Thanksgiving Weekend

I have so very much to be thankful for this year…my family, an abundance of friends; my health, my freedom, and my creativity just to name a few.  I don’t think I’ve ever been this thankful and this happy at this time of year --well at least not in a long time.  I think I have complicated so much for so long that I am ready to quit working myself so hard to the point of utter exhaustion that I can’t enjoy myself and the people around me.  I think there is a saying about life being too short.  I think.  We can discuss that at another time.  For now I want to say that I am thankful for you too, my blog readers from all over the world!  Thank you for inspiring me to keep creating art!  I love to hear that my work has inspired you in some way, it means so very much to this simple girl in Texas.  Well, okay, maybe not so simple!  Ha!  Thank you, thank you, my friends.  Let me share a few snapshots from my Thanksgiving Weekend with all of you...   

East Texas is beautiful this time of year, the drive is so peaceful –I love to get lost in the scenery, the vehicle moves too fast for me to snap decent pictures but trust me, I am snapping from every angle that these brown eyes will absorb and saving them in my memory.  I wish I could share all the beautiful images in my head with all of you.  How I wish. 

The Doneghue's own a significant amount of land in East Texas...I went exploring on Thanksgiving Day and snapped this photo to share with all of the followers of my photography...hope you like it too!

Huge pine trees tower over me in every direction. 

A wonderland awaits this party of one...lets lay on the ground and roll around in the beautifully colored leaves!  I admit, I did it.  :D

Peek a boo!  I spent the day after Thanksgiving in "the shop".  That's really where the boys hang out and drink beer, shoot guns, and things like that.  Yes, I had a beer or two and I even shot a gun!  But aside from that I didn't do much else on this day.  I was feeling a little sick so I just sat around and listened to music, played with the dog, and I even napped!  The air was nice and crisp and the shop doors were open so that we could enjoy the elements in the comfort of the indoors.  I don't think I've had such a lazy day in a very long time, but I sure as heck took advantage of it.  Plus it was nice not having the pressure of getting all dolled up and wearing extensive make-up.  I was content and tolerated (lol) in my yoga pants, sweatshirt and well, I did try to dress up the outfit with a scarf but I enjoyed being casual!  ::love::

I hope that your Thanksgiving was just as delightful!  Today has been busy with editing clients photos and finishing up craft projects.  I think I will close the chapter on Thanksgiving Weekend 2011 with a nice soak and then off to bed...hopefully to find sweet dreams.

Until next time...peace, love, and being thankful.

Frame love!

Ella's Christening

Through These Eyes - The Book

I just ordered 25 copies of my book --soooo excited to give it to my loved ones for Christmas.  If you would like a copy, let me know.  I have different sizes/prices available.

This is the cover:

This is the cover page:

Black Sunshine

I'm not sure why some people think I'm goth.  ::innocent smile::  I just don't get it.

Sonia Hernandez Doneghue

There is only one.

All I Want for Christmas

Yanno, I rarely ask for Christmas presents.  I just don't.  I'd rather give than receive.  But this year, if you are in a giving mood --especially if you have been a very crummy person to me ---ooooh, you know who you are--- then you might want to consider purchasing one of the following.  So here it is....

ITEM NO. ONE:

I want the Holga Glo Camera in Electric Blue.

ITEM NO. TWO:

Wings by Creative Co-Op.  These are about $180.

ITEM NO. THREE:

This matches the furniture in my studio perfectly - very apothacery-like and that's the look I am going for.  I would like this so that I can display all of my wood mounted stamps.  Also a perfect way to keep them out of the dogs mouth.  Mmmmm-hmmmm.  This baby is at Hobby Lobby for $206 --it's on sale right now! 

TO BE CONTINUED...

It's a K thing

I'm thankful for repeat customers because it means they enjoyed the work I did for them in the past.  I am now completing year two of photography and I'm getting better but I admit, I haven't truly made an effort to learn the ins and outs of my camera.  Having a D90 and not using it to its potential is like having an Excel spreadsheet and using a hand held calculator.  Just doesn't make sense.  So that will be one of my goals for 2012:  to become more familiar with The Beast (my camera).  More about that later...here are some pics from my second shoot of the weekend, my repeat customers and this year they have a new addition to the family --Kylie!  Kristal, Kristin, Kylie, Kaden, Kevin...you get the point, it's a K thing in this family.  :)

Pieces of Me

I love the different apps you can download to your phone that give your images automatic filters.  They are perfect for capturing what I like to call "pieces" of me.  My DSLR will capture the full picture, but my 8 megapixel phone can only do so much --it can do pieces...some big and some small. 

