May Wrap-Up & Cross Process June

I can't seem to make it through a month-long photo "challenge" without burning out on an idea.  I even missed my first photo-a-day for 2011 this month.  (Grr.)  So I don't know if I'd call this month a smashing success... I think maybe "My Day" was a little too loose of a theme to hold my interest. (Plus I was just lazy about finding a photo that represented something I'd done each day.)  Well, May's done now, anyway, so time for a new theme...

I haven't given this a lot of thought, so it may turn out to be a very blah idea, but I think I'm going with Cross Process for June.  I'm not particularly concerned with being "accurate" in my digital cross-processing (...whatever that would mean).  I'm just using it as an excuse to play around with post-processing and (most of the time, probably) attempt either a vintage/retro look (color-wise) or just a slightly weird, unexpected effect. 

...Something like these:

So that's that! 

(June.  How'd it get to be June already, anyway?)

My Day 31/31: Watching the Sky

Those look like summer day clouds, and I thought we might even get a pop-up thunderstorm-- but no such luck. 

I don't want the scary, dangerous lightning, but we could really use some rain.

My Day 30/31: Progress Bar

I did lots of reading over the long weekend.  The Kindle is still a "no regrets" purchase.  That's not to say that there's nothing I'd change about it... I would be even happier if it were possible to organize books into collections through the computer-- while the Kindle is hooked up it.  Moving them to collections on the device itself is comparatively laborious.  But still, over all, I'm very happy with my e-reader, and I'm definitely reading more fiction than I have in years.

My Day 29/31: The Rake

I brushed Trixie, using a regular (pin-type) dog brush and this-- the Rake.  Doesn't that sound scary?  But that's really what this type of brush is called.  It's designed to remove the loose hair from the undercoat, which can be difficult to access with a regular brush. 

Trixie's in a heavy shedding phase, lately, probably because the summer temperatures are ramping up.  It's amazing how much fluff comes off that dog, considering that she still-- always-- looks very well-covered in fur. 

My Day 28/31: Perpetual Motion

Donald and I played Perpetual Motion, a card game he picked up at a second-hand store. 

We've been playing it a lot lately.  I like the fact that it's relatively fast to play and requires very little brainpower--  perfect for those times when you're not feeling up to a brain-stretcher. 

My Day 27/31: Pot Roast

I, um, made a pot roast.  (As you may have guessed from the title...)

My Day 26/31: Rain

It wasn't nearly enough to make up for our rainfall deficit, but at this point in a drought, anything is welcome. 

My Day 25/31: Vacuum Cleaner Trixie

I had a little trouble with the vacuum cleaner today. (Donald got it working again, though.) I took a couple of very... "artistic" shots of the vacuum cleaner, but then I decided to spare you that. Here's a photo of Trixie, instead, as she lay on the floor watching.

Trixie is not a huge fan of the vacuum cleaner. I suspect she was hoping it had finally bitten the dust. (The vacuum cleaner bit the dust. Get it? Heh. (g))

My Day 24/31: Frugal Crocheter

I unraveled a $1 sweater and got a whole bunch of pink cotton yarn for my trouble. (Some might say it's not worth the trouble to unravel boring old cotton... but I enjoy my hobbies more if I don't feel I'm "wasting" much money on them. I can't help it.)

My Day 23/31: Keys

(I actually forgot to take a photo for this day. Boo! The first day I missed in 2011... Oh well. I took this one the next day to make up for it.)

We dropped the Elantra off to have some parts repainted and finished. Fortunately, it was still under warranty from the repair after the hail damage (however long ago that's been). It shouldn't have had problems this soon afterward, but for some reason, it did. (All fixed now, though!)

My Day 22/31: Par-tay ;o)

The family had a surprise get-together in honor of my maternal grandmother's 70th birthday. Baby Clara also made her debut (very briefly, as she slept through most of the get-together). ;o)

My Day 21/31: Star Stitch

I made a little crocheted pouch from a free pattern online. I like the stitch (which the pattern's author calls "star stitch"), but my final product disappointed me, so I'm probably going to rip it out again...

My Day 20/31: Rose of Sharon

I planted a couple of small trees ("Roses of Sharon"... or "Shrub Althea"... or a small tree/shrub form of Hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus, depending on your preference). Mom transplanted them from her old garden. I've tried transplanting Rose of Sharon before with little luck, but maybe these will "take"... They make very showy Hibiscus-style flowers (so surprising in a Hibiscus, right?) when they're happy. I've taken care to water them through this drought, so I hope that will keep their moods lifted. ;o)

My Day 19/31: Gardening

I spent much of the day working in the yard. (I need to do a lot more of that...)

My Day 18/31: Gardenia Perfume

I confirmed my suspicion that a single gardenia blossom can be enough to perfume the main living area of the house.

(Those are some heavily scented flowers! Even the water smelled like gardenias, when I finally had to throw away the flower.)

My Day 17/31: Open Windows

The weather was blissfully cool and breezy. Windows were opened. Curtains and sheers were ruffled.

(Oh, how I wish this would happen again! But not until October, I'm guessing...)

My Day 16/31: Blooming

A much-neglected red rose gave us the gift of a beautiful bloom.

(Note to self: Transplant rose to better spot. Cut back on neglectful treatment of pitiful roses.)

My Day, 15/31: Time for a New Doily

I felt like starting a new thread crochet project, and so I did!  It's a pattern called "Summer Splendor".  I am temporarily in love with this green thread.  It's booful, as they say.  It feels vintage-y, too (to me, at least), which I like.

My Day 14/31: Trixie Was Bored.

On this day in history, I... took a photo of a bored Trixie-dog.  (Sorry, it's the best I can do.  I can't remember what I was thinking when I took this photo.   Probably I was just too tired to bother thinking of something really reflective of the day...)

My Day 13/31: Lone Pine Breaks

The lone, dead pine tree out in the Hurricane Ivan clearing has finally broken.  For a long time after lightning killed it, it stood and provided a roost for the birds, but the wind in this day's storms was too much for it.  The end of an era. ;o)