Trampoline Fun

Sports mode with continuous shots on my D5000 Nikon is a fun feature that I've been experimenting with lately.   We have a trampoline in our backyard since the summer and the kids love it.  They often wake up and go out in their pajamas, right after school, and anytime I say okay.  You cannot help it but get on yourself.   I can still do a flip.  Lots of giggles and a great workout for me.   They play kickball, tag, family and spy games.  The trampoline is wonderful for me because it's a like a playpen for older children.   I can see them from my kitchen window and know where they are without worry.

Rock on!

Dance like an Egyptian

Trying out cheer moves

"Mom, let's do airplane!"
Remind you of Phyllis Diller?

He's just too big to play airplane

Unique Boutique 2010...

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping and support a good cause at 2010 Unique Boutique in Norfolk for LEE'S FRIENDS: helping people live with cancer.

I will be there in person and look forward to seeing all of my old friends and customers.  It's been too long! This shopping experience is fabulous!  Jewelry, purses, silver, bows, photography, dips, artwork and more all in one awesome event to help raise money for LEE'S FRIENDS.  The ladies who put on and organize the show do an excellent job to provide you with a wonderful variety of vendors and a venue that's top notch.   

See you there!

Monday, Oct 25th 

3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct 26th

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

7400 Hampton Blvd.  (across from the Yacht Club)

Spider Necklace
 Precious Metal Clay Necklace
Black Onyx
Garnet
(my only one! I may keep this for myself)

Precious metal clay earrings
handcrafted and fired from antique button mold

Sterling silver earrings
Love this cool green cut stone

Precious metal clay
Lotus flower and princess crowns
Picasso glass beads
Celebrate your inner calm and princess at the same time

Sterling silver earrings
Red coral inspired bamboo beads

Necklaces...organic vibe

These new necklace designs are finally brought to life after rattling around in my brain for a few years.  They are organic and interesting.  Each design is one of a kind like the spots on a giraffe or bubbles drawn together. 

sterling silver
oxidized Italian chain
pearl
giraffe spots

bubbles

In editing these photos I hit a random button that made my background this vibrant blue.  The silver popped!

earrings
sterling silver

A funny story yesterday as I was making dinner.  In a serious and pleasant voice, my son (7) asked which I thought was harder being a kid and going to school all day and then coming home to do homework or being a parent?  I asked what he thought.  He said he has it harder because it does not look too hard when I fold laundry and watch TV.  Oh, he got me.  My secret is out.  I told him my job is pretty easy because he and his sister are good kids.

York River State Park ~ Mountain Biking

York River State Park.
It's easy going down on the River View Trail.
Hard going up.

Sweet cheeks.
He knows it make me happy when he lets me take his photo.
What a good son.

Bug!

At the cross trail, I stopped to take a photo.
I was stalling
because as family navigator
I was lost.
The sun sets in the West.
Glad this was not a ride at high noon.

My DSLR is no fun in the backpack, so while I rode my mountain bike
I slung it over my shoulders and took some shots in motion from the hip.
My husband warned me it was dangerous.
We both remember when I flipped over my handle bars July 4th.
Ha, I laugh at danger to get the shot...
I never really got a good shot but I'm hooked on the possibility.

York River in the evening.
North of the Coleman Bridge and Yorktown, VA.

Great views and trails.

The blur tells a story.
The story is, I'm not very good, yet.

Does that Blackberry have to go EVERYWHERE with us?
Chuck it into the river with the Revolutionary War cannons for the archeologists to find.  

Be...

Be...

Be...kind
Be...thoughtful
Be...yourself
Be...hardworking
Be...reflective
Be...real
Be...imaginative
Be...faithful
Be...funny
Be...silly
Be...true

What's your Be...?

Why I love My Digital SLR ~ Lollipop Race

This summer we had a blast at our neighborhood pool and swim team.  After a few small swim meets across the diving area, my tadpole finally got to swim in a "real" swim meet.  This meet was different.  You won large colorful lollipop if you won your heat.  My little tadpole is very food motivated (it runs in the family.)  As she sat in her pink sunburst chair waiting for her race she showed all the signs of a fierce competitor. You cannot help but notice the smirk of confidence.  Nobody was going to get that large lollipop but her.  She knew it.

