Cottage BlueBird

Mistreatments!!

The Nester is throwing a Mistreatment Party and I just had to play. I mean, i LIVE for the art "mistreating" windows and other things with curtains. I thought I would share my newest one.

My landlord installed new double pane sliding glass doors, which because they replaced FRENCH doors left me without blinds I told him not to worry about verticals (YIKES) I would take care of it. Well, this all happened just a week before the march of the visitors for 3 weeks, so I decided to just "make" something quick. A queen bed-sheet, a blue linen table cloth and a pair of scissors later, we got this..

Hung with clip rings.

Hey, it does the job of keeping peepers out and lets in lots of light. I love it... because I didn't sew a stitch!!!

I love hanging curtains this way. Here's a look into the MANY things I've mistreated with curtain rings and random fabric...

and of course my beautiful kitchen window...Posted at the last Nester Party 

food foto's

Photo tip for the day: When photographing a lovely bunch of grapes, put on your glasses (if you need them) and remove all the wrinkled, sick looking ones!!

I took 40 pictures that had the ugliest grape EVER right in the middle!! I had to start over. If it wasn't so funny I would think it almost pitiful that at 35 I can't even see a mutilated grape without my glasses....

 

I love putting texture in my photo's. It makes me feel like it's almost touchable...

I'm also playing with watermarks. I fought the idea for awhile, but I just can't shake the thought that i need to have them. If anything, if someone does steal a picture from me, at least my name's on it!! :)

wonderwoman

sorry about the excessive pink, it's an old photo!

Yeah, that's me... wonderwoman!!

Today I am wearing my gold bangles of deflection and wielding my lasso of truth  while I do battle in my own head against the gremlins of DISTRACTION and LAZINESS and SELF DOUBTand the biggest nemesis of all PITY PARTY!! 

Their goin down I tell yah!

DOWN!

(can you tell I finally got typepad's new editor?? Colored text, easy to enlarge!! Watch out!)

old photo's

In my utter laziness today, I've just been poking around old photo's. I came across 2 photo's from 2002. These are my niece and nephew. I chased them around all day that day. My whole my family was there (14 of us). It was a great day...

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

And then I found this: ah-la 1983
I hope it makes you laugh as much as it did me.

Oh, how I loved that man!!

and just so you can really laugh, this is the one that was over my bed!!

::Normal????::

Ummm... did I say normal??? Surely I didn't. Because that would just be ASKING for something to happen, right??

Well, 3 days after my last guests left (2nd set in a 2 week period) my dear, sweet Father In Law showed up. He called the day before and said he was coming down, but in typical fashion for him, couldn't be hindered with details like, WHEN??

So, late yesterday afternoon, my hubby called to ask again when he may show up (we are desperately trying to get back to normal, you know "work"). He answered and said he was already here.

sigh...

He spent the night with us last night, but also in typical fashion for him, decided he needed his own "space" and got a room down the street. We, luckily, live in a very trendy neighborhood, so there was a cute place 3 blocks away and he loves it.

I love my FIL. He's great. Very low maintenance and just up for a good conversation, a cigarette and a strong cup of coffee. All while sitting on the front porch. He's a giving man, and just fun to listen to. He has the most amazing stories you've ever heard. And 90% of them are actually true. :)

I love to see him...

BUT

2 weeks was already too long to not focus on work.

Luckily he's patient, and very low maintenance.

I'm glad he's here, actually. It means he's back to himself after having dealt with cancer in the past year. He's ready to be himself again and that makes me smile REALLY big. :)

So, for now, maybe you can enjoy some pictures I've been playing with.

 

::Normal::

I hate normal... :)

I loved the joyful, family induced chaos of the last few weeks. It filled my soul.

And broke my brain!!!!!

So, in lieu of words, how about some pictures of the last week with my best friend!!

love those boys.....

comfort

Tuesday evening I got new visitors!

Photo taken by Jessica Keith

I haven't written much because I am wallowing in the sweet comfort of family and the closest friends. I'm absorbing snuggles and giggles from little ones and staying in PJ's till noon.

My love tank is full...

What's filling your love tank today?

Little Girl MAGIC!!

If you love everything girly, and adore everything cottage, then you need to click here quickly!!

It's quite possibly the cutest most perfect thing I've ever seen!!!

pink

“Is solace anywhere more comforting than that in the arms of a sister.”

Alice Walker

My husbands family left yesterday. It was a long visit, but a very good one. The girls have grown so big now and they are such little ladies. I had fun hanging out with my MIL and my SIL.

The best part was a double photo blessing. (Ok, I'm lying, the best was going on the Pirate Cruise again LOL)

For Me: I want desperately to be a professional photographer
For Them: They have always wanted family beach pictures

Blessing: I get to practice and fill my photo-portfolio with new styles and they get a free photo shoot!

It was so much fun. I loved doing it.

We went to Honeymoon Island State Park in Florida. Experience told me that this would be a great place to take pictures as the times I have been it is never over crowded.

It's stormy season in Florida now, so the seaweed was abundant and the sky's were cloudy, which for me made PERFECT pictures. There was this beautiful cool pink light casting all over which just made the pink dresses even more perfect.

 

I came home and have been having a blast editing and applying my style to the photo's. Oh, and a big plug for Nicole V and her fantastic Actions!! WOW!!!!

 

I will have to brag about myself, however, and say that unedited they were pretty dang good. :) You can click on my flickr badge to see more...

Family

Now that we live in Tampa, FL, family comes to see us much more often than they used to. That's just great with us! Our house is small, but according to this week, perfectly capable of housing 7 people. (at least for a short time)

We've had a great time so far, and look very forward to a new set of guests next week!!

I may not post a lot during this time, but I just wanted to let you know I'm still here!

Have a great week!