But A Shadow

| letterpress

2012-02-01T19:02:00.005-06:00

I'm too tired to put together all the words needed to adequately describe how amazing it was to take a letterpress class with my Mom at fifteen/eleven, taught by Suann of Simplesong Design, in celebration of our joint birthdays. But I had to share the pictures because they're burning a hole in my pocket. If you're in the Alexandria area, you really must stop by the shop. It's my new favorite place to go to indulge in my love of paper.

| Mexico (finally)

2011-10-25T20:13:00.003-05:00

| knitting (again)

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

| bridal shower favors

2011-10-23T12:42:00.010-05:00

| in the "studio"

2011-08-21T16:15:00.004-05:00

My "studio" currently consists of shoving everything off the dining table and spreading art supplies across it. Here's a glimpse of what went on this weekend at the table.

{At the table... hmmm, I kind of like that as a shop name or a design house. At the table. I'm going to have to remember that one.}

I'll show you the final product(s) next week after the favors have all been gifted.

| barnes foundation gardens

2011-06-24T20:22:00.002-05:00

To appreciate The Barnes Foundation watch this documentary, "The Art of the Steal" I'm so glad we got the chance to go while the collection was still in its original home.

| christmas in south carolina

2011-02-28T09:05:00.003-06:00

While in North Carolina with family for Christmas, we drove down to South Carolina to visit some friends at their parents' farm. We went for a stroll around the land. Everyone quickly realized that it was hopeless to wait for me because every where I turned there was something else I wanted to photograph. It was a great time with friends and a wonderful time with my camera.

Strolling about...

There was laughing

And some kissing

| taste testing

2011-01-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

Giver's Log is a site I follow via my lovely google reader (whatever would I do without that thing?), thanks to a friend of mine who thought I'd enjoy the gift wrapping ideas (which I do!). A few weeks ago, I happened upon a post requesting taste testers. I quickly commented, hoping I was speedy enough to be chosen. Sure enough, I was!

Amber, of Giver's Log, was kind enough to mail not only one but two tasting samples to a friend's address who we were visiting in Chicago the next week. Fully intent on documenting our mini tasting party, I brought my camera.

I'll let the pictures do the work, but I will say that we really should have tasting parties more often. Who knew they could be so much fun?

If our samples were any indication, you're going to want to hop on over to Amber's shop when it opens later this month and snatch up some hot chocolate for yourself! You can read more about it here and here. Yum! Seriously, it's like Europe style hot chocolate. Swiss Miss dreams of being this good.

Carefully reading the instructions.

Notice our excellent choice in milk, for those of you in the Chicago area.

Becky, nicely stirring the first sample, as it heats up.

Whoever said sake cups were limited only to sake?

Sample number two, er, technically number 13 as they were labeled.

Our very official looking notes.

Thanks, Amber, for some wonderful samples! Can't wait til the store is open :)

| chicago before christmas

2011-01-04T09:25:00.002-06:00

| milwaukee art museum

2010-12-14T16:32:00.002-06:00

| a progressive dinner + journaling + camera

2010-11-30T21:06:00.003-06:00

I hadn't gone out of the building since getting home Sunday. I was getting antsy and there was no good reason why I should stay in, so out I went tonight for a burrito bowl in the misting rain. Having been recommended by a friend, dinner was followed by a salted caramel hot chocolate.

(public service announcement: if you have not yet tried one, you really must. they're amazing. simply to die for.)

And then I did some window shopping on the way home, taking in the simple joy of Christmas lights at night.

| baby t.

2010-10-19T20:37:00.003-05:00

My mind is consumed with the amount of things that are going to (and need to) occur over the next two weeks, so I did what any normal person would do... I avoided doing any of it and instead looked at baby pictures from a session over Labor Day weekend.

The world has waited quite some time for little baby t and I was thrilled to be a part of her celebration. I am looking forward to being only 130 miles from her (and especially her mom) instead of the 667 miles that I am currently. (yes, I just google mapped it)

| afternoon sun

2010-10-04T22:30:00.004-05:00

We played in the fading sunlight and she did not disappoint.

on the other side of the camera, thanks to her...

| Do Fun Stuff

2010-09-01T08:31:00.004-05:00

I'm a few days behind on this because, well, life is just a bit crazy at the moment. But better late than never, right? (at least that's what I like to tell myself) I stumbled upon Pacing the Panic Room at some point during the first maternity series and have been hooked ever since. I loved the photography and the writing was just so honest and down to earth.

On Monday they debuted a children's album to benefit a rare genetic disorder called Smith Magenis Syndrome. At the very least, check it out and educate yourself. Just knowing it exists is a step in the right direction. Then, play a few tracks from the cd and if you think it's as fun and catchy as I do, pick it up on iTunes and know that your money went to a good cause.

Find out more here.

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|baby e.|

2010-08-26T08:15:00.004-05:00

I got so excited to share these I just hit publish without adding a note!

When M&B contacted me about doing a photo shoot for their newborn, I couldn't wait to get them on the calendar. It was such a treat to shoot in their apartment because it has these amazing windows in the front room. I'm pretty sure I mentioned how awesome they were multiple times during my visit. Much to our dismay, little E stayed awake through most of the session.

Thank you, M&B, for allowing me to capture some of these early moments in your new adventure as parents. Enjoy!

sneak peek | baby e.

2010-08-24T22:24:00.004-05:00

I'm almost done editing this session from last Saturday, but I just had to share a sneak peek of this adorable little one and his family.

| ticket to ride

2010-04-12T08:20:00.004-05:00

Remember back in this post where I talked about the idea of a time lapse video of the game Ticket to Ride? Well, we finally got our own copy of the game, along with the 1912 expansion pack. Saturday evening we set it up with M's brother and sister-in-law and after much fiddling with the camera, we got the game underway. I've never enjoyed having a remote for the shutter as much as I did that night. It's fun to watch the train cards change color, hands move in and out, stations get built and trains criss-cross the board. Enjoy!

PS: Our sister-in-law left all of us in the dust. And the song is called "Us" by Regina Spektor from the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack. Great movie, great soundtrack.

|bobble hat - one size too big|

2010-02-26T11:26:00.003-06:00

This is proof that the weight of the yarn AND the size of the needles make a huge difference. It was supposed to be a baby hat. But as you can see, it fits my head - whoops! I'm headed to the yarn store this weekend to pick up the right size needles and try again.

baby blanket

2010-01-22T09:06:00.002-06:00

A while back I started a knitting project that I shared with you. But I had to keep most of the details a secret until it was gifted. Well, it is now keeping little M warm, so I can show it to you in all its full color glory.

PS: A special thanks goes out to KNR for confirming that the first pattern I found was written incorrectly (I kept ending up with additional stitches) and finding another that looked the same and worked even better.

ticket to ride : europe edition

2010-01-19T19:37:00.008-06:00

When we were up in Wisconsin this past fall visiting these wonderful friends, they introduced us to a board game called Ticket to Ride Europe. We're hooked. It's awesome. And next time we play, if I can remember and we can set it up correctly, I'm going to attempt to make a time lapse video of the trains being built as the game continues. *Note: I cannot take full credit for this idea, it was my brother-in-law's. But for now, here are some fun shots of the board from this weekend.

packages tied up with string

2009-12-23T12:55:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Renegade Craft Fair

2009-11-23T15:50:00.002-06:00

In case you happen to be in the Chicago area next weekend...

as promised

2009-11-20T08:36:00.004-06:00

Okay, folks, the day has arrived! This might be way more exciting for me than it is for you, but that's alright. Today I am sharing with you my official "store" for prints. For those of you who have had a session with me in the past, you'll be able to find your private gallery (I will be emailing passwords shortly) and have prints made and shipped straight to you. With just a few clicks of the mouse, tangible, glorious prints can be yours! Maybe it's just because I like getting things in the mail, but when I receive my orders via snail mail it's always so thrilling to open the envelope and see the prints inside.

