very sad day...

My darling and young pregnant niece lost her husband today. He, too, was young and vibrant and a warm and loving man. I still cannot believe it. Our hearts are all broken. 

new stuff going on........

It has been a long time, probably 6 months since I have felt a new sense of creativity envelope me. I am learning some sculpture techniques for jewelry and actually making some beads again. I have been very busy making necklaces and other pieces that I love but these new items will add to what I already do. I am loving all of it right now. Of course, the holidays are filling my days with other things so I am exhausted but that's ok. It's nice to want to be working hard.

Day after ....

It has been an interesting election so far. Last night I saw this happen and it made me feel especially good about my choice, not only because this is a brilliant man who will lead this country honestly but he is good and kind.

McCain was attempting to say Ahmadinejad, and after a few stumbles, quietly and  nicely, Obama said "That's a tough one".  John McCain, who still refused to look at Obama,  gave a nasty sneer. 

 McCain was condescending and rude the entire night. One only wonders how he treats his wife in private. Oh, I forgot we already know.

This is my last blog here until after the election. See my political blog instead.  Tickseed

Happy birthday Jenny! Love you sweetie.

quietly two ....

quietly two ...., originally uploaded by annschneider.

I wish that I could somehow see if seeing something beautiful would change McCain into a decent human being. He certainly tried to pull a fast one on the Democrats today. Finally, the Democrats have a brilliant man running for president and a campaign that is smart too.
My new tank top came today..".Obama 08 This time I want a smart president" . I will wear it a lot. Got it from Cafepress.

storm rolls in at sunset .....

storm rolls in at sunset ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

This election is making me want to sit and look at God's landscape a lot more than dealing with people. I am so fortunate that I have so many smart women around me.
When I am in Colorado I have this view and I have a group of artists who understand that this world must be for everyone, not just the privileged.
....and now I am about to go back to Atlanta, a state that unfortunately may go to McCain but I have my daughter's there. They strive to be good and caring to all mankind. They work hard and make the right things important. I'm a lucky soul.

cottonwoods .....

cottonwoods ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

This beautiful park in Ridgway. The grass seems greener than anywhere else and the small town feel is enough to make you stay here forever. Sitting and dreaming and feeling the cool breeze of autumn on your skin.

play with me! ttv

play with me! ttv, originally uploaded by annschneider.

What a pooch! Still one of my favorite models for TtV's.

evening by the bench .. ttv .....

evening by the bench .. ttv ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

We've been here in Ridgway for over a month. I feel at home and we are settling in differently this summer. I think because we stayed for over a month in June and part of July, we were able to just slip back into "being at home" when we got back in early August. We have a nice garden and our little house is cozy and warm....although the chill winds are blowing and the leaves are touched with gold.

cosmos on the deck .....

cosmos on the deck ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

I was so happy to get back to Colorado and actually have a garden and beautiful flowers on the deck. The chipmunks haven't been that busy.

snow in August ... children's room

snow in August ... children's room, originally uploaded by annschneider.

Just another ttv.....children's room series.

Ouray Artist's Alpine Holiday

coneflower and a matching butterfly!!, originally uploaded by annschneider.

I was very happy to have this photograph and a watercolor juried into a show in Colorado this month. A very good inspiration to paint more and photograph much more!
We are in Ridgway for about 6 weeks...It will be beautiful and inspiring.

the other corner .....

the other corner ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

Trying so hard to get ready to get myself to Colorado. We leave Wednesday am and as much as I hate to leave my family...i will be happy to be there. It's different.

birthday girl

birthday girl, originally uploaded by annschneider.

We had a great party today. At my grandaughter's house...brave woman, my daughter. A magic theme with a magic man. The bunny was the very big hit. Out he popped!

all the way down the valley.....

all the way down the valley....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

Just one of the most beautiful views in the world. I am leaving to spend some time there in a week and a half. It will be heavenly......and this view is from my yard.

just a flutter .....

just a flutter ....., originally uploaded by annschneider.

This is from the Birmingham Gardens a few years ago. I am still in love with it.
We tried to see' Brideshead Revisited' tonight. Huge storm in Atlanta...electricity went off in the theater and it is probably still off.....5 hours later!

sunset golf......

sunset golf......, originally uploaded by annschneider.

