We Clevelanders were spoiled at the beginning of the month with a blissfully sunny and almost-warm November. We had seven sunny days in a row… seven! Hear that, Los Angeles? We’re catching up!

I readily soaked it up, propelled by the voice in the back of my head whispering, it won’t last. My camera and I saved it all, especially my favorite part: the orange leaves against the brilliant blue sky. I could spend all day staring up at those trees, their leaves artistically splayed against the perfect backdrop. I willingly accepted the stares from passersby as I stopped to look at the trees in their splendor, because they were worth it. Those trees.

Walking early to class with my camera makes everything better. Even with mountains of classwork to move, and no bulldozer, just a small shovel to pick at it scoop by scoop… the sky, and my camera, and the trees, save me.

Fall is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons. Not only do the leaves change, providing a beautiful (and delightfully crunchy) walk to class, but I get to wear flannel, and scarves, and my glittens (as i’ve recently heard these called). I’ve also finally found the perfect hot chocolate: Stephen’s Dark Hot Chocolate, available in super-bulk at Amazon. It sounds like a lot, really. But for a college student walking back and forth to class in Cleveland… those six canisters might not even last me through the winter. It’s amazing stuff.

Another plus? Pie. Pretty soon I’ll be feverishly baking pies on a daily basis, and my suitemates won’t be able to stop me.

Fall has so many positive attributes that, when combined, just barely overcome the major downside: winter’s next.

Thank goodness I’ve still got five canisters of hot chocolate left.

One last joyful thing: I have received one of the ultimate honors of the internet, in my opinion: the chance to serve as someone else’s inspiration. Joshua, a 12-year-old boy with a really great blog, carved a narwhal jack-o-lantern after being inspired by my narwhal plush. My week has been made. You should definitely stop by his blog – it’s got wonderful posts about his pets and his sisters, with better writing than a good handful of my engineering classmates.

I hope you’re all having a chilly but cheery November, with even more hot chocolate and pie than me – and lots fewer lab reports and quizzes on complex math! Procrastination time is now over.

enter the chill is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

I always love taking pictures. But there are some days where I can see things better with my camera than with my eyes.

Lines, shapes, textures, colors.

And then the produce salesman shouts, “take a picture!” and points to his papayas. I comply.

Another friendly merchant leaps into my picture as I click the shutter. I am entertained.

A camera full of pictures and a sack full of fruits and vegetables: that’s a productive day in my book.

cleveland’s west side market: exploring with a camera is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

“you don’t have a soul.
you are a soul.
you have a body.”

- c.s. lewis

a small quote of the day. is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

Today marks my 9th day of class so far, and I’m finally readjusting myself to the school life. After being on co-op and working for a whole semester, I’ve been having difficulty with a few basic schooling concepts:

• once I’m home from class, I have to do more work?
• I am steadily losing money, rather than making money?
• I have to do work on the weekends, too?
• I’m supposed to remember how to take a derivative? or an integral? or do any other basic calculus?

But rather than bore you with details of my engineering coursework, I’d prefer to share some in-progress shots from my first color digital photography assignment.

It’s the first photography class I’ve taken without a darkroom: I’ve got instant results, and Photoshop to play with.

It’s certainly easier than working in the darkroom, and significantly less time-consuming. But I can’t say I like it better. The darkroom is just such a wonderful place!

For our first assignment, we have to shoot three pictures: one in which the main item is blue, one in which the main item is red, and one in which the main item is green.

I’m not having any difficulty with the blues here at Case. But the greens are another challenge!

Next week I have to turn in one print using each color… can you help me choose between the blues?

blues, reds, & greens: a photographic exercise is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

It’s only the second day of class, and I’m already starting on a lab report! What fun… But I’m about to leave for my first photography class of the semester! It’s been over a year since I’ve worked in the darkroom, so I’m looking forward to getting back. There’s nothing quite like the magic of watching a picture emerging from a previously blank sheet of paper.

In other news, it’s the last day of the 30 Day Photo Challenge! Thanks, Sherry, for putting this together – it was a fun blogging exercise.

This photo is part of oh so lovely’s 30 Day Photo Challenge. Today is Day 30: In Motion.

in motion: typing hands is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

I encountered difficulty with today’s theme for the Photo Challenge: Sunflare. Typically, for a sunflare, you need sun… and I’ve just moved back to Cleveland*. We don’t get many sunny days, today included.

So I was forced to scour my photo archives until I finally stumbled upon this sunflare-blessed photo: my friends Carrie and Mike, riding the mine ride at Cedar Point nearly two years ago. I feel that cameras were meant to capture candid moments between people, and display, in a still image, a perfect conveyance of a relationship. Carrie’s expression is certainly due to the bright sun, but it’s still one that she wears frequently in Mike’s presence: a cross between irritation and amusement.

Catching these moments between people, or moments between people and their inner selves, is a topic I am considering exploring in my Independent Study photography class this semester. It’s something I haven’t practiced much, but I think it would lead to some wonderful and very expressive photos.

This photo is part of oh so lovely’s 30 Day Photo Challenge. Today is Day 25: Sunflare.

*The move explains the recent lag in photo challenge postings. I’m almost settled now, though, and I’m planning to finish the month strong!

sunflare: cedar point is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

I don’t take enough pictures of sunsets… I should certainly make more of an effort, because they’re always so amazing! This is the sun setting over a street in Roanoke. I spent a wonderful Fourth of July there with my cousins, which meant eating lots of great food and taking plenty of pictures!

And now I’m just about done moving into my dorm room. It’s nice to be back, but I’m sure dreading the start of classes next week!

This photo is part of oh so lovely’s 30 Day Photo Challenge. Today is Day 23: Sunset.

sunset: roanoke is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

This photo is part of oh so lovely’s 30 Day Photo Challenge. Today is Day 21: Pretty Pattern.

pretty pattern: bright buttons is a post from: Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog