The Faces of the Chinese New Year Festival 2011 - The Tiny Dancers

I promised more. How cute are they!!!

Sunday Church Series - The Chapel

The chapel at the Children's Fresh Air Farm in Bluff Park is owned by Independent Presbyterian Church.  Built in the 1920's it has served the young people of Birmingham in many capacities. Last summer it was the site of the BELL Program (Building Educated Leaders for Life).  The graduates of the STAIR tutoring program at the church spent part of their summer vacation here learning and having one terrific time. The program was such a success, this group will be asked back next summer , to be joined by this year's graduates.  As a way to stay in touch with last summer's happy campers, Director Gini Williams has planned some jampacked Saturdays during the school year.  I consider it a privilege to be able to drop by and snap a few photos. I'll have more from this past Saturday in the days to come.  Alabama Possible posted this great article about the program.

Cooking With Cliff

You've met my friend Cliff Holt before.  He and wife Maureen own Little Savannah, one of Birmingham's best restaurants.  From time to time Cliff holds Saturday cooking classes.  Recently they used my daughter Melissa's kitchen, and I had the pleasure of photographing the eager students as they helped Cliff prepare a delicious meal.  We all sat down for a leisurely lunch and enjoyed the results.

The Menu:

 A very fine grilled steak with a Marchand de Vin sauce, haricot vert with shallots (I think) and purple sweet potato gratin. C'est bon!!

For more information regarding the cooking classes, click here.

Little Savannah

3811 Clairmont Avenue

205.591.1119

Waiting for Spring?

You know what they say, "You have a to kiss a lot of toads before......"  Well I'm sorry but everytime I see this guy perched on his lily pad at the Birmgham Botanical Gardens, I smile and think of that quote.  And by the way, I took a very nice stroll through the gardens on Wednesday, and I do believe this guy will be feeling frisky very soon! ;)

Back in Time

Recently I had the pleasure of hearing this great group perform. If you love music from the sixties, you need to hire them for your next event! You probably know how very much I enjoyed the evening.  My kind of music!

Back in Time

Coca-Cola Enjoy!

I wandered all around, up and down, at Tricia's Treasures in Homewood last Saturday. Tricia's is the go to place for antiques of all kinds, plus she is just a great lady! This vintage table and chairs, with the memorable Coca- Cola emblem, brought back some fond memories

As a Bystander

I walked up on this lovely young lady at Sloss Furnaces not long ago.  I wasn't her photographer, but I snuck a few shots.  I love her dress against the industrial backdrop.

The Faces of the Chinese New Year Festival 2011

Chinese New Year Festival 2011 - Boutwell Auditorium

This precious boy just moved to the top of my favorite portraits list!

Sunday Church Series - Let There Be Peace

I was down at Kelly Ingram Park recently and had a chance to photograph the 16th Street Baptist Church.  This church has seen its share of tragedy. This peace pole adjacent to the church speaks volumes.

Tin Pan Alley

Parkside Cafe.  Take a stroll out back and there are many photo ops.

After Hours

Well this place, located on 2nd Avenue North in downtown Birmingham looks like a gallery I need to revisit when they open!

Euro Birmingham??

Yesterday we had some of the most delightful weather you could hope for in February!  My talented artist friend Jane, hosted our very fun wine group at her home.  The weather was fine and I couldn't wait to get outside on her deck overlooking the city (see my new header).  Jane's home reflects her creative spirit. This vignette was too good to pass up and me think of...........

Get To The Point

We had a brief but pretty snowfall last Wednesday evening. I was a bit busy Thursday so I had to rush out in the backyard and try and get a few shots for you. My neighbor's picket fence.

Birmingham Rouge - May I Have This Dance?

Oh I love this "job"! I get to meet the best people and crash Valentine's Dances as well!!! Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing a mighty young group of seniors that meet each week at the Community Ed South, for dancing, and dance they did!  One of the members does double duty as the DJ and sneaks in a dance or two himself.  Many thanks to Director Gail Smith for inviting me, and to everyone there that made me feel so welcome.

J'aime

Today,  I decided to share a new blog with you.  My friend Terry has this amazing ( 44 carat) ruby that he loves sharing with friends and strangers just to see their reaction.  I've watched him in action, and he is so at ease approaching strangers.  Maybe the 100 Strangers Challenge is in his future???  Well he's created a photoblog just to chronicle the people he meets and what they do when he puts this lovely stone in their  hands.  One- Red-Stone is his new blog.  I decided to try and put my love of Paris, champagne and of course this lovely ruby all rolled into one photo. This day seemed the perfect time to share it!

