503 Photography Giveaway

The Savvy Photographer posted on their blog about Jessica Cudzilo from 503 Photography Workshop’s online giveaway that will be launched this summer. The giveaway will include the full tuition for one child – whether they are 7-10 years old, a middle schooler or a high schooler. The month with which they would like to take the workshop is up to them.

I usually do not win contests/giveaways nor take the time to enter them. When I read the offer from Jessica’s workshop for kids it peaked my interest. Last September I enrolled in her workshop and throughly enjoyed her online course. I added The Savvy Photographer as a “fan”  on Facebook and posted a comment on their blog as to why I thought Darian would love to win this giveaway. 

This morning  I am reading on Marsha’s blog about a “Karen” who won. I look at the comment section and realize I am THE Karen she was referring to.  WOO HOO I finally won something and even better for Darian who will learn so much from the workshop.  He is taking an interest in video and is doing a great job editing while having no formal training. A photography workshop geared for his age group will give him a foundation for film/cinematography.

THANK YOU Jessica for offering the workshop!! I learned so much from you last year and I am honored to have Darian be your student. Another THANK YOU to Marsha from The Savvy Photographer for posting Jessica’s generous offer.

Jessica Cudzilo - 503 Photography

I {heart} 503 Photography

Charcoal Face Mask

Activated charcoal masks are frequently marketed by large cosmetics lines for people with oily to combination skin. You can easily make yours at home without the expensive price tag. It is commonly used in skin care products, medical purposes, etc. Activated charcoal is far more superior than clays. It naturally soothes and absorbs environmental toxins deep within.

The benefits of activated charcoal masks with “tea tree oil” are tightening of your pores and clarifying facial cleanser, which helps reduce acne.  Tea Tree Oil is an antiseptic with antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. It is known to be very beneficial to acne prone skin.

Activated charcoal can be purchased at most health food stores, at some drug stores and online vitamin/supplement retailers such as Lucky Vitamin and Vitacost . It is mostly sold in capsule form, but it can also be found in powder form.

 

Charcoal Face Mask 

Yield: 3/4 ounce

2 tsp. distilled water

2 tsp. powdered activated charcoal (5-6 capsules)

2-3 drops tea tree oil

•  Tie your hair back.
• Stir the water into the charcoal until it forms a paste and then stir in the tea tree oil. The mask will be dark, that is what it is supposed to look like.
• After cleansing, spread the entire charcoal mixture over your face and neck.  Avoid your delicate areas such as your eyes and mouth.
• Leave the mask on for 10 minutes.
• Thoroughly wash it off  with warm water and pat your skin dry.

 

Of note: Please perform a spot test before you use the mask all over as allergic reaction may occur. You should  discontinue use if the mask causes painful burning, excessive drying or rash. Use only pure, medicinal quality activated charcoal. Avoid activated charcoal with sorbitol.

 

Are We Over Vaccinating Our Dogs?

 This subject would have never been of interest to me if  we had not adopted Ty ♥  3 years ago.  Those who own a dog (or any animal) think of them as an extended part of our family. Here is some information I researched over the past few years and hope this may be of some help in your decision making.  

 

Dr. Ronald Schultz PhD (a very well respected and author of numerous articles) published, “What Everyone Needs to Know About Canine Vaccines and Vaccination Programs“.

He states, “Annual vaccination has been and remains the single most important reason why most pet owners bring their pets for an annual or more often “wellness visit.” That is why the Vets put emphasis on vaccinations, so we as dog owners make sure we schedule a visit. It is imperative to make a yearly annual checkup for our dogs even if they are/are not administered vaccines.  

 

 Think of when we were children, were we vaccinated yearly? Of course not, as we know vaccines give us the immunity for most of our adult lives. The average adult lifespan is 70 years vs. the average lifespan of dogs being 10-17 yrs (depending on the breed).  Does it make sense to vaccinate our dogs on a yearly basis?

 

Vaccines Which Are Required By Law

Rabies, period. Legally you could only follow your state’s rabies requirement and give no other vaccine, and still be in compliance with the law. If your vet tells you that you are “required” to give other vaccines,  that is not true.

Now, it is possible that if you go to a boarding kennel, they may require that your dog be vaccinated within the year, but that is primarily due to the ‘high risk’ environment of a kennel (lots of dogs in close proximity).

 

Annual vs. 3 yr Vaccines 

There are very few vaccines which need to be even considered on an annual basis. Most vaccines are proven to have a duration of 3 years immunity and that’s only because they haven’t been formally challenged to be tested for a longer period of time.

Most vaccines do protect your dog for a lot longer than the labeled time (provided they’ve been given properly). The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released a new edition of its vaccine guidelines for dogs in 2006. AAHA recommend that most vaccines, including Rabies and DHPP, be given every three years to adult dogs. If your vet is insisting on vaccinating annually, I would show them the PDF “guideline” document and ask them why they are choosing to ignore its guidance.

 

Titers vs. Vaccination

What is titer testing? A titer test (pronounced TIGHT er) is a laboratory test measuring the existence and level of antibodies in blood. Antibodies are produced when a foreign substance like a virus or bacteria provokes an immune response. Responses can come from natural exposure or vaccination. 

Titers are very controversial and may be more expensive (one vaccine vs. multiple vaccines) than vaccinating.  Ty’s veterinarian Dr. Margo Roman owns/operates Main Street Animal Services of Hopkinton (M.A.S.H) and charges around $75 for titers. Ty has had some allergic reactions to vaccinations and will choose to have a titers test done this Friday.

