Moving Day

So, I've finally gone and done it. I've moved my blog! Find me here:

http://www.jennydrakephotography.com/blog

It's not quite finished (shocking), but I will be posting over there from now on. PLEASE change your 'favorites' tab or re-subscribe to the feed over there as I would miss you if you didn't!

And tell me what you think of my new digs . . .

Later skaters.

tuesday tune and a todd!

an exciting day . . . my new little todd (my maiden name) niece or nephew is on his/her way as i type . . .

so kevin told me recently that you can tell a 'jenny' song by the presence of an accoustic guitar or ukelele solo and upbeat lyrics about love and happiness. bwah hahahahaha. but it's totally true.

this is julia nunes, a funky ukelele songstress who records covers on her ukelele and broadcasts them on youtube. she also throws in some originals now and then. i have followed her for a little over a year and i think she rocks! she has a MASSIVE youtube following because she is spunky and fun and hilarious.

i LOVE that she records in her messy dorm room in somewhereville, USA. and from her parents house. i LOVE that she is super normal and funny and young. her youngness makes me laugh and reminds me so of some of my friends and days from long ago (hello combo of dee, chris, and allison). LOVE that. she plays the melodica. LOVE that too.

so here is LOVE covered by julia nunes:



and little todd baby . . . L-O-V-E you too! we will meet soon.

the gratitude project

my uber fun and fantastic friend, dana, is hosting a photography challenge! my other amazing and admired friend, tara, took up the challenge and the project was born. the task, to capture 5 images that express gratitude. the challenge was due today!

i was so excited to take part, but decided last night that i would sit this one out as my weekend adventures did not allow me time to breathe, let alone capture anything. but this morning, i decided that i am ABUNDANTLY GRATEFUL and this is exactly why i needed to take some time, no matter how short, to capture some tiny bits of my happy thanks. i had ten minutes in my kitchen and on my front step!

most simply . . .

i am grateful for my will. he makes me burst with pride and reminds me that the world is a good and gracious place. my little gentleman.



i am so very grateful for my baby boy. my sweet jack makes me laugh until i cry every day. he teaches me patience and curiousity and flat out love.



i am grateful that i can see and experience simple beauty in my everyday world. my senses are gifts that i try not to take for granted. some days, i feel like i am a guest at a big ole sensory buffet and i can't get enough! dee-licious.



and i am so very grateful for my home. in the place and time and circumstances in which i live. holy cow, am i ever grateful.


thank-you dana! loved it. needed it. will do it again!

p.s. yes, that is my newly painted red front door. but there has been a mishap
(oh no!) and i have since found out that the paint-store lady inadvertantly gave me the wrong base. i have to sand it down and paint it again!!!! but she kindly replaced the paint, so . . . . please excuse the streaky mess! but nice color, hey?

a tune and a tot.

It's Tuesday . . . and apparently the only day that I can barely get it together enough to post.

Anyway!! This makes me happy all over. Thanks, Shauna-Rae:



So does this:

More from that little guy later. Night!

my front door and a ditty

it's still tuesday and here i am! soooo . . . here is my door:

it's pretty much white. with dark grey trim and a silver kickplate. and surrounded by stucco. it has a wreath. i love wreaths, love circles. you can find them all over my home (and in my logo). and they are all moving clockwise in my mind.

i never really realized (until i just wrote it) that i see shapes moving directionally. huh, there you go! i do.

my front door is blah and bland and needs help. i want it to be warm and welcoming and friendly. i want it to welcome me into it's arms and say "hey jennygirl, come on in, you are home." and then shut ever so lightly behind me to reveal the joys of my house that are held within. hahahahaha. but seriously, i do.

moving on . . . here is a tuesday tune! i had a request for a more upbeat song (yeah, you amy), so i'm offering up a couple, actually. the first is an awesome remake of one of my favorite songs EVER (woo-hoo journey). this song premiered last week in an episode of fox's glee. i was ready to love the show - and i'm not quite sure if i did - but i LOVED the song. it hit #1 on itunes.



the second track just makes me happy. this is greg laswell singing how the day sounds:



i found that sampling through a blog i follow called untitled records. head over there and meet rachel. her taste in music is superb. just saying.

crazy lady.

was there a crazy lady trespassing on your front lawn today taking pictures of your door?

do you live here?

or here?


oh, it was just me. i dashed around this morning and took pictures (excuse the snapshots, i was seriously running up, snap snap, running back) of doors that i like.

i'm starting a series of home reno projects in an attempt to bond with my house. we have alot of work to do, she and i. we're working on our owner-home relationship and we have a long way to go.

long-story short, i have never loved my house. i am madly, deeply, crazy in love with the people who live in my house, but not with the house. don't get me wrong, it is a much more than an adequate home. we are very fortunate to be able to call these walls our own. truly.

i was ready to love this house when we moved in, it just didn't happen.

among some amazing memories, the walls of this house saw some very sad days before we owned it (the prior owners are dear friends of ours and experienced profound loss in this home). and the summer that we moved in was one of the most difficult times we have ever experienced as a little family.

i think it is a little bit of their story, and a lot of ours, that has prevented me from settling into our HOME. we have been here almost four years. and i feel sure that we have found ourselves in this home for a reason. i just haven't been ready to consider it fully until now.

but, i'm ready. we're ready! yay! so here we go . . . we're starting with the front entrance. and you get to come along for the ride . . . i'll post a 'before' pic of our own sad door tomorrow . . .

oh yeah, i LERVE the teracotta door but our house lends itself to black . . . i need to find ways to say welcome and warmth with black. huh. help me out.

tuesday tunes!

okay, it's technically wednesday. but i've yet to put a close to my tuesday, so i'm a startin' something new . . . . a weekly FEATURE!

i had a great conversation this weekend (resulting from a series of funny girlfriend emails) about the little snippets of music i've posted here. seems that some are in need of advice of where to spend their itunes currency?!! say no more!!! oh, i'm so so happy to oblige.

i'm not professing to have the most cutting edge, hip, or even good taste in music, but i do cop to a having a complete love of music. period. music of most genres. except really really BAD rap. post 1993. but i digress . . .

i find new music for my ears here, there and everywhere. i found this while watching mamma yamma this morning on Kids CBC. oh, yes, you moms out there know mamma. justin nozuka was crooning an accoustic version of golden train:



there is an official video of this song but it features justin with bad hair. and bad pants. i liked this live version better.

he's american but was raised in canada by a single mom. in a family of seven children. he had a big hit earlier this year that many would recognize . . . it's called after tonight.

mamma yamma has had lots of great 'canadian' talent on her little spot - ron sexsmith, barenaked ladies, and sarah harmer to list a few. there is even a mamma yamma compilation CD!

music finds me all different places . . . how about you?

p.s. more photography related posts to come soon. wink.