monday, november 30

 i think i need to let go of my 200 speed film for a faster speed...things are dark!

good morning! i had a wonderful long weekend, with thursday and friday off for the holidays. i visited with old friends back in town and i walked a lot and had a lot of family time. the only thing i didn't get around to was clean my room...oh well.

yesterday we spent a lot of time at home, making soup and cookies and drinking tea. this winter hasn't been so bad when it comes to being upset by the cold and dark.

i got some pretty new stamps and papers at the cutest little art shop, called a muse. and i tried out a new photo lab, from which i am excited to see the results.

i'm also ecxited about the opening of the abigail*ryan shop.
and i'm excited for this week of design*sponge gift guides.

hope you have a good monday...

shop responsibly day

i hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving yesterday, or-if you aren't in america-a happy thursday. my family enjoyed each other's company and ate well. it was a very cozy evening.

i am checking in today to share a few thoughts about "black friday"--supposedly the craziest shopping day in the states. to counter the madness, some people call today "buy nothing day," which is a great way to discourage the mass consumerism that this day drums up. i've been thinking about it this year and it seems, especially in these times when we do want to support our economy, that today might best be called "shop responsibly day."  this year my holiday goals are to buy my gifts from only either handmade sources or local businesses.

some links to follow up on these thoughts:
vistoria's heartfelt anti-gift guide at sfgirlbybay.
poppytalk's 101 reasons to buy handmade.
powell's books tweet for today: "If you're brave enough to face the hordes today, don't forget to show indie businesses some love. They'll love you back."

and, finally, i am having a small sale in my shop for this weekend only. from now until monday evening, save 10% on your entire order and enjoy free shipping. just type in "SHOPRESPONSIBLE" in the discount code. and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, if you are interested :)

have a great weekend...

thankful

 

hello!

thanks for all your apple dessert advice--most of it came from those of you who aren't even in the states. good dessert needs no holiday, right? yesterday i thought i had decided on this smitten kitchen recipe. but this morning i've changed my mind all over again. i just have to wait until tonight when i'm in the kitchen and see what inspired me then. (good thing i'm not making the whole meal with all this indecision).

growing up, we always had thanksgiving at my grandparent's, where i was the one and only child at the table. instead of being relegated to boredom and antsy-ness, i was given two of the most important tasks. one was to make the name cards and decide where each person was to sit. (we still use namecards in my 8 year old handwriting, with some names mis-spelled). the second important task was to run the coloring contest. that's right--a coloring contest! after dinner and before dessert my grandma helped me collect blank paper and crayons. i stood in front of the table every year and announced the year's theme and how many crayons each person was allowed to take. then i started the timer for one minute, collected the drawings and went into the other room to grade them. i presented every person's drawing, with the grand prize last. it was usually a chocolate turkey. my theme was usually something about fall or the holidays. we don't do coloring contests anymore because i am now considered an adult, but i'd still be happy to go in the other room and look at each person's little piece of art all by myself.

for now, i will leave you with a list.

things i've done in the past year for which i am grateful:

-met lots of new people--globally and locally--through this blog.

-visited the farm where i get my produce.

-launched into a new creative endeavor and fallen in love with it: film photography.

-learned the new york subway system and my way around parts of brooklyn.

-visited montreal and practised my french there.

-had my first photo show

-took on more responsibility at work

-tended to a vegetable and flower garden

...oh i know there is so  much more, but that will be it for now.

oh, one more thing! have you signed up for my mailing list? you can in the upper right hand corner. i have a special sale coming up, available only to newsletter subscribers. go ahead...

a few notes

good morning. i had a very relaxing weekend and finally got my desk area/office space set up. i have all my film organized and labeled and i have a little area for pretty stationary and packaging materials for orders. i also have a hand-me-down scanner which i can't wait to break out soon. i'll be working on a little inspiration wall this week--the finishing touch.

a few notes--

i am compiling a newsletter and would love for you to join! it won't go out too often (once a month or once a quarter) and it will include exclusive promotions and early updates on new products from my shop. you can find the quick sign-up form on the upper right hand side, so click through if you are in a reader!

have you seen this video? it's called the complex of all these and it's the raddest depiction of a letterpress studio and the making of a book. spend a few minutes with it.

this year, i get to make the dessert for my family's thanksgiving. it has to be apple involved--any ideas? what's your favorite thanksgiving dessert?

that's all for now--have a great monday!

pentax week, national book award

he won! colum mccann won the national book award for fiction! remember this post? yeah, i loved colum mccan's book, let the great world spin. it was by far my favorite book of this year. and i am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to hear it won the national book award. go read it!

here, find the closest indie to you.

pentax week: day 3 (evenings)

 

the nights have been so long here, i look outside at 5pm and it is already dark. from inside, i love seeing the rain flicker below street lamps and the golden glow of building lights.

