Foto Friday - Motion

The challenge was motion. ICK! I did not like ANY of my pictures (although hers came out amazing so be sure to see them!!!). The snow has finally stopped, the wicked wind (and yes, it was WICKED) has finally left, and the sun has come out. So I am going to get some pictures of snow ball fights for motion and see if they come out. So I will post another motion post later today if they come out. :D

But until then, here are my tries. I was thinking of a kid and a lollipop.

Here is my first try:

Somewhat good, but now, Rebecca, can you see what I mean about focusing on the eyes? :D

Second try:

It is OK, but still SOMETHING should be IN FOCUS. The lollipop looks great though! :D

Third try:

Would have been PERFECT if those darn eyes were in focus!

Two more shots of my daughter loom knitting. These were taken just trying to capture motion:


REALLY close to coming out good. The loom and hand holding the loom should have been in focus that would have been the perfect shot.


Better. The yarn is in focus! :D YEA! The hand is almost in focus.

-=-=-=-=-=-=back with snow shots-=-=-=-=-=-

OK here is my first try. I had MM throw snow up in the air and took the shot.

I love how it came out, but it would be better if the snow flakes had some motion blur to them.

Here is my second try. I had JJ throw snow up in the air.

He is not in focus but the background is. LOL!! Got some lblur on the flakes and him (he was moving). Getting better.

My third attempt.

I have to admit that THIS is my favorite. Although I do wish SHE were in better focus. She was knocking snow off the tree.

Here is another one of her knocking snow off the tree.

What parts of her that are not moving are in focus. :D

Here us another attempt. MM was walking and she fell.

I have no idea how she is in focus in the middle of a fall but the snow she kicked up isn't. LOL!! But I loved her smile, even though she fell.

And my final attempt, MM throwing snow.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. She looks great. Her beautiful smile. She is in focus. The snow thrown is not. I have no idea how it happened, but I am so thankful it did.

I honestly do not know what I am doing. LOL!! I took a lot of pictures and played around a lot with shutter speed and aperture. I have a book that I will be reading on this subject.

As always, your comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!!

Current Web Readings

Tutorial on Doily Bun Cover
Ok, if these do not bring up images of Laura Ingalls on the Prairie, I do not know WHAT will. I ADORE these! I need to find some old doilies at the thrift store so I can make each of the girls one for Christmas!!!

Handcrafted Christmas: Homemade Soap"
I just LOVE Monica's Handcrafted Christmas posts!! YEA!!! :D

Online Pilgrim Coloring Book
Print out pages to color this month as you discuss the Pilgrims

White Lie Designs
BEAUTIFUL romantic knit designs

Girl's Simple Openwork Shrug
I am going to have to make these for the girls for Easter. Now to just figure out how to sew Easter dresses and I will be al set!! :D Oh wait. I need headbands too. OH HOW CUTE!!

Notebook - easy to make, easy to use
This is SO CUTE!! I want to make one for myself!

Little Portrait Book
SOOOOO loving this BLOG!!! These would make awesome Christmas gifts for grandparents or Aunt's. :) I would love to make several of these. Now I just need to find TIME!

The Impossible Possible with your help

Here is the deal. I am really sick. Like lose your breath standing up, coughing so much your throat feels like cut glass sick. But lying in bed, something came to me.

You see I am going to NY on Nov 21 for 4 days for a memorial service and to visit my grandmother (if she is still alive by then). (BTW - your prayers for Brian during that time are greatly appreciated as he will have the house and the four kids to himself.)

Anyways, my grandmother always LOVED sitting at her house watching the birds. I never understood why until we started hanging out a bird feeder. She was the best at attracting the most beautifully colored birds (she would tell me about them on the phone as we talked).

She has Alzheimer's now. She has regressed so far that she never really speaks English anymore, only Polish (she immigrated here LONG time ago). She is in a nursing home.

When I go up, my uncle (who is her main caretaker now) plans to take me to see her. I know she won't remember me. I am prepared for that. I got to see my great-grandfather in his last stages of Alzheimer's so I am prepared. But I would love to leave her with a lap blanket that has birds on it.

The only problem is finding the perfect fabric.

I am not wanting fake birds or cartoon birds. But am thinking something like Victorian with a cream or yellowed background with birds (maybe some blue and red and brown and white) on it. It doesn't really matter as long as it is something that will remind her of sitting at her window watching the birds.

So will you help me? Will you help me find the perfect fabric?