I took a short detour when I drove my grandaughter home this evening. I used to live across from this beautiful scene and as I get older I find it more and more lovely. It is peaceful and a very special place.

road to town .....ridgway

road to town .....ridgway, originally uploaded by annschneider.

It just isn't fair that eeryone cannot see the way the Cimmarons light up at sunset. It is magical and mystical.

practice.......

practice......., originally uploaded by annschneider.

An interesting chance to see the difference a ttv makes in a photograph. All reversed and so vintage looking.

birthday concert.......

birthday concert......., originally uploaded by annschneider.

Just amazing how quickly a child can learn. We listened to Josie play and it was beautiful and a total joy.

I waited until the very last day to complete my entries for the Artist's Alpine Holiday in Ouray Colorado. It is all done and Fed Ex is supposed to get it there tomorrow. How they do that I will never know. I put three pieces up for inclusion so we'll see what gets in the main gallery ...if anything.
I so wanted to put a TTv in but just wasn't sure how they would think of it. A lot of people don't know about it yet and one of the rules was no computerized art...which they could think it was. Better safe than sorry.

Through the viewfinder

A new way of working has opened up and I have found that being creative with photography can suddenly take a turn and be the most interesting thing in your life. TTv is a way of producing gloriously moody, and much more interesting photographs, by shooting with a digital camera through the viewfinder of a vintage camera. It is magical and definitely a joy to experience making art in this special way.

Some of my photography is for sale on etsy.com. Click above.

It's been strange......

It has been very different without my Mac for three and a half weeks. It has taken this long to get it to accept my internet here and we finally just hooked up a wireless system and somehow we managed to get everything going. It took a lot of people...Sorry!
I am in Ridgway now and really enjoying the magnificent views. I also walked into my favorite antique shop here....Magpie Antiques and there was the duaflex camera I have been looking for.....now I have to make my contraption and see what I can do. Very excited.
My view to the north at sunset.

after the wedding......

From Jen's wedding ....the flower girl headpiece...I'll save it forever.

night scene....eclipse

Taken a few years ago during an eclipse in Chattanooga. Still eerie.

I have missed two days...just crazy times and my birthday on the 6th. I think I've gained a few pounds from all the cake.
Here are just some pup photos.My wonderful and very special little dog.Still a baby in the second one.

Time is flying by. It happens every summer, but the days started to disappear quickly this year and it's still early June.

Hot sun makes for fading hydrangeas. Interesting how the pink ones turn blue as they dry out.

A card, all cut out like paper dolls and unfurled in front of my bedroom window. Hot summer day outside, cool and dim within.

Love it. Just framed to be similar to a TTV...but it looks way too new.

I am trying to get everything together for my first month of this summer in Colorado. I never remember what is where. I need to work when I get there and I don't even know how much glass is there and what tools and which paints....or even what clothes!

Spent the day with Josie and a joy as usual. She is getting so  old and tall and she is only about to be 6......and reading what she calls"chapter books".

my two nests......

I've owned these nests for years and have grave fears of them falling apart. The large paper wasp nest I have because a neighbor was terrified of wasps and insisted it had to come down. I have always felt guilty about it and keep it in my dining room to remind me that fear is no reason to eliminate a thing of beauty.  The small one i found in the street. It's lovely too.

These are not TTV's ..... just adjusted a little in a much more boring way,  with no special scratches or drama,  with my mac. One is done with a white matte and one with black masking. Boring...believe me!

changes.......

I'm not sure but things seem so different. I have discovered so many creative ideas and I want to learn way too many of them. I have been painting,(Please check my etsy site for that.. Loghill Studio ),  often instead of making beads and making some jewelry which I sell and now I just want to look through an old scratchy viewfinder with my digital camera and make gems of small art pieces that have touches of the past and the future in them.  I am leaving for a month in Colorado in a week and so I need to get started quickly so when there I can hold that beautiful land hostage in an old frame. 

The roses and cakestand is an old photo taken originally with a canon 35 mm camera , I then took a digital photo of the photograph...I know it will be so much more interesting,  someday, shot through a viewfinder.I must be patient. I have to say that Val Cox and her many photographs through her various viewfinder cameras has inspired me to find the time to do this.

Thanks !

