Enjoy All Life Has to Offer!

Spending 2 days with my Photography Idol

2012-01-15T15:38:00.001-06:00

This past May I was lucky enough to attend Me Ra Koh's confidence workshop in Chicago and it changed me in many ways. I got to spend 2 days up close and personal with one of my photography idols. The workshop is limited to 25 participants which makes the learning experience very personal and intimate. Me Ra isn't shy about sharing her secrets to success and how she got to be where she is today. I have been shooting in manual with confidence ever since the workshop, it seems I've forgotten even how to use aperture priority these days. In addition to being able to shoot manually now, I learned how to shoot in tough lighting situations and believe me - we were shooting in the worst light possible on day 2 thanks to a rainstorm that came through.

Me Ra blogged about the workshop a couple months later and I was ecstatic to see my work featured on her blog not once but twice. You can read all about our day 1 experience here and below are the 2 photos she shared that I took on day 1. I love all of the details and tend to really hone in these adorable little features.

Here's a photo of us hard at work trying to capture the beauty of this ADORABLE little girl. She was a big hit that day and everyone wanted to photograph her personality and beauty. I'm sitting on the windowsill on the left just waiting for the perfect shot and she didn't disappoint!

The first day we shot babies under 1 year of age and then day was family shots. Oh boy, we had the worst lighting ever because right when it was time to shoot it started storming and raining like you wouldn't believe. So stuck inside of hotel we were and needed to find a way to still get some amazing shots for these families. It's a whole lot more challenging to get 4 people looking great in a shot than just 1 or 2.....maybe that's why I prefer shooting little one's and just waiting for that magical moment.

Me Ra blogged about day 2 as well and shared a couple more of my shots from this very challenging afternoon. Read more about it here. I love how comfortable mom looks in this first photo and you can really sense her love for her little one. I then got a good shot with dad as well while they were laughing and having a good old time.

Me Ra and her husband Brian took these photos below as we enjoyed the afternoon challenge. I am in the first photo below where the dark shirt and was ecstatic to put my flash to use that day. I learned during the workshop how to use it and make it look like natural light - it was a god sent that day for me and I am no longer afraid to use flash when necessary.

So there you have it - my 2 days with Me Ra that I will treasure forever. This year I am hoping that Me Ra will come back to Chicago once again so that I can bring our Baby Girl to the workshop as a model. It would be great to see her again and have 25 talented women taking shots of our precious girl, what more could a girl ask for.

Maternity Pictures at 34 weeks

2012-01-14T21:05:00.000-06:00

This pregnancy hasn't been how I would have expected and one positive is that I really haven't gained any weight until recently - thanks to 1st and 3rd trimester morning sickness. Being 5' 10" means Baby Girl has lots of room in the torso to grow and unfortunately I don't have that cute little basketball belly that I wanted.

My super talented friend Brooke has been wanting to take some maternity pictures for months but the belly just wasn't big enough. Well at 32 weeks I ended up in the hospital with pre-term labor, on my 35th birthday of all days, and was sad to think that I didn't have a single picture of me pregnant. Knowing this may be our one and only, I knew that I wanted some pictures to remember this extraordinary time even if I wasn't the most beautiful pregnant woman around.

Finally I got out of the hospital and my bed rest was lifted so at 34 weeks we finally got together for a maternity photography session. Here's a few to show off the baby bump that is contracting as we speak.....I think she's coming sooner than her February 20th due date!

Brooke has an awesome blog called My Boysterous Life and also has a photography blog - check out my talented friend, you won't regret it!

Lots and Lots of Change

2012-01-14T20:44:00.001-06:00

I have been "MIA" from my blog for the last few months and that's because there has been a lot of change in our house. Mostly good change but it's definately thrown me out of my routine and I haven't been spending as much time as I usually do enjoying my hobbies such as blogging, reading, photography, and scrapbooking. In fact for about 2 months I didn't do these at all. Why you ask? Well I'm happy to say that we are expecting our first child in February!!! I will be at the 35 week mark on Monday.

Now that I'm past those lovely 2 months of constant nausea and vomitting, I decided it's time to get back to what I love and start documenting and enjoying this journey - I know I won't have much time after the baby arrives but let's do it while I can! (Note: I wrote this months and months ago but couldn't hit the publish button....sad I know).

So here's the short version of the story. We began seeing an infertility specialist earlier this year and on June 17th after flying the red eye home from a business trip in Las Vegas, I went to the specialist to find out why we haven't been successful getting pregnant on our own. My husband couldn't join me because he was in St. Louis for the weekend watching the Cardinals play with a friend of his. The doctor explained the medical reason behind why we were having trouble conceiving and we came up with a plan to address the issue. I commented to him that I expected my period that week and it said that travel, jet lag, etc could be the reason. I decided that night to take a test just to put my mind at rest and what a surprise it was when I saw the test read "POSITIVE". I completely flipped out and ran around the house in utter shock yelling and scared the dogs a bit unfortunately.

I then decided that I couldn't tell this to David over the phone so I spent the next day planning a big surprise for him since I would tell him on Sunday which was also Father's Day. I spent the day buying baby items with a fatherly twist and finally fell asleep Saturday night. I got a call at 3 am from the friend that my husband was away with to find out that the taxi they were in to take them back to their hotel was in an accident and David was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. He said he would be fine but was complaining of neck pains but it didn't make it any easier. I wanted to scream on the phone "he needs to be ok, he doesn't know yet he's going to be a father" but I didn't. A few hours later I got to talk with him and felt much better. He was a little banged up and had a sore neck that would keep him in a brace and physical therapy for a few weeks.

Finally when he got home on Sunday, the dogs greeted David at the door with bibs around their necks that said "daddy's princess" and "daddy's rock star". I then gave him a gift bag with a card for him
to open. He was clearly in a lot of pain and wasn't very coherant when he opened the card that was signed from "Tanner, Stella, and Baby A" and didn't even flinch. I asked him if he read the card and he said yes but clearly he hadn't so asked him again. He read it again and looked at me and said "are you pregnant" and I of course had tears streaming down my face and said yes. He looked very confused which I'd understood because I told him on the phone on Friday what the doctor had said.It finally hit him and he was very happy.

It was until the next day until it fully hit him thanks to prescription paid meds but when it did it brought tears to my eyes. Here is where the fun really begins.....

12 week ultrasound

It's a Girl!!!!!!!

(picture taken at 34 weeks)

Written August 2011, Posted Janaury 2012

Sunsets and Fireworks

2011-08-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

I know I have been MIA but I have a really good reason, honestly I do. I'll share more with you later once I start feeling a bit better. Major milestone today though, I downloaded pictures from my camera that go all the way back to th 4th of July. I even did a bit of editting, major accomplishment for me! I know you may be sick of fireworks but I think you'll like these. ENJOY!

Sunday Scavenger Hunt [06-19-2011]

2011-06-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday and that means it's time to share your shots from this week's Scavenger Hunt.

Let's hop right to it. Enjoy.

Emotion

From a Flower's Point of View

Natural Form

Letters

Bliss

I hope you enjoyed the hunt. Let's see what Ashley comes up with for next week!

My Macro Photography Excursion

2011-06-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

On Saturday I went to a state park along Lake Michigan for a macro photography excursion with my local camera club. My favorite macro instructor Lou was there to guide us and I was eager to soak up even more of his macro wisdom. It was unseasonably cool on Saturday morning and it was overcast which actually made for the perfect conditions to shoot macro in. The dew stayed on the plants the entire time we were there which made for some great shooting. As you can probably tell, I was stoked about shooting macro but then the evil camera shake thanks to my hunk of junk tripod ruined my day. I took about 250 pictures and only a handful are something I would share with you. While showing my husband my downloads, he said "did you get any that turned out?!" - thanks honey, that's going to cost you a new tripod and ballhead! Seriously, if you don't have a good tripod you are fighting a losing battle and let's just say that I lost. The shoot wasn't a complete loss, I learned a lot and got a few good shots. Here's a few that I haven't already shared with you. Be gentle with me, remember I went to battle with my tripod....

The photo above is out of focus (thanks camera shake) but I like the composition so I decided to share it anyways.

In addition to the beautiful wildflowers, we had two deer that decided to pay us visit.

This one I honestly heard growl at me...yes a deer, I honestly heard a growl.

I also couldn't resist the opportunity to take a photo of the group while they were working their magic.

