Strawberries, Lavender, and Grapevines...

I wish this was my own personal garden. Nope, just one of the perks of living in a 'green' apartment complex. For one of my Photography classes our next project involves taking photos of "pieces of things". Travis and I are taking this class together and we had the afternoon off at home so we took our cameras and ventured outside into the beautiful sunshine!

Here are some photos of what we love in our garden...

We can go pick anything out of there when the flowers, vegetable, fruits, spices, etc are ripe. We didn't know about or take advantage of this last year. This year we will....if we remember.

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DIY Embroidery Hoops

I am in love with using Embroidery hoops as home decor. I first saw it a few months back here and have also seen it here.  They are everywhere if you just google them or look them up on Etsy.com. All you need is an embroidery hoop (found at most craft or fabric stores)for around $1, fabric, and anything else you want to jazz up your hoop!

I used some excess fabric from when I recovered my dining room chairs. This is was a simple hoop where I just used some fabric and that was it.

I have realized that I tend to have a very simple style. I like clean edges and matching things. I try to venture out but that doesn't happen to often. My mom and sisters laughed at me a while back when I pointed out a sweater that I said was 'out there'. It was not 'out there'. It was floral. I had to laugh at myself, too. I am kinda plain jane. I'm okay with that.

Anyways--here are some photos of my embroidery hoops. not nearly as fancy as some I've seen. Fairly simple and quick.

This next one is something I made for a some friends of mine who are getting married in June. I'm not a huge fan of how it turned out so I am going to be working on something different. The bride-to-be might see it on here but no worries, you'll be getting something different Krissy!:)

I hope this inspires you to hang some cute embroidery hoops in your place for some fun decor!

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Photographing Little Ones

I had the privilege to spend some time with my little friend Jaden last week. I brought my camera along to take a few pictures of this handsome guy. I thought I'd share some tips about taking photos of little ones indoors.

It is difficult to get a sharp photo with limited light indoors. Your best bet is to put the subject, Jaden in this case, next to a source of light like a window. This will make it easier to get sharp, in focus, images with a faster shutter speed.

Try different angles. How boring would all of the photos be if you are only taking them all from one angle? Instead, stand right in front of your subject, move the the side, move up, down, all around.

See how the second photo is more focused on him finding his hands?

A last tip would be to take photos of the every day. The big gummy smiles are always great but the goofy, straight faces are also keepers.

Look at these eyes!

Oh, Jaden-- I am looking forward to being your 'Monday nanny'!

I hope this helps you capture some special moments!

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My afternoon...

After walking to class in the rain and walking home in the rain, this is what I am doing...

And I'm loving it. (Thanks husband barista)

Going to make these soon once I get the energy/time to go to the store to get some eggs!

Friends, don't hesitate to text me with "Hey Danee, are you home? Can I come by and share a latte with you?":)

Our Valentine's Day Ashland trip

We took a lot of pictures--this is going to be a hard blog post to keep under control. Travis and I left Friday after a stressful hour or two of classes and could not get out of town fast enough!

Anyways--Ashland, Oregon was the perfect early vday getaway.

We woke up when we wanted to without any alarms set! It was glorious. We went to a Bagel shop for breakfast and then went to a coffee shop and spent some time reading, taking pictures, checking emails, etc.

'Concerto' at Key of C Coffee House--Mocha, Half n half, and hazelnut...to die for!

 He's seriously cute.

 This little guy popped his head in for my picture...

We spent a lot of our time walking around downtown and checking out the shops...

Ashland has some adorable bookstores, antique shops, fabric stores, etc.

 We walked around Lithia Park and soaked in the sun--it was absolutely gorgeous outside!

We got lost on campus too...

We spent our 'Valentine's Day' dinner at a delicious pasta place.

 It was a very romantic atmosphere...

Downtown was gorgeous at night! Travis loves taking night shots like this...

We spent the evening at another coffee shop then called it a night. A great night.

Breakfast in the morning at Apple Cellar Bakery...

We walked around the town a little more and then headed back home. I couldn't have asked for a better getaway. Seriously great!

Sorry just so many photos...I couldn't help it!

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DIY Candle Gift

This is a really simple and cheap gift idea for Valentine's Day. It includes a vintage plate, a paper doily, a small candle, some ribbon, and a cute note! It's that easy!

A while back I decided that I wanted to start to collect vintage/thrifty plates. You can find some really, really cute plates at just about any thrift store. How beautiful would it be to have 25 different vintage plates for girly gatherings like bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, etc.? I digress....

I have been a little bit obsessed with doilies--as you will see when I share about my Valentine's Day present for my husband. I used just one paper doily (You can get a pack of 20 of them for around $1 or cheaper!) and laid it on the plate. Then I put one of the small candles that I got in the pack shown below from Walmart for $10 on the plate with some ribbon wrapped around it.

Attach a personalized note or tag and you are all set!

This cute little candle set will be a good small gift for just about any girl you know. Your coworkers, neighbors, friends, boss, sisters, mom, even yourself! If you give it to your boss, make a different tag than the one I showed--that would be awkward.

On a different note--make your own cards! It is so easy and saves you a lot of money. Okay, maybe cards are just too expensive for my bank account.

All you need is a piece of cardstock, a pen, and some nice words. Santa gave me a small card-making set (I think I saw the BigLots price tag on it). Making your own card really does mean more to the person than spending $4 on it.

Here's my card for my hubby. Thanks Mom Santa for the set!

This blog has helped me to actually be on top of Valentine's Day gifts! :)

What are you making for your loved ones?

Thanks for following.

My blog list...

i LOVE it when blogs that I follow share their lists of blogs that they follow. Although I feel like no one really follows this blog, i know there are some of you out there who might check it occasionally. I thought I would share a list of blogs that I check on almost a daily basis. (who am I kidding, they're the first thing I check when i get up!)

Anyways...here is my lovely list--in no particular order:

AshleyAnn

 JonesDesignCo

 MegDuerksen

 HomemadeGinger

LittleMissMomma

TheMacs

 WindHula

 JoysHope

I feel like I might be leaving some out, oh well. This will keep you occupied for quite some time. I'm sorry husbands--this is going to leave your wife less time to be with you...

Our trip downtown

Travis and I are taking a Photography class together this semester. Besides our teacher being a little coo-coo, we're pretty excited! We have to have 60 photos each for our project due on Friday. Chico has had some beautiful weather recently(knock on wood) so we decided to spend Saturday afternoon walking around downtown taking some pictures. We could do a few projects with all of the pictures we took! Ah, which ones do I pick?!

Anyways, I thought I would share some of my favorite shots from Saturday afternoon. Enjoy!

Travis using our new Wide Angle Lens--will post photos from his angle soon!

Beautiful Day!

Travis and I actually had a lot of fun walking around and taking pictures. We walked into a few shops and got asked a lot "So, what are you guys doing with the cameras?" It was fun seeing Downtown Chico through my lens. Our feet were kinda tired after walking for a few hours but I recommend taking a stroll in the bright sunshine next time you get a chance, it's a beautiful world.

Thanks for following!