Remember to stop & smell the roses

.....or in my case stop & snap the waterfalls!

I think my favorite thing to do is to take pictures. I don't care where I go on vacation, or what I do, as long as I have my camera in hand and can snap pictures.

I love the Gorge Power House in Newhalem because there are some beautiful waterfalls there as well as lush plants to photograph. I really enjoyed the other day scoping out some good pictures.

The old rock steps were so beautiful. I loved how the plants were growing all over them. So whimsy and like a day of yesteryear.

This is the power house in the background (yes, I was trying to focus on the flower in foreground not just a taking a sloppy picture!) The water is tunneled I think 2 1/2 miles from the dam to the powerhouse. (Sorry I tried to find accurate information online & can't!). But I did learn that when Diablo Dam was built (5 miles upstream) it was the tallest dam in the world at the time at 389 feet. Unfortunately, you can no longer get public access to it. I didn't even think about that, since in high school we'd been across the dam several times, but that was prior to 9/11. Amazing (& kinda unfortunate) how much our world has changed. You can learn more at Seattle City Light.

The Grizzly Chronicles....

Last week Robert ordered a big monster sander from Grizzly. Well, it arrived and it was a dud. It was going to take about 2 weeks for another one to arrive and we didn't have that long to wait - we needed it, that's why he bought it in the first place.

So over the mountains we went to trade it for a replacement model. Along the way we stopped at a few favorite places of the kids' though and I snapped some great pics!

This is old engine number 6 in Newhalem, WA. It is an old steam engine that ran from Newhalem to the upriver dam sites in the 20s & 30s. Robert actually knew a lady who she & her husband used to ride it to work everyday to work on the construction of the Diablo & Ross Dams.

It was purchased in 1927 for $7,500!


(I just love his new smile!)

How did this happen? She looks way to grown up already!

There is a bridge with a grated deck on Hwy 20. An insanely gorgeous waterfall is tucked back in the gorge. We stopped to walk the kids across it. It's a pretty far drop from the bridge deck to the ground, I won't even try to guess - but it's a LONG way!

Wanna go across it on a motorcycle??

Then off to Grizzly. Cody was a HAPPY boy! A steam engine & tool showroom in the SAME day!! Could life get any better????

And Aly was most impressed with the "swimming pool" (a fountain in the lobby).

We stopped at a great greasy spoon joint in Birdsview called Birdsview Burgers. Pretty yummy! (and yes, horrible for the diet! LOL!)

This picture is Gorge Lake. It really looks this color. I did have to boost the saturation on this particular picture because it was really washed out (I think I had my camera on the wrong setting) - but in real life, it is this color, if not even more bright. Sometimes the water in this lake and Lake Diablo almost seem to glow. They say it's the glacial silt in the water that comes down from the glaciers in the Cascade Mountains.

Cards for Heros

I do hope that 106 soldiers and their families/friends will be blessed because of the generousity & talent of the Creating Keepsakes & Paper Crafts Community members. We collected 106+ cards (I'm told more are en route). And then the kids and their church friends made an additional ~50 cards.

And after seeing these great cards - I'm reminded why I don't make cards - these rock compared to mine!

I plan to mail these out on Monday - if you want to participate and want to send some to me, email me at okanogangirl@gmail.com, or you can mail them directly to Cards for Heros, information on their website www.cardsforheros.org

Ugly Paper

ew.........I participated in a challenge on the CKMB where we all swapped our ugliest paper with each other and had to make a page with what we received. Let me tell you, there was some mighty ugly paper out there!

But I was very happy with my page. This is my first hybrid page (or at least what I would consider hybrid - I don't count journaling).

The pictures were of Aly eating corn off the cob for the first time last week. I usually cut it off for her, but she was loving eating it like this!

Digital Album Scrapping?

I'm working on a photo album (the standard kind) of wedding pictures. But I want it to be more album like so I'm playing around with some digital stuff. Think I'm going to have to sleep on it before I do the rest of them.

Photoshop Elements 5.0, frames Houseof3.com, fonts: one fell swoop, sans serif

just a tidbit

My crazy week(s) almost over. Last week was my sisters wedding. Except for the leaky punch fountain, it went off without a hitch! I've been busy editing photos & trying to catch up on a weeks worth of stuff I missed!

Here's my favorite picture from the wedding. (I have a lot more to share when I have time to upload them - but this is my favorite - kinda abstract. Taken with my 75-300 mm lens from the back of the guest area).

Only have a few things to share today. Had a friend over today to make a gift for a baby shower she's giving on Saturday. She wanted to make something for the nursery, and she liked the frames I had done. So we used SCAL, my cricut & some vinyl and decorated these frames. (fonts were elegant & times new roman).

Now I just have to wait for all my prints to get back from the wedding, the trip & all our other pictures this summer so I can do some scrappy projects!

Ready to Roll??

That's what my kids say all the time. So are you? Ready to make a cozy new home for your SLR?

Here's all the videos to make your own bag! (warning - it's about 25 minutes worth of total video)

**ETA - after using the bag I made in this video - I decided I like the lighter weight interfacing & Pellon better than the thicker interfacing & cotton batting --












Measurements:

Front & Back 9” x 15” large (9 x 12 for medium; 9 x 9 for small)
2 fabric
2 lining
2 interfacing
2 padding

Sides 9” x 6” (all sizes same)
2 fabric
2 lining
2 interfacing
2 padding

Bottom 6” x 15” large (6 x 12 for medium; 6 x 9 for small)
1 fabric
1 lining
1 interfacing
1 padding

Pocket 7” x 15” large (7 x 12 for medium; 7 x 9 for small)
1 fabric
1 lining
1 interfacing
1 padding

Flap 9” x 15” large (9 x 12 for medium; 9 x 9 for small)
1 fabric
1 lining
1 interfacing
1 padding

Strap 4” x 38” (same for all sizes)
1 fabric
1 lining
1 interfacing
2 padding

Lens Pouches Measurements coming next week!

