kirstencan

notstagram #fridge

#ofcourseitdid

I swear our kitchen is hell bent on self-destructing.

Luckily our neighbors had lots of extra freezer space, extra coolers, and some frozen water jugs.

#fourcoolersinthediningroom 

#wonderfulwaytowakeuponasunday

#offtosears

notstagram #littlebeachphotos

#iwanttogotothere

notstagram #hike

#hetotallyscampered  #natureiscool  #thankyoumountain

notstagram #eggs

No time to build a coop this year, and the area we want to put them in still has ash/charcoal, so we've gotta do something about that.

#chickenskindafreakmeout

notstagram #irises

I wish iris blooms lasted longer!

notstagram #laundry

This was last week or so, but it must be documented!

We weren't able to hang laundry up last year because... well the clotheslines burned. Along with our fence to put them on.  And ashy clothes are yucky anyway.

But this year, oh boy!  And they dry even faster without the trees there.

NOTSTAGRAM #mothersdayfood

#allfromscratch   #yeahhedid  #bejealous

(forgot to mention the onion and green pepper in the calzone - drool)

ps. Thanks to all who commented on yesterday's post

glad I'm not alone in my thinking, and glad some people still read here!

Blogging is Weird Now

Maybe you agree?

I miss the 'golden age' of blogging. I'm coming up on 7 years for this blog now (!) and it's SO different now.

Mostly I miss connecting with people.  This was my grown-up conversation place.  People commented, I commented.  Little silly posts would have 15-20 comments! Emails for advice/recommendations/virtual hugs were sent and received.  Comments on flickr photos were made. 

Remember when people would host handmade giveaways instead of corporate ones?  Remember package swaps?  Swaps!  Love! 

I miss my friends!  There was a time when I knew enough people well enough that I'll bet if I were planning a trip to UK, Australia, Finland, France, wherever - I'd have a place to stay the night. ;)

First there was facebook - it became faster blogging for people who just wanted to share little photos.

Now there is Instagram.  Blogging on speed.  Flickr on speed even.  Right up my alley at this point in my life actually, but I'm not on Instagram or facebook.* 

I felt like the connections weren't happening on flickr either, and recently let my pro account lapse.  I miss flickr.

But time does seem to be more limited these days.

Also I'm so sorry for not commenting more on your blog - see, it's my own fault, too.

I surf on my ipad mostly now, I'm sure many of you use tablets/phones to surf as well.  Commenting is a little harder on those!  Totally get that.

The only people who seem to have a lot of comments are those doing giveaways.

I always say no to giveaway/sponsor offers.  I don't want to be a magazine.  I wanted this to be MY place, and pretty much it has been.  I don't need 'columns' or guest posts or corporate sponsors.

But as the kiddos get older, it is harder to share their funny little stories.  They are more aware and I am more careful with their privacy. 

Esp. with the redhead.  I feel like I should blog about autism more, and the new things we're trying and the struggles we're facing, but I also feel like I need to respect his privacy more now, too.

It's been funny, I watched several friend-bloggers go 'big time' and their posts changed.  Every post was poignant and perfect.  Every post was also lacking in genuineness and humor.  My friends felt flat.  And distant.  I didn't want to be like that.  But I've failed sometimes.  I hope I'm still ME enough here.

Anyway, I still love blogging, but ... I don't know.  I wonder if there is a place for this one anymore.  It seems like only the 'big blogs' or little 'family blogs' are out there anymore.  Many 'little' crafter blogs go out there with the intention of being a BIG 'magazine-type' blog.  I have had no desire to go that way.  There is definitely a place for magazine-type blogs, I subscribe to a couple, but not all blogs need to go that direction.  I am tired of the majority of people's posts being links to other people's posts and not what they are doing/saying/photographing themselves.  I don't feel any connection with them.  And I feel no need to comment - their sponsors are their 'payoff'.  My payoff was the connections I made.

I find myself more motivated to update my little private family blog now, and it used to be the opposite.

I do wish I was on instagram.  So how about for the next week or so I pretend I'm on instagram?  One photo (maybe two, I can't help myself), short or no text.  Let's see if posting every day gets me out of this slump.  Let's see if I can come up with stuff every day.  Let's see if people comment.  Let's see if I can return the compliment to everyone who does.

What should I call these short posts?  Notstagram?  Outstagram?  Leftoutstagram? ;)

 

*My husband is a computer guy.  He 'won't let me' be on those sites due to their outrageous privacy policies.  Totally get that.  Still a bummer.  Except facebook - I still think that one is lame.

