pamwares

Last Saturday

2012-02-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday I got up with the chickens and headed over to Circle B Bar Reserve. It started out cloudy but ended with bright blue sunny skies.

A few photos from the day.

to the weekend and beyond...

2012-02-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

It has been one busy work week for me. I'm exhausted.

Tomorrow I plan on getting up at o'dark thirty for a photo adventure.

Looking forward to fresh air, wide open spaces and sun.

Take care out there.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Tasty Thursday

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-05:00

Oh...for the love of something warm and sweet on a cool Sunday morning with a hot pot of coffee.

I made cinnamon rolls and they were good. Actually they were freaking awesome and I think my hubby fell in love with them.

Here we go...

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Alton Brown Recipe)

For the Dough

4 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 large whole egg, room temperature

2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

1 package instant dry yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Vegetable oil or cooking spray

For the Filling

1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of golden raisins
1/4 cup of pecans
Pinch salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, pecans and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl - whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Happy Thursday Friends!

Photo Stuff: Bokeh

2012-01-31T06:30:00.000-05:00

What is bokeh? I grabbed this from Ken Rockwell's site.

Bokeh describes the appearance, or "feel," of out-of-focus areas. Bokeh is not how far something is out-of-focus, bokeh is the character of whatever blur is there.

I'll show you.

All of the photos below were taken with my Canon 5D, 50mm lens on a tripod. ISO 100 and Auto White Balance.

The only element I changed in each photo was the aperture. The aperture controls the amount of light coming into the camera.

The very first photo the aperture is wide open. The table and the back ground are out of focus.

As I increase the aperture number I'm stopping down.

The last photo everything in the photo is sharp and in focus. You can see my a/c unit, lemongrass and the table clearly.

Side by Side comparsion: f/1.4 and f/16

Now if I were to take a landscape photo (grand canyon) I would use f/11 or higher because I want to grab all of the landscape and have it in focus.

Strawberries are in season so they made for an excellent example.

Interesting?

Morning Market

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-05:00

Getting up early on Saturday was a good thing.

After having a cup or 2 of coffee I got antsy.

I cleaned up and headed down to the St. Pete Saturday Morning Market just as it opened at 9AM.

It was perfect. In the past when I have gone I get so annoyed with the shoulder to shoulder people. And everyone brings a dog. It has been hard to move around and look.

But 9AM is it. No crowd. And the pickings are good.

It was a highlight of the weekend. I might become a regular.

How was your weekend?

Tasty Thursday

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

I bought a new cookbook.

I needed a cookbook like I needed a hole in the head.

I bought it for 3 reason....

#1 - I admire Eric Ripert

#2 - It was on sale at Williams - Sonoma

#3 - A Tasty Thursday post

So it is all good. Right?

Carbonara - adapted from Avec Eric cookbook

½ cup sliced apple wood smoked bacon chopped (about 4 slices),
2 cups crème fraîche (I substituted reduced fat sour cream), 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and fine sea salt, 4 tablespoons fresh thinly sliced chives, 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese & 8 ounces dried linguini (I substituted fresh pasta in the grocery refrigerator section).

***side note I'm keeping my parmesan rind after reading this.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with salt.

To make the sauce, sauté the bacon over medium-low heat until crisp. Add the crème fraîche and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the sauce, add the black pepper and season to taste with salt. Reserve.

When ready to serve, cook the pasta in the boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the sauce and stir in the chives and parmesan; let everything sit for one minute to properly absorb all of the flavors.

Using a meat fork, twirl a quarter of the pasta and place it in the center of each of four bowls, spoon some of the sauce and garnish over and around the pasta, top with more grated Parmesan as desired and serve immediately.

This was a tasty little dish. It hit the spot on Sunday evening.

Next Thursday....it is time for a sweet treat!

Please come back!

Lunch Time Salvage Hunt

2012-01-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to head over to Layman's Salvage at lunch on Tuesday.

I needed out of the office.

And I couldn't get this chair I had seen there 3 years ago out of my head.

Ok not this chair but very similar. A nice midcentury chair.

I remember it was hidden in this old building way in the back of the property.

I thought if it is there... I'm getting it.

I mean three years of waiting and thinking about it would be a good enough reason.

No such luck - not hidden enough I guess.

Since I'm here I might as well show you around.

And do a little hunting myself.

This place is jam packed. In need of a toilet, sink, iron work, door, window or cabinet - this place has it all. I think there were at least 4 containers packed with just doors - old and new. 100s of toilets and sinks in all shapes and colors.

I liked every single one of these chairs.

Claw foot tub. No problem. Right this way.

And more random stuff.

These two were ones I would have walked away with if the price was right. The first one is a mold for a bird bath with a pelican on top. AWESOME. The owner actually said she wasn't sure if she was going to sell it. And the sink with side table. The hubby and I have talked about buying something like this to make an outdoor kitchen for our camping trips.

I love this place but I think the prices are a bit out there.

And if Angela or Barb are ever in my town.

We are going hunting here.

Odd News

2012-01-24T20:28:00.003-05:00

You can now sport a beard and work at Disney.

After 60 years, the rules have changed.

image found on google

Nothing to exciting to report

2012-01-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

it has been absolutely beautiful in Florida.

who knew it was winter.

* cute dog in fresh NY snow post.

Tasty Thursday

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

My hubby has a thing for buying random pieces of meat at the grocery store.

I ask him why?

You'll figure out what to do with it.

Interesting.

My random piece of meat....beef ribs.

Zinfandel-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary-Parsnip Potato Mashed(adapted).

