The Tulip Bulb

Tiptoe through the tulips...

2012-02-07T23:42:00.000-05:00

Do you have some days where you think....

Wow! I am really lucky to have such an awesome person in my life.

My friend Melissa is amazing. Like really amazing. She's moved away and started her own family since the days of our prime, when the 4 of us girls would close up shop at our Walgreens job and then head over to the local underage dance club. But she's always stayed in touch, and I don't know if she knows how much I appreciate that. I love my past. Not all of it, of course. But I love the happy times, the fun times...mostly I just love memories. Sometimes this gets me into trouble when I reminisce too long, and then I realize I'm almost 30 and I'm not quite sure where the last 10 years have gone. But I love memories of times with the girls, and Melissa has always been the one who held the group together. She comes to visit when she's in town and I just love to see her (and her family, too!). (And I promise I'll come to visit soon!)

She's just announced she's pregnant with Baby #2, and I couldn't be more thrilled! But when she drove out of her way to come visit me at work this last time she was in town, instead of me buying her a gift...she brought me flowers! And not just any flowers....tulips!

Melissa is one of the best friends a girl could ask for, and one of the best moms I'm proud to say I know. If I have to grow up, I'm glad I get to grow up with Melissa as my friend.

P.S. The tulips really made my day :-)

Little Giantess

2012-01-29T11:45:00.001-05:00

I'm flabbergasted.

Have you ever seen this before? It's from 2009, but I think it's phenomenal. France's Royal de Luxe street theatre company, The Berlin Reunion, created a performance that lasted several days for the people of Berlin. 1.5 million people showed up to see the giant marionettes in a performance to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a performance in which the uncle (Big Giant) and his niece (Little Giantess) are separated by a wall and must find each other. Incredible!

See the story of the Big Giant and Little Giantess here.

Source

Santa Claus came to town....and visited our party!

2011-12-12T18:10:00.000-05:00

Check out who visited our house yesterday, right in the middle of a party for some of our friends!

Moms and Dads: I'd love to post some of the photos from the party of your little ones on Santa's lap, but I need your permission to post online first. Can you please let me know yes or no? If no, that's perfectly okay. I understand! I'll make sure you all get copies, too! Merry Christmas, everyone!

ModLove

2011-11-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

I just bought this adorable dress,

but then I got caught in the Modtrap....browsing all of the beautiful dresses, although it's a pity that whenever I see one and say, "That's it! That's the one I want!"....

it costs $300.

Crazy money! For a dress? I didn't even spend that much money on my wedding dress! Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

I just hope my dress fits. It's always so hit-and-miss with Modcloth. I have a love-hate relationship with them. As many times as I've had to return things, I just keep going back.

Prost!

2011-10-17T18:05:00.000-04:00

I love vintage ads. There is something so pure and artistic in the advertisement. And that includes beer ads. Check these out (see more by clicking the link at the bottom of the post).

Source

Win: Kelly Moore Photo Bag!

2011-10-09T20:34:00.000-04:00

Do you need a trendy new photo bag? Well then, look no further. You can win this AMAZING bag by clicking here at the Beautiful Photo Props blog to win a Kelly Moore Photo Bag. Just follow the rules at the link, and you're entered!

Good luck!

Visit Applewood

2011-10-03T22:06:00.001-04:00

I might have forgotten to mention this to my blog readers who aren't friends with me on Facebook (do people still read this blog?), but my photo website is LIVE! Visit www.applewoodphoto.com or "Like" Applewood Photography on Facebook by clicking here.

Postcard Journal

2011-10-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

I know quite a few postcard collectors (aka postcard junkies) online, so when I found this on Pinterest (another great addiction), I thought it would be perfect!

So what you do basically is use your postcards as month dividers, and then on each dated index card, you write one sentence about your day that year, and then you can look back and see what you did the year before on that day. I like it! This is perfect for me because:

1. I like to collect postcards

2. I like to write lists of anything and everything (as I'm doing here)

3. I wanted to be a librarian when I was little because I wanted to use a library stamp (& here I could!)

So check out DesignSponge.com (it appears to be another addicting website with lots of how-to stuff) to make your own daily journal.

Little Chief Honeybee: Giveaway

2011-10-01T10:55:00.000-04:00

Do you ♥ giveaways? Anytime I hear the word "giveaway" I get super excited and drop everything I'm doing to try to win.

Little Chief Honeybee is an adorable and eclectic blog that I already think is fabulous (especially her pink hair!), but now she's having a giveaway so she's uber-fabulous!

So here are the details...Kaelah Bee of Little Chief Honeybee is giving away 3 lomo cameras to 1 lucky winner!

How do you win the good stuff?

