September ended, I can wake up now.

I love September.  In theory.  The beginning of fall - which I do love - and all that goes with it.

In reality though, we are not the greatest of friends.  I always feel overwhelmed and flustered and stressed and depressed and ANXIOUS about all of the things. Always.  It probably has a lot to do with the autumnal equinox and the rapidly changing amount of light that brings out those feelings with me as it does with many others.

But it's October now, and I'm feeling better.

I know I have a hard time with September so I planned ahead and took a day off for me.  A day where I could do what I wanted or needed to do while the kids were in school and have not have to worry about work.  I took it on a Friday - and after I ran some errands in the morning I convinced a friend to bring her newborn over so I could take a couple pictures of him.



Walter was more interested in eating than sleeping for photos so I didn't get too many, and it hasn't worked out to get anymore newborn photos.



Adam had some friends over to play games to celebrate his birthday and he agreed to let Carus throw him a Minecraft themed party.  We had red vines as "TNT", carrots and watermelon as themselves, chips and dip, cucumbers and dip, pizza (of course) and a Creeper decorated cake.  Carus planned, and helped make and put together everything for the party - even drawing the signs.

While spending some gift cards we've had laying around far too long I found this crate - which is a new prop for putting babies - or pug dogs (or cats, etc) in for photos.  Yoda was very cooperative and would jump in and sit down for me.


Providence (the hospital/health care group I work for) has forums for it's employees to keep us informed of progress and plans, etc.  At the end of each forum they do a drawing to give away a little prize.  I won this time - a gift basket with coffee and chocolate.  The chocolate was good - I haven't tried the coffee yet.


We were able to line up schedules one last time for me to run over to do this shot of my friends kids with baby Walter.  She saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it and so did I.  I'm glad we got it, I love it. (Of course Walter wanted to sleep that day!)


Dogs begging for treats from Robert - who got into the closet for paper towels or something.  They did get a treat too.


A good portion of September was stormy and wet.  We had 8-10 inches of rain in September.  Lots of gray skies and wet.



But fall does have lovely sunsets.

Busy Busy Becca

HA! See what I did there with the title.

I amuse myself.

So yeah! I've been busy with kids and school and me and work and Robert and him driving me nuts (someone give that man a job!) and Saturday I photographed a wedding.  I took Carus along as my second shooter/assistant and she did great! It was a long, bright, sunny (translation: bit warm) day. But it was a perfect day for a wedding.  I used to work with the bride before she left us (*sniff*).  It was a gorgeous wedding.  The Love is strong in these two. (Robert said he could see The Love in the pictures.) I'll share more photos when I'm done (and she's seen them, of course).  I'm loving all the images I got so it's been easy to pick the best of the best - I just have to make sure everyone is looking at me and smiling.

250/365 This was their first sneak peak of the images.  I love how content she looks to be in his arms.


 Since I've been working on wedding images I haven't picked up my big camera for 365s and have a bunch of Instagram photos for the rest of this week.

251/365 - Putting braids in Carus's hair so she will have crimpy hair in the morning. (Yes, that's Leia's nose. She's nosy.)


See.  Also: I do love her style.


252/365 - My garden is still growing.  Actually, even though the trees are starting to change colors and drop their leaves and we had some big thunderstorms last week, we've been getting into the 90s this week...so bonus summer?  Late summer?  Either way, it's been good for growing stuff.

One of my volunteer sunflowers (volunteer = a bird or squirrel planted the seed for me)


The tomatoes are FINALLY turning red.  Unfortunately I'm not getting enough at once to can them, which is what I wanted to do.  Meh, there's always next year.


Lady bug hanging out on a sunflower stalk.


253/365 - See the black dot above the toilet?  That's a spider hanging there.  I used the restroom, got in the shower, and when I got out this guy was hanging there.  Where I was moments before (it was a quick shower).  I've since found one sitting on my shoulder as I went to start working, Robert squished one after it interrupted his vid-ya game ('video game' said like Hank from King of the Hill), and then he missed one that was running across the floor towards the bed last night.  It ran under the bed and hasn't been seen since.  I'm choosing to believe he vacated the premises.  Or that the boogeyman got him for me.  From the consensus on Facebook, it looks like all the spiders are coming inside to escape the heat.


