Finding Focus

Wordless Wednesday - hiding

2011-04-13T12:21:00.001-04:00

Monday Rewind

2011-04-11T18:04:00.002-04:00

Blog-hopping with Monday Rewind and Macro Monday this week.

Both of these pictures were from last Wednesday. Gabe and I were at the convention center. He was taking his PSSAs and I was fooling around with my camera, passing the time. The first one I was playing with my macro setting and just loved how this railing turned out. The sun was coming in a huge plate glass window, bouncing off the metal.

The second I picked just wondering how many of you can do it too. LOL Gabe is many things and flexible is one of them. Here he is "relaxing" during one of his breaks.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-04-10T10:27:00.003-04:00

Motion - waterfall in the aquarium

Waiting to Click - the perfect shark encounter

Animal Perspective - bear trap

Fashion - my new Tom's... comfy for a trek around the zoo

Many - avoiding the shark

My new favorite photo...

2011-04-09T17:02:00.002-04:00

Fix-it Flashback Friday...

2011-04-08T16:51:00.002-04:00

Thank you ChristopherandTia for giving me this great idea to steal. I realized how long it has been since I scanned any of the girls' pictures. I have hundreds of BDC (before digital camera) photos stored in my closet. This blog seems to have been all about the boys for the last few weeks, so today I'm dedicating it to my first baby girl, Katie. Our sweet little bundle of love that had to put up with unbelievably naive and ill-informed parents. It's a miracle she survived.

Wasn't she absolutely precious? This was one of those rare moments in the first year that she wasn't screaming about how stupid we are and could we please find someone who knows what they are doing.

Awww... she's sleeping in her swing. For the longest time, this was the only place she would sleep.

This would have been right around the time her little sister was born. Do you see the concern on her face? Or maybe this was the first time she plotted her world takeover.

Love this girl. Damn she's cute.

I loved this little top on her. I miss having a little girl to dress up.

Halloween!!! Loved the ruby slippers. They weren't the best for trick-or-treating. I seem to remember her slipping and sliding around the neighborhood.

All of the above photos were shot with my 35mm film slr.. oh so long ago. I scanned them in and cleaned them up in PSE7. Coffeeshop's Faded Daydreams PSE Action was used on each of them.

Katie all grow'd up.

Fun with Monkey Boy

2011-04-06T11:42:00.002-04:00

"Yes, I see you. You are adorable. Stay right in front of the house."

"Don't go too far, now."

"I know you can hear me."

"No, no, just leave it. Don't eat that!"

"Time to turn around... this way..."

"Uhmmm.... Sebastian? Sebastian? "

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-04-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

Wheeeeeee! Another challenge!

My beautiful model George, who is not only high key, but also high needs and high maintenance.

A photo of a reflection of my bedroom. I better stop before I confuse myself.

Something tiny and silver and pretty...

Off in the distance is Calvary Cemetery. In the foreground the buds of our silver maple. Circle of life and all...

Stripes. If you know what it is you'll earn a pat on the head and my unending friendship.

Sorta Selfie Saturday

2011-04-02T14:57:00.001-04:00

OK, so I saw this great sticker on a fellow bloggers post promoting Selfie Saturday!! Cool, I like photos, I like challenges... I like ME... easy peasy, right! Two hundred and ten photos later I'm thinking maybe this wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I am a self-portrait newbie... just off the bus... still drinkin' from a bottle and suckin' on my pacifier... neeeewwwwbie.

After the first twenty photos of looking like a dork...

I thought I'd mix it up by looking disturbed...

Finally, I gave up and just got silly.

Luckily, George showed up and took a little pressure off of me, just being me.

And what have we learned from this little experiment? I will never be a super-model? What?! No. I can dream. NEVER jump in to the middle of a portrait challenge when you're an idiot? Well, maybe. I was thinking it has taught me to save the joy of self-portraits for that new camera with a tripod and remote... Yeah.. that's it. Let's chalk this one up as ONE MORE reason to buy a D90. Uh-huh.

