I have been pinning costumes to my costume board on Pinterest.
I am a fan of a really clever costume...
it's just...it's not my skill set.




From one of MY favorite movies....



From one of everybody else's.


My Pinterest Costume Board


Katie is a girl from the 80's this year.




******

A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween. ~Erma Bombeck



****

One last thing.


I usually change the channel when someone starts wrapping....leave it to Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake to make me listen...and laugh.




I have learned...this is #3. I guess Justin and Jimmy sung The History of Rap before. I will have to find those too!


Have a great Monday!
I'm sorry if you are dealing with tons of snow!
It will melt soon.
So sad to see all the broken trees. :o(



Encourage one another,
Donna

Last night I put the finishing touches on a slideshow for Holly and her family.

There were three pictures that stood out to me.
Three pictures that were blurry but special.


That's wrong....this is not blur, these pictures are really just out of focus.
The camera could not focus fast enough for my trigger finger!

BUT the two shots of Chris and his little girl are so tender and sweet....I couldn't keep them to myself.
I told Holly if she wanted small prints of these...she could have them.
They are too special to stay hidden on my hard drive.

They are unconventional but beautiful to me.









It think it's kind of nice that this sweet kiss is out of focus.

My shutter is shy.




I decided to show this shot in the slideshow....
it is not perfect.....

but the feeling and beautiful face of that dear one....

it bypassed the technical issues I fretted over.


Isn't this sweet!?


****

I think I need to embrace the OOF shot.
Actually, I already do.

Now I have to convince everyone else that I am doing it on purpose!

Art. Don't cha know.



Encourage one another,
the Accidental artist

Yesterday was a very special day.

Our long time blog sistah Carol B. came up to Wisconsin to especially meet Stephanie.
Carol came all the way from Oregon!! I can't really explain how much Carol was looking forward to meeting Stephie.
They have so much in common and they have formed a very close friendship after meeting in the comments here at Quiet Life.

Carol and I met last summer at a Chipotle's in Rockford. So we're old pals :o)
Steph and I have met numerous times. (and it's always fabulous)

The first best part was when Stephanie walked into Los Nopales.
Carol jumped up and gave her the most warm and long hug ever! It was wonderful.





Carol has a fabulous happy laugh!!
Stephaine is a hoot.

At this point, Carol still couldn't believe she was with Stephie.






After lunch (why didn't someone say...hurry up Donna!!) we drove over to Stephanie's church.
Carol and Stephanie had planned a little...sing a long.

Stephanie can really play the organ but she thinks she is a hack. She is not!
They sang some of their favorite hymns. Carol was thrilled to learn some organ-playing- tricks.

I can hardly believe someone could possess so much talent.





It was so cool to hear Carol harmonize with Steph.
They just love 'church' music.
And Carol was jumping with glee when she learned something new.


The time was too short!
Seriously, someone should have hurried me up.


photo by Katie


Our time together flew by. There were happy tears and beautiful music and hearts filled with joy!

Thank you for visiting Carol!!! Oh! And thank you for lunch!
Thanks for inviting me.
Steph. Thanks for being you.





Dining with one's friends and beloved family is certainly one of life's primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.
~julia child

People are more fun than anybody.
~dorothy parker




Encourage one another,
Donna

The things you say to me.


This is a valentine to the readers and friends who leave me such lovely comments and kind words day after day.
I am not very good at writing beautiful praise/prose. Many of you write beautiful words of encouragement and praise in that comment box and all I can say is er....thanks a bunch. scratch.

But truly, truly
I hear you and I am thankful for each one of you who takes the time to say,
"Hey! Thanks for writing your blog."


The thing is.
You are an important part of my life....my heart.
Every day, you add to the beauty that flows from this blog
and you add the the beauty in my life.


(Where's Joe Cocker when ya need him?)




love you. mean it.
the quiet life team

October


The month is amber,
Gold, and brown.
Blue ghosts of smoke
Float through the town,

Great V's of geese
Honk overhead,
And maples turn
A fiery red.

Frost bites the lawn.
The stars are slits
In a black cat's eye
Before she spits

At last, small witches,
Goblins, hags
And pirates armed
With paper bags,

Their costumes hinged
On safety pins,
Go haunt a night
Of pumpkin grins



Thank you Jep.
Last month I posted "September" by John Updike
It looks like there is a book called A Child's Calendar.







****


Just this morning I saw this quote under an image on Flickr by kristin~mainemomma


"She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short."
~story people aka Brian Andreas








A beautiful spirit is what brings me to tears even more often than a beautiful sight.
I am blessed to be surrounded by many beautiful souls....many....



Encourage one another,
Donna

My spirits are gloomy today and so is the weather.
Nothing like a sunny picture and kind words to make it better.


There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.
~Jane Austen

Source: etsy.com via Donna on Pinterest

~found on Pinterest.


Encourage one another,
Donna

I want to share this story with you.






Don't you just want to go and teach at that school?
Not the new fancy one....just the one they are in now.

I truly burst into tears at the end of this video.

Go Fugees!


Thanks to CBS Sunday Morning for the wonderful reporting.


Encourage one another,
Donna


p.s. "ten miles there, ten miles back."

She really didn't want to put that hood on.


The end.



Encourage one another,
Donna


p.s. happy weekend.

Three years ago.
That's when this picture was taken.

My camera was a D80 back then.

I was sure having fun experimenting with my camera.

Learning, learning every day.


Here is something I learned yesterday; Just before you turn on your dishwasher, run the water in the sink until it is hot.
This way your dishwasher will start out with hot water.

I tried it and it worked.