I don't have a problem with spiders and actually find them fascinating - when they are outside or behind glass or in pictures and videos.  They may give me the heebie jeebies, but they will get to live.  In fact, there are a few in the garden and I've even brushed by them/touched them and I didn't kill them (I did do some involuntary karate). (Anything I know to be poisonous, however, will be squished. Very squished.)

254/365 - Bitty Kitty Wilbur. Cause he's cute.

Back to School days 1 and 2 aka The Bus Saga 2013

246/365 (9/3/13)


Wednesday brought Adam's first day of school - first day of 9th grade - and the start of Bus Saga 2013.  Perhaps you remember all the issues I had with the bus company and getting them to pick up Carus last year?  Well this year, problems are with Adam's route.

247/365 (9/4/13) First day of 9th grade, aka "Hurry up and take the picture."


When I received route info for Carus I should have called about Adam's, but I just assumed that since they've never had a problem figuring out when and where he needed picked up that all was golden.

I should have known better.

Copy and pasted from my Facebook statuses cause it's faster than typing it out again:

The Bus saga 2013: Never received info for when Adam would be picked up by the bus. This is a first. Usually they forget Carus. (We got her info, we'll find out tomorrow if they pick her up.)

We get up at 6:30 to get ready and call bus company anticipating a 7ish pick up time.

Actual pick up time: "Around 8 am. I'll be sure to let the bus driver know he actually has a stop on that street."

And then later Wednesday:

The Bus Saga 2013 continues:

I called back later in the morning to get the afternoon bus number because I forgot to ask at 6:30 a.m. before I had my coffee. Was given a different number than the one that picked Adam up. That's usual for around here, no big deal. BUT!

1) They, once again, had to look us up by address because Adam wasn't listed. 

And 

2) Turns out, that wasn't his bus. He discussed the stop he needed with the driver of that bus and that driver did bring him to his stop after completing his route so he's home 

BUT COME ON PEOPLE! 

I am politely curt on the phone.  I know it's crazy for them being the beginning of the school year and they transport all of the kids in this area - a number somewhere around 5,000 kids to several different schools. (Do not quote me on that number, for all I know it could be 2,000 or 10,000. It's my estimate.)  But it is their job. This is what they get paid for.  They are responsible for our children from bus stop to school doorway, and back.  It won't do for me to yell, scream and swear, but I am using a tone that says I'm really fed up.

Because I am.

248/365 (9/5/13) First day of 6th grade (with photobomb courtesy of Robert.)


Thursday, there were no problems for either Adam or Carus.  They were picked up, and only Carus's bus was a few minutes late (which I get, lots of kids, new routines, first day of school - totally understand running a bit late), and I was so happy to have gotten it ironed out so quickly and relatively painless (compared to last year).

Again, I should have known better.

Today!

Bus Saga 2013:  After having no problems yesterday, I thought the company got their shit together and things would be better, and then today - Adam's bus drove by him. He was out there and the bus drove right on by.  So of course, I call.

Me: "My son's bus just drove by him. Stop is.... bus number is ...."
Them: "I'm sorry.  Just wait there and I'll send him back around."
Me: "Well, how long should he wait at the stop?"
Them: "Hold on and I'll try to get him on the radio."

Them: "He'll be back around in about 7-10 minutes. He was running late and then he just passed by the stop and by the time he realized he needed to stop he was too far to be able to stop safely."
Me: "Okay. Uh, I understand things are crazy and that sometimes you get behind, but he still needs to pick up my kid though."
Them: "Well, have him out there 10 minutes early to make sure the bus sees him in time to stop."
Me, trying very hard not to just say 'what the fuck?': "Well, he was out there between 5 and 10 minutes early today and your driver didn't stop because he was running late.  I'm not going to send him out earlier just to be passed up again."

She tried to make a few excuses. I explained that this wasn't the first time I've had issues this year let alone last year and that I was frustrated and not okay with the half-assery.  I didn't swear at her, I didn't blame her, I didn't raise my voice, and I only sputtered a little in keeping from doing either.  And then she apologized, said that I was right and that they would try to do better. I thanked her and hung up.

Adam got picked up shortly after and now I'm writing this out before I have to work (though it won't post until this afternoon after I've taken my 365 for today).

Her apologizing was probably a bit of blowing smoke up my ass.  She might have been thinking that they were in the right - but she apologized because it was the right thing to do.  They might have trouble doing their jobs, but at least they have good customer service about it.

249/365 (9/6/13)


In other news:

Robert had his second steroid injection for his back pain/sciatica pain today.  It went as quick and smoothly as the first time.  Crossing fingers and saying prayers that this time it will work and he won't be in pain anymore.

