The Way I See Things

I'm Leaving . . . on a jet plane . . .

Busy week.  That's what usually happens when you go away on a vacation.  Things pile up.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Heck, even dust!  Small price to pay I guess for going on that photography retreat.   Still, it hasn't left much time for blogging. 

Now that I feel "caught up" I'm leaving AGAIN.  I'm not complaining, believe me! Just that I'll be spending the next 12 hours in "preventive cleaning" mode.  You know what I mean?  It's when you do that extra load of laundry and sweep that one extra time and pick up a few more groceries, so that when you return from your trip you aren't completely overwhelmed by your life!

 I'm heading to sunny San Diego (at least I hear it's sunny there.  It certainly has to be warmer than it has been in chilly Connecticut!)  Funny thing about New England in the Fall.  Friends from all over tell me how jealous they are this time of year because I can enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.  It is pretty but I think a bit over-rated.  I enjoy the changing colors as much as the next person . . . BUT only when the weather is in the mid 60s at least.  I woke up to a 34 degree morning today.  I don't care how pretty the leaves are outside my home.  I kissed my kids goodbye as they headed out to the bus stop, took a 2-second glance at nature, and then shut the damn door and turned up my thermostat!

Hope you all have a great week.  I'll be sure to post my San Diego pictures when I return next week!

I LOVE BEING A SCRAPTOGRAPHER!

What exactly is a scraptographer?  It is a scrapbooker who is also passionate about the art of photography.  I (and about 400 others from across the country) attended a wonderful event this weekend called CPR:  Creative Photography Retreat.  The event was put together by Creating Keepsakes magazine and Canon was the lead sponsor.  It was incredible.  I knew I loved taking photos but now I'm totally hooked!  let's just say that the holiday wish list grew a lot this weekend! 

My friend Jenn R. met me there and together we met Marish, Jackie and Kelly and formed a team for the photo scavanger hunt.  It was great making friends with people who love my hobbies as passionately as I do!

I attended 9 photography classes and learned about lighting, settings, portraits, and even macro photography.  I also attended 3 classes on Adobe Photoshop Elements and digital scrapbooking which was eye-opening!  The give-aways were great.  Scrapbooking supplies, digi supplies, and even reading material to keep me busy until the end of the year.

This was an incredible event and I hope they have another retreat again soon!  Below are some of the photos I took at the retreat.

First are some shots taken in my macro class:

 

 

 

Next are a few digitally manipulated photos done in Elements.  They started out as regular color photos that were in the sample folder of my laptop.

 

 

 

So, what have YOU been up to lately?

Don't you just LOVE that question.  Many years ago, BC (Before Children), I seemed to have had great responses to that question.  I remember going out on the weekends, getting together with different people, exploring new things, etc.  THEN I had children.  WHOOSH!   I learned quickly that my weekends were actually THEIR weekends and the REAL question of "what have you been up to lately?" was "what are YOUR KIDS up to lately?" since it seems their social calendar has clearly taken over any remnants of mine!

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not complaining (much!).  I love spending time with my boys and get a thrill out of being a soccer mom, baseball mom, basketball mom, and so on.  I'm incredibly proud of my guys.  Still once in a while it would be nice NOT to have a birthday party to attend at 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday.  Even nicer to have a free weekend (although I think there is a 2 week opening between soccer and basketball. Nope scratch that.  A bar mitzvah invite just arrived for one of those two weekends!)

In answer to my question:  I've been spending A LOT of time in my car lately.  Lots of practices and 3-4 games a weekend, plus Sunday School.  That's pretty much what I've been up to.  How about you?

Take my advice and carve out some time for yourself whenever possible.  Utilize friends and family members when you can to steal away for a long weekend.  I'm planning just that next weekend when I attend a 3-day photography retreat.  Granted I'll be home on Sunday for baseball but I do miss one practice and two soccer games.  Truth be told, I'll probably REALLY MISS the games too!  Sometimes I wish there were more hours in a day so that I could do it all.  Give my boys all the time they deserve and still feel that there is plenty of "grown up time too." You know what I mean?

Below is just a glimpse of how I spend my weekends.  I guess it's not TOO bad after all!