Wild flowers indoors

We planted a huge patch of wild flowers in front of our house. Basically we tilled it, tossed about $50 worth of seed out there and then watered it.  This is the first year these have grown. It's mostly going to be trees out there when we finish so it's nice to have a pretty filler for now.  My daughter and I spent a while gathering these the other night after Family Home Evening.  This pitcher was a wedding gift to my husband and I. I love it and it's perfect for wild flowers.

 Nikon D7000, 50mm 1.8 set at 2.8, ISO 800

Paper Leis

Well, we got the first part of this project complete.  We painted the card stock with watercolors and then we used a flower punch to cut out the paper flowers.  They actually look really cool.   My son cut out a few.  But mostly I did the cutting.  It isn't easy for little hands.

I think they turned out really cute!  I can't wait to finish the project - how about when it's too hot to enjoy the great outdoors most of the day. 

Punch by EK Success.

Garden photo update

My garden is feeling a little behind.  Last year my peas were twice as tall.  I can tell because of the trellis.  

My peas are just starting to blossom.  I've got oregon sugar pods this year and I can hardly wait to eat them.

The panels are 4 feet tall and 16 feet long. I love cutting these panels into just the size I need for say, trellising cucumbers.  This way I can put them closer together and keep them from taking over each other and the rest of the garden.  I especially love the lemon cucumbers.  They are not bitter and add a little Marukan rice vinegar (gluten free!) and I'm in heaven.

Cattle Panels or wire panels are made from galvanized steel and don't rust.  A friend at church cuts them and makes them into really great tomato cages.

Plants

It's my favorite time of the year, ok, well almost, but it is that time of year when the plants that I started in the spring are actually growing outside and starting to look like something.

Corn

Cabbage

Heirloom tomatoes

romaine lettuce: 

Jade Bush Green Beans

Roma Tomatoes

Mostly a winter playground

There's a few feet of snow left up at Tony Grove.  We drove up the other day and hiked about 1.5 miles into the lake from where we parked the Jeep.  Tyler and I took the kids along too and they were good sports.  We even had a little snowball fight on the way back down just before 2 snowmobilers passed us.   You can see the road is part river right now.  

 Doubt anyone will get their coveted 4th of July camping spots this year.  As you can see, it's going to have to melt really fast.  Although tomorrow will be 91 in the valley so who knows.  It warmed up quick.  New gardening photos soon.  It's so behind because it was so wet this spring. 

Our staycastation photos

We just want to share a few more photos from our great trip to Park City in the spring.

If you click on this first image it'll be large enough to see my daughter's face. They had packages pre-made with marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and roasting sticks.

I stared at this gorgeous place and it rugged architecture for hours.

 Here is our view from the fire pit.

And here is the entrance into our two bedroom sweet. @ bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a powder room, living room, small table, large table, wet bar, kitchen, tile, hand scrapped hardwood flooring, and lush carpet.

Let me ask you, have you stayed with HYatt?  They are offering an Endless Summer program which is book 2 nights, get 3rd free.  Then we get there and when the guy at the check in desk asks if it is for a special event, I said, It's a fun father's day surprise.  HE said, 'well, let's get you some more room.  Can I just say that having a two bedroom suite with a kitchen and 2.5 baths was amazing and totally unexpected.  HE also gave the kids toys for the pool and big bubble wands.  They think of everything there.

 Kid's bedroom:

 fab kitchen!

master bedroom - includes TV and Fireplace 

Master bath to die for! OH wait, I have tile just like that at home.  And the shower was almost identical to ours.  Home away from home for sure! 

  The powder room~

 Out door adventures coming soon.

Father's Day in Park City

We wanted to make this trip for memorial weekend but felt like we should wait for Father's day instead.  So glad  we did because our home would have burned down because of a faulty switch in our fridge that led to some cooked food on the top two shelves. Fridge has been fixed and Sears payed for it.  It all worked out and it was wonderful.

 Ten Things that made me laugh while we were in Park City.

1. My daughter's laughter on the Alpine Slide with daddy and her blood curdling screams on the Alpine Coaster with me.

2. The look on our faces when the host opened the door to our upgrade room - from a 2 queen bedroom with a kitchenette to a two bedroom suite, 2 bathrooms, 1 powder room, full kitchen, and two porches.

3. My son standing in water up to his knees in the wading pool and sticking his face in the water to test out his new green TYR googles.

