PENSIEVE

For sale to the highest bidder: ME?!

File this under one of the coolest things that has happened to me since I started blogging publicly two years ago:

An artist stumbled across a vintage photograph of me at age four, then wrote to request permission to paint--and sell--her rendition of the picture.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but after spending some time at Kay Crain's site, I was not just sold--I was honored!  When she sweetened the deal by offering to paint an 8x8 mini painting for me, there was NO WAY I could say no!

It's obvious Kay delights in her craft; her portraits communicate striking personality and her landscapes draw you in.  This R.N. by day is gifted in capturing the mood of the photos she copies, and more often than not, whimsy and nostalgia leap of the canvas.  I would LOVE to meet Kay face to face--her enthusiasm and joie de vivre in her emails tells me we'd get along swimmingly :).

Tonight, beginning at 8:00 p.m. CST, you may begin your bidding on "Beach Buddies" (Ebay link won't work until then). 

Click the painting at left to view the post with the original picture.  Also, if YOU have vintage photos from the 50s, 60s or 70s, please drop Kay a line and let her know--she might just end up painting and selling you, too!

Georgia (O'Keefe) on my mind...

Chattanooga Holiday Inn, Courtyard Rose Garden, April 2008.
Roses have never held "favorite" position in my posey selection, but after wandering the Choo Choo's gardens, I'm reconsidering--
each bloom, an artist's multi-faceted diamond muse....

Dare to choose a favorite?

 

 

p.s.  Join me tomorrow? :)

Wordless Wednesday HQ

 

The Eye of the "Tiger" ~ PLT

In photography, scenes and subjects are composed with intent, or at a minimum, the hope is to capture a moment in time.  Through the viewfinder, however, details are often not detected until you see the end result.

In a shot I took yesterday, my daughter was immediately drawn to the wild eyes of our tame rabbit--

"What are YOU lookin' at??  I'll tell you what I'M lookin' at...!"

Focused, Rachel demanded, "Zoom in on his eye!" so I did.

"I...spy...YOU!"

We saw "it" at the same time...and were delightfully surprised by the discovery. 

So much of life is in the details!  How often have I missed a special "something" because I was moving too fast to see it?

If this isn't an über-cool photo for Project Looking Through, I don't know what is!

Not familiar with PLT?  It's the brainchild of Mark's Regular Life, succinctly and lyrically described by my friend Jeanne as "posting photographs that somehow embody the theme 'looking through'...a great way to encourage observation."  Feel free to link your own photos at Mark's spot so others can enjoy them :).

REVISED:  CAN Y'ALL NOT SEE ME IN HIS EYE?  I'M SURPRISED NO ONE HAS MENTIONED THAT...LOOK AGAIN AND TELL ME IF YOU DO! :)

Flittin' & Buzzin' (Why girls are butterflies and boys are bees)

I was sitting at my kitchen table, uploading my final captures for Project Yellow, when these two guys decided to interrupt.

You can tell she's a girl because she gracefully and patiently waited for me to complete our photography session.  Almost 90 pictures later, I'm stunned by her delicate beauty.

Then this fella horned in on the action.
He couldn't be bothered with an extended photo shoot;
he lasted all of two pictures.
Still...I'm equally astounded by his allure.

Right about now, I'm thanking God for His unmatched imagination in creation, and...for my Nikon D-40.  That I could capture these creatures in flight
and produce this almost SOOC?
How can I be wordless even if it IS Wednesday?  ;)

More Wordless Wednesday images
wordless wednesday

Come and get it while the gettin's GOOD... and...I have a date with Paula, Jamie & Bobby Deen (and MAYBE with Phil-the-webmaster, too)!

{Please scroll down for next week's Fun Monday Challenge}

<--- First, take a peek at my left sidebar.  See that promotional code for Paula Deen's online store?  The 20% discount is good until this Friday, March 28th.  WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON???  If you haven't already placed your order, you still have a few days to take advantage of it said the pot to the kettle  to buy a surcie for me and have it delivered in time for my birthday.  Click the graphic to get details.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In even more exciting news, I'll be joining my good friends Bobby, Jamie and Paula Deen at The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Atlanta!!!

Who cares that I'll be just one of thousands joining them?  I'll take my camera, wear all black and pretend to be one of the show's professional photographers (one of my favorite discoveries of having an SLR camera is that it's my "ticket" in to a lot of places that are otherwise off limits  wink wink).

According to the MCES website, "The show promises to be a fun, exciting, and unique experience for cooking and entertaining enthusiasts and novices of all ages...".  Right.Up.My.Alley.!!  Roughly 150 companies will be exhibiting with one goal in mind:  "to motivate you to have fun by cooking and entertaining with ease."  With ease?  Nowthat'swhatI'mtalkin'about! 

