Diary of a Laughing Girl

i heart faces - silhouette

2010-11-15T23:18:00.002-05:00

Well, here's my first i ♥ faces entry in many months. I happened to see on someone else's blog that this week's challenge is "silhouette" and I immediately thought of this photo and decided to come out of my self-imposed i ♥ faces retirement! It was taken last fall at the NY State Fair. It's not the best photo but I love the colors of the sky and the tents in the background, which I enhanced with Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.

For more awesome silhouette photos, hop on over to the i ♥ faces blog!

Monday Mugs - Umbrella

2010-11-14T22:51:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true...I have officially returned to the blogosphere after...well, after a really long time. I have my reasons for not feeling bloggy this year, but that's another post. For this post, I am joining up with Oswald Cuties for Monday Mugs.

This week's theme is Umbrella.

If you've followed my blog for a while, you know who this is...my favorite sidekick and partner in crime, lil' J. She was 3 in the first picture. Second picture, 2 years later, same raincoat and umbrella! I love to look at those pics and see how much she's grown! Now she's 6 1/2, the raincoat is long outgrown and the umbrella broken.

Just a few more cute "umbrella" pics of my little buddy. We used to love going for walks in the rain!

I'm a bad blogger

2010-05-08T00:49:00.000-04:00

OK, to all of you who actually read this blog, so sorry for the lack of updates! There's not really been anything worthy of mention going on in my life, and I've not been feeling particularly inspired by the i ♥ faces themes lately so I haven't been doing them. I do have 2 things to report, though. #1 my dog died which is very sad. #2 I got a new camera - a Nikon D3000! - which is very happy. Once I have that bad boy all figured out, I'm sure I'll be posting all sorts of pictures! Also mulling over trying out some new stuff in my etsy store, so stay tuned for that because it might just involve a Win-it Wednesday!

i heart faces week 8

2010-02-21T23:29:00.002-05:00

Week 8 - "Hands-On Fun" Photo Challenge

It's time for some "hands-on" fun at i ♥ faces this week...no faces required! I love this theme and have been wishing for it for many months now...I love hand photos and what they tell about a person.

This is a photo I took of Lil' J last summer. She was helping my mom plant flowers in the garden, something she's loved to do since she was 2 years old. She was so excited when I gave her her very own pair of child-sized Dora the Explorer gardening gloves and could not wait to put them on and dig in! In years past she hated getting her gloves dirty...clearly she has now gotten over that!

For more "hands-on" photos, head on over to the i ♥ faces blog by clicking on the i ♥ faces button below or this link.

Happy Birthday I Heart Faces!

2010-01-12T11:59:00.004-05:00

i ♥ faces just turned one year old! Here's to another year of awesome photos!

Week 2: Photo Challenge - "Best Face Photo"

This is my little cousin Cobi. I took this photo on Christmas Day. My dad has this organ in the hall and despite all the presents and decorations filling the house at the holidays, my little cousins are always drawn to the organ. On this particular day, little Cobi was pounding on the keys a bit too hard and had been told by his mother not to touch it again...but what 3-year-old can resist? I love his big, dark eyes and the deer-in-the-headlights look that spread across his face when he realized he'd been caught in the act!

Check out the i ♥ faces blog for many more "best faces."

I Heart Faces week 51

2009-12-29T14:35:00.003-05:00

Week 51 - "Hilarious Outtakes" Photo Challenge

Here are all the details for our "Hilarious Outtakes" theme:
Have you ever gone through your photos and found some that were just too funny for words? Either the person has a weird look on their face, the child was picking their nose, the body was in an awkward angle, or...the possibilities are endless! This is your week to feature not one...but FIVE of those photos in your I ♥ Faces entry!Anyone is welcome to participate (only one entry per person though.)You can enter your post on Mon or TuesInstead of just having one photo in your entry, we are allowing you to have up to five. They must all be in the same blog post and if there are more than five photos in your post, you will not be eligible to win.
You need to put the I ♥ Faces button in your post.Pick the photos that make you laugh out loud when you see them. Tickle the judge's funny bone and you might see your photo featured on our site!

OK, this is quite possibly the best i ♥ faces theme ever. I ♥ funny faces, and have a few great photos saved up, so this theme is perfect...and long overdue!

Anyone who regularly checks out my photo challenge entries knows who this is...Lil' J. I got some really great photos on this unseasonably warm May afternoon while we were at The Knight Spot for our first ice cream cone of the season. At first she sat by patiently while I flashed the camera in her face, but eventually, I got this. I almost deleted it, but it cracked me up so I didn't...and I'm glad!

This is my cousin Emily. It was Cookie Day 2008. We were in the midst of frosting dozens upon dozens of cookies when Emily dropped one of the freshly-frosted treats face-down. We laughed til we cried when we saw the elf-shaped imprint on her shirt. What can I say...after a loooong day of baking (and much caffeine...), just about anything is funny.

Another one from Christmas 2008. This is my cousin Cobi. I only get to see him once a year, so I was trying to get some cute pics while I could. I managed to get a few good ones, including one of him in a Santa Hat, but of course, being 2 years old he did what 2-year-olds do best when the cameras come out...turn into a big ol' goofball. *sigh*

This is my wonderful friend Pam. Back in September I was on my very first trip to NYC and she, now a resident of the city, was acting as my tourguide. Being the mature 20-somethings we are, we had to make a stop at Toys 'R Us. We walked past a display of these odd looking dolls, called Therapy Buddies or something like that, and of course had to play with them. You know how the saying goes...Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. :)

Last but not least is this little gem. My great aunt passed away in early September, and after the funeral my family gathered at a local restaraunt for lunch. Being a rather solemn occasion, with everyone nicely dressed, I thought I could get a nice pic of my mom (on the left) and her sisters. No such luck. She and my Aunt Donna immediately went into crazy mode as my Aunt Linda stood obliviously by and my sister Karla somehow slipped into the shot in back. Should have known...I have a nearly identical photo from my great uncle's wedding a few years back. Ditto what I said above about growing up... ;)

Think those are funny? Well then, hop on over to the i ♥ faces blog for more side-splitting, gut-busting, gasping for breath, tears rolling down your face, almost peeing your pants good times!!!

Pets Only

2009-12-15T20:58:00.003-05:00

Week 49 - "Pets Only" Photo Challenge

It's "Pets Only" week over at the i ♥ faces blog. Not an easy week for me...I have literally hundreds, if not thousands, of photos of my dog and cat to choose from, with more being added every week! I finally decided to go with this one of my sweet Dixie dog.

We've had Dixie for over 8 years now. She came to us as a stray, so we didn't know how old she was then, but the vet said she was probably 5-8 years old at the time. As such, the poor old girl could be 15 or 16 by now. You can see by this picture that her face is going pretty white now, but it's still one of the prettiest doggie faces I've ever seen! At this point her hearing is pretty bad, her eyesight is going, she has terrible arthritis in her back legs and her appetite isn't too good. I think it's safe to say she probably won't be with us a whole lot longer. Despite all her problems, though, she's still the sweetest thing and it will be heartbreaking when she passes away. Even though we've only had her 8 years it feels like she's been a part of the family forever.

For more furry, feathered and finned friends, trot on over to the i ♥ faces blog by clicking on the i ♥ faces button or this link.

Sweet Dreams

2009-12-08T00:44:00.002-05:00

Week 48 - Sweet Dreams

Photo Challenge

It's time for another i ♥ faces photo challenge! This week's theme is "Sweet Dreams." I have many, many photos at my disposal that fit this theme, but I knew right away that this one would be my entry.

Lil' J and I had been going non-stop all day...bike riding, roller skating, swimming at her friend's house...and we weren't home 5 minutes before she crashed. Didn't even make it to her bed...an easy chair is just fine for her! As long as she has her blanket, she's good to go. As you can see, she was so tired that she forgot to take off her sunglasses!

For more fabulous photos, head on over to the i ♥ faces blog.

2009-12-01T21:08:00.002-05:00

It's Tooshie week at I ♥ Faces!

I got this shot back in April, when we were having better weather than we had the whole rest of the summer. Lil J was playing hopscotch and decided to get a little silly. :)

For more tooshies, check out the I ♥ Faces blog!

comfort food

2009-11-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

As mentioned in my last post, the weather is starting to turn. Days are shorter, nights are colder, and it leaves me wishing for some real comfort foods, good, hearty meals that fill my belly and warm me right up. One of my favorite comfort foods? Shepherd's pie. I've had it at a few different pubs, but a few weeks ago I finally decided to try my hand at making one. (Though since I made mine with beef, not lamb, it was technically cottage pie, but how many people really know the difference?)

I found a recipe in The Irish Pub Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson, though I tweeked it a bit to suit my tastes and thought I'd share it, in case any of you are looking for some good comfort food too!

Filling

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 lbs stew beef (you can use ground beef - or lamb - but I prefer the big chunks of meat)

salt and pepper

1 med onion chopped

1 bag frozen veggies (I like the Birdseye ones with carrots, peas, corn and green beans, but use whatever you like...fresh carrots would probably be good too)

parsley (I used dried, fresh would probably be better if you have it)

thyme (again, I used dried but fresh would work)

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups low-sodium beef broth (or homemade beef stock if you have it on hand. I'm not exactly Suzy Homemaker, so I don't.)

Topping

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons grated cheese (original recipe calls for cheddar, I used Kerrygold Dubliner cheese instead and it was delish! Would also be fine without cheese)

1. Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add meat and cook til browned. Season w/ salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion and cook til soft but not browned. Add veggies, parsley and thyme, stir and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour, cook 1-2 minutes, add broth. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add meat, reduce heat to low, simmer 20-25 minutes until meat is tender and sauce is thickened. Season again w/ salt and pepper. (I found the salt, pepper, parsley and thyme to be a little bland...next time I plan on trying some paprika, garlic powder and maybe a little crushed red pepper, but feel free to use whatever you like.)

3. Preheat oven to 425 F.

4. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and mash. Add milk and butter and stir until smooth.

5. Transfer stew to large casserole dish. Spread (or pipe if you're feeling artsy and have time) mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and bake 10-12 minutes or until hot. Preheat boiler for a few minutes and sprinkle potatoes w/ the grated cheese. Place pie under broiler - 4 inches from heat source - and broil 1-2 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned and cheese is bubbling.

There you have it, the perfect comfort food for a cold, rainy/snowy evening! To add to the authentic pub grub feel, why not whip up a brown soda bread to go with it? It's super quick and easy, and the leftovers are great for brown bread apple cobbler!

My brown soda bread recipe comes from The Irish Spirit, also by Margaret M. Johnson. Both great books, definitely worth buying if you're into Irish faire!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon McCann's quick-cooking (not instant) Irish oatmeal (kind of hard to locate, but worth the effort...I found it in Hannaford's organic section)

2 1/4 cups buttermilk (also hard to find except around the holidays...I did the old milk and lemon juice trick and it worked fine)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a baking sheet.

In large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of oats. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and egg. With a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture forms a soft dough. With floured hands, form the dough into 2 rounds. Transfer to baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining oats. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

I served the bread with butter, but it would probably be really yummy with jam or jelly too.

Brown Bread Apple Cobbler (again, from The Irish Spirit.)

1/2 cup water

5 tablespoons Irish whiskey (I used Jameson, whatever you have on hand is probably fine)

1/3 cup golden raisins (I used regular raisins because I couldn't find golden raisins. Next time I might try dried mixed berries or dried cherries for fun)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (recipe calls for Granny Smith, I used Cortland because I like them better and they worked fine)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups brown soda bread crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my family looooves cinnamon, so I added a bit more)

1. In small saucepan over med heat, bring water and whiskey to a boil. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour or until raisins have soaked up most of the liquid.

