little eye photography

I am so so pleased to announce that my brand new photography website is up, live, and full of photographs for you to look at!  For the past seven years, I’ve photographed weddings as a hobby and am making the move to shoot just a little more seriously.

My friend, Rocco, designed the website for me and it’s powered through WordPress, which makes me a lot less anxious about knowing how to update albums and make posts.  While the site mostly serves as a portfolio, it also includes a blog where I will post wedding tips, updates and reflections.

blue hill wedding, maine, 2009

Just a little here on my photography philosophy:

When I am hired to capture weddings, engagements, maternity photos, family, senior portraits and more I will always always provide all the images to the client who has hired me.  These files are high resolution, printable up to 8×10 without loss of quality.  You may share and print your photos to your heart’s content.  I understand why some photographers may do otherwise, but for me this is what works.

I am offering an early booking discount for wedding photography packages, so if you’re getting married in the Portland, Maine area (I will travel, too!) and book with me before February 28th I will take $100 off all wedding packages offered.

I am so psyched that this year will bring more photography, more weddings (aw, so sweet all the time) and more creativity.  I’m not a resolution kinda girl, but this seems like a good start to a new year!

merry xmas

from little eye (aka audrey)

Happy tidings to all you out there in cyberspace.  Our very fake, little bright green tinsel Christmas tree is bring very real warmth to our home and every day more presents are appearing beneath it waiting to be delivered to their new homes.  Little gifts, meant only to show we were thinking of you, but yes, with the prudence of a healing economy and, of course, two people who are saving, wishing and dreaming of a house one day (soon?)  Still, the little pile of wrapped sentiments, tied with wool remnants and little, handmade tags makes me feel happy and abundant.

The niece and I made sugar cookies last night while Ya-Ya fried up some wontons and rice for family dinner.  Little one is talking up a storm, and now we are all dreaming of days past when she was much quieter, and much less demanding.  🙂  It turns out, now that she’s a fluent English speaker, that she’s even more assertive than any of us thought.  We continue to be a family of strong women (and strong men, too).

There is a short, snowy road trip in our future – heading west (to Vermont) for the New Year.  On the docket are:  short hikes to the beaver pond, a hopeful Molly the Moose sighting, wood stove stoking, cooking and reconnecting with family, spoiling a cousin who recently had knee surgery, looking at old, old books, goats, chickens, and all under the shadow of Mt. Mansfield, a rocky formation that looks like the face of a man forever watching the sky.  It also happens to be the tallest mountain in Vermont, and is an item on the bucket list that I haven’t yet completed, in nearly 30 years of going to VT.  Next year?

Here’s to wishing you well, safekeeping for you and your family, and always striving to put good things in the world despite the challenges against it.  Happy Holidays!

Music to Your Ears

found image clef earrings by little eye.

Just listed in my Etsy shop, a pair of treble and bass clef earrings made with found images from a Jimmy Buffett songbook, of all places!  The little cut out sheet music bits are set in 14mm antiqued brass bezel post earrings.  These are a great seller at the craft fairs, so I’m hoping the internuts like ’em, too.

I’m also kinda happy with the fabric in the background – I can’t tell if the flowers are too distracting yet but they seem just fine for now.  What do you think?

Speaking of music, time for me to go practice guitar — our band has a show in like a week and I’m super rusty!

Bakery Photo Advert

Cool!

Ohh, hey!  I sat for the talented Natalie Conn a few months back and realized that my mug (or part of it) is on the Bakery Collective website.  Cool!  Me and my medium format, Mamiya C330 twin lens reflex are second row from the bottom, second column from the right.  Nevermind the drawbacks of having your picture taken from the side and when you’re looking down, this is an awesome collage!  Thanks, Natalie.  🙂

Did you hear? The Big Chill is on!

Big Chill Poster by Kris Johnsen and Meagan Anderson

Yep!  It’s happening.  And applications are open through October 31st:  you can click here to go download the application .pdf at the website!

Tell your friends!  🙂

Super Sunday

Socks for Sale!

Yes!  I finally took the pictures I wanted of my favorite new thing to make:  socks!  The above foot warmers are made with 100% Peruvian wool and are SUPER warm.  Don’t worry about sweaty feet, though, because the wool will wick away moisture while keeping your toes warm.  The ankle-high sock is $29, and the high top sock is $34.  Each pair is made to order, and if you have any special requests I am happy to try and accommodate.  Please specify shoe size (or foot length, from back of heel to tip of big toe) for perfect fit (or, if you’re not sure, ‘small’ ‘medium’ or ‘large’).  These will be going up in my Etsy shop before the weekend is up so come check it out!

