Weekend Wishlist - Anything is Possible

Anything is Possible by c-russell on Polyvore

I (for the first time I believe) actually knocked a few things off my wishlist from last week.  I acquired an amazing new lens, received my business cards in the mail, and pulled off a photo shoot I am super excited about.  This photography thing is really becoming real.  And I couldn't be more excited to see where it goes!

I thoroughly enjoy reading those questions for professional photographers...you know the ones...What did you wish you knew starting out?  Or what would you tell a photographer just starting up?  Words of wisdom and tidbits of advice.  A couple months ago all of it seemed so overwhelming, and although it still is very much overwhelming, it's manageable.  I can do this.  I have so far to go, but I've also already come so far.  

I know in this business (and honestly any business right?) you will never stop learning.  There is always more to learn and understand.  And as my quote says "With enough coffee, anything is possible."  All I need to do is sit down at my computer with a warm cup and put on my headphones and learn something.  Work on something.  Anything.  Just to be constantly improving myself.

There are a few more things I need to take care of to make this business official, but it's so close!  I'm beginning to realize that professional photography involves a lot more paperwork than it does as a hobbyist.  I've got forms to iron out to keep up with all the legalities.  Heads up to Kelly Moore, I may even need a bigger gear bag soon!

If you're interested in seeing my photo shoots, head on over to the Captured by CJ Photography blog where the photos are posted.  And stay tuned for more of my Weekend Wishlists or check out past installments here.

The flags I've always wanted to take a picture of!

We live near a small town cemetery, but it has got to be one of the busiest cemeteries I've ever seen.  I'm not saying that like there are a lot of funerals there, but that there are always lots of people visiting!  Nearly every single grave is decorated year round, and people gather there frequently to reminisce or just be near their loved ones.   One time I drove by to see an old man sitting on a bench in front a headstone.  Hours later when I was returning home, he was still sitting there.

Each year around major holidays honoring our country's servicemen and women, about a hundred (or more) small American flags surround a monument dedicated to the members of the armed services who are buried in this cemetery.  It's a beautiful sight, but before now one that I've only admired as I drove right by.

On Memorial Day, I walked over to take some pictures.  Well I got about halfway there and realized that some kind of ceremony was going on.  There was music playing and police cars, a firetruck, and motorcycles everywhere.  We watched from a distance for a while and then turned around and made our way to the park instead.  I'd wait to take pictures when I wouldn't be in the way.

Today I got my chance.  On our way to the library, I noticed the flags were still up.  The sun was shining, and this part of the cemetery was deserted.  So I pulled the van over and pulled out the camera.  I absolutely love that I can do that!  I only snapped a few shots because the kids were eager to get to the library, but the next time they flags go up, I'll probably stop and snap some more!

Four Months Down

Goodbye April, Hello May!  I'm a little late on my end of April post, but better late than never right?  I haven't been blogging much at all this past month.  I never could find the time!  Looking back over the photos has reminded me how busy and crazy things were during April, but also what an amazing month it was!  Here's the collage of some of my favorite standouts from April.  I'll go into a little more detail below.

Our baby girl started her first dance class last month.  She's had three classes so far and will have 3 more in May.  We are definitely going to take her back in the fall.  She is absolutely amazing in class.  I have never seen her so focused and enthralled with what she's doing.

Early in April I went on my first trip to Turkey Run State Park.  I hope its definitely not my last because that place was stunning!  I might have feared for my life in a few spots on the trail!  It reminded me I need to get in better shape and find a backpack for carrying (and protecting!) my camera when we go hiking!

We also had our first big storm of the year which brought the largest hail we've ever seen here.  Our poor house took a serious beating!  We're still waiting to see what all will get replaced, but there's definitely new siding and a new roof in our future.  I hope we don't get anything else like that again any time soon.  Both kiddos were pretty scared and the dog barked throughout the entire storm!