2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-9 inch square baking dish.

3. In large bowl, toss the apples w/ the granulated sugar. Stir in raisins and cooking liquid.

4. In med bowl combine bread crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. (I also threw in 1/3 cup of quick-cooking oatmeal but you don't need it.) Transfer half the apple mixture to dish. Top with half the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat layers with remaining apples and bread crumbs. Bake 50-55 minutes or until apples are tender, filling is bubbling, and topping is browned and crisp. (I found 50 minutes to be too much as the topping burned a bit...40-45 minutes is probably good.) Remove from oven and cool on wire rack about 10 minutes.

The recipe says to top with creme anglaise or poitin ice cream. I have no time (or desire) to make poitin ice cream and I tried the creme anglaise once and found it not to be worth the effort. Whipped cream works just find and vanilla ice cream, while not a particular favorite of mine, is ALWAYS good with apples!

I hope you enjoy these recipes and give them a try! I have a few other new recipes that I've tried recently (lambchops braised in Guinness and Parknasilla pork chops w/ crushed potatoes)...I'll be glad to share them if anyone's interested!

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?

change of seasons

2009-11-20T22:07:00.002-05:00

Wow. It seems like just yesterday that I was posting photos of our fall foliage, but apparently that is not the case! The leaves are gone and everythings gone brown and bare. Usually, this signals the beginning of winter, but we've actually been pretty lucky so far. We've had some cold nights, but not one snowflake as of yet. Actually, we've not had much rain lately either, which is odd for this time of year. No complaints from me, though! I'll take a green Thanksgiving (and Christmas too!) over snow anytime.
This tree was a beautiful yellow-orange color.

This bush had the most breathtaking crimson leaves...nothing but berries left now.

So, what does it look like right now in your neck of the woods? Any winter weather yet? Are you looking forward to winter, or, like me, do you wish it could stay fall all year long?

I Heart Faces Autumn Beauty challenge

2009-11-16T01:19:00.003-05:00

Week 45 -

"Autumn Beauty" Photo Challenge

Let me just say that I LOVE this week's theme...fall is my absolute favorite season of all. :) This photo was taken last fall, in September. It was actually pretty early in the season but lil J really, really, really wanted to play in the leaves so I raked the whole front yard to get this little pile together. It was worth the effort...she jumped and twirled and threw and had a grand old time for over an hour, and I, in return, got many great shots. This is one of my favorites from that afternoon. While she was making a leaf bouquet for me I snuck up and called her name...she glanced up at me briefly and I was lucky enough to get this shot before she went back to her project.

For more fantastic fall photos, hop on over to the I ♥ Faces blog by clicking on the link or on the I ♥ Faces button below.

NEW fall items at The Laughing Girl

2009-11-11T02:36:00.001-05:00

Stop by The Laughing Girl on Etsy to check out these items and more! More pieces will be added soon...time to start stocking up for the holidays! Keep an eye out for winter/Christmas pieces coming in the next few weeks.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:12:00.002-04:00

Fix It Friday

2009-10-30T13:40:00.002-04:00

Original:

My Fixes:

For more fantastic fixes, click on the link or button to head on over to the I ♥ Faces blog!

I Heart Faces week 42

2009-10-26T10:37:00.003-04:00

Week 42 - “Halloween Dress-Up” Photo Challenge

Dress up the kiddos or your spouse and start snapping away! It's "Halloween Dress-Up" week here at I ♥ Faces!
All photos entered this week need to feature a person in them that is dressed up for Halloween fun. (If you do not celebrate Halloween, feel free to enter a photo of anyone who is in dress-up for another occasion...ie. a Renaissance theater actor, face paint at a carnival, little girl having a princess tea party, etc.)
A face (even if it's a painted face) must be clearly visible in your photo entry! :)

Well, this picture was actually taken at Christmas, but I think it qualifies as dress-up! My mom had put these glasses in my dad's stocking as a gag gift, and we had a blast passing them around. 3 years later, this picture of my little cousin Cali still cracks me up.

SPECIAL PETS CATEGORY: While you're making your kids and spouse get dressed up for this challenge, dress-up your pet at the same time! We are going to be featuring a second (non-judged) Pets Category. Any photo entered into this category should feature an animal (any animal, not just pets!) that is dressed up in any way. How cute will this be?!

This photo was taken at Christmastime as well. (What can I say...we're not big on Halloween here - with the exception of my younger sister - but we go crazy for Christmas!) That's my sweet Dixie Doodle, and clearly she is thrilled to be dressed up in her snowman bandana and reindeer antlers.

For more dress-up fun, hop on your broomstick and fly on over to the I ♥ Faces blog!

New York, NY

2009-10-16T22:27:00.011-04:00

Silly me, I never got around to posting the rest of my pics from my trip to NY! Nothing else to do, so I'll share those with you now while I watch the Yanks play. :)

Fall in NY

2009-10-15T17:15:00.002-04:00

Fall is definitely here. I love fall...it's my favorite season. I love the pumpkins, the chill in the air, and especially the changing leaves. Unfortunately our foliage display isn't as brilliant as usual this year, but I took a few pics anyways.

Summer Send Off Sale on Etsy!

2009-10-13T13:16:00.002-04:00

I'm having a sale on Etsy! All my summery pieces have been discounted $1-5 so hurry on over to The Laughing Girl for some big savings! Sale will run through the end of October.

Not Me Monday

2009-10-12T21:33:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well, I've not done Not Me Monday in a while, but I don't have anything worth mentioning at all this week...

For starters, I am not using the old Not Me Monday banner because I thought I had the code for the new one saved but don't and, now that I have already started this post, am too lazy to go back to MckMama's blog to steal the right code...

I did not skip breakfast on a morning when I had a big, important test. After the test, I was not absolutely starving and did not end up chowing down on Mountain Dew Live Wire and baked Lays...at 10:15AM.

I did not bake a chocolate Irish cream cake for my mom's birthday (which, by the way, did not turn out absolutely delicious!) and, in the process, lick the bowl, spoon, and beaters. Also did not repeat that process after making the frosting. Oh, and me baking is not such a rare occurance that I deemed it a photo-worthy occasion.

On said birthday, I did not dress up the dog in a tye-dye bandana. People who dress up their dogs are silly. And I did not spend half an hour trying to get the perfect picture of said dog...if I did, certainly I would have succeeded.

I did not go commando one day because I "forgot" to do the laundry and ran out of clean underwear. I'm always on top of the laundry situation. Always.

And I definitely did not spend a good hour grilling my new co-worker, who is a photographer, on which DSLR I should buy. I'm too busy working, I would never spend that much time talking. And of course I would never pester a new employee like that...I'd give them time to settle in first.

I Heart Faces Week 40

2009-10-12T11:10:00.002-04:00

Week 40 - “Excited!” Photo Challenge

WEEK 40 - October 12th - "Excited!"

Our Definition: eager, active, enthusiastic, animated

This should be a fun week to go around and view all the photos! :)

All photos entered this week need to feature a person in them that is clearly excited and enthusiastic about something. The emotion should be easily conveyed when we view the photo.

There will be just one category (you can enter either a Kids photo or an Adults or a mixture of Kids and Adults.) Face(s) must be clearly visible!

This is my entry for the "Excited" photo challenge at I ♥ Faces. It was taken on one of the first truly hot days we had this summer. Lil' J had been helping my mom with her gardening when all of a sudden my mom turned the hose on her. Lil' J would run away screaming "Stop! Stop!" but as soon as my mom's back was turned she'd start creeping back towards her with a teasing "Hey Mrs. Quaaaaaaaail..." Clearly she was having a great time!

For more exciting photos, hop on over to the I ♥ Faces blog by clicking here or on the I ♥ Faces button below.

Fix it friday

2009-10-09T16:17:00.003-04:00

It's Fix It Friday once more at the I ♥ Faces blog. Here is the original photo:

...and here are my attempts at improving it.

To see what other creative fixes people came up with, check out the I ♥ Faces blog!

I Heart Faces Constructive Feedback Friday

2009-10-02T11:40:00.003-04:00

OK, I have this photo from a concert I went to on Monday night that I really love...except, obviously, it's seriously underexposed. It was really dark, with subtle red/orange lighting, and no flash photography allowed. I found that but converting to B+W with a blue or green filter it looks a little better, but I'm hoping some of you have better ideas for making this photo look good. I tried increasing the overall brightness of the photo, but it end up looking grainy, so if anyone has a solution for that, I'm all ears! Also, if anyone has any ideas for editing that don't involve converting to B+W I'd love to hear them...would be great to keep some color in the photo.

Oh, and the program I used for editing is Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI.

For more constructive feedback, head to the I ♥ Faces blog!

Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman

2009-09-30T15:59:00.002-04:00

OK, I have returned and (mostly) recovered from my whirlwind tour of NYC and 43 hours without sleep!

For those of you that missed it, I went to NYC on Monday to see the lovely and talented Cara Dillon and her equally handsome and talented husband Sam Lakeman in concert. I was up at 5:30 AM to catch a 7:15 bus to the city, and arrived there at 12:15. More details on my city adventures later.

The concert was more incredible than I ever could have imagined. Sam was true to his word and put me on the guestlist, and my friend and I scored some great seats on a big, comfy velvet couch about 10 feet from the stage. We got there early and were first in line when they let us in at 9:00. Cara and Sam took the stage at 9:30. Usually they play with several other musicians, but this evening it was just the two of them. They played almost every song from the new album, Hill of Thieves - it's just been released in the US, go get a copy NOW! - except a few that they really needed a full band to play, and also a few of her older ones including a favorite of mine, Garden Valley. And, much to my surprise, Cara did an amazing cover of the well-known song "Crazy Love" and dedicated it to me! After the show, which lasted between 75 and 90 minutes, a gentleman approached me and asked if I was Kristin. I informed me that indeed I was, and he handed me a paper and said "Cara wants you to have this." It was her handwritten set list for the show! SO COOL! Then my friend went to use the ladies room and came back to tell me that Cara and Sam were hanging out backstage. Needless to say we headed back there! They were talking to some other people so we hung back for a bit, and when Cara was done talking she approached us. I thanked her for the song dedication and she said "Oh, you're Kristin! Thanks for coming!" She also thanked me for the bracelet my friend Malcolm had given her earlier this year. (I posted about it a while back, it's in the archives somewhere if you're interested about that.) At this point I handed her a box containing a new bracelet...she was very surprised and said I shouldn't have done that, but I said that since I had replied to her lovely thank you note with a message of my own promising to make her another if she ever came to NY, I couldn't very well go back on my word! She absolutely loved it (or at least is a very convincing actress!) and when I said I didn't see any CDs and asked if she had any for sale she sent someone to go grab a few copies for me and signed them. "You're not paying for them, I'm giving them to you!" she said, and also added that she would make sure I got an advance copy of her new live DVD, which is scheduled for release in the spring, "...so don't order it!". How cool is that? We chatted for quite a while - especially once I let it slip that I'm a twin and she started telling me about her 2 year old twin boys - and then she called Sam over to talk with us as well. I got a picture with each of them. After that I had to dash off to catch the 12:45 AM bus home...more on that disaster later, I'd hate to ruin such a happy post with that story!

As you can probably tell, it was a night that I will never forget. In addition to seeing an amazing concert by two of the most talented musicians I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, I was pleased to find out that in addition to being great musicians, they are also great people. There are not words enough to express how grateful I am to Cara and Sam for the kindness and generosity they have bestowed on me.

I Heart Faces Fix It Friday

2009-09-25T14:06:00.002-04:00

OK, this is my first Fix It Friday in quite a while! I hope you like my fixes!

