Lady R | maternity

 

Evening Window Light | miscellaneous

One week ago, tomorrow, marks the end of the school year.  As a reward to myself for surviving the entire year, and as a result of having low expenses year-'round, I decided I would pick up a much better portraiture lens.  I haven't shot with it much yet, but what I have taken with it has left me feeling rather satisfied with its capabilities (more than satisfied).  The aperture (read: the size of the hole that lets light in) isn't as wide as I'd planned on getting, but it will be good for me.  It will force me to stop taking f/1.8 for granted.  F/4 will have to do.  That said, after taking a few shots of sunlight hitting my roommate's face while she works on her university homework, I decided to override the auto-focus and shoot through my bedroom window.  The setting sun and moving traffic provided some lovely bokeh my other lenses have never that easily achieved.  While this lens is heavier than my other ones, I doubt it will be coming off my camera anytime soon.

Dark Olive Green Head Scarf by EcoShag | accessories

EcoShag's head scarves had been catching my eye recently.  They looked comfy, cute, and customizable (in so far as being able to wrap them according to your own head size and shape).  Here's the listing for the one I ordered: Dark Olive Green Head Scarf.  I hummed and hawed for a weekend, or so, about which colour to pick: dark brown, black, or olive green.  In the end, my friend convinced me to choose the green.  I'm not brave enough yet to wear it regularly, and I'm for sure not comfortable in it yet to wear it to work.  I wore it to a band practice recently, and it came unwrapped twice in the middle of a song.  The 3rd time it unwrapped was when I had tried to wrap it too quickly before going out for the evening.  It ended up staying home, in the end, that evening.  So far, I prefer to wear it on Saturdays when I'm doing household chores (and sometimes errands).  It keeps those pesky stray hairs out of the way so that they don't tickle my face while I'm working.  It does gradually slide off my head, but apparently, other reviewers of the head scarves don't have this problem.  Maybe I just have a very slippery head.  *shrug*  Anyway, as requested, below is the review.  (I don't normally put many photos of myself on this blog, or any blog, for that matter.  Consider yourselves privileged.  Wait - I could have used the mannequin head!  Darn, it's too late now.  Hmph.)

Enjoy!  (Maybe I'll post a follow-up during the summer, when I plan to wear it more regularly.)

A Warm-up | miscellaneous

Apparently, my last post was in July.  I really haven't shot much, as I've been focusing more on teaching since then.  Today I felt a need to try shooting again, and, boy, am I rusty. 

 

Customized Teacher Bag by Whitney Jude | accessories

My messenger bag I've been using to cart around all my university and teaching books, etc., was bought in 2005 and has been wearing thin for a while.  It was also too small for all of my teaching stuff for a day at work.  For the past few months, I'd been looking for a replacement bag, but my best options were too-small diaper bags without secure zippered compartments.  I'd been looking on Etsy for a few weeks, but hadn't found something suitable.

Then, I came across Whitney Jude's bags.  After a lot of measuring at my end, and conversing with Whitney, I decided to order a bag from her.  This was the first Etsy item I'd ordered other than digital crocheting patterns.  I was a bit hesitant.  For all the customizations I'd requested (and, there were several), Whitney was able to accommodate every one of them.  She charged me an extra $15 (approximately, with the exchange rate) for the customizations, which I was more than happy to pay her. 

Here is the original bag listing.  I had offered to write a review on here about the item and her services, to which she responded, "I would absolutely love it if you did a blog post about the bag. :)."

After checking the mail every day, it finally showed up today.  I am very excited to finally have it in my hands.   In the end, mailing it from Maine to Manitoba took exactly one week.  That's pretty impressive. 

The only thing I would have requested differently (if I could go back in time), would be to request that the fabric for the outer pocket (the side of the bag that's against my body) be reinforced so that the pocket wasn't as floppy-feeling.  (But that's my fault for not thinking ahead.)

Thanks, Whitney!  I love my new teacher bag.

(Go check out the bags she makes.  They're pretty awesome.)

Yellow Roses | flowers

Single White Rose | flowers

Purple Calla Lillies | flowers