3 tablespoons room-temperature butter, divided
Coarse kosher salt/pepper
2 1/2 cups chopped red onions
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled parsnips

I couldn't find parsnips at the store so I substituted finger potatoes and I just sliced them up.

1 750-ml bottle Zinfandel

2 cups low-salt beef broth

8 3-to 4-inch-long meaty beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)

For ribs:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot in single layer and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs to large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot. Add onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes. Add finger potatoes; sauté until beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Mix in garlic, then rosemary. Add wine and broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.

Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, arranging in single layer. Bring to simmer; cover and place in oven. Braise until ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Using tongs, transfer ribs to clean bowl.

Separate the juice and the potatoes & onions.

I mashed up the potatoes and onions together in a bowl. I added the last tablespoon of butter and a 2 tablespoons of the reserved juice.

With the remaining juice I made a gravy using flour and boiling it up together and whisking them together over the heat for 10 minutes.

It was tasty meal. The meat fell of the bone. The potatoes were super tasty since they were cooked all day in the broth, wine, onion and rosemary.

But I will be truthful. The beef is fatty. A little too fatty for me. I don't thing I will cook with it again because I'm just not into fatty meat.

My Kitchen

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

I thought before the next Tasty Thursday I would share with all you my small little 1954 kitchen.

It is actually perfect.

When we bought the house I had all kinds of ideas ripping down this and ripping apart that. After 8 years of working in this kitchen is actually just right.

With that said I do I have 2 major things I want add when we re-do. We have to re-do because of a water link problem we found this summer. The water link is fixed but at some point...we have to re-do. Anyways. I want a range hood and a dishwasher (more counter space and less work!!)

Soon after we moved in I painted everything...cabinets, walls, and more cabinets. I also took off all of the upper cabinet doors.

Over time we got a new range/oven, microwave and refrigerator.

Opposite the kitchen is the dining area which is really out sitting area. I sit here a LOT.

And some random bits. My mom's art hangs in the sitting area. I also have a few pieces from my grandmother on the shelves. I have a small magnet collection. I also have a plate collection - that just kinda happened.

You want to see before...

There it is. Pure white.

Do you love your kitchen?

Cabin Porn

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-05:00

First off it is not what you are thinking.

Get your head out of the gutter.

Second not sure how I discovered this blog and/or tumbler.

Third I think I'm in love with Cabin Porn.

All cabins images found on Cabin Porn.

Something to Share

2012-01-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

This past September I was contacted by Blend Fabric to make a few pieces for the International Quilt Show.

I was over the moon (and I still have a smile on my face).

I made a total of 4 pieces. Christmas Rag Wreath with Anna Griffin Fabric. Full Apron with Kitchy Kitchen Fabric from Blend. A Craft Apron with Anna's fabric. And a one last full apron with Garden of Delights - Blend Fabric.

Right now Blend Fabric is still waiting to here back about publication options on 3 of the items. The Rag Wreath is going to be in the August Holiday edition of Quilts & More.

I will say it is amazing the opportunities the etsy store front has given me and so many others.

New Look

2012-01-15T20:15:00.003-05:00

I'm working on re-doing/updating my blog a bit. I bought a template from blogmilk. Just wanted a new look. Now I'm working on it. I need to make a new header so I will be working on that soon.

what do you think?

Long weekend

2012-01-14T09:41:00.001-05:00

Yeah for long weekends. And I have a list of things to do.

What are you doing?

PS - Jackie Brown (cat pictured above) is usually scared of her own shadow was brave one morning and very curious about the squirrels outside.

Tasty Thursday

2012-01-12T20:22:00.002-05:00

So back in October when we were on vacation in Atlanta and went to the Dekalb Farmers Market. I bought a whole hell of a lot beans of all sorts.

I also bought a whole hell of lot of spices and jars of this and that.

One of the beans I bought was French Green Lentil. And I just happened to stumble upon a recipe from Joy the Baker using French Lentils. (btw - one of my favorite food blogs.)

This is an easy recipe and you will be so happy with the outcome. I don't think you need French Lentils. I think a normal dry lentil from your local store will work. It isn't fancy because it is French!

Simple so far.

2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 celery stalks chopped, 2 carrots chopped, 1 medium yellow onion chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 teaspoons dried ground cumin & 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

Still Simple.

1 pound spicy chicken sausage, uncased, 2 cups uncooked French lentils & rinsed

8 cups chicken stock (I used 6 cups of chicken and 2 cups of vegetable)

in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add the uncased chicken sausage and cook, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks. Sausage should finish cooking in small chunks. Remove from the pan.

Add a touch more olive oil if necessary. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions are transluscent, about 5 to seven minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili flakes, and cook for one minute more.

Add the sausage back to the pan. Stir to incorporate. Add the lentils and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve with Parmesan Cheese, bread and wine if you want.

Original recipe from Joy the Baker.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T19:36:00.002-05:00

Walking path at work

Window Shopping

2012-01-10T20:36:00.005-05:00

hand built porcelain tray from clayswan

vibrant red art deco clock by Telechron found athomeinnapa

Pendant Light with Red Enamel Shade found lucentlampworks

Linen Towel in Red...I Believe found sweetnaturedesigns

Flock of Birds Plate found ninainvorm (on sale)

Window shopping on etsy

A Weekend to Remember

2012-01-09T21:46:00.003-05:00

I'm a lucky girl.

I attended another Outstanding in the Field dinner and this one just happened to be only 2 hours away from home.

The dinner was held at Lake Meadow Naturals. A beautiful farm located only 10 miles away from Mickey Mouse and Co.

The chef for the evening was Tony Adams from Big Wheel Provisions.