This is my Dia de los Muertos flower.

Birds, birds, birds --this girls best friend.

It's my life and I'll pout if I want too, I'll pout if I want too. 

I try not to complain about being stuck in traffic.  It's my time to decompress from work and from life.

No caption necessary.

Dressed to kill --headed to The Merritt Fall Celebration.

Bad girl!

Don't let the cuteness fool you!  This little yellow monster was busted today tearing up a pack of 6x6 scrapbook paper, a pack of embellishments and that was AFTER she had annihilated a wood mounted stamp.  Bad, Yeller!  So there she goes, doing the walk of shame in my studio.  She kept turning back at me with sad eyes and I would snap my fingers and point at the door.  I don't think so, yelly belly!

Ring dinga ding!

The Holidays are just about here --scary!  I'm not prepared at all.  I am thinking of streamlining my gift giving and will likely be gifting a lot of my own mixed media and visual art.  I will need to make time for ordering and shopping when I have time as this is my busy season as well for family portraits. 

My season started with this lovely family.  The little one especially was a true delight to photograph.  She is a total doll!  I swear she kept that same smile the entire shoot.  Always a delight to work with a happy baby!  Enjoy...

Remembrance Day

"Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul."  -Michel de Montaigne

Occupy This

I'm entering a photo contest --well, I would like to enter a photo contest --I need to capture "Capitalism".  Ugh.  So many ideas...so many that have already been used!  But I'm still gonna give it a shot.  Maybe when my leg is feeling better I can get out and shoot.  Hopefully that is soon considering that I have three photo shoots this weekend, a concert, and  a party!  I'm going to be pooped out on Monday.

In other artsy  news...a friend posted an owl video on Facebook last night and I sat and watched about 15 more owl videos and before you knew it I was on an owl frenzy.  So I sat in my studio and created this tag in less than 20 minutes.  LOL - I know, I'm flippin' crazy.  :D

Hardware by Tim Holtz, Acrylic Stamp by Tattered Angels, Flower by Prima

Hazy Shade of Winter

This weekend I put away all of my Spring/Summer wardrobe and unleased my Fall/Winter wardrobe.  I've gotta tell you, I used to love cold temps but as I get older, I kind of prefer the warmer temps.  Although I do enjoy all of the fun layers that one can use in cooler temps.  Who doesn't love a sweater dress with tights and clunky shoes --oh, and don't forget the scarf! 

Anyway - today was day one of my winter wardrobe rollout and I thought I'd give my eyes a little winterized look as well.  Lots of compliments and questions later, my advice to those of you that want the winterized look is to use a white creamy pencil or even Benefit's High Brow Pencil on the lower inner lid and on inner lower lash line.  I used the high brow pencil and then used a very fun and sheer pink color.  I believe it's Satin Sheets by Too Faced.  I used a black on the outer lid and blended inward to the Satin Sheets and for the crease I used Lap Dance, also by Too Faced.  And that's how I got this Hazy Shade of Winter.  ;)

Don't Stop Believing

I made this canvas for a coworker who inspired me yesterday.  First of all, she also likes birds.  Secondly, she is going through a tough time.  Her husband has undergone a stem cell procedure as he has very aggressive cancer.  She has remained hopeful and has kept a smile on her face from the beginning.  I have to truly admire that.  “Belief is a beautiful armor; it makes for the heaviest swords…”

I first Mod Podged the white 8x10 canvas.  Then I applied tissue by 7gypsies.  I let it dry a bit and then applied Mod Podge over the tissue to seal it.  While that dried I embossed the word “Believe” on paper.  I cut the letters in strips to make them fit in the frame and also shortened the word to “Belief”.  Since the word was embossed, it was easy to convert one of the E’s to an F.  Other minor details include:

• Stamp scrolls by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous on the bird.
• Outline the bird with a pen – I used a white gel pen.
• Apply gold pain to chipboard crown – I used Maya Road Chipboard.
• Dab black acrylic paint onto photo frame. 

 

Once the canvas dried I dabbed black acrylic paint to the edges and then smeared it around with my finger tips.

 

I adhered the key to the photo frame with a glue gun and also adhered the flowers (these are by Prima) to the frame with hot glue.

 

My last step was adhering the scrapbook paper with the word belief onto the canvas with glue and then I hot glued the frame over it so that the frame was glued directly onto the canvas.

Pretty simple, but very fab!