Life...and All That Comes With It

And I Quote...

2011-10-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot:

"Wouldn't it make an astounding difference, not only in the quality of the work we do (in office, schoolroom, factory, kitchen, or backyard), but also in our satisfaction, even our joy, if we recognized God's gracious gift in every single task, from making a bed or bathing a baby to drawing a blueprint or selling a computer? If our children saw us doing "heartily as unto the Lord" all the work we do, they would learn true happiness. Instead of feeling that they must be allowed to do what they like, they would learn to like what they do. St. Ignatius Loyola prayed, "Teach us, Good Lord, to labor and to ask for no reward save that of knowing that we do Thy will." As I learn to pray that prayer, I find that there are many more rewards that come along as fringe benefits. As we make an offering of our work, we find the truth of a principle Jesus taught: Fulfillment is not a goal to achieve, but always the by-product of sacrifice."

Golden Light

2011-10-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

I don't have many words today, just pictures.

What is it about autumn light? It's so glowing and golden. It gets me everytime!

You Capture: Fall

And I Quote...

2011-10-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Are your devotions dry and tedious? Are they difficult? Perhaps it's because you're approaching the Word without intending to be submitted to what it says. What a difference it makes when we approach it, saying, 'Lord, today, use these Scriptures to change my life, to convict me of sin, to change my attitudes and heart within.' " -Jon Courson

Autumn Surprise

2011-10-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

It may technically autumn,

but here in Southern California

I was surprised to find (but maybe shouldn't have been)

new baby ferns popping up out of the ground!

San Diego Sunset

2011-10-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

We went to San Diego last month

to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.

This was right outside our hotel.

And since we got stuck in the Great San Diego Blackout

we took a little walk

and had a nice view of the city.

Soon we couldn't see it anymore though, it was too dark!

Confessions and Quirks: Part Ten, Aternately Titled: Pardon Me, Your Blond Roots Are Showing

2011-10-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

1. I once paid for gas but forgot to pump it and drove off. My family still laughs about it and to this day my grandma won't go to that gas station because when I went back literally two minutes later, the guy said sorry, but he didn't remember me.

2. I accidentally through away some earrings I had just bought at a mall food court. I must have set the (small) bag on the tray and forgotten about it. I was just going to count it as a loss as the earrings weren't expensive enough to warrant me digging through a food court trash can, but my friend reached her arm in there and pulled them out. She was a good friend.

3. I won't tell you how many times I've forgotten some of my groceries at Walmart, but it's more than once.

4. And yes, each time I did contemplate just leaving them their, but I am too frugal to do that now. Besides, it was always stuff I really needed.

5. Once I was running a bit late (something I never do, as I can't stand being late) and was searching everywhere for my phone. I couldn't find it and was about to leave with out it when I realized it was in my pocket. Okay, that was just last week.

6. Surprisingly, I've never (knock on wood!) locked my keys in my car.

7. But my husband has, with our then one year old daughter strapped in her car seat. Thankfully it was fall, so it didn't get hot in there.

8. I once picked up the phone in my room (it had a cord!) and was going to call a friend, but kept getting a busy signal. That was odd because she had told me to call at that time. I called two more times before I realized that I had been dialing my own phone number. No wonder I was getting a busy signal, I was using the phone!

9. I can't think of anymore so I don't know if it means I'm not that dumb, or I'm just forgetting other incidences.

10. But probably it's the latter.

Fading Flowers

2011-10-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have a confession.

I let flowers that have wilted and died and dried out

stay on my table for a few extra days

because I still think they are pretty.

And I Quote...

2011-10-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

"They that see God cannot but praise Him. He is a Being of such glory and excellency that the sight of this excellency of his will necessarily influence them that behold it to praise Him. Such a glorious sight will awaken and rouse all the powers of the soul, and will irresistibly impel them, and draw them into acts of praise. Such a sight enlarges their souls, fills them with admiration, and with an unspeakable exaltation of spirit." -Jonathan Edwards

Dinnerware as Art

2011-09-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is another one of those projects that was sitting around forever before I got around to completing it. I had everything to do it for over a year before I finally go around to it. Kind of silly since it was such a simple project! It's hanging up in my dining room now and I love it! It 's a really easy and inexpensive project, so I thought I'd do a little tutorial on how to make your own.

Supply List

1. One or more wooden picture frames. You can spray paint your frame(s) any color you want, so you don't have to worry about finding matching frames. I got lucky and found all three matching frames at my favorite thrift store in a color I liked all at once, but I've never had that happen to me since!

2. Old silverware. Mine came from a thrift store. It doesn't have to be matching. I intentionally chose different sizes and patters to make it more interesting.

3. Scrapbook paper. I just raided my overflowing and ever growing paper supply. If one of your frames is bigger that 12x12 (standard paper size) make sure you get two pieces of your paper in a pattern that you can match up. The paper on my biggest frame is actually two pieces, you just can't tell because I lined the patterns up.

4. Matte ModPodge. It can be found at a craft store or Walmart craft section.

5. E-6000 clear multi-purpose glue. You can also buy it at a craft store or at Walmart in the craft section.

6. Flat art canvases in sizes to fit in your frames. Sometimes you can find these at Walmart, but they don't always have very many sizes, so you may have better luck at an art supply/craft store.

Step One

Spray paint your frames if desired.

Step Two

You are going to cover your flat canvases in paper. Cut your paper to the same size as your canvas. Brush a coat of ModPodge on the canvas and and lay the paper on top of it. Smooth it out as much as you can. I like to use a brayer for this, but you can use a rolling pin or your hands. Once your paper is smooth, brush another coat of ModPodge on top of it and let it dry.

