Storm Rollin' In

Moody, eh?

In Miniature

StingRay, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I played around with photographing some of the J-Man's cars a few weeks back (a fun little project), and finally got around to playing with the results. Unfortunately my light was not the best (I don't exactly have pro equipment), but changing it up in post created some noise that I actually liked. There's more in my flickr - I'm actually taking the whole lot (there's several more) and creating a collage on Snapfish for J-Man's room.

Photo Friday: Old

I've posted a version of this before, but when I saw this week's Photo Friday topic this came to mind:

Knockout - Another View

Knockout - Another View, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

This is a different view of the knockout rose - actually a different rose altogether. This image has really grown on me over the past couple of weeks so here it is.

I have really lacked time lately to truly blog. I keep thinking about maybe just ditching my public blog, but I do like sharing my photos, even if only a handful of folks actually look at them.

Check out Laura's blog if you don't regularly - she's gone back to Africa (Goma to be precise). Hers is one of the most thoughtful blogs that I read - her experiences in Africa (or at home in Texas) are just good readin'. She's a smart gal, that Laura.

Mama Said Knock You Out!

Mama Said Knock You Out!, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

We have one (or maybe two - I can't remember) knockout rose bush that is just HUGE! It's creeping onto our stairs that access our deck, and is in full bloom with just tons of flowers.

Our secret?

We do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

We don't make time to do the landscaping; it's hard when you've got two younguns. A barely finds time to mow the lawn each week, and well, landscaping is just not a big priority. We have been told that we need to trim that rosebush back - I'll try to do it when it stops blooming towards the end of the summer. I've also been told that I should split my day lilies but that sounds awfully - complicated.

Anyway, Southern Living is not going to be popping by for a photoshoot anytime soon. But this rose is pretty, huh?

May Flowers

Lantana, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I'm getting so lazy in my constant use of Flickr for my blog these days...

I love the ability to take macro shots! I have a lot to learn but wanted to share this. I really like lantana; I think it's the teeny-tiny delicate clusters of flowers that I enjoy.

We're going to my inlaws' this weekend and I always get to take some pics there (the onsite babysitting service is EXCELLENT). Their garden should be going pretty well so there's an opportunity right there. I can't wait to see what my father-in-law has planted - we've heard of blueberries, strawberries, and cherry trees. I hope he's growing tomatoes again, as you can't beat homegrown and I am very much a "I Love Tomato Sandwiches but Only When they Tomatoes are In Season" gal. Anyway, I know Jackson will want to see his garden - A planted a few tomato plants here in our small town mecca and Jackson has been VERY interested in their progress. Now if I can get him to eat the tomatoes...

Playin' with my new toy...

Wasp, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I got a new lens (Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens).

I am really liking it so far. It doesn't have IS (image stabilization) like my kit lens, but then again I couldn't shell out for one of them fancy lenses. For its price range, the Sigma rated well on Amazon. I am pretty pleased. Still learning the ropes on macro shots. Took this of the wasp from about five feet away - because I am not going to get close to one!

On a side note, Jackson saw a wasp in our yard today and said "Oh" and stepped back a couple of feet. That kid has great instincts. I am trying not to pass my bug phobia on to him but I think he realized that you don't want to mess with a wasp. Mean things.

Laura Will Totally Get This

Typewriter Flying the Rebel Flag, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I think it should be noted that I personally do not see a need to fly the flag of a rebellious state that lost about 150 years ago.

I'm just sayin'.

That Dang Ol' Rodeo...

That Dang Ol' Rodeo..., originally uploaded by TNEmily.

Despite having lived in Franklin, TN for a full six years of my young life (junior high/high school - parents still live there), and despite having march in the Rodeo Parade every year of high school, I had never been to the Franklin Rodeo until last Saturday night.

A and I thought it would be fun for Jackson, and it was...for a while. A 3 year old can only see so many horses and cows before deciding he's done ("I ready to go home now.").

Tickets were free - and good, and parking was free, so even though we did not even make it to intermission, no harm, no foul. Popcorn was eaten, horses were watched, calves were roped, off-color jokes were made by the rodeo clown and the announcer. We'll probably take both boys again next year - especially if we get free tickets again.

Photo Friday: Relaxation

Relax, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

Is there nothing more relaxing than laying under a fan running at high speed on a hot summer day?

This cute little cord pull has helped me relax a few times while visiting our inlaws. With summer coming - and a likely Memorial Day weekend trip there in our near future - I think I will be pulling this chain soon.

Photo Friday: The Country

Being in the Nashville area, when I think of "the country", two things can come to mind: country, the genre, and "the country", as in rural farmland and landscapes. I went with the latter for my Photo Friday entry:

Cow on the Hill stood out to me during our Easter Weekend photography excursion, so there you have her folks.

