Wednesday Hodgepodge - 11/30/2016

I’m joining the fun this week…. 

Sitting on the porch and answering random questions about everything under the sun….

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun!

1. Give us three rhyming words that say something about your Thanksgiving holiday (or your most recent holiday gathering if you didn't celebrate Thanksgiving). 

Heart and Soul - Self Control - Casserole

2. When did you last say, 'the more the merrier'? Did you mean it?

Last Tuesday I posted on facebook that I'd have a full house for thanksgiving (8 overnight guests for 5 days). My BFF in Florida kiddingly asked if her family could drive up and join the party...my response was "the more the merrier"...and of course I meant it. I miss my BFF!   Here is a photo of us taken at her wedding... lookin good in the 80's...LOL.

3. What's one piece of advice you'd give someone who is your same age?

"Don't wait until all the stars align to follow your dreams" 

Dreams are important, but they do not come to fruition if you do not take action. Don’t procrastinate. Start living the life you want to live today. There is always a step (even a baby step) you can take toward making your dreams come true.

OR for younger readers....

Lift with your knees, not your back! Injury can lead to a lifetime of pain.

4. You're ordering a veggie plate, what four veggies are on it?

1. Glazed Carrots
2. Green Beans with Almonds
3. Grilled Corn
4. Pan fried Potatoes 

5. Shop til you drop! Did you? Have you ever? Will you between now and Christmas?

My days of shopping until I drop are many moons ago. I don't do well in crowds and walking a mall parking lot loaded down with shopping bags is just not appealing to me anymore.  I do shop early and online to avoid the brouhaha of Black Friday and Christmas Eve shopping.

6. What's your favorite chair in your house, and why is it a favorite?

My rocking chair outside on the covered porch. the rocker faces the creek in our backyard and it's in a shady spot. I can hear the water racing over the rocks in the creek and see the forest creatures passing through. I feel at peace with myself and the world on the porch.

7. Share an early memory of faith, religion, or spirituality.

I remember kneeling beside my pink princess bed with all my stuffed animals lined up and kneeling with me as I prayed for a kitten. That week a stray and very pregnant cat arrived at our house...she delivered 5 kittens in our garage.  I knew my prayers had been answered!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

In a previous blog post (go there) I detailed my research on getting a good family portrait without the help of a professional photographer.  During the family thanksgiving event (after 20 shots) I finally did get a photo with everyone smiling and all eyes open! Take a look....what do you think?  

In photo from left to right: Jade (13), Patrick (Marley 9), Grandma Lori (me), Sebastian (7), Grandpa Chuck (my husband), Amanda (Chuck's Daughter), Kyra (7), Aidia (14), Chet (Amanda's Husband), and Jackson (2).

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Need a Little Extra Cash for Holiday Shopping?

First I want to say that this is not an advertisement and I am not getting compensated in any way for this post....I just thought readers may want to check out this opportunity... 

Have you heard of an online workforce called GigWalk? No, ... I hadn't either until this week. Gigwalk was founded in 2010 with the goal of reinventing how we work in a mobile world. Gigwalk breaks down large corporate tasks into mini projects, enabling companies to get work done, efficiently and effectively using an on-demand mobile workforce.

Yesterday I worked for them for a few hours. Basically this is how it works: a business had a large survey that needed to be completed across the nation. GigWalk broke the large task down geographically into small local projects and posted the work on their website for independent contractors (like me) to complete. The projects in my local area were short audits of product located in a convenience store, pricing, signage...etc. 

GigWalk Screen Shots

It was easy work... I did audits at 8 gas stations on my way home from lunch. I used my cellphone to receive my assignments from GigWalk (all within 3 miles of my lunch location), photograph the required items, and send in my audits from the phone.

Details about yesterday's assignment:  At each location I had to use my cellphone to....

1. Photograph the outside of the gas station building as proof that I was at the correct location.
2. Photograph the signage on the building and around the parking lot. 
3. Enter the building and see if they used a handheld price scanner at the register.
4. Get the manager's name (I just phoned and asked for the name from the parking lot). 
5. Add any notes about the photos that I thought might help the customer.
6. Upload the pictures and information from my cellphone to Gigwalk.
7. Done! Easy Peasy! Payment will be within 12 days to my paypal account.

