shutterboo

I’m completely guilty of uploading my photos and not doing anything with them.  Only since July have I been doing more – I started the blog to share my photos.  It’s been a mild success thus far.  But I don’t print them. 

And I know you don’t do this either. 

Shame shame, know your name.

Technology has helped us and hurt us.  We used to have to print your pictures to see how they turned out.  And then we’d stick them in an album.  And then they’d collect dust.  Now we keep digital albums.  Big Bro has done a great job at setting up a network so that they can view their family photos on the TV in the living room.  Everyone loves it too.  Especially they little elf.  And he has the family videos at the touch of his finger.  I don’t have this.  Too much work.  And I’m too dumb to figure it out. 

Where am I going with this?  My friends Mel and Thurmeo took a vacation of a lifetime: a 2-3 week cruise through the Mediterranean.  They toured Italy, they toured Greece… and Mel carried that heavy hunk of camera everywhere with her.  With hundreds of photos to sort through, with so many of them helping to tell the story of their baby-making vacation, she decided to make the choice easier.  And create a keepsake. 

Mel made a photobook.  Or as others might call it, a coffee table book.

This, internet, is not your parents photo album.  With the help of Snapfish, Mel was able to highlight her favorites photos while showcasing her ”story telling” photos of their journey through the Mediterranean.  I love this  book.  Every page has a different layout that keeps you interested.  The places they visited were so beautiful and Mel did a great job capturing it.  And seeing her photos on the glossy pages, printed in a way that looks professional… well, to say the least, I’m jealous. 

I want to do this now.  But that means I’d have to go back through the hundreds of photos I took in Germany.  And New York.  Best save this for when the hubs and I take a trip of a lifetime.  Which will hopefully be in the next two years.  But I’m not talking about the Mediterranean.  I’m thinking further north.  Much further north.

I remember on a school trip to Chicago that the city had several statues of cows.  Painted cows.  Why on earth Chicago had cows, I have no idea.  I remember this.  I know it happened.  Or it could have been an insanely realistic dream.  That happens often.

Like the one time I was being chased by a she-vampire and when I thought I was in the clear, the Queen of the Damned was hanging upside down by her feet from the curtain rod and her dress was the curtain.  I ate garlic for a week just to make sure that vampires would steer clear.

Back to the possibly make-believe cows.  I didn’t understand why all of these dressed up cows were planted around Chicago.  But I get it now.  Because Louisville has its own version.  But not cows here.  We’ve got “the most exciting two minutes in sports”  in this city so there are dozens of dressed up horses that grace our community.

Gallopalooza invites artists to design a horse and local businesses and individuals to sponsor the artists.  After it’s all said and done, the horses are auctioned off (today actually) and are placed in their new permanent homes.  And if I’m not mistaken, money raised from the auction goes to Brightside, a local non-profit organization that promotes civic pride and beautifying the community.  I have to admit, I love all of the daffodils they plant.

These statues were showcased in front of City Hall so PodMate and I took a walk to get some shots.  The sun was shining this day – shining a little to bright for my taste because these lacquered up horses had reflections.  But I tried to make the best with what I had.

I love the idea of artist all having the same blank canvas.  I think it pushes the creativity beyond what you’re used to but these artist do a fantastic job.  Each horse has a different look and sends a different message.  And gives people something to talk about.  “I remember on a school trip to Louisville that the city had several statues of horses.  Painted horses…”

This week, Mel and I got together again to dirty up her kitchen.  I made out like a bandit with leftovers which almost makes me feel guilty – I did download actions for her Photoshop though.  She’ll thank me later once she’s been staring at the computer for 5 hours straight and wonders where the time went.

I took a lot of photos and had a lot of favorites, so not all will make it to the blog – flickr is holding them hostage.  I’ve decided I like using my camera [with the 50mm lens] at Mel’s because the there’s just enough light and with the correct white balance I don’t have to touch the photos afterwards.  They are good as is.  I think it’s her new lights over the island.  That’s what I’m telling people anyway.

OK.  So this time Mel made homemade beef & noodles, the way grandma used to do it.  I can’t remember ever having homemade egg noodles.  Mel says they’re a cinch to make; it’s the drying out part that makes it tricky.  Tricky tricky tricky.  And then you have to cut them really really thin otherwise they grow to be the size of Buick.  And I don’t think you want a Buick on your stove.

Yummy noodles.  Good to eat right off the cutting board.

And in the pot they go.  With beef broth and shredded beef from the pot roast.  It smelled so good.  And these noodles cooked up super fast.

Hello, Dinner.  How you doin’?

Served with a side of pancetta-laced green beans and warm french bread with real butter.  I love me some homemade egg noodles!  But I couldn’t eat too much.  Had to save room.

Mel found a stellar cupcake recipe on Bakerella – she talks about on her blog Splendid Sweets – and though there’s 57 steps from start to finish, it’s worth it.  Believe me, it’s worth it.  Let me just share a few photos.

The Making of Heaven In A Paper Liner

(aka Bourbon Sweet Potato Cupcakes)

My favorite photo of the night:

Mel has embraced photographing her sweets.  And since she’s sporting a “new” camera (so long hunk, hello mammajamma) I think this will continue.  I love it.  The lady is stretching her arm out to get a shot.  I think a food blogger has been born.  No?

Water and I are not friends.  Only because I had such a hard time setting up shots.

Glasses of water.  Boring.

Flushing toilets.  Boring [and unsanitary].

Displacement.  Cool.  But boring shot.

I had to find a model.  A PG model this time.  Although if I’d managed to find a pal who was willing to not only get down to her skivvies but drench herself, the hits may have gone through the roof.  Sorry dudes, no pretty panties this week.

Here is my water:

I heart my BDD.  Chevy is a special dog (in the short bus way).  I was telling Mel last night how I always clap around other people’s puppies to see if they can hear but alas, we managed to get the only dang deaf pup born in Louisville in the last decade.  Why oh why oh why?

But since Chevy cannot hear, we’ve trained her with hand signals.  Of course, if she doesn’t feel up to it, she turns her back to us.  “I can’t see you therefore I do not do as you say, food lady.”  And she does things that Chase (or any other dog for that matter) doesn’t do.  Like run away from the TV and hide behind the couch barking (yes, she can bark).  And stare at shadows and ceiling fans.  Or run out in the middle of the yard looking up at the sky waiting for the ball you didn’t throw to fall down.  Or stand beside the bathtub just watching all of the water pool and go down the drain.

I don’t get it.  But I don’t question it.  Because I’m not deaf.  She relies on her eyesight more than anything and actually pays more attention to things like manic moths that have slipped in the door and items moved from room to room.  Chase could care less.    But I love the BDD because she’s my 70 pound lap dog.

Next week’s challenge is “green.”  I love the color challenges!  But I have no idea what I’m going to find that’s green because all of the leaves and grass are dying.  Boo.  Don’t forget to check out the flickr pool’s photos or click on the challenger roll to see what the others cooked up.