Oh...the food. Hors d'oeuvres were out of this world. There were at least 7 different plates floating around with the wait staff. One was warm creamy mushroom soup served in an egg shell. And if you weren't eating there was wine to sip on and Winter Park Distilling Co. was serving martinis or mixed distilled beverages of your choice. I went with a neat whiskey.

Smooth and vibrant.

The farm tour had chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, fresh veggies, bees, cows, goats and rabbits. Though some people are not always comfortable with this stuff - this is a working farm and I will leave it at that.

What is Outstanding in the Field without the long table. A total of 150 guests were attending the event (sold out). And the man who started it all is the tall fellow in the cowboy hat.

For Starters:

Lake Meadow egg yolk brushetta with Big Wheel bacon gelee, creme fraiche and chive.

And...

Vol au vent handmade puff pastry, cape canaveral white shrimp, fennel pollen, pea tendril, black truffle and Latitude double cream.

Crispy skinned pasture prime farm berkshire pork belly & spicy Titusville octopus, tamari sweet potato, shanghai bok choy, dansk farms honey & sudachi lime aioli crispy sizzle rice & nori furikake.

Main Course:

Sadly no picture but imagine the following if you can... meyer lemon-cure Lake Meadow poussin sitting on a bed of Backyard Gardens' cavolo nero kale. Veggie plate was roasted homestead acorn squash topped with sea salt caramel brittle and gigante beans glace.

Dessert:

(light provided by hubbies iphone flash light)

Winter Park meyer-lemon curd fool tart, Florida pomello and Ft. Meyer blueberries.

And...

Latitude penna cotta with strawberry preserves, meringue and grape must saba.

I do have to name one fabulous wine that was served with dinner. They were all great but this one...#1.

Scholium Project 2007 "Choephoroi" Chardonnay "Los Olivos Vineyards" Napa Valley CA.

We were lucky enough to have the farm owner and his family sit with us and share our table.

It was perfect.

Outstanding Weekend

2012-01-06T20:03:00.001-05:00

Not exactly sure where this week went but it is gone.

I had plans to post Wednesday and Thursday and it didn't happen.

I will tell you this weekend is going to be a good one. We are doing another Outstanding in the Field dinner. The peeps outstanding in the field decided to do a winter tour - and sposted it sooner after our at Atlanta dinner. And they are dropping in on Orlando. A 2 hour drive away. I really can't describe the excitement I have running around in my head but it is crazy. I loved the last dinner and I have no worries about this dinner. Camera will be with me at all times so be ready my friends...be ready! Also the temperature for on Sunday dinner - 76 and sunny...freaking perfect.

Other than that - this weekend is going to be chilly like a villain. I got nothing and it is awesome. Reading. Catching up on blog posts. Maybe a walk in the neighborhood and a little camera action. And again the excitement is flowing over!

See you Monday! Have fun out there! xoxo pam

Things to do list - revisted

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Back in June 2011 - I posted a Things to Do list.

Let's revisit...shall we.

Things to do around the house…. (room by room)

~~1. Master bedroom – fill holes and repaint~~

~~2. Master bedroom – clean baseboards and touch up paint as needed~~

~~3. Master bedroom – figure out art for large empty wall~~

~~4. Main Closet – go thru closet and move items to attic~~

~~5. Main Closet – make more room and clear out crap~~

~~6. 2^nd Bedroom – clean up baseboards and touch up paint~~

~~7. 2^nd bedroom – clean out closet and list stuff on ebay~~

~~8. 2^nd bedroom – get rid of broken 3^rd desk and replace with a cabinet with multiple drawers~~

~~9. 2^nd bedroom – remove curtain, fill in holes and paint~~

~~10. 2^nd bedroom – find a new door~~

~~11. Bathroom – paint door trim~~

~~12. Bathroom – stain door~~

~~13. Main living room – clean baseboards and tough up paint~~

~~14. Florida Room – clean off shelve unit and re organize books~~

~~15. Garage – go thru cabinets and get rid of crap I have used in years~~

~~16.~~ ~~Garage – get rid of boxes~~

Things to do around the yard…

1. Front Yard – paint wood trim on house

2. Front Yard – paint awnings

~~3. Front Yard – move rocks~~

~~4. Front Yard – fill in pots with new plants~~

~~5. Front Yard – Add new plants to front and side planters~~

I actually did ok. These weren't done over night. Staining the bathroom door was only finished in October because I was over it.

The other project that was hanging over my head was the front yard painting the awnings and wood trim.

I freaking finished it over the long weekend. I'm so happy to be done with this project - words can't explain.

This before - taken on Saturday morning. The awnings are faded (there are a bit wet from the morning dew so don't be deceived). We used to have gutters up along the wood trim but we discovered that water was leaking into the seams of the roof and causing wood damage so we took them all down. Behind the gutters we found more rotting wood and peeling paint.

And now...all fresh and bright. I actually painted everything...trim, walls and awnings. Not because I'm super woman. More like if you are going this far...you might as well go all the way.

Now I need to work on the yard. But for now...I'll drink a beer and chill out.

2012

2012-01-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well here we are 2012.

Interesting of fortunes in my fortune cookie - A quiet evening with friends is the best tonic for a long day.

I probably should play the lucky numbers - you never know.

Do I have any resolutions? Do you?

I have actually been thinking about this all weekend.

I guess I might have one or two.

This year my car and the hubbies car will be paid off which is a nice bit of extra money each month which I plan to use to get rid debt. This leads to the bigger plan. Stop buying crap I don't need. And get rid of crap I have and never look at.

