One Eye Closed

Relaxed

2009-01-22T19:46:00.001-06:00

This is Molly.

This is Molly, zoning on my sofa, curled in my pillows.

I wish I was Molly right now.

Pieces of the fair

2008-09-07T19:03:00.003-05:00

black & white paisley cake

2008-06-19T22:00:00.001-05:00

I realized I'd not posted this one yet.

Meet Clem

2008-06-08T16:32:00.003-05:00

Clem Atis that is.
Ain't it purdy?

Promise delivered

2008-06-07T17:26:00.002-05:00

A promise for the future

2008-05-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

The Friendly Confines

2008-05-07T22:52:00.002-05:00

We went on a tour of Wrigley Field on Sunday. Awesome. Sooo worth the $25. (and it goes to Cubs Charities, bonus!)

If you're ever able to take the tour, DO IT. It's pretty amazing.

Prom

2008-04-14T21:23:00.002-05:00

and no, I didn't take some of these - (long story) but they were worth sharing.

She looks like a princess!

Super Gir

2008-04-09T22:25:00.001-05:00

This is Sophie. She's Sam's "sister".
This is a typical Sophie get up. Super Gir (yes, Gir!) costume, a Jasmine sock, a Tinkerbell sock and Easter "pretty" shoes.
I love this kid. She's a rip

Geometric views

2008-03-17T22:09:00.001-05:00

Caesar's

2008-03-12T19:15:00.001-05:00

Parisian Iron Work

2008-03-07T21:33:00.001-06:00

The detail on the theme hotels is just amazing. This is from Paris. Just stunning.

In lights

2008-03-02T21:44:00.001-06:00

More Roller Coaster Fun

2008-02-28T22:36:00.001-06:00

Roller Coaster Framework

2008-02-26T20:45:00.001-06:00

This is a shot of NYNY in Vegas - and part of the roller coaster. Kind of a fun shot.

It IS a NASCAR Sunday

2008-02-24T10:37:00.002-06:00

I figure the rear view of last year's M&M car would be fun. This year there's a new driver (GO Kyle!) and the Yellow Guy is on the back, looking like a mechanic. I'll get a photo when and if I ever see the car. ;-)

Gotta love Yellow Guy.

Bowling Party

2008-02-20T19:41:00.000-06:00

Glass Ceilings Part two

2008-02-16T16:41:00.001-06:00

Dontcha just love Dale Chihuly?? http://www.chihuly.com/

This is part of the ceiling at The Bellagio, Las Vegas

glitterati

2008-02-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

Glass Ceilings Part one

2008-02-07T22:24:00.000-06:00

This was in one of the hotels, but for the life of me, I cannot remember which one. LOL Whoops. It was either Paris, Bellagio or the Venetian. Oh well, maybe I'll remember it eventually.

This says it all.

2008-02-03T20:55:00.000-06:00

There's a little nut in everyone

2008-02-01T09:10:00.000-06:00

What can I say? I love Yellow.

I got a Yellow watch, a Yellow stress ball, a Yellow pokerchip to put in my pocket, and a Yellow Italian charm for my bracelet. I'm addicted. He is funny. And it makes me smile.

Dancing Waters

2008-01-29T12:45:00.000-06:00

I just got back from Lost Wages. I was addicted to these fountains at the Bellagio. Just stunning. Many of my photos are pretty pitiful (blurry, out of focus) but this one wasn't so bad. Yes, that's "Paris" to the right. :-)

Recent cakes, and cookies

2008-01-20T20:45:00.001-06:00

These were for a December 22nd wedding. Never again will I do wedding cookies at Christmas. I know, never say never, right? LOL
She wanted the snowflakes too, so the kids at the wedding didn't waste a big cookie. Smart cookie that bride (sorry, couldn't resist!)

There were 60 wedding cakes and 20 snowflakes. All were individually bagged, and tied with ribbons with the bride and groom's names on them, and the wedding date. They were cute.

We've had 2 babyshowers back to back on Thursdays at work. Both were having their fifth child (yup, you read that right!) and both were having girls. Amazing eh? The cake above was a white cake with lemon filling. The one below was chocolate with cherry filling. Mmmmm. CAKE!

More photos of the kids

2007-07-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

Jess and the boyfriend (Adam). They're really cute together.

This is Sam, a year ago on her birthday. She hasn't changed much. I have a beautiful photo of her this year, but I didn't take it. I'll see if I can get a copy of it to upload tho.

