Swept under the rug or.....

The old if I can't see you - you can't see me - toddler think. These photos were too adorable and funny not to scrap-especially with a diapered butt in the air. I wonder what was so interesting under the rug or if she was indeed hiding. I seem to be into working with busy papers and I like how this turned out. It gave me the courage to do the one below. And I used 2 photos *gasp* I know.

I love how this one turned out. Great photo Cavin holding his baby sister and both so photogenic. Isn't it great to be young, not worrying about weight, pimples, hair or if your make up looks good - the young is always lookin' good. The paper was a lot of fun to use and very busy. I wasn't real confident at first, but as the layers were added and I finally got to use the lace heart helped with taming the flock of bright butterflies - an especially strong photo helps too. 

Tornado Tuesday was more a slight breeze...

LOL!! Which is okay...things happen. Like last night was Manic Monday which I usually host. However, due to plumbing issues beyond my control, flooring for the kitchen needed to chosen as well as checking out bathroom vanities and tiles. SO Manic wasn't very manic. Since all things were taken care of. Tornado Tuesday sort of evolved, because I needed to do something creative, because my humble abode is about to become chaotic.

Started with the sketch above, challenged by my pal April I actually had a small photo that needed scrapping. Total win-win. Got carried away with the color blue and found I really can't sew in a straight line. Which is ok - just tilt your head and it'll all work out.

I totally couldn't help this one. Poor Lucy waiting for some attention. It was going to be awhile as they are intent on their presents. Did a bit o'fussy cutting with the ornaments. Love how they turned out.

It was a heck of a day yesterday.....

or today depending on when you're reading this.

As you may or may not know there are plumbing issues going on.

And not having any facilities is annoying in this day and age

to say the least.

It was so much fun we're going to do again tomorrow (or today)

depending on how this reads at 7:30 a.m. 

We can have coffee together. LOL!

 My favorite eldest served his country and served it proudly and he has always

been a lover of all things concerning ammo.

I love these shots of him and I'm proud of his service

and proud of his stance on the 2nd amendment.

I love the grunge. 

And this is to honor him

and our country he fought and continues to fight for.

This photo is just too much fun. 

These boys are a hoot to be with and I love hanging out with them.

 I love the photo that caught their comraderie

 that is an everyday thing and not just for photo ops.

(Of course they're brothers and have their moments but

they have each other's back).

Not to mention they have a sense of humor that fits right in and reminds

me of my boys at that age.

And identical PJ's - that photo will be worth its weight in gold

when they're older.

Trust me on this. 

I'm gifted with things like this.

In order to get the ole mojo flowing

My pal April assigned the pagemap sketch below for my very own personal challenge. I changed it to 8x8. There are a lot of princess titles going on - on my pages. However when there are a lot of princess things going on you gotta roll with it.

I am coming to love sketches. Takes all the thinking out of things.  I have always loved Becky Fleck's pages. And I have now decided I need to do sketches way more often than I do. Jump starts are a good thing and I had a blast with it.

Last day in New Orleans

 Playing with my new lens - which is a wide angle lens that

attaches to my 18-55 lens.

And has macro and super macro.

 I had a blast with it. This is Pirates alley which is

on the haunted tour. I didn't see no ghosts.

 I love this shot. There's so much more in the photo.

 Man on a smoke break.

It's my artistic shot of the day.

 Pat O'brien's bar.

I'm sure after you leave the bar this dude 

gets better looking.

 Carriage ride tour. 

Love the horse.

 Infamous Bourbon Street in the daylight.

 Which totally removes the mystique.

And the statues of famous jazzmen.

Fats Domino, Al Hirt and Pete Fountain.

Heading home tomorrow. Can't wait.

And yet I can.

Plumbing issues await.

Not happy about that.

At. all.

The Mighty Mississippi was a busy waterway

 The tugs were the workhorses of the day. 

And they came in assorted, cute colors.

I'm sure the Captains want to hear how cute they are.

 Big ships docked at colorful wharfs.

 Ferries making crossings to and fro.

 Tugs pushing barges around up river.

 And tugs pushing barges on down the river.

 New Orleans is full of these balconies.

And yes, they make me swon.

The shutters, the doors, all a part of ambience that is New Orleans.

 And the sidewalk entertainment never ends. The Beverly

Hillbillies entertaining the crowd and I must say the lady on the spoons 

could make them sing, and she was fascinating to watch.

And this gentleman was a lot of fun to watch.

Doing a lot of poses with his adorable pooch.

It was hard to catch sitting on the curb,

people were walking by and in front of. 

Very annoying but part of the charm.

I must say I'm falling in love with my stock lenses.

I became more creative and thoughtful using an 18-55 when I'm

used to cranking out 17-270.

All I had to do was move a little closer.

I also had on hand my 75-300 (for some of the closeups on the tugs)

and it was fun to pull it out and change lenses.

I have a new wide angle lens with a macro. And tomorrow I'm

going to do the tour all over again.

With my new lens.

And won't that be fun!

Because its pre Mardi Gras

 Tom and I decided to get out of dodge and headed down Route 11 

(eventually) toward Venice.

