Jackson, WY Days 1- 3!!!

Learning to Rappel

Jenny Lake in the background

Climbing - Level 1 mountain school

Hidden Falls

Demo Derby

Carnie!

Old Faithful starting to spew

Morning Glory Geyser

Yellowstone!

Good photo opp!

Bison right off the side of the road!

Aspen Trees

A Moose in Grand Teton National Park

Driving with The Grand in view

Joel and I on Clint's trike

The Teton range and Snake River from the airplane window - GORGEOUS!

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Watercolor wedding invitation

A couple days ago I was going to trash a wedding invitation that had run it's course posted on the refrigerator when I thought maybe I should try to make it art. I remembered that someone once painted my parent's wedding invitation and it has hung on the wall for years so I decided to give it a try. I found out that the bridesmaid's dresses are lavender and that the bride is going to carry hydrangea in her bouquet so naturally I settled on purple hydrangea. Here are some photos of how it turned out. Since I will not be able to attend the wedding (WYOMING!!!) I matted it and framed it for a gift! Pin It

What does this mean?

Joel and I saw this sign at the entrance of Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama this weekend and were wondering what it means. It is obviously a Save the Cahaba license plate inside of a 'NO' sign? Really? Anyone have any ideas why they wouldn't want to save the Cahaba? Pin It

Doggie DNA test: One of a kind

For those of you that don't know, back in April I sent off for a dog DNA kit. I found this place online and was curious about it. They will send you a kit and all you have to do is swab the inside of your dog's mouth and send it back in the regular mail. Sounded easy enough and it was only $79 (which I thought sounded like a deal to finally know what kind of breeds make up the glory that is THE DUSTY DOG). Well of course it wasn't that simple. I sent Dusty's sample back the same day I received it in the mail (in mid April) and didn't hear anything for over a month and a half. I finally received a letter in the mail saying Dusty's DNA did not match any of the 38 certified common dog breeds of the US so they upgraded me to a bigger package (for free) that would retest his DNA against 100 certified common dog breeds. I was a little disappointed but intrigued at this thought and so I waited. The letter said I would get the results sometime in June. Well, I received them TODAY. I was so excited, I ripped open the folder they mailed me and found a copy of the certificate above. BUMMER!!!! The scientists believe 'the most influential breeds in Dusty's DNA are not represented in the 100 validated breeds.' So here in lies my question... Is this company a rip off or is Dusty just so special that no other dog like him exists in these '100 common breeds?' Maybe he has alien dog DNA! In the accompanying letter, the service sent apologies and a promise of a refund so I don't really know what to think. The whole thing is odd because I was SURE it would come back saying lab and golden retriever (with maybe a little beagle thrown in there - haha that's for you Dad) but I guess that goes to show you - YOU NEVER KNOW. Dusty watched me open the mail today with a little bit more interest than usual so maybe he got a kick out of the whole thing too. I just gave him a hug and laughed. p.s. I just noticed they can't even spell my name right! Pin It

10 more days!!!

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He(ART) Project

This year I am participating in the American Heart Association Charity He(ART) Auction for the first time. I was given a 4 ft. piece of plywood, pre-cut to the shape of a heart, and allowed to do whatever I want to it. I decided to paint a peacock because it is a beautiful symbolic creature and makes for uplifting subject matter. The materials used are acrylics, modeling paste, powdered pigments and real peacock feathers. Overall, I am happy with the result but hopefully I will have more photos to come when it goes to the art show next month. I am sure there will be many wonderful hearts on display from local artists all around Birmingham. Let's hope they raise a lot of money for a good cause! Pin It

Red, white and blueberries

Homemade lemon blueberry pancakes....Happy 4th! Pin It

Catch of the day

Caught: King Mackerel, Gray Snapper, and Red Snapper ---- Released: Black Tip Shark Fur, the local stray, eyes his next meal. Pin It

Baby/Puppy Love

If you don't think this is cute, you're not human! The dogs love Aubrey! Pin It

Sunrise at the beach

St. George Island, Florida Pin It

Baby Shower Bouquet

Blue Hydrangea, Queen Anne's Lace and Gardenia - smells great! Pin It

Black-eyed Susan

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One of my faves!

