le petit poulet

Monday, September 24, 2007

Feeling Blue

Do you ever get in one of those moods? The kind where you feel like you just aren't quite up to snuff on.....well, on anything?

So to make myself happy I found these pics of My Chemical Romance....by an AMAZING photographer who i 18 years old!
She has a fantastic eye for composition and her converstions are spot on. She is self taught and has sold her works to magazines etc and will be attending college in the fall to study photography.
Imagine trying to capture moments that have depth when you have people thrashing about on stage in constant motion under bright strobing lights with screaming fans all around you. When I look at these pictures I can't hear the crowd or the music, instead I feel like I'm a fly on the wall and you see the emotion that is put into the show.
Very inspiring work!





Sunday, September 23, 2007

Sela the Fish R.I.P.


(**Yes I am aware that Sela is really a boy but G wanted it to be a girl so there you go!_

Well I have some bad news....Sela the fish has passed on.
It was a painless death, preceeded by five days of floating on her side but still breathing and attempting to swim. Prompting me to come to the conclusion that Sela had had a stroke?
G received Sela from her sister exactly one year ago on September 13th of 2006. She had been BEGGING for a fish for months to which I always replied...ummmmmm no.
Seeing that it was her big day I went with a snap decision to have her sister present her with the fish as her present which made her whole day!

The last year as the caregiver for Sela I realized that the world truly has come full circle and I have become my mom. I found myself actually bonding with the fish the way my mom bonded with my brothers goldfish "Goldie" that he'd won at a birthday party, only to bring home and plop it down for my mom to care for.
I loved coming in G's room in the morning and calling out "Goodmorning Sela" to which she would come swimming out to the front of the glass her fins fanning out in excitement for her breakfast. I bought her a castle which delighted me to no end when I realized that she actually would go in the castle, her head poking out the window for hours on end.
When we had to care give a friends fish I actually found myself saying the words "I don't think their fish is as smart as Sela is."
I really loved that fish.
Exactly one year to the day she arrived in our home we came home from a family dinner, both girls out cold we transfered them to their beds and then as I turned to look at Selas bowl I saw her floating on her side.
"OH NO!" I hissed approaching the bowl. Bri turned, sensing exactly what had happened.

Me: "She can't be dead....that's a jinxer to have her die exactly a year later on G's birthday!"

Bri: "It is?"

Me: "Well I don't know if it actually is a jinxer but it seems like it would be don't you think??"

Bri: *shrugs*

Grabbing the bowl we took our conversation to the kitchen. She was still breathing and moving but it was all being done on her side.

Me: "Okay, we just have to keep her alive for three more hours. Then it won't be
her birthday anymore and it won't be such a jinx."

We made the decision to take the fish downstairs where we would keep watch and do what we needed to do.

Sela lived through the night, and the next night and the next night. I finally decided I had to expalin to G what was happening with her fish. I grew up in a house where my dog was dead for a week before my parents decided to break the news to me.

Me: (flashback) "Hey where's Ben? He isn't coming when I call him?"

Mom: "Sit down, we need to tell you something."

This is only one example of the extreme measures my parents went to to "protect" me from things. Making me a freak when it comes to surprises or secrets of any kind.

I showed G her fish and explained that the fish was sick. She is very sensitive like her Mama. She cried and cried and asked what she had done wrong? After assuring her that it was nothing any of us had done and that the fish had actually had a much better life this past year than its' previous life in a dixie cup at the petstore, she spent the rest of the day in a deep sorrowful state.

I went to the pet store on Friday to ask advice, I'm pretty sure they thought I was insane but I can't say that it wasn't a two way street when the pet store employee told me that Sela most likely had an inner ear infection. I think I just blinked in response to that.
So I bought her a new bowl and some new drops for the water but that night she passed away.

Today G asked about her fish. We had not yet decided how to deal with the death of the fish so it was up to me.

G: "Did Sela die?"
Me: "Yes. She did."
G: "Where did you bury her?"
Me: "We buried her in the backyard."
G: "So dad didn't just throw her in the trash like the dead bird right?"

(Flashback to summer when I told her Bri was going to bury the dead robin in the backyard only to have him come around the corner unaware of my story and tell her he had tossed the bird in the trash. Henceforth we decided that any creature would be "buried" in the yard to avoid further traumatic stress on her part!)

