because her phone call reminded me....

...I hadn't looked at these pictures in a long time. And just look at the scenery! If you ever get a chance to go to Alaska, don't hesitate or second guess. DO IT IMMEDIATELY! It is beyond your wildest, adventurous dreams, my friends. And this girl can give you the low down on the coolest places to see.

Just look at the mountains behind us! These are no East Coast mountains/hills. These are the real deal.

Not to mention the glaciers that sweep down through the mountains. Good gracious! And just look at these two handsome little tykes.


And you can even get up close to the glaciers. By boat. I must say though the entire time I was thinking "Titanic, Titanic, where are the life boats?" But we returned safe and sound to the shore.


Again with the glaciers. They are just unbelievable to see up-close. This one is hike-able. We went right up to the icy blue beauty and staked our claim upon it.


Sigh...I see why you miss it so, S. I only saw it for a week, and I miss it!

OK, so last night my super cool friend S called me. We are email talkers, not usually phone talkers. So this was one long phone call. But I don't think 1hr and 45 minutes has ever gone by so fast in my life. It was perfect timing, too, cause I was missing my LU girls BIG TIME. Like cry myself to sleep (shhh, don't tell), "I can't believe it's over," "I want to relieve it all over again" missing it.

I feel much better now......you saved me from the 3 hours I had planned to study in detail Dr. Brown's De Lorean time travel. I was contemplating it. Well, that or finding the guy in our neighborhood that owns a De Lorean, take it up to 55 and see what would happen. "Please go back to 1996, Please go back...."

No, I don't think movies are real. Don't be so mean! Sheesh.

But they could be, right?


***edited: Forgive my lack of time travel knowledge. The bro kindly informed me that the De Lorean must read 88 mph before the flux capasitor will kick in. I stand corrected....again.

previous evening activities

When you win an BBQ in your honor, you get to choose the activity we do for the evening. Case in point:

Last night, we (a bunch of 20/30 somethings) were running all over camp playing a giant game of Sardines (hide-and-seek backwards. the first person hides and everyone else finds them. the last person to find them, and the rest of the group, loses and becomes the first hider). That's right. Sardines. I'll be honest. I didn't want to play. But then again, I never want to play because I hate games. (100% truth) But I was forced by the laws of the BBQ and was, too, running around like a kid laughing and sneaking. B, you were right. It was fun.

Dang it.

ps....We are very mature and sophisticated at our camp. VERY.

I like random

Just what you wanted to see when you opened Cottage Girl today, isn't it?! Me stuffing my face with greasy food. Usually fast food is an absolute NO, NO for me, but I was in San Fransisco and always wanted to try In-N-Out. Here's the proof. I didn't get the fries though. That would have been a disaster.

So in honor of all things random I'm giving you 5 things about me that you may have never known. MAY have. Some of you know me pretty darn well, so this will be tough, but here goes...

1. I am slightly OCD. I do everything in a routine. For example: I always shampoo my hair first and then put in cream rinse and then let it sit in my hair while I wash my face. Why? I have no idea. But if I do it differently, something feels off. It's like a silly mental checklist.
   
2. I have a heart condition. My heart is defective. The first time I realized it I was in high school and I thought I was dying. It's totally manageable, but I have to stay away from stress (yeah, right!), coffee and cold medicine. All these things will trigger an attack that feels like my heart is a bongo drum.
   
3. My favorite color has always been blue. Navy blue, usually, but sometimes is aqua or any number of shades of the twilight sky.
   
4. My favorite music is wordless. Instrumental soundtracks especially.
   
5. I was almost arrested in college for trespassing. Now that's a story....

Continuing on the random topic....
I'm sure there are things that you love reading about.
And there are things you wish I would stop yammering on about.
Well, here is your chance.
Tell me.
Ask a question.
Give me a suggestion.
I need some help on the blog front.
Give me some ideas for posts.
Give me a photo assignment to share here.
Tell me what you want to hear more of and less of.
It's all up to you.