And the good thing about this job...you work when you want, as much or as little as you want, and you can do get assignments anywhere (your phone GPS looks up where you are in real time). If you have and hour or two to kill between DR. appointments, waiting for kids to get out of school, or in a city that you are visiting, just login for local job possibilities. All you need is a cellphone and a mode of transportation to the locations. 

Honestly, this was easy money and I did it on the way home.  Here is a picture of the app on the phone and on a tablet...

Check it out if you need a little cash this holiday season!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

Okay...Everyone Smile!

Have you ever had a professional family photo shoot? 

Photo Credit: mattclaytonphotography.blogspot.com

Have you ever had a professional family photo shoot?  I’ve been researching how to get this done with as little pain as possible. This little side project started after a recent trip to see my side of the family in Indiana.  Prior to departing I asked the daughters for a recent picture of all the grandchildren (together) so I could show my parents. I assumed this would be an easy request since they are never very far away from their phones and snap candid photos all the time.  When they couldn’t come up with one picture that had all the kids together I decided it was time to take action and work on a family photo shoot.

Going into this I know that it will be no small feat, especially with two three year olds who are always on the move, complicated career schedules with little time to do this, band practice, and Son-in-laws who don’t always see eye-to-eye.  With a little planning on my part, I will somehow manage to get everyone in our family looking happy and peaceful for the camera, if only for a few minutes.

Photo Credit: Shannamichellephotography.blogspot.com

 Here are some tips that I’ll be using to make this a positive experience for everyone:

Organize

I’ve learned that there is nothing that will make a family posing for a photograph turn on you faster than not being prepared. People, especially little ones, don’t like to be kept waiting; so this is what I’ll be doing to prepare:

1. Scope out the location beforehand. The background is not the most important subject of the photo; keep it simple and uncluttered. Atlanta has beautiful parks and natural settings; other fun settings might be the front porch, old buildings, or pretty fences. I’d love to use an old barn, but they are in short supply here in the city.
2. Think ahead about the pose. How will we position everyone and frame the shot, I’ve learned that photos with taller members in the group towards the back and centered with shorter people on the edges of the group look best.
3. Communicate what is expected. It will be important to make sure everyone in the family knows my goal. I need to get by-in to make this successful.
4. Prepare the equipment needed. Check the camera settings and adjust, make sure it has charged batteries. Test the sturdiness of the tripod on uneven terrain with the new camera.

Photo Credit: greatkidpix.wordpress.com

Schedule

I’ve also learned that when the photo is taken is just as important as where the photo is taken. In order to get enough detail you need to have sufficient light. So, getting schedules coordinated to fit the best lighting conditions is important.

1.   Schedule the photo shoot when kids are at their best. Usually, at least for little ones, this means 5 to 6 p.m. is not the best time.  Morning seems to be better idea.

2.  That said – lighting is important, so we may have to be flexible.  Bright, high noon sunshine is not ideal, so I’d like to shoot outdoor photos either in the morning or just before dusk.  If it’s a bright day and the sun is low in the sky, don’t position the sun directly behind the camera or you’ll have a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

Photo Credit: Shannamichellephotograpy.blogspot.com

The Look

The photo above is a good example of what to do when it comes to dressing for the shoot.  The photo collage below is what not to do when dressing for the shoot - Too much of any one pattern is never a good thing and porta-potty's are not the best choice for a backdrop.

1.   Coordinate, but don’t match. I know several families that like to wear the same outfit for their portraits.  But in the examples that I’ve looked at, photos look better when everyone blends well, but doesn’t match too much.  To be honest, when I see a photo with the entire family wearing the same thing, all I see is a sea of one color – not the people.

2.   Avoid patterns. It’s okay if one family member has a simple stripe or a basic design, but too many intricate patterns distracts from the overall look.  Overall it’s better to go with a simple, solid-colored shirt in a neutral tone. Several neutral colors (denim, grey, white, khaki) mixed with a “pop” of color seems to work best.

3.   Go casual. Especially if you have little ones.  I love photos that look like the family is relaxed, and having fun with each other; not posed stiffly in their Sunday best.