There is a whole lot of kneeling going on and next time someone says "bring knee pads", I'm going to listen to them and throw fashion out the window for the time being. I thought I wasn't ever going to feel my poor knee caps again. I am heading to the Home Depot this weekend to get a pair and while my hubby is away for the weekend, I'm going to order that new tripod and ballhead. He'll never say "did you get any good shots" again...LOL

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-12-2011]

2011-06-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Life has been very busy but I've managed to spend some time with my best buddy - my camera! While I didn't hit these prompts "out of the ballpark", I did take them all this week - baby steps....

I did on the other hand go to the Cardinals vs. Brewers baseball game in Milwaukee and unfortunately the wrong team won! Boo who.....my hubby is still pouting, he really is. I enjoyed snapping pictures.

Without further ado, let's start the hunt.

Long Exposure

I went on a macro photo excursion at a state Beach Park this morning and afterwards decided to get creative with exposure at the beach. Yes, it's overexposed but I love the look.

Shapes

I had a million ideas for shapes but decided I liked the squares and triangles that you see here from the dome roof at Brewer Stadium.

Green

Gosh, I couldn't pick just one since I took about 300 green pictures this weekend.

I demonstrated constraint and am showing you only 2.

Fruit

This is a bit of a stretch but I think these wildflowers are "fruit" to all of the animals.

I know LAME, but give me a pass on this one. [thanks]

I did however have 2 deer run right in front me while on the trails. One started snorting at me, really it honestly sounded like snort. I just snapped away and they eventually started eating and ignored me.

Childhood Memory

We didn't travel a lot as kids but I do have fond memories of going to Brewer and Cubs games as a kid. Too bad I couldn't dare cheer for either team anymore given I married a die-hard Cardinals fan.

This picture is our friend's son, Ryan, he takes his baseball and the national anthem very seriously.

Despite the loss, it was a great game, and a fun evening at the stadium. No cotton candy but it brings back fond memories indeed.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-05-2011]

2011-06-05T00:50:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit of a scavenger hunt slacker but trust me, I've been taking lots of pictures!!! I am still recovering from my Me Ra Koh photography workshop and editing the beautiful pictures that I was ~~forced~~ able to take in the worst lighting conditions possible. Despite my lack of time this week I was determined to participate....with the help of my pictures taken in the last month! Cheating maybe, but this is all about enhancing our photography skills and pulling our cameras which I've done. So here we go on another hunt.

Hot, Hot, Hot

my futures so bright that I gotta wear shades.

Finding Form

even in places you are not "technically" allowed to shoot.

Front Page of the News

or a Magazine Cover. This is a headshot I took of my friend Erica from my workshop. She was beautiful to photograph which made it so very easy. I even learned how to use my external flash which I used here. I'm in LOVE with my flash now. Wanna know the secret, send me a comment and I'll share. It works every time!

Chore

My dad is retired but always seems to be working or doing chores for others. Here he is filling up the backhoe so that he could help to dig out the foundation for my brothers new garage.

Beads

or sprinkles, they are oh so beautiful and delicious. This was my first cake pops attempt and I was surprised by how delicious they were. However they are a labor of love!

Sweet, Sweet Zara

2011-05-30T23:38:00.000-05:00

It's People's Choice at I Heart Faces, as well as Sweet Shot Tuesday, and I sure shot a lot of sweet faces this past weekend at Me Ra Koh's Confidence Workshop! I am bursting with inspiration, confidence, and lots of dreams after 2 solid days and look forward to sharing more with all of you soon. In the meantime, here is one of my favorite shots.

Building my Photography Confidence

2011-05-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

I can't believe in 3 short days I will be meeting MeRa Koh and attending her Confidence Photography Workshop in Chicago! I did a whole lot of begging to get my husband on board but I know he'll be happy in the end because I'll be so much more confident as a photographer and a woman. If you are not familiar with MeRa, I encourage you to visit her blog. She is a regular on the Nate Berkus show and she's also had her work featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. [Sidebar - sniff, sniff - I will miss watching her show everyday, I literally grew up watching the show]. I will be attending the workshop with 25 uber talented women and I look forward to learning so much from them too.

If you are looking for a great photography book on taking pictures of babies, you'll definitely want to purchase MeRa's best selling book, Your Baby in Pictures. I really love the book and I think it's a great book for any new parents even if they are using a point and shoot. And yes, I am going to be that nerd that gets my copy autographed!

I'll share much much more when I get back on Monday! In the meantime, keep snapping away.

I Heart Faces - Flowers

2011-05-16T18:38:00.000-05:00

This week I thought I would try out a new photo challenge through I Heart Faces and it turns out that this week the challenge is "flowers" - my favorite! Who doesn't love a beautiful picture of flowers?! This picture was captured at the Conservatory at the Lincoln Park Zoo and I just love it. Let's see if she is a winner. It's also SOOC - do I get bonus points for that?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [05-15-2011]

2011-05-15T00:19:00.000-05:00

Running a little behind with getting my post up and ready so let's hop right to it this week.

Here we go on another scavenger hunt.

Bring me Flowers

or dandelions if you are a 4 year old that doesn't know the difference.

Here's my niece giving my mom some "flowers" from the yard.

Visual Contrast

Friendship

with Brooke is something I treasure dearly.

BTW - the reflection from the "bean" is making my thighs appear larger than they really are - honestly!

Dark

What beautiful shots of Buckingham Fountain after dark. And if you don't have a tripod with you don't worry, grab a garbage can nearby, it does wonders!

Before and After - well let's save that one for another hunt shall we?

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [5-8-2011]

2011-05-08T03:22:00.000-05:00

This past week I went on a photo excursion to Chicago with my dear friend Brooke from My [Boys]terous Life and we had an absolute blast! We went to so many places that I lost track but I have my 966 pictures to remind me of all of the wonderful places we went to that day. Ouchy.....I also had an aching body to remind me off all of the walking, squatting, and running around that we did. I was WIPED out to say the least but the pictures I captured were truly worth it.

SOOC

or Straight Out of Camera for you non-photo type.

Easy peasy....that's how I like to roll. Photoshop is evil, yup I said it out loud.

This was my favorite capture of the day and I think it's just perfect.

This was taken at the conservatory at the zoo and despite the very warm temps it was totally worth it.

Sprouting

Took a million pictures for this and here are my 2 favorite. Sorry I couldn't pick just one.

The city of Chicago did a beautiful job of making the area around Millennium Park so beautiful.

Isn't it Ironic

that my husband spent his birthday on Saturday at a play house for my niece's 2nd birthday?!

He's a kid at heart which is one of the things I love about him.

Lazy

Something I definitely haven't been lately but the animals at the zoo sure were.

My ape buddy just sat there chewing away on those sticks all morning. This is how I plan on spending my Sunday morning this week, sitting around doing nothing but munching on some good food.

I couldn't forget about him, this is the definition of lazy, don't you think?

BTW, their horns are made of hair not bone. Good to know right?

Smells like Spring

at Millennium Park when you have beautiful tulips and trees blooming all around you.

Isn't this just breathtaking?! I took a lot of pictures here and I'm sure you'll see more soon.

Linking Up To:

Sunday Scavenger Hunt [05-01-2011]

2011-04-30T23:38:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week but I still managed to have my camera by my side since after 5 long weeks, my new lens finally arrived in the mail! I ordered the Canon 24-105 f/4 L lens and have been patiently waiting for it to ship and it arrived on Thursday. I have felt like a kid in a candy store ever since and I think it's going to be my new BFF. I am going on a photo safari all day Sunday with a camera club I belong to but most importantly my friend Brooke from My [Boys]terous Life will be my sidekick. We will be seeing the City of Chicago through our camera lens all day and we are both uber-excited. We start out at the zoo and will hit many of the fun sites throughout the day. It will be nice to be with so many photographers and I won't be shy about asking questions, I have a long way to go but I'm an eager learner. Can you imagine a full day of shooting with no one saying "hurry up" or sighing because you are taking pictures of things that others think are not good photo subjects?! It's going to be a fun day and I hope the 20% rain stays at bay. Cross your fingers for a successful photo shoot kind of day. I'm sure I'll post a few shots from the day during our next Scavenger Hunt with Ashley. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself, below are the Sunday Scavenger Hunt items from this week.

Architecture

This is a shot from the bottom of a 5 story spiral staircase at work. I work in an all glass building that has some beautiful architecture and it's a beautiful place to take pictures in my spare time - lol.....

