Sitting on the couch last night, watching our newly popping sunflowers sway in the rainy wind in the back garden, I was daydreaming about a summer patio party.

The details are still a little fuzzy, and the plans would have to include one of those LA style heaters because it is certainly not balmy outside, but I have a little inspiration already. I’m thinking fairy lights and beautiful draped streamers. So far, all I’ve figured out is that I could hang them from our laundry line, but I’m not sure that quite hits the level of glamour I’m going for, do you?

{beautiful wedding dinner from here}

{streamers with lights from here}

{stunning wedding backdrop from here}

Beautiful and dreamy, right?

What about you, are you hosting glamourous patio parties where you are? What’s your decor inspiration?

Good morning darlings! I’m so excited for this morning’s post. We’re doing a new, fun photo series this month. Kara from the pretty blog Photo Journey has kindly agreed to share some of the photo tips she learned while teaching herself about her camera. Her images are so lovely – they give me hope that I’ll be able to eventually figure out my own camera!

Kara will be back every week for the next month and I’m so excited about her tips for us! Thanks Kara!

Hello From China Village Readers! I’m so excited to be a guest this month and be among Emily’s lovely posts.

A little about me: I live in Texas; I’m passionate about photography; I started my Photo Journey in 2009 to learn more about my camera, my style, and photography; I love taking pictures and I’m happy to share tips along the way.

One valuable tip I learned and continue to practice is, when you find a subject to photograph, never be satisfied with the first image. The key is to move around your subject and to capture it at every possible angle. This will help push your creativity and it’s sure to help you create some great images.

A few ways to move around a subject:
* Straight On
* From the Left/Right
* From Behind
* Up High/Down Below
* Up Close/Far Away

I took the following simple images purely to demonstrate how moving around your subject can create very different images. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but the variety of angles allowed me to create more interesting images.

Walking through the park this weekend I spotted this sweet duck on a bridge and he agreed to be our subject for this photo tip. Let’s call him Bob.

Straight On
This is where I spotted Bob – hanging out on the bridge. I took this image across the water with a short 50mm lens. Not a bad image, but I was thinking that Bob is way too small here.

Adjustment: Move to the Left, Straight On
I was able to move around to the left side of Bob here, easing my way closer.  In this image I can see more of Bob’s coloring and he’s much larger in my frame.  I’m still eye-level with Bob, but the angle and close proximity has helped to change the image.

Adjustment: Get Low
On the other side of the bridge was a small, grassy slope where I was able to get lower and capture some of the trees in the background.  If I’d decided to get into the water (no way) I might have been able to get those two park signs out of the shot that I wasn’t crazy about.  By the way, are you noticing that Bob is still in the same spot in each image, but each image looks different?

Adjustment: Get Behind
Have you noticed how Bob keeps moving with each of my angles?  At this point I tried to get on the other side of him, but he managed to pose for the camera.  In the image below I’ve moved as far as possible in the opposite direction to where I took my first image.  This massive tree managed to block my view of the bridge, but I found a nice little open spot in which to frame Bob.

Adjustment: Get Higher or Above the Image
This image looks similar to image number three, but you’ll notice that you can see Bob’s feet now since I am up a bit higher (on a concrete barrier).  I’m also able to capture more of the water and less sky.

So there you have it, just a simple tip on how moving around your subject can change your images. It will require you to take more time and get off the path, but it’s fun and well worth the adventure.

Hope this helps you and encourages you to go capture some great images!

{image from here}

I’ll be away in Austria all week for work.  I’m trying out a travel company for the ICA and they’ve schedule the whole trip! According to the itinerary, there’s going to be lots of hiking, cycling, and even some horseback riding. Tough job, I know, but someone has to do it!

In the meantime, tomorrow we’re starting a new series on photo tips with a lovely guest blogger named Kara, so make sure to show her some love!

And for the rest of the week, I’ve got parties, a cozy recipe and some fun Friday Finds on the schedule.

So, readers, what do you know about Austria? I’m clueless! Any tips?

So, it finally happened. Post-vacation let-down finally hit me. All that go-go-going straight off the plane hit me this week. I’m working long days and using up every bit of brain power I have by the time I get home.

It’s manifesting itself in lots of not-so-graceful ways, but you probably don’t want to hear about all that. Suffice it to say, I’ve been a bit of a grump the last few days.

Michael’s rolling his eyes if he’s reading this and thinking, A bit of a grump?!

The worst part? No time for baking, projects, fun art, wandering around with my camera, and all those great creative things I usually spend a few hours doing every week. Grrrrr. Talk about frustrating.

But instead of taking my frustration on my poor, unsuspecting husband, I’ve come up with a new plan. Lists. Not a very sophisticated plan, I’ll admit, but I’m hoping it might get me a little more inspired as I plow through these next few weeks (or months, really).

So here’s a list of things I’m going to try to work on when I have a few spare moments.

