Snake-A-Palooza

Recently, the hubby and I went to the local park.  It is a gorgeous park that seems to go on forever, hosting several different types of wildlife, fabulous bike trails, and an altogether wonderful atmosphere.  I grabbed my camera, hoping to get some cute wildlife shots.  Instead, what followed was an intense evening of snake spottings and crazy occurrences. 

Perched atop a bridge over the beaver dam, we looked for signs of our dear friend Justin Beaver (pics coming soon).  Joining us was a large group of children, also hoping to spot something amazing.  I asked them if they had spotted anything, and they responded "Nothing but snakes."  Oh, I thought.  Silly kids.  "No, really." One of them says, pointing right beneath us.

"Oh. That IS a snake."

"Nope.  It's four."

Blink.  Why, yes it is.  How incredibly... strange.

The children wander off looking for more cuddly discoveries, but we stay perched atop the bridge... waiting.  Suddenly, there is a scream and some pointing.  I'm thinking that a beaver has surfaced, and I'm happy the kids found what they were looking for.  But, one of them starts running towards us.

For The Hugs

Did you know that 1 out of 10 monsters go their entire life without a hug? It's true.  All these malicious rumors that have been spread accusing monsters of only inflicting pain or cultivating fear have drastically decreased the number of Monster Hugs received daily.  Won't you please help these poor monsters?   

Look at this little guy.  He's just a baby, looking for a loving home to give him hugs.  For just 1 hug a day, you could help change the life of a little monster just like him.  Please dial the number on the screen now, and do your part to end this horrible Hug Drought.  Call now.  Monsters are standing by.

Monster provided by the talented Deanna Molinaro.  Thanks Deanna, I love my birthday Monster! :)

Mysterious Bug Meeting

"No, I'm AT the corner... where are you?"

Search for a Camera Bag : Part III - The Final Report

Part III of III

I have finally reached the end of my quest for a Camera Bag. In Part I, I discussed the "ideal" camera bag and started my search by comparing some of the popular retail options available.  Moving on to Part II, I added several excellent Camera Bag options available from the handmade realm.  I also provided a comparison sheet for all the bags we had discussed and revealed my choice of the Porteen Gear Camera Bag.

Yesterday my bag arrived, only 2 days after I had ordered it.  Now, that's impressively quick shipping from MI to TX.  I'd also like to take a moment to say that Robyn of Porteen Gear has been nothing but exceptionally attentive and responsive throughout the entire research and purchasing process.  And no, she did not know I was going to review her bag... so it wasn't special treatment.

Packaging

The bag was excellently packed and covered in plastic to protect it from any weather elements on its trip.  Inside the plastic wrapping, the bag was carefully wrapped in complimentary tissue paper, tied with a ribbon, and closed with a Porteen logo sticker.  These lovely touches made it feel like I was receiving a gift for myself in the mail, and that's just a nice way to make your customers feel!  The inside of the bag was thoroughly packed with bubble wrap as well, so it presented perfectly straight out of the box.

First Impressions
I have to say, the colors of this bag are exactly as they were pictured in the online store.  I guess that is one of the many advantages of purchasing from a photographer!  All was as I expected it to be.  Robyn has a great eye for color, allowing her to combine multiple fabrics that compliment each other and work together to create one truly cohesive look.

An Apron fit for a Crafter

I received my custom made Crafter's Apron from Laura of childsPLAYdesigns this week, and I love it!  Laura was wonderfully patient with me as I picked out the perfect fabric to compliment The Curious Cake Shoppe, and she allowed me to design the layout of the pockets as they would work best for me.  Allow this apron has been extremely helpful in all my crafting endeavors this week, I mainly ordered it to serve as an extra set of hands at my craft shows.

The bottom pocket is the perfect size to hold my money pouch, and I also have pockets for my cell phone, business cards, pen, price tags, and lots of miscellanea. I love it so much, I even got in front of the camera again.  I don't think this is going to turn into a habit, but who knows!

Too bad I can't fold up my camera and put it in one of those pockets...

Search for a Camera Bag : Part II - Handmade

Part II of III -- (click here for Part I: Retail)

As you may start to realize, the search for the perfect camera bag took the better part of a week. Looking for a good handmade bag took almost 2 days in and of itself.  I would like to mention that although many of the bags in Part I are cheaper than the bags featured in Part II, that is an intentional move. MANY of the camera bags I looked at were $125+, but I wasn't willing to pay that much for a retail bag. So, when I saw the price starting to climb, I came back over to the Handmade Universe and did some research.

Search for a Camera Bag : Part I - Retail

Part I of III
I was recently the lucky recipient of an amazing new Canon EOS 60D. I'm thrilled, but cautious. It doesn't quite fit in my old camera bag, so I'm hesitant about taking it out into the world. I can't wait to get out there and start shooting, but I want to take my gear with me and not worry about something breaking. Luckily, I was able to get an additional discount on the camera he bought, which cleared up some cash for a camera bag. And the hunt began...