Sew Fab Martha

outside looking in

2011-11-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

greeblepix entry

2010-07-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

If I win this month, I plan to rent a lens and go whale watching up in the San Juan Islands!

Happy Birthday to my dad!!!

2010-06-05T14:58:00.001-07:00

Where I wish I was for Mother's Day!

2010-05-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Missed being with my mom for Mother's day, but think I might have made up for it with the five phone calls throughout the day! OXO

today at the arboretum

2010-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great walk at the arboretum today. Lots of rhododendron and azalea in bloom.
And in hopes of returning our back forty to it's arboretum status, we have found someone who can help us with our overgrown yard next month! That will be a giant relief since we haven't worked on it in a year!

nature unfurling

2010-04-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I have spent most of my weekend, immersing myself in learning photoshop for editing my photos. I feel like I am learning a new language and stretching my brain cells. We took a wonderful break from this with a walk at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. The ferns were all gracefully unfurling!

Happy Easter to all of my peeps!

2010-04-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

here comes peter cottontail

2010-03-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

I'm still basking in the glow of having a relaxing vacation. Even went to see the dentist yesterday and that didn't even dull the vacation glow. Here is the evidence that there is indeed an Easter bunny and he apparently vacations at Cannon Beach too!!!

Helping Chad celebrate his birthday

2010-03-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

Took Chad out to dinner and they served his on a happy birthday plate! It doesn't get much better than that! Unless of course, you would rather have the gang of servers putting a hat on your head and singing their rendition of happy birthday! We were more impressed with a birthday plate!

welcome spring

2010-03-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

I just love this new coffee mug I found this weekend. And then when I looked out the window this evening, I realized that art certainly does imitate life (and visa versa) and made it into a photo opportunity!
Have not been keeping up with the blog since I am so active on flickr. And then, I dabbled a bit on facebook this spring. I think I am mainly a flickr gal, since I love speaking with photos, and often find writing much more of a challenge! Any thoughts on blog vs. facebook vs. flickr? and just don't ask me to open a twitter account!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

two of my favorite people in the world

are celebrating 59 years together

OXO

Merci

2010-01-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Haiti Charity Print Auction closed ~ High bidder $40!

2010-01-16T15:41:00.001-08:00

Haiti ~ You've Got A Friend (Charity Print Auction ~ bidding now open)
Originally uploaded by sew fab martha

I posted a photo on Flickr to inspire everyone to keep giving. If you are interested, you can check out the details on my flickr photo. I am auctioning off a print to the highest 'giver' in my comments on this photo! Auction ends Sunday night!

growing like little beanstalks!!!

2010-01-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hope you girls pack up your bags and come for another visit soon! OXO

look who stopped by for a new years visit

2010-01-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to see our favorite friends as they raced through town today!

snapshot look at the tree with ornaments!

2009-12-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

After almost three weeks of enjoying the tree with the lovely lights,.....
we finally had the time and energy to get the ornaments hung! I guess I was so excited to take a photo when it was done, that I only snapped the top half of the tree! I may have been a bit delirious from spending time in line at the post office today,... surrounded by the rest of humanity!
*** oh in case you thought I really lost my mind and set the tree up in front of the front door.... this is a side door we don't use in the winter! ***

Sinterklaas is coming

2009-12-04T15:32:00.001-08:00

Sinterklaas visits this weekend! So, remember to put your wooden shoes out near the fireplace with a carrot for Sinterklaas' horse!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

2009-12-02T19:19:00.001-08:00

I am so early in getting in the Christmas mood this year! I have alot of decorations up, the Christmas mugs and plates out, and the tree up and lit. Didn't have time to decorate the tree yet, so that will have to wait! Love the lights! Have yet to start on a card idea,..... hope all of my decorating gets me inspired for that!

Getting in the mood for Christmas

2009-11-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend! We enjoyed time with friends, but sorely missed not being with family. I am tickled pink that we got our tree set up early this year, and went to work this morning putting it to use for some fabulous bokeh! Oh,... and I pretended that it was snowing just to put me in the mood while I was listening to 'White Christmas' and other old Christmas faves. Did you know that on Pandora Radio, that you can set up your own channel with 'seed' songs and artists,... so I set up a Christmas channel with seeds such as "Burl Ives - Holiday", "Danny Kaye - Holiday", "Bing Crosby - Holiday", "Ella Fitzgerald - Holiday",... well you certainly get the idea of what I am listening to when I am not dancing around to Bob Dylan's Santa song!

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

2009-11-28T15:29:00.001-08:00

Hope this gets you up and dancing and in the Christmas mood!

I think this coffee break is almost over!

2009-09-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Window to my world

2009-09-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

Best therapy I have had in a long time was the visit from these two sweet girls!

Love

2009-08-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hope

2009-08-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

Faith

2009-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hello in there.....

2009-06-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm hanging in there, but not really keeping up with life these days.
Here's a shot from late night visitors sporting a fisheye lens!

