As promised yesterday- here are the shots from Chris' and my first year anniversary. Bobbi Jo Brooks was our photographer, you should check out her work. She does a great variety of styles, and is very good at portrait sessions and wedding photography.

I love these shots under a railroad bridge. Though this is not as easy as it looks. That tiny board I'm sitting on, is all that we're perched on. Somehow we managed to get balanced for a few shots.

I didn't used to like the winter. But now that I have someone to snuggle with, it's growing on me.

The sunshine broke through for just a couple of seconds!

Why hello.....

 I love you....

I think this one is my favorite. He was making me laugh.

I have this one hanging in my cube at work. I love the contrast of the straight and soft lines against the trees, and the coloring. As well as the sunshine breaking through the clouds again.

Here I'm rubbing my lip gloss off his face. It happens.

I'm so happy with how they came out. I felt like this was a way to catch a glimpse of our life after our first year of marriage. I like knowing that I'll have anniversary pictures to look back at one day. Maybe I should consider making this a yearly event.

Hello Friends,

  A Cranberry Day has some exciting news to share. Bobbi Jo Brooks, a good friend and fantastic photographer, will be featuring some of my work at her studio at The Goat Farm! So if anyone has a session coming up with Bobbi Jo, you might get to see a few of my pieces on sale!
Did you know that some of the second Hunger Games movie scenes, 'Catching Fire' were being shot at the Goat Farm? How fun. I love living around Atlanta.


    Here are a few shots of my prep work. My workspace in the new house is far from finished- it's just getting started. But with a few things coming up in October and November (more fun news to come soon) I've had to dive in anyway.

 

 

 

I wanted to have a photo session for Chris' and my one year anniversary this past January. So Bobbi Jo willingly walked all over Tanyard Creek Park with us, on a slightly overcast and rainy day. I love how our photos came out. I'll heighten the suspense and post them for you tomorrow.

Hi friends, today is ode to my birdies day.

We'll start off with Awesome Art by Ashley Percival, who is currently having a sale!

How can you possibly resist a bird in glasses?

This one has to be my favorite- she must have created him with me in mind. The coloring is sublime.

Birdie in the cold. I should get a scarf for my parakeet.

This one is titled 'Mummy and Baby Bird'. What kind of birds are we dealing with here? Some sort of Wader I suppose.

You're correct. Not a bird. But I like anyway.

 Now we'll move on to Birds in Hats by Alice Tams.

Snowbirds?

Snowbird! Icelandic Puffin.

We've been watching too much White Collar. This 'lil guy's hat reminds me of Neil Caffrey.

Hello, I'm a Pheasant.

Mr. Mallard

Recently, my brother Justin got married to Jamie! Their wedding was a fun event for everyone, it was so neat to see how happy they are together.

Jamie gave me the privilege of designing with her, and then making her the wedding day necklace. I absolutely love how it came out, and she of course wore it beautifully! The waterfall pendant has a gentle sparkly luster about it.

Jamie with her mother, Chair before the ceremony

Here's a bit of a closer look.

Materials used- silver, dolomite marble, swarovski heart shaped and flat briolette crystals, along with frosted and clear czech glass teardrops. 

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Justin!

All wedding photos by Brother's Imaging

Hi Friends!

   It's been so long, I've missed you! I feel badly that I haven't kept up with my blog over the move- but I had to set it aside and focus on getting settled and keeping my head above water while working full time on top of all the rest of it. Don't worry though, I've been taking pictures and have lots to share!

We have a bathtub! Which I finally made time to enjoy the other night. I am inspired to get this illustration by The Dancing Cat to hang near the tub, so I don't forget to take advantage of  having it-

I think it's perfect. I think I'll get it. I'm ordering it now.

I've also been more short tempered lately due to my over-active nature to fix it all and fix it all now so we can have a nice and peaceful home, but realizing it's just outside my ability to do so. (beer please) I've had to apologize more lately for being nit picky toward Chris. Poor hubby, I hate it when I do that. I just bought these from Jethro And Henrietta to go over his sink in the bathroom.