Step Three

Once the ModPodge has dried, decide on your arrangement of the silverware. When you know the way you want it to be, glue it down with the E-6000 glue. Obviously some of the silverware is not flat, so just put the glue on the parts where the silverware touches the paper. The glue is really powerful stuff, so even if you can only put a bead of glue on the back of the spoon head, it should still stick once it's dry. Make sure you let the glue dry for 24 hours before you pick up the canvas though.

Step Four

Once the glue has dried, but your canvas in the frame. Two of my frames had little staples in them that I could bend to hold the canvases in, but one did not. On the one that didn't I just pulled out my E-6000 again and glued it into the frame. If you need to use glue, make sure you let it dry before hanging it up.

That's all there is to it! I don't know why it took me so long to get around to this project, it was so easy. Hopefully it won't take you as long as it took me! It's a fun and inexpensive way to add some whimsy to your dining room. I'm always getting compliments on it.

If anyone makes dinnerware art, I would love to see it! Post it on your blog and let me know. I'll come check it out and maybe even put a link to your dinnerware art here!

Linking up here.

When She Speaks

2011-09-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Lately for my 52 Weeks project I have been reading Proverbs. I have to admit, I'm struggling with this book a bit. It's not that it's bad, of course, but that it's so random! It's good, but it's been a hard book for me to get through, even more so than Numbers. Maybe it's better to read only one or two proverbs a day, instead of several chapters, but if I'm going to finish the Old Testament by the end of the year, chapters it is.

I'm celebrating because today I finished Proverbs and ended on a high note. This was the one thing in the book that stood out to me more than anything else:
"When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly."

Proverbs 31:26 (The Message)

This is not me, but oh, how I want it to be! The Lord and I are working on it.

And now I can't wait to see how He's going to speak to me through Ecclesiastes!

Water Fairies

2011-09-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like to think that fairies come at night

and place drops of dew on blades of grass

even though I know it's not true!

"The Lord says, "Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; My love will know no bounds, for My anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon." Hosea 14:5-6

You Capture: Green

And I Quote...

2011-09-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

"There are few things that can inspire wonder like the birth of a child – the intricacy and beauty and messiness of it all. Life is so fragile and so precious... Every breath is miracle. The same love that called the cosmos into existence beats inside my chest with every heartbeat. It’s all a gift. What does one do with this gift though? Clutch with white knuckles and try to hold on to it? That is useless. We cannot control when we were born, and we cannot control what will finally take our lives from us. It is not clutched, greedy fists that lead us to peace and joy in this life. Instead it is surrender. It is letting go of the control and the fear, and offering all we are in love, accepting any pain that might accompany it, all as a part of this beautiful gift that is life... In the face of such an enormous and magnificent universe, one can either create illusions of grandeur for himself or admit his insignificance in time and space with humility. One can go through this life attempting to gain control or trying to gain life by holding on tenaciously; however, she will then certainly lose it. Perhaps it is actually only in the “losing” of one’s life that one can truly find it." -Michael Gungor

Signs of Autumn

2011-09-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

My garden is winding down, but it's still beautiful...

just in an entirely different way!

Rusty Industry

2011-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Industrial photography is fun, and not something I get to do very often, living in a rural area.

There are a lot of photos of flowers, barns, old buildings, outdoorsy things, and little indoor vignettes because that is what I am surrounded by.

There is, however, and awesome train museum/yard about half an hour from my home. It is seriously one of my favorite places to take pictures!

While some of the trains and street cars have been restored, much of the museum has been left to the elements. I like it that way.

I've always had an affinity for the rusty.

You Capture: Industrial

East, West, Home's the Best!

2011-09-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is one of my latest collages, East, West, Home's the Best. It's very simple and one of my favorites to date. It came together quickly. In fact, I made two. One as a gift and one for me too because I loved it so much!

The idea was originally in my art journal. I think I sketched it just after coming home from vacation this summer and put it on canvas shortly after. It's wonderful to travel around and see new things, but coming home is always SO nice. There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed after ten days away.

The background is a vintage map of the world that I cut out of an old atlas I bought at a thrift store. Matt was horrified that I would cut up an atlas, even an out of date one. I think it's from the early sixties. He has a thing for maps.

The house and the word 'home' are done with acrylic paint as are the striped sides of the canvas. I'm really loving stripes on the edges of my canvases lately. I like how it looks when it's hung and it eliminates the need for a frame. I used charcoal for added detailing and the rest of the words.

"East, west, home's the best!" is actually a quote from a book in the Anne of Green Gables series, Anne of the Island, I think. I've always been a big Anne fan, and it's not the first time that has come out in my work. I have a collage hanging in my room and I covered it in pages from an Anne book. I wonder if my love of Anne will ever pop out again?

And I Quote...

2011-09-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

"Many people think that what's written in the Bible has mostly to do with getting people into heaven-- getting right with God, saving their eternal souls. It does have to do with that, of course, but not mostly. It is equally concerned with living on this earth -- living well, living in robust sanity." -Eugene Peterson

Apples

2011-09-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

We are lucky enough to live near an area filled with apple farms. It can get a little crazy in the fall on the weekends with lots of tourists coming for a visit. I can't blame them for flocking to the place, it's a beautiful place, very picturesque.

Since we only live ten minutes away, we go year round and avoid the farms on the weekends during the busy season. Being so close means we can go for a few hours after school. Then we can wander the orchards and farms taking pictures without hordes of people inadvertently wandering into your shot. And of course, try the samples of apples and cider without having to wait in line!

"He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;

He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye."

