The Fall Season

This year has been a hard year.  I feel like every bend I turn ends up with some more bad news about something.  They aren't small life things either- they are life changing, stressful things...

It's amazing what happens in these times of darkness.  The feelings, the people, the situations... it's all very eye opening.  I won't get into detail about what is actually go on for now but I will say that Music and Art have always been the way that I vent. 

So on that note I have been listening to a lot of Radiohead, At the Drive In, Eden, Crywolf and, of course, Twenty One Pilots.

I have been working on Etsy store and posting a lot of new creations.  I am excited because since I have gotten the iPad, I have been creating many prints on it. 
I have found that these drawings reflect on how I am really feeling.  Check out a few below:

So. ya. you can kind of tell how I have been feeling lately. 

 So on another note, there have been some really wonderful times as well:

I got to play in a whole pile of puppies at my friends house.  She has the absolute cutest doggies (except for mine of course...sorry Julie :) )

It's fall- my favorite time of the year...

I still have Chance... my love.  Thankfully things have been going pretty good with his health.  He was one of the main concerns this year... He has had some pretty horrible stomach issues that I thought were going to take him from me too soon.  I think we are on a good path right now... I hope it stays that way. 

I dressed up as a Twenty One Pilot Bandito. I just love the band so much so this year I didn't really do my costume for anyone else but myself.  I kind of felt a little guilty for not going all out like I always do... but I enjoyed the costume so very much so that's what matters!

Also, if you read up about the new album, Trench, and the album Blurryface... you will see that there is a really cool story line behind it... :) Hence the costume... it all goes along with the story :) 

I switched it up for the trick or treaters though- stuck my vampire teeth in and retrieved my handy cape (we had 9 this year- that's more than the last two years!)

I love the fall colors, the leaves, the crisp air.

I got together with my friend Amy and met some of her friends.  She held a craft-ernoon at her house and it was an absolute blast!  She had everything so beautifully set up and organized and we had so much fun!  It truly was a bright spot in my poop year. 

(one of our crafts)

I also got to hang out with my dear friends Nikki and Matt.  We pulled our spirit animal cards and had some drinks as we played games- that is another bright spot- friends can be such a cure for the lost soul.

I hope to get some of those prints up in the shop pretty soon and make some more things before the holiday season.  I am also working on a planner to release on the shop. So hopefully that will be done rather soon as well! 

I will keep updates coming on the blog as best as I can and I hope you all are excited for the upcoming holidays :) Thanks for reading!

Inspire (& Pumpkin fest)

Hello Everyone!  I am so happy with how this photo turned out!  I really didn't know if it would work and I'm so glad I tried it- honestly, I didn't think I would have a lot of editing and it really took some time.  This is our new fence in the backyard- we have some landscaping to do but it really was just installed.  I thought having a white background may help me cut our figures out for the silhouette look. It was really sunny and a beautiful day! I am on vacation this week and trying to knock out some projects and of course trying to take every opportunity to take photos :) 

Above is a quick before and after to show you some of the steps I went though to get my final image.  

And here is the final oracle card (below) :) I just adore this! I may frame it here at home!  I'm also thinking maybe if I get Brian & Bear I can do a family version of this for our Christmas cards! 

Chance did not want to sit or look up today.  I love our outtakes though, I think they are so funny to look back on!

We went to Conneaut lake this weekend for Pumpkin fest.  It was packed and I didn't take a lot of photos- I don't remember it ever being that crowded but we did venture down to the lake and got a beer and enjoyed the weather.  There were some really awesome craft vendors there and it just made me realize that I got to get a move on with my crafts and enter into some shows! It's just challenging to get enough crafts together for a show! It's no joke and a lot of work! My favorite booth this year was an older gentleman (maybe in his late 70's) and his wife.  He hand carves Christmas ornaments and paints them.  You can tell he loves to do it and they were all so good- I wish I could have bought more!  I picked up a snowman for our tree at home!  

They actually drop a 1,000lb pumpkin onto an old car at 5pm every year.  It was Brian's first time witnessing it! It's a big deal there! I have a video below :) 

Also- we had two very happy puppies that were excited to be out by the lake! 

Side note: I am so proud of the progress we have made on our home! We still have a TON of work but you can see the photo above was from google maps of the previous owner three years before we moved in and then the bottom photos is our current situation along with some Halloween decorations (my favorite time of year). 

Thanks again for reading and stopping by! I hope to shoot some behind the scenes footage of photos this week :) EEEP! :) 

Trust

What I've been listening to:

Oh hey there! 

So I have a question- would you guys want me to film behind the scenes videos? I know I do the before and after photos but sometimes it's fun to see that! Please leave a comment if you would like to see something like that :) It would mean a lot to hear your opinion- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to no one on this blog and that I'm really just doing it for me (which it should be that way anyways but still...) 

