Have some superfruit...

blue

I made blueberry muffins this evening, and I had to take some shots of the fruit.  I'll probably have some more edits sometime soon.

I will post my 365 photos tomorrow.  I promise.  :)

Project 365 - weeks 2 & 3

As promised, here are the photos from weeks 2 and 3 of 2011.  I warn you, not all of them are great, but the idea is to force me to take a photo each day.  It is, at times, quite the struggle to find something to photograph.  I ended up taking pics of the different crafts I did the past couple weeks.  So, with out further ado...

Week 2:

1/8:  Banana bread

 It was quite yummy.  I actually made some more tonight (which is why this post is so late tonight).

1/9:  My new coffee filter wreath

 I finally got around to making myself a coffee filter wreath.  I really like it on my old window frame.

1/10:  Pom-pom "flower" centerpiece

 This was a fun and simple craft.  I just hot-glued the pom-poms to skewers and stuck them in some floral foam in the vase.  Easy peasy!!!

1/11:  Snowy magnolia buds

 I took this one the same day as the photos in this post.

1/12:  New hooks for our upstairs

 It was pointed out to my by one of my friends on FB, that this one looks like a prim lady.  Now whenever I walk by them upstairs, I can't help seeing the face...oh well.  I like having hooks there.

1/13:  A touch of pink

 A pink, Valentine's Day-ish centerpiece I made for the kitchen table.  The flowers and such are actually clearance Christmas ornaments from Jeffrey Allens.

1/14:  Love

A bit of wall art made with large chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby.  I needed something to replace the Noel sign I had had there for Christmas.

Week 3:

1/15:  A new old bulletin board

This was an old bulletin board that I found while helping to clean out my grandparent's old place.  I just painted the frame, and covered the cork with various papers and some lace.  I wish the picture had turned out better, but oh well.  I will post a better one once I have my craft room all decked out.

1/16:  Smile!!

 I had my brother's family over for dinner, and my niece, Kara, hammed it up for the camera.  Isn't she adorable?

1/17:  Button heart

 I will post a better photo of this later, when I do a post about my Valentine's Day decor.  This was a fun, easy project to do, though.

1/18:  A work in progress

 Some paper-mache hearts getting a make-over.

1/19:  Scrapbook paper on my wall

 I attached this mesh paper file to my wall and filled it with all my scrapbook paper.  Now they are easier to access, and they're a constantly changing decoration.

1/20:  Bowl fillers

 I finally finished those hearts from earlier.  I also decoupaged some dictionary pages to some styrofoam balls.

1/21:  Ingredients for bread

I made bread in the bread machine today, too.  This last one is a bit abstract, but I wanted to try out the new film filter from Hipstamatic.  I like it.

So that's it, and I got it posted with 7 minutes to spare.  It is still Friday.  Woohoo!  Have a great weekend!

Madeline's Rose

I needed to edit a photo this evening, so I searched through my my massive amount of unused photos on my hard drive to find one worth editing.  I found a photo I took of the rose I was given at my Baba's funeral.  ("Baba," by the way, is Ukrainian for grandmother, although literally it means "old woman.")

I'm not sure I want to go into all the emotions I had editing this, or the unresolved issues I have with her passing.  Maybe someday, but I'm not certain how personal I want this blog to get, at least right now.  Suffice it to say, she was very special to me and I miss her dearly.  I owe much of who I am to her influence.

So, anyways, the photo.  It's a simple one.  I did have to edit the heck out of it.  It was a horrible shot.  But, I think it turned out all right.  What do you think?

It's Friday!!!  I will post my Project 365 photos for the past two weeks later this evening.  (I forgot to blog about last week's, but I did take the photos.)

Snowy day

So, I went out and took some photos today.  It was cold...very cold.  My poor fingers nearly froze off!  (OK, so I'm being a bit hyperbolic, but still, I don't like to be cold.)

It was so pretty outside, though, I had to go out and ruin the pristine snow in our backyard.  I felt bad doing it, but it was worth it to get some photos.

