Feeling Crafty & Wanting to Carry The Beast More Often

I've been feeling a bit crafty here lately, thank you Pinterest, so grabbed some supplies to make a camera insert for my current purse. I tend to not carry The Beast unless we're heading to an event or I'm specifically out shooting (can't remember the last time I did THAT). I decided I can't shoot things if I don't have my camera ALL THE TIME, so I have committed to carrying it (till my arms fall off or I throw out my shoulder). The idea of an insert came with my EXTREME WANT of a Kelly Moore Libby bag so I can convert about 4 bags to one when I travel. Such as, purse, tote with Nook/books/snacks, laptop bag, & camera bag. Also, once we get to where we're staying, I tend to grab my purse and go, hence all the crappy cell phone pics of friends & family, while The Beast sits cozy in it's bag where we're sleeping. Upon researching KM bags, I discovered how nice it'd be to have a daily one as well but my word, we're talking a lot of Lemon Aid Stands to pay for these things, so I discovered the "insert" option. Yeah, looked at those and said "I can make that!" Do I still want a KM daily bag? Oh yeah, of COURSE, but I absolutely LOVE my Calvin Klein purse G bought me over a year ago, and I KNOW I surely will NOT have The Beast in there EVERY day, so for now, a few dollars and a bit of my time…..


Here's my crappy craft, as I knew it would be. I had no real pattern and didn't even do any pinning before sewing (I despise pinning). It's about 1/2-1" larger than I was going for (duh Nay, pattern) but I am being optimistic, I can throw another lens in there with it. It's bulkier than just the camera of course but the padding and material give better protection from my other purse items. This is strictly for when I throw the camera in there (beastly heavy booger) so not sure how much use it'll get. Just carrying The Beast today was aching. Haha
I still want the KM Libby for long outings/travel. Just saying!!


Did I take pics as I made it, yes, am I too lazy to get them from The Beast to the laptop? Of course, (but that's an entirely different blog for another day).

It's about 6" wide x 6" deep x 6 1/2" high

I wanted to fit my Canon XTi with 50mm fixed lens. I'm able to throw in my kit 18-55 zoom OR Tameron 18-200 zoom lens. Even a spare battery.

Carrying a DSLR is heavy, no getting around it. My purse with normal contents is about 2.8lbs

Add The Beast in the insert and it's 6.4lbs

HOWEVER, if I want it on my, I must work the muscles.

Quick Weekend At My Sisters

FINALLY my sister and family found a house and got their things. They had only been in the house just under 2 weeks but the kids wanted to see their cousins and we wanted to offer up any help we could. So after a 2hr 20min drive from us to her in Lake Tapps, WA......

The oven in the island didn't work. So the guys pulled out the old, made a dump run and returned with the pretty new one!! 

It took some finagling to get the legs level so I'd reach down behind it for minor adjustments while Angele held onto my legs. Done and taking a rest.  Isnt' her new stove/oven pretty?

Yummy Breakfast

Sean 

Emily 

Mike 

Nate 

 The Lovely Pancake Maker Angele

Greg: "why are you bothering me?" 

Jeff: "go away Renee" 

So our last night there, G and I are in bed and Emily comes knocking. Since we're sleeping in her room I'm all "come on in, get what you need sweets". She needed nothing but permission.. "Auntie, is it alright if I write on the boys with a sharpie in the middle of the night?" she asks. "SURE, have at it!"

The results!!!! 

Pretty cool reading what she put, "stop moving" or "you talk in your sleep" hahahaha 

For our remaining time here, we wanted to find a halfway point to trade out the kids and such. So we stopped on the way home and ate at this cool little restaurant. 

He must really love me to put up with me. 

Sean and Mike are already ready to go back and visit!!

Johnny Comes (aka Johnny's Twilight Tour)

Greg was DYING to get Johnny out to visit us before we move from here. Being like Greg, not exposed to the mountains, the glory of this sort of terrain. He also missed his best friend/brother. So part of Greg's birthday gift this year was a week with Johnny.

Yes, I am a Twilight fan(atic), thank you very much Gia! So anyway, yup, I like Twilight, a lot, love me for it, hate me for it, either way, deal with it! I change for no one! HAHA
Greg is an AMAZING sport when it comes to Twilight, from my rereading of the books, to taking me to the movies, and now, finding movie filming locations.

HOWEVER, Johnny is as much or MORE of a fan, as well as his 12yr old daughter Maddie. Once he learned how close we were to many of the filming locations from the first movie, he was all for finding them. It's beyond Twilight itself though, it's seeing more of our area, and seeing "movie filming locations" period. Heck, we hit any we can, wherever we go now.

So here's our adventures with Johnny. We had a BLAST and didn't want to let him leave. We're currently trying to find a way for him to make our next Cross Country Trip with us.

 Uncle Johnny & Sean at St.Helens

 We hit Portland for the Saturday Market and came upon other festivities

 Our personal tour guide (Jeremy on the right) around Portland

 Greg finding his inner Johnny

 The boyz at Kalama HS (site used as Forks HS)

 The 'diner' where Charlie & Bella always ate

 Found the BIG REVEAL locations, "I know what you are!", "How long have you BEEN 17?", "AWHILE"

Thank you Amy for the directions!!

 The Cullens House

 The Swan Residence

 Dress Shop location (also The Town Square from Halloween Town, across the street)

 The Book Store

 Dark alley the 'frat boys' followed Bella through

 Parking lot, Edward screeches to a stop, growls to scare the guys away....

 Restaurant where they have dinner after he 'rescues' her

 An afternoon long boarding along the Columbia River

 G "sling shot" me the entire way back haha

 Dag nab blogging out of order, back where the BIG REVEAL shots were done, cools signs at each spot so you know where and what scene

 On our way to find THE BASEBALL FIELD (undisclosed location)

 The ridge line Bella & Edward walk with the waterfall in the background. It's actually Multnomah Falls across the river (see just above the right of Mikes head), sweet editing

 Oh yeah, we found it!!

 What I call The Monkey Man Tree, that Emmet jumps up in to catch the baseball

 The tree in the center is actually where Bella & Esme play catcher & umpire

Johnny took us to eat YUMMY lunch at The Tippy Canoe. SWEEEET place! I think this day was one of our best! 

Random Day at Brown's Camp, OR

Last year Greg began his search for 3 Wheelers. With the 4Runner being our main hobby, he wasn't looking to invest in 4Wheelers. He scored 3, and spent last winter wrenching on them in the garage so they'd be ready for the spring. Yes he went a little overboard, when does he not? He's a perfectionist and drives himself crazy getting things JUST RIGHT.

We took them out a few times, prior to Brown's Camp we went to a friend of Michael's. That's when we discovered the big one (the one G & I ride) needs work. We couldn't keep it running. So when we planned this day, we just decided to take the 4Runner, let it stretch it's legs, and let the boys follow us on their 3Wheelers. It was a day for them!

Loaded up the night before 

 Unloading

 Mike & Sean

 Goofing around

Letting the boys take the lead a while 





My BOYZ