Here is the original photo.

It's very underexposed, but I found that once I increased the brightness, it was a great photo to work with! (And how couldn't it be, with such a cute little subject?)

Fix #1

I started by cropping the photo, then used Smart Photo Fix to increase the overall brightness and color saturation. Then I went to adjust and further increased the color saturation of the blues and reds. After that I went to Films and Filters under Effects and applied the Glamour film look. Finally I went to Time Machine, also under Effects and applied the Early Color effect with a 25% intensity.

Fix #2

Again, I started by cropping the photo and using the smart photo fix. This time I increased the overall brightess a little more, knocked the shadows back to -75, and increased color saturation to 25. Then I applied the Vivid film look under Film and Filters and the Cross Process look under Time Machine at 25%.

Fix #3

Again, I started by cropping and used the smart photo fix, this time increasing overall brightness and dropping the shadows back to -100. Under Film and Filters I applied the enhanced reds setting several times, then added texture.

Fix #4

Once more, I started by cropping and used Smart photo fix to increase overall brightness and set shadows at -100. Then I used Convert to black and white film with color filter red. Last I added Platinum look under Time Machine at 25%.

For more fabulous fixes, go to the I ♥ Faces blog!

I Heart Faces Completely Candid

2009-09-21T20:54:00.002-04:00

Week 37: “Completely Candid” Photo Challenge!

This is one of my favorite photos of Lil' J. She loves to draw and color and she was just so serious and focused on the task at hand this day that when I took the picture, she didn't even notice the flash go off! This is her favorite place to sit and play, color, read, and watch TV, especially in late afternoon when the sun is starting to go down. I loved the way to rays were hitting her and couldn't resist taking a few shots.

For more completely candid photos click on the link here or on the I ♥ Faces button.

Yet ANOTHER giveaway

2009-09-18T01:05:00.002-04:00

Julie over at Foursons is having another fabulous giveaway!!! Now, y'all have been awfully quiet lately so I don't know if any of you joined in on the fun last week but you really shouldn't miss out on this one! You might even win - I did last week! This week one lucky person is going to win a 18x24” rolled poster print from DigitalRoom.com and Uprinting.

Poster printing- http://www.digitalroom.com/poster-printing.html

Digital printing- http://www.digitalroom.com/

I should probably sit this one out since I won last week, but it's a super prize so I'm gonna be selfish and have at it again! I'm not totally sure what I'd do if I won, but I'm thinking a poster of this photo would be pretty damn cool.

Readers, what would you do if you won this awesome contest? And speaking of contests...who thinks its time for another Win It Wednesday? Better make some noise because if I don't see some interest I'm not gonna do it!!!

Cookie Monster would make a decent roommate on Sesame St.

2009-09-17T11:14:00.001-04:00

my new roomie

Cookie Monster

OK, if I lived on Sesame Street, Cookie Monster and I would definitely be roomies. Admit it - the guy's awesome. I think we'd get along pretty good. He's funny, I'm funny, he's a slob, I'm a slob...two peas in a pod, I think. We might get in a bit of a tussle over the last cookie, but that's it.

I Heart Faces week 36

2009-09-14T10:02:00.003-04:00

WEEK 36 - September 14th - "Contemplative"

Our Definition: thoughtful observation; full or deep consideration; dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood; expressing or revealing thoughtfulness; quiet modes of apparent or real thought; can be marked by some sadness, but doesn't have to be.

All photos entered this week should have a face in them that has a an expression that you consider to be "contemplative" (please keep our above definition in mind when you are looking for your entry photo.) There will be just one category (you can enter either a Kids photo or an Adults or a mixture of Kids and Adults.) Face(s) must be clearly visible!

When I first read that this week's theme was "contemplative" I knew right away which photo I would use. This is yet another photo that I took at the Great American Irish Festival, taken this past July. It is one of my favorites from this year's GAIF. That handsome fella is Norm Dahlor, from (you regular visitors to my blog probably guessed it!) The Elders. Normally, Norm has this funny little half smile/half smirk thing going on when he's on stage, but I caught him looking quite serious during their stirring a capella performance of "Men of Erin," a touching song that lead singer Ian Byrne says his father "gave" him after he passed away. With lyrics like these, how could one not be contemplative about one's own mortality, and that of their loved ones, while singing it?

Men of Erin

Lyrics by Ian Byrne

Fare thee well me boy as you wonder this night

Be not feared in the darkness my heart is your light

As you go brave Men of Erin

Faith and love by your side

I will dream of your peace in the night

Please don’t cry my Mother as you sit by the hearth

I will dance your memories with joy in my heart

I will go now and pray as I travel this land

And live by the lessons you gave

Fair thee well me boy as you wonder this night

Be not feared in the darkness my heart is your light

As you go brave Men of Erin

Faith and love by your side

I will dream of your peace in the night

Please don’t cry my Father as you sit by the hearth

I will dance your memories with joy in my heart

I will go now and pray as I travel this land

And live by the lessons you gave

Fair thee well me boy as you wonder this night

Be not feared in the darkness my heart is your light

As you go brave Men of Erin

Faith and love by your side

I will dream of your peace in the night

Please don’t cry my Children

As you stand by my Grave

I have danced your memories all of my days

I will go now and pray as I travel this land

And live be the lessons you gave

Pets

This is my entry for the "pets" category. I know, I know, a spider is't really a pet, but loosely applying the definition above, it fits. Kind of. Basically it's just a really awesome photo that I've been dying to share.

Like what you see? Click on the link here or the button above to visit the I ♥ Faces blog for more contemplative photos.

update on me...

2009-09-12T00:38:00.005-04:00

OK, I know I've been really, really crappy at blogging lately. I have a few reasons. For one thing, we FINALLY got some real summer weather (not that I mind temps in the 60's and low 70's...I'd be cool with that year-round!) so I've been outdoors more than usual, which means less computer time. For another thing, there just hasn't been much going on that is truly blog-worthy. Sorry. And last of all, I ran out of a lot of my jewelry-making supplies so I haven't had any new stuff to show you. Fear not, dear readers, I have finally ordered new supplies, and now that I'm not babysitting Lil' J anymore (*sniff, sniff* I KNOW y'all miss the almost-daily pics of her!) I actually have some free time on my hands so I should have some new pieces done over the next few weeks. With the holidays fast approaching (I know, I know, it's ONLY September, but pretty soon we'll all be saying "Where has the past year gone?!?!) I'm hoping to get my Etsy store well stocked..fingers crossed that I move some merch!!!

So, what has been going on in my life lately? Like I said, not a hell of a lot, but I did go to the NY State Fair with Lil' J and her mama. The day consisted mainly of eating (butterfly fries, roasted corn on the cob, Dippin' Dots, caramel apples, strawberry shortcake and kettle corn) and watching Lil' J go on the rides, but it was fun. Of course we HAD to check out the butter sculpture, and also made a stop in the dairy building to see the cows. And I won Lil' J a great big stuffed penguin at the water squirt game, whatever it's called.

Well, that's it for me. Anyone else been to any fairs this summer? I want to know...what are your favorite things about fairs? Favorite ride? Favorite game? Favorite fair food? And what's the best fair you've ever been to?

Another Giveaway...

2009-09-11T21:41:00.001-04:00

...and no, it's not mine.

Like free stuff? (Admit it, you do. Who doesn't?!?!) Then head on over to Foursons (click on the link here or on the button in my sidebar) because Julie is giving away a Wall Graphic from LargeFormatPosters.com. What is a Wall Graphic? Well, according to Julie's blog,

"A new product is being rolled out on LargeFormatPosters.com. The new product is an innovative adhesive fabric that is called a Wall Graphic. Just imagine a huge sticker that you can peel and stick on any flat surface! (Similar to the Fat Heads stickers you’ve seen on TV) In addition, they use the same high-quality printing we use for our poster prints, so you can print photos, artworks or patterns in great detail."

Cool, huh? I know I'd like one! I'd probably get one of my pics from the Irish festival. Or maybe a nice pic from my mom's garden, that I could give her for her birthday. Or maybe a pic of Lil' J, to give her parents for Christmas. Oh, the possibilities!

So, dear readers, what would you do with a Wall Graphic?

The Vintage Pearl giveaway

2009-09-09T12:15:00.003-04:00

The Vintage Pearl

OK, everyone, drop what you're doing and run over to the I ♥Faces blog. This week they're giving away a necklace from The Vintage Pearl. All you have to do is check out The Vintage Pearl's website and leave a comment on the I ♥ Faces blog saying which necklace from the Simple line you'd choose. Easy, huh? And their stuff is absolutely gorgeous and unique so do yourself a favor and just check it out already!

I Heart Faces “Back To School” Photo Challenge

2009-09-07T11:28:00.002-04:00

Week 35 - “Back To School” Photo Challenge!

OK, this is not exactly a "back to school" photo, but after missing out on last week's challenge I really want to enter this week and this is the best I can do. See, school here doesn't actually start until tomorrow and while I'd hoped to go take some "first day of school" pics of Lil' J, I can't. My great aunt died late Thursday night and the funeral is tomorrow morning.

While this isn't a first day of school photo, it is still somewhat school-related. See, I've been watching Lil' J since she was 6 months old...that's 5 years! Last Thursday was very bittersweet, as it was my last day watching her since she'll now be going to kindergarten. (Sadly, I had to leave early to be at the hospital with my aunt, but that's another post.) Even though I know I'll still see her (I only live 2 blocks away from her, and she comes in the store where I work often with her mother) I wanted to take some pics to remember the day. In this one, you can see the lovely bouquet and card she gave me in the background...the card says "K- I'll miss you when I go to my new school. Love, J-" After I opened the card she explained the significance of the pictures she drew in it..."See, that's me, and that's you, and that's my heart, and that's your heart...right next to each other!" And the locket she's clutching? Minutes after I took the picture she told me "I want to put a picture of me and a picture of you in my locket so I'll never forget you!" Awwwwww. And the day before, we were visiting my father and she said to him, Mister Quail? What if Kristin was my kindergarten teacher? Wouldn't that be cool?" Clearly she's having some separation issues, but she'll be OK. She's very excited about riding the bus and meeting lots of new friends. She's also going to be starting piano lessons, so she has lots of stuf to look forward to this fall!

To see more back-to-school pics, check out the I ♥ Faces blog!

I Heart Faces Week 33 - Nostalgia

2009-08-23T22:09:00.003-04:00

August 24th & 25th Photo Challenge - “Nostalgia”

This theme is going to be a fun one because it is going to be completely unique for each participant! What we are looking for here, is a photo that you have taken that brings back a nostalgic feeling for you (and you can explain why in your post.)Some ideas are photos that include a face (of course!) and a nostalgic item like....

*A rubik cube

*Red Flyer wagon

*Oldtime candy

*Converse sneakers

*Etc...

Or a photo that has a face in it and was taken at a place that makes you feel nostalgic (ie. your grandma's old farm, grandpa's old tractor, your mom's flower garden, sitting at your uncle's old desk, etc.)Just please explain how your photo fits the “Nostalgia” theme when you are writing your post.

