FotoFriday - 12.10.10

I've got nothing... we've all had a stomach flu and so you get no photos this week... Here's a silly-face family photo from a few weeks ago....



Ain't we pretty!

FotoFriday - 11.26.10

What am I thankful for?







Family.
Happy Thanksgiving Holiday everyone.

FotoFriday - 11.19.10

For a while now I've been working really hard on a new photographic series to sell on Etsy. I ended up with a series of nine photos in three different styles. And I think I'm finally ready to list the series on Etsy today. The series is...

Metal Blooms
The series is of antique water valve handles. I call the individual handles Metal Blooms and the groupings Metal Bouquets. Here are a few of my favorites in each of the styles:



Metal Blooms in Rusted Color




Metal Blooms in Burnt Platinum


...and of course...


Metal Blooms in Black & White

These will be available as individual prints as well as in groups. The prints can be produced in any size square from 5 x 5 to 24 x 24 inches.

Check out Yellow Mug Photography to see the whole series - 27 photographs in all!

FotoFriday - 11.05.10

Can you guess where we went on Wednesday?
The St. Louis Arch! The kids had never really been downtown (outside of the car anyway) and Kirk had never been up in the Arch. So it was a first for them all. I was very proud of the kids and Kirk for going up to the "tippy top."


When we first got there Nola couldn't believe she was that close to the Arch and was a little intimidated to touch it at first. She knew it was metal and was afraid it was going to be hot... cute.



Logan wasn't concerned at all and practically ran up to hug it!



We went in, looked around the museum, tested out the display pod (to make sure the kids were really prepared to get inside the real one before paying for tickets), went up, looked down at the city, and were ready to go back down. By that time Logan was well into his nap time and feeling a little cranky and upset... nothing a little Papa-snuggle couldn't cure.



Afterwards we went back outside and played on the steps a while.



The we started our walk back to the car... Nola takes on St. Louis! She and Logan both had a blast!

FotoFriday - 10.29.10

Instructions for a Happy Halloween:

1. Have your kids draw funny faces on construction paper


2. Darken the faces (with cutting out shapes in mind)


3. Cut out the shapes


4. Tape the paper to the pumpkins


5. Color in the shapes and remove the paper


6. Cut out the shapes from the pumpkins


7. Nola's Jack O'Lantern (with three "goobelie" eyes)


8. Logan's Jack O'Lantern (pretty good for a 2 year old)


9. Place all Jack O'Lanters on the front porch and light up


10. Place children between the pumpkins and take pictures!

Happy Halloween from the McFarlands!

FotoFriday - 10.22.10

Butterfly Reflections
~for sale at Yellow Mug Photography

This was taken at The Butterfly House in Chesterfield, MO.

Pardon me for promoting myself but I just can't help it! And by the way, I made my very first sale! And it wasn't to a family member or a friend. A complete and total stranger loves me! A wonderful woman named Megan from MI bought the 5x7 Utensils Set of Three. I don't know her at all but I think I love her! And I really hope she loves the photos that she bought. (And then of course tells all her friends and family and comes back for more!)

One sale down, billions and billions to go! Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope to have a new batch of photos up next week for sale on Etsy so don't forget to check it out!

FotoFriday - 10.15.10

Not so much a photo today as much as a banner for my new Etsy store!


(click on photo to see it larger)

This is my first attempt at greatness, not the final product (or maybe it is...)
Please tell me what you think. The good, the bad, the ugly. Gimme whatcha got! I promise I can take it.

FotoFriday - 10.08.10

Fotos from Friday... even though today is totally Tuesday...

Here are some shots leaving St. Louis, going over into good ole Illinois.


(Images removed because they will possibly be sold on Etsy... don't wanna give away any freebies! hee hee)



I have no idea which bridge this is, but you could see it from the highway...



And all the way to Illinois we went, to Eckert's Orchards.



Wagon rides to the trees where we picked apples...