Rimmed with Light

I had my first newborn photo shoot on Friday with my friend's 9 day old newborn. I was unfamiliar with the concept "rimmed with light" until I read Kat's blog which was very helpful. I love the side lighting here.

Toes or Feet

You probably guessed it, what's sweeter than a newborns feet?!?! I took many shots of her feet and had a hard time choosing one since chubby baby feet are just the cutest.

This is my favorite

shot from my newborn session on Friday.

I just love the lighting and how peaceful she looks in this picture.

She did a great job posing with her hands for this shot too.

Shades

or blinds. Not so creative but I ran out of shooting time thanks for the thunderstorm coming our way.

Even though they are simply blinds I love the lines and how interesting something so simple looks.

Linking Up:

Cupcakes and Pink Cheeks

2011-04-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

Pink

bunny ears,

whiskers,

jelly beans,

sprinkles,

and peeps.

Move over Martha......I was a cupcake baking and decorating machine this past weekend.

It was my first attempt so please be nice but I think they turned out decent considering I'm a cupcake virgin.

Sweet Baby PINK Cheeks

What is a sweeter shade of PINK than a newborn born 2 weeks early just in time for Easter.

Meet Kamryn or Kami who is the daughter of good friends of ours.

Peacefully sleeping

and now making her first Easter appearance 1 year earlier than expected.

She was born 2 weeks early and was a whooping 8 lbs.

Imagine if her mother went full term?!?!

and now she is getting ready to leave the Easter festivities.

Not happy at all, I guess she doesn't want to leave the party after all.

She made that clear when she started crying.

I have my first newborn session with Kami and her Mom on Friday afternoon. Very excited but nervous. Cross your fingers and send me positive photography vibes that all goes well. I have some fun ideas planned and as long as the baby has a full tummy and sleeps soundly we should be good to go. Also great lighting is probably what I am most nervous about.

Linking Up:

hoppy easter

2011-04-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Scavenger Hunt Sunday {04-24-2011}

2011-04-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! I am so happy to find some much needed time this week to snap a few pictures as a part of Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday. I've missed a few challenges recently and boy have I missed them! I am STILL waiting for my news to arrive after I ordered it 5 weeks ago so unfortunately I am limited to 1 prime lens and my telephoto.....I really miss having a lens with a better range. My lens is shipping from Japan so needless to say shipping is slow getting out of the country. When it arrives don't worry, you'll hear me yelling from the rooftop!

Reflections

of me while sitting at a stoplight with my husband. At least the sun is shining - finally!

Not a very exciting pictures but at least I am participating this week, right?!?!

Guess what this is.

Still can't guess what it is? It's my new secret weapon for wrinkle free skin! It's my much loved Rodan + Fields night serum that I put on each night before my age fighting night cream. My friend Brooke over at My Boysterous Life blogged about her love of the Rodan + Fields products and as a dear friend of mine I knew it had to be good if she liked it that much. So good that she talked her twin sister Beth into becoming a consultant! Interested in learning more check out Beth's website.

Also look at Brooke's results from using their acne system - unbelievable!

What's inside

my cupcake carrier today? I made some Easter cupcakes for Easter and I was surprised by how fun they were to make today. I may now be baking and decorating cupcakes every weekend.

I decided to make some Easter bunnies and then one's with green grass, Easter eggs, and peeps too.

The Easter bunnies turned out better than I thought.

Playtime!

My big child loves to play video games and it happens more frequently than I would like.

While I was decorating cupcakes, here's what my husband was doing.

Playing Xbox......notice the headset?! That's so he can play online with his other adult friends.

Who knew video games were so popular for adults!

Lawn & Garden

This called for a visit to the "lawn & garden" section of the Home Depot!

But the second picture of the UGLIEST toad I've ever seen was found on my lawn in the backyard today.

I was in the yard doing work and let's just say I thought my dogs left something behind for me until I realized it was alive! Yes, I screamed and ran but then grabbed the camera.

Linking Up:

Happy 7th Birthday Tanner!

2011-04-17T19:37:00.000-05:00

Today our baby Tanner is 7 years old! I remember getting him when he was 9 weeks old and only 2 1/2 pounds. Now 7 years later he is about 11 1/2 pounds and absolutely spoiled rotten. He was the only dog in our house until 4 months ago when we rescued Stella from a puppy mill. He is still adjusting but we love him even when he is a "grumpy old man" towards her at time. After an afternoon stroll this afternoon we decided to snap a few pictures of Tanner on his 7th birthday.

Posing in front of his birthday cake - which still looks brand new after celebrating 7 birthdays!

Look at those eyes, he is hoping that I will put the camera down for a few minutes.

If there is a treat around, Tanner can sit or lay down and plead with those adorable eyes for hours!

Last but not least, me and the Tan Man.

I love you Bubs!!!!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4102011]

2011-04-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

We finally had some Spring weather on Saturday and we spent quite a bit of time outside when I wasn't inside doing my spring cleaning. The kids next door kept coming over to play and we hid Easter eggs, played on the swing set, and climbed trees. I took pictures while playing with them for this week's Scavenger Hunt.

1 - Motion

Kids are always in motion and diving onto the swings head first to pretend to be some super hero.

2 - Waiting to Click

Getting a genuine smile from a child is trickier than you think since they love to give those fake smiles.

I captured this shot right after Liam won the pot of money after playing Left, Right, Center.

3 - In Fashion

It's Spring and isn't "Easter" attire in fashion? Bunny ears and all.

It is in fashion if you are a 4 year old little girl.

4 - Animal's Perspective

When I am taking pictures of Tanner & Stella I usually end of getting down on the ground so I'm at their level. Can you imagine eating so close to the floor? You can see Tanner at chow time, I have raised bowls for him because that's what I would want if I was a dog.

5 - Many

During our Easter egg hunt today, there were many, many, many eggs to hide. They love counting them to ensure we found all of them and didn't leave any behind.

Linking Up:

You've Been Egged!

2011-04-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I decided to egg my neighbors house and I have to say it was a lot of fun. Yes, you heard me right, I egged my neighbors house.....Ok...... You know ~~I did enough of that as a teenager~~ I'm too nice to do that but rather I got this really cute idea from the eighteen 25 blog and decided that I couldn't wait until Easter to do this to the twins next door. All you do is get a couple dozen plastic eggs and fill them with candy, coins, toys and sweet little notes about what you like about them. You hide the eggs in their yard, hang the "you've been egged" sign on their front door, ring the doorbell, and run like heck so they don't see you. I timed it in the afternoon after their afternoon nap and then hid in my yard with my camera to catch all of the fun! I can't tell you how excited they were - they absolutely loved it and they are still trying to "investigate" and solve the mystery. I was surpised by how much they got into the "investigation" part of this and I decided to leave clues behind in their mailbox for the following 7 days. They have no idea it was me and that's half the fun since it's too early for the Easter bunny.

I thought egging my neighbors was the perfect chance to capture FUN for Beth's You Capture challenge this week. So what do you think....wanna egg your neighbors? If so download the template at eighteen 25.

Let the Cute Begin

2011-04-04T20:39:00.000-05:00

My friend Megan and her husband Ryan will be having their first baby in May and I can't wait until the little princess arrives. Megan and Ryan are going to make wonderful parents and I'm looking forward to taking lots of pictures of the little one when she arrives. It'll be fun to take pictures of a newborn and try out some new poses and techniques that I have up my sleeve.

In preparation for the baby's arrival I recently attended Megan's baby shower and it was a wonderful afternoon full of adorable baby clothes, toys, and of course necessities. Everyone was asked to bring a child's book in lieu of a card but anyone who knows me knows that I can't NOT make a card. Here's the "let the CUTE begin" onesie card that I made for her.

The princess will be very lucky and I can't wait to meet her.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4032011]

2011-04-02T23:37:00.001-05:00

It is starting to seem like winter is finally behind us and spring is struggling to make it's full blown appearance but no matter what the weather, it's always time to go on a scavenger hunt with Ashley. Scavenger hunts always have a few things that are easy to find and others that are a bit harder and Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday is no exception - I even had to google one of the prompts. Without further delay....here we go.

High Key

What??? Had to google this one and found this great article that explains it better than I can.

