Picture Post

Amidst the creation of bats, spooky trees, and ghosts, I decided to post some pictures - quite on a whim. These were all taken with my new camera (except for this first picture).

This first picture is me at 26 weeks. Just so you can see the difference between then and now.



These next two pictures are me at 33 weeks. Technically, 32 weeks and 6 days. Tomorrow I am 34 weeks.



I chose my top favorite pictures that I took at Colleen's book launch last weekend. I took a little over 100 (and still could have taken more). As a little bit of a background to Colleen's books: she began writing a few years ago. Her first two books are now self-published and she is writing her third. It is a series of 4 books telling the story of a girl from Oregon who has to help two ancient Indian princes break a curse that has turned them into tigers. The first book, Tiger's Curse, takes us to India and the mythical kingdom of Kishkindha. Tiger's Quest, the second book, takes us to Tibet and the magical Shangri-la.

Jared and I, along with other family members and friends, were part of her "early readers group". Jared also built (and is still building...) and maintains her website - www.colleenhouck.com. You can purchase her book through her website. You can also request your library if they will carry it (and get other people to request it too because the more people who request such a newly-published book, the more likely your library system will pick it up).

This is just some of the food of Shangri-la that was at the party. Brad, Colleen's husband, decided I took far too many food pictures.




I just thought this turned out to be a cool picture. The focal point of this picture are a number of bookmarks that were made for Colleen's book. There were also earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. I got an earring/bracelet/bookmark set as a gift from Colleen. Very pretty and well made. There is a link to the maker's Etsy site from Colleen's website. There aren't many pictures up yet, but you can get a feel for what she makes.


Colleen Houck, the author.


Alan, a nephew in attendance.


Sarah, a niece: it took me a loooong time to get a picture of her face. She gets to be quite shy and usually has her chin glued to her chest.


A lotus flower. Colleen has a tier of them in different colors.


Matthew, a nephew. His brother, Alan, won one of the raffle drawings and chose the first book as a prize. Matthew immediately sat down to read it. It took me a while to get a picture. People kept getting in the way.


It was a beautiful day. Actually, not really. It was raining all morning and the early part of the afternoon.


Honey nectar from Shangri-la. Colleen really liked this picture. Jared says the sorbet on the lime mars the perfectness of this picture. I still like it. And it tasted really good. It was served in tall, skinny flute glasses. There were two servers who came and would take my cup away and give me a new one.