Sunday Church Series - Fear Not

 Birmingham's Cordray Parker  created this beautifiul angel.  It sits on the rooftop of St. Mary's on the Highlands Episcopal Church. I've held onto it for a really long time. I think I need to go at another time of day and try to capture a better image. We'll see.

Amazing!

That was the first word out of my mouth when I visited Barber Motorsports Museum.  I recently received an email from someone in the UK that wanted a photograph of a specific Lotus car there.  I went back through my photos to try and find it and discovered I'd never posted these two photos. This place is like trying to capture the Grand Canyon. It's so massive that photos don't do it justice.

Bama Snow

Rockford Road International Airport closed due to snow

I think I've rubbed this in enough, but just in case... here in Alabama we have the best snow situation. Most of the time it snows, well we might have to close the city down for a day or two, but then it melts and life moves on.  Sometimes.. it's even better. Well it snows like the dickens and then the next day by noon we're back to normal. Talk about the best of both worlds!  That's what happened Wednesday night.  We had us a really pretty, fluffy snowfall but by morning we were all good to go!  I can't even remember a time we had snow when the schools were open that morning. Lord have mercy, we're acting like a bunch of Yankees around here! :)

My thanks to Maureen and Cliff Holt , Little Savannah Restaurant and Bar, who graciously allowed me to exhibit my photographs for the coming month. We had an opening reception tonight and I was so thrilled and touched that so many of my dear friends stopped in.  Special thanks to my daughter Kathleen and friend Martha Ann Doyal who helped me hang the exhibit. Without them, it would not have happened. My Right Brain has totally taken over.... I was pretty useless.

Night Moves

Looking west on 2nd Avenue North.
Night Moves

The opening of my newest photography exhibit,

"Birmingham and Beyond" 

will be Thursday, February 10

5:30-7:30

Little Savannah Restaurant and Bar

3811 Clairmont Avenue - Forest Park

The Florentine Building

Built in 1927, this lovely example of Italianate architecture features terra-cotta ornaments and marble columns.  It started out as the Club Florentine and was purchased in 2008 with the hopes of doing some clean-up and finding a new use for the space.  Note the precious cherubs at the top!

Chinese New Year - The Year of the Rabbit

I've been looking around the blogs and noticed that a lot of my fellow bloggers have jumped right on the
Chinese New Year celebrations photos.  I've been in *pre-photo exhibit hysteria so I assumed I'd missed our great festival at Boutwell Auditorium.  On closer look, I see I can still  be part of the festivities on February 19 from 11-4  at the Boutwell Aud.!!  So today, a look back at last year's fun. I'll be back with more on the 19th!!!

 * I am pleased to announce that my work, "Birmingham and Beyond",  will be on exhibit at Little Savannah Restaurant and Bar on Clairmont Avenue in Forest Park.  The opening will be Thursday, February 10 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.  I would love for my Birmingham readers to stop by and say hello.  The exhibit will hang until March 10th.

Come Warm Your Hands

I've had this firepit for several years. Last weekend it was just chilly enough, and it seemed a very good time to drag it out and light the fire.  We enjoyed a delightful evening.  Alabama winters are the BEST.  Oh sure we have a little snow or ice but for the most part, it's really cold, warmer, cold snap, warmer,  snow scare, warmer weather, ice storm!.. pretty good weather...... you get the idea.  And I was able to experiment with my "fire" photography!)  The next time we gather, do you think mashmallows and graham crackers are in order or........wine.....champagne...hmmmm...no brainer.

Sunday Church Series - Afternoon Sun

Through this month, I will be exhibiting my photographs along with fellow church members Carol Privett and Paul Romjue, as part of Independent Presbyterian's  Religious Arts Festival.  

Red Door

I pass this great red door everyday in my neighborhood.  It has been calling my name for a long, long time.

Meeps' First Snowfall

Yesterday, basically out of the blue ( the weather men had not whipped us into a pre-snow frenzy for days), we had some sleet and then a nice little snowy afternoon.  Meeps got her first taste of it.

I Don't Know Beans......

about coffee.  I don't speak "Starbucks" so when I visit my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Forest Perk, I just say I want a medium coffee and they figure out the rest.  It's always good...a whole lot better than what I make at home.

Time Worn

This terrific old door handle at Continental Bakery has caught my eye for years. I've photographed it over and over and over. I think I "might" be happy with this one, but there's always next time!

CDP Theme Day - Fountains

Boy the first of the month rolls around quickly. I ALMOST let this theme day get past me.  Luckily my friend Terry and I went roaming around downtown last weekend and I caught this photo of the fountain in the center of Linn Park backlit with the late afternoon sun.

As many of you know, the theme for the first day of every month is voted on by the 1000's of CDPB around the world.  You can click on the link below and see their creative interpretations of this month's theme!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants