Thursday Challenge: Garden

A plant from my newly planted water garden. I think it's called a "Blue Water Forget-Me-Not".

PhotoSharks: Retro

My 74 yr old father's "retro" red, Converse sneakers he wore to the Fourth of July celebration. Perfect for the theme.

Plastic Oceans and Being More Green

Photo Credit: Gregg Segal

"Our Oceans Are Turning To Plastic—Are We?"

I came across this article via "Something to Say" and I haven't stopped thinking about it so I had to post it on my blog as well. Basically it's an article on plastics and how they are changing our world for the worse. How every piece of plastic that has ever been made (minus the small percentage that is recycled, since only #1 and #2 plastics are the only plastics that can be recycled) are still around and how there is a mass of discarded plastic floating in the ocean that is twice the size of Texas. It's a very sobering article and has me rethinking how I buy products and how I could do more to help the problem and become MORE green. One big thing we could all do is take a reusable bag to the store instead of getting a plastic bag. A very simple thing that would have a huge impact. It's a great read and here are some other "GREEN" links if you want to find other ways do more to help our planet.

Worsted Witch
Treehugger

LensDay: Smoke

Closeup up of our "Magic Black Snake" pellets we lit on Fourth of July. Love 'em!

Tuesday Challenge: Heights

View from Statue of Liberty looking back towards Manhattan.

Photo Friday: Busy

Thursday Challenge: Time

"How long will it take these Robin eggs to hatch?"

(These were not taken from a nest they were found on the ground)

PhotoSharks: Destruction

A church that was in the process of being demolished. Looks like it could have been some kind of natural disaster. This is my PhotoSharks entry for "demolished". Do you have an entry for this week's topic? Click on my Photosharks link to the right to enter yours.

See It Sunday: Dark

Taken in December of 2006. Grand Central Station in New York City at night.

Tuesday Challenge: Round

Photos from our walk-in Butterfly Exhibit visit. I snapped a picture of the Butterfly Diagram to match my photos with the correct name. This butterfly here seems to be a "White Peacock".

Shutterday: Free/Freedom

Got our fireworks yesterday. Haven't bought them in so long, I didn't know quite what to get. Our bag ended up costing $21.00—pretty good for us. We see a huge fireworks show anyway so this is to shoot off after the "big show". We ended up with an assortment that I hope will make everyone happy. We have ones that spin on the ground like flowers; ones that shoot a shower of colored sparks, ones that go up and (hopefully) make a colorful show, and also the coveted "Black Snakes" I remember from when I was little. I loved to watch the black pellets grow into long charcoal snakes (it's best to light all at once!). Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

Tuesday Challenge: Coast

My New Water Garden

Here's shots of my new water garden. We found a kit that included: liner, pump and fountain for around $80.00. With the plants the whole project cost a/r $110.00 and it was finished in a day! Very relaxing and beautiful. I love it.

A thought for Friday.

Just a thought for Friday.

We had a storm the other night that blew out the main TV our family had near the kitchen. You don't realize how much that thing is on until you turn it off and leave it alone. Another TV's cable doesn't work. We went from three TVs to one. It's so much more peaceful without that thing on. I've heard it said by others, but now I know it to be true. I don't think it will be replaced. It's so nice and quiet.

Like I said, just a thought for Friday. :-)

Thursday Challenge: Weather

Not your typical "weather" post. This is a "weathered" advertising sign painted on a brick wall. I love most objects with an aging patina: flaky paint, rust, old wood, you get the idea.

PhotoSharks: Perspective

How many of you have a coconut monkey head hanging in your closet? This is mine from over 20 years ago from a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. He was fun to photograph. Kind of cute, kind of ugly, my kind of collectible. Thought you'd like to see him from my perspective. :-)

Illustration Friday: Camoflage

Another entry inspired by our Florida trip. We went to St. George Island and on the way stopped at St. Joseph State Park in Cape San Blas to snorkel in St. Joe's Bay. We've come here for years and on different occasions see: sea urchins, puffer fish, skates, sting rays, sand dollars, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, blue crabs and all sort of fish. Awesome experience. You have to look close because the animals are often camouflaged in their surroundings. :-)I'm still waiting to see a seahorse!

