I love my life.

I especially love my life when it involves babies, flowers and my camera. This beautiful little punkin' belongs to my friend Sarah.  She is just adorable! Enjoy!

My new baby.

It's called a *Lensbaby.

Specifically the Composer version.

And it is cool.

It swivels in a socket.

 

You can take cool pics with it! 

I am just learning to use it.

Here are a few shots I got with it recently.

It focuses in a specific "sweet spot" and the rest of the focus gets crazy!

 

And we are back to me and textures.

My new addiction. 

Texture.

I just love this one even though I have not learned to focus that well with this lens.

(Another amazing present- Fiestaware!)
Okay so.....

...many people wonder what camera and lens I use so here we go! I have a Nikon d90 camera.  I still love love love my 50mm 1.4 Sigma lens! I use it a lot! I love the shallow depth of field I can get with it!

This is the lens I got with my D90 and it is my MOST used lens! The range of this 18-200mm Nikon lens is awesome! It takes such great pics! I cannot imagine living without it. 
And how did I get these cool pics of my gear?  I got a light tent for Christmas! YEAH! I love it! It will keep me busy all winter long taking pics of all kinds of STUFF! Just wait!
Here is one more with the lens baby.... clearly I need more practice but it is fun! This is an ornament a patron gave each of the staff at the library! Made from Popsicle sticks! How sweet is that?

Her name is Ashley.

I have never met her but thanks to blogging... I just love her. She is an amazing talent.  My absolute favorite post is probably today's post on her blog.  Go check it out HERE.  Both her words and her photography are inspiring!
I want MORE for Christmas too. Go see Ashley!

Daisies do grow in winter......

even in zone 4.

"I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works, I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High." PS. 9:1-2

he's not mine, but almost....

you know I am smitten by babies... but little boys...
steal my heart just as fast....

summer rain....
pure fun!

they don't stop to smell flowers much....

but little boys ALWAYS stop for puddles!
or should I say RUN for puddles!?

would you believe I get to steal that little guy again tomorrow too!?!?
what fun awaits!!!

♥

Oh you know....

I'm always taking pictures,
but I don't always have time to share them right away...
or I would have shown you this, a few days ago:

or this:

or this:

or my fav, this:

or my other fav, this:

or Daniel's blog contribution of this:

oh, and this:

Thanks for stoppin in yall!

No, he didn't eat it!

It's okay... don't be scared...

In an effort to gain back your trust (after the last post) I bring you pretty pink fluffy flowers from my amazing MIL's house.

Enjoy!

Ahhhh!! Lovely.

Trust me now?

I was home all day yesterday with neck problems. They are better today. Not 100% but WAY better than the pain I was in yesterday.
Don't worry, this happens a couple times a year.
My spine is curved where it should be straight and my neck is straight where it should be curved.
This creates a tendency for my neck to do crazy stuff.
I think what "set it off" this time was wearing Cash around my neck in the river on Saturday... then at the boys baseball tournaments.... around my neck again... not much...cause I know better!
I know that I should not wear a 6 lb camera around my neck.
But in the river on slimy sharp rocks it seemed necessary at the time.
But it came back to bite me anyway.
I woke up Sunday morning in terrible pain when I would try to turn my head.
Done this many times before, various things trigger it.
It isn't fun.
I went to church just to sing and then came straight home when my song was done so I could load up on Tylenol. On the way home the preacher on the radio was talking about Paul being given a thorn in the flesh as God was going to do such amazing things through Him.
Who knows?!?!
*smile*

It is getting better.
Next time I will have to whine for Daniel or the boys to carry it.
But would you trust THEM?

Cash is a heavy boy!

I would like to add that my arm is STILL sore from hiking with Cash in my left hand (needed my right for balance!! It is a lot of work keeping up with those three!) Too heavy and floppy to leave hanging around my neck by the strap!

Any tips anyone?

I already started working with some 5 lb weights this morning.
Gotta keep up with the boys!

I know, I know....

.... I am spoiled!
Really.... the truth is I am blessed.
I got a 50mm lens for Mother's Day..... it arrived last night.
Today I took oodles of pics!
(Please hide your surprise.)
I am so thrilled I am "high"!

( For those of you who care: It is a Sigma 50mm 1.4. It is EVEN better than I imagined. And my expectations were high! Really, really high! I read about it on line..... people praise this lens like crazy. I debated and debated and debated and changed my mind a hundred times or more over which lens I wanted. Could I trust a Sigma? Will it be worth the extra $ for that buttery bokeh? That narrow narrow depth of field.

Oh ... it is.... is sooo is worth it!
To me!!

It is also close enough in size to fit my filters from my other lens too!

Yall know I OVER analyze everything!
Everything! But in this case it paid off!)

Here we go! (said in Mario voice)

Isn't that cute!
Um yes Daniel is hanging from a tree branch.
His idea.
This might be my fav pic yet with Cash.

Now for more examples of depth of field and bokeh with the Sigma.... and this is only my first day to play! AND these were taken in bright sunlight!







Now this one is just me testing out the 1.4 setting... it is too blurry on purpose.... just there as a great example of what this lens can do.
This one too is too blurry but I will crop and lighten the one above and you will see where I am trying to go!

Ta-da!

I love this!
How about cropped a little more!

I hope yall are enjoying this half as much as I am?
Or are yall sick of the lilacs and goofy daniel pics?
I would really like to know.
Cause I've got more!
Oh,
there's more!
Oh yeah! Yall wanted to know how to make them big. I will do that soon! Sorry, I get carried away with sharing more pics!
*smile*