Deuteronomy 32:10

You Capture: Apple

Confessions and Quirks: Part Nine

2011-09-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

1. I'm collecting vintage linens to make a quilt.

2. I don't know how to make a quilt.

3. I'm hoping the ability to create a quilt comes through osmosis, as I've been looking at lots of pretty quilts made from vintage sheets on Etsy.

4. I'm making a chevron striped friendship bracelet for Gemma. I used to make them when I was a girl.

5. Now I'm wishing I didn't tell Gemma the bracelet is for her because I like how it's turning out and want to keep it for myself.

6. It's really windy today.

7. I hate the wind.

8. One of my cats has gotten fat and I don't care. I like fat cats.

9. After a very prolific six weeks, my tomato plants production is slowing down. I picked most of what was left today. It will probably be a few weeks before I have more. I'm sad about that.

10. We've been enjoying beautiful, juicy red tomatoes every day for weeks, but won't be able to for a while. I'm sad about that too.

Peaches!

2011-09-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Just some more of my abundant garden produce!

My husband is hoping these will turn into a peach pie...

And I Quote...

2011-09-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

John Stam:

"One never knows what one may run into. But we do know that the Lord Jehovah reigns... If we should go on before, it is only the quicker to enjoy the bliss of the Savior's presence."

Modern Dandelions

2011-09-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

My dining room is kind of traditional and I want to give it more of an eclectic feel like the rest of my house. Out of that desire this series of two paintings was created. I call them Modern Dandelions and used a gray and yellow color pallet to five them a contemporary feel.

No special techniques or messages here. They're really very simple and were based off of some watercolor paintings I did quiet a while ago on a rainy Saturday.

I covered the canvases in some kind of book paper first, maybe music sheets? No, I think it was pages from a Japanese text book. I didn't want the paper to take away from the simplicity of the flowers, so you can barely see the writing through the gray paint. I mainly wanted the background to have some texture. The flowers are varying shades of yellow and the details are done in charcoal.

Since completing this little series I've done quite a few sketches of simple flowers in my art journal. Maybe they'll make their way to some canvases in the coming months!

Lines

2011-09-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

While in my backyard

the other day

lying in my hammock,

I noticed lines

all around me.

Lines intersecting,

lines criss-crossing,

white lines,

black lines,

shadow lines.

lines everywhere.

You Just Know...

2011-09-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

that school is back in session when I am up early enough

to take a photo of the sunrise!

You Capture: Back To School

In My Garden...

2011-09-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Chives are growing.

I've been trying for weeks,

WEEKS, to get pictures of chive flowers,

but a certain little girl kept getting to them first.

It is her job, after all, to pick all the herb flowers, but

she was a little slack this week,

and I finally got some!

And I Quote...

2011-09-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Oswald Chambers:

"Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God."

Love Letter

2011-09-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

I realized that I never posted the finished piece of art I showed as a work in progress here way back in March. It's been done for quite a while now. I even have it hung up in my bedroom.

Sometimes when I paint, I don't have a clear idea of what I want the end product to look like or what the message behind it will be. This painting, Love Letter, was not one of those pieces. I had a vision in my head and it turned out just as I was hoping it would.

This collage was rather time consuming. Lots of watering down of paints, dabbing, blotting, painting, wiping, blotting some more to achieve the delicate layers of color on the wings and letter, plus some experiments with dimension. Like many of my other works, this one was painted upon canvas covered in vintage book pages. This was special though, in that I had a specific idea that I wanted to convey, so just any old book pages wouldn't do. I used pages from an old Bible I bought at a thrift store with the intent of using for collage. The pages I used were from 1 John. These verses can be seen, upside down, I believe, in the letter if you look closely:

"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10

The idea is that God's Word and His Son Jesus are a love letter to humanity.

Here it is hung in my room. It's one of my favorite pieces to date. I'd like to re-create it on a larger canvas someday, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

Dewdrops

2011-09-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been sick

all week. But now

I think I'm on the mend.

I can tell because I finally felt like pulling out my camera

this morning to capture morning light sparkling like diamonds on the dew drops.

A Rare Video

2011-08-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Because I couldn't say it any better than this:

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-08-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm just wondering...

January 2008

July 2011

what happened to my little girl?

He Giveth More Grace

2011-08-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

-Annie J. Flint

Somebody...

2011-08-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

...started the third grade last week.

She's half way through her elementary school career.

All I can say is...

Oh My Gosh!

How did this happen?

Overabundance

2011-08-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

My garden is going crazy!

Anyone want a cucumber?

Beefsteak tomato?

Cherry tomatoes?

Yellow squash?

Summer squash?

Pattypan squash?

...anyone?

I have lots to share

and more on the way!

Black-Eyes

2011-08-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

My wild flowers that aren't really wild,

are doing really well!

These ones are my favorites this year.

I think it's the big black centers that I like so much?

I'm not sure, but they make me so happy!

And I Quote...

2011-08-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Corrie ten Boom:

"You will never know the Lord is all you need until the Lord is all that you have."

Re-Written, 52 Weeks: Psalm 18

2011-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading through the Old Testament this year in my 52 Weeks project and I haven't given an update on it in a long time. I thought it was time!

In short, it's been so well. I've been really consistent and am more than half way through. I have an assignment for everyday and most of the time it goes great. But this morning, well, wow! It was a struggle to get my Bible reading done this morning! Gemma interrupted me no less than 15 times in the 30 minutes I spent reading/praying/studying and in that time she glued a bunch of paper things to her door. I did it though, and I have to say, it was so worth it to push through all those interruptions! However, I may feel a bit differently later when I go to clean up the glue.

