deb duty photography

project life: week 17

2012-05-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

Week 17 was a fabulous and fun week because it included lots of time with cousins and a crawfish boil! Hard to top that! Once again, I love how the colors of clementine came together to look so beautiful with my photos. I took a lot of pics of my layout this week so let's get right to it.

left side:

right side:

And a few detail shots of this week's layout including...

...the washi

the instagrammed stamp (I purchase the stamp from Studio Calico, but I can't find it in the shop so I'm not sure if it's still available)

a few more instagrams...

and another 4x6 pocket (the label that can be found here).

Check out more Project Life inspiration every Tuesday at The Mom Creative.

this or that thursday: monarch caterpillars

2012-05-24T06:15:00.000-05:00

Something very exciting is happening in my backyard right now! You see, I planted a milkweed plant last summer in hopes of attracting monarch butterflies. Milkweeds are the only plant a monarch will lay her eggs on. When the tiny caterpillars hatch, they eat the leaves of the milkweed until they are ready to find a place to form a chrysalis and begin their transformation.

Last year we didn't find any caterpillars, but a few days ago I happened to look down and saw three monarch caterpillars on my milkweed! Hooray! I emailed my friend, Kim, who blogs at A Fresh Perspective because I know she has raised many monarchs in the past. She was so helpful and answered my many questions about how to care for the caterpillars.

She recommended a bug habitat that can be purchased at Wal-Mart. By the time I went to get it and got back home, two of the caterpillars were gone. So I put the third one in the box along with some leaves for him to munch on.

The caterpillars can crawl 20 to 30 feet to find a safe place to form their chrysalis. I was really hoping to find where the other two had gone so I told Mason I would give him $10 per chrysalis that he found. I didn't know it was going to be so easy! He found them both very quickly on the bottom of the brick window ledge that is near the milkweed. So we not only get to watch the one in the box, but also two under the ledge!

I'm sharing updates on instagram and I'll also share the whole process in a few weeks on my blog if all goes well. For today, I have a few shots of all three of these beautiful caterpillars while they were still on the milkweed.

I really appreciate all of you who link up! I always enjoy going through the amazing photos you share. Now it's time to see what you've been shooting this week! Here are the rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, just link up below!

project life: week 16

2012-05-22T06:44:00.000-05:00

Time to share week 16 of my Project Life. I'm still loving the every day moments that I'm capturing with this album. Too bad I didn't have this when my boys were little. It would be so nice to look back on.

This week I took a pic of my weekly trip to Target to get groceries. That's definitely a part of my everyday life so I wanted to be sure and include it at some point. I took a photo of one of the hot dogs Mason made for us for dinner one night. It was nice having the night off! And Gary took a pic for me of a get together with some friends. I really love the photo of my dad. He needed a photo for work so he asked me to take it for him.

left side:

right side:

The labels I used in the lower right corner for the journaling are by Martha Stewart and can be purchased at Staples. I had to order mine from their website because we don't have one locally, but I think next time I'll just use some labels that can be printed at home like these that I found on pinterest.

My plan is to work on Project Life today. I love putting the pages together so it's going to be a good day!

color me weekly: orange zinnia

2012-05-21T06:34:00.000-05:00

Orange is such a fun, happy color. I definitely wanted to use one of my orange zinnia pics to see what colors I would find. I love the resulting palette.

this or that thursday: butterfly bush

2012-05-17T06:13:00.000-05:00

Today I'm sharing a couple more flower shots. After all, it is springtime! My butterfly bush has just started blooming, but as of yet I haven't seen any butterflies. I'm waiting patiently.

It's time to share what you've been shooting! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, now just link up below!

project life: week 15

2012-05-14T07:17:00.000-05:00

This is week 15, the week that included spring break for my boys. It was also the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking so I included a photo of my son's 100 year old book that was published just weeks after the tragedy. I also continued my plan to get a picture of some of the rooms in my house. This time it was my tiny office. The little camera in the bottom right corner is a Dear Lizzy stamp that I stamped, embossed with clear powder and cut out with a craft knife.

left side:

right side:

Check out more project life sharing at The Mom Creative.

another reason to love instagram

2012-05-12T07:29:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get an idea for a scrapbook layout about pictures that are a few years old. I don't always love the look of these shots that I took before I really got into photography. That's where instagram comes in. Seriously, it makes everything look better!