I'll let you know when I have a bag or two in my etsy store - I plan to get some up as soon as my crazy month is over! LOL!

Camera Bag Supplies

Here's the supplies for the camera bag




If you make a smaller bag, you will need a little less of the fabric, lining, interfacing & padding.

Fabric 1 1/4 yard 45" wide fabric
Lining fabric 1 3/8 yard 45" wide fabric
2 1/8 fusible interfacing
1 1/2 yard pellon padding
7/8 yard ribbon
12" sew-on velcro
pkg 1/4" elastic
sheet needle point canvas

(Please note: this fabric is the amount for the bag with pockets as done in the pattern, OR the bag without pockets, but 3 lens pouches - NOT enough for all pockets & pouches - you'll need more fabric if you want to do both).

I'll get videos posted on how to make it as soon as I can.

Also, if you want a bag, but don't feel confident or comfortable to make one yourself, I'll be putting a few in my etsy shop in the next couple weeks! You can check that out or e-mail me if you want one made specific to you, okanoganphotography@gmail.com!

Letter Learnin'

Cody really wants to learn to read, but he's not been so excited about learning his letters & sounds. We've been telling him he had to learn his letters to learn to read, and now he's asking all the time about letters.



We made these last winter but I think it was too overwhelming for him because he never wanted to use them. (He's kinda a control freak......) They're just cds (if you have old ones - it's much cheaper LOL!) We cut circles with the Creative Memories Cutting system, but you could use the cricut, punches, or even by hand! Then we adhered them to the cds and wrote on clothespins the letters! I think I need to add more clothespins to the popular letters (like the vowels). He's been having fun spelling out words and I've noticed it's really helped him with the recognition on the couple letters he was still having a hard time with.

Can't say this idea was my own - I found it in the magazine The Mailbox. But I did come up with using the clips to spell your own words!! Yeah, I know - real creative! :-)

(for those of you who aren't so computerish (mom!) - the :-) is supposed to be a smiley face (think of it sideways), and ;-) is a winking face! - oh and LOL is laugh out loud.)))

Lots of Clicking

I was working on some digital pages while Robert was watching tv and he said, "You're sure clicking a lot." Yeah, I know dumb opening, but here's a couple digital pages to share. Made these in Photoshop Elements.

More On the Camera Bag

I've been asked lots of questions about the camera bag, so I did a little video to show you.

I'm working on the info of what I modified on the bag, but I need to pick up some more supplies first - then we'll go to town! (sorry for the wild & excessive use of "hand talking" - I just can't help myself :blush:)

Fireworks!!

Just wanted to share some of the pictures from the fireworks from Saturday night. These were taken by my awesome neighbor & friend Sally, with some fantastic coaching from Karl! They turned out pretty cool!

Milestones, Piggies & Bags (yeah, nothing in common)

Wow - forgot to say it - but yesterday was my 200th post! I never thought I would be a good blogger - let alone have fun with it! But I'm loving it! Thank you all for visiting me & helping me get here! BTW - I saw I'm coming up on 10,000 hits probably next month or so, so keep visiting because I've got a week of prizes coming up!

We brought one of the baby piglets in the house this morning to warm him up. He's the weakest of the bunch and was cold from the wind last night. So the kids got to sit with him in their lap this morning.


Aly kept saying the piglet was dead, so Cody informed us all that because it was shaking, it was indeed, not dead, thus the crazy face. He was re-enacting the shaking....
And here they are....aren't they cute?

Now for the bag (the third part of my very random title ----)

For a while I've been wanting to make a camera bag. I really should use one (and need one when I do shoots), but cannot bring myself to spend upwards of $200 for one that is not masculine. I don't want my bag to look like something a guy would carry, I want it to be every bit as feminine as me!

I've had this fabric and pattern for a while and finally was motivated to work on it yesterday. I've been intimidated because sometimes the patterns seem as if they are written in skdfjisljd-ese. Yes, that's what I meant. Makes about as much sense as the patterns!

Well, took me about 2 hours, and I'm so happy! It's a little big for everyday use, but when I need all my gear it will be perfect! Now that I have the concept down, I plan to make another smaller one for when I carry JUST the camera.

Now I just need to make little padded pouches for the lenses to go in - I think I am going to put adhesive velcro squares on them and the lining so they stay in place. Haven't still decided what I want on the inside.

Happiness x 12

for the new momma pig!!

We thought our pig was due to have piglets anytime. And just waiting we were. This evening Robert went out to give the cow (aka Dummy - long story for another day LOL!) water, well in doing so he discovered the sow was in labor! When we arrived on scene, 4 piglets were waddling around, by the end of the evening we had 12!

Now, if you've never been to a farm, you may not know this, but baby piglets are the CUTEST of all baby creatures. I'm not kidding. All babies are cute, but pigs are CUTE.

So I got to play maternity ward nurse and help with the docking of tails and umbilical cords (to Roberts surprise I didn't even come close to fainting!)! And have no fears, when the kids see them in the morning, there will be more pictures! But I'm tired for now......