Summer Blog Challenge Day 7

Day 7 Post a picture of something that makes you happy.



Just about everything I've posted so far makes me happy, especially the dead cockroach.
All kidding aside, unless I die and go to heaven before I finish this post, nothing makes my heart swell like the sight of my children. My family, my friends, my activities---all those bring me happiness, it's true. There's just something about a child.

Molly with her dog Peanut in the Gulf of Mexico at Port Aransas, TX. March 2012.

Colin, in the red shirt, clowning around at his cousin's wedding in Kansas. April, 2012.

What Does Wine Have to do With Crochet?

I've just been reading Crazy Aunt Purl's blog, and I'm wondering how can I ever come close to being able to write like her. Witty. Thoughtful. Able to poke fun at herself. Sure, I can scarf down a bottle of Merlot, get lost in a ball of yarn, and go through lint rollers like they are free. I can even take pictures of my cat (and my dog, and my chickens) in zany, candid shots. But I only dream of being able to write---here's the best part---and get PAID for it!

To keep from embarrassing myself by pretending that I can write, I'm going to just jump right out here and show you a peek into my world through some photos I've collected. Most are bad photos, un-retouched by machine or human hands. There is no airbrushing away the flaws in my world. What would the world be without backlit faces and, "Oops, there's a dog hair on my scarf."

Lest you think I'm kidding about the Merlot, here is my mother and I last year at the annual Wine Festival in Bernalillo, New Mexico. Some say that we look alike, except that I've got about 4 inches on her.

For the life of me...

(Belated) What's on Your Hooks Today?

For the life of me, I can not seem to catch up. Maybe it's because I spend too much time reading comments on Regretsy, or watching auctions on TopHatter, or dealing with the multiple migraines I've had since embarking on this adventure into capitalism.

Then again, I'm an intemperate procrastinator. BUT, while waiting for the photos to upload, I watered and weeded the onion patch, collected the chicken eggs, and made a cup of tea. Who says women can't multitask!

So, though it is Thursday, we are having Wednesday WIPs (work in progress, if you wondered).  I'm proud to say that I figured out my problem on the Periwinkle Fantasy. I frogged the offending row and am half the way around the next to last row. Then comes the blocking. I don't even want to think about all those tiny picots.

 

Photo Remedies

I have been reading---and reading---about how important it is to have good pictures on your Etsy shop. And elsewhere, while we're at it. So, I did some studying and practicing with photo editing using Picasa, a Google product which you can get for free at Picasa.

It has been amazingly simple to use without a manual, although I did get some tips on its use from 5 Tips for Improving Your Product Photography on the Handmadeology blog.

Here is a before picture of a Mug Hug set: