Just because.

Sometimes, you just need to post some photos of lime cupcakes, okay? (I made these for a niece's birthday recently and thought they turned out pretty cute. Makes me hungry, though...)

Week 16: Stir-Fry

For some reason, last night's dinner was just looking so pretty that I had to shoot it. So, here are some vegetables, nearly ready for the eatin'.

(And, no, I still haven't developed my film from Weeks 14 and 15. Someday....)

To be continued...

I am NOT taking a break from my 52-week project, but the pictures I think I will want to upload for this week (and next week, too, actually) are in FILM. Bizarre and unheard of, I know. But, anyway. Since that will require developing the film and scanning in the pictures by hand, I probably won't post them until the third week of April, though I will continue taking them each week. Just so's ya' know.

Week 13b: Pretty Girl

My pretty little girl turned FIVE this week! (Weird! I've been a mom for that long!?) And here she is--tutu, wings, and mask intact--blissfully spinning out of control. (So about like normal, in other words.)

Week 13: Time-out.

Asher got a time-out for hitting.

Turned out okay, though, because he also got a groupie out of it.

(And, in case you are wondering: no. Neither of them were convincing enough to end the three-minute sentence early.)

Week 12: Gallery

My bedroom is a (tiny) haven of peace in my chaotically small house. I didn't want it cluttered up with "stuff" all over the walls. But I LOVE art (as you may have guessed...) and wouldn't want my own special space to be without it. So, instead of hanging my artwork in a "traditional" manner, I clumped it all together on this wall opposite the door. Most of the things up were gifts, or my own work; but there were a couple of gaps--until my new friend Carrie had the brilliant idea of doing a swap with other members of our Etsy team (Female Photographers of Etsy)! I swapped a couple of my own photographs for two gorgeous 5x7"s, and voilá! Gap problem solved! (Though not the low-lighting problem... Sorry for the darkness...)

This new photo was from Carrie herself. I've a feeling she is a kindred spirit even though (or perhaps BECAUSE?) she lives far away in beautiful, green Ireland.

And this one is from a lovely girl named Patricia. I found out that we had a surprising amount in common, even though most of her photography is of her exotic world travels and I'm about as HOMEbound as it's possible to be...

It was great getting to know these wonderful women a little bit, and I'm grateful I have their beautiful artwork to enjoy for years to come! I highly recommend visiting their shops, and picking up some of your own *hint, hint*! ;D

Week 11.5: ...Comes Order

This is the order that came from the earlier chaos that is my craft table. This is Hera, Olympian Queen of the Gods (modeled by my pretty sister-in-law--thanks, Ashley!!!). She was created from papier-mâché and then smothered in all the pretty tidbits she could glean from my piles of useless junk. I'm posting it in Week 12, but I actually took the shot last week so I could get the mask listed on Etsy. :D Hooray for finishing a mask! Now on to the several others yet unfinished... *sigh*

Week 11: Proof

So, you may think you are looking at a picture of my cluttered living room. Not so. This photograph is PROOF that I am a couch-cushion-fort building master. Yeah. With three separate rooms, a "back yard", and an "outdoor" workspace, you are looking at a plush masterpiece. That lasted roughly 20 minutes. Oh, well. (Does this count as upcycling...?)

Week 10b: The Little Folk

Earlier in the week, looking at my big straw "outdoor" broom gave me the inspiration to create a tiny version for our fairies. I have seen some pretty incredible fairy houses (and furniture) lately on Etsy, but I especially like the ones that are totally natural--not using distinctly human things, like hot glue. ;) So, I fashioned this tiny replica out of soft yellow grass (of which, there is an abundance right now...), a forsythia twig, and a stray bit of wire (which, okay, I "found" in my craft supplies). It stands a little over 5" tall. Just because fairies are mischievous doesn't mean they can't be tidy.

Week 10: Springy

Look what we woke up to this morning! :D Good morning, sun!

Week 9: Mardi Gras Party!!!

It is no longer Week 9. In my defense, though, I did take these pictures during Week 9 and just couldn't get them up until now. So.

