bead joy

beads (c) dana rogers photography

i cut out a bit early on friday on a mission. 

each september, my favorite bead show comes to town: the renaissance fair. i don't know why it has this silly name, but it is the best around. the same vendors appear again and again and they are varied. there are handmade glass beads, tribal silver, rustic African vendors, sellers of looms. its a great time to stock up, since they offer better bargains than the shops. 


every time i go, something different usually catches my eye. one year, i got all green. another, i went in big for the metal leaves. it just depends.

this year, i was particularly looking for smaller beads for the bracelets. while i tried to stick with the less expensive glass and such, i couldn't resist a few strands of semi-precious. don't you love that heart?


i had a super time, but my one sadness was missing my beading buddy who wasn't along. isn't always more fun when you have a shopping friend along?


what's doing around here: 


the 'tour de health' is almost complete. i went for the boob squish and since i haven't heard anything yet, that is probably all copacetic. then the teeth. good reviews there, but i need to floss more. here's what i wonder? does anyone ever get the "you floss enough" talk! i am not really sure why i hate it so much, but i made my semi-annual promise to try to be better. the last leg of the tour is my eyes. this year, i am going to try a new doc who specializes in fitting contact lenses.

this weekend was a blast. as you saw, we had an aerating festival on saturday. sunday i spent catching on my GTD list - mostly research and studying - with a refreshing break out at the lake. the weather was sparkling in Nederland. you can check out those photos on dana rogers photography.


this week is all about processing photos. i need to get through a bunch. on your mark, get set, go!

lawn adventures

the weather gods were in just the right mood today for the lawn work: it was a little misty. pretty unusual weather lately. too bad for all the hawaiians in town for the CU game this afternoon.

aerator #460090 (c) dana rogers photography

here's the machine. you wouldn't want to run anyone else over with it.

head-on aerating (c) dana rogers photography

turning technique (c) dana rogers photography

smoking aeration (c) dana rogers photography

workout by aeration (c) dana rogers photography

this aerator came with a really cute guy to drive it. he had a little trouble at the beginning, but was able to turn it in no time. final result?

dirt turds (c) dana rogers photography

dirt turds. aeration machine rental = $40. watching your boyfriend drive it = priceless.

lawn joy

no so much grass

 (c) dana rogers photography 2010

i am craving a lawn that i can sink my toes into.

 a lawn that is green and lush and not splotchy and brown. clearly, this ain't it.

even less grass (c) copyright dana rogers photography 2010

mostly weeds (c) dana rogers photography 2010

do something about this lawn (c) dana rogers photography

at mcguckins, today i consulted with the nice man who's dealt with a lawn problem or two. it turns out, i won't have to bother with the thatch rake at all. since the lawn was stressed from the dry hot august, it would only do damage. i can use a regular ole lawn rake instead. cheaper, easier, bingo!

lawn-man really liked the idea of the aeration machine. after that, he selected a special seed mix to use on the bare spots and for overseeding. (overseeding is when you put more see on the parts that already have grass.) then i just use a spreader to apply the organic fertilizer.

i hope i am not boring you too badly with this, but maybe you would like a nicer lawn too? maybe like me, you grew up without a lawn and are just as clueless? maybe you can make use of the kind mcguckin's man's help? that's my hope anyway.

mainly, though, i can't wait to show the "after" pictures. to do that, i kinda need to document the before!

what's doing here:

today was the first appointment of the 'tour de health," my annual physical. even as health insurance has come and gone and come again, i have been able to stick with the same doc who patiently answers all my questions. if you live in Boulder, you want Lise Musny in charge of your bod!

after a detailed convo about the perils of ovarian cancer, we laughingly agreed that i much more likely to perish from heart troubles. it's the most common killer and it runs in my family.  for now, pending blood and pap test results, i got the all clear. phew.

random joy

i love REAL mail. the kind with an envelope and a stamp. i love it even better when it has a drawing on it :-)

it's always a bed (c) dana rogers photography 2010

no matter what it is, if you are a cat, it looks like a bed. i wonder how he can sleep with all of these patterns going on! it would be too loud for me.

what's doing around here:
well, the lawn improvement project is creeping along. there is a plan in place for aeration on saturday. handsome boyfriend to the rescue. soooooo, between now and then, i will be thatching with a thatching rake. wish me luck.

also, knee-deep in processing photos. why is it that the photographer's friends never have any photos?! we'll be remedying that shortly with a burst of albums. check me out of FB if you'd like to see those.