If you would like to visit the inspiration for this masterpiece...

Fix-it Flashback Friday...

2011-04-01T14:08:00.002-04:00

I needed a little project to keep me busy and I love restoring old photographs. I hope you enjoy this one. It is me (I know, I was ADORABLE) avoiding a spray of water from my brothers. Obviously we needed a bigger pool. ;)

Original from the early 1970s. Yes, I am old.

Cleaned and brightened up... a lot.

Given a little '70s flair... 'cause, well, you know.

My back is feeling mucho mucho better and we're planning on finishing the living room painting this weekend and maybe some more of the hallway, as well. I can't wait! I NEED the walls to be ONE color. Not the crazy multi-hued creation we've been living with for too long. Wish me luck!

One of my favorite songs...

For me?

2011-03-30T14:13:00.002-04:00

Homeschooling...

2011-03-29T11:35:00.002-04:00

No-one said it would be easy. ;)

You Capture - Youth

No good very bad days...

2011-03-28T19:50:00.000-04:00

aren't just for people. George, our normally happy camper, had to have a tooth extracted today. My wallet may never recover.

Not amused.

I can't be seen outside like this!

Slices of Life...

2011-03-27T14:37:00.002-04:00

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge for this week.

This is one of my favorite photos and popped right into my head as soon as I read the challenge...

Check out all the other entries at

5 days...

2011-03-27T10:30:00.001-04:00

   Five LONG days since my back exploded and my world shrunk to the four walls of my bedroom. This is getting old. I forced myself out of bed and downstairs yesterday, thinking "this isn't so bad". Between the drugs and the rest "I'm getting better". ::insert Pollyanna whistling::

   Windex bottle in hand I cleaned the accumulated finger and nose and paw prints off the windows. Tom took down our curtains for a much needed and overdue washing. The walls were even nastier, so I scrubbed away the grime... while sitting on the steps. I'm not a complete idiot. Or am I?

   This morning I am in pain. No, not achey.... pain. It is radiating up into my shoulder and down through my legs. I'm in noonebetterspeaktomedon'taskmeforanything pain. Now I'm waiting for the drugs to kick back in and my world to become comfortably numb again. I am stupid.

At least my curtains are clean, right?

In better news. We have a tutor. She is taking over my job as Learning Coach for Gabe for the next two weeks.

This is the song running through my head... over and over and over...

Step on a crack...

2011-03-24T19:37:00.003-04:00

MRIs are FUN!!

It's not true, you know. Stepping on a crack has never once been proven to break your mother's back.

Struggle with mom when she's putting your 34 pounds of whiny little bum in the tub, however, is a totally different story.

Now I see this most of the day...

Ruby and Max keeping me company.

and these...

Drugs are good.

The boys are learning to help each other... sort of... maybe...

No, mommy do it!!

On the bright side, I discovered a whole new world of people who are willing to do what I did, but for money. Now why didn't I think of that? Check out all the nice people at Care.Com who are more than happy to help you out when you are down for the count. (Pretty good slogan if I do say so myself... maybe they should pay me!)

Blue-green, greenish-blue, teal, aquamarine...

2011-03-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Whatever you wanna call it, it is now the official color of our family/living/class room.

Only three more walls to go.

I've had this song going through my head all morning.

Mom Guilt

2011-03-20T12:23:00.001-04:00

Do you ever feel like one of your children gets more attention than the others? One that is more fun to shop with... slightly better at conversations... shares the same hobbies... appreciates your sense of humor...? ::shifty eyes:: Uhm.. yeah, no, of course not. Who does that??

OK, but, what if one is an AWESOME model compared to the others. Cause you know, it all comes down to the photos.

In other news, I might be narrowing down on the paint colors for my hall and living room. I'm not totally helpless, I really like this blue for the living room...

but I'm having the hardest time picking for the hall. Now is your chance to affect the lives of people you barely know... WHICH COLOR????