I had some pictures of my boys biking when they were 12 and 14 back in 2009. For fun, I ran them through instagram and added the Earlybird filter... my personal favorite. They are sized at 2.75" square. I love the look of them on the page!

This layout was made mostly with the Studio Calico April kit, City of Lights. It's not available anymore, but click here to see the contents.

this or that thursday: zinnias

2012-05-10T06:24:00.000-05:00

Gardening is not my thing, but I'm being ambitious this year. I bought some brightly colored zinnias to plant in my flower beds. I hope they survive. Just in case they don't I took pictures right away.

It's time to link up again! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, now let's see what you've been shooting!

louisiana crawfish

2012-05-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about living in Louisiana is the food. There is a lot of delicious cuisine... especially the crawfish. We had a crawfish boil recently and it was such a fun time! They were so spicy and delicious. The only bad thing is that they are so messy. It makes it hard to get a few pictures and eat at the same time!

These were all taken with my 24-105 f/4.0L. I love that lens when I want a wide angle. I would prefer a wider aperture, but sometimes when I'm taking shots like these I have a tendency to stop down too far and end up with more of the shot out of focus than I want. So having to stay at 4.0 is a good thing... sometimes.

project life: week 14

2012-05-07T20:17:00.001-05:00

There was a lot going on in week 14. Alec drove to school for the first time, Gary and I had a date night and it was the week that included Easter... egg hunts, candy, a lily and one of my favorite pics of my boys ever!

left side:

right side:

Check out The Mom Creative for more project life sharing.

scrapbooking again

2012-05-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

Saturday, May 5th just happens to be National Scrapbook Day so I'm going to tell you a little about my scrapbooking journey...

I quit scrapbooking when Ben died. I had spent the day before at the beach working on my scrapbooks. But after a tragedy like that I couldn't even think about scrapbooking. I packed all my supplies away, and I hoped that I would be healed enough one day to continue them.

The time came in 2009 on Alec's 14th birthday. I decided to get out his baby scrapbook that was finished through his first birthday while we were celebrating with family. We were all enjoying his book and that's when it hit me that I needed to start doing something with my pictures again. I actually did feel like a whole person again by this time (11 years later) and I wondered why I hadn't done it sooner.

But I got sidetracked (in a good way). I went to a local scrapbook store and heard about a one day photography class that was being taught by Karen Russell whom I had never heard of at the time. In fact I don't think I had ever even visited a blog. The class was fabulous and I got really interested in photography which resulted in this blog about a year later.

Luckily I also found Project Life in late 2009. That made documenting the everyday so simple and sort of eased me back into this hobby.

I am now starting to get back into scrapbooking layouts other than just my Project Life pages. I'm not worrying about being "caught up". I will go back and make pages from the past when I want to, but I don't feel like I have to go in order like I did back when I started. I am going to scrap whatever random photos I feel like for the time being.

Like this beach trip we took last summer...

studio calico summer camp kit

and the first day Alec drove to school.

studio calico story hour kit

I even made a page about Gary and me on our 8th anniversary last fall.

studio calico story hour kit

I had an epiphany after making these pages. I realized that I had been putting off scrapbooking partly because of my guilt about not having the books finished from their baby and toddler years. I finally decided that I can't worry about what isn't finished. I'm going to have fun with it. If I get around to scrapping old pictures, that's great. But I'm not going to let undone pages get in the way of enjoying this hobby that I love... so glad I finally figured this out.

this or that thursday: charlie

2012-05-03T06:10:00.000-05:00

This is Charlie when he was a sweet little puppy. He's a blue tick/hound dog mix.

Now he's almost two years old, but still one of the sweetest dogs ever.

