Which meant the hubs and I also went on a date.

12. I love meals other people cook for me.

13. Margarita pizza and steak pasta in rosa sauce = one of THE BEST meals I've ever eaten. The steak was incredible.

14. I even got a second pizza to eat for lunch the following day.

15. A long weekend.

16. Campfire with the f8 group.

Penne A la Betsy

Um, this is a big yes. So good. I substituted lump crab meat from Costco (instead of shrimp). I like, I like, I like.

The summer I dream about

Goes like this.....

Take full advantage of the ice cream maker.
Lots and lots of skirts (must get to sewing)
Weekends at the pool as a family
Fresh basil on my back deck
Summer nights around the fire pit
String lights
Washed out hair (I'm not coloring all summer)
Camping with friends
Say no to schedules and our routine
Embrace produce as a meal (not a problem!)
Increase my collection of rockin' salads
The girls and I meeting up with Jeff at the park
Morning workouts with Jillian
Brightly colored toenails

Don't wait

“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and somthing else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”
- Chuck Close

Class of 2011

Waiter

Words cannot describe how much I love these images.


I don't photograph people smiling that often. (Even with my own girls it's kind of rare), but I like this one of him.

{behind the French Cafe}

Omaha, NE

May 2011

I am working on a personal challenge. Photographing strangers. I just kind of want a collection of faces. I see interesting people all the time and I'm forcing myself to photograph them. I like people, but sometimes my shyness rears it's ugly head. I hate that part of myself. I'm forcing myself not to let that be a reason I didn't take a picture. It's happened a million times.

Annie said it best:

"When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I'd like to know them".

P.S. I'll say it again: I wish I had more time to explore the Old Market.

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

Hannah

I could photograph her all day. She is unafraid of the camera. I love that! Oh, how I wish we had more time. Argh, I want so much more time. We walked a mere one and half blocks through the Old Market. Not enough. Here's hoping she visits us this summer.

{the site of our fab graduation meal}

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

Winter Quarters Temple

side note: I'm into vignetting (a weekly challenge) these days. You'll see it in the next few posts too.

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

Bark

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

Jet plane {sunset}

ew, that parallax. So much better if I hadn't caught the corner of the window.

grr...

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

Looking up

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

We all want it

Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I really need it.

-Swedish Proverb

{pinterest}

The Good Report

1. The sun finally came out for the weekend.

2. Pizza on the grill. Yum.

3. hanging outside with the neighbors. Yes, please.

4. Jeff and I never got that nasty stomach bug the girls had. Oh please let us continue to be spared.

Hope to have some trip pics to post this week....

Easy, breezy {summer inspiration}

Old Navy

Lands End Canvas

(it's about time I get myself some white jeans)

Lands End Canvas

Why your work disappoints....

{pinterest}

Wow. This resonates. Although I think my photographs are better than they've ever been, I'm not quite satisfied. (I cringe at many of last year's snaps). I always feel like I'm on the verge of something even better than what I'm doing. Interesting thoughts.....

Make art

Don't think about making art, just get it done.

Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad,

whether they love it or hate it.

While they are deciding, make even more art.

Andy Warhol

{pinterest}

The List

from Sharon's pinterest.

Busted

The little climber is killing me. She made a huge mess while sneaking blueberry muffins.

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z

The Good Report

1. Watched Objectified. Very interesting.

2. Got a few new clothing items. (our entire family is in desperate need of summer clothes)

3. Got to shop for that clothing ALONE.

4. Wow, my tastes are changing. Chalk me up to the super casual, but "there's NO WAY I just rolled out of bed" vibe.

5. Flats are my best friend. Especially on sale.

my faves:

here super comfy

here super pretty

here wore all day running errands including long grocery store trip without them hurting.

6. Whitened my teeth again after years (due to babies) and experienced no sensitivity. I'm shocked.

7. Beautiful sunset from airplane window.

8. My bag didn't make it on the right flight, but came just a couple hours later.

9. And I got a $150 voucher for it.

10. Went to the Winter Quarter's Temple with my parents and sis. It's been years. Beautiful.

11. Omaha's Forever 21 had my $10 skinny jeans in stock. Woot, woot!

12. Roaming the Old Market with my niece (and my camera). Followed by a great dinner with family.

13. 3 AM chat with high school pals I haven't seen in years.

14. So excited about some photos I did on the trip.

15. Being there for life moments makes me really happy.

16. I rocked a high school graduation with my camera.

17. Hanging out with teenagers is a blast. And makes me feel young again.

18. Late night laughter is the best.

19. Hanging out with my sister (minus kids) was a luxury.

20. The hubs taking care of it all (our puking L) while I was gone.

21. It was all well worth the trip coma I am now experiencing.

Homemade three muskateers. What??? That's amazing.

Partay! with some ruffled streamers. Cute.

Living with Less

I wonder what my girls will say.....

Matters of the heart

"There are thoughts which are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees."

- Victor Hugo

via Annie

Pink toes

I love it when M passes out cold in her crib. Legs in between the bars represents total surrender to the nap.

And P.S. she loves having her toes painted.

And now....I fly off to Nebraska for my niece's graduation.

By myself.

Oh yeah!!

Take me to the great wide open.

The Look

I want to look easy breezy all summer long

Old Navy

What is Art?

If you look at art, you're touched by something.

It can change your life because in that moment it moves you, you have an emotion.

Hella Jongerius

designer, Rotterdam

{from Objectified}

Flora

my favorite time of year

Mamiya C220, Fuji 800Z