vintage krista and 'i'm just a dork with a camera'

So i picked up a handful of vintage photos of me when I was down in the basement supposed to be getting out christmas decorations.  it's high time these surface on the 'net, isn't it?!  Lily wears the nightgown that I have on in the photo just above.  Wild.

I just got back from a 3 mile run.  It's 23, 15 windchill.  I felt like cursing the whole way, i'm sure i muttered several curse words, but in the end i'm always glad i went.  very grateful for my little ipod that helps get me through it.

so, this is me, pre-run.  no idea why i took these.

messing around w/ my camera

I spent some time reflecting (ha ha) with my camera today.  Gee, this is just like the post I made 6 months ago!  I hate to say I am no farther along.  I haven't put in the time, honestly, and I'm still intimidated and I have this mental block.  It's like me + math I guess...I feel like I just can't 'get it.'  Luckily I have a couple of photographer friends that have offered me some tutorials.  So...I hope to make some major progress in the coming year.

Play and a Study in Photography

I took these pictures of Eric and Lily playing the other night and Calvin and Lily playing today.  I love their little dollhouse still lifes and how absorbed they get in play.

 I still don't know how to really use this new camera.  It's VERY intimidating to me, yet I know that when I understand it I will be able to do so much with it.  I need to learn how to shoot in manual.  Our friend who is a photographer took these pictures with it at a coffee shop. 

These five shots of Rob are so different.  I have no idea how this was done!

Couldn't I just capture what he knows and put it in my brain?  That would be sooo much easier.

christmas wrap-up

The presents got wrapped on christmas eve by Rob and I and it didn't take too long at all. We really strived to not give too much, just a few presents for each child. And I realized as we were wrapping that only one thing for the children was plastic (the mp3 player). It wasn't a conscious decision to NOT buy anything plastic (after all, my hoops are plastic, as are the bilibos we love and my new digital SLR (!!!)), but as I strive to live in accordance with my values--basically rejecting mainstream toys and marketing and commercialization of children--that's how it played out.

I was happy to realize too that we saved money while giving special things--I got the PLAN rocking horse and deluxe road set both used, the MP3 was used too, and the books and train tracks were purchased at independent stores, which is really important to me too. We didn't buy a single toy in a chain. We're making strides and will continue on this path, and it is exciting.

The day began at 4 am. Yes, 4 am. Oh, the magic and wonder!

Grace cleverly re-gifted toys to her brother and sister that she didn't want anymore.  Lily loved getting the pink bilibo.

Books!

Hockey skates (thank you, craigslist!!)

Lily diapered her new doll.

Calvin's doll takes a horseback ride.

Big bedhead.

Happy merrymaking!

What I like to see

The TV is off and doors are closed.  Christmas music is playing softly.

Children are enjoying a stack of their library books.

Can't wait to read these!  The Chicks Christmas is by Felicia Bond, author of Four Valentines in a Rainstorm, which I adore.  The Story of Holly and Ivy is by Rumer Godden, and the other little book is Christmas Is a Time of Giving (c. 1961) by Joan Walsh Anglund.  Sweet illustrations!

In other news--I am going to be starting a photography project in January that I have wanted to do for a long time.  I will need to have a good camera though (no offense to my current camera, you have served me well.  your pictures are not clear though.  I'm so sorry).  So, for photography people, what do you have?  I am looking at Nikons and Canons.  Nothing terribly fancy.  I don't even know what that kind of camera is called, the kind with lenses and stuff.  Pro cameras?  I pretty much say 'you know, the not-point-and-shoot-kind.'