Whew, another tough week for I ♥ Faces!!! Oh, the pictures I could use for this challenge. I was torn between millions (OK, dozens, maybe) of photos of Lil' J playing Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, and Memory, riding her bike, hurling herself down a schoolbus-yellow Slip -n- Slide, swinging at the playground...all things I loved as a child. Ultimately I chose this one, because of the hopscotch board drawn on the pavement in the background. Remember how much fun you could have with a few pieces of chalk and a pebble? (Or pinecone, or whatever you could find to toss!!!) Hours of entertainment and fun for all!!! Of course there was that one time my sister and I couldn't find any chalk and drew our hopscotch board in crayon...do I need to explain just how not happy mama and daddy Quail were when they discovered that, and how not fun it was sitting in the corner after? (FYI...crayon does not wash off the sidewalk in the rain. Just so ya know.) But I digress...my point is, hopscotch was fun back in the 80's (though I'm pretty sure actual sidewalk chalk had not been invented yet, and even if it had it was not 3D and did not come complete with acid-green 3D glasses!), and it's still fun in 2009! And just for some added nostalgia...who doesn't remember having those missing front teeth?!?! Heh...I was one of those poor kids that had the misfortune of losing mine right before Christmas. Naturally, everyone felt compelled to sing that obnoxious song to me..."All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!" Good times, indeed. Why was I just mourning the passing of my childhood?

If you're longing for the days of your youth after that, click on the link here or on the button at the top of the post to check out the I ♥ Faces blog to take a few more strolls down memory lane.

Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman...

2009-08-21T23:33:00.003-04:00

...are two of the most awesome people in the world. Seriously.

lovely Cara

You may recall me mentioning Cara a few times before. If not, here's a little recap. Cara is one of my favorite musicians. She's an amazing singer from Northern Ireland who does a nice mix of traditional Irish songs and contemporary pieces, some of which she writes with her husband, musician Sam Lakeman. (He plays piano and guitar.) I've been listening to Cara for about a year, after discovering her on an Irish radio station on iTunes. (Any of you listen to the radio stations on iTunes? Seriously, they're awesome. Pretty much any genre you can think of!)

Well, back in the spring a great friend of mine from England, Malcolm, was going to see Cara. He said he wanted to give her one of the bracelets that I made, one which was inspired by the colors on the cover of her latest album The Hill of Thieves. He inquired about purchasing it, but I told him that having one of my pieces go to someone like Cara would be payment enough...plus Malcolm has been very helpful in acquiring some CDs for me that I couldn't get here in the states (or would have had to pay very high import prices for) so I kind of owed him one anyways. Aaaaaaaaanyways, I sent him the bracelet, which he put in a lovely blue gift box, and, according to him, Cara was quite pleased with it. Awesome.

Hill of Thieves

the bracelet (and Malcolm's lovely gift box)

a very pleased Cara

Even more awesome? A few weeks ago I stopped by Cara's fan forum and found this sweet message waiting for me:

Hi Kristin,

I've been meaning to thank you for absolutely ages for the gorgeous bracelet yo made for me. The colours are stunning and I am very touched at the time and effort you put into making this, I will always treasure it.I've been wearing it at some of our concerts and out and about and it's always admired.Again, thank you for your kindness and keep up the fantastic work.

your fan

Cara x

Is that not just the sweetest thing ever? A frickin' celebrity (OK, she's not too well known here, but according to a friend of mine in Germany, Cara's a "big deal" in Europe.) taking the time to thank me, and calling herself MY fan. Insane!

Could it get any better than that? Nope. At least that's what I thought. Then I read that Cara and Sam would be doing some shows in the states to promote the US release of HoT. One of the shows is in NYC. I've never been to NYC. Quite frankly, the idea of going freaks me out. I'm a strict suburbanite. I like living in a town with 2,500 residents, 2 gas stations, 3 pizzarias, and 3 stoplights, where everyone knows me, where I can drive 10 minutes (or less) in any direction and find corn fields and dairy cows, where I can walk anywhere I need to go in under 15 minutes. Big cities scare the crap out of me. Or at least I think they do. My only real exposure to big cities is going to Albany or Syracuse, and that's only for shopping or to go to concerts. I do what I need to do and get the heck out of there. But I digress. I hemmed and hawed about going, snarked about the price of a bus ticket, cab fare, and hotel room (if necessary), moaned about having to take a day (maybe two) off from work, but ultimately I decided that braving the city would be worth it, to see Cara and Sam live for the first time ever...even if the bus ticket there and back is gonna cost me $120.

Now, you're probably wondering where things start getting better. I'm getting to that. So, a few days ago I checked Cara's fan forum again and found another message, this time from Sam.

Hi Kristin,

I was just checking some of the messages on here and noticed you're planning to come down to the NY show. It sounds like it might take a bite out of your wallet. Cara and I would love to put you on the guestlist if you were to make the effort. It might make for a more enjoyable experience. The whole reason for the trip is promotion anyway so what's the point if we can't make sure our real fans get to come along and enjoy us live.

Sam x

On the guestlist? Me? OK! If I wasn't going to the show before that, I was now!!! As I understand it, being "on the guestlist" basically just gets you into the show for free...and tickets are only $12, so I'm not saving much. But the gesture means so much more than that. I love finding out that my favorite musicians are not only good musicians, but good people in generally. Makes me truly happy to support them, glad to shell out for concert tickets, CDs and DVDs. Now I like very, very many musicians, and so few of them seem to be such genuinely good people. (Pat Green is one exception...I have a few good stories I could tell about him.)

So needless to say, I am very excited right now. To top it all off, a childhood friend of mine, who lives in the city, wants to go to the show with me. I haven't seen her in a few years, so getting to hang out with her for the day will be great. It's the icing on the cake. A very big, chocolately, sugary sweet, ooey gooey cake, at that. September 28th can NOT come quick enough!

After all this, I'm positive you're all dying to hear Cara. I know it. And one of you probably will be lucky enough to hear her. No, I'm not going to stuff you in my handbag and smuggle you onto the bus and into Joe's Pub for the concert. But, knowing me, I probably will snag an extra copy of Hill of Thieves to give away in an upcoming Win-It Wednesday. Try not to die of anticipation before then, OK?

Week 32 - “Bubbles” Photo Challenge!

2009-08-17T11:09:00.002-04:00

Week 32 - “Bubbles” Photo Challenge!

It's I ♥ Faces time again! This week's challenge is bubbles...I haven't had the chance to take many pictures lately, but luckily I have this one from when Lil' J and I went on a picnic earlier this summer. It was a fun afternoon with yummy picnic food, frisbee, and blowing bubbles down on the dock. She thought she was just too cool catching all those bubbles on the end of her wand!

For more sudsy, bubbly, squeaky clean fun, drift on over to the I ♥ Faces blog to check out everyone else's awesome entries!

I Heart Faces - “Funny, Silly Faces” and “Pets” Photo Challenge Fun!

2009-08-10T10:34:00.002-04:00

August 10th - "Crazy, Silly, Funny Face!"

All photos entered this week should have a face in them that has a crazy, silly expression on it. There will be just one category (you can enter either a Kids photo or an Adults or a mixture of Kids and Adults.) Faces must be clearly visible!

Wow. I had my work cut out for me, choosing just ONE photo for this category! (What happened to the child and adult categories? Why'd we go from two categories to one?) I have a bunch of cute, crazy, silly, funny little kid faces that I could enter (and let's face it, we ALL know cute kids get you brownie points!) but I ultimately decided to go with this one, from last year's Great American Irish Festival. (I know, I have a habit of entering pics from GAIF!) I love the looks on both faces in this photo. Brent (fiddler) is a very laid back guy on stage and is a very kind, sweet person...but here, with that little smirk and that glint in his eyes, you can almost see a bit of a "Bad Little Irish Boy" (to quote one of their songs) in there! And Ian in the background...that guy is the KING if crazy, silly, funny faces! He's one of the most animated performers I've ever seen! Here you can see just how much he gets into the music, contorting his face AND his body as he gets his groove on.

We will be having a second, non-judged category this week of "Pets." This category will be just for fun and you can enter a photo of any animal (it doesn't need to be just an animal that is considered to be a pet.)

Now, it's no secret that I have hundreds (thousands?) of pictures of my pets, most of them better than this one, but ultimately this photo was chosen just because it fits in with the crazy, silly, funny face theme. (I know the pet ones don't have to, but it works so well that I just went with it!) Some people will tell you that dogs can not smile...well, I beg to differ with them! Just look at that face! Don't you just want to kiss her? (Oh, wait, maybe that's just me...)

Well, whether you want to kiss my dog or not, hop on over to the I ♥ Faces blog (click the link here or on the button at the top of the post) for more funny faces and furry, feathered and finned friends!

My Playlist Playlist by Kristin on MySpace Music - Play Playlist Songs & Download Tracks

2009-08-07T21:31:00.001-04:00

My Playlist Playlist by Kristin on MySpace Music - Play Playlist Songs & Download Tracks

Shared via AddThis

I love Etsy

2009-08-05T00:50:00.002-04:00

As I've mentioned before, Lil' J will be starting kindergarten this fall. I bought her some cute new back-to-school clothes from Land's End (they had a GREAT sale on their kids' knit separates...I ended up ordering 8 coordinating items...pants, shirts, skirt, etc...all in turquoise and brown) and then went in search of the perfect hair accessory for the little diva. I came up with this fabulous korker bow from rainbowtique on Etsy. She could not wait to put in in her hair and kept admiring it in the mirror all day long...clearly, though, she was less than thrilled with my attempt at a photo shoot today. If you have a special little girl in your life, I highly recommend rainbowtique's products! The bow is very well made, super full and springy, and just fantastic! She has hair accessories in several styles and many color combinations and will also do custom work...how great would this look in your little girl's school colors?

I Heart Faces week 30 - My Story in Photos

2009-08-02T23:51:00.012-04:00

Week 30 - My Story In Photos: "The Summer Edition"

Ahhhh, it feels so good to be preparing an I ♥ Faces post once more! I skipped out last week because I was busy getting my Irish on at the Great American Irish Festival. And because the theme was "beach" and I can't even remember the last time I went to the beach. It was long before I had a digital camera, I know that much, so I don't have any good beach pics.

So, here's my story. I'm not much of a summer person (which explains my lack of beach time!). I'm a pasty white girl and it takes approximately 15 minutes of sun exposure to turn me into a crispy critter (no joke, I went to Florida a few years ago and was burnt from head to toe after spending 2 hours in the pool despite applying 50 SPF waterproof sunblock before heading outside AND reapplying every half hour), thus leading me to avoid most activities requiring prolonged outdoor time. (Until late last summer, anyways, when I found 70+ SPF sunblock for the first time! It's a miracle!) The one event I really look forward to is the Great American Irish Festival, which is held the last full weekend of July. $20 for a 3-day pass...best $20 you can spend! Each day I get there as soon as it opens, and I leave when they kick us out for the night.

Why do I love GAIF so much? (Aside from the fact that it's a good excuse to strap on my kilt, tie green ribbons in my hair and paint Irish flags on my fingernails, that is?) Oh, where to start? For one thing, I love the music. All kinds of Irish and Scottish music. Traditional bands. Contemporary bands. Bagpipes. Lots and lots of bagpipes. OK, I'm not the biggest bagpipe fan out there, but it's fun to watch a bit of the pipe band competition, which culminates in a massed bagpipe march.

My favorite band, THE ELDERS

I also like to see Barleyjuice at least once during the weekend. Six guys, all wearing kilts! What's not to love?

BARLEYJUICE

New to this year's festival...Pogey and Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall was good but Pogey? Amazing! I think they're my new favorite band...after The Elders, of course! Super talented group of guys, very sweet and totally adorable too!

POGEY!

Bagpipes

Had enough music? Go watch the dancers!

Dance isn't your thing? How about some rugby and Gaelic football?

As if that isn't enough, there are plenty of demos, displays and workshops in the cultural building...this year I attended a tin whistle workshop and planned on going to an Irish language workshop but ended up seeing one of the bands and forgot about it. Oops. Maybe next year.

