Am I a slacker?

I can't figure out where my time has gone lately. My regular schedule over the last few weeks has been interrupted, and it has affected this poor blog. I have been blessed to have an item appear on Etsy's front page (WOOHOO!!!!) and I've been busy with photo editing, creating, and schoolwork.
I have to mention another little happy milestone for me this week. Last night I went to a yoga class at my gym. I haven't been there in a while because of school, but last night I was going no matter what! The instructor is great, very soothing, and she doesn't even seem to care that I absolutely can't do yoga. I try and struggle through the class, but I kind of look like a fool. You are no doubt wondering why I go. My theory is that eventually, with thousands of years of practice, I will be able to sort of do some yoga, so I keep trying. Well, last night, the whole class (except me) is holding a downward dog position, and the instructor tells us to go into the plank position. Normally, at this point, I will attempt a plank position and utterly fail. My elbows and shoulders will go all jelly-like, and I'll fall into the mat. Last night, I went into plank position, and to my utter surprise, I stayed there! I was so excited, I had to show DH again when I went home. I don't think he was that impressed, but me, I take the little things. :) I have to give proper credit to my personal trainer, Josette, for this little milestone. She loves to torture me with all sorts of upper body strength exercises, and I am very grateful for that!

I'm featured here!

Check out this neat interview with me, the indie designer! (you can laugh a little.)

http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2008/09/22/indie-designer-interviews-waste-not-whimsy/

Etsy Front Page 9/19/08 wastenotwhimsy

Etsy Front Page 9/19/08 wastenotwhimsy, originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers.

Oh my! I curated a treasury and it made the front page of Etsy! I'm so stoked! Seriously awesome!

I Heart Project Runway.

If you know me, you know that I'm a little bit of a PR fan. I really like Leanne on this season of PR, and am going so far to predict her for the win. Leanne sells on Etsy (so cool!) I had to create a treasury celebrating her designs and her color palette that she used for her Bryant Park collection. It's up until sometime on Sunday, please check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=9800

So Behind

I promised last week that I would share my Grand Canyon weekend with everyone. Yes, it was two weekends ago, but I keep my promises, if not exactly in the timeliest fashion.
Yes, the Grand Canyon is big and stunning. I really don't think there are words left to be said about it's beauty. There are plenty of words left about the insanity of people who arrive at the top of the canyon and say, "I wonder what's down there? Let's go check."
It gets hotter the further you go down, and the climb back up is hard. And I didn't even go that far down.

I wasn't smart enough to take a mule ride either, I just took a picture of the people who were.
Yes, that's a picture of a squirrel right next to my foot. Next to people, there were an insane amount of squirrels on the trail, and they were not shy about getting in there and picking up any dropped food. They were also very well fed.

On a second note, I was very grateful for my hiking boots and very flummoxed by the people hiking in flip-flops, skirts, and other clothing meant more for sitting than walking down and then back up a rather steep climb.
Sunset at the Grand Canyon=totally beautiful and worth the walk back to the rim even though I was sore and tired. It was a great experience, and I'm even more sold on hiking than I was before.

Apron Swap

I participated in an apron swap this summer. The theme was Fall because we were all to receive our aprons at the beginning of the fall season. My apron is out and has been graciously received by my swap partner. It was fun making it, I think I really do need to sew a little more, and not just t-shirt bags. My sewing skills are still not that great, but practice makes perfect!
Next post: my weekend at the Grand Canyon. I'll try not to bore you, I promise!

My Photography "Studio"

Welcome to my photography studio! It's my apartment patio. It faces west, so for most of the morning I get bright indirect natural light. It helps that I live in Las Vegas so a morning without sun is an extreme oddity.

I have a few "go-to" props, including my backdrops, the cut-off bottoms of two t-shirts, one cream and the other navy. Also, I rely very heavily on a white frosted vase, which incidentally was the vase that came with the very first flowers (and present of any sort) that my husband sent to me when we first started dating. I have a small collection of rocks also, some from the shores of Lake Michigan, some I picked up in Alaska, and others from the National Petrified Forest in Arizona. I like the texture and interest that rocks add to my photos.

Other things I also use are the patio wall itself, with its distinctive stucco texture, some dry black beans, dry branches, and some pink silk lilies (which were a part of my hometown wedding reception). Taking photos is quite romantic for me. :)

I shoot my pictures with a rather standard Kodak Easy Share camera on the Close Up setting (otherwise known as macro). I think that I happen to be the lucky victim of great circumstances for decent photo shoots. I am also a person who has always thought in macro. I love texture and color and getting right up close to it to really experience the fullness of sensation.

My photo studio, camera, backdrops, and props aren't completely ideal. For instance, I sweat a lot while taking photos (it's HOT in Vegas!), and just recently came upon the revelation of sitting while I take some shots in order to help steady my hands. I would love a tripod and maybe a light tent, but the concept of my jewelry really came about making the most of what is available, and my photography is the same way.

I really enjoy taking pictures, and for those who struggle with it, I encourage you to make it true to yourself. You never know, you might begin to enjoy photography, too!