Nightmare or reality?

We show up for the wedding . . . late.  Inside the lobby of the theater, mobs of people were shoving all of the decorations and the dresser that was to hold the guest book out of the way to set up more tables for them to sit.  My big, beautiful, antique dresser had shrunk to the size of a bedside table and someone had placed their flowered hat on it.  I guess they felt that since the guest book that I had spent hours and hours creating was never shipped and didn't arrive in time, that the dresser needed a little pop of color.

Inside the theater, royal trumpeters were playing  'da da DAA' to announce the start of the cocktail hour.  Waiters were trounced upon and cocktail weenies were flying and being snarfed up by the crowd.  There was a scuffle over the last piece of cheese.  The crowd then smelled the dinner food and began pushing and shoving towards the buffet line.  Children were crying and running wild.

On the stage, a 20 piece 50's big band was playing amid the piles of boxes of centerpieces that weren't yet on the tables.  The string quintet that we actually hired were more concerned about their own dinners than being upstaged by the band.

A group of men decided that the wedding programs were not suitable so they took it upon themselves to improve them.  They were busy cutting and folding them into different shapes and sizes.  When I was chastising them mightily, a woman came up to me and told me to leave them alone.  They were making beautiful art and it was keeping them away from the beer.  We almost came to blows.

The photographer never showed up.  The flowers never showed up.  The minister never showed up.

But there were guests.  Lots and lots of guests.  In jeans and hooded sweatshirts.

And me.  In my silver lame' pleated dress.  With a bolero jacket that I just could not keep down over my boobs. 

As my daughter, fiance and I were trudging through a football stadium tunnel, we tried to think of how we could actually have the marriage ceremony.  

Then I woke up.  At 5:45 am.  

Please tell me dreams are not fore-tellers of the future.

Forty-five more days.  I am not stressed, I am not stressed, I am not stressed.

Okay, maybe just a little bit.

A little book of randomness . . .

So . . . I'm checking my email.  In amongst the offers of being a partner in a Libian bank scam, buying the perfect bra (why am I getting that one?), credit card and mortgage offers and something (??) about bored housewives, Shutterfly always sends me emails too.  I usually don't read them.  But, this time they were offering me a FREE photo book!  

"Well,"  I say to me, myself and I, "I'm up for free today.  I think I'll check it out.  Oh, but I don't have any new photographs since I made a Blurb book this spring and I don't want to look at any more of those darn engagement pictures since I've spent the last 2 weeks organizing and editing them for the wedding guest book.  What shall I do, what shall I do?  It is, after all, a FREE photo book!"

So . . . to make a long story short, I just chose photos that really weren't all that great.  They aren't interesting enough to post about but were saved somewhere in my very unorganized files.  And I decided to throw caution to the wind, give up control (well, just a little control) and let Shutterfly do all the work by letting them make the book for me.  Thought it would save me some time.

Two hours later (why oh WHY am I procrastinating on those last little bits of wedding preparations!), I'm going to have myself a little book of random photographs.  Courtesy of Shutterfly.  Saving me $30 buckaroos!

I won't bore you with each and every found photo I included (there were over 50!) but I thought you might scroll through these really fast . . .

. . . plus I needed something to post about that didn't include the dreaded 'W' word (okay, I may have mentioned it once or twice).

The name of my book is 'RANDOMNESS . . . in no particular order . . . in no order of importance'.  Appropriate title, don't you think?

Hurry to make your own FREE Shutterfly book.  You have until Wednesday.  The code is 

RXV4-CWS9-HZ0V-SR8UAJ.

Now, go take some photos so you won't be stuck without any like I was!

ps - I was in no way asked to do a Shutterfly commercial.  Although I'm up for saying nice things about anyone if they give away something for free!  Truth be told, I prefer the Blurb way of making a photo book. A few more options and maybe a little more user friendly.  And btw, free shipping is NOT included with the free photo book but for $8 bucks, I still thought it was a good deal!

Calling all experts . . .

. . . hydrangea experts.

This is my hydrangea bush (tree?).  I've had it for many years and it always grows to be big and strong.

It produces many flower buds.  I wait anxiously for those buds to bloom.  I picture cutting and drying and arranging those gorgeous big blooms.  I'm even standing by patiently with a clippers in my hand, ready to pounce and cut those babies as soon as they are ready!  But the problem is - they are never ready!

The darn things just won't flower completely!

You can see that only a couple buds on those potentially big flowers actually produce a bloom!  They have looked this way for a couple of weeks.  

If I cut them will they finish flowering?  

Are they getting too much sun (they are on the north side of the house).  Too little sun?

Too much water?  Not enough water?

Do they need different dirt?  Any fertilizer?

And what the heck is going on with the fuzzies on the end?

It is such a conundrum each and every year.  Those fake hydrangeas from Hobby Lobby are looking better every year!  NOT!