First day of occupational therapy

2009-06-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Dani for inviting me over for some good old-fashioned occupational therapy! It felt good to get out of the house and do something fun. Flower drying in the microwave is a very fun activity, and was a good challenge and distraction for me. I have not suceeded in getting back to work yet, so I am building up my strength in anticipation of returning on June 15th. Thanks to everyone for your love and support getting me through this ordeal!

one of these things is not like the other

2009-05-24T11:03:00.001-07:00

Sing along... 'one of these things, just doesn't belong!'

It has been a rough month recovering from our trip to the tulip fields!

I am hoping that this is my turnaround weekend in my recovery, and plan to go back to work next week! As well as back to blogging about once a week!

Lake View

2009-04-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

I really am enjoying having photographic assignments via the Monthly Scavenger Hunt on Flickr. This month, one of my words was tomb. I scoured the archives, nothing even creatively or remotely tomblike. So, then I began my search for our Saturday photo fieldtrip! We had options including visiting Jimi Hendrix's grave in Renton (this came in second) or a trip up to Capitol Hill to an old cemetery where many of Seattle's founders are buried. I have to say, I may not have ever researched and visited a cemetery if not for the Flickr group. Despite the fact that it was raining all morning, I was happy with my cemetery series. And used this one for the word tomb.

Happy Easter Sew Fab Peeps!

2009-04-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Before and After

2009-04-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Picnik has a new feature called Before & After. Here is the photo I took today on the left, inspired to create something Easterish as shown on the right. Finished image on Flickr today.

Today was filled with sunshine

2009-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day filled with sunshine!

Spring break on the Oregon coast, on the other hand, was mostly rain!

We loved our mini sunfilled vacation today!

And it made up for all of our umbrella soaked walks on the beach last week!

Lilliputian mania strikes sew fab martha

2009-03-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have always been smitten with all things miniature! As a child, I loved playing with dollhouses. My mom was the master of fashioning so many fabulous furnishings out of everyday items. As a school girl, I cherished the visits to the Museum of Science and Industry and the wonderful miniature dollhouse world they had on display.
So, this fabulous world called tiltshift takes your photo (I took this pic from the plane) and transforms it into a fantasy miniature world! For me, this has turned into a bit of an obsession, so beware before you tread if you are prone to these photo addictions! Take a look at my Flickr Lilliputian series!

Excuse me, ma'am

2009-03-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

I must have a friendly face! It is now to the point of being hilarious how people will stop me to help them when I am out in public. A few good examples:
Shopping in the drugstore, picking up some contact lens solution. A shopper comes over to me and asks me if I could recommend which ear wax cleaning product was the most efficient.
I am at the grocery store. An elderly lady stops me in the middle of the store and asks me if I would give her a ride home. She had left her groceries at the check out in order to walk back through the store to look for a friendly face for a ride home. Then the hilarity continued, as she rewarded me by reaching in her grocery bag and handing me an onion when I dropped her off!
Well Sunday, we went for a long walk and photoshoot. Three bikers past us and then circled back around and got off their bikes. "Excuse me ma'am, would you take our photo?" Of course, and then he handed me his HOLGA camera (trendy plastic toy film camera) to take their photo! How fun is that!!!!
(these occurances happen just about every week!)

Tagged to dig into the archives

2009-02-27T06:43:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Jackie / Smoothpebble to dig into my computer files and pull up the 6th photo in the 6th folder and tell the story. This photo was taken August 1, 2007 with my trusty Canon G2. I love to stop on this pullover before the Deception Pass bridge. I have a terrible time with heights, so I am wandering around the side of the road here taking photos. And if we could look closer, we would see that Chad walked across the bridge for that thrill. There is a sidewalk, but I just can't quite walk at such heights and breathe at the same time. I just looked up the bridge and it was built in 1935. It is such a spectacular beauty!
Consider yourself tagged to play this game if you want to. If you know me, you know I am not big on the tag games. This one inspired me to get a post up today!!!

Skagit Valentine

2009-02-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

We heard that the snow geese and trumpeter swans were in the fields in Skagit valley and so packed up the car and headed out for a Valentine's Day adventure. We started out spotting a few eagles and going for a walk along the south end of Fir Island. Then we drove around looking for white birds in fields. We were not disappointed. And there were really not very many people out that day. A few die-hard bicyclists and a half dozen photographers with what I refer to as national geographic camera lenses!
As we were driving, we would hear the honking in the distance and then sure enough, see a pair of swans flying by. Perfect for Valentine's Day, these swans seem to hang out and fly in pairs. Sometimes a biker would tell us where a good field was, and sometimes we just happened upon one.
It was a fun, exciting, peaceful and relaxing day!
I was challenged as a photographer, and learned some mighty good lessons!

What's the buzz, tell me what's happening

2009-02-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

Here, on the right, is a look at how a photo I took today looks straight out of the camera (SOOC if you are photo savy). On the left, is how it looked when I was done playing with it. I take the photo from my camera into a photo editing site called Picnik and play with various settings, adding and subtracting, until I am happy with how it looks. This second phase is a bit like painting. This is usually my therapy after work ~ I sit with my laptop and play with a photo until it is a new creation. Many times, it is hard to determine which rendition of the photo I prefer. Then, I usually have some fun finding a quote or coming up with a clever title for my photo before posting it on Flickr. That is how I have been spending these dark, damp evenings after work!
I have been determined to work on improving my focus with my photos. Part of that is just plain concentrating on holding the camera still, but also working with the new lens with manual focus. So many things come so easily to me, I am not used to working so hard on acheiving something. I am happy to say that I am seeing the results and reaping the rewards of my determination.
For Shutter Sisters this month, I have chosen the word focus as my theme for a month of photos. Here they are so far.
I am enjoying putting my thinking cap on every day for this project.
So, that is what's been happening around here!