High key photography uses unnaturally bright lighting to blow out most or all harsh shadows in an image. High key methods were originally developed as a solution to screens that couldn’t properly display high contrast ratios, but has developed into more of a stylistic choice. High key images usually convey a positive or upbeat tone. This method is perfect for a subject that is funny, lighthearted or beautiful.

Once I saw the definition I knew that Stella was going to be my subject because she is so funny, lighthearted and beautiful and I was hoping to capture that in a picture for this week's scavenger hunt. What do you think.....did I pull it off? I don't think it's perfect but for my first time not so bad. Isn't Stella looking more and more beautiful since we rescued her 3 months ago? We think so!

Bedroom

I decided to try another diptych this week after learning about this a couple of weeks ago.

Picture on the left is my side of the bed including a nightstand, favorite lamp, and picture of Tanner as a pup.

Picture on the right is the mirror above our bed which shows the other side of the bedroom.

It's a small room and thought this would show the room the best.

Our bedroom is my sanctuary and I love the relaxing feel it has to it.

On that note it's almost time to go to bed and cozy up in my big king sized bed.

Something Tiny

This is one of the many shells I found when we were in Cozumel in December 2009. This one is one of my favorites and I love how teeny, tiny it is and you can see by the size of the other shell behind it that it is truly teeny tiny. I wanted to photograph a tiny bird my hubby got from his grandmother but I can't find it for the life of me. Maybe next time. Little blue baby bird where are you?

Off in the Distance

This one was hard for me because I tend to like to shoot objects close up and not from a distance. I went for a car ride with my hubby and found this windmill off in the distance. Doesn't this prompt remind you of the song from Bette Midler? No, well I kept singing it all day while working on the scavenger hunt.

Stripes

I love stripes! And when I find a shirt I like, I but them in multiple colors. Can you tell?

My favorite is the 3rd from the right, cream and gray stripes!

You Capture - Vibrance

2011-03-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

Beth over at I Should be Folding Laundry had another fun photography challenge this week. The prompt was Vibrance which has a couple of different meanings but I went with "relatively high on the scale of brightness" for my shots this week. I felt like a kid in a candy store this week with playing around with all of the colorful and VIBRANT items I found in the house. It makes me crave spring weather even more.

Playing around with some very colorful Solo cups.

I can't wait to fill them up with margaritas this summer!

Stacks and stacks of these vibrant colored cups.

I had lots of fun stacking them and building very tall towers.

My husband walked by and was trying to figure out what in the world I was doing and then he guessed...

a photography challenge?

Yup!

And the I snapped a few pictures of my favorite colorful buttons and brads.

Real Red

Kiwi Kiss

Pacific Coast Blue

Pumpkin Pie

These buttons put a BIG smile on my face.

They are so cheerful and I love putting them on my cards that I make in hopes of making someone else smile.

Linking Up to:

Sweet Shot Tuesday {3292011}

2011-03-29T00:01:00.001-05:00

We spent the weekend in Chicago and while there are a million things I love about the city, the architecture is up there on my list. I got up early on Sunday morning to walk around and take some shots of the beautiful and unique buildings. It was absolutely freezing but you can't tell from the blue sky can you? This was one of my favorites and I angled the shot to capture both buildings in a unique way.

Linking Up to:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3272011]

2011-03-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

While I was able to take lots of pictures this weekend, this is getting posted late because we just got home after spending the weekend downtown Chicago. Better late than never but I didn't want to pass up this opportunity to join Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday. And actually most of these pictures were taken on a quiet Sunday morning in the Windy City.....it was freezing while I was out shooting!

This is an old abandoned property about 10 minutes away that I've wanted to take pictures of for a while. This is one of the smaller barns on the property but the house and the barns are all abandoned and falling apart. All of the windows are missing, the roofs are caving in, and the doors are wide open or missing. I didn't get too close because I didn't want to get in trouble for trespassing, knowing my luck that would happen.

Here is my grouping of 3 swirls on some benches downtown. I actually took a lot of pictures of 3 but I liked the simplicity of this one the best. It's not the best shot ever but this is what you do in a rush I guess.

I took a cooking class at the Viking Cooking School with my co-workers for a team building activity and I took a bunch of pictures during the class. This hummus dip and the pita chips we made was one of my favorites, doesn't it look delicious? Sorry, I was behind the camera that day so you won't see me in the shots.

Things that make you go hmmm...... would include one of my favorite buildings in the city. Every time I see these round buildings with the parking on the lower levels and the apartments on the top, I have to wonder, how in the world can they back into these parking spaces without driving off the edge?!?! This would scare me to death and I wouldn't be able to do it. What if I hit the accelerator a bit too much. No - thank - you.

"Me" time - there wasn't much of that this week since I spent lots of "us" time with my hubby while downtown. I did manage to get up early on Sunday morning to walk around and take some pictures. I only wish I had more time to do that but this is one of the shots from my "me" time photography adventure.

Linking Up:

You Capture - Youth

2011-03-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

Each week I look forward to seeing what the photo challenge will be at I Should be Folding Laundry and this week was no exception. We were to capture "youth" and the first thing that popped into my mind was children of course but then I thought I should try and be a bit more creative. I had thoughts of trying to capture the notion around the "fountain of youth" which would be my drawer full of lotions and potions that are suppose to make me look youthful for the rest of my life. I ended up throwing that idea out the window and decided to share some pictures from my niece's 4th birthday as well as a shot from a baby shower I attended this past weekend. What can I say, children are adorable and I loved how I captured something so very different in these shots.

Here's a shot of Emily enjoying herself at the baby shower. I really love the look on her face and her blue eyes shining through thanks to some sunshine that day.

What's a birthday party without a ~~cake~~ cupcake? My niece turned 4 and she is not shy and relished the partygoer's singing to her and then of course it was time to blow out the candle. What did she wish for? Nobody knows but I'd guess it has something to do with princesses or something very girly.

What did the birthday girl want to do for her birthday? Go bowling of course so that we did. I love this shot of the girls so intently watching the ball slowwwlllyyy roll down the lane. Thank goodness for those bumpers!

Over the Moon for the Supermoon

2011-03-20T13:35:00.001-05:00

I've always wanted to attempt to get pictures of the the moon and last night I knew that getting a shot of the "Supermoon" was my opportunity. Scientists called the moon last night the "Supermoon" because it's the biggest, brightest moon that has been seen in almost 2 decades. The moon was the closest to the Earth since March 1993. It was 14% bigger, 30% brighter, despite being 221,000 miles away!

So before I pulled out the camera and the tripod I knew I needed to google "how to shoot a picture of the moon" so I had some idea of the best settings so I didn't ruin this opportunity. Here's some of the recommendations: ISO 100, f/8 to f/16, tripod, timer, mirror lock-up and that should do it.

Well then I got all set up and went outside to discover there were tons of clouds. I was able to get a few decent shots with the clouds and here are a few of my favorites.

But then the clouds parted and at around 1:00 am I was able to get a much clearer picture of the Supermoon, 221,000 miles away. It was breathtaking but I learned that taking pictures in the pitch black is trickier than you think - I couldn't see my camera and some of the buttons/functions (like spot metering) that I don't normally use were hard to find. I ran back inside and got a flashlight and we were back in business. I hope you enjoy these shots as much as I did taking them.

Did anyone else capture shots of the Supermoon - do share!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3202011]

2011-03-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

It's time to go on a Scavenger Hunt - all you need is a list of items to find, your camera, camera phone, and your creativity! Thanks Ashley from Ramblings and Photos for another great week of hunting.

Camera Phone

I got to use my cool new Hipstamatic app on my iPhone for this picture of my much loved black cherry cowboy boots. They are so comfortable and I love the color. The 60's effect adds to the look of the boots.

Camera

My beloved Canon 40D has become my BFF and I love taking her with me everywhere. She is big, bold, and delivers some spectacular pictures. She brings out my creativity, imagination, and helps me to see things from a completely different perspective. It's funny how a camera can bring out our best. This is how I can be seen - behind my camera snapping away and loving life!

Shoes

On Saturday I went to a friend's baby shower and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures (or a ton) for my friend Megan. I am hoping to make a small scrapbook of the event for her. She is a wonderful friend and she will make an absolutely fabulous mom. I can't wait for the baby girl to arrive and take tons of baby pictures for them. She will be so fun to "practice shooting" pictures of. BTW - have you seen Me Ra Koh's brand new photography book on photographing babies first year? It's fabulous and I highly recommend it. I am attending one of her photography workshops in May and I can't wait!!! Anyways back to shoes - or booties.

