Springtime in the Rockies

I am always surprised when someone who actually lives in Colorado is surprised when we get snowstorms in April ~ and sometimes even May.  I can understand someone who doesn't live in Colorado not getting it.  But if you've been here for a couple of years you know that our snowiest months are March and April.  And that Spring lasts 5 minutes.  

Sorry all you Spring flower enthusiasts.  Although some Spring blooms can survive the snow (it actually insulates them), if you're really into daffodils and tulips, Colorado might not the place for you.   

So as I watch the snowflakes dance outside my window

I'm happy I took a few minutes yesterday ~ when it was 68 degrees ~ with my Lensbaby 2.0 and 4x macro filter to immortalize my little crocuses.  

It was worth getting down on my creaky ol' knees to do so.

And with that ~ Mornin' Peeps!

In the Whee Small Hours of the Morning...

I never intended for this blog to be about my business.  But anyone who knows me will tell you that I pretty much eat, sleep, drink (well except for the  ~ ahem ~ occasional glass of wine) and breathe what I do.  Because I love what I do.  So it is hard to separate me from business.  And as my 94 year old Mom would say about sewing, "That's not work!  That's fun!"  

Apple. Tree.

Once in awhile I get an idea for a product that just seems to come out of nowhere.  And once in awhile if it is something I just feel might be fun to make, I become obsessed with developing it.  I tweak and tweak and tweak until I work all the kinks out and then the fun really begins.

And so it has been this weekend with the Whee Tote Bags I've developed.  They are a twist on a bag I made a couple of years ago, but I like this one much better.  It's smaller and cuter than the previous incarnation and I'm using coordinating flannels and finally found a use for my button collection and a few other notions.  It's all about the accents, ya' know.

And I do love buttons.  I remember as a little girl sitting with my Mom's big glass jar of buttons and sorting them by color and shape.  I guess that OCD thing started young...

And no, I didn't eat all that gelato.  Nope. Not me...

And I love fabric ~ particularly flannel because the designs are so frickin' cute.

So I spent all day Saturday making bags.  And was up again at 1:30 am to make more.  And will spend the rest of today making more.  Obsessed?  Me?  Nah. ;-)

So Mornin' Peeps ~ Carry on. I've bags to make!  

Big Sky Required.

I remarked to someone the other day that I could never live anywhere that doesn't have big sky.  Unless it has an ocean.  Then I could. But the two typically go hand in hand.  Big sky ~ big ocean. Now there's a combo I could live with. Someday...

But since I've spent the last 38.5 years in landlocked Colorado, I turn to the sky. And it rarely disappoints.

I am extremely claustrophobic, so knowing there is a vast amount of open space above my head is comforting to me. (Ask my husband how many times he has had to take the stairs because I can't step into a crowded elevator...)

So big sky suits me just fine. Sometimes the sky is so blue it hurts my eyes.

And we are approaching one of my favorite times of the year for sky-viewing ~ Thunderstorm Season!!

Sometimes I see things in the sky that others don't.  Like hearts.

And sometimes I surprise myself.

And then there are the crazy, stupid, incredible sunsets.

And don't even get me started on the sunrises...

You know the drill ~~ mornin' peeps. :)

Blame it on John Denver

It's John Denver's fault.  You know ~ that whole Rocky Mountain High thing.

When I was in high school in the 70's (yes, I'm ancient) I played my John Denver albums (yes, vinyl - I'm ancient) until they practically wore out. So when the opportunity arose I moved to Colorado.  I was 19.

And I fell in love with the mountains.

I even learned to tolerate snow.

Hiking became a favorite pastime and has presented all kinds of surprises.

I moved a few years ago and have an 880 State Park at the end of my street.

And the view from my studio isn't bad.

And on that note ~ Mornin' from the studio, peeps!

He Brought Flowers. Again. And Again...

For some reason my husband has been walking thru the door a lot lately with brilliant bouquets of colorful petals. Not that I'm complaining or anything. But it makes me wonder... either he's feeling guilty about something or hmmmm... maybe he loves me.  

Or maybe he wants to provide endless photo ops so I can sell more photographs.  Yup, that's probably it.  Make some money, honey.  ;-)

 

Because the only thing I shoot more than birds are flowers.  I've never really analyzed why but I think it goes back to ~ I have always just shot what's in front of me.  And, like with the whole bird thing, once I started carrying a camera on my morning walks, the flowers were just... there.  So I shot 'em.

Once I realized how much I enjoyed the pops of color,

I began experimenting with different lenses. I started with a macro (105mm) but once I discovered Lensbaby lenses, it was all over.  (If you know me, you know of my Baby Love... and that is a whole 'nother story for another day; but just an FYI ~ all of these were shot with either my Lensbaby Original or my Lensbaby 2.0 and macro filters.)