Flowers are popping up everywhere now, and dandelions are multiplying like rabbits!  We have thousands I'm sure!  I missed my camera so much while it was at Nikon repair (the lens release pin malfunctioned and had to be replaced!), so the day it got back I couldn't wait to start snapping photos again.  It was a cloudy and rainy day though so all I got were some shots of the dandelions off the back porch.  Still I ended up with one of the prettiest pictures of a dandelion I've ever seen!

I'm looking forward to more trips to the park, zoo, and the rest of Ali's dance classes this month.  Gray also graduates from pre-k so there will be pictures from that!  I can't wait!  Until next time...

Three Months Gone

Goodbye Winter...Hello Spring!  Well, finally I feel like it is spring!  March finished with wonderful weather and one of my favorite holidays.  We spent the day at the zoo with some amazing friends!  It was a great way to spend the holiday, and we all had a blast!

Luckily, this Monday morning is the first of the month, and I get to do my recap of March instead of my weekly progress report.  Frankly, I haven't set foot on the scale since last week, and I don't want to!  I don't want to see how much I gained thanks to a few too many trips for Chinese takeout this week!!  See below for details on that.

Now without further ado, here's a little collage of a few of my favorite moments captured in photo from the past month.

See all of the daily March photos here.  

Mother Nature was crazy this past month!  We had a few days of great weather which allowed for trips to the park or playing outside.  But we had more snow in March than I think we've had in the past two winters combined!  Or at least that's what it felt like, so we made do with some fun indoor activities when the weather wasn't in our favor.  Also in March this year was Easter, and it is one of my favorite holidays thanks to all the bunnies you see everywhere.  Even Maddie got into the Easter spirit with her new dress and the bunny hat I made.

And despite what kind of weather we had during the day, March had some really awesome nights.  The moon has been big and full and absolutely stunning!  The colors were beautiful, whether it was cloudy or clear.  It made for some very intriguing photos!

Now I know it's Monday, and I should be doing my weekly check-in, but this was a really bad week in that department.  I ate crap, let the treadmill gather dust, never got enough sleep, and I can't remember the last time I had a glass of water!  I'm hoping with the return of warmer spring like weather, my motivation will return too!! 

I also need to stay away from Fast Wok....far. far. away!  It's too good!  It's fast.  It's easy.  It's cheap.  But it's so darn good!  It will be easier to stay away for a little while now at least because all the roads I would have normally taken to get there are closed starting today.  I'm not sure how long the construction is supposed to last, but I kind of hope it's a while!  This is the only time I'm happy about road construction.  Well, I'm not that happy about it, but my waistline is!  

I'm also happy about keeping this photo project going!  I've created a new page for April's photos.  I have something special in mind for today so I hope I get time to play with the camera later.  Here's to another great month of photos and memories!!  Happy April Fool's Day!

Week 2 Progress Report

Well I need a do-over week!  This was a terrible week for just about all of my goals!  Everyone in the house has been sick, which is a terrible excuse, but it made it very easy to make poor choices this week.  It started off great, with the dip in the scale last Monday.  I had momentum and motivation!  I had three consecutive days on the treadmill working out, and I was eating better.  But the rest of the week, I let everything else take over.

My legs were sore so I stopped working out.  We all have colds, so we spent a lot of time resting, eating takeout instead of cooking something decent, and snacking because we were bored.  Very bad idea!  And it all showed this morning when I stepped on the scale!

Like the weather, my motivation reverted back to it's winter hibernation!  Seriously, I thought this was Spring Break week, not Winter Vacation!  But, it's a new week now.  I already know my workout today is going to be shoveling snow thanks to the lying groundhog and Mother Nature who are in cahoots to keep our spring away!  

Yesterday afternoon, the freezing rain started.  For a brief moment it seemed like we might not get the snow that had been predicted.  But just as quickly as the sleet started, the snow covered the ground.  And kept on and kept on.  