Photo Addict? Get Photojojo!

Looking for new and cool things to do with your digital camera or pictures? Photojojo is a great newsletter that offers so many tips and tricks to make cool stuff with your "bazillions" of photos you take everyday. Go check it out.

Invasion of the Miniatures

Wonderful photography of miniature people photographed in real world settings Little People Blog found via Something to Say

PhotoSharks: Remarkable

On a trip to New York in December I saw the Statue of Liberty up close and personal. She was quite remarkable.

Photo Friday: Dream

Thursday Challenge: Blue

PhotoSharks: Feminine

Wonderful vintage stained glass that certainly speaks to the topic.

Photo Friday: Active

On a recent visit to Panacea, Florida (which is home to a marine animal laboratory that has cool touch tanks where you can get up close and personal with starfish, sea urchins, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs and also get to view other larger species up close) I fell in love with this active seahorse. This laboratory is very concerned with the vanishing florida landscape and is active in many conservatory efforts. Please visit their website at Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory Also, if you're ever in the Florida panhandle, please go visit, it's awesome for kids and for the kid in you.

I'm Back.

If you read the post under this one it looks like I've been lost in my "Second Life". :-)

I'm ready to contribute to my blog again and I hope you come back to see what I'm up to from time to time. I lost all my links from updating my blog so I hope to find my old favorites to again add them to my link list. If you don't see your blog, please leave me a comment with your address and I'll add you.

Have you found your "Second Life"?

Have you found your "Second Life" yet? If not, you definitely need to sign up for a free account and check this out. I heard about this on Good Morning America the other day and find it simply fascinating. In the "Second Life" world, you can create your own avatar of any size or shape, from humans to dragons to any kind of animal real or unreal. Each avatar can interact as much or as little with the avatars around them. You maneuver your avatar with your arrow keys through the world. You can also teleport to any location as well—and don't forget about flying, that is amazing as well. It makes the internet into a "3-D" world that your avator can explore. They say about 90% of the content was created by members of Second Life. It's looks like a wonderful medium for artists or creative types. If you want to get more advanced you can have a "premium" membership and use real dollars that translate into "Linden" dollars to exchange within the world. It's amazing what you can do. Go check it out. Second Life Here's a blog I found that shows you outfits she creates for her avatar each day and gives you tips on places to visit in Second Life. Have fun! Natalia's Second Life Diary

Illustration Friday: Clear

In case you're wondering, the hillbilly is napping after drinking CLEAR grain alcohol. :-)

Thursday Challenge: Orange

Photo Friday: Gross

I'm not saying I think pigs are "gross", but the aroma that follows them around could be described as such.

Last Chance to Vote

11.07.06 - 27/365: VOTE
Originally uploaded by daverexwood.

Found this cool picture on Flickr that also has a great quote from Barack Obama. Thought it was appropriate for today.

Photo Friday: Light

How much light is available in a sealed mausoleum? Some have windows (which I think is odd, why would they need windows?) but most do not. Is it completely dark or does some light come under the doors? This mausoleum is in a city cemetery over a century old. I thought the patina colors on the door were interesting.

Moody Monday: Comfortable

A well-made bed with big, fluffy pillows and crisp sheets is the ultimate in comfort.

Lens Day Challenge: Orange

There's an orange tint to these wooden letterpress numbers...

Moody Monday: Dark

I almost deleted this picture until I decided it was a happy "mistake". The blurring compliments the mood and the occasional which is obviously Halloween.

Campaign for Real Beauty

By now I'm sure everyone has seen the Dove campaign for Real Beauty. In case you haven't, here's one of the excellent spots called "Evolution". Debunks the images we see in print and on tv and shows you what is "real". Check out their other spots on YouTube.

