Random Photo Shoot

Hi Friends!  I had time yesterday to play with my new camera a bit and took a few random shots.  I still haven't had time to read over the owners manuel yet to figure things out more.  Maybe since I am off again today I will find a minute to at least figure out what all the symbols mean on the dial.  Hopefully!

My son and his girlfriend came home from Charleston this weekend.  She is in photography school and brought her camera because she had a homework assignment to complete with shadows and light and dark. Here I am with her holding up her camera looking at my son taking my picture with my new camera.

The Mr. and I decided to go down to the sailing club for a bit for some R&R and I was just snapping away!

This shot was taken from the shore of the back of our boat.  It is 3rd one in the middle.  I really want a telescopic lens now, maybe for Christmas.

Here I was trying to photograph a spiders web on our boat.  Unfortunately, I wasn't very successful.

We had some very strange weather yesterday too.  The skys were alternating between overcast and cloudy with strong gusty winds often sustaining 20 to 25 knots at a time.  In these next three photos I played with the dial some turning it to see what happens. This photo seems the sharpest to me. 

This one turned out much darker!

And this one almost seems kinda floaty like!  LOL!

This couple was quite brave!  This shot was taken during a lull in the wind as they neared our club.

Here they are again as they got further out.  They spent much of their time heeled over like this.  Whew!

Here is another group of fearless sailors heading out.

And yet another group here!  We stayed ashore because I am not a fan of heeling over so much and because we were not interested in doing all the hard work it takes to keep up with shifting winds.

Besides it was later in the afternoon and I was ready for some time to unwind.

We sat on the point.

Where I spotted the bark had been worn off the base of this tree when the water is up to it's peak level.

I decided to take more pictures by the shore.

I had to take several shots to catch the water as it splashed up over the rocks.

The lake level has dropped down considerably for the winter already.

We are pulling our boat out of the water next week to give it a new paint job on the bottom.

We are really hoping it's not too shallow to pull it out at our club or else we will have to take it to the marina and then have it transported by land back to the club.

This is some kind of odd pod weed that is growing along the shore.

I think it's very pretty though!

Here is another photo I had to take several shots of to catch the flag when it was open.  The wind was so strong it was flapping this flag around everywhere!

This photo and the next did not turn out great but I thought they were interesting because they had one of those strange eerily looking orbs on them.

What's up with that?  I must have had a visitor hanging out with me I didn't see.  LOL!

Would you look at that?  I caught our ghostly visitor and she is a lady!

LOL!  Just kidding! I wanted to try my hand at a shadow shot too!  It's kinda hard to do when you are your own subject.

Speaking of being your own subject.  I can't believe I am going to be brave enough to show you these but I am.  These were just a few random close ups I took of myself by turning the camera around.  My eyes are usually so wide and open.  This photo shows how very tired I have been lately.  I also have been having quite a bit of trouble with my eyes and contacts at work lately due to all the dust we are kicking up right now.  They have been extremely red lately.

Not so red now but very droopy!  Gosh and I can see every single pore and wrinkle in these too!  Now that is one extreme closeup, don't you think?

Well that was fun!

Hope you all have a great week!  I am going to be very busy after today.  We are all set to open up the store on time this Saturday and of course I am working everyday.  Hoping I can get caught up on some rest before the grand opening and perk up these eyes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fall/Halloween Wreath Part Two

Hey Everybody!  Thank you all so much for all the sweet birthday wishes!  I really appreciated each and everyone of them.  It has been a busy week working to help get the store (Stein Mart) up and running.  I've never opened up so many boxes at one time in my life!  At first it was like Christmas then the novelty began to wear off and the realization that it is work has settled in quickly.  Whew!   Anyway, I am very happy to finally have a day off again after working 8 and 10 hours a day.  I'm still trying to adjust to that long of a day and am just plain tired by the end of the day.  

One thing that seems to be adjusting already is waking up early.  After several mornings of having to be at work at 6:00am to unload the truck, I woke up early again today!  I was up and ready to get some things done around the house.  The laundry has been humming along all morning while I went about setting out a few things for Halloween.  I can't wait to show you my Halloween wreath but I've got a few other things to show you first.

Look what I found when I opened up my Halloween box from the attic.

I forgot all about buying her last year.  

I bought her after the season on clearance somewhere but can't remember where for the life of me.  Isn't she something?  I was so excited!  She fit's in with my fall mantle beautifully too!

Then, look what I found when I went outside!