This is from our magnolia.   I loved all the little flakes caught in the "hairs" of the bud.  So pretty.

A leaf filled with snow.  This is from the same magnolia.  I took way too many shots of this tree.

A couple more from the same magnolia, yet again.

I don't know what type of tree this is, but we have two of them.  They have gorgeous blooms in the spring and berries in the late summer/early fall.  They're quite pretty...I just have no idea what they are.

 

One of our pine trees.  I love the little pine cones forming on the branches.

Well, that's all for now.  Remember, though, to find beauty, often you only have to go as far as your own backyard.  :)

Rainy Day

OK, so actually, it's very snowy here.  We're supposed to get 3-5 inches by 6:00 this evening.  No, the title refers to the photo I am going to share with you (actually, I guess I'll be sharing three separate edits of the same photo...).  Maybe I'm already wishing for spring, and that's why I was inspired to work on this particular photo, yet again.  Whatever the case may be, it was a fun project to work on.

Rainy Day

This is actually the most recent edit of this photo.  I took this photo over three years ago on a photo outing with my Dad and sister.  It started to rain, and she was prepared with her cute umbrella.  I was thrilled to get the shot, it was so pretty.  Unfortunately, this was taken with my first ever digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix L6, a tiny point-and-shoot.  It was a Godsend at the time, though, since I couldn't afford anything better.  It was tons better than the little hand-me-down film camera that I had had before.  Definitely a step up.

Since it wasn't the best camera ever, the photo was a bit noisy.  Luckily, noise can be solved easily with texture!!!  It just blends right in.  (Part of the reason I love playing with textures in my photos.  It hides a lot of mistakes.)  And so, for all three versions, I have added texture of some nature.

If you are curious, here are the previous two edits of this photo:

In the rain

In the Rain, revisited

As you can see, I changed quite a lot in the third edit.  I desaturated everything, tinted the photo to a blue-green color and changed the umbrella to a red color to contrast with the background.  I added a lot more texture this time, and kind of went nuts with it.  I did a quick search for quotes about rain and found that perfect one in a couple seconds (got to love Google).  The quote, by the by, is from Rachel Carson, who I know nothing about, but she gave us at least one good quotable quote.

Anyway, that's that.  I hope you enjoyed my rambling post of repetitive photo edits.  :)  Until next time!!

One week of 2011

Hello!  Sorry I haven't posted since Christmas, but I've been relaxing a bit.  Christmas wore me out this year.  Today I took down my Christmas decor (sigh) and the house looks a bit bare without it.  The only good part about it is that I have to decorate again!  Yippee!!

So one of my New Year's Resolutions (and the only one I haven't completely blown already) is to take a photo a day for all of 2011.  I've been wanting to do it for years but have never gotten around to doing it.  My camera is a bit big and awkward to take with me everywhere.  But, my wonderful hubby got me an iPhone 4G for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!  So...I've been using the camera on it (I love it!) and have purchased Hipstamatic for it (I highly recommend this app if you have an iPhone...I'm in love with it).  So taking a photo a day has been much easier and a lot of fun.

So every Friday, after I take my photo for the day, I plan on posting all the past week's photos.  So, here is week #1:

1/1/11:  My Christmas tree

1/2:  What I did instead of taking down Christmas decor

Laundry day!!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat more fresh fruit...

Tons of birds (I know it's hard to see, but there were hundreds of them...they were quite loud, too)

Downfall of the day...

Snow flakes (taken with my actual camera, not the phone)

 Enjoy!!!

matryoshka

So, as I was taking photos of my decor, I became sidetracked by an old friend...

matryoshka

I was using her as part of my Christmas decor.  When I got to the shelf she was on, something just clicked and she (and her littler friends) got an impromptu photo shoot.

Family portrait

Littlest

I was inspired early this morning once again by the doll's cuteness and edited these guys in the wee hours of the AM.  Inspiration doesn't wait.  If I had just tried to go to sleep I would have ended up frustrating myself.  I would have kept myself awake wanting to work on these.  I'm weird.  It's not like the photos were going anywhere... 

