Fine Art Friday... on Saturday Morning

Wow- how is it that it is Saturday again already?  I swear I started this post yesterday but got side tracked by 400 other things and now here we are Saturday morning at 12:55am.  I've been a terrible blogger this week and I'm sorry.  I could give you a long list of excuses but I'll spare you and just apologize. This Fine Art Friday series started as a way to push myself to continue taking photos for myself on a regular basis.  I didn't quite realize just how hard this was going to be.  I used to shoot rolls and rolls of film every week and now I'm hard pressed to find the time and energy.  Well I've decided that Fine Art Friday doesn't always have to be "Fine Art" it can be just something a little different from my normal weddings, portraits etc.  So this week I'm sharing a few photos that I took this week over at The Oxford House Inn (The best restaurant in Mt. Washington Valley).  They are currently working on a new website and asked me to come take some photos of the dining rooms to include on the new site.  I was honored to be asked and was excited to shoot something a little different.

Koti one of their two pups was around keeping me company while shooting.  She made a great model don't you think?

A little while later some guests arrived.

The cozy lounge area down in the pub.

The bar and the rest of the pub dining area.

And last but never least- my friends- the fabulous innkeepers/chef Jonathan and Natalie Spak.

If you are hungry and in the mood for some REALLY good food- The Oxford House is the place to go.  There is also a good chance you'll see me there :)

XOXO Spring

Fine Art Friday

Today I drove around Jackson, NH with my friend Shannon to take some photos... Here are a few from our afternoon adventure.

We saw a turkey vulcher and at first were not sure if it was real- then he took off.

Some photos I just know are going to be black and whites- this next one I saw through the camera in black and white and it just happens to be my favorite of the day.

XOXO Spring

Spring Shopping

On sunny days when the sky is blue and the smell of spring blows in the air I can't help but want to shop.  Ok who am I really kidding it could be rainy, snowy or 100 degrees outside and I'd still want to shop.  It's just about that time of year when I pull everything out of my closets (yes I have more then one) and weed out things to donate to the thrift shop as well as sort out the winter things that get put away till fall creeps back into New England. I've always been a Banana Republic girl.  Their clothes just seem to fit me better then most - plus they make longs that are actually LONG ENOUGH.  It's hard having a 36" inseam.  Yes its all well and dandy to be tall but finding pants long enough to not look like I'm waiting for a flood isn't so easy.  Thank goodness the whole cropped pant thing is back in :)  I've also always loved J.Crew but found it just to expensive.  I know its not like BR is cheap but between the two I've found more affordable options over the years at Banana and honestly rarely even check out the J.Crew outlet in my own town anymore.

Well this year things have changed a little bit.  J.Crew currently has a plethora of things that make me really excited about warm weather.  They always have great one piece bathing suites and this year is no different.  Plus they have the most comfortable flip flops around and I LIVE in flip flops!

Today I decided to make a little spring wardrobe dream board- what do you think?

I love the color combination I created without even trying.  I was just drawn to all of these things for different reasons and the colors all together speak to me and my style pretty darn well.  For some reason i'm always drawn to solids... I really do like patterns but seem to never wear them... odd.  So what is your "can't wait to wear it" piece in your closet that is just waiting for the first sunny 70 degree day?

XOXO Spring

sick

I'll be honest- there are times when I'm feeling lazy and wish I had the excuse of being sick to get out of something.  Then when I am sick all I want is to feel better because being sick is 100% miserable.  I've been sick three times in the past few months- I finally get past one thing and my body is so run down that I get sick again a few days later- not exactly what I'd call a good time. Hopefully today I'm on the up swing.  I did break my 102.6 degree fever yesterday so I'm headed in the right direction.  I'm refusing to give myself the opportunity to get sick yet again so I plan to lay low and let me body full recover and my immune system to get back on track before I do anything to risk yet another cold/flu/ etc.

Over the past few days these are the things that have kept me company and kept me going:

1. Ally McBeal on Hulu has done a great job of keeping me occupied while stuck in bed for a few days. 2. Who doesn't crave sweets/chocolate when they are sick? I've been snacking on chocolate chips. 3. Sobe Lifewater- My mom brought me some along with a few bagels the other day and they are quite tasty- THANKS MOM!!!! 4. Tylenol- keeping the fever down. 5. I've gone through two full boxes of tissues- thank goodness they are the ones with lotion or my nose would be raw. 6. Rx Cough Syrup with a little codeine to help me sleep and keep my muscles in my chest from hating me. 7. A digital thermometer- love making myself gag while trying to take my temp but the one I've got reads in 9 seconds so at least its fast. 8. My big, comfy, king size bed!!!  Poor Silas has had to sleep in the other room to avoid my germs.  I'm just glad my bed is so comfy makes spending three days in it a little less miserable.

Oh and can't forget my best furry friend Coby.  He has been a loyal dog, sleeping at the foot of my bed most of the day and night!  It's nice to have that constant company.

Now I'm just crossing my fingers that this virus is almost gone and that this time my body will fully recover before some other sickness decides to try to take up residence in my body.

XOXO Spring

Fine Art Friday

"Spring you have to watch this show" says my mom.  She was right, as per usual. The Weather Channel is now doing a show on thursday nights called "From the Edge with Peter Lik".  I watched the first episode the other day and WOW!  He took this amazing photos of the volcanic sky around one of Hawaii's largest volcanos that show the most amazing colors in the night sky.  Well, needless to say I was inspired.

I don't have a volcano around throwing out crazy colors gases that make the sky magenta but I figured somewhere around here there are hundreds of beautiful night shots.  Tonight on my first real attempt I failed miserably.  I am a believer that you learn more from failure then success so I'm taking tonight as a learning experience and will try again soon with new ideas.

Although my night sky images were pretty much awful I did have some fun playing with long exposures at night.  I tried my hand at a few "ghosting" images.  I think these have a very period feel about them and even though it was not what I had planned to share for this Fine Art Friday post- I think they fit quite nicely.

Happy friday everyone! XOXO Spring