I've never done this before cause I don't get too many comments. I don't know that many people even read along with me, so I don't know how this will turn out. So, if I get nothing back from you, I won't apologize for my 35 posts on Battlestar and FNL. I won't feel bad for posting Friday Finds cause I like them. I won't think twice about posting more pictures of me eating random foods. Anything that I'm addicted to at the moment will be beaten to death over and over right here for you "enjoy."

Let's hear it. I'm waiting....

wow....was my reaction to this photo

Yipes, this is a cool picture!
I can't decide what element I like better.
Her lipstick
The netting over her face
That fantabulous necklace
Or the light
By golly, I could stare at it for a long time and still feel inspired.
*the beautiful Gwen Stefani

Found on one of my top 3 favorite blogs ever. I adore Elsie and her style and her continual inspiration for new creations. Would be so fun to meet her one day.

Edmund, gardening and thank you's

My day was busy, busy. I only sat down to relax this afternoon because while I was eating lunch I sat in front of the TV to flip channels and Mansfield Park happened to be on and I couldn't say no to Edmund. Ahhh....that movie even makes the name Fanny seem perfectly lovely.....and Edmund is so very handsome....huh?!

Anyway, it's now almost 11pm and I just had to post something cause, well, I just did. So amidst all the yard sale-ing (not successful) and gardening (my flower bed is now weeded and 75% mulched with several flowers bought and waiting to be planted) and camp fire-ing (for a friend's birthday on a perfect spring evening with a random men's choir singing intermittently somewhere which we never could to find), I am writing a little something down for you. I'm finally clean with no dirt under my fingernails and no ticks or mosquito bites. A little post after a check off of my list of things to do this month (or almost).

I didn't have much brain power for a long post like the continuation of my Jamaica adventure (which I haven't forgotten about, promise), so I'm posting a few pictures. Please, scroll down for a gander....




These are some thank you notes I made for my birthday well wishes and gifts from friends. I love making my own cards and try to do it when time allows. I love using a bunch of old Reader's Digest books that I have on my shelf as backgrounds. The stars were foam stickers given to me by my roommates for my birthday. The colored paper is mostly Basic Grey (gulp...I adore their designs), which I used the packing tape method on. How to? Let me share: You take a piece of paper and stick it on packing tape, pretty side to the sticky side. Then you emerse the tape in a dish of water and rub off the paper. The design layer will stay on the tape and the tape will stay sticky. Then you just pull it out of the water and stick it where ever. You can also do it with photos printed on regular paper. Easy peasy and so fun too. Try it on your next crafty project.

That's all I got. Honestly, I'm still thinking about Mansfield Park and Edmund's shirt with the white kerchief tied around his neck and that fantastic to-die-for coat that Fanny wears at her parents and Mansfield Park always leads me back to P&P. Time to pop in the DVD again....

I wish you all a lovely night full of pleasant dreams.

Friday Finds

Holocaust stories fascinate me. This one about Wallenberg sounds like a movie waiting to be written. Imagine being forgotten in a prison for years and years all because you tried to save people's lives from extinction.

I just love the lit storage in this apartment. It's even by their bed! So charming. Apartment Therapy has so many cool ideas.

Elsie was full of cool posts this week. I love question and answer sessions especially with people I'm inspired and in awe of.

I love Picnik. They've added tons of new stuff since I first found it years ago. You can mess with your pictures and you don't need Photoshop. It's free too!

Blogger now has scheduled posting! This makes me giddy with excitement for future posting.

Hula Seventy was doing color week. So many fun photos. So inspiring. Need to try this idea.

Didn't you love Where in the World is Matt Lauer this week? I wish I could have watched the entire thing each of the 5 mornings. Every place he went looked amazing, but especially Istanbul. I would love to go there one day. Then again, I would love be in the Seychelles at this moment, too.

I really enjoyed Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Here's the trailer. Such a tragic (for the little guys) and horrible (for the $$$ hungry exec's) story. The love of money is a scary thing. Wow. Good documentary.



Have a beautiful weekend, All. I'm doing some plantin' this weekend weather permitting. But first is Battlestar tonight....yessss....