Target and Design

photo courtesy of target.com

I am loving the design that Target is bringing to the mainstream. Fabulous. I just brought home a few of these moth mugs. while i normally dislike bugs, i feel straight over when i saw this mug. after taking it for a trial run with my morning coffee, it gets the double thumbs up - right size, nice curved lip to avoid drips.

photo courtesy of target.com

 great notebooks for capturing thoughts. i can't remember if they are lined or not.

photo courtesy of target.com

photo courtesy of target.com

these are shots from the look book of Tucker, designed by Gaby Basor. I am really tempted by a few of these items. this floral print comes in a blouse (the dress is a pretty big statement!) this is a great, neutral blouse with a unique style. it reminds me of an artist's smock. n'est-ce pas?

photo courtesy of target.com

great floral dress. although i am on a black clothing diet - well fast, actually - i think the flowers make this an exception. would look better with tights. i tried on the complete line and it all fit really well. the fabrics are 100 percent polyester, but they have good body and a nice hand. not bad for machine washable. amen.

i'm keeping an eye on things to see who is next at Target. it really helps to get there on they day they release it to have the widest selection. also, even if you have to drive a bit further, you want to hit a super Target - our home store doesn't carry all the items. 

i'd love to hear from you. what have you bought at Target lately that you love?

what's doing here:
this summer, the grass has really taken a beating. i thought of it too late to fertilize in the spring, so i had to wait. now i am putting a lawn plan in place to rehab the front lawn. first i need to thatch which will require a special rake. then i will aerate with a rental machine. probably 2 hours for $40. finally, i will overseed and fertilize. while i don't like having such a large lawn, right now it is more budget friendly to work with it than replace it with xeriscape. goal is to get it done this weekend, but that is a bit ambitious. there is also a studio tour in nearby Longmont that would be much more fun.

it's a busy week on the health front. I always put these appointments in september so it's easy to remember. teeth, doc, eyes, mammo, all scheduled!

dog JOY: homemade dog biscuits

today went to the dogs. Lucy wanted to make some treats as part of a special welcome home package for a doggy named Nellie.

vintage canister (c) dana rogers photography

i was astounded at the options and the variety of ingredients. the breath-saver formula caught my eye, but that wasn't the statement Lucy was hoping to make. so, we stuck with a basic martha stewart recipe. we can branch out later. (note to self: breathsaver treats!)

mysterious wheat germ (c) dana rogers photography

we had most of the ingredients on hand, but not this one. this is found in the cereal aisle.

use the whisk (c) dana rogers photography

 i like to whisk dry ingredients to blend them. you should try it.

oil in midstream (c) dana rogers photography

 decided to deploy my most favorite appliance - the mint-green kitchen aid. (this is really dear to me, so dear that it was among the evacuations items for the fire.)

roll away (c) dana rogers photography

 so you mix it all up into a pretty stiff dough and then roll it out. it was easy to work with; not sticky.

bone stamp (c) dana rogers photography

 of course i went and dug out the bone-shaped cookie cutter. i wanted to use the kitty cutter, but Lucy also thought that would send the wrong message. "What do you think we are," she said, "barbarians? We no longer chase cats." 

scraps (c) dana rogers photography

 rolled it out again to get as many cookies as possible. let me tell you, there weren't many. once lucy taste tests, we'll be down to a baker's dozen.

pre-baked bones (c) dana rogers photography

 the silpat didn't make the evacuation list, but in retrospect, it probably should have. into the oven they went. we painted the biscuits with chicken broth once during the baking.

