I love functional art!

Sadie was so excited to have a tea party on the lawn. I brought out some of her *friends*, 2 blankets that were lovingly made by her great Aunt Carolyn, her new bubble machine, freshly baked peanut butter cookies .... and her kitchen. We fluffed her hair, tossed her into a new dress from Persnickety and I grabbed my camera. Hold onto your hats ....

I now remember why I always had help on photo sets. I needed about 3 more hands. One for the camera, one for the bubbles, and another to swap out magnets on her freezer. I am definitely doing this shoot again - she had fun (me too!) and I would love to be able to have her bubbles going.

Making cookies for Momma

I love functional art. I love seeing beautiful images incorporated into our everyday lives. Art brightens up a room. Art accents our moods and and thoughts and deeds.

My images are now available in custom magnets - I have almost every image in stock, ready to ship. They are high quality 2x3 inch magnets. Gloss finish. My daughter's messy little fingers have yet to tarnish or maim them.

Golden Gate Bridge Fogged In ...

I will begin listings for each image; but, in the mean time, if there is a particular photo you want - please convo me & I can create your listing.

Individually each magnet is $8.25. Sets of 3 are $20.00. They come wrapped for immediate gifting or they may also be sent to your lucky loved one directly! Large orders can also be arranged - please let me know what you are thinking and we can sort out a listing for you.

Please note: In stock items will ship immediately. If you want an image that I need to create, there may be a week or two lead time before I can send you the item(s).

Loving on her Piggy

And as always ~~
Side Note: $1 from every image sold (from all LWP outlets) is donated to Nothing But Nets to combat malaria around the world. $10 is all it takes to send a life saving net and peace of mind. Because, malaria just sucks ....

Thank you for taking a peek! 


Sneak Peek ....

Working on listings tonight to put up throughout the week ....

Thank you to my stellar assistant + model, Sadiecakes! Love you .... (Wardrobe from Persnickety Clothing)

Have a good night everyone!

Learning From My Toddler (or Teaching Moments for Momma)

I'm a turn the other cheek kinda gal. And turn. And turn. And turn. But the Momma Bear in me does come out a-raging when the situation calls. This isn't one of those times but I am sure it's a teaching moment regardless (more for me than the kiddo).

Really. Excited. About. Paint.

Sadiecakes goes to school a few days a week - you know that. She adores it. We drive up the long ramp and every time she shouts *Woo Hoo! We're back!* I had my hesitations and crying fits about putting her in at all.  The fact that she now lists off her friends names as she goes to sleep instead of counting sheep melts my heart.

Outside playtime revamped to inside playtime

Sadie got her first Ouch Report yesterday. She and another child (whose name & gender are withheld, even from me) were playing play dough. Both had a dough and cookie cutters.  Ok, this is going to just get everyone confused - we will say *Clifford the Big Red Dog* wanted all of the play dough. Sadie wasn't exactly game for that. So Clifford tried to take it from her. Sadie firmly said *No, I'm playing with it* and continued making her sheep. Clifford got mad and grabbed her hand with the play dough in it and bit her. ((Here is teaching moment #1, ready??)) She got up from the table with her play dough and went to the teacher. No crying. No yelling. No biting back. Ok, maybe here is the moment - my Momma Bear alert would have gone off and I would have intervened to say the least. Sadie handled the whole thing like a pro, and after a talk with the teacher, the two resumed playing together. The bite did not break the skin; in fact, the only thing on her hands when I picked her up was pink marker and sand.

So we get in the car after collecting her numerous necessities that get hauled back and forth each and every time.  I try to be aloofly inquisitive.  She's 2, I don't know why I thought I had to be so cloak & dagger.  How was you day?  Did you paint?  Play with play dough?  How are your friends?  She answers each question as she skips across the parking lot and into the car. It's just like any other day. So I prod further. I'm asking if anything happened at school? Did she get any owies? Still zilch.

Now fast forward all the way to bed time. I've now been plotting for hours on exactly how to talk to her. She's been playing and reading and singing and dancing. Clearly a better use of time than what I was doing. So she all ready for bed. Teeth brushed. Jammies on. Book picked out. I tell her I want to talk to her for a minute. I want to make sure you're ok. I want to know what happened at school today. Miss Teacher told me you got hurt. She stares at me blankly.  Did someone bite you? Yes. (Break through!). Ok. Who? She then names all 11 other kids. (Damn) Now, let me be clear. I'm not interested in who it is, per se. I want to know that she is ok and that her friendship with *Clifford* is still as great as it was last week.