God is always speaking and wanting us to take the time and listen. I've found that the more distractions I have to set aside, the more impacting and personal message God as for me. This is what God spoke to me about today:

"God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him...Everyday I review the ways He works, I try not to miss a thing. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text book of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes." Psalm 18:20, 23-24 (the Message)

The idea is that as I honestly come before God offering my life and focus my heart on Him, He changes me. While the book of my life used to tell of a woman who was selfish, prideful, a lover of self, and a sinner, He is rewriting my story. Now it will tell of a woman who is a loved and forgiven child of God, accomplishing great things through the power of that God who has made all things new in her. That is, as long as I give Him the pen and let Him keep writing.

And I Quote...

2011-08-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

"If God were small enough for me to understand, He wouldn't be big enough for me to worship." -J.B. Phillips

On Suffering

2011-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the greatest mystery in suffering is how it can bring a person into the presence of God in a state of worship, full of wonder, love, and praise. Suffering does not inevitably do that, but it does it far more often than we would expect...Real faith cannot be reduced to spiritual bromides and merchandised in success stories. It is refined in the fires and the storms of pain...The ironic fact of the matter is that more often than not, people do not suffer less when they are committed to following God, much more. When these people go through suffering, their lives are often transformed, deepened, marked with beauty and holiness, in remarkable ways that could never have been anticipated before the suffering. So, instead of continuing to focus on preventing suffering--which we simply won't be very successful at anyway--perhaps we should begin entering the suffering, participating insofar as we re able--entering the mystery and looking around for God...What we must realize during those times of darkness is that the God who appeared to Job in the whirlwind is calling out to all of us...And so we gain hope--not form the darkness of our suffering, not from the pat answers in books, but from the God who sees out suffering and shares our pain...We realize that suffering calls our lives into question, not God's. The tables are turned. God Alive is present to us. God is speaking to us. -Eugene Peterson

My Favorite Subjects

2011-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love

to photograph flowers.

They're truly my very favorite subjects,

and when I saw the theme 'white'

I knew I would take pictures of flowers.

Besides, the only other 'white' I could think of was my legs

and you don't want to see those!

You Capture: White

And I Quote...

2011-07-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hudson Taylor:

“Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith.”

Mathmatics

2011-07-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

A rare, child free summer afternoon +

some dingy old pillows +

inexpensive remnants fabric +

two thrift store doilies =

fun new pillows for the living room!

Accidental Jelly

2011-07-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

The other day I made blackberry jelly, but not on purpose.

I was trying to make blackberry pancake syrup. It wasn't thickening, so I added some more sugar.

I cooked it some more, and it still didn't thicken. More sugar, more cooking.

Finally I gave up, put it in jars and hoped for the best. A little while later when I checked to see if the jars had sealed properly, I discovered that my pancake syrup was a dismal failure, but I had succeeded in making jelly.

I hope it tastes okay, you know, since it was an accident!

An unrelated side note:

While my pictures are very sharp in my editing program, they look out of focus when I upload them to my blog. I've never had this problem until recently. Is it just my computer, or do they look a bit blurry to you too? Any ideas on how to fix it? I haven't changed the way I'm doing anything.

You Capture: Fruit

Beach!

2011-07-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

I really don't

have anything to say

about these pictures

except that,

well,

we went to the

BEACH!

And I Quote...

2011-07-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

"One of the most powerful apologetics of the gospel is when a group of people love one another live in unity with one another in the midst of a dark and depraved world and they don't think that they have to remove themselves from the world to be sanctified because they believe the gospel is powerful enough to sanctify them in the middle of a broken world."
-Jeff Vanderstelt

When You Come

2011-07-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I find music that I enjoy enough to share here on the blog, but I'm really loving Gungor lately. I find myself listening to them daily. Aside from the creative musical style, the thing that I like is their thought provoking lyrics. I love especially this song by Lisa Gungor. It's beautiful.

Vignettes of a Redwood Forest

2011-07-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

One of the things we did on vacation was camp in a redwood forest in Northern California. It was amazingly beautiful, I couldn't believe we got to camp in such a gorgeous, pristine looking forest. It looked like a fairy land!

Everything was so lush and green. As a native Southern Californian, where everything is pretty dry, that really stood out to me. It's amazing that one end of my state is desert like and the other is practically a rain forest!

How do you take pictures of a redwood forest? The trees are the tallest in the world, and as I don't have a wide angle lens, I went with vignettes:

Everything smelled of pine needles,

green leaves everywhere you looked,

clover carpeted much of the ground,

ferns grew everywhere,

moss covered massive tree trunks,

springing vines,

tiny daisy patches

and yellow flowers really stood out amidst the greenery.

Banana slugs make their home in redwood forests,

as do many variety of fungi.

And of course...

there are the trees themselves.

"Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord, for He is coming!"

Psalm 96:11-12

You Capture: Trees and Flowers

Flowered

2011-07-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

I just never seem to get tired

of taking pictures of my cultivated wild flowers

that aren't really wild

since I intentionally planted and water them.

I think it's just about my favorite

part of summer!

And I Quote...

2011-07-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

C.H. Spurgeon:

"The passion-flower yields us the best perfume, the tree of the cross bleeds the most healing balm. Like in this case cures like, for there is no remedy for sorrow beneath the sun like the sorrows of Immanuel. As Aaron’s rod swallowed up all the other rods, so the griefs of Jesus make our griefs disappear."

Quirks and Confessions: Part Eight, Alternately Titled: Camping, Eh...

2011-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

1. I'm not really a fan of camping. It's only okay. I MUCH prefer hotels or condos

2. However, my budget MUCH prefers camping.

3. Oregon has way nicer campgrounds than Southern California.

4. Northern California has way nicer campgrounds than Southern California

5. I don't really don't like camping in Southern California.

6. I will be camping in Southern California this weekend.

7. Things I like best about camping are s'mores and waking up to bird songs every morning. Oh, and the smell of bacon cooking.

