Books and things...

I currently live in a backwater, a place not really by anything.

Add to this the cold and isolation of winter,

and one thought jumps to mind - road trip.

So, that's just what my husband and I did last week.

We took a little road trip to my favorite, funky old-time bookstore.

Picture really tall ceilings and rows of shelves jam packed with books

 on every conceivable subject.

Oh, and add the scent of old books to this picture.

All in all, a bibliophile's heaven.

We had a wonderful time ~

great books,

great mocha lattes,

great lunch,

and great conversation.

A great day in my book! 

Speaking of books, have you read Whitney Otto's novel, 

Eight Girls Taking Pictures (link)?

In the author's note, Whitney states, "This book is a work of fiction inspired by 

several real women photographers whose lives and work have influenced my own."

I enjoyed how history was woven into this book - 

politics, international events, camera types and technology, 

plus fashions and fads of the times.

Also, I feel every artistic woman can relate to the struggles of the female characters 

as they juggle career and creative desires, 

against family and social expectations.

Timely and timeless.

Wishing you a week filled with great times and great books!

Polaroids

A couple months ago I bought two old Polaroid cameras,

 a Spectra and Colorpack II Land Camera.

At $20 for the two, I've been told I got quite a deal.  

But, the best part is they both work!

In the Spectra, I've tried the Impossible Project's PZ 600 Silver Shade film.

Out of eight captures, this is the image I like the best.

It looks to me as though it could have come out of my great grandfather's old 

luggage chest, with its soft edges and vintage coloration.

I'm looking forward to more Polaroid fun,

especially experimenting with double exposures.

Have you tried anything new lately,

photo-wise?

Weather Wisdom

Sometimes, I almost miss the day.

By this I mean, the day may seem too hot, too rainy, too icy - or this time of year - 

too darn cold to want to venture outside with my camera.

On days like these, I like to hole up in my studio and work on bead or quilt projects.

These images are from just such a day.

Icy, snowy, drippy with a bone-chilling dampness...

the great outdoors didn't seem very appealing.

But, once outside I found beautiful soft light and 

small wonders hanging from every surface -

reminding me to take advantage of the day,

whatever the weather!

I'm wondering do you go out with your camera in less than perfect weather,

 or is it all good in your book?

Wishing you creative days filled with weather you love.

Holiday Light

Time for a holiday break!

Wishing you spectacular light and

 wonderful holiday moments with friends and family!!!

See you again in the New Year.

Comments are off today.

Winter Curves

Snow is gently falling today.

Looks like a great day to try out my camera's new Storm Jacket (link), (link).

This "jacket" is sure to beat my camera's usual wet weather cover -

a plastic bag...

 which qualifies as ridiculous!!! 

Hope you're enjoying the beauty of the season,

wherever you live.

Comments are off as I'm busy with family,

 festivities, and fun.

Before...

Before the heavy rains, before the gusty winds, before the snowstorm...

before all this weather hit,

I gathered a large bunch of milkweed and brought them into the house.

The milkweed pods were open with their seeds and silken tufts spilling about.

I imagined these little umbrellas escaping all over the house,

but they have stayed in place,

trapped within the stillness of our walls.

Studying these silken umbrellas has gotten me dreaming

 of traveling with them to some warm and magical place!

Frosty

Frosty mornings and pleasant days describe weather in the north woods of late.

For those in the US, I hope the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday 

finds you with much to be thankful for.

Blessings to you!

Ten Million Drops

Mother Nature has been dishing up a variety of weather lately.

We've had rain, fog, frost, and snow.

Today we're back to rain, so I thought I'd share with you ten million raindrops,

 give or take a few thousand.

What does the weather look like in your part of the world?

Wishing you a week filled with variety ~ the good kind!