3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

365project

Day 89/365: Coop de Ville, a Shopping Paradise

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For the next two days I’m going to break out of the typical 365 Project rules. I took so many neat pictures during my shopping trip at Coop de Ville and  Feathers that I’m going to expand a little and break out of the one photo limit. Won’t do this often, but hopefully you’ll forgive me this time.

Welcome to Feathers

Coop de Ville & Feathers are two dynamite retail stores. They have everything a chick needs for her home, her garden, her gift giving needs and herself.

Feathers Gift Shop- Louisville, NE
Unique way of displaying jewelry and scarves.

Photoshop notes: the lighting was perfect in the store, nice big windows so the only adjustment I did was add an artistic plastic wrap effect.

Don't forget to look UP!!

Why does an old refrigerator door look perfect on this wall and not mine? I just couldn’t pull off the forks and knives either.

You look Maaaarvelous My Dear

Around every corner is a new visual vision for the eyes, something unexpected, whimsical, and things that are normally out of place, look like they belong. Don’t know her name, but she looks Maarvelous!

Paperdoll Wall

Across from the lady in the bathtub is this wall, yes decoupaged with paperdolls and whimsical funny sayings. “Being in therapy is great, I spend an hour talking about myself. It’s kinda being a guy on a date.  Caroline Shea” or “It’s the good girls who keep diaries, bad girls don’t have the time- Takiah Bankhead” Note the whimsical light at the top and the old hair dryer? There is so much to see in each room, around every corner that it’s easy to miss things.

Don’t worry, I’ll revisit the stores, there will be random posts throughout the year, but if you would like to get a regular does of whimsy visit the Coop de Ville & Feathers  Facebook page. Both stores are located in Louisville Nebraska, just 30 minutes from Lincoln or Omaha. If you visit, reserve and afternoon.

Day 88/365: Red Peppers

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Day 88: Red Peppers

Took this at the  HyVee grocery store in Lincoln Nebraska. The produce department is a vast array of photo opportunities when there isn’t anything interesting during the brown, drab month of February and March.  I love red peppers in my food, especially sauteed chicken or pork, just makes a colorful addition to a dish. Other than that a pretty quick picture today.

Day 87/365: Victorias Secret, Shimmers

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Day 87: Give Me the Shimmers

My daughter picked up this Victoria Secret “Give the the Shimmers” Sparkling Body Powder at Bit’s and Pieces and I instantly thought, it’s gotta be my photo of the day.  Fun pink glittering powder in a bottle with a super soft feather brush.

It’s more of a novelty for her dresser, but I think I need to try it sometime.

Photoshop Notes: normal action layers, bumped up the contrast and decreased the brightness. Sharpened the feathers a little. I’m going to play around with some curves and effects later. This will make a good subject.

Day 85/365: Dog Toy Testing Continues

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Brody seems so happy, and he is, happy to destroy any squeaky dog toy that comes into the house.  If you read his previous toy escapade, you will see he is quite the toy enthusiast and he’s at it again, another dog toy test, another day with fluff littering the living room. Mighty Dog Toys are promoted as being tested by tigers (watch videos here) and encourages the consumer to rethink durability. 

Day 85: Brody's New Toy
Day 85: Brody’s New Toy

I signed up to be a toy tester with MyDogToy.com to save money, they are half price if you agree to review the toy on the website, now it’s become a challenge. I hope the feedback I give VIP Products will learn actually create an indestructible dog toy. Wouldn’t that be wonderful.

Dog toy test by a Jack russell terrier
Look at me, look at me!!

This has been the best squeaky dog toy so far. I liked it because it was big enough to grab and pull away from Brody without getting near his mouth. The Mega Gear Ring was much easier to play fetch and throw, I loved it and I  think Brody even loved the big size. The Ring seemed to fight with him as he ran and he carried it various ways with his head  the middle of the circle. Tried to get various pictures, but he moved too fast.

The outside fabric was quilted and prevented him from pulling all the outside cover off. That frustrated him to no end, he could only rip one square inch of fabric at a time. Mighty Dog Toys goes to great lengths to attempt to make their toys durable, and for normal dogs, or even persistent dogs this would work, as you can see below VIP Products tries really hard.

Seven Rows of Stitching Each toy’s seven layers of material are sewn together with two rows of linear stitching and two rows of cross stitching. The four rows of stitching are protected with an industrial grade luggage material that is sewn 3 more times. Seven Layers of Material Three layers of 600 Denier industrial grade material, three layers of plastic coating and finally one layer of soft fleece. All seven layers are rolled together and then sewn with a one inch cross pattern to prevent layer separation. Protective Webbing Additional industrial grade luggage material is sewn around the outside edge with three rows of stitching to cover and protect the first four rows of stitching. Squeaker Safety Pockets Each Squeaker is safe and quiet because they are sewn into a nylon safety pocket beneath seven layers of material.

Dog destroys a dog toy
Yes, I’m the destroyer, bring on the next one…

It took Brody almost 2 hours to penetrate and release fluff. This is the longest of any dog toy I’ve ever gotten him. Then it was only one of four compartments.
This was great!  He literally exhausted himself. The last compartment wasn’t breached for almost six hours. He eventually tore and ripped holes in the fabric, but threw and tossed it around for the next couple of days.

We had a lot of fun with this one, and if I had taken it away after a few hours, then given it back later, it would of latest for days.

Photoshop Notes:  Top picture, which really is my “photo of the day “,  normal action layers, but I erased the background in the upper left of the cabinet and Xbox controllers, it was distracting and messy

Have you had any luck with finding indestructible dog toys? If so I’d like to hear about them. Leave me a comment, or contact me on Twitter.

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Day 84/365: Look Out It’s a Pink Pig

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Day 84: Pink Pig

It’s a giant pink inflatable pig! He lives in my living room and is used as a bouncy chair, similar to how an large 3 foot exercise ball is used. Not for exercise, but to sit on. This carnival prize was won for my daughter at the Cass County Fair several years ago and I really do think it’s an exercise ball inside considering how sturdy it’s been. Pig doesn’t have a name and he’s starting to deflate, notice the saggy bottom, but keeps getting blown up because he’s a favorite.

The boys have a deal, whoever get’s “pig” has to use the corded Xbox remote, the person with the seat gets the cordless. See getting to sit on “Pig” is a privilege and that means you don’t get the good remote. First thing that I hear before an Xbox game is started with a group of boys is, “Where’s the pig?”

Now excuse me while I bounce on pig.