Gotta Love this Boy

Before we move forward, regarding yesterday's post - wherefore art though, blog readers? Huh? Wha? I get on the blog at the end of the day and I don't have like a MILLION requests to come photograph my blog reading friends while they cook their favorite recipe? Excuse me? How could this be? Are you kidding me? Whassup? Is this thing on? Are you there? Did you read how I want to come take photos of you cooking your favorite recipe? Did you read that part? So, how now brown cow, am I not booked up with cooking dates from now until 2012? Or beyond? How can that be? Tell me, pluuuueeeze, tell me!

You know I will hunt you down and make you cook. You also know you won't mind it a bit and it won't hurt at all. So, come on people, don't make me hunt you down. Because I will. Make no mistake. I will. I will be taking photos in your kitchen. Don't you worry. Just go ahead and email me and sign yourself up for the party. Do it. All the cool kids are. Even if you can't tell that from my plea for more volunteers. Come on, it'll be fun. I promise.

Thank you to Deanna, Victor (while Jemez Mtns might not be in the cards anytime soon), Jessica from Pittsburgh, Kristin from Plano and Carolyn for showing some initiative. We'll get the rest of you. And your little dog too. So sign up now before the good recipes are taken.

OK, on to a little ditty about Deacon. You might remember the boy has a knack for the facial expression. Well, one night when we went to dinner while I was recently in Indy, I turned the purse camera on him to take a photo. Or two.

At first, he acted sort of shy about this photo taking stuff.

I'm not sure why. He's generally not shy.
In other news, I don't know why I swallowed the fly.
Perhaps I'll die.

Then he decided to pose for me.

Not sure what this face was...

Sweet boy...

Nice smile. Thanks, Deacon.

But then, things eventually, automatically, take a turn for the worse.

And we end up here. Inevitably, here.

Not a bad place to be for a Wednesday, I guess. Especially a Wednesday when you're going to sign up to be photographed making your favorite recipe. Not bad at all. See you tomorrow.

What Happens in YOUR Kitchen?

I have a new idea for a series of blog posts for this here blog. And here it is - I want to come to YOUR kitchen. Yes, that's right, I want to come to your house - to your kitchen - and take photographs.



Not just ANY photographs, though. This is what I want to do - I want to take photos of you in your kitchen, making your favorite recipe. Anything. Any recipe. It can be one you made up, one that's been in your family a really long time, or a new one you just found on a food blog or in a cookbook. Whatever it is, I don't care. All you have to do is tell me you're going to be making it and I will photograph it.



This is what will happen next - I will use those photos for a blog post here on Ate Up Amateur! And I will share the recipe for all of you. So, if you're thinking of doing this, don't pick a recipe that is a deep dark family secret and cannot be shared. Because I want to share it on the blog. So others can make it too!



Doesn't this sound like fun? It does to me - I mean, I will get to spend some time with you, doing some things I love (photography AND food) and we will all benefit. I think it could be quite fun and I think my other two readers will enjoy it. Right, other two readers? You'll enjoy it, won't ya?



Now, of course, I'm looking to work with those of you in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at this point. While I'd love to fly to Pittsburgh to photograph my friend Jessica's favorite recipe, I just can't do it at this time. And, of course, when I'm in Indiana, I hope some of you Hoosiers will let me photograph YOU in your kitchen, preparing your favorite recipe. Or, whenever I am able to make it to another location where you live, I will want to photograph YOU too.



Of course, friends living in the south of France, the island of Oahu, near the Galapagos, in Argentina, on the coast of Belize, near the Banff snow lodge...those friends will be visited first. So, if you live there, clean out that spare bedroom because I'm on my way.

Ahem.



So, please, please, let me know when we can schedule a trip to your kitchen! I cannot wait to get started. Leave a comment in the section below with enough information that I know who you are and I'll contact you to set up a time. Or send me an email. Either way, let's get cooking!

See you tomorrow.

Here it is...the Blue Ribbon!

S and I headed to the Great State Fair of Texas on Saturday night to check out the sites and, of course, to find my photo and take a "picture of the picture." It's the first of I am sure MANY, MANY visits to the fair this year. What great fun that was. All of it, actually, because the state fair is so fun and also because we met up with our friends Tricia and Wayne.



