Groupon.com

Good Morning blog world!!

I was thinking...

as I lay snuggled in my warm bed this morning under 6 layers of covers because my room reaches arctic temperatures despite the heat blowing, because you know there is that one room in every house that is just always hot or always cold and you can't do nothing about it...

that I haven't written in awhile.

We have been enjoying a lot of relaxing family time around here and since I choose not to specifically write about my family it takes a whole chunk from my pool of inspiration.
Remember, that is why you hear so much about the dog.

Who by the way, is doing great!
She got a new blankie for Christmas, and she loves it!

She has spent the last two nights upstairs snuggled neatly upon it instead of sleeping in her bed.
Which is her crate...in my arctic room.
I think she is making a good choice there.

Well, I didn't come today to write about my puppy, but she does provide inspiration!
I came today to give you a tip!
I am pretty sure one of my Tennessee Sister in Laws emailed this tip to me about 5 months ago. Sorry that I haven't thought to share it with you until now.

Groupon is what I am referring to. Collective buying power is their tagline.
Here is where you can read more about how it works, but I will give you the skinny as well.
Each day I receive an email stating what the deal of the day is. It is commonly 40-60% off of services or products.
For instance, today's deal for the Houston area is:

$20 for $40 Worth of Upscale New American Fare at SouthStreet Dining in Tomball

The business of the day sets a minimum of how many of their deal they want to sell for that day and that day only, and once that minimum is met then the deal is on!
Usually by the time I check in each morning the deal has already gotten to this point.
Some things may not interest you in the least...like spray on tanning sessions or bootcamp exercise classes.
Others like gourmet food stores or your favorite clothing store might be worth your money and time.
So go check out the Groupon website, choose your appropriate city and see if it is something you would enjoy.

Gotta run!

Bokeh practice

I was sitting at a Christmas party the other day and a friend of mine and I were admiring the tree of our host family. It was probably 8 feet tall, covered with assorted ornaments and gently twinkling lights.

My friend asked..."Do you have a theme tree?"

I immediately and strongly said no.
I don't have one of those trees with all matchey matchey ornaments, or ribbon swirling around, or purple turkey feathers sprouting from the top like a fountain.

I enjoy those types of trees, very much!
I just don't have the energy to make one happen at my place.

Later as I thought back to our conversation I decided that I did indeed have a themed tree.

It is kind of a story of my life tree.
It has always been a tradition in my family for each child to get a new ornament each year, so I have things from way back in the 70's and on. What a treasure!
I just love seeing my own children as we carry on this tradition pull their ornaments from their boxes and think about being 2 or 3 or 6 or 10.
This year the boys got rocket ships and my girl a painted pony. I try to find something about the ornament that suits that child and where they are that year in some way.

After putting all of the ornaments on the tree this year I decided that next year I was going to keep some of my childhood ornaments in the boxes next year so that the current ornaments of my children could carry a stronger weight.

I got my camera out to try to practice a technique called bokeh and used some of my ornaments as the subjects.
Me and my camera...we still have issues that we are working out.

Here is a tiny little tour for ya even so!

This one here is from the 80's!

I always like to put it deep in the branches, so it looks like it is gliding away.


Always put the name and date on the ornaments!


If you don't put the name and date it is just a perpetual mystery!

I suppose I did this little number when I was about the age my daughter is now. There is no date on it but I know it is mine!
It is bric brac, cotton fabric, and lined paper, and it is big people!! I would say about 5x3 or so. rather large for an ornament.



I still have to get the lighting figured out...and this next picture is dreaded proof of that.
I had to include it though cause it is one of my favorite ornaments!
I made these when my oldest was 2! His hand is ginormous now, and I am glad I have this for comparison.



We have this petite Noah's Ark group which my girl hung all together very carefully this year.

Again with the lighting...arrrgghhhh, too little or too much!

Okay no more complaining!

I imagine my oldest son took to task the writing on this ornament for this year.
He would have been 6 1/2.

