Happy Halloween (and BSM)

Happy Halloween everyone! And may the force be with you...

Theme Thursday: Create

You'd think "create" would be an easy theme for the week. We haven't even carved our pumpkins yet (yikes), so I can't show pics of those yet-to-be creations. We had a Halloween cookie decorating party here today, but all those creations were eaten. I created homemade lasagna yesterday, but the refrigerated leftovers aren't too photogenic. Sigh.

I did do a cute mini-session with one of Owen's friends today. He was trying to hide under a bench, but I caught him anyway. There was something about this outtake that kept drawing me in, so I played around with it. I don't think I'll put it on the disk for his mom, but I love how you can see the smile in his eyes. Sometimes, the accidental creations are the most interesting.

Overheard

Harrison: Brainiac is way smarter than you, Owen.

Owen: Nuh-uh, I'm smarter than him!

Harrison: Brainiac is an evil genius and he's smarter than you!

Owen: Well, I make better choices.

(Score: Owen 1; Brainiac 0)

BSM: Weekend Hike

It was a perfect weekend for a hike, so we went down to Silver Falls State Park to enjoy the weather and the fall foliage. Silver Falls has a loop with ten waterfalls. It's a long loop, so we do the short one and see only two. But they are lovely and the hike is just right for us. With sunny skies and 70-degree temps, we had a great excursion.

Fall football

We are having such a gorgeous autumn here in Oregon, full of sunny days and colorful trees. The boys played tackle football a few days ago; I opted out of the tackle part in favor of the photographer role. They had a blast!

Theme Thursday: Storytelling

I'm posting this a day early because the story I'm telling is a true one: I'm 39 today!



I've never taken a birthday self-portrait before, so I figured I'd better begin before I have to start photoshopping all the wrinkles. Usually, storytelling shots don't involve a close up, but I like filling the frame with a face. The viewer has to imagine the stories the eyes have seen or will see during the course of a lifetime.

Hope you all have great stories to tell!

BSM: Pumpkins

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch. The funny part about "our" pumpkin patch is that it's just a small patch in someone's yard. We discovered it three years ago when the big farm down the street had a hay maze, pumpkin bowling, and kettle corn, but hardly any pumpkins left. This place has pumpkins, nothing but pumpkins. This year, they had fewer than usual, so we got in and out in about ten minutes....oh, and another ten for pictures :).

Here's He-Man and his feats of pumpkin strength:



And here's the shot I wished I'd had to submit to Melody's Fall photo contest last week :):

Theme Thursday: Fall

BSM: Lone Bruin

James is the guest photographer for this Monday's Best Shot. He and Harrison went down to the UCLA v. Oregon game this weekend, and he snapped this shot:



Awash in a sea of green, Harrison stays proud (even though we lost).

Theme Thursday: Sun Flare

Here's an oldie but goodie for Sun Flare Theme Thursday:

The Artist

Owen finished his first series of art classes today and brought home all his finished work. This is his favorite piece: an interpretation of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in clay.



My favorite is the art on his face :).

Grow-Be-Gone

The kids were talking about how old they will turn on their next birthdays...

Me: Well, I may have to get out the "grow-be-gone" powder and not let you get any older.

Boys: MOM!

Me: Remember, you already agreed to the deal that I would let you keep growing if you promised to always hug me and tell me you love me, no matter how tall you get, right?

Harrison: Yes, Mom (exasperated sigh).

Me: Maybe I should make you guys sign a contract or something...

Harrison: Mom...now you've gone too far.

BSM: Guy Grid

I'm not posting a "best shot" this week; instead, I'm posting a glance at the little project I've been working on: the guy grid. I'd seen a fantastic wall somewhere that a woman had created showcasing a nine-grid wall of pictures in her living room. I loved the idea.

This summer, I happened upon a package of three square frames at IKEA marked down to $3.99...so I bought three packages, of course. (You know I can never pass up a deal :).

Armed with a can of black spray paint, I finally got them painted a few weeks ago. Then, the hard part: I had to choose what to put in them. Not like I don't have enough photos (LOL).

I decided on a collage of boy parts: faces, feet, whole bodies in action. I'm still not sure if I like this arrangement exactly, but I definitely like the overall effect.

Obviously, it's still on the floor. This week's project of getting them all hung precisely seems a bit daunting; maybe I can start a new floor art trend...

What do you think? (I posted it large so you can see the individual photos)...

At the Orchard

Theme Thursday: Multiples

Stacy picked a tough theme for me this week: multiples. If I had triplets, I'd be set. I'd almost given up until Owen and I decided that October first is an ideal day to make pumpkin muffins. The fact that the calendar says "October" means it's legal to make autumn food again.

So here they are, fresh out of the oven...



multiple muffins. (You should see the rest of the enormous batch ;).