…in my parent’s refrigerator.

…please bring lots of photo inspiration and mastery!

Hope everyone is having a fun holiday!

This is the star I mentioned the other day when I described my trip to Shared Lives Studio. To get an idea of its scale, here is a photo of it hanging in the living room by the front door.   The colors are super, therefore I’m never taking it down!

Meanwhile, we’re having a lazy day here at chez Bailey.  I’m still in my jammies, knitting.  Don’t try to picture that.

It’s getting to be a holiday tradition to go out and get some Noro Kureyon from a local yarn shop and spend the last weeks of the year knitting up a new pair of handwarmers.  That way, the new year starts with something vibrant to wear while enduring those first cold months.

PS – While setting up this picture, a helper wandered in.

Today I made my first foray to Shared Lives Studio – a local visual arts center that features artists with developmental disabilities. The place is filled with lively collages, paintings and other artistic treats.

I fell in love with about a thousand different pieces before deciding to purchase a brightly painted sculpture of twisted metal that could be described as a pinwheel, snowflake or star (and which will no doubt be starring in a future post here). I couldn’t leave the gallery, however, without asking if I could take a snapshot of the colorful glass stars in the window – they added plenty of cheer to this gray and cloudy day!

The analytical part of my mind thought “thanks to the capabilities of my 35mm f1.8 lens, I can achieve a nice shallow depth of field on some of the foreground lights in this picture.” Meanwhile, the immature and simplistic part of my mind (the WAY bigger part) was drooling and chanting “BokehBokehBokehSparkleSparkleSparkle…”

I can’t even begin to describe what a year it has been. I got the job I dreamed of. I got to go relax with my girlie and my parents in Florida. I took more photos.

My measure of whether something moved me is – did I feel it?  I felt a lot this year.  I look forward to feeling and doing a ton more in 2012.  New inspiration and new motivation. This may not be the best photo to represent how I feel now, but it will do…here’s to more inspiration in 2012! Thanks to U2, Florence + the Machine, The Killers, and an old Journey joint for keeping me motivated!  More to come!

Getting some snow here tonight, so it seems like a good time to stay indoors, sew up some bead stars and listen to Florence + the Machine (Shake it Out = new favorite song!!)

Just because.

We had a great Thanksgiving, as usual. Every year we go out with my parents and my sister and her family to Maumee Bay State Park. We eat lavishly while seated at a table overlooking Lake Erie, then hang around the game area for a bit so the kids can play.  Some years, it is ping pong – this year it was pool.  Once the balls were racked for the first game I made everyone wait so I could get in there with the ‘ol camera before the break.

You’re silence/searching for a sound

U2 – you said a mouthful, as usual.  A video clip for the song is embedded in the comments section for the curious.

…but they’re never getting these beauties back!

Not sure when any good photo ideas will be returning, but until then, prepare thyself for more silly drivel like this.  I know you can take it.