be AUDacious

looking for camera advice

I will be taking the plunge soon (within the next six months) and finally purchasing a dSLR. I currently own a great camera; it's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and I love it. It can't really be called a point-and-shoot, but it's not a dSLR either. It's more like a hybrid of the two; it offers me the ability to shoot in RAW, to add a wide angle or telephoto lens, to add a hotshoe flash, and more. Yet it lacks the speed that I'm beginning to need, as well as better performance in low-light conditions.

That's where you guys come in. I need camera recommendations. I fully plan on doing my own research, but I'd like some suggestions on where to begin, since there's so much information (and so many opinions) out there. Here's some information to help you out:

I love taking landscape photos -- traveling to a new place and taking pictures is one of my favorite things to do. I also love to do portraits and have had a number of friends and family hire me for senior photos or family shoots. I shoot in natural light but would like the flexibility of being able to shoot in low-light conditions with less noise than what I'm currently getting. Cass runs and plays soccer, so I want something that will let me capture some fast action shots of her with minimal blur. I've got a lot of pictures posted here on the blog -- just go to Archives, select photography, and check out those posts to see what I shoot and how I like to shoot.

My current camera has a 12x zoom, which gives me the ability to really get in close, so I know I'll need/want a lens or two that will give me that same ability. Recommendations? I also love macro photography, but I'm pretty sure the two conversion macro lenses I currently have will continue to fill those needs.

Hopefully I will be traveling to Ireland in May, and I'd love to have a new camera to take with me. What would you recommend, based on your own experience and the info I've given you? Thanks so much!

some good news to share...

I've decided to come back to designing; after {we are} storytellers closed, I just couldn't find a place that felt like the right fit. After some talking with the fabulous Jen Allyson Nugent (who I had the pleasure of working with as part of the My Mind's Eye design team for several years), I'm thrilled about this announcement: Design House Digital. There are some AMAZING designers on board, and I'm excited to see what new directions my designs will take. After doing a lot of experimenting with different styles and "looks," I think I've found what works for me. Make sure to check back at the start of the new year for information on the open shop. I'd love to hear ideas and suggestions on kits, themes, colors, and products you'd love to see, too.

10 on Tuesday: my top 10 books of 2009

I read a lot. I've said that many many times on this blog; besides which, you've already probably gotten a pretty good idea of just how much, based on the number of book reviews I've posted this year. I read about 125 books this year, give or take a couple, and for my final 10 on Tuesday post of 2009, I thought I would share with you my top 10 books (books that I have read, NOT necessarily books that were only published) this year (in no particular order):

1. Jellicoe Road
 

2. Tender Morsels
 

3. Fire
 

4. When You Reach Me

5. A Long Long Time Ago and Essentially True
 

6. Eyes Like Stars
 

7. Dreamquake
 

8. The Likeness: A Novel
 

9. The Book of Lost Things
 

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

What books make your top 10 list this year?

Two Peas releases: 12/22/09 - 12/28/09

I've had a tiny bit of time to do a little bit of scrapping, in between family visits and travel and even some shopping for me. Here's what I did with the most recent 2Ps releases, as well as a few other great kits that are available from some of my favorite scrappers. :)

These snowflake stickers by Shimelle Laine are festive and understated; when I saw them I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. I scattered them across the bottom part of my page and added twine and eyelets to make them look attached to the page. I also adjusted the color slightly to bring a little more "pop" to the page.

This is one of the most jam-packed templates I've ever seen. Every single piece of it can be altered, which makes it super-flexible and a lot of fun to experiment with. I wanted to do a page that captures what Christmas generally looks like with our family -- everyone handing out packages and unwrapping presents and trying to find somewhere to sit.

I think the blues and browns in this kit of Brandy's are really gorgeous, and that bulletin board element (the criss-cross ribbon and brads) is just genius. All the pieces layer really nicely too.

Leora has a lovely kit for all your New Year's layouts and resolutions, available in the Little Dreamer shop on Tuesday, 12/29. Make sure you stop by & pick it up, & check out the rest of her pretty products too!

Liz has a new kit available too -- it's a great collab with the talented Amy Martin. I haven't had time to scrap a page with this one yet, but keep your eyes on this spot. I've got plans for it!

Speaking of Liz's kits, I pulled a number of her goodies together from some older kits to do this layout about a recent trip to the zoo. It's been a long time since I've scrapped this many photos on a page, but I really enjoyed it.

 

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! The four of us are spending the day here at home together, with no obligations other than...presents in the morning, possibly a nap, a book with a cup of hot chocolate or a computer game, some Christmas tunes on the laptop, a lovely dinner of turkey with all the trimmings, perhaps another nap, more toys and games, a basketball game on TV, leftovers for supper, some scrapbooking and another cup of hot chocolate, and a little bit of packing for out-of-town travel on Saturday. It will be the perfect day, of that there is no doubt.

 

Capture the Season week 4

Things are definitely starting to get busier around here, but I wanted to make sure that I made a few notes about my week 4 Capture the Season layout so I'll have them to refer to when I sit down to scrap them later.

PROMPT:

We enter the season full of grand hopes for a beautiful, perfect holiday season. By the time the big day nears, we’re often drowning in unwrapped packages and are working hard to stay afloat. Take time out to capture the reality of your holiday and the daily life that surrounds it. Use these images to stir your feelings about all this hustle and bustle. Document ways you’re succeeding at finding small moments of peace during this busy time.

