Yeah, Write

Twelve Photos on the 12th

Yesterday, on January 12th, 2012, I took twelve photos of my everyday life, and I printed them for my forthcoming scrapbook page for January. Here they are, awaiting some paper, glue, and all that other scrapbooky stuff!

This is part of the Take Twelve photo challenge hosted over at Ella Publishing Co. this year, and it's been a blast so far!

It's easy to get so busy that I forget to take very many meaningful photos of my regular days, and this challenge is going to solve that problem for me this year.

I had planned to use our "nice" camera for this project, so I could practice my Nikon DSLR skills. (I get lucky shots now and then, like Jovie jumping mid-air as seen above, but I have lots to learn.)

But, alas, I found it to be so much more convenient to just use my camera phone for most of my pictures. In fact, I started using Instagram for the first time yesterday, which is a camera app for the iPhone, and it was surprisingly fun. (My first thought was, I don't need one more app to learn or one more social site to keep up with, but when the timing is right, it can be FUN to have one more app to learn and one more social site to play with.)

So here are a few pointers from me to you, in case you're even a little bit intrigued by Take Twelve:

1. You don't have to commit to ONE camera for the whole day of photos. I took three photos on my DSLR and nine on my camera phone. And I'm still going to turn them into a fun layout. You'll see.

2. Recruit some friends! I talked my sister, Michele, and my sisters-in-law, Suzanne and Becky, to join the challenge! (And a few of my cousins too.) And they're not even consistent scrapbookers, if they scrapbook at all. But the challenge is appealing to them because it's DOABLE and it fits into their very busy lives. And I'm going to share their pages with you here on my blog all year long, too. Just to prove that people of any skill level, or interest level for that matter, can do this.

3. YES you can still join the challenge, even though January 12th is already in the past. I blogged all about it over at The Daily Trumpet today, so go find out how you can still take 144 awesome photos of your everyday life this year—and get the support and encouragement you need to make 12 scrapbook pages with them.

4. Sign up for the Ella Publishing Co. email list, so you can get email reminders when it's time to take your next set of photos.

It's going to be FUN!

The Wonders of Wall Decor

If you've been to my house at any point in the past 7 years, you'll be shocked to learn that I, Angie Hill Lucas, deliberately put several nail holes in several of my walls in the last few weeks. I know, I'm shocked, too.

You see, after moving in to this cute old house, we painted every square inch of it, floor by floor, and it took us two years to complete the job (especially since we had to remove unpleasant amounts of wallpaper and prime everything first due to the use of glossy, oil-based paint in every room).

After all that effort, I just couldn't bring myself to commit to any wall decor (except for certain pieces hung with Command  Plastic Hooks and related non-destructive products). Just couldn't do it. For YEARS.

But after so many years of feeling the need to explain my lack of wall decor to every guest who entered my home, I decided it was time to grab a hammer and make some holes. So I did.

And now I think, what was I waiting for?

In the kitchen, I hung up the little plate that I purchased in a cute little shop in Hollywood years ago. The plate inspired the three wall hangings you see reflected in the window (which are hung with those non-destructive Command things and which you can see better here), but my aversion to putting nail holes in my walls held me back from actually displaying the plate.

 

In the bathroom, where the above set of placeholder templates has adorned the wall since August (yes, I got many compliments), I finally nailed up the actual mirrors. And I tell you, the templates did make it a whole lot easier.

Ahhh. Restful. Reflective. Rejuvenating. This collection of mirrors, gathered over the course of a year at consignment shops and the like, makes me smile every time I pee.

 

And in the living room, on a long, empty wall, I hung up a staggered row of electic and unmatching picture frames above the piano. I was inspired by an article I saw in Real Simple magazine, "Artful Ideas for Every Room," which said:

"Gather up photos, paintings, and silhouettes in plain frames. [Clearly, I ignored the "plain frames" part.] Begin with a large item centered above a desk or a table (or simply in the middle of a wall) and at eye level. Add a piece to each side, hanging the frames close enough to touch but intentionally creating an uneven line on the top and the bottom. Continue, one on the right and one on the left, building out from the center. You can fill the width of the wall or not. Vary the subject, the medium, and the orientation (vertical or horizontal) for a playful feel."

This is my crowning achievement of my "putting holes in the walls" adventure. Seven holes, all in a row.

And, ironically, behind that oval-framed map is a large, unsightly tear (down to the wallboard) caused by me putting up one of those non-destructive Command hooks and trying to reposition it without reading the directions first.

And guess what? It doesn't bother me at all.

p.s. Did you know you can get a 20 x 30 canvas-wrapped gallery print at Costo for $70? It's true. We got one for my parents for Christmas. And that little canvas print on the far left was right around $30. Gotta love Costco.

I'm Here

And yes, I've got lots of updating to do, including a little trip to California and a little trip to Arizona.

