Reed College Canyon

This is where I am going today. I loved this place two years agao when I went regularly with my son's class when he was in sixth grade. Today I am going along with his class now that he is in eighth grade. Hoping it clears my mind.

Wonderful Floral Weather

When the weather turns warm and sunny, I find myself thinking about gardens and spring flowers. 

I took this shot yesterday while experimenting with one of my favorites that is blooming in our yard: 

For those of you who might be wondering, it is not currently available in my shop, but I suppose it could be. If you'd like to see this lovely little pink bloom in the shop, please vote by leaving a comment below or voting in the poll at the upper right of the blog. 

Ironically I also got a sale in the shop yesterday for Mother's Day and it just happens to be a floral image as well. 

Excited to say that a personalized "Sea of Orange" card will soon be making it's way to Oklahoma to make someone's day (or course it isn't Jennifer!)  Check out the listing here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/150165983/personalized-4x5-photo-note-card-sea-of?ref=shop_home_active

And last but definitely not least, if you are in the Portland, Oregon area, you should totally check out Rose Hill Flower Farm. You can order a bouquet subscription and I'd highly recommend it. What a lovely idea and what lovely flowers! Check out the farm's website here: http://www.rosehillflowerfarm.com/

I hope some day to be lucky enough to get to go and take some photos of them all in bloom. You can also follow the farm on Facebook! I hope you stop to notice the flowers today! I know I will. 

Check back tomorrow when I hope to be talking about personalized signs for kids and weddings and more!

Ciao for now, 

Mama Zuzi (Sue)

Things I'm Liking Sunday - Cinco de Mayo Edition

It's that time again. I know you've been counting the days. It's time for "Things I'm Liking" Sunday! 

To tell you the truth, the #1 thing I'm liking today is the gloriously windy and warm Portland weather. I know it is at least 85 degrees outside at 5 pm. This weather is going to make it VERY hard to go back to the office tomorrow. I'm also liking the fact that it appears our dopey puppy Olivia has yet again beat the odds and seems to be back to her old self -- as bouncy as ever. Go figure. I'm starting to call her "Super Dog." No better canine play mate for Bat Penny than Super Dog! 


It also just happens to be Cinco de Mayo and in honor of the day, I bring you my most favorite of items that marks the occasion with a great message (wish I had one right now): 

I didn't find it in time for this year, but maybe I can order and have it ready for next year! You can see more fun signs by the maker of this great one at: Kickstandsupsignco.

And speaking of celebrations, I'm trying to think of just how to celebrate my birthday which is coming up next month. Maybe I should call up Prince and ask him what he's gonna do, since we share the day ;-) Of course I'm kidding. I don't have his phone number. I do need to figure out what I want to do to mark my big day. If I was gonna have a party (which I don't really want to do), I'd  buy myself this gorgeous dish and serve something in it! Gosh help me, I have fallen in love with a bowl.

If you are into vintage, such as this beautiful bowl, and don't have the time to go out and scour the yard and estate sales for yourself, give a look at this fun Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RinnovatoVintage?ref=seller_info.

Last but not least, I'm madly in love with the process of re-taking photos for my note card listings in my shop. I went to Paper Source on 23rd in NW Portland and the reviews were all true. The staff was totally nice and helpful and I finally found gorgeous card stock and envelopes and other goodies that I needed. I'll likely post a photo essay on my process tomorrow but for today, let me just leave you with this teaser... 

To see more, just hop over to the shop. You can also see more images and get more information by following Mama Picture This on Facebook! And if you are more a twitter kinda person, there's always https://twitter.com/mamazuzi. 

Perk up a room

I am certain that just the right photo can perk up a room in no time and for not a lot of cost. That is part of my thinking often times when I look at my own photos. Funny thing is that I've been so busy that I haven't really decorated any of my own walls with photos since the ones I took of my kids that are in our bathroom (and that's been awhile). 

