When My Hobbies Collide June 16, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, My Former Dog Children, Photography, Projects , 4commentsI’ve been thinking about which lens to get next.
Our neighbor has the same camera we do, but different lenses.
I borrowed the Nikkor 50mm
I think I want it.
Ahem . . .
I think I need it.
It’s great for portrait shots with a shallow depth of field.
It’s great at blurring the foreground and background and leaving your subject in focus. It’s also great for low light setting because it has a quick shutter speed.
I shot some newly knitted hats with it.
I may have gone a little crazy making hats . . . (I only photographed a small portion of what I’ve made. David kind of makes fun of me for knitting so many hats, and I kind of pretend I can’t hear him when he tells me I’ve gone overboard.)
And shooting hats . . .
And when my knitting and photography hobbies collide, this is what you get.
Any other hobby suggestions?
Much Less Complicated Than it Looks June 9, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Projects , 4commentsI’m sort of embarrassed to admit something . . .
but I have to get it off my chest.
I would hate for any of you to think I’m more crafty than I am.
Here’s the truth . . .
Knitting on a knitting loom is EASY.
Do you actually think I would embrace a new hobby that required me to think?
Honestly.
I don’t like to think unless absolutely necessary!
Here’s a secret, you can do it too! Go buy yourself a knitting loom
It’s so easy and quite a conversation piece. Once you knit in public, (public meaning your font porch while watching your child draw with chalk) all closet knitters come out and knock on your door.
Three of my neighbors (ages 10, 11, 12) have come over to knit with me on my porch.
True story.
Welcome to Kansas, home to all closet knitters.
Knitting Bug May 25, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Kansas, Projects , 6commentsEveryone knits in Kansas.
Everyone.
Everywhere.
Anywhere.
Once, while David was driving, he called to tell me he saw a bumper sticker that said, “I’d rather be knitting.”
I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
I purchased some knitting looms, yarn, and went to town.
When the hats turned out so cute . . .
I made a few.
And by a few, I mean a lot.
Having a baby? Just had a baby? Thinking of having a baby?
You know what you’re getting from me.
The Post Where I Talk About Something I Know Nothing About April 7, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Projects , 8commentsYou want to know how to get your bra to fit just right? How to get the static out of your hair? How to get your clothing to fit properly? Which pant style fits your body? Do you want to know how to put on a fashion show? How to alter a wedding gown? Do you want to know where to shop when you visit Dallas? Need to know some useless celebrity gossip? I’m your girl.
No one has ever asked me how to beautify their home, which color to paint their walls, or how to to do a create-it-yourself project.
No one.
I am not offended. I wouldn’t ask myself either.
So, I would probably stop reading now if I were you because I honestly don’t know what the heck I’m talking about.
But.
The weather has been cold. Really cold. And rainy.
And I have been busy doing stuff in my house that I would never think of doing if the weather was nice and warm.
So, in lieu of being bored, I decided to create.
Behold, my first ever project (or close to it, because honestly, I’m not a closet crafter):
I went to Walmart and bought some frames. Then I painted them white. (So complex, I know!)
After the paint was dry, I applied stickers that I bought in the scrapbook section at Walmart.
See? I applied them.
Then, I took double sided sticky velcro (I don’t actually know what it’s called) and stuck it to the little wooden basketball and football things. They were also purchased at Walmart.
Here they are here.
And here . . .
And here . . .
And here.
Project total:
- Frames: $3 each
- Paint: $1
- Stickers: $3
- Wooden balls: $1 for both
- TOTAL: $11
Then, while I was feeling all crafty and such, I got a little carried away in Hannah’s room as well.
These big white chunky frames used to be black. After 45 coats of white paint, I was happy with them. The embellishments were purchased from the scrapbook section at Walmart as well.
I also picked up a few flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies to accent the frames.
I used velcro to attach the wooden designs to the wall.
Project total:
- Frames: Free
- Paint: I had already, but it was $1
- Embellishments: $3
- Wooden things: $3.50 for seven of them.