And, like any good festival/fair, there was no shortage of food! The British Isles were well represented this year with shepherd's pie (I *may* have gone back for seconds), bangers and mash, and corned beef sandwiches (OK, corned beef is acually an Irish-AMERICAN food, but that's nit picking), but there is plenty of standard fair fare available as well...pizza, fried dough, ribbon fries, blooming onions, Italian sausages, Greek gyros, etc, etc, etc! And don't forget the beer! Lots and lots of beer.

Last but not least, I love the comraderie. Always a pleasure reuniting with old friends and making new ones! I got to talk with my friend Cindy (sadly, she was running around like crazy all weekend so we never got a picture together), who I met on the Elders' message board a couple years ago and haven't seen since January, and finally met Caitlin, who I've been talking to on Facebook for a while now (she's a big Elders fan too!). And much to my pleasure, Cindy, who volunteers at GAIF, snuck me behind the barricades to get a pic with the Pogey boys (again, are they not too cute? I could just eat them up!) and chat with them a bit. Oh, and just before I left I ran into Joe Miquelon, of the Elders, and he was all too happy to take a moment for a photo op...nice guy, that Joe is, and one hell of a keyboard player! And then there was Beadman...sorry dude, if you're reading this (and I doubt he is, because really, no one reads my blog), I forgot your name. Anyways, all weekend he went around giving people beads and taking pics of them. I didn't have anything to give him in return but took his picture anyways. We chatted for a while...he said he's a freelance photographer.

And that, in a nutshell, is the highlight of my summers! For more great stories and photos, click on the link here or the button at the top of this post to head on over to the I ♥ Faces blog!

Win It Wednesday WINNER

2009-08-02T20:34:00.001-04:00

I'm a little late here (I know, same old story!) but the winner of last week's Win It Wednesday contest is Mary Jo, who, in addition to answering all the questions correctly (even naming ALL the bracelets named after songs by my favorite band, The Elders) was the ONLY person to enter the contest. Yay Mary Jo! Boo everyone else for missing out on a great prize package! MJ, in addition to winning the green shamrock charm bracelet, which I have dubbed "Weekend Irish" (after a song by Barleyjuice) in honor of the GAIF, you are also getting a copy of Gael Day, the latest CD by The Elders. (Your copy is, in fact, new, but the CD was rattling around in the case so I had to open the shrink wrap to inspect it for scratches - no worries, it's fine! - and properly secure it. Sorry.) It's a fantastic album and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

P.S. I made a very similar bracelet for myself and wore it to GAIF last weekend...I can't tell you how many compliments I got on it! Mary Jo, your bracelet is 7 3/4" long but changing the length is no problem. If you'd like it longer or shorter just e-mail me and I'll fix it up and get it off to you ASAP...which brings me to this...

P.S. 2 Lissa, SO sorry you haven't gotten your bracelet yet! I've been super busy lately but I did finally make it to the post office last week so hopefully you'll get it very soon.

That's all for now, but I have TONS of pics from the Irish festival and will probably be posting them sometime soon.

Pogey

2009-07-28T10:44:00.003-04:00

Well, I have (somewhat reluctantly) returned from the land of the Irish. (No, not Ireland...just the Great American Irish Festival!) It was a wonderful 3 days...we ended up with great weather even though the forecast called for rain the entire weekend. My only complaint? It's not long enough! I could spend a week there dancing to my favorite bands, watching rugby, Gaelic football and Irish dancing, checking out the vendors, and eating lots of fatty, salty, unhealthy (and therefore totally delicious!) festival food!

One of my favorite bands that I saw this weekend is Pogey, a group of 5 young lads from Nova Scotia. It was their first appearance at GAIF and they were very well received...hopefully they'll be back again for GAIF 2010. As soon as they finished their first set I snagged one of their CDs (sadly their fiddler, Colin, just recently joined the group and isn't on either of their CDs but they are working on a new one which is tenatively scheduled for a spring release) and was first in line to get it autographed...and they remembered me after that one meeting! Unlike a lot of artists that spend the majority of the festival in the VIP tent, their tour bus, or a hotel room, these guys wandered around the fairgrounds and every time one of them saw me (it's not a very big fairgrounds so you're bound to run into people more than once!) they'd smile and wave. My WONDERFUL friend Cindy volunteered at the festival and snuck me behind the barricade to get a pic with the guys after their last set on Sunday morning...they were all too happy to comply.

Now, I may be biased, but in addition to being very talented musicians, and the nicest bunch of guys you could ever hope to meet, I think they're pretty darn cute too! Don't you agree? (Seriously. Don't you just want to take them home with you? ♥ )

Etsy's goin' green...

2009-07-23T01:05:00.001-04:00

Clearly I'm psyched about the Great American Irish Festival coming up this weekend (even if it is supposed to rain the entire time) and so in honor of GAIF, I'm having a sale! I'm knocking $5 off the price of everything green between now and the end of the month! New items to be added soon!

Win It Wednesday - July 22

2009-07-22T01:25:00.003-04:00

OK, as I promised, we are indeed having a Win-It Wednesday this week! (Don't know what time it is where you are, but it's 1:41 AM here in NY, making it officially Wednesday, albeit rather early Wednesday! What can I say...I'm too excited about this giveaway to sleep!) And in honor of the Great American Irish Festival coming up this weekend (pretty much the highlight of the year for me!!! Don't expect any posts from me from Friday afternoon through Sunday night, as I'll be at GAIF all 3 days!) the winner will receive this one-of-a-kind bracelet (and something else that I'm not telling you about right now because it might tip you off on the following questions.)

Questions? Yep, questions. You didn't think you were gonna get a prize for nothing, did you? ;) Oh no. I'm sending you on a scavenger hunt to find the answers to the following questions. (*hint* If you have not been reading my blog since the beginning, you *might* need to go back in the archives to find the answers to questions 1 and 2. For question 3, you'll *probably* have to go to my Etsy store and the website of the band from question 1.)

1. What is the name of my favorite band?

2. What year did I first see that band?

3. List 3 bracelets from The Laughing Girl on Etsy that are named after songs by that band. (There are 6...if you name more than 3 bonus points will be awarded and will be used in the event of a tie!) (*IF* there are 2 bracelets that go by the same name (example - Pink Lemonade I and Pink Lemonade II) they DO NOT count as 2 different song names.)

Since some of you don't have blogs I will not be using Mr. Linky for this contest this time. To avoid any cheating that might go on if you posted the answers in the comments section (not that I think any of you would cheat!), e-mail me your answers at Laughing_Girl_1278@yahoo.com. You have until next Wednesday evening (I don't know what time...whenever I get home from walking the dog after work so probably sometime after 9 PM) to submit your answers. I do ask that if you are participating in this contest, try to get the word out about it. Blog about it. Tweet about it. Post it on your Facebook or MySpace. Whatever. Let's see if we can't get more people over here to join in on the fun!

Teaser Tuesday

2009-07-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

New Items in Etsy Store!

2009-07-20T11:34:00.003-04:00

As you may have noticed in the mini-Etsy in my sidebar, new items have been added to my Etsy store! 4 new bracelets are up and I will be adding a few more bracelets as well as several pairs of earrings later this evening when I get home from work.

Raging Sea

Racing the Tide

Ghost of Ontario

Ghost of Ontario II

The names might be a little weird...but they *might* have something to do with the Win-It Wednesday fun I promised for this week! Ooo! Got your attention now, right? ;)

I Heart Faces week 28

2009-07-20T01:22:00.005-04:00

Week 28 Photo Challenge: “Feet Week”

For the first time ever here at we are going to have a week that doesn't focus on Faces. We know, we know...it's hard to take in, but we are all grown-ups and we think we will all be able to handle it. :)
You see, we love feet too! Maybe not as much as faces, but they are pretty darn cute in photos. So, for this week only...the focus of your photo needs to be on the FEET...not the face.
How much fun will this be?!

Fun? Oh, hell YEAH it was fun!!! I had a blast capturing dozens of photos like this one, which, after much deliberating, I have chosen as my entry for this week's challenge.

I've been snapping feet pics for months now, ever since I saw that "feet" would be the theme of an upcoming challenge, but this one, which features Lil' J and The B Man once again, along with B's cousin The J Man, was taken not even a week ago as the kiddos flung themselves down a flimsy sheet of wet plastic and blasted each other with water rockets. I had a collection of about 5 pics from which I was certain my entry would be chosen...then I saw this one. As soon as I uploaded it to my computer, I knew it was it. I love it. I love the bright colors, I love the lighting, I love how they're all wearing crazy, obnoxiously bright colored Crocs. I love the water spraying up from the slip n' slide. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

This was a tough week for me. Really tough. I had a ton of great pics (IMO, anyways!) and it was hard to pick just one. If you'd like to see the ones I didn't pick, check out this post. And to feast on more than a few fun, fancy and fabulous feet from a flock of fantastic fotographers, flitter on over to the I ♥ Faces blog!

feet

2009-07-20T00:56:00.006-04:00

OK, today's the big day...the "feet" challenge begins at I ♥ Faces. If you've been following my blog and/or following me on Facebook, you know that I've been a little obsessed with this challenge. Why? I don't know. But I've come up with many, many pics that I just love and it's soooo hard to pick just one. Unfortunately I have to. I have. I picked one...but I want to share the others that didn't quite make the cut.

Got a favorite photo? Think I should have entered one of these instead of the chosen one? Let me know what you're thinking!!!

what a Croc

2009-07-17T11:21:00.003-04:00

Anyone else hear the news that the Crocs company is going bankrupt? This saddens me...while Crocs are the ugliest footwear known to man (though Uggs are a close second, IMO) they are so super comfortable and my feet have felt so much better since I started wearing them to work. I just got a new pair of lime green ones (after bidding adieu to the decrepit light blue ones, may they RIP) and am thinking I should stockpile a few more pairs just in case.

(and no, I'm not so obsessed with Crocs that I go around randomly photographing them...just still on the hunt for the perfect "feet" picture for an upcoming I ♥ Faces challenge.)

Win It Wednesday whoops...

2009-07-16T16:39:00.001-04:00

OK, I know I promised a Win It Wednesday for yesterday, and I'm sure you noticed the lack of one. Sorry. Due to internet connection difficulties I was unable to do it. I could do it now, but Win It Thursday doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? So, if it's OK with everyone, I'm postponing it til next week which is actually cool with me because the Great American Irish Festival is next weekend, and the prize kind of ties in with GAIF. I know you're all on the edge of your seats waiting, right? RIGHT??? Just a bit of warning...you're gonna have to work for the prize next week. We'll be having a bit of a...well, I suppose you could call it a scavenger hunt of sorts. Sounds fun, huh?

Fall seven times...

2009-07-15T01:38:00.004-04:00

...stand up eight!

We're all about the roller skating these days - bumps, bruises and all...how are the rest of you enjoying these sunny days?

I Heart Faces week 27

2009-07-13T00:29:00.003-04:00

WEEK 27 - July 13th - Sports in Action

Kids and/or Adults Category - A child, children, adult or adults participating in a sport. (Basically a photo of any person participating in a sport.) Any sport is fine. Your entry must show "action" though. Posed shots will be ineligible to win this week's photo challenge.

I'll admit, I was bummed when I saw that week 27's theme would be "sports in action." I don't have many sports pictures...in fact, I thought I didn't have any! Then I remembered some pics I'd taken of the Gaelic football and rugby matches at last year's Great American Irish Festival. I dug through them and found a few that would have worked well. I ultimately chose this one from a rugby match...it's not a fantastic shot, certainly not a winning shot, but I think it's pretty cool anyways.

Pets Category - "Anything Goes" theme (even though we call this special category "Pets", we really don't care if the animal is an actual pet or not.)