1. Cupcakes for two.

{recipe and sweet photos from here}

I’ve been trying not to bake too much because when I’m exhausted there’s no will power left to resist eating the whole batch of brownies or bread or cookies. But these cupcakes for two are just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth without going over board! And a little festive, no?

2. Sea glass art.

{pretty shades from here}

I have so much sea glass I actually banned myself from collecting any more until I figured out what to make with it. Isn’t this a neat-o idea? And mindless and pretty.

3. Wedding lace necklace.

{lace necklace from this etsy shop}

I brought the extra lace from my wedding dress back from America and I am going to figure out how to make this necklace. Luckily, I brought back enough to make a few mistakes and not worry too much!

Right, so there we have it. Three projects, a little inspiration that might help me get through the week!

Do you ever run out of juice like I did this week? Use too much brain power at work to have any left for the fun stuff? And take it out on your significant other or whoever crosses your path? Or is that just me?

{My China Village home, decked out for the Fourth of July}

Some days, the name of this little blog drives me a little nuts. It make sense to me and probably people who know me and who know Maine, but I worry that it’s a hard to understand for people who don’t know me or haven’t heard of China Village. In fact, the most common question I get about my blog is what does the name mean?

I usually reply that it’s the name of the town where I grew up, but what I write and share and babble about here is more than just my little lakeside town. It’s hard to capture in a soundbite, but sometimes it pops up in moments and I think to myself, See? That’s why the name makes sense!

Last Saturday night, I had one of those moments. Michael was upstairs in my parents’ house in Maine trying to squeeze every last inch out of our suitcases to fit all the crazy things I insist on bringing back to Ireland with me. Band aids, boxes of macaroni and cheese, maps and mementos, artfully packed into every nook and cranny of our suitcases.

Meanwhile, I was having mini-meltdowns about leaving. It happens every time I go home. About two days before our flight back, it starts to hit me. A sense of panic, maybe a little impending separation anxiety.

{Don’t worry, when the final goodbyes are said and I’m sitting on the plane, I can usually turn off the homesickness, compartmentalize it until the next visit. I’m only homesick when I’m home. Or at least, so I tell myself.}

I stood in the kitchen on Saturday evening, misty eyes, and hugged my mom and dad. (Family hug was one of my favorite tricks when I was little. I still think it’s a pretty great trick.) I may have been whining, I never want to leave. I always want to stay in China Village.

My mom, small and strong and sweet, Don’t worry, we’re doing the best we can.

My dad, through manly, dad tears, squeezed me and said, It’s okay, we didn’t raise you to live your whole life in China Village.

A precious gift, given every visit. Permission to go, to thrive across the ocean, to be happy in a life that’s so far away.

***

{China Village in autumn, and my old car, the Blueberry. Still clunking along, boxy but good.}

On Monday evening, back in Dublin, I lay awake in the middle of the night, fighting through jet lag and over-exhaustion, thinking of those words. We didn’t raise you to live your whole life in China Village. I know they would love me just as much if I chose to stay; a few tears again.

And then it occurred to me. But they did raise me to live my whole life from China Village. I’m a product of that first home, of small town values and a close family, of learning how to make and do and try for yourself, and of squeezing the life out of every season as they each roll on by.

That’s what my blog is about. Hard to summarize, a little sappy and a lot cozy. Small town charm, dotted with some big city bits and pieces. But the name fits, so the name stays.

I’m crying as I write this. I think my dad’s probably crying as he reads it. My mom’s probably a little teary too, but she won’t be so quick to admit it. The apple doesn’t fall far from the little China Village family tree.

We’re back in Dublin, safe and sound. We had a lovely vacation in Maine and now it’s back to reality! I still have a few bits and pieces to share from our trip, including our fun excursion to count China Lake’s loons last weekend!

Saturday morning last week, Michael and I woke up extra early to join my dad on the lake’s annual loon count. It was a perfect day to be out on China Lake by 6:30am. Not a cloud in the sky and the lake was like glass.

{Our dinghy, waiting for the Whaler to come back}

We’ve decided we won this year’s loon count. In our section we counted 13! At one point, we looked up to see 7 loons flying in a V like geese over our heads. We cheered at them to land in our section of the lake and I think they listened!

Aren’t they the prettiest birds? They’re so elegant in their black and white, and they have these shocking beady red eyes. My dad helps with the loon count on our lake every year – they’re a protected Maine bird and China Lake is trying to make sure they’re populating properly! According to our section they’re thriving!

{That’s our handsome captain, king of the loon count!}

{Michael took his job as recorder very seriously}

I wish you could see their red eyes – the camera’s good, but not that good!

And then we popped the boat out of the water at the town landing to take her down the Kennebec River all day! Needless to say, after about 8 hours of straight sunshine, we were a teeny bit sunburned. But it’s faded fast in the chilly Dublin weather! Can you believe we went from 90F in Portland to 53F in Dublin? Feels like winter!