((Teaching moment #2, hold on to your hats!)) As soon as the incident was resolved - it was done. She was over it. It was a 30 second blip in an otherwise normal day. And I had festered and worried and fretted for hours.  Had it happened with a sibling or cousin, I too, would have been over it in the same 30 seconds.  Kids are going to be kids. They are crazy resilient.  It's our over thinking and fretting (OK. My over thinking. My fretting.) that gets things mixed up and turned about.

Waiting for me at the gate

This morning on the way up the driveway came a voice from the backseat *Woo Hoo! We're back!* My kid rocks.

The Zen of Jammies

You wouldn't know to look at my house that I like things neat and tidy.  You wouldn't know that I hate to go to bed with a single dish in the sink.  Life happens.  You only have 1,440 minutes in a day (I just had to break out the calculator) and you have to use every one of them wisely.  Would I rather finish the dishes or blow bubbles in the front yard?  I will always choose the latter.

The crazy heat wave we have been enduring here in Los Angeles has everyone hyper aware of energy use.  Appliances need to used after 7pm; So, laundry has been a bit of a back burner.  It's ok.  Tonight I caught up on Sadie's hamper.  I had completely forgotten how much I love to wash her clothes.

Fresh out of the dryer - a jumble of color

Before she was born, I must have washed anything that said NB or 0-3 months a dozen times.  Wash, dry, fold.  Yes, I was on bed rest, so laundry kept me seated & busy.  Folding everyone of those little onesies.  Arranging and rearranging her dresser drawers.  Matching up brightly colored socks.  It's calming.  Cathartic.  Hopeful.  Children's clothes are bright and happy and soft right out of the dryer. How can you not have a smile on your face when you match up jammies with flowers and big bright dots all over them?  A tiny little break in your heart when you realize something is too small now won't fit her.  Folding her laundry is the perfect way to end any day.

Jammies

Ready for the closet

Now would someone kindly put them away for me?  I would love to go bed now ....

The Adventures of a Photographing Momma & Her Snap Happy Shadow

I got my first camera when I was in elementary school - I remember it was a 110 film nothing fancy rectangle.  I loved it!  I didn't even care if it had film in it.  Sure, I was excited every time my Dad came home carrying one of those rainbow graphics envelopes that meant he had brought home my treasures; but more than half the fun was looking though the view finder & deciding what to snap.

My daughter, all of almost 2 and a half years old, LOVES anything that she isn't suppose to touch.  This makes her a very typical toddler.  Maybe this is how it is with all kiddos, I am sure; but Sadie's desire for wanting said object is rooted in her firm belief that she is not a toddler.  She is merely a vertically challenged person who is a bit clumsy (she, of course, sees all those traits in me).  If Mommy can do it, use it, wear it, drink it, eat it (you get the idea) - so. can. she.  Now bring Mommy's camera into the picture.

I did the research.  Really.  My 5 year old niece got a camera for Christmas from Grandma and Papa.  Big and colorful and chunky.  Cute, right?  The recommended age is 5+.  Ok, understandable.  It takes coordination, it takes responsibility.  I get it.  I simply can not wait almost 3 more years for her to have her own.  Several companies make kiddie cameras.  I looked into them all.  Cheapest?  About $50.  All the bells and whistles?  Around $80.  They all have tiny screens and most are PC only.  Here is where my rationalization takes over.  I'm a photographer - I want my cake and I want to eat it too. I want to shoot my images and I want to hold them in my hands. My daughter in no different.

So, while we were at my printers yesterday (Lovelovelove Fullerton Cameras!) I asked about used digital point&shoots.  Chris, one of my favorite people and my scan/ print guru, helped me pick one for her. It's a Nikon Coolpix L22. Yes, there was one $10 cheaper, but it had way too many buttons & knobs on it that I just envision snapping off before we made it to the car.  And it is used, so I'm getting a deal. And I'm supporting the little guy by buying from a small business and not from a company on the NYSE.

Her camera has a large screen, a big fat shutter button for her little fingers, it's not too clunky for her small hands, and a 2M card gives her 250 images with good resolution. AND I still spent less money than the kiddo cameras.