Above: Four -BAD- examples of Family Photo Shoots



Above: Some good choices for a coordinated look for your photo shoot.

The Shot

The beauty of digital photography is that you can edit, retake, retouch, and experiment in all sorts of ways.  Have fun taking the photo and keep it relaxed and light-hearted.

1.   Take Multiple Shots. One of the best ways to avoid the problems is to take multiple photos quickly. I’ve learned that the first shot is often not so good, the one or two directly after it often look a little less posed and more relaxed.

2.  Similarly – shoot some frames off before everyone is ready.  Sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite amusing with people telling each other where to go and jostling for position.

3.   Get in Close. Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing (without cutting some members of it out of course). The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces – something that defines a great photo.

Take Control

Those who know me well will think that this step should not be an issue for me. I have no trouble taking control of a group and making them comfortable working together.  But when it comes to family I’m low on the list of authority.  So I’m going to approach this with determination and clear direction.

1.   Keep talking to the family members, letting them know what to do, motivating them to smile, telling them that they look great and communicating how much longer I’ll need their attention.

2.   Also important is to give a reason to pose for the photograph. When you give people a reason to pose for you they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose.

3.   Another very useful line is – ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

4.   If there are more photographers than just you or distractions like a plane overhead, wait until the moment passes and then get the attention of the full group. Otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

5.   Of course I don’t want to be a dictator when posing the family or I could end up with shots of very angry people. The best photographers know how to get people’s attention, communicate what they want but also keep people feeling relaxed, and like they are having fun.

Smile

Yes, I mean Me.  There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. I want to Have fun and enjoy the process of getting the family photo and I hope the family will too!

Cheers!

Autumn Arrives.....

 I love Autumn. Many of the great changes in my life, have arrived in the fall. I moved away from home and went to college, I went to Europe and discovered my love of history, I joined a church and made life time friends, and I married the love of my life in the fall.  It is my favorite time of year, the weather turns crisp and I come to life. I love rosy cheeks and brisk weather. I love walking in the woods and carving jack-o-lanterns. The sound of leaves on the wind scurrying across the driveway is music to my ears. And last but not least, Halloween, my favorite Holiday, is just a round the corner.

Today is the first day of Autumn; to celebrate I'm posting some of my favorite pictures of fall here in Georgia. Enjoy!

 

Swamp Romp.....

It’s Spring Break here in Georgia. We spent the last few days exploring and camping in the amazing Okefenokee Swamp with our more adventurous camping buddies. The swamp is one of North America’s most unspoiled, fascinating and valuable natural areas. It is the largest, intact, un-fragmented, freshwater and black water wilderness in North America. The swamp covers roughly 700 square miles and is located in the southeastern corner of Georgia. Wildlife flourishes here; more than 400 species of vertebrates, including more than 200 varieties of birds and more than 60 kinds of reptiles, are known to inhabit the swamp.

The Okefenokee is crisscrossed by over 120 miles of water trails. It is a major destination for wetlands nature lovers, paddlers and boaters. We chartered a boat for an incredible night tour. Without any light pollution, the Okefenokee Swamp is one of the best places in the Southeast to view the moon, stars and planets. The night was so clear; we saw Venus vividly shining down on us and thousands of twinkling stars.

At night, alligator’s eyes shine bright red; it’s spooky to see hundreds of red eyes watching you. Park Rangers estimate that 12,000 alligators live within the refuge. We listened to gators bellowing and a chorus of singing frogs and toads. I loved seeing owls and bats silently gliding overhead.

The only advice I can give about camping in the swamp is this: you can never have enough bug spray!
But don't let that keep you from visiting this magical place.

Happy Camping, Cheers!

Love is in the air.......

"Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker."

- Author Unknown.

 Happy Valentine's Day!

For the Love of Barns....

#10 Logging My Favorites

This is the tenth installment of a ongoing log of my favorite things. Once a month I will post a favorite. It might be a person, or a place, or even an event. Hopefully it will help you get to know me a little better. I'd love your comments and I hope to make some connections through our mutual enjoyment of these treasures.