If I can ever get Maisy to sit still long enough, I'll post some photos of my own dog, but at least Charlie cooperates for me. :)

Now it's your turn to share. There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, just link up below!

project life: week 13

2012-04-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a look at my week 13. I'm still loving this project. I certainly have no lack of pictures because I am constantly taking shots here and there with my iphone. But for this week, the photo that goes in the picture-less spot was private. So I just covered it with a pretty piece of patterned cardstock for my blog pic. I would have no problem doing a layout like this for real if I had a slow week where I didn't feel like taking a lot of photos. Thanks to instagram, that just hasn't happened yet!

left side:

right side:

I hope those of you who are doing Project Life this year are still enjoying it. I know I am! If you are wanting lots of inspiration, visit The Mom Creative for ideas every Tuesday.

this or that thursday: the fountain

2012-04-26T06:12:00.000-05:00

I'm very happy that my fountain is working again! Not only do I love the sound of the water, but it also gives me one more thing to photograph without even leaving my yard. :)

It's time to share your photos again! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, just link up below!

project life: week 12

2012-04-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

This was a fun week. It was all about the jeep. Alec was a happy guy! It would be nice if I had pictures and a few more details about my first car. Which, I might add, was not anywhere near as cool as the jeep.

left side:

right side:

I went all out with my title card this week. I cut out "wk 12" with my slice. (Does anyone still use a slice?!) And I even used a little flower and brad that I love.

Some photos look better in a more squarish ratio than 4x6, but still not quite square - like this one of my extra cute niece and nephew playing. I added a piece of cardstock covered with my target washi tape to fill in the extra space.

This pic of my friend in the driver's seat is the only photo I could find of my first car. It doesn't quite show how awesome my brown Volkswagen Rabbit was. :)

Check out The Mom Creative for more Project Life sharing.

this or that thursday: hummingbirds

2012-04-19T06:07:00.000-05:00

Last year I put a really pretty red glass hummingbird feeder in my tree and waited. The hummingbirds never came. Then I looked online for some info and discovered that hummingbirds prefer the basic plastic feeders that have been around forever. They found this one the same day I put it up and I've been enjoying watching them from my window ever since.

This is the one that hangs out here all day. He's a ruby throated hummingbird, but when he tilts his head to drink you can't see his brightly colored neck as well.

When he's not drinking he sits in the tree watching over his territory so he can chase away any other little birds who try to get a drink.

These were taken with my 200mm lens and I did crop them a little. I'm hoping I'll be able to get a little closer next time.

It's time to link up your photos again! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

I'm going to start naming my This or That Thursday posts with the subject of whatever I'm sharing so it'll be easier to find a specific old post when I want to. You can still share whatever you'd like each week!

Okay, now let's see what you're sharing this week!

project life: week 11

2012-04-17T07:03:00.000-05:00

Week 11 included a visit to one of our favorite places for a picnic and some pics that Mason took for me when he got to go to his first NBA game to see the Hornets vs the Lakers with his cousins and uncle. And I included the tulip that I found on a morning walk. If you would like to see more of the tulip photos I shared them here and here.

left side:

right side:

I love the everyday stories that get documented in Project Life. I would have already forgotten about us laughing at Maisy being so interested in the wolves on tv without it.

color me weekly: lily

2012-04-16T06:55:00.000-05:00

There's so much beauty all around this time of year and I definitely have not taken full advantage of it with my camera. I need to get busy! I did manage to capture this pretty lily with lovely shades of orange.

taken with my 50mm at f/2.8, iso 100, ss 1/200

project life winner!

2012-04-13T06:51:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to announce the winner of the Project Life bundle. The prize goes to #729, Lauren, who left the following comment on April 11 at 2:15 pm:

I am VERY interested in getting started with Project Life! It sounds like just the kind of jump start I need to get back into scrapbooking. :) I would LOVE to win these goodies!!! Thank you for a chance to win them!!!!

Congratulations, Lauren! I hope you have lots of fun with it!

And since no post is complete without an image, here are some tiny wildflowers to brighten your day...

this or that thursday: easter

2012-04-12T06:11:00.001-05:00

My boys let me take a few pics of them on Easter Sunday. This one was my favorite. I love it when I get a good one of them together! Trust me, it wasn't easy when they were little.