This is Jessica, hamming it up yet again.

life got busy!

2007-07-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

I have a 'real' job now - so it takes up a lot of my camera time. But here's a lovely shot for now. I wonder if I could steal some time tomorrow. There's LOTS of swans now - over 20.

Yeah, yeah, I know - not a great arty shot... but I'm just so dang happy he made it here. It's been a hell of a road! And he's SMILING!

Hoping for turtles

2007-05-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

This little spot is famous for turtles sunning themselves. But alas, none today.

More swans

2007-05-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

I need to get some closer shots. But I love em.

Honeysuckle

2007-05-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

It grows wild here, in white and pink and white. It's an unusual little flower on a rather large shrub.

Turtle Lake - spring 2007

2007-05-13T09:17:00.000-05:00

It was a short visit yesterday but I did get a couple of good shots. Rumor has it there's 7 pair of swans!!!

~sigh~ She's 16...

2007-05-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

You're number 1

2007-05-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

Cookies! Yup, they really are cookies.

Ace

2007-04-14T15:20:00.000-05:00

This is where my oldest is working her 2nd job. She's a car hop! Their food is fast, hot and delish. Their root beer, to die for.

Notice the buckling of the siding on the left of the menu board? The building is sinking into it's parking lot. LOL It's been around forever.

Cookie Crazy

2007-04-06T15:21:00.000-05:00

The customer was very happy.

So were all the miscellaneous recipients of them. ;-)

They taste pretty darn good too.

Retirement cake

2007-04-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

Been busy with cakes again.

2007-03-08T08:47:00.000-06:00

I was really happy with this one.

And for those of you wondering - Lemon cake, raspberry filling. Mmmmm

Seeing shapes

2007-02-28T23:06:00.000-06:00

This tulip opened up almost square and with exactly 8 petals, it just has a squared off look. I liked it. Even the center (sepals?) is a square.

Counterproductive?

2007-02-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

See the treadmill.
See the treadmill used as storage space.
See the cake decorating supplies stored on treadmill.

bwahahahahaha!

Hey, you work with what you've got around the house!

2007-02-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

I took a lot of shots of these tulips. I knew they'd be shortlived. They've hit their proverbial flower"wall" and are hitting the garbage tomorrow. But I do have some nice photos to remember them by.

More Dutch Joy

2007-02-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

Tulips in winter

2007-02-18T12:15:00.000-06:00

I got a lovely windfall of tulips from my parents and sister after my recent surgery. The company messed up the order and I got TWO!

So I have wonderful tulips all over. Enjoy!

Away for a bit...

2007-02-07T19:58:00.000-06:00

I'm around just too busy to play with the lens.

Soon.

It's calling me.

<>

New Cake

2007-01-19T17:09:00.000-06:00

Someone wanted me to replicate the Ohio U Bobcats logo.

I think it came out well.

I needed a little beach today

2007-01-17T22:21:00.000-06:00

This is from last Christmas when we visited my parents in South Carolina.
Never realized you could see the boy's stupid ponytail... Might have to edit that one out! LOL He thinks he's soooo cool.

Wishing for some summer

2007-01-11T16:51:00.000-06:00

Just wishing for some summer or at least some warmer weather.
This one is spikey, like my mood today (too much husband around lately).

Forecast? low 20s with possible accumulation of snow tomorrow night.

ARG

Just hangin' around

2007-01-10T12:04:00.000-06:00

Abby and Emma on the top of the steps enjoying the sunny spots.

Peace

2006-12-26T23:03:00.000-06:00

Instead of a star or angel on my family room tree, I've opted for a dove of peace. We've had it for 15 years now - as it came off the casket arrangement from my husband's best friend. I took it on my way out the door. It's always been a part of our Christmas - and it meant a lot to me, because Neil's passing meant he was finally at peace. So he joins our holidays.

Peace to all in the New Year. May we find more and more as the days go by.

Ho Ho Hoooooo

2006-12-22T14:01:00.000-06:00

What's better than a cake with Santa?

Christmas Reflections

2006-12-20T08:28:00.000-06:00

Tree Guard

2006-12-14T10:05:00.000-06:00

I keep hoping he'll scare the cat from eating the artificial tree and the dog from deciding she can run underneath it - and her curly tail takes all the bottom ornaments with her. Oy.

Cake anyone?

2006-12-10T12:38:00.000-06:00

It's a cake I made for hubby's office party. Carmel kissed vanilla cake with carmel filling (the ooey gooey kind) and buttercream icing. I think there's some cake sparkles (edible glitter) on top too.

