Merry Christmas

Christmas Brush: Rhonna Farrer House of 3

Christmas Eve

Our day started out with brunch at the Radisson.  (That's our table up front)

I don't consider myself a portrait photographer.  I do so much better with "stuff" but sometimes I get a photograph that captures a moment.  This is one of them.

After our church service & brunch we headed to the beach.  Two weeks in a row of the beach & pretty pictures!

May you & yours have a Merry Christmas!

Winter Desert Style

Self portrait in the desert

So what does one do in the winter in these parts?  The beach & camping of course!

Look at the eye lashes on this guy!

This was such a cool picture.  I just shoot a million pics & look at them when I come home.  I never know what I have till it gets dumped on the laptop.

This picture has such a great story.  It's so incredibly funny that I can overlook how stupid I look.  My friend taking the picture kept telling me to scoot back & next thing you know I'm petrified that this giant beast is gonna take a hunk of my hair.

Loved the different colors of camels.

Sunset

This was the second camping trip our family took.  My hubby wasn't able to make it so I couldn't start taking pictures till we reached the camp ground.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures at night.  I was busy manning the grill!

I love taking foot prints in the sand.  These were made by my boys as they ran towards the water to play.

Playing with perspective.  Thanks to the post on the patio for working with me.

The kids played in the sand in long sleeve tees & jeans.  I enjoyed hearing the sound of the sea & the birds while reading & playing with photos.

Weekend In Review

Blog Board: Sassy Designs

Yep, the blog board pretty much sums up my week, holiday bazaars!  I even got a write up in the paper.  It's funny how that happens.  I start talking to someone unbeknown to me, it's a writer for the Arab Times.   It's the second time it's happened to me in the last month.
What did you do this weekend?

You're Invited

To my local friends, the bazaar season is in full swing.  With all I have going on I've only decided to do two this year, granted they are in the same week, but I couldn't be more excited.  The big one is tomorrow - the British Ladies Society bazaar.  Last year I went as a shopper & was impressed by the mix of vendors.  Although I'm not sure how much shopping I'll get done as a vendor this year!

BLS Holiday Bazaar Monday December 6 1:30 - 6:30

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Airport Road 55 Farwaniya off 6th Ring Road

Tel: +965 1848111

If you like sushi, there's a great sushi restaurant there.  One of my faves!!  I've already packed my copy of the menu & will have some delivered to me :)

I got a bit of creating done on Friday night with the Meet & Bead group.  Have I mentioned how much I love those LB o J'zazz women?  I am so thankful to have a local bead store & group of bead friends.  

The other bazaar I'm participating in is the TES Holiday Bazaar.  It will be my first year doing this one.  I participated in the Spring one & made enough to make it worth my while.  Hopefully this one will be a success with the Christmas season.

TES Holiday Bazaar Saturday December 11 2 -5

Mousaed Al-Azmi Street Block 12 Salmiya

If you're here locally come visit me!

Thankful - Year 4

Thank you Graphics Fairy

So, this has become sort of a tradition for me, blogging about what I am thankful for.  I looked at last year's Thanksgiving post & I realized my title is not as creative as I thought it was!  I'm a little late, but oh so thankful.

• What would I do without my camera?  I've been lucky to be able to record our adventures & travels.  I've always enjoyed photography but living here in Kuwait has opened up my eyes & heart to new things.  Confession: I am a Europe snob - obsessed with Europe!  I just recently realized how much I am influenced by a culture I had previously had no interest in. 

• This year we've been to 3 three countries.  How many people can say that?  My kids have such a cool life & full passport!  That in itself is something to be thankful for.
• We celebrated another Thanksgiving with a houseful of people & lots of food.  I never thought I would become a party hostess.  Over the last year I've been able to host quite a few parties for deployed soldiers here in our area.

•  I've been preparing for a couple of holiday bazaars.  How lucky am I to be doing what I love!

I'm Going There, Again!

Well the dust settled after my last post.  I still get upset when I think about it though.  I've been absolutely crazy prepping for the holidays personally & professionally so I haven't been keeping up as well on my blog class.  I've vowed to set aside 1 hour each day to get caught up.  

I found this gem of a store in Athens.
The frame is option 1 to mark my photos.  I love that my name & the copyright is attached to the picture.

