Things That Have Been Making Me Happy*

Today is my birthday.  Here are some things that have been making me happy lately as recorded by my iphone:

*a Husband-made smoothie for dessert last night

*my growing collection of mushrooms (no pun intended, well maybe a little) that have sprung up everywhere since it's been raining since hurricane Irene

toadstools

tall boy in the forest

hanging on a log

sunning along the fence row

mushroom bloom

If anyone knows what types of mushrooms/fungi I've captured please feel free to educate me.  I have no idea.

*the view from a friend's backyard

 

*my current knitting projects - it's Fall people.  I cannot put down the needles. 

this will be the Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig of Knitbot

Wish me luck. This is my first sweater (sort of, I have put the debacle of last winter behind me.) 

this will be the Peaks Island Hood by Ysolda Teague 

This is being made with the yarn that I frogged from the previous disaster just mentioned that we will never speak of again.

*and of course, the Puppy

one ear on the wind

I hope you are having a great day.  I know I am.

Decoration Day

On Sunday we will travel back to my Blue Ridge mountain home and pay tribute to my ancestors in the southern tradition of laying flowers on their graves and then eating a really big meal.  I'm actually very excited to be able to visit with my family and get a little time to stand in one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

In my family it's traditional to pick flowers from the garden or if they aren't fairing so well pick wildflowers to make the bouquets.  When we where visiting in June I got to go on a flower picking excursion with my Mom and my Aunt (involving a golf cart, a dirt road and possibly a pre-dinner cocktail) and then watch them work their magic.  Here are some of the fruits if their labor.

And a few close-ups

And here are are the finished bouquets.  So pretty!

Before I go, here's a peak of my view in Rocky Hollow.

What are some of your family summer traditions?  Happy Friday!

Too Hot for Me and the Puppy

It's hot and the posts I want to write seem like a lot of effort.  I don't like to sweat. Instead I thought I'd show you some strategies the Puppy is using to beat the heat.

1. Stay in bed until noon:

2. No reason to be bored, have someone to keep you company:

3. At a certain point you just have to brave the outdoors to inspect how the once lush but now crunchy/bare lawn is fairing - try not to cry:

4. Maybe try a little sunbathing.  Nothing like the feel of sun on bare puppy-tummy:

5. Of course, full on panting never hurts either:

I have been having so much fun with Instagram lately.  I know I've talked about it before but it really is so much fun and it's free!  If you have an iphone check it out.  My username is reslusaimee if you'd like to follow the adventures of the Puppy as well as anything else that grabs my interest.  I'd love to see what some of you are shooting too.  Stay cool!

MCP Project: 52 {week 15, 16, 17, 18}

Okay, so I'm a bit behind.  Let's catch up.  I'll start with this week and work backwards.  This week's theme (week 18) was "first thing in the morning." 



The Puppy is always the last to get out of bed.  To be fair, I'm the next to last one out of bed.  I'm not a morning person either!  The Puppy has been known to stay in bed looong after it was decent.  She's like a teenager that can't look at the sun before noon.  Actually, that's not quite true.  If you open the shade for her she can spend the day monitoring all she commands (and some that she doesn't!) from her perch looking out the window.  If there were only a sunny spot to lay in life would be perfect.

Week 17's theme was "princess for a day" in honor of that big wedding that we all watched (or maybe not).  I like to call this Princess for a Day/ Queen of the chicken yard.  This is my niece and one of her favorite chickens, Wendy (or it could be Dottie, the kids are way better and telling them a part!)  Sister can correct me if I missed it.  I love visiting with my sister for lots of reasons but one little benefit is getting sent home with the best, freshest eggs when there's enough to share.  Also, if you've ever paid attention to my header banner you know that the chicken is the official mascot of the Functional Space.  They are function and fashion all in one package.

 

Week 16's theme was "Furry Friends".  It was taken during our spring break getaway in South Carolina.  We had beautiful weather and lots of great time on the beach.  This is my Father-In-Law and his favorite companion, Popcorn enjoying the view.  I love how bright and fresh everything looks.  I also love the way the wind catches Popcorn's ears.