Also, in celebration of this grand opening, I am offering pictures of Italy for sale, for a limited time. If you dreamed about the water of Capri or drooled over Ponte Vecchio, now is your chance! Snatch them up while you can. So without further adieu...

But A Shadow : Online Galleries

| a freshman again

2009-11-16T09:36:00.002-06:00

[I debated over writing this post. I wondered if it would be better to not say anything, to make it seem like I had my act together, like it came easily for me. That was until I realized that I'm a horrible liar and the artists (and their blogs) that I respect the most are the ones who are willing to be vulnerable and share.]

{sigh} No, I'm not going back to school. But I feel like a Freshman all over again. Starting out on a new venture will do that to you. There's all the excitement of "the new" combined with the nervous butterflies (and slight urge to hurl) knowing that everywhere you look are people who are doing it better and longer than you.

This past weekend we drove up to Madison, WI to visit with some great friends who we hadn't seen in a while. They're an awesome duo with an even awesomer (totally not a word but I'm using it anyway) kid - she's way cooler than I'll ever be. He does videography and she's a photographer so together they're a one stop shop for documenting that special wedding day. So, of course our conversation often turned towards photography. I tried to glean as much of their professional wisdom as possible in a 48 hour period.

This is where feeling like a Freshman comes into play. I had a 300 level class my freshman year of undergrad that was probably a bit premature, but I did it anyway. I remember feeling so intimidated by the upper class men who understood the material and could ask in depth questions, all while I was still trying to figure out what page we were discussing. But every now and again there would be moments of "I get it!" where something would click and I'd actually feel like maybe just maybe I could hold my own if I was called upon. Welcome to my world. This is how I've been feeling lately. Immensely intimidated most of the time, with short bursts of confidence sprinkled in to keep me going in the right direction.

So... all that to say, the ball is rolling. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but it's rolling. I'm going with it as best I can. There are some important things in the works this week. I hope to share a new online gallery with you, which will allow you to order prints and have them sent straight to your very own door. I'm going to put together a price list for sessions. I need to pull together forms for all the legalese which needs to be signed off on. Basically, the little things that can't be overlooked but often aren't thought about when conjuring up that "big picture" plan.

Stay tuned!

[Shameless plug: if you're in the Madison/Chicago area and have that big day coming, book Primavera Studios. They're great. Seriously. Go, call them, now.]

details of a baby shower

2009-11-10T18:56:00.003-06:00

If you didn't pick up on it, it was nautical themed!

Double your fun : twins edition

2009-11-09T14:52:00.003-06:00

I promised I'd share more and here they are. I love editing sessions like this because every picture is just so dang cute - it's hard to narrow it down to a few favorites.

A special note of thanks to their mom who was a great assistant, fully equipped with toys and books and blankets. And just props to her in general for raising twins and managing to look great at the same time. I sure couldn't do it. I can barely get out of my pajamas as it is...

She had something to say about it all

Those blue eyes!

Hello, baby feet!

That lower lip is just so sweet.

If only my belly looked this cute.

It was at this point that I considered grabbing one and making a mad dash for home,
but she knows where we live, so it wouldn't have lasted long.

Getting their fiber... couldn't seem to keep them away from the leaves.

babies!!

2009-11-06T13:47:00.002-06:00

I still haven't edited this session yet, but these little twins are just too cute not to share. So here's a sneak peak at what's coming up next week...

chicago at dusk : parte duo

2009-11-04T12:49:00.002-06:00

Because I just can't get enough of the city lights at night...

halloween cocktails

2009-11-03T08:30:00.001-06:00

This is Dhey, playing both hostess (helping someone navigate to the correct party location) and bartender (mixing up a haunting brew) at the same time. Dhey asked me to be the photographer for a Halloween cocktail party she and a few friends were throwing downtown, on a roof top, in Chicago... um, yes!

It should be noted that when she's not moonlighting as a party hostess with the most-est (yes, I did just say that) - she's helping fight for the cure as a Clinical Research RN at Children's Memorial Hospital. Anyone willing to spend their days joining that fight gets extra stars in my book.

chicago at dusk

2009-11-02T12:17:00.003-06:00

{more to come...}

a pause in the action.

2009-10-29T10:10:00.003-05:00

I was on a roll there for a few days and then... whoops! Sorry, folks. This whole taking pictures every day and posting 5 days a week is harder than it looks. I have plans to make it up to you, but you'll have to wait just a few more days.

| day five of thirty. {lwg}

2009-10-23T19:53:00.002-05:00

It's a Friday night. I really should be anywhere but in my office, at the computer, getting lost in Adobe forums. I'm going to post this and walk away. Really, I am. (I think.) There are a bunch of exciting things going on around here, some of which I hope to share with you soon (as in: next week). But for now, you'll just have to trust that I'm trying my hardest to post every (week) day, but if I don't, it's only because my photography/design work is increasing and things are a bit nutty on this side of the computer. Side note to self: be careful what you pray for, He might actually say, "Yes."

Without further adieu, here is installment duo, of {life without glasses}
(and no, I did not misspell the word two, that is Italian, not Spanish)

| day four of thirty. {lwg}

2009-10-22T09:03:00.004-05:00

I'm starting a new series in this 30 day assignment. - Life Without Glasses - As I was photographing, I was wondering why I kept being drawn back to blurry, bokeh filled images and then it dawned on me that it might be because without my glasses my vision is very, very poor and therefore, most things I see are a blur of lines and light. So, I'm embarking on a mission to take one picture "without glasses" and one "with glasses" and post them here for you. You can squint and guess all you'd like. The in focus version will be right beside it (or below it!).

[20 points to the person who can identify the restaurant in the last two photos]

| day three of thirty.

2009-10-21T15:23:00.001-05:00

[making dinner in the crock pot]

| day two of thirty.

2009-10-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

-you can click on it for the bigger version-

| day one of thirty.

2009-10-19T13:59:00.003-05:00

Today was day one. I went for a short walk in the middle of a bright day. Not really the time for a lens you want to shoot at an F stop of 1.8. My shutter speed was 4000 at one point. Ha. What was I thinking?

I was thinking I have to do this or else I'll never start. Much like running again. Though I haven't started that yet.

More to follow. Starting out slow. Again, just like running.

| an idea comes to me |

2009-10-16T09:44:00.003-05:00

Today I need feedback. Admittedly, I've been a bit out of my groove. My photography groove that is. I had some really awesome sessions over the summer but then things started to get busy, I failed to make it a priority and I wound up here - in 'no new pictures to post' land. So, in an effort to get back at it, I purchased a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 that I have been salivating over for some time now, which should be arriving on my doorstep TODAY!

