An action shot & blur

This is my blur shot- from Brumbaughs fruit farm on Labor Day weekend.

















Action shot... not Colin, although the Packers are his team.











I don't know what I got on last weeks assignment yet, although I am not holding out hope.

We'll see!!

Shadows & Silhouettes...

are the assignment for this week. I am not all that thrilled with the pictures I took, but it is pretty time consuming to do these 2 pictures, as they require pretty specific lighting situations. And I was short on time this week-- so this is what I got. Teacher has a policy that as along as we turn the original assignment in on time, we can redo for a better grade. I am going to see what I get & then keep my eye opened for other, better, oppurtunities.

Out our backdoor....













My girls & two neighbor girls...

I got a B+...

and I have to say I am disappointed. I wanted an A. The feedback was really frustrating as well. He graded the one picture, then picked 3 more out of our 36 that he thinks are better/just as good as the one I chose to get graded. These are pictures he picked & what he had to say.

"Not to be offensive, but this looks like one of those generic Hallmark pictures on cards." (I know this & is why I didn't choose this one to be graded!)










"would work better as a square picture- but interesting."











"because of the time of day & use of the fill flash, the details are so sharp & the background blurry, it looks fake." (he never did say if this was a good thing or bad thing)








And then the B+.....

"don't you think the trees completely overwhelm the rider? Well, now as I look at it more, I think it would work much better blown up to 16X20, framed & matted"














Needless to say, I am a bit frustrated by his feedback. I didn't really find it all that helpful -- so I don't have high hopes for the grade on my next assignment. I can redo the picture I turned in to try for a higher grade. I think I am going to wait & see how the next one goes, before I start redoing assignments. Who has time for that???

Off to take pictures of shadows & silhouettes!!

-Jenni

my next assignment

So the assignment for this week is a maximum depth picture...

(one is which everything is in focus & taken with a wider lens)


taken on Brumbaugh's Fruit Farm in Arcanum, Oh. Site of the yearly Mills Family Reunion, the perfect place to host 8 boys, ages 9 & under, plus a couple girls thrown in for good measure....






And a minimum depth picture (one which only the object in the foreground is in focus)


taken in my backyard, after I explained to my husband that he needed to build a fire, just so I could take this picture. I had to drink the cider too (oh, the suffering for my art!)











These two assignments were a bit easier, since it was more focused. On Thursday we will critique the pictures from last week, which I am really looking forward to- I feel like I need more feedback.

so....which picture is your favorite??

I am in the beginning of my photography class, which I am very excited about (and nervous...I won't even get into the vocabulary lists & midterms!) The first assignment was to take 36 pictures to print & turn in....then pick our favorite to have graded. I can't decide...so I have narrowed it down to a few....tell me what you think....by tomorrow night!

Thanks!

long time, no blog

So with the move, end of the school year & all the birthdays, I haven't been feeling too creative lately...but I have been inspired a bit by having the new, neutral space to decorate. I just want something that feels more like us. Anyway, this is Colin's bathroom (I'll get to the bathroom layout later). The lightning isn't very good (it is 10:30pm as I am finishing this!) But I painted the bathroom a light green, kind of bright color. For the dots I used self adhesive vinyl. It was so great & easy to work with! (even Jason helped!)

I found this patterned vinyl that had 2 shades of green, navy blue & orange & I matched the solid color vinyls to that pattern.

To complete the bathroom, I bought solid color towels in navy & orange (which made us look like Bears fans, which we are not!), a solid navy rug, clear toothbrush holder & cup & a white plastic trashcan. I used the rest of the vinyl dots to put some color on the toothbrush holder & trashcan.

More about the bathrooms...the new house has 4 1/2. The girls share one, Colin has his own, the master, the guest bath on the main floor & then the 1/2 on the main floor. I have painted the guest bath (its just yellow, not exciting, not even really sure I like it). The 1/2 bath is green stripes & as soon as the mirror & picture get hung, I will take pictures. Hopefully, I am going to start on the girls bath later this week. I have no idea when I will get to the master bath. First, I need to figure out what I am doing...I am starting to think I need to subscribe to a home decorating magazine, this is so out of my realm!

Any ideas?? send them my way!

-Jenni

disney outfits

This started out as basic pillowcase-inspired dresses. http://www.jenleheny.com/pillowcase-dress-instructions
Then I decided I needed to add something to the shorts underneath. So, I went to the Once-upon-someone-else's-child store & bought the girls jeans to alter. The older one, I decided was maybe too old for ruffles, so I took the hem band instructions from this tutorial http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/photos/twirly_skirt/
and put them on her shorts.

I must have measured the little one wrong, because when I sent to put it on her, not only was it too small around the tummy, it was too short as well. I didn't have enough fabric to start all over, so I added same materials panels to the sides & then the contrasting hem band (also from the above tutorial). I almost like it better with the side panels, I think it hangs better, although you can't really tell from these pics.



These are the twirly skirts I made (tutorial linked above) I really liked them & once I made the first one, it was pretty easy to do. For the shirts I appliqued a Mickey head on the Old Navy tee. I think it turned out pretty cute.

(don't ask me about their faces- I have no idea) These shirts were really easy to do....got the idea from Susan's blog

http://chaosensued.blogspot.com/ I just cut the shape I wanted out of contact paper with my trusty Cricut & then painted. Sunday was A's birthday, so she got the Mickey head with a 3 (can't tell too well from this picture). C's turned out cute- its hard with an almost 8 yr old to know what he will think is okay & what he won't.

I have my last (for awhile anyway) rag quilt on the machine & I am trying to finish that up before summer!