winner

I enetered a giveaway

recently...

hundreds were vying for the

spot...but

there can only be one

winner.

Any guess who won?

Lil ol' me!

That's who!

Eyes Open Creative Photography

E-Course

with our host

Erin Wallace.

Here I am viewing the Week 1

syllabus...

Yeah, I said syllabus.

After reading the first lesson

my head hurt

just a bit.

My brain is on

summer break...

I will be reading and re-reading

until a morsel

absorbs.

But that will have to wait...

with baby sister Mary in town

there was fun to

be had.

I'll pack the camera...

doing instead of studying

theory.

All packed in big sister, Tina's

plush Caddy

(when you own the nicest car you always

get driving duty...I'm

holding onto my Jeep forever!)

we headed to Tecumseh, MI

about 1 hour north

of our hometown area.

Destination

British Tea Garden

for lunch and crumpets

and a spot of

tea.

It's true what they say...

backdoor guests are

the best.

Seated at our table

as our waitress

with a cute short haircut

(where's that pic?)

prepared our teas...

my choice

a rooibos

Ginger Pepper Orange

Very nice and mild...

browsed the shop while mom

paid the tab...

gee-whiz...

by-gosh-by-golly...

you-didn't-have-to-

but-I'm-sure-

gald-you-did!

Thanks, mom.

Or is it mum?

Saw this window seat

and thought...

next time.

What can I say...

we are lovers of our land

you can travel anywhere...

as long as its

not far from home...

Even vacation plans

land us in our

beautiful state...

yep...

going up north for

our late July vacation...

where the temps are cool and breezy

and the beaches would

have Florida blushing!

This ad has been brought

to you by

The Michigan Tourist Association.

What a rude interruption...

now

back to our daytrip.

Where Mary is riding the hump...

see where being the baby lands you!

She's showing me

her pretty floss

choices in variegated

shades...

planning a lovely cross stitch

piece.

Caught in a minor road

delay got us to dreaming

of opening

a shop of our very own...

a sister's fantasy.

This house would be

perfect with a little

renovation...

hang our shingle and

the masses will

come.

A long day that

ended with a family

picnic at Vienna Park

packing pizza

corn hole

frizbees

and hours of chasing

my little girls

around the monkey bars.

When I dropped them off

at home

the skyline was calling

for a photo...

a red barn in the foreground...

come on!

it doesn't get any better...

I swear that's a barn...

trust me.

Take two.

Maybe if you enlarge the

picture you can see

what I'm talking about.

Damn it!

I know my camera has a setting

that will capture

this moment.

Fuss with camera

to no avail.

Ah...

Kierstin you look so

adorable...

let me take your picture...

pretty please!

Now sit very still this

time because that one

was a bit blurry.

Snap.

Trust me.

She is adorable.

Back to the books...

I got some learnin to do.

(Erin's got her work cut out for her!)

:)