According to this lovely screen shot of UPS.com's tracking:

Here's where I need your help. Back in college one of my assignments for Photography II was to shoot a roll of film every day for 30 days. It was quite a daunting task when you consider that it was film that needed developed and processed, not just digitals that could easily be uploaded to a computer for processing. That said, doing it again in digital form should make it all that much easier to accomplish, right? This is what I'm thinking... I take a picture (or pictures) every day for the next month. And every morning I post a picture from the previous day. Not only will this provide you with an active blog to follow, it will keep me focused on refining my photography skills. What do you think? I'm open to other suggestions as well. I just need something that will provide content for this blog as well as push me to becoming the kind of photographer I wish I was.

nursery duties

2009-10-15T08:32:00.003-05:00

Here is the culprit.

Towards the end of August I took on the position of Nursery Coordinator at church. That means I'm officially in charge of making sure the Infant, Crawler and Toddler rooms are fully stocked with supplies and staff every Sunday, all three services. Getting them full of kids hasn't been a problem.

A few Sundays ago, the toddler room was especially full (think 14 walkers under the age of 2 with only 3 helpers) so I was checking in to make sure everyone was doing alright. One of the workers came to me with a half chewed name tag (we have name tags and pager numbers that get pinned to the back of every child). "I don't know how she got it off, but now I can't find the safety pin." We pinned a fresh one on the little gummer (my word for toddlers that munch on things until they're a gummy paste) and I helped look around the room a bit, but was quickly distracted with another duty and forgot all about it.

Fast forward to the wee hours of Monday morning. All of a sudden I'm wide awake in bed and all I can think is: "Oh no! We never found that pin!" Of course, I feel I'm solely responsible for this as it happened under my watch and immediately start conjuring up worst case scenarios where the gummy child swallowed said pin and is dying slowly somewhere of a punctured something or other. This kept me awake for some time. I eventually drifted back to sleep but when I woke up as M was getting ready for work, I mumbled out something about a pin and should I call the parents, etc. He nicely assured me I shouldn't worry and told me to go back to sleep.

I went about my day, but in the back of my mind I couldn't stop thinking about the safety pin. The buzzer rang on my dryer as I was contemplating what to do. As I opened the door, something fell onto the ground...

YEP, you guessed it! THE SAFETY PIN. I was washing/drying the nursery bibs and the pin must have fallen into one of the pockets on the front of bibs. I have never in my life been so relieved to see a half eaten name tag and safety pin fall out of my dryer. I was now sure that no child from the nursery was dying of a punctured stomach lining and could happily go about my day.

life. got. busy.

2009-10-14T08:40:00.003-05:00

Sometimes life gets busy. I look up and all of a sudden it has been a month since I've posted an entry. It's already half way through October and I'm still not sure where September went. I fear it will be December and I'll still be carving pumpkins at the rate I'm going.

Instead of listing the million and one things that crammed themselves onto our calendar and prevented me from having the time or energy to post, I'll simply share with you a few images from our recent trip to Myrtle Beach, SC.

*note: if you want to go to myrtle beach, early october is the perfect time to do it. the water is still reasonably warm and you practically have the ocean all to yourself.

Stoltzfus Farm

2009-09-10T11:38:00.004-05:00

During our abbreviated trip to Pennsylvania, we stopped by a farm owned by the Stoltzfus family. (For those of you from Lancaster County - yes, I realize that could mean a number of farms) Maybe I should say "A Stolzfus family." After city living, it was refreshing to pull into an amish farm off a country road and pick out pumpkins at my leisure, look in on the baby cows, peek at the horses, pet the dog, wander around one of the barns. It was just relaxing. Slower paced. Nice.

Side note: cows are easily spooked. I leaned over to pet one and scared three of them into running across to the other side of the pen. whoops. I'll stick with the dog.

Another side note: Yes, I carted pumpkins and indian corn the whole way back to Chicago. They're so much more expensive out here.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

2009-08-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we went to see the Chicago Air and Water Show and we have the sunburns to prove it. (I'm pretty sure my forehead is medium rare. And yes, I did put sunscreen on, I just forgot my face.) I do have to say this is one event downtown that I don't mind attending with the masses. Mainly, because everyone finds a spot and sits. I can handle that. Plus, they sell roasted corn on the cob. Another point in the "pros" column.

Involved in the show were: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, U.S. Navy Parachute Team Leap Frogs, U.S. Coast Guard Air/Sea Rescue... (oh, here's a list of the full program). Let's sum it up by saying it was a great line up, since I'm a bit rusty on all the different planes. Plus, you're here because you want to see the pictures, not listen to me narrate the whole thing. But before we get to them, I just have to say... those F-15/F-16 were awesome. I could have watched them zoom past all day long, especially against the city as a backdrop.

Finding our seats...

Notice they're headed opposite directions? Look carefully.

This was actually part of a very moving display where the 6th plane flew off in another direction, I'm assuming as a tribute to all those they've lost.

Upside down. Crazy.

This plane was awesome and so fast that this is the best picture I could get.

Hello Thunderbirds

INSANE. That's the best way to describe this.

The smoke left behind by all the fly bys.

knitting again

2009-08-05T13:27:00.002-05:00

Ever since KR left, I have been knitting away (as previously mentioned). My most recent project is only in the 'cast on' phase, but I hope to be adding more rows later today. I really can't wait to see how it turns out. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it will be or even show you the color because... shhhh! It's a secret! Don't tell anyone that you know about it. Okay, I may have, in my excitement, leaked it out to a few people. If you are one of them... keep a lid on it! For the rest of you, here's a sneak peak at the beginnings. I promise to show you the end result once it has been gifted.

geocaching in a golf cart

2009-07-30T08:58:00.004-05:00

Geocaching for those of you who are not familiar with the term, is basically modern treasure hunting. Based on the latitude and longitude you attempt to find a hidden cache. It's really quite fun. Last weekend we were up in Michigan and the lake community we stayed at had a bunch hidden around the grounds. We grabbed a list of the locations (with their clues), found some wifi to download the coordinates and hopped in the golf cart and we were off... until it got too dark to find things. Who knew a golf cart could be so much fun?

knitting spoils

2009-07-29T08:39:00.003-05:00

Due to the recent increase in baby activity around us, I've been knitting up gifts the past few weeks, with more planned for the future. It must be noted that the hoodie could not have been accomplished without my dear friend K. I would have been utterly lost without her help. Seriously. She helped me crank that thing out in a week. But now I know how to knit in the round and a few other snazzy things!

A hat for bringing the baby home from the hospital (it'll be winter time in Chicago... brrrrrr!)

A hoodie for baby c.r.l.

with booties to match!

adorable baby c.r.l.

2009-07-27T10:58:00.003-05:00

One of my closest friends, E (who married C a few years back) just had their first child. They happened to be traveling out to Michigan for a wedding, so we took the opportunity to drive up there and meet them. Okay, so seeing the baby was my main motivation, I'll be honest. We only had a few hours (it went much too quickly) but I was able to snap a few shots before we left. I told E that I was tempted to just kidnap him and take him home for at least a few days, but I resisted and instead settled for just looking at the pictures an unmentionable number of times.

PS: If you think I had a thing for shoes/feet... baby feet takes it up a whole other notch, trust me. They're just so small and cute. I couldn't help myself. I really couldn't. It was like being drawn in by a magnet.

How do you not love this little foot?

And this little hand?

They're going to be great parents. (I've forgiven C for being a Michigan fan and indoctrinating his child so early. May need to buy some PSU attire in the future to combat that.)

