Point Away From Face And Other People ! Hastypearl

Point Away From Face And Other People !

Hastypearl

Well, the Season is upon us.

Every family has its rhythms.  

We, love to have people in our home every chance that we can.

I'm a very casual hostess.

I mean, I love pretty things, 

but, I'm just as happy to serve you tamales and the humble pinto beans, as anything.

There is something very comforting about 

non pretentiousness.

Last night, we were blessed to host my husbands side of the family.

Following a terrible personal loss this year, 

Thanksgiving and Christmas, 

are the first round of special Seasonal Days, without her.

It was important to me, 

to find time to honor their mother 

and our Aunt Barbara, 

but I hoped that we would also find our way to some 

childhood reminiscing and laughter.

I'm glad to say that we were successful :)

I greeted them wearing my handmade, 

" I Had My Colonoscopy", button.

Hey, we get our "I Voted" stickers, 

and we give kids buttons for everything, 

so why can't we adults get a pat on the back for accomplishments, as well?

It wasn't long, before the stories and laughter were full on!

My BIL said he couldn't remember when he had laughed as much.

Everyone brings just the perfect thing to a group like that.

I am so Thankful to be a part of this one :) 

Christmas is the perfect backdrop for my newly listed 

Mixed Media Collage Angels on Hastypearl Etsy.

I believe that I made 13 of them.

Every One is unique !

~ $ 54. and $62. ~ 

We didn't have much time to decorate, 

but we got out a few special pieces of Christmas Decor.

There is a Chance, that our Granddaughter will be here for Christmas, 

so we will take special care to decorate :)

I thought that my little Etsy Hastypearl Vintage Putz Houses

 looked perfect on this narrow upper ledge on our sideboard.

These are quite special !

They are much more detailed than many of the Putz Houses that I have seen.

~ $24. each ~

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My husband decided to do a little cooking and went to the store for some ingredients.

I asked him to pick up some Party Crackers/Poppers, if he could find them.

Well, he was successful !

The Angels and Chandelier are so much better for the use of those at our table :)

Can you see the streamers?

One of our family members has led a bit of a  sheltered life ;) 

with a mother that was sure to keep her safe, 

needed a little education firing her Party Cracker.

I found one of these instruction pieces, 

lodged in one of my table centerpieces this morning.

On behalf of Cindy, 

I have enlarged it, so that you will all be prepared at your next party.

And there is an instruction for You too, 

inquisitive Michael.

See?

It says... 

Not to be Dismantled ;)

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Its a busy time of the year for Everyone!

There are so many Activities, that we can sometimes miss the Special Moments.

I try to whisper a Thanks to the One,

 that allows me to live the most Wonderful life.

We aren't in danger of "using up", all of our Thank You's

...so we can use Them Liberally.

Take time All Day Everyday, 

and you will find Many Things to be Thankful for :)

As Always, I'm so glad that you stopped by.

Please take a look, here, at all of the Angels and Houses that are listed on Hastypearl !

Each listing has 5 pictures and I love telling a story about each vintage part and heirloom art.  

Now, you know how beautiful they will look in your setting.

~ Best...Laura  

Go With The Flow And Break Some Rules.... Hastypearl

Go With The Flow And Break Some Rules....

Hastypearl

OK.

Your are probably ALL stuffed full of Turkey and Appropriate Regional sides, by  now.

Our family did our best, to break our 17 minutes eat time, 

but I'm afraid that we were terribly slow this year.

Towards the end of our meal, we played a solemn little game of, 

Tell Me About You...

Helping Young People Talk to Grown Ups.

There weren't any young people at our table this year, 

not by a long shot, 

but we still had fun answering our questions about ourselves 

and learning some new things about each other.

THENNNNN.....

Something happened, 

that turned our day into total fun!

And it wasn't because of the brilliance of an adult, 

but the honesty of a verrrrrrry young person in our family.

It was time, for the family photos to start coming in 

when my sisters son's family picture arrived in text form.

Upon first gaze, it looked like a lovely pose, 

of a very attractive family and was it...

ooops?

yes,

their toddler daughter at the last second before the shutter clicked, 

had managed to stab her little finger in two knuckles deep, 

for that illusivegottopickit "boogey" !

