JCasa BLOG

make a wish

i still keep my wishes to myself in the hopes they will come true.
hope is a powerful feeling.  xoxo

DIY camera cleaning

*before i say anything, let it be known that i am not a professional photographer or camera expert.  i had a problem with my Nikon D40 that despite my best efforts, i was unable to solve.  i relented to the fact that it was time to bring in my camera to the local camera shop for a tune-up.  this DIY shows how i fixed my camera using a few non-traditional maguyveresque techniques i came up with on the fly.  that said, i know i could have totally busted my camera.  but since i had already resigned myself to going to the camera shop ($$$), i figured why not give it one last try.

**this is risky and could cost you a bundle it you mess up, so proceed with this DIY at your own risk. 

that said, viva la DIY!  shall we?

ever since our trip to cape cod last summer, i noticed a black spot appearing on my photos.
come to think of it, i bet it happened while we were on cape cod.  all that lens-changing...

fast forward close to a year and i've been making do with instagram and photoshop.  talk about head-in-the-sand fingers-in-ears la-la-la denial.  that's no way to live, my friends.

and seriously - first day of first grade photos?  schmutz spot.  halloween?  schmutz spot.  the holidays?  schmutz spot.  yada yada yada?  you guessed it... schmutz spot.

yes, i cleaned the lens.  inside and out.  took off the filter and cleaned that, too.  cleaned, wiped, dusted in a dust-free environment, all of it.  and still there it was, le schmutz spot.

but it was when a photographer friend suggested it might be a hot pixel and that i should send it back to nikon that i nearly passed out.  be without my camera?  albeit my enigmatic-schmutz-spot-embedded camera, but still.  no no no.  and then i was invited to post on habit during the month of May and they have rules about no-instagramming and such.  that was when i decided to take it into the shop.  and i was quite literally headed out the door and decided to try one last thing.  it hit me - take the whole thing apart with the shutter open.

G A S P!

but seriously, why not?  i was headed to the camera shop anyway.  and remember, i already ruled out the spot being caused by anything on the lens or filter.  i suspected something was wrong inside...

first i gathered my tools.

this lenspen was great because it can reach down into the camera where fingers should never tread.  the brush is retractable and there is a cap to cover the microfiber tip when not in use.

then i did my best to work in a clean, dust-free area.  (think small room that you haven't recently cleaned so there isn't matter flying around in the air.)  ready?  ok.  

here's a play-by-play of what went down, in a nutshell, as photographed on my iPhone.

1.  turn the camera on and turn the program to S so you can control the shutter speed.

2.  set the shutter to the slowest possible speed. 

3.  switch to manual focus.  (come to think of it, this isn't necessary.  do what you like.)

4.  set down the camera and press to shoot which will open the shutter.

5.  set the camera down with the lens pointing up.  remember, you pressed the shoot button, so the camera is in action at this very moment.  no time to waste, nancy drew.

6.  hold your breath and carefully remove the lens.  use a flashlight to look down inside - the shutter is open, revealing the inner workings of the camera.  this is delicate territory, people.  and there, on that blue-green screen, there lied a tiny fleck of schmutz.  THE SCHMUTZ!  so i carefully used the microfiber tip of the lenspen to extract the schmutz.

7.  carefully replace the lens.  now exhale.

8.  manually turn the camera off because heaven knows when the shutter will close.

at this point i took a photo of a white piece of paper to see if the dreaded schmutz was still there, and here is what appeared on the screen -

blurry iPhone photo, but you get the idea... schmutz be gone!

there was considerable jumping up and down, and i celebrated by taking my camera along with me.  everywhere.  no more configuring my framing to later crop out the schmutz, what a relief.  i am once again able to capture the entirety of what i see and feel and wish to express and savor.

DIY camera cleaning.  amen to that.  xoxo

saturday inspiration : star gazing

it was an incredibly clear evening, and we happened upon a huge telescope down by the falls tonight, so of course we had a look at the lovely and incredible moon.  and the conversation about outer space that followed as girly and i walked through town was even more awe-inspiring.  on the drive home, i overheard her wish upon the moon, and to both our surprise and delight, her favorite song was played next on the radio.  seriously.

happy saturday!  xoxo

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p.s.  there's still time to enter the giveaway for a copy of Rainy Day Crafts with Kids!

happiness is : new + same

morning walks down and around the lake have made their way back into the routine of my days, and i couldn't be happier.  i'm really enjoying the opportunity to get out bright and early, get moving, breathe fresh air deep into my lungs, and clear my mind before getting down to whatever is on the calendar.

each day i travel the same paths, see the same trees + same lake, wave to the same couple walking with their baby, am sized up by the same pack of sled huskies...

yet, each day there is something fresh and new and invigorating.  it's all how you look at things, how you filter it all.  enjoy your day.  be it full of new or same.  xoxo

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I truly appreciate your comments. Thank you for sharing + spending time in this space.

what i found

yesterday afternoon - on Halloween, how appropriate - a giant spider jumped out of my handbag and scampered across the kitchen floor.  after i caught up with it and gave it a good slap, i figured it was probably time to clean out my purse.  here's what i found:

