scenesfromME

Honest to blog!

2011-05-18T07:11:00.003-04:00

First blog post of the year? On May 18? I told you I wouldn't be doing the every day thing this year.

It's been nothing but rain, rain, rain this week. And cold! But I refuse to put the heat on...I layer up! There is something positive about it, though. The color of the flowers in my yard look amazing for photos. And the raindrops on the petals! Pretty.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T14:39:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm not sure where I'm going with the blog in 2011. Most of my photography stuff went right to my website, and I mostly directed people there from Facebook. I'm going to try to post more photos in 2011, but probably not a photo a day like I did in 2008 and 2009.

My other favorite hobby besides photography has always been reading. I decided to try to read 100 books in 2010. I've always been a big reader and perhaps have read 100 in a year before, but this year I decided to keep track. So here's what I was doing instead of posting photos:

Favorites reads of 2010:
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (this was a re-read for book club)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (a re-read)
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
Room by Emma Donoghue
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Not quite favorites but also really good:
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Horns by Joe Hill
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Should not have wasted my time, aka Yuck:
How To Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss
The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacqueline Mitchard

The complete list:
January:
Under the Dome by Stephen King
This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
UR By Stephen King
Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
Push by Sapphire
How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward

February:
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (book club)

March:
The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers
Horns by Joe Hill
Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? by Jancee Dunn
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst
A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas
Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
Being Dead by Vivian Vande Velde
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch
The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

April:
I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (book club)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

May:
Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss
While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty
The Unnamed by Jonathan Ferris
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano
No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacqueline Mitchard
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
Tiny Ladies in Shiny Pants by Jill Soloway
Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

June:
Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
The Zygote Chronicles by Suzanne Finnamore
Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (book club)
Little Bee by Chris Cleave

July:
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
Her by Laura Zigman
Thank You for All Things by Sandra Kring
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (a re-read)
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
Traveling Light by Katrina Kittle

August:
My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler
Columbine by Dave Cullen
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel (book club)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

September:
Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (book club)
Reproduction is the Flaw of Love by Lauren Grodstein
Still Life with Husband by Lauren Fox
An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
The Kids Are All Right by the Welch siblings
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg

October:
Why We Suck by Denis Leary
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
The Irrestible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald
Blockade Billy by Stephen King
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley
The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

November:
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman (book club)
Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
Blood and Smoke by Stephen King
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs

December:
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Here's The Story by Maureen McCormick
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster
You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
25 Days, 26 Ways to Make This Your Best Christmas Ever by Ace Collins
You'll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again by Heather McDonald
The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke
Room by Emma Donoghue
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Total: 111
Classics: 5
Nonfiction: 30
Trilogies: 2
Audiobooks: 9
Started but didn't finish: 2 (The Carrie Diaries, The Solitude of Prime Numbers)

My reading goal for 2011 is to read at least ten classics I haven't previously read.
My photography goal for 2011 is to try to post a photo at least weekly.
My personal goal for 2011 (besides the perennial goal of losing weight) is to learn something new/take some lessons. Maybe yoga, Zumba, sewing, or belly dance. I took a belly dance class this year and had a lot of fun (and a lot of laughs).

Happy New Year!

More puffins and other birds

2010-09-08T20:31:00.002-04:00

Besides puffins, we also saw these razorbills on Machias Seal Island:
and these murres:

Puffins!

2010-09-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

Some more photos from my puffin trip:

Stud Puffins

2010-07-29T09:17:00.001-04:00

A few more puffin photos:

A razorbill and a puffin:

Do you know the puffin, man?

2010-07-27T18:01:00.002-04:00

I just got home from a 'bucket list' experience! A few summers ago a friend and I did a puffin watch out of Boothbay Harbor, ME. It was pretty fun, but we didn't see a lot of puffins, and what we did see were from pretty far away.

I knew there was a better way to see puffins. I had picked up a brochure somewhere that talked about up-close puffin watching here in Maine. Machias Seal Island in the Gulf of Maine is the largest puffin colony on the coast of Maine. You have to have a permit to land there, and there are two tour companies that have those permits.

