My day as a student..

I attended my first ever photography class today at The Bristol Workshops and my brain is hurting. The instructor gave so much information and I'm excited to try out all I learned! I now know pretty much all there is to know about my camera...it's about time; I've had it for at least 5 years. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative and we were not able to take too many pictures outside. We were able to get a few and I did some editing ...so fun! The class included a brief overview of the Photoshop software as well. I'm looking forward to practicing and implementing my newly found knowledge.

Here are a couple pictures from today. I'll be posting more soon.

DIY Ghosts

On a recent shopping outing to Building 19, they had rolls of "rags" by the dozen for only $2.00...PERFECT for a fun Halloween Project. Add some leaves, raffia, and a permanent marker for hand-drawn faces and you have ghosts! Mr. E actually was excited to create...something he has not always been thrilled about.
He made some adorable faces too!

He got a little off task and wanted to make a the ships that Columbus sailed in. He had just learned about it in school and was proud to talk about the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

We mounted the ghosts on sticks we found in the yard and decorated our front walk with them.

Definitely a fun and cheap project for a Holiday afternoon.

Halloween Sneak Peek

Almost perfect

I took this picture the other day and was instantly bummed when I wasn't able to focus my camera correctly. I knew I had missed it, the perfect shot, the one that could have gone on this year's Christmas cards. After looking at it more closely, maybe it's not the perfect shot...Does it really reflect what my kids are all about? Not really! I don't think anyone could tell me the last time they saw the two of them sitting still together...it doesn't exist (unless of course, they're parked in front of the TV). My two kids are usually running around yelling, singing, giggling and yes, annoying one another. They are full of personality...unlike like this nearly "perfect" photo.

Perhaps it was my view of "perfect" that was unfocused, because I don't think it gets any better than this!

Fall Favorites

Cute outfits for the kids... beautiful colors on the changing trees right in our own backyard...

field trips to local farms

and pumpkin growing contests....this beauty is 350 lbs. Apparently last year's local winner was over 1,000 lbs....just a little miracle grow added to that soil!

There is something I love about every season, but I think fall may be my favorite, especially living in New England.

The Messy Flower

I don't know about you, but when I hear a sad story I always feel compelled to do something. Sometimes things you do may seem insignificant, but when a group of people get together, it can turn into something big! Some time ago I read about a little girl named Cora who at less than 1 year old lost her battle with cancer. Her young parents set up a fund to raise money to build a playground in her memory. Many people from Etsy donated their time and money to the cause. I purchased this Messy Flower from Joy's Hope to support Cora's playground. The playground was recently completed and you can see the story here on the family blog.

Speaking of making a difference, I also saw this video recently on Tara's blog. I wish I would have seen it before my birthday, but there's always next year.

"Anyway"

"God is great, but sometimes life ain't good...and when i pray, sometimes things don't turn out like they should, but I do it anyway." Song lyrics from Martina McBride's song capture my feelings for this past week, as we had to say goodbye to a dear relative and friend. It's one of those moments that just doesn't seem fair or right and you question the purpose of it all. We are grateful for the moments we had together, but that too is what makes it hurt all the more for those who loved her. ....time will heal...or at least make it easier to bear...