Flickr, how I love you

There is something magical about Flickr. It's so full of inspiration and life and ideas. Just people with cameras who take pictures, but so much more. It's like glimpses into their lives. It's the way they see the world.
If you take pictures, you need a Flickr account. It's lets you share your fun with others! It makes you think of fun new ways to see your own life. It helps make your pictures better, too. Not to mention it's FREE. I just love it and never tire of jumping in and swimming around in it. Don' t the colors and textures just give you shivers?! Maybe it's just me, but I can't get enough of it. I'm daily inspired by its magic.

Links to these specific photos and their creators can be found HERE. They are some of my current favorites.

mail call and randomness

I may have gotten a package in the mail today with some new stuff from Hambly. Darn that email from Two Peas. I just couldn't resist. I don't scrapbook, but I do use scrapbooking stuff to make cards and other stuff.

My favorite purchases were these two overlays. I've seen them used on things like this from Danielle. I actually bought (a while ago) three of the frames like she used, but in black when they were on clearance at Michael's.




And these rub-ons are so pretty. They are much bigger than I thought which is perfect for the ideas I have for them.


These make me want to create immediately! So many fun ideas are swirling in my brain.


In other news....

• Ran today for the first time in a week, even though I REALLY didn't want to. I feel better now.
• Been crocheting again and LOVING it.
• Reading John Grisham's newest. I have to admit I love his books and read almost all of them. The Firm is my all time fave.
  
• Need to buy Seabear's albums cause I listen to them on Myspace CONSTANTLY. lLove, love them.
  
• The cover is off the camp pool after a long, cold winter. Summer is around the corner!!
• Tomorrow begins the busiest 4 months of my life. Free time becomes a luxury.
• Sigg bottle for my birthday: ordered and on it's way.
  
• I couldn't even watch the previews to this movie when I was in the theater this weekend. I HATE scary movies. Even pulling it up online to find the link freaked me out! G...don't watch!
• I love you, my readers. I really do. I hope you know that.
  

live to the hilt

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot

This has been one of my favorite quotes for a long, long time. One that will zap me every once in a while with its profoundness. I was pondering it last night after I watched the movie Into the Wild. Something about this kid's journey to find himself and find what life meant brought this quote to my mind. I wonder how many of us think about running away from everything and starting over and living another life. We wonder if we are really living the life we are meant to live. We wonder if God has more for us that we are missing out on. I know I've done all these things. And while I enjoyed the idea of the movie, I didn't feel the need to abandon everything I have and know to go into the wilderness to find "me."

I did realize however, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now. No, not a new revelation, but one that I constantly ask God, more subconsciously than any thing else. Am I where He wants me to be? Am I "in His will" which seems to become the catch phrase for my generation of believers?

I am here. I am content. But am I living this life, this moment, this time of my life to the hilt like Jim Elliot says? Or am I coasting through these moments. Am I wasting the chances and opportunities that are right in front of my face today? Am I wasting them because I'm thinking, well, I can do this or that for God once I get married or once I have a family? When I have these things, then I can really serve Him. Then I can really do something for Him. Dangerous thoughts. Dangerous wisdom from the evil one who loves for me to waste my time in coasting mode.

How many things do I miss even though I AM in the right place at the moment? How many things should I be doing or experiencing right here, right now with what's in front of me? How many times has He placed incredible opportunities before me and I waste them because I'm "waiting?"

"Live to the hilt." "Be all there." Do it now. Don't waste what you have for what you think you will gain one day in the future.

I've also been thinking about this a lot because of SCC newest CD This Moment. His tour this year was about living in the moment that God has placed us in. Here are a couple of the lyrics from the title track....

"There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment"

"And He has given us
A treasure called right now
And this is the only moment that we can do anything about"


I am where He wants me to be, but am I living here the way He wants me to live? I don't want to look back on my life and realize that I left so much behind that was there right in front of me. I want to grab every thing He offers me. I want to be exhausted from the thrill of serving Him. I want to end my days with nothing left to give because He has totally used my life and my energy for His kingdom.

Live to the hilt. Live to the hilt.

ps...you like to travel?