By dinner time, everything was already covered, and big heavy snowflakes were still falling when we went to bed.

And this is the view we woke up to this morning.  I can't find my ruler, or I'd be out there checking to see exactly how much we got overnight.  It is still snowing too, although not as heavily.  It really is a beautiful view, but not what I want to see on Spring Break!  I really don't want to be hiding Easter eggs in the snow for the kids next weekend!  

The fact that it's Spring Break still remains.  Only a short while until school will be out which means summer will be here.  Summer where I want to put on a swimsuit and go swimming.  Lay out in the sun!  Tank tops and skirts and flip flops.  Not weight gain and hiding indoors in lounge pants and sweatshirts!  Motivation may come and go, just like the snow this spring, but I still need to make a change.  I still need to do better!  Here's to next week!  May the weight and the snow that came this week both be gone!

Feeding the Birds

Nobody likes eating that last slice of bread, or the first for that matter.  We just aren't fans of the bread heels in this house.  When we do get down to those last slices, the kids like to feed them to the birds.  This lovely little robin sitting in the backyard was quite pleased about it too!

The kids split whatever bread was left whether its just the heels or a couple stale slices, and they tear it up into tiny bits.  They toss it out as far in the backyard as they can.

Sometimes it doesn't go very far.  

So they'll have to find it, and pick it up.  And throw it again.

If the dog happens to be outside with us, she thinks the bread is a treat for her instead of the birds.

The kids will inform her otherwise and chase her back up to the porch!

I like to think this little robin hangs out in our yard just for the bread.  I don't know if its even the same one as before, but I'm pretending it is.  Maybe this year, we'll get him a real bird feeder!

Mid Week Progress Report

This past Sunday, I made the decision it was time to change course.  I was tired of going backwards in my weight loss journey.  On Monday, I made the post on here about my decision and my goals.  I'm not back to report numbers yet, but I am back to keep my motivation up!  I've been on the treadmill every day this week.  I've done ab exercises every day this week.  And wow can I feel the effects of that!  I'm more careful about snacking, and I've been drinking more water.  I also haven't added salt to a single meal this week (Shhh, I don't think Hubby has noticed)!  I'm actually looking forward to setting foot on the scale again on Monday, which honestly I have not been excited about in some time.

I'm also eager to get the kids out of the house and get to the park whenever weather permits now.  Sunday was a beautiful day.  Absolutely perfect weather for this time of year, and we headed off to a nearby park.  I insisted we take a trail through the woods before hitting the playgrounds and the kids obliged.

On Tuesday, I made one of our regular trips to another park, Flowing Well Park, where we can load up on free spring water.  It is seriously good water, and we don't drink tap water around here.  It's 'well' worth the trip!

I filled up over 40 gallons of water and lugged them back to the van so that was my workout for the day.  After that we took to a trail through a small wooded area.  It was colder than it had been on Sunday, but still a very lovely day.  And I got some very lovely pictures to show for it.

I don't know where my motivation has been hiding for the past two years, but I feel like I finally have it back.  Also, I feel like if I keep saying that enough, and keep typing that enough, I'll stick with it!  As I said on Monday, this is my accountability.  I only want to have positive results to share with you!

I know a few other people who are working towards a similar goal right now, and I hope that sharing my journey helps to motivate them as well!!  However, my goal for this particular post is to give me a positive boost to get through the weekend and see a success on Monday!  Stay tuned!

Weeds and Woods

I think I might have an unhealthy obsession with photographing weeds.  I blame my former years in FFA doing crops judging and studying countless photos and samples of the local Indiana flora.  In the last few weeks, I swear I've taken a picture of every weed I've seen (too bad I don't remember their names anymore!)  Once I get the pictures uploaded to the computer though, I'm not always as happy about them as I was when I snapped it walking through the woods.  This time, however, I find these still remarkably beautiful!