I then I started paying attention to the light and the background ~

which I learned in photo-speak is referred to as bokeh.  But I like to call it bokey.  :)  I would like to say I've always planned the light and the bokey, but usually it's just luck.

I started to notice how graceful the curve of a petal can be

And I discovered the infinite beauty of tiny, tiny things. 

And if the sunrise doesn't greet me with a smile, I can always count on my flowers to do that.

So Mornin' Peeps ~ here's a little sunshine for your day!

Four-Legged People with Fur

Cats and dogs have been a part of my family my entire adult life ~ all of them rescues.  But I've never had any of them live as long as A-choo and Simba. Well, Ames, the cat came close - he was 15 when we said good-bye.  But Simba at 15.5 and A-choo at 20... well, they are the current record holders.  

And boy, do they require attention.  I feel like I have a couple of toddlers in the house again.  They follow me wherever I go (even the bathroom!). They constantly want to be fed and, gah, are they are picky eaters.   They like their naps. They pee a lot. They get me up in the middle of the night and early morning hours are routine.  A day doesn't go by that someone doesn't have an "accident" or pukes somewhere in the house.

But...

I find if I don't hear them snoring at night, I lie awake worrying.

When I walk past them I have to stop until I am sure they are breathing.  Simba lost her hearing about a year ago so we have our own little sign language.  Her eyesight is fading but the one sense she has always used the most - her sense of smell - is sharper than ever.  Her nickname of Sniffy McSnifferson is well-deserved ~ sniff every blade of grass, every snowflake.  Trust me ~ a walk with her will never garner a cardio workout!

If A-choo doesn't wake me up at 4am crying to be fed, I think she's dead.  Oh and I promised to explain her nickname ~ Cry Baby Ranch.  In the past year she has become quite vocal and her way of getting my attention is to cry relentlessly - until I feed her.  So I started calling her Cry Baby.  Then it evolved into Cry Baby Ranch because there is a funky, fun store on Larimer Street in Denver called Cry Baby Ranch.  So now it makes total sense, right?

They require a lot of attention and a lot of patience.  But I ask you how could you possibly resist these little faces??  I know their time with us is limited ~ and I am so grateful for the joy and laughter and unconditional love they have given us over the years...  

Hug your critters today and ~

Mornin' peeps!  Y

Decision Time.

I read my horoscope almost every morning.  Not because I believe in it.  Just because I'm curious.  Sometimes it is just silly.  Sometimes it is pretty close to what I'm thinking/feeling.  And sometimes it cosmically helps me make a decision or answer a question.  On those days I believe in it.  ;-)  Take today's horoscope for instance (and I'm paraphrasing):

"Be as realistic as possible and clearly let others know what you can and cannot do.  They will appreciate your direct approach and accurate assessment more than an unrealistic promise that can't be kept.  Take a deep breath and smile; even super heroes can't be everywhere at once."

Today that helped me make a decision.  One that enabled me to walk out the door with my camera this morning and go for an honest-to-god 20 minute walk.  Something I haven't done in months.  And for someone who used to walk at least an hour every morning it is something I have dearly missed.

So as invitations for my Whee Ones and I to participate in summer markets and local artists' events are coming in I've really been on the fence.  

Because even though some of the markets and events are quite prestigious and well-attended, with my usual workload keeping 9 stores across the country stocked with both Whee Ones and photography and maintaining 2 Etsy shops ~~ it's a lot to take on.  I even received an invitation to exhibit my photography at another RAW Natural Born Artists/Denver event.  I'm so flattered and honored by the invitations but what I am learning is that even though my first instinct is to respond with a resounding "YES!" ~ it's not always in my best interest [personally] to commit to every offer that comes my way.  So I am really trying to take time and listen to my heart.  If my heart isn't in it it's time to say no.

I've been running like a machine for a couple of years now and it has taken a toll on my family life, my social life, my eating habits, my sleeping habits and now my body ~ my back has been jacked up for months and I've put on more lbs. than I'd like to admit.  (Denial has been my friend for a long time now...)

So although it's been hard, I'm saying "No" a little more often and finding that it allows me to do things like ~ go out the door, camera in hand and discover the beauty that lies in my own backyard (or front yard as it may be)...

Like these little guys bravely surviving our recent snows... literally outside my front door.

And sunshine...

And dreams of travels to faraway places.  Or at least the PNW...  And the realization that reclaiming my life ~ at least a small portion of it ~ is going to be a good thing.

And with that ~

Mornin' peeps!!