As I get older I notice I don't need all the little crap anymore. I still want stuff - don't get me wrong. I just want to buy stuff that I actually put some thought into. Buying stuff in the past seemed to make me feel better for the moment. Now I look at it and think what the hell were you doing!

I actually started this weekend. I did some organizing and getting rid of crap I never use. It feels good.

Soon I will have to get listing on ebay. Some of it is good stuff that someone else might want or need.

Happy 2012.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T12:09:00.002-05:00

Wishing you all a happy new year from sunny Florida.

This weekend it is get some shit finished around this house weekend because I'm sick of having a list. Fun right. House projects. It will be great when it is done.

Be Safe and Talk at you next year.

***bought above agenda to keep on track!

Tasty Thursday

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile. I know.

This Tasty Thursday is perfect for a cold winter day. I grabbed this one from Mr. Jamie Oliver - my favorite chef dude. Incredible Roasted Shoulder of Lamb - full recipe.

a large bunch of fresh rosemary, 2.2 pound shoulder of lamb, olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper & 1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves (I used 2 bulbs because I love me a little garlic.)

I scored the fat on the top of the lamb shoulder and rubbed the olive oil - salt/pepper mix all over the lamb.

I piled everything into my 7qt Le Creuset.

Covered and Cooked for 4 hours at 325 in the oven.

When the lamb was done I pulled it apart with a fork so it was nice and shredded. I served it over couscous with a tomato, onion & feta salad and hummus on the side.

It was tasty.

this would be awesome...

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

...if one day the paper delivery fellow at my work would drop off a few boxes.

buy it here.

Food Truck Rally

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

St Pete is finally seeing the food truck revolution.

BBQ Nachos

Calorie packed mac and cheese on top of tater tots topped with bacon bits and sour cream. You only live once and since I'm sharing - half the calories right?

Dogs even had puppy popsicles.

The best was pick was the Asian Hot Dog topped with onions, teriyaki, Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed strips and pickled ginger. It was a super wiener winner in my book.

Any food truck rallies in your neck of the woods?

Catching Up - Toy Run

2011-12-26T14:31:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of the month hubby and I road in the Jim's Harley Davidson Toy Run.

Over 1,500 motorcycles were in the run - we got in line early so we were at the front of the pack. The ride goes all over St Pete and you never stop at lights. You just keep moving.

Lots of fun people.

Most unusual bike.

I managed to get a few good shots in while riding.

The Toy Run raised $27K. Not too bad!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

checking in

2011-12-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm alive and well. Business has been good so I have been sewing every moment I have. Soon it will come to a close and I have a bunch to share. See you soon.

Riding into the weekend

2011-12-02T07:35:00.001-05:00

Fun weekend ahead. The hubby and I are participating in the 24th Annual Toy Run. The Harley has been all cleaned up. Loads of candy bought to hand out. And of course the camera will be coming with me. This is going to be fun.

Also - this Sunday - Cupcake Wars on the Food Network - my aprons are on one of the teams. I don't have cable so I will be watching via some other method. But I'm very excited!

Have a safe and fun weekend yourself and see you on Monday.

xoxo pam

Gift Guide: Hints of Turquoise

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

apatite earrings

secret garden coin purse

Sterling Silver Necklace with Vintage Focal

Brushstrokes Still Life Bag

On the Go Gal Necklace

Live Colorfully Continental Wallet

Very girlie gift guide.

Look Right - Look Left

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

While most people were either still sleeping off yummy Turkey and all the fixings or fighting over Black Friday deals (hoping to not get pepper sprayed), I was out at Circle B Bar Reserve with my friend taking pictures. I dragged the hubby too. He needed the fresh air.

Right past the T intersection of the main walking paths at Circle B - heading up Eagle Roost. Stop Stand Still.

Look Right...

Look Left...

Now head back the T intersection and head down Marsh Rabbit Run. About half way up the path.

Look Right...

Walk a 20 steps forward.

Look Right again...

Now Look Left...

When you get the next intersection take a right and walk 30 ft or so down Wading Bird Way.

Look Right...

Look Left...

Just wanted to share what I saw at Circle B Bar Reserve.

Little yellow flowers were everywhere. All I could do was smile.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:55:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year the hubby and I listen to this song. It is our little tradition. Tonight we are heading to the Hard Rock Casino for dinner and gambling. Some may say or just think that doesn't seem traditional. Oh well....tradition is what you make of it. I will be with everyone I love and that is the best part.

Gift Guide Tuesday

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think most of you know....I have a little thing for photography. It all started last year about this time and it has gone crazy - ask my hubby, my parents and my friend.

Here are a few things I have bought myself over the past year that I think would make any photographer happy this holiday.

Black Rapid Camera Strap for Women

ExpoDisc White Balance Filter (size will vary depending on lens)

Canon 50mm f/1.8mm (nifty fifty) and for Nikon

Just a few things - nothing too expensive.

And if you look around - I think photographer lessons especially one on one are the best gift to give.

The holidays are coming

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend flew by and this week is the start of the holidays.

Blink and it will be the New Year.

My shop is packed with aprons and goodies.

Gone already

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Weekends they go by fast. I have been working my ass off the last couple of weekends....sewing. Trying to load up the shop before the holidays. And to tell you the truth I'm kinda worried this year will not be as successful as last year. Things are just slow in my shop.

But I will keep my chin up and plow ahead.

What about you - good weekend?

If you have an etsy shop, how is it doing?

Happy Friday

2011-11-11T07:26:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, Happy Veterans Day, Happy 11/11/11

and have a fabulous weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Played legal hooky from work on Tuesday.

Went to Ft. DeSoto Beach.