I am photographing a wedding tomorrow and Carus is going as my assistant/second shooter.  We are excited, and nervous, and excited.

I was doing well

I was doing well with keeping up with my blogs and then the weekend happened and I avoided my computer.

Thursday, while working, Robert and the kids called me to rush over really quick - Wilbur was being cute.

He likes my basket as much as Timmy.  (220/365)


Friday we got to see a lovely sunset and a rainbow. (221/365)


Saturday I did a photo shoot. (222/365)

Funny kitty

My silly Timmy kitty thinks my new basket is a new bed for him.

Another week down, another dollar earned

Or something.  I don't know.

Sometimes I just don't know what to use as a title so I write down the first second thing that pops into my head.

I'm in negotiations to photograph my first wedding.  YAY and EEP

It's an old coworker/friend that I messaged the other day after thinking of her and not hearing from her in awhile. Turns out she's getting married and hey, would I like to photograph it?  Funny how things happen sometimes.



197/365 Flowers in my front garden.  I think they're called gladiolas.



198/365 Bubble reflections.



199/365 Neighbor's hydrangea



200/365 Shasta daisy



201/365 Potato tower harvest!  I got about 5 pounds, which isn't bad for only planting 5 or 6 potatoes.  I still have the small hills I planted in the garden to harvest.

In other gardening news, I have potato beetles (look like green lady bugs) on my green beans as well as these little bitty grasshopper looking things.  We don't want to use chemicals on the garden so chemical pesticide is out.  I'm trying a homemade pesticide - I minced up a bunch of garlic (about 8 cloves) and put that and 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper in a quart sized canning jar of water and let it brew in the sun for a few hours.  Then strained it into a squirt bottle at a 1:4 ratio (1 part spicy garlic broth to 4 parts water) and squirted it on the plants.  After one treatment things are better; those bugs were bugging out.  (Ha ha ha, I crack myself up.)  But there are still some that toughed it out/came back/new guys moved in so I'll have to do it again...and again...

And, as Robert found out, don't stand downwind of this stuff while it's being sprayed.  Not only does it have a strong garlic smell, it is a bit like pepper spray (hello cayenne pepper).



202/365 Barb, Carus, and I went berry picking and I had more bowls than hands so for a bit I had a bowl hat.  We picked a few raspberries and much more blackberries.  I made a chocolate mayonnaise raspberry cake, and have frozen the blackberries for use in smoothies.

Getting out in the sun felt good, even though I didn't get enough sunscreen on my back and now have a sunburn. I spent a lot of time last week doing little to nothing trying to get my ankle better and I think I had a bit of cabin fever.  I love being home, but I also love doing things and going places. Sunday, when we went picking, my ankle was feeling pretty good and I wrapped it in an Ace bandage and took it easy.  It was a bit sore at the end of the day, but all in all not bad.  I'm trying not to get ahead of myself though...well further ahead of myself because I twisted my ankle just a teensy bit this evening going from my bedroom to the kitchen.  Don't ask me how because I don't even know. It's not bad, just reminding me that it's not 100% yet and I need to keep that in mind.



203/365 A rose from my just cause bouquet from Robert. Taken with a macro filter.

Last week

A shot from my cake smash session last Sunday.  These babies are so stinking adorable!  They loved their cupcakes - and we enjoyed the leftover cupcakes.



My hosta is blooming.  The leaves aren't looking that great though.  I have a few plant munching bugs this year and I don't use pesticides (because of my plant eating dog) so I just have to deal.  It's not too bad though.



My dahlias in the front are blooming after taking so long to come up that I thought they didn't survive the winter.



And my lavender bush is doing AMAZING! I don't think it has a lot of bugs that snack on it though so...



My neighbor has a garden bed just over the fence full of wildflowers and these ones are tall enough that I can enjoy them over the fence.



Friday we had a game night and played Blokus, a pretty fun and fairly easy game.  I was red, Adam green, Carus yellow and Robert blue, and because I usually win the game I got ganged up on and lost that round.



Saturday I canned some spaghetti sauce since we've been out for about 2 months now.

Pre photo shoot

I have a photo shoot tomorrow with a friend and her twin 1-year-old babies.  We are doing a cake smash for their first birthday.

Carus and I made and decorated cupcakes today, as well as making dinner.  She was very helpful.  We made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, recipe below.  Photo of the cupcakes is here, on Instagram.