Eagle eye ~ focus

2009-02-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, we walked around Greenlake and I lugged my camera and all three lenses along in hopes of getting a photo. Started out with the 50mm lens to get more practice on my manual focus skills. Took a few photos of branches. The lake path was, as it usually is on a Saturday morning, crowded with hundreds of people walking, skating, biking around the lake.
We got to the end of our walk, back to where our car was parked and I thought: "sheesh, I didn't really get any great photos along the way." I decided to walk around the bathhouse to the lake for a quick look, ....maybe a photo would reveal itself to me there.
I looked around, shot an uninspiring photo of the lifeguard chair.
And then looked up! Holy, moly I never changed a lens so fast!!! There was an eagle surveying the crowds of people as they walked by below. So, I spent the next half hour leaning up against the lifeguard chair, holding my camera to my eye, shooting photos. I was waiting for him to take off in a spectacular burst of glory. But after a half hour (Chad says more than a half hour), I decided that I must have at least one good shot in the hundred I had taken. And I had to abandon my hope for this bird to take flight!
Get a better look at these photos on Flickr.
Perfect timing for the Shutter Sisters one word project.
I have chosen the word focus. Hope my eagle eye mojo continues!

Two wonderful people!

2009-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to my fabulous parents!

the exact moment I understood the importance of white balance

2009-01-25T20:41:00.001-08:00

Learn from my mistake.
I vaguely knew about white balance, and always relied on the automatic setting for my photos. I knew my ice and snow photos had a blue tint to them when I was at Lake Louise, but somehow I thought it was too complicated to set it manually. On our last evening at Lake Louise, I went out to take photos of the sunset, and when I previewed this photo on my camera screen, it was so clear to me that this was not the golden glow I was seeing. Luckily for me, I had read the D60 manual so many times,.. it is bedside reading! So, in that freezing cold instant, I thought "I don't have time to run up to the room for the manual. I have to give this custom white balance a try, cuz the sun is going down, and I have all blue photos!"
Well, miracle of miracles, Nikon has made the solution pretty idiot proof. As long as the idiot takes the time to give it a whirl! So, on the D60, when you go to the settings for custom white balance it pretty much walks you through the process right there on the screen. I had remembered that you can just shoot a photo of a patch of snow for the test shot. And so this is what I did. And it was really as simple as that!
And from one minute to the next, on my last day of vacation, I became the master of white balance. Please learn from my lesson and give it a try! Especially with the snow shots!

Inspirational Inauguration Day ~ Inspired by my Flickr friends

2009-01-20T18:44:00.001-08:00

I love feeling a part of history! I woke up at 5:30am and watched four hours of the inauguration coverage. I love watching the scenes of the then president elect going to church early in the morning of the inauguration, and watching the pomp and circumstance of dignitaries arriving for the ceremony. I love it all! I caught up again in the afternoon to witness the parade and am now watching the summaries of the day, and seeing the Obamas at the balls in Washington D.C. What an exciting and historic day. My camera didn't see a photo worthy of the day, I took a few of the tv, but nothing with the wow factor. So, I put together a mosaic of some of my Flickr favorites of the day! Enjoy! Click on over to Flickr to see the photo credits for the mosaic!

Mush

2009-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Answers to Jackie's questions about the dog sled trip. Yes, you make a reservation ahead of time. Then, we went to a small parking lot near the Great Divide cross county ski trail. There, we met up with the dog trainers and their sled and met each of the dogs who would be pulling our sled. These dogs are so wired for working, that when you get to the parking lot, they are barking their heads off to get going down the trail! The guides are guys who have devoted their lives to their teams of dogs. We rode in the sled for the first half of the trip. Then when we stopped for these photos, our guide asked if either of us wanted to drive the sled. And there I was jumping out of my pouch!
Then the excitement accelerates! To 'drive' the sled, I stood on one of the back sled runners with one foot ahead of the other (with the guide on the other runner) and then rode like the wind! And yes, certainly with the sharp cold wind in my face as we raced along across the Great Divide!

So long to Christmas 2008

2009-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas is packed up and back in the apple boxes under the bed. With the snow storms before Christmas, and then being away, it really seemed like we just put the tree up. But I won't allow myself to keep it up until Easter. (Yes, I have seen that strange occurance!)

beauty is nothing without brains

2009-01-09T11:40:00.001-08:00

This totally tickled my funnybone today! Maybe it's the Nyquil, but I've watched it several times, and still belly laugh!
Laughter is the best medicine is my theory today!