After trying and failing for a couple of years (there's a pretty limited season in the summer when the birds are nesting on the island; they spend the rest of the year out at sea) my friend and I finally booked our trip with http://www.boldcoast.com/

It was a 5-hour drive for us to get to Cutler, where Bold Coast tours depart, and of course everything depends on weather conditions. And, even if the weather permits you to leave the harbor, the conditions have to be safe for getting on and off the island. We could not have been any luckier! At 7 a.m. on Monday we headed out to Machias Seal Island, 10 miles due south from Cutler harbor.

The island is disputed, with both the Unites States and Canada claiming ownership. The Canadian Coast Guard staffs a lighthouse on the island. It's pretty rare to find a manned lighthouse now, and we were met on the island by the lighthouse keeper, who made sure we disturbed the birds as little as possible.

You're not allowed to wander around the island (15 acres) on your own. You are led on wooden walkways in small groups to a bird blind, where they deposit you and tell you to stay put until someone comes to get you. And then you watch and photograph the birds to your heart's content. Thousands of puffins, within a few feet of you. Also razorbills and murres. It was amazing! It was a beautiful day. If you're familiar with the Maine Coast, you know that a day without fog is rare, so we were hoping for good visibility, and we got it. Two hours and several hundred photos later, the captain retrieved us and we were back on our way to the mainland.

So here are just a couple of pictures from Becky and Julie's excellent adventure:

Feast Your Eyes

2010-07-19T11:51:00.001-04:00

Feast your eyes on those baby rolls. You could lose your car keys in them. My niece Willow, six months old.

Salem, MA

2010-07-14T19:36:00.001-04:00

My daughter's school trip back in June included a trip to Salem.

This is the House of Seven Gables (as in Nathanial Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables):
This is what I learned about gables on the tour. To be a gable, the peak has to be the same height as the original roofline:
You can imagine how thrilling this information was to a bunch of 8th graders.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's birthplace, with the House of Seven Gables on the right:
Another Salem landmark:

Phoebe update

2010-07-06T10:41:00.002-04:00

So Phoebe is 10 months old now, and it's like she's always been a part of the family. We have come to the conclusion that she's so ugly she's cute, which makes me love her even more. She got a haircut last week, and the stupid clothes I buy her actually had a practical use for once, because she was shivering(from cold or from embarrassment I'm not sure).Blurry face here, but I wanted to show off her shirt, which cost $1.00, because buying dog clothes makes me WEIRD, so I try to only buy on the cheap:
Also blurry but I like her ear. Nope, she will never win a beauty contest (but hey, neither will I):
She was still shivering even in her shirt, so we wrapped her in a blanket. My husband will probably be pissed that I posted a photo of him with morning hair. That morning he shook his head and said, "I never thought I'd have a dog that needed to wear pajamas to bed."

I think she's appreciating her haircut this week, though, because it's really hot and humid. I'm sitting here with a fan six inches from me.

Adams Stone Library, Quincy, MA

2010-06-27T20:47:00.002-04:00

Holy cow, it's a blog post.

My daughter graduated 8th grade earlier this month (parent brag alert: as co-valedictorian!), and that weekend her class took a trip to Boston and Salem to tour some historic sites. I decided to leave the 40D at home and see if I could still operate a point-and-shoot camera. The answer is: not so much. This one's not so bad, though. It's the Adams Stone Library (as in John Adams):

Dumbass chipmunk

2010-06-01T20:09:00.001-04:00

This was the most exciting thing that happened at our house all Memorial Day weekend. We rescued a chipmunk that got stuck in our bird feeder.
We couldn't figure out how he got in there at first. It doesn't open unless you pull up on it, so he didn't get in through the top. He must have crawled in through one of the square little holes. Then I bet he ate so much he couldn't get back out. Just like Pooh with the honey at Rabbit's house!
Freedom!

Yellow Tulips

2010-04-24T15:25:00.001-04:00

Haircuts

2010-04-08T19:56:00.002-04:00

I decided the dogs needed haircuts since I couldn't see Phoebe's eyes anymore. She was looking disheveled all the time. After their haircuts I thought I'd take them outside to try to get some cute pictures.

That didn't work out so well with The Phoebster.
Post haircut, she's still disheveled all the time. She's no supermodel, but we sure love that little puppy.
Baxter gave me his best "look how dignified I am" pose. It's a total act. There's nothing dignified about that dog, but he does pull off the look sometimes.

Orchid

2010-04-02T16:48:00.001-04:00

I think I'm busting out of my photo slump, because I've pulled my head out of my...Kindle and am starting to take more photos. I thought I'd capture my orchid one more time before it dies.

