sadie olive ~ le journal

Red Weekend Plans

I am so excited that so many people are participating in our "I Saw Red" event! You all are making me very very happy! I run to my computer every few minutes to see if I have any new names to add to the list. I also created a little flickr page for our group and many people have already started sharing! (You can view it here).  I am also excited because it is inspiring me to start blogging more! I am seeing red everywhere and wishing I had my camera with me half the time! :) Last night we even ate dinner at Red Robin and I was bummed I didn't have my camera to take pictures of the giant red gumball machine in the front of the restaurant!

I am sharing with you today, a picture that makes my husband, Josh very, very happy.... He is a grilling machine and he loves himself his Weber (BBQ). Although we have a very nice gas BBQ he still insists on using one of his three Weber's. Last weekend for Memorial Day he made these beauties... and I thought they were is keeping with our red theme....

It's a shame I don't like ribs, but even I can appreciate how pretty they were. :)

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the annual Tustin Chili Cook-off here in town. I have heard it's actually the biggest Chili Cook-off in the nation.... and it's serious business here at the Duckett household. It's Josh's favorite event of the year (for the beer drinking and chili eating, of course!) We would be there at the crack of dawn, if it was actually open then... lol....

I will be sure to take my camera and snap some red pictures for next week! Have a good weekend everyone! I'm off to get my Saturday Starbucks and bagel!   

Ruby Red

I'm getting excited! I am seeing red everywhere, and I can't wait to be even more inspired by your pictures! Already I'm seeing some great ones! Thank you for playing along!

I saw red

There is nothing like a vase of fresh flowers to inspire me to want to take photos. I picked some dark red roses from my garden today, and with only about an hour left of natural sunlight, I started snapping away. I usually take anywhere from one hundred to two hundred photos when I'm feeling particularly inspired, and from there I will narrow it down to a few favorites (maybe fifteen to twenty) and then I start editing. Most of the time, I will sharpen the focus, possibly lighten the image, and maybe add some embellishments if I feel up to spending extra time on them. And if it's a photo of me, I will use that Photoshop blemish tool like crazy! ...lol...   

Since I had fifteen or so favorites this time, I decided to share a few at a time with you in the next couple of posts. Most of the photos have the same vase of red-roses in every picture, but the accents I chose to add color and texture to each frame will vary. It will be a "red roses inspire me" sort of week. I'm hoping I won't bore you all, and maybe even some of you will post "I saw red" pictures of your own, so I can come see them?  It'll be a week of themed photography. If enough of you are into doing this with me, maybe we can pick a new color each week or so and inspire each other. :) I think I have seen this done on other photography blogs before.

Maybe I will give you all until Monday to let me know if you want to play along?  I will even make a little button for the event, if you want to try and recruit some others to join us. I think it might be fun, and it will challenge me to find time for photography (which I have really started to enjoy again).

I threw together this little button, if you want to post about it, or just add it to your blog to let people know you are playing and to try to get others to join in. Feel free to use it, or not! You can link it to the page I created (in my sidebar) that will spell out the details. Or you can create your own, if you want to!

So here's what I'm thinking.... starting on Monday (June 2nd) post some photos on your blog that emphasize the color red. You can add more each day during the week through Sunday the 8th (you don't have to post everyday). Be sure to leave me a comment to let me know you are playing and I will create a list of blogs participating so we can each check in and hopefully inspire each other! Then, if every one wants to keep playing, we can pick a new week and color. Who knows, if we get enough people playing, maybe we can even create a flickr group, for you readers out there who want to play but don't have a blog of your own!

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, since I don't even know if anyone will want to play yet... lol...please leave me a comment with your blog address if you do want to play, and I will add your blog to the list of participants. Thanks ladies! This will be fun!

*edited to add: Yeah, we have some players! You can click on the button in my sidebar to view the details and list of participants. Feel free to join in at anytime, by leaving me a comment (no deadline). And this is for anyone and everyone who wants to play.... you don't need to be a photographer or have an amazing camera to play along!

Fletcher

My best friend Tyler had her second baby boy, Fletcher on May 9th. Tomorrow he will be two weeks old. I had the great honor of meeting him today and performing his first "photo session". His mom and I had lots of fun posing him and staring at his cute little naked butt. I put together this little mini announcement to show all of you on the blog.

Tyler and I have been friends for 22 years, since she approached me on the playground in fourth grade and asked me if I wanted to play with her. It fills my heart to think that we are still such good friends and that we will be friends long enough for me to see her sons go into the fourth grade! I just pray that I get to have my own little boy (or girl) someday soon so that they can play with (or date) her two handsome boys.

I love you Tyler! Congratulations!   

Charming, aren't they?

They're here! They're here! The charms Cathy and I worked on designing together have finally arrived. I spent the last few hours photographing, editing, and getting these beauties online. I know I am biased, but I think they turned out so great! Each one is unique, and some with only subtle differences. I worked my fanny off tonight trying to get every last one on the site. (Which is no small feat, if you saw my "to do" list today!)

I just love how the photos came out for these.  You can click on each photo and it will link you to that charm in the shop. Each charm has one of my embellished photographs on one side, and Cathy's beautiful touches on the other side. I asked her to incorporate some burlap and old stamps in a few, and I love, love how those turned out! Cathy never disappoints me.

 

 

I'm sorry to make my last few posts solely about the shop, but sometimes I am so proud of how the pictures turn out when taking product photos, that I feel inspired to share them.

