I Should Be Folding Laundry

Miscellany

April 18th, 2012

Hi Friends.

I just wanted to pop in for a few important things.

First – I’m having a You Capture Workshop this weekend on Sunday, the 22nd. This workshop is geared towards Moms with Cameras. (okay, not just Moms, aunties, too.) (and grandmas and daddies and … well, you get the idea.)

Anyway, I have four slots open, the workshop goes from 9am-11:30 am and is held in Valparaiso, Indiana (northwest Indiana). The cost is $100 but if you’re reading this and would like to attend, just email me at bethfletcherphotography@gmail.com and I’ll give you a $15 discount, you just have to contact me by Thursday afternoon!) Click here for more information and for reviews on the workshop.

Secondly

I”m sure everyone knows my love for Clickin’ Moms. I have a discount code for anyone that is interested in checking it out. For anyone, anywhere, interested in photography, this is your one stop place. I am living proof that it can change the way you shoot. So, visit this link and use discount code: FRIEND. (it’s a referral link of mine, so be sure to use it!)

Thirdly, for you photography folk, I am looking to do a guest post on Clickin’ Moms pertaining to blogging, social media and photography, which is actually a pretty broad spectrum for me, so I’m hoping you guys can help me to narrow it down to a more specific topic. Do you have any questions you’d like to see answered? About anything? Anything at all? Feel free to share. I would really appreciate your feedback on this. (and feel free to email me if you’d like to keep your idea private.)

Okay, that’s it from me. I hope your day is beautiful.

You Capture | chocolate

April 16th, 2012

Hi friends. I hope you can forgive me for posting so late. I’m not going to lie to you. I forgot about You Capture, entirely. I’m such a jerk!

And then I remembered and I was like chocolate! chocolate is easy!

And then I reached for the Easter chocolate and remembered that somebody ate it.

(not me.)

(it was me.)

So, I looked around and remembered I saved a chocolate bunny for Brian but I didn’t tell him it was for him and he didn’t eat it because he thought it was for me and we’ve gotten in many fights because he’s eaten the last piece of chocolate, so, there it sat, on the counter, waiting for one of us to eat it.

So, I unwrapped him and took photos of him.

My life is so not normal.

I look at this unwrapped piece of rabbit chocolate and felt completely uninspired. I struggled. I struggled more than I ever had with You Capture. And then something happened, I can’t explain what it was, but it was good. An idea and within minutes, I was downloading images. I love it when things happen that way.

I actually used my macro lens for both of these shots.

Now it’s your turn to share!

PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES, especially, yes, especially if you have never linked up!
1. Anyone can join in on the challenge at anytime.
2. Please make sure the photos you use were taken for the challenge, meaning do not search your archives for an appropriate photo. The goal of You Capture is to get you out taking photos each week!
3. Use YOUR photos.
4. When linking up, only link to your You Capture blog post, not your main blog URL. (incorrect links will be deleted.)
5. You MUST link back to You Capture in your post. (please do this! don’t link up to promote your blog or even to promote your own photo challenge, k?!)
6. I encourage you to visit other participants and leave comments. This is a great way to meet new friends!
{more You Capture info can be found here.}

Sunshine

Happy Capturing!

June Afternoons – 2012

April 11th, 2012

I don’t know if you guys remember but last year, I created an Etsy shop called June Afternoons. I worked with some of the finest photographers I know to sell prints. The proceeds directly benefited Team James and Jake and The March of Dimes. (I raised over $800. Seriously)

Well, friends, this year is the final year for Team James and Jake. It’s not that we don’t love this day each year, we do with all of our hearts but we just think it’s time to move forward, perhaps onto something else or perhaps just to a day for my family and I to sit and remember and be surrounded by their beautiful spirits. Sometimes life is so busy that we don’t set that time aside, walking each year allows us to do this. Next year we may just to this ourselves.

Because it’s the final year and because I knew I need to something to help me raise money for Team James and Jake (which has raised over $35,000 by the way), I wanted to do something from my heart. Something that I created. Something that YOU could place in yours home to remember that life is so short. So fragile.

So dang beautiful.

This year, June Afternoons is offering something different. Made by me, completely.

Here’s a peek.

$30 from each sign will be donated to The March of Dimes.

My quantities are pretty limited. I didn’t want to make a gazillion signs and have them not sell, so I made 9 (8 are currently available) If they sell, I’ll try to make more. If they don’t. I love them and I’ll keep them. For real. I will.

So, head over, check it out, perhaps help me spread the word?

I would appreciate it so much.

As always, thank you guys, for supporting me.

You Capture | Easter / Pastels

April 9th, 2012

Hi there friends! Sorry for the delay in getting these to you. My images were on the wrong computer and I didn’t have access to the computer that contained my images so I was stuck, just dreaming about accessing my images on the other computer.

Life is so hard.

I hope you all had a beautiful Easter. Our weekend was crazy jam packed. On Saturday, we hosted Eli’s birthday party, it was crazy fun but crazy busy. (and exhausting.) Easter this year was quite different since my Mom is visiting my brother in Colorado. My sister, niece and her family came over for brunch. Guess what I learned? I like hosting brunch!

first, here’s Eli seeing his basket. I love that you can still see sleep in his eyes, I love that he picked out the grass first. I basically just love everything about this silly boy. But mostly, I love that my house looks a little bit clean. BECAUSE IT’S NOT. GAH.

and ELMO!

here’s a glimpse of Noah’s basket. He was quite pleased with the contents. Well, the candy and the games. Not so much the clothes, obvs.