Alright.  That's all from me!  Aren't you impressed with the volume of posts?  Two in a day!  Wow!  I may actually become a more conscientious blogger.

a midwest fairy tale

fairy tale

I took this photo near Funks Grove on a recent photo trip with my Dad. We saw a train bridge nearby and decided to go exploring.  We found this old silo hidden along the tracks and it immediately captured my imagination.  It almost seemed like a fairy tale tower...like Rapunzel had once escaped from its heights. It was a fantastic find.

I edited the picture almost right away when I got back. I really went to town on it to give it the feel I wanted. The leaves in the foreground were all green.  I wanted it to feel more like fall, so I changed them to shades of red and orange.   I added my textures, as usual, and it took a lot of playing to make it look a bit faded.  Sometimes I have a hard time finding the balance between texture and photo.  I don't want the details in the photo to be completely washed out, but at the same time I want to give it a painterly quality.  So it really ends up coming down to trial and error with these...just playing around until something works for me.

In other news, I will actually post some photos of my fall decor in the near-ish future for the my imaginary followers to admire.  I am excited to find 5 actual, factual followers now...and four of them aren't my Mom!

October

A new photo for you!  A fall photo trip took my Dad and I back to Funks Grove (the go-to place for photos) and we got close to a little vineyard there.  The lighting was amazing and I was thrilled to get some sun glare in the shot.  There will be a few glared photos coming up.

For the Grapes' Sake

I will have some more photos soon.  I am thinking about adding some of my other artistic endeavors to this blog.  I enjoy crafting and decorating as well, so maybe I will start blogging about that as well.  Maybe it will get me to post more often.

OK, this time I'm back for real!

I say that, but what if I'm wrong?  I now have a new computer and more free time than I know how to use, so I really am going to try to keep posting. We shall see...

So, with the new computer comes...PHOTOS!  Yes, I am editing again, and it's wonderful.  I love manipulating my photos to make them convey what I feel about the subject.  It's cathartic.

So, without further ado, my first two new photos to share:

small town

This was taken in the town of North Bend, Nebraska.  It would fit in with several small central Illinois towns I can think of.

old wind mill

This was also taken in Nebraska and I'm not exactly sure where.  We passed quite a few windmills that day.

Well, that's all for now, but I'll be posting some more soon!  Later!

bumble

bumble
Originally uploaded by K2D2vaca

Another new photo!! Enjoy!

I'm hoping that we are going to move the furniture out of the storage unit today. I'm just waiting for my hubbie. He takes forever to get ready and it really never shows...lol.

droplets

droplets
Originally uploaded by K2D2vaca

Please view this photo large on black. You really need to look at it large to appreciate the details in the droplets!

Our storage unit is almost empty. All we have left is the big furniture. Yea! We should be completely moved in by the end of the week.

More photos to come!

dew

dew
Originally uploaded by K2D2vaca

I took this the other morning when it was so foggy. I recommend looking at this large on black to really see the details. Look especially at the large drop on the top, right bloom. You can see the tree in it! Cool. I took a lot of shots that morning, so hopefully I'll have some more to post soon!!

On another note, we have officially finished painting, so we are all ready to move in!! Hooray!!! :)

Feasting

Feasting
Originally uploaded by K2D2vaca

New photo!! Click on the photo above to see it larger!

I have a lot of new photos to work with. I'm hoping to get to them soon. I also have a few new textures to play around with. Most of the textures used in the photo above were taken today. I'm thinking about offering my textures on Flickr for free use. What do you think?

Seeds

Seeds
Originally uploaded by K2D2vaca

My newest photo!! Enjoy!!

We didn't get any work done on the house today. I'm not feeling well right now. I'm hoping its just allergies, because then I know it won't get too much worse. My mil is just getting over a bug that started out with similar symptoms to mine. I hope that this isn't it.

