This Full House Archive

Category: Photography

All the Leaves Are Brown, Let’s Smell Them!

A couple of weeks ago my middle girl and I were hiking in the woods — yes, like in trees, we have lots of them here in Jersey — when I suddenly stopped to take this picture and managed to annoy quite a few joggers along the way.

Can't help it, I want to remember.

The sound of the trickling water was just so calming and then the smell of the wet leaves hit, bringing me back to my childhood, when my twin brother and I would dig for creepy crawlies and begin taking turns imagining the most fantastic stories of hidden little imaginary worlds.

I've since shared these stories with my children AND with my husband, Garth (not his real name) who learned of my fascination with tree spirits on our first "day date" and, well, yes, now that they're older, my kids are just as surprised as you probably are, right now, that he even bothered to, you know, call back.

I was going through some photos, because this is the winter "I swear" to print and display updated pictures around the house and, well, yeah, it seems I really do spend a lot of time looking down on the ground or up at the sky.

"Look at those vines, Momma, let's go swing on them!"

But, there was this one time in the woods when my kid and I ignored the disagreeable looks of passersby, took a swing on a gnarly vine and forgot about life's rough patches…for just a little while, anyway.

"OOMPHUH!"

Aaaaand, I may or may not have gotten a nose-full of leaves for my troubles. Good thing I wasn't holding the camera, or my kid was too busy laughing, to take a picture, right?!? RIGHT?!?

[sound of crickets, chirping]

Riiiiiiight, if anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs holding my middle girl's hair back, as we both finish getting SO OVER this warm-ish winter.

Stupid creeping crud!

© 2003 – 2012 This Full House

February 21, 2012
Wordless Wednesday: Kaleidoscope Eyes (and a spooky-looking arm, too!)

This is what I see, when looking out my kitchen window and I swear it's mocking me, flipping me the bird, or something.

Stupid, freaky-looking tree.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

October 26, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Kiss Me

I just love capturing really awesome moments like this (unedited) and surprising the heck out of myself, for remembering to take off the lens cover, even, you know?

Related Post blogged at Gone Shopping: Our Kleenex Field Trip to the American Museum of Natural History with TheMotherhood.com

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

August 17, 2011
Times I Wish Photogenicism Was Hereditary

I was going through my Picasa albums in an attempt to segregate my photos from those my middle girl took, considering Heather's pictures are waaaaaaaay better than mine (DAGNABIT!) they just might give her digital cooties, or something.

I noticed something. Hope is my youngest and, at the risk of sounding all, you know, weirdish (YES, it's a word!) I swear, this child is photogenically gifted.

Winter, spring, fall, miffed at her oldest sister knocking her disk into oblivion while playing shuffle board (she looks totally like her father in that one!) seriously, you can NOT take a bad picture of this kid.

Me, on the other hand, I can strike the most unattractive pose, without even trying and, well, the only saving grace, in my opinion, are my eyes and, still, I almost always manage to come off looking like a, you know, weirdo.

Then, I found this one, from attending my 11th consecutive Fun Day, last week. What did I tell you? Dang if the girl didn't make me look good, too!

"My, you ALL have such beautiful red hair!"

Hope's teacher is really sweet, although, she does have this habit of making me go…um…what?

[looks left, right and left again]

"You AND your girls!"

OHHHHHHH, yeah, me and mah girls, have the same dark eyes and, although we go from curly, to wavy, to scared straight it just may ALL fall out, by tomorrow (guess which one, go ahead, I'll wait) you can pretty much tell we all come from the same gene pool.

Aaaaand, would you believe, they actually agreed to be seen with me, in public, untanned, in support their baby sister. By the end of the afternoon, they were sort of holding me up, too, can you tell?

"Pssst, Mom…but, she knows our hair is NOT red, for real, right?"

[sound of crickets chirping]

OHHHHHHH…HEY!…look, did you know, I also have a son?

Aaaaand, he's blonde, with the coolest eyes, sometimes (seriously, they change color) and what did I tell you, the girl can take some really awesome pics, for real, right?

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

Oh, almost forgot (I know, act surprised anyway, okay?) don’t forget to enter to win a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting goods courtesy of BlogHer and Gatorade Moms! Click here for details!