My sweet girls wearing matching dresses. I couldn’t stop looking at them all day. These dresses were made by a sweet little Etsy shop called Bebe Culture. She has been a dream to work with. I’ve actually ordered four dresses and one skirt from her (all with matching headbands) and everything has been perfection. And her prices? So good. (by the way, she has no idea that I have a blog or that I’m writing about her, I just stumbled upon her one lucky day.)

These guys? Oh my gosh. I can hardly take how lucky we are to have such amazing children.

And here’s some pastel for you.

Now it’s your turn to share!

PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES, especially, yes, especially if you have never linked up!
1. Anyone can join in on the challenge at anytime.
2. Please make sure the photos you use were taken for the challenge, meaning do not search your archives for an appropriate photo. The goal of You Capture is to get you out taking photos each week!
3. Use YOUR photos.
4. When linking up, only link to your You Capture blog post, not your main blog URL. (incorrect links will be deleted.)
5. You MUST link back to You Capture in your post. (please do this! don’t link up to promote your blog or even to promote your own photo challenge, k?!)
6. I encourage you to visit other participants and leave comments. This is a great way to meet new friends!
{more You Capture info can be found here.}

Chocolate

Happy Capturing!

You guys, thank you so much for sharing your ideas with me for You Capture! Please continue to share if you come up with something!

Idol Chat with Adam and Beth | The top 8

April 4th, 2012

Adam: Beth, have I told you lately how much I love two-hour episodes of American Idol? What? I haven’t? Oh. Well that’s probably because I just don’t know how to express my extreme love for them. They don’t waste time at all. And these guy-girl duets? Totally necessary and awesome. Are you ready for another round of fun, sans Heejun the lensless wonder?

I don’t know what you’re talking about. I totally tune into Idol each week FOR the unnecessary duets. Man, I love ‘em.

Adam: DeAndre is singing something by DeBarge. Doesn’t that tell us all we really need to know about DeAndre? Good. Because I want to just take a moment to express my sympathy for the poor girl he sat next to who just showed America her undies. We’ve all been there. Also: Randy is dressed for a clown funeral.

aw. Sad clown day. And sad day for my ears, too.

Elise Testone is up singing “I Want to Know What Love Is” I have the answer … NOT THIS SONG. I don’t know, Adam. I know she rocked it last week but this week seemed so safe. It’s not a tough song to sing. I’m pretty glad the song is over.

Adam: I don’t understand why so many people on this show have said “It’s a great song, but . . .” It’s not a great song. It should have stayed buried in the ’80s. I can’t think of a song that would be less Elise than that was. Oh, honey.

There was a rumor that Colton and Skylar were dating? I thought I’ve made it perfectly clear that Colton can only date Colton.

Phillip Phillips sang Phil Collins. I can feel it in the air tonight. And by it, I mean total insanity. Phil Collins? He didn’t hit the right notes. He looked like he was passing a Ryan-Seacrest-sized kidney stone. I did not enjoy that performance.

Well, Adam, I liked it a lot. He did a good job of making the song sound current and he seemed a little bit sexy, too. (wait. is he over 18? If not, I didn’t say that. Seriously. I didn’t.) I have a lot of trouble getting past his Dave Matthews impression (obviously because I mention it EVERY DAMN WEEK) but I’m trying. I’m trying.

Joshua Ledet sang If You Don’t Know Me by Now. I just did not love him this week. And the whispering singers in the background were a little creepy. And the fake floating candles. The smoke. Just too much. But I don’t know, I guess the judges disagree. Whatever, judges.

Adam: I think we need to go over the concept of theme night with the contestants, Beth. The song should be from the ’80s, but it shouldn’t make us feel like we’re in the ’80s. 2012, people. Will somebody please sing like it’s 2012? I thought Josh did great vocally, but the whole performance felt so old. And not vintage. Just musty.

Jessica sang Whitney. And her voice is really nice, but the style is, again, trapped in 1988. She had a keytar in the band for crying out loud! It’s fine. She can sing. But she can’t make me like it. What happened to the singers I loved last week?

Oh my good gravy, Jessica. Why does she hate my ears?! Make it stop. She’s so off key and screeching and I sing so much better than her and that is such a terrible insult. GAH NO GO AWAY. And the judges liked it? NO. This makes me a little angry.

Hollie is singing “What a Feeling.” It’s amazing how she looks 12 during rehearsals and then gets on stage and turns 67. I don’t get it. She has been very pitchy throughout the song and I didn’t like it. Not one bit, Adam.

Adam: I mostly got confused by her ring that was the exact size, color, and shape of the microphone. It looked like the mic had a goiter. Also, old lady Hollie the 12 year old, if you’re singing a song about dancing for your life . . . you have to dance. Or sing. One of the two.

Colton is singing Time after Time. I’ll give you the Jekyll and Hyde of this performance. This was probably Colton’s best song of the year. He sang really well, and he actually sang it in the style of the century we’re in now. Novel! I still can’t stand how in love with himself he is, though. (And he is.) Ugh.

I did NOT hate this song, certain parts were actually quite good. I enjoyed it, Adam. As usual, I did not like the voice cracking but maybe that’s what kids do these days. What do I know? I’m 67. Like Hollie.

Skyler Laine is performing Wind Beneath my Wings gone Country tonight. Gosh, I don’t know. Pretty song and pretty dress but the twaawaang was just so over done. You know what? This was not my favorite but SHOCKINGLY the judges loved it. They are standing and J-Lo is crying. And I am sticking a fork in my eye.

Adam: Beth, did you ever know that you’re my hero? Truth. (By the way, I think Skylar did a great job. And I liked it. A lot.)

Who’s going home?

Beth: Hollie

Adam: DeAndre

What do you guys think?

Miscellany

You Capture | chocolate

June Afternoons – 2012

You Capture | Easter / Pastels

Idol Chat with Adam and Beth | The top 8

Geek Speak