Photo 114

I just finished my digital photography class and I must say it is one of the best things I have done in a long while. Although I probably could have figured out much of the subject matter on my own, it would have taken awhile and I am someone who thrives with an assignment and a grading scale. I was also forced (aka: assigned) to take pictures of things I wouldn't normally take pictures of. So in addition to helping me understand the basic functions of my camera, it also stretched my mind and changed the way I view things. I meant to post pictures from my assignments as I completed them but I didn't get around to it until now. If you are interested, I posted some of the pictures I took during the class on my photo blog here.

A Little Boy Named Kim...

From my Kim 101 Post:
#33. I looked exactly like a boy in the 7th grade.
(One of these days I'll post a picture and you will laugh.)

Well, one of these days has come. In honor of back to school time, I have decided to put all pride aside and post a picture of myself from the most awkward time of my life. I assure you that is not a picture of my younger brother. It is unfortunately and most definitely a picture of ME in the seventh grade. Apparently it wasn't enough for me to look just like a boy, I thought it would be pretty cool to dress like one too. All I have to say is, man puberty stinks.

Palin

I try not to discuss politics too much because it generally puts me in a bad mood. However after just a little bit of research, I've decided I am quite impressed with the resume of Sarah Palin: Alaska's governor and John McCain's new running mate. Talk about a strong willed woman who is not afraid to nip political corruption in the bud and puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to moral issues like abortion. (She is the mother of five children, the youngest of which has down syndrome.) I gotta say I'm getting a little tired of all the "hope and change" fluff. I say a little less talk, a lot more action and I think Sarah Palin is just the gal to do it. I wish SHE were running for president.

The Perfect Tailgate

Now this is my idea of the perfect tailgate party although I'm sure Jared would prefer something a little less refined and more manly. :) But, regardless of whether you'll be tailgating this weekend, I hope you all enjoy cheering on your team of choice with the official start of college football season. (Go Bucks!)

{Photo styling by Paul Lowe via Frolic}

I Spy...

a ladder,

a metal scraper,

a spray bottle,

and a pile of ceiling texture that is no longer on the ceiling.

As you can see, my simple kitchen painting project has spiraled out of control. I somehow got it into my head that the ceiling in the kitchen and surrounding areas would look a ton better with a fresh coat of bright white paint minus the gross texture I applied before we moved into the house. I don't think I really knew what I was getting into when I spontaneously started scraping off the ceiling texture in the kitchen last week. Since our main living space is continuous, I have quite a bit of scraping to do. I'll keep you posted.

Note: For those of you who have been in my house and are confused thinking, "I thought the ceiling looked fine before," you would be correct. I really have no business staying at home all day. I get myself into all sorts of trouble.

August Fields

Oooooo. Amy Butler has a new line of fabric out: August Fields. Check it all out here.

Spool

I'm thinking I wouldn't mind making this lovely little bird mobile I found on Spool. (A great sewing blog I just discovered and is definitely worth checking out.) You can download a free pattern for the mobile here. They also have an on-line shop full of lots of pretty fabric and patterns.

Wedding Sneak Peek

So I did my very first wedding on Saturday. (As in, I was the official photographer, not just an assistant.) It was a little nerve-racking but fun. Bridal couples are easy to work with-they look stunning, take direction easily and typically can't stop smiling. I'm still busy going through all the pictures but I couldn't resist posting a little sneak peek- lots more to come! Watch for updates on my photo blog: http://klrphotography.blogspot.com.

Flower Arrangement

Although I realize fresh flowers are a frivolous expense, it makes me very happy when I have an arrangement of them in my home. I don't buy them often, but occasionally Aldi has some decent options for only $2.99 for a small mixed arrangement or 1/2 dozen roses. I lucked out today with the plum-ish purple, lime green and white mixture because I think it goes well with my homemade vase- an empty formula can with a fresh coat of avocado green paint from my kitchen project and a coordinating grosgrain ribbon. (Really. Can anything be made worse by adding a pretty ribbon?) I have been saving my extra formula cans because I think little arrangements like these would make fun hostess, birthday, thank you or just because-types of gifts.

Tomato Time

We seem to have an all out tomato production facility in our backyard. First, Mitchell picks each tomato from our garden at it's peak of perfection. (Okay, not really. We are still working on picking the RED ones only!) Next, he carefully loads them into his dump truck...... and then transfers them into his front loader.
Once loaded, he hauls them across the yard where they are delicately transferred to Spencer in shipping.
Before I know it, I have garden ripe tomatoes in my kitchen ready to eat! And a good thing because I just made this delicious recipe Vanessa posted and my fresh tomatoes hit the spot!

Heather Bailey

Lots of pretty fabric and patterns in Heather Bailey's on-line store. I'm adding that cute little handbag with the fabric flower to my project list. Check out her blog, Hello My Name is Heather, for more colorful inspiration.