I had a couple of my photos (from last year's Fizz show) up in our living room but honestly I need something bigger there and framed to fend off the misc. Nerf things that zoom through our air! There are certainly plenty of possibilities such as the orange tulip or even something from the ghost town pictures. 
My daughter took another smaller photo from the show and put it on her bedroom wall and it did look lovely until she had a tantrum at bedtime and all the pretty things on that wall ... well ended up not on the wall any longer. 

One of my goals for the year, along with reinvigorating both this blog and my Etsy shop, is to get more decorating done in my house and to that end, if I promise to share it here with you, then I just might actually do it this time! We have painted both kid rooms and the "family" room and our bedroom but we need to decorate more, especially the walls. 

Funny thing is that the very first image I want to frame and put on our bedroom wall is our daughter's art. The minute she drew this image, I knew it would look great against our calm green bedroom walls. 

I am committing to framing it and putting it up in our bedroom. The next question is just where it shall be placed. 

I hope to get more creative with our family photos and my own images, kid creations and other ideas so I hope you will stay tuned. 

How do you decorate your walls, if at all? 

Finding the hidden beauty in every day

Spring Break has sprung. Doing this by seat of our pants. At least I have 2 days to be at work to think about some ideas before it is my turn to be in charge of the kids. I'm thinking a movie, maybe a trip for a hike or to the trampoline place for some jumping and maybe even a short jaunt to the gorgeous Oregon Coast in honor of my boy turning into a TEEN-ager! 

And in the midst of spending some time with my girl this weekend, we came across this beauty tucked in and easily missed by most. Wishing I'd had my better camera (not just my phone) but alas this is what we got. Still beautiful and simple. Here's hoping you find some beauty tucked in to your day and your week and the end of March 2013! 

New Work

I have been taking a bit of a break from Mama Picture This, both the Etsy Shop and the blog. Winter finds me usually more into knitting and just dealing with the kids and school and this year doing some contract work in communications and marketing. 

However, as the spring flowers begin their blooming and the trees start to come back to life, we took a short family trip to the Oregon desert for our boy's birthday and I took along my camera. 

There are a couple of shots I'm considering framing for at home or for posting in the Etsy shop... as prints or maybe as card collections.  A few shots of Shaniko, a well-know (slightly inhabited - 25 residents) ghost town not far from Antelope, Oregon are the ones that have first struck my fancy. 

What do you think? Do you know anyone who might enjoy these types of pics? 

For the 4th

Happy 4th of July to America! Happy belated Canada Day to our friends to the North... and just have a great day for every one else out there! 

Our 4th of July has been incredibly low key. We did a few fireworks at a friends last night and thus far today have cleaned house, moved a computer into our living room, washed our dogs and I did this: 

 

Thought both "Shine" and "Orange Tulip" would compliment the colors in our living room... which are currently bland, so bland. We need and want to color our walls in this room to be a golden yellow with orange undertones. Hopefully we can do that sooner than later. Other pieces from the show will start showing up in the Etsy shop soon but if you have one in mind you would like for your own, feel free to let me know at mamazuzi@hotmail.com.

But for now, the living room is bland (a wee less with these photos up) and it is the 4th of July at 5 p.m. Pacific Coast time. Soon we will heat up the BBQ, have dinner, watch some movies, eat ice cream and make some-mores! 

Every country could use a bit of improvement somewhere or somehow, and America is no exception. For today, however I celebrate our country's birth! Happy 4th of July. 

Tomorrow we'll celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. 

And so it goes... 

Mama Zuzi 

June - What a Wonderful Month!

This month has been a whirlwind of activity for me. Despite having reached an age that I cannot believe I actually am, I have had a great month.

And what is so great, you might ask. Well, I'll
tell you what. 

1) School is out and we found a great nanny to watch the kids one day a week (big sister of school mates).

2) I got to celebrate my birthday not once, but TWICE this year at Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop (Thank you Sarah)!

3) I had (and the photos are still up) my FIRST EVER photo show at Fizz called "Eye Candy." (Thanks so much to Thomas Webb my wonderful painter friend for helping me through the process! The show isn't over yet... runs through the end of the month (or a day or 2 shy).

