The Little Bluebird Diaries

Bottled Memories

I snapped a quick photograph of one of my favorites scenes in my house lately.  With the chaos of preparing for mid-terms for grad school on top of my already busy schedule, things like this keep me sane and remind me how beautiful life really is.  I saved a bottle from a particularly memorable evening recently, peeled off the label for my memory book, and added one of the sweetest smelling roses -- a great alternative to throwing away all that glass and a lovely reminder of a time shared with someone dear to me. 

Sepia

Just a minute to dash in today...I wanted to play along with the others at I Heart Faces and share a couple of my new favorite sepia shots.  I love the one of baby boy -- he has such a pure expression on his face and his flowers for the guests in hand.  As for the adult entry -- I felt so privileged to be able to photograph this very talented man on his bike.  I am truly in awe at the ways in which he defies gravity with his motorcycle -- all while making it look so very effortless.  More shortly...

 

 

Time Out

 

I've taken a little time out from blogging lately.  School is in full swing, and baby boy is finally on the up-swing.  We've been spending some time with our dear friends who came to visit and going on some amazingly (Coe Polk's new adjective) fun adventures together.  1000 things must have piled up this week, but with our fast-paced life, I knew I had to take a bit of time to just slow down and enjoy the companionship.  If you're waiting on an e-mail from me, I am playing catch-up and promise to get back to you shortly.  I will share more this week.

 

For now I wanted to share a picture I captured when Uncle Mike and Aunt Laura invited Coe Polk and me to watch "the guys" do stunts on their motorcycles.  I've never had the opportunity to shoot many action shots with my Rebel.  This was a fun and educational lesson capturing the boys on their bikes.  Happy weekend ahead!

Black & White

I'm really quite taken with black and white photography and have been exploring it more and more lately.  I love these random moments caught below.  Coe Polk was sitting, wishing, and watching the world go by at a sidewalk cafe.  

Removing color forces me to focus on the elements in the photograph and the sheer emotion behind the subject.  But for now, I must get back to writing my paper for grad school on negotiating intractable conflicts -- a subject that's definitely not so black and white... 

A Glimpse...

I wish I had time to sit and write a carefully worded post today, but, alas, grad school papers and little boys must take precedence.  I hope the pictures below -- little glimpses into our life lately -- will suffice in the absence of well-crafted paragraphs.  As I write this, I am reminded of the words of wisdom I heard recently, "May we learn to talk less and say more."  I have paused more than once lately, to think about the value of what I am about to voice.  Did I really listen before responding?  How is what I am about to say going to impact the other person?  Are my words genuine and pure in intention?  Just a bit of random food for thought from my personal life lately, I suppose. 

 

Coe Polk's new little friend we found on a recent adventure in the gardens...

 

And treasures we found in our container garden on the deck...

 

And I couldn't help but laugh as I saw this sign so thought-provokingly displayed in front of a flower vendor's display...

Wishing each of you a good ending the week as we look towards the weekend...

With Wings As Eagles

I was privileged enough to be in the company of such heroes yesterday as they prepared to make their way into combat.  So many words of encouragement were spoken, but the one that stuck with me was a quote from Isaiah.  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. -- Isaiah 40:31

This is a medical unit who on most days will see as much action as our local hospital in downtown Atlanta on a Saturday night.  I feel so privileged to have been in their presence and look forward to supporting them through Operation Stars & Stripes, Inc. throughout their deployment.

I wish the lighting had been better, but I was busy back in a corner preparing the tables for the soldiers to pass though and receive support forms, drinks, and other sundries as they prepared to take off.  Nevertheless, I loved these photographs and the emotion hidden behind such stoic faces of these men and women.

 

The black and white below is a bit out of focus, but I still loved the image captured...

 

I captured a photograph of a daughter photographing her mother who was a soldier preparing to deploy.  She and her sister were so very sweet and such positive supporters of their Mother.  You could see the out pour of love these two girls had for her...

 

This was one of my favorites -- two generations of soldiers gathered to show their support for a third generation.  This, to me, is brotherhood at its finest.

We were privileged to witness the commissioning of a new battalion yesterday.  This was a first for the Georgia National Guard since the 1970s. 

 

I was so taken by this little sweetheart whom I helped to pick out a stuffed animal for her to enjoy...

 

And lastly, some of the young troops who came by to pick up a few snacks.  I was honored to be able to shake their hands as they passed along.  I already have requests for a pound cake or two.  More on baking cakes in a jar shortly...but for now, may God speed these heroes safely back to our homeland...

Happiest Birthday, Mother...

 

Yesterday was my sweet Mother's birthday.  I was overjoyed to celebrate this past year of her life and the year full of possibilities that lies ahead.  We weren't able to really go anywhere to celebrate, due to baby boy who is not well, so I came up with a special, little plot. 

When Mother arrived, she was greeted at the doorstep with balloons and a chalked message eagerly wishing her a "Happy Birthday" with a bit of artwork from Coe Polk.  We welcomed her in, and I took her to my sitting room on the far side of my bedroom which I had transformed into a makeshift movie theatre -- with a touch of old Hollywood glamour.

I loved this crystal dangling over the treats and couldn't resist taking a few black and whites.  With limited time, I decided instead of baking a cake that I would create one out of movie candy to be enjoyed during the film.