This week is Where in the World is Matt Lauer week on the Today Show.

It is really cool.

He goes to a new country every morning.

Watch it.

I am.

More

There are a few on Flickr too. I just love this one. So many cute ones to choose from. I'll keep adding more as I finish with them.

more than enough

all of You
is more than enough
for
all of me
for every thirst
and
every need
You satisfy me
with Your love
and all I have in You

is more than enough
"Enough" -Chris Tomlin

"We will never know God is enough until God is all we have." One of the many little pearls my pastor said this morning.

What did you learn in church today?

and there is more where this came from

New photo shoot today!
It felt so good to have my camera in my hands again.
We had lots of fun with this one.
More to come soon.

Friday Finds

Flickr yumm-didily-dum. 1...2....3....4....5....6....7. Flickr was out-of-control this week. So, so much inspiration. Oh, how I love it.

I'm quite into to Anthony Bourdain at the moment. No Reservations is on during my lunch break. Woo-hoo. My favorite so far is the French Polynesia episode, as well as the one where he eats bugs roasted over the fire and warhog rectum in Namibia. Tastey. He's abrasive and monotone, which only leads to his addictive charm. Now I know why Whitney at Pop Candy is such a huge fan. Makes me want to travel in a terrible way.

The trailer for Prince Caspian looks pretty amazing. Can't wait to see it! I'm reading The Silver Chair at the moment.

Fun space themed art from another Etsy artist. Love this one and these too. Here's more too.

An interview with my favorite photographers. I'm totally inspired by them.

I plead the 5th on how many of these things I ordered from Hambly. Dang it, I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more paper stuff!

Friday Night Lights season 2 came out on DVD this week. Buy it!

Wish I could do this one summer. I just think the kids would destroy it, not to mention the groundhogs and deer.

Been wanting something good to read lately? Something to make you all warm and squishy inside? A story to love and enjoy? Black Heels is it. Another chapter was released today and man, oh, man...it's as good as ever, even at chapter 33.

Another amazing session from Tara. I LOVE the pictures of the girls. And especially the one of just her hair. The colors are drinkable. Yummmm.

I'm done with LOST. I've missed the last 5 or 6 episodes and have no reason to want to return. Maybe when it comes out on video? Just drug on too long. Anyone else?



That's it for this week. I'm having fun this weekend with a friend, who just flew into town. She adores Battlestar as much as me and the bro, so I know where we will be at 10pm tonight. Amen.

Night, little lambs....

bring on the monsters

As the end of April rounds the corner, I must say that it gets harder and harder to be patient to wait for these little "monsters" to arrive.

I love seeing how much they've grown and changed. I love hearing them laugh and play and just be a kid. I love hearing splashes in the pool and screams of "BELLY FLOP!!!" I love snack shop being open in the afternoon and seeing the kids lined up and the grass covered with beach towels with kids sitting on them with their friends and all their candy and yummies. I love the boats back in the water pulling a giant inflatable banana filled with kids. I love meals on our outdoor staff porch surrounded by friends.

Camp starts in a little over a month. This will be my 10th summer here. 10th! One day I need to sit down and write out the story of how I ended up here. It's a pretty crazy story. "God wanted me here" is the short version. Anyway, I still get so impatient this time of year waiting for camp to start. Summer can't come fast enough.

queue is you

Does one's Netflix queue indicate the type of person they are?

For instance:

1. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
2. Mansfield Park
3. Juno
4. Rendition
5. Everwood season 1
6. "
7. "
8. "
9. Easter Parade
10. King Corn
11. Freaks and Geeks (disc 1)
12. Torchwood season 1 (disc 1)
13. Manor House (disc 1)
14. Frontier House (disc 1)
15. Born in the Brothels
16. Who Killed the Electric Car?
17. In the Shadow of the Moon
18. Confessions of a Superhero
19. Colonial House (disc 1)
20. Young Riders season 1 (disc 1)

10 television discs, 6 documentaries, 1 period drama, 1 classic , 1 independent and 1 thriller (plus, I've already watched 2 other documentaries)
hmmmm....

