My first pair of Keen shoes.
Also my first pair of Red shoes. I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
New Shoes
Look what I got with my $80 for $40 Shoe Mill Groupon...
My first pair of Keen shoes.
Also my first pair of Red shoes. I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
My first pair of Keen shoes.
Also my first pair of Red shoes. I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
New Growth
I absolutely love the new poofs of chartreuse growth that our native conifers put out each Summer...
Hemlock...
Douglas Fir...
Cedar...
Hemlock...
Douglas Fir...
Cedar...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Ink!
I have been fascinated with tattoos for as long as I can remember. Skin too. I like looking at the different textures and coloration of skin. But especially skin with ink. There is just something very beautiful to me about living art.
When I was very young, I only looked at tattoos from the very corner of my eyes, because I knew that it wasn't polite to stare at people. I also had this strong feeling that tattoos were only for rebellious and bad people, and didn't want anyone to know that I was admiring them.
Fast forward a few decades, when, as a young woman, I realized that getting ink was actually becoming, or had become, much more mainstream. Perhaps it might be okay if I start to look... and ask questions of the wearers, even. I found that people are very happy to talk about their tattoos and what they symbolize.
And finally, a few years ago, I entered the serious researching and planning stage, with full intention of getting one for myself. Knowing full well that getting ink will almost certainly mark me for the rest of my life, I decided that my non-risk-taking self would wake up and stop the process along the way if it was something that I truly didn't want to follow through on. But years have passed and I found myself really and truly ready and excited about the idea. Not a waning wish, but a growing one.
So, yesterday, I went for it.
The original plan for the day was to head to a giant antique show at the Expo Center with a friend. But by the time we were headed that direction, we both decided that we were much more in the mood for a relaxing meander than often is the case at such a large show. So we headed to downtown Troutdale for an ice cream cone, antique mall, and to check out a tattoo shop that had been recommended to me there.
Quite small and simple, I know, but my own design... a heart comprised of the first letters in my husband, son, and daughter's names.
I can't stop chuckling about the whole thing. ME with INK? Tee hee! *ahem*
When I was very young, I only looked at tattoos from the very corner of my eyes, because I knew that it wasn't polite to stare at people. I also had this strong feeling that tattoos were only for rebellious and bad people, and didn't want anyone to know that I was admiring them.
Fast forward a few decades, when, as a young woman, I realized that getting ink was actually becoming, or had become, much more mainstream. Perhaps it might be okay if I start to look... and ask questions of the wearers, even. I found that people are very happy to talk about their tattoos and what they symbolize.
And finally, a few years ago, I entered the serious researching and planning stage, with full intention of getting one for myself. Knowing full well that getting ink will almost certainly mark me for the rest of my life, I decided that my non-risk-taking self would wake up and stop the process along the way if it was something that I truly didn't want to follow through on. But years have passed and I found myself really and truly ready and excited about the idea. Not a waning wish, but a growing one.
So, yesterday, I went for it.
The original plan for the day was to head to a giant antique show at the Expo Center with a friend. But by the time we were headed that direction, we both decided that we were much more in the mood for a relaxing meander than often is the case at such a large show. So we headed to downtown Troutdale for an ice cream cone, antique mall, and to check out a tattoo shop that had been recommended to me there.
Quite small and simple, I know, but my own design... a heart comprised of the first letters in my husband, son, and daughter's names.
I can't stop chuckling about the whole thing. ME with INK? Tee hee! *ahem*
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Friday, July 08, 2011
Lavender Love
A few evenings ago, I was out enjoying two of my favorite flowers (Lavender & Foxglove), which are now blooming simultaneously.
As I shutter-bugged about, playing with angles and light beams,
I couldn't help but notice the buds forming a heart shape, right there on a stem.
Love... to share with you... in the form of a wallpaper.
Left click to enlarge, then Right click to save and... Enjoy!
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Back to the Woods
Our trail cam has not been on duty for quite some time, due to issues with a faulty trigger and subsequent hassle with mailing it in for service, then waiting for.evvvv.er. for Bushnell to decide to send it back.
Finally, brand new model in hand, the Mister headed immediately down to the woods once it arrived home.
And in that first batch of photos? Just what you have all been waiting for...
Together now... Awwwwwwww...
All speckled and long-legged and with those enormous eyes...
Did that make your morning or what?
Finally, brand new model in hand, the Mister headed immediately down to the woods once it arrived home.
And in that first batch of photos? Just what you have all been waiting for...
Together now... Awwwwwwww...
All speckled and long-legged and with those enormous eyes...
Did that make your morning or what?
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
In Other News...
My herb garden is weeded and looking lovely...
I now have 80+ tomato plants in the garden, all started from seed in our very own greenhouse...
Corn, peas, potatoes, beans, zucchini, carrots, salad mix, spinach, cucumber, and all the other veggies that I'm forgetting are up and finally growing...