5 years ago today...

2009-07-24T09:08:00.002-05:00

I married the most wonderful man. It's hard to believe it's already been 5 years. There's really no one else I'd want to grow old with more than M. To avoid getting too sappy, I'm just going to say that I like him a whole lot, even more now than I did then.|wedding photography by Lime Street Studios|

camera love

2009-07-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

I kind of want this...

|from photojojo.com|

How cool is that?! You can shoot all around you while pointing your lens the other direction to throw people off. Hee hee. It could be really fun to use in the city.

Check out the other cool stuff Photojojo has in stock!

italia

2009-07-17T09:24:00.003-05:00

kjk : in pink

2009-07-15T14:57:00.003-05:00

I had such a hard time picking which photos to post here. You have NO idea. It was proof that yet again, the best pictures often come at the end of the shoot, when everyone has relaxed, your guard is down AND you push the envelope, asking for things that seem ridiculous but in the end turn out awesome. I would like to publicly thank kjk for being such a good sport and for carting half her wardrobe (not to mention accessories) out to OP for this shoot. Also for being a spicy Asian, in addition to being a great friend.

Can you say, "Hot?"

And hotter.

Can't you just feel the grit?

This commences the "jumping bean" phase. Get ready. It's awesome.

I'm pretty sure in her other life she's an Asian Superhero.

Our spoils.

What's becoming my signature shot.

a little laughter

2009-07-13T18:25:00.004-05:00

Okay, more like A LOT of laughter, as evidenced below. So much in fact that I had to stop jumping because I couldn't laugh AND jump at the same time.

You can select the picture for a closer look at this craziness.

PS: I must add that these were snapped by she, who was laughing at my mexican jumping bean impression while trying to capture it.

kjk : a sneak peek

2009-07-13T08:50:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend kjk was kind enough to allow me to use her as a guinea pig for some photo shoot ideas that I had. It was hot, we had multiple bags of accessories, I made her wear heels and walk around OP, but she was a trooper and all I can say is that end of the shoot made everything worth it. Not only did I get a great series, we also did some crazy stuff that made us both double over in laughter. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I'll show you why in a few days, but for now here's a glimpse from the start.

St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Deerfield, IL

2009-07-10T09:51:00.002-05:00

PSA : Do not mix cooking with Lightroom

2009-07-09T19:55:00.004-05:00

Oh, Lightroom... how I love you. But you make me burn my waffles. I get distracted by all your buttons and presets and then I google "lightroom presets" and find myself showered with links to hundreds of free download-able presets and I get engrossed in organizing them (B/W, Vintage, Infrared, Holga) and I start to laboriously test them out on different photos, going back and forth between the presets and all the while I'm supposed to be supervising my waffle maker so that it doesn't burn my triple batch of yummy waffles. (Note: making a triple batch of waffles allows you to have WEEKS' worth of frozen waffles that can be grabbed and popped into the toaster at any time.) But nooooo... you, Lightroom, not only distract me long enough to burn one set of waffles, you have the power to distracted me AGAIN, after I've already chastised myself for thinking I could manage both things at once, and I burn them AGAIN. Not once, but twice. Well you will not fool me a third time, mainly because I'm out of batter. sigh.

This is an example of one of the B/W presets that is WAY contrasty (okay, apparently that's actually a word because it's not putting that nice little "red line" hint underneath it, huh.) but I really like how it looks applied to this picture from my brother in law and sister in law's wedding.

Etsy

2009-07-06T09:35:00.004-05:00

I realize it's been awhile. I apologize, but KR has been here for the week and so I'm happily distracted with best friend things. I'm also consumed with making a gift for a friend who just had a baby boy last Thursday. K is helping me tremendously. Her experience with yarn and needles supersedes mine by a whole lot.

(Proven by the conversation we had about a week before she came out to visit, trying to determine what pattern to use:
K: So how much do you know about knitting?
Me: I can knit, or purl, it's one or the other, I'm not sure, but I can do one of them!)

But she's a fine teacher, so I'm hopeful I'll be done before she leaves. I'll reveal pictures later this month after I've gifted it to its rightful little owner.

My excitement for today comes in the form of Etsy. I've mentioned Etsy before, I'm sure. But today marked the day of my first Etsy purchase. This is a big deal folks. I've been working up to this for about 2 years now. Seriously. KJK is dearest friends with JL, who makes AMAZING things out of silver and stone. This is her Etsy shop: The Noisy Plume Check it out, it's wonderful. I've been stalking her shop for a good long while. Her creations are simply gorgeous and full of heart, but many of them are just a bit too big for my britches. I have small britches, they go with my small fingers and my small feet. So I waited, I waited for just the right piece that would cry "This is ME!" and fit my budget. And this morning, I found it! I actually found it earlier, weeks ago, but someone snatched it up before I could get to it. But not today! Today victory was mine! Pressing PayPal has never been so satisfying.

Baby Bonbon Earrings, welcome home. I can't wait to have you arrive in the mail. And then dangle you from my ears. We're going to be happy together, I just know it.

This is JL's photo from her Etsy shop. Have you checked it out yet? Go!
Then when you're done, go to her blog and see lovely tidbits from her silver-smithing life.

motivation

2009-06-24T08:53:00.003-05:00

This is my to do list for the day. I find that 1) making it in multiple sharpie colors brings me great joy 2) it's helpful to organize my list by category (listing within a list... do you think there's a diagnosis for that in the DSM-IV?) 3) writing it out so that I can tangibly cross things off is very satisfying 4) and motivating which is why I'm going to leave you now to do numbers 1 and 2 under "house."

*dump (verb): to empty something of its contents, specifically the dishwasher in this case. (I'm not sure it's an actual word but I use it)

Edited to add: You can participate in #2 (under WORK) as well! Just go to National Geographic and submit a photo! But if you win, you must take me to the Galapagos Islands with you!

photography: Nick Cobbing

2009-06-22T10:57:00.002-05:00

Since I don't have anything new of my own to post (I'm working on it, I promise) I thought I'd share with you this snazzy photographer I happened upon today: Nick Cobbing. He has some amazing pictures of glaciers (beautiful!) and of some other projects he's worked on like Kenya schools and an art installation of blue crystals (weird but cool). Check him out!

C & K

2009-06-17T08:08:00.003-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying I was incredibly nervous before this photo shoot. (Shhh... don't tell them!) I actually did their engagement photos in college, but some how in my head this was different. As the clock ticked down to their arrival, I had thoughts of "what if the pictures turn out horrible? what if I'm no good at this? what if they don't like any of them?" A little prayer and 3 tums later, we were off gallivanting around OP in search of spots I'd written down ahead of time (you have to do your research for these things!). I'm pretty sure I talked non stop for the first half of the shoot as a way of calming my nerves, but they were gracious and let me, so on I rattled.

C married one of my favorite people, K. Every time I'm with them, I realize I couldn't have picked anyone better for her. They're coming up on their 5th anniversary this fall and it was such a treat to be able to do this for them while also getting some practice! Thanks you two for being such great sports and wonderful friends.

The instant I asked K to hold her purse a certain way she commented,
"That's such a j.crew shot." And yes, yes it is and I'm okay with that.

This was a really cool London-esque phone booth, but unfortunately it was locked,
so we had to settle for an outside shot.

This was the last place we shot (my back steps) and I'm pretty sure I'd worn K out at this point.