I cracked up and shared it with my table mates.

Hastily...

well, that's how fast these sordid ideas come to me,

I said, 

lets send them a picture back with us 

digging for our own "boogies" !

Three happy volunteers stepped forward.

I showed my 87 year old mother how to take our picture 

and we were 

OFF TO THE BOOGIE RACES :)

I sent that "pick pic", to many contacts in our family.

It took only seconds when our first Nose Picking Selfie came Right Back !

Hilarious! 

We had momentum!

Then...

Our NOT SHY AT ALL cousins from West, Texas, 

were TWO FINGERS in 

and we were up to 8 PICKERS!

Then a "pic" from A BRAVE Lone Wolf in Baird.

Two more in San Antonio!

We were ON A ROLL.

Two funny jokes videos came in from West and ANOTHER from San Antonio.

Now, we are going, VIRAL !!!

A surprise Pink Pick came in, 

even though she was having fun at a water park in North Carolina!

She STILL had TIME for the family Pick Off !!!

When we doubted the Nixon's...

They DID NOT FAIL, 

but "blew" us away with a Triple Single!

Unbelievable!

But the Best And Final, 

was the very late entry from the 

I CANT MISS OUT ON THIS EPIC PICK,

from Baird, 

and that was IT.

Whew!!

A Fantastic Day of Family "Picking" from all around the Nation :)

All because of One little Girl.

Savanna...you are our Thanksgiving "Pick" for starting the most fun of the day!  

So, as promised.

I lost all decorum with this unseemly posting and have undoubtedly lost your respect, 

but one thing that our family had today was.....

So Much Fun!

What I learned today was...when you cant physically be together..

you can still Pick Together, with the ones that you love...even if from afar.

And as Devo once said...

Now Pick It

    Into Shape 

Shape It Up

Get Straight

Go Forward

Move Ahead

Try to Detect It

Its Not Too Late

To Pick It

Into Shape

Shape It Up

Get Straight

Go Forward

Move Ahead

Try to Detect It

Its Not Too Late

To Pick It

Well, Pick it Good

Please forgive my silliness :)

...and I hope that you all had as wonderful a Thanksgiving, as I did !

Best, Laura

ps. I will now add some serious pictures in attempt 

to gain back your respect, that I have most surely lost :)   

      

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Makes you just want to...Pick it, right? ;)

They, Are Who I Am Thankful For.... Hastypearl

They, Are Who I Am Thankful For.....

A mostly no words posting...except to say,

near or far, 

these people...

my family....

they fill me up :)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !

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I Am ThankFull :)

Best...Laura aka hastypearl

My Uphill Slog With The Mysteries Of Product Photography ! Hastypearl

My Uphill Slog With The Mysteries Of Product Photography !

Hastypearl

WARNING !

I am going to be Graphic in this blog posting.

I am going to post images that WILL offend you.

Your should start by covering 99% of your field of vision, 

only allowing yourself to see 1% if the first 4 images. 

Ha!

Got 'cha !

No, there is No Explicit imagery here, 

just some really scary bad photography !

I say all of that just to let you see where I started.

Leading up to my hastypearl Esty shop opening in 2012, 

I knew Nothing about photography.

I could point and shoot, and share the pics with my family.

That was it.

I learned pretty quick, that what I knew how to do, 

and what I was seeing on Etsy, was faaaaar apart.

I didn't know anyone that knew the answers.

I didn't have a clue how to change what I was doing.

I wish that I could say that it happened easily and fast, 

but for me, it didn't.

I tried everything that I could think of, 

and these pics were about as good as it got.

eeew...

arggggh...

One thing that I DID know how to do, was to ask for help.

Over time, I learned where to watch "how to" videos, 

but without the equipment, I was still going around in circles.

So, I started asking some internet friends about their camera equipment 

and I made my first DSLR purchase.

It was a starter camera for sure, 

but I knew what I saw it turning out for some Etsy friends 

and that was good enough for me.

It came with a kit lens and I added a macro lens.

Not expensive...at all.

My BIL knew of my trials, and generously gave me PhotoShop Elements 6, 

which by the time that I got it, 

it was already obsolete...but it was MY obsolete !