[ note the lack of spider carcass.  you are welcome. ]

what i found was that i felt an urgency to arrange everything all scientific-looking.  i suppose that's what happens when you're home alone, sometimes.  you arrange your bits on a white table because the white table makes you happy.  and then you stand on a chair to get a nice overhead shot.  and while you're taking the shot, you lean up against the window frame. and because you are wearing handknit wool socks, you almost slip off the chair.  but you don't slip.  and you do get the photo you were after.  as you climb down, your heart slows down to a reasonable pace.  and for a split second, you ask yourself, "why am i risking my life to arrange my bits on a white table to photograph them just so?"

oh yeah, "because it brings me joy."  simple as that.

later, everything (except the spider) went into another bag, and i had enough room to tuck in a copy of Mollie Makes.  that makes me happy, too.

so...  what is in your bag?  what brings you joy?  xoxo

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I truly appreciate your comments.  Thank you for sharing + spending time in this space.

just a day

7ish  -   kiddos inform me they're not going to wake me up before heading downstairs.
they had the day off of school, and unlike school days, they are able to awaken themselves with no drama whatsoever.  what is up with that?

8ish  -  i slept in.  i'm no fool.  and as i'm getting out of bed, my body reminds me about the work i've done in yoga classes this week.

9ish  -  pumpkin pancakes.  amen.

10ish  -  computer work for school, band, shop, etc.  there may have been some blog reading in there, as well.  and coffee.

11ish  -  shower and get dressed for the day.  what???  it's before noon.

12ish  -  encourage the girls to get dressed.  and knit while i wait.

1ish  -  depart for lunch out + an afternoon of treasure-hunting, driving south for far too long only to discover that of the 5 great diners i knew of in kent, 2 are now bars, 1 has been levelled, and 2 are not what they used to be. 

2ish  -  happy meals.  what can i say, i gave in.  we were all hungry and i was not about to take them into a bar for wings + beer + a hunting license.

3-5ish  -  treasure hunting.  

6ish  -  we arrive home with a few items, including an amazing chair, a vintage makeup/suitcase, fisher price camera + camping van, a few childrens' books, and vintage needlework too pretty to pass up.

7ish  -  prosecco.

wishing you a weekend filled with joys of your own.  xoxo

snapshots

my folks move south for the winter - snow birds, i think they're called - and so i brought my camera along with me yesterday to capture and share a bit of our fall colors.

it's been a while since i brought out my real camera for anything other than work.  quite frankly, i've been lazy.  i do adore the more casual approach and ease of capturing moments with my beloved instagram/iphone.  but i have real cameras - both digital slr and film - for a reason.  and while it felt a bit awkward at first, it came back to me.

we've been blessed with a week of glorious weather here in ohio, amazing cloudless skies and heavenly temperatures, and we've been soaking it up as much as possible.  a nice respite from what was the summer of rain, rain and more rain.  and guess what, it's raining again today.  (and promises to continue for another week, boo.)  as i type this very moment, in fact, the wind is blowing more and more of those golden leaves to the ground.  fall in ohio is gorgeous, this is true.  but it is almost always over too soon.

this makes me all the more happy i brought my camera along with me yesterday.  xoxo

a week + the making

it's been a week of highs + lows + earlies + lates + no, thank yous + what ifs.

life.

home + making has gotten me through this week.  always does.  xoxo

here + there

over the summer i had the wonderful honor of being featured in a few lovely publications and i'd love to share!

the summer cover of CraftSanity Magazine captured summertime in the midwest perfectly.  jennifer interviewed me as well as featured the "Itty Bitty Book-in-a-Box" project from TYV Crafting with Kids, plus the summer 2011 issue also includes recipes for superdelicious strawberry jam, sewing + knitting projects (bloomers + bonnets, oh my), and so much more - i don't know how she does it.  (well, she is a marathoner.)  her love of handcrafts + homemaking play a big part in driving her to create a great indie quarterly publication that is consistently filled with unique + inspiring content.

then i received a request to write a feature in a new publication by Stampington & Co. (you may know them for Artful Blogging, Somerset Life, and so many more absolutely gorgeous publications).  all i needed to hear was the title - Create with Me - and i was in.  this new magazine is right in my wheelhouse, featuring "artistic adventures with children" - so many projects to enjoy doing together with your kids, stories from mama-bloggers (some of my favorites) and really fun product reviews, all pulled together with the stunning photography Stampington is known for.  i wrote a very personal piece titled "my wish" that still leaves me weepy when i think about it, but it's a happy cry.  and honestly, it is a wish come true that i have these opportunities to capture moments of our journey together as a family.

in case you fancy a copy of either of these publications...

• CraftSanity Magazine is available as a print version or instant download.
• Create with Me is available at bookstores or you can order online here.

there was also an awesome feature in The Plain Dealer in August (coincidentally while we were on vacation) as a part of a special back-to-school section.  They included a pair of craft projects from TYV Crafting with Kids so you and your kids can make your own accessories - details are HERE.

and lastly, i was also happy to have a little serendipitous photo feature in April/May issue of Homestyle Sewing UK - they gave a nice shout-out to Sew Mama Sew! and featured my flip side pillow in the mention.

opportunities like these never cease to give me goosebumps and it's all come about as a result of this here little blog.  who knew?

and as if that's not enough, i am beyond excited about what's coming up in the next few months!  can't share just yet, but it's going to be goooood.  xoxo

happiness is :: the fair

school was closed friday for the fair, so of course we went.  if you are in (or near) ohio this weekend, you will be happy campers if you attend the geauga county fair.  gorgeous countryside on the ride getting there, rides + food + friends + music + animals + crafts galore.

and not for nothing... it's the oldest fair in ohio.  xoxo