I love this because it just barely makes sense. It makes me think of Narnia and dress up clothes.

The house still is far from finished, I've had to wrap my head around the idea that this is quite a long term commitment- it's not like when we moved into our apartment and I had it straight and fully functional in no time! Oh no.... this is something on a totally different scale, as those of you who are home owners know. I dislike spending money on things that aren't fun to spend money on. What- there is a what and a what something living in our attic!!?? Do you know how expensive it is get critters out of your attic!? You've got to be kidding me. But I quickly came to grips with the reality that I was grateful it was someone else having to crawl around up there and get all the holes sealed up and everything cleaned up and back in order- worth every dime. I'm still afraid to go up there. We had squirrels and (gasp) roof rats. Ick and ick.
Chris was sweet when he told me what we had living up there- he said- 'we have squirrels'.
I said 'yea, and what else?'.
'That's it.'
'I don't believe it. What else is up there making all that racket?'
'Um....'
'What is it!!??'
'Roof rats'
'What the ---- is the difference between a roof rat and a regular rat?'
'They're smaller'
'Sure they are'

Thankfully- (thankfully) they had never made it as far as getting beyond the attic. So I at least felt that they were contained. What a horrible experience guys. Don't have roof rats. 

Hello friends. We're right in the middle of moving. I'm not fond of moving, not at all. The good thing about this move is that hopefully, unless the Lord has something different, we won't be moving again for quite sometime. It's a strange feeling to be making somewhat of a permanent move, being that it's the first one I've ever experienced. It's a good feeling though, and going through it with my husband makes all the positive difference in the world. As we were in the middle of finding ourselves in twisted, contorted, and occasionally upside down positions as we pulled apart and primed our new kitchen cabinets for the layer of paint still yet to come (you should try this sometime), it suddenly hit me that this craziness is an investment in our home! Which makes it so worth the effort, and keeps it all in good fun.

My bird however, doesn't realize that all this upheaval is for a good cause. He is a very high strung birdie, and he tends to get upset whenever his perceivable little world is thrown off. He even refused to sing when I played the Beach Boys for him this morning on Pandora, he loves the Beach Boys and usually attempts to harmonize. He's trying to communicate to us his fright and maybe disgust at our attempt to 'change everything, just because you feel like it'. (yes, I did just quote my non-verbal bird) Ah well, I keep telling him that he's going to love his new room- it has four big windows along with a windowed door, and there are lots of birds who live outside that he'll enjoy squawking with. But until he sees it for himself, I don't think I have him convinced.

I'm afraid I don't have a very clear picture of him to share, but here is a shot that Jonathan O'Brian took on our wedding day, he hung my earrings on the cage and you can see birdie in the background. He's all white with just a tiny spot of blue on his tummy, and another on his back. It looks like someone smudged him with blue finger paints. Like my earrings?

I found some very pretty pictures by Tina Crespo, here they are for you to see too.

These are by Lupen Grainne.

I don't seem to have much to say today. But I thought I'd share these with you anyway. The window above is my favorite, the photograph was taken in Hawaii. Hawaii.. the land of soft air brushed with the scent orchids and plumeria, of windows always open with fresh breezes blowing, of water so blue and clean you're not sure you're still alive on earth, and very best of all, calm and relaxed people.

Hawaiian Plumeria

Along with beaded bangle bracelets (which are yet to be listed) I found myself making some long beaded necklaces, the kind that are easy to wear with anything, and to layer up. Because layering is fun. 

Here they are! More to come, but these are the ones I've done so far.
 

 

The chalcedony briolettes on this green one are so glassy smooth! They're like little bubbles.

This was the first one I made, I think it's my favorite. I love the Japanese Miyuki beads, I can't get over the tiny stripes on each individual bead. The mother of pearl chips are smooth and glossy.

 But I really like this one too. The blue trumpet beads aren't just a straight up blue, they're made up of varying shades of blue, so they look all mix-y. The opal droplets are great too, white, green and blue.

 

 

 This is a triangular chrysoprase nugget, with soft peachy beads.

You can find them all on my Etsy store, A Cranberry Day!