To be entered to win, be a follower of her blog via Google Friend Connect (on the sidebar of her blog!) and leave a comment below with your favorite Autumn tradition! (Be sure to leave your Twitter name or your email address so she can contact you if you win! You must do this first entry in order to win!)

For extra entries, you can: (Leave a separate comment for each entry!)

Tweet about the giveaway using this tweet: "Up for grabs on the @KaelahBee blog is a sweet Lomography Prize Pack (3 cameras!) http://www.kaelahbee.com"
Vote for her in the Shopularity contest HERE!
Blog about the giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your blog post
Follow LCH via BlogLovin'
"Like" LCH + Honeybean on Facebook

Visit the Little Chief Honeybee blog by clicking here.

Groovy

2011-09-24T19:32:00.001-04:00

My toe-tapping, creativity-tapping, photo-editing music.

Gummy

2011-09-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

This is what I'm drinking tonight. You know, to get the creative juices flowing?

I'm completely loyal to Pinnacle Vodka now that they have a full selection of flavored vodkas and many, many recipes. My favorite is cotton candy, although I hear making strawberry shortcake martinis are to die for!

Martinis are so chic, and can be created in any number of combinations. I'm not the type to drink regularly or in excess, but when I do have a drink, I want it to be something I really love!

For a full list of recipes, click here (as long as you're 21 years old or over!).

What's your favorite martini?

Cousins

2011-09-18T23:07:00.000-04:00

Aren't nieces and nephews just the cutest?

Applewood Photography

2011-08-27T19:06:00.000-04:00

I'm still in the process of filing paperwork, but my photography company, Memorable Images, has now changed its name to Applewood Photography. The website's not up yet, but come visit me on Facebook by clicking here. I'd love it if you clicked "Like" once you got there. Thanks a bunch, and see you soon!

All God's Creatures, Great & Small

2011-08-23T23:01:00.000-04:00

This was one of my favorite sights this summer. We walked outside to find this little guy clinging to our door. He seemed to have so much personality, and I wish that I could keep him forever. But we put him back on the wall of the house, and later that day he was gone. Oh, but what a lovely surprise on a hot summer day!

Eat up!

2011-08-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

The only way to eat yogurt...yum!

Sneak Peek: The Website

2011-08-20T18:00:00.002-04:00

As you might know, I'm changing the name of my photography business to Applewood Photography. It's in the works, and my lawyer and I are just working with the government offices to make it official!

I've begun to play with a new website design. My Facebook Page and Photography Blog/Website will be changed to new sites, but there will still be a link available to the old sites. What do you think? It's simple, but easy to follow. I just hope it's not too simple.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 7

2011-07-24T17:52:00.000-04:00

It seems this is becoming a very long 30 days. Although I'm enjoying the exercise, I'm not quite keeping on schedule with the list. Perhaps by the 30th day, I will be more disciplined!

Lazy Sunday

2011-07-24T14:46:00.001-04:00

Enjoy a lazy summer Sunday afternoon!

Down at the train station

2011-07-17T20:35:00.002-04:00

I love it when things I have a passion for are combined into one lovely package, and this was one such time:

photography, trains, and old buildings. I love them all.

The story is that they're fixing this little station up. I can't wait, and I'm super excited that someone decided the building should be saved and restored, not just bulldozed. :-)

A Birthday Wish

2011-07-14T18:27:00.003-04:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. If you don't know her, you should. She is one of the sweetest, most selfless people I know. Her husband and kids come first, even when they don't deserve it, and trust me, there was many a time when I didn't deserve it. She is an amazing woman, and I'm so blessed to have someone I can talk to as a friend and as a mother and who is always there when I need her. I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday!

It was an eerie night...and yet it was beautiful

2011-07-11T23:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight was a little eerie.

There was a rosy glow over everything, & the clouds looked so odd and ominous, yet the colors were so brilliant that I was completely awestruck.

Foo Foo, however, was more disturbed by the passing joggers (I just love when she gets upset and puts her paws on the windowsill to bark at the passersby).

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 6

2011-07-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel: Summer 2010

Moo

2011-07-11T19:18:00.000-04:00

Well, hello there!

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 5

2011-07-07T23:27:00.000-04:00

Clockwise from upper left: Teacup collection, living room view from the ceiling, Notre Dame November 2010, Chicago from the top of the Navy Pier ferris wheel in Summer 2010.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 4

2011-07-06T19:46:00.000-04:00

Published!