Just leave a comment (as many as you want) and share links of fabrics that you think will work. I am thinking of an all cotton as it will be softer and more natural on her. Then I will quilt it (just top stitching it to the cotton filing and a flannel background (cotton flannel for a backing would be nice, suggest those too).

Thank you for any help!! I am bummed I did not think of this sooner, but that is what being sick and stuck in bed will do for you. You have nothing to do but sit and think. LOL!!

Thank you, Paula

More on Reformation Day Celebreations

From a blog I enjoy reading...
Reformation Day Celebration

A Doorposts has a whole Reformation Night binder with studies and ideas for having a celebration with your homeschool or church group!! :D

Church House
LOTS of stuff here! WOW!!

And last but not least, while not Reformation Day specific, there is a post with a Perspective on Halloween by randy Alcorn (if you have not read any of his books, you are missing out). Done very much in a Screwtape letters type of way, this is an interesting read.

Little House Links

Thankful to The Old Schoolhouse for these links. I put them here so I can look them up later.

Little House Links

Crafts

Lapbook

Lapbook

Unit Study

Freebie At CurrClick - Bite Sized Physics: Force

This is normally a $15 value, free for the week!! BE sure to sign up (free) for their newsletters which remind you of the free weekly freebies (not to mention it will sometimes include links to "hidden" freebies!!!

Normally I do not share those here since I am sure everyone gets them already BUT this one was good!!

Bite Sized Physics: Force

Current Web Readings

Girlss Simple Openwork Shrug
This ADORABLE pattern would be GREAT to make to go over Easter Dresses! Now I just need the courage to learn to make Easter dresses. :)

How Doing Something Good Can Keep You From Helping Your Children
A REALLY good read.

A Homemade Christmas
This blog is BEAUTIFUL!! And these projects are BEAUTIFUL!! Everything here is just BEAUTIFUL!!!

Japanese Sign For Organic
For those who are shopping at Asian stores and want to know.

HappyBird's Crafting Haven
LOTS of cute ideas here!! WOW!!

Ever Wonder Why Did Indigenous People Had Straight Teeth?
REALLY good read - just a TASTE of what is out there.

Foto Friday - Self Portrait

This was hard for me. As you can see, I have taken self portraits of myself before. But since my hair cut (I am still recovering) and the fact that I cannot take pictures of my eyes in FOCUS.... well it took some prompting from a good friend to get some more self-portatis done.

Here are two of my eyes. Since that is the area I have the most difficulty taking pictures in FOCUS on, I tried Rebecca's tips. I opened my eyes REALLY WIDE, focused the camera, then made them normal and took the snap shot. These pictures are a bit cropped, but I promise they are of JUST my eye. :)

I cannot tell which one I like better. Which one do you like and WHY? Help me learn to be better!





Of course ME?? I like the first one better because it does not show the DARK circles under my eyes. LOL!! :D I did not do any photo touch up (to make me look better), but I did work on the shadows to help the colors pop. I LOVE that I was able to capture the sky in my eyes!! WAY COOL!!!

I really like this next one. Not NEARLY as good as some of yours I have seen, but still a nice one. You can REALLY see my grey hairs in this one. Oh I am STILL recovering from a BAD hair cut!



I thought it would be fun to do a triptic (sp?) with self portrait pictures to say "i love you." So for fun:


You can of course click on it to see it bigger.

And as I was outside taking pictures of myself, my husband was inside behind the glass door dancing. So of course I had to dance along!! :D I HATE my hair in these pictures, but did this in memory of the adoration and joy I have for my husband. Please forgive the AWFUL hair! I was being au natural just being myself with my wonderful husband.



You can click on that one to make it bigger too, but why?!?! LOL!!!

Foto Friday - Water

My sweet friend Rebecca has started a
My Linky with PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS! It is called Fun Foto Friday (OK, so I threw the word Fun in there, but it IS honestly FUN!)

She challenges you with a subject, then gives you one week to take pictures. This past Friday, I missed getting mine up (sorry Rebecca), but am posting it anyways (just for her).

The subject was water. And when I woke up and took the trash out, there was water over EVERYTHING! I had never seen such thick dew! I covered the trees and was dripping. It sounded just like rain drops! Thick thick THICK I tell ya!

And OH SO BEAUTIFUL!! I could not HELP but take pictures! So here are my pictures of natural water (comment away Rebecca and help me be better!). I already used her tip for making the colors pop (did I do a good job?), so I hope you like 'em!!! :D

Reformation Lapbook

Reformation Day Lapbook
One person's lapbook example.