Ahhhh, pets. Now here is a category I can really work with! I swear, my cat gets his picture taken more times in a week than I have in the past 5 years. But he's so darn cute, who can resist? Again, I had several pics to choose from for this week, but finally decided on this one. What is cuter than a sleeping kitty? He's just so fluffy and huggable I can hardly stand it.

Now, be sure to hop on over to I ♥ Faces to check out all the other fabulous entries for this week!

Do you notice anything new?

2009-07-10T23:49:00.001-04:00

I believe I forgot to mention it, but Lil' J recently got her ears pierced. Clearly it was a very exciting event. When I got to her house the morning after she got it done, she flew out to greet me with "KRISTIN-I-GOT-MY-EARS-PIERCED!!!!!" Well, my darling, I wanted to say, my ears have just been pierced as well...just not quite the same way. Later that day we went for a walk to visit with my father. (Lil' J adores my father, has ever since she was a baby. It's quite funny, actually. When she was all of 2 years old, she'd start asking me as soon as I walked through the door in the morning, "Kwissin, we go see Misser Quay-o today?" So cute. But anyways...) Of course she couldn't wait to show Mister Quail her earrrings, but she was much more coy about it. She waltzed on up to him, demurely tucked her hair behind her ears, cocked her head to the side and sweetly said, "Mister Quail, do you notice anything new?" Naturally she was tickled pink when he noticed right away.

All the small things

2009-07-10T02:10:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post to share some photos I took this evening. Usually I edit the crap out of my pics, but I'm leaving these in their original state, at least for now, because I think they're beautiful enough to stand on their own.

A tiny spider, on it's intricate, beautiful web...a perfect, miniature work of art.

A little butterfly (moth?) resting all too briefly on a soft pink flower.

A robin's nest perched high on the front porch. Doesn't look like much, but has somehow managed to withstand some nasty storms over the past few days to protect the delicate blue orbs within. (Sorry, no pics of the eggs, I don't want to scare mama bird away! My dad has peeked in it, though, and can confirm that there are several eggs there. Can't wait til they hatch!)

And just for fun, a few flower pics. Coming soon...pics of an unexpected feathered visitor.

Win It Wednesday

2009-07-08T13:46:00.000-04:00

OK, OK, sorry to get everyone all excited...but I am NOT doing Win It Wednesday this week. I do, however, have something up my sleeve for next Wednesday, so stay tuned! I will avoid Mister Linky since some of you don't have blogs, so hopefully more of you will participate. *hint, hint*

Also, Lissa, SO sorry I haven't gotten your prize from the last Win It Wednesday out to you yet. I have 2 bracelets, one is 7 1/4" long and the other is 8". Please e-mail me at Laughing_Girl_1278@yahoo.com and let me know if the 7 1/4" is OK (I'm guessing you don't want the 8"...that's even too big for me!) or if you want me to make it a little smaller and I'll send it out ASAP. :)

Bring on the rain

2009-07-07T23:02:00.005-04:00

It rained today. And I mean it freakin' rained. The worst of it only lasted, oh, half an hour or so, but man did it come down. And was accompanied by hail and gusts of wind up to 60 mph. By the time it stopped, the streets were flooded...

Luckily, within 20 minutes the water was down to almost nothing and the skies were blue once more, if only for an hour or two.

It continued to cloud over and sprinkle a bit throughout the day, though, so lil' J and I thought it best to stay inside. (I'll admit that I did try to talk her into putting on her rain boots and standing in the middle of the puddle at the end of the driveway but she was being difficult...) We amused ourselves by watching Kung Fu Panda (never saw it before...not bad!), playing games (she kicked my ass at Memory, but I beat her at Candyland and Chutes and Ladders) and putting her new charm thingers (whatever you call them) on her Crocs.

Personally, I was cool with having a lazy day to sit around and do a whole lot of nothing. Now it's your turn...what's your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

My Doodlebug

2009-07-07T00:29:00.001-04:00

I don't believe I've posted too many pictures of my dear sweet dog, Dixie. I have many mediocre pics of her (anyone else have trouble photographing black dogs? It's hard! Unless the lighting is super good, I lose all the details of her face!) but very few great ones. I did manage to get a few decent shots of her the other day, dressed up for the 4th and thought I should share them because...well, because she's cute and I love her to pieces!

I Heart Faces - “My Story In Photos: The Patriotic Edition”

2009-07-06T21:45:00.009-04:00

“My Story In Photos: The Patriotic Edition”

My lil' bro, Dominick, is in the Army National Guard. In 2007, we learned that he would be heading over to Afghanistan. Before he left, my parents threw a big party for him, with lots of friends and family. My mother, ever the perfectionist, had the house decorated perfectly and had a red white and blue cake made. My sister Martha Stewart, ahem, Courtney, made red white and blue chocolate chip cookies. Even Dixie, our beloved mutt, dressed for the occasion and was more than happy to snuggle with her "brudder" for a photo op. Lil' J, whom you've seen in my I ♥ Faces entries before, didn't make it to the party but loved checking out the deocrations the next day...and, coincidentally, happened to be dressed appropriately!

There was also a farewell ceremony held at the armory for the families of all the soldiers being deployed. It was a beautiful late September day, perfect for taking some family photos. Unfortunately the lighting was poor inside the armory, so I couldn't get any really great shots in there. Naturally we were all sad that my brother was leaving, but there were some very funny moments that day...and I'm glad I managed to capture them! My brother suffers from nasty seasonal allergies (he can thank mom for that!) and they were particularly bad that day. Having run out of tissues and not in the mood to track any more down, he instead swiped a roll of toilet paper from the bathroom and stuffed it in one of his pockets. We all got a good laugh every time he pulled it out to blow his nose!!! (He also amused us with stories of all the stuff he and his comrades had pilfered from the armory to take overseas with them...but that's just between you and me!)

The entries will not be judged this week, but still be sure to hop on over to I ♥ Faces and check out everyone else's patriotic stories and photos!

Not Me Monday

2009-07-06T11:03:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

OK, personally, I have not been up to much this week (that's true) so I'll keep this short and sweet.

I did not use the Yankees game that went into 12 innings as an excuse for not mingling with my cousin's friends at her 4th of July cookout.

I did not stay up until 3AM the other night watching Bull Durham and Turner and Hooch on TV instead of GOING TO BED, so obviously I did not hit the snooze button 6 times when it went off at 7AM was not dragging my feet all day at work.

I have not continued following someone's blog (one that I'm guessing some of you also follow so I'll refrain from saying whose blog it is) just because it's like a train wreck that I can't tear my eyes away from. Also have not read the comments so many people leave there and thought "Gah, what a frickin' phony."

Independence Day

2009-07-04T11:18:00.004-04:00

Happy 4th, y'all! Hope you have a great day, but while you're busy camping, picnicking, watching fireworks and generally enjoying the long holiday weekend, don't forget the reason for it all. Take a moment to think of those whose bravery made us free, and thank the men and women who are fighting today to keep us that way.

Thanks for putting your life on the line, lil' bro. Glad you're here to celebrate with us this year. :)

Fix It Friday

2009-07-03T20:53:00.001-04:00

It's Fix It Friday again at I ♥ Faces, and I'm actually on time this week! Go Me! Wasn't feeling overly creative today so this isn't my best work, but it's a cute photo to begin with so it doesn't need much help!

Original:

Fix #1:

Fix #2:

Fix #3:

Head on over to I ♥ Faces to check out the other fabulous fixes!

Not Me Monday

2009-06-29T11:49:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Not Me! Monday blog carnival, which was dreamed up by the fun, creative, and super awesome MckMama! Go to her blog to check out her what she and everyone else have been up to this week!

As for me...well, I certainly DID NOT talk Lil' J into going to the marina under the guise of having a picnic when really, I just thought it would be a good place to take some cute pics.

Also, I DID NOT watch Lil' J hurling herself down the slip n' slide and think, damn, I wish MY belly looked that cute hanging out of my swimsuit...

And while we're on that topic...I did not tell Lil' J to wear her Crocs that afternoon so she wouldn't step on a bee only to have one fly into my own Croc (and I'm NOT still wearing the shabby blue ones with holes in the soles) and sting me on the bottom of my foot.

I AM NOT sitting here (at noon, in my pajamas) watching Band of Brothers (for the millionth time) on the History Channel and Not Me! Monday-ing instead of doing what needs to be done...like laundry. And making an eye appointment because my glasses are trashed but its been too long since my last appointment so they won't let me pick out new ones without an exam first even though I know my eyes haven't changed one bit. And registering to take the NCTRC exam in October. And, um, showering.

I was not up waaaaay past mignight last night posting my entry for this week's I ♥ Faces contest and checking out everyone else's entry. I'm patient. I can wait til morning for that. Also, I'm not over the moon with all the wonderful comments I"ve gotten on my photos.

I did not take a ton of feet pics in an attempt to come up with the perfect one for an upcoming I ♥ Faces contest, only to be dismayed with my efforts.

Like I said, I AM NOT still wearing my falling-apart Crocs and the reason why is not because none of the local stores had them in the perfect color.

I WAS NOT utterly disappointed in the long-awaited movie My Sister's Keeper and did not shout out at the end, "I want my $9 back!" And nobody in the theater laughed at me.

And...I am not thrilled to have added 2 new blog followers this week for a total of 8, which is not only 2 shy of my short-term goal of 10 followers.

I Heart Faces week 25 Just for fun

2009-06-29T00:32:00.002-04:00

Here's my "just for fun" entry for this week. I was disappointed when it was changed from the adult and kid categories for wedding to one wedding and one just for fun because I had 2 great wedding shots to use and it was hard to pick which one to use!!! But I was also glad because it gave me a chance to share this picture, which I love and have been waiting to show off for ages! (or like, a month and a half...)

This is Lil' J, whom you've seen here before. I love everything about this picture...yes, the lighting is good, the colors are great, the angle makes it a little more interesting, but the best parts? The missing tooth and the little smudge of chalk on her cheek from gymnastics class! We'd just come from there and I decided that her outfit coordinated so nicely with the colors of the playground equipment that we ought to stop and take some pictures (yes, I'm totally cheezy like that!)...but, observant as I am, failed to notice the chalk until I looked at the photos later that evening! Chalk or not, it's one of my favorite photos of Lil' J and I've been waiting and waiting for the chance to show it off ever since I started participating in the I ♥ Faces contests a month or so ago...it just never fit into any category. So I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share it with you all today. And check out http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ for many more fabulous photos!

Fix It Friday

2009-06-29T00:06:00.002-04:00

Yes, I'm a few days late (and more than a few dollars short, but that's irrelevant here...) but here are my contributions to this week's Fix It Friday on the I ♥ Faces blog.

Original

Fix #1

Fix #2

Fix #3

Make sure you check out http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ to see everyone else's great fixes!

I Heart Faces week 25 - wedding

2009-06-28T21:53:00.004-04:00

It's I ♥ Faces time again!!!

WEEK 25 Theme - Wedding Bells
Tis the season! Those wedding bells are ringing like crazy this month.

Wedding Bells Category - Must have a face of someone (child/adult/multiple people) from a wedding celebration. (Entries must be fairly obvious that it was taken at a wedding celebration or you can explain your entry in your blog post.)

This lovely, romantic photo was taken last fall at my cousin Mark's wedding. I hemmed and hawed over dozens of beautiful wedding shots but I kept coming back to this one of him and his beautiful bride Erin because, well...look at their faces! It just makes me laugh every time. Not a great "traditional" wedding photo, but I love that it captures their personalities and the fun of the evening.

Like what you see? Make sure to hop on over to http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ to check out the rest of the awesome entries for this week!

Wonderful, wet, wild, winning Wednesday!