I found out at another party that it was delicious and they scarfed it up so fast it was scary. LOL

Reservation for five

2006-12-08T17:43:00.000-06:00

Last year I did a similar photo, of just the outdoor sofa. But my son, who had been nagged for weeks, just never "got around to" taking the furniture inside, as his mother begged him. Since I was recovering from surgery, I couldn't do it myself. So there it sits. And it's been dang cold. I'm hoping we can get it apart and stored over the first part of next week.

still, it's an interesting study of grays.

A different view on the world

2006-12-04T23:13:00.000-06:00

Joy!

2006-12-04T23:10:00.000-06:00

A Christmas Elf on a shelf.

The last rose of the season

2006-11-30T13:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, two hobbies runneth together

2006-10-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

So I've been taking some classes. This is my Wilton 1 Final. I liked it. I see the flaws. LOL
But hey, I took a picture of it too.

For those wondering, a yellow cake with a pumpkin-walnut cream filling.

Sorry - outta pictures at the moment

2006-10-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

I need to get out with my camera for a trek at Turtle Lake or Lake Renwick or the Heron Rookery... just finding the time at the moment is the bigger problem.

More to come soon.

Moose!

2006-09-21T15:50:00.000-05:00

Mackinac Bridge

2006-09-12T12:38:00.000-05:00

It's a beauty, spanning a LOT of water... connecting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with the lower.

Mackinac Island sits off to the right in this photo.

The Grand Hotel

2006-09-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

It's an amazing place, stunningly gorgeous, HUGE, and you cannot miss it from the ferry into Mackinac. It costs $12 per person just to walk in and check out the place. Next time I go, I'll pay the $12. But I want to spend the whole day there and see what it's like.

Turtles!

2006-09-07T13:56:00.000-05:00

The point at Mullett Lake

2006-09-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

Well, okay, ONE of the many points. But I was fascinated by this one. I would love to know if the deer looking object is just a statue or a practice decoy or just what it was.

Fun sign

2006-09-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

It was for a little shop in Mackinac - and I didn't get to go inside but thought the sign was darn cute. It kind of makes you wonder, since behind the sign was cobweb and dirt covered siding and a window fan... my twisted mind went elsewhere, of course. ;-)

Anyone up for a ride?

2006-09-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

It was such a cool sign. Horses are everywhere... be careful where you walk!

Yup, even a plane!

2006-08-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

It was the only one I saw, but it was such a pretty color and it looked lonely sitting on it's moorings.

Round Island Lighthouse

2006-08-28T11:29:00.000-05:00

I took this off the ferry coming into Mackinac Island. Their lighthouse isn't as pretty as this one. :)

Sunrise 2

2006-08-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

View from the back porch

Sunrise on Mullett Lake

2006-08-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

And for all you crackheads who think "mullett" is funny, I grew up in Amish land and it was a popular last name. LOL
It was gorgeous, our first morning there and the little furball woke me up to go out for a potty break. So I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the view.

Looks like a postcard, doesn't it?

2006-08-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

It's the view from the marina out onto Mullett Lake, MI. Yup, that's a small sail boat there in the background.

More Mackinac

2006-08-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

The main street
Going up the hill towards Ft. Mackinac. STEEP hill!

Mackinac Island

2006-08-19T17:59:00.000-05:00

It was a stunner of a day. The weather was perfect. The scenery just amazing. I'd love to see what it's like in each season, winter included!

More to come...

Goldfinch

2006-08-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

He's been a frequent visitor lately. He's here pretty much daily picking out the seeds from the coreopsis lining the driveway. I've seen his partner too, but she's more easily startled than he is.

Asian Lily

2006-08-04T18:32:00.000-05:00

These happen to be my neighbors, as mine were pretty pitiful this year.

Second Verse, same as the first

2006-08-03T18:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm having a Herman's Hermit's moment... LOL

Heaven-knows-what flower

2006-08-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

I found some camera settings I didn't know my camera had. LOL So I played a bit with the same subject.

Herbs

2006-07-31T17:48:00.000-05:00

Basil, 2 kinds, Rosemary, Tomakes, a few onions...

Fields

2006-07-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

Fields of Rudebekia

2006-07-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

Or black-eyed-susans as most people know them by. ;-)

Blackeyed susans and purple cone flower

2006-07-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

There's fields of these at Turtle Lake - and it's amazing to see the whole thing from afar (tomorrow's installment!)

