HSMS cuddle

no one to cuddle in my space today. this is my daughter and my mom, Christmas 2007.

HSMS SOS

I was privileged a little over a year ago to witness the birth of this adorable little girl. Happy Birthday Oliva!
Little hugs and kisses heading your way. Oliva is having tubes put in both ears tomorrow. I haven't seen her in quite a while, but I hear her red hair is beautiful.

HSMS packet

This is one of my favorite TAZO teas. But, honestly, I love it for the color of the packet!

HSMS confused

I try very hard. I watch Martha Stewart every chance I get. I ask my self, What Would Martha Do? I almost have the same hair style, the same hair color. I try to descriptive words such as fabulous, beautiful, stunning, amazing. I am brave and grow plants from cuttings and seedlings. But, try as I may, my orchid decided NOT to grown from the luscious nutrient rich mix I provided, but is sprouting from the TOP of a cutting!!! I guess my orchid is brave too. What Would Martha Do?

HSMS intrude

HA~ more pictures of my cats!!! And, what do you think they are intruding upon? Most everything I do. I went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet (top down) and waited. Less than 15 seconds later, this is what I saw.
They will come from the other side of the house. how do they know? what are it they are coming to see? I have not peed alone since 1984.

HSMS cozy

HSMS hole

catch up, baby!!

Last weekend, we took pics of the babies for Valentines Day. My two grown daughters have always been comfortable in front of a camera, and their babies are following right in step. Callie was first in line. I love it when she puts on mismatched items from her dance wear. She and I disagreed on the storyboard final. which one do you like the best?



This was not easy. One Ya-Ya trying to take picures, two grown daughters trying to chase babies, position babies, trying to avoid lights, cords and a cat. Lilly wanted to hug the letters, Sophie wants to give them away. But, they did well, not turning them upside down, or backwards. I love this is b/w, but in color, you can see the letters so much better.


I have to tell you about these shirts. I shopped for something pink specifically for Valentines Day. These were so cute on the hangers at Target. But, wwe put them on....they are split up the center, showing belly buttons!!! OMG, they are manufacturing Brittney Spears clothing for babies!!!!! Needless to say, I did a "lisa", wore them once, took them BACK to the store.

My hubby gave me a ring for Valentine's Day (I was VERY surprised), and two antique cameras. One is an old brownie, no lens. Its perfect for altering. But, the one I have been waiting for, an Argus Seventy-five. Its one of the cameras recommended for Ttv (through the viewfinder) techniques. I have so many to choose from! Is Sophie the future family photographer? this is how I started out!!

this is TtV, available light only, canon 20d through argus seventy-five. I need to do a little cleaning, and build a box to filter light between the cameras. I plan to use this method by Russ Morris.

One more thing...I am still addicted to making banners. Here is one I made for my Aunt.

cell phone conversations

cas haley

Okay, I admit it. I watch reality TV. Now days, who doesnt? With the writers still on strike, reality is about all we will see for the next 9 months (from today). I watch So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent.

Last year, on AGT, the runner up was Cas Haley. His first time on stage he sang "Walking on the Moon". Now, I am a big Sting/Police fan. But, Cas Haley blew it off the stage. I sat there with my mouth open, on the floor.



As on most reality shows, they tell you about the life/families of the entertainer. If I had to describe what I learned about Cas...he loves his little boy, and he loves his wife. He wanted to win AGT so he could build family a house/home.
He will be releasing his new CD which includes two recordings of Walking on the Moon. Here he is commenting on his upcoming release on itunes.

as if...

As if I were not behind on my photo challenge obligations, and generally behind on most every thing else, I have been spending my time searching for photo digital overlays. This is a new fascination for me, since I usually look for and strive for the sharp pristine look. Back in the "old" days, when I was shooting and printing, I loved the look we achieved when filing out the negative holders (darkroom/enlarger). This allowed you to "print" the negative frames surrounding the negative image. Now, with digital/photoshop the possibilities are endless. One of the first things I downloaded was a set of frames made from 120 negative. these were free, long before the term "freebies".


I used to shoot with hasselblad cameras, and still prefer the square format. OMG...we would not have been caught dead shooting anything, okay...most anything with a 35 mm camera!!! I also love the look of poloroid transfers. I have printed lots of cards using these overlays. Its a combination of quite a few sources.

Tonight, I discovered something new. its called TTV, or through the viewfinder. The pure method is shooting through a viewfinder of one camera using another camera. The camera you are shooting through must not be altered. The require strange contraptions to block out light. Another method is to disassemble a rangefinder camera and use the lens. You can see images here on the flickr site. Here is my first attempt using pure digital manipulation. This is a photo I took last week looking out my back door.



so, how does it look?
time for bed. lilly is spending the night, and I am sure she will wake up earlier than I want to, asking for "ya-ya" and "waffles" or "yogurt". I wonder if she will remember she is going hiking with papa after breakfast?