Scenes from Life + New Prints

We've had rain for days, and I'm being unabashedly pouty about it. I know rain is necessary for plants or something, but I don't like it and I'm not apologizing. ;)

I've been editing recent photos from sunnier days and doing my best to drown out the incessant tap tapping on the window with music and off-key singing...which works, sort of. (There may have also been bad dancing combined with off-key singing once or twice, but there's no evidence and I'll deny it.)

Several of these photos are available as prints (and phone cases, pillows, greeting cards, etc.) in my society6 shop, and I'm offering free shipping (on anything they'll let me) till Sunday.

Also, I get asked a lot where my photos are taken; these were all taken in Alexandria, VA close to where I live. I've also been asked "What's the deal with the stars on the sides of buildings?" You see these stars a lot on row houses in older cities; they are end caps (sort of decorative washers) to tie rods that run crosswise through the building and provide structural support. The metal tie rods were used in masonry construction (i.e. brick row houses) to keep the walls from leaning or bowing out. Alexandria was founded in 1749, and most of these houses are really really old, so you still see odd architectural elements here and there.

Apparently, it is a trend today to buy these metal stars, which you can find at antique shops, or new stars made to look old, and use them as decorative elements. Sometimes, I think it's a little silly when people try to make new architecture look old...especially doing "faux" architectural elements. But at the same time, I guess there's something nice about preserving tradition and holding on to a bit of our past.

What do you think?