A rose is a rose is a rose

2010-03-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

Little Critter

2010-03-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

I was shocked to see it snowing when I woke up yesterday morning. Then I was shocked to be shocked, since it's March in Maine after all. We had just had such beautiful spring weather, and my crocuses and tulips are coming up, and my little friends are easier to spot on our stone wall:

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T07:15:00.001-04:00

Top o' the mornin' to ya.

2010-03-15T17:50:00.000-04:00

The other day when I was outside I looked over at my lilac bushes and said to myself, "Are those BUDS?"

Yup! Spring is springing early around here. As in, weeks earlier than usual.

Cool Beans

2010-03-10T18:56:00.002-05:00

When I saw this bag of beans in the grocery store, my first thought was not "I'm going to make a delicious soup." It was more "Ooh, I want to take macro photos of these. I love the colors. They would go so well in my kitchen. Wow, those speckled beans look like cappuccino-flavored Jelly Bellys. I love Jelly Bellys. Especially pear. And margarita. I love margaritas too. Maybe we can go out for Mexican and margaritas tonight....."

Anyway, here's one of the photos.

And I actually am trying to make a delicious soup. It's on the stove right now. The beans are taking for-freakin-ever. The soup is tasty, yet still crunchy. We should be able to eat it by....Saturday. Now I remember why I use canned beans.

Celebration

2010-03-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

I finished my taxes, and Baxter celebrated with me:
Not really, he just likes to roll around in the snow.

A birthday gift

2010-02-26T19:27:00.002-05:00

I got this necklace with my kids' names and birthstones for my birthday this month. I love it. It came from here: www.thevintagepearl.com

Biker Puppy

2010-02-23T19:10:00.003-05:00

Phoebe's bad to the bone. Delaney found the biker jackets at Target for $1.76.
So we got them for both dogs, but the fitting went bad for Baxter. He had to be cut out of his. It's not easy being a fatty.

Front Yard Shot

2010-02-22T18:06:00.001-05:00

Another front door shot. It's so nice to see something besides gray dreary skies. Straight out of camera.

Sunset

2010-02-16T20:31:00.001-05:00

Last night's sunset, as seen from my front door. It was a good one. SOOC except for web sharpening.

State Track Meet

2010-02-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

My son came in second in shot put in the state track meet today!

He had a personal best throw by more than 3 feet!

Valentine

2010-02-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

My Valentine's Day present from my husband. Romeo and Juliet wine. I do believe he might be trying to get me drunk. The roses in the background were from my birthday earlier in the week.

Latest yarn grab

2010-02-08T19:54:00.001-05:00

My latest yarn grab. I got this stuff at a real bargain. I've got baby hats and wraps planned for most of it.

The Gerbera again

2010-02-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

The gerbera again, with the petal tips starting to brown.

Flower

2010-02-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

I like how this part of the flower looks like little cake decorating tips.

He-man

2010-02-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

My kid throwing a shotput:

Yellow

2010-02-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Valentine Swirls

2010-02-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

Cupcake Pops

2010-02-01T19:14:00.001-05:00

Candy Hearts in heart-shaped bowl

2010-01-31T20:25:00.000-05:00

Lollipop Swirl

2010-01-30T18:15:00.000-05:00

Swirly marshmallow

2010-01-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

Valentine bouquet

2010-01-28T18:07:00.000-05:00

I made this with a bunch of $1 lollipops from Walmart.

Candy Hearts

2010-01-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

These are the weirdest-tasting candy hearts ever.

One more of the gerbera

2010-01-26T18:44:00.000-05:00

Gorton's Fisherman Dog

2010-01-25T19:02:00.001-05:00

It makes me laugh.

Bouquet

2010-01-24T17:20:00.001-05:00

Even with a custom white balance I can't get the color of the gerbera daisy in this bouquet right. It's a really cool apricot color.

Deep Purple

2010-01-23T15:58:00.001-05:00

More knitting

2010-01-22T19:56:00.003-05:00

This scarf is my current knitting project:

And for Lauren. I can't give you a real baby in the pink cocoon and hat (yet--I hope to get my new little niece Willow in there this week), here's a fake baby in them:
I'm thinking of opening an Etsy shop because I have a bunch of cocoons and hats. I'll have to post some more photos and find out what you guys think.