Chairs

I was laying on the floor taking pictures of my pups when I noticed the bar stools at our island and I knew I wanted to shoot the design on the back of the chairs. I searched for months to find chairs that didn't cost a fortune but had the style I was looking for. Thanks to Pier One I finally found them and I love them. The design still calls to me and I enjoy eating breakfast here on the weekends and read the paper.

Imperfection

The wires in our backyard are a bit of an eyesore but unless we are willing to give up electricity, cable, Internet, and our phone line - they aren't going anywhere! It really bothers me and I try to block out the wires but I couldn't help but notice the doves on the wire in the late afternoon. What a way to make the imperfect wires into something a bit more pleasing to the eye.

So there you have it, another fun week of prompts and another fun date with my camera. Let's see what next week has us hunting for.

Linking up to:

You Capture - Emotions in Black & White

2011-03-15T22:46:00.000-05:00

This past week I was in Colorado Springs for work and I took quite a few pictures of the beautiful mountains and then I turned them into Black & White.....and then I realized this week's You Capture prompt was "emotions in black & white". Oops! That means I have to do a bit of digging in my archives because it's almost bedtime and I have no one around to take pictures of. I think I'll plan a bit better next week and make sure I read the prompt carefully. I pride myself in being very detailed but this week I missed the mark but that's OK, life will go on and I'm sure you will all forgive me for pulling out the archives this week.

These pictures are of my neighbors that have learned to like my camera, they are my photography guinea pigs and before a Bears game this past year, they actually ASKED me to take their pictures. I happily obliged and I love how they are showing a variety of emotions in these pictures. They are silly twins in deed.

Here is E posing with her Cheetos, yes she really wanted me to take pictures with Cheetos - whatever works!

And then there is her brother who is taking the more serious approach to these photo session.

Here is L with his serious game face....what can I say, he really loves the Bears! Football runs in this family's blood and we got together with them for every Bears game this past season. It was fun but we are still upset about the Playoff game, let's just say we aren't Cutler fans around here.

This is one of L's famous looks, it reminds me of a "whatever" look that teenagers give their parents.

One last "serious" game pose before the game begins......

That's my neighbors, 2 adorable twins that have learned to love my camera...most of the time!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3122011]

2011-03-13T00:01:00.001-06:00

This past week I was in Colorado Springs on a business trip and therefore my ability to take pictures was pretty non-existent. In fact I had to use my iPhone to capture the pictures that I did get, and I also had to dig into my archives. I know that's cheating a bit but a girls got to do what a girls got to do. I promise to do better with next week's challenge but I just didn't want to miss Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday challenge.

Vanishing Point

Don't you love how the mountain is "vanishing" behind the sunset? The view from my room was breathtaking and I didn't want to pass up a chance to snap a photo even though I had to use my iPhone - not too bad.

Square Crop

I dug out a photo from our trip to St. Lucia in October and I thought this flower would look perfect as a square. Not as creative as I would like but what's a girl to do.

Under

Saturday was my niece's 4th birthday and we went bowling. I just loved my husband's "under"hand technique. Yes, lame again but I wanted to capture at least one shot from the party for the challenge.

Welcome to the Jungle

or the rain forest.........Another capture from our trip to St. Lucia. I just loved the foliage there.

Calm

I took quite a few shots last week for the book prompt but I decided to use this shot this week instead. Nothing says "calm" like a bible reading does. This was the first Bible I received and it was from my Grandma which makes this extra special to me. I will treasure it forever.

Linking Up to:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-03-06T00:01:00.001-06:00

For about the past year I have wanted to photograph my peacock feather that was given to me from a very special person at work and decided that this week's scavenger hunt was the perfect time to do so. Those colors just won't screaming at me until I do. This week was a bit more challenging for me plus 2 days of headaches bordering on a migraine didn't help. I did however have a photography lesson on Friday so let's see if it resulted in some better photography.

1 - Diptych - Huh??? I had no idea what that was but a I looked up the definition and here's what it said. A diptych is a photograph that uses two different or identical images side by side to form one single artistic statement. The two images can literally be in contact with each other, or separated by a border or frame. After reading the definition I was still lost but thanks to Faith at Simplicity and her wonderful blog post this past week I was able to figure out what it was. Still confused, check out Pioneer Woman's blog post on the subject as well.

And here enters my beloved peacock feather......just love the vibrant colors and the texture.

2 - Books. I have a ton of books since I love to read and tried a number of different ideas with this but I kept coming back to how beautiful the pages were, especially since they were different shades of cream. I now tend to read books with my Kindle but I have a ton of books on my book shelves from used book sales that I still need to get to. So many wonderful books and so little time......

3- Fill in the blanks prompt. Oh wow, all of my original ideas were all over the board and I ended up with a good shot for this since my house is full of these evil girl scout cookies, they are just the best!!!

When I think about how girl scout cookies are in my tummy, I just have to have one or two for breakfast!

4- A taste of Italy.
I suspect there will be a ton of pictures of pasta and other delicious Italian foods, but I wanted to snap shots of wine instead but with a major headache, I had to pull this from my archives from the holidays. I just didn't want to open a delicious bottle of wine and not be able to drink it - that would be a mortal sin in my house! Good wine should never go to waste.

5 - Reminders. This one stumped me because my to-do lists aren't very pretty to shoot so I started looking around my house and once I laid my eyes on my beautiful palm plant, I knew I had to shoot it. I got this plant from my Grandmother's funeral in August 2009 and every time I look at it I think of her. I usually am not successful with plants but this one is thriving in my dining room. I honestly feel like she's here with me every time I look at it or water it and that brings a smile to my face. I miss and love you Grandma!

Linking Up to Scavenger Hunt Sunday at Ashley's blog.

You Capture - Technology

2011-03-01T20:56:00.000-06:00

I love flexing my creativity muscle and these photography challenges definitely do that for me. This week's You Capture challenge was technology. At first I thought - what in the heck can I do to make that look interesting but I thought really hard and came up with a couple of ideas. I'm eager to see what the rest of the group came up with but this was as creative as I could get this week. Each week I always see at least one or two pictures that I want to try myself which is always a good thing.

When I hear the word technology, I am instantly grateful for my iPhone, blackberry, and laptop - what did we ever do before these were available? It wasn't all that long ago but I'm not sure how I would function. I am someone who needs to stay very connected and having information at my fingertips is something I love. Have you heard about families that give up technology for a week or even 6 months? My husband and I would NEVER survive. Besides, how would I blog and share my photography with the world? Not a challenge I am willing to take on.

Next up is my camera collection of course! Well actually I as cleaning some drawers out this past week and found some cameras that I didn't know I still had. The closest one is my Lumix point and shoot that stays in my purse at all times, followed by the first digital camera we bought in 2002 with a whooping 3.2megapixels, then 3rd in the row is my film camera from college, and last but not least my Canon Rebel DSLR that I bought about 5 years ago. I've recently moved from the Rebel to the Canon 40D so if anyone is looking to buy a new camera let me know - I'm looking to sell the Canon Rebel along with 3 lens. It was fun to look at my old cameras to see how the technology has grown.

Next I decided to capture the inside of my husband's car. His car seems to have all the fun stuff but my favorite feature is the screen that shows the radio stations, etc. Does anyone love XM or Sirius Radio as much as I do? What a great invention!

Last but not least, as much as I love technology, I HATE all of the wires, chargers, and cords that come along with it. We have a box in our office full of all of them and I had to label the cords to be able to locate the right cord as quickly as possible. I thought I would take the chaos and try to capture them in a fun picture.

Interested in seeing what others came up with - check it out here.

Linking up to:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-02-27T00:31:00.000-06:00

Sunday's used to be a day of lounging around and getting errands done for the upcoming week but since I've begun participating in Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday challenge, it has another special meaning to me. When you really dive into photography you begin to see the world from a different perspective and the beauty that lies within all things. I love that participating in a challenge forces you to photograph things that you wouldn't normally capture. This week was no exception, another great challenge.

Capture the Sky

This was a bit tricky because Friday was the only day that I actually saw clouds and was able to shoot during daylight. Shooting a boring sky with no clouds wasn't what I wanted to go for so I was happy to see a few hours of clouds. I did edit this picture a bit to bring out the contrast a bit more which I usually don't do because I love SOOC. This is a sign that spring is on its way.