I couldn't have been happier!

He gave me a few how to's...a very few...and the rest I had to figure out.

Again, back to the internet to read and find videos to help.

Then, one fine and wonderful day, 

two sweet ladies came to the rescue when I asked for their help.

One, told me about a book called,

Understanding Exposure

How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera 

by Bryan Peterson

I'm not sure how many times I have read that book, 

but I have read through and taken extensive notes, TWICE.

I later found that much of what is in this book, 

is taught in videos on his School of Photography. 

Frankly, I was glad that I had read the book, before I watched the videos. 

Another friend, told me about CreativeLive.com .

This website has fantastic online classes, 

for Photo & Video and a whole range of other studies.

Those two real suggestions helped me Get On The Road.

Finally, I had on my wish list to buy some lights for my "studio". 

Don't misunderstand.

My photography studio is a piece of white rolled watercolor paper, 

clipped to some drapes, with a table in front.

Again, when I asked the question, 

do I most likely need a different lens or more light? 

The answer was, more light is always the fix.

So, I went to our only real camera store, 

Camera Exchange, in San Antonio and bought my first real lights.

I bought the Erin Manning Home Studio Lighting Kit 

Westcott Basics.

While I never thought that I would spend what I have spent on photography, 

what I have purchased, is very moderately priced, 

and way less than many individuals spend on shoes and handbags in a year.

;)    

Still, I dreamed of having someone come to my home, 

and show me step by step, what they would do with one of my images, 

to get it ready for an Etsy listing.

A month ago, that Finally Happened !!

There is a Socially Excepted Limit, 

to how many exclamation marks to use, 

so just picture that I used One Million in that last sentence :)

That means that...3three3 LONNNNG years after I opened my Hastypearl Etsy shop, 

I got THE piece of info that I had dreamed of.

On Photoshop, it is called the Level's bar, with the Histogram.

It was Right under my nose, the Whole Time.

When my friend showed me, 

she used a phrase that I had murmured to myself so many times...

She said, 

slide this bar, 

and it will "look like you have removed a film off of the image".

That is exactly what I needed !

When I put everything that I had learned together...

I heard the Angels Sing a New Song...

Their song was...

Hallelujah, Laura's pictures just Got Better, 

so Maybe we will stop having to see HER TRULY BAD Ones !!!

Yes, a Heavenly Chorus :)

Again, the audacity of Me telling you about photography, 

when there are SO many much more capable, than I. 

It is equal to me telling you how to fly a spaceship, 

or change a transmission, 

or rob a bank ;)

But, I just wanted desperately to know how to improve my pics, 

for so long, 

that I wanted to share what I have learned.

I have SOOOOO much more to learn, 

but the best part about it is...I Love Learning !

While I would have loved to have known these steps MUCH earlier...

They Came When They Came, and I can live with that.

We are all on some kind of learning curve.

Its what keeps us fresh, stretching, reaching.

Lets remind each other to keep at it !

Its one of Life's Greatest Joys :)

What has been Your biggest learning curve ?

Leave your answer in the Post a Comment section below !

We can cheer each other on :)

Best,

Laura 

ps...these last images, are some angels that I will be listing on Hastypearl Etsy.

Come on by and see whats new in the shop :) 

Pull Up !! Pull Up !! Pull Up !! Hastypearl

Pull Up !! Pull Up !! Pull Up !!

Hastypearl

Do you remember seeing those old movies, where there is a diving airplane,

headed to it's certain doom,   

and the pilot is pulling on the steering wheel 

(sorry pilots, I don't know what they are really called ;) 

and the co-pilot is saying for his life...

Pull Up !! Pull Up !! Pull Up !!

..as if the pilot didn't already Know that he needed to Pull Up! :)

Well, that's what came to my mind this morning, 

concerning an event that I had with an out of state, online friend, 

this past week.

Things like it, can happen so easily 

and get crazy so fast!

It all started, with me asking her a question.

She later explained that she had read my question on her phone screen 

and didn't really get the gist of it, and misunderstood what I had said.

Boy, after I heard that...I totally understood.

