I shot some images of some flowers recently and thought I'd share. They remind me of Spring, Florida, color, happiness, pink-ness and everything else a girl loves. I added the rest of them to my photography blog. There are just a few but you can click HERE to see the others.
I'm off to play catch up today. I have several things on my to do list that need tackled. Imagine that! Other than those errands though, there is much going on. I'm working on details for my Naples photography workshop here in September, spending my time in the sunshine with my laptop while educating myself on some new things regarding photography via a very awesome DVD series from some pro photographers, and just conquering daily life as usual. The kids are at school, Brent is at the office, my Mom is at the license branch, and I'm soaking up the peace and quiet time before everyone returns back home this afternoon. Speaking of the license branch, I owe a huge thank you to all of you who gave me ideas on facebook the other night regarding the personalized license plate for my car. I was asking for advice on different 5 or 7 letter words/phrases regarding photography and boy did you guys give me some fun ones. I found many that were available according to the Florida BMV website. Now I just need to narrow it down and pick one. YAY! You ladies know how I love those personalized plates but instead of ordering one that has to do with AGD this time, I'm ordering one that centers around photography.
Lastly, the seats are filling up fast for my next online beginner photography workshop. It begins March 1st. Should you wish to register for it, the details can be found HERE. I've had many questions about when I'll be offering the next class after that. Truth is...I never know when I'm going to do another one until I look ahead at my schedule for the next couple of months. Right now it is tough to say when I'll offer an additional class because we will be coming back to Indy soon for a quick visit, Spring Break is also approaching, my shooting schedule is picking up due to the vacationers coming down, etc. So...if you want in on a class...now is the time to jump because it is the only date set in stone at this moment.
Have a 'fantabulous' Tuesday and be careful for those of you traveling those roads in the Midwest. I hear it is messy there again. Thank God I don't live there for this pounding you guys are taking this season. I'm there in spirit though... LOL! :)
It has been so rainy and gloomy here in Indy recently. It's been so frustrating because I still have new AGD designs that need photographed on Kenidi but at this rate, it will be winter before I get outdoors. Either way, today...when the rain broke for just a skinny minute, I took my camera and went outside - just perusing the yard - looking for anything to photograph. Anything! I took my 105mm macro lens out with me this time and had fun trying to shoot something with what felt like 95 mile an hour winds. Yeah, I'm sure my neighbors thought I was a freak if they were watching my attempts at getting weeds and flowers to stand completely still. HA! :)
This holly bush above will soon be covered with snow. Such a scary thought. The cold and frigid winter season is right around the corner. Maybe the good Lord above will have found us a nice and permanent spot at the beach by then. Wink wink! ;)
I am not a plant or flower person so I have no idea what the names of all these little flowers and such are that live around the exterior of our home. I am so far from a green thumb person that it is ridiculous. I kill any living plant or flower so I've since given up all hopes of ever being a "green thumb" kind of woman. However, I do love the looks of these little flowers in front of a macro lens. Gorgeous!
And with some decent lighting, even plain ol' green leaves/stems look good in front of a macro.
And speaking of not knowing what any of these plants and flowers are, I'm really stumped on what is inside these bad boys below. They were black and shiny. Very strange looking things. I'm wondering if they are bugs of some sort that make their home within these nut like - dead flowers. Just call me "clueless."
The two leaves above were so tiny - growing right out of the side of a tree in the yard. Evidence that fall is coming. The leaves are beginning to change colors already. One leaf is still green and the other is a bright yellow. I'll give Indiana credit where credit is due...the Fall season in the Midwest is nothing short of spectacular. If you've never been here when the leaves begin to change, you are missing out on one of those moments when God really shows off. The Fall season in Indy is a beautiful thing!
I added a little bit of an action over this image of the pink flower above. I love the coloring and what the action did for the overall image. Again, clueless on what type of flowers these are. They look tropical to me - like they don't belong in "Hoosier land." Maybe I just have the beach on my brain. What's new, eh?