I couple weeks ago I downloaded a free Photoshop action called Bella from this website.  I've tried it out on several different pictures but always ended up scrapping the edit.  It just wasn't right for those pictures.  On these lovely little weeds however, I think it's perfect!  I love the different pops of color, especially the subtle bluish gray color, and the overall sweet softness of the photo.  I think it's one of those actions you just have to be in a certain mood to use!

I used the same action on this tree, but I'm not as happy with it.  The softness and color scheme just doesn't seem to work as well here, perhaps because the photo is so much busier (or perhaps I'm just not as excited about trees as I am about weeds!)

These next three pictures were just some fun Photoshop editing.  I need as much practice as I can get so I was playing around with the same photo to get different looks.  I think the bluish one is my favorite.  I like the contrast it provides to the orange leaf the best.

All of these pictures were taken over the weekend at my in laws house.  They have an amazing view from their back porch.  I could sit there for hours watching birds or squirrels or whatever other animal dared to show up.  This was one of the last pictures I took for the day of the late afternoon soon shining across their deck.

Can't wait to get back out there and shoot some more photos.  Spring and summer will be just as beautiful and hopefully I'll see some more animals too!

March Snow

Are we sure it's March already?  I have to keep checking the calendar because this view outside does not scream spring is right around the corner.  This view screams bust out the hot chocolate because it's chilly out there!

This picture I took first thing this morning.  I love that I can stand at the back door and zoom in on the trees behind the house.  This was fresh untouched snow, and it looks amazing!  I just thought I'd have to wait until next winter to get snow pictures like this with the new camera.

This afternoon we got out to play in the snow a bit.  Well, I played with the camera, not the snow!  It was brighter out but not really because of the sun, so there was still plenty of snow left on the branches.  It's hard to believe all of this is supposed to be gone by the weekend.  The little heat wave is bringing temps in the 50's.  Got to love Indiana weather!

My new camera bag also arrived with the snow today.  I am super excited about it.  After I get a chance to break it in and fill it up, I'll probably do a review post about it.  Here's a quick look though.  It's a beautiful bag, and of course its my favorite color!

Two Months Down

Two months into 2013 already doesn't seem quite possible.  February being a few days short seems like it makes the month go by a million times faster!  It has been one exciting month though, but I'm so looking forward to March and the spring ahead!

I missed a couple days during my photo project for February, but since we got the new camera I think I've more than made up for those pictures now.  I've taken hundreds of photos in the last two weeks!  Here's a selection of my favorite pictures from the past month.

Photo a Day

You can see the complete this of photos for February and even skip back to January's photos by clicking the link above or the "Photo a Day" link in the navigation menu.

Now that I'm getting more familiar with the settings on the new camera, I'm ready for spring!  I need green grass, and blossoms, and sunshine!  I'm already daydreaming about trips to the zoo, more parks, and the Easter egg hunt.  I can't wait to capture those moments!

What part of spring do you look forward to the most?

It Can't Rain All the Time

But if it did, I probably wouldn't mind.  I love the rain!  I love the smell of rain, the look of rain, and that's its generally cloudy and overcast when it rains.  I think me and Seattle would get along great because of rain!  Despite my love of it, rain and nice new shiny cameras don't really mix.  But I wasn't going to let that stop me from trying to snap a few good photos today.  

I'm trying hard to learn how to shoot in manual, as this is how I'm going to get the best photos.  My problem right now is that I'm overwhelmed with terminology and numbers I don't understand.  Each time I look up a new tutorial on what I want to do, I get more and more confused about how to work this camera!  I'm really starting to think taking a photography class is not a bad idea.  

So after much practice and many many adjustments to settings, here are the few photos I'm happy with today.  I still wish I was able to get some better shots of the actual rain, but that will come with time, practice, knowledge, and probably more equipment!

Standing inside our garage I snapped these pictures of a leaf on the driveway.  I was surprised to see such a pretty leaf so late in winter, especially since we don't have a single tree in our yard.  