4. The fact that my husband can't go anywhere without bumping into someone from our valley that he knows.  Tyler had the privilege of saying the opening prayer during the Visitor's Sacrament Meeting in the Park City Chapel.

5. The ski lift operator that looked just like my friend B. from Vancouver BC.  In the 30 seconds I was there I actually looked around for Sarah McLachlan t-shirts.

6. My kids jumping on the trampoline training set up.  My daughter did two back flips and my son did a dozen forward flips.  Their smiles made me smile.

7. The poor lady freaking out on the payday lift as she and her companion rode back down to the base - she was scared to death. She even complimented our children for being brave.

8.The wedding guests in front of  us in line at the alpine slide were in short frilly dresses.  They thought that wrapping a sweater around their legs was a good way to remain modest.  And the boyfriends that took off so they could arrive at the base first.

9. The $575,000 half acre lot for sale in Deer Valley.  Great View but wow!

10. The four young business men who looked like they had just stepped out of an issue of Esquire magazine who were racing each other down the alpine slide.  I'm glad they chose that over the coaster.  They would have damaged their expensive suits. 

click on the photos to see then larger.  

Tap -Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Finale

My daughter loved her tap dance this year.  And she nailed it - perfectly.  She hasn't had this much fun with tap before.  She completed the entire dance without a delay or looking at others to remember.  She really had fun and I had fun watching her.  My Dad could hardly believe how good she did and gave her oodles of compliments.  But most of all, she was super pleased with her performance.

 Here is the part of the song where the old guy says that he said Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and now his girl was his wife.  And my daughter got to be the angry wife while he says "and oh what a lovely thing she is too." She could hardly do it without laughing.

And this year's finale was the best EVER! They used streamers on a wand and danced to Firework.  It was breath taking! 

Jazz dance - Dumb Love

Let's talk flexibility for a minute.  I think if I tried half the stuff she can do I'd break my sternum or a leg. Click on the images to see them larger.  

What makes these on stage, catch them while they are moving, photos really great?  

#1 depth of field.  #2 correct exposure #3 a very fast lens.  

One of the other dance moms asked me about my lens and I said she could get one for $2000 right now.  She about died.  But it's made me thousands more so I can't complain.  Really good lenses set you apart from the competition. That and knowing how to use them.  

That's the sternum shot.  Ouch.

 You can see the Swarovski crystals on her face here.  Super fun trick I learned from the ice dancers we photographed last year.

 She is already starting to stand up here so I didn't get the full effect and she was moving too fast or I would have flipped my camera horizontal.  When you are focusing on one person you typically want to hold your camera vertically.

Dress Rehearsal

Sorry it's been a few days since I posted. I'm enjoying my class and the students are great.  More photos in the gallery than ever before. My daughter had her dress rehearsal today.  It's always a lot of fun but a little bit stressful. Daddy came along and helped video while I photographed.  This first photo is my favorite from today.  I will share ballet today, then jazz, and in a few days, tap and the finale.  

How do you get great dance photos? You need to set your camera on manual but keep your lens on auto focus.  f2.8, 1/160 second, ISO 1250. And just so you know I darkened this first photo in photoshop because I love the contrast on her face. I'm so glad they decorated the background. The stars are fun!

Photo First Aid - Week 1 - Spot Light Level Changes - Photoshop Elements 8.0

This is for those students taking my class right now that are using Photoshop Elements 8.0  If  you are not yet taking this class and like what you are learning in this video, please go here to register. You have a few days left to get signed up for Photo First Aid.

Photo First Aid Video- Week 1 -Tint, Tone, Vignette- Photoshop Elements 8.0 Version

This is for those students taking my class right now that are using Photoshop Elements 8.0  

If  you are not yet taking this class and like what you are learning in this video, please go here to register. You have a few days left to get signed up for Photo First Aid.

Spring or Cold Weather Vegetables

This is a fun photo of one of my Romaine Lettuce heads growing in my garden.  Can you see how catching the sunlight through the leaf adds so much texture and interest to the photo? Sorry it's not perfectly aligned.  I put the camera near the ground and clicked the shutter a few times.

A little camera tilt.  It can work to your good or bad so be careful.  Too much tilt is never a good thing. These are my peas a week ago.  They are looking good! I can hardly wait to eat me some Oregon Sugar Peas. If you are just starting to follow my blog, the trellis is cattle panel.