PUSHING MY BUTTONS

Often times when I'm asked what I do I hesitate and quickly assess who the audience is before I answer.  I know I do some things well enough to declare it as what I do.  Truth is I'm also a dabbler.  In fact, I have many years of dabbling under my belt.  I pick up on some things easily, like I was wired that way.  Then there are other things I tend to shy away from.  Technical or mechanical things with lots of buttons that require manuals scare me a little so I learn just enough to get by.  Computers, cameras, iPhones are what I'm talkin bout.  For instance, I'd prefer painting a flower than take the time to create one in Illustrator. I know I have to be able to do both; I just clearly prefer my way.  Lately I've dared myself to go to the next level....to push those buttons.

So people, I signed up for a Fundamentals Photography class.  Had my first class last night.  O.M.G.  I was so lost.  I didn't even know my camera had a memory card.  Go ahead and laugh, it gets worse.  I never wear my glasses when I take pictures because they collide with the camera's eye piece.  So did you know there's a freakin Dioptic Adjuster?  Of course you did because, unlike me, you probably read manuals.  Now I can wear my glasses and actually see all those other buttons I've been avoiding for so long.  

My goal is to move beyond the dabble stage when it comes to photography.   In fact, I'd like to be above average.  I can't wait to take photos like these.

Jennifer took this of Wyatt "the Mangler".

Loree Alayne Photography

You can see more of our family photo shoot with Loree over on Jennifer's blog

  I'm headed back to San Diego for another couple weeks.  I'm going to miss week 2 and 3 of a 4 week photography class.  I bought a book and I'm going to see if I can find that camera manual.  I'll be practicing and practicing cuz Practice Makes Perfect.   I'll be posting.  Are any of you from San Diego?

WINNER OF WOODLAND DELIGHT

Sorry for not posting the winner of the 4 yards of Woodland Delight fabric, but things finally got crankin, uninterrupted, with that bathroom remodel and I didn't stop til I fell into bed.  I had another killer workout this morning and am just now back in the studio.  I'm here now, but you have to listen to me talk about the grandkids...again.

We had a wonderfully busy Labor Day weekend, filled with several trips to Lowe's Home Improvement.  We spend so much time there we actually know more than some of the employees.  We have been known to help perfect strangers.  We run into friends and neighbors and after several chats we barely have time left to install what we bought. 

The highlight of the weekend was spending some time with the grandkids.  The weather was beautiful so we had a cookout over at their house.  Papa brought his banjo and we danced and laughed and played til we wore them out (it's our job you know).  

Have I told you how much more fun it is being a grandparent?  They get so excited when they know we are coming and we can't wait for the hugs and love.  Parenting is way too stressful and worrisome.  Being a grandparent is all fun and games and then we go home.  But the ride home is filled with talking about how blessed we are.  Tim and I did not have great memories of our grandparents.  Tim's were indifferent and mine were downright mean.  Our goal is to be the grandparents we wished we had. 

Thank you all so much for your comments during this giveaway.  I plan to take some of your excellant advise.  Wow, Google Reader is hands down the preferred method for following a blog.  Why did I think we had to use Bloglines?  See, now I'm asking more questions.

                                            

Many of you are not only reading my blogs but following me on Facebook and Twitter.  How do we ever get anything done?  Because I was counting each "follow" I decided to turn it over to my math and spreadsheet guru (Tim) to find a winner.  Drum roll please.

Tiff said "I follow your blog via Google Friend Connect, Twitter, subscribe and like you on Facebook.  Why?  Cuz I loves ya!  I'm hooked on your fabric and you are such a neat woman.  Seriously, I'd give my eye teeth just to get to meet you in person".

Okay, I'm cracking up.  Eye teeth?  Hold on to those Tiff.  Frankly, I'm not always that neat.  But thanks for being hooked on my fabric.  Just email me your address.  And for the rest of you, I plan to have more giveaways so stay tuned!

4 YARD FABRIC GIVEAWAY

First off, let me just start by saying OUUCCHHHH to Esther, my new personal trainer.  Not like I'm training for anything, but she's trying her best to whip me into some sort of shape, other than the one I currently have.  Now I just need to convince her (okay, and maybe her family) to move in with me to kick my butt daily.  She gets me to do things I would never normally agree to, especially if I were telling myself to do them.

We have been gaining very slow progress on our guest bath remodel.  It's not even a full remodal; we merely tackled the sink area.  With my Mini MacGyver's constant business trips, weekends filled with commitments, family and yardwork, we average about a couple hours per week on remodel.  This past weekend we hoped for a larger time frame before he took off again.  The only available time left was between 1-4 on Sunday before Tim had to leave for Vancouver, Canada by 5.  We raced from church stuff to rent a tile cutter.  Tim's job was to run from the second floor guest bath to the tile cutter machine he set up outside on the ground level (in upper 90's temps).  Once he made the cut, he ran up the stairs to place the tile, then back down to make the next cut.  And all before he had to race off to return the tile cutter and make it to the airport on time.  Fun huh?  Here's a peek at the doors Tim made and I painted.  And the handles we whittled.  No, just kidding.

Can you believe it's officially September?  Just the name of the month seems to conjure up thoughts of cooler weather, autumn breezes and warm fall colors for many of us in the U.S.  Okay, so it's still in the mid-90's in the midwest and the humidity attacks my hair when I merely let the dog out.  There hasn't been an ounce of rain in well over a month so the leaves are falling, even though they forgot to change colors first.  I know things will "fall" into place soon and the cooler weather, autumn breezes and warm fall colors will finally be upon us. 

Today, in honor of September I pulled out some of my Woodland Delight fabrics and helped myself to some of my neighbors zinnias.  She insists it helps them multiply if I cut them and I so want to be a good neighbor. As you know, I'm not a muted colors kinda gal and these are the fall colors my eyes seem to devour. 

So here's where you come in.  Michael Miller Fabrics turned my Large Modern Flora in the Brown colorway into a tiny wale corduroy.  I have been caressing the richness of it and pondering what kinds of things you would make if you had some.  Hmmm, let me get back to that idea in just a minute.

I am not the fastest techie on the block.  Okay, I'd come in last in any given competition.  Hopefully I get a half point for exposing that weakness, right?  I can spend days googling how to add features or social bookmarking and find the tutorials are usually created from someone in a far away country and the the one response to their posts are something like, " Hey dude, it no work for me.  Bad link".  Even if I finally figure how to plant an icon on my blog, I still can't get to the bottom line of how that matters to me or you.  Question is; can you figure out how to follow me just by looking around and clicking, or do I need serious blog counseling?

How do you follow me?

Tell me HOW you follow/link to me.  Is my blog in your sidebar?  Do you link to me through Bloglines?  Do you follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Technorati, Flickr or Google Friends...if you follow me in more than one way, say Bloglines, Facebook and Twitter that gives you 3 chances to win. 

Each time you convince me that I am indeed your computer savvy friend, you SCORE.  And I would appreciate you letting me know if something is NOT working properly on my blog (then fix it for me?)

For your reward I will give you 2 yards; I repeat, 2 yards of this yummy Large Modern Flora corduroy.  PLUS: an extra 2 yards from the Woodland Delight Quilt Weight Collection of your choosing.  That could be 1 yard each of two different patterns, one half yard of 4 pieces, etc.  But it's 4 yards total, baby. 

Thank you, thank you and now let's get this party started!
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UPDATE: You are all so amazing!  Thank you so much for all your wonderfully helpful comments.

I will announce a winner on Labor Day, September 6