Wine Bottles

2010-01-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

I'm not a boozehound, but you wouldn't know it by my kitchen windowsill lately. I actually haven't had a sip of any of these yet, unless you count the burgundy on the right, and only because I used it to make burgundy mushrooms. I'm no wine snob, either, but I don't think I'll be drinking that. The mushrooms were yummy, though.

Baby Cocoon and Hat

2010-01-20T19:23:00.002-05:00

One of my recent knitting creations, a baby cocoon and matching hat.

Phoebe

2010-01-19T17:06:00.003-05:00

Phoebe hasn't made a blog appearance for a while, so here you go. She's not quite five months old now. She weighs under 7 pounds, and I love that about her. :-)

Photo Wall

2010-01-18T18:23:00.002-05:00

I made this photo wall in my living room this afternoon. They're in vinyl frames that I got for Christmas from Photojojo.com. I can see by this photo that I need to straighten them a bit, and I'm not sure it really goes in the living room, but they should be easy to move.

Yellow Flower

2010-01-17T19:43:00.000-05:00

Lemons

2010-01-16T18:27:00.000-05:00

Carnation

2010-01-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big fan of carnations, but I do like how they look with a macro lens.

Trillium in black and white

2010-01-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

Orchid

2010-01-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

This macro photo of an orchid makes me uncomfortable...

Tiffany Blue

2010-01-12T18:37:00.002-05:00

My husband gave me this Tiffany bracelet the other day. I've never had anything from Tiffany before.

I don't think I've ever even seen Tiffany blue in real life before.
The back of it is engraved, but I'm not showing you that. You probably think that's because it's a private, heartfelt, romantic message from my husband.
But it's not. The inscription on the back is the name of one of the products my husband's company sells. Yup, corporate freebie. Hee!

Snowman

2010-01-11T19:28:00.001-05:00

I found this guy peeking out of my stocking on Christmas morning.

Another one

2010-01-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

Tulips

2010-01-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

Pinky

2010-01-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

Zinnia in black and white

2010-01-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

I love color so much that I rarely think to convert a bright, colorful shot into a black and white one, but I'm having fun with my flower shots from summer.

Lily in high-key black and white

2010-01-06T18:20:00.002-05:00

When I did that vendor fair in November people were asking for more black and whites, and since I'm in a photography slump lately, I decided to take some of my flower photos and do black and white conversions on them. I used a high-key version from a freeware program called Virtual Photographer on this one.

New Family Member

2010-01-05T20:46:00.001-05:00

My new niece, Willow Grace, born this morning. Isn't she the cutest cute that ever did cute?

More stars

2010-01-04T18:51:00.000-05:00

Is this where I insert a cheesy "it's okay to be different" message?

Red and green stars

2010-01-03T18:36:00.000-05:00

Handblown glass ornament

2010-01-02T19:38:00.007-05:00

I've posted photos of some of my handblown glass pieces on my blog before. The talented guy who makes these is in my hometown, and he has a website now: www.frostglassworks.com
This is the ornament my husband gave me for Christmas this year. I just love his work:

A nice quiet New Year's Day

2010-01-01T17:33:00.002-05:00

This was actually taken the morning of Christmas Eve, but it's pretty much how we spent today too. I just finished watching "Orphan" (and I liked it) and now I'm going to go make Pioneer Woman's mac n cheese for dinner, followed by another movie and/or reading the new Stephen King (which I also am liking). All the kids games and meets for the weekend have been postponed because of the three-day snowstorm we're having, so yay for a nice long quiet weekend!

Farewell 2009

2009-12-31T16:43:00.003-05:00

I'll end the year the same way I did last year, with a shot of our discarded Christmas tree.
I was looking back at all my blog posts and reflecting on 2009. I'd have to say I'm most thankful to Medtronix, who manufactured the internal defibrillator that saved my dad's life this past summer. I know health care is a mess, but I'm so grateful that modern medicine has allowed me to spend more precious time with my dad. Unfortunately, my parents each lost a best friend this year, and we hope for a better 2010 for those families. Here at home, Cam turned 16 and got his license, then smashed up the car on icy roads three months later (no injuries, thank God). Delaney turned 13, so we became 'parents of teenagers'. We were able to take two family vacations this year, to New York City and to Canada. In October we welcomed some family members back to Maine after eight years away. I sold some photos. We got a new puppy.