Me: "No way, dad wouldn't do that again!"
G: "Can I see her?"
Me: "No, she's in the ground. Way down deep."
G: "Can I get a guinnea pig now?"
Me: "No."
G: "A hamster?"
Me: "No."
G: "A parrot?"
Me: "No way!"
G: "Why?"
Me: "Because you can't flush a parrot down the toilet!"
G: "I wouldn't flush it down the toilet. I would bury it in the backyard like you buried Sela."
Me: "Ummmmmmm yeah, of course you would. Why would you flush it down the toilet!"

I miss you Sela, may you rest in peace :)

That creepy feeling.....

I would love to know peoples take on blogging.

I was reading some blogs today that they answered questions about blogging....questions such as...do you post anonymously etc. I know some people who are pretty open about everything. Pictures, their names etc. And then there are people who are careful with pictures they post but are more open with their identities. Then there are people who have privacy settings or have started having privacy settings to control who comes to their sites. So it made me start to question my own blogging habits and what I am going to do in the future.

Thoughts anyone!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Saturday Night Ramblings


It's late on a Saturday night and I am sick. Just a nasty cold that has had a hold of our home for the last two weeks. First Bri then Little One then G and finally bringing up the tail end, me. Tonight we hunkered down, the sounds of rain outside the weather finally cool and fall like as we watched Star Wars and discussed the more important points of the film.

Little One: Where is Yoda, where did she go?
G: Yoda's not a girl?
Little One: Yes hers is.
G: No. Yoda is a boy, and Yoda isn't in the show anymore. He died and now he is the Holy Ghost.

As the show came to an end G, who it seemed as the day went on was starting up again with the cold we thought she was well over, complained that her ear hurt.

Hmmmmmmmm......ear hurts, cold suddenly starting up again.....temperature taken and running a fever. So off to the instacare Bri and G go and thanks to trusting the mama instinct we now know she has an ear infection and she has already had a dose of antibiotic! Phew.

Tomorrow will be spent indoors snuggling together with a steamer on as we continue to get better. I'm sure that suits Bri just fine as there are numerous football games on tomorrow that will keep him happy for hours and hours on end! :)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Update on my Photography Blog!

Finally an update on my Photography Blog! I feel bad that my poor little garden has been neglected! I've had some amazing shoots with some great families and have made a vow to get to all updated by this weekend WOO HOO.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Book Review ECLIPSE and new book pick

Okay, how sad am I that Eclipse is over.....SO SAD!!!!
I never wanted it to end which is probably why I dragged the last quarter of the book out so long! I just have to say that anybody who doesn't choose Jacob as their soulmate is absolutely INSANE and needs to get on heavy doeses of some sort of medication.
What would "New Moon" and "Eclipse" be without Jacob?
In the beginning of the book I was quite put off by Edward and his stalker like behavior. I half expected Bella to come home to a boiling pot of bunny stew and him screaming "I'm not going to be ignored!"
And of course it wouldn't be me if I wasn't somewhat confused by something and in this book I was sort of confused with all the madness of these baby vamps storming the countryside. But I did like the fact that that Edwards crew and Jacobs crew banned together to protect Bella and everyone else.
Jacob and Bella kissing.....FANTASTIC....what a great part that was. Very passionate WOO HOO.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it whether you like vampires or not!

So my new book choice is......

Uglies By Scott Westerfeld.

When I went to pick up "Eclipse" this book was recommended to me by one of the booksellers at the store. She said that she and her friends had moved onto this series after finishing their favorite "Twilight" series so I said "Why not!" Thus far it has been interesting....I'm not a lover of sci fi futuristic stories but I wasn't a fan of vampire stories before "Twlight" so I decided to give it a shot.

Please feel free to read along with me....at the tone turn the page *BEEP*

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Little One Out in the Big World!