The Whole Dog Journal printed a great article entitled “Take the Titer Test”. I was unable to upload the PDF format and found the information online.  

Of note, you do not need to titer every year. The guideline suggested is 3 years as is recommended for rabies. 

 

 

Ty

Photographers’ Workshop

Today is the official start to the Photographer’s Workshop hosted by Karen Russell. I find Karen’s blog very inspiring, she documents her life, children, husband and extended family.  Karen Russell loves details as you can see the time she took on the presentation for the binder she sent to each student.  If you know me I love details, structure and organization.    

Photographers' Workshop Binder For Assignments

Karen’s wait list is about a year to register for her workshop, she is one popular woman. My goal is to become accomplished/comfortable using my Nikon D90′s settings while nailing composition, lighting etc. In addition, finding my inner creative photog that is intriguing to me as well as others. 

My passion for photography started when I was young. My parents purchased my first SLR (single lens reflex) camera, a Pentax. I always loved taking pictures but never shot other than in “auto mode”. Years later when I was married I acquired a Canon EOS SLR and then a Canon Digital Rebel DSLR (digital single lens reflex) which took good pictures. 

As time went on I would peruse blogs and message boards. Some of the pictures posted/uploaded had exceptional composition, crispness and focus. I would ask what camera was used…80% of the answers were Nikon. The more I researched I learned the glass used in Nikon lenses are of superior quality. Of course this is only my opinion and the debate of Nikon vs. Canon will always be a hot topic for photographers. 

Ken Rockwell has an extensive website about cameras, lenses and accessories he has used /reviewed, as well as tutorials for DSLR Nikon cameras. In addition, dpreview.com is another excellent source for reviews on current camera models out there. 

I love my Nikon D90 and Nikon (Nikkor) lenses. I have so much to learn, my goal is to post every week my assignment and you can give me your opinions, whether good or bad.

Nikon D90

 

  I {heart} photography 

“Shaken Not Stirred”

“Shaken, not stirred” is a catch phrase of Ian Fleming’s fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, and his preference for how he wished his martini prepared. Martinis have come a long way and they are yummy! 

There are two types of martinis, the Traditional (James Bond type) and the Vodka martinis. I prefer the vodka martini, cold is key – a vodka martini that is not ice-cold tastes like lighter fluid. So you shake them.

Last Friday was a “quilting” night over a friend’s home. I mixed up a batch of Pomegranate Martinis; recipe found on Cocktail Guru. The pomegranate juice (Pom Brand) gives this cocktail a perfect balance between sweet and sour. The recipe is a keeper and was a hit with my friends. The martinis went well with the Chicken Piccata Missy made for dinner. You can check out the pictures on “That’s The Bee’s Knees” blog.

In the October 2009 issue of Woman’s Day they have a recipe for “Pucker-Up Martinis”.  The recipe has not been tested but anything lemony and sour is a hit in my book.

Ingredients: (Yields 10-4 ounce servings)

1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups cold water
6 oz vodka
2 cups ice cubes
Garnish: lemon slices

Preparation:

1. Stir lemonade concentrate, water and vodka in a small pitcher. Add ice; stir.

2. Strain into martini glasses. Garnish with sliced lemon.

*Note: I sugar the rim on the martini glasses.

 I {heart} Pomegranate Martinis

Buying a New Car

Ahhh the hassle of purchasing a car. Am I the only one who absolutely dreads going to a dealership to start the games of purchase price and still feel like you were taken?  My experience with buying cars has always been a negative one. Toyota is offering incentives we could not pass up; 0% interest for 5 years and a 2 year premium maintenance warranty.  This is virtually unheard of and taking advantage of their bad press we decided to replace my older Camry model.   

I started the day (on the suggestion of my husband) to call around to a few dealerships and see if they would quote over the phone vs. driving to each one.  To my surprise they were helpful and provided the price for the type of car we were interested in. Whew, first hurdle done and pain-free.   

 Matt and I armed ourselves with the information and headed to Boch Toyota South.  My review of Boch…don’t waste your time, they would not entertain my offer, in addition to adding a remote starter.     

On the advice given earlier in the day from my friend Mary Ellen the next phone call was to  Ira Toyota of Milford.  They were willing to entertain the idea of working out a reasonable price for both parties.  While on the cell phone sitting in Boch’s lot, we got down to “brass tacks”,  gave them our offer and to include a remote starter.  A few minutes later Ira Toyota of Milford called back, if we made the commitment to purchase the car today we have a deal.   The time invested with Ira took about 15-20 minutes; the phone call in the morning and while sitting at Boch. Paul Labbe our car salesman and Pat Bradley the general manager at Ira were extremely friendly and relaxed.  

Paul suggested a great BBQ restaurant in Milford, Tennessee’s Bar and Grill. Matt mentioned to me during dinner that Ira Toyota was a good experience and all these years we were going to the wrong dealerships. We are supposed to be taking delivery of the Camry on Wednesday.   

Here is a picture of the Camry. Not a ton of frills - power seats/windows, alloy wheels and my beloved remote starter.  ;-)   

2010 Camry LE - Magnetic Gray Metallic

Welcome To My Blog

Why a blog? I have been throwing around the idea for at least a year. Being a blog enthusiast I have learned so much about people’s interests, passions and love of family. My goal is to document my musings and interests for those who care to peruse my blog world. While I learn to navigate my dashboard here at wordpress.com please check back periodically as I grow in my blogging skills.  So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy a detour from your hectic world.

Comments are always welcomed and thanks  for looking!

Lourve - Paris, France