So this is one of the changes I'm working on.  I'm adding a frame with my title, copyright & name as part of the picture.  I'm playing with ideas as to how to mark my photos.  I was using a watermark in the corner of all my photos.  The frame idea may work with my jewelry pictures but I'm not sure I need it for my photographs. I'm not selling them, well, not right now anyways.  

Some WIP's for the upcoming holiday bazaars.  How you do deal with the issue of protecting your photographs?

This class has done so much to update my blog and then some.  It's getting there but there is still a lot to be done.  I have a new header & background.  The sidebar & about me page is getting revamped.  I have a new title!  Talk about giant steps - that's what's been great about the class.  Along with the updates, it's been helping me along the journey of where do I want to go with my art.  I've been considering who I am as a blogger & artist.  How do these moves affect me & my art?  Where am I going with all this photography?

So What's Next?

It's come down to this.  I take pictures because I love to.  I find joy looking at things from different angles & perspectives.  I challenge myself to find interesting views.  It is a passion of mine.  All this is done for pure love.  I make no money off this - I don't even try to; I just know it is a true love & passion. 

Seriously, this photo is marked as the one with the obnoxious watermark.  Does it come down to having to do this?  I hope not.  It ruins the joy of taking photos & sharing your perspective.

I started watermarking my photos a few months ago from mostly paranoia.  I don't have a huge blog following nor flickr, but I regularly post because I love to share my adventures.  I share with family & friends near & far.  I share with strangers I meet & later befriend because of similar loves.  At first I had a few instances here & there.  With the last set I just found, it puts the number of photos lifted from me at a couple of hand fulls & that's a bit too many.
 

Original posts of photos here & here

It breaks my heart that people would be so selfish to take others photos/artwork without attribution/permission/credit.  It breaks my heart that people do not know it is wrong to take things from the internet because it's out there.  It hurts me right now that I have to write this post.  I was so upset this morning that I was completely distracted getting ready & driving to work.  (I almost made it to work without deodorant & make up - thank goodness for the gym bag.)  Granted I made it to work just fine & split my pants - it added a giggle to my morning & put things into perspective.  It's not the worst thing that has happened to me, but I am upset.

My husband told me to report it & move on.  I've done step 1, step 2 will be difficult.  It's that passion thing. 

What am I Gonna Post Next?

My current assignment for Blog Triage Class is a list of 20 things to blog about.  I Love lists!  They make me happy.  So here goes:

The Erechtheum

My favorite picture I took at the Acropolis

The pictures above are from my current trip in Athens - having a ball of course taking pictures.

1. Before & After:  I am constantly saving inspiration, tutorials, ideas from the web.  I should show the inspiration & how my finished piece turned out.
2. Post step by step a piece of jewelry from start to finish.
3. List all the places I've lived & my favorite photo.
4. New supplies
5. Weekly post of my work table
6. Inspiration a day + Photo
7. Review my extensive jewelry making/beading book library
8. Sharing art with my kids
9. Show merchandising/table set up for shows
10. Write about best practices for shows & ask about other's experiences

Okay, for now I could eek out 10 things can commit to posting about, all topics I'd love to do.  What's on your list?

Athens 10K - One Day Later

I've had to let some time pass before I posted to the blog.  What my blog readers don't know is that I've been training to run in my first 10K.  The event was held here in Athens along with the marathon & commemorated the 2,500 anniversary of the original marathon from Marathon to Athens.

So I ran the race & I finished - kind of.  Yes I finished the race but technically I didn't get to finish it.  I was over the allotted 90 minutes so I didn't get to run into the stadium & have my final time recorded.  I would have loved to do this.  Confession time: I didn't realize I'd have a time limit.  I found this out 3 hours before the race.  I would have to run what my next goal was, 15 minute miles & I'm not there yet.  These little legs don't move so fast!

Start line for the 10K.  We were a little crowded & inched up to the start line.  My friends that ran the marathon took 20 minutes to get to the start!

The finish at the stadium

There were so many emotions running through my head as I was running (walking).  I knew I wasn't going to finish in time.  As soon as I let go of that I was able to enjoy the race.  I found a groove & was able to have a couple of laps that were personal bests for me.  I thought about how lucky I was to be here in this amazing city celebrating a monumental anniversary.  I took some pictures along the way (of course).  I reminded myself that I was actually here doing what I set out to do.  I was also wearing my semi-fitted running pants without scaring anyone, including myself.

The 6k mark & the turnaround point at the arch

A little tiny spec of the moon

The streets of Athens

hospital - medical help anyone?