So I get her in the car - once she's strapped in, she gets her present. I try to give her a quick demo/ rundown of how it works. Forget it - *I do it myself, Momma* Yes ma'am. You've got it.

She's very excited to be doing it herself!

The 25 minute drive - she snapped, giggled, snapped some more, giggled some more, lots of *Cheese!* requests from the peanut gallery, and a few more giggles. I'm sure people next to us wondered why there was a strobe light in the back of my car. Her camera had 82 images on it.

Her first self portrait

Her view from the back seat

Now I understand that every mother thinks their child is brilliant and artistic and a natural at everything.   But I'm pretty certain that, while she is not a savant, she will be incredible at whatever she chooses to do - her strong will and independent nature will take her far.  I cannot wait to watch her grow up and make her own choices.  Ok, yes, I can.  But for now, I am beaming with pride that she wants and loves her camera.

Sadie's homage to one of my favorite painters, Mark Rothko
(Ok, it's really just her fingers over the lens but work with me here.)

Now say *Cheese!*

Tah Dah!

Before we get to my *long story long* blog below - I have news! I am a proud new member of The Artisan Group! So excited about the new talented artists I get to hob nob with!

Los Angeles is know for many things. The Hollywood Sign. Movie studios. Beaches. Crazy people. And heat. It's the land of perpetual summer. What we are not known for is humidity. Ick Ugh. Make it stop! Here is where we enter my current projects ...


I've been looking for ways to expand my photos into more tangible objects. Love Pinterest. Lovelovelove Pinterest. I found a tutorial on making magnets out of your images. (Have you found Photojojo?? They rock. Seriously, follow that blog!) So I tossed Sadiecakes into the car and off to Michael's we went! Zoom ....


I decided, since this was an experiment on many levels, I would choose mostly personal images. The finished products can go to work with Daddy, magically appear on Grandma's fridge, and the rest can be Sadie's newest trinkets.


I chose my images & resized them into one Photoshop doc. 2x2 images were recommended and fit perfectly on an 8x10 piece of photo paper.

Sliced them up & did the same with mat board (next time, I'm having the giant board cut into 8x10 sheets - SO much easier to work with - much less trimming, I hope!) Glue them together - trim a bit more (the tutorial actually recommends a small mat boarder - next batch ...)

Such lovely bits!

Temporary Work Space

Now comes the part where I am a fish out of water. Dimensional Magic Glaze. Same makers as Modge Podge. Lay it on like icing. Have a needle nearby for popping wicked little bubbles. Lay flat to dry, of course, but also cover with a cup or something to keep dust from settling on top.  The directions tell you it need anywhere from 3-24 hours to fully set. Lies. Ok, to be fair, not lies so much as a very very loose guideline. I blame the humidity. It was the only factor I could come up with. At a very long drawn out 24 hour mark, I race in! They are still cloudy and just as wet as when I *iced* them. Ok, wait. What? Let's come back tomorrow. Then the next day. AND the next. It took 3 1/2 days to completely set. Now my first round, I only did 2 squares so I could make adjustments with what I still had. And there were teeny tiny itty bitty bubbles. So, icing the rest, I dug in, knowing it would take days not hours and to examine closely for the bitty bubbles. These are not pop-able. All they do is swim around. I'm willing to blame humidity for that too. I now have a small dehumidifier (a la Amazon) for my next round of experiments.

When they all finally dried - it was time to glue the magnets on the back. Heat and humidity cost me another day for that to dry fully.

Seeing Spots

But .... (drum roll ......) TAH DAH!

Yay for magnets!

Curation by Sadie

We have magnets! I definitely have some tweaks to make on round 2 - that being said - I'm a happy girl that I have something to show for my time and effort. And Sadie is a happy girl to have her own magnets ...








I think I am going to try to refine this process before I try the next idea. Now that I am with The Artisan Group - I need to get some finished products rolling out so I can participate in the swag bags!

Operation : Take Stock

Hi! I feel it has been forever since I checked in ... summer adventures in the few hours we get with Daddy, the inevitable migraines I am unfortunate enough to have to tolerate, and a whole week of being home sick with a 2 1/4 year old (Grandma gives me a stern look when I round up ...). All of this has taken me away from the computer - and it has been quite glorious. I can do bits & bobs from my phone (when Sadie isn't using it to play Signing Time and Calliou videos) but no real nitty gritty work. So here I am, trying to get back on task. So let's see what we've got.





