Corner View: l'aqua

I love this lake.
It is home.
I learned to swim here
I ditched school to sit on it's docks.
I kissed my first real boyfriend in its water
I have jumped in naked in the late summer night
with only the glow of stars
to light my path and screams and giggles to fill my ears.
I have watched fireworks reflect on its face.
I hopped in pregnant, letting my not yet born boy
feel buoyant
The lake has a earthy wonderful smell
that laps you up
and a cold that takes your breath away
It makes you feel alive.
I love this lake.
It is home.



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I will be away from this space (and flickr) for the next few days so if I don't respond right away that is why. I hope to get around to your lovely spaces when I returen.

Be well friends!
~~~~~~~~~

For more of this week's corner view head on over to these lovely blogs:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane

3 geese

3 geese, originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.

This years flock seem to be quite unorganized. This was at least the thrid time the group flew over from the park, across the neighborhood and then back to the park. They can't quite seem to get into 'formation'- like no one wants to take the lead. It is amusing.
Don'tcha love our clouds?

Quoatable Sunday : On motherhood

By the window, originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love." -- Mildred B. Vermont

Pebble

Look what I finished!




woohoo. One holiday gift down. (Did I really just type that, sigh)

Pattern is Pebble. It was a quick and easy knit and I would definitely make it again for any autumn winter babies on the way. I would also like to try and size it up for the older babies that I know. I went with the blue and white buttons- partly because that was what was in my stash and partly because this is for a little boy and I wasn't sure if the black and white was 'manly' enough.

more details and information over on Ravelry.

all aboard the crazy train...

*, originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.

Have a great weekend friends.
I will be popping in if I have a chance if not I'll see you on Monday.

be well,

Vanessa

over the moon and star kissed

star-stamped antique coin necklace, originally uploaded by my sunset road.

At the beginning of October I was scrolling thru my contacts photos' over on Flickr and this necklace popped up.
I was smitten. As some of you know stars are special to me, especially a certain grouping of stars...
I contacted Courtney of My Sunset Road and she was more than accommodating to create a custom piece for me. I can hardly wait to get this necklace.
You may remember me posting about her work before- Last holiday season I found her work and my hubby got me two pairs of earrings from the shop. I wear them all the time. (actually in my 365 post I have on a pair).
She is so easy to work with and does quality work. If you are on the hunt for something pretty, unique and special for you gal (your mom, your daughter, your bestie or your sister) might I suggest hopping on over to her shop?

Thanks again Courtney!

Corner View: Dream

a blanket of stars on the Black Rock Desert

It was under these stars that I learned to dream...


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For more of this week's corner view head on over to these lovely blogs:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane

365

365-Day7--backyard, originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.

So did you know I started a 365 project?
Today is the one week mark- taking one (at least) self portrait a day for a year.
Why you ask? Um, well, I have been totally intrigued by a number of others (just to link a few) on flickr who are doing these. I really want to get to know and understand my camera bit more then I do (run it in manual) and to push my creative self. But one huge reason is that I am always behind the camera so there just aren't that many pictures of me lately.
I have no real reason why I started on the day I did- many people start on the new year, or on their birthday. I just up and decide to start last week.
If you are interested, follow along over on flickr. I will post photos here from time to time (maybe once a week?) I am sure as the days get shorter and there is less light I will need the cheering on to keep this thing going.

Be well friends,

V~

dirt

Such joy in exploring and getting a little bit of soil under your finger nails.

Quaotable Sunday : Learning

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty



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For more Quaotable Sunday goodness head over here.

Create

So how about a little creative update?

Did you know my blog started out, way back when, as a knitting blog? It had a different name back then but it was knitting that introduced me to the blogging world. (oh man, I cringe at those early posts! how funny it is to read a few of them. Have I really been blogging for 4 years! wow, I knew it had been awhile, just not that long). At some point during those four years it morphed what it is now, I guess sort of a photography/mommy blog? Err, hmm, how would you categorize this silly space I have out here?

What was I talking about again? oh yeah, creativity and knitting...

Every now and then I get the knitting bug again but it isn't something I am doing non-stop like I was 4 years ago. But, I made the mistake of clicking over to someones ravelry notes and then I was hooked all over again. I found myself throwing patterns into my queue and updating my stash list... and then I cast on for a hat. I am using up the left over yarn from this sweater that I made for MrO last year. Something about the cold weather that happened all the sudden has me wanting to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate and my yarn!
Here are my results (ravelry linkage for deets)...


silly cute, no?

