After dinner espresso

After dinner tonight I made some stove top espresso. I should use this espresso maker more often. When I make it I usually put just a little fat free vanilla creamer in the top part. That way it is more like a latte (with out the foam).
Boy was it tasty!!!!!

I used two espresso cups I made a while back.
lsk

Digital Photo Workshop with Joy Tanner and John Britt

Yesterday I attended the Digital Photo workshop at John Britt's Studio http://www.johnbrittpottery.com/. The workshop was taught by John and Joy Tanner
http://joytannerpottery.com/. It was a great workshop. We learned how to make a light box and create a photo set-up. I learned a lot about white balance, f-stops and shutter speed. But what was most helpful to me was how Joy helped me figure these things out on my camera. You know sometimes when you try reading the provided manual ........... it really is a requirement that you are a rocket scientist. Anyway, a lot of valuable information was provided and we were fed a wonderful lunch. Check at John's website to see other up-coming workshops at John's studio.


lsk

Morning trip to the Arboretum

I took a quick morning trip to the Arboretum. Here are just a few photos.

lsk

LuLu's New Ride

LuLu always likes to play ball & go for a ride in her new vehicle! She's not too happy being in the cargo area of the car, but until I get a seat cover/protector for the back seat, she'll have to ride there (with the back seat folded up, so she has lots of room!) I had intentions of working on books this week-end, but never did get to that, although I did work on a few 'tags'. It took me awhile to 'decompress' after making the purchase..... it was difficult to be creative. dll

Bumper Stickers

While I was driving around the Midtown region of Raleigh the other day, I saw the following two bumper stickers on a car.
If you call one animal a pet how can you eat another and call it dinner?

Torturing one animal is called cruelty, torturing many is called science.

These bumper stickers have reminded me of a few things I have read lately. Such as.... According to Diet for a New America, over a billion people could be fed by the grain and soybeans eaten by U.S. livestock every year.

And......From the National Geographic Mag......... With sizable brains and dexterous arms, octopuses are known to block their dens with rocks and amuse themselves shooting water at plastic bottle targets and lab staff. They may even express basic emotions by changing color, according to the Seattle Aquarium.

so, Going Veg..........reduces personal annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 tons
........ saves forests and wetlands from conversion to pasture and feed cropland
........ conserves water supplies

Just some food for thought. I'll get down off my soap box now. I know, I know this is suppose to be an 'artsy' blog.

lsk

More OBX

If you travel North from Hatteras up Hwy 12 to Manteo, Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills, make sure that you stop at one of 3 (or all 3) locations of the Front Porch Cafe. You can see a picture of the mugs I have made for them with their logo. They roast their own beans, aka Kill Devil Coffee Roasters. A blend that I like is Surfer's Organic Roast. They also have a large selection of lattes (try the Milky Way Latte, Deb likes the Blackbeard's latte), cappuccinos, and teas (Chai tea is awesome!).
At the Manteo location, Susannah and Paul have created a true coffee bar. This location is spacious with couches, chairs, tables, a coffee bar with all the beans displayed behind the bar, a great sound system, big screen TV, a comfy front porch and of course its"wireless". They often run dvd's relating to fair trade coffee, such as the movie 'Black Gold'.

Stop in and check it out!!!!

lsk

On the Outer Banks

This past weekend we made a quick trip to the Outer Banks of NC to deliver coffee mugs to the coffee house pictured here. (The "Mugs" were shown in an earlier blog.) I really wish we could have spent more time there, but we had to get back to Raleigh. Every time I am out there I think I really would like to live there! I know the winter cold and wind can cut through you like a knife, but there are down sides to everything. Picture this...... me as an old lady being a beach bum!!! Scary huh? Especially when a hurricane comes along.
So if you make it out to the Outer Banks, make sure that you stop in the Uglie Mugs Coffee House in Avon. The place is great and they have a killer s'mores latte!

lsk