I'm so glad I had my DSLR to capture this story and some great memories of our summer.

The smirk

Confidence

Focus

She got it!

And another!

This is what she rather be doing.
When swim team season started she asked me to tell
her coach that she does all of her swimming
under water.

Why I Love My Digital SLR

My family is very active in sports and having family fun.  My DSLR produces photos of my kids in their  sports that adds a layer of excitement to my memories.  By layer of excitement, I mean the details and depth the DSLR captures that my point and shoot camera did not have the capability to produce.  With my zoom lens I was able to sit in spectator section at my son's swim meet this summer and capture the details of his swimming.  The displaced water, his focus to breathe, the competitive determination in the stretch of his arms were details that I'm thankful I have in these photos.

His focus.

Water suspended in air.

 Pulling hard to win.

Defeat.

Confidence.

Fort Washington, Maryland ~ Part 2 ~ Textures and Patterns.

Fort Washington in Fort Washington, Maryland is across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon.  Recently, I posted about the fort and wanted to share some of the neat details I found through the lens of my camera.

Fort Washington, a drawbridge, wheel, green studded fortress door, and wrought iron details.

Cannons deep under the fort walls.

Wrought iron details that give me some jewelry ideas.

Old lock.  More jewelry ideas.
I buckled and used my flash.   Shame on me.
If I bumped up my ISO I may have been able to take this photo in Manual Mode.

I can form and solder sterling silver to make this pattern.
Why don't I have a window like this in my house.

Columns and pulley hole for the drawbridge.
Who knew you could find a drawbridge in the U.S.?

Who doesn't like lighthouses and old bells.
On the Potomac River.

A Gift to Brighten Your Day ~ Flowers

This Spring I could not resist these beautiful flowers that hung over my fence from my neighbor's yard.  Snip, snip.  The blue hydrangeas photographed beautifully in the evening light.  My daughter was aghast that I "stole" flowers from the neighbor.  The same flowers she took to school for teacher appreciation day.  Accomplice at a young age.

I ran across these photos and wanted to share these bright blue beauties.  These photos are significant to me because they helped me get the photography bug.  They are so much easier to photograph than photographing wiggly babies or children who mug for the camera.  Simple pleasures.

  Have a wonderful weekend!

Love the blurred background.
Low f-stop.

This vase was a wedding gift from a fb friend who worked at the Bon in Boise.
I still have it and use it often!

Sigh.

Apeture's Toy Camera Action

Simple and Pretty ~ Pearls ~

Today I was back in action making jewelry.  It felt so good to put aside my many temptations (photography,) commitments (clubs and my husband's to-do list,) chores (too many to list,) and do what I love to do.  Make jewelry!  I feel very energized and creative today.

Unfortunately, I am at a forced stopping point because I blew out both of my hand-held torches.  Minor fireball and near disaster but I did not get injured.  At least, I got in 4 hours of quality jewelry time.

My first real customer (non-family or best friend) called me this week to order a piece of jewelry that represents something important going on in her life.  How touching and powerful.  I am very touched that she called me to create jewelry that symbolizes her place in life.  Think about what piece of jewelry you would wear that is special to you. 

I am starting a line of silver pebbles with the word "be..."  Be...what?  Fill in the blank.  Be...creative, joyful, happy, spiritual, loved, confident or just be...you.  My "be..." changes everyday.  I will share the finished jewelry soon.  In the meantime, have a look at my some of my simple and pretty pearls.

Silver and Pearls

Silver and Pearls

Have a great day!  Be creative and reflect on the things that make you happy.  Set time aside each day for you!  I did today, and my family will benefit.  Off to the pumpkin patch. 

Hampton Roads friends...I will be at Lee's Friends Oct. 25 and 26!  Come by and say hi!