But in the meantime, here's a cute little winter picture for you.

My baby's walking, as of October 27, 2011. And it's adorable.

Capturing the Elusive Muttshroom

Our little "gogga" (as Keira calls her) is notoriously difficult to photograph. One problem is that her face is so much darker than her body. And the other problem? She never holds still. Ever.

Also, she somehow senses when I'm about to snap the shutter, and she closes her eyes just in time. Or runs in the other direction. Or shakes her head just enough to make it blurry. Behold:

So, imagine our surprise and delight when, after many months of trying, we finally caught Jovie in her famous "muttshroom" pose.

Every now and then, you look out into the back yard, and it appears as though a dog-shaped mushroom has taken root in the lawn. She tucks all of her limbs under her body and plants herself as deeply into the grass as she can. And she doesn't move a muscle. (Until, that is, she senses a camera lens pointed at her.) But finally, we have captured it.

Is the little beast getting slower? Or am I getting quicker with the camera? Time will tell.

But I also recently captured another of her signature moves: carrying her dog dish around the yard (and through my strawberries, naughty puppy) after she's done eating.

Good gogga, Jovie. Good gogga. Maybe next I'll be able to get a picture of her sitting on top of her dog house, Snoopy-style.

Baby Photos: 11 Months Old

"So, my mom thinks I'm getting harder and harder to photograph. Probably because I've seen through most of her little tricks to get me to look at the camera. She's going to have to get more creative."

"And she IS trying some new things. Like when my grandpa came over to bring Jovie some doggie treats, my mom roped him into holding up the backdrop for her."

"We weren't exactly ready for pictures. Mom hadn't even combed my hair yet. But when grandpa showed up, she said you have to take advantage of the extra help when you have it, whatever that means. I took advantage of the opportunity to sit and grind my teeth together. I love how it sounds, but it makes my mom do this shiver thing. She doesn't like it."

"We got a lot of bad photos and a couple of good ones too! Mom likes this photo because it shows off my whole sticker and also my little green painted toes. My Aunt Alli always paints my toenails for me. It's a good thing I've never really enjoyed sucking on my feet."

"And she likes this one because it shows off my thigh chub and my cute, little teeth. We can't decide which we like better for our series of belly-sticker photos. But there's one thing we do agree on..."

"...and that's that this photo is probably the best of the day."

"Or perhaps this one. Thanks, grandpa, for helping out today! You made mom's job a lot easier."

p.s.

"We did manage to get my hair combed that day. Just not in time for pictures, which is okay, because we like to keep it real around here. And don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure my mom didn't comb her hair at ALL that day. Our little secret, okay?"

Baby Photos: 10 Months Old

Since Keira is officially 11 months old today (I can't even BELIEVE I'm saying that), I thought I'd post her 10-month pics, taken earlier in the month. Hey, I'm earlier than last month, and I have firm plans to be caught up by her birthday.

"What are we doing this for again?"

"Oh, yes, my 10-month photos. Welcome. So GOOD of you to join us. Might I offer you a spot of tea?"

"Well, since I can't make tea, I can at least offer you this bracelet my mom gave me to distract me. Want it?"

"No, I know what you really came for. A shot of my baby blues. Well, here I go, turning on the charm."

Until next time...

p.s. Yes, I do realize that I should probably rename my blog from "Yeah, Write" to "Yeah, Baby." :) I do have every intention of posting that word nerd stuff that's still swirling around in my head, but it tends to take a back seat to both the baby and the business. (And there I go again, "blog-ogizing." I promise to stop that.) If it's any consolation, I do play a lot of Scrabble on my iPhone.

To take one step out of baby-land, I'll link to two books I've recently read:

Read my review of State of Wonder on goodreads.com (5 stars)

Read my review of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (3 stars) This review contains very minor plot spoilers

Why So Quiet?

For the past several weeks, this blog had to take a backseat to, well, life in general.

Tragedy struck some close friends of ours when their 16-year-old daughter (a friend of Jeremy's) was killed in a car accident, along with her grandmother and step-grandfather. I've thought of little else for the last couple of weeks, and it has just seemed wrong (as it tends to do) that life was carrying on as normal for everyone else. But life has to carry on. That's the way of things. And it's good that it does, becuase it keeps our hands occupied while our hearts try to heal.

And in the meantime, Keira Jane figured out how to crawl, which means a whole new world for this first-time mama.

And Keira's boyfriend, Calvin, came into town (along with his mom) for the funeral. I was so grateful they stayed with us, since babies are the best distraction in the world, and I needed more than anything to talk about and process my grief with another close friend who knows and loves the family, too.

And I've had this nervous energy that won't go away and seems to require physical activity at all times. I've been cleaning my house non-stop, cooking for my family and others, tackling projects in my house left and right. (I'm not complaining about that part; I'm just going with it.)