Loading up my Shop

2011-11-08T15:14:00.002-05:00

New Craft, Garden or Vendor Aprons

New Full Aprons

I also have a whole bunch of new pot holders, ipad covers and half aprons.

And if anyone thinks running an etsy shop is easy. You are crazy. Making. Picture taking. Picture editing. Listing. Packaging. You might not break a sweat but it is very time consuming. But rewarding as well.

Weekend Adventure

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

My little adventure this weekend took me to Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, FL. Wide open space. This reserve is known for its birds especially the White Pelicans. And alligators.

I walked over 5 miles of trail and it was all simple, untouched and beautiful.

I hope to get back soon. I would like to see the White Pelicans. They arrive in the late fall. After Circle B we headed over to Lake Parker to see this fellow...

I got back to my folks house around 4PM and I took a nap. I think between the sun, fresh air, walking and carrying 10 lbs of camera equipment I was exhausted.

On the way home I did catch the sunset.

Any adventures for you?

Happy Weekend Adventures

2011-11-04T12:51:00.001-04:00

I have been playing legal hooky from work the last 2 days.

I have been sewing and more sewing.

Tomorrow I will have a photography adventure. I'm pretty sure I will have plenty to share.

Speaking of sharing. I have lots to catch you all up on in the next week.

Here is my new ad which will be in the Holiday Edition of Sweet Paul. It will be out to the digital world on November 14. I'm hoping to drive some business to my little etsy shop.

Have a beautiful weekend friend!

Tasty Thursday

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Arugula, Ricotta and Smoked Mozzarella Pizza

Full Recipe is from Giada at Home on the Food Network. I made some slight changes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup ricotta cheese - part skim
4 garlic cloves chopped
a dash of kosher salt
a dash freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
1 packed cup arugula
4 Roma or Plum Tomatoes
Pizza Dough
Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend the ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper, arugula and mozzarella cheese until smooth.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 14-inch diameter circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the ricotta mixture on top leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the tomato slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until the crust is golden, about 20 minutes.

Slice and enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T07:14:00.001-04:00

Sunrise Fort DeSoto Beach

Love This

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

I have been slightly obsessed with vintage paint by number art lately. But how to display one has been my hold up to buying until now. I need to buy several and do a small collage display. Right?

Another idea...find a nice set.

monjardinvintage

I found all of the vintage paint by numbers pieces above on etsy. The 2 lifestyle images of the home were found on BHG.com - check out the entire home - it is worth it.

Another option...

Buy an old vintage kit and get painting - samandchris.

Probably next year.

Pieces from the weekend

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Rainy - cool front approaching. My Layla-Cat loves to lay on my convertible car top in the garage. Every once in awhile I have to vacuum up the hair. Sleepy dogs. Happy hens. And sewing.

How was your weekend?

PS - Happy Halloween - be safe out there.

Watching

2011-10-25T07:57:00.000-04:00

We don't have cable (going on 4 years now). We do have a TV. We watch instant shows/movies on Netflix. I love it and it is inexpensive with no commercials.

My latest love is Battlestar Galactica. There isn't much that makes me sit for a whole hour but this show does. And most times we are watching 2 shows back to back.

Do you have a favorite show?

Time to start

2011-10-24T07:21:00.000-04:00

The weekend was full of sewing. It may not look like much but I'm working on 16 craft/garden aprons.

The weather was beautiful in our neck of the woods. I had the windows open with lots of cool fresh air.

Did you have a good weekend? Do anything fun?

Day 4 & 5 from vacation

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Day 4 was actually the Outstanding in the Field event.

The one thing I wanted to do before the end of this vacation was to take some sunset photos over the Stone Mountain Lake. The evening of day 3 the light was good and I darted out with my camera and tripod. The hubby followed with the dogs in tow about 15 minutes later. The photos make me smile.

And the last picture is our little trailer. Just right for us and the puppies.

And if you haven't noticed I love taking pictures.

The last night in Atlanta we headed over to The Family Dog. Gordon Ramsay just went there and tweeted about it. Once I saw the menu - I knew I had to go. The photos are from my iphone. (a little side note - my hubby is actually getting used to me taking pictures of our food which is not what I expected.) We had Rbud pimento cheese with spicy saltines, Smoked Duck quesadilla with goat cheese and pickled veggies and Disco Fries with marrow gravy, pickled japs, american cheese and fried egg. The marrow gravy - best thing ever.

An awesome ending to this vacation.

One last thing from Atlanta. The Dekalb Farmers Market. I first went to this market when I was in the 1st grade (30 years ago). I hated it. The fresh peanut butter was weird. The floors were always wet. My parents loved to buy to cheese and crackers and have it as a road side lunch (I wanted McD). And it smelled (fish, meat, veggies and arm pit to arm pit people). Looking back...I think it might have had something to do with my love of food and cooking. It is weird when I think about it now. In the last 20 years the market has moved into a huge building - the size of a huge home depot. It has so much to offer. It is fresh. It is international. It has almost anything and everything you need. I love it. And I wish we had something like it in the Tampa Bay area. This was my first time going back as a cooking adult (I went in my 20's.). The end results - spent a ton of money on lots of things to make in the future.

If you are ever in Atlanta and you love to cook, please go. You won't regret it.

Day 3 from vacation

2011-10-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

We hiked up Stone Mountain. There were 2 utility poles about mid way up just covered in individual bubble gum. Gross yet interesting as well.

It is a 1.3 mile trek to the top and we realized we are out of shape. It did feel good - even the pounding heart. It is a beautiful view. And that is me posing like a damn ass.

We got the prettiest pork tenderloin at the Dekalb Farmers Market (more on the market later). Most pork you buy at the grocery store is little/pale pink. This was beautiful rose pink. I marinated it is shallots, garlic, thyme, olive oil, salt & pepper. The hubby grilled it up.

