camera dump

I was inspired by the back wall of a DIY bookshelf over at Growing Home, and decided that the final wall of the church office needed a dressed up bulletin board. This is what I've been looking at for a couple of months and can't take it much longer.

 I really enjoy starting projects, but I don't like finishing them. Once it's 95% done, I'm ready to move on. The office started out something like this below. All men working there, you get the idea.

I honestly did find a half eaten Twinkie still in the wrapper inside a filing cabinet drawer. It was hidden in the back behind some empty folders. There's now a waiting area for people who stop by and the lighting is softer (lost the photos which were on my phone, so I'll have to add some later). I'm still hoping to do something fun with the bulletin board though. I also thought about changing out the flower picture in the kitchen with a piece of more cheerful fabric in a modern pattern. The kitchen is all white and so the flowers don't do much for it in terms of "pop".

The kitchen is NEWLY all white I should say. We had an Almond colored refrigerator from 1970 for two years, that made a sound like the house was going to blow, for about 1 minute every week. It froze everything on the bottom two shelves which ruined all the produce, so we just upgraded to a truly white version, possibly 1990, compliments of Craig's List. $250 total including delivery, removal of the old, hook up of the new and a 90 day warranty. We're excited.

Mother's Day was especially fun this year, knowing that MAD (Mom and Dad) would be leaving for England right after to see my brother and sister-in-law who are living there. We are very low key with holidays and they always include a meal, a photo of us in front of the same fireplace or tree, and plenty of laughter. My middle brother is usually running late and calling to say "he's 10 minutes away". Translated: He just woke up from a nap and forgot it was *insert important holiday*.

Typical relaxing afternoon together. I would say the shoes were kicked off, but that is possibly my late brother  who forgot to wear shoes at all (late as in still alive, just not punctual). Jake, the dog my parents have now inherited from my youngest brother, is interested in the camera; whereas Charlie is more emo and pondering his looming haircut.

And with good reason. His self esteem takes a beating for about a month. Now I love my dog, but I'm just not that keen on treating him like a human. There's a dog daycare in the area called "Pets Are People Too"...really, people?

By the way, I realize that none of these photos are very good. However, I have decided that I'd rather capture the memories than not post them, and it's also practical help towards creating a blog about reality. We don't always look good, and that's just life. Since purchasing my first SLR camera last summer, I have been excited about getting into one of Kate Byar's photography classes, but every time I go to her site to register for one, they're all booked. She's an amazing photographer and I'm so happy to see that she has found work that she loves and is passionate about. Very inspiring. 

What's even crazier is that she recently did a photo shoot for one of my college friends with her sweet baby Nicolas. I didn't even know she had hired Kate until I received a precious baby announcement in the mail with "Kate Byars Photography" printed on back. They're great pictures not only of the baby but also of the amazing nursery! Well done and congratulations Julie and Nic!