Well after much dread and worry (on my part) Little One started preschool last week. People tell me that the dread was because she is my youngest, my baby and that I'm not ready to let her go. I am sure they are right, I was sure by now we would have another little chicken around the house and since that has not been in the cards for us this is my baby, and the thought of her out there without her mama makes me sad. This is a little girl who when her daddy is tickling her and teasing her will shout out "I am mama's baby, don't do that to mama's baby!" I fondly refer to her as the "little barnacle" since she lives to be attached to me, her arms wrapped tightly around me her legs gripping me.

We have talked about school and she seemed fine with it, the week before we headed over the open house to meet her teachers and see her classroom. I'm pretty sure that as we walked into the school I felt my head begin to spin and a near paralysis set in. How could I send her to school....and why three days? Why would I pick three days when I could have chosen two? And these kids, these kids all seem HUGE and she is so small. WHAT AM I DOING!!!!!!!! Upon leaving the open house I began to frantically call my friends that I trust the most, looking for some backup that I had made the wrong decision. To their credit they all were very supportive of the fact that I was freaking out and also supportive of making a move to two day if I needed to.

Then Little One came down with a rotten cold and cough that kept her out of her first day of school last Monday. After being cooped up together day after day her screeching at me like some rabid howler monkey to get her juice or food, or to stop trying to giver her medicine and take her temperature the next day of school (Wednesday) rolled around and she was on the mend. That morning as we got her ready I found myself feeling slightly happy at the prospect that she would be elsewhere for three hours! We both could use a break from one another...right? She looked so cute in her first day of school outfit, her backpack strapped to her back. She stood in the yard for her picture a GIANT grin on her face. Then once we were at school she came out of the car with the same permagrin. We walked into class and I turned around and she was gone, over in the corner at the kitchen area busily cooking up some grub a phone propped on one shoulder as she spoke, imitating me chatting with my friends.

Stopping to tell her goodbye and that I would see her after singing she smiled and said goodbye and went back to her imaginary phone conversation....and that was it. I walked to my car with a bounce in my step and a smile on my face! It hadn't been so hard, it had been pretty easy!! Now that's not to say that this week I won't have a freak out day, but that first day was a beautiful thing for all parties involved. Afterwards we picked up G from Kindergarten and had a special lunch at Nana's and Gramps to celebrate the big day and when she looked at me and said "I want to go back to school tomorrow!" I knew we'd both made the right decision :)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Week #2 Bathroom SPC


Better late than never with my bathroom post this week at SPC! Sequestering myself from the chaos outside I run the water, sink back and enjoy the ending of a wonderful book. The bathtub has always been a place that I have retreated to to read, something about the sound of the water, the protection of a showercurtain and the comforting lighting that makes it so enjoyable! On the downside sometimes I end up with books that have fumbled from my hands and come out looking like they are close to 3000 pages as they dry but it's totally worth it for the time alone!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

He did what!?!?!


Yes, yes...I know....everybody is wondering what has happened to my regular posts about my imaginary boyfriend Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. Well, in a sad bit of news Gerard is now a married man. He randomly married a bass player from a somewhat strange band called Mindless Self Indulgence (a most excellent band name by the way!) backstage at a concert in Colorado a few weeks ago.

When I informed G of this news she looked at me while eating her lunch and casually replied "Well, I guess that means you can't marry him now" *shrug*.

And I so know she was looking forward to being little G Way....darn!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

First Day of School....First Day of School!








From the minute I woke up this morning the little Nemo chant of "first day of school, first day of school" was running through my head!
Looking at G sitting on the couch as I stumbled out of the bedroom she somehow seemed older. She smiled at me and gave me a cheery "good morning mom!" with her little toothless grin and it hit me that I actually have a little girl in kindergarten now. The whole time I've been a parent I've stood there with my mouth open wondering how these girls grew up so fast? I don't know what I thought she would be doing at this age, but for some reason it revolved around her still sitting on a blanket in the middle of her bedroom while I made gooney faces at her trying to make her smile. But instead we're having discussions about reading and teachers and the fact that other kids would have Sharpay and Ryan backpacks and hers just had hearts.
For years I've told her that I don't want her to grow up, and for years her all to mature reply has been "but mom I have to?"
I am proud to say I didn't shed a tear today, nor did I grasp her to me shouting "WHY WHYYYYYYYYYY" as she struggled to break free for the door to her classroom. Instead we walked side by side as I watched her spot a preschool buddy and run happily to the little girls side as the two chatted about what their teacher and class would be like. I watched her hang up her backpack and march to the teacher aide with her first day of school homework to turn in. I watched her explore the room and plop an explorer hat on her head while she tried out a pair of binoculars from the "dramatic play center" and then I watched her sit down to a computer, oblivous to the fact that I was still there as she fired it up and asked where the mouse was so she could launch into a game of Magic School Bus. And then I told her goodbye and walked back to my car with a smile.
It's only now that I get a little teary eyed as I recount the day, and I realize she is right....she does have to grow up :)
I love you G