Boy, I really did get behind!  And finally week 15's photo "how others see you"  I think I captioned this by saying that this is a mirror image of what I usually see in the mirror.  I've never been able to shake the little kid notion that I walk around everyday with the part of my hair and my face mole on the opposite side of what I see when I look at myself.  What I see in the mirror looks right to me but it's the opposite of what the rest of the world sees.  This was a very quickly snapped self portrait.  Had I known that this would have been it I might have spent a little more time primping.  But, this is how others see me most of the time (a little unkept!) so I guess it's how it should be.

Whew, glad I got through all of that.  Have a great weekend! 

MCP Project: 52 {week 14}

Here's this week's entry into my year long photo project. 

This the the view I see when I look over to my Sweet Husband's side of the desk in our office.  It's how the work gets done around here.  The theme this week was Fusion.  I edited this photo using the free mini-fusion action set created by Jodi Friedman of MCP Actions.  I really REALLY hope to win the full Fusion action set from the Project 52 contest this week.  I only have a basic understanding of how my old photoshop works.  It's amazing what actions can do and Jodi has a lot of great ones in her shop.  You should check them out.  

MCP Project: 52 {week 13}

This week's theme is Just For Fun.  It has been rainy and cool/cold for a week now and it hasn't felt particularly fun (where did the Spring go??)  Two things happened though.  First I downloaded the Instagram app for my ipod.  It was free and it is SO fun.  Second, My Sweet Husband built a beautiful fire last night that we all (especially the Puppy) enjoyed.  We had the best time watching her lay by the fire turning to warm her various parts.  I know, we lead very exciting lives here at the Reslus Arms.  It's what makes us happy though.

My ipod doesn't have the best camera on it but what I love about Instagram is that I can even edit photos that I've taken with my good camera (see above).  Here's another instagram shot taken directly from my ipod.

It's still cool in it's own way but nowhere near as sharp as the first image.  Here's another shot (my very first Instagram) that I took with my ipod.  This is the view just to the left of where Rosie was laying in the first pic. 

See I don't just photograph my dog.  I also take pictures of chairs too! 

MCP Project: 52 {week 12}

This week's theme is "from the jewelry box".

When I mentioned this to my 7 yr old niece over the weekend she immediately ran off, then returned with what turned out to be her younger sister's jewelry box.  They had decorated it with stickers and there where lots more stickers to go.  She held it up for me to photograph.  What you don't see in this picture is the big scratch on her forehead from from whacking her head on some rocks earlier in the week.  OUCH! 

MCP Project: 52 {week 11}

This weeks theme is Darks and Lights.  Here is the Old Inherited Cat as she is enjoying the BEAUTIFUL almost-spring day.  I love her long white fur with the contrasting black and brown spots....hmmmmm.  That may give me a little inspiration for tomorrows post.

MCP Project: 52 {week 10}

I didn't get it together for last week's photo and I'm getting this week's pic under the wire.  The theme this week was childhood toys.  Though there are no children here at the Reslus Arms we do have The Puppy.  This is Rosie's spot in the office and where she spends most of her days under my desk while I'm working.  It's always better when she has a few buddies to curl up with too. 

Happy Friday everyone! 

MCP Project: 52 {week 8}

This week has been flying by as I try to wrap up one project and start another one.  I did want to take a moment though and post this week's photo.  The theme this week is "the view from here".  Sadly I didn't get to gaze upon some lovely far away vista so a little house concert at our friend Jackie's will have to do.  I even got to sing along for a song or two.  As I told Jackie that night, "if I had a voice like your's I'd sing all day, every day."

I promise that next week I will be back to design and focused on some lovely choices for my newest project.

Have a great weekend!

***Update***  My photo was selected as one of 10 featured photos from this week!  I am so honored!


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Be Mine

Sending out a little love on V-day to you.  Though it's never been one of my favorite holidays I do know that it feels good to love and to know that you are loved. 