June 8, 2011
SPLASH! Photography

Phew, now that I got THAT song out of my head (thank you, ABBA!) who’s up for a swim, anyone?

[Cannonball completed by Hope (a.k.a. Robin) photography courtesy of Heather]

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

June 4, 2011
Feeling Squirrel-y?

I have issues (don't we all?) and, if you were to ask me to list, oh, I dunno, at least 5 of them, off the top of my head, they would be as follows:

Dirty dishes in the sink: especially, when the dishwasher is dirty. Drives me nucking futz, to the point where even my neighbors know when, "THE DISHWASHER IS DIRTY…DAMMIT!

Silent treatments: are like nails ripping into chalkboard (you're welcome!) the absolute worst form of torture, right?

Wet towels on the floor: especially, when the washer is empty (see dirty dishes, above.)

Doofus-Dog on the couch: makes me itchy.

Squirrels: ransacking the bird feeders (see picture above) I hate, Hate, HAte, HATe, absolutely freaking HATE squirrels. Aaaand, they don't like me, either. How do I know?

This morning, I was able to address 2 outta 5 of said issues, to my complete and total satisfaction.

[blank stare]

The fact my husband, Garth (not his real name) doesn't seem to have these sort of issues, is just plain weird, don'tcha think?

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House

February 11, 2011
For the Love of Bubbles

Love is waking your laptop to find silly little cabin-fever-induced webcam photos of your teens…all 350 of them (cabin-fever-induced webcam photos, NOT teens, I mean!)

[shiver]

Aaaaand, there's more snow on the way?!?

FLOB! Seems Mother Nature is in desperate need of a serious attitude adjustment, too…or, a new laptop…whatevs.

Happy Love Thursday, everyone!

© 2003 – 2011 ThisFullHouse.com

January 20, 2011
I Whip My Lens Back and Forth

My husband, Garth (not his real name) thinks I'm nuts (I know, act surprised anyway okay?)

Aaaanyway, as I was showing a family friend my our new BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER, not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…

[takes breath]

…he calls me out.

"She takes the weirdest pictures."

I was crushed.

So, I grabbed the camera (ever so gently) and began to scroll through the memory card.

We nabbed this old foot pump Singer sewing machine in a yard sale, B.C. (before kids) I just love the shadow play with the wood and metal in this shot.

Looking up on top of the sewing machine: the flower pot is a quick (but, prettiful) place to drop our keys and the glass ball actually belongs to something else that broke, years ago (can't remember what) but, the kids like to pretend it's a magic crystal ball….me, too.

Looking to the left of the sewing machine: two of my favorite pictures of Garth (not his real name) and I thought that the reflection on the one of us dancing at my brother's wedding was sort of cool — quite apropos, really.

Looking to the right of the sewing machine: the dining room window is the brightest in the house (even on the gloomiest of winter days) so, my geraniums are always in full bloom! /gloom

Aaaaand, then looking left (again) from the sewing machine: my Aunt Theresa crocheted this blanket for me as a Christmas present. My cousin gave it to me the day Theresa passed away and I'm still waiting for the awful sense of loss and regret to pass, too, each time I look at it.

[heavy sigh]

Aaaand, this is when I moved to the back door and, well, color me weird, but darned if I didn't start to feel a whole lot better!

"What's this one about?"

I looked over my friend's shoulder and blankly stared at the viewer.

"Um, what do YOU think it looks like?"

[eyes go wide]

"Well, I would say a Christmas Cactus."

[shrugs]

"But, you're the photographer."

[grin]

"You probably see something different, like hair, or something!"

[frown]

I know. In this case, different is code for nutty and/or weird. Still. I love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE my new BESTEST, AWESOMEST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER, not to mention, ABSOLUTELY FRIGALICIOUS camera…

[takes deep breath]

…because, it compels me to slow down and really appreciate the world around me and, well, she DID call me a photographer, right?

[sound of crickets chirping]

Shut up, Garth (NHRN!)

© 2003 – 2011 ThisFullHouse.com

January 18, 2011
Sundays in My City: Winter Blues

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

To see other city scenes from around the world, check out Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City.

Oh, and feel free to clean off a chair, sit down and visit my photo journal or my Flickr photostream.

© 2003 – 2011 This Full House Blog / TFH Gone Shopping

January 16, 2011