Everyday

Everyday I get to love my hubby and since unfortunately the dogs usually steal the spotlight, while we were driving to a movie I took the opportunity to snap a picture of him. A second after I snapped this picture I bumped my head which left a nice size goose egg on my head. Oh the things we do to get a shot.

Furry

I was excited to see the furry prompt and knew I had two fluffy babies to use for this. In fact Tanner just got groomed and his coat was extra shiny. I decided to shoot this from a different perspective and I hope you like it. He is the cutest dog ever isn't he?!?!

Signs of New Life

I walked around our lake and the neighborhood on Friday afternoon looking for new signs of life but all I could find was lots of snow and a few ice fishermen fishing on the lake. Being in the Midwest, I'm sad to say that it was hard to find signs of new life or signs that spring is on its way. I did however notice that my houseplants were thriving - that's a sign, right? OK it's a stretch but I tried really hard, really I did.

Blurred

I had a lot of bokeh and motion ideas in my head but I decided to put a lazy susan to work and a bowl of jellybeans. It was fun playing around with shutter speed and noticed I got the effect I was looking for with the help of my extension tubes - I love those babies. Funny thing is that the jellybeans were all the colors of the rainbow but all you really see is the yellow and orange ones when I spin the bowl. Does anyone know why that is? I ate most of the red one's but there were plenty of green and purple ones that aren't showing up.

Linking up to Scavenger Hunt Sunday.

A Stella Update - 2 months

2011-02-26T22:41:00.000-06:00

Two months ago today we adopted Stella into our family and she is making a lot of progress. She has had a lot of firsts in the past 2 months and she has taken it all in stride. The last update I wrote about Stella was at two weeks and slowly but surely she has made even more progress.

New Experiences:

Bath Time - after a nice long walk we also discovered how dirty her white coat becomes especially since she is so low to the ground. We are not looking forward to all of the snow melting.
Grooming - her first day at the spa didn't go as well as I would have liked. She had a hard time standing so cutting her fur on her belly and face was a challenge and unfortunately it shows. They cut too much of her fur off and I can't wait for it to grow back. At least her stained fur is gone now for the most part. Her hair is so short that Mama can't put bows in it - was that on purpose David?
Teeth Cleaning - we were ecstatic to get her teeth cleaned because her dental health was in poor condition. She did very well but unfortunately had to have another tooth removed so now she has 4 less teeth than she started with. But at least her breath is fresh!
She loves her name and when you call her name she will come to you and sniff your hand- Yeah!
Stella experienced her first blizzard on February 1st and doesn't want to experience that again. It was a day that she chose to go potty inside the house instead of outside despite us making a special place for them. Can you blame her? The 4 feet drifts would have been too much for me too.
Stella also got to finally meet some family. She loved both of her Grandma's and her Grandpa too. She'll soon realize how much they will spoil her when they watch the dogs for us.

Making Progress:

She still doesn't like being handled but at least she isn't shaking as much as she used to. This is going to take a long time but I really wish she would stop digging her nails into you. We call it the Def com 5 death grip - it's unreal and has left me with many scratches on my chest.
She still won't go down the stairs inside the house so it's a challenge to chase after her so we can take her downstairs with the rest of the family. Thank goodness our neighbors let us borrow their baby gate, it sure comes in handy.

Stella - 1 week after her haircut

Look at that face - I love how it highlights her eyes.

A quick shot after I brushed her fur.

Last but not least, a picture of Snaggletooth! She was actually licking her fur around her mouth and yawning but I captured her at just the right moment to show a couple of her missing teeth. She looks mean in this picture but she's really the sweetest thing. Mama had to embarrass her with this funny picture. Please forgive me Stella!

P.S. This is my 300th post and love that it features our baby Stella.

You Capture - The Letter "L"

2011-02-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

This week's You Capture assignment I thought would be really easy but turned out that it was more difficult than I thought. It was anything with the letter "L". Easy right? Well I ran out of creativity until I thought about my favorite candy - Lifesavers! Instead of coming up with a bunch of different "L" shots, I decided to just shoot Lifesavers at lots of different angles. Well actually I tried shooting Lemonheads but let's just say those didn't turn out at all.

The best part? I got to eat them afterwards! Can't wait to see what Ashley comes up with next week. I think I like the harder prompts so let's see what it is.

Linking Up to:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-02-20T06:00:00.002-06:00

I know I was a bit of a slacker and didn't get around to participating in Scavenger Hunt Sunday but today I am and I'm excited. While Stella was getting groomed (more about that later), I had some peace and quiet in the house on Saturday morning and decided to step up to the challenge and start snapping away. It was a lot of fun and at first I thought the list was challenging but it turned out to be really fun and inspiring. I'm looking forward to participating in many more in the future but here's this week's.

Chocolate - I honestly don't like chocolate and the only thing I could find in the house was white chocolate morsels. I put them on the counter and started snapping away and I loved the reflection I was getting on the counter.

2. Numbers - this was a toss up for me between my number stamps and a road sign but this one won out. Stamping is another hobby of mine and these came to mind right away when I started looking around my scraproom.

3. Canned Food - not only a great challenge but also enabled me to clean out our pantry. Isn't multi-tasking the best? Turns out these cans were all past their "best used by" date. Off with the labels because I loved the shine and the lines the cans had on them. When the hubby saw the labels removed he got a bit worried but I told him they were getting tossed anyways.

4. Music - On Saturday I went with my husband and his family into the city to see "Million Dollar Quartet" which was a musical and a chance for me to snap some pictures in the lobby. I got in trouble trying to take pictures of the stage from my seat of the instruments before the show started- arrghhh!! It wasn't anything special but they threatened to erase my pictures which wasn't going to happen but I'm doing the right thing and not posting those pictures. Instead I wanted to showcase this artist's painting. Isn't it fun?

5. Stack - I have stacks of laundry, books, and magazines around the house but I wanted to go for something a bit more colorful plus who wants to see my underwear anyways. After exploring my scraproom again, I came across my beloved markers and started shooting my "stack of markers". OK it's a bit of stretch but I like how it turned out.

Thanks Ashley for hosting another great photo challenge, I'm loving it!

You Capture - Cold

2011-02-10T07:40:00.018-06:00

This week's You Capture challenge is very fitting - it's Cold and that it is! When I think of cold all I think of these days is snow and icicles. Given that I've posted plenty of snow pictures lately I thought it would be best to focus on the many icicles hanging from the rooftop these days.

Does that icicle so burrrr or what?

Did you notice the water dripping from it? That's what I worked hard to capture.

Then when I looked into my tree in the front yard I was reminded of how cold it must be for the birds and other animals just trying to stay warm. The bird house looks rather chilly to me.

Last but not least, what's a "cold" capture without a bit more snow? At least it's from a different perspective.

Linking Up to:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2011-02-06T12:39:00.000-06:00

In an effort to improve my photography skills over the winter, I thought it would be fun to participate in another photography challenge. Ashley over at Ramblings and Photos has a weekly photography challenge where you are given a list of 5 items to shoot throughout the week and then you post them on Sunday through her Scavenger Hunt Sunday challenge. After seeing my friend Brooke over at My [Boys]terous Life participate, I thought why not. So here it goes.......

1 - Water
Yes it's really snow but it's made from water and I love the cool wave look it has to it.

2 - Quote
Right out of my favorite magazine Scrapbooks, Etc.

3 - Window
In all honesty this is a picture pulled from the archives but I love the reflection of the light from the blinds and the window bouncing onto the cabinets.

4 - Activity

Playing in the snow of course!

5 - Page 25 of a Magazine
Once again from my favorite magazine Scrapbooks, Etc.
I spent all of last weekend scrapbooking and flipping through my magazines for inspiration.

Linking Up to:

You Capture - Red

2011-02-03T07:00:00.001-06:00

With the "Blizzard of 2011" hitting the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, finding red amongst the 2 feet of white snow was a bit challenging but fun. I went on a walk around the neighborhood with my neighbor to enjoy the beauty of all of the snow drifts and found red peeking out just screaming for me to take a picture. During our walk we saw 2 cars get stuck and a snowmobile. Luckily we are nice neighbors and all pitched in to help them. The County roads were shut down to all vehicles except for emergency vehicles but some just don't listen to those warnings. It's unfortunate because while the cars were stuck, the plows were trying to plow our roads and this was just causing them to have to sit and wait for them to get out of the way. I'm a rule follower and unless I was dying, I wasn't going anywhere! I hope you enjoy my red captures.