What does this say about me?

Additionally, I was ecstatic when I found out that Netflix has the House series from PBS. I saw Colonial House when it aired 4 years ago. Such a cool idea. It's kinda like Real World. They take people and set them up in a house or houses, but each "season" takes place in another time period. They have to live in that time period complete with clothing, plumbing (or lack thereof), housing and food all of that time period. Colonial days, Frontier days, 1940's. I LOVED Colonial House but could never find the other seasons to rent.

also, is half the fun of Netflix rating stuff and going deeper and deeper into their site of millions of movies? Cause I am so there.


Thanks again to the parentals and sibling for the spectacular gift!

***No, this picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Well except that the water looks like this today at home. But this was just after I had sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran in Sept 06. Love it when the water shines!

Happy Earth Day

Ways I am more GREEN this year than last...

• Energy efficient light bulbs installed in a light fixture.

• Using a re-usuable water bottle instead of throw aways. Technically, I've been doing this for years, but I've been more conscious of it as of late. I am replacing my Nalgene for a Sigg though (awesome birthday present from friends) after all the controversy over them for the last few months. I will miss my cool red Nalgene though. We've been together for a long time...

• Using Dr. Bonner's as my soap. Sweet Almond is my favorite. You can use this stuff for everything.

• Using re-usable bags when I go shopping. Also, saying "no" to a bag when the item can easy be held or put in my purse or pocket. I really love the one ($1) I got at Target (no link, sorry) that zips up smaller and fits perfectly in my purse. I've used it lots and lots when I run into a store and forget my bags in the car (the car is a great place to keep them handy). This is such a simple thing that makes a BIG impact on the garbage we fill the earth with! I found a couple bags in my closet that are great for groceries. I also bought a re-usable bag at the grocery store for $1 and got another from a friend as a gift.
  

• Turning my computer at work and at home OFF when I'm not using it.

• Carpooling when I'm able.

• Recycling. A HUGE one that drove me crazy for a long time. We always recycled when I was growing up. Here at camp, I didn't until this year and I HATED trowing all that stuff in a landfill. It's a little more complicated living at camp.
  

• Recycling at camp too. It's embarrassing, the amount of things we throw away that could be recycled. Baby steps. Slow, but getting better at this.

• Buying produce at my local farmer's market instead of the grocery store. It helps support local farms (many are organic, too) and not produce from halfway across the world. Remember even if you buy an organic item from the grocery store, but it's grown in Chile, you are eating something that has been on a plane, truck, tractor (more pollution into the air) etc. Who knows all the stuff that's all over it by the time you put it in your mouth! Yuk! Our farmer's market is also MUCH cheaper than the grocery store. The bro and I would split a basket of tomatoes for dirt cheap and have fresh RIPE tomatoes from a farm down the road to enjoy. I'm so very excited that the market is open again for the season!

• Sweetening my tea with organic honey instead of white processed sugar.

• Using Seventh Generation to wash my dishes.

Now, I am by no means as green as I could be, but I am at least more conscious of it. Here's a couple things I want to work on by Earth Day next year....

• Make my own cleaning supplies for the bathroom and kitchen. I hate that I use things so full of chemicals.

• Try the oil method for washing my face. Again, with the chemicals all over my face every day.
  

• Replace ALL the light bulbs in my house with energy efficient ones.

• Buy more second-hand/thrifted.
  

• Try washing my hair with natural things like vinegar and baking soda. Have you ever read what is in your shampoo?!

• Freecycling stuff that I don't use or need anymore. Why be bogged down with all that stuff? And I come from a long line of clutter bugs. I don't want to just throw it away either. I am VERY guilty of dumping into a landfill somewhere.

• Replace plastic food containers with glass. Why take the chance that the plastic is as bad as they say it is?

• Be conscious of the companies that I use and their environmentalism and labor practices. I don't do this at all right now.

And my favorite blog that has helped me along my GREEN path with lots of great links and info is: Walk Slowly, Live Wildly. This post is one of my favorites. Her family is now traveling the country telling people about sustainable living. She has a food blog too.


