Faux Macro

Ever get in a photo rut? I've been wanting to try this trick for quite some time but never actually got around to doing it until just the other week. It takes a little practice and a steady hand to get stuff in focus and a nice exposure, but it's kinda fun. Try it! 😀 Just put your camera in manual mode, take your lens off, and flip it around. You'll have to hold it in place with your hand and be careful not to drop it, but the results are neat to look at! Here's a few from my first try before the big winds blew all my cosmos over:

The Halloween Box

Do you keep a Halloween box with all your family's old costumes? We do! In fact, we have 3 of them! Over the weekend, we got out all our fall decorations and the Halloween boxes came out as well.
If you have several kids who like to dress up for Halloween, I find that saving all their costumes in storage boxes over the years saves me big money when it actually comes time to start deciding on ideas and buying costumes. Sometimes I only have to buy a couple costumes or accessories. With sometimes 6 kids dressing up every year, costumes aren't cheap, it starts to add up quick!
Usually they can find bits and pieces of old costumes & combine them into an entirely new dress-up idea! We've acquired so many wigs, hats, glasses, noses, tops, & bottoms over the years that its really fun to see what they put together and come out wearing. I realize lots of people like the scary costumes, and I do too sometimes, but my most favorites are the unique, funny ones.
If you don't have a Halloween box yet, and you have a family that enjoys dressing up every year, you should start one this year!
My kids have been quietly entertaining themselves & using their imaginations for most of the weekend. 😀 Here are a few of their creations: 👇

Thinking Out Loud

Sitting here in my pjs & robe, drinking my second cuppa coffee with a cold slice of leftover pizza for breakfast (because I could eat pizza for any meal, hot or cold) & before the kids wake up, I got a weird idea to see if I could even log back into this old, neglected blog. And Voila!  Lucky on my 1st attempt! Could it be a sign?

But wait... what should I write about?? Plenty has changed since I originally, half-heartedly started this blog years ago with the hopes of someday being a somewhat successful photographer. Now we homeschool all 6 of our kids and I struggle with getting the most bang for our buck at the grocery store, since there are 8 of us here along with all of our furry babies that need to eat, & let's face it, groceries get expensive. What could I possibly have to offer to readers out there?

Well, I'm hoping to be more regular on here. Hoping to be helpful to someone, somewhere. I'm just brainstorming out loud, but was thinking of maybe offering homeschooling advice, maybe some book reviews, parenting tips, cooking for a large family, money saving ideas for grocery shopping, along with some photography and art.

So anyways, what to do when the kids are in the house too long together & the wrestling turns into fighting...
get them outside to burn off some extra energy! I'm sure the neighbors think we look like idiots, but who cares, because we were having fun. Here they are racing up and down the streets.

Wall Clocks

My images are now available on wall clocks. Shop http://society6.com/ChristineHall for functional wall art at affordable prices. You can choose between natural wood, black, or white framing and either black or white hands. And they have free shipping worldwide going on now thru Sunday.

Naturey Things

The kids & I love to go on a good walk & admire everything around, especially now that we live where there are sidewalks again. Honestly, I used to feel a little dumb carrying my camera around & trying to sneak snaps of  flower beds & stuff that I liked. Lately though, I'm beginning to feel more comfortable about it. I just don't care anymore if people driving by think I look weird crawling around in the bushes and stuff trying to capture that image that I've got pictured in my head. Wouldn't these make cool throw pillows or canvases for the couch? :)

It's October Already?

My how time flies! 

Also, I will be donating 20% of profits earned from sales of any products with these {PINK} images (below) to the Susan G Komen foundation during the month of October. 

http://society6.com/ChristineHall

New Sidewalks

Since we've moved, the kids have really been enjoying their new sidewalk as the long summer days have been quickly turning to fall. And I am enjoying sitting on the porch watching them. The longer we are in this new neighborhood, the more I am realizing that I don't miss our old one a bit, especially the obnoxious rooster that lived next door!