Snow, Snow, Sun

It's not snowing here anymore and it is warming up nicely. I hear that it snowed last night in North Carolina though. Apparently it was thundering and snowing at the same time. I would expect nothing less.

These pictures are from the big snow in Colorado last month. We went to the holiday lights exhibit at the Botanic Gardens that night and must admit snow covered Christmas lights are amazing. I think this is all of my pictures from last month!

Day 24: Something that makes me smile.

Going to see the Boulder Ballet's Nutcracker last night with my mom and daughter. Peter Davison is one of the best Drosselmeyer's I have ever seen!

(photo source: Boulder Ballet Facebook)

Day 22: What I love about my job.

I am not sure if I will be able to post tomorrow because it is Thanksgiving. We shall see. So here is my 22nd post. Currently, I don't really have a job. I guess I consider a job for me as a teaching job.

What I do now is take care of my daughter and work on my (almost done) documentary. For this purpose I will consider it my job (even though I don't really like thinking of raising my daughter as a job per say). What I love about being a filmmaker is growing artistically and using the skills I have developed over the years.

What I love about being a mom is being that person that can calm her and that sometimes I am the only one she needs. Sometimes that is a heady responsibility, but mostly I really cherish it. Today is the forty-fourth anniversary of the White Album being released and beginning when my daughter was little and even now, I have sung Blackbird to her to calm or help her to fall asleep. So I thought I would share it today.

Figure Skating in Greensboro

This past weekend the national figure skating championships were held in Greensboro, NC. We got tickets to see the pairs skating and ice dancing. Our seats were right next to the kiss and cry area where the skaters go after they are finished to wait for their scores. We love to watch the cameramen with all their sly maneuvers and feigned boredom. I also got a good sense of where all the cameras were so that when I watched it on television I knew precisely how it was shot. This is what I consider fun, a little weird?

Oh yeah, there was also a lot of ice skating. For some reason in person the ice seems much harder and the danger of the lifts appears more imminent. Ice skating costumes are pretty sparkly, but they seemed even more so in person. We didn't see any of the famous people, but we did see ice dancers with some pretty outrageous costumes. None are pictured here though, because about the time that they came out my daughter started getting fussy and wanting to walk up and down the stairs so pictures became limited. It was amazing to see our average city on such a big scale. Later that night I watched the skating on television and the featured shots of Greensboro from a blimp! Pretty fun. All and all I recommend watching ice skating live at least once, particularly if it comes to your town.

Unfortunately, these are still digital pictures. I am becoming a real slacker when it comes to shooting film. I think this weather and time of year just has me down. Hope to snap out of it soon. If only the sun would shine. Here's to a hopefully warmer week.

A Dance Class

 

This past Monday I took a ballet class. I haven't been in years and the last class I took was at a very hoity-toity studio with the adult class at a stress level I would expect if I were planning on auditioning for NYC Ballet. Not what I am looking for. This class was very laid back and the teacher was supportive with a good attitude, but also good corrections. The only thing is that it is a really easy class and was all lower body work, which was disappointing. It puts me in a quandary because I like the feel of the studio, but I may need more of a challenge. I'll try a few more classes and see how it goes. Supposedly there is a student closer to my level who simply was not in attendance today. Since the class is only three students her presence could make a big difference.

By the way, the above drawing is one my sister did for me, years ago.

My Grandfather's Hands

Lately, I haven't been doing so well bringing my film camera around with me and getting the few rolls of film I have shot to the lab. So I'm cheating with this post because these photos were all taken with my little Fuji point and shoot digital camera.

At the end of the day a few nights ago I looked down at my hands and felt as though I was looking at my grandfather's hands. I have never thought this before, I had neglected them in this cold weather and looked older than normal and like his. I think, maybe, it is in the knuckles. The funny thing is I don't think of my father's hands. My father is a woodworker and his hands are unique to him alone because they show the time he has spent working outside, working with his tools, and more than likely from the wood itself. For some reason this made me want to photograph things around my house that we have made. My dad makes beautiful clocks (though I realized this picture displays the least impressive part, maybe I'll post more tomorrow). The most impressive piece of his work that I own is in the bedroom where my daughter was sleeping, thus no pictures, perhaps for the next post. Other than that I restored the orange chair (see here), made the cork board, and crocheted the blankets, which my grandmother taught me to do. Now that I think of it we were inspired to make a cork board by the huge cork board my father-in-law made many years ago. The things we make with our hands.