Okay so here's the latest! 

I was so happy with this photo until I printed it. HA! I should have used more light- my other lens or my flash - just too low light and the print was only ..."eh".  I can't wait to get my new camera.  I am thinking of staying with Nikon since I have so much equipment from them (though I would love to take the leap to Canon!). 

So I made my husband (who never seems to be wearing a shirt in any photo) help me out on this one!  He was a little confused and it's always so strange explaining my ideas to people until they see the end product so we laughed a lot doing this! 

I kept rearranging his hands and he would pull my head back too far by accident or pinch my nose (his hands were too big) and we just had the giggles.  It was fun! I use to take my photos way too seriously and always be uptight when shooting but now I figure, what the hell- life is suppose to be fun- you are suppose to have fun! 

So here are some before and afters: 

Here is the oracle card - card 6 of 50 (Ahhhhhhh long way to go!)

I had my 85mm on for a hot second and got some nice shots of the dogs- I wanted to shoot with it in the garage but the space wouldn't allow it :( BOO!

How adorable are they!?

We has some friends over the other night and had some pumpkin carving fun - Tis the season! They turned out great and we just had fun hanging out, having a fire and drinking some pumpkin beers! 

Mine is the moon and stars- first time I haven't done a face in years!

We also celebrated my "Seesters" belated Birthday this past weekend too! We went out her way (south of Pittsburgh) and went to eat at a really good Mexican restaurant.  We then went to her house to have some cake and ice cream! Always a good time with her- check out Rocky in the background too! 

Also - just for fun

Thanks for reading!

Courage. (and some life updates)

“We all spend our twenties and thirties trying so hard to be perfect, because we’re so worried about what people will think of us. Then we get into our forties and fifties, and we finally start to be free, because we decide that we don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of us. But you won’t be completely free until you reach your sixties and seventies, when you finally realize this liberating truth—nobody was ever thinking about you, anyhow.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Elizabeth expanded on this by stating that people have their own lives that they go back to and that the world won't ever revolve around your art.  Instead, think of it as helping them escape reality for a moment- but don't do it for others- DO IT FOR YOU! Because it makes YOU happy! Gah, I promise I won't keep talking about this book in all my posts for forever and ever but it's just that amazing! I am almost done with it.  I keep rereading pages and making notes so it's taking me much longer than I'd like but I am just in love with it! <3

Anywho, this is Chance and I's most recent photo for the oracle deck and well, for fun! This is a ton of work and will be but I am just loving this project with him! Check out our photos for "Courage".  I did this photo because I need some courage lately.  Life has been... a bit difficult.  But, that's also what makes us appreciate when times are great... gotta have the downs to appreciate the ups :) 

Before and After

Brian has a lamp in our Bedroom that changes colors and he can control it with is phone but when I want to use it, it comes on red and I don't have the ability to change it.  I tried some photos with the red light but it was a little much- I did, however, catch chances annoyed look.  He just wanted to cuddle and I kept picking him up to face the camera.... 

See! He really just wanted to nap and cuddle! 

I hope you enjoy the photos!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to also do a quick update on what's been going on in our lives.  We got a fence. The dogs LOVE it and they don't need to go out on leashes anymore! It's strange to get use to as it's a privacy fence and maybe a little too private for me but... I am sure I will love it once we start gardening (no deer) and when we have people over and it will keep skunks out! YAY!

We had to tear up the dead pines in the backyard so we will have to plant some grass but here's to freedom for the dogs to play! 

We got together with our close friends Nikki and Matt and went to the drive in's to see the movie IT.  I really loved taking our chairs and sitting outside to watch the movie, it was the most beautiful night! IT was a little disappointing though, not scary. ;) 

My babies - Chance had to go to my mom's during the fence installation because of his anxiety with noise and the photo of Bear (below) is when we had a bonfire. I know the focus is poop but I loved the lighting and black and white has a special place in my heart!

I also got to see my old co-workers from Straka's office.  I can't tell you how good it felt to see them.  I really love these people and I'm so glad we can all keep in touch! I miss them! 

We celebrated my Father-in-laws bday last Sunday and we always have so much fun getting together.  I just love my in-laws. They are so freaking cute!

I've been doing some cleaning in the house and changing some things up.  I just love our wedding photos and I may have too many around the house... 

I saw a blog post not too long ago where they took the photos of the geyser in Iceland and framed them in a series.  Well, I had the same series that I personally took when I was in Iceland as I was snapping away when the geyser went off.  I decided to frame them up and put them in our dining room.  I love them though I do have to space them a bit better (my own worst critic). I was thinking bigger prints of it down the line but I'm happy with this for now! 

Well, this post was pretty random but the snapshots are just thinks that are going on in my life right now- thanks so much for reading and Chance and I will have a new photo soon! <3