And lastly, this teeny-tiny little guy was just 'chillaxin' on top of one of the little flowers. He was so little - much smaller in real life then he is here. Just another reason why I love the macro lens. You can see anything with that glass - even teeny tiny little bugs that are normally microscopic to the eye. Just about the time I found this little dude, Kenidi & Brennen were getting off their buses so I had to get up off the ground and out of the mulch - ending my random shooting for the afternoon. Not only that but it began pouring down raining at that point in the afternoon too. It eventually let up again tonight and allowed us to make a family trip down to the Indianapolis Museum of Art grounds. I wanted to venture down there and scout out some spots before a shoot that I have there this coming Monday. Thankfully the rain stopped completely while we were there and I was able to soak in the grounds and find some FAB spots for the shoot. It's a beautiful place. For now, I'm off to go finish watching "Dancing with the stars." Maybe, just maybe...the rain will stop tomorrow and I can get some shoots caught up for the new AGD designs. Wishful thinking...I know. :)
Let's face it, bloggers love cameras - and blog readers love pictures. One of the many questions I get asked about my blog when others are attempting to start one themselves is "What do you think keeps readers coming back to your blog and why?" Well my answer to that is always..."The pictures." Even before I followed my passion with photography and began posting somewhat better images (which are still always evolving and have a long way to go) here on my blog, I still posted the small and itty bitty images here and shared tons of them within my posts to you guys. The readers love pictures. Bottom line.
With that said, I've been wanting to implement a new project here on the blog for some time now. Therefore, in an effort to get my camera out even that much more as well as to prompt you to do the same, I thought having a "Foto Find Friday" would be fun. What that means is that basically each Friday we will have a new theme. You then get to find and take an image of a picture that has that theme within it. The theme might be Summer one week, a "red" theme which means it needs to have red colors in it, or how about a birthday theme, an emotional theme - an image showing emotion, etc. The fun comes in when you are on the hunt for the find. You can use old pictures you've already taken or you can use a new picture that you took just for that weeks theme. The images can be of people, animals, objects, landscapes, products, etc. so long as they pertain to the theme announced for that week. The key is participation. The point to the project is to help aide you in the prompting to use your camera more which in turn will also give you a theme to build off of. By using the themes, we will find the smaller things in life at times that are maybe overlooked. My goal is for you to begin to notice those smaller things here on earth that we would typically take for granted. Everything has beauty within it, we just need to find it showcase it.
Lastly, when participating in this photo project, please link back to my blog using the logo above. As you enter your blog address into the McKLinky list below, you must have a post already up for the Foto Find Friday and the link must link directly to that post which links back to here. Unfortunately, if we click your link and it takes us directly to your blog home page and not to the link or particular blog post with your picture for Foto Find Friday, then your link will be deleted from the list below. You must include the logo - gist of the project so others know how to play along - as well as a direct link to your post where you are participating. This will keep everything flowing nicely and that way no one is having to search way back into your blog to try and find the post for the project. Not only is this a fun outlet and something to divert our attention from the mundane, but it is also a huge blog promoter. If you are looking to drive more traffic to your blog, participating in this project and linking to your blog will definitely draw more readers to you. Basically we will be doing a blog hop. It's a great way to visit new blogs that we never have before. Feel free to email me at Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com if you have any questions regarding how to get and paste the logo code on your blog.
So...let's get started...this weeks theme is: FLOWERS (or plants). We are making it really easy for this first week. Now go and find something that revolves around that theme and share the image here. Enjoy the process and have fun. The deadline is next Friday when the new theme will begin. Here is my entry - shown below - xoxo, Angie
My Mom gave me some flowers as part of an early birthday gift from her and the kids last week. Brent gave me some roses as a "just because" the week before when we first got down here. Love those "just because" moments. I finally began taking photos of the abundance of flowers in the house and really liked how this white one turned out (shown above). Love that macro lens!
Also, I wanted to share with you why I love the "SWOOZIE'S" store here in Bonita so much. I always make a trip to the location at the coconut point mall at least once when here. They have the coolest stuff, the best "gur-fren" gifts, incredible stationary, and adorable beach decor. Needless to say, their store pretty much sums me up. I've talked about the Swoozie's store before here on the blog but if you don't know about Swoozie's or have never been to one, find one quick and RUN to it! I'd sleep there if I could. Yes, that is how much I love Swoozie's. :) With that said, check out the cute little books I found when there the other day. Are these "me" or what?
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!
And speaking of new, cool, finds...check out philosophy's new BEACH PARTY line of products. Yeap, found them at the Sephora store here when I ran in to grab a much needed new tube of mascara. (Black Out Dior Show - best there is!) I saw their beach party line and fell in love. All of you AGD blog readers know I have issue's with people who don't keep their feet soft and issue's as well as an obsession with keeping lips soft. I am totally OCD when it comes to lotions and lip balms. Well lucky for me...Philosophy's new BEACH party line has a lip gloss. YAY! Try it! You will love it!
And lastly, speaking of Grandma Sue...here is the only real shot I got of her and the kids last week when she was here. We took this right before she left for the airport. Nevermind the fact that Kenidi's hair isn't fixed and that she has a spoon in one hand and a mermaid doll in the other. This photographer uses a wide variety of props on the job. HA! Hey...whatever works, right?