Ride like the wind

2009-01-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

Riding across the Great Divide on a dog sled! This was a fabulous mix of excitement and history to bump along a snowy path in a dog sled! On the way home, we got to take turns driving the dog sled standing on the back, and at -25 C, that was very refreshing! Wonderful memory!

Ringing in the New Year at Lake Louise ~ Trip of a Lifetime

2009-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

~ A week at Lake Louise that we wished would never end!~
Seven days of wonderful company, relaxation, fun, laughs, hugs, hikes in the snow, delicious wining and dining, competitive card playing, and an adventure every day.
I laced up the skates for the first time in a long time (true confession = probably 30 years)
I took lots of photos (true confession = 935).
I learned, the hard way, the importance of setting a custom white balance on your camera when taking photos in the snow (true confession = I have many photos with blue tinted snow).

Peace on Earth

2008-12-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all best wishes for your 2009!
Lovely Parisian peace crane creatively crafted by Smoothpebble!

Christmas Joy

2008-12-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a peek at the faces of joy that came our way on Christmas Eve! (A dear friend and her girls visiting from out of town.)
And to top a great day off, both the UPS and the mail carrier made it down our street today! The UPS gal pulled up around 5, and I welled up with emotion,... I'm guess she has gotten alot of gushing appreciation today!
And I just want to add my admiration for people who can take great pics of children! That is no easy task with these squirming worms!

Santa Claus is coming to town

2008-12-23T22:01:00.001-08:00

-I recently have met several new, inspiring Flickr friends.
-Suzee Que is a gal who shares my passion for antique postcards, and has generously scanned and uploaded dozens of postcards onto her Flickr account.
-And now for a bit of whining. Snow in the northwest is beautiful on the lawn, but really a bother in the street, where there is still either eight inches of slush or six inches of compacted slush/ice today. I have given up on the idea of UPS or mail delivery this week. Today, we had hope, until we spotted our mail truck a half a mile from our house, stuck sideways in the ditch! And the UPS tracking on my package I have been tracking for over a week, now just reads: "Emergency conditioins beyond UPS' control".
-Tomorrow we will get back into the Christmas spirit! I promise!

Cabin Fever

2008-12-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas, except for the fact that they are forecasting warmer weather and rain by Wednesday which will most likely give us a rather slushy Christmas! So, I will keep dreaming of a white Christmas!

I love cameras

2008-12-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

I think old cameras are treasures! And over Thanksgiving, we rummaged through the basement at Chad's parents house and came back upstairs with a few old cameras and a box of his childhood photos. For me, that was like Christmas morning! What fun! We sat in the living room, and went through the photos divvying the photos into piles. The cameras,.... no one was interested in but me! The top photo on this mosaic was Chad's camera when he was a boy which we brought home! The bottom row of cameras have already been hanging out on the shelves in my collection!

Looking for inspiration

2008-12-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I cannot buy Christmas cards. This is because I have been making my own Christmas cards for the past ,... oh maybe 30 years! So, usually in the beginning of December I am struck with inspiration and an idea unfolds into a card in no time. This year, I am still throwing around ideas. Thinking about a photo, since that is my current passion, and tonight I thought maybe some kind of mosaic. So, we will see what ideas unfold in the next few days...... lots on that 'Christmas to do list' right now!

Under my tree tonight

2008-12-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

I love when the mail brings good things, and today was a great day! Autumn Sun had a birthday giveaway on her blog, and I was the lucky, and blessed, recipient of some of her talented creations! She had asked to reply to her post with the best gift you had ever recieved or given, and of course, my favorite is when I give away a quilt I made. Thanks so much, Autumn Sun, for the beautiful notebook, calendar and bookmarks. All totally my style and so beautiful!!! Check out their Etsy site, so you can look closer at her fabulous cards!

Thanksgiving in cowboy country

2008-11-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

That was a very long drive! We got to spend some time with Bob and his horses and drove through some beautiful countryside, ... and have the pics to prove it. I will post some on Flickr as I go along this week! We drove over 600 miles, we could have been in Townsend, Montana in 600 miles!!!
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, and a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend!

An old flame?

2008-11-23T20:38:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2002.
This is the last year that this lovely avocado green wall oven was used for a Thanksgiving dinner. This was the year that I rubbed the turkey in butter and then slathered (bathed it really) it with a bottle of Sauternes (ice wine). The result,.... well as the alcohol heated up and the butter melted the two got together for a fantastic explosion! Not blowing the turkey up, mind you, but a loud flaming whoooosh of an explosion like you hear in an action movie! This technique can probably never be duplicated, but in the end it was the best turkey anyone had ever tasted!

I am thrilled!

2008-11-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today, my 'persimmon in waiting' photograph was the daily click on the Shutter Sisters website! I am just thrilled! What an honor!

You might just laugh until you cry

2008-11-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

If you think you have the same sense of humor as I do, go watch this video! I got it from one of my new Flickr friends, Main St Apartment. She posted it on her blog and I feel it is my civic duty to pass it along to all of my television watching friends! Enjoy, then let me know how hard you laughed!

