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!