 

I love old barns; if you've ever driven through a rural area, it's likely that you've seen barns standing watch over the landscape. Have you ever taken the time to take a closer look at the barns as you travel the country side, or stop and walk through one?  

When a family farmed to subsist and feed their livestock, understanding of the soil and awareness of nature were essential parts of rural life. This fertile lifestyle inspired barns and outbuildings of solid grace - - structures that reflect the regional character with original designs by innovative builders.

I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I did have access to the barns of family members in Indiana. I experienced many things in the barn. I watched animals being born, smelled the scent of fresh hay, milked the cows, shared secrets with my friends, and developed a love of nature. 

 Old barns were typically made of timber, and stone barns were built in certain areas where stone was a cheaper construction material. There are many different types of barns, namely horse barns, pole barns, carriage barns, etc. I find them all beautiful and each barn is unique. 

Why are most barns red?  There are several theories as to why barns are painted red, but in historically accurate terms, ready made paints were not available.  Farmers made their own red paint by adding ferrous oxide to the traditional mix of paint ingredients:  lime, linseed oil and milk to create their own version of long lasting red paint that acted as a quick drying wood preservative.

 Population explosion and the rise of agribusiness have caused the rapid disappearance of the small "family owned" farm. Unfortunately the need for these traditional structures has drawn to a close. What remains is an endangered species of splendid buildings that offer functional beauty and purity of design that once characterized the Farm way of life. 

Even though restoration of old houses is popular today, most barns of equal architectural merit and age have been ignored and seemed doomed. Yet people who take the time to befriend old barns will find that they hold many secrets, each one has its own charm and mystery.

 Adaptive use is the key to their preservation. For these proud structures to remain on any landscape their value must be recognized and adaptive new uses must be found. A small percentage of barns across the country have been lovingly restored and re-purposed to fit today’s needs.  The barn pictured above has been Turned into a lovely home.  I love old barns and I don’t want to see them disappear.

Next time you see an old barn off in the distance--close your eyes for a moment and imagine the laughter and tears echoing within.  Oh yes....I love old barns!

To see my Pinterest collection of fabulous photos - Barns Great and Small - click here.

Or cut and paste this address into your browser:
http://pinterest.com/lorisglassworks/barns-great-and-small/

Postcards a Lost Art….

Today I received a postcard in the mail, my only traditional postcard in more than a decade. It wasn’t an invitation, “Save the Date” or “We’ve Moved” card; it was a picture postcard from a friend traveling in Greece. I must confess receiving the card thrilled me. This piece of snail mail, possibly left at the reception desk of a hotel, dropped in a mailbox, or taken to the local post office, made its mysterious and most likely grueling journey by truck, train, donkey—or whatever it was— and finally by plane to Atlanta. Postcards are indeed a lost art.



The terrific thing about postcards was and still is their vast variety. The possibilities are endless: the Eiffel Tower, Carlsbad Caverns, or any other famous tourist attraction. It could have a picture of a donkey wearing a sombrero, the champion hog at the Iowa state fair, or even a kitschy motel in Kalamazoo. Almost every business in this country, from a funeral home to a fancy resort and spa, had a postcard once upon a time. Today postcards are no longer a first-class marketing tool. We use the phone or internet to communicate; sadly postcards have become rare beyond tourist attractions.

I believe that postcards then and now contain masterpieces of minimalist verbal art; since unlike letters, postcards provide a brief and concise glimpse into someone’s life. It marks a brief moment in time when the writer thought enough of you to share their journey. I love postcards and I will make a greater effort to keep the tradition alive for myself and loved ones. I hope you will too.

Here are some great postcard sets that I found on Etsy.

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/74433387/postcard-set-paris-green-paris-photo

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73582247/scripture-art-delightful-postcards-set

Hundreds of creative postcards are for sale in many Esty shops; make someone's day by sending a handwritten postcard. It only takes a minute or two..... Cheers!

