Saturday, May 29, 2010

Trying out my new toy




Yesterday I bought myself a new camera, a Nikon Coolpix, which is probably the most significant thing I've bought for my Etsy shop since my dressmaker's dummy. Picking it out was very exciting; now I just have to figure out how to use it right. I first tried taking photos of - guess who? Then I experimented with the macro function and took some pictures of the sweater I knit for my cousin's baby. Not sure how to get these to where they don't come out all yellowish; these photos are unedited, and somehow the zoomed photo came out showing the truest colors. I have some work to do.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A photo journal from the Florida Keys






This past weekend I was down in Florida attending a family wedding, a lovely beach ceremony in Summerland Key. It also made for a nice family reunion and mini-vacation. I got to spend some time at the beach in Bahia Honda State Park, which had some great wildlife: herons, pelicans, seagulls, lizards, and my personal favorite, iguanas. (I'm praying the oil spill doesn't make it there; it's absolutely beautiful.) I also got to go into Key West and visit some tourist spots like the Hemingway House - another favorite, because of the fifty or so cats that live there! Here are some of my photos.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Monday, May 10, 2010

Bouquet!


Finally finished knitting and assembling my wedding bouquet. The roses were knit from embroidery thread using this excellent pattern, floral wire, metal and glass gems, satin ribbon, and fabric glue. Now all that's left for me to do is to finish off four bridesmaid bouquets and a bunch of boutonnieres. Yes, I can do it!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A little about my model




My model, Cleo, is neither young nor thin. She doesn't shave or wax or wear makeup. She diets only when forced to do so, and with great reluctance. She's your basic American Shorthair, with no illustrious pedigree. The only way in which she fits the supermodel stereotype is in her diva personality; she works when she wants to, and when she's tired of a photo shoot, she scratches me.

Miss Cat, as I frequently call her, launched her modeling career somewhat late in life. Her early life is unknown to anyone but her. When my parents and I adopted her from the local animal shelter, she was a fully-grown, skinny stray. Now, more than ten years later, she's a middle-aged kitty with a bit of a weight problem, a very loud voice, and a life of leisure. Though she is now quite famous, she has not let her career affect her; she's just as self-satisfied as she was when we brought her home from the shelter all those years ago.

Like most cats, she spends her days happily napping in various places, getting up to patrol her territory, eat, or request some petting. She used to do some hunting but is now retired. She's not an unusual cat by any appearances, but for years I've strongly suspected that in that little cat brain of hers she's smarter than most people.

And why not? One thing I've learned from working with animals, children, and developmentally disabled people is that there's a lot more going on in their minds than most people give them credit for. Just look at that cat and you can see she's something else.