Looks like someone made a dinner out of my fall display!  I just can't believe this.  I've had this old Indian corn forever and never had any problems like this before.  Oh well, I was going to move it anyway to set up for Halloween, so in the trash it went.  Bye, bye old corn!

Then out came all my Halloween decor.

Looks like the witch is back!  

I didn't even buy a thing for any of this.  I had all of it from last years tablescape.  You can go see that here.  

This jack-o-lantern is electric and I can't wait to try and photograph it at night.

The sign was a dollar tree find from last year and I've seen them there this year again.  I also got the sticker for the bottle there as well last year.

The spell book I made myself last year too.  I'm crafty that way...like a witch!  Cackle-cackle!

Seriously though, I got this graphic from the Graphics Fairy and added a the words then printed it all out,cut and burned the edges and glued to the top of black tissue paper.  Then wrapped it around a book like a book cover.  Easy and fun!

Here is another fun Graphics Fairy project.  I printed this "Poison" graphic out, cut and glued it on the bottle. 

 I got the idea to put my orange lights (that I already had but rarely use) into my pumpkin vine from another blogger.  I can't remember who she is, so sorry!  I just loved that idea.   When I unboxed my Halloween decor I knew exactly how I was going to use the orange lights this year.  I can't wait to photograph this as well!

Have you seen enough yet?

No? Wreath! What wreath?

Oh, that wreath!

I guess I did promise to show you my wreath didn't I?  

But wait now, it's not just any old Halloween wreath Y'all!  It's part two of my three in one wreath.  Do you remember in a previous post I showed you my fall wreath.

This was part one.

And Here is part two!

What do you think?  It's a wreath within a wreath!

I have had two old straw wreaths like forever!  I've never used them and they sat there in my craft supplies looking so pathetic and neglected.  But not anymore!  This is the largest one of the two.  When I saw this ribbon at Michael's this year, I knew I had to use it.  I also found these picks there as well.  

Talk about easy, all I did was wrap the ribbon around the straw wreath, add my picks, then pin the ribbon after covering the pick stems with it.  Then I added another ribbon to tie it on to the fall wreath and waalaah!

There you are!  I'm all ready now for any trick or treators who might venture our way.   In our rural area, we never have any because they all go somewhere else, like to a neighborhood or the church's for "trunk or treats".   That doesn't stop me from being prepared though, just in case!

I'll be linking up to the following parties today.

Seasonal Sunday

Metamorphosis Monday.

(check out the links above for more)

Thanks for visiting today!

The weather is beautiful and I hope you enjoy a beautiful weekend as well!

It's My Birthday Today!

Hi Ho! Hi Ho!  It's off to work I go, and very happy for it.  Sorry ladies, but I am feeling just full of myself today.  Why?  Well, because today is my birthday!  

I am ringing my own bell today because as it's my life and I am embracing it!  I know this may sound quite braggy to some of you so if that's what you think so be it.  It seems the older I get the more comfortable I get with myself and who I am.  I've spent a lifetime feeling like I needed to please everyone else and be accepted under someone else's terms, but no more!  

God has made me very special just the way I am!  I have a big old heart that breaks easily because I have compassion for others.  Some call people like me super sensitive.  Some call us blessed!  One thing I know for sure.  Those who are blessed (sensitive) are usually the most forgiving and adaptable people on earth.  We live our lives in others shoes, mentally, and sometimes physically.  We understand where people have been when they share a life story with you. Life has not been an easy road for me in childhood, but I know God has always been there with me even when I didn't understand that.  Sure do wish I could get my hair to stay that color always!

Do you know that almost 8 of my closest friends from elementary school all the way up to high school were Libra's.  Pretty wild huh?  We always had such a great October!  Boy, do I miss those women!  We've gone our way after marriage and children but occasionally keep in touch, not nearly enough though.

This is me wearing my birthday necklace a few years ago.  It's kinda like my self proclaimed tiara, that I've decided it is worthy of wearing on birthdays.  I won't be wearing it today though, it's too fancy for setting up a store.  LOL!  

I celebrated my birthday yesterday because I was off.  I am so blessed by my family and wonderful husband!  Look what this man bought me all by himself.  He did the research and this is what he came up with after hearing me complain about the issues I was having with my camera.

Can you believe it?  In know!  I am beside myself.  Love how he gave me three bows on the package too!  LOL!

I've got so much to learn now!  Oh well, actually I guess we never stop learning in life do we?

Well thanks for stopping by and letting me shine a little today.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today too!