I'll be heading back to familiar territory--the show venue, the Cobb Galleria Centre, is only a few miles from where I lived back in the day--when I was single and livin' large in HotLanta.  If you're interested, tickets are still available; general admission for the two-day show is just $20/advance tickets.  Reserved seating for the Celebrity Cooking Theater will put you face to face with the Deens and other chefs with mad culinary skills including Michel Nischan (creates a "cuisine of well being", focusing on the "pure and simple"), Akasha Richmond (a "self-trained chef and artisan-style baker who lends her time and expertise to groups such as Child Healthy World, Common Threads, The Organic Center"), Jon Ashton (whom I now have a HUGE crush on after toolin' around his site--how could I not with culinary philosophies like: "Food is food. It’s calm like the sound of a mother’s voice, and effortless like the silent dialogue between couples in love. It’s as comforting as your favorite pair of faded jeans. Food is expressive like Van Gogh’s masterpieces and unadulterated like a child’s laugh. Fully naked, it is simple, provocative and needs no pretense."?!  But, I digress....), and Jason Roberts (who has wanted to cook since exiting the womb and says he does it "...to indulge my imagination, my creativity and to feed my artistic passion. To me, cooking is the most consistent of life’s joys and is immensely rewarding – instantly and constantly”).  Whew--what a CULINARY-SUPERSTAR- LINEUP!!

But for me...the icing on MY cake?  I think I might just get to meet "Phil" and his lovely bride...!

:)

Forget Kevin Bacon...I'm ONE Degree of Separation from (GET! OUT!!) PAULA DEEN!!!

Holy toledo, I found a little surprise in my inbox this morning; it came by way of "Phil" THE WEBMASTER FOR PAULA DEEN, Y'ALL!!  THE SASSY-SEXY-COOKING DIVA, PAULA DEEN!  THE ONE AND ONLY P.A.U.L.A. D.E.E.N.  Which makes Phil-the-web-stud, the one and only WEBMASTER OF PAULA DEEN! 

Read for yourself; Phil and I are almost BFFs now. 

Wahoooo!!! 

Is anyone having as much (blogging) fun as me this week? 

Nothin' but grins, folks...nothin' but grins!

Often a bridesmaid, FINALLY the BRIDE!!

I can't believe it, but I won a Caption Contest.  Me....W O N !

No, it's not the wildly popular contest hosted at Confessions of a Pioneer Woman...it's a lesser known but just as entertaining "Caption This" challenge, dished up weekly by Carmi Levy at Written Inc.  Carmi's contest just passed its one-year mark, and the only reason (imho) participation lags behind Ree's is he offers no prizes beyond the satisfaction of having won.

I'm satisfied...the kind of satisfied that comes after a wonderful candlelit meal that began with a bottle of Rodney Strong pinot noir and ended with tiramisu or crème brûlée, either dessert the perfect punctuation to a scrumptious dinner. 

Carmi is just as indecisive as me generous with honorable mentions and I'm thankful to have previously received several of those; this week I won, sharing the honors with one of my sometimes commentors.  Since Carmi gave me an honorable mention, too, I figure that gave me a teensy little shove in front of the guy who's a Carmi-darling every week anyway (Steve makes a nice "bride", btw;) ). 

Here's this week's photo and I know Carmi would LOVE your thoughts.  He always provides a bit of background of the shot, they always tell a story.

OOooo, and the best part?  You can submit multiple captions!!  You don't have to narrow it down to one--that's HIS job!  (And a fine job he does with that...;)

Trust me on this one, Written Inc is a delightfully substantive blog written with transparency and introspect, and you'll return on the merit of his thoughtful prose alone.

But his photography?  Excellent.  His ability to engage the reader and evoke emotion...a response?  Exemplary.

Gosh, in all the winning excitement, my fanny spanking is a distant memory (then again, 180-something people did vote for my limerick--thank you if you were one of them!--and it did make it to the "show" to begin with...and third place still wins a bronze and stands on the podium, so I'm good.  A l l  g o o d :) ).

"Caption This" photos are posted on Sunday evenings; caption suggestions may be suggested anytime throughout the week.  For further details, be sure to visit Written Inc and tell Carmi I sentcha, k? :)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Balloons are just like people

...pack mentality...
...alone in a crowd...
...standing out in a crowd...
...marching to the beat of a different drummer...
...alike and yet different...

I couldn't decide how to title/caption this series, but I think the above speaks to one or more of the below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and how you'd caption them...and if you like one over the other and why. 

1.
 

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Taken on a beautiful Fall day--PERFECT football weather!--at the Clemson - Wake Forest game...where the mighty fighting Tigers devoured the Demon Deacons.

Wanna add your picture today?

wordless wednesday

Wordless Wednesday ~ On a Wing and a Prayer

I cannot decide...which is your favorite and why?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Wordless Wednesday Headquarters

wordless wednesday

Ignorance is bliss...

One of the more compelling...telling...and mind-blowing links I've seen (this is one NOT to skip).   

Makes me want to do something, although what, I'm not sure.  The way I see it, something is better than nothing...right?  For the most part, the numbers represent LIVES, marginalized to a statistic. 

Which is something I hope I never do to people with whom I come into contact. 

HT to someone I've only recently begun reading, but she's sharp in oh! so many ways!  (Thanks, Lisa.)