Over the weekend we had a family Mardi Gras party! (No, not on Tuesday; but then we aren't Catholic or celebrating Lent, either, so maybe that doesn't matter after all). It was lots and lots of fun--and why wouldn't it be when we had fantastic cream-cheese filled King Cake and a platter-ful of steaming hot Beignets!? Thanks to everyone that came to party with us (and brought food!)!

Week 8: Baby Toes

Abram has been sick this week. So he's a tad clingy. Well, when he woke up from his nap, the other kids were playing outside and he wanted to join them. He would NOT let me go back in to get some socks and shoes (thankfully, I grabbed his coat on the way out the door the first time...), so his sweet little chubby toes just tried to warm themselves on my leg. And I just happened to have my camera in hand. (Please no bad mother jokes--I can remember the camera but not the socks... yuk, yuk, yuk.) The point is: what would we do without baby toes?

Week 7: Spring has Sprung!

For the second time this year, I hung my laundry outside today! It will probably snow tomorrow, but for now it's nice to get the kids out in the fresh air, sweep out the gutters (who knew that one could look forward to this chore!?), and have the possibility of dry clothes in a matter of hours, rather than days! :D Happy (almost) Spring!

Week 6: Waiting...

So, despite the fact that I have actually been making a concerted effort to photograph more of my life, I seem to have less of it to share. :? Technology escapes yet again, and so I resort to unfair methods. This photograph is one that I recently added to my shop (though I actually took it months ago), and I'm posting it as a tribute to the update on my blog. (About time. Perhaps my camera's refusal to upload has something to do with it's unclassy destination. Hopefully, this will encourage it some.) I've called the photo "Page Turner". And for those wondering, the book is a lovely 1921 edition of Scaramouche, by Rafael Sabatini, that was in a book lot we purchased from a school district's discard auction. Loved the book and love its decrepitly used appearance. It even has a mysteriously handwritten dedication in the front cover. But maybe that's for another post.)

Week 5: Cheating

So, since I've had some technical difficulties this week, I've been unable to upload anything from my camera. :( Instead, I have decided to post one of the altered art photographs my sister and I completed this week. Even though it's totally cheating, I give you Snow White:



And, if you'd like to see more of the ones we did, go here. (Oh, and as there has been some query about this project, this IS a photograph I took. During this past summer, my older sister and I went a little nuts and hosted a "fairy tale" photo shoot. The perfect Snow White you see here is, in fact, my niece. And, truthfully, we didn't have to do that much to get her to look like this--the photo was originally desaturated so that we could pull back from the green of the grass some; but she really is almost that fair. Add a black wig and some red lipstick and presto: Snow White reincarnated.)

Week 4: Progression of Family Pictures

We decided to take an official and glorious photograph of the royal family in all their regal splendour, and this is how things progressed:


Isabel poses our family for their pictures.



The Royal Family



A helper intervenes without invitation. (Seeing a trend?)



A few more helpers jump in.



Chaos ensues.



Somehow the royal family is forgotten. And somehow, no one really seems to mind.

Week 3c: Helpful

And, while I was taking the shot of the frames, a little helper came along to see how he could assist. So, here, too, is my baby, who is best viewed as is: dimpled, chatty, and always slightly out of focus.

Week 3b: Before.

This is another shot of something in the works. These gorgeous frames were all found at a second-hand store. I probably spent about $15 and three hours (sanding, painting, taping, RE-painting for the orange/yellow insets) to get an assorted set of frames I love. And someday they will no longer be sitting on the kitchen floor and will actually be put to their intended use. But that is for another post...

Week 3: Out of Chaos...

Thought I ought to post a tribute to the madness that overtakes our kitchen whenever we get the mask-making bug. While last week's foray into the unknown is mostly over, the remnants, well, remain. This little cardtable is shoved into a corner of the kitchen and still covered with inspiration. If you've ever wondered what goes into one of our masks, now you know what goes into at least three or four.

Week 2: Double Duty

Perhaps it is the curse of all women to never be able to do only ONE thing at a time. But I find that propping a good book up in the window works wonders on motivating me to work on that pile of dishes. (It's Madeleine L'Engle's "A Circle of Quiet" today, if you are wondering.)

Also, I reserve the right now to post more than one picture a week. Not that I really expect that to happen a lot, but I figure I should have an out, just in case. :D