Is there anything better than free for your photos? ... (the coupon for the free book is now expired)

2008-11-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

I watched the Oprah show tonight, and they had a show on decluttering, and one idea was to put your photos (or kids art) into a Snapfish bound book! This is a great idea, and I have made some through MyPublisher and was very pleased. But this is a very sweet deal, so pay attention. Oprah and Snapfish are giving away a free Snapfish book! Go to the Oprah site and follow the link for Wednesday's show, and click on the clean up your messy home link! (Do this even if you have a clean and neat house!!!)
Then find the link to 'get your free book'. You sign into Snapfish, which you must do by Friday at midnight to get the $30 book for free! Then, it looks like we have the weekend to finish the book. (Do read the fine print for yourself, extra pages cost more, I don't think the shipping is free.) So get busy with uploading your vacation photos, your favorite Flickr photos, last year's Christmas photos, your kid's artwork, your Hawaii vacation photos and get a free book made! What fun is that!

This is one of my favorite photos of my parents. Quite bookworthy!

Why would I join the Flare Friday group you ask?

2008-11-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

I think my days with the Flare Friday group on Flickr are over for a few dreary months! There was not even a peek of the sun yesterday. I know because I have this persimmon waiting to have it's photo taken, but I need a glimpse of sunshine for a photo!
Through this group, I have learned to point the camera right towards the sun and look for that flare that many photographers work hard to avoid. Take a look at the photos in this group for some sunny inspiration.

Some silliness is a good thing

2008-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

Another Flickr photo group that I will confess I have contributed to is the SPF ~ Self Portrait Feet group! It is a silly look down at your feet to see what you come up with. Take a look at some of the photos if you need a bit of a break from your usual perspective on things! Fun group, with lots of sole!

The most beautiful fall

2008-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Was this the most beautiful fall in the northwest for seeing the colors change in the leaves? I don't think it was just because I was behind the lens of my new camera. This weekend mother nature put an end to that with lots of rain and plenty of wind. So, probably only a few more lucky leaf shots to be had. It was fun to be a part of and post photos in the Leaf Peepers group! Go take a look if you are a lover of fall leaves!

Historic newspaper

2008-11-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

This morning, I decided I wanted a copy of the newspaper.
I stopped in at 'Third Place Books', and was greeted by a sign on the counter which read : "out of newspapers". Well, this is the kind of place where people leave newspapers on the tables for others to read. Hmm.... not today!
So, I strolled down to the grocery store to discover a completely empty newspaper shelf. Not even a 'USA Today' paper in sight! Then I meandered my way past a handful of empty newspaper boxes on the street. Everyone has bought a newspaper today! Which is pretty exciting really!
I finally found a newspaper box in front of a small cafe, with the box facing the wrong direction, so it was rather hidden from view. Voila! I had 50 cents and bought the last newspaper in the box! So, here is your view of the Seattle Times today!
And this is truly what I came across on my hunt!

Election day

2008-11-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

I would say that this is my 'get out the vote' post. But I am thinking that everyone has pretty much rushed out to vote in this election. And that is a very awesome freedom we have. But really,... don't forget to vote!
Our county has all mail-in ballots. We sat and filled them out tonight after our chili and cornbread dinner. Very convenient, but not as profound as going to the polling place and voting. I am old enough to remember going into a dark voting booth behind a green, canvas curtain and pulling the handle to cast a vote!

Paparazzi swarm fall leaves

2008-10-26T19:00:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, I thought it would be a nice idea to take a walk through the Washington Park Arboretum. Well, so did everyone else in Seattle along with every Nikon and Canon in town! We have never seen so many people taking photos there. It was comical. There were plenty of amatuers snapping leaves. And also every professional photographer in town with their tripods and reflectors in tow shooting families for Christmas cards! We saw several photographers with furniture along for the shoot, wood benches, and even a rocking chair along the wooded trails. It was a glorious 65 degree day to be there, and everyone seemed to appreciate that! What a lovely day!

Is the glass half full or half empty?

2008-10-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Is our neighborhood the most hideous mess or a beautiful sanctuary?
I took these two photos within minutes of each other on our walk last night. And it really did make me consider how we choose to see things in our world/neighborhood. When I am behind the camera, I tend to look for the beauty in any scene. And I think I tend to lean that way in life as well.
Addendum: They put one more sign up today which reads: 'Sidewalk Closed'.

Great Aunt Martha ~ West Coast Edition

2008-10-20T07:16:00.001-07:00

And the Oregon weather cooperated with our trip to the pumpkin patch!

Sew Fab Martha

2008-10-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

I have been so engrossed in photography and Flickr, I thought I would post a glimpse of Sew Fab Martha! When I was visiting my family, I took some photos of a quilt I made for my mom. Yesterday, I walked past my most recent unfinished quilt, and felt a bit of longing to quilt. And then I reminded myself that my days of decent light for photo taking will soon be over as the grey and gloom decends on the northwest. But the good news is,.... it makes for some good quilting weather! I don't feel quite ready to hunker down for winter, but I can feel it coming!

Great Aunt Martha

2008-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

I love being Great Aunt Martha. And it amuses me that 'Great Aunt Martha' sounds like I am really an old woman,... maybe a dear friend of Aunt Bea's on the Andy Griffith Show!
I do know that I have an odd sense of humor. This photo absolutely tickled my funny bone this week! I gotta go look at it again now! Check it out!