My sewing machine definitely sees more consistent action these days than my knitting needles do however. Maybe it is because I can whip something up rather quickly then I could if do a knitting project. And with the little guy around now "quick" is better since I am usually working around his weekend nap times to create. A few of my favorite projects lately have been:

Blankies, burp clothes and custom onsies for new babes,


Crowns for birthday celebrations as those new babes turn into one, two and three year old kids.


Bunting for decorating when we celebrate and a bag to hold all those dirty rags and bibs in the kitchen- I need to grab a few pictures of these this weekend to share with you all. I haven't had a chance.

Over the summer I was happy to take a day off work and spend it painting at a class with one of my favorite art teachers. I have been craving to paint/collage in the past week or so. I need to get my brushes out from hiding.



How about you, what are you creating these days??

PS- happy Friday friends- here's to great weekend

brought to you by the letter "F"

brought to you by the letter "F", originally uploaded by NessieNoodle.

From last Saturday- huge 2 hour walk with my bestie and her babe, the dogger and my boy. Followed by a pumpkin latte and blueberry buckweat pancakes. such a good way to spend the day off!

look who's walking!

Pretty exciting for this 13 1/2 month old!

He's getting braver and braver. What was just, "look ma, no hands" transistioned on the day after he turned 13 months into, one step or two with a quick plop to the floor. Then last Sunday, he took four steps and each day he takes more and more. On Tues I counted something like 20 steps across the room. Crawling is still way more efficient but if he wants to show off, two feet is where it's at. Right now he looks like baby-Frankenstein or a zombie as he moves from foot to foot. Daddy-O says he looks like a robot. Yep, just trying to figure out the mechanics of it all.

Corner View : Love

The love between
a mother
& child is an amazing,
wonderful,
overwhelming thing.
Learning to find the balance
between
holding on
& letting go is
the biggest lesson.
It is
beautiful &
heartbreaking
all at once.



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For more of this week's corner view head on over to these lovely blogs:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane

something sweet for friday

have a great weekend friends!

corner view : souvenir

Ah, Reno. You are such a funny little town. You aren't quite as well know (these days at least) as your southerly sister, Las Vegas, but you still pack a good punch. Your full of playing cards and poker chips. Cigarette smoke and whiskey. But you also offer so much more for those who dare to venture outside the casino walls.

So really, what your visitors take away with them is what they choose. Maybe they will leave you with their pockets empty but with their head full of memories of this amazing high desert that I call home.

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For more of this week's corner view head on over to these lovely blogs:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, jenell, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

athena, pienduzz, latisha, clairette, kelleyn, iris, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, braja, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane

random tuesday stuff...

I am getting quite a little collection of vintage cameras. I just ordered (won) an sx-70 on ebay and can hardly wait for it to arrive. I have several other polaroid cameras and a couple brownies plus my beloved Yashica. Love them all and need to find a better way to display there sweet little faces in the house.

Have you noticed the new tool bar below the photos I post? You can now order a print or a card (folded, flat or post)right from my blog.
Cool, huh?

Hope this post finds you all well on this cool but sunny Tuesday afternoon.

Be well friends,

V~

Love is Everywhere, Apple Addition

One of my biggest photography inspirations out here in blogland is Leslie or LeSophie. Her work is beautiful and she is a fun loving spirit that I one day hope to get to meet in person- perhaps in a photobooth or maybe over a pint of beer or a cup of tea. MrO has two of her photos gracing his bedroom wall and her calendar hangs proudly in our kitchen. One my favorite projects that she does is called "love is everywhere", Les has an uncanny ability to find love hidden in all sorts of places. Follow the link and see what I mean.

I was making apple cake this weekend using apples that my mom-in-law gave me. She had warned me that they had a worm/moth problem this year in thier backyard 'orchard' and to be wary of the "wormage" that might pop up in the apples. I wasn't worried too much about it since I knew I would be making pie or cake out of these homegrown beauties. Cutting them up I would spot any ick and be rid of it quickly. But what I wasn't expecting to find was love. As I cut open one of the last apples I found just that. The moth larve(a?) had burrowed itself right there in the core of the fruit and made a heart. My first thought was of Leslie and I knew I needed to stop and take a photo. It was only once I had uploaded this shot to the computer that I realized that there wasn't just one heart, but two- can you spot them? See, love really is everywhere!



Where have you found love lately?

dancin' feet

Have I mentioned there have been a lot of birthday parties lately? I am sure I have. Like at least one a week, at least. This week we sang to a three year old, welcomed a new baby boy into the world/family, helped to celebrate two special peoples 60th, celebrated a pretty lady's first quarter of a century and helped another special person celebrate her 61st year on this planet.

I tell you what, that's a lot of cake eating. Good thing there was a lot of dancing on Saturday night to work some of it off!

What's Your Story

I could listen to stories from StoryCorps all day. Each story brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes.


If you were to record a story for this project, what would it be?