I think I've found my signature shot with which to end!

a sneak peek : numero duo

2009-06-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

Give me just one more day and I promise you'll see actual people pictured here. But for now, I have to share with you my "j.crew" shots from Sunday. I documented the shoe switch mid shoot and I am so glad I did, because they are some of my favorite shots.

It's this last one... I think it's pretty hot. (I'm pretty sure I just made K blush)

a sneak peek

2009-06-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

So here's a sneak peek from my photo shoot earlier today. I was four shots away from 500 pictures, so I have a lot of editing and weeding out to do. These are a few of my favorites so far. Remember how I said I have a thing for shoes? Well, I do.

More to come, check back later!

scarpe basse

2009-06-13T10:29:00.003-05:00

Seriously. I love these shoes. So much so, I'm going to have a whole post just for them.

And no, I did not alter the color... that blue is straight out of the camera. I did do some lens vignetting, though.

cave canem

2009-06-12T13:56:00.002-05:00

In preparation for a photo shoot I'm doing this Sunday I asked a friend of mine if she'd be willing to let her dog be my test subject. (Note to self: schedule dogs in the evening, preferably after a long walk, so that they're too tired to get excited.) B was a great assistant, equipped with treats to encourage sitting and even whistling to get Leah's ears in just the right position. Leah is still a puppy and very much enjoys directing her attention at whatever might be moving around her. Most of the time her head was any direction OTHER THAN the camera.

The numbers: 45 mins of shooting, 142 pictures total, 8 deleted, 111 worth a second look, 34 worth editing, 6 picked for the blog.

"Over here, Leah! Look over here!"

"Almost... but not quite."

"There you go! Now, stay right there."

Probably wanting treats for sitting so long.

She saw something across the street.

Leah likes to sit on your feet, which was perfect because if you haven't noticed, I had a slight love affair with B's shoes.

day three.

2009-06-10T13:14:00.006-05:00

When you can't read things online, you start looking at pictures. Hello Flickr. Let me first warn you that hours, and I mean HOURS, can be lost on Flickr. Because of its addictive nature, I really must get off and back to work, but I wanted to share a photographer I found with you. I love what he's done with his son's play toys. It's just brilliant. Maybe one day I'll collaborate with a friend and do something similar. Might need a new lens for that occasion. Hmmm. Christmas list starting in June? I think so.

Seriously, check this guy out, Ed McGowan. That's one of his pictures above. He's the director of design at PlainJoe Studios in CA. Picked up a DSLR a little over a year ago. How crazy is that? Check out the PlainJoe website as well. They've got some great designs and branding. And whaddya know? They seem to have some faith based clients. Always nice to see the Christian realm opting for GOOD design (let's be honest, they're not always on the cutting edge, folks).

This excited me today, not entirely sure why, but it did.

Wonder if they'd hire freelance from Chicago?

day two of reading deprivation

2009-06-09T08:20:00.003-05:00

It's only day two and I already mistakenly failed this morning. Every morning I get an email from Google with any articles that have come out in the last 24 hours with the mention of Cystic Fibrosis in them. As usual I peruse the snippets to see if there are any links I want to explore further. All of a sudden I realized I'd just read a whole article about a father & son duo who are inventing a game for CF patients to help with compliance when it comes to their daily treatments. Whoops. No article reading for me this week. There's a lot less to do online in the morning when you can't read anything! Guess I'll go back to sketching out logo designs and prepping for my shoot this coming Sunday. Huh, maybe it really does make me more productive.

my weekly assignment

2009-06-08T09:55:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to get back in the swing of doing my weekly reading of "The Artist's Way" that I told you about a while back. Well this week's assignment is "reading deprivation." Which means I'm not suppose to read anything. Now, that doesn't mean I need to take it so literally that I cover up all words that might cross the path of my eyes, but it does mean that I should probably not pick up a book (thank goodness I already finished my required reading for my bookclub) and I most definitely should not read blogs. This one is going to hurt. I just came off of a week of finding all these great design blogs and photography blogs, with great tips and encouraging articles. And now this. Phooey. It's supposed to help me "un-crowd" my mind so that my creative juices can flow unimpeded by other ideas. I understand the theory behind the assignment, so I'm going to do my best to try and follow it. But that means a whole week of no google reader whenever I need a break from work and no evenings on the couch reading magazines and no browsing MSNBC to see what the current news is for the moment. We'll see how well I'm able to keep myself from reading. I think this is going to be harder than giving up Facebook for Lent!

Edited to add: I'm only half way through day one of this and it's already proving a test of my will. Didn't realize just HOW MUCH I really do read on a daily basis.

a trend?

2009-06-05T09:17:00.003-05:00

I found this oddly amusing so I just had to share. There are a big handful of design blogs I follow (thank you kjk for showing me the genius of google reader, how did I ever live without it?) and one of them happens to be Design*Sponge. A fun blog with lots of posts. Well wouldn't you know but this morning she posted about Dieline! I thought it ironic that I had just shared it with you yesterday. I guess great minds think alike, right?!

austin gardens

2009-06-04T18:25:00.004-05:00

I'm trying something new. Be patient with me while I try to find my stride. I feel like I'm onto something, but I haven't quite mastered the execution yet. I'll let you know when I think I'm there. For now, here are some of my test shots.

packaging

2009-06-04T08:14:00.004-05:00

It's all about the presentation, at least that's what my mom used to say. I'm pretty sure she can gift wrap like no one else. If there was a gift wrapping competition she could do it with about three pieces of tape and perfectly folded corners. She could make a little 5 dollar gift look like it was meant for a queen. Seriously. It wasn't til I got to college that I realized that this phrase really rings true in design work. You could have a marvelous project, but if it's not displayed well, it detracts from the work. On the other hand, a good photograph can become great when it's framed in such a way to compliment it.(Don't get me started on the process of choosing matting and frames... I feel like I'm making a commitment akin to marriage every time I try to pick)

So without further ado, I present to you TheDieline.com. I found it last week as I was scouring for design blogs and sites to peruse on a daily basis. Boy am I happy I did. I have been known (on more than one occasion) to buy something merely because I am drawn to the packaging, doesn't even matter what's inside. I see the box, the jar, the lid, the bag, whatever it is, and I must get it. M, being the wonderful man that he is, has picked up on this and at times has even been able to say, "You just like what it comes in, don't you?" To which I gaze up at him with that grin that says, "I really MUST have this." The Dieline site is pages and pages of things like that. Let me show you a few:

Yael Miller of Miller Creative

Hattomonkey, a Russian design firm

enormouschampion Kingdom Animalia

Mini Video!

2009-05-27T16:35:00.005-05:00

I stumbled upon this today via 2Modern Design Talk and just love it. He combines a tilt shift lens with stop-motion and time-lapse footage. Trust me, you'll like it too!

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Pop Quiz (sort of)

2009-05-22T08:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a full day, and the soles of my feet can testify to that this morning. The Art Institute was a flurry of people. Did you know you can take photographs of any permanent exhibit in the Museum so long as you don't use a flash? Pretty cool. So, as part of your 10 cent tour of the AI in Chicago, 100 points to the person who can name the artists in the following 6 snap shots. Double points if you can actually name the piece.

And, to wrap up our "mini week" here at But A Shadow, I give you the mini art institute modern wing:

AI here we come!

