Moving! Won't you come along?

For those of you who follow me via google reader or other rss feeds, this site will no longer get blog updates. I have gone ahead and moved over to wordpress, which I have quickly fallen in love with. ALL of my old content is over there along with new posts, new photos, and new pricing on sessions. Come on over and take a look, don't forget to follow the NEW site and sign up for some Fresh Cut Love to your inbox for promotions, giveaways and first dibs on goodies.

Find the new site by clicking below or at www.sharonjohnsonphotography.com

A Winner and a Hiatus

Emily, you won! Email me and let me know who you would like your 2nd copy sent to!

With that I'm bidding the blogging world farewell for a short while, or at least me blogging consistently. Today was our first day of school (it was AWESOME), Kerry has a new job, and business is going well and getting a 6 week course kick in the butt so I have A LOT of work to do. Have a great few weeks with your kiddos or your kiddos back in school. Summer is coming to a close, soak it up while you can. I'll be doing just that in all this extra free time I have laying around. (?)...

Utah Portrait Photographer :: Teresa Pinkal

A few of my best friend T.P. (Teresa Pinkal.) Mamiya 645 pro 400h film.

Shot in my window light in front of a draped sheet.

Teresa Pinkal is a first and last name type of girl. I don't know what I will ever do when she gets married and changes her last name... I'll still just call her Teresa Pinkal.

She lives very last min, which I love. She never knows what she is planning on doing until she does it. If she does have plans, they change, and quickly.

She has been in LA interning for the Clippers all summer. I haven't seen her or talked to her in far too long.

She studies harder and has a better work ethic than anyone I have EVER met.

She dropped a week of her life, deciding the night before that she would join Blair and I on a Mexico, Copper Canyon school adventure.

When she went on a mission I'm pretty sure she got her papers in only a few days after deciding to go. Like I said, she doesn't really plan.

She is silly, and crazy, and perfect for doing nothing and/or everything with.

I adore her.

She makes the best brownies and muddy buddies.

"Fat Kid" parties with Teresa are the best.

Her hands and fingers are stunning, scroll back up and take a look.

She can make an award winning halloween costume with brown paper bags, construction paper and scissors....in 15 mins.

Teresa is such an amazing listener. I have spent many nights walking the streets of Provo talking and talking and talking her ear off.

I miss her.

I love her.

We met in college, my first semester there. Our meeting was completely inspired... I believe most relationships are coincidence, but then there are the few that have to happen. It seems the world would've exploded had it not. I'm glad we met, and the world didn't have to explode. Love you TP.

Cucumber Varieties

Before this summer I never gave cucumbers much attention. Yes they are good to throw in a salad or whatever but ... it is a cucumber....big whoop, but the garden we pick from has 4 different kinds of cucumber and I have fallen in love with this odd little vegetable. They are growing like mad and we can keep up with harvesting them all. This is what is grown:

Pickle Burpless Armenian

Lemon

All of these cucumbers are great to just eat off the vine or throw into a salad but each does have a distinctive taste and texture and some are better for some ways of cooking that others.

Pickling Cucumbers are short, flavorful and versatile when cooking. Great for eating raw or pickling. Throw these in a mason jar with vinegar, dill and salt, process, and a few months later you have a pickle. I enjoy fresh pickles which take 3 mins instead of 3 months. Slice cucumber and drizzle some balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper on there. Yum.

Burpless Cucumbers can typically be found in your grocery store. They are the ones all wrapped up in plastic. These have a thin skin and small seeds and are less flavorful than the other varieties of cucumbers. Great for salads, no need to peel or seed.

Armenian Cucumbers are not only delicious but also really quite pretty when cut up into thick slices because of it's deeply ridged skin. If you like crunch, these are the cucumbers to get. The outer veggie is very thick and very crunchy. No need to seed or peel, great eaten raw and they look stunning on a veggie platter.

Lemon Cucumbers are considered the gourmet cucumber. The skin is thin and yellow and the taste is sweet and flavorful. They are really pretty just kept in a large bowl on the counter. They do have little prickles that scrub off easily. Great eaten raw and do pickle well.