8. The things I hate most about camping are the dirt, the smoke, the dirt, the bugs, and the dirt.

9. Coincidentally, after ten days of vacation, I only came home with three bug bites, not smelling of smoke, and not too dirty.

10. Therefore, this trip really wasn't too bad.

Summertime

2011-07-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is golden, glowing light, and tall grasses blowing in the wind.

Summer is family road trips.

Summer is trips to the beach,

and time at the pool.

Summer is camping in a tent,

and staying up past your bed time to cook over a fire.

Summer is a sweet, cold drink on a hot day.

Summer is a farmer's market full of fresh veggies

and fresh flowers.

"To everything there is a season..." Ecclesiastes 3:1

You Capture: Summertime

And I Quote...

2011-07-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

"Prayer is the soul’s breath, and if it breathes it lives, and, living it will gather strength again. A man must have true and eternal life within him while he can continue still to pray, and while there is such life there is assured hope."
-C.H. Spurgeon

Lovely Morning

2011-07-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Some time with my Bible,

a cup of blueberry tea,

photographing my cultivated wild flowers,

a bit of time in my art journal,

and a trip to the library

make for a lovely morning!

Vacating No Longer

2011-07-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

We've been on vacation for ten days, and now we're home. It was fun, but I am so happy to be sleeping in my own bed and ready to get back to regular life!

We logged a lot of hours driving,

a lot of miles on the car,

saw cities and small towns,

lakes and rivers,

mountains and farmland,

forests and the sea,

wild life and lots of people,

and took lots of pictures of it all.

Six gigs worth of, in fact! That's about 400 photos. I'm working on loading, editing, and converting them all. I can't wait to share!

When Pigs Fly I'll...

2011-07-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

...welcome a reptile into my home.
...actually like broccoli.
...skydive.
...give away my cats.
...get tired of reading.
...quit creating.
...stop loving my family.
...be ungrateful for life.
...cease to be amazed at the goodness of God.

In other words, ain't never gonna happen!

And I Quote...

2011-07-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

"The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him." - C.S. Lewis

Confessions and Quirks: Part Seven

2011-07-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

1. I am hooked on a children's book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. They're really addicting.

2. I may or may not have gotten several adults hooked on this book series as well.

3. I'm getting freckles on my arms and shoulders even though I use lots of sunblock.

4. I am not happy about said freckles.

5. I don't like food touching on my plate.

6. If a sweet food (like fruit salad) mixes with a savory food (like gravy) I can't eat either one.

7. I hated onions and tomatoes when I was younger, but I love them now.

8. My hair is naturally wavy/curly but I straighten most days, except in the summer, and then it's almost always wavy.

9. I don't like popsicles unless they are chocolate fudgesicles.

10. My roses are out of control and need too be pruned, but I am procrastinating taking care of them. My excuse is that it's been too stinkin' hot, but today it's actually not.

July Fourth

2011-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Pretty Girl

2011-07-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

A few pictures

of my favorite girl

on a picnic

in the park.

Some...

2011-06-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

randomography for you.

Random + Photography = Randomography

And I Quote:

2011-06-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

Rushing wind, blow through this temple,

Blowing out the dust within;

Come and breathe your breath upon me:

I've been born again.

Holy Spirit, I surrender; take me where you want to go.

Plant me by your living water,

Plant me deep so I can grow.

Separate me from this world, Lord;

Sanctify my life for you.

Daily change me to your image,

Help me bear good fruit.

Every day you're drawing closer;

Trials come to test my faith.

But when all is said and done, Lord,

You know it's been worth the wait.

Rushing wind, blow through this temple,

Blowing out the dust within;

Come and breathe your breath upon me,

For I've been born again.

- Keith Green

Seeing Purple

2011-06-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Purple mushroom

It makes me want to buy some clay and make some more of these,

even though I don't know what exactly I'll do with them.

Purple Pig

Adorable!

I also want to make some pigs like this out of clay.

I think it would be a fun project to try with Gemma.

Purple Puff Balls

I have know idea what kind of flowers they are,

but I want to grow some.

Purple Bougainvillea

I hate bougainvillea, they have big thorns.

We had them in the back yard growing up and I always seemed to get caught up in them.

The ones we had were red, but since these are purple, I guess they're okay.

You Capture: Purple

Thrifty L♥ve

2011-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

I love thrifting, it's like a treasure hunt. You never know what you'll find! I have a running list of things in my head that I'm always looking for, but the best finds are usually the unexpected, like this one:

I found this chair for ten dollars and snatched it up! It had an ugly, stained gold velvet cushion on it, but other than that, it was awesome. I had some fabric in my stash at home, so Matt and I quickly rigged up a new cover. The fabric looks like it was made for the chair, it matched so perfectly!

I really loved the color of the chair and the red rose. Teal is one of my favorite colors and the rose is one of my favorite flowers. I put the chair at my desk in the kitchen. I sit there every morning while I read my Bible and every day I smile as I pull out my chair. It makes me happy.

Somethings I am always on the look out for at thrift stores are books. Pretty vintage books, and classics for me, and children's chapter books for Gemma. She's such a voracious reader, it's the best way to buy books for her. She was loving this children's adapation of Oliver Twist. Dickens is one of my favorite authors and she really wants to read him too, but they're still a bit hard for her. Maybe in a year or two she will be ready for the real deal, but for now she was thrilled with this one. She said, "Mom, Oliver Twist is such a page turner!"

