In with the new...Out with the old!

On this last day of 2019 I am very grateful for all the blessings I've received over the last year. I've had heartaches, too, but those turned in to blessings. The Lord has been awesome to my family and me this year. As I enter 2020, I look forward to seeing what's in store. Through both the good times and the rough times, I will make it because Jesus is with me all the way!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours,

may you day be filled

with the love and peace

of Christ.

He is the TRUE reason 

for this season!

I must be Wonder Woman...

The Bible teaches that the Lord gives us no more than we can handle.  If that is the case, the Lord must think I'm Wonder Woman or some type of super human.  The last month or so has really be chaotic around here,  the details of which I will not go into here.  If you want to compare this to the weather, there have been times when I have had just a few rain showers and other times when I've gone through either hurricanes or tornadoes.  But after the storm blew through, the beautiful days have been glorious, and I am so grateful for the blessings I have received because of the bad storms.

I think of Job in the Old Testament and all the things Satan put him through trying to get him to denounce God.  He lost his entire family and everything he owned.  Even his friends told Job he must've done something terribly wrong against God and to repent.  Not once did Job lose his faith in God, and because of this the Lord blessed him tremendously in the end.  (NOTE:  Please read the Book of Job for more details.)

Though I know things have calmed down somewhat, I've still been busy getting ready for Christmas.  Having a cold doesn't help matter things any, plus having several orders I need to get out in time for holiday deliveries.

Just remember, if things get hectic and you don't think you can take anymore, you've got help with the Lord!  All you have to do is ask.

New camera ordered...

Nikon D5600 DSLR

Well, I finally got to order my new camera, which should arrive tomorrow.  I ordered a Nikon D5600 from Amazon and several accessories, including 3 different size lenses, filters, lens hoods, and a vertical battery grip with extra batteries.  I am so looking forward to "playing" around with my new toy.

I am more familiar with the Canon SLR (I own a Canon T70 which is 35mm camera), so the Nikon is new to me.  Why did I go with Nikon instead of  Canon?  After doing a lot of research and comparisons, I decided to give Nikon a try.  The Canon I compared the D5600 with was the T7i, which seems to be a really great camera itself.  There didn't seem to be that much of a difference between the T7i and the D5600; however, the deciding factor for me was mainly the price.  Nikon was less expensive than Canon.  Plus, I have a couple of friends who are professional photographers who use Nikon cameras and I know they will help me with learning all I need to know.

As soon as I can, I will update you on my analysis of the Nikon.

Getting back into my love of photography...

Yes I still own my first camera.

Though I’ve been into photography since 1966 when I received my very first camera, a Kodak Instamatic X-15, I have over time realized that I really don’t know as much about cameras and taking great pictures as I would like.  I love taking all types of pictures, especially outdoor pictures.  Nature offers such a vast array of subjects just waiting to be photographed.  Over the years, I have gone from the above Kodak camera to a Canon T70 35mm to a Sony Digital point-and-shoot.  Each camera has been used quite a bit and I love each one.  The sad part is film for the Kodak Instamatic is no longer made that I am aware of.  It used a drop-in type of 35mm film.

Bought in 1984.

The Canon T70 uses 35mm film on a roll, which I can still find.  The downside of 35mm is having to take it some place, such as Walmart, to be developed.  The lens shown in the picture to your right is a 300mm telephoto lens.  I also own several other types of lenses for it, as well as several types of filters. 

A few years ago I "upgraded" to a Kodak point-and-shoot digital camera, which I no longer own. It was gifted to a minister in Eswantini, Africa.  The digital camera I use now is a Sony CyberShot, a point-and-shoot camera.  A digital camera makes it very convenient when you want to upload to FaceBook, Twitter or some other online site or for sending via texts.  

As of this writing, I am planning on getting a new digital camera, one that will use different size lenses like the Canon T70 I own.  I have a particular camera in mind, but am doing all kinds of research before I finally make up my mind.  There are several "bundles" on Amazon I'm looking at, but I can't make up my mind which one I want.  It is my plan to have it purchased before I attend the Lexington ComicCon the last weekend in March.

ISBN 978-0-07-175471-2

I am also reading "How To Do Everything Digital Photography" by Jason R. Rich, which has helped me a lot in what to look for.  It contains oodles of links to help with researching things I need/want to know.  If you are looking to learn more about digital photography, I highly recommend this book.  I got mine at my local library, but you can also find it on Amazon, both new and used.

One last photograph I'd like to share with you is a novelty 35mm camera I bought years ago.  It was one I just couldn't resist and though I didn't use it very much, I am so glad I bought it.  This, like the Kodak Instamatic, used a type of drop-in film, the difference being, instead of dropping the film into the back of the camera, you attached the camera to the film.

