Anatomy of a Photo Shoot

Today's extremely photo heavy post is a behind the scenes look at a family photo shoot.  What you get to see is the final product, the best of the best.  Images carefully selected for perfection.  What you do not see is the organized chaos that goes on behind the scenes to produce that perfection.

What it takes?  Two eager parents; two adequately bribed children; an abandoned warehouse; a beautiful fall morning; an art director, photographer Momma; a lot of silliness; and a dash of tears for good measure.

And so, without further adieu I present  Anatomy of a Photo Shoot.




































The End.

Listening to the Music

There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.  ~Minnie Aumonier




Are you listening?

Road Trip in Review

She may be 90 years young but she's always up for an adventure.  That's why I had to be certain in my mind that the trip wouldn't be too much for her; had to be sure before even mentioning it because as expected, when I did, she jumped on it without a minute's hesitation.

A road trip to NC to visit S, B and the grands was soon a reality.



We left early on a Thursday morning, in the dark and dodging rain drop as suitcases were loaded into the car.  The weather was far from promising but scenes like this were prevalent as we made our way south through West Virgina.





She was a trooper, watching wide eyed as the miles rolled by, eagerly drinking in the sights as one parched from forced confinement might.  The hours passed quickly as we rolled along reminiscing about the last time she traveled these highways.



We arrived in Hickory to hugs and kisses from two excited kiddos.



We were privileged to pick up Miss A from kindergarten;



watch cartoons with the G-man and his snugnuts;



enjoy some quiet time with B;



and walk the tracks with S.



All too soon it was time to say our farewells and point the car north.

We had five great days.  Five days that passed far too quickly.  Five days of fun.   Five days of memory making all around.

When we arrived home, we were BOTH exhausted.

Hanging On

When left to their own devices these Cosmos escaped the confines of their pot and spilled onto the ground creating a scene much more interesting than the manicured one I created.

They are hanging on to life providing one last breath of summer before succumbing to the first autumn frost.

Road Trip

The Kid had to return to sunny Florida last week on business.  What was I going to do with my time while he was away, I pondered?  It didn't take long for the light bulb to click on and I knew...ROAD TRIP.

I hadn't seen the grands since early August and that in grammy years is an eternity.  I quickly packed up the car and headed south to North Carolina.



I also packed up my 90 year old mother and took her along for the ride.

We're back now after a whirlwind visit and I will have more photos just as soon as I rake all the leaves that fell while I was away.

Best Time of the Year

In spite of the rain and the wind of the past couple of weeks, we did experience Indian Summer.  For five glorious days the sun shone brightly, the temperature topped the 70 degree mark and the foliage proudly unveiled it's fall wardrobe.  The Kid got in some end of summer fishing and I blew the dust off the camera and snapped a few photos.

You've heard it from me before, but it is worth repeating.

Fall....it's the best time of the year, bar none.

Blown Away

Fall has literally blown by this year.   Per tradition this weekend should be peak for fall color but two days of rain and high winds put the kibosh on that.

This weekend will now be peak for leaf raking.

The Reveal

I thought that since I have been absent from the blog for so long I should show you what I've been up to all of these weeks.

To start let's take a look back at what the little red cottage looked like when we moved in a year ago.



Lot's of dark paneling, out dated furniture and a rug well past its prime.

And today, after 3 coats of paint, a new floor, and several excellent flea market finds the room has a whole new look.



Believe it or not the chairs are the same ones from the photo above.  They lost their skirts and are sporting a bright new apple green print fabric.  (If you don't love it like I do, keep it to yourself...please.)



The little stand in the middle was a $5 flea market find.  Score for me!



The coffee table also received a makeover.





The floors were our first purchase in the spring and the last thing installed.  They were finally finished two weeks ago compliments of The Kid, nephew Josh and brother-in-law Jim.  Thanks guys, you rock.







The table and chairs are on loan from my big sis.   I always keep an eye out for one that fits our small space.  Until one surfaces this one works just fine.



The bunk area, which truly is our second bedroom, is one of my favorite spaces in the cottage.



New mattresses were the first order of business.  The ones we inherited were original to our 1950's home away from home.  It was scary to think what might have been living in their depths.



This summer we had the mattresses slip covered,



and filled the corner with bright colored pillows.



I uncovered my grandmother's old sewing machine ( which is also vintage 1950's) and resurrected my sewing skills.



The bunk under the double window belongs to Henna.  It is her perch and window on the world.  The telephone stand belonged to my parents; the key holder is a cottage original.



Most of our time and money has been spent on updating the main room.  We know (hopefully) that at some point there will be major changes to the kitchen, porch and bedroom and are trying to refrain from focusing our attention on things might eventually be removed.



While we don't have enough room to store a lot of "stuff" now for future use,  I'm always on the look out for pieces that can be used both now and later.  Things like this old shipping trunk I found in an antique shop in Ohio (for less than $50 I might add).

(I have challenged myself to find inexpensive items and give them new life.  Flea markets and yard sales usually produce more keepers than antique shops which tend to be more costly.  However nothing is off limits, not even sifting through a pile of old doors and windows sitting at the side of the road awaiting the trash man.  There is nothing quite like the rush of finding a piece of a rusty iron gate sitting in the mud at a flea market and bringing it home for a mere $2.  The bigger challenge is explaining to The Kid just why anyone would want a rusty iron gate part in the first place.)



The kerosene lamp is an old railroad lantern my neighbor (and partner in crime) found when they purchased their cottage several years ago.  It is one of a pair she had in a bag to donate to a yard sale.  After seeing how this one turned out, she decided to keep its twin for herself.




The kitchen is very much a work in progress and a reveal will have to wait until things are a little farther along.  I'm not great at details and there are a lot of those left to finish.  But hey, I've got nothing but time.

And now you know what I did with my time all summer.   I hope you think it was time well spent.

A Dog's Life

"Henna, I wish I had your life," stated The Kid as she lay napping the other afternoon.



Me:  If you think about it, your life's not so different from hers.  Eat, sleep, frequent trips to the bathroom, eat and sleep some more.

Retirement, it's a dog's life.

I've Lost My....

Mojo
Vitality
Drive
Fire
Passion
Arder
Zeal
Moxie

or perhaps all of the above.

As a result I've been gone from here for weeks.  You may be gone from here too.  I wouldn't blame you.

The big question is have I found it?  My mojo, vitality, drive, fire, passion, arder, zeal and moxie.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.