2009-06-24T23:24:00.007-04:00

Well, today was fun. Lil' J and I started out with a picnic at the marina consisting of pepperoni roll (I wanted PB+J, Lil' J wanted pepperoni...clearly she won), rosa maria salad, carrots, pears, yogurt, cheese(for her, not me...I'm not much of a cheese fan), and sour cream and onion chips. After lunch we blew bubbles and sat down on the dock for a while before playing frisbee (yes, I tossed with my left hand - I'm a righty! - and took pics with my right...what can I say? Mad skills.). When that got old we headed over to her friend B Man's house for some wet and wild fun. The kids had a blast on the slip 'n slide...I'm sure it felt great as the temp was in the 80's and humidity was high. I was tempted to jump in myself a few times, but managed to restrain myself. After 4 hours of water fun we headed home...and Lil' J promptly passed out, allowing me to enjoy half an hour of blissful silence before her mom got home.

In other news...I'm gonna be honest here, I'm a little dismayed at the lack of participation in Win-It Wednesday...but thanks to the 2 people who played along! The winner is - drumroll please! - Lissa, with her suggestion of "Orange Blossom Delight." The bracelet's yours. :) Cassie, thanks for joining in on the fun...feel free to join my list of followers if you'd like to participare in future giveaways.

I Heart Faces week 24

2009-06-22T11:24:00.005-04:00

Week 24 Photo Challenge: “Let's Hear It For The Boys!”

OK, this was kind of a hard theme for me...most of the good photos I have are of Lil' J! Luckily I dug through my files and found a few shots I could work with, and I'm actually quite pleased with them!

Fist up, my kids entry. This is The B Man, a good friend of Lil' J. (Who was featured in last week's entry.) This kid is ALWAYS on the go, and seemingly allergic to the lens. He flipped his lid every time he saw me trying to take pics as he and lil' J romped around the playground. I did manage to capture this shot undetected, though, and I love it...I think it shows his sweet side (and his gorgeous long lashes!) and the lighting happened to be just perfect.

Here is my entry for the adult category. Like last week's entry, this one was also taken at the Great American Irish Festival. This is Brent Hoad, who plays fiddle (among other things) for my favorite band, The Elders. As with last week's photo, this was just a lucky shot on my part...SO hard to get a pic there without audio/lighting equipment in the shot. I could do without the microphone there, but at least it isn't covering his face.

Please head on over to http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ to see all the rest of the fantastic entries!

Fix-It Friday

2009-06-19T22:58:00.002-04:00

Just something fun for the I ♥ Faces blog...Fix It Friday. This is today's photo

original:

My fix:

Win It Wednesday...just a reminder

2009-06-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

OK, I see no one has entered the very first ever Win It Wednesday contest. What's going on, ladies? Do you not like the bracelet? Is Mister Linky confusing? Or are ya just too busy? See that little link for comments? Use it...let me know what's up! I'm extending the deadline to enter the contest to next Wednesday. After that I'm naming the bracelets myself and they both go up on Etsy...and you'll have to wait til July for my next super awesome Win It Wednesday giveaway!

In other news...did ya see my last post? I'm not one for praying but little Stellan is certainly in my thoughts and if any of you feel like praying go ahead. MckMama hasn't updated her blog since yesterday evening...they say no news is good news but in this case I'm not so sure that's true.

Baby Stellan

2009-06-18T20:35:00.001-04:00

Hey all, I don't know if any of you follow MckMama's blog but her little son Stellan has a serious heart condition and is back in the hospital so please keep him in your thoughts and, if it's your kind of thing, your prayers. I know MckMama and her family would appreciate it.

A day of gardening...

2009-06-18T02:49:00.002-04:00

...sure can wear a girl out!!!

As you can see, lil' J had lots of fun planting flowers with my mother today!

Win It Wednesday

2009-06-17T00:27:00.003-04:00

OK loyal readers, here it is, the moment I know you've all been waiting for...the first ever Win It Wednesday!!! (insert wild applause here...)

So, what exactly am I going to win? Glad you asked. See, I have this brand spanking new bracelet.

Nice, huh? Well, actually I have two of them.

One is going up for sale on Etsy. But before I can list it, I need a nice catchy name for it. OK, need is a strong word. I could always list it as "super awesome orange and silver Swarovski crystal beaded bracelet," but that's just a bit too wordy, don't ya think? So here is where you ladies come in. What I need you to do is come up with a cute, catchy name. Name it after your kid. Your favorite song. A flower. Your neighbor's cat. I don't care, just come up with something. Then, post a picture of the bracelet, the Win It Wednesday picture, a link to my blog, and your name suggestion on your blog. Last but not least, come back here and use my friend Mister Linky. (Which hopefully will work, it's my first time trying it out.) Put in your name (your real name, a nickname, the name of your blog, whatever works for you, I'm not picky) and a permalink to your blog post with the pictures and your contest entry. I know you're all super busy, so I'm gonna give you until Saturday to do this. Then on Saturday night when I'm dead tired from work I'm gonna come home and you're all gonna put a big smile on my face with your clever, creative suggestions and I'll pick the one that I think best fits the bracelet and the person who came up with it will be our first ever Win It Wednesday winner! YAY!!! So, put your thinking caps (or a Yankees hat, that's fine too) on and get crackin'!

Wanna buy some ?

2009-06-15T13:14:00.001-04:00

shiny, sparkly things...

Well, I already have an online store on Etsy ( http://thelaughinggirl.etsy.com/ ) but if I had a real store, it would be pretty much the same. I'd sell the jewelry that I make. Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, anklets...pretty much everything. And I'd probably sell the hand-stamped greeting cards that I make as well. I love creating things and I love to see the look on someone's face when they receive a one-of-a-kind gift made just for them.

I Heart Faces

2009-06-15T12:17:00.002-04:00

Here are my entries for this week's "Sepia" theme at I ♥ Faces.

This is for the Kids category. I've been babysitting lil' J since she was 6 months old...she's now 5 1/2. As I was going through some old photos a few weeks ago I found this one. I can't believe how little she was! One thing hasn't changed, though...her love of gardening! She gets so excited when I bring her to do some gardening with my mom.

This is my entry for the adults category. That handsome lad is Ian Byrne, from my favorite band The Elders. For the past 2 years they've performed at an Irish festival that is held in my hometown. Great music, great fun...not so great for taking pictures. The stages are very small so it's crowded with 6 guys on stage. It's nearly impossible to get a good picture without mic stands obstructing the view, or audio/lighting equipment cluttering the background. And Ian? That fella doesn't stand still for more than a second! I can't tell you how many pictures I have of his tight Irish arse and the back of his head because by the time my crappy point-and-shoot finally takes the pic, he's off. Needless to say, I was thrilled to get this clear shot of him! Don't you just love the mischievous glint in his eyes?

Not Me Monday

2009-06-15T11:06:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

To begin with, I did not start out the week in an absolute panic because I thought it was Father's Day and I didn't have a gift (have a card, but no gift! EEK!) for my dad. I was not incredibly relieved to realize that NEXT Sunday is actually Father's Day. Phew!

OK, for one thing, I was not left in charge of lil' J for 3 days while mommy and daddy went to Colorado for a film festival. I definitely did not let her stay up past bedtime so we could have a little film festival of our own.

And for sure I did not let her eat 3/4's of a bag of microwave popcorn (which wasn't Extra Butter), peanut butter cups, gummi candy and kool aid because mommy's a health food nut and she wouldn't like that. The Mountain Dew Game Fuel? Not mine. Don't touch the stuff.

And I certainly did not create photographic evidence of any of this.

And later in the week, I did not download the Bolt soundtrack and blatantly lie to my sister when she asked "Are you listening to Miley Cyrus?"

I did not cut off a chunk of skin (and part of my thumbnail) half the size of a dime on the cold cut slicer at work. I've worked there 9 years. I know better than that. Didn't swear when it happened (or didn't happen...) either. And I most certainly did not refuse a trip to the ER and instead slap a few (3, 4...maybe 5) band aids over it and get on with business as usual.

I did not steal MckMama's idea and attempt to take a few self-portraits for my blog. And they didn't come out cheezy and terrible. And I did not end up making funny faces at the camera. Nope. Wouldn't do that.

I did not laugh hysterically as lil' J learned to use her new roller skates. Who would laugh at a 5-year-old flailing around like a spaz and falling every 2 minutes?

Last but not least, I did not rush to make a ton of new jewelry for the bracelet showcase on Etsy today (check it out to see my featured item!) only to be too lazy to take pics and list the stuff.

coming out from behind the camera...

2009-06-14T01:24:00.003-04:00

OK, so today (well, yesterday...it's technically a new day now...) I realized something. This is MY blog. But there are almost no pics of me...because I'm always taking pics of other people/places/things. So I decided that had to end. The result? Some pretty lame/goofy/stupid self-portraits. I tried getting some outside, but that didn't last long as it started raining on me so I moved inside.

One of these days I'll come up with a REAL post. I know it's been a while but it was a busy week. New jewelry pics coming soon (I hope) and probably some of lil' J as well. Hope y'all are ready for Win-It Wednesday, because it's on!!! Who wants free stuff? Ooo. I'm excited.

Quench your thirst with this...

2009-06-08T21:52:00.001-04:00

Intrigued? Keep an eye on The Laughing Girl on Etsy for some groovy new items!

Summer Refreshers

2009-06-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

Yup, it's another brief, picture-less post. But fear not, dear readers...pic to follow later tonight and I think you're gonna like them. I hope you will. And I really, really hope Etsy buyers will.

Stay tuned.

And then there were 4...

2009-06-07T23:32:00.001-04:00

Welcome, Brie! Oooooo 4 followers now! Yay! Of course 3 of you could just keep tabs on me at that other place, so I do appreciate you hanging around my blog. Anyways, looks like I won't be hitting 10 any time soon, so I think we'll just go ahead and get the party started...I'm aiming to have my first Win-It Wednesday not this coming Wednesday, but the next. I was all for this week, but then I remembered that I'm staying overnight with Julia on Wednesday (and possibly Thursday) and wireless internet access at her house is somewhat unreliable so I don't want to promise anything just to disappoint. At least this will give me another week to try to round up some more followers. I've been socializing on Etsy's forums so hopefully some people there will head on over here and join the fun.

Sorry, I know you're all dying for more pics (I'm a bit of a picspammer, aren't I?) but SURPRISE! I don't have any new ones. Haven't seen lil' J since Thursday and I already posted those pics, I haven't made any new jewelry, and I'm too lazy to edit the garden and sunset pics sitting in my camera right now, so enjoy this rare pictureless post while you can.

I'm a loser...

2009-06-07T00:23:00.002-04:00

In case anyone was wondering, while I did receive a number of compliments, I did NOT win this week's I ♥ Faces contest with this beautiful picture of my cat. Better luck next time, I guess.

P.S. Pumpkin, you're a pain in the ass sometimes, but you're always a winner to me you little love muffin.

Feet

2009-06-06T19:53:00.003-04:00

OK, no one seems too keen on commenting on my posts so I don't know why I'm gonna ask this question, but I will. Because in my laughing soul, hope springs eternal...maybe, just maybe, this will be the post that gets people talking. And because I like to hear myself talk. Or...see myself blog, as the case may be. Whatever. One upcoming theme on I ♥ Faces is "Feet." Weird, I know. I have a few pics so far that I like, but the feet contest isn't until sometime in July so I still have time to come up with something better. My question for you, dear readers, is this: which of these pics do you like the best? Also, do you think I should try some more shots before picking one to enter?