I love this photo taken at the Georgia Aquarium in Spring 2006. The color is so intense and it looks surreal! Pin It

Cloudland Canyon

We got to hike Cloudland Canyon state park yesterday in North Georgia before heading home. It was only a couple minutes from our cabin. We followed the hundreds of stairs down to the falls (there were two equally large waterfalls) and then back up and around the west rim loop trail for a rustic 5 mile trail hike. It was a good day and we witnessed some amazing overlooks along the way. Pin It

Learning to fly

Coming in for a landing Aerotowed by an ultralight plane Suited up for flight check Ready to fly The view from the mountain launch at the top of Lookout Mountain in early morning ____________________________________________________ My dad and I went to North Georgia this weekend to learn how to hang glide. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time. We each did a aerotowed tandem flight to 2000 feet and a few solo flights off of the training hill. Here are some pics! Pin It

Happy Friday!

I was just messing around in Illustrator today. This is what I came up with. She looks a bit islandy. I guess that means I need to get to the beach! Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Pin It

And then there was one

It has been over a week and a half since I posted on the baby birds. Only one made it but she looks to be healthy. There is one egg (not pictured) left in the duct tape nest but we don't think it will hatch. The other egg and baby bird are nowhere to be found. This baby is at the stage where she constantly has her beak open, ready to be fed. Pin It

Queen Anne's Lace

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Wild Blackberry Pie

After Joel figured out that wild blackberry bushes were EVERYWHERE in our newly discovered playground between my neighborhood and Moss Rock Preserve, I decided I should make something with them. I have never baked a pie before but thought it sounded like a good idea. I picked 2 1/2 cups of ripe blackberries (which took a while because most aren't ripened yet) and then went to work last night. It actually turned out decent and I got to use the mint I have been growing on my windowsill to garnish it. Despite all the scratches, I think the best part is just being outside searching for the juiciest berries. Here is the recipe I used: _____________________________________________________________ Add 2 1/2 cups of fresh blackberries to 1 1/2 cups of sugar in large skillet and warm. Add juice from one small lemon and slowly bring mixture to a boil. Add 1/4 cup of water to 2 tablespoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly, then add to pan. Allow mixture to thicken over low heat. Take a prepared pie crust and mold it to a 9 inch pie pan. Don't forget to grease pan! Bake just the bottom crust for 10 minutes at 325 degrees and then remove from oven and add mixture. Top with the second crust and crimp edges to form seal. Bake for 30 minutes at 325. Pin It

Tilt Shift Photography

This is an effect that can be manipulated in Photoshop to make an aerial photograph appear to be a model or miniature. I really love the look of it and just used these photos I snapped with my phone in the last couple of months (FedEx Forum and Union Square). More to come when I get some better shots! Pin It

the Tye that binds

It was my pleasure and honor to design the annual Columbus relay for life t-shirt for the 4th year in a row! Every year we remember my wonderful uncle, Tye Fields, and get together for the charity event. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year but was thrilled to see these great pics. Don't the shirts look great on these lovely ladies? Pin It

Watch where you put your duct tape!

I took this photo on my parents porch where a bird had made it's nest on top of a roll of duct tape that was placed on top of a light fixture. There are two unhatched eggs and two tiny baby birds that are hard to identify. They are so young they haven't even started chirping yet. The neighbor's cat is after them so let's hope they make it! Maybe I will get another photo when they are a bit cuter. Pin It

Coffee Filter Roses

I saw this craft on Martha's website and decided to give it a try this weekend. It was tedious but I think the roses are worth it. The photo above shows everything you need to make roses that look homegrown and will last forever with COFFEE FILTERS! After all the petals were cut from the filters (It takes 8 filters to complete one rose) and secured with floral tape, I watercolored them in cream and pink and lined the petals with undiluted paint. Happy Mother's Day!!! Pin It

Moss Rock Preserve

This weekend I discovered that Moss Rock Preserve is literally in my backyard. I knew it was close but the trails start maybe a mile from our doorstep. This is huge for me because I need a place to run Dusty and I also need to start training for our Grand Teton climb. I have been to the boulderfields several times but have never hiked the trails so this was all a pleasant suprise to me. Here is a pic of Dusty cooling off in the creek. Pin It