2011-07-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

Aaron and I walked through Barnes and Noble last night to get to some other stores in the mall, and as we were milling about, I started looking at some magazines. I love German Life, so I took a look at the latest issue. Then I thought, "Oh, I'll see if they have Digital Photo magazine." I found it, but I thought, "Well, they didn't tell me they were going to publish my picture for sure, but let's take a little look." Lo and behold, my prized photograph was on a full page! I was so excited that I began jumping up and down, trying not to squeal too loudly (but I saw some people staring, so it must have been a little louder than I thought). We bought every copy (all 6 of them)! I'm so excited, I don't even know what else to say. It's just indescribable. A year ago I took my sister's senior photos, and that was the first time that I thought, "Hey, these aren't too bad." Things have been a whirlwind this past year, but I'm loving it. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey and to all my lovely clients. You guys are the best!

Thanks especially to Joel and Mendy for providing the adorable subject, Mr. Harrison. He is absolutely one of the sweetest babies I've ever seen, and it's been such a pleasure working with you over the past few months....getting ready for the baby and then watching him grow. You guys are fantastic!

God Bless America

2011-07-04T11:24:00.001-04:00

It's easy to get caught up in the fireworks and barbecues on the 4th of July weekend, but please spend a few moments to reflect on the reason we're here, what has made us Americans. I didn't know until just a few years ago that there were 4 verses to the Star Spangled Banner, and honestly, my favorite is the 4th verse. In God is our Trust.

To my fellow Americans, a happy and blessed Independence Day!

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Day 3: Clouds

2011-06-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

So day 3 of the Photography Challenge was "Clouds," and wouldn't you know, the past few days have been completely blue and clear. So instead of the puffy things in the sky, I'm counting "clouds of smoke" for my challenge.

Makes you hungry, doesn't it?

Photography Challenge: Day 2

2011-06-28T22:10:00.001-04:00

30 Day Photography Challenge

2011-06-27T21:39:00.000-04:00

I found a neat little photography blog, White Peach Photography, where the photographer came up with a 30 Day Challenge. She tells you what to photograph, but you have to pick the scene, the subject, how you shoot it. I'm a bit behind, so I'm participating unofficially.

I'm getting to that age where I'm beginning to look really, really tired in photos and have to choose which time of day to take a photo based on how tired and old I look. Anyone else having this dilemma?

Sandbook

2011-06-22T19:26:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of Sandbook.net? For anyone who is a self-proclaimed ultimate penpaller, this is the place to be!

Right now they're giving out prizes to 3 lucky winners: a stationery set, a notebook, or stamps. I'm hoping for the stamps! I think it would be amazing to see all of the places that the stamps have come from and how different they look. Here's a photo of the prize:

It's easy! Just go to www.sandbook.net/ to leave a comment about which prize(s) you would like to be entered for. You get one entry. Then you can win another entry by posting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sandbooknet) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/sandbook) with a link back to Sandbook. Finally, win a 3rd entry by blogging about the contest, like I'm doing.

Sandbook is the place to go to find new penpals, lost penpals, tips for writing, penpal ideas, learning about different places around the world, and they even put out a free monthly digital newsletter. You can nominate you and your penpal for Penpal of the Month (click here to nominate your penpal) like I did. Anja and I won! Here is my entry (click here for the full newsletter), and next month, a short interview about each of us will be in the newsletter.

Hoops

2011-06-19T20:57:00.001-04:00

My "little" brother Jacob, who's now a full foot taller than me...the basketball star.
The next Larry Bird. :-)

Girl Time

2011-06-18T23:21:00.000-04:00

One night my sister Mary invited me over for a girls night with her and Livi to eat some taco soup, which was delicious!

I brought the Coronas! (Livi did not partake in that part of girls night, of course)

Livi is a dipper. It's a thing with our family. We like to dip our food.

Taco Soup face

Then we decided to go for a walk around the apartment complex. But it started to drizzle, so unfortunately, some of the pictures ended up a little spotty in places from the raindrops.

I had some fruit flavored popcorn to share, which was yuuuuu-my!

Then, of course, it was time to pick dandelions.

And what do dandelions do?

Why, they kiss, of course!

Livi tries to blow out the dandelions like Mommy did.

So much fun! We agreed that we need to do this again soon!

Gypsies

2011-06-18T10:13:00.001-04:00

Have you seen this show yet? It's a 5-part documentary about gypsy life in Ireland. I feel so sorry for these poor girls, but it seems they know no other way of life and are happy in it. Interesting stories!

2011-06-17T21:29:00.000-04:00

Jamie Beck & Kevin Burg are two amazingly talented and creative individuals, one a fashion photographer, the other a graphic artist & designer, who were gifted enough to come up with the "cinemagraph." The cinemagraph is an animated .gif, which turns their already beautiful photographs into a calming, almost creepy sort of photograph. Earth stands still, it seems, except for one little flickering lamp, or one bat of a model's eye. I'm completely mesmerized. It breaks my heart how gorgeous these photos make the world seem. They make me want to be there, in the pictures. See more at the blog, From Me To You. Trust me, you'll be hooked!