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

SPC challenge September "Bathroom"



Here is this months challenge as posted on SPC.
"I thought we needed something a little intimate and personal - and what is more personal than the bathroom. I love a bathroom self portrait - they have been done to great effect by many artists over the years-"

For me the bathroom can be so many things, a place of sanctuary from the chaos outside, a place of congregation where the whole famliy moves in tandem trying to get ready, a place of sadness when one of my girls is sick and hovering over the comode, a place of celebration when someone learns to go potty for the fist time, and a place for the bevvy of beauties to gather after a relaxing soak in the tub! My daughter can't just take one doll in the bath, she has to basically take every single Barbie style doll she owns for a dip in the water, where they giggle and swim and enjoy themselves until the water twirls down the drain. Afterwards with soaking hair they all sit down in the windowsill where they watch the world go by as they dry off. The first time my husband came home to the pile of naked Barbies gossiping on the sil he exclaimed "it looks like there's been some kind of Barbie orgy or something?"

Monday, September 3, 2007

You say you make jewelry?

Well believe it or not I once made jewelry, it seems like it was a lonnnnnnnnnnnnng time ago....back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I accessorized with fur pelts and jagged shards of rock. I hob nobbed with the talented gals in the ebay boutique world and loved every minute of it. Then I found myself gravitating more and more to the photography and the jewelry was tossed to the wayside. Some gals have started a group that is going to revolve around holidays and asked me to join and create jewelry for those launches and with that launch coming up I have found my jewelry creative juices flowing! I have really been into vintage buttons lately, I wear them myself and have been collecting some here and there and when the jewelry bug struck I pulled out my buttons and stash of wonderful beads and made these two items:

Fall Apples" is for mom!

and What a Hoot is for girls.

To be honest I'm not even sure that I have the followers anymore that I once had! I was one of the original soldering girls who took it to different levels and tried to be unique and then everybody started jumping on that same bandwagon, not even trying to be unique...just taking other peoples ideas and running with them. It sort of took the fun out of creating to know someone was looking over your shoulder ready to swipe your idea. Some even swiped right down to the way the pieces were photographed which is downright ridiculous! It sucked my passion away for something I once really loved, so today was nice to sit down and create these pieces and really enjoy what I was doing and make something that I would love for me and my girls!

I have some more things up my sleeve for this launch, some collaborations with designers that I really respect and admire so thanks to them for the inspiration to make a few fun pieces and dust off the box of beads!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Urban Funk!

I love, love, LOVE urban photography! It is one of those things that just makes me drool!! Something about being out there and using the colors of the landscapes of the city that is challenging to me. I added some of my recent shots in my new header, I also changed the page colors and am not quite sure if I like them all or not so they may change around again depending on my mood :)


G picked her outfit as well as the place where she wanted her picture taken. Her special new school outfit that she chose right down to the purse! And some snazzy sneaks that she is convinced make her bounce and run higher than normal. And Little One just wanted her picture taken and FAST. She just wanted to get home and get some freaking fruit snacks that were promised to her if she would cooperate and let me take some shots, so everytime the car slowed down somewhere she piped up "can we just take my picture now?" Thanks to Carin for the fantastic tutu that she handcrafted herself for Little Ones birthday!




I'm really looking forward to some urban photo shoots I have coming up with clients! And I have some more fun shots to post with my girls, trying out some great locations two weeks ago.
I have been neglecting my poor little Photography Blog . I need to get so many clients posted that I have had such a great time photographing! I even had a great wedding on the 23rd that I am going to start editing shortly and hopefully I can start updating that blog.

Like Scarlett O Hara says...."tomorrow is another day!"