Your local farmers market should be supplying beauties like these in abundance if you'd like to obtain some to have in your home.

I Like You :: Children's Book Feature :: & Giveaway

Written by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast in 1963. This simply illustrated and adorably written book captured my adoration a few years back while browsing through the children's section. Since then it has become my favorite children's book (possibly my favorite book) and copies of it have been found in many of the hands of people I like. I chuckle every time I read it through (which is once or twice a day as it is Lus' favorite book too) and am always impressed with how a silly little children's book can say just what "i like you" really means.

I've included some of my favorite line from the book. Scroll down and enter to win a copy!

I like you

And I know why

I like you because you are a good person

To like

When i think something is important

you think it's important too

We have good ideas

When i say something funny

You laugh

I think I'm funny and

You think I'm funny too

Hah-hah

I can't remember when I didn't like you

It must have been lonesome then

If I pretend I am drowning

You pretend you are saving me

If I'm getting ready to pop a paper bag

Then you are getting ready to jump

HOORAY

That's because

You really like me

You really like me

Don't you

And I really like you back

And you like me back

And I like you back

And that's the way we keep going

Everyday

Find your copy HERE.

Or.......

enter the giveaway and win one! AND, when you win you get to pick someone you like too, who has also entered the giveaway, and I will send them a free copy too!

BECAUSE

I like you

and you like me too

How to enter:

Step 1: Comment here. Who are you going to give your winning copy to? Grandma, hubby, boyfriend, baby, or is it going to yourself because heck, you like you too!

Step 2: You get 2 extra entries for Posting this to your facebook or twitter or pinterest, or blog or any of those fancy social sites. (Tell your friends that if they win, they should like you and show you by choosing you for the extra copy.)*make sure to let me know in your comment*

Step 3: Check back to see the winner which will be picked, at random, on Monday.

Isn't it fun to be liked?

My F/8

Several months ago I was asked by 2 complete strangers if I would like to hangout with them and 3 others once a month...

I am grateful everyday they did.

Photo by the talented Leslie Krout.

(go take a look, her images will melt you)

Wool Dryer Balls. Felted Yarn Balls :: DIY

I started making these after learning to make my own Laundry Detergent. They are handmade, "green" and good for those kiddos that have extra sensitive skin. They go right in your dry cycle with your clothes to replace dryer sheets. They work wonderfully and I hear they last for years and years and years. Not only do they keep the clothes static free, if you use enough of them in one load it will cut your drying time in half in some cases. I typically throw 5 to 10 balls with each load, depending on the size of the load. They are incredibly easy to make, so much so that I will spare you a lot of directions and let the photos do the talking.

You need yarn that is 70% wool or higher. I suggest using a yarn that is thicker, the thinned stuff didn't felt as well. Start by making your core. Wrap tightly!

When finished this should be 3-4 inches diameters in size.

You are now going to felt your yarn balls. Put yarn balls in a nylon, placing a knot tightly between each ball. You can do this by washing or boiling the yarn. I opted for washing as it was much easier. Put in your washer on high heat and run a cycle, soap free. Then throw it in your dryer with a few towels and run for 2-3 dry cycles. Your yarn is now felted together and cannot be unwoven!

Now for the outer layer. Knot your first go around together and just start wrapping.

The ones we made were quit large, about 10in diameters round. 7 is plenty big, and you will save yarn doing them a touch smaller.

Felt again. Back in Nylon, wash then dry.

If you can find a toddler to help you with all of this then you get to rewind the same ball or yarn over and over, it is quite find and I highly recommend it *cough cough*.

This is the "if you don't wind it tight enough or put a tight enough knot in the nylon your yarn will fall out of place and it will look like this" photo. So don't do that. Wind tight people, TIGHT.

The finished product!

Place in the dryer with your wet clothes and let them work their magic. Funny how gorgeous they are as well. I made a bunch of extra along with some super small ones and they sit on my table as a center piece. I'm sure there are a million crafty and decor things that could be done with this concept. Link if you have photos or ideas for these. I'm curious as to what has been done.

Questions about this DIY? Did I leave something out? Comment and let me know!