Delicious Treats Only Take 30 Minutes

I’m excited, because tonight we’re going to Brian and Tara’s house for a fire.  Because I love fire so much, it doubles the fun of hanging out with friends.  I am going to bring my camera and do weird things with it!  I made the brownies above for the event, and because Brian and Tara are in a band called the Rattlesnakes this concoction is now called ‘Rattlesnacks’ in my mind cookbook.  All you really do is add Reese’s peanut butter chips to brownie mix, but sh, don’t tell.  I did these while I was simultaneously making chicken salad/chicken broth – so with a total of maybe one hour in the kitchen I managed to make lunch, a food staple and dessert in one sitting.  Plus I got to wear one of my vintage aprons so… totally worth it.

Lots of bottle caps

Lots of bottle cap work yesterday, today and tomorrow.  See how each of those has a little jump ring in them?  Well.  Each jump ring must have a hole made for it.  Then the hole needs to be sealed after the ring is put in.  Le sigh…

More Socks on the Way

Started this pair to fill the monotony between bottle cap batches.  A typical day goes like this:  come home from work (7am-4pm), throw stuff on a chair, sit on the couch, turn on the Cosmos, lean over bottle caps, every hour take a stretching, sitting up, dry time break and knit.  Eat dinner at some point, bottle caps, knit, repeat.

If you haven’t seen that applications are open for The Big Chill this December 3rd, then you should click on this to download your application now!

I must be manic today.

Recycling Clothes at Its Finest

Click to View Listing from Hand Me Down Designs, $35

You know that really awesome piece of clothing that you can’t live without but then you start… expanding… then it’s a little too small.  Then it gets a stain.  Now there’s a hole in the zipper.  Oh, darn it – now your favorite skirt is a weird, swiss-cheese sausage casing that you try to wriggle in to once a week with no luck.

I finally parted with my favorite red corduroy skirt, and I’m glad I did.  I donated it to Malaika of Hand Me Down Designs and she made a fantastic Fall bag out of it (see picture above).  The skirt was cut on the bias and I love that that shows in the body of the skirt, with the contrast of having it run vertically up the strap.  Great browns were added – it’s so cool to see my favorite skirt renewed and possibly someone new’s favorite bag!

Great job, Malaika – keep up the good work!

If you’re interested in donating your weird, swiss-cheese sausage casing clothes (or just ones you’re tired of) to Malaika to give them a new life shoot me a note and I will get you her contact information, or you can convo her on Etsy.  Making old in to new is a sense of satisfaction only topped by the fact she gives you a coupon for a $5 credit to her shop when you donate a bag of clothes!

FREE SHIPPING from Little Eye on Etsy

Click Here for Shopping with Free Shipping!

Hey duders — guess what!  If you spend $10 or more on any order in my Etsy shop you can get free shipping by entering “ISPENT10” at checkout.  All one word, all caps.

Your Three Favorite Farm Animals?

I can’t sit still for long.  I get going really smoothly on one thing (bottle caps, much?) and then get all excited about another!  I’ll keep my lips zipped for now, but would love if you’d comment below your top three favorite farm animals.

This informal market research will grant me hours of Photoshop fun.  Stay tuned!  And thank you.  🙂

Hilarious Hiking

3rd Peak. Sorry for the little picture!

Despite the fact that my legs feel like tree trunks, my stomach is turning (from a neck/shoulder burn today?) and yes, my skin has once again mysteriously turned bright red after copious amounts of SPF… and I’m full of Indian food (awesome)… I’m still popping in to put a little bit of content out on this here internet.

Today we hiked Moat Mtn which has not one, not two, but three freaking peaks.  When the first one tricks you you’re like ‘Oh, mountain, you’re so silly!’ and you climb up another two miles and then you get there and you see the last peak you’re like ‘That’s totally not even the last peak, we’ve just entered the inner circle of hell and this will never end,’ but then you finally get to the real top and it looks like that picture of the top of this blog post.  And even though all that bright sunlight is gonna cause some damage, you don’t care — nap time!

Hiking Companions

Rondo (pup) chased butterflies around at the top and Jason, hilarious guy, kept Tara and I laughing when we got to the second peak when he went to retrieve a water bottle Tara dropped, fell backwards in to a lichen-covered tree and knocked it down (it was about five inches in diameter) in to the pathway.  After checking to see if he was okay we started laughing wildly and couldn’t stop for some time.  Poor guy!  Every time someone dropped a water bottle after that we couldn’t help but giggle.

So no matter what my complaints or current physical state are, what an awesome day getting fit in the outdoors in the White Mountains.  Must do again soon.