Source for all cinemagraphs is http://fromme-toyou.tumblr.com/.

To learn how to create your own cinemagraph, click here!

Newlyweds

2011-06-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

Have you seen them? Janelle and Evan's wedding photos, I mean? Check out this über cute couple and their wedding pics by clicking here. There are more to come, so stay tuned to my photography site or Facebook page. I took the guys' pre-wedding pics and the other photographer gal took the ladies' pre-wedding pics, so that's why there are so many of Evan and his gentlemen. Hope you like them!

Winning!

2011-06-14T23:18:00.001-04:00

I'm spreading the news...I won a national photo contest! Digital Photo Magazine held its 2nd Annual Perfect Portraits Contest, & I didn't get Grand Prize, but I did get first place out of about 4,300 entries! I'm incredibly excited! They might even publish it in the actual magazine (fingers crossed).

Click here for Digital Photo Magazine's website!

Creepy

2011-06-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

Ever thought of how creepy Facebook and other social media can be? My husband doesn't even use social media....at all. He thinks it's a little too probing, while I "embrace" it, I guess you could say. I think he'd really like this video about using Facebook in real life, though. I asked a friend of mine once, "Do you mean real life or Facebook life?" And I heard someone say recently, "It doesn't really happen until you see it on Facebook." What do you think? Comical or creepy?

Early June 2011 Postcards

2011-06-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm a bit behind on my Postcrossing sending and receiving and scanning and registering because of the broken computer, so it's time to play a bit of catch-up.

From Amy from Taiwan who says on her postcard, "A happy mind attracts good fortune; good fortune attracts good blessing."

From Clair in Scotland. The card is from a walk she completed last year called the West Highland Way.

www.kidscraftandchaos.com

From Geert who lives in Coevorden, The Netherlands near the German border

From Suvi in Jyvaskyla, Finland who is a photographer. What a lucky girl to photograph such a beautiful place!

From Megan in Florida who says, "Remember, if you ever have a bad day, a postcard is on the way." Cute!

From Nina in Dusseldorf, Germany....a new penpal in the works

To Jun Lin in China....a very gruesome and sad picture, I know, but interesting nonetheless. It is a dead Confederate near Fredericksburg in May 1863.

To Joanna in Plock, Poland....Indira Gandi who was the leader of the world's largest democracy in 1966.

To Tuula in Helsinki, Finland...Army kitchen & cooks from 1864

To Grazia in Italy...Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist

To Rita in Vietnam, who is actually from Canada...Members of Co. B, US Engineer Battalion in August 1864

To the Timmer Family in Viborg, South Dakota...Valentina Tereshkova (b. 1937), Russian cosmonaut who became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. She still holds the world record for the longest time spent in space by a woman...over 70 hours!

To Goncalo in Portugal who collects postcards of stadiums...my favorite stadium, The University of Notre Dame

To Zih-Cian in Taiwan...Dorothea Dix, American social reformer

2011-06-10T17:15:00.002-04:00

I love storms, but don't you love the calm after a good storm, too?

Germanfest Blues

2011-06-09T21:13:00.001-04:00

Germanfest is this week, & I am dying to go. I went to the German Mass at St. Peter's, & I watched Aaron in the strong man competition on Monday for Köstritzer Abend. But I want to be in the tent with the oom pa pa band and singing Ein Prosit while I wave my liter of beer back and forth. I want to be surrounded by a thousand people while I eat my bratwurst and sauerkraut and potato salad and kuchen. I want to wear my dirndl. But I think the only day I'll have gotten to wear it this week is on Sunday because I'm just to busy getting caught up with photo editing since my computer was broken and a wedding to photograph (which is great!). And I'll only be able to go to the beer tent for a short time this weekend. So here are some pictures from Sunday. (For Germanfest info, click here.)

I have the Germanfest Blues.

The Storm

2011-06-09T19:24:00.001-04:00

We had a beautiful storm the other night, so I thought I'd photograph the lightning since I've never done that before. But the lightning bolts were about 6 minutes apart & my arms became tired just waiting for each bolt, so I gave up and decided to make a stop motion film (my first!) with the photos I took instead. Don't you just love thunderstorms?

Cuteness and Awesomeness

2011-06-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, four awesome videos to share today.

First, the super cute one...this momma cat hugs her little kitten! How sweet.

Secondly, this totally awesome video to attract tourism to the city of Grand Rapids which was labeled "a dying city". Looks like a great place to me! Aaron and I are talking about taking a weekend trip! And really....I REALLY want to be in a video like this!!! Do you think our city could do something like this?? (Oh, and the guy in the car...he's the mayor)

And for the last two, a sweet proprosal

and a sweet birthday surprise.

Gosh, I love flash mobs. Have I told you that before? Someday I will join one.