Outstanding in a Field - Atlanta

2011-10-14T21:45:00.000-04:00

The whole reason we actually went to Atlanta for our vacation was to attend the Outstanding in a Field dinner. Some people spend money on concerts, theater, broadway, art and so on. We spend money on once in a lifetime opportunities to eat good food. We call them our "events".

The Gaia Gardens/Love is Love Farm was the location for the Atlanta stop.

Outstanding in the Field is a concept founded by Jim Denevan... "Our mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it."

Love is Love shaved turnips, crisp kale, beet thinnings, basil pistou, Burge Plantation radishes, Sunburst trout roe, Indian Ridge wood sorrel. Paired with 2010 Rose from Tiger Mountain.

White Oak Pasture rib eye, arugula butter, sweet potato dauphine, garlic confit, braised frisee, endive & turnip greens. Paired with 2006 Mountain Cyn from Tiger Mountain.

Decimal Place goat cheese, grilled eggplant puree, Snug Hill spiced pecans, H&F Bread Co. cranberry walnut toast. Paired with 2007 Cabernet Franc from Tiger Mountain.

I wasn't able to get a nice picture of the dessert. I did use one of the wine glasses as a tripod to grab a glowing picture of the evening.

Dessert was Ellijay apples with buckwheat cake & Hughes sorghum. Paired with 2010 Petit Manseng from Tiger Mountain.

The chef was Linton Hopkins from Restaurant Eugene.

Almost every producer was on hand at the dinner and each came by to answer questions and describe the process in which they produce their fine yummy goods.

It was a fabulous learning and dining experience.

catching up

2011-10-11T19:12:00.003-04:00

We just got back from our vacation! So much fun. I have so much to share. We ate our way thru Atlanta and I took pictures along the way. Freaking amazing food and fun little adventures.

Back to work tomorrow so later this week I'll share when I catch up.

Post soon.

XOXO pam

Day two

2011-10-08T16:22:00.001-04:00

A visit to stone mountain, a train ride and the best damn dinner & service I have had at a restaurant. We ate at Woodfire Grill - Top Chef Kevin Gillespie's restaurant. Perfect.

Day one

2011-10-06T19:50:00.001-04:00

My outdoor kitchen.

Organic carrots from the market.

Carrots, shallots, garlic, leeks, olive oil, butter, salt & pepper. Cooked altogether until tender.

Dinner served...grilled bone in rib eye, carrots and mushrooms. A little wine. Picnic table. Perfect.

Worldwide Photo Walk

2011-10-04T19:16:00.002-04:00

a few photos from the Worldwide Photo Walk this past Sunday.

Craziness

2011-09-29T04:30:00.000-04:00

this week is crazy full. last night out with friends. tonight photo lesson with jason. friday is quiet but I hope to sew up a couple of pairs of pajama pants. saturday cleaning trailer, loading trailer and nails and pedicure. sunday morning the worldwide photo walk, might have to go into work & dinner with the folks. but on the horizon - vacation.

Photographing with friends

2011-09-28T21:49:00.003-04:00

damn pole was in the way - this would have been awesome picture if I could have gotten the boats bow in.

my friend dina and i met up tonight to photography the yacht basin in St Pete. She is a Nikon girl and I'm a Canon girl but we love to take pictures - works out perfectly.

Bits from the Weekend

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Weekends go by too fast.

Saturday I went to my parents house to hang out and we went out to dinner. I got a Korean Hot Pot. So tasty. Always good to see them.

Sunday I mostly worked on the 2 aprons for the Blend Fabric out of Atlanta. The art director contacted me thru etsy a couple of weeks ago to make the aprons for the International Quilt Show. The company and the fabric are new. It was fun to sew new designs with new fabric. Both of them took most of the day to make. The light green with orange trim took the most time because it was a new design for me. I actually made one with fabric I had on hand first to make sure I was cutting and sewing all the pieces together properly. I ran into a few bumps but that I kinda expected that. The final apron came out just as I had planned.

Did you have a good weekend?

To the weekend...

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

from sunrise

to sunset

And a little in between...have a fun weekend and celebrate autumn in style.

Tasty Thursday

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'll start at the end and work my way back. Homemade pretzel rolls.

I found the recipe on the digital magazine called Sweet Paul. Have you heard about it? It is a beautiful magazine with great recipes, articles and the photography of the food and places people eat is awesome. And it is free!

The full recipe is on page 10. A few ingredients, a little bit of time for the dough rise, roll and roll, boil and cut in the oven for 10 minutes.

Easy as pie...easier - much easier.

My town

2011-09-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

This is where I live...Gulfport, FL. A small little town in the middle of a big town called St Petersburg. There are a hand full of little eateries on the main road. Actually Gulfport was a finalist in the Rand-McNally 2011 Best of the Road - Best for Food.

We have the beach. We have odd finds and artist all around. Reminds of my days living in Key West.

Pamwares Update

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

pamwares is up and down. For awhile it was down. Nothing was selling. Getting views but no action. I actually was coming to terms with slowing down and chilling outside with my camera instead behind the sewing machine. But things have slowly turned around.

I got a custom order to make 4 aprons for a nice lady in Canada who has a mobile hair & makeup company. I fell in love with this apron. My first time working with satin.

I also got an order for 2 custom aprons for a lady who is going to be on TV. Right now she can't say much but when I know more...I hope to share with all of you.