Catch Up/Preparation

Even though I took these pictures before Halloween I think that they are very Thanksgiving-y as well. I always feel sorry for Thanksgiving because everyone tends to skip over it. Christmas is already in the air it seems. Yesterday they were put up wreaths and lights at Friendly Center. We went into Macy's and their trees were up and Christmas music was playing. Of course, I did get a little Christmas spirit when I walked in. I celebrated my birthday this weekend and when my daughter saw my husband carrying my wrapped presents her eyes got all big and she went, "ohhhhh." She loved tearing off the paper. She didn't care too much about what was inside unless it was a CD. She loves playing with CDs. Reading the labels, examining the disc. I wonder if we will be able to keep any presents wrapped with her around.

Look at me, I've digressed from my thoughts on Thanksgiving. Growing up my Thanksgiving was a little different from my friends. My mom is a vegetarian and we never really had turkey. Every now and again my dad would make one, but it was never the centerpiece. When I was really little I remember eating shrimp, but then she gave up seafood. The most important part of our holiday has always been listening to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant at noon. They play it live on KBCO (the former local radio station in Boulder that now resides in Denver). We drink mimosas, eat bruschetta and dance around. And have done so since longer than I can remember. My husband's family does the more traditional thing where lot's of family gets together and there is a lot of food (including turkey, often more than one, I think, honestly I don't pay that much attention to the turkey).  As all marriages go traditions have to be melded together and my Thanksgiving tradition has become the Sunday after Thanksgiving tradition. And after we listen to Arlo we put up the Christmas. After all, Thanksgiving can't last forever, not like Christmas.

Little Red Riding Hood

I have been so busy making my daughter her Halloween costume. I think, perhaps, I have gone a little overboard because she isn't old enough to go trick or treating or eat candy. Of course if I didn't have to rip out everything I do two or three times it wouldn't have taken me so long either. On Wednesday night I think I spent a good hour and a half completely ripping out the bodice of her red riding hood dress.

The one thing about making her costumes by hand is an a true feeling of satisfaction when I am through. The last thing I have to do is sew in the zipper it's pinned and ready to go, but I think I will be a little disappointment when it is all done. It has been so rewarding to figure out the pattern, though I don't think I followed it very well. I just made it work. Kind of the same way that Robert Altman uses a script when he makes movie; very loosely, if at all. I used red corduroy to make the hood and it looks so structured and professional.

I have to rolls of film to scan into the computer so hopefully will have new pictures soon. Happy Halloween to everyone! Don't eat too much chocolate...

Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oh My!

I don't know if there is a more perfect combination than chocolate and peanut butter. It's easy, simple and oh so good. I made these for my mom when she visited awhile back. It was fun surprise to have the peanut butter cream in the middle and waiting for them to bite in and discover it was exciting for me as well.

I know that I haven't been doing so well with posting this week. Sorry about that, but I have been super busy. I am working out plans for my next documentary about ballet and putting together more job applications. It's never ending, but I think that is good.

This weekend we are going to Asheville, NC, to visit with family and see my brother-in-law who has been living in Honduras. We haven't seen him since Christmas and we are very excited. Tomorrow I will be baking him some special welcome back treats. So today I am off to the grocery store to buy supplies!

Chocolate Covered Cherries and my Grandmother

My grandmother loves chocolate covered cherries. We are always on the look out for new, fancy cherries for her. For her birthday I decided to make chocolate covered cherry cupcakes. These are very good, if I do say so myself. I carved out the middles and put syrup-y cherries in them and added buttercream frosting and then more cherries and even a maraschino cherry. Yum. I highly recommend making them. You'll find the recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.

And if you know anyone with a healthy love of chocolate and cherries then they will love these cupcakes. My grandmother did.

Photo From the Past: Pink Roses

Starting late last night we experienced an intense thunderstorm with plenty rain and wind. It was akin to the hurricanes/tropical storms that I lived through in Wilmington. Last night I woke up around 3 or 4 for some reason and looked out the window. The sky was red and the wind was whipping through the trees and pushing the rain sideways. Always a sight.

Today my daughter and I took a walk in the gardens to survey the remnants of the storm. The bog garden was full of big puddles; some much, much bigger than normal puddles. My daughter wore her new rainboats (we bought them yesterday) and she had fun splashing. After splashing in the puddles she would sit in them. Luckily, I had dry pants in the car.

I have gotten a new battery for my camera and lot's of film and should have new pictures soon (hopefully of rain and ducks). Enjoy the weather where ever you may be.