The stucco is getting done on the house this Saturday, so I should have some new photos of the house to share next week. It's also my father-in-laws 60th birthday today, so I will try to snap some good photos over the weekend to share.   

Grain sack tablewear

We received a few new table linens in the shop today that are inspired by old grain sacks. They are 100% hand woven and naturally beautiful. Vintage grain sacks have always inspired me, and these placemats and table runners certainly do not disappoint.

I staged my dining room for a mini photo shoot to get these pretties listed in the shop.

They make me want to re-think my kitchen decor to add in some blue!

Thanks for peeking in. :)   

New Postcards

The new postcards are in and now in the shop. Thank you to all of you, sweet friends, who have been purchasing these cards. It's so much fun for me to sell something I created myself. I hope to expand to something more than postcards in the very near future. For now, there are nine different designs and two of which, Bienvenue and Love to Read, that have an embellished and non-embellished versions. (The embellishments being the text, swirls, border, and distressing). 

I'm afraid the charms Cathy and I worked on are not here yet, but I expect them any day now. I will keep you posted for sure. Thank you, as always, for peeking in and for the support!

Inspired by...

I think I better figure out something more to do with my favorite photos, or it is going to be stacks and stacks of postcards around here... :) These two are my latest additions (although the printed postcards are not yet in stock).

 

I bought a bunch of these vintage clock faces after being inspired by an Elizabeth Maxon article. (I think it was in Romantic Homes Magazine, if I remember right?). Anyway, I love the colors, and textures here.

This pretty little nest was part of a gift from my friend Kasey.  As you can tell, I am still very into my macro lens.  I may have to get a new lens soon, so I don't keep boring all of you with the same close-up shots. But man, they aren't cheap! Maybe I will win a new lens with the recent purchase of my shootsac... now that would be awesome!

Thanks for peeking in. Happy Thursday everyone! 

Charmed, I'm sure...

Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my last post. Are we just a bunch of homebodies and hermits, or what!?!? ...lol... I am feeling much less inadequate with my "boring" posts now. Thank you!

I know I mentioned a few posts ago about my friend, Cathy and I starting work on a fun little project for my shop. Well, Cathy has finished creating and they are on their way to me. We created a custom line of charms with some of my favorite photographs. I did some embellishing to the photos, we brainstormed about the design, Cathy worked her magic, and viola... a new line of charms was born!

We made the charms on the larger side, so that they can adorn your favorite lamp, or cabinet knob... not so much for wearing... I haven't seen them yet, but I wanted to share the photos we used on the charms, so that you all could tell me what you thought. :)    

Thanks for peeking in, I can't wait to share the finished product with you all! I think they will be great!    

Bad, Bad Blogger!

I know I have been a terrible blogger lately. The truth is, I just never feel like I have interesting things to talk about. I am peeking in at your blogs every now and then and I love all the inspiration you all provide to me, but I haven't really felt like I have had inspiring things of my own to say. Am I the only one who feels this way? I don't know how some of you do it, always managing to have a fabulous picture and interesting story two or more times a week!

Maybe it's because I never leave my house? ..lol... The scene above (me at the computer in my office) is the scene at my house every day from 9:30am (yes I sleep in until then) till 6:30 (sometimes 12:30) at night. I have been working long hours mostly because Josh is traveling more and more and I am home alone most weekdays. I don't see people throughout the day, or even talk to other people sometimes! (Except via email which is all day and night long). I think it has made me a hermit... even more then I used to be before I worked from home. I used to just call myself a "homebody" but I think I may have graduated to "hermit" status this last year. 

What is even more pathetic is that I think the guys who work at the shipping place are my closest friends! ..lol... Ok, maybe not my CLOSEST friends, but they are sometimes the only face to face contact I have in a day.

So here is my point... Unless I am talking about web design (which I know would bore some of you to death) or talking about what funny thing Hannah (our lab) did today, I don't have much to blog about. (Case in point - it's Saturday night at 8:00pm and I am BLOGGING!) But I promise, PROMISE, I am going to work on it.

I have been inspired by a few bloggers lately, but these three ladies take the cake this week in providing ME with inspiration....

Tonya - This girl is an amazing photographer! Her blog and website are stunning to look at and even more fun to read. She prompted my latest splurge this week with her new shootsac. (Sorry Tonya, I bought the same one as you, but only because I am a HUGE black and white fan, and who can resist black and white brocade! And you made me HAVE to have it with your gorgeous photos of your own!)

Tammy -  Another amazing photographer. Tammy has similar tastes as I do, and I love, LOVE, the way she embellishes her photos. Vintage distressing, and muted colors... What's even more amazing is her latest post which showcases how she packages her killer handmade jewelry. (Tammy - I so love you for the inspiration!)

Alice -  The multi-talented Alice, inspires me on many levels. Her website designs are layered in vintage goodness. I admire her style and her artistry. She (and her hubby) are also photographers and have an eye for beauty. (Alice it has been so nice getting to know you through your blog! )

Pay them a visit and be inspired!

I have two close friends in Romantic Homes this month. Lidy of French Garden House, and Chris of Lucys' Lounge at Tutti Chic. If you haven't seen Tara's article on these two gals, please go out and buy yourself a copy! It's so amazing to see your friends in the magazines you read (and I have to admit, even more fun for me to see the blog banners I created in print!) I am so happy for your girls and you both deserve it!