2009-05-21T07:45:00.001-05:00

Well, it is surely and finally feeling like summer here in the big city. The winds swept in and it is a balmy 84 at the moment. After a winter of often working in a wool cardigan, my body doesn't hardly know what to do with these warmer temperatures that call for shorts and tees. Meanwhile my poor nearly translucent skin is crying to be out in the sun in order to get some type of color.

Hopefully today will do just that!

This morning I have an early 2nd to last study visit at Children's Memorial before shuffling off to a clinic visit as well - meet and greet with my new doc. M kindly took the day off to hang out with me. Then it will be onto some light shopping (cross your fingers - or maybe cross my fingers!) lunch and the Art Institute! I've been meaning to get back there ever since we moved last year and just never found the time. But this week admission is free due to the opening of their new Modern Wing. How exciting! It should be quite an eventful day in the city. Plus, don't let me forget... we have cards to conquer! Yes, cards. We have this lovely box of 50 city walks in Chicago and we're trying to do our best at doing as many of them as we can while we live here. I've picked out about 5 for tomorrow (some of them overlap a bit). We'll see if we actually get to all of them.

Mini Colorado

2009-05-20T08:40:00.002-05:00

Sigh. After I put this post together (ahead of time to future publish, I might add) I saw this blog post, which then links to this page. This is why it's sometimes so frustrating to try and produce art... it seems that nothing is new (pretty sure Solomon figured that out long ago) AND in addition to that, there are tons of short cuts to producing what was once a more tedious process. There are times when I'm all for simplifying things, but it can be disheartening when things that you learned to do the "long way" are cut down to the press of a button. This opens it up to the masses. Some might argue that's a good thing. It allows people who previously may never had the chance to be artistic in that way to have access to materials that let them pursue that avenue of expression. But I'll confess, sometimes it makes me want to throw a little tantrum in the corner, mainly just stomp my feet a bunch and wave my arms around, and say, "You don't actually know what you're doing!" I know, it's not a high point for me, please forgive me in those moments.

There appears, the more I think about this, to be some element of pride in my work; the notion of wanting to create something that not everyone can create. When I realize that anyone can do it, it seems to cheapen it for me. So instead of taking joy in the fact that Suzzy Q on Main Street in Quaintville can share in the same excitement of miniaturizing her photos as I do, I start to resent her and the effortlessness with which she can do it. I think the correct response to this would be to feel challenged to push myself further, to expand my abilities, to create better, to dig deeper, rather than slumping over in my chair and resigning myself to the fact that I'll never make anything unique.

Oy vey. That's enough artistic psychoanalysis for today. Although if any of my artistic readers out there have any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.

More Minis

2009-05-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Now that I know how, I'm just having fun! Here's Mini Chicago:

PS: In an effort to practice my "photographing people" skills, I'm planning my first Anniversary shoot for one of my best friends, hopefully in the next month or so. Let's hope it turns out well enough that I want to share the results with you!

Taking pictures of inanimate objects is really easy, they're not going to judge your work. But people... people are scary. They have opinions and they know how they'd like to look and well, frankly all that is quite intimidating. Not to mention the fact that I browse photography blogs nearly every day of very talented photographers who do it so well that I'm paralyzed by the fear of not measuring up. Unfortunately, this means I never practice, which means I never get any better. So, once again, I'm learning that honing my skills often means making mistakes (or just not being great) and doing that is the only way I'll ever progress.

Miniature

2009-05-18T16:08:00.005-05:00

Last week was an inadvertent vacation from blogging. I thought about posting many times and just never got around to it. See my musings on this here. But in an effort to get back on track, I thought I'd share with you my "Mini Italy." I know it sounds odd... but just wait til you see the pictures. They almost look like miniature models, especially the last one.

(Confession: Before you view these pictures I just want you to know that I war with myself about post picture taking editing. If I had my choice I would take pictures like Ansel Adams who rarely ever had a bad negative. Each frame was perfectly exposed through careful calculations of the dark and light areas of the picture. It was a detailed and deliberate process. I like the idea of knowing how to take the perfect picture without needing any post production fingering. But that said, I am not there yet, and so, I am learning the process of editing. I don't know how I feel about deliberately altering what was captured so that it no longer testifies to what was truly there but that's a whole other issue. For now, I'm just going to take joy out of learning new things and sharing them with you.)

decisions, decisions

2009-05-08T11:32:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week I received the most recent B&H Photo catalog in the mail. This thing is a brick. It's full of just about anything one might imagine they need for photography from printers to cameras to lenses to filters and all kinds of accessories. Looking through it makes me feel like a kid in the middle of Toy R Us, wanting nearly everything upon which I lay my eyes. Well that turned into researching Nikon's Nikkor 50mm f1.4 vs 50mm f/1.8 lenses. Let me just tell you that the debate via the various forums is quite hot and heated. I spent a good hour last night reading comment after comment and walked away just as confused as ever. (sigh.) Obviously more research needs done - forums here I come. But if anyone out there reading this has an opinion, I'd love to hear it.

That's the f/1.8

And that's the f/1.4

The kicker is the f/1.8 is about half the cost of the f/1.4, which is what makes the decision so frustratingly difficult. Some argue that for the price the f/1.8 is just as good, but others say that the f/1.4 (wide open) can't be beat with it's great bokeh and speed.

FYI.. when I say "wide open" it refers to using the lens at the point where the aperture is as open as it can get.

Quick lesson on f-stops: The higher the number, the smaller the aperture, which means the less light you let into the camera, basically. AND... the smaller the lens aperture opening is, the greater the depth of field. Think of it this way: when you squint, less light goes in, allowing you to see farther, essentially "clearing up" what was previously blurry. Same thing happens with a camera. So... the smaller your f-stop number(ex: f/1.4 vs f/22) the smaller range of focus you have. (Gosh I hope I got that right or I'll be really embarrassed. If you notice an error in that explanation please correct me!)

Alright, enough photography lessons for you (and me!) today. I'm off to conquer my Friday afternoon!

marker love

2009-05-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

This weekend I purchased a package of 24 fresh, new, ultra fine point sharpie markers in various colors. Such a simple indulgence has made my note taking for work all the more exciting. And so, with my love of colored sharpies renewed, I present to you this little tribute.

friday confessions

2009-05-01T11:40:00.002-05:00

Confession time: I have no clue how people maintain their blogs nearly daily.

I realize that part of keeping a blog and being attentive to your readers is posting on a consistent basis. The blogs I enjoy perusing the most are ones that are updated often. BUT... where do people find the time? Granted some of these blogs have sponsors and so they generate income and therefore are part of someone's job and for some others, well they don't work full time or maybe they do it in the evenings. For me, being on the computer all day for work does not lend itself to evening postings because by that time all I want is to be OFF the computer. So, all that to say, I'm trying to figure out how to keep up the blog so it doesn't get stagnant, but also find the time to do it! I'm working on it.

|Ponte Vecchio : Firenze, Italia|

peeling paint

2009-04-29T08:21:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure why it is, but every time I go out with my camera I have a thing for photographing things deteriorating, looking old, looking ragged, looking worn down. I am actually toying with attempting a photo shoot with a friend this spring/summer and want to find a good rundown warehouse to use as our backdrop. I'm still in the hunt.

PS: I really will get back to my Italy stories... things have just picked up speed and I haven't had time to sit down and write them out for you. But I will, I promise.

back in black for cf

2009-04-24T07:42:00.004-05:00

You might know him from his spots on The Daily Show... but he's a big contributor to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Check it out!