The chapel shot is the morning after my daughter Jenny's wedding in Palmetto Bluff, SC. Of course, I could not sleep, and rose to take photos early and walked into the chapel, still full of love and emotion from the night before, with all the people we love around us, and caught the sun coming up to try and put an end to our perfect weekend. ......andmy grandaughter, one of the flower girls and her Dad. Memories sweet. Wish these photos were TTV!!

My favorite new thing from my favorite store....this hat..GO International....Jovovich-Hawk

everything looks and feels great! This hat is perfect. I suggest .."get it now"!

Kind of interesting how life changes. I have this urge to move permanently somewhere small and quiet, such as my adopted Ridgway Colorado, or to New York City. There is a special energy in both places and I have experienced both.  Love both, in fact. Difficult choices since it's kind of late in my life. I think of my mother, she was so brave in the face of my dad's fatal and devastating battle with cancer. She packed us all up and moved to Miami Beach, where some of us thrived and some of us withered a little but ultimately found our own voices.

On another note.....

I discovered something this week that I'm sure has been around forever. In fact, speaking of my mother here, I vaguely remember her using a product like this but I don't believe it was readily available in the 50's or 60's. Anyway, It is tomato paste in a tube. It may sound unimportant but if you love a good rich Italian taste for your sauces, you need tomato paste and,  if, you are cooking a quick meal for two or three, you need it even more. A little saute' of olive oil,onion, garlic and tomato paste mixed in with angel hair is one of the fastest meals you can make. ....and one of the best, with whatever other additives you desire.

For that quick meal.....there are new plates at Target that are gorgeous and plastic(if you can believe that!  I've never used plastic plates at home before.) Deep brown with gold aspen type leaves...heavenly....go check them out! Unfortunately they are not in the catalogue, possibly because they are just bowls and salad plates....but they are beautiful for casual snacks.

Target' Scores Again!

I don't know where I've been or when this started but Target now carries Dwell baby linens, and furniture and accessories!  The line is called DwellStudio for Target.  I am so thrilled and what I have seen has clean modern lines and is very reasonable. A three piece crib set is $79.00, which is so much less than other quality baby linens that are not as interesting, different or as luxurious. A definite win.....for us all.

I've been pretty busy lately so, of course, now is when I also have a backload of jewelry orders...Nice, but hectic.

Flowers and Heat

We all know how quickly flowers and fruit dry up and wilt or turn on us in some way when it's cold outdoors and the heat is on inside. Well, one way to help bring that feeling of something fresh and alive in the room as always been bowls of fruit....lemons, green apples, or pears. If your home is like mine fruit in a bowl disappears way too fast. I think everyone really believes it's there for them! Just kidding, but it is annoying. I found these apples at my favorite across the street Target' and they also have pears..they look so real and they last forever. $12.99 a pkg.

The lanterns! they are wonderful. 

I have wanted to buy the large wooden candle lanterns that are so prolific at many many stores for a while to place across my deck in Colorado but I need more than a couple and since they will be outside a lot i just couldn't see paying a lot of money for them. Well, they aren't in the Target online catalog yet but they are 39.99 and look great!  In the Smith & Hawken section of the store. There were several really nice styles and it makes me anxious and ready for summer on the deck ......and company!  So this is my view during the day and when there is a full moon; but when it is really dark it needs definition and lanterns that are good sized , heavy , and protect the candles from the breezes are perfect. 

This will be very quick and my first new post. I've been up watching all the super Tuesday coverage and this is all so interesting and such a fascinating political time. I am enjoying all of it.

 Anyway, I am really tired so I just will say that the very first time I walked up to a sales rack at Target I was so shocked because there were t shirts, workout pants and shirts and great button down cotton shirts for so little money that I went way overboard. I ended up giving a lot of it away and I am still using a LOT of the pieces years later. I have one pair of what are actually exercise pants and a long sleeved very tight top that I wear with a black gaberdine Jean Paul Gaultier top over it(purchased on sale in New York)...It's the perfect outfit. So, between the basic clothes and the make-up that I don't have to talk about here because too many people are doing that already, it is my favorite stop on my daily rounds. 

 I am going to use very inexpensive things from some of my favorite places to mix with some very good things just to save us all some money.....and make life prettier and more convenient.