My dishes were cleaner.


***

Yesterday afternoon, in an effort to distract myself, I watched Miss Potter.

I have not heard much about his movie. But it is a very nice movie.


I won't show you the trailer because they tell the whole story. I loved learning about Beatrix Potter's life thru this movie and don't want to ruin any surprises.

It's really a beautiful, touching story.


I don't know why I was not curious to find out more about Miss Potter sooner.
The first nursery I decorated, way back in 1982 was all about Peter Rabbit.
I made curtains from Peter Rabbit fabric and I am sure sister Sue gave Patrick a Peter Rabbit stuffed animal.

Patrick's baby china was also Wedgewood/Peter Rabbit.


"But round the end of the cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor! he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief!"

Those are the words from the edge of the bowl and ingrained in my mind.




Miss Potter is the most successful children's author of all time.
Rather remarkable.




for my homeschooling friends....

“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality. ”
― Beatrix Potter


“Believe there is a great power silently working all things
for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest.”
― Beatrix Potter


Encourage one another,
Donna

Well...Katie and I went shopping.

The distraction, remember.


We found the cutest coat in the world.
I think it's cute.
Katie thinks it's cute.

win. win.

We don't always agree on fashion. And that's a pain cause it's really hard for me to spend money on something I don't like.
And actually, I don't often.
I am a mean mom.


But yesterday choosing this jacket was pure joy.

Except for the part about the size.

I want the coat to last for two years.

The (L) is a 14-16. Just a tad big in my opinion.
Katie wanted to try on the (M) 10-12.

I said NO way.

There was a slight scuffle.

And I won.





Nothing matches it as far as mittens and hats and scarves.

But THAT is NOT a problem. :o)

Hello, Yarn Store!



Encourage one another,
Donna

Dear me.

I have nothing to talk about today that I want to share.
I don't want to share it because I am a broken record on this topic and I can
imagine everybody rolling their eyes.

But since I started the Fat Flush yesterday, all I can think about is
cranwater and protein and whether or not I am going to get a headache from
not having caffeine.

There.

That's what is going on in my head.
I am obsessing about what and how much to eat of this or that.

I don't even want to be thinking about it, so I am sure you don't either.

It's times like this that the quiet life is too quiet.


This is all I've got....


Katie slipped in cat puke this morning as we were leaving for school.

I did not think about cranwater then.



In a start up daze,
Donna

Katie and I went to the Packer game on Sunday!






The weather was gorgeous!
The Packers won!





And there was a flyover.




Game ready.





We kind of like one another.



A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.
~Author Unknown


Encourage one another,
Donna

I had a family photo shoot on Saturday out at Indian Lake.
When I got there...it was hard to spot any open shade,
most of the leaves had blown down so even the trees couldn't provide much
shade.

And the wind. It was Ca-razy!

When Holly and her family arrived, I warned her...this may not work...but we thought we would give it a go.

I think I riled the girls up too much by suggesting they run in circles. And then the wind and wide open spaces added to the feeling of excitement and thrill of it all.

But the pictures I did get...I love. Holly likes candid. Isn't that a bonus? :o)

















I was lying on my tummy...and somehow the girls decided to join in the 'yoga' and did their down dogs for us! haha





I like those shadows and those cute running feet.






no charge for the blurry ones, Holly! My camera can't keep up with me sometimes.




These too are just so gorgeous together! When I looked at these pictures for the first time, I felt like I was looking at a
fabulous engagement session. :o)


Katie said, "I like their dad's smile."
I thought that was awfully sweet.



It was a wild and wooly session...but sometimes those are my favorites!


Encourage one another,
Donna

Add To the Beauty by Sara Groves


We come with beautiful secrets
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange place, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

It comes in small inspirations
It brings redemption to life and work
To our lives and our work

It comes in loving community
It comes in helping a soul find it's worth

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful
This is grace, an invitation

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out our best

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up...





Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside.



Thank you Stephanie for sharing this song with me.
Thank you Sara, for writing something that has touched my heart, so deeply.


Encourage one another,
Donna

On June 12, 2009 I took this picture. I edited it with Totally Rad Actions. (Can't remember which one.)
That is why it is pinkish.



Camera Nikon D700
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/1.6
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO 125



I also took this picture on the same day.
(I have this one framed in our upstairs bathroom.)

When Emma saw the top shot of Katie, she asked if I would make one of her.





Camera Nikon D700
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 400

So I did.

The stats are different because it was a different time of day. Few hours different.

It was a fun study. The picture of Katie is not my fave. I like her freckles but not her eyes.
For Emma's picture, I love her eyes. Love, love, love.

Each girl stood in our family room and looked out at the backyard.
I stood relatively close and shot just a few.

The girls are both aware that posing for me is a wonderful help to me in learning and creating.
I love them for this sweet gift.


***


I had my camera in the car yesterday because I was hoping to take a picture of the morning fog.
But there was no fog. Just rain.
But after school look what I ran into on Allen St.





I think it's fitting to see a black cat on the 13th.




On the way home I saw some clouds in my rear view mirror. I drove to a spot near the baseball field in town where I thought I might get a nice picture.


Yup. That's my day.
If you are looking for beauty.
I think you will find it.


Encourage one another,
Donna

I like faces.
I didn't realize how much.

But when I look back at the art I have loved and photographed and the photographers I have admired most,
the subjects have been people.







And do you want to know something weird?

I see faces on the floor, in the shadows, faces where there are really no faces.

If I am...um...going potty and happen to be staring at the floor,
I spot a face.

It's like I'm never alone.





Encourage one another,
Donna