I am the queen of big ideas and the court jester of follow through. Pinterest has done an excellent job of perpetuating this. Etsy doesn't help matters either. That being said, I am fairly addicted to both.  I have grand ideas and plans for what I want.  Both professionally and personally.  I'm much better at the follow through with my personal life.  I have taken risks that I want to take.  I go after what I want.  I hold on to what I need with all of my heart and strength. These attributes have served me well and I am so happy with the people and place in my life - I am truly blessed and I know it.




Now, professionally .... I tend to take a back seat. Other things always manage to crop up, of course. And they will. The concern is that, that is when what I want becomes lost in the shuffle. It's my own doing and I have no one else to blame - and I'm not.  I am lucky enough to be able to spend most of my days with the coolest toddler I know. Really, she rocks. But very soon, she won't be spending her days with me on little adventures - she will go out and have her own. So, what do I do then?


 Enter the sub project - Operation: Take Stock. I've realized in mapping out what I want for my office/ studio/ escape pod - I need to know just what I want. Pinterest and Etsy have filled my head with ideas for my photos and LWP shop. Most shops not only have images for sale, but some product or tangible goodie ~ jewelry, night lights, clocks, lanterns ~ something. I have knocked around a few ideas. What can I make, realistically, that would be marketable? Will I have the time for it? Will I have the space? The start up money to create stock for sale? Do I want to make lots of them without tearing my hair out? I'm not 100% sure what questions someone asks themselves when jumping into a similar adventure but these questions are constantly rattling around in my brain. The way I figure, I need to really narrow down my selection so that I know how to create my *me* space.

I think I need to experiment with 2 ideas - see which one is more feasible and fun to do. I have been fortunate enough to inherit more darkroom photo paper that I could throw. My (former) boss, bless his heart, encouraged my photography and now I have a substantial volume of vintage paper. It was their photography collection that furthered my education and love of history of photography. I really feel the need and desire to find a way to utilize my new found acquisition - I have been researching contemporary and alternative uses for paper. I'm learning all about pinhole cameras, salt prints, paper negatives ..... my mind is leaping for joy at the prospect of being a sort of student again! I have also found some ideas, a la Pinterest, for cute (seemingly) easy photo projects that might work for my images. A quick trip to Michael's when Sadiecakes wakes up is on the agenda.

And as Operation: Take Stock moves into Operation: Take Office, I will be able to sort out what type of space will best serve my purposes. Paint for the walls was decided on yesterday & purchased! Walls have been taped. I just need to prep the walls tonight & this weekend we really are transforming the image in my mind into a physical space that I am so excited about.

I have no doubt that a few months after my little piece of heaven is complete and functional, there will be a need for a nursery. Here's hoping it's a girl and they can share a room. I'm not ready to give up my little space yet!

Operation: Cheese! Part I

Tomorrow is going to be fun and stressful and one of those days you either look back on and smile or cringe.

14 people are going to be at Santa Monica beach bright and early for a family photo shoot. Mind you, 6 of those people are under the age of 4 1/2.  This is our first family photo for my side of the family. It is my Mom's Mother's Day present from the kids and grandkids. I'm hoping the photographer is willing to earn an purple heart for the 2-3 hours we are out there.

My adorable (if I do say so myself) little munchkin is 2 1/2. Sadie has long legs that are usually reserved for jumping and running. Her long curly blonde hair is the kind I dream I had been blessed with. Her bright blue eyes are mischevious and soulful. Her smile and laugh are infectious. A photo shoot sounds great.

Today, Sadie has managed to coat herself in the sample paint for the office. More specifically, the slate blue paint. Not the light green. The. Dark. Blue. I think it's completely out of her hair now.

She has also been extra thirsty. It's hot out. So she shares Daddy's *juice* (juice = water + fruit punch Mio). Her entire mouth inside and out is faded red. So far, that isn't going away despite my furious washing. (She has been cut off until after we leave the beach.)

Sadie has been cranky. She's 2. It's in her job description. But more so. I took her temperature. 99.9. Is that a fluke or is it on the rise?