And last but not least....I was asked to make custom aprons for a new fabric company in Atlanta. They are introducing their new fabric line at the International Quilt Show in October. Over the moon! I have wanted to attend this show since I started sewing. So instead of me going I will send my aprons to attend. I just got all of the fabric so I will be sewing them up and I will post pictures.

Just when I think it is time to give up...busy bee happens.

On a business note...my sewing machine is in the shop...I think she is worn out from so many layers of fabric.

Do you have any fun and exciting news to share?

Weekend and Catch Up

2011-09-19T19:00:00.003-04:00

pictures: egg sandwich | chicken checking me out | weeping hibiscus | layla in the back yard

It has been a week of no posts. Stuff happens.

The next 2 weeks are going to be crazy busy. I like busy so it is all good. I have lessons, sewing, cooking, date night with hubby here via groupon deal and getting ready for vacation. First vacation this year. Can you hear the excitement in my typing. I'm freaking over the moon excited.

How has your week and weekend gone?

Peace Out

2011-09-09T07:34:00.002-04:00

The weekend is almost here. And I have no major plans.

What about you?

Enjoy the days my friends.

Image found via pinterest via tumblr

Tasty Thurday

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I decided to clean out the freezer and cook up some of the extra meat we had. I was in a clean out and fix up kinda of mood I guess for the long weekend. I think I'm always in a clean out mood. My mom gave me that mood.

anyways.

Above is a Leg of Lamb I made from an Emeril Recipe. It was super tasty and so easy to make. And the house smelled so good during and after the cooking.

On Sunday I made tacos. For the meat I took a nice big chuck of rib eye roast we had. I patted it down with cumin, red peppers, salt and pepper. Put in the crock pot with 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, one chopped onion, one chopped green pepper and 5 garlic cloves. Put the lid on and cooked on high for 6 hours. Pulled the meat out, pulled it apart with a fork. Drained off the extra juice and tossed the meat with the left over cooked veggies. So freaking good. I like cole slaw on my tacos because it is so crunchy and refreshing. A little bit of cheese and some green sauce.

Monday was meatloaf and I forgot to take pictures and it was just ok tasting. I add a space packet we had laying around to it. I don't that worked out as I planned. Live and learn!

Almost Friday!

An evening with pelicans

2011-09-07T20:55:00.002-04:00

Last night I had another photography lesson with Jason. This time around we headed to the St. Pete Pier for a little lesson on panning birds in flight with a telephoto zoom lesson.

Panning birds in flight is not easy. I wanted to do my panning while looking thru the viewfinder but you miss too much. You have to follow the birds with the lens and keep a close eye with the view finder but then when the moment comes you drop down and look thru the viewfinder and continuous shoot as the birds fly by. Of course while panning you have the shutter release half down so you are ready to click, and so the camera is focusing as you pan. For a canon camera it is the AI Servo mode.

This is going to take some work but I always like a good challenge.

For most of the lesson we were dodging rain drops. But I did get some good practice. 3 more lessons to go!

The sunset at the end of the lesson was a beauty.

Long Weekends

2011-09-05T21:54:00.000-04:00

Long weekends are awesome. Every morning I got up and had coffee and one day I even got a little crazy and made cinnamon rolls.

I'm pretty happy with all my weekend warrior projects. Bathroom door is finally stained and rehung - only took a year and half to complete. I painted up some old picture frames and rehung all the art in the bedrooms. I started the work on the problem area we discovered under the kitchen window - the rain slowed me down today. Finished up all my aprons. And I cooked everyday. Having the three days was nice to space all the projects out and not make it too overwhelming.

This sight doesn't happen often - sharing the space together. My little black cat is scared of her own shadow as well as the dogs.

What did you accomplish or not accomplish this long weekend?

Long Weekend Ahead...

2011-09-02T19:34:00.002-04:00

First I had to share a pictures of my boys at Best Friend Pet Care at Disney World. Makes me smile.

Oh my I have plans this weekend and hopefully I'm not overdoing it. I'm staining the bathroom door - finally. I have to work on a water link problem we discovered under our kitchen window. This will be a temporary fix until we renovate the kitchen which is not far off. I'm going to paint some frames and hang some pictures. And a lot of small stuff in between.

And finish up the aprons I started.

Glad I have 3 days to do it!

Be safe and have fun...pam

Tasty Thursday

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is a Tasty Thursday post but not your normal post because someone else did the cooking and baking. One thing I can tell all of you...the hubby and I love to eat. Sometimes we look at eating out at above average place as an event. Some people like to spend money on concerts, theater and movies - we like to fine dining. This is one of these occasions.

Dinner at Bistro de Paris at EPCOT. We both went with the Prix Fix Menu. There were several options to choose from so it worked out perfect.

Compliments of the Chef - Artichoke with Cream Soup

Mini Baguette

My les prelude: Jambon Serrano, Celeri Remoulade et pointes d'asperges - Serrano Ham, Celery Root Remoulade & Green Asparagus

Hubby's les prelude: Thon marine au citron vert et herbes, salade mediterraneenne, coulis de poivrons - Marinated Tuna with Limes and Herbs, Mediterranean Salad, Roasted Pepper Coulis

My Les Poissons: Noix de Sainte-Jasques sautees, Risotto au Persil - Seared Scallops, Parsley Rissotto (the foam in front is a garlic foam which was super yummy to dip the baguette in)

Hubby's Les Poissons: Filet de Boeuf grille Forestier, sauce Bordelaise, puree de pomme de terre - Grilled Beef Tenderloin with with mushroom "crust", Bordelaise sauce, Mashed Potato

I don't have all the fancy descriptions from here. My dessert was a peach sensation. Right in front & out of focus is peach sorbet...to die for.