- Total: $7.50
If you’re reading this now, that means you read this whole post where I talked about something I know nothing about.
Either we are good friends, or, we should be good friends.
Protected: Welcome to Our House! March 25, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, Kansas, Little Man Dallin, Medical School, My Former Dog Children, My Handsome Husband, Photography, Princess Hannah, Projects, Thoughts , Enter your password to view comments.Suffering From Selective Hearing March 13, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, My Handsome Husband, Photography, Projects , 7commentsI was (still am) so excited about this collage (housing favorite pictures that didn’t make it into frames on the walls on the main and upper floor) on our basement wall. When David walked in the door from a long day at the hospital, he barely had time to say “hello” before Hannah and I rushed him downstairs to see our little project.
He was thrilled all right. Mostly thrilled to learn that I was using my “not really listening to you today” skills. Apparently, he told me to use the photo paper sparingly. I guess it uses up a lot of ink or something . . .(again, I was probably thinking about something else when he told me.)
I think I did use it sparingly! I only covered part of the wall!
More pictures will be printed and added to this collage soon.
I promise.
Grandpa the Expert November 3, 2008
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah, Projects , add a commentWho do you look to for expert building advice when your daddy isn’t around?
Grandpa. Because he probably knows more about stuff than your dad does.
Dennis helped made this pumpkin toy for Hannah at Lowe’s Build and Grow workshop.
We sure do miss Dave around our house, but we love spending time with Grandpa!
Daddy’s Little Assistant October 13, 2008
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, Friends, My Handsome Husband, Pregnancy, Princess Hannah, Projects, Saba, Thoughts , 4commentsTwice a month, Lowe’s has a workshop for kids where they can make a toy for FREE. We checked it out on Saturday, and of course, Hannah loved it. She and David (mostly David actually) made a glow in the dark skeleton out of wood.
Hannah took her job (of looking cute and trying to help) very, very seriously. I mean, good assistants wear safety goggles, right?
Hannah loves her new toy, apron, and goggles she got for free. The next time you’re itching for something to do with your kids on a Saturday morning, check out this workshop!
Hannah LOVED her goggles so much (she referred to them as her glasses) she refused to take them off. So here she is walking around the store, in full gear. If she was a little taller, people would probably ask her for help.
Thanks for the recommendation Meghan!
I Still Really Want . . . March 17, 2008
Posted by Emily in : Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Projects, Saba , add a commentI still want a Nikon D80. In case any of you were wondering. It’s not that I don’t like our camera, (a Cannon S2 IS) it’s just that I know how amazing the Nikon camera is. Both David and I want this camera and when we get hooked on something, (especially an electronic/gadget which probably puts me in the geek category) it is almost all we can think about. If anyone out there would like to gift a Nikon D80 to me, seriously, I swear I will send you a Christmas card every year and make you an awesome treat. Hey, it doesn’t hurt to mention what you like because in a previous post, I mentioned how much I LOVED HI-CHEW candy, and a friend of mine (who is from Japan, but lives on Saba now) brought back some HI-CHEW for me from Japan! I almost didn’t tell David about the candy, because then I’d have to share it with him. YEAH, IT’S THAT GOOD.
While we are still very excited to one day be the proud new owners of a Nikon D80, we are happy with our current camera because we are now utilizing Photoshop Elements. We have had this program for a while, but never fully understood how to do cool things with it. We have been reading tutorials online and here are a couple of photos we have edited:
This photo was taken by our friend Daniel, who used a regular “point and shoot” camera (not the Nikon D80, which have I mentioned we’re obsessed with?) This is a great photo, but check out the how much better it looks after some tweaking in Photoshop:
Doesn’t that look amazing? Just a few little enhancements here and there and viola!
I have always like this photo of my younger sister Allison and me. There are a few things that I wish were different, like having EXTRA WHITE TEETH, (because I am a huge proponent of straight white teeth) and fewer wrinkles, but hey, I realize I’m 30 . . .