Hope you all find something that you can change today to reduce your footprint on the Earth. God tells us in Genesis that He created and gave us the Earth to take care of and live off of. Are we taking care of it like He would want us to?


Listening to Pandora today. Create a Michael Buble channel and join in! It's the best one I've created so far. Free 30's/40's music all day. I've "thumbs up'ed" every song for the last hour. Dean Martin, Norah Jones, Ella, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr, Sinatra. All the good stuff in one place for free!

Stardate 0421008

Weekend in review. It was such a nice one, I feel that I should document it.

It all began with an Aaa-mazing episode of Battlestar(ps...I am still loving Hulu, big time. Plus, BSG was on the front page the day after it aired. Cool!) Each episode this season gets better and better. I am seriously going to miss these characters and this whole universe that the writers have created. Boo-hoo...

Then on Saturday, I woke up bright and cheery to a absolutely lovely day. Warm sunshine. Cool breeze. I just love springtime.
I headed out to spend the day with one of my bestest friends since I was in high school. Mel and I have known each other since we were in youth group at church together. In other words, a LONG time ago as we realized in our reminiscent talks. Summer camp, van trips, Christmas parties, ice cream after church. Oh, man we had fun. She's married now and has an adorable little boy. I'm so thankful they moved back to this area.
Anyway, we went shopping, ate lunch and then came back to the cottage to sit in the grass on the hill over looking the river where we talked for a couple hours. It was wonderful. So relaxing and comfortable. I adore her.

After she left, I watched some movies. My first Netflix movie had come and my roommate is doing Netflix right now too. Movies galore. We watched We Are Marshall (which I did like even though I would have never guessed it. 3 stars) and My Kid Could Paint That (loved, but so sad at the same time. 3 1/2 stars).

Sunday was church day.

I went to my church's early service at 9:00 because it was our worship pastor's last Sunday. Wow. So emotional. He and his family had been there for almost 11 years. I have to say that aside from Chris Tomlin in concert, I have never seen anyone who is gifted in the worship area like he is. Not just a good singer, not just a good leader, but a great speaker too. He was a big reason that this church was such a perfect fit for me. I really NEED worship in my church experience each Sunday. It's so important to my growth. I can't even tell you how many times that I could have left on a Sunday morning after just doing praise and worship because I knew that God had already spoken to me that day. God used this pastor over and over to help me see Him in new ways and feel His presence. I am just devastated that they are leaving, but excited for them too because I know that they are headed off to the next thing God has for them. I will so greatly miss the gifts he gave us at church. But, as our pastor said, where God guides, He also provides. I know He has someone else prepared for us. It's hard to say goodbye though.

Then I headed to a friend's church to watch their little one get dedicated. 2 services in one day means you are doubly blessed for the week, right?

After that service, it was back home for a BBQ celebration for the dedication. In between raindrops and thunderstorms, it was. The rest of the day was rainy and stormy, so I bought a crochet pattern online from a favorite blogger. Still working on perfecting it, but am enjoying completing this fun little project. And, of course, on a rainy day, a movie/TV is perfect for background noise while crafting. Last night's viewing choice was FNL season 2. pssss....I LOVE hulu.com again especially for its free TV episode goodness. Will someone please try FNL? I really want to convert one person before it is canceled forever.

Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, so what's the big deal about a weekend like that? Well, it was full of friends and worship and fun stories. What more could I want? Sometimes is just so nice to be reminded of how God has provided for you over the years and you haven't even noticed it until you turn around and see a friend who has been there for 15+ years or a pastor who has helped guide you to the King's throne. I am so blessed. I am so humbled.
Thank you, Father!

Funnier every time

For some reason, this cracks me up. The movie came on TV the other night and I had to sit and watch just to see this part again. Be sure to watch the guy all the way on the right.
How in the world did this get left in?! And how in the world did I not see it until 3 years ago?
And why do I have to rewind it 10 times each time I watch it and laugh and laugh?

Random thoughts on an rainy, stormy Sunday.

Won't you be....my neighbor?