Hubby's was a delicious chocolate volcano with almond sauce and homemade vanilla ice cream.

espresso to end the evening.

I highly recommend this Bistro de Paris if you are going to EPCOT. The food was amazing and price fix was pretty reasonable - $49 without wine. I got the wine and next time I probably won't. The wine was good but nothing to write home about. The one great thing about this place is the location. After running around a theme park with 50 million people and screaming kids - this is a nice break. It is quiet, cool and they didn't rush you. And not being rushed in one of the most rushed places on earth - is a good thing.

PS - I asked the hubby if I could take pictures of our food prior to sitting down and he said yes - I was shocked. I think he is finally getting used to me always having the camera attached to my hip.

Bits from last week

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

I see you - do you see me? A gorilla peeking thru the tropical foliage.

Last Thursday I took off from work and the hubby and I headed to Disney World. These are a few pictures from Animal Kingdom. We dodged rain here and there - bits from Hurricane Irene. The nice thing the hurricane did bring to our area - lots of wind. Orlando in the summer is a sauna with no breeze most days.

Learning Bokeh

2011-08-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

photo tidbit: 50mm, f/2, 1/80 & ISO 400

My photography lesson this past Tuesday was fun. I brought my 50mm f/1.8. One of the most inexpensive lens you can probably buy but it is one of the funniest. It is a great lens to do all things... bokeh! You can a great shallow depth of field and the very nice blur in the background because of the wide apecture.

photo tidbit: 50mm, f/2, 1/80 & ISO 800

These were fun...twinkle lights in the trees in downtown St. Pete. It was dusk. So what I did was focus on my camera on an object - my object happen to be a fire hydrate. Once focused I kept my finger half way pressed on the shutter button and walked over to my spot to snap my twinkle lights. Pointed the camera at them and pressed the shutter button the rest of the way down. Pretty cool.

Same thing but this time I changed up my white balance setting to tungsten - the little twinkle lights are now blue.

photo tidbit: 50mm, f/2, 1/250 & ISO 400

photo tidbit: 50mm, f/4, 1/50 & ISO 400

A few more photos from my lesson. The hubby and I grabbed a bite to eat beforehand at Ceviche's. It was $4 Tapas Tuesday - sweet! My poor hubby has been working some serious overtime so this one of our only nights together! It was nice. He is back to a normal schedule now.

Another lesson tonight...playing with my macro lesson.

Bits from my weekend

2011-08-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday was exciting. Headed over to the Florida Aquarium for a little getaway and picture taking. I think the last time I went to the aquarium was almost 10 years ago. It hasn't changed much but it is a nice place especially on a hot sunny day - AC baby! Most of my pictures weren't all the great of the tanks. I had fun trying! The place was crowded and I had to fight to take pictures in the open areas with all the people taking pictures with their cell/smart phones. It was kinda weird.

The bottom photo of the Leafy Seadragon is for my friend. She loves them!

Sunday not too eventful. I sewed up an order I have been working on for a month. Finally got it all nailed down. Feels good to be done. In between sewing - laundry and more laundry.

Back to work tomorrow. It is going to be a crazy week for me. And hopefully this Hurricane Irene stays away - she might be messing with my day off on Thursday. Makes me sad!

Tell me what you did?

Friday Fun

2011-08-19T09:51:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday Friends! I'll be sitting in the location shown above all weekend!

Just kidding.

I do plan on doing some relaxing. Coffee and reading in the morning. Saturday heading to the Florida Aquarium to get out and practice my photography. Maybe a little sewing on Sunday. I'm taking a small break from sewing. I'm still not happy about the relevant change over on Etsy. I haven't had any sales in the past week or so and my views are down. Etsy's response for August being slow to us sellers - August is the slowest month for retail. Well it isn't the slowest at my retail day job and last August I did really good. So no I don't buy the load of crap!

So I hope to have some photos to share next week. Maybe a few finds. And hopefully a Tasty Thursday yummy!

Have a great weekend!

PS - Photo from Mustard and Sage blog post!

Bits from the weekend {part 2}

2011-08-17T09:41:00.001-04:00

Sunday morning I decided to get up before the sun and head over to the new Dali Museum for the sunrise. I thought the sun bouncing off the exterior glass would be kinda fun. It did not disappoint.

I haven't had a chance to go to the new Dali Museum yet. It opened in January and has been a popular tourist and local destination. One of these days I will go.

Tidbits {10mm, f/3.5, 1/1250, ISO 100}

On the way back to my car I couldn't help but take this picture.

Photography Lesson {#2}

2011-08-16T08:18:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday I had my second photography lesson with Jason. The focus was architecture. I brought my tripod, shutter release, ultra wide lens and my camera. I really like using the tripod - it enables you to take a good picture every time. No shaking. No blurry. And adding the shutter release made it even easier.

Tidbits {22mm, f/11, 1/6, ISO 100, Canon 60D}

Tidbits {20mm, f/16, 8 sec, ISO100, Canon 60D}

This is the first picture I have taken with an extended shutter opening. Of course I had my camera on the tripod. I just hit the release and held my breath in hopes of no shaking or blur.

Next lesson tonight - 50MM!

Bits from the Weekend

2011-08-15T08:54:00.000-04:00

Short road trip this weekend to Sarasota. Mostly to get out and practice taking pictures. My first stop was the Sarasota Farmers. Lots of colorful subjects. It wasn't too crowded which made it easier to take my time and look around.

After the market I headed over to Ringling Museum.

Simply a great place to take pictures. The only downside - the heat. I walked the grounds for 2 hours and then I was done and completely exhausted.

I got home around 3, grabbed a bit to eat and took a nap!

More weekend bits on Wednesday.