As I do more research on my newest addition of a dslr camera, I hope to share what I decide to buy, as well as what helped me to make my decision.

Updates...

We recently added a few new designs to our Etsy store, A Family Affair Boutique, and are working on some more to add soon.  If you don't see something you're looking for, just ask and we'll see what we can do to help.  We are also hoping to soon add handmade lanyards and keyfobs to the store.  We are working on getting pictures made to upload.

I'm still working on getting pictures ready to upload to Sharry's Place.  These pictures include my adventures at The ScareFest convention this past September, as well as some odds and ends I've taken.  Next year's convention will be October 23-25; if you like horror and paranormal conventions, be sure to check out their website often for guest announcements, hotel reservations and to purchase your tickets.

The next convention I will be attending will be the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention, which will be the weekend of March 26-29, 2020, at the Lexington Convention Center.  They have a great lineup of guests so far with more to be announced.  Tickets are on sale now, as well as the opportunity to make hotel reservations.

One last thing for now...I will eventually "upgrade" my camera equipment to include a Nikon D5600.  I am working on saving the money for it and doing a lot of research, and will post updates as I go.

Post-ScareFest...

The 2019 ScareFest Convention is now in the history books, and I must say it was another great one.  Though there were a few stars who had to cancel for one reason or another, there were still oodles of great stars to meet.  The "headliner" was Bruce Campbell who was the star of the Evil Dead movies.  He is also the latest host of Ripley's Believe It or Not.  I will be posting pictures soon of the convention to my photography website, Sharry's Place.  I hope you will come back to see when these pictures will be uploaded.

Dates for next year's ScareFest are October 23-25, 2020, at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky.  The management is in the process of working with local hotels in setting aside blocks of rooms for convention goers.  If you would like to keep up with when these rooms will be available or just to keep up with any and all info about ScareFest, you can visit their website, www.thescarefest.com.

 

First day of ScareFest...

This is it...ScareFest has arrived.  This is my first year (and maybe my last, but more about that later) as a volunteer.  I arrived at my hotel around noon yesterday and lounged around in both my room and the lobby.  Got a big hug from actor/stunt man Kane Hodder, who is known as the only actor to have played "Jason Voorhies" in four of the Friday the 13th movies. 

Last evening there was a mandatory meeting of all the volunteers with the owners of the convention, Brandon and Nicole Griffith.  They not only welcomed/thanked the volunteers for helping, but made a few announcements concerning what was expected and safety rules.  The volunteers then split off into groups depending on what area they were going to "work" and took a "walk through" of the convention floor and what they would be doing in their area.  It was definitely an experience to get a first hand look at some of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes of putting on a convention.  I cannot imagine what headaches the Griffiths and their chief of operations, Layla Cook, have to go through all year long to put on such a top-notch convention.  

As to whether or not this will be my one and only time as a volunteer, that is up on the air right now.  Over the last several years I have been granted media passes and have taken pictures for my photography website, Sharry's Place.  Since a lot of my time this year will be in the information booth, I won't get to roam the convention floor as much as I usually do.  This has led to withdrawals.  :-)  It is my hope that I will get to talk with Layla about what I can do as a volunteer but still be able to be out on the floor most of my time here in order to take pictures.  I'm not sure if there is a position open for that and if not, I'll probably go back to media passes and not volunteer.  As they say...live and learn.  Please don't get me wrong, I am NOT knocking this convention or the volunteers; some people aren't cut out to be volunteers.  I most definitely have the utmost respect for all the volunteers as they have gone out of their way to help pull off a fantastic convention every year.

If you can't make it to this year's ScareFest, we invite you to keep an eye open on their website, www.thescarefest.com, for information on next year's convention.  You will most definitely have a fun weekend.

Gearing up for ScareFest...

This time next week I will be packing my suitcase to attend the annual ScareFest convention, which is being held in the Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky.  This will be my 9th year attending and my 1st year working as a volunteer.  I am looking forward to seeing friends I have made over the years and get to see only at the convention.  I love this convention because of the family atmosphere and the effort the owners/managers put forth to make it such a fan-friendly convention.

For those of you who have never heard of ScareFest, it is dedicated to horror fandom and Halloween with some paranormal thrown in.  This year's convention runs from September 13-15, and includes stars from movies and shows such Friday the 13th, Game of Thrones, Evil Dead, Face Off, Tales from the Crypt and Six Million Dollar Man.  These are just a few of the movies/shows represented.  Some of the stars who will be there include Kane Hodder, Sid Haig, Lee Majors, Bruce Campbell, Felissa Rose, John Kassier, Ted Raimi, Vee Neill (a 3-time Acadamy Award winning makeup artist), Ryan Hurst, R.A. Mihailoff and Hafthor Bjornsson (world's strongest man).