JOURNALING:
I captured a number of great pictures for my layouts this week, as this marks the first time all 4 of us (me, Chris, and the girls) have the full Christmas break off together. Instead of planning out my journaling ahead of time, I want to really make sure I capture how these holiday traditions and events make me feel, so I'll be pulling out a number of photos and trying to just immerse myself in them again. There are a few things I want to make sure I have recorded though, so I've jotted them down in list format:

• trip to Nashville to see lights at Opryland
• wreck on state line and detour through Oak Grove
• lots and lots of traffic and waiting in line
• engine light coming on in car
• Christmas music on radio (including Josh Groban "O Holy Night" twice)
• stop at McKay's to spend store credit
• Cami's grumpy face and switch to happy with stack of animal books
• parking -- and lack of it -- at Outback
• great supper for early birthday celebration
• lights at Opryland

PHOTOS:
I took several pictures and made sure that Chris took some of me and the girls. I have too few photos of me and them -- I'm always behind the camera, so that was important to me this time around. I plan on using at least one of them on the layout. I think the large photo will be the girls out front with the lights at the hotel, or maybe next to the huge tree, and the others will be detail shots from the evening.

 

DESIGN:
I think I'm going to stick with the same red/gray/light blue/green/cream color scheme I've been using, mostly with products from Paislee Press.

a place of my own

I've had a variety of workspaces and craft rooms over the years. For the longest time, I had a HUGE crafting desk, as well as a full closet and a bookshelf full of supplies. When we moved to Murray, all of that was downsized to just what would fit in my desk. Since I switched to digital, I have a small little cabinet of crafting supplies, and that's it.

I'm finding myself wishing for a nice little corner in our bedroom that would serve a number of functions: a place to work on my laptop, book storage, and craft storage. I want something that's stylish and fun, that I can personalize with quirky little touches, a spot that's all mine.

These spaces from a recent Flickr browsing session all have elements that I really enjoy. 

I love the glass doors on this hutch, and how everything is all in one spot. It's a handy piece of furniture to have, and it would allow me to combine book storage (which I *always* need more of) with craft storage too. (source)

I just love this card catalog. It's such a neat piece, although I'm not sure what I'd fill all those little drawers with. (source)

I've loved this arrangement for ages now, and I love seeing how she changes out the decor for each season. (source)

  Normally, I wouldn't like something this open, but I like the flexibility of it, and it would fit nicely in our space. (source)

A set of lockers like this is still tops on my want list. I can think of a number of spots around the house where I'd put these. (source)

I can't get this image to copy over, but I also love this little writing desk.

10 on Tuesday: bookplates

Bookplates are one of those little indulgences that I always ooh and ahh over, but never seem to actually purchase. Here's a collection of gorgeous options that might just push me over the purchasing edge. If you are looking for a last-minute gift for the booklover on your list, these are great options!

1. Vintage Blue Bird
 

2. Blue Whale Book Stickers
 

3. Mod Lion Bookplates
 

4. Goldfinch and Pussywillow
 

5. Custom Bookplates -- Assorted Pattern Design
 

6. Fern Bookplates

7. Peacock Bookplates
 

8. Letterpress Scavenger Bookplates Set
 

9. Little Lamb bookplates

10. Animal Bookplates and Bookmarks

I have a new obsession...

Today has been a wonderfully low-key day. Chris got up and went to Paducah to do some last-minute shopping, while the girls and I were lazy. Okay, Cass and I were lazy (like almost-noon-lazy) while Cami was up with the sun, I think, and spent the morning making Christmas cards for the family and watching cartoons. Once Cass and I woke up, we spent the rest of the afternoon doing some baking -- mostly Oreo truffles and cake balls (strawberry/strawberry with both chocolate and white coating).

While I was waiting for different things to chill in the freezer, I did some browsing on Flickr and came across these amazing fake tilt-shift photographs; they create the effect of a miniature model landscape, and after some hunting around, I came across a great tutorial on the web. So I *had* to try them out. I am absolutely in love with this effect -- I think it is so fun and unique. Since I really enjoy taking travel photos, I think this is something that I'll definitely have to try out each time I visit a new place. Here are a few I created, using some photos from a variety of places.

 

 

book review: Fire

taken from Goodreads:

 

"Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.

Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story."

I don't read much "high fantasy" any more. It's hard to find something that is original and interesting, but Kristen Cashore quickly captured my attention with Graceling. Incredibly, Cashore's newest novel, a sort of prequel (not but quite) to Graceling, is even more fully realized and developed than her first offering.

Much of what I said about Cashore's first novel holds true for this one as well. The world she has created is rich and detailed, with characters that practically step off the pages. Gone, too, are the problems that plagued the first novel -- the clunky transitions and awkward pacing are replaced by a narrative that unfolds smoothly, with hardly a ripple. The real treasure in this novel is Fire, the main character. Cashore deftly creates complicated female characters that are strong and broken and heart-rendingly real, and I found myself completely caught up in every sentence.

While Cashore's books are being marketed as YA, I think she's written a series of high-fantasy novels for women of ALL ages, and each one contains so much to consider and mull over and discuss with friends. I can't wait to see what Cashore has in store for us next.