Now who could resist such a question from a little one as cute as this peanut, I ask you?

Not me.

I WILL be your neighbor, little friend!

...especially if we can play together lots and lots....

Friday finds

Hulu. It's not a new find, but one that I LOVED this week.

A sweet, new feature on my favorite photographers' blog. Sneak-o-peak Vision.

I really enjoyed Cloverfield. They weren't kidding when they put a warning on the theater screenings. The camera work is intense/bumpy/jerky! But totally worth it cause of the context. Fun story.

Just look how cute my nephew is.

Looks like the concert I had dreamed about went really well. It got a front page news byline on Yahoo.

My dear sweet sister/bro-in-law and parents got me Netflix for a year. I've had fun rating movies and seeing what they recommend for me to watch. Currently, I'm into documentaries. I've got My Kid Could Paint That, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, King Corn, OT: Our Town and Born in the Brothels in my queue. Mmmm, can't wait!

Tara has a new blog.

Make your own pinhole camera with these fun downloads. Found on my Photojojo newletter.

Flickr beauties this week: 1 (LOVE the angel), 2, 3, 4.


A jolly weekend to you all. I'm watching Battlestar, saying goodbye to the worship pastor at my church who is moving away, going to a baby dedication, hanging out with an old friend, working in my flower garden, finishing my thankyou notes and soaking up some sunshine and warm weather.

Later, gators...

Thank you for calling Cottage Girl

The line is busy at the moment.

I am either on the other line or playing with ink, paper and stars while listening to various Icelandic bands.

Please call back at a later time and I will be more than happy to help you in any way that I can.

You can also leave a message with your name and I will be sure to contact you ASAP.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Goodbye...

I just can't stop

I wonder if this is what drugs feel like. I can't stop going back for more.
These shots are 2 years old.
All of them are from my favorite vacation in the last 10 years.
Well, kinda.
England was pretty cool too.
I have so many amazing photos from our cruise down the West Coast from Vancouver to LA.
That may be because I took about 300-400 pictures too....

Anyway,
ever since I downloaded the free actions from PW, the most generous blogger on the web, I can't stop playing with my pictures over and over.
That and my new computer and CS3.
Oh, CS3, how I love thee.
I want to crown you with diamonds and jewels.

I.cannot.stop.
It is so much fun.
It's like swimming at the beach.
It's like eating Maggie Moo's.
It's like reading Harry Potter for the first time.
It's....
You get the point.






Please forgive another post of random photos. I will eventually stop.

Maybe.

Or I may have just found something that is helping me get all this pent up creativity out. In that case, settle in for a long ride. I may be recruiting some of you for a photo shoot so I can actually work on some new photos. I already know who will be first. My little nephew substitute. And beware everyone, you will want to hug the screen when you see her. She is sweet as apple pie.



Over and out,
Cottage Girl

Listening to this song, a forever favorite since the first second I heard it. Doesn't it just give you chills?! I can't wait for their new CD this summer.

photography rant

No, this isn't a depressing post. I actually like old graveyards. They are full of magic and stories, don't you think?

I just like this picture cause my blacks are black and my whites are white. And let me tell you that is no easy task. I have no idea how I did this cause the shot is about a year old and who knows when I processed it. But aren't the blacks and whites just dreamy! I think it's the light. I just have to learn to read the light better. I want my B&W to be as yummy as this one by Tara Whitney.

But then again, I do love color. Color photos will always be my favorite. Oh, it's such a tough hobby. Too many options. Too many styles to love. Must. Practice. More. Must. Get. Better.

Rant over....

Hulu, I love you

After

moving furniture from an entire wing of one of camp's buildings to another

and going to a goodbye party for good friends,

I'm sitting at my desk making thank you cards for my sweet friends who showered me with love on my birthday.

And I'm loving every minute of Hulu and it's free, free, wonderfully free episodes of 30 Rock season 2 (I swear this show gets funnier every week). It's like having a DVR, but not paying the monthly fee or having to remember to set it correctly. Actually, it's exactly that.