Here's a mirror wall I started working on before Keira arrived, and which has taken a backseat until now. I made paper templates so I could figure out the arrangement I wanted, and I finished painting and decoupaging the frames. Now I just need to hang them. (Here's hoping that doesn't take another 10 months!)

And all the plans for Ella Publishing Co. that were put into place months ago had to march on, and really it's been good to keep busy.

First, I was a guest on Paperclipping Roundtable last week, and we covered a topic that was near and dear to my heart: personality types and how it affects your crafting! Another very welcome distraction, to discuss things I'm passionate about with people I love and respect. Some people loved the show, others didn't, but one thing's for certain—it drew out a lot of comments.

Second, we've had Digital Scrapbooking Month going on at Ella Publishing Co., which meant articles to edit and upload, a new eBook to edit and project-manage, and lots of stuff happening on the blog. You've got to check out the latest, by Liz Tamanaha, all about digital kits. It's got one of my favorite mini-albums I've seen in a long time.

 

And third, Wendy and I have been putting the pieces together for Ella's upcoming Boot Camp event (September 19-24). It's going to be so amazing. Click this link (or the banner below) to view the video Wendy and I finally managed to record yesterday, after weeks of trying to synch our schedules, complete with pink-camo hats and everything!

Well, that about brings us up to date. My new routine (now that the baby is mobile) is starting to take shape, and we're just adapting as each new milestone and event comes along.

And just like always, I'm experiencing great joys alongside great sadnesses, and the key is to try to keep it (and everything else) in balance. Some weeks, that's easier than others. But that's life.

Baby Photos: 9 Months Old

"Are you ready for the big reveal?"

"Ta-da! I'm 9 months old! And I have been for about 3 weeks. But we were busy learning lots of new things about swimming and the ocean and baby horses, so I'm glad we got these pictures just in time, before it was time to put a 10 on my belly."

"Do you like my rubber ducky? Unless I have this in my hands at all times, I simply can't resist tearing down mom's black backdrop. Hey, I'm a baby. I can get away with these things."

"But honestly? It's amazing how calming a little rubber ducky can be. This shot here is mom's favorite. She likes the serene expression on my face—but really I'm just thinking about how much I love my duck."

"No offense to Mom, but this shot is my favorite! I had to prove her wrong about the whole 'baby-horse-teeth-are-so-cute' thing. Whatevs. Baby human teeth are WAY cuter. Don't you think?"

The pictures this month are really SO much better than her 8 month photos. I owe the improvement to the fact that I had just finished editing Don't Say Cheese! How to get great, natural photos of your kids, by Rebecca Cooper. It was enormously helpful!

Baby Horse Teeth and Other Adorable Photos

I sat down to post Keira's 9 month photos (because, after all, she's now 10 months and 6 days) but I got sidetracked by a treasure trove of everyday shots. So with my apologies to my sister Alli, I'm delaying the posting of the 9 month photos for another day or two.

I simply cannot resist sharing these everyday scenes from her life right now. July was such a BIG month for my little one.

She spent lots of time with her big brother, whom she adores.

She met a baby horse for the first time (and immediately grabbed him by the nostrils).

Sidenote: Aren't baby horse teeth the CUTEST thing ever? (Perhaps even cuter than baby human teeth. Perhaps.)

She figured out how to pick up Cheerios with those two tiny fingers.

And feed them to herself.

And feed them to Jovie.

She went swimming for the first time, in Aunt Michele's swimming pool.

She made her first trip to the zoo.

She saw the ocean for the first time.

And dipped her toes in the surf.

And to top it all off, she was placed inside a baby-sized pot by her big brother. Because...why not?

 

The Planking Giraffe

Today I'm a guest on the Paperclipping Roundtable, which is always a fabulously fun time. (We're recording later today, and it should be live soon. Look for episode #77.)

And because I have a very loud 9-month-old (no real words, just squeaks and squawks), I usually head over to my mother-in-law's house, where I sit in the basement with my laptop and my headset while grandma and grandpa entertain the baby upstairs. And usually Bev makes me a sandwich, too. Last month it was egg-salad.

I have discovered lots of awesome things from listening to Paperclipping Roundtable, but one of my recent favorites is the "planking" trend, which was mentioned by Izzy. Everyone thought he was kidding at first, but he wasn't. I know I would have loved this in college.

What is planking?

Planking is an Internet sensation in which people are photographed lying facedown in some weird place, arms at their sides. There are many Facebook groups devoted to the trend:

Planking The Original, est. 2009, with 560,000 fans.

Extreme Planking, with 36,000 fans.

The Lying Down Game, with 110,000 fans.

I recently discovered an episode of planking in my own home. It was Keira's stuffed giraffe, and no one knows how he got this way.

But it's perfect, no?