From bottom to top is Olympic Timeless Taupe, Valspar Celery Root and Valspar Pine Bark. Help me! You don't even want to know how long my walls have been multi-colored.

OMGOMGOMGOMG!! It's SPRING!!!

2011-03-19T09:07:00.004-04:00

Yes, I know, it isn't officially spring until tomorrow. Stop bringing me down you haters. It's just that I was raking up all the thousands of leaves that somehow were missed in the fall, and peeking out from under the damp, rotting piles were these...

and these...

and this...

I don't even know what THIS is. I was in such a frenzy of bulb distribution last fall that I can't remember which ones I planted, or where I planted them. Should make for edge of your seat excitement in the next few weeks. Heeeeeeeheehee!!!! Shut up, I am not a loser.

Had to share this... Yesterday I discovered my new favorite musician. Check her out HERE. Thank you Nie Nie!

Old Economy Village

2010-09-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

Saturday was our annual trip to Old Economy Village in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. The last Saturday of every September is the festival of Erntefest in the village. They have tours and demonstrate life in the 1800s. Lots of food, fun, and frivolity. Yeah... I was searching for that last F*.

Sebastian learned how to make giant soap bubbles with string.

Even the local wildlife were enjoying the day and each other's company.

The girls found new, err OLD, ways to keep their little brother from running off. The ropes had been made a few minutes earlier.

Sebastian helped with the apple press for yummy fresh cider.

IHeartFaces- Fix-it Friday

2010-05-21T21:25:00.003-04:00

My first attempt at a Fix-it Friday challenge from IHeartFaces.com. I edited using Photoshop Elements 7.0.

{before}

{after}

{2nd try}

{one more time}

Playing Around with PSE

2010-05-19T13:44:00.002-04:00

{SOOC}

Faces and Flowers

2010-05-18T11:06:00.001-04:00

My entry into the latest IHeartFaces weekly contest.

Visit more beautiful photos of Faces and Flowers at http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com.

Gardening Overdose

2010-05-16T20:34:00.000-04:00

Two days of selecting, planting, weeding and mulching makes for a very tired momma.

Tired mommas don't take many pictures.

Rainy Day

2010-05-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

"Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet." ~Roger Miller

On the Waterfront

2010-05-13T15:58:00.001-04:00

A trip down to The Waterfront to play by the fountain became a long walk and photo session.

Monkey Boy was in his glory. Especially after a quick lunch.

His hat wasn't good enough. He needed to have mine as well.

He wanted to watch traffic from the pedestrian bridge,

but the big trucks going under were a little too scary.

He worked off more energy by running up and down the ramps...

and along the path by the river. Beautiful beautiful day.

COOKIES!!!! nomnomnomnomnom

2010-05-12T11:22:00.001-04:00

Jealous?

How about now?

Stop drooling on your keyboard and email Radmila at radmila_p@hotmail.com to let her know you want your very own box of homemade cookies. For $20 she'll send your own tasty variety and donate all the proceeds to help the victims of the Nashville Floods. Feel good about yourself while stuffing your face... what more could you ask?

Blast from the Past

2010-05-12T07:35:00.002-04:00

I've been having fun going through the boxes and boxes and boxes of old photos that were left here when mom retired. Why did she leave them in the same house that killed most of her house plants and has destroyed almost every piece of furniture ever bought??? I guess we'll never know (since I'm not going to bring it up). Maybe she had some inkling that I might decide to scan them one day and attempt this:

{Four Generations of Emery Metzler}

Or maybe she just forgot them. Shhh... don't tell. Still, it's pretty cool, huh? Oh come on, admit it... you wish you had thought of it.

IHEARTFACES Photo Challenge: Celebrating Moms

2010-05-11T11:25:00.000-04:00

Check out www.iheartfaces.com for other photo challenges and to view the competition. =)

Mother's Day Shoot Minus One (nappy monkey)

2010-05-09T16:28:00.001-04:00

Dog Days at Frick

2010-05-09T09:35:00.001-04:00

Breaking News! Mimi surpasses personal best at Track Championships!