So hydrangea experts . . . can you give me any hydrangea growing tips? 

****And now here is a tip for all of you chalk paint users . . . ****

I've never seen anyone paint anything black.  Or in Annie Sloan speak - 'graphite'.

It is not a true black.  More of an dark grey.  Thus, the 'graphite' name I guess.

(oh yeah, don't I have a pretty workshop?)

This photo shows the paint after the clear wax and a little buffing.  Not black.  'Graphite'.

I'm not saying I don't like it.  I do.  I just wanted you to know that it wasn't black.

Now, tell me what to do about my hydrangeas please.  Oh, and you could send me some of yours if you want!  lol

It is the little things . . .

The challenge today for Texture Tuesday is to take a photo of something little.  At least that is my interpretation!  It probably meant to 'cherish the little things in life' or 'its the little things that count' or some other philosophic meaning but my brain works in literal ways.  Thus the photo of something little.  A bunch of little somethings.  While the bunch of little things isn't little, the somethings are little.

Okay.  Moving on.

Kim's 'canvas magic' and 'water stained frame' were used because those were the free ones from last week.  Wouldn't want my brain to overload from making an original choice!  

Oh, and a whole lot of manipulation was used too because these were originally really, really bad photos.

Can you guess what they are?  What do you think they will be used for? 

 I'm going to have SO MUCH stuff for a giveaway AFTER the wedding!  And you all deserve a giveaway from me because you have stuck around and looked at and listened to all of my wedding ramblings!  

I really have been doing other things besides obsessing over this event - really I have!  Just nothing blog worthy, ya know?

Now, go find some little things of your own to cherish or to count . . . *sigh* whatever.

ps ~~ I found a dress.  I hate it.

Frugal-lishous-ness . . .

Is that a word?  Did I just make that one up?

Anyway, to keep costs down for the wedding, we are trying to make those much needed props ourselves. 

Really, we are trying to keep costs down.  

And really, we just like to make things.

Can you think of ANYTHING else that says FRUGAL more than altered thread spools?  Nope, me either but I think they are kind of cute.

I could make a hundred of these and be happy.  Easy, peasy - with a little bit of creativity in the mix.

I've been saving, hoarding, collecting little bits and pieces for YEARS, just for this wedding!  At least that is my excuse for storing boxes of stuff in the 'don't open the door' closet.

And now for your 'handmade', 'use-what-you-have', 'there is a use for everything eventually', 'ta-da'  peek of fancy-schmancy 'what every wedding should incorporate in their decor' piece of beauty ----- the very versatile tin jello mold! 

I did tell you before that the theme of the wedding was simple but ELEGANT right?  We may be crossing the line just a tad.

I'm so proud that we are finally using some of my crap, junk, worthless stuff, collections for GOOD instead of EVIL PILES.  And I can tell my main man that we are not SPENDING MONEY on everything for the wedding.  Look honey, we MADE these ourselves out of stuff we already had!!

Now all I have to do is think of a new excuse to continue to find, buy, search for, hoard, COLLECT more of those addicting little bits and pieces of goodness!

Now, go start a box of your own treasures for some future day of ELEGANCE! 

A non-professional's take . . .

. . . on taking professional looking photographs.  I discovered it is WAY harder than it looks!  

I've always admired those of you who can produce beautiful photos - photos that tell a story, that capture a single moment in time, that can evoke a feeling, that stand the test of time and be cherished over the years.  I envy your talent!  And I discovered that it takes a good eye, a plan and an intimate knowledge of your subjects and your camera. 

I also discovered that I am a much better photographer of things rather than people.

What I don't know about photography can fill a book!  

Lighting -- forgetaboutit!

Aperture -  sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't!

Shadows - from any angle, I got them!

Moving shots - can't do it.  You must stand perfectly still!

But it was fun trying out all of the poses we admired and saved from Pinterest.

Love this shot!

Just couldn't get high enough for a proper shot.  Even from the top step of the ladder!

This one just says it all about a couple in love with dreams of a future together, doesn't it?

We were constantly wiping sweat from out brows while searching for decent spots with unobstructed backgrounds to take pictures.  Engagement session number 1 was productive but I hope I can talk them into engagement session number 2!  I have a few ideas for photos around the farm - standing in the cornfield, walking in the beans, sitting in the loader bucket, posing with the cattle.  SHE's a farmgirl and simply must have some farm shots!  

Plus I don't have NEAR enough decent photos for a blurb guest book!  (BTW, I sure could use some advice on any specifics on making one of these books.  If you've ever made a guest book, can I ask you some questions?)

I'm off to read my camera manual!  Thanks for looking!

I haven't linked any photos to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday for a long time so I'm linking these.  At least one of these photos had Kim's 'grey day slate' texture added.  An action (actions are my new lazy way to improve my pictures) was used on the last one.