Looking forward to 2010, we'll be welcoming two more nieces/nephews into the family. We thought one might make her appearance before the end of the year, but she has other plans. In 2010 Delaney will start high school, and Cam will be a senior and apply to college. My husband is going back to school to get a Certificate in Public Health. I'll be here, taking photos of flowers and dogs dressed up in silly outfits. Whatever else God decides to throw our way, we'll do that too.

So this is the second year in a row that I posted every day, with only one day this year without a photo. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to do it again in 2010. I'll see where the New Year takes me...

Happy New Year!!!

Vera Bradley Christmas Stockings

2009-12-30T19:10:00.002-05:00

Is it going overboard with your love of Vera Bradley when you buy your daughter a Christmas stocking and your mother buys you one? If so, don't care.
So I made the chicken fried steak from Pioneer Woman's cookbook for dinner tonight. I've never even eaten a chicken fried steak, never mind cooked one. Most of my "chicken fried" fell off the steak into the pan, and I oversalted the gravy, but it was still pretty good. We're just sitting around listening to our arteries harden now.

Kindle love

2009-12-29T17:38:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Santa, aka the best husband ever!

He also satisfied my yearning for glossy, full-color photos:

I love my new Kindle! I'm reading Stephen King's latest, Under the Dome, and have downloaded free samples of approximately 3,245,978 books on my wish list. You might not hear from me until next Christmas.

2009 Ornaments from my mom

2009-12-28T19:10:00.001-05:00

Every year my mom attaches an ornament to our Christmas gift as a clue to what it is or who it belongs to. Even the dogs get presents from Nana :-)

Candy

2009-12-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

Before being sprinkled on our gingerbread tree:

Gingerbread Tree

2009-12-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

So much easier than a gingerbread house and therefore more enjoyable.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T16:27:00.001-05:00

I was trying to capture one of those adorable "puppy in a Christmas stocking" photos. Things didn't turn out quite like I'd hoped:

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T16:00:00.001-05:00

I've photographed Easter Peeps and Halloween Peeps, now it's time for the Christmas Peeps:

Merry Christmas or whatever winter holiday you celebrate to each of you!

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

I asked my wonderful husband to get me some jewelry from my friend Lisa at islandseaglass.com, and he gave me this pin early so I could wear it up until Christmas. I love it! Lisa is so talented--check out her website, or even better, make a trip to Maine and see her stuff in person at her shop or at one of the stores or United Maine Craftsmen shows she's in.

My baked Christmas trees from yesterday were just a joke. I can't pipe frosting to save my life. Those were Little Debbie cakes. :-D

Holiday Baking?

2009-12-22T17:52:00.003-05:00

My holiday baking:

Not really, but maybe next year. I didn't enjoy it a bit this year and gave up halfway through the day yesterday.

I can't tell you how the mice tasted--I didn't try one because I don't like maraschino cherries. But everything my sister-in-law makes is really good, so I'm sure these were too.

Christmas mice

2009-12-21T19:30:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law and niece brought these little mice treats to our family Christmas on Saturday. The body is a maraschino cherry dipped in chocolate (with the stem for the tail) and the head is a Hershey's kiss. The ears are almonds, and the eyes are gel frosting. They sit on half an Oreo.
Aren't they cute? Annette and Emily are Bakerella-ish (www.bakerella.com).

Doggie Scandal

2009-12-20T19:45:00.002-05:00

Have you heard the rumors? Baxter and Phoebe are sleeping together.
She looks guilty, doesn't she?

New Ornament for 2009

2009-12-19T20:10:00.002-05:00

My Christmas tree is definitely not one of those beautifully color coordinated ones with matching ornaments. My ornaments are a hodgepodge of ones given to us, ones the kids made or we bought for the kids, ones from my husband's and my childhoods, and some that we just liked. We also add at least one new ornament that has some kind of meaning to us each year. This is this year's. It's East Quoddy Head Lighthouse, one of the places we visited on our summer vacation this year.

C'mon!

2009-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's the season of sharing, but I don't know why Baxter is putting up with Phoebe stealing his bed.

Christmas lights

2009-12-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

I love taking blurry photos of Christmas lights and seeing all the patterns and colors in the intersecting circles that emerge.