A red fire hydrant buried in snow. I hope the fire department doesn't need to use it.

My hubby having a little fun in the snow.

On the deck my planters still had my 4th of July flags sticking out. It's amazing how long that plant survived.

Last but not least, my red shovel sticking out from the very deep snow next to our back door. We keep it there so we can shovel for the dogs but this was going to take a bit more than shoveling, we had to dig ourselves out of the snow!

Linking up to:

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-02T21:40:00.000-06:00

The Midwest was slammed by a blizzard otherwise known as "the blizzard of 2011" and it didn't miss us in the Chicagoland area. It's hard to tell how much we got but it's around 18-20 inches with some very high drifts. Our backyard took the most beating from the storm with 4 to 5 foot drifts against our patio door and all around the deck. Tanner and Stella were very confused in the morning when we were scrambling trying to figure out where to start digging a place for them to go outside. Despite how much we hate snow, there actually was quite a bit of excitement in the house and around the neighborhood. We may never see snow like this again so might as well make the most of it!

David digging a spot in front the garage for the dogs. See how deep the snow is?

We live in a split level home and the drifts along the side of the house looked like a wave from the ocean. I thought it was a cool view to capture through the window.

In the winter we leave a shovel near the back door so we can shovel for the dogs when necessary. Look at how buried the shovel became overnight! This is after we shoveled 5 times the night before.

Our front steps are buried - it may stay this way for a while. Guests can come through the garage in the meantime.

A cool shot of the snow on the roof. I like how it looks like a wave from the wind.

Me helping to shovel out a good spot for the dogs.

David lending a helping hand too.

David taking a break and rolling around in the snow.

My cute neighbor having an absolute ball in all of the snow. They kept losing their boots in the deep snow but it didn't stop them from having fun. She loves posing for the camera for me.

My neighbors front steps are worst than ours. Her she is again posing.

We hope that everyone else is safe and sound from the blizzard. We know someone who got stranded from driving into a snow drift and was stuck for 24 hours. Just glad I wasn't one of those stuck on Lake Shore Drive all night long. I have a fear of that happening so I left work plenty early on Tuesday and then worked the rest of the day from the safety of my home.

P.S. So glad that the groundhog didn't see his shadow!

You Capture - Circles

2011-01-19T21:38:00.001-06:00

Today's You Capture over at I Should Be Folding Laundry is Circles. I have missed the last several weeks because I always feel I have to take pictures in the natural light but sometimes it's just not possible as well as losing a bit of my creativity over the holiday break. No more excuses for me, I grabbed my camera and used what I had - indoor lighting and lots of walking room to room to find "circles". Yes, I am a very literal person and I enjoyed looking for circles in my house and figuring out how to best compose the picture to make it fun. Never the less it was fun to grab the camera and get to work. At first I thought "circles", that's not a fun subject but I truly had a ball. Can't wait to see what next week's challenge is.

Snapped a picture of my Keurig drip tray. It was a lovely Christmas gift from my hubs.

A necklace with pearls and lots of other round or "circle" shapes. It's one of my favorites and what better subject to snap a few photos of.

This is the lid to my hamper - Yup, I love the pattern and was really excited about how the photos turned out. Who knew that the laundry hamper could be so inspiring.

Another angle showing a bit more of the texture.

This here is the cooling unit I place my laptop on top of when using it in places other than my office. Our laptop easily gets overheated and this does the trick. I like the various circle sizes that this has.

Last but not least I love the circles of this trunk. My grandfather is a carpenter and he made stools for all of us out of a tree trunk and tree limbs. I like that while the rings are circular in nature, it almost looks like a heart too.

Linking Up To:

A Stella Update - 2 weeks

2011-01-09T22:15:00.000-06:00

It's been 2 weeks since Stella ~~won the lottery~~ joined our family and I thought I would share an update with how our little Stella-Bella is doing. She is fitting well into our little family and still adores Tanner to pieces, however he is still adjusting to not being the only star around here. He is a great big brother and thanks to him Stella is doing great with her house training. After her first walk around the block today, I decided to take advantage of the natural light and couldn't resist snapping some pictures of her in her new pink winter coat - it's just so darn cute! There are many more items of clothing in her future, I just can't help myself.

New Discoveries:

Her bark and howl - not a good thing necessarily but if Tanner barks so does she
She loves her new winter coat that Mama got her
Hanging out in the backyard and chasing after Tanner

Making Progress:

Is able to lay down and relax when we are watching TV or reading
Walking on leash
House training with minor accidents
Maybe recognizing her name
Takes treats out of our hand
Going up and down the steps on the deck; going up the stairs in the house
Sleeps ALL night long - in our bed of course

Needs some work:

Allowing David & I to pick her up and cuddle with her, she is scared to death and it's a race around the house to be able to pick her up. This will take time but I hope we start to see some progress.
Giving Tanner a little bit of space, her nice is in his behind all of the time
Going down the stairs in our house (she only goes up)
Not destroying her bedding in her crate while we are at work

Stella right after her walk around the block

Getting ready to go outside

Tanner & Stella really do look like brother and sister don't you think?

Later in the day getting ready for a little grooming session with Mama.

I love her soulful eyes

10 Faves in 2010

2011-01-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

2010 was a year full of ups and downs but I thought it would be fun to look back anyways. Instead of focusing on the not so fun stuff from 2010, I thought I would share with you my top 10 photos from the year. Many were taken while I was taking a photography class but I guess that's a good thing right?

Like many of you, I too have a long list of resolutions for 2011. I won't bore you with the not so fun one's (i.e. exercise more, eat healthy, lose weight, etc.) but instead share a couple of my more fun one's.

Take another photography class.
Participate in at least 1 photography challenge per month.
Blog more regularly (at least 1-2 x/week)
Take another vacation with my hubby
Take Tanner and Stella to the dog park once a week.
Work hard & play harder!!!!

There you have it....now I must be held accountability. Let's see what 2011 holds for all of us.

In the meantime, here's my 10 faves from 2010.

Just an old tire that I liked.

What's not to love about an American flag?

Gotta love nature.

Prickly little thing but still cool.

Gotta love some berries.

Pretty flowers but the spider web looks cooler.

Froggy in our pond.

Emily "glowing".

Peaking into the wishing well.

A hairy situation.

Baby Tanner and a little bokeh.

Linking up:

Stella - Our New Addition

2011-01-01T19:30:00.000-06:00

About 10 days ago I shared that we may have a new addition to our family and I'm happy to say that Stella joined our family on December 26th. She is a 7 lb pound Maltese that we rescued from a puppy mill. The vet estimates that she is between 5 and 8 years old and lived her whole live in a puppy mill until recently. She has kept me very busy this past week which is why I haven't had a moment to take pictures or blog about her or anything else. The last few days have went really well and we (actually just me) were able to get her house trained in 1 day!!! She's a fast learner but we have a ways to go. Because she only had interaction with other dogs, she is afraid of people and we are slowly working on earning her trust. She looks a lot like Tanner and she absolutely idolizes him and follows him everywhere - which helped with the house training. I have been off of work the entire week which helped in helping her with the big adjustment, next week I head back to work on Tuesday so I'm hoping she will do fine while we are gone. She loves her crate as long as Tanner is in view so let's cross our fingers and hope for the best. Here's a few pictures of our little star Stella.

Stella trying out her new hair bow.

Stella and Me - can you tell she doesn't like to be held (yet)?

Stella and Daddy.

Tanner and I on my birthday.

Tanner and Daddy.

Me and our failed attempt to hold Tanner and Stella at the same time.

Stella just wants to cuddle up with Tanner and he just wants to run away from her and be along.

I hope this phase passes but it's hard having a sister after 6 1/2 years of being an only ~~spoiled~~ dog.

From Our House To Yours

2010-12-22T22:43:00.000-06:00

This year I decided that I wanted our holiday cards to be simpler than last year's or the year before and I accomplished that - kind of. I don't do too well with simple but at least they didn't get in the mail at the very last minute, in fact they went in the mail last week and would have been sent earlier if I had stamps. I know some of you get them sent out right after Thanksgiving but I need a little bit more time to get into the Christmas spirit and get my creative mojo going.