Megan

2011-05-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful photo shoot with Megan, who is graduating from high school in a very short time. Isn't she just gorgeous? Such a pleasure to work with. Thanks, Megan!

For more portrait photography, visit me at Memorable Images or email me at aubrey{dot}m{dot}dettmer@gmail{dot}com!

The Lovely Sound of Karen Carpenter

2011-05-22T11:58:00.004-04:00

Is there anything more exciting than finding a new song or singer that you just absolutely can't do without? Rumer is one such a musician. I heard her on NPR (I listen to them for art and music and food, not necessarily for politics), and I was immediately enchanted. She sounds spot on like Karen Carpenter, and as I'm thinking this while I'm listening, the host of the show brings that point up. Does she try to sound like Karen Carpenter? Well, while Rumer has a great deal of respect for Karen Carpenter, she doesn't make a point of sounding like her. She just wants the words and vocals to be as clear as possible. Can you believe this gal was a waitress turned singer...it's about time someone found her! Her music is so soft, so hypnotic. She says that she envisions heaven when she creates her music.

And she's the youngest of 7 children...I'm smitten.

Here's a very short biography on Rumer & her music.

Oh, and she's supported by the likes of Elton John and Burt Bacharach. That's sayin' something.

Finally....some good music in this decade!

Postcrossing Mid-May 2011

2011-05-21T13:54:00.001-04:00

I've been lazy this month...just sending out more of the postcards I made from my photo at Parkview Field. Sent to Tuulikki in Finland, Galina in Belarus, Kurt in Germany, & Yvette in The Netherlands.

To Anonymous in Algeria. The last one I sent was never registered in Postcrossing and had expired, so I'm resending a new one.

To Little Elina in Finland. Another case of a missing postcard becoming expired, so I'm sending Honest Abe this time and hoping it makes its way to Elina.

From Tonya in Chicago, who recently visited the lovely city of Paris

To Ron in Long Beach, CA

A photo of Jefferson Davis

To Natalia in Russia

A photo of Dorothy Thompson, American journalist

To Aiko in Japan

A photo of Ulysses S. Grant

Happy Postcrossing!

Cutest. Proposal. Ever.

2011-05-20T18:08:00.000-04:00

Wow! This guy is really creative. They'll never forget that moment, that's for sure!

It's the end of the world as we know it

2011-05-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

Well, tomorrow's the end of the world, you know, so here's a song to get ready for the big event.

It's pretty unfortunate since I would love to spend more time with everyone I love so dear! ;-)

Dirndls Make the World Go Round (& are really cute, too!)

2011-05-19T17:45:00.001-04:00

As you may know, I'm hopelessly in love with Germany. Don't get me wrong, my loyalty and patriotism is with the United States. But sometimes I just want to run through a great green field, or climb the beautiful mountains, or drink a liter of beer in a tavern in the mountains while singing to an Oom Pa Pa band. And I love dirndls. I have only one, but I cherish it. When I got too fat and ripped the seam, I was frantic to get it fixed (which I did...and had it let out, too). I wish I lived in a time and in a town where dirndls were commonplace and normal to where. Alas, the only time I can wear mine is at Germanfest, which is always over much too soon.

On Pinterest (see yesterday's post), I found photos of beautiful dirndls from Trentini. Oh my...I can see this dress addiction thing turning into a dirndl addiction. If only I could afford them! They have a Couture line as well as a Fräulein line.

The person who originally posted the photos on Pinterest is Dirndl Magazine, which is another beautiful find. Imagine, an entire website dedicated to nothing but dirndls! Truly, this is a magical site!

Source

2011-05-18T17:45:00.005-04:00

I found this amazing site called Pinterest where you "re-pin" and "like" photos that other people find on the internet (or pin sites you've found). You make your own boards to categorize the photos, and then people can follow your boards or re-pin what you have. It's so addictive!

Check out a couple that I've made, like Photo Love & German at Heart.

Lucia's First Holy Communion

2011-05-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, my youngest sister (and goddaughter), Lucy, made her First Holy Communion. She looked lovely, and I was so proud!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a photo of her actually receiving the Eucharist because I was in a bad position.

Afterward we celebrated at Grandma and Grandpa's house with food and a beautiful cake and a joyful day with family.

Congratulations, Little Lucy! We love you!

the bird and the bee

2011-05-15T19:38:00.001-04:00

I've fallen in love with two songs lately.

The first is "Again & Again" by the bird and the bee. The video has a retro feel and a sad-sounding yet hopeful melody that feels a little other-worldly. I'm addicted and actually find myself waking up humming this song because it's so hard to get out of one's head.