We traveled the highways and byways - checking out every nook

and cranny.

 I did practice my drive by photography skills and loved the sky on the

photo above, and the trees.

 We coasted into a marina and found this awesome view. 

The fisherman had a redfish on his line.

 And then we came across shrimpers. For those of you who know me,

know that shrimpers make me swoon.

 Cemeteries make me swoon too.

 So break out the smelling salts.

Again.

The cemeteries crop up here in Luzianna just off the side of roads.

Wherever. To me its really bizarre but only because 

its all above grounds. I have encountered

other cemeteries close to the road, in tiny clusters

that may or may not be on holy ground.

So I'm thinking that because the tombs are above ground

that make it totally eerie.

I'm not seeing any ghosts here either.

Made hubby STOP, block traffic to get this shot.

The clouds should be making you swoon too.

I'm an equal opportunity swooner.

Then we stumbled upon Fort Jackson.

Its located in the Plaquemines Parrish 70 miles outside of New Orleans.

It was recommended by Andrew Jackson after the war of 1812

that a fort on this side of the Mississippi would be prudent. 

 It became a national historic landmark in 1960.

 It was a confederate controlled fort until the union attacked it.

The rebels held out for 12 days until they were defeated

by the union, who went on to capture the town of New Orleans.

 Fort Jackson is on the mighty Mississippi and boats of all sizes run the river.

Caught this gorgeous tug nicely making way.

And yes, tugs make me swoon. Too.

And you'll notice how bizarrely the skies change.

 We also came upon a project by the Army Corp of Engineers

and their effort to tame the Mighty Mississippi. 

It appears the Mississippi has a mind of its own and will take to

flooding lowlands and leaving busy ports high and dry.

 So here's some mat sinking action going on. 

It appears that the mat sinkers live aboard a vessel and the 

bull dozers are anchors that keep said vessel from tossing to and fro

due to lack of docks. 

I'm happy to say that the Army Corp of Engineers do not make me swoon.

Yet.

When the Saints come marching in....

To make things fun and challenge myself

it was use your stock lens day.

18-55mm canon.

I had a really good time with it.

 The French Quarter is baacck! Or on its way.

 I still love the old buildings.

The character, facades and ladders.

I decided that some b&w are in order.

Who can resist a rocking pig greeting people in the front of the store.

It might work for Lou.

 And then there's Jackson Square and the St. Louis cathedral.

It's inevitable that people will be in your pictures. 

So you just have to deal.

 This gentleman's beautiful horn made music on the river's edge.

He was a lot of fun and very personable.

 And then there's this guy.

I'm as speechless as you.

 This cafe looked so pretty. I don't know about the food

I wasn't hungry when I passed by.

 More store and restaurant fronts.

 There's a person in that pink thing and its chatting

with those people.

You can see everything in the square.

 Don't doors, windows and shutters make you swoon.

Have you notice I do a lot of swooning.

Love this shot. 

For being really cold, it was sunny and beautifulwhich breaks 

my cloudy, rainy and moody streak.

Thankfully.

Giddy Up

First, I love this paper from my Studio Calico kit.

And this photo of moi just happened to land

on top of when it was laid on my desk

and I went hmmmm...

(Just a whiney aside: I glanced at the back of the paper briefly,

and then flipped it back. As I was putting the page in my

album it stuck out of the page protector.

It seems that they make a WHOLE page in a pattern

and put the strip on the flip side.

There is no way to trim it off now)

Anyhoo, another original photo is now "safe" from

being rumpled and crushed.

So that baby in the carriage is me.

And I look like I'm ready to ride and have the wind

blow my hair back.

That's half of my gram visiting with her neighbor Mrs. Woodring

(if she had a first name I never knew it).

Gram is also decked out. I can tell by the white sandals.

And it appears Mrs. Woodring is standing behind the door while chatting.

So many interesting details.

In Gram's 'hood, porches were on the side or back of the house

and the grownups would sit outside in the cool of the night

visiting while watching us kids catch fireflies

 and put them in a jar with grass.

I guess the grass was comforting to the firefly.

(ooooo NEED to find a photo to go with that journaling).

Bellowing from the treetop

 on a canal on the edge of our backyard and teeming with
other quieter wildlife.

Is this limpkin.

Who is not quiet.

Ever.
He has been stalking us for a long long time
and can be stealthy in nature.
You can hear him with all the doors and windows closed
and the air conditioning running.
He's that loud.

He finally came out of the trees to bellow his presence 

and of course I had to stalk him.

I was able to snap some pix because he was so caught up

in his yowling that I was able to sort of sneak up.

I was standing upon our grassy knoll with 300mm zoom canon lens.

 Limpkins have a screech that makes it sounds like they are in distress.

And this one does this LOUDLY and LONGLY because no volume

control is involved.

Ever.

And he does it ALL.DAY.LONG and 

ALL.NIGHT.LONG.

I know you want to hear how it sounds so go here and

just because you can turn the volume UP to get the full effect.

And there was no budging him out of the tree.

SO as I type this....he's screeching.

Loudly and Longly.