Humans, trying to navigate through friendships with only 

the use of texting/convos/emails... 

leads to craziness!!

Things get misunderstood and lots of time 

can get wasted, trying to explain.

I thought about it this morning, and thought...how is it that two people, 

that really like each other, 

and have communicated as much as we have, 

still haven't heard each others voices ?

I plan to change that, soon.

What I just said sounds so incredibly weird, 

but we've all experienced it whether through FB or 

some other social networking.

If two people find their way to each other,

 and enjoy each other for years, its not rocket science to pick up a phone, 

and call each other :)

So, why the Pull Up title, to this posting?

This morning, I wrote her an...

I've got to "Pull Up" on this back and "forthing" of  emails, 

or we are in danger of hitting the ground going a million miles an hour, 

and that's going to LEAVE A MARK !

There are always moments in relationships, 

that if we are sensitive and really alert to what is going on, 

that one of us better Pull Up !!

So, I wrote her to tell her that I was done with each of us trying 

to explain our points and reminded her of how much 

I really care for her,

...the many reasons that we are friends, 

and how much I want that to continue.  

I'm hopeful for an upward turn, 

just like in the movies, 

where we swoop back up to the sky and soar 

off into the horizon, together.

I'm pretty sure that we can and will!

I don't think that I've been this personal on this blog before, 

and I wouldn't have done it except that I think this

 topic isn't MY topic, 

but rather a TOPIC and solution for all of us !

No shame in it for any of us.

Just part of learning how to navigate 

in our New World of Technology !

Been there, anyone ? ;)

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I've also posted below, 

pics of some of my new Collage Covered Notebook listings.

These are available on Hastypearl.

They are fantastic Gifts !

I LOVE having them to take notes in, 

my grocery list, a quick sketch or even a topic idea for this blog. 

They are a perfect size, to slip in your bag, 

leave in your car, or next to your PC.

Please take a look at them, here, 

and see if they will check a box for your gift list.

You've heard it before...

but, everyone loves to receive something one of a kind :)     

       

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part of a front cover

part of a front cover

inside pencil/pen pouch

front and back covers

front and back covers

front cover

Stack 'o Notebooks :)

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Its a Beautiful Sunday morning, here, 

where our fall color is Finally starting !

Hoping that your day is special and full of Wonder :)

Best...Laura

Please sign up to receive an email, telling you that I have posted on this blog !

You can do that on the right side ----> :)

New Possiblilites ! Hastypearl

New Possibilities !

Hastypearl

This posting may look a lot like my last.

The image is the same, but there is a New Message!

I was delighted, after showing you four 

Mixed Media Collage Etsy Hastypearl listings, 

that one of them Sold !

OK. Not really delighted, but rather...

Ecstatic!

It is a Terrific RUSH, 

to know that something that came from your own heart and hand, 

has Moved Someone enough to hit the buy button, 

and want to look at it, everyday :)   

So, maybe you remember the one...

It is titled,

you, me, us...

Below, is its picture.

A VERTICAL oriented piece. 

I wrote to tell its buyer, how pleased that I was that she had purchased it, 

and that I would deliver it to her home, as she lives nearby.

She said, "Great ! 

We can walk around the house, and see where it should go. 

I could hang it or maybe put it on a shelf...

could it be placed, HORIZONTAL ?"

I thought.

No.

I Made it to hang, Vertical.

Thennnnn, 

I remembered that within that last blog post, I clearly said...

I don't tell my buyer My story, 

because I want them to have their OWN story!

Hmmm...already, I must Walk the Talk?

I knew the piece well enough, that I turned it horizontal in my mind...

and I realized...

It Would Look Fantastic Horizontal,

 and that Way, it would tell Her story, too !

I present to you...

you, me, us...

Horizontal!

And Why Not ? :)

Lots of lessons here.

The greatest is, that we keep our minds Open to New Possibilities, 

and to hearing stories in more than one way.

We can all have a Different View, and still all of them are, Good !

Do you sometimes catch yourself thinking, that Your voice is always the best ?

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great day...

either, Vertically OR Horizontally !  :)

Best...Laura aka hastypearl

 ...to see the three other pieces that I posted about, click here !