 

I added a mixture of miniature cartons, little movie boxes, and snack-sized candies.  Target, Wal-mart, and the Dollar Store are great places to score some movie candies.

 

And no cake is complete without a candle to wish on, so I poured some pink sanding sugar in a teacup to anchor a white candle.

 

And one in color...I loved how the ribbons from the balloons danced in front of the picture.  I filled the ceiling with the same rose-colored heart-shaped balloons as pictured above.

 

There were butterfingers...

 

And Whoppers with pink gumballs....

  

And Reese's cups with peach gumballs...

 

And Diet Coke in glass bottles to cut the overdose of sugary sweets...

 

And vintage linens crocheted long before Mother even celebrated her first birthday...

 

I loved this shot of such a classic movie treat...

 

And lined enamel buckets to be filled with popcorn...

 

It surely was a magical escape and a great beginning to hopefully many more movie nights to come.  Going out to a theatre is fun, but staying home and watching one can be equally as entertaining with a few special touches.

(Note:  If you are trying to leave me a comment, I apologize.  For some reason, they seem to not be working.  I have received several e-mails saying comments are not posting.  If you would, just send me an e-mail to TheLilBirdStudio@aol.com instead.)

Two of my favorite things...

Two of my favorite things to do when I have just a moment to myself...play with PSE and blow bubbles to amuse baby boy with my new Smarties bubblegum in the most enticing pastel colors. They really are much lighter than in the photograph, due to the editing.  Green, pink, peach, yellow, and purple!  I'm seeing some definite possibilities for these little balls of sugar,but for now, I'm enjoying a teacup full on my sitting room table across from my bed...all seems right in my bubblegum-infused world tonight.

Cup-E-Cakes (Georgetown Style)

On our most recent trip to Washington, D.C., my dear friend Lorraine shared with me some of the great confectionery secrets of the town.  One of my favorites was Georgetown Cupcakes.  They were very sophisticated -- kind of like the Tiffany's of the Cupcake bakery world. 

I especially liked the cake part -- probably not a good thing.  If you go there and the line is down the street like when I went, don't be deterred, I've never seen girls neatly and precisely package cupcakes so fast and all with a pretty, pink sticker and a smile.

 

I found their decor very simple, yet quite stylish.  The white, pink, and black really went well with their little cozy.

 

This piece of art decorates the little wall space available -- very Andy Warhol.

Even the outside has real charm and is a delight to look at while waiting... 

And lastly, a picture of some cup-e-cakes (of the paper sort) my sweet girlfriend, Kristy, and I have been baking up... 

Idea Central

I am so appreciative and overwhelmed by the generosity and support we've received for our brave heroes this past Memorial Day.  I am eternally grateful and know they will be, as well.  I will have some pictures to share shortly from "over there" for those of you who are interested.

I wanted to share with you pictures from a trip we took not too long ago to IKEA.  I first went to visit this chain when I was in Germany at the Army base in nearby Ansbach -- I had wished for a store like this back home.  I'll never forget my utter amusement when I saw my first IKEA here in the States.  The creative minds behind IKEA never cease to amaze me.  Every time I go in there, they have the most affordable, yet simply beautiful options for decorating -- not to mention yummy cafe and marketplace.

I decided to take my camera with me on our most recent trip.  I was probably the only strange lady in there with a big ol' black Rebel holding up traffic to capture some floursack-type dish towels which I plan to embroider...and certainly the only one in there asking her poor Mother to stand there holding the curtains at just the right length for the light to shine through...but definitely not the only Mother who bribed, yes I said it, bribed her child with a confection from the cafe to behave while she shopped.

 

These would be the curtains mentioned above...

 

And I found these great, little chair pads with velcro for easy attachment...

 

Strangely, these rugs reminds me of big stacks of pancakes and the red ones of beets...

After reviewing the pictures, I realized I got stuck in the textiles.  I loved the curtains on the right -- they had a very natural, organic feel.  I brought home a pair to try in my dining room.  

 

I was really drawn to these screens which hang from a window.  The flowers/berries are sheer and will pick up whatever color is placed behind them.

  

I loved this display.  I never would have paired these colors, but somehow they really work.  You really could build a room around these.

 

I was excited to see they even sell fabric, which coordinate nicely with their other pieces.

 

An unbelievable $14.99 for these...and the velvet is so soft.

 

The duvet bedding options were mostly under $50.00...I would definitely suggest looking here if you are in the market for white...

 

And they definitely win the award for the most unique yet affordable lighting solutions...

 

I really liked this angle...

 

And these...

 

Definitely loved these wall panel lights...

 

And wishing for a place to hang the wheat panels (second from the left)...

 

And if I were a pet, I'd definitely want my family to buy me this little hut to sleep inside...

 

They have hundreds of great storage solutions...

 

And trash solutions, as well...I mean, who wants to really look at a trash can, but if I had this white one, I wouldn't mind it so much...

 

They were clearing out their entire line of pale pink storage boxes...all shapes and sizes...

 

And baskets galore...I was intrigued by the detail on this particular style...

 

They even have accessories down to the flowers...

 

And our favorite part...the laughter that comes from deep within baby boy as we pass through the tunnel on the way home.

We always have a grand time and return with full tummies and feeling happy that we scored some beautiful wares for our home that didn't break our bank account.  The best part of visiting --the ideas -- if you live near an IKEA -- it's definitely worth the trip -- you'll leave with 100+ new ideas for decorating your home.