They also do a lot of covers, which I really enjoy, like these:

The second song I'm crazy about is soooo retro sounding I can barely contain my excitement about it! "When They Fight, They Fight" by The Generationals. I couldn't find a music video made by the band, so I used this quirky one made by someone else instead.

Happy Listening!

Bearded Champ

2011-05-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

Aaron always finds the most interesting articles for me to look at, and this is one of the most....unique. The topic? The World Beard & Moustache Championships. Begun by Germans (of course) in the 1990s, the championships have been held every 2 years since 1995 all over the world. "Germans are traditionally known as the most competitive group on the world facial hair scene" said the "moustache maverick" Michael "Atters" Attree.

Ole Skibnes says, "You can't just judge the size of the moustache -- you have to see if the hair is well-groomed, see if it suits the person, see if it makes them look good."

This man's beard is patented!

And did you know there's a Beard Team USA? And they are hardcore, too! Apparently the man (Michael Atree) who emceed the World Beard & Moustache Championships in 2007 declared beards "hideous," which of course has become front page news to Beard Team USA.

"I have my moustache because I bloody well can," says Attree (shown below). "Plus, the ladies do love a good old smasher stuck on them."

Source

Capturing Personality

2011-05-12T17:45:00.000-04:00

I am totally inspired by many amazing photographers, thinking to myself, "I could never do that" or "That's such a novel idea...how incredible to think of creative things like that." Ben Van Hook is one such photographer. He photographs people the way they really are, bringing out every bit of their personalities, as though you wonder what they're thinking about, but also knowing exactly what they're thinking about. My goal with my photography is to always capture the personality of the subject, but Ben Van Hook's photography just blows me away!

I am utterly smitten with his stop motion film, A Fair Film, created using over 40,000 of his colorful, beautiful photographs.

To see more of Ben Van Hook's work, go to www.benvanhook.com.

Graceful Gal Dress

2011-05-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

I bought a new dress.

I'm going through my dress addiction phase. But I think it's almost over. I've done a lot of shopping recently, and it's time to curb the addiction. It's just so hard to do when there are so many lovely summer dresses out there.

Graceful Gal Dress, Modcloth

Shoes, Modcloth

Hair

2011-05-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

When we were in New York 2 years ago, we were astounded by how my hair had changed. It was shiny and healthy, just like it used to be when I was younger. I said that it must be the city water, because we have well water. But we also found out that the hair rinse in the hotel was amazing! It was like a Fountain of Youth for hair!

So the other day I came home to find out that Aaron had bought me a pre-birthday gift....40 bottles of the hair rinse from that hotel! And they're regular size bottles, not the travel size....I won't have to buy another bottle for 10 years! Ha ha!

Another Sign of Spring

2011-05-04T20:58:00.001-04:00

It's been horribly cold here, and I'm terrified that we'll go from freezing to unbearable heat and completely skip Spring. But I saw another sign the other day that it's hiding about....

Stay strong, Spring....we'll see you yet!

Early May 2011 Postcards

2011-05-01T20:03:00.004-04:00

From Willem in Wezep who likes to visit Amsterdam several times a year. He also included lovely stamps on the back.

From Miledi in Russia. Also sent using very interesting stamps and the writing is in Russian on the back.

From Kari in Ogden, Utah. She says that a lot of movies are shot there.

From Olga in Kiev, Ukraine: a picture of a Ukranian village as it was before the 20th century

To K. Maria in Leipzig Germany

To Ayumi in Tokyo, Japan
A picture of Julia Morgan, American architect who is famous for her design of William Randolph Hearst's castle at San Simeon, California

To Vanessa in Nanjing, China
A photo of Blanche LaMont, frontier schoolminstress, with her school & students at Hecla, Montana, in 1893.
(I like the little kid with the hat in the front row...so cute!)

To Tanya in Minsk, Belarus, who came up with the idea of asking postcard senders to include their favorite drink recipe (mine is the cotton candy martini!)
A picture of Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter and international celebrity

To Bianca in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
A picture of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, American labor organizer

To Fatma in Jakarta, Indonesia
A boys' gym class at Walter R. Dolan Jr. High School, Connecticut, in April 1952

Thank you to all of the wonderful folks who sent me such nice postcards!

Happy Saturday!

2011-04-30T13:58:00.000-04:00

I always make a special breakfast on Saturday mornings, and I think today was the finest: cinnamon french toast smothered in butter and syrup and topped with strawberries and blackberries. Delicious!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

I love holidays, like Easter, not only because I get to smoosh and kiss my adorable nieces and nephew, but I get to see all of my brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, too! It's so much fun to document the kidlets during the holidays and to preserve these memories for them. I guess that's why most of my holiday pictures are of them. Plus, the adults don't usually like their pictures taken (although sometimes I get their photo anyway via sneak attack).