Paranormal stars attending include The Ghost Brothers, Chris & Brannon Smith and Mike Goncalves of The Tennessee Wraith Chasers and Dave Tango & Steve Gonsalves of Ghost Nation (formerly with Ghost Hunters).

There will be oodles of vendors and displays to feed your shopping fetish.  :-)  If you are a people watcher, you will love observing all the cosplayers who come dressed as their favorite characters.  There is something for everyone at ScareFest, even kids...Sunday the 15th is Kids Day with activities catered just for them.

If you would like more information on the ScareFest convention, check out their website at www.thescarefest.com today.

Check out Ug-Chugs by Nelson Studio

I will periodically post links to shops and/or websites that I think are unique, useful and/or informative.  Today's shop is Ug-Chugs by Nelson Studio, owned by Chad and Meghan Nelson. Their handmade stoneware pottery make unique gifts, and are microwave and dishwasher safe

According to their Etsy shop..."We specialize in making fun, functional pottery.  All of our pieces are unique and completely handmade.  We use no molds, so every piece is truly one of a kind."

You will find coffee mugs, cups, bowls, goblets, just to name a few of the items they offer.  Some of the "categories" include smiley faces, overbites, mustaches, mugs with sunglasses, and animals.

Are you left-handed?  They have items for you too.  

Check out Ug-Chugs by Nelson Studios at:
- www.etsy.com/shop/NelsonStudio
- www.facebook.com/UgChugs
- twitch.tv/UgChugs
- instagram - @ugchugs
- twitter - @ugchugs

 

Currently in the shop...

At the present time, I am making lanyards to take to a horror/paranormal convention I will be attending next month.  The material I'm working with include sugar skulls, Disney's Nightmare Before Christmas and flames.  Hopefully I'll have time to make key fobs to take with me.  Several people have already bought some and I was asked to bring more to sell. 

Another craft I am working on are beaded earrings.   I hope to eventually have them uploaded either to my Etsy store or my FaceBook page.  I have tried to make beaded bracelets, but that is going to take me a while to master.  :-)  

Besides these two crafts, I still do shirts, caps, and other items with heat transfer (HTV) vinyl designs.  I am constantly looking for new designs and have people ask for special requests.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you are interested in more information about any of the crafts I do.  Here's hoping you have a great and blessed day!

New designs uploaded...

Are you into Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Yeti?  Do you know someone who is?  Why not come on over to A Family Affair Boutique and check out the Bigfoot designs we have recently added.  At the present time they have 22 different designs for you to choose from, some of which you can add your own text or phrase.  While there, why not check out the other categories, which include but not limited to Camping, Family, Sports & Superheroes.

A Family Affair Boutique offers your choice of shirt styles, such as tees (both short sleeve and long sleeve), hoodies and sweatshirts, tank tops and raglan. 

New shirt designs and handmade earrings...

A Family Affair Boutique has several new designs in their store.  Some of these designs include sports and sayings.  If you have never been to A Family Affair Boutique, you will find quite a few designs to choose from, as well as several shirt options - t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, long sleeve t-shirts and youth sizes.  Don't see a design you like but want to put in a request?  They love getting special requests.

Something new for A Family Affair Boutique is handmade earrings.  These are for sale on their FaceBook page.  Just go to the Photo Albums and select the one titled Earrings.  Each pair of earrings is only $8 and most are one of a kind.  While you are at the FaceBook page, why not like the page and follow them?

They also hope to add handmade lanyards and keyfobs to the line up.  

It's been a while...

I realize it's been quite a while since I've been here; life has been busy around my home.  Between my 2 websites, learning how to make jewelry/key fobs/lanyards and helping watch the grand-kids after school, I'm staying fairly active.

My Etsy store, A Family Affair Boutique, has several new designs including 30+ new Hometown-Kentucky shirts.  There are lots more in the works for this particular section.  One of the other sections with several new designs is Sayings & Spiritural.  If you are not familiar with A Family Affair Boutique, I'd like to invite you to give us a visit sometime; just click on the above link.  Don't see something you want, just let us know and we'll see what we can do for you.

The other website I upload to and maintain is Sharry's Place, which features all the photographs I like to take.  Just this past weekend, I uploaded several pictures that were taken at a couple of pop culture conventions held in Lexington, Kentucky.   The picture to your right is of Beth and Duane "The Dog" Chapman of Dog, The Bounty Hunter fame.  One of the other stars there that day was Val Kilmer of Batman.

As I mentioned above, I am in the process of learning how to make jewelry (including earrings and bracelets), key fobs and lanyards.  It is my hope that one day I will be good enough to have some for sale.  I will definitely keep you posted.

Thank you for visiting us and enjoy your day as well as your visits to my websites.