And we ate our first sizeable harvest of strawberries last night, sliced over vanilla ice cream...
Oh, yum.
I love the time of year when we can eat something fresh from our property every single day.
I now have 80+ tomato plants in the garden, all started from seed in our very own greenhouse...
Corn, peas, potatoes, beans, zucchini, carrots, salad mix, spinach, cucumber, and all the other veggies that I'm forgetting are up and finally growing...
And we ate our first sizeable harvest of strawberries last night, sliced over vanilla ice cream...
Oh, yum.
I love the time of year when we can eat something fresh from our property every single day.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
The Girl with the Cute Picnic Quilt at the Fireworks Display
Yes indeed, my lovely readers, I did it! When I showed you my finished top last week, and said that my goal was to sit on it at the fireworks this year, I hadn't yet realized that I only had a week left. How on earth did June sneak by so quickly?
Blessedly, I function well under pressure, so the very next morning I set to work, pinning the top to an old sheet and forcing myself to sit at my sewing machine with beautiful weather outside.
I quilted it with very basic horizontal seams every third row. No lining, no fancy scrolls or patterns. Not even a grid. I want this quilt to hold together, but its main function is to be on the ground with feet and bodies on top. Not going to drive myself crazy over such a creation!
The binding fabric was among the fabrics and sewing notions that I inherited from my paternal Grandmother a few years ago. I think she would approve of my choice to use it for my little portable family gathering place. I machine stitched it to the front, then pressed, mitered, pinned, and hand-stitched the back.
Would you believe that the hand-stitching was my absolute favorite part of the entire quilt? Of course you would.
Come fireworks time, Picnic Quilt in hand, we headed into town to the designated field for viewing the display.
With new construction going on at the high school, where the fireworks are usually displayed, we were told via advertising that the display would begin at dusk, with the fireworks being launched from behind the cinema.
Positioning ourselves along the back edge of the field and biding our time, we looked forward to the pretty display, with the crescent moon, treeline, and even the neon lights of the cinema in the foreground.
I was excited about the photographic potential for the evening.
Right at dusk, a certain little person, who shall remain nameless, suddenly had to go potty. Really? Are you sure? Nodding of head and dancing of feet. So off she and I go, headed to the store across the street, and just as soon as our feet hit the asphalt, the fireworks began. Muttering threats that this had better not be a false alarm, and when we get to the bathroom, she had better not clam up, we trot there, wait patiently for her to get up the nerve to go in a public bathroom, then head back to our blanket.
And what to our wondering eyes did appear? Lovely fireworks being launched. Not from behind the theater, but from behind the mini-storage to our backs.
Mmmm-Hm.
Apparently there was a large shuffling and rotating of chairs when they started, as everyone had to reposition themselves to actually SEE the fireworks without breaking their necks.
I had to walk several yards away from my family to get these photos of entire explosions...
An evening to remember, for sure.
Blessedly, I function well under pressure, so the very next morning I set to work, pinning the top to an old sheet and forcing myself to sit at my sewing machine with beautiful weather outside.
I quilted it with very basic horizontal seams every third row. No lining, no fancy scrolls or patterns. Not even a grid. I want this quilt to hold together, but its main function is to be on the ground with feet and bodies on top. Not going to drive myself crazy over such a creation!
The binding fabric was among the fabrics and sewing notions that I inherited from my paternal Grandmother a few years ago. I think she would approve of my choice to use it for my little portable family gathering place. I machine stitched it to the front, then pressed, mitered, pinned, and hand-stitched the back.
Would you believe that the hand-stitching was my absolute favorite part of the entire quilt? Of course you would.
Come fireworks time, Picnic Quilt in hand, we headed into town to the designated field for viewing the display.
With new construction going on at the high school, where the fireworks are usually displayed, we were told via advertising that the display would begin at dusk, with the fireworks being launched from behind the cinema.
Positioning ourselves along the back edge of the field and biding our time, we looked forward to the pretty display, with the crescent moon, treeline, and even the neon lights of the cinema in the foreground.
I was excited about the photographic potential for the evening.
Right at dusk, a certain little person, who shall remain nameless, suddenly had to go potty. Really? Are you sure? Nodding of head and dancing of feet. So off she and I go, headed to the store across the street, and just as soon as our feet hit the asphalt, the fireworks began. Muttering threats that this had better not be a false alarm, and when we get to the bathroom, she had better not clam up, we trot there, wait patiently for her to get up the nerve to go in a public bathroom, then head back to our blanket.
And what to our wondering eyes did appear? Lovely fireworks being launched. Not from behind the theater, but from behind the mini-storage to our backs.
Mmmm-Hm.
Apparently there was a large shuffling and rotating of chairs when they started, as everyone had to reposition themselves to actually SEE the fireworks without breaking their necks.
I had to walk several yards away from my family to get these photos of entire explosions...
An evening to remember, for sure.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Friday, July 01, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)