A Rare Day in January. . .

It was so nice outside today - it reached 60 degrees here and I had a chance to get out and enjoy the blue sky and sunshine. The weather forecast for tomorrow is cloudy with a high of 20 and snow flurries. Ahhh.... weather in Nebraska!!! I'm sure some of you can relate!

I usually prefer horizantal shots for landscapes, but in this example, I think I like the vertical one. I guess I really like seeing more of the blue sky.

Surprise!!!

AV mode, f5.6, SS 1/50, ISO 400

AV mode, f2.8, SS 1/12, ISO 100

AV mode, f2.8, SS 1/50, ISO 100

My hubby surprised me with these flowers on my desk this morning. Isn't he a sweetie! I am so lucky, he is very supportive of my photography hobby. These were taken with my Canon 60mm macro lens on a tripod using the self timer because of the slow shutter speeds. I still can't quite get the hang of the macro lens, but I'm going to keep trying!

Japanese Cuisine

Shogun is our favorite Japanese restaurant in town. They serve teppanyaki style where the chef prepares the meal on an iron griddle at your table. We don't get to go too often, just for special occasions. And no, I don't like sushi - do you?

Run, Sally, run!

A friend and I browsed an antique mall this past weekend and I brought my camera along. We always have fun searching for vintage items and this "Fun With Our Family" Dick and Jane book caught my eye. This is the kind of book I learned to read from back in the 60's. (I am really dating myself, here!) Notice mother's freshly ironed blouse and skirt she is wearing to vacuum. And the lovely apron she has on to protect her dress. I do actually collect old aprons. I love the vintage fabric and trim used on them. I'm sure most of you aren't familiar with these little books, but they bring back fond childhood memories of a much simpler time.

Betty Crocker

Just call me "Betty Crocker" or "Susie Homemaker". Since the theme this week is "words", I decided to take a picture of my old Betty Crocker cookbook. I got this as a wedding shower gift almost 27 years ago and you can tell by the worn edges and stained pages that it has been well used!

It was so cold outside this weekend, I decided to warm up the kitchen by baking some banana nut bread. This recipe reminds me of my grandma. She often baked fresh bread, cookies and the best pies ever! Yummo!

Blokus

Before. . .

After. . .

We love to play these kinds of strategy games at our house. DS #2 got this one for Christmas. Blokus can be played by a wide range of ages, it's easy to learn and goes fairly quickly. Each player chooses a color and must start by placing their first piece in a corner, then take turns adding pieces, only corners of your color can touch.

I am not very experienced with photoshop, but I'm taking a class at our local community college starting next week. What I've learned so far has been from all the helpful peas, reading tutorials and books. On my before and after examples, I adjusted exposure by .6, smart sharpend, and added border. Still not real happy with WB, I used custom white balance on these and need to practice that some more!

Marbles

Focus Near . . .



Focus Far . . .
These marbles belong to my dh, he collected them as a child. I love all the colors, but not really happy with the shadows and lighting here. I may get out my macro lens and try these shots again. Canon 40D Aperture priority, SS 1/30 and 1/40 (w/tripod), f5.0, ISO 100, FL 38mm. Adjusted levels in PSCS2, forgot to smart sharpen, so no sharpening here.