4) I sold 4 images from the show thus far (see photo collage): Shine Exposure (upper left), Tulip Trail (upper right), NH Dragons (middle) and Shine (bottom)!

5) If you like my Mama Picture This Facebook page in June, you will be eligible to win one of my "Eye Candy" pieces through a random drawing in early July... don't miss out. Like Mama Picture This today! 

6) I am beginning to list the images from the "Eye Candy" show in the Mama Picture This Etsy Shop.

7) I am open to any of my photos being made available for special order or by request in the shop. Just email me.

And not only are there 7 great things about this month so far, but my birthday is on the 7 th and  7  is my favorite number. Rock on my peeps! Thanks to everyone who has made this a month to remember.

Seeking Zen

Despite the glorious fall weather, I have been feeling and expressing increased irritability which seems to compound itself daily. Some of you "not as young as we used to be" women may understand. I think this recent bout of crankiness may be why I stopped in my tracks when I saw the arrangement (above) at a local garden center. It spoke to me with it's zen-ness. I call it Zen Pine Cones. It may surface as part of a "Seeking Zen" card set... if you also enjoy the zen-adoo of the above... let me know. I'd love to know if it speaks to anyone else. May you find zen today! 

A typical day in SE Portland

Feeling autumnal (& a bit chilly too)

Another fall experiment

Having more fun with textured paper, printing and leaf images. I LOVE this heart shaped leaf card... so much I put it for sale as a mini-card set in the Etsy Shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/73024903/loving-the-leaves-card-mini-set-blank

A little experimenting

I have been having fun taking photos of the beautiful Autumn leaves in all their glorious colors. 

I have also wanted for awhile to try printing some of my photos directly onto textured paper and using that for cards rather than actual photos. the first one I tried is this orange leaf. 

I am happy with it and at some point soon there will be a set of 4 for sale in my Etsy Shop. 

Thinking of other things that I can create as well... considering doing a bit of repurposing of found objects. 

Also wondering if these new cards are easier to either recycle or compost. They can now be recycled (I believe) as there is no photo paper involved -- so that is a good thing. I have to do a bit more investigation to find out if these can be composted. If you know, please share your knowledge. I would love to be more eco-friendly with my creative endeavors. For now, if you are interested in this set of 4, let me know.

Loving the leaves

Requisite pumpkin photos

Our pumpkin pickens

On the way to the pumpkins

The corn maze

What the purple blooms are saying...

If you have followed this blog for awhile, then you will know what these purple blooms signify. 

It is indeed that time of year again - back to school time. 

This year the blooms, and time of year, bring a mixture of emotions for me. I am sad to see the freedom of summer go but not the costs of regular weekly childcare and the heat. I am going to miss my regular 4-day weekends and time spent reading in the sun with a glass of wine. 

I am at the same time looking forward to seeing people from school more frequently and getting into a routine. I am looking forward to a cool down to less hot weather. I will be thankful not be be told a zillion times a day that I MUST get into the backyard pool with my daughter (it will be taken down in a few days time). 

I am excited for the possibilities that middle school (OMG is he really there already) and 3rd grade bring to my children. I am hoping it will be an amazing year of growth, learning and fun for them both and for us as a family. 

Happy Back to School People. It is time! The purple flowers tell me so. :-)

We were thrilled to find zillions of these star fish and other sea life down at the far south end of Seaside... we'd never been that far at low tide before. We also had some fun with scads of tiny and large crabs there too. 

We enjoyed the expected and the unexpected things we found at the coast this year. I am hoping for more good news but finding myself feeling worried and uncomfortable and starting to lean toward the negative. I am trying to remember that even if the unexpected happens and it isn't what we thought we wanted, there may be a reason and something else unexpected in a positive way may be just around the corner. 

How do you deal with hoping for one outcome but worrying about another? 

July 25, 2011

Crater Lake ... oh so very blue!

July 24, 2011

Crescent Lake was SOOOO clear, SOOOOO warm & NOOOOO mosquitoes ... We should have stayed there!

July 23, 2011