So cute, big fat letters!


Somewhere in the world there is a program to aid my bad photos!
Santa...Help!!


Oh...BTW to explain a bit...
The software that came with my new camera made my computer crash!!
(I am once again typing away on my kids computer while they breathe down my neck in anticipation of getting on.)
Who knew such a thing could happen! I hope to get a version of photoshop soon, but until then we just have to take the photos as they come out of the camera, cause there is no way my dear husband is letting me anywhere near our computer with any type of editing program..after making it crash TWICE!!!!
Sorry honey!!

Still busy II

Hello!
In honor of reader C.D. having a new baby, I have kept my writing to a minimum since he has so little time for reading.

I am just that kind of blogger!

That is a great excuse, right!?!

I suppose I have just been super busy like the rest of you trying to get so many, many things accomplished.

I wanted to share a couple of photos with you and then I have got to get back to being busy!

I really
really
really
really
really
really love my new camera, except when I hate my lack of knowledge on how to use it!
I know so much of it is going to be trial and error with a few great pictures mixed in with a overly large number of terrible shots.
I will try to share the good ones with you!

With that thought in mind...
I was transfixed by this Japanese Maple which is around the back of our church building.
I hurriedly took a few shots of it last Sunday before bible class.


Then, knowing I hadn't captured all of it I wanted to, I went back after services and shot a few more.



This one....oooo la la, love it!!!





I got distracted along the way by this fellow...


and by the sun shining thru the trees.



I read and read for quite awhile on Friday (with little comprehension I must add) about how to take good action shots and set about to do just that at my sons black belt testing.

Yes, I set about to do it.

Yes I did.

Instead, I got this...

It is an action shot alright, but I got a little too much foot action!
Lesson learned...take way way more photos than you think necessary or else all you get is foot and blurry shots!

Have a great week!
I think I will be back here before Christmas but just in case...
Merry Christmas all.

PS
I have been working with the program that came with my camera to adjust the colors in photos.
Not sure that it made much difference, but here are a few.

Still busy, but here!

I know you have been missing your Shelby updates right?

Well, princess Shelby is doing just fine.

She found this sheet on the floor yesterday.
It was hastily thrown there by my husband as he was heading out the door for work, as it was a... please don't freeze beautiful new flowering plant which I can't remember the name of right now...covering.
She managed to contort her body to fit it so that she was lying on something special, not just the same old carpet.



Do you realize you have to lay full out flat on the floor to get a photo like this??

My sacrifice for your pleasure!!

She is such a happy subject, so ready to jump right in there when the camera comes out.

I really like a good sparkling in the lights christmas ornament picture don't you??


And, these non traditional colors...I like that too!

Have a great Friday friends.

Please forgive my absence.
I see no end in sight of my busy-ness.

I am way overdue for a visit to the grocery store.
Way!!

I had to put cannellini beans in my pasta sauce to get a vegetable in my families life today.

Cannellini beans are rather large.
There is no hiding them.
I am just gonna have to fess up right off the bat.
No subterfuge.

I actually think it will be kinda great, beans in my pasta sauce on a whim.

Well, it isn't actually a whim, now is it when it is the only vegetable type thing in my house.
Well, that is not counting the whole package of floppy celery which I never got wrapped up.

Floppy celery is not a good thing...ever!!

I did make homemade beer bread.
It is all wrong though.
All I had was my pumpkin ale.
So wrong with pasta.

Pasta with random beans and pumpkin ale beer bread.
Not a combination on any menu in any fine restaurant!

But here, tonight...

...that is what we got!!

Sigh, off to feed my family!

Later!

Look, look!

Woo Hoo!!!! Success!!

Now that is a bear paw!!

Lots to do today, gotta run!

I am in my blue phase.


I like how it looks cold and icy!


I have always really liked snowmen, but this blue thing is pretty recent.




A dash of red every so often to keep my family happy!


Christmas decorating time is upon us!
Go!