So enjoy the photo of an allergen! :)

Amish

Amish children

This photo is from Arthur, IL. I saw this kids playing and thought that they were adorable. I just want to give the one in the center a big hug. So cute! This photo took me a while to edit. I had to remove some monkey bars from the foreground and a big red pickup truck in the background. Then I changed the saturation in the photo and added texture.

So to my personal life...the house is almost done! All that's left to paint are touch ups. Hooray. We'll probably spend a day or so cleaning after that and then we can move in. Finally!!! It took forever! I don't know when we will get internet access, but it may be until October. Ugh. I don't know how we'll do it. I remember a time without internet, but I can't imagine doing it again. I would not make a good Amish. I need my technology! :)

I'll try to post again before the big move. I have a couple of more photos all ready to be published. Later!

Excuses...

Summertime

Sorry I haven't posted much, yet again. My husband and I are in the process of painting and cleaning our house. It's taking much longer than expected. I am so sick of painting!!!

So, due to the fact that I have been unable to sleep all night (I tried going to bed around 7:30 last night and it's now 6:30 am...) I edited two new pictures and am now posting a new blog entry! Hooray!

So you know, I have opened an account at deviantART. There are prints for sale there, if you are interested. I'm working on getting some of my best work uploaded there and everything should be set up soonish.

OK, it's just a short post, but I thought I should say something. I will have another photo up later on!

I hate waiting...

"Wheat"

So, the inspector can't get to our house until Thursday. Which means that it'll be after that that the sale will close and we'll finally be able to start cleaning and painting. Which means that we won't be able to move in officially for another 2 weeks. I'm frustrated.

But, on the plus side, I've gotten Jon excited about looking at stuff to decorate the house. We're going to Menards this afternoon to look around just for fun.

So, while you are waiting for updates about the house, take a look at my newest photo. (I finished it last night.) I had no idea that there were wheat fields in Illinois. I had only ever seen corn, beans, hay and the occasional sunflower. I thought it was cool. Feel free to take a look at it on my Flickr site.

Until next time!!

I'm back!!

"Clover"

I know that it's been awhile, and probably no one will read this, but...I'm finally back.

It was a busy school year, and teaching took up most of my time and energy. I barely took any pictures during the winter this year. There's a huge gap in my photo timeline. Such is.

Here are the life updates since my last post:
- My brother and his wife had their baby (Kara Mae).
- I'm moving in a couple of weeks into a new (to me, at least) home.

So, I am working on some more photos, and should have more to post, soon. In the meantime, take a look at my Flickr page for my most recent shots. Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully there will be more to come soon!

This is what you get when you raise cattle next to power lines...

"two headed bovine"

Just a quick hello to the world on the internet. I am feeling a tidbit sick tonight. I woke up with a sore throat, and I am now sneezing. It's probably my own fault. I have a hard time falling asleep at night. I figured out that I may be keeping myself up late accidentally on purpose. I have so little free time right now. The only time I really get to myself is when I go to bed. My mind usually races for a long while and I will decide to get up and read or play with my computer for a while in order to have some me time. It's not on purpose, really, it just sort of happens. Not only that, but I went to part of the home football game this evening. It was drizzling, and I'm sure the damp hasn't helped with the sore throat. Such is life.

So that's all from me. The photo above was taken in the early springtime of this year. I had wanted to edit it earlier, but I had already done two other photos from the same photo trip, and I didn't want to overwhelm my Flickr page with too many similar shots at once. I absolutely love this shot. The power lines and the perfect perspective on the animals makes for a funny shot. I hope you enjoyed this tiny bit of levity! ;)

Oh, by the way, I collect cow stuff oddly enough. It's a weird story, but one for another time, I think. My favorite cow object is a clock my husband (then boyfriend) got for me in Switzerland during our band trip my senior year of high school. It has a swinging udder pendulum, and is the epitome of tacky. I love it. It was hanging in my kitchen in Ann Arbor. :) If you are interested, I have a few cow photos, and you can see them all in this Flickr set: Moo.