Still basking in the glory of my marvelous Mother’s Day, my thoughts are on family things.
I never knew my great grandmother, but found out that when she was 18, she went away to art school. Not something a lot of young girls did in 1906.
She did a handful of pieces while there, then came home to be a farm wife. No more time for art when there are chickens to feed and a family and garden to tend. Thinking about it makes me realize how lucky I am to have so much time to make things pretty.
I was given these two pictures done by my great grandmother, Nellie during her short time away at art school I think that if I had known her, we would have had a lot in common.
Sentimental days are good for scrap booking. I’d made a book of my husband’s family earlier, but didn’t care for the way I’d done the cover. So, I added a faded and torn old piece of red velvet from an ancient album and glued a vintage oval framed family photo onto it. 
Rich (my husband) is the dapper young man in the bow tie.
At the top of the oval frame, I added a brooch that belonged to my sweetie’s grandma. I used to wear it, but the clasp is broken, so I thought this would be safer.
Since I had my glues out, and was thinking family type thoughts, I made a couple more Sugarwings pages in my journal/scrapbook. I was never a scrap booker until she came along. Now, I try to add a few pages a week, as I take photos of her.
When she grows up and looks at my book, do you think she’ll roll her eyes at me, and say, "Oh, Grandmama, wings- again??!"
I also did a photo shoot today at my house with my pal, photographer, Diane Guthrie, who did the Romantic Homes layout with me last year. We got half done and will finish tomorrow. I’m afraid that I can’t tell you any more about it for now, but here is a teeny peek from my camera- not hers.
We did 3 photos in 2 hours, that is not a bad rate. Maybe 3 or 4 more tomorrow and we should be set.
Well, maybe one more teeny peek.
You know a photo shoot sounds glamorous, but in real life it is a mess. I had cords and lights and equipment all over, plus I had all the ordinary, everyday, useful things piled up out of the way of the camera, so that only pretty things were in the shots. I did run across town to Walmart before Diane arrived so I could get 2 white toothbrushes in case they showed, I wanted them to match the bathroom! Sounds silly, but those little details matter.
My bathroom is still all topsyturvey and will be until we are done.
Don’t forget about the MAY BUCKET!!
Today is the last day to enter!! I will be shipping it off to its new home tomorrow.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your kind comments and entries. I had over 500 entries, what a surprise for me!!!!!!!!! I counted each and every comment you made as an entry and will continue to do that for the COTTAGE CHARM GIVEAWAY.
You can enter the Cottage Charm Giveaway as many times as you would like. I love getting comments and will bribe you anyway necessary to get you to write to me!!
I am making the $1.99 a dozen roses I bought a week ago last till the very last petal curls up and turns brown. I keep trimming the stems and making them a bit shorter each day. But I might like them this way better than any of the other arrangements so far.
You DO NOT have to bribe me to come here , that’s for sure! lol I have no doubt that you and your Great Grandmother would be best of friends and have ALOT in common. Both amazing Artists!
I would love to be a little mouse in the corner while you are doing this photo shoot!
Good art runs in the family, ay? Great story about Grandma. Maybe she went back to art after the children were gone?
Love your Sugar Wings pictures and yes, one day she’ll roll her eyes (lovingly) at all those wings.
The photo shoot looks interesting. I’ll be watching to see/hear what’s going on.
Got my jewels today! LOVE ‘Em!
Blessings,
Jody
The sentiments you expressed about your great-grandmother are how I often feel about my paternal grandmother. So much in common but so little time to share our common interests…
Such neat stories about your great-grandmother & your husband’s family photo album! I always love how you share the “history” of your pics with us. No need to bribe me to make comments! :0)
Will look forward to more peeks at your pretty bathroom!
Stephanie
I know I posted a comment on this ~ I wouldn’t miss another chance to enter your giveaway! 🙂
I must have forgotten to “verify”….
At any rate, I was saying how neat it was that you have such a connection with your great-grandma…..
And also that your sweet SugarWings will appreciate all the love you put into her photos and know how special she is…..
Oh yes, and also that I hope I win! 😉
Your’s is the first log I visit these days!
You’re such an inspiration!!!!
About your great grandmother! Wow! I’ll bet art school was really a special treat for her and probably had jealous friends who had to stay home and feed chickens! So your talent is a genetic thing! So cool. Could you do an art piece with little Sugar Wings and Nellie in it?
Why do photo shoots take so long?
To answer why photo shoots take so long- it is a meticulous thing. Lighting, angles, take forever. I style and set up the area, then we get the lights up and take a sample. The photographer and I will look at it on her laptop and disect shadows, angles, all the little details. Then, we each go back with our list. As the stylist, my list might be to turn a flower a 1/4 inch one way or another, or to tuck a fold of cloth in, or to tweak the angle of a lamp. Of course, you look for cords that show, reflections of the lights or cameras, all sort of stuff.
The photographer might need to change lenses, adjust the lights, add a light, or some technical thing that is above my head.
Then you take another sample and see what needs to be changed for that one. Maybe an hour and 10 pictures later, you have something that the stylist and photographer agree on. When you get what you like, then you take the real photo, and then study it to make sure it is perfect. Usually there is a change to be made. After that, you take a few extra, just in case. It can be gruelling, but it also is interesting. And satisfying when the magazine issue is in print and you see what you have done. Although, I always nit pick those and see all the things I hate in it anyway……
Thank you for participating in the Cottage Carm Giveway because that’s how I found you! I just love your blog. Someday my house will look like yours…when can you come over and get started?