This little guy blew a long ways to end up on our driveway and be right where I needed for a nice picture today!  It had stopped raining at this point, but the ground was still very wet, and the closeup brings out some beautiful colors in the wet concrete.

This picture is blurry I know, but it's because the focus was on the rain and not the trees in the background.  There's almost a bokeh affect in the background as well.  With more practice I'm going to figure out how to improve photos like this.  I know what I want to do, just not how to make the camera do it yet!

This is a picture of my daughter's purse left on the back porch.  She was not happy about it getting wet, but she was the one who left it outside!  I like the reflection it created on the wet concrete.

Here's a closeup of the arm of a chair on our back porch.  If you look closely you can see reflections in the rain about to drip off the arm.  

These last two photos are the closest I was able to get to capturing the actual rain.  It had picked back up a bit so you can see tiny splashes and the ripples made by the raindrops.

One other thing I want to point out on these photos is a free Photoshop action I used to sharpen and resize them for easy upload on the web.  Most of my photos will end up on here or on Facebook.  It'll be awhile before I'm doing prints or blowing any of them up for display.  

I was amazed at how much faster they uploaded while still being crisp clear photos!  You can check out the action for yourself here.

Shoot for the Moon

We had an amazing full moon last night, and well since our new camera is still so new and shiny and I can't put it down, I had to try my hand at taking pictures of it.  How could you not want to take a picture of something so beautiful!  Well, I quickly learned that despite my nice new shiny camera, I still couldn't take a good picture of the moon....at least not without a few adjustments first!

I'm brand new to this whole photography thing, having only owned a DSLR camera for a week, and slightly overwhelmed is an understatement for all that I have to learn about it!  However, every new setting I play with and tricks I do learn get me really excited so I have to share them.

First off, here's a picture I took of the moon in all auto settings at 300mm on my zoom lens.  I was less than impressed.  It's a nice white circle, but it's not the moon I was looking for!  And it's most definitely not the moon I saw while looking through the viewfinder to take that shot.  I knew the camera could do better than this.

So I came back inside and hit Google.  A quick "how to photograph the moon" search led me to this site,  http://photographylife.com/how-to-photograph-moon, from Photography Life.  Can you tell how much of an amateur I am?  I read through the entire post, and then I popped open my camera's User Manual and started hunting down the settings it suggested.

After a few quick changes, I went back outside and snapped this photo.

Well now, that's much better!  It's as close as I can get with my current lens, but I think it's pretty impressive considering the moon is over 200,000 miles away.  It's clear I need to spend more time in manual learning the settings so hopefully I can do things like this in the future without Googling it first.  Now, if only I didn't have to wait until April for my Nikon for Dummies book to be released!

Etsy Anniversary

Although the blog has been around for a few years now, today is my one year anniversary for my Etsy shop! I'm excited about the progress and direction the shop has taken in this past year.  I feel like I got off to a rocky start and had a few bumps in the road along the way too, but especially in the last few months, I'm more excited than ever about Handmade by CJ!

One year ago today, I opened up my shop with one painting.  When I had sat down to do this painting, thoughts of Etsy and sales were not on my mind.  I was just so happy to be painting for the first time in a long time.  After I finished this one, I did another, and another.  And then I made a decision I wanted to share my art.

After a while I came to realize the importance of this painting was more than a sale.  When the listing expired, I didn't renew it.  This painting has been hanging on the wall in my kitchen ever since.  It's a reminder of where I started, and where I want to go.

If you've followed the shop from the beginning, or even if you've only discovered it recently, you'll notice there are more than just paintings at Handmade by CJ.  In the past few months, I've started adding my crochet projects to the shop, and I'm fairly certain that is the direction my shop will stick with.

As much as I love painting, it's much more difficult to stop and start in the middle of your work.  It's more time consuming to clean up and put away the supplies, and drying, sealing, storing, and shipping are all more challenging.  It's something I plan to keep up with for myself, and my kids (who definitely caught the painting bug!), but not where I want to spend my focus with Etsy.