For now, I'm off to finish fixing my hair so that we can get out the door for dinner. I'll be in touch soon. Oh and while I'm thinking about it...run to your nearest taco bell as well and ask for their new pina' colada frutista freeze. YUM-O! It's another new favorite find of mine. I'm hoping for your sake that they aren't just Florida flavor. Indiana didn't have them when we left there back in May. So hopefully all of the stores are now introducing them. They are the best things EVAH! And my girlfriend Shannon that you all know from Texas...you know my sista' from anotha' Mutha'...well she improvised the other night and bought the pina' colada frutista and added her own malibu rum to it. Although we don't drink in our house, I thought her idea was pretty clever. And like I told her, I'm sure they are much cheaper than the real thing. So go try one. I promise they are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Especially when you are sitting poolside with your favorite book or on the beach under an umbrella. Wink wink! ;o)
xoxoxo, Angie
PS...There are only 3 remaining spots in the online photography workshop. Space is dwendling. Sign up while there is still room! See Angie Seaman Photography to register.
Because I love my blog readers, I thought I'd post a quick bout' of "color for your Sunday" all the way from good ol' Florida. My Mom is flying in this evening to stay with us thru Friday so I'll be sharing her beautiful face in the week ahead - I'm sure. In the meantime though, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging without a blog post for this gorgeous Sunday, June 7th, 2009.
I snapped these flowers while out on a walk with the fam a few evenings ago. Unfortunately, I am so illiterate with flowers and plants that I have no idea what any of the names are surrounding these gorgeous beauties. One of my readers might be able to help us out with that. Any takers?
As I walked around, I just couldn't get over all of the colors. Everything is so vibrant here - as always. So very powerful! The views in southwest Florida really pack a punch - that is fo' sho'! I'm getting emails from multiple readers who are full time Florida residents that say things like..."how are you finding such amazing shots? I live here full time and don't see that stuff." Truth is, I bet its a lot like us who live in Indiana full time. Once you've seen one snow or one farm, you've seen them all. I think most Floridians breeze past the beauty now if they've lived here long enough. They don't see it like we Midwesterner's do. We take note of it all because it is so very different from what we have in our neck of the woods. Stunning is too mild of a word. Magnificent is more like it.
And yes, those do appear to be teeney, tiny, little, itty, bitty snails on the yellow flowers above. Funny thing is, I never saw them when I was shooting the shot. It wasn't until I went back thru the images on my computer that I noticed them on the petals in the upper right hand corner. The joys of a macro lens on a camera...Again...you see things you never saw before when behind the lens.
For now, we are headed out to lunch and to spend the day roaming before my Mom's flight comes in this evening. I hope each of you enjoy your Sunday. Make it a challenge to yourself to find as much color in front of your eyes today as possible. Take it all in and savor it. Color is a good thang'! Be back tomorrow with more images...
Hugs, Angie
PS...Regarding photography, I've had an over abundance of emails lately requesting for me to offer a photography topic for those wanting to learn more about cameras and photography in general. I've toyed around with the idea recently and would love to put together a forum of some sort and possibly offer a class to those wanting to participate. If this is something you might be interested in, please email me, facebook me, hit me up on twitter, etc. If we end up having enough interest, I'll put some plans in place. I'm no pro in the photography realm by any stretch of the means but I truly believe that it isn't the camera that takes the picture, it's the photographer. With a little help/guidance and a bit of know how and knowledge behind a lens, any one of us can take good pictures - no matter what kind of camera you might have. :)
When I'm in Florida, especially in Florida behind the lens(es) of my camera, I notice things more so then what I do when we are back home in Indiana. My camera always causes me to notice things at home too but Florida brings out even the most mundane of items. Florida has a way of magnifying beauty and that is one of the things I love about being here. I spotted this bush flower yesterday while poolside and right by it was the spider you see below. Yes, I almost laid out all day right next to Miss Charlotte's web. And let me just say, had I raised up and seen that next to me - unexpectedly - I wouldn't have been happy. However, I noticed the flowers and the spider together. I broke out the macro lens and snapped away. What a funky bloom before it actual flowers, eh? Funky, interesting, and oh so colorful.
Check out the hairy things on her legs below. Ewwwww.....!!!
Now do you see why I wouldn't have been happy to lay down beside her? I'm sure she didn't want my big head in the way anyhow.
Then, I managed to find one bloom coming in on one of the branches of the flowering bush...
When they are all finished blooming, it looks something like this stunning bunch below...
Fun, huh? And I say again...why don't we have these kinds of colors in Indiana?