Our Family, in ornaments

2009-12-16T19:17:00.002-05:00

I'll have you know, Sharon, that the pink toy in yesterday's photo is Baxter's, not Phoebe's. ;-)

Phoebe's first month

2009-12-15T18:21:00.002-05:00

We've had Phoebe for a month now. I'm kind of surprised how much I like having two dogs.
How could anyone resist this face? Delaney had her doing a fashion show that day.
She's kind of like a cat. She likes to sleep curled up on my desktop.
She won't wear the hat, though. She doesn't share my affinity for elf culture.
It doesn't look like it here, but she and Baxter have become best friends and play together all day long. And I've discovered how hard it is to get a photo of two dogs at the same time.
Seriously, if you can resist this face you're probably dead inside.

Blue Jay

2009-12-14T20:54:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I posted a bird photo.

Ornament

2009-12-13T17:06:00.001-05:00

Ornament from my alma mater, the University of Maine.

My Christmas Tree

2009-12-12T20:00:00.001-05:00

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, how evergreen your branches...at least until I forget to water you and your branches turn brown and become a fire hazard.

Wooden snowman

2009-12-11T17:19:00.001-05:00

I don't know how anyone with little kids keeps up with a photo a day. All I did is get a puppy, and I've hardly taken any photos (except of her) for the last month.

So here's a lame-o one of one of my Christmas decorations. He's all of about four inches tall.

Christmas Wreath

2009-12-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

Dude, I am soooo tired!

2009-12-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Pardon the harsh on-board flash, but I was in a hurry to capture the moment before she moved. Turns out she didn't move for about 3 hours.

A thing on my wall

2009-12-08T19:55:00.002-05:00

At the vendor fair I participated in a couple of weeks ago there was someone from At Home America setting up her booth near me. She was struggling trying to get this candle thingy to fit in her display, and when I said, "Hey, that's really pretty," she told me I could have it for 10 bucks if I took it right then. Sold! I apparently got a good deal. She told me after the fair that she had been planning on selling it for $40. I've got it hanging on my kitchen wall.

Sunrise Snowfall

2009-12-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning after our first plowable snowfall. The good old tire swing in my yard again.

Peace

2009-12-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

My version of a Starbucks yarn wreath

2009-12-05T17:44:00.003-05:00

Last year everywhere I went on the internet I seemed to be hearing about the wreaths Starbucks had up in their stores for the Christmas season. I thought they looked pretty cool, so I decided to try making one this year. You can see a photo of one of the Starbucks ones here:
Starbucks yarn wreath

Here's mine:
Closer view:
You can find tutorials online really easily. Some used floral wire and pins, some used hot glue. I used a combination of both. If I make another one, I'll look for a cheaper alternative than the styrofoam balls I wrapped the yarn around. They're kinda pricy. I used shatterproof ornaments from Walmart. The glittery ornaments are from Walmart too.

Peace on Earth

2009-12-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

Another Christmas candle shot.

Doggies

2009-12-03T17:20:00.002-05:00

Do you like the new hairdo Baxter tried out yesterday? It looks very avant garde to me. Or maybe it's an homage to Christ.
Phoebe had a good time pulling the sticks out of his hair and chewing on them. She spends most of her day chewing on poor Baxter. Here's a picture of her butt:
I like the little butterfly/angel wings thing she's got going on there.

Christmas candlelight

2009-12-02T17:26:00.002-05:00

Inspired by my friend Jeanie:
Jeanie's Smugmug

Phoebilicious

2009-12-01T18:15:00.001-05:00

You've been missing her, haven't you? I trimmed the hair around her eyes and now you can actually see them, although my focus is off in the photo.

Still hanging on

2009-11-30T19:06:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe it's going to be December 1 tomorrow and these black-eyed Susans are still hanging on against the foundation of my house.

My dad and his siblings

2009-11-29T16:00:00.002-05:00

The two little twinsies in this photo turn 73 tomorrow. Happy Birthday Dad and Uncle John! Just don't ask me which is which here.

Kisses

2009-11-28T17:52:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas season when the peppermint kisses arrive in the stores.

Raindrops

2009-11-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

Did it ever rain today. If it had been snow we'd be buried.

Thanksgiving Turkey

2009-11-26T21:40:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law found this little knit hat ornament and sent it to me.This came in really handy on my pumpkin turkey since I lost his felt pilgrim hat and he looked like this:
Hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day!