2010-05-09T08:49:00.003-04:00

Video of 12' Long Jump

Too much excitement for one day.

2010-05-07T15:24:00.001-04:00

More Monkey

2010-05-07T15:15:00.002-04:00

Little Monkey

2010-05-05T14:52:00.003-04:00

My Furry Friends

2010-05-05T14:48:00.001-04:00

It's a Small World

2010-05-05T14:44:00.002-04:00

Spring View

2010-04-22T14:50:00.004-04:00

Spring Sports

2010-04-21T19:59:00.001-04:00

Spring at the Dog Park

2010-04-20T15:09:00.004-04:00

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-19T16:07:00.002-04:00

Spring is one of the most beautiful times to live in our area. The trees and flowers bloom like mad. The mild weather tries to make up for the last four months of cold, snow and gloom. In my yard the bulbs started shooting up weeks ago and are still making me smile every time I walk out the door. Now the fruit trees are covered in flowers and the sight cheers me up even when Mother Nature gives us a few cold days.

Out the back door (7)...

2010-03-07T13:23:00.002-05:00

Technically, this is out the 3rd floor window. A dizzying view of the back yard and a sneaky look at the neighbors.

Out the back door (6)...

2010-03-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

Out my back door and about a mile down the road is Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Phipps is a steel and glass Victorian greenhouse that has been open to the public since 1893. Recently, President Obama and the First Lady hosted a reception for the G-20 leaders at Phipps. This is a must see if you are ever in Pittsburgh.

Out the back door (5)...

2010-03-05T10:16:00.001-05:00

Some of the interesting features of the house are shown here. The box gutters... some decorative brick work over the windows... and the lovely soot deposited on our bricks from the now-defunct steel mills.

Out the back door (4)...

2010-03-05T10:05:00.000-05:00

Why, I remember when Tom rode a trolley to work and we heat our house with a coal furnace... Ok, I don't actually remember that, but here is the door that used to lead to a coal bin in our basement. The coal which would have then been used to heat our home and cook our food. Ahhh... memories... Soot and memories...

Out the back door (3)...

2010-03-05T09:49:00.000-05:00

These are cut stones that we found hiding in the ivy of our backyard. The house itself was built in 1901. We've been told that they are most likely old road markers...

Out the back door (2)...

2010-03-05T09:29:00.000-05:00

I am really happy with this one. The angle is perfect, focus is almost where I wanted it and George makes a great model. I had to do a slight color-correction, but this is close to straight off the camera.

First Haircut!

2010-03-01T21:40:00.001-05:00

I know, I know. It was long overdue. The decision wasn't easy, but I finally cut Sebastian's hair. No buzz cuts for Seb, though. We went with a slightly longer, but very masculine, look. No more barrettes for my little boy.

Out the back door...

2010-03-01T21:28:00.001-05:00

I don't suppose I could have taken this any more literally. ;) This is the view out my back door as demonstrated by my gorgeous model, Mia. Note the half buried play-slide in the yard... I don't think all this snow will melt until April.

Kate

2010-02-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

She is totally ignoring my camera and wishing I would go away. ::sigh:: The life of a Mammarazzi is so difficult.

Sleeping Sebastian

2010-02-27T21:01:00.001-05:00

I finally got one of the kids to sit still long enough to take his picture. Or maybe he just happened to fall asleep and I took advantage.

Mia

2010-02-27T20:45:00.001-05:00

Mia helping me out with the laundry. She just may be the cutest cat ever.

Gabriel

2010-02-23T19:18:00.000-05:00

Gabe reading Harry Potter with daddy. Every night they take time for at least one chapter. Gotta love daddy time.

15 years old!!

2010-02-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

Kate and Emily during yesterday's Birthday Lunch at Red Robin. I can't believe my baby girl is 15 years old now. Happy Birthday Kate!!

Hidden Letters "A" or "N"?