I'm also posting a second for this theme, because I can. This is a photo that would have remained ignored had I not received the email for today's Photo Friday. As I was viewing some older photos taken with my Sony, I came across this and found it very appropriate for the theme. A little cropping and a little more tweaking and here you go:

I like to photograph dilapidated things...

Abandoned, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

A and I were driving around on Easter Saturday in his hometown, just so I could take some photos.

In addition to taking pictures of pretty flowers (and thanks for the compliments on that, ya'll!) I also like to take pics of things that are completely run down. Rusty. Almost destroyed.

So as A drove by this I said: "Um, I saw something back there. You're going back that way, right?"

To which he asked what about, and I mentioned the rusty old truck that was sitting on the side of the road in the middle of town.

And I could tell he thought that was a little, well, strange. My husband loves me, weirdness and all.

My cousin and I discussed this by email a while back. She's a fan of plantation/antebellum/old homes, and put it this way (paraphrasing) that the ones that were unfinished, or really run down, always seemed to tell more of a story.

And I think that's right. The rusted, dilapidated, worn-out, breaking-down - it all seems to tell a story. In the case of a home, lives lived in its walls, complete with an ending - either of abandonment, destruction, or something else. In the case of this car - roads traveled, places seen. Maybe it was someone's reliable transportation for this vehicle's lifetime - to work, to and from a honeymoon, to the hospital for the birth of a child.

Or maybe it's late, and I just think too much.

Easter Weekend

Blue at the Vineyard, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I hope everyone enjoyed there Easter weekend. I'll blog more later - took some nice photographs this weekend so I'll have much to share - but I am having trouble getting blogger to upload for me so this will have to suffice.

Taken at Holly Ridge Winery in Overton County, TN. It was VERY cold over the Easter weekend here in Tennessee, and the owner mentioned to us that unfortunately the severe cold snap has likely killed off his grapes this year. We did purchase a Riesling which we have yet to open, and some Blackberry wine that was excellent (the owner informed us that it's his most popular).

Anyway, I captured this little flower (sorry, I'm not plant-savvy so I can't tell you what it is) outside the winery. This hardy little thing took the cold like a champ!

Nuggets of Bloggin' Inspiration

I've been super busy. Plus, like Angelle, I sometimes "have nothing interesting to say".

It's funny, because sometimes I will get little nuggets of inspiration and write it down. But then I actually have to sit down and find the time and the mood to actually write something. And that can be darn difficult, considering that my most recent call to Dell (don't ask) resulted in Jackson coloring on the back of our couch (thank goodness to Crayola for washable crayons) and touching his own poop (we're hoping this is a sign that potty-training will get better. I did accomplish the art of getting him to pee three times this morning in the potty for a sticker reward).

Anyway, to my nuggets of inspiration:

1. "Minimum Wage" - a They Might Be Giants tune from Flood. I don't remember what I was originally thinking about when I wrote this down. The song is hilarious, because it starts out with a man singing "Minimum Wage!" and a whip-snap, then gears into some Muzak. I wonder if my friend Lynn has heard it, and if so, does it remind her of her days at Bi-Lo, because it's total grocery store Muzak. My first job was at the mall, at a little jewelry store called Afterthoughts (later bought up by Claire's). I worked there for a month, and in that time had 3 different managers. I left due to hours (I was hired in to work 15 hours a week and they cut me down to 3, but manager 3 was "disappointed" when I left to work at Sears for better pay and way more hours. Whatever.). The preteens were the worst part of the job - I think preteen girls may be, in fact, of the devil - they would come through (our store had two entrances, basically serving as a shortcut to the food court) and check things out, knock the hats off the wall, and not buy a dang thing. I don't know how those kinds of stores make money. I was hired as prom season was closing, so there was a good cash flow during that time and then...crickets. It would be a Friday night and I would maybe sell a $3 pair of earrings. The other bad part of the job - I had to pierce ears; it was required. Who thinks it is a good idea to have a 16-year-old girl piercing ears? Not me. I pierced one pair of ears - there's a poor gal out there who's probably just graduating college this year, and likely still curses the day she went to Afterthoughts to get her ears pierced. They were slightly crooked.

2. The Dove ads. I love the Dove beauty ads. I know this got a lot of press about a year or two ago, so I am jumping on that wagon late, but who cares. The most recent one I saw was a magazine ad. It was one of the aging gracefully ads, but the ad showed a woman - nude but covered) - and you can see her, rolls and all. And God bless her, but she looks radiant in the ad. I love it. Having had body issues specifically for the past 8 years or so (OK, well who doesn't have body issues, even if they seem perfect, right?), and finally coming to terms with the fact that I am likely never going to be that size 6-8 I was in early college, and that's OK - I really appreciate those ads. I had a lot more to blog about it earlier - like going into how I gained the weight (I was not a good vegetarian - I ate a lot more Pasta-Roni than vegetables & tofu, like a good vegetarian should. I am not a vegetarian anymore but if you are hurray to you, just make sure you eat those veggies).