Getting lapped by the masses.  The front runner of the 10K passed me at the 1.2 mile race mark.  I got to cheer them on.

a Greek guard

 When I got home I was kinda bummed again.  It was a bittersweet moment.  I was having a hard time celebrating my accomplishments because I had it stuck in my head that I did not have an official finish.  Then all the facebook comments from family & friends started coming in.  Thanks everyone for reminding me that I accomplished my goal. 

The course

So yes, I ran & completed a 10k.   I started from not working out at all to running & training in 8 months.  When I got home & downloaded my run I realized I am really close to that 15 minute mile goal.  I've already got the next big one planned - the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  I mean, come on, can it fit me more to a tee?

LizNoel, Colleen, Rick & Linda

A big shout out to my friends in the Kuwait contingency that ran the marathon & completed it (pictured above & all smiles before the start).  What an inspiration!  They said the hills were killer.  Also to Colleen's daughters who completed the 10K in the 90 minutes.  Amazing!
Thanks to LizNoel who turned me from spectator & tourist on this trip to runner.  I think I'm hooked!  And to my husband who encourages me & sometimes has to pull me along kicking & screaming.  You always challenge me & sometimes know my limits better than I do.

I am a Blog Triage Participant

I took the plunge & decided to take a class led by Alyson Stanfield & Cynthia Morris.  The class has so many things on my "to do but haven't got to" list.

Our first assignment is to write about who our audience is.  I've been staring at a blank screen & sighing for 20 minutes now.  I selfishly started this blog for my self during a tough time in my life.  It's changed & grown with me, but 4 years later, I can't even write about who my blog is directed to or who my current readers are. 

Yikes, my first blog post ever! Thank goodness the blogging & photos have improved.

Well here goes:

• Most likely female.  Appreciates vintage, pink froufy glittery stuff & handmade one of a kind pieces.   May be an artist themselves & fellow blogger.  Is or aspires to be a girlie girl.
• Someone who is up for a journey & adventures.  With my art work, I blog about the process.  There are pictures of Works in Progress (WIP's), new supplies, places I shop.  In regards to my life, I move all the time & document the multitude of things that inspire me about our current location. 
• I'd love to connect with other like minded artists or people who have an affinity for artisan crafts.  Sometimes the connection begins with having lived in a particular area (I get around!) or loving some of the same blogs.  Just the smallest thing can spark a connection & that has happened with several friendships I've made.

What do I want from blogging?

• Blogging has been so good for me these past few years.  It gives me a place to have a voice, a place to show my art.  It's been a place to grow as an artist within my craft & to find confidence in my art.  I've been inspired by other bloggers to look at every day things in a different way.  I sure am a better photographer these days!  I would like to go to the next level with all this & improve
• I love the interaction & connection with other bloggers.  I enjoy this "network" of artists.  
• Of course, I'd love to use my blog to showcase my art & drive sales.  My ultimate goal is to make income for my family from my art.  I am still clearing the path to find my way.  Lately there have been many forks in the road & I've been non-committal in selecting one.

About Time For Some Jewelry

The newest beauty I made.  The flowers are from Paula's Kit Club (French General)  I love all the shades of blue in this one (you'll see more below).  The piece started with the flowers & built from there.

More Arabesque style pendants.  I love the class I took from LB o J'zazz.  I'm ready to take more.  The class has really inspired me to start working with seed beads again.  I've pulled out books I purchased eeons ago (Bead Fantasies series) & never made a project from.  (I enjoyed looking at them for inspiration)

I bought this pendant when I went home to FL.  Maybe I'm still inspired which accounts for the blue kick I'm on.  I need to find the artists card.  She made all sorts of fun pendants & has an etsy store. 

Who knew this lovely would ever be completed?  The middle component, all the wired beads, has been sitting in my bead stash forever.  I kid you not, it's been years.  Finally a beautiful piece I'm happy with!  

A grouping of pieces in various stages of completion.  I worked on all of these during a local Meet & Bead session (gotta love the LB o J'zazz ladies).  I should get my stuff together & finish all of them up.  The 2 necklaces are complete :)

So there it is, an update, Finally!  I've been busy with my jewelry making but still on the fence about where to go with it.  I have a huge holiday bazaar in the pipeline so I'm busy with that.  Hopefully I can enjoy the process preparing for the bazaar & find some clarity along the way.