Now I LOVE this photo. Not only do we have EXTRA WHITE TEETH, but the photo is soft and we have fewer wrinkles.
Still, can you imagine how great our family photos will be with Nikon D80 (have I made myself clear?) and Photoshop Elements? Yeah, we’re excited.
His Language January 18, 2008
Posted by Emily in : Family, Friends, Islands, My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah, Projects , 1 comment so farSomething is wrong with me. Really, really, wrong. My birthday is in a couple of weeks and do you know what I asked for? RAM. Not like, “honey, I want a pet Ram for my big 3-0″, but as in RAM for my computer. What happened to me? I’m not sure I even knew what RAM was last year. On previous birthdays, I have always gotten great clothes, and designer hand bags and shoes. What happened to those days?
I MOVED FROM CIVILIZATION. That’s what happened.
I honestly don’t care what I wear here. Shoes are a bother, and the only classification your handbag needs is, “Does it grow mold easily?” Notice how the word “here” is emphasized. That is because I know when I return to civilization, were clothing is available to buy and people don’t wear shoes just to cover their feet, I will dig deep inside of me and find the “old Emily” I left behind in Texas. I’m sure returning to my wardrobe locked away in storage will help me find that girl. But until then, I still want some RAM. In fact, a lot of it would help.
I can’t believe I care about techie things so much. I know it’s because I have come to LOVE my computer like it’s my second child. It is my umbilical cord to the outside world. It does everything I need it to, and so much more. There is only one problem. It is so s-l-o-w. I get frustrated waiting to upload pictures. It honestly takes five minutes to start Windows Photoshop Elements, and that isn’t even editing photos! I don’t like wasting perfectly good paradise weather w-a-i-t-i-n-g for things to load. I would do so much more with photographs if it didn’t take Hannah’s entire nap to get things going.
I actually really, really, REALLY, want a Nikon D80 for my birthday. I know that won’t happen this year because let’s face it, we are medical school students living on an island out in the middle of nowhere. I want this camera so bad, I honestly can’t stop thinking about it sometimes. It’s just seems kind of illogical to purchase it now. We would have to sell our Saba car to pay for this camera and seriously, I need a car more than I need to photograph everything I see. The desire for this particular camera is not just mine. David really, really, REALLY wants a Nikon D80 as well. One day, we will get one, and when we do, all of you will be drooling over how great our pictures are and we will just say, “it’s all about the camera.” Ah, one day. One day, I will have the most amazing pictures of my kids, BECAUSE OF THIS CAMERA.
Here’s another thing while I’m thinking about it, I would really like a Cricut and a Kitchen Aid Mixer when I get back to the states. I never was much of a chef in the states, but living here I have really come to appreciate good food and I really enjoy cooking. I know when my appetite returns, I will want to cook everything in the house. I may as well have good appliances right? I heard about “the Cricut” for the first time on Sunday from a GUY in our Branch. Yes, a GUY told me. He had that look on his face like “Where are you from? Planet Saba? You should probably get off that planet and get back the real world. There is this thing called Scrapbooking. Have you heard of it?” Yes, he gave me that look. Wouldn’t you know, a few days later I saw an infomercial on Lifetime for the Cricut. I have to say, it can do some pretty cool things. And in true infomercial fashion, I watched thinking, “I have to have that!” Plus, a friend of mine in Orem was in the commercial. David and I were laughing so hard! I need to email her to let her know she is famous, all the way down here, in the middle of nowhere. More of a reason to get it right? If she has one and LOVES it, I know I would too! We’re friends! I know the same day my appetite returns and I cook everything in the house, I will also be nesting. I will want to make cute things for Hannah’s room and for the new baby. I can see it now, CUTE THINGS!
As the big 3-0 looms around the corner, I’ll let you know what I ended up with. I’m 99.9% positive I have RAM coming my way. Mostly because that is the first thing I asked for, and it is the most reasonable and cost effective thing to buy. Plus, my husband follows instructions really well when it comes to buying me technology. This is after all, his language.