Other things I am always on the look out for are vintage sheets and pillow cases so use in sewing projects, kitschy decor, embroidery hoops, and vintage suitcases. The embroidery hoops are going to be used to display some of fabric.

I use suitcases to store fabric, paint, and other art supplies, they look so much nicer than plastic boxes. The brown one has the most awesome tag and buckle on it!

The blue one is in practically perfect condition and even has the keys to lock it. That's a rarity! I may actually use that one for travel.

When I picked up this little elephant, Gemma asked me why I wanted it. She thought it was weird for me to get it. Maybe it was, but there's just something about it that's so cute! I just found it really appealing and now it lives happily on a shelf in my art room.

Has anyone else found any thrifted awesomeness recently?

Challenged

2011-06-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a thirty day art journal challenge for the the month of June. Originally I planned to share my pages weekly on my blog, but life has just gotten in the way, so here are days one through seventeen. I have been art journaling daily and haven't missed a day yet! Eventually I'll post more pages.

The challenge has been a lot of fun so far, and good for me to create every day and take a step away from mixed media collage, which is the medium I'm most comfortable with. I've been drawing in pen, and using my Sakura pens (I love those things so much) with the occasional Prisma pencils thrown in. Some of my journal pages may make their way to canvases, specifically days two, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. It's been so inspiring!

Runs With Scissors

And I Quote...

2011-06-17T16:30:00.001-07:00

I am full of earth, You are heaven’s worth

I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity

You are everything that is bright and clean

The antonym of me, You are divinity.

But a certain sign of grace is this

From the broken earth, flowers come up

Pushing through the dirt…

-David Crowder Band

Sprucing Up the Joint

2011-06-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time to spruce up the old blog.

If you're in a reader and care to see, click on over!

Confessions and Quirks: Part Six, Alternately Titled: I Hate Lizards

2011-06-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

1. I am ridiculously afraid of lizards.

2. I especially hate when lizards sneak in my house.

3. This has happened many times before.

4. Once, I called my husband home from work because there was a lizard in my house. He actually left work early to catch it.

5. Yesterday, there was a lizard in my house, but I didn't call my husband. Between my cat, Gemma, and myself, we managed to get rid of it.

6. It involved much screaming. I won't tell you who screamed the most, but it wasn't the cat.

7. Also, the lizard left his tail on my living room floor, wiggling around without a body. I just about gagged when my cat tried to eat said tail.

8. Once, a lizard ran up my leg. I had slipped my bare feet into a pair of garden shoes I liked to leave outside to keep mud out of the house. The lizard was taking a siesta in one of the shoes.

9. I don't keep my gardening shoes outside anymore.

10. Have I mentioned that I hate lizards?

And I Quote...

2011-06-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

Paul Tripp:

"We are not just people in need of wisdom; we are also people in need of rescue—and the thing that we need to be rescued from is us. Our fundamental problem is not ignorance of what is right. Our problem is selfishness of heart that causes us to care more about what we want than about what we know is right. The laws, principles, and perspectives of Scripture provide the best standard ever towards which our relationships should strive. They can reveal our wrongs and failures, but they have no capacity whatsoever to deliver us from them. For that we need the daily grace that only Jesus can give us. So, we must not simply hold one another to the high relational standards of God’s Word, but we must also daily offer the same grace that we have been given to one another so that we may be tools of grace in the lives of one another."

Floral

2011-06-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

There's

nothing

I like to

photograph

better than

flowers.

It's kind of my thing.

You Capture: Flowers

And I Quote...

2011-05-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

"We begin an argument with: 'I wouldn't believe in a God who would...' Who would what? Do you ever consider the possibility that maybe the Creator's sense of justice is actually more developed than yours and that maybe His love and his mercy are perfect and you could be the one who is flawed.

When we make statements like: 'Well, God wouldn't do this, would He?' Do you understand that in that moment you are actually putting God's actions in submission to your reasoning. You are in essence saying: God wouldn't think that way or act that way because I wouldn't act that way or think that way."

Does it ever enter your mind that maybe He (God) knows something you don't?"

-Francis Chan

Pretty in the Abstract

2011-05-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

One field of purple and yellow wildflowers

plus a high aperture setting

plus some creative focusing and cropping

equals pretty, painting like photos!

I love this technique, it reminds me of Monet, one of my favorite artists.

You Capture: Pretty

Ferruginous

2011-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

We took a hike at a local state Saturday to an abandoned ranch.

There were a lot of buildings to explore, barns, sheds, mechanic yard, etc.

Matt had been before and knew I would like it,

since I have an affinity for the old and rusty.

There was certainly many interesting old things,

and definitely a lot of rust!

Fun Photos

2011-05-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have had several people wonder what kind of effects I used to get this photo:

This is the original:

It was taken at a children's exhibit at the Getty Museum in L.A. There were a lot of mirrors attached to a wall at different angles. I took a picture of my reflection, just like I would in a normal mirror, but this was actually much harder. There was a lot of guess work in getting the camera positioned just right. Focusing was difficult too, partly due to low light, but mostly because I wasn't looking through the viewfinder and didn't know exactly where it was focusing.

This photo wasn't as sharp as I would like, so I touched it up a bit in the editing program I use, Digital Photo Professional. It's a fairly basic program that is easy to use and has the ability to edit RAW images. It does white balance, sharpens, and removes noise as well as the typical, saturation, hue, cropping, contrast, etc. It's a really great program that I'm happy with most of the time, the only problem is that it can't do any fun editing. No filters, overlays, or actions.