The kids participated in the Annual Easter Egg Hunt. At first the babies didn't really understand it, but then they figured it all out and had a blast!

Livi points out an egg...still unsure whether she should pick it up or not.

Aidan kept Aunt Kelly on her toes!

Lucy & Seth hunted, too!

The adults sit around and watch.

5 generations

Grandpa points out a frog croaking in the pool to Aidan.

And I made a coconut cream pie, which looked perfect the night before...but I found out that I should make it the day I serve it, because condensation formed while it was in the fridge and it ran everywhere! Regardless, it was the first time I tried (and did it successfully) to temper an egg and to create a meringue.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter!

One Perfect Night

2011-04-28T21:27:00.001-04:00

In February, an event/wedding planner (and also one of the best bosses I've ever had!), Casie Shoaf, asked me to take photos of an event she was hired to decorate. It was called "One Perfect Night" at Living Loud (a great local company) & it was a unique Valentine's dinner/dance/party with giveaways and a metropolitan atmosphere. Casie's business is called SC Eventhouse (links below) & she did a fantastic job! She is detailed and organized, with an amazing vision of what an event should look like & a drive to make sure she meets that vision.

To visit the SC Eventhouse website, go to http://sceventhouse.com/.

You can also find her on Facebook by clicking here.

A Different World

2011-04-27T21:52:00.003-04:00

Erik Johansson is an amazing artist from Sweden who takes pictures and then digitally manipulates them. It's absolutely incredible. How wonderful to live in such a world of imagination!

Source

For more unbelievable images, go to Mr. Johansson's site here.

Bunny Bath

2011-04-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

These sweet little bunnies just melt my heart!

And I'm in love with these tiny kittens. I want to just carry one with me in my palm everywhere I go, and maybe purchase a tiny handbag for it to ride along in with its head peeking over the top. They'd be the hit of all the parties. What do you think?

Earth Day: Free Pine Trees!

2011-04-24T21:01:00.000-04:00

Lowe's was giving away free white pine trees yesterday for Earth Day, and we got two! I'm so excited to watch these little guys grow.

Easter Mail

2011-04-23T22:09:00.000-04:00

Anja, my dear friend from Germany, is so sweet...she sent me a lovely Easter gift in a cute little box, and it arrived just in time!

Thank you, Anja...you're the best! Frohe Ostern!

Easter Babies

2011-04-23T08:31:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a cute Easter baby?

Have a happy and blessed Easter!

Easter Egg Tree

2011-04-22T12:34:00.001-04:00

My dad emailed this story to me, and I think it is just the perfect thing for Easter!

In Saalfeld, Germany, a retiree named Volker Kraft decorates his apple sapling with 9,800 decorated eggs. He started with just 18 eggs in 1965, and now the 75 year old man plans to paint 200 more hollowed out eggs for next year to make it an even 10,000 and stop at that. The Easter Tree drew 13,000 visitors last year, and you can purchase a painted egg for approximately $7.10.

What a lovely ambition, and a wonderful way to celebrate the season!

Source

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. ~Nadine Stair

2011-04-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

I looked out the window the other day, and a little robin was looking in at me, and I knew that (finally) it was Spring.

Rare Civil War Photos

2011-04-14T20:00:00.015-04:00

Some amazing photos have been floating around the internet about daily life in between battles of the Civil War, which marked its 150th anniversary on Tuesday. Here are a few of them...

Wives and children sometimes followed their husbands to war, especially early in the war

Officers of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment relax before the Siege of Petersburg in 1864-65

Local children observe Union cavalry soldiers across Manassas Creek.

Two soldiers are dead, but only one – the Union trooper – has been buried in this photograph taken by Alexander Gardner

Pioneering aeronaut Thaddeus SC Lowe cuts short his experiments with hydrogen-filled balloons

Former slaves photographed at Fish Hall at Hilton Head, SC plantation

Source

Postcards - Mid April 2011

2011-04-14T18:52:00.000-04:00

Oh, happy mail time!

I wasn't sure if I should post this on my blog...it's so scandalously saucy. But what a neat card, and I love the Chinese writing and the little pictures on the sides.

From Stella in China

Doesn't Finland look just amazing? I watch it on PBS when they have cooking in Finland shows.

Thanks, Virpi from Helsinki, Finland!

Mmmm! I think my stomach is growling about these delicious apple slices in fried dough, eaten with cinnamon/sugar and vanilla sauce.

From my newest pen friend, Franziska in Steffisburg, Switzerland.

Another wonderful postcard from Franziska She said that she sent it because it matches my blog and shows tulips from her trip to Holland. She takes all of the beautiful photos on her postcards. You're the best, Francizka!