Lavender fields forever

2008-10-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

This photo will soon be on the cover of your Marysville/Everett, Washington map published by Langenscheidt Publishing! So please ask me for directions on how to get to Marysville and I will gladly whip out my map to show you!!! (Of course, I'll take a pic of the actual map as soon as I get one!)

Here's the exciting Flickr fantasy story:

While I was in Wisconsin, I received an email from a photo researcher. She said she was interested in using my Flickr photo of the lavender fields for a map publication. So, with the help of my savvy sister, I negotiated a fair price for the use of this photo for the next three years. Not enough to buy a new camera lens, but a chunk of change for the lens fund! Not enough to quit my day job, but inspiration for a few photo daydreams.
And, I had JUST changed my Flickr profile to read: email me if you would like to use one of my photos for some exciting enterprise!
There you go! Can hardly wait for show and tell!
Photo fun pays off!

Triptych

2008-10-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to."
-John Ed Pearce

Wonderful Wisconsin

2008-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm always a bit melancholy after returning home from spending time with my family. To cheer me up today, I discovered that Picnik has a new collage making tool! It is different from the one at bighugelabs, because you can switch photos around once in the collage and you can change the shape of the photos. Anna, I am sure you will quickly become addicted to this too!

Waving to my friends in the twin cities

2008-10-07T06:55:00.001-07:00

When we were flying over the more industrial area of the twin cities, I was scouring the landscape, looking for Jen. Thinking maybe she was out on one of her industrial city photo shoots! However, I was wrong, .... she was out having a beer with Kathy Griffin!!!

There's no place like home

2008-10-06T06:36:00.001-07:00

Although we did not have hassle-free flights, I certainly have been enjoying taking photos out of the airplane window! Early morning sunrise over the mountains and the midwest patchwork quilt are on Flickr. And of course, I now have hundreds of photos to edit and look for the gems. But, I think I am going to get a bit of laundry done first!

Pumpkin eater

2008-10-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

Or protector of the pumpkin harvest!

What we love about Seattle:

2008-09-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great double-header for us!
We went to the Friends of the Seattle Public Library booksale and scrounged up two bags of books at 50 cents a book,... and then hiked through Magnuson Park to the kite hill to relax and take in the last days of summer scenery!
Another pic on Flickr, of course!

They paved paradise

2008-09-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

I took this photo standing in our driveway and looking across the street at the wonderful clouds through the grand tree silhouettes last week. Yesterday, they cut down the giant tree on the left to clear the way for a sidewalk. It is great that we will have a sidewalk on our street for walking, it has been very sad to see so many trees have to get out of the way!

"They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot."
-Joni Mitchell

$3 find of the day

2008-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Such a perfect treasure to dig up today! About a year ago, I saw that Pottery Barn carried some fancy schmancy postcard racks (for photos). Before that I had admired some vintage racks that a postcard-queen friend of mine had in her house. In the meantime, I had scoured ebay, but shipping made most racks too expensive again! A quick trip into one of my favorite thrift shops today and there was a $3 postcard rack! Certainly waiting for me! Just had to dust it off and decide which postcards to put on the rack! Voila! Fun, new way to display postcards in the house!

explore ~ my first row explored

2008-09-22T16:51:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to post my fun Flickr brag page on my blog, since I know some of you don't make a habit of Flickr. For me, it has become somewhat of an addiction! (in case you wonder why I haven't called!)

Each day, the Flickr website arranges what they perceive (a computer program) as the most interesting 500 photos of the day and they call this Explore. I have had that honor with 8 of my photos making it to Explore!
And this poster shows them off!

Fabulous Fender

2008-09-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

I posted another view of this old blue bike on Flickr today. But I just have a hunch that someone (Jen?) would appreciate this rear view of the fabulous fender with the three blue reflectors! Growing up, we had a blue bike similiar to this one. Ours had a battery operated push button horn built into the frame. I think it was a Schwinn, but we just called it 'the blue bike'.

Bless her tender heart

2008-09-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, we sat on the high bluffs at For Casey Park to watch the sunset. Far below us, (this photo was shot with 200mm lens) a woman sat on a driftwood log wrapped in her orange crocheted afghan. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, she got up and walked to the water. It was then that I spied through my lens that she carried a bouquet of red roses in her arms. Soon a very poignant scene unfolded, as she began to take her roses out of the bouquet, and one by one toss them into the waters of the strait of Juan de Fuca and watch them float on the waves. Bless her tender heart.
.
(as usual, you can click on photo to see more detail like the roses on the water)

Life so sweet

2008-09-17T06:39:00.001-07:00

"That it shall never come again is what makes life so sweet."
-Emily Dickinson
This bakery caught our eye, because at the base of the window there is an infant sleeping. We talked to the baker, and it is her first grandchild. It was a very sweet scene there. Check out the scene in black and white! Of course, I don't know which is my favorite.

Sunniest day of the year in Seattle

2008-09-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sunniest day of the year.