It's late but I am trying to upload to Snapfish and order before I go to bed. I have 20 credits expiring April 2 and want to use them! We are so backed up on ordering prints. It's embarrassing so I won't admit how far behind we are, but it's bad. That's the downside of going digital. So I am trying out Snapfish - they seem cheap and I have heard good things. This week/weekend I am going to try to take some portraits of Tucker. It's one of the reasons we went for the big camera upgrade. Poor Tucker doesn't even have any photos on our walls - I need to buy some frames! I can't wait until we get a Walmart in this town.

Photo Friday - Textured

My entry for this week's Photo Friday. As mentioned previously, I have been playing around with my camera settings, and seeing what aperture can do. This is a hat my mother-in-law made for Tucker. I thought the textures were neat and took a few shots.

I am starting to add the watermarks (I think that's the right term) to my images. It's not that I think "oh, I am such a great photographer that someone's going to pirate my image", but I keep hearing about this happening to folks, and I want to be proactive.

I actually had time to play around with this one as both boys, by some small miracle, are napping at the same time!

Photo Friday: Self Portait

For last Friday's Photo Friday Challenge:

Photo Friday: Sky

Rural Middle Tennessee. Yes, the focus is soft.

Clouds.

A park at Old Hickory Lake, Hendersonville, Tennessee. It was a beautiful day as it transformed into evening.

Aperture Experiments

I've been experimenting more with aperture since buying the new camera (LOVE IT) and took these a couple of weeks ago. My mom wants to sell my brother's trumpet, and left it with me to take it to our local middle school band director to see if he can sell it. I took the opportunity to play around. I love slightly abstract shots like this and love music and instruments. And it is a beautiful trumpet.

I think it's obvious here that I am going for a "view while playing the instrument" shot. It would have been way cooler with a blue sky background, a la marching band, but that was lacking at 11pm or so at night. So you got "trumpet a la as much light as I could muster in our bedroom without waking the boys". I did this shot where the entire instrument remains in focus, but due to the ceiling background versus a real sky, this is the better shot:

This second shot has its faults - technically I should have focused on the first key (and meant to do so) but I am still learning on the D-SLR, folks. I got some good critique on it as a subject on a online website I sometimes participate in. A lot of people thought this was a radio dial when just viewing the thumbprint:

I love it. I kiss it. I love it again.

I got a new digital camera - a Canon Digital Rebel XT - for my birthday from A, and it's so freakin' awesome. As Jackson would say: "I love it. I kiss it. I love it again."

I am still working my way around getting used to the camera - it's my first SLR - but I made these two shots yesterday and today. The one of the boys is so cool, I think I am going to put that one on the wall!

Father and Son - Photo Deleted

Jackson and Tucker - Photo Deleted

Jackson thought it was hilarious and so awesome that Tucker would sit in his lap (well, between his legs). Tucker did keep sliding down - I think he wanted to keep his eye on Jackson - but this camera is so much faster, I was able to get a couple of well-posed shots out of the 10 (more or less) that I took. Jackson did VERY well, I must say - more genuine grins than cheesy grins this time!

He's a Charmer, Ain't He?

Tucker at 2 months....

PHOTO DELETED

Watch him work that grin! He is a big smiler - loves being talked and sung to, and loves sitting up.

After a rough day today (translation: Jack went two days in a row without taking a nap, and was extra crabby and independent as a result, meaning loads of fun for me), I decided I need to pay some more attention to myself. This probably sounds very selfish, but I have neglected hobbies that I think I should take more time for. For example, I bought Adobe Elements from Amazon back in May to further my photography (not that I'm any sort of professional) and have yet to open the box. That is just sad.

So I am uploading the software tonight, just after posting this blog. I owe it to myself. I think I'll be less stressed as a result, therefore making me a better mom to the boys, and a better wife to A.

I'm also getting back into piano. I played for several years, and in addition to that played keyboard, flute, and mallets all during high school. I then quit cold turkey upon entering college. I am really missing it these days, so A and I have decided to purchase this nice piece of equipment:

The beauty is that, not only will I enjoy playing this thing - making memories with the boys of playing music for them and with them - but also, I want both boys to at least try to learn playing the piano, something you just can't do with a keyboard, which is what I have now. I tried this out at Sam Ash the other day and it sounds awesome; plus it's smaller than a real piano and easier to maintain (no tuning; should we ever decide to move one day we would not have to hire movers just for one piece). So I'm selling my old keyboard; a Concertmate 900, for $50. Any takers?