She also has sensitive porcaline skin. Normally it's just lovely with a little TLC. Normally. An hour in the grass this afternoon playing with her cousins and she is now rash-y and blotchy all over her arms & legs. Sigh. Benedryl. STAT!

So let's recap. My gregarious beautiful bundle of joy is now a blue and red tinged crankpot.

I'm kinda hoping the final photos are black and white ... with maybe a bit of Photoshopping ....

Tomorrow I will post some action shots

Don't Tell CPS ~

I made my child perform manual labor.  She loved it! We painted 2 samples swatches of the colors we bought yesterday.

Our 1st sample :: Hampton Green

So, I stripped her down (no ruined clothes if I can help it!). Handed her a small roller and a paper plate with a few dollops on it. Now, being 2 (and MY child), she is a bit of a free spirit. Sadie was not a fan of the limited space nor the meager amount of supplies she was given.

Second sample :: Charlotte Slate

I promised her we would do a second coat & that she could help me with the walls when we found a pretty color. She suggested purple. Maybe for her walls ...

Wait. Wait. Wait.

We are going to have a little dance party now & catch some Clubhouse while we wait to do the second coat. All right Sadie, grab your tutu!

Before ...

Before::

                        

                                Mobile courtesy of Auntie Day!

The culprit exterior wall

Just another corner

Ok, kinda before. This is after the construction but before that it was a very sweet and complete nursery.

Moving on ....

Paint samples. Bought. Room layout. In my head. Construction people. Not coming back. It's all up to me ... Sure, I will be bouncing ideas off Jason, but for the most part, redecorating will take place while he is at work. Lucky devil ....

I grabbed sample sizes of the slate-ish/ blue and the yellowy-taupe (the two big discs). The freshly fixed carpet is already the small taupe sample color, the trim is white.

I'm thinking of maybe using the small yellow disc color for accent on maybe a shelf or organization something-something .... like the one below ....

My desk and chair are a lovely dark wood - actual wood, not some facsimilie there of.  I need to make a cushion for my chair. Do I mix stain & paint pieces? Hmmm ..... I need a new bookshelf. I see a trip to IKEA in my near future. Love that place. Maybe The Container Store too .... This could get quite fun ....

The Big Girl! Room will have to wait until this project is done. I'm fine with that. Her room will require me sewing & that is still a hurdle. But I am sure I will pick out her fabric soon. I love a trip to F&S!

I will keep you posted on any progress. Samples will go up tonight. I like to live with them for at least a few days. See them in different light, different times of day, make sure I'm happy. So much easier than repainting! 

Have a good night ~

This Is Not A Test ....

Ok. No more dilly dally-ing. This is not a test.

I want this, me, to be viable. I want this whole experience/ hobby/ project/ what-have-you to not only be something I want to do; but something that is more than it's own reward. Emails have gone out to blogs I like (non-sellers) to inquire about advertising. I have researched about having my site retooled by someone who knows what they are doing so it can become a finished product much sooner than I ever could do by myself. My office is just this close to being functional. This is not a test.


There are several aspects to Loud Waterfall :: the shop, the blog, the charity that I support. Then there is me. Loud Waterfall is me. This is not a test. This is me.

My time is not always my own. I have an amazing husband who has been promoted (sorta) and has entered about a year's length of training and added stress. I am so very proud of him - he works very hard and when he actually is home, I want to be there. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. This is not a test.

Discovering a snail in the rain - she was fascinated!

Then there is Sadiecakes. The two year old sparkly tornado that brings a smile to face on a minute-to-minute basis. She blows my socks off with her smarts and silly-ness. I want to play every game, decorate every cupcake, slide down each slide. I don't want to miss a single moment. I still have pangs of sadness for that I have missed. I do not want to add to the tally. This is not a test.

So where do I fit in? Where is my time? LWP time? Heaven forbid I get a few hours out of the house a week to go to the gym and lose the baby weight I have zero excuse to still have saddled on me. Time to go shoot something that isn't Sadie. Please do not get me wrong - I love that nearly all of my current photos are Sadie themed - I just need to find me. This is not a test.

Prague

So how do I morph these compartments of me into one functional, fun, a bit of old me/ a bit of new me? My Etsy shop turning one seems to be a turning point for me. The next few months should be eye-opening for me. This is not a test ....

This is not a test .... This is real. This is me.