Beautiful Sunday: October 29, 2006

Beautiful fall mums for "Beautiful Sunday". See sidebar for link.

Illustration Friday: Wind

A little reference to the "Wizard of Oz". Actually it's "weather" not wind, but wind was a factor. :-)

Thursday Challenge: Autumn

More Letterpress...

Inspired by the offerings of YouTube videos of letterpresses in action at I Love Letterpress, I did a search myself and found this documentary on the craft. Take a look.

Collecting Letterpress Type

As if I needed something else to collect I'm now a collector of letterpress type. I kind of feel like a letterpress junkie. I found this old typeset drawer at a flea market and then I began to troll ebay for type. I started out with metal type and now I'm in love with the old wooden letters and numbers. These numbers were my first "score". I'm now addicted. I've found one website devoted to letterpress and I'm looking for more! I Love Letterpress

Bleach Stencil Designs for T-Shirts

Fantastic shirts that are imprinted with bleach that I saw today on Martha Stewart. I wish I had a picture to show how great they looked. Here's the instructions:
[Stencils available at: stencil1.com, video from Martha available here.]

Stencil T-shirts from marthastewart.com
Here's an easy way to transform a plain T-shirt into the latest fashion trend.

Tools & Materials
T-shirt
Cardboard
Stencil
Pushpins
Plastic gloves
Bleach gel or bleach pen
Spouncer, optional if using bleach gel
Anti-chlor solution
Fabric paint, optional
Pressing cloth, optional
Iron, optional
Process
1. Pin your T-shirt to cardboard.

2. Secure stencil on T-shirt with pushpins.

3. Wearing gloves, dab on bleach gel with spouncer, or use a bleach pen.

4. Leave bleach on for 1 to 2 hours.
5. Remove stencil from T-shirt, and take cardboard out of shirt.

6. Put shirt in anti-chlor solution (2 1/2 gallons warm water and 1 teaspoon bleach stabilizer) and and stir around.

7. T-shirt should be soaked for 5 minutes. Don't try this with silk—it will ruin the fabric.

8. Take shirt out and rinse well in room temperature water.

9. You can stop the process here. If you'd like to add an extra layer of color, pin stencil back onto T-shirt.

10. Use spouncer with fabric paint to stencil the design.

11. You can center or off-center stencil over original bleach design.

12. Remove stencil, and let paint dry completely.

13. Heat-set paint by putting a pressing cloth on shirt and ironing on high heat for 30 seconds. Or follow packaging directions for fabric paint.

3-D Pumpkins for Halloween

Found an article on how to carve 3-D pumpkins by artist Ray Villafane. Look at the wonderful examples here. Makezine. Here's the artist's website as well:Ray Villafane

Thursday Challenge: Glass

Taken from the passenger side window looking into the side rearview mirror on a trip back home from out of town.

Photo Friday: Thin

Okay, this is not totally obvious so work with me. :-) What liquid do people drink a lot of when they're on a diet to be THIN? This was taken in a hotel suite with one of the provided glasses. The glass sat on the kitchenette with the light from the bathroom and the sunlit room behind and to the side. I thought it turned out interesting.

Black & White Photo Challenge: Partial Desaturation

I've posted this before, but I really like it so I'm posting it again. I think the partial desaturation really works for the subject.

Thursday Challenge: Light

Photo Friday: Anger

Two army men in a standoff, isolated on white. Everytime I see army men I'm reminded of an old late night show that was on briefly in the 80s. I think it was called "Fridays" and they did comedy skits like on Saturday Night Live. Michael Richards (before he was "Kramer" on Seinfeld) was a cast member and he did a skit where he played a little boy that played in his backyard with his army men. Every time you saw the show he was doing something tortuous to the army men. He melted them, cut them up, etc. for his games of war. I think Richards is hilarious in most characters he's played and this was no exception. Anyone else remember him from "Fridays"?