And we put up the backdrop and decorated it.  Those streamers were not that cooperative and wanted to over twist or under twist and generally be a pain in the rear.  The stuffed puppy dog was the stand in for this test shot today, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  I cannot wait to get those two cuties in front of it and give them a cupcake.

I also got bubble soap thinking we can try some shots with bubbles too. Wanna take bets on whether working with babies will give me baby fever, or be a cure to baby fever?



CARROT CUPCAKES (Adapted from The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts, and Decor) 
Makes 20-22 cupcakes 

3 large eggs
1c dark brown sugar 
3/4c canola oil 
2c all purpose flour 
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Approx 1/2 tsp ground dry ginger 
3-1/2c grated carrots, packed

Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Beats eggs & sugar until thick and foamy, about 2 mins. Beat in oil gradually, beating after all oil is added for another minute. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until mixture is uniform. Fold in carrots. Spoon into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full. 

For domed top cupcakes:   Bake in the center of your oven at 375F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and bake until cake springs back when touched in the center, or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

SPICED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Adapted From The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts, and Decor)
Frosts 24-30 cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese, set out from fridge for about 15 minutes (Not quite room temp, but not cold either.)
1 stick butter, room temperature
4-6 cups powdered sugar 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternating with vanilla extract. Add spices. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Beat frosting again and then frost cupcakes as desired.


The recipe says 4-5 cups of powdered sugar, but we ended up using about 6-1/2 cups.  Probably because we're in Oregon and the humidity in the air.  I also wanted to be sure to have a frosting stiff enough to pipe onto the cupcakes.  I'd start with the 4 cups and increase by 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup until reaching desired consistency.

Also, I like pecans in my carrot cake and recommend adding them (about 3/4 cup of preferred chopped nut; pecan, walnut, almond).  However, I live with a bunch of buttheads that do not like nuts in their cake so I have to go without.

Hey look, I have a blog.

Did you know that radishes can have flowers?  

(157/365)

I didn't.  

We had a hot week (80s) and quite a few of my remaining radishes went to flower... or bolted... whatever that's called.  

Lookie. Radish flowers.

Instead of pulling them, like I probably should, I'm letting them go.  I don't need the space (yet) and I'm curious. 

I'll call it doing science. 

(158/365)

Dogwood tree flowers.  Because of these flowers, particularly the pink versions, dogwoods are my favorite trees.  They're pretty in the fall too.

(159/365)

Fuzzy flowers.  They are going to go in the front flower bed if I ever get around to planting them.  And instead of those cacti that look fuzzy but are sharp and pointing and hurt when you pet them, this flower is actually soft.  

(160/365)

My first client's images all ready to be delivered with my new business cards.  I was so happy they liked them. (Instagram photo taken at like 11:58 pm when I realized I hadn't gotten a photo yet)

(161/365)

Last day of school.  Picture taken after school because Carus reminded me at bedtime Sunday night that she wanted to bring cookies for last day of school festivities and I ran out to get those cookies in the morning while they were getting ready and got back in time to get them on the bus and nothing else.  Yes, Adam wore his suit to school.  He likes to dress up and it was an excuse to wear it.  This picture was also right before taking him to his first school dance.  The school has done other dances, this one was just the first he was interested in.  Compare them to their first day of school pictures.  Carus still wants to be an artist, and Adam still isn't sure.  It's been suggested he become a teacher or an engineer.  He says maybe and then moves on.  Adam made the honor roll this year.  Carus would have as well (her grades are better than his) but her school doesn't do honor roll (weird?).  

(162/365)

African daisy in my yard.  Much prettier in person - I'm not great photographing flowers.

(163/365)

We went to the library and to Forest Grove's Farmers Market this evening.  They didn't have much for produce yet (just some berries).  We had dinner at Pizza Schmizza which has some interesting art on the walls.  I had my camera along because I needed a picture for the day and thought I'd find something interesting "downtown".

So ha, I'm caught up again.

And I'm caught up with my photography business work (i.e. editing pictures and preparing them for clients) and work work is caught up too. I'm feeling pretty cocky right about now. (knock on wood)

And now a shameless plug:

If you haven't already, and are on Facebook, give my page a like - www.facebook.com/portraitsbybecca and also share with your friends and family.  The more love I get on Facebook, the more I'm seen and potential clients become actual clients.