So back to the crochet.  I think this may be one of the best things I've taught myself to do.  It's relaxing.  It's easy to put away and pick back up right where I left off.  As a mom of young children that's the priority.  I can set my project down and return hours or even days later with no problems.  I can't leave a painting like that, or else I'd be spending a fortune to replace my brushes all the time!

I'm enjoying the challenge of figuring out new patterns and techniques, working with different types of yarn, and truly feel I'm creating with my hands.  Somehow I think when I chose the name "Handmade by CJ", I knew that it wasn't going to be an art shop forever!

With the crochet projects came the newest part of my shop, the doll fashion section, and the introduction of Maddie, my neo Blythe doll.  She's a beauty and the perfect model.  I really enjoy designing new hats and accessories for her, and for the shop.  I even foresee in a few years, branching out into designing for American Girl when my daughter is old enough to have one.  It's neat to think ahead, in terms of years, where my shop will be!

And lastly another question that's on my mind and one you may be asking as well based on my recent posts about photography, will Handmade by CJ add prints?  The short answer is no.  Although, that doesn't mean I won't open up a second Etsy shop when I feel my work is great enough to be sold.  It's a time consuming hobby that I can already see getting in the way of my current Etsy venture!  And I have years of experience yet to acquire!

In the meantime, I'll continuing posting some of my favorite photos here, as I learn new techniques both with the camera and in editing.  I've also already chosen a name and logo for when that time comes!  See, sometimes I plan ahead, and sometimes I don't!

Captured by CJ Photography

With all that being said, Happy Anniversary to Handmade by CJ.  The shop has come so far, and still has so far to go and achieve!  Today only, I'm offering my largest discount ever in the shop:  25% off your purchase with coupon code 'HAPPY1YR'.  Don't miss out on this special offer if there's something you've had your eye on!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyCJ

I'm also still planning a giveaway in the coming weeks.  I just need to find time to make the product before I kick it off!  Stay tuned for that, and keep checking back to see what's new and exciting.  I hope to always provide both!

Weekend Wishlist

Have you tried Polyvore yet?  It can be addicting just like Pinterest, Etsy, or even Facebook.  But it's certainly the most fun for your wardrobe!  I decided to start a little themed post from Polyvore, on my blog.  I'm calling it my Weekend Wishlist.

First up, this set is what I want to wear on my next photo shoot.  I love this premade template from Polyvore, and the slogan "A Photograph never grows old" reminded me just how much I want the Kelly Moore B-hobo bag when we finally get a new camera.

It's a gorgeous gray handbag, that I would certainly carry every day with or without a camera in it!  Also part of this fun but classic collection is a pair of Dansko professional clogs in grey flannel.  My lovely little puppy recently decided to chew up the back of my black clogs.  Luckily it's in a spot hidden by the back of my jeans most of the time, but it also makes me really wish I had this pair to switch out to.  And little did I know, my favorite Dansko retailer, The Walking Company, no longer carries this style!  I found this listing on ebay!

The other pieces are just wardrobe staples for me, a nice pair of jeans, simple white tee, and a gray sweater.  One can never have enough gray sweaters right?  Topped off with just the right makeup and a sweet but subtle scarf, and I'd be ready to take pictures anywhere!

Ready for a Photo Shoot by c-russell

A Wear cocoon sweater
$23 - awear.com

7 For All Mankind flared jeans
bergdorfgoodman.com

Hobo handbag
kellymoorebag.com

Vila
$19 - vila.com

Dansko Professional Clog Vegan Charcoal Flannel Size 42 US 11 5 12 New...
ebay.com

A Photograph Never Grows Old Laser Die Cut
scrapyourtrip.com

bamm bamm rocks shopping in CB2 accessories
cb2.com




So what's your favorite piece from this set?  Have anything new on your wishlist this weekend?