High School Reunion, Sort Of

Jared and I spent Saturday evening in Youngstown at a wedding. It was for a good guy friend of mine from high school which means I got see all my best-est girl friends from high school too. There really is nothing quite like friends who have known you since pre-school and it's always so fun when we get to reunite! Honestly, I feel so lucky to have had such a great group of friends growing up. They are all smart, pretty, accomplished and just plain fun to be around! We lived in a really small town (pop. 5,000-ish) and had so much fun together eating penny candy, making prank phone calls, night swimming, riding our bikes in the country, sleeping out on my trampoline, passing notes in study hall. Good times. We used to call ourselves the "Fab Five" but there were only four of us in attendance on Saturday. A pretty sassy-looking group of gals if I do say so myself. Excuse me while I indulge in a little reminiscing....

1995

1999

2003

2006

2008

Bigfoot

Jared always laughs at me when I tell him I think Bigfoot is real. Well, check out this story I found today on CNN. I guess they discovered one in Georgia. Look who's laughing now?!

Back Splash

Thank you for all the suggestions regarding my kitchen color. It is still red and green and will most likely stay that way for awhile since I have a difficult time making up my mind. However, I think I have ruled out the avocado green. While I like the color, I'm not sure I like it in the kitchen and especially MY kitchen. This is a picture of my back splash-which you should also consider. (I don' think it would look good with the green.) And while I would like a more modern, bright and open space, I'm not sure that dream will be realized in my current kitchen without doing a major overhaul. With all those earth tones in the back splash, I'm thinking burnt orange, maybe?? Any other suggestions?

Paper Source

Lots of new goodies over at Paper Source.

A Cry For Help

At any given time and in any given room of my house you can almost always find several paint swatches on the wall. Often, visitors to my house notice the paint swatches and ask "Are you painting something?" To which Jared chuckles and I reply, "I'm thinking about it." Jared chuckles because I'm ALWAYS thinking about it. I can't help it. Paint is such a cheap way to change the entire look of a room and I'm constantly changing my mind. What doesn't help is the fact that I am attracted to many different decorating styles (as I am clothing styles) and I have yet to find a way to successfully combine them to create something that is my own. I do think an interior designer coupled with an unlimited budget could easily remedy this issue but I am currently without either so for now, I'm left to figure it out on my own. I seemed to have managed to focus my paint energy on my kitchen, which is why it currently looks like this:

It has been red since we moved in four years ago, but after buying a 1/2 pint paint sample at Lowe's it's now part Avocado Green. Hmmm. Although it is growing on me, I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on the green. Once again, I think bright and bold would be fun but I also think something more light, airy and seaside cottage-esque would be nice. (Light blue maybe?) Help! What color should I paint my kitchen? Consider this: I have dark gray counter-tops, natural colored wood cabinets and a fair amount of natural light coming in. Also, the nearby walls are painted a khaki color. Here is a not-so-great picture of it in all it's red and green glory so you can get a better idea of what I've got going on in there. I am open to any and all suggestions!

Touch the Truck

"I'm so excited...But I'm just so scared!"
-Jessie Spano, Saved By the Bell (The Caffeine Pill episode)

Mitch had an awesome time at the Touch the Truck event we went to on Saturday. Can't you tell? Not sure why he had a meltdown because he absolutely LOVES anything with wheels and an engine. Maybe the opportunity to actually touch them and sit on them was just too much to handle? I don't know but that picture bears a striking resemblance to me at Cedar Point two weeks ago.

Five Boys

I took some pictures for my in-laws last weekend at a local metro park. They have five boys ranging in age from 10 down to 1 so it was a very busy but fun time! You can see more pictures here.

Mark Your Calendars

I hate to say it out loud because I don't necessarily want summer to go away, but I'm VERY much looking forward to fall. Nothing against the month of August, but for me it's really just a vehicle to September. In addition to fall clothing, beautiful scenery and the near perfect weather, I'm anxiously awaiting college football. Mark your calendars for the first Ohio State football game on August 30th!

Cedar Point is the Devil

Jared and I spent Saturday at Cedar Point. (A pretty intense amusement park for those of you who are not from this area.) We were celebrating our afore mentioned anniversary because I guess nothing says "I'm so happy I married you" like going from 0-120 mph in 4 seconds while going over a 90 degree turn 420 feet in the air. (Yeah. I wasn't exaggerating when I said it's pretty intense.)
("Top Thrill Dragster" : Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

I actually have no idea what I was thinking when I suggested we go to Cedar Point for our anniversary because I'm not a big theme park/roller coaster kind of gal. However, I did manage to have an okay time in spite of the fact that I spent most of the day absolutely terrified. I have a tendency to scream like a little girl on most amusement park rides but I actually kicked it up a notch on Saturday. It's been a long time since I've been on any type of ride and the first one we went on (Maxair) was really quite scary. So much so, that I teared up when they buckled me in! Yes. I cried up until the ride started and then proceeded to scream like a maniac until it was over. The worst part? I was sitting next to a girl who was about 8 years old and she didn't make a peep. I think it was a good thing we went on such a scary ride first because it worked a lot of anxiety out of my system and I managed to hold it together the rest of the day. Although we had a decent time, Jared and I both decided that we're too old for this stuff. The rides gave us headaches and made us dizzy and our backs and legs hurt from standing in line all day. In all honesty, by the end of the day I felt like I needed someone to push me out of the park in a wheelchair. No lie. So here's to five years of marriage and (barely) surviving a day at Cedar Point. I don't think we'll be heading back anytime soon.