There were rides ridden, goats fed, apples picked, wagon rides had, trains taken, sun endured and lots and lots of fun. We have officially decided that this will be a McFarland Family Tradition. But next year we will make the trip in August... that's when the HoneyCrisp apples are in season and those are my all time favorite apples in the World! This time we ended up with Fuji and Golden Delicious... all good, but they're no HoneyCrisp!

FotoFriday - 10.01.10

Sometimes there are moments when all your parenting efforts just pay off.

FotoFriday - 9.24.10

I've been working on some photos for an upcoming fair where I might possibly make some money. Sooo, I may be using my blog for some testing questions in the coming weeks.

This week I want to show you some examples of a series I'm working on of silverware. I'm having a hard time deciding on which style I like best. I need to decide which style to have printed up for sale at the fair. Here is a spoon in three styles. Take a look, and if you would be so kind, let me know which one you prefer. (They would obviously be printed without the watermark words on them.)









Thanks for looking.

FotoFriday - 9.10.10

I'm hella sick - no photos today. Sorry. Maybe next week...

FotoFriday - 9.03.10

Lacecap Hydrangeas. Beautiful flowers from a far as well as close up.





Here is the same photo in black and white. I was just going to post this one, but I really liked the muted greens of the color version as well. Which one is your favorite?

FotoFriday - 8.27.10

On our go-nowhere-far-away vacation this year we went to the St. Louis Zoo twice. Once in the morning and did one half of the Zoo, the second time in the later afternoon and covered the parts we missed the first time. The second time I was much more entertained. The animals are always the same, mostly. But the people are what really fascinate me. So if you were expecting a Friday post of animals, and probably thinking to yourself "oh goody goody, more animals", never fear, I have something much better today!

This guy was not only interesting in his style and dress, but he was camped out outside the penguin exhibit (which smells like a seafood restaurant baked in the sunshine) and sleeping on the bench with his mouth hanging wide open. I have no idea if he was there with a group, or alone for the adventure. But he obviously paused for some much needed rest.



I do have to say... this dude was only the runner up for the highlight of my trip. Apparently it was also Amish Day at the Zoo.... and the Amish completely, absolutely, fascinate me. It's like a hole in the space time continuum ripped open at the Zoo and out walked a slice of history. I had to make myself stop staring. And all I wanted to do was take pictures of them. But unlike Mr. Sleepy Pants, they weren't passed out on park benches for my picture taking pleasure... so I thought it might be slightly offensive. I did try to sneak a few shots but they didn't turn out very good...

I hope you enjoyed this FotoFriday. Be back next week with something even better, I hope. (Although what will really top this dude?)

FotoFriday - 8.20.10

I know, I know... it's a shot of the kid. And it's two days late. But I was very busy this past week since it was the boys' birthday week and we had activities and a party to plan... excuses excuses... blah blah blah. But this isn't your typical shot of a three year old. Although I think it is a typical pose for a three year old. I remember hanging my head off the edge of the couch with my feet up on the wall until I felt like my eyes would pop... just because it was a different sensation. And hey - check out those abs! Would you not kill for those? My three year old has a six pack... boy is her father jealous.

FotoFriday - 8.13.10

Well - today is FotoFriday! And guess what? I forgot... So I looked through my camera, and found nothing. I looked through the past month or so's pictures on the computer... still nothing. I was busy today with house stuff and Kirk was working all day so I also didn't have an opportunity to shoot anything new (unless Logan throwing all his crayons down the vent is FotoFriday worthy... no, it's not). So I decided to pick a few of my favorites from the old blog, A Cup of Black & White, that no longer exists... These aren't my all time top favorite five, just the first five I ran across that were favorites.

Nola Playing


Bamboo Fruit Still Life


Rose Bud, or Baby Thorns


Snack Time


Statuesque


Since the photo blog is what inspired me to start the whole FotoFriday thing in the first place, I don't consider it cheating too much to recycle some oldies but goodies. Let's think of it more as a tribute to the old blog, may it rest in peace.

But I really will try to be on top of things next week.