A bummer of a day to have your eyes dilated!

Twelve hour vacation

2008-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we took a 12-hour vacation and had a relaxing and fun day from sunrise to sunset.
(click on the photo to see it larger, and check out the kingfisher!)

Peace today

2008-09-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

My tribute to September 11th.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power,

the world will know peace." -Jimi Hendrix

I thought this was a touching tribute on Flickr.

Oh what a night!

2008-09-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

What a fun photo-taking safari that was! Last night we drove down to the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. We got there in time to visit the quilt gallery and a friend who was busy sewing up a storm. Then we took off with just enough time to buy a bag of kettle corn. We scouted out along the bluff and found an unobscured spot to watch the fireworks! I used my little Lumix camera and spun it onto my backpackers tripod. I rested two of the tripod legs on a guardrail in front of the bluff, and so I guess I served as the third leg of the tripod. I set the camera for 'fireworks' and that was that! I was absolutely thrilled to come home and see my photos! And now that I have photographed ferris wheels and fireworks, I figure,... all I have to do is photograph a 'drop of water' and then I will be a real photographer!
Head on over to my photostream on Flickr to see each of the fireworks individual photographs!

One too many

2008-09-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, I think I took one too many photos of an ice cream scoop sitting on my Fannie Farmer cookbook. I was inspired and doing my darnedest to come up with a fabulous photo to go with Val's ice cream sundaes shot for our diptych. I knew that she had gone to great lengths (i.e. had to eat alot of ice cream) to get her great shot. So, by the time it came to editing and picking a shot, I was overwhelmed with my own choices. In the end, here is the 2 scoops diptych!

Weight watchers innovative new test for dieters:

2008-09-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Does this photo make you: a) crave peaches or b) crave donuts?

Our little gem lives

2008-09-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

Two winters ago, our precious little gem magnolia tree folded in half and splintered it's trunk under an unexpected heavy snow. Well, we have been nursing it along faithfully for two years, and yesterday we had one sweet, autumn blossom. A beautiful sign of hope and reward for our faithfulness in this little twig!

These boots are made for walking

2008-09-01T20:36:00.001-07:00

I spotted these boots at the fair on a gal tending to her prize-winning chickens! I absolutely scrambled to get my camera out and take a shot of these fabulous boots! They are so sew fab martha!!! Where can I get a pair of these boots?

And now for something completely different.....

2008-08-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

A photo from my archives. Sending 'free hugs' to all my readers this weekend.

Getting comfy with the TTV

2008-08-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

I got out the Duaflex and my contraption, and experimented taking a few photos around the yard. It was good practice and most likely a great cognitive/brain exercise because when you move the camera to the left, the view shifts to the right. So there is a bit of wrestling with the cameras involved with composing your shot! Put a few of my favs on my photostream at Flickr.

Sneak peek

2008-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Sneak peek at the sewing I got done last weekend. This sneaky monkey apron got into the mail Wednesday! I can hardly wait to see it modeled!
***Three Sneaky Bugs has received and modeled her new apron!!! ***

2 fathers~2 girls~2 clicks

2008-08-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

2 fathers~2 girls~2 clicks
Originally uploaded by sew fab martha

I just had to share this photo diptych in case you didn't see it on Flickr. I had looked through Valcox's photostream and found the photo of her father at the lake. I knew that I had just taken a shot of an old pic of my dad at the lake in his lifeguard days when I was visiting family in June. It seemed pretty profound to put the two together in honor of our fathers. It seemed like a pretty awesome connection to both have handsome, fun-loving fathers. And right now, it is the most viewed photo in my photostream.

Looking forward to the weekend

2008-08-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Is summer really almost over? I am hoping for a few more summer (i.e. sunny) weekends and am really looking forward to this upcoming long weekend. Rumor has it, we may have sunshine this weekend! The rain has sobered me into facing the change of the seasons that is indeed approaching. (written as I listen to the rain pour down the gutters)

And what was I really thinking, when I signed up for the Flare Fridays group on Flickr!?!?!? That we would have sunshine once a week?

Seattle summer postcard shot

2008-08-23T21:54:00.001-07:00

Tonight, we enjoyed a delightful, Seattle summer evening. We headed downtown to buy a filter for my lens and to use a gift certificate for dinner. We did not order martinis! It was pretty exciting, we saw alot of the photographers that were out for the Worldwide Photo Walk! Very impressive group! (All 50 spots for Seattle were already filled when I looked into it) I think I would have been a fish out of water!

Picked this morning

2008-08-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my dear blog friends for your comments and compliments about sew fab martha! This morning, I chose the 'pick a card, any card' method as a way to choose my lotto winner. Congratulations to Anna of Three Sneaky Bugs for leaving the 4th comment! Now, I have a very good reason to sew this weekend!
I am still in love with my new camera. Take a look at my Flickr photos!

Blended threads

2008-08-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Two for two! This is such a fun and exciting project! Flickr group called 2 girls-2 clicks, started this week by the dynamic duo of mainemomma2007 and -andie- ! We create diptychs, a fancy name for pairing two photos together, with another Flickr member in the group. So one photo is ours and the other is our partner's. The diptych I created tonight, is a sewing thread photo by my new Flickr friend, Valcox, paired with a photo of one of my recent quilts.