When I want to do some fun editing, I use this free program, Be Funky. It has so many neat free effects! The one I used on my picture was holgaart #4. The only down side is that with the free program, you can't save very large file sizes. For me, this is not a problem. Most of my pictures only go on the computer, I the ones I do print are often 4x6, which is about as big as you can print to get a decent quality. Of course, if you pay for it, you get more features and the ability to save larger files.

So that's how I did it. Pretty easy and really fun! Give it a try!

And I Quote...

2011-05-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

"The secret to life is death. When you finally die, the pressure is off. When you truly realize you are crucified with Christ, you won't exalt yourself, protect yourself, or be concerned with yourself. The secret of the Christian life is to die to self, to get your eyes off yourself and to quit wondering why you're discouraged, why you're depressed, why you're not happy. The way to abundant life is not to seek to be blessed, but to seek to be a blessing to others; not to seek to be understood, but to seek to understand others; not to seek to receive, but to seek to reach out to others." -Jon Courson

Busy

2011-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Busy.

Who isn't these days?

There's always some where to go,

something that needs to be done,

someone who needs something.

Errands,

soccer practice,

house cleaning,

laundry,

piano recital,

work,

dinner to make,

email,

facebook,

lunches to pack,

homework to check,

children to put to bed,

and the list goes on and on.

And then there's the things that you want to do,

and try to make them fit some where in the busy schedule.

But don't let busy become an excuse.

We need to take a bit of time to slow down,

enjoy today, not miss those little moments,

moments with our spouse,

with our children,
and with our God.

Busy is fine, but

it's important to step away from the busyness

and just be.

Be silent.

Be still.

Rest,

and go to the One

who rejuvenates the soul.

You Capture: Busy

Seeing Red...

2011-05-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

at the Getty Museum in Los Angelas.

Mayflowers

2011-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

iheartfaces

Reflections on Thirty

2011-05-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Today I turn thirty years old. A couple of weeks ago a friend asked me how I felt about turning thirty and I said I wasn't sure. I've always joked that you weren't a real grown up until age twenty-seven, and that you were old at thirty. I didn't leave myself too many years to be an adult with the hindrances of old age, now did I?All joking aside, I have spent some time reflecting on leaving my twenties behind and beginning my thirties.

My twenties were hard: there was the stillbirth of my son, which I've never written about here, maybe someday; the challenges of starting a new ministry, then having to leave that ministry and being lied about and rejected for doing right; I've spent time in fire and time in storms; there have been times of financial uncertainty; difficulties with my daughter; and family drama.

My twenties were good: they brought marriage to my my soul mate; a beautiful daughter who brings me joy; I have learned lessons in Christ likeness; learned that instead can be better than what I gave up; that mom has died; God has given us a new ministry; I have discovered friends who will stand by me no matter what; I have made new friends; we attend a church I love; there have been triumphs and times of complete amazement at the goodness of God, and really, I could go on and on about the good things.

As I begin my thirties, I've discovered something: life and ministry are just beginning. Joseph was thirty years old when he was made second in command of Egypt, David was thirty years old when he became king of Israel, and Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry, so the way I look at it, thirty is the start of something great!

Sacred Calling

2011-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

As mothers, we have been entrusted with one of life's most sacred callings: the shaping a molding of little hearts. It's a calling that brings me intense joy and equally intense frustration, this training of a young life. I feel the weight of this responsibility heavily at times. I only have one child to raise, they're not going to be a chance to gain the experience that comes from raising several children, to do things differently with the next one. She's it, and like most other parents, I want the best for her. I don't want to make any mistakes.

That, of course, is impossible. There is no perfect parent, but by the grace of God, I will be the best mother that I can be. Children are one of God's greatest sanctifying tools. It is through their helplessness and need for constant care that we learn lessons in selflessness. How many times did I not have time to properly care for myself when Gemma was little, because I was too busy caring for her? Too many to count. Being awakened in the middle of the night evokes no anger over lost sleep because we are overwhelmed with compassion and worry for the sweet little fevered brow that calls out for mommy. All the work of the elaborate birthday party with lots of noisy, wild children that I spent so much time preparing and then resulted in a disastrous mess in the house is worth all the extra trouble and effort because my daughter had such a wonderful time and feels so loved and special. Children teach us to die to ourselves.

Because of my daughter, I work on developing my own character. What I want her to be, I must first become myself. Little eyes are watching, little ears are hearing, little hearts are learning. If I am impatient and rude, allow harsh words and criticism to flow from my mouth, those things will soon come pouring out of my daughter's mouth, but if I model grace and love, am a woman given to prayer and seeking after God, my daughter will be likely to follow.

It would seem that the best way to fulfill my most sacred calling, would be to imitate a Most Sacred Life. I will walk in the footsteps of my Savior, learning to love like He loves, do what is right in the face of adversity just as He did, and I will die to myself, just as He did. And hopefully, there will be a little eyes watching me, little ears listening to me, and a little heart learning from me to follow her Savior too.

You Capture: Motherhood

Confessions and Quirks: Part Five

2011-05-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

1. Every time I see kittens, I want one... or two... or three... or all of them.

2. I aways have too many projects going on at once. I have at least four sewing projects I'm working on, several canvases that are in process, a pile of old silverware waiting to be used for yet another project, and the list goes on and on.

3. Besides the list of projects that have been started, I have five times as many, at least, that I want to do and haven't gotten around to starting yet. I have too many ideas and not enough time, even though, really, I do have a lot of free time!

4. I love to take naps, and do at least twice a week.

5. Also, whenever I take a nap, I take my two cats with me. If I snap my fingers in the afternoon, they both come running, 'cause they know it's nap time.

