Ree's Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

One of my favorite bloggers, Ree, shared this easy recipe with her readers recently and I wanted let you know that it was quite popular at our house. In fact, we've had it twice in the last 10 days! So hop on over and see what all of the clamor is about...

Oh, and if you haven't met Ree yet, you're in for a treat!

May I Present to You

If you are learning Photography, you probably have come across this gentleman. If not, I would be honored to introduce you to him! Mr. Kelby has written several books that have been indispensable to me. He manages to take technical information and translate it into a form that I can understand.

I have to admit that the manual that came with my camera has not been very helpful to me - it's like it is in a foreign language (yes, I realize that there is a manual that comes with the camera that actually is written in a foreign language, but I'm talking about the other one - the one written in "English").

Unlike my manual, Scott (you can call him by his first name now, since I've properly introduced you) is not only user-friendly, he's funny too. I highly recommend his book:

and its recently released sequel:

In case you can't read the teeny tiny print above, it says, The Digital Photography Book: The step-by-step secrets for how to make your photos look like the pros'! by Scott Kelby. Volume 2 builds on the first book and contains exactly what I am wanting/needing to learn right now. One of my favorite aspects of these books are the "recipes" in the back. Each page features a gorgeous photo then it is like Scott is standing over your shoulder coaching you: to get this type of shot, set your camera to this, position yourself like this, don't forget about this, etc. Very helpful!

Cozy

Cozy, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

It was very cold last night and a perfect time to build a fire. Master Munchkin and Frodo quickly took the best spots and settled in for a pleasant evening.

This was shot with my 50mm lens without flash and post processed in Lightroom, using a free preset called "Aged Photo".

Class, Please Welcome MrsMama

A talented Flickr friend and college professor asked if I would come in and talk photography with his beginner's class. Although feeling quite flattered, I had to set him straight. I am a beginner myself and (whispers) don't entirely know what I am doing. That, coupled with my limited use of big words, would be, um, bad. I can see it now:

Student: How did you change the exposure on the fly like that?
Me: I turned the little dial.
Student: Which dial?
Me: Oh, you know - the one on top, next to the Thing. Next question!

Student: What is the focal length of a telephoto lens that has been retrofitted with an extension ring?
Me: Thanks, but I already have lunch plans. Next!

Student: Under what circumstance do you preset your white balance to match the frequency of the internal core temperature of the Sun?
Me: (points out window) Is that Kevin Bacon?

*How* Old Are You?

Master Munchkin frequently surprises me with his choice of words. I came into the kitchen recently to find him perched in a squatting position on the counter, trying to duck under the door of the microwave to retrieve a bag of freshly popped corn.
"This is undignified, " he told me.
"Did you just say, 'undignified'?"
"Yeah, you know...awkward and kind of embarrassing?"
Um, yeah.

He also informed us, during a magic show, that he "forgot one element" of his demonstration. An element? Come on! You are six!

And this morning he told me, "This will amuse you!" and proceeded to do something or other. I don't remember what. I was too amused.

I don't really know where he gets it. *I* certainly don't use big words in everyday speech. In fact, I often use the wrong words. Mr. Meticulous, my husband, is quite gifted in this area though. I often have to stop him in the middle of an argument or discussion and say, "Wait! What does _____ mean?". He smiles at me in kind-of-a-pitying way and defines it for me.

That's one of the reasons I have the "Word of the Day" featured in my sidebar here: I definitely need to learn some new bigger words vocabulary. :P

Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side Up, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

Sending you some sunshine to warm you on this winter's day

Do We Have Any C.S. Lewis Fans?

I would like to know your favorite quote from author C.S. Lewis. If you can't narrow it down, you can list your favorite book that he wrote.

If you can't think of any off the top of your head, here are some links to nudge you:


CS Lewis quotes
CS Lewis quotes