This is a neat little postcard that shows a tea plantation in Cameron Highlands, Pahang

From Madeline in Kapit, Malaysia

Last but most certainly not least, a terrific black and white postcard of winter in Amsterdam. I love black and white pictures, and I love pictures of villages and towns and cities, so this is one of my favorites.

From Christine in Oregon

Delias T-Shirt Love

2011-04-13T23:26:00.000-04:00

I don't really wear t-shirts very often. I don't like jeans or shorts or pants in general, and so I don't often have the chance to wear t-shirts. But if I did, I would totally wear these. I laughed out loud about the dinosaur tee. Ha ha!

Source: Delias

More Birthday Fun

2011-04-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

While we were opening gifts, everybody was keeping up with the NCAA Tournament on TV. We're big basketball fans. And Aidan...he just loves all sports.

Aidan is so happy that Uncle Jacob got a basketball for his birthday!

All the little ones gather around...

And Aidan finds a new fashion statement...a basketball box suit.

When Aidan finds some food he likes, he likes to shove as much of it in his mouth as possible!

Nap time...

and not just for Livi!

"Way up high in the apple tree, 2 little apples smiling at me..."

Aunt Rachie gets Baby Sophie to smile.

Bieber Fever Birthday

2011-04-10T14:01:00.001-04:00

Recently we celebrated Jenny, Jacob and Lucy's birthdays, and we kicked it off with a little Bieber Birthday Cake.

Every grandkid in our family has shared an ice cream moment or two with Grandpa. He's a big cookies and cream fan, and since most of us had our first ice cream with him, that is a favorite among most of the grandkids, too.

Aidan ran to the kitchen when Jacob got some ice cream and came back with a GIANT spoon! I love it!

Coming Soon...

2011-04-09T01:07:00.000-04:00

I ♥ ickle & lardee

2011-04-08T10:09:00.000-04:00

You may remember quite a while ago when I fell in love with My Milk Toof for the first time. Well, now the creator Inhae Lee has come out with a book about the innocent yet mischievous milk toof pals, ickle & lardee. And...it's available at one of my favorite online stores, Modcloth. Check out the uber cute blog following the tales and happenings of ickle and lardee at My Milk Toof.

Early April Postcards

2011-04-06T18:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Mail Time!

A postcard from my dear friend from Germany, Anja. She traveled to Dresden recently and was sweet enough to send me a postcard. She said that the architecture was amazing and that there are angels on every building. Doesn't Dresden look like a lovely place?

Oh, happy day! Another postcard from Germany, this time from Janett in Kirchdorf. This postcard will be very helpful to me in my Germany geography studies.

I get many postcards from The Netherlands, and I really can't complain about it, because the people there always send the nicest cards. This one, according to Babelfish (which is not always a reputable source), says "Much kind," although other places I researched said "Much love." Either way, it's a pretty little card Monique in Ubrecht in The Netherlands.

I know you're thinking, "Woah, woah, woah! Keep it PG!" Well, I think it's a neat card, and Abigail from New Jersey was very sweet to send it. I love all of the colors, and I love picnics, and I love this card.

This is a photo I took of our local baseball field, and I was so proud when I took this picture and had it made into postcards...and then I found out that everyone else in town has taken the exact same photo. Well, no matter...I sent it to Karol in Poland anyhow.

To Karen in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A picture of Abigail Adams, whose detailed letters are a vivid source of social history.

To Nastya in Russia

This is from my postcard book "America Works Out," and is a picture of "high school boys growing physically fit through exercise" at Benjamin Franklin High School in New York in 1942.

To Margarita in Valencia, Spain

A picture of Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist who became the underground railroad's most famous "conductor" and was known as the "Moses of her people."

I enjoy all of the interesting and adorable postcards that people around the world send to me, & and I love to read what they all have to say. I hope some day to receive postcards from a few other places that I have not heard from yet: Ireland, Scotland, England, Australia, France, Italy, and many countries in South America.

Happy Postcrossing!

Bald Babies

2011-04-06T17:45:00.012-04:00

How amazing is this webcam? New baby bald eagles are cared for and hatched live on a webcam in Iowa. Not only is this amazing to watch, but good news for the bald eagle population and for America's environmental system. Hooray, little baby eagles!

Online video chat by Ustream

Go to www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles for the website.

The 3 Little Munchkins

2011-04-05T22:02:00.003-04:00

Just sitting here thinking about how I miss my 3 little munchkin dumpling babies right this minute!

I love to smoosh their munchy cheeks with kisses!

Happy Travels Dress

2011-04-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

Just waiting on my pretty little travel dress to arrive before Florida. I hope it fits because I don't have time to send it back and get a new one! And does anyone know where to get some cute, walkable nude color wedges?

And I already have this one...I just love it! They will be perfect for our fun-in-the-sun vacation!