I'm partial to #1 and #5 but honestly, I don't think any are truly spectacular and attention-getting (aside from the obviously-enhanced, unnaturally bright colors...). I probably don't need to say it, but yes, those are all of lil' J's feet. I may try to get some of my own feet, though they are admittedly nowhere as cute as lil' J's. I'm thinking artsy-fartsy, black-and-white, barefoot in the garden. Or not. We'll see how ambitious I'm feeling come Monday, my day off.

Lil' J

2009-06-06T00:45:00.008-04:00

Nothing important to say. I know, Wednesday passed and no Win-It Wednesday. Seems no one's interested in following my blog, and I haven't gotten to 10 followers yet. Boo. But I'm feeling generous, so maybe this coming Wednesday I'll do a Win-It anyways for you three loyal ladies. Now, on to some new pics of lil' J just because she's cute. We had LOTS of fun playing with her new Crayola 3-D sidewalk chalk the other day (before she had to get ready for her preschool graduation). That stuff is beyond awesome. And tell me the kid doesn't look ab fab in the killer 3-D glasses. ;) Forgive me for the artsy-fartsy ones...

Hoppy Wednesday!

2009-06-03T00:26:00.005-04:00

OK, I had to rush to edit those pics so I could get them up while it was still Tuesday (because Toothless Wednesday...just doesn't have the same ring to it) but here are some more pics of lil' J (who, I hope you noticed, lost her second tooth!) from yesterday. It started out grey and dreary but by noon was beautiful. After having a bath, getting dressed, getting her hair done, and making her bed (complete with tucking in the stuffed animals!) lil' J had lots of fun getting tickled (seriously, the kid demands "TICKLE ME!!! Who am I to argue with that?), playing hopscotch, petting her bunny, and riding her bike while waiting for mommy to pick her up for a birthday party. Seriously, the kid's got it pretty good, don't ya think?

Toothless Tuesday...Part II

2009-06-02T23:57:00.001-04:00

Not Me Monday

2009-06-01T13:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Yep, it's that time again!!!

Let's see...well, first of all, I DID NOT almost completely wear through the soles of my beloved...I mean, BUTT UGLY...baby blue Crocs. I DID NOT go to the mall with the express purpose of getting a new pair and return Croc-less.

I am a responsible girl. I would never get home from work at 8PM, realize that the daisies were in bloom, and...instead of eatting dinner and walking the dog...run inside, grab my camera, and go out for some pics even though it was already dark.

I DID NOT look at my lovely collection of tin whistles and realize that I have become so enamored with blogging, photography, and selling jewelry that I have not played them in at least a month.

I DID NOT buy some new clothes for lil' J just because I thought they'd be super adorable for some new pics. Also, it WAS NOT too cold and rainy all week to actually get said pics.

I WAS NOT super excited to enter the contests at I ♥ faces for the very first time.
And I certainly did not start work on an entry for next week either. Especially not when I should have been tackling the 5-foot-tall laundry pile...

Last but not least...I DID NOT eat an entire bag of Royal Riviera cinnamon sugar Pear Chips from Harry and David in 2 days. And they weren't absolutely delicious.

I Heart Faces...Pets

2009-06-01T11:52:00.002-04:00

Hello all! I'm new to I ♥ Faces and very excited to start participating! I found the blog a few weeks ago and have been checking things out a bit before jumping in.

This is my entry for the Pets category for week 21 at I ♥ Faces. It is a photo of my loveable little PITA domestic long hair, Pumpkin. One of his favorite places to nap is in the sunroom windows, especially when my mother has the grow lights on for her seedlings.

Pets, pets, pets

2009-06-01T00:53:00.002-04:00

OK, so I recently found this photography blog called I ♥ Faces that has weekly contests. Contests I'd like to start entering. Almost all photos must focus on the face, but the theme differs from week to week. This week the themes are birthday and pets. I don't have any good birthday pics so I'm focusing on pets. I've narrowed it down to these few...help me decide which one to submit!

I'm leaning towards 1 and 4. I love 3, but I'm not sure it's...face-y enough.

Etsy update...

2009-05-31T18:54:00.002-04:00

4 bracelets sold on Etsy so far, 3 in the past 4 days. Not as good as I was hoping for, but I am set for the bracelet showcase on Wednesday, hopefully sales will pick up a bit after that. I need to get a few more things made and listed before then. The pieces that sold are:

Plus I've had a few off-site sales recently:

The first one, which you may recall was inspired by the colors on Cara Dillon's Hill of Thieves album cover, actually went to Cara herself...a friend of mine on a Cara message board liked it and bought it to give to Cara when he saw one of her shows last week. Apparently she was quite pleased, which makes me quite pleased. :) The last one there...well, that's the same one shown above. My boss bought one just like it only the small oval beads were blue instead of green, but I don't have a picture.

New stuff!

2009-05-30T01:45:00.003-04:00

Yup, I've got some new pieces. I whipped up these 4 bracelets this evening while listening to my favorite band, The Elders. (Yes, I know I've mentioned them a few times, but seriously. They ROCK.) No time to take nice, fancy pics so they won't be listed on Etsy for a few days but I thought I'd give you guys (or girls...or girl as the case may be) a sneak peek.

I'll be honest...the last one? It's my favorite. I know, I know, how can I pick a favorite? It's like picking a favorite child. But seriously, I love that bracelet. So much that I actually made 2. One to list on Etsy, one for...I dunno. Keep? Birthday gift for my BFF? Win-It Wednesday contest prize? Who knows. I don't, and I'm guessing that if I don't know, and it's MY bracelet, then the rest of you don't know either. Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out.

OK, not jewelry, but it is new stuff! I was in Albany earlier this week, hangin' with my sis, when I saw these on display at Gymboree. My first thought was not "Hmmm, lil' J really needs some new summer clothes," (because I am not her mother, it's not my job to worry about whether or not the kid has summer clothes!) but "Ooooo, those would be super cute for some new summery pics!" So I bought them. And...it rained all week and was flippin' cold. So, no new pics yet. (And yes, that is my unmade bed...I'm just glad you can't see the (totally awesome) polka dotted flat sheet that SO TOTALLY does not match the (equally awesome) striped fitted sheet. And the green pillowcase. Yes, I mix and match my sheet sets. I'm wild like that.

Win It Wednesday

2009-05-29T01:43:00.001-04:00

OK, OK, I KNOW today is not Wednesday. It's Thursday. Oops...make that Friday. I'm up late again. Imagine that...

Anyways...the reason I'm talking about Win-It Wednesday? Because, it's a fabulous idea I had for my blog. See, I think it would be fun to have little contests to give stuff away on Wednesdays. Not every Wednesday, mind you, but at least once a month. What kind of stuff, you ask? Who knows. Might be jewelry. Might be a cool CD. Maybe it'll be some beauty product that I think is fantastic. Or a book I love. Could be anything. You all like free stuff, right? So, in exchange for the chance to win something awesome, all I ask is one teeny tiny little favor. Won't even cost you anything. All you have to do is mention MY blog and Win-It Wednesday on YOUR blog (and maybe post a little button, if I can figure out how to make one!), along with your answer to whatever question I have posed for the contest, and you're in it to win it. Sound cool? OK, good. Now...go tell your bloggy friends all about it because Win-It Wednesday can't start til I have AT LEAST 10 followers! Think you can do that?

You're the meaning in my life...

2009-05-28T21:27:00.006-04:00

...you're the inspiration.

Oops. Sorry for that little flashback to 1984. (Eh, maybe 1984, maybe not. All I know is that Chicago song came out when I was very, very young so I'm making an educated guess here.) But I've been trying to come up with a (hopefully) interesting post, and I thought, why not blog about where I get my jewelry ideas from? So this is it.

What inspires me? The short answer...color. I love bright colors. One day a few years ago, when I wore a black top and white capri pants to work, my boss's son made the very observant comment that I "never wear black." Funny, coming from a nine-year-old boy, but true. I rarely wear black (unless I have to...like now we have black uniform shirts at work, where we didn't a few years ago when the above comment was made) and if I do, it's not head to toe. It's paired with something bright. And probably something patterned. I love patterns too. Polka dots. Stripes. Plaid. Argyle. Mmmmm...argyle. But, I digress. The point is, colors inspire me.

The long (longer, anyways, as the short answer turned out a bit long) answer is...pretty much anything with bright colors and interesting color combinations inspires me. Sometimes, I just grab beads in colors I like and have a go at it. Other times I'm at a loss for ideas and look elsewhere. Sometimes, I find a bit of inspiration in places where I least expect it. Like...my lunch. The other day I was feeding my face (again...I tend to do that an awful lot). As I noshed on a bowl of cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew I thought, ooo those colors would look nice on a bracelet. So I gave it a whirl, and came up with this:

(not my melon...my camera's batteries died that day, so I googled it instead)

(look! matching earrings! Yep, I do those too!)

I like it. And, apparently, so does someone else. It sold this evening, probably not more than an hour after I posted it in my Etsy store, The Laughing Girl.

Another food-inspired piece, based on the colors of my favorite citrus fruits - pink grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes.

(more googled fruit...I don't have the money to blow on that much fruit at once...)

Sometimes, as I've posted before, I find inspiration in album covers. Here's two examples:

Julie Fowlis' Cuilidh

and Jenna Reid's With Silver and All

And let's not forget Mother Nature. I pulled the colors for this piece from my mom's spectacular tulip display this spring.

This one, I made to match my new favorite sundress.

And this one here, made for Lil' J, was inspired by the adorable outfit she was wearing that day, and her love of bright rainbow colors (that's my girl!) and sparkly things in general. (And the heart? Because I love her, of course!)

So, that's it. Basically, I draw on everything around me for ideas. Nothing is safe. Not even lunch.

I guess I should update...

2009-05-28T14:03:00.003-04:00

...even though there's not much going on. My life is BORING. No new jewelry, no more Etsy sales, haven't discovered any more must-hear music, can't even think of any cute, creative post or anything.

I did go see Angels and Demons last weekend. It was pretty awesome (even though my friend talked through half of it), though not quite as good as the book. There are a few changes from the book, but nothing too major and nothing vital to the storyline.Obviously the movie is the sequel to The DaVinci Code, even though the Angels and Demons book actually came first, but to be honest it doesn't really affect anything. Tom Hanks is great as usual...I don't believe I've ever mentioned how much I love Tom Hanks. Well, I love him. A lot. He's in my all-time favorite movie...A League of Their Own. I probably would have gone to see the movie even if I hadn't read the book (3+ years ago, so I've been waiting for this movie a long time!) just because he's in it. But Tom aside, it really is a great movie. ALL the actors were absolutely perfectly chosen for their characters. The sets are amazing...I don't know which were filmed on location, which were filmed on a Hollywood set, and which were computer-generated. It all looks amazing. And the music is good too.

What else, what else? I did go out to Crossgates mall on Monday with my sister and her friend. It kinda sucked. We went in the JC Penney entrance and I saw a handbag in there that I wanted but they wanted to eat ASAP so they told me to get it on the way out...well, they dragged their feet so much that by the time we got back to Penneys it was closed! So I didn't get my cute little red, pink and green polka dotted handbag after all. Boo. I did get some yummy treats from Harry and David though...Royal Riviera cinnamon sugar Pear Chips and dark chocolate covered bing cherries. Mmmmmmm. Also got a few cute little shorts sets and hair accessories from Gymboree for lil' J...nice bright colors and patterns, perfect for new pics! Unfortunately it was cold and rainy this week so she didn't get to wear them yet.

And that, in a nutshell, was my life since my last update. I'll leave you with a few previously-unposted (I think) pics from last week taken...where else?...at the playground and ice cream shop, just because lil' J is cute and I like posting pics. Because apparently we don't do anything but play and eat ice cream, which I believe I've covered already. ;)