Goodbye November

Most of my November posts were about photos so I thought I would do one last post before December.  I attempted taking pics of Izzy with Christmas lights.  She participated, but I think I need to try during the day with some sunlight coming through the windows.  I must be the dog photographer whisper because I can get this crazy dog to sit still and pose anytime I want to take her photo.  She even sat with warm Christmas lights all over her. 

I will be bundling up and staying in when I get home from work tomorrow.  It is suppose to get cold and ugly.   I might do some Christmas baking and sew my stockings.  Does you have any favorite Christmas treats you like to make? 

Fun Way to Photograph Your Christmas Tree

There is something magical about a lit Christmas tree.  It is hard not to look at it in awe for the young or the old.  It’s amazing how you can take the same tree and make it look so different in photographs by using different settings.  What a fun and great time to practice your photo skills.  I learned different ways to photograph my tree at the photography blog August Tea.  I found it on Pinterest.  If you want to read how then go here. 

I made my regular looking Christmas tree go from this

to this by following her instructions.

Pretty fun huh?  I plan on doing more practicing when I have time.   What do you think?  Gonna try it?  Let me know if you do.

Christmas Mantel 2011–A Touch of Joy

My mantel is pretty simple and for the first time I am not using my wooden candle holders that always stay no matter what the season.  I used my cone trees I made and bought from last year, (you can read about them here) added a few ornaments and painted JOY in gold and stuck it to my mirror. 

I used rub and buff paint for the letters and had a gold hand most of the night but it went away better and faster than I thought it would.

I stuck the letters I got from Hobby Lobby to the mirror with heavy duty thick adhesive double side tape.  They stayed up over night so I think that is a good sign they won’t come off until I pull them off.

I added a few ornaments for a bit of bling and to tie in the gold color of the JOY.

That’s about it…here are a few more shots.

I still need to add stockings.  I am making new ones this year and I didn’t get to them because I spent forever trying to figure out how to put ribbon on my tree.  I don’t think I am a fan of Christmas tree decorating.  It takes me way too long.  Is  your tree up and decorated?  I just need to put away the boxes now. 

Linking to

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Father In Law’s Christmas Story Card

Christmas decorating is coming along at my house this weekend.  I had to stop and do a favor for my father in law.  He wrote a little story about Christmas a few years ago and he wanted it made into a card.  I borrowed a Santa from the Graphics Fairy and typed up the poem.  I used Shutterfly to print the card.  They had the best prices.  The story is really good and I thought it was worth sharing. 

Here is the text without the card so you can read it easier.

How’s your Christmas decorating coming along?  Do you find it hard to do something new so you don’t repeat last years blog posts?  I do.  I am doing a bit of recycling, but changing it up so it is fresh and new.  I am also wondering how long it will all last with the master of disaster around aka Izzy.

She has chewed 3 or 4 Styrofoam pumpkins this fall.  But look at the face.  How can I stay mad?

Linking to

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

More Fall Photos and 2 Cute Little Girls

It seems that everyone I know is wanting to get there family pics done all at once.  I have spent a lot of weekends this month with my camera taking photos for people.  I have to do another one tomorrow and then Saturday.   Gotta fit Thanksgiving, Christmas decorating, shopping, etc in there too.  Phew I am tired just thinking about it.  I have several photos I really liked from my latest shoot, but I am going to share 2 of them with you. 

The first one just screams fall.  It looks like they are having so much fun and I love love love that little girl and her expressions.

I added this cinnamon texture to warm it up a bit more.

This next photo tickles me every time I see it.  Love those 2 cute girls and the way their personality shines in the photo.  I also added the cinnamon texture it this one.

I know you are smiling too…they just do that to ya! 

I hope you all enjoy these last days of fall.  Take a photo and preserve a memory.