I like this one of Mason, but Alec was pretty much done after taking pics with his brother so he passed on the chance for an individual portrait.

So glad they have little cousins so we can still enjoy their egg hunt since mine have outgrown hunting for eggs.

It's time to share what you've been shooting! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, just link up below!

soft spring

2012-04-11T07:07:00.001-05:00

Spring came early and it's feeling more and more like summer every day. At least this is what I wish summer felt like, but I know the temperatures will be rising and rising in the coming months.

A few signs of spring...

Our tiny new satsuma trees are blooming and the bees have found them.

my four hens action sunny sweets at 65%

There are still lots of these little purple wildflowers in my yard.

my four hens action woodsy at 40%

The pansies, which are winter flowers around here, are still hanging on.

kim klassen textures let go, friday, and little things

*If you haven't yet entered the drawing for a project life bundle, you have until Thursday. Click here to check it out.

project life: week ten and a giveaway!!

2012-04-09T07:10:00.000-05:00

I am so excited today about giving away some project life goodies, but first I'm sharing week ten's layout. It was a week of everyday moments with a few extra cousins mixed in which is always fun...

left side:

right side:

An everyday moment captured - walking Maisy one evening (with a strip of washi tape).

And my favorite pocket of this week - a drawing that Mason made while playing around with the Adobe Ideas app on the ipad. He drew a stick person for every member of our family and we're all doing something we love to do. See the camera in my hand?

Now for the details of the fabulous giveaway. One person will win everything pictured below. Thanks to Becky Higgins for providing this awesome prize which includes a Project Life Cobalt core kit, a Cobalt binder, a pack of Cobalt cardstock and a big variety pack of photo pocket pages!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post (only one comment per person, please). The giveaway will remain open until Thursday evening at 8:00 central. The winner will be randomly chosen and must be a U.S. resident because the items will be shipped directly from amazon.com. Come back Friday morning to see if you've won. If you want more chances to win, visit beckyhiggins.com to see who else is hosting a giveaway this week. Good Luck!!

this or that thursday: washi tape

2012-04-05T06:15:00.001-05:00

Did you know that Target now carries washi tape in the office supply section? I found out thanks to an instagram friend, galumbaugh. All but two of these rolls came from Target. The green and orange ones on the right came from Studio Calico kits a long time ago. The black and white one is also Target, but can be found in the scrapbooking section with the Smash albums. It's a fun addition to Project Life or a scrapbook page. Think of the possibilities...

What did you find to shoot this week? It's time to share! There are just a few rules.

submit the url of your blog post, not your home page
link up a photo that was taken by you
include a link back to my blog in your post (you can use the button or a text link if you prefer)
visit a few other blogs and leave some comment love

Okay, just link up below!

project life: week nine

2012-04-03T06:39:00.001-05:00

Here we go with week nine... pretty much an ordinary week except that we were given a vintage typewriter! When you think you don't have too much going on and you worry that you'll never have enough pictures to complete a layout, remember there are always every day moments just waiting to be documented - lunch, nephews, a breakfast out at chick fil a, a turtle encountered on a walk, a room in your house. Just look around and I'm sure you'll find plenty of worthy subjects. This is what I love most about Project Life, documenting the every day.

left side:

right side:

I included an instagram pic of the typewriter and just above it a note that Mason typed for me. He was having fun typing random words so I handed him a plain journaling card and told him to type whatever he wanted on it. I love the little note he typed to me!

I thought it would be a good idea to include a picture of each room in our house throughout the year. This time it was my kitchen.

I love using the number stickers for bullet points when I don't have a lot of journaling. I documented leap day with some gummy bears in the shape of the number 29.

Check out The Mom Creative for more Project Life sharing.

color me weekly: purple and green

2012-04-02T06:32:00.000-05:00

These tiny purple wildflowers are blooming in my yard right now. I've always liked the way purple and green compliment each other... and they are a lovely example.

I also have this lovely pretty mum from last summer... at least I think it's called a mum. I've shared this image before and it's even in my This or That Thursday button, but this time I changed up the tones a little with the Golden Hour action from the Inspired collection at M4H Photography.