Beehive Bazaar

I had such fun last weekend at the Beehive Bazaar!  I had been a couple of years ago, and besides falling in love with Noelle O's bags (I went home and told my mom I wanted one for Christmas - any one!) didn't have the best time.  It was kinda fun to look out, but nothing popped out at me and I didn't even buy anything.

This time was different. 

Beehive Bazaar is a local artist craft fair - it's convenient that they have a central checkout - a surprisingly nice touch for shoppers.  I had some time (and a couple gifts I was looking for) so I took my sweet time browsing.

It was some lovely, much-needed time to myself, and it was inspiring!

The people were fun to talk to - seriously, made a couple shopping friends!  It seems like in real life I rarely run into people who share the same interests/aesthetics or anything.  Here, I ran into them randomly just 'oohing' over tiny brooches.  Restored my faith in humanity, I tell you.  And the work got my mind rolling.

Wanna see what I bought?

Cute print from Wendy & Peter.  Because it's true.  I can.

She had some really cute hair bows for sale, too.

Cutting board (from here) and orange dish towel (by ? boo, I don't remember!) for my sister's bridal shower gift (apparently these cutting boards were a popular buy!).

Green camera dishtowel for me!  Couldn't resist!

Chalkboard Sign (Alexis Maddox again) and little embroidered book by Belle & Whistle.

With a little alteration, we might use this as the guest book at my sister's wedding next month.

Teeny letterpress tags (various occasion + blank = love!) from Winnie Press.

(You might remember I have a connection to quality letterpressed goods in my family - it felt a little weird buying from someone else, but they are very sweet!)

I picked up two stained glass pendants (so cheap!) I think from Crimson Digit - Kinda wish I would have picked up a couple more!  I've worn them both already!

Decided to try this tea tree laundry soap.  It's 100 loads (for HE washers), so it's cheap and natural.  I've used it on a few loads so far and like it.  Some day I'll make my own.  Also picked up a little mother's day bar of soap from them - smelled so yummy - for my mom.  I think it was lemongrass and something else? 

So I'm checking out with my lovely purchases, chatting with the chick processing it about tea tree oil in laundry (apparently she adds a couple drops to every load she does (not this soap) and it makes everything super fresh) when I spotted some extra lovely hanging succulant terrariums.  They weren't there before!  I went by everything twice!

She said they'd sold out the night before, so the artist had stayed up all night making more.  Oh, man.  They were pretty sweet.  I almost bought one, but couldn't decide, so I thought I'd ask for his card and maybe buy one later.  She turns around and says 'Hey, Richard, do you have any cards?' and he turns around holding this:

So that's when I geeked out and pointed with my mouth wide open and made some sort of sound (because I'm cool like that).

Isn't it awesome?!

He hadn't even put tags on the brass hanging airplants yet, but I bought one right there.  LOVE.  Now I just need to get my kitchen painted so I can hang it up!  His name is Richard Bingham and he has an etsy shop here.

Another nice moment was when I was picking out my stained glass pendants and someone came up and said 'Hey, nice bag!'  I said 'Thanks' and she said 'I made it.'

Ha! It was Noelle O!  Just as nice in person as I hoped.  We chatted for a few minutes about teen daughters on pinterest.  

Seriously, I had such fun, I might just go back this weekend (It's two weekends this time!  You should go!).

Garden - shooting wide open

So, I've been weeding again.  Man, gardens are really pretty in early morning and early evening lights.  Even big weedy ones like ours.

One morning I took my camera out - and shot with my 50mm/1.8 lens wide open. That means I shot all of them with the aperature at the biggest setting, leaving the background nice and blurry/making pretty bokeh.

Anyway - These are all straight out of my camera, no editing, I just had fun taking them and will have to practice out there more!

Tomatillo 'skeletons' from last year. We gave up trying to keep up with the tomatillos last summer.

So lacy and pretty, I find them fascinating!  They must be tougher than they look to survive all winter!

Dewdrops on small strawberry plants.

I did mention I was weeding, right?

Had my focus been right on these baby peas, I'd be super happy.  Seriously, I was a little bummed this didn't turn out.  As out of focus as it is, pretty bokeh!

This lens is super fiddly and I'm finding I sometimes have a hard time telling if the subject's in focus when it's really bright out... also other times. :)

Raspberries.

Hollyhock leaves.  So pretty and ruffly.  We have hollyhocks all over - last year we had hollyhocks and tomatillos growing in the most random places after the fire.  We can't wait for these to bloom!

Irises.

We have quite a few irises, and I was SO happy to see so many return post-fire (not all, but oh well).  But they burned before they bloomed last year, and so I didn't know how they'd do this year.  And they're blooming!



This one is really pretty big - click!

Can't wait till the poppies bloom!