Linking to

Texture Tuesday @ Kim Klassen’s Café

Sweet Shot Tuesday @ My Life With 3 Boybarians

Because Pine Trees Shouldn’t Be Pink….Wax On

This weekend I found some pine trees to use for my winter/Christmas decorating.  They are meant to look like carved wood, but they are just casted.  In my house they looked pink.  Pink isn’t my color especially when it comes to pine trees.  I fixed my problem using some dark brown Briwax.  I wanted to maintain the lights and darks of the trees, but take away the pinkish hue so I waxed them.  I took some photo so you can see the difference.

They look a lot better dontcha think?  So if you aren’t crazy about the color of something tray waxing or glazing to give it a warmer hue. 

I will show you where I put them after Thanksgiving. 

The BEST Pumpkin Bread Ever

Almost 20 years ago a friend of mine gave me my all time favorite recipe.  I am not much of a cook, but every time I make this pumpkin bread it turns out flawless and yummy.

I am not a fan of dry bread.  It has to be moist to be good.  This is one moist bread.  I think you can even tell how moist it is from the photos. 

I highly recommend you make some of this bread for your Thanksgiving holiday.  Here’s the recipe.

The BEST Ever Pumpkin Bread

3 1/3 cups flour

2 t baking soda

1 1/2 t salt

1 t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

2 15oz cans pumpkin

1 1/2 cups pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients well in a mixing bowl.  Mix liquid ingredients in a separate mixing bowl adding nuts.  Mix the 2 together.  It is easier to mix if you add the dry ingredients slowly instead of all at once.  I mix it by hand with a wooden spoon.  Spray 3 aluminum loaf pans measuring 8”x3.75”x2.38”(I get the throw away kind that come 3 to a pack)  with Baker’s Joy.  Evenly divide mixture into the 3 pans and bake for 1 hour. 

Enjoy!

Linking to

Weekend Wrap Up @ Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

The Storm Door with the Pet Door is Installed

My husband and I (ok mostly my husband) hung the storm door on Friday.  It went fairly well, but those kinds of instructions are always confusing.   Today he attached the closer onto the door after I took a pic of it. 

It is much sturdier than our old 1970s aluminum storm door.

It’s different seeing so much door, but we like that it doesn’t slam shut and make a ton of noise. 

It didn’t take the girls too long to figure out how to get in and out of the doggie door.  (I know….they need to visit the groomer.)

Izzy (the young one) got it right away.  Harley is more timid which is understandable since she is blind.  It has got to be scary to jump through a hole in the door, but she will do it.  She is such a good girl.

And now she is a blur once she goes through.

Here’s Izzy coming back in.

I love watching them go in and out.  It cracks me up.  It’s good to get one of our projects checked off our list.  I also got my Thanksgiving shopping done today too.  I am always in charge of the entire meal.  I made my pumpkin bread tonight.  I think I will share my recipe with you like I did last year for those that missed it.  It is the best pumpkin bread ever!  I think I will go have a 2nd piece right now. 

A Dental Office That Dumps Together Stays Together

I got back from our dental seminar on Sunday and I am trying to get caught up.  We had a great time and enjoyed each others company.  We were all very cozy with 4 to one room and 3 to another room.  I was in the room with four.  I bet you think this title means I am going to discuss the bathroom issues.  Well….I am not. 

One of our speakers talked about different generations and their characteristics.  She also mentioned dumping your problems before you get to work so you can focus on your job.  She picks a dumping spot on her way to work and erases her mind of things that aren’t work related and might interfere with her workday.  We all thought it was a pretty good concept.  I keep forgetting my dump place on the way to work so I used my photo shop to make us reminders for our lockers. 

It’s amazing all the things I have learned by blogging.  Learning how to make buttons for blogs allowed me to make these fun reminders for us. 

Pretty funny huh?  Can you tell we have a sense of humor at our office? 

Have you learned anything by blogging that has helped you in other areas of your life?  Do you dump your problems before you go to work or do you need me to make you a reminder? 

Las Vegas Bound

Just a little reminder to let you know I will be taking a blogging break while I am in Vegas with my dental team.  We leave tomorrow right after work and come home Sunday.  Have a great week and weekend everyone. 

source

Black Photo Theme @ I Heart Faces

My son on his phone.