Remember the days of cursing the VCR because it chose to tape 20/20 instead of Life Goes On, which just had to be on while you were at church each Sunday evening. The crying (not really) and wailing (sometimes) because Tyler (Mr. high school hotness) was supposed to kiss Becca on tonights episode (entitled something like The Bicycle Thief) and all you got was a story about how seeing eye pigs were the new wave of the future. Darn you, Barbara Walters.....wait, was that only the LGO obsessed duo (aka my sister and I)?

forget what you just read....I, uh, of course, I didn't do anything that ridiculous....no, not me....

the day of my birth

So happy to share my day with each of you who read my ramblings.
And it's Master's weekend!
Off to watch some golf....

Give me one moment in time....

That song plays in my head when I look at this picture.

"...when al-lll of my dreams were a heart beat away
and the answers were all up to meeee..."

Remember that Whitney Houston (before she went crazy) classic? Anyone? Anyone?

Don't know why I think of that song, other than this photo looks all vintagey and one momentish.

These new actions from PW have sucked me into the Photoshop black hole for most of the afternoon. They are so dreamy and beautiful that I want to jump in and swim around in their colors and layers. I've been going back through old pictures and "actioning" away.

Friday finds

The oh, so handsome "Lee Adama" had a great interview online this week. I do just love him. And hearing him talk in his British accent would make any girl swoon. Can't wait to see what happens with his character this last season of Battlestar.

How cool to hear about little ones from China accepting Jesus for the first time. This is why Shaohannah's Hope is so near and dear to my heart (not that this was a Shaohannah's family, but it's such a great reminder why that ministry is so very important.)

I'm saving my pennies and dimes for the day when this becomes a reality. To meet PW face to face?!! It's almost as good as meeting my TV boyfriend. I'd have to overcome my intense fear of horses though....

New, free Photoshop Actions from the most generous blogger around: Pioneer Woman. And they are unbelievable. I can't explain the joy I get through this little blog.

Silhouette project from Danielle Thompson. I've always wanted to do silhouettes. LOVE them. Always have.

Friday Night Lights season 2 comes out on DVD April 22nd. Sweet...

Elsie has so many fun prints up in her Etsy shop right now, especially for a Peter Pan lover like me.

I can't choose which of these fun items I love most. Yet another cool Etsy shop.

Battlestar is on tonight. yipppeeee....

I'll call him Lightning

Please enjoy this song while you read. I've been singing it all night. It was playing in my head while I was running tonight.

That's right, running. I'm still doing it. I'm not kidding when I say that it was the movie Run, Fatboy, Run that made me start. I think about it EVERY time I run now. I, also, still HATE every minute of it. I get better every time, but I still hate it.

Anyways.....I wanted to introduce you all to my new bestest friend. My new computer is installed and purring like a kitten. The internet issues are solved (mostly). This new beauty runs lighting fast compared to Old Bessie. I can finally use Photoshop CS3 (hurray!). My pictures load quick as a wink. And posting has become a joy again.

My darling, amazing (and still single, ladies) brother built this baby from scratch. He also put my old hard drive in my new computer so I didn't have to reload on all my music or pictures. The dear boy. I do love him.

I'm so thankful for it. And the best part, it was about $50 UNDER my budget for a new computer. Nothing better than a good deal!

Here's to many happy posts and picture manipulations. Cheers!

blog command center

This is Cottage Girl central.

My walls were growing mold, so I had to move my bookshelf to it's current location.

My walls grow mold often because they are cinder blocks. No insulation, lots of moisture.

I have oodles sunlight in the morning and evening.

That little circle on the ceiling is 12 inches of heat vent heaven. I've only had it for 4 years.

Before that there was no heat in here other than what blew out of the large vent in the living room.

I like books. I have too many. I still have a large collection at my parents. Sorry, Mom and Dad.

I have no storage at my house, hence the random objects sitting around the room like sleeping bags.

I like pictures.

I have a fan because my room has no air conditioning other than what blows out of the window unit in the living room. It gets hot in the summer.

My desk chair creaks really loudly.

This is my life. Glamorous isn't it?!!