Once I figured out my design concept, I began working on a sample and then cut all of the pieces so that I could work on them in an assembly line. That approach makes assembling each card go so much faster than if you cut them one by one. You get a rhythm which makes it much more enjoyable and decreases the number of errors that can occur. Yes it's a lot of work but I want those that receive them to know that I poured my heart into them. Also I like being that holiday card in the stack that is a little different from all of the others that they receive.

From our house to yours - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: From Our House to Yours
Paper: real red, shimmer white, whisper white, soft suede, vellum
Ink: soft suede, real red (heart)
Other: red ribbon, oval punch, square punch (window), snowflake embossing folder, big shot, scallop edge punch, merry sizzlets

A new addition to the Family?

2010-12-21T22:28:00.000-06:00

We are very excited and while it's not finalized, I still can't wait to share the news with everyone. Tanner may soon have a sister to keep him company when we are away! We have been looking to rescue a dog similar to Tanner for quite a while and we found Carmen while searching the web and it was love at first site. Carmen is a 7 year old Maltese and is a puppy mill dog who has not had any human contact until recently. Her foster mom had nothing but good things to say about her progress and we think her personality will be a perfect match for Tanner. We get to meet her tomorrow and see how the two of them do together. Because Carmen hasn't had human contact until her rescue, she's skittish and is working on trusting others. She has shown no aggressive behavior but rather gets scared if you move too quickly towards her or try to pet her. We know it's a big job and will require a lot of patience but we are up for the challenge. When we got Tanner 6 1/2 years ago, we got him from a pet store because we didn't know any better. Thanks to Oprah and the many stories she has done on puppy mills, we have vowed to only rescue. I'll keep you posted on how the visit goes tomorrow.

P.S. We are likely going to change her name to something different after finding out that Carmen meant "drama queen". We have 7 names on the list at this point but I'm hopeful we can widdle that down once we meet her in person.

Sweet Bokeh Baby

2010-12-08T21:22:00.001-06:00

For the last week I've been following Darcy's 31 Days to Better Photos and I am starting to have a couple of "aha" moments. Being able to get these bokeh shots was one of those moments but I have to thank Amanda & Kevin for their bokeh tutorial - it's awesome. I shot this in very poor light and all manually! Yup, I adjusted the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture! I'm feeling proud but even prouder of the cutest dog ever - Tanner who was very cooperative during my 45 minute photo shoot. It's amazing what he'll do when I bribe him with treats. After I captured this shot I rejoiced by yelling "SWEET" - I really was proud.

Canon 50mm

f/1.8, 1/40s, 1600 ISO

Isn't he the sweetest? He really is and I love how it captured that here.

A couple more to show off the Tanner man.

f/22, 1.3s, 1600

Having a little fun with a slow shutter speed and moving the camera in different directions while capturing the picture. I thought it was fun playing a little bit.

Linking up to:

Playing with Shutter Speed

2010-12-05T17:21:00.000-06:00

Last week I began Darcy's 31 Days to Better Pictures series and Saturday was day 3 which was all about shutter speed. I always shoot in aperture priority so this was definitely a learning experience. I really struggle with getting shots with just the right light so I'm excited that I've learned a lot in a short amount of time. The assignment was to keep the aperture and ISO the same but adjust the shutter speed. In order to do this I had to shoot in manual and I really liked that I could see if it was over or underexposed - this was HUGE for me, it's really this easy? Yeah right - it makes sense but doesn't always turn out the way I want so I think I'll keep going with the next 28 days.....

1/4s - overexposed

1/8s - just right

1/15s - underexposed

How is everyone else doing with the 31 day challenge? Gotta get to work on day 4 - ISO and then 5 and 6 are all about aperture - my favorite!

Curious about the handmade poinsettia pillows? Stay tuned for details on how I made these myself.

You Capture - Kindred

2010-12-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

Kindred - A group of related persons, as a clan or tribe

A person's relatives; kinfolk

This week's You Capture subject over at I Should be Folding Laundry is "kindred". As soon as I heard the subject, I knew I wanted to capture the twins that live next door and their special bond that they share. I've photographed them before, and this time I went along with the family to a Christmas tree farm to capture some shots for their Christmas cards. We always put up an artificial tree so this was a special treat for me and I appreciate them making me part of the clan for the afternoon.

The clan looking for the perfect Christmas tree.

The twins found the perfect tree and posed for me - can't you see the bond between them?

And a hug to show it too...

A little hot chocolate to warm us up.

Working on a wood building project.

One last picture on the sleigh. Aren't they adorable?

The sun was a little harsh and I'm still getting acquainted with my new camera but I got a few pictures. I may "borrow" the twins for a bit this weekend - I'm determined to get a better shot with both of them looking at the camera and smiling at the same time! Any pointers? I am better at candid than posed shots.

New Camera - New Journey

2010-12-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

Santa came early this year and gave me a new SLR camera body. I just upgraded from the Canon Rebel to the Canon 40d and am learning that it's a lot different than the Rebel I've been shooting with for over 4 years. I normally shoot in Aperture priority but I'm determined to go completely manual and actually know what I'm doing when I adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I may even live a bit dangerously and shift from all white balance to custom white balances on occasion. To help with the learning curve of my new camera, I've decided to follow Darcy's 31 days to better photos series. Darcy is a blogger at my 3 boybarians and is a photographer from Iowa that has a teaching style that makes it easy for anyone to use their camera to the fullest. I thought being the 1st day in December, it was the perfect time to start this challenge and I'd love if you joined me.

My Merry Mantle

2010-11-30T19:33:00.000-06:00

Today Layla over at The Lettered Cottage is having a Christmas mantle party and I thought I'd join in since my mantle is decked out for the holidays. Well actually we don't technically have a "mantle" but I have a nice built-in buffet that works just the same without the fireplace. It's much prettier in person or in better lighting but this is all I could capture since the sun sets so darn early around here. In fact, today Chicago got their first snowflakes but luckily they aren't sticking yet. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.......

Here's what I did to complete our Christmas mantel.

Fresh greenery along with pine cones sprinkled throughout to bring the outdoors in. We use an artificial tree but the greenery is real and brings that Christmas smell into the house without the fire hazard.
2 green sparkly trees and 2 red glitter candles from Crate & Barrel to add a bit of color and sparkle
2 reindeer, 3 stockings, and a silver ornament garland from Pottery Barn
A large tall vase filled with artificial snow and filled with greenery, snow covered branches, and a pop of red flowers to add height and drama.
And last but not least, my pine cone wreath that I made over the weekend. You can read all about how I made it here.

Another view of the entire mantle right next to our Christmas tree.

A close-up of my pine cone wreath that I am oh so proud of.

Looking for more inspiration to "deck the halls " for the holidays? Visit the Holiday Home party over at the Lettered Cottage.

DIY: How to Create a Pinecone Wreath

2010-11-28T18:43:00.000-06:00

I was hoping to complete this project before Thanksgiving but I ran out of time. I wasn't worried though because pine cones are everywhere for Christmas too so there is always time to make your own pine cone wreath and incorporate it into your holiday decor.

See this pine cone wreath below - beautiful but is it worth $50 at Crate and Barrel or would you rather spend only $5 and make it yourself? That's what I thought, let's save the $45 and put it aside for another decorating project down the road.

All you need is a $5 styrofoam wreath, lots of pine cones from the backyard, brown spray paint, and a glue gun with tons of glue sticks. I had everything except for the styrofoam wreath which is why the cost was so low.

Step 1: spray paint the wreath a brown color to match the pine cones.

Step 2: start gluing the pine cones to the front part of the wreath. I tried to fit 2 in each row.

Step 3: glue pine cones to the outer edge of the wreath.

Step 4: glue pine cones to the inner edge of the wreath.

Step 5: attach bow and hang it up.

Step 6: admire your handiwork - it looks great! Even my hubby was impressed with it.

What do you think? I think it was well worth the $45 that I saved by making it myself. It took about 2 hours to make but I found it to be a very relaxing project to work on except the few times that a pine cone wouldn't cooperate. I hung it on the door but I've since moved it to hang over the mirror above our buffet, it looks nicer and now I don't have to squirm in fear that every time the door opens or closes that it may break. So far it's surprisingly sturdy and not a single pine cone has fallen over. I hope I've inspired you to try to make something yourself and save some money in the process.

Be Thankful

2010-11-25T20:53:00.000-06:00

A little bit Nantucket & A little bit Cottage Chic

2010-11-24T11:27:00.009-06:00

Who doesn't love a personal style quiz - right? I love them and Sