A perfect Sunday

A few Sundays ago, I had a really great day in Prescott. First we went pumpkin picking (right off the vine, of course, no fake pumpkin patches for us!)







Then, we went to this beautiful winery and sat out under an awning, watched the rain and had a picnic (with wine and cheese, of course). Then, I wandered the grounds and took pictures.

This would be a beautiful place to get married. 

Then I chased this peacock around for a while.

So, what's the coolest day you've had lately? 

Guest Post - TV Boyfriends

I'm guesting again over at Geek in Heels today! I'm writing about TV boyfriends, top 5 this time.

Go check it out!!! Make sure you share your own faves.

Halloweens of Yesteryear

It's coming up on Halloween time again! Here are some links to my halloween posts of the last few years. Maybe you'll find something helpful in one of them.

Martha Stewart Halloween Inspiration Board

Halloween Polaroids

Costumes

Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party

Our House - Exterior

Route 66 classic ads

I often wonder how our advertisements today will stand the test of time. For the most part, I think we are becoming more and more desensitized to them. Product placement in movies and shows is no longer amusing nor subtle. It is with a sarcastic scorn that I wonder just how much the producers of Bones are getting off of Toyota or what the Leverage guys get from Hyundai per episode. The Island might as well have had Sponsored by Microsoft stamped in the corner of the screen during the movie. And is there any TV ad today that we will look back on with the same fondness as the Michael J. Fox Pepsi ads? (And no, I'm not talking about Back to the Future I & II).

But, I digress, pretty much just because I wanted to make that Back to the Future joke (saw it in theaters last night, anyone else?).  What I really want to talk about are roadside ads, specifically those of the classic Route 66 variety. Route 66ers love their vintage ads, especially if they are witty or gigantic. The most famous strange ads along Route 66 are Burma Shave signs, Muffler Men, and barn ads. The average billboard need not apply.

The Burma Shave corporation took a tongue in cheek view of advertising along the mother road. Signs were placed along the side and read while driving, forming a complete (rhyming) thought. I didn't actually see any out on the road, but I spotted these gems at Hackberry General Store and the Route 66 Museum.







Then there are the Muffler Men. These are very large statues of Paul Bunyan-esque men who used to hold giant mufflers. These men, now decommissioned, became infinitely more interesting by the objects they now hold to advertise altogether different businesses.





And finally, barn ads used to be quite popular along the route, but have since been deemed illegal. Usually for feed supply or local attractions, there remains one prominent barn ad that is maintained by Route 66 preservationists. Blink and you'll miss this roadside attraction. It's just a pullout off the main drag in Illinois nowadays, but Route 66 historic route signs will lead you to it if you're looking.

Wait, who are you again?

Remember this post? I figured out the other one.

Hi, I'm Daisy! I'm an annoying aspiring porn star!

I'm also Daisy. But I'm an annoying aspiring forensic anthropologist now.

Pop Quiz: What shows are these Daisies* on?

Anyone else have a same name, same actor fun fact?

*Is that how you pluralize Daisy if it is a name?

Guest post on Comic Con

Hey guys, I have a guest post over at Geek in Heels today about the great time I had a Comic-Con in July.

Go check it out.

Gettin' My Kicks - The Second Leg

I spent two whole days last week editing photos and I'm still not satisfied! I also discovered today that I was missing a chunk of my Route 66 photo journey; apparently these shots were never uploaded to flickr.

Sigh. I'm working on it.

Ok, I'm not working on it. I'm playing Warcraft III. But I will work on it. Sorry, but I have to be honest. :-)

In the meantime, we can start the journey off. This second Route 66 trip leg was from Flagstaff, AZ to Chicago, IL. A bit longer than the first leg by.... A LOT. Here are some photos to get started. I will follow up later this week with some experiences on the road and Route 66 enthusiast knowledge. Enjoy!

Balloon Fiesta!

Do you ever have that feeling when you do something for the first time, and you think 'wow, wouldn't it be cool to do this every year?' I had that feeling over the weekend when we attended the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for the first time. It was pretty magical. There were shaped balloons, rainbow balloons, glowing balloons, and mass ascensions. Every morning, they release all the balloons in one huge group, and each night they set the balloons up on the ground and simultaneously light the burners, causing a very cool glowing effect. To top it all off, there is an amazing fireworks show and really great food, including a million booths dedicated to the breakfast burrito.

I honestly haven't had so much fun behind a lens in a while. Hot air balloons, people! What could be more fun to photograph?