2010-02-20T12:39:00.000-05:00

This is the ghetto fence in my backyard... a strange mixture of wood, vinyl, bricks and wire fencing thrown together in a desperate attempt to keep the escape artists (dogs) from leaving. Yes, those are rusty nails sticking out of it. Anyone want to donate to my JoNeedsARealFence fund?

Hidden Letters "R"

2010-02-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

Max

2010-02-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

He was too cute this morning.. and the only one in the house that wasn't running away from my camera.

Hidden Letters "O"

2010-02-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

This is where my crapola camera fails me. It refused to focus completely on the key rings. Too fuzzy for my taste, but I like the effect of the photo too much to not include it. I suppose I should have dusted first...

Hidden Letters "M"

2010-02-18T16:24:00.001-05:00

I found this letter hanging out in the playroom.

Hidden Letters "H"

2010-02-16T14:55:00.001-05:00

Yellow is a terrible color for a wall if you like to take indoor pictures. I do like this Black/White fix... I used the Urban Snapshot setting in Photoshop Elements.

Hidden Letters "G"

2010-02-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

The wrought iron railing from my back stairs... Obviously I need to consider re-painting it this spring.

Guilty Pleasure #4 - Chocolate

2010-02-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Try not to drool on your keyboard.

Guilty Pleasure #3 - My Laptop

2010-02-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

What is pink, frequently found in my bed (or at least my bedroom), was a Valentine's Day gift from my husband, and is highly addictive?

My VAIO!!

I love it/hate it, the wireless is spotty and #5 key sticks but it is my lifeline to the outside world and how I keep in touch with friends and family all over the country. It keeps me busy with Photoshop, FaceBook, Gmail and SparkPeople. If dinner is late or a child is neglected, you can bet my pink VAIO is somehow involved.

Guilty Pleasure #2 - Seb's Geotrax

2010-02-11T12:33:00.001-05:00

No really... this is my addiction. The one set that Seb got for Christmas quickly became 3 or 4... or maybe 5... by Groundhog's Day. We have two remote control trains that I could sit and play with all day, IF Sebastian would let me. Usually he takes the controller and tells me to go away. Or even worse, he wants me to sit and watch HIM play... but not touch. Pure torture.

Guilty Pleasure #1 - My Pets

2010-02-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

Yes... I'm guilty. I have too many animals. I've been known to plot for months, sneak them home and proclaim a new family member. I love dogs especially.. although I certainly haven't been limited to them. Over the years I've had cats, parakeets, hamsters, a guinea pig, many generations of fish, rats, rabbits and yes.. dogs. My dogs sleep with me, kiss my face, have at least 20 chew toys in the house at once and are taken to the park more than my kids. They wear coats in the winter and go to the beach with us in the summer. They are spoiled rotten and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Treasures #4 - My Children

2010-02-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

I cheated on this one.The picture was taken in December,but they are my treasure all year round.

The loves of my life and one treasure I will freely give to the rest of the world. Let's hope the world appreciates them.... and isn't too scared.

Treasures #3 - My Friends

2010-02-04T12:06:00.001-05:00

Treasures #2 - My Books

2010-02-04T11:29:00.000-05:00

Treasures #1 - My Marriage

2010-02-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

We may have walked too far. ;-)

2010-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

Black

2010-01-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yellow at the Playground

2010-01-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

The Red Hats

2010-01-27T22:41:00.000-05:00

Cookies

2010-01-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Green Chair

2010-01-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

Lake Henry

2010-01-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

Blue Skies with Palm Trees

2010-01-26T17:16:00.000-05:00

Enchiladas Mexicanas

2010-01-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

Red Pole and Canopy at Lake Eva Playground

2010-01-25T16:33:00.001-05:00

Sebastian at the Playground

2010-01-25T16:31:00.000-05:00

Sebastian and the Grapefruit

2010-01-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sebastian at the Airport

2010-01-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Ruby Sue

2010-01-23T14:18:00.000-05:00

Letter Magnets

2010-01-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

A Boy and His Train

2010-01-21T19:37:00.000-05:00