But, finding the photo and seeing it displayed with lots of other AMAZING photos, and seeing it there with a big ol' blue ribbon on it. That was SO cool. So cool.

We headed straight there after getting a really great parking spot.


We walked past the crafts and the canned fruit to the photography section.
We began to peruse all the great photographs, taking them in and looking for mine.

I checked out the "flora" category and the "Texas landscapes" category.
Some really nice stuff there.

I did notice that most of the photos were matted in some way with a slightly smaller photo inside. I found this interesting. The rules state that the finished product, photo and matting, or photo, or whatever, must be 11 x 14, and on foam core of a certain width. The photo must be no smaller than 5 x 7. When I read that, I thought, well, I think I'd like to turn in the largest photo possible, so that meant an 11 x 14 with no mat. Some other people agreed with me, whatever their reasoning. There were a few unmatted prints. But, the majority matted the photo. It didn't seem to matter - not that all unmatted photos received blue ribbons or anything like that. Nope - didn't seem to matter at all. Just something I noticed.

We located the "Best of Show."
I am not sure that would have been my choice.
There were so many others I found more engaging.

Then we found it. My photo! In a great location.

On the end, in the middle.

There it was with its big blue ribbon!

And here I am, mugging next to it.

It was so cool to see it there, with the big ribbon attached. Great fun.

Now, this is what I would like YOU to do, should you accept the challenge. Yes, you. If you are going to the Great State Fair of Texas, and you are planning to find this photograph, please take a photo of yourself with it. That's right - snap yourself next to the photo. With your camera if you have it, with the camera phone - heck, sketch it out on the back of a corny dog napkin. I don't care. Just do it, and send it to me. Then, I'll prepare a blog post with all your photos! Won't that be fun? Come on, do it. All the cool kids are. And it'll be painless and fun. I promise. Pretty please take a picture for me while you're there. Please? Pretty please?

Thank you. I can't wait to see your photo. And thanks for going to have a look-see. I sure had a fun time finding it, and I hope you do it. See you tomorrow.

The Soccer Star

When I was in Indy, I had the privilege of attending one of my niece Veda's soccer games. And, sister, this girl can play soccer. She's scrappy. She gets out there. She moves the ball and plays to win. (not that winning is everything...I'm just sayin...) It was fun to watch. Here are some photos of the action. Please think of "Eye of the Tiger" while scrolling through this post. It'll make it more exciting for everyone. And, I feel, creates the right sort of soundtrack for this post. Sets the mood. Creates the correct ambiance. Feel it with me. Go.

You wear the shin guards on the outside because that's where they are more comfortable.
And where everyone can see how cute and pink they are.

Yeah, that's right. She IS that cool.
Make no mistake.

The league is a big jump up this year.
8-10 year olds. Co-ed.

The kids start playing actual positions.
And it's a little more competitive.

Veda's ready for it.
Bring it.

Halftime.

Her daddy carefully counted minutes in the game for the girls vs. the boys.

There seems to be a little "boy" favoritism starting at this level. Steve was gonna make sure that didn't happen. Not to his girl. Not on his watch. No sir.

This girl - she plays. She really does. Hard.

I love that she's "#1".
Classic.

She worked it, sister. Up and down that field. Over and over.

Meanwhile, these two...

They played some "soccer" of their own for a while with a friend...

But accept no substitutes...

...the real story - the real show - the guts, the glory - it was all over here.
On this Saturday morning.

Way to go Veda! You go, girl!

Good game.

Best wishes to all of you for a fabulous first weekend of autumn. S and I are dining with some good friends tonight, as well as going to the STATE FAIR (which opens today) tomorrow. You know, to scope out where the photo is hanging. And take the photo of me by the photo. And sign autographs, of course.

And I'm taking some photos for a friend's event. And we'll celebrate S's dad birthday on Sunday. And we've got painting and trim work to keep on with. By golly we're gonna git er done if it kills us. And it just might. So, it's a full docket of activities for us this last weekend of September, that's for certain.

You know you'll hear all about it next week right here. Never fear. See you then.