Wednesday, October 29, 2008

all it takes is one...

Jamie, my youngest sister, called today to tell me two things:

1. she passed her driving test

2. she started an animal food & gift drive for the Humane Society

I was incredibly excited by both pieces of news, but I was especially intrigued by the Humane Society part. I asked what motivated her to start the drive. She told me she watched a TV program on animal shelters and was heart broken to find that many of them are in desperate need of animal supplies. She called the Humane Society that same day and told them she wanted to help by starting a food and gift drive.

The drive is only one week old and already she’s collected more supplies than she can fit in her room! She said that although it sounds like she’s collected a lot, it’s nothing compared to the number of animals that need food and supplies.

Right after my sister said that, I immediately thought of PaddyWag and knew I needed to post a blog letting you all know about this food and gift drive. If you’re interested in donating, please send me an email at art_of_subtlety@yahoo.com or call me at 206-661-8961. My sister is sending me a list of supplies that the Humane Society requested and I’d be happy to pass that along to you. Donations are being accepted until December 20th.

I’m so proud of my sister for doing this all out of the kindness of her heart and for her love of animals.

Remember…all it takes is one person to make a difference.

Take care,

Amanda


Your donations go to help sweet faces like these…


…and make it possible for the Humane Society to continue helping animals find loving homes.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

a kid, a dog and a pile of leaves...it must be fall

One of my favorite things about fall is when a kid rakes leaves into a big pile then jumps right in them. What could top that? A kid and his dog jumping in the pile. This boy was camera shy, but I managed to get a few shots that made mom smile.





Saturday, October 18, 2008

Ireland in the rain

It rained in Dublin. A lot. As a result, I didn't get to wander around taking as many pictures as I would have liked, though getting out of the rain turned out to be fun. Nate and I went on the Jameson Whiskey Distillery tour, the Guinness Storehouse tour and wandered around this kitchy Viking World Museum where Nate and I visited the interactive section and dressed up as Vikings. Sorry, humiliating pictures are being excluded from this post. :)


"love proper coffee - love your pumpkin"



random fact: the plural of garda is gardai



gotta love graffiti that features a photographer :)



Christ Church Cathedral founded c. 1030



ever wonder what Jameson looks like from inside the barrel?



the Guinness Storehouse



I wanted to take this dog home with me


That's it for my vacation photos! If you want to get back at me, you're more than welcome to invite me over to look through yours. :)

Friday, October 17, 2008

Lovely Wales!

I didn't think I'd ever find a place that was greener than Washington, but Wales proved me wrong. The scenery was so breathtaking and my pictures do not do it justice. Not only did I get to see beautiful landscapes, I got to meet so many beautiful people! Nate's relatives live in North Wales and I had the pleasure of meeting most of them while we were there. It was amazing hearing them talk in Welsh! The older kids spoke English too, but the smaller ones only spoke Welsh and that made communication interesting to say the least. Luckily I bonded with Gwyrn, the littlest one who didn't speak much anyway but had the biggest smile and gave the best hugs. :)

I wish I knew Lemmings



love the Welsh language



so beautiful!




it's even gorgeous on a rainy day



I've never seen such colorful houses!



my little Welsh friend



did you know Heinz made all of these condiments???



check out the name of this train station--it's so long!



Conway Castle at sunset


Tomorrow...Ireland!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

'Ello England!

I had always heard that England's weather was very similar to Seattle's and while that might be true most of the time, it definitely was not the case while I was there. I remember calling my family to let them know I was alive and well and getting very tan. All they could talk about was how rainy it was back home. Rain in the summer? No thanks. England was treating me well so I decided to stay a little longer than planned.


my fiance's parents were married in this church



I love that the houses have names!



St. George's Cross



an old phone booth in the town of Sandwich



the Victoria Memorial



the view from the London Eye



a "London Eye-Pod" :)




I can't resist a great photo fact:
Photographer Iain Macmillan only had 10 minutes to take the photo for the cover of the Beatles Abbey Road album--talk about being under pressure!




Stonehenge


Tomorrow...we're off to Wales!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

La belle France!

Bonjour mon amis! I'm reliving my French adventures and I can't tell you how appropriate it is that I'm doing this today. I say that because I received a phone call from Gianba, a friend I met while on Avenue des Champs-Elysees who is, quite possibly, the most generous man on Earth. He phoned to say that he and his family are coming to Seattle next month! My fiance and I owe him dinner because he took us out twice while in Paris. Yep, twice. I tell you, nothing makes you feel warmer inside than experiencing the generosity of others.


inside the train station



Nate built a rock sculpture on the beach in Nice



lucky #13 in Aix-en-Provence



friends in Paris took us to see this ska band at Fête de la Musique



sailing boats in the Jardin des Tuilleries



Eiffel Tower



Basilique du Sacré-Cœur



Nate and I with our new friends Damien, Nicolas and Gianba



on the train from France to England


Tomorrow...England!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Bella Italia!

It was so cold in my house that it woke me up this morning. While looking for more blankets to pile on the bed, I got to thinking about how warm it was while I was in Europe this summer and that's when I decided that I needed to blog my vacation photos. I know, I know...vacation photos usually elicit a yawn from most people, but I'm one of those rare breeds who actually enjoys being invited over for a vacation photo slide show. However, recognizing that I am a rare commodity, I will keep the photos short and simple. Today...Bella Italia!


the road leading to the Colosseum


stained glass window in a small Roman church


very cool graffiti near Circus Maximus



the Colosseum


door buzzers in Firenze



I loved this alley


sunset over the Ponte Vecchio


rain, rain, and more rain in Venezia


mmm...gelato


Tomorrow...La belle France!

Monday, October 6, 2008

a break from the rain!

Ali called and told me she wanted her senior pictures taken outside. Only problem? There's been lots of rain lately. Not surprising for fall in Seattle, but it always makes scheduling outdoor photo sessions tricky. We tentatively made the appointment for Monday and much to our surprise the sun decided to make an appearance!



I love when the leaves start changing colors!