I love and I know I am loved in return.  It's not such a bad day after all.
{how can you not love that sweet face!}

MCP Project: 52 {week 6}

This week's theme is Words.  I can't think of a better way to illustrate "words" than by showing my teenage nephew glued to his cellphone, texting while the world swirls around him.    I am actually a bit of an oddball these days because I don't text.  The Husband and I try to be frugal in lots of ways.  One of those ways is a very basic cellphone plan that does not include texting.  Did you even know those things exist?  I don't have a fancy phone either.  I know we will eventually have to join the rest of the world but for now we will continue to be two old curmudgeons railing about what the "kids" these days are up to.

How would you illustrate words?

MCP Project: 52 {week 5}

So I'm very behind on a lot of things this week.  I am even behind in taking pictures.  This week the theme was Muse.  I wasn't feeling my Muse so I decided to bake cookies instead.



The recipe is from the Hershey's website but I've made a few tweaks of my own.  Here's my version in case you've lost your Muse and need to bake too:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

2 cups   all purpose flour

1 tsp   baking soda

1/2 cup   cocoa - I used a Ghirardelli brand of ground chocolate + cocoa

2 tsp   instant coffee or espresso powder

1 cup   butter, softened

3/4 cup  light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp   salt

2 tsp   vanilla extract

2   eggs

10 oz   peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 375

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until creamy, add eggs and beat well.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and coffee. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.  Mix in chips.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the cookie mixture onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes until set.  Cool slightly then remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.  

makes about 5 dozen cookies

My modifications:  I reduced the amount of granulated sugar from 1 cup to 3/4 cup.  I used the combo mixture of ground chocolate and cocoa that I mentioned earlier.  I also added the coffee because a little coffee always makes chocolate taste better. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

MCP Project: 52 {week 4}

Week 4's theme is Soothing Repetition.  I am about 8" into my first sweater.  It's the most soothing repetition I've got going on right now.  If you asked the Husband if it sounds soothing with all the grumbling and profanity coming from my side of the sofa he would probably say no...It is soothing though and I'm so happy that I finally got brave enough to try a sweater.  It's this one by the way.  I hope it turns out in the end!

Happy Friday everyone!

MCP Project: 52 {week 3}

Here are this weeks submissions for my photo of the week project.  This week's theme was "shades of grey".  In an effort to improve as I go along, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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These photos were taken during our weekly walk in the civil war park near the house.  Usually when we go there we have the whole park to ourselves, but last weekend there were several groups there so we hung out by the cannons before heading off into the woods. 

**once again, the images look great on my computer, uploaded to flickr, etc.  But when I loaded them into blogger for this post they do not look very good.  What am I doing wrong??  Can anyone out there help me?

MCP Project: 52 - week 2

Here's may contribution to this week's photo.  The theme was "illustrate a song".  I'm calling this "Three Coins in a Fountain".

 

I had a hard time making up my mind.  This was the runner up.

Have a great Thursday.

MCP Project: 52

I got a very nice Christmas present a few weeks ago from my Sweet Husband (well, it's actually for both of us and I'm excited for both of us too!).  It's a new DSLR camera that I LOVE very much and don't know how to use.  Years ago I took some photography classes with my hand-me-down canon SLR that I also loved.  I even had darkroom equipment for awhile.  The mechanics of what I was doing never really sunk in though and now it's like starting from scratch.  I've been thinking about posting photos every week as an encouragement to myself to take more photos and to help me learn the ins and outs of my (our) new gift when I came across this blog post this morning.

Jodi Friedman from MCP Actions (great photography blog and great actions if you are into that stuff) has set up everything already and is inviting anyone who wants to join the party. 

I have excitedly joined up and hope to share some of my pictures along the way.  This week's theme is "around the house" though the idea is to have fun and break the rules anytime you feel like it.  It's all about having fun.  Here's this week's submission.

So who wants to join me?

My New Favorite

Okay, so I know this has been around for awhile now but I JUST downloaded it over the weekend and I can't stop making pictures!  Poladroid you are my new favorite!  You make everything special.  It's all so warm and soft and makes everything look pretty. 

  the living room

the puppy

 the happy couple

If you're a late comer like me, you should really check it out.  It will make you happy and who doesn't want to be happy?