Turtle Lake - Part 3

2006-07-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

It was so purty the other day.

rain kissed lilies

2006-07-27T08:27:00.000-05:00

These are my "purple" daylilies out front. They tend to look way too pink, but they're still pretty when all in bloom.

Thistle

2006-07-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

I remember, vaguely, as a kid calling these teasles. I have no idea why. They're an interesting, sturdy, hardy, PRICKERY plant. But there's so many different varieties.

I also remember, as a kid, drying these out and making little mice out of them - you tear off all but one of those surrounding spiney things, (tail) and put seed bead eyes and nose on the front. They're kinda cute.

The shot of the day!

2006-07-24T16:31:00.000-05:00

I waited for the perfect wing span for this one.
No, those aren't mountains behind it - but the pond or lake that it was sitting in front of. I was above the thistles on a walkway that the park authority had built, so it was a neat vantage point.

LOTS more to come. I spent a few hours there today. Got my exercise in, about 80 photos (some were garbage!LOL) and played with camera settings I'd not touched before. So I'll be regularly here for a while.

Enjoy

More peonies

2006-06-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

My peonies basically bloomed all at once, and then a wind storm took them out in no time. But I did get a couple of good shots. That's a bud in front, with a full bloom behind it. Amazing, eh?

Peony

2006-05-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

I've always loved these giant flowers. They smell just wonderful. But the true reason for my love is a memory of buckets of these on my grandmother's front porch - just placed all over, in every imaginable color. If I could have them all year 'round, I would!

Columbine

2006-05-28T11:21:00.000-05:00

This plant appeared this year, much to my surprise. I don't remember planting it, but then again, who knows!? My neighbor has some beautiful blue ones. I'll try and get a photo of those soon.

Cocoon - revisited

2006-05-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Still no activity from it, but it's hidden further these days by green leaves.

Cocoon

2006-04-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

Not a great photo - and I left the stupid date on there... but it's an interesting cocoon. I'll get another shot of it shortly and replace this one. (I need to get out with the camera again)

Red tulips

2006-04-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's the Easter Kitty!!

2006-04-21T20:27:00.000-05:00

BADDDDD kitty

Sure.... look all innocent NOW.....

Purple Leafed Sand Cherry

2006-04-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy this tree in the spring. Most of the time it's just filled with reddish/purple leaves and nothing else, but it does have an interesting shape. In spring, it's just spectacular. HE wants to cut it down. I think I'll cut HIM down first. heh heh heh

Yellow with stripe

2006-04-20T17:40:00.000-05:00

Isn't that one thin red stripe just awesome? I love tulips. They're one of my favorite flowers. More to come!! I finally got out with the camera. 'bout time, eh?

Finally!! Spring!

2006-04-20T17:38:00.000-05:00

Rhubarb. I just love the crinkly leaves.

Apologies.... I've not been around for a while

2006-03-15T17:16:00.000-06:00

I need to carry my camera with me more - and I'll get some new pictures up shortly.

I've been busy, busy, busy!

Some of my own handy work

2006-02-10T13:56:00.000-06:00

These were fun. I painted 9 of them for the church's Valentine Bake Sale that's going on this weekend. We sell goodies and some crafty things. I think I'm keeping the one in the front. Shhhh.

Gypsy

2006-02-02T11:01:00.000-06:00

This little gem, Gypsy, sits alongside the Salty Dog Cafe (www.saltydog.com). If you ever get to Hilton Head Island, you have to go to the South Beach Marina, within Sea Pines Plantation. It's a great place to hang out - and apparently the margaritas cannot be beat. I have that on good authority from 'mom'. LOL

Savannah door

2006-02-01T15:14:00.000-06:00

Just a pretty little door on a historical home

I just needed some sunshine today

2006-01-30T13:38:00.000-06:00

I don't think I've posted this one before, and if I have, I apologize. But that's my 14yo, the husband and the 19 yo (not sure where 17 was at that moment!). Riding on the beach is something I'd never done before. I cannot wait to do it again. It was wonderful.

It's a perfectly dreary, gray day here in Illinois. I just needed some sun.

ever left the cat IN the bag? ;-)

2006-01-25T16:44:00.000-06:00

Here's Abby, in her 'oven'. The heating duct ran under the floor there and the sun was shining on top of the bag - hence, a Kitty Oven. This is so out of character for her, I had to snap this one.

Snowy Seat

2006-01-23T07:11:00.000-06:00