Capri

2009-04-23T10:41:00.004-05:00

My apologies... I've been negligent in posting this week. Let me make it up to you with an onslaught of pictures from Capri.

Enjoy!

I love Italian doorways/entrances. I'll spare you the essay I once wrote on them and just say, "They're awesome."
Some day I'll make a book of my favorites.

PSA : FREE ice cream!

2009-04-20T11:22:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is :

Read more about it and find a participating Ben and Jerry's near you! I'm sure they're doing it in honor of our one year anniversary of living here. :)

beep, beep, beep...

2009-04-18T08:06:00.003-05:00

... we interrupt your scheduled broadcast to bring you "A Photography Date with Myself."

Friday was sunny and nearly 70. I had a few hours to spare in the morning, so inspired by a friend's recent "date," I set off on my own, with my camera and my wavy hair. If you don't know already, which I'm not sure you do, because I don't often share this; I love my hair when it's curly. I feel most creative when I let it do it's own thing. It's almost as if the freedom I allow my hair slowly trickles into my creative juices and they start to flow.

It was lovely. I should take myself on dates like this more often.

tmam: parte tre

2009-04-15T08:30:00.005-05:00

My apologies for leaving you hanging in suspense the last few days. It's just been so busy around here lately I haven't had time to think about writing more down. But, since you're being so patient, I'll try.

Let's see where were we... oh, right, Orvieto (the first time around).

When I think about trying to describe Orvieto to you, so many things run through my mind that I hardly know where to start. Coming upon it from the road below, it seems like a town rose right out of the tufa rock, high above everything else, sitting contentedly on a tall plateau. The town below it is quite modernized, but as you wind your way up to the top, things begin to take on a distinctly older hue. Roads are paved with cobblestone and sand and weave about in no particular order. Houses are tucked into nooks and crannies, with clothes lines hanging from balconies. The tiny cars zip around corners and make seemingly impossible turns on roads built long before macchine (cars). The church bells toll on random hours and from nearly all directions, as there is a church in almost every piazza.

The convent I lived in was built in the 1400s and had not only a courtyard, a terrace, a marble staircase, but also caves. Yes, caves that formed part of the basement, where our kiln for firing our ceramice (ceramics) sat in an abandoned corner. There were times when it felt like living in a maze of sorts. Stairs leading one way, hallways leading another, doors opening to rooms I didn't know existed. It made for an adventure each time I left my room.

The impact of not knowing the language was bigger than I could have anticipated. Because Orvieto is relatively small and doesn't get many touristi, very few people spoke english, in any amount. This meant every interaction I wanted to have outside of the convent (who's nuns didn't speak english either) it required speaking Italiano on my part. It became obvious early on that picking up a language was not one of my strong suits. I struggled to hear where the breaks were for each word, I confused my pronunciations, I labored over what article went in front of which gendered word (and what gender was it??). It was painful and time consuming and most of all humbling. I watched other students learn it with much more ease and for the first time I felt like the kid who sits in the back of the class, not at all confident in their ability to learn something new.

I can now look back and realize that my main difficulty was my unwillingness to make a mistake. If I was going to speak, I was going to speak correctly; grammar, pronunciation, all of it would be spot on. And so, because I set the bar so high for myself, I rarely spoke. Never in my life have I said so little for four months (or so it felt that way). I would study and study and figure out how to say something, only to break under pressure and forget it all. I distinctly remember being on a train, sitting with some of my friends and a few Italian women who had engaged my friends in conversation. It was soon apparent that I was saying not a word and so they tried to "help" me out by coaxing me into speaking. This was mortifying. Any vocabulary I might want to use was flying out of my head, scared off by the pressure. And so, as I had become accustomed to doing, I just smiled and shook my head. But they persisted and kept repeating words in an effort to get me to repeat them back to them. I remember thinking, "Is this what it was like for kids in school? For those who just didn't get it as quickly as others? Did we pressure them into feeling even more inadequate by putting them on the spot and forcing them to learn before they were ready?" If anything it gave me a great appreciation for students who struggle and overcome those struggles to learn. Because my natural instinct was to hide in the corner and be a mute. Luckily, the second time around was not so traumatic. In fact, it was quite full of great interactions, but only because I decided to allow myself to make mistakes, lots of them. And wouldn't you know? It worked.

More later, but for now I must get to work...

PS: I did make it to the library on Monday and I came home with Julie Andrews memoirs of her early years (brought on by a recent watching of Sound of Music on tv).

PPS: The picture was taken from inside San Lodovico, looking out to the stairs that lead up to the terraza that overlooked the valley below.

a day off... sort of

2009-04-13T12:01:00.004-05:00

I'm attempting a day off, though it's already included about 2 hours of work.

Oh well. I'm trying.

So, as any day off for me contains, here is my "to do list." Please note the last item. This is truly a treat for me, if I do indeed actually get there. I often think of going but by the end of the day have run out of time. Not today! Today I will GO!

PS: Yes, I am wearing a hoodie sweater. And yes, I've been walking around the apartment for the last 4 hours with the hood up. It's my day off... I get to look funny if I want to, especially when I'm at home shuffling around by myself.

an Easter treat!

2009-04-12T15:45:00.002-05:00

Remember way back in November when I won a free photo shoot for my parents from Hoffer Photography? They got a chance to redeem it last Thursday and I think the results are just wonderful!

Check it out!

This is a BIG thanks to Tony, who took some awesome pictures of two people I love dearly. If you're in need of a photographer, Tony's your man.

good friday

2009-04-10T14:18:00.004-05:00

I have this on repeat today. It's my favorite song this time of year.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

FREE desktop wallpaper, straight from Capri

2009-04-09T14:41:00.004-05:00

I was having some fun last night and updated our desktop wallpaper image to one I'd taken while sitting on the dock in Capri waiting for our jetfoil to arrive to take us back to the mainland. M was so impressed with it ("You took that? And didn't do any editing?" : it was very sweet of him) that I thought I'd share it with you and your desktop. So if you're in the mood for a nautical theme, just click on the link BELOW the picture for the large version.

Desktop version right HERE

lens flare and sun spots in orvieto

2009-04-08T15:08:00.004-05:00

for a friend who's fond of those little spots...

|Via Della Commenda, Orvieto: just off the Corso|

firenze

2009-04-08T08:11:00.004-05:00

I have a lot of pictures from Florence I want to share with you, so this will come in installments over the next few days.

|Il Duomo, Firenze : Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore|

|Cupola of Il Duomo, Firenze : designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, to appreciate the magnitude of this endeavor you can read more about it here.|

|Standing on Lungarno Torrigiani looking towards Ponte alle Grazie, with our backs to Ponte Vecchio, Firenze|

20 points to the person who can spot my Mom!

can you imagine?

2009-04-07T17:53:00.002-05:00

So, as I'm sure you've heard, Italy was hit with a pretty bad earthquake on Monday. As of tonight, they're still trying to find people in the rubble. And while it's all very saddening, I did find one tidbit of the story that I thought you might enjoy...

From BBC:
"A 98-year-old woman was pulled out alive in L'Aquila after being trapped for 30 hours, local media report. She spent the time crocheting"

That is one tough Grandma. Or Nonna as they say in Italia.

tmam: parte duo

2009-04-06T10:22:00.003-05:00

Today's "to do list" is quite long, but I know you're waiting for the second installment of the story I started on Friday, so I'll tell a bit more to hold you over til I have more time.