cooling treats (c) dana rogers photography

here are the finished biscuits. i snapped one when they were still too hot for our taste-tester. believe me, she is standing by.

tentative lucy (c) dana rogers photography

okay. here we go, the taste-test. a hush came over the back porch. will she like them? cautious at first.

mm mm good (c) dana rogers photography

good enough to eat one. final evaluation?

mm mm mm good (c) dana rogers photography

yes folks, martha has done it again. another delicious recipe.



martha stewart's dog biscuit recipe
note: i have edited out some of the ridiculous parts: "if desired, you can spell out your dog's name or a holiday message in the dough with a toothpick (wet the toothpick first so it won't stick." my dog can't read!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt; set aside
2. Place oil in a large bowl. Add stock and flour mixture in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with stock. Mix well.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thick. Shape biscuits using a dog-bone-shaped cookie cutter.

4. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake biscuits 10 minutes. Brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. Turn off oven, leaving door closed. Let dog biscuits stand in oven to dry completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap as a gift, or store in an airtight container.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Homemade Dog Biscuits - Pets - MarthaStewart.com

seal joy

book joy: rubber stamped jewelry by sharilyn miller

scan of rubber stamped jewelry cover

Just picked up this cool book. I am was lured in by its cover - aren't these gorgeous projects? The book starts off with a clinic on basic jewelry-making techniques, including wire stuff which is the author's special love. Then it's on to the recipes for the twenty projects.

Apart from the totally predictable stamped dominoes, the projects are extremely creative. One uses vinyl tubing to create a housing for rubber-stamped art. Toothpicks make a pendant. There's also a liberal use of shrink plastic - love it - bearing no resemblance to its original state. Also, polymer clay, which I haven't really gotten into yet.

scan of i love paris - project by suzie heinzel

Because I would like to incorporate my photos into jewelry, I was hoping for detailed how-tos on the cover project called "I Love Paris." Unfortunately, there isn't much explanation re: the soldering process. (No how-to in the front of the book.) She does give the ingredients, so i think going to assemble these and see if I can't figure it out. That's half the fun, no?

for the soldering, here's what i am going to need:
precut glass, .2 mm thick
copper tape
flux
soldering iron
rosin core solder 60/40

will check back in once the key items are in the house!

Meanwhile, here are the book deets:

Rubber Stamped Jewelry

by Sharilyn Miller

What's Doing Here?
Well today has been tough. The fire continues to rage - 0 percent containment. I wasn't able to carry on normally even though i am not directly affected. It's smoky, it's tough to breathe and people are fighting an enormous fire less than a mile away. When I went out today, everyone seemed business as usual, and it just made me feel weirder.

k.l. man is out of town visiting the kids in Los Angeles, so I am hoping for a little extra crafty time this week in between working on my wordpress skills and fixing up the dana rogers photography blog. feel free to check it out for more fire news.

creating some bead joy

watch trio bracelets (c) dana rgoers photography

i can always find some joy in beads.     always.

the colors, the textures, the quiet time spent stringing and combining make for certain joy.

a new spool of .5 mm elastic i use to string bracelets arrived just in time. i like to keep a stash of these around at all times and i needed a set to go with my birthday swatch.

i love them because:

• one size fits all, even on "fat" days
• its fun to name them
• they are easy to make
• they can be combined to "go" with any outfit or mood
• and finally, they make great gifts

whenever i receive a compliment on a bracelet, off it comes and into the hands of its new owner. and that creates more joy.

pebbles (as in the flintstones) (c) dana rogers photography

sparkly girl (c) dana rogers photography

modern pearl (c) dana rogers photography

what is your "sure thing" for making joy?

bedroom joy (not what you think!)

photo courtesy of urbanoutfitters.com

my beloved duvet has shredded. it's over ten years old, so it "did it's bit." it gave me a wonderful opportunity to try something a little bohemian: the sunshine duvet cover from urban outfitters.  i wonder if this will set off one of those painting-rearranging-complete do-over extravaganzas. quite possible and somewhat needed. on the frugal side, it should "go" with what's currently going on in there. would you like to see the "before"?