Tutorial: $6 Solution to Jewelry Photography

I’m sure you’ve read countless articles about taking great pictures for your Etsy shop.  Today, while I was browsing my favorite blogs, I came across an easy to follow tutorial for taking pictures of your Jewelry.  I’ve learned that photographing jewelry has its own unique set of problems; diminished light and shadow, reflection, out of the ordinary iridescence, and small details, making the process harder than other types of photography.  And don’t even get me started on photographing Pearls!  The tutorial written by “Via U!  It’s your shot”  gives an easy and inexpensive way to get great pictures of your product.

The Tutorial below is published with the consent of: Via U! 

A window and a piece of cardboard is all you’ll need to take pictures of silver jewelry with brilliant, even tones....

1.) Move a table as close to a window as you can.

2.) Make sure that the top of the table is a higher than the window sill.

 

3.) Tape a piece of tracing paper to the window. Sunny or cloudy skies, the paper will make light coming in to be even and soft. Hang the paper so it goes down below the table.

 
 
 

4.) When using white paper as a background put something white underneath to avoid the table coming through making it look dark.

 

 

 

 
 

5.) I used a 2’ x 2’ piece of foamcore to bounce back light from the window, you can use anything that stands upright without bending. A piece of cardboard covered with sheets of white paper will work great.

6.) Light will reflect from the white card and from the white surface as well.

7.) Silver is like a mirror, it shows whatever is around. The light and white paper will reflect on the metal making it look light and shiny.

8.) If you pull the white card away from the window it will create a dark area that will also reflect on the jewelry.

9.) Different tones of silver make a picture have more depth. You may like the way it looks, or you may not. If you prefer the silver to have even tones make sure that the card is flashed against the window.



 

10.) However, if you do want your background to have a gradation of tones try replacing the white card with a black one. Blocking the light will create a shadow with a clear edge.

11.) Then you can play placing your jewelry where the background shifts from light to dark to see what happens.

Take a Deep Breath...



This weekend I received an emergency call from a good friend and fellow Etsy seller. She told me that she had received a message from a very unhappy buyer. The buyer was unhappy with the size of the earrings they had received. My friend makes lovely items with quality materials; I was surprised to hear the news.

The buyer had complained that the size in the pictures did not match the actual item. Oh no…this is a common problem jewelry sellers have when using the Macro camera setting to get sharp close-up details. I told my friend the only solution I know to solve the dilemma; place a common item (like a coin or your hand) in at least one of the photos too to give the buyer a sense of scale. Here is a great example of establishing scale in your photos:

“This will help in the future, but what about my angry customer?” she asked with a sigh. Here’s the advice I gave her……

1. Take a deep breath - it’s not the end of the world. Step away from the computer for 30 minutes and think about how to handle this situation rationally. Try not to answer the complaint emotionally, write your email response cautiously and thoughtfully. If you don’t consider how it will sound to your customer, you could be doing damage control later. Email can be tricky! Tone and inflection are not present in email. Your written response may be misinterpreted as combative or unhelpful if you are not careful with your reply.

2. Realize that you both want the same thing. Buyer and seller want the same end result; a happy, pleasant, and speedy transaction. Usually an unhappy buyer simply wants to feel like you are willing to work with them. So extend the olive branch and let them know that you truly want to help them and are willing to work toward a solution.

3. Put the ball in their court- Ask the customer what they would like for you to do to resolve the situation. Chances are, they have already have an idea of what they think is a fair solution. If there is anything you can do to make sure the customer walks away satisfied, do it. I’m not telling you to give away your shop, just try to come to a fair agreement.

4. Don’t beat your customer over the head with your return policy – Upset customers don’t want to listen to you quoting back your policy to justify why you can’t help them. Let them know your personal guidelines so they know what to expect from here on out. Sure, it’s important to have policies in place, but you can’t view every single situation in black-and-white terms. Be reasonable, and be flexible.

5. Know that you can’t please everyone. You may run into a “difficult to deal with” person. It happens to all of us, there’s no reason to beat yourself up about it. Just do the best you can, keep your cool, think things through, and offer them a fair deal. Hold your head up knowing that you did the best you could to resolve the issue.

I remember reading a phrase that said "Customer service is not a department, it’s an attitude". Apart from these tips above, you need the right attitude and frame of mind for handling tricky situations. Don't run away from them; just try to handle them with care. Here’s hoping that you will never need to use these tips. Cheers!