Better Blogging Through Beauty...

The ridiculously talented...and, might I add,
"charming" Joy, from CUPID'S CHARMS
is hosting her Beautiful Blogging Party today!
And everyone is supposed to share what it is
they like about blogging...so, away we go.


When I first started blogging, the pictures
were that last thing on my mind...I had no
idea what I was doing so, why worry about
such an inconsequential thing like that! ;)
I was more worried about what I would ever
find to write about...(I know, that's not really
a problem now, huh?!! Yak, yak, yak, yak,yak!)



My previous stints as a photographer
consisted of someone handing me their
camera and saying, " Here, just push that
button". And me saying, "Onnnnne, twoooo,
three!"
Consequently, all my pictures looked like
the ones above...
hazy, unfocused and just plain dorky!
Nothing like all the beautiful blogs I was
finding with pictures that looked like the
could be in a magazine!
Then one day I discovered a little thing that
made my bloggy buttons burst!

THE MACRO SETTING ON THE CAMERA!
And a whole new world was opened to me!
(pardon me while I rhapsodize!)



When I discovered I could get details like
this....



and this...





and this....

I fell in love with photography!
And I went from thinking, " I have to
have a picture to show them what I'm
talking about" to "Ohhh, I have to show
them this picture!".





Every little detail seemed more interesting.





I started noticing everything!






Trees, sky, lint!
Actually capturing the rays of the sun?
Get out of here!





I am usually laying across a piece of
furniture to get just the angle I want!







Or to get just the right un-Photoshopped
"twinkle"!





And discovering a different view...





and even obsessing a bit...I must have taken
20 shots of this ribbon before I had the one
I wanted!





And for some sick reason, I could take pictures
of these little hearts all day long! The way the
light goes in and out of them is really cool!











The ordinary is actually very pretty...






and anything shiny is extra pretty!




The quest for the perfect light (that all the
Scandinavian bloggers have down pat!).






A handsome male model is very helpful!


The sweet, funny and amazingly talented
people I have "met" has been such a treat
and a revelation. The creativity out there
in blogland is unbelievable!
But I had never expected to become a
photography nerd who carries her
camera around in her purse everyday..."just
in case"! And, one day, when this blogging
thing is done, this passion for taking pictures
of saucers full of glitter will endure...and quite
possibly get me institutionalized!

Beautiful Blogging to all!!!

An Ode to Teacups...

I have probably said this before, but I do believe
that our love of teacups and pretty china came
from our great grandmother, Elsie. She never
really seemed like a "teacuppy" kind of person,
but she had this white corner cabinet with the
prettiest pink teacups that my sisters and I
always admired. (And when she made us
hot dogs she boiled them, she was sooooo
very exotic!).





Well, the 3 of us took that early childhood
fascination and truly kicked it up a notch!
And we don't just use them for tea like
great grandma did! They are part of the decor...
the perfect catch-all for bits & bobs...and just
plain lovely to look at!





If you're not a "teacuppy" person (I promise
not to tell the Queen!) this post will already
be boring you to tears! But if you enjoy the
occasional "cuppa", have a look...you might
just see something you fancy!








































yes, Virginia...those are cat toys!

































And be sure to stop by KIM'S for
more TEA THINGS TUESDAYS !

Decisions, Decisions...

This sky was desperately trying to decide if
it wanted to be sunny...or cloudy...and it never
could make up it's mind!

Now for some definitively lovely skies, be sure
to stop on over at SKY WATCH FRIDAY !

Swine Flu, My Eye...This Is Important!

It's clearly a sphere...






made of daisies, my dear...





oh, you've nothing to fear...





opinions needed here!






Ok, I am done channeling Dr. Seuss,
but I really do want your 2 cents.






I bought these daisy spheres ( I am using
the technical term because when I typed the
other, more common word for round objects,
weeeeeell, it just seemed too indelicate an
utterance for an Austen reader, so I opted
for "sphere"...it rhymed better too!)






I bought them at the 99 Cent Store...






And I will state, flat out, that whenever
I see daisies, I think of "You've Got Mail"!
(You know, when Meg Ryan still had her
real lips!) I don't adore the movie, but I
do adore her apartment and her shop!
**sigh**





So, when I showed my not-to-be-named
sister, I got the look...you know...eyes half-
squinted, brows quizzical, head tipped to one
side as the mouth says, "Eh, they're ok..."
while the face says, "OH GOD, PLEASE
TELL ME SHE'S ADOPTED!"




Haaaaaaarrrrrmph! I like them!


But am I just a freak spurred on by a lackluster
movie pseudo-sequel?
Are they terminally & tragically tacky?

Or, deep down, next to one of those misplaced
paint splotches (the one right next to the sticker
that reads "Made In Outer Mongolia") do they have
have any sort of redeeming decorative value?
What say you?

I Interrupt My Previous Scheduled Post....

Whatever I was going to post tonight just fell by the
wayside after I happened upon a blog that was new
to me, and read about BABY BELLA ! This post by
her grandmother is so beautiful! (Have tissues ready!)
And this post from JUNK SISTAS is
equally as beautiful! These girls are awesome and I am
so sad that I am too late to participate! But I hoped that
I could at least help out by spreading the word about
the Junk Sistas raffle to help Baby Bella!

PLEASE click on the links and PLEASE blog about
this today if at all possible! This little angel/fighter
has an amazing family and unbelievable friends,
but she could use a little help from us too!!!!
If nothing else, please leave a comment of
support for this sweet family...
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!