If you like the Through the Viewfinder photos, you will find Valcox's photostream an inspiring and wonderful visual treat! She has been taking TTV photos for the past year and has some very interesting shots. She has definately learned how to carry that contraption around with her!!! Even to the train station!
Speaking of two,... two more days to leave me a comment on yesterday's post and be entered into the apron lotto!

I am really enjoying the comments on my blog! Thank you!

One hundred posts in one year

2008-08-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

And to complete my trifecta, I also had 1000 views on my Flickr photostream this week! 1, 100, 1000! I started this blog a year ago thinking I wanted a cyber scrapbook to document the quilts I have made. That is why I chose the name sew fab martha, .... There hasn't been as much sewing going on around here. But the sewing machine still sits on the dining room table and gets occasional attention. Lately, ... the Nikon reigns over the Pfaff! The resurgence of my love of photography has really taken off, as demonstrated by my new Nikon, the vintage Duaflex, and my discovery and love of Flickr as a place for show and tell! I have enjoyed meeting kindred spirits through blogging and learned so much in a year! Truly amazing!
To celebrate my 100th post, in the spirit of sew fab martha, I would like to sew an apron for one lucky winner. It was too hot to sew this past weekend (reminder, you need to iron to sew!) So, this coming weekend, I will pick the winner and sew the apron, similar to this one!
Here is the scoop: please leave me a comment on this post about what you like about sew fab martha. On Saturday morning, I will wake up and pick the winner randomly from the comments. Then, I will pick out the fabric and get to sewing!
(I don't automatically get email addresses from comments, so I think you need to check back on Saturday to see if you won or send me your email address in anticipation of your win!)
I'd love to hear from you!

Why I bought a DSLR:

2008-08-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Depth of Field!!!
I am so thrilled with my new camera! I decided to jump into the world of DSLRs with a Nikon D60. Of course I did a ton of research, and in the end I also liked the way the D60 felt in my hands. We are a good match. Now, off to take more pics!

This is post number ninety-nine.

Through the Viewfinder adventure

2008-08-12T20:36:00.001-07:00

Okay, I have jumped onboard another fun photography craze discovered on Flickr, called Through the Viewfinder or TTV. It kindof reminds me of the fun, unpredictability that I had with Polaroid Time Zero Film manipulation!

So, I started out with finding a Duaflex camera on ebay, and then I met the friendly seller at a local Starbucks to pick up the camera! Then, I followed these very clear directions provided by Russ Morris. And Voila! Out into the garden I went to give it a whirl. Point your digital camera through the tube (contraption), which then focuses through the viewfinder of the Duaflex, to take a TTV shot!!! Very easy, and now I am sure I have yet another addicting hobby!
Thank you for the help and inspiration, Flickr friends!

Sew Fab Martha

outside looking in

greeblepix entry

Happy Birthday to my dad!!!

Where I wish I was for Mother's Day!

today at the arboretum

nature unfurling

Happy Easter to all of my peeps!

here comes peter cottontail

Helping Chad celebrate his birthday

welcome spring

Happy Anniversary!

Merci

Haiti Charity Print Auction closed ~ High bidder $40!

growing like little beanstalks!!!

look who stopped by for a new years visit

snapshot look at the tree with ornaments!

Sinterklaas is coming

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Getting in the mood for Christmas

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

I think this coffee break is almost over!

Window to my world

Love

Hope

Faith

Hello in there.....

First day of occupational therapy

one of these things is not like the other

Lake View

Happy Easter Sew Fab Peeps!

Before and After

Today was filled with sunshine

Lilliputian mania strikes sew fab martha

Excuse me, ma'am

Tagged to dig into the archives

Skagit Valentine

What's the buzz, tell me what's happening

Eagle eye ~ focus

Two wonderful people!

the exact moment I understood the importance of white balance

Inspirational Inauguration Day ~ Inspired by my Flickr friends

Mush

So long to Christmas 2008

beauty is nothing without brains

Ride like the wind

Ringing in the New Year at Lake Louise ~ Trip of a Lifetime

Peace on Earth

Christmas Joy

Santa Claus is coming to town

Cabin Fever

I love cameras

Looking for inspiration

Under my tree tonight

Thanksgiving in cowboy country

An old flame?

I am thrilled!

You might just laugh until you cry

Is there anything better than free for your photos? ... (*the coupon for the free book is now expired*)

Why would I join the Flare Friday group you ask?

Some silliness is a good thing

The most beautiful fall

Historic newspaper

Election day

Paparazzi swarm fall leaves

Is the glass half full or half empty?

Great Aunt Martha ~ West Coast Edition

Sew Fab Martha

Great Aunt Martha

Lavender fields forever

Triptych

Wonderful Wisconsin

Waving to my friends in the twin cities

There's no place like home

Pumpkin eater

What we love about Seattle:

They paved paradise

$3 find of the day

explore ~ my first row explored

Fabulous Fender

Is there anything better than free for your photos? ... (the coupon for the free book is now expired)