M and I often joked that we spent the first year of dating apart more than together. Leaving him at the end of sophomore year was hard, and I immediately began counting the days until he would visit. He was in Colorado most of the summer so it wasn't like we could just drive to one another on the weekends. I have many wonderful handwritten letters from that summer, exchanged back and forth across the many miles.

He came for about a week just before school started and before I was to fly off to Italy. I was on cloud nine. I probably had the biggest smile plastered across my face all week. Watching him drive away at the end of that week nearly broke my heart (and his, I'm sure). My poor mother spent the rest of the following week trying to comfort my tear stained self. As any normal melodramatic young love, I was sure I was going to curl up and die without him for the next 4 months.

About a week after he left I received a package in the mail, that along with other things, contained a dated letter for each week I was in Italy. I wasn't supposed to open them until the date written on the outside. Each week was filled with anticipation of opening the next letter. It was a way of counting down the days til I was home and could see him again. I distinctly remember getting to half way and thinking, "finally... it's downhill from here."

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and tell you about Orvieto...

(next time!)

tell me a mitzi

2009-04-03T14:27:00.005-05:00

Today I'm feeling a bit like an antsy student in a Friday afternoon B quad class. The sun is out, my brain is with it and my focus is... well, unfocused.

I've been ruminating about how to share all of my Italy experiences with you and I've come to the conclusion that instead of just pictures, I really should start telling some stories along with them. You can't truly appreciate what this last visit there meant to me if you have no knowledge of my first memories there. So I will do my best at trying to give you a glimpse at what it looked like then and how it appears now and the life time it feels I've lived in between those visits.

---

From the moment I started looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to do a semester abroad. My college choices were narrowed down largely based on their "study abroad" programs. If they didn't have one or it was very small, they were off the list. I'm not sure when I decided on Italy, but it was early on in the process. While Wheaton did not have program going to Italy, I found Gordon College did. I had no idea at the time that picking Gordon, who had a program in Oriveto, would end up giving me such a unique experience as opposed to a program set up in Rome or Florence. I liken it to studying in NYC vs a small town in rural America. I'm not saying one is better than another... just totally different.

Sometime during the spring semester of my sophomore year I was accepted into Gordon's program for the following fall. I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to go and experience all the stereotypical things you think of when you envision Italy... food, ancient ruins, quaint shops, another language etc. Having never lived outside the country I had no inclination of how things would actually end up transpiring. While some daydreams played out nearly by the book, others were so far off the mark I had a hard time believing I'd been so off base (read as: naive).

The anticipation of my semester abroad pushed me through that spring semester. I was ready to go and have my Sabrina moment, just in Italy, not Paris. She went over there a little nerdy girl and came back this sophisticated woman! I would be untethered and free to experience it to its fullest.

HA. Oh was I ever wrong.

Towards the end of spring semester it became blatantly clear (no matter how much I tried to deny it) that I was falling for a guy. Let me correct myself. I was fallen. I fell. I was down for the count. In the beginning I had tried to say "I'm going to Italy, I don't want to be attached." But the more time we spent together and the closer we got to summer, it was evident that I would be leaving for Italy that coming fall, but my spirit was going to be wishing I was still in Wheaton.

And so my vision of what Italy would be was already changing before I even stepped foot off the plane.

(more to come next week...)

ancient modeling

2009-04-03T08:41:00.003-05:00

|Sculpture from Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome : a piazza designed my Michelangelo in 1536–1546, commissioned by the Farnese Pope Paul III|

|Fountain from the courtyard of the Vatican Museum, Rome|

|Sculpture from the Trevi Fountain, Rome : marks the terminal point of an aqueduct that supplied water to ancient Rome|

orvieto

2009-04-02T07:54:00.004-05:00

All little info on Orvieto:

Elevation: 1,066 ft
Area: 108.5 sq miles
Population: 21,000
Region: Umbria
Name origin: "ancient city" urbs vetus in Latin

|View of Orvieto from our hike to a convent nearby : I love how it just sits atop the rock, above everything else.|

|Close up of Il Duomo, Orvieto - where I attended mass on Sundays|

|Some laundry hanging on a line off of Corso Cavour : Nearly everyone line dries their clothing as a way to conserve energy costs.|

|Fruit stand of a shop off the Corso : Apple = Mele|

making room for italia

2009-04-01T08:25:00.003-05:00

I decided that with the onslaught of pictures I'm sure to lay upon you, I should resize things a bit to give you the best viewing experience. Now, I realize that not everyone is browsing via a 24" screen, so please holler if this layout looks crazy on your 1024x768. I may have gone a bit bigger than need be. I'll see if I can find a happy medium for all.

lunedi, marzo ventuno

2009-04-01T07:33:00.006-05:00

|Piazza San Angelo, Orvieto|

|Costa De' Magnoli, Firenze|

|Piazza Simone Mosca, Orvieto|

the post vacation let down

2009-03-31T09:09:00.003-05:00

It is a blur. An 11 day blur of driving, plane flights, bus rides, site seeing, eating, sleeping, shopping, touring, more bus rides and then more plane flights. As our bodies have still not yet adjusted to being back on Chicago time, we awoke in the wee hours of the morning. It should make for an interesting afternoon and evening when our eyes start to feel the lag.

As for the pictures (and the videos) that's going to take me a bit to compile and edit them for you. After living there for 4 months I took a total of about 360 pictures, this time in only 9 days I took 1,755. Film vs digital.

The comforts of being home:
1. A scalding hot shower in my own bathroom, with my own fuzzy towels.
2. Putting my kettle on the stove for my usual morning tea.
3. Clean clothes.
4. Our bed, with our pillows.
5. Living out of my dresser instead of a suitcase.
6. Falling asleep on the couch.
7. My wooden floors.
8. Getting back in touch with friends.

The sighs of leaving behind:
1. Cappuccino every morning.
2. Melon wrapped in prosciutto.
3. Church bells to wake me.
4. Cobblestone roads that date back to BC
5. The quiet that comes with not fully understanding the language around you.
6. GELATO. No need to explain.
7. My feet in the Mediterranean while I search for the right pebble to take home.
8. Sharing Italia with my family.

buon viaggio

2009-03-19T15:34:00.002-05:00

I am officially in the last throws of "pre vacation" jitters. Our taxi to the airport comes in an hour and a half! (gasp!) It will basically go like this for the next 48 hours: Fly, drive, sleep, drive, fly (and hopefully sleep), wait, fly, drive, THEN destination! Yes, it will be a bit of an epic journey just to get there.

I can't wait to share with you all the stories and pictures that will come out of the next 12 days. Until then... ciao!

countdown : 48 hours to departure

2009-03-17T16:47:00.001-05:00

and this is how I feel about it...

in honor of st. patty's day

2009-03-17T08:22:00.002-05:00

featuring : Teri Lyn Fisher and others

2009-03-16T14:25:00.002-05:00

Somehow I stumbled upon Teri Lyn Fisher last week and wanted to share her great photography with all of you. She also has a great food blog here. It combines great food with awesome photography... warning it may make you hungry. {Picture credit for above goes to her}

Then I wandered onto this little ditty: A girl and her polaroids. Fun stuff there too.