New Neighbor Just Moved In

One of my big photography sayings is, "Shoot in your own backyard" because no other photographer lives there. This gives you a unique place and images. This week while on one of my many dog walks, a neighbor pointed out this gorgeous baby hawk.

Tom Cruise Crush

Oh I like to watch Tom in action! With three children, I am not usually able to pick the movie I want to attend. I did add Knight and Day to my calendar though. It was released in theaters this past Wednesday. My oldest son reminded me on Friday, and I stopped and bought tickets.

It was perfect. I had to remind my youngest that Tom could not die during the movie, or it just wouldn't work. I was right! The plot was not that thick, but there was one. There was lots of action. Action with and without Cameron Diaz, who has the prettiest smile. Tom's smile is right there too! One of my favorite threads was the Knight family winning the Clearing House sweepstakes twice. This movie is about family. I will say too, that the love interest develops very naturally, which makes it one of the more credible romances I have seen on the big screen. And, yes, this is really action/spy movie.

I like how the action moves between cities/countries. (It was primarily filmed in Massachusetts according to IMDB.) From a photography perspective, this film is more about people photography with great shots of Tom and Cameron. And, Cameron Diaz drives a beautiful GTO. The ending is just sweet. It gives me a good, hopeful feeling every time I remember them off to...

Oh and there is a classic motorcycle ride in this movie to rival the Top Gun (trivia link) motorcycle ride.

There are other heroes I like to watch. I am a James Bond fan through and through. And, I am crazy about Nicolas Cage as well. His Gone in 60 Seconds is a cool car flick. we watched this again tonight and would you believe that in the opening scene the police officer in charge of the car theft case says, "Impound these cars for 30 days. I don't care if it belongs to Tom Cruise."

I didn't realize that Nicolas Cage trained and performed most of the stunts in this movie. Gone in 60 Seconds (trivia link) has some drug references, which keeps me from letting the kids watch it, but, from my perspective, a great movie about families and taking care of each other, honoring those relationships. And, there is lots of action and suspense. And, Eleanor.

Children Say -- About Monet

I tweeted this, but it so applies, so I thought I would quote my daughter here again.

"Walking the dog is like going to the museum. You have to stop and look at everything."

Yes, we were on a dog walk together. And, let me say, I have taken my children to a lot of museums, so this came naturally into her head. At an art museum, we walk around looking primarily, reading a little. (If I want to read every word I return by myself.) We then walk around the exhibit a second time sharing with each other what our favorite item is and why we like it. My goal is to make the art experience fun and easy.

I try to send the children to art classes each summer. My youngest's favorite artist is Monet because I sent him to a one week Monet art camp. He was the only boy in the class, but the teacher was accomodating and let him paint the canoe in the pond instead of water lilies for example. But to this day, he can show up at a museum and say, "That is by the artist I took a class about."

Here is my Care Of Monet, which I just added to my Etsy shop. I found a huge lily pond recently and took many photographs. Lilies remind me of magnolias, so stay tuned for more. I am now offering a Monet painting party through my children's birthday party business.

My Favorite Holiday -- July 4th -- Independence Day

I absolutely love the 4th of July. I created this new photograph for 2010. You can buy Stars and Stripes in my Etsy shop. In my shop, there is another pretty flag image from a baseball game, and I am working on more this weekend.

Most years you will find me at the Decatur, Georgia 4th of July Celebration because there is so much going on. Large crowds pack into the old-fashioned square for music and fireworks. The parade begins at 6 PM. Children and adults line up at 5:30 with their decorated bicycles and scooters. The path is a short one around the square. Afterwards, the callanwolde concert band entertains until just before the fireworks begin at dark.

I like preparing food for our picnic and having all my kids close by. My salmon recipe holds its flavor long enough for these kinds of events. It is so sweet to lean on each other on our blanket, eat delicious food and relax. The music reminds me of weekends in Bar Harbor, Maine or Chatham in Cape Cod. Chatham and Bar Harbour have music every Saturday night during the summer as part of their home town flavor. To me, the square's activities make a summer vacation special and memorable to see all the residents mix up with locals. Last year we were in Hyannis on the cape.

The celebration at Decatur also reminds me of attending a concert at Chastain park, but there is no admission. An added bonus at Decatur is the ease of which everyone leaves because the parking lots are spread out over the city. There are many ways to exit in all directions. Hope to see you there!

Flowers at the Farm

Yes, the patch of coneflowers was wating at the farm. I was so happy to see them. I played a little here and wonder what you like. Please let me know. It also totally motivated me to paint one. To the left is my newest ACEO Spirit available in my Etsy shop. This is a painted rendition of one of my photographs. The coneflower on a green background above is title Natural and also available as a 5x7" print in my Etsy shop.

Straight from the Garden

Hydrangea have fascinated me for years, but in the past they have looked pretty boring through the camera lens. But this year the petals are gorgeous, and I finally figured out a view. Here are shots from my new series. They are all available in my shop as 5"x7" prints for $19 at MagMoment. I have planted a row in my own yard. At first, I planted them underneath a couple trees. Then, I realized my mistake and moved them to bright sun. I bought a few more and they are growing to form a pretty wall. Perhaps they will block a loose basketball before too long.