Varied Thoughts

My camera battery is dead and my supply of photographs is dwindling. It's times like this that I am thankful that I go overboard when taking photos of flowers at the various gardens. Hopefully, I will remedy this tomorrow. We have had an exciting past few days. Yesterday, we were rear ended at a stop light. Luckily, we're fine and looks as though our bumper took on all the pressure. I've never been in an accident as a passenger and it is a definite shock to the system because I had no idea what was coming. Of course, a crying baby and the immediate, desperate concern for her well being probably also had to do with the tension in my shoulders. Within a minute of my freeing her from the car seat she was laughing and playing; thrilled to be able to crawl all around the car while we waited for the police. Thank goodness it is all over.

It has been raining nearly non-stop these past few days. We are greatly in need of rain here, so it is a good thing. Plus, I am so tired of these 90+ days, I desperately want to pull out some sweaters and long sleeved shirts. Even all the rain hasn't made it too much cooler due to the thick humidity. On our walk today I saw plenty of joggers in minuscule shorts. Oh well. I know fall is on the horizon because the leaves are slowly changing, but it sure is taking an awful long time. I know that I will wake up one morning and the leaves will all seem to have changed over night. It always seems to happen that way.

Late Summer Flowers

Somehow all these flowers keep holding on around town. The leaves are starting to fall, though I am not sure from where since all the trees are green. I keep thinking that soon the flowers will be gone, but they seem to hold on and on. It seems as though the seasons change very quickly and the moment that I stop looking a the flowers I am sure that the leaves will suddenly change. It never seems to come gradually. In October we will be going to visit family in Asheville and I hope that the leaves have changed by then.

My mom is visiting this weekend. We picked her up at the airport today: me, my husband, my grandmother, and my daughter. Quite a welcome, huh? We are excited she is her and I may not be posting much until she leaves next Tuesday. I have been so busy this week that I did not get a Flip'n Friday edited. Hopefully, next week I will be able to edit a trailer for Drowning Slowly. 

Strawberries

The other day the grocery store had strawberries buy one get two free. I wasn't planning on buying strawberries, but couldn't pass it up. Knowing that they were more than likely on such a good deal because they were about to go bad. Luckily, I love strawberries, so does my daughter, but my husband is so-so.

Immediately, I chopped up a box to make a strawberry sauce to put on yogurt. My daughter loves it (and me too). I had many great ideas of how to use them, but other than a really good loaf of bread I ended up not using them all. I'm kicking myself for not freezing some. Too much of a good thing I guess. Today I noticed that strawberries were buy one get one free. Though it was extremely tempting I passed. My mom is visiting this weekend so I probably won't be baking too much.

Mother and Daughter Night

Tonight my daughter did not want to fall asleep. It wasn't the cranky, I'm too tired to go fall asleep kind of night. Instead, she was playing and eating graham crackers and having fun. She only fell asleep about ten minutes ago so I haven't had anytime to write a good entry today. Hopefully, you will enjoy these photographs taken at the gardens during one of our mother-daughter walks.

Flip'n Friday: At the Farm

At the Farm from Chelsea Wayant on Vimeo.

While in Vermont almost a month ago we visited an amazing farm that boast brand new piglets. Sweet as can be. I know that it has taken me awhile to get this footage edited, but it has been very busy at my house. Plus, it takes a lot to make a video every week. Soon I think I will be make Flip'n Friday a monthly installment instead of weekly.

If you are ever in Vermont I recommend a visit to Shelburne Farms, particularly if you have children. My daughter was only about 15 months at the time and she enjoyed it, though the older kids seemed to be having even more fun than her.

For those of you that are new to this blog every Friday I post a video for the week. Normally, I shoot the pieces with a simple Flip Camera, but every now and then I will use my Canon or edit footage from one of my films into a trailer or whatnot. It just depends on the week. You can see all the Flip'n Friday here (or just check out this and this, two of my favorites).

An Orange Chair

A few months ago I moved my desk downstairs because I couldn't bring my daughter to the upstairs office (there is way too much stuff for her to get into). I didn't have a chair to use in the living room and had to use a kitchen chair. My husband and I upholstered our headboard and I have wanted to upholster a chair as well. Years ago I used to watch House Beautiful every Sunday and they did a profile on a woman who fixes up chairs and have always wanted to try it myself.

The hardest part was finding a cheap wooden chair. It took me a good month or so to find one. Our living room is light blue and my sister suggested orange would pop well in the room. We had to completely rebuild the seat because the wood was coming apart. I'm very happy with it and excited that I finally fixed up a chair.