i've added my first winter print to the shop.  it comes in both 5x7 and 8x12 and to me it signifies all the beauty of winter: dark naked branches against a silver sky. if you are interested in the larger, 8x12 version, you can save 10% by entering WINTER. i'm going to put this next to all my holiday decorations.

thanks to all the new commenters and your pentax love. new cameras are so exciting.

pentax week: day 2 (corners of my house)

more from my new pentax k1000! above is an awesome lage format camera my dad gave me. i've only used it as display, but a beautiful framed irish countryscape that he took with that exact camera hangs snuggly above it. i like the idea of displaying a picture next to the camera it was taken with.

and below are our fall gourdes. aren't they cute?
today i am home sick. i'm in bed with a box of kleenex and some homemade vegetable broth. i hope it goes away soon.
have a good day.

pentax week, day 1

okay, i have been promising to tell you about this new camera, and here it is! an early, early (one month early!) birthday present from my dad, also known as my photography advisor: the pentax k1000. i've been so excited to play around with this lovely thing, that i haven't even touched my other cameras this past week. sorry cameras. i know so many people out in flickr land who take amazing photos with this pentax, that i just had to see what all the hubbub was about. i can tell you, it is so fun to use. it is easier and less bulky than my yashica, and definitely more predictable than my holga. that being said, i love all my cameras for different reasons. now all my other birthday presents will have something to live up too...

join me this week for pentax week--exploring my new camera.

have a good monday!

black and white yashica: 3

 

the end of black and white week! and we are ending with my favorite--the top photo.

this weekend i am going to:

sleep in

hang pictures on my wall

walk a lot

have a second dinner club with friends

take pictures

show you my new camera

add more items to my shop

think about gifts for the holidays.

 ***

and, to leave you with lots of prettiness, some gifts i've already started thinking about:

sandra's cupcakes for the friend with a sweet tooth

typography notecards for the font loving friends

cut and paste poster for crafty folks. (shop here)

a beautiful recipe card as a small classy gift

a hostess gift

and an awesome polaroid drawing for me!

black and white yashica: 2

more from my accidental black and white roll. these ones seemed to me like they are from another time. (except for the cars in the first photo. i tell you it is hard not to get everyday cars in my shots, i may have to start embracing them).

i went to my grandma's house last night--she has the neatest stuff that i keep re-noticing with my adult eyes. i will have to go over there with my camera sometime and photograph all the little tidbits. and speaking of camera...well, there may be a surprise addition coming soon! stay tuned.

black & white yashica: 1

i'm a little embarrassed. i shot a whole roll of film in my yashica, thinking it was color. i went to the park, took pictures of the auburn and orange and yellow leaves, shot a great vintage car with a rich green color...all for me to show up at my friendly photo lab and hear them say "did you say color? we are 99% sure this is black and white film." hah!

so an adventure in black and white it is. i showed you some of my holga black and white experiments, but i hadn't yet breached the 35mm b&w realm...at least i hadn't knowingly taken that step. but here i am with 36 developped b&w images. and, you know, some of them are quite good. i think i'll have to show you them throughout the week.

and hey---aren't unexpected moments like these part of the reason i shoot film, anyway?

polaroid week faves

1. voyage, 2. link, 3. sunbath, 4. What's Not To Like?

this week i've been a voyeur at 'roid week 2009, where hundreds of polaroid photographers upload their images to the 'roid week flickr set. i have a pretty polaroid camera--my first camera when i was about 6--sitting on top of my bookshelf waiting for film. but at the moment, there is no film to go into it and so my polaroid and i wait and peek in on all the lucky pola photographers who shared their stuff this week. above are some of my favorites. go check i out!

p.s. thanks for all your enthusiasm about my new shop! don't forget about the special sale that lasts until monday.

unveiling

 well, hello. i am excited to announce the unveiling of my new photo shop! i have decided to move my wares over to big cartel to have a bit more control in the design of the shop and a more personalized look. i hope you can stop by over at the sweet potato anna photo shop to say hello. it is so nice and cozy over there. for now i have new fall images and some classic, popular images both as fine art prints. i hope, as we near the holiday season, to add more items and maybe some diversity in format (think: notecards, postcards, etc.).

to celebrate my new space, and all my lovely blog readers you can enjoy 15% off orders from now until next monday, november 9th.just enter bakerdaughter as the discount code.

enjoy!

just you, take your time

 

november is...
dark evenings
cold mornings
soups, casseroles, sage and squash
hot tea
slower, quieter
still pies
brown sweaters
rain coats
cranberries, apples and pears

i had a great weekend, full of cleaning and organizing and relaxing and going out for coffee and "wu tang brunch" with friends and listening to al green's lay it down album.

happy november!