February 10

The new look is definitely a work in progress. I have been wanting to change my website and blog for a while but just haven't had the time. There is still a lot to write about from last month, but I do have some photos to post. Let me know if you have any feedback!

Spring is just around the corner!

I promised to post these bridal portraits of Abby after her wedding date (Congrats Abby & Dustin!). She was a gorgeous bride, and a photographer's dream to work with.

II don't think I ever mentioned that I finally received my new camera. As soon as I read about the Nikon D300 that was being introduced a few months ago, I knew it would be my next major photographic purchase. I've had it for almost a month now, and, so far, it has been everything that I hoped it would. I also bought a new 12-24mm lens that can do justice to even the smallest rooms. The work I've been doing for Ant Street Inn and my thirtieth birthday were the perfect justification for the new camera and lens.

Another job I've used it for, was helping our friend, Carlos, with some new pictures for the menu at his family's restaurant. The colorful drinks were fun to photograph, and Harper was more than happy to help eat (and drink) as I finished each round.

February 11   I finished shooting at Ant Street this past weekend, but I'm still editing the images. I love this first picture--night shots can capture so much mood! I'm anxious to see what the web designer does with all the images.

February 16   The aqua color of these old jars inspired the beginning of a small collection back in 2004. I've always been in love with the color, and it's hard to resist anything in that color with the priceless patina that only an old piece that has been used for years can earn. I'm working on an article that made me remember this picture I took at our previous home. It took a while to find it in my old hard drive, but it was worth the effort—I might even use it in the article.

February 20   Usually my best creative ideas come at the last possible moment—something I've learned to live with after years of vowing to change. After fumbling with an article that I started several weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night early last week and knew that I would start over. Once the right idea finally reveals itself, everything seems to fall into place.

One of the (many) things that I love about living in an old house is the occasional unexpected "buried treasure." Besides the buckets full of broken glass and random junk, we've found some interesting things over the years. My article is about how these found objects connect us to this home and its history. One of our favorites is the broken Dr. Pepper bottle pictured below. Among other things, it was unearthed when the trench for the foundation of the porch was dug. Apparently, Harper's family owned the bottling company at the time this bottle was produced. I'll post more details later. My mother-in-law, who is quite a history buff, is helping us find out some of the specifics. She volunteered and worked at the Brenham Heritage Museum for several years, and if there is ever something that she doesn't know, she knows someone who does!

On Saturday when I was finishing up on the article, it rained most of the day. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, because there is always something uncovered by heavy rain. I found several handfuls of loot on Sunday, but I kept thinking how great it would be to have one more bottle for the picture I was setting up. God agreed, because after an hour searching before church and after lunch, I found this bottle peeking out of the muddy soil. I spent the rest of the afternoon on our back porch photographing some of the found objects; it was the perfect excuse to spend the afternoon outside--it was sunny and just warm enough to go sleeveless.

All in a day's work...

I know it looks like junk to most people (and some of it definitely goes to straight to the trash), so I wanted to get a few shots of how I use it. Honestly, I think at least half of our furniture and decor is stuff that someone else had discarded—and not only are they my favorites, but they're also the pieces that receive the most compliments and comments. The little bottles are fun to collect because they are all so unique. I use them constantly for little bud vases; they add just enough color to be noticed in a room, but they're small enough to avoid stripping my flowerbeds of their best blooms.

While I was photographing my found-objects, Harper jump-started a spring project. I know it is still a bit early for ferns, but when it starts to really warm up, we won't be able to find them for less than ten dollars... We decided it would be worth the effort of bringing them inside for the last few cold snaps since the price was right for eight healthy hanging baskets. We bought them a few weeks ago, and the chickens have just been ogling them and waiting for an opportunity to devour them. Ferns are apparently a delicacy for my feathered-friends--which is no big deal in the warm summer months, when everything is growing too fast, but now, when everything is dormant and brown, it would be nice if they would stay away from my ferns!

Ever the peacemaker, Harper installed the supports and brackets for the new hanging baskets. We love the look of hanging-ferns on the porch, but we have always had issues with the water damage to the rails or flooring that go along with the beauty of the suspended greenery. Trying to learn from our previous homeowner-faux pas, we finally found these great brackets that gracefully curve/extend just enough to allow the excess water to efficiently land in the (future) flower-beds below rather than on the new porch. Now the ferns are safe from the ornery poultry, and the porch is one step closer to completion.

It's been a while since Harper fired up the pit (Christmas, I think), so my taste buds have been deprived. After a quick lunch and a trip to the store, he began the long, but-oh-so-worth-it process. The rock-hens had a brine bath while Harper seasoned the ribs with pepper, pepper, and more pepper. Besides bacon, ribs are probably the only meat that I prefer well-done--it probably has something to do with the strong aversion to the color and texture of raw fat that I've never outgrown. Luckily, we both like spicy (but not sweet), well-cooked ribs, and our late dinner was well worth the wait! Oh, and the corn was SO juicy--it could have been a meal by itself. It has so much more flavor when it shares the pit with ribs over the mesquite chips. After several tries, Harper perfected his technique for BBQ or grilled corn several years ago: if and when the corn finishes earlier than the meat, add some water to the pan and cover it with foil. Drain it right before the meat is ready to cut, and it will be warm and juicier than you can imagine. No promises, but I've seen this method save the day by bringing over-cooked cobs back to life when we had almost tossed them!

February 27   Due to lack of time and a bit of embarrassment, I never mentioned the absence of photos of our anticipated cooking class at the home of Chef Blank (founder of Hudson's on the Bend). Somehow, I managed to plan an entire three-day weekend in January around the class--but I had the wrong time memorized. I have only myself to blame for the mistake. The class was part of Harper's 30th birthday present, and we've been looking forward to it since last May. Upon the discovery of my mistake, Harper quickly realized that I was on the verge of tears, but he handled it like a hero. He kept telling me that it had been a great weekend and that it would just be a good excuse to come back to Austin in February--what a wonderful husband!  Luckily, the chef was understanding and encouraged us to reschedule, so everything worked out. We had an amazing time at the chef's Lake Travis home this past weekend. The weather was perfect, and the food was even more than we expected. I think we were one of the only couples that had never been to one of his classes before, and it's easy to see why his foodie fans return!