On a side note, I know many of you were awaiting my test results from last week right along with me. I cannot begin to thank you enough for all of the prayers, facebook messages, emails, blog comments, etc. regarding this round of testing for me. I have some good news and some not so good news. I'm not going to call it bad news because I refuse to take a negative approach with it from the get go. The good news is that my MRI (yes, the test from H.E.Double Hockey Sticks) came back normal. I'm so glad about this and am praising God for a normal outcome with that test. These migraines really had me worried so I'm thankful that the MRI didn't show anything at all whatsoever wrong with my brain. (other than I'm totally crazy) HA~! The not so good news is that the test I had done at the cardiologist on Friday morning revealed a small hole in my heart. Hold tight...it sounds worse than it is I think. I knew they fond something because I saw it happen on the Ultrasound that they did. They were looking for bubbles to shoot out from my heart anywhere - indicating pin hole size holes in the wall of my heart. Well, I saw the bubbles and the technician knew it. She was honest with me and told me what she had seen as well but also told me that my cardiologist would need to review the test and give me her findings "officially" later in the day.
I left the doctor's office nervous but again refused to dwell on it. I knew I had a flight that afternoon and wanted to remain excited about the trip rather than let the enemy take over my thoughts and flood my brain with negative assumptions. I started to mention it on the blog Friday and ask for prayers but I decided to wait until I talked to my cardiologist first before jumping the gun. Unfortunately, like I knew she would because God just loves to test my patience, my cardiologist called my cell as we were in flight on the plane Friday afternoon. By the time we landed and I got her voicemail, their office was closed for the weekend. Yes, I had to sit all weekend long and wait until this morning to call her back. Talk about torture. Long story even longer, I left her a message this morning and she called me back right away. In a nutshell, the findings of the test proved that I have what is called Patent Foramen Ovale. (PFO) You can read about PFO, what it entails, its symptoms, etc. by clicking HERE and HERE. My cardiologist told me that I needed to run out and grab some aspirin and begin taking 325mg's of it every day. The aspirin is a stroke preventative. I know, I know...gasp. I've done a few gasps but I'm also telling the good Lord above that I'm done with the gasps. I've turned this over to him and am leaving it all in his hands. Sometimes PFO's are treated with open heart surgery. The positive is that my doc didn't feel that the hole I have needs that invasive measure and that the aspirin regimen is good for now. I'm happy with that. Very happy with that. I'm also happy that this finding is a good explanation for the headaches I've battled and more so lately than before. The cardiologist worried when I mentioned my eye drooping from the one episode because she said that a PFO can lead to strokes or mini-strokes. I guess the fact that I had the drooping happen alarmed her and thus why she ordered that test. In the end, I'm glad she did. She said most people go thru life and don't realize that they have PFO until something happens and it is discovered then. I'm grateful for an incredible doctor who errs on the side of caution and who ran every test that came to mind until God finally lead us to this point. I'm glad to be aware of it and "preventing" any future issue as much as I possibly can.
So, as I'm here in Florida observing the most mundane things in an overly beautiful way - behind my lenses...I'm also thanking God for the beauty of impeccable doctors, an extraordinary nursing staff and overly intelligent ultrasound technicians who know the heart like nobodies business and whom are also honest with their patient when they realize the patient has seen what 'they' just saw. Yes, let's just leave it at the fact that Angie is smarter than the average bear. I know shooting bubbles from the heart wall when I see them. Ha ha!
Life will undoubtedly be different from here on out for me. I've been keenly aware of my body and it's normal and not so normal issues lately and now I'll be even more keenly aware of them than ever before. The good part is that all of these medical issues make a bit more sense now. Most importantly though, I'm so humbled by the BIG God that I serve who takes care of me and looks out for me. I'm so humbled by the fact that months and months worth of testing lead to an answer and that it is through his Grace that I arrived there. It is via his peace that kept me sane up to this point and assured me that I was not going crazy. It is via his love which will carry me thru the future years with comfort and faith that he is always ultimately in TOTAL control.
PS...One of my best friends from highschool recently found out that her Mom has bladder cancer. Her Mother is undergoing surgery today to remove that cancer and make sure it hasn't spread to her liver or lymphnodes. Please pray for her and her family in general. My heart has been aching for all of them since I found out. I grew up with her Mom and have always loved her dearly. Such a trendy, spunky, fun woman. It is yet another confirmation that we are getting older, our parents are falling ill, we are experiencing our own medical problems, and that we NEED OUR GIRLFRIENDS! Praying for you guys today K...please call or text me ASAP once the surgery is over. Big hugs...love you, Ang