6. I will turn 30 in less than a week. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

7. Word pictures created by something I read get stuck in my head, but never movie scenes.

8. I can't study or write with music playing. I need silence. Kind of odd, because I grew up in a noisy house. You would think I would have learned to tune things out a long time ago.

9. I like my bagels toasted and dry, no butter, and certainly not cream cheese. I hate cream cheese.

10. I have gray hair since I was still in my teens and had to start dying or getting it highlighted when I was twenty-two years old. Both my parents went gray young. I'm the only one of my siblings who seems to have inherited this trait.

And I Quote...

2011-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

William Carey : "Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God."

Thinking about this today...

2011-05-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."

Psalms 19:14

Tulips

2011-05-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've always loved tulips. They're such happy, springtime flowers. These have finished blooming now, due to some rather warm weather here. I was glad I pulled out my camera the other day to take a few pictures before the flowers wilted. I even pulled out my macro lens. These were actually sitting in my dining room, but I took them outside to have better light for photographing.

I'd like to save the bulbs and replant them for next year. Does anyone know anything about that? Can I leave them in their pot? If you have any information, please do share!

You Capture: Outside

Random + Photography = Randomography

2011-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Taken at a historic fire station in the L.A. Olvera St. area.

And I Quote...

2011-04-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

- John Bunyan

Sunset

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I just love

seeing the sunset

in a rose.

"From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy."

Psalm 65:8b

Beauty in a Mason Jar

2011-04-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

These scraggely flowers gorw as weeds around here.

Gemma picked them, swiped them probably, from a neighbor's curb.

"They're for you, Mom."

They are drinking water from a mason jar.

I'm not sure who put them in there, Matt or Gemma.

Mason jars make the best vases.

What is it about children that makes them see flowers in weeds,

beauty in what most adults would consider garbage?

I think perhaps it's a bit like what our Savior sees in us.

We may not be much, we might even be weeds, but He sees in us potientiality.

He sees in us His children, who are far from perfect

and lavishes His love on us.

You Capture: Pink

Shhh...

2011-04-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have a secret stash.

Don't tell!

Paid in Full

2011-04-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe,

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt,

And raised this life up from the dead!

Happy Easter!

Fish Eyed

2011-04-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a fish eye lens for quite a while. This is just a fish eye effect. Maybe someday I'll actually get a lens. But I'd also like to have an 85mm and a 35mm. Photography, you are such an expensive hobby!

And I Quote...

2011-04-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Brother Lawrence:
"Let all our employment be to know God; the more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will our love be; and if our love of God were great, we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures. Let us not content ourselves with loving God for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which He has none or may do us. Let us seek Him often by faith. Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts."

Spring Blooms

2011-04-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Nothing says spring

to me

quite like

beautifully blooming

pastel colored

flowers.

Don't you agree?

"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land."

Song of Solomon 2:11-12

You Capture: Spring

Sounds of Peace

2011-04-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

I close my eyes and listen

the clock is ticking softly

a contented cat is purring

birds are trilling

a crow calls

water drips

a quiet conversation, may daughter talking to herself

the wind whips quickly against the windows

and just as quickly dies down.

Night falls, the sounds change

the pages of a book turning

crickets singing

frogs croaking in the distance

a door gently closes

a light switch flicks off

deep, rhythmic breathing

the sounds of peace.

I {Heart} Faces: Wind

2011-04-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted this picture, but it fit the theme for this week's I Heart Faces photo challenge, so here it is again. When I was taking this picture (and the others in the series) I was annoyed the the wind was "messing up my shot". It wasn't until I unload the pictures at home that I realized the wind was a blessing in disguise. I love how it's blowing my daughter's long golden hair!

Wind

2011-04-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

"Rushing wind, blow through this temple,

blowing out the dust with in.

Come and breath Your breath upon me,

for I've been born again." -Keith Green

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."

Acts 2:2

And I Quote...

2011-04-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

"Remember He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can't see it. So quietly submit to be painted---i.e., keep fulfilling all the obvious duties of your station (you really know quite well enough what they are!), asking forgiveness for each failure and then leaving it alone. You are in the right way. Walk---don't keep on looking at it." -C. S. Lewis

Smiling :)

2011-04-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Things that are making me smile:

This basket of seeds, just waiting to be planted.

My roses are starting to bloom.

Super great deals on super cute clothes at ON.

Resurrection eggs, #12 especially, because it's empty, like Jesus' tomb on Easter morning.

The bird house Gemma painted and hung from our peach tree.

This baby picture of Gemma. Has it really been that long?

And, of course, her gap toothed grin. It makes me smile every time I see all those missing teeth. I think I'll be sad when those gaps are filled in with grown up teeth.

What are you smiling at?

You Capture: Smile

Reflecting Light

2011-04-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

Any guesses

on what

this

is?

And I Quote...

2011-04-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

"If I hold on to choices of any kind,

just because they are my choice;

if I give any room to my private likes and dislikes,

then I know nothing of Calvary love."

-Amy Carmichael

Confession:

2011-04-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

I love farmer's markets,

but I really hate vegetables.

That's probably why I take pictures at one

instead of buy produce there.

Fun

2011-04-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

To me, these pictures are so fun:

the bright, happy colors,

and my silly girl's jack o' lantern grin.

We had fun taking these pictures, although taking pictures of a child isn't always fun.

It can be stressful and frustrating if the child won't cooperate, but I have a secret that can help combat that.

Want to hear it?

Make sure your camera is set to continuous mode, hold the shutter down, and have the kid make silly faces at you.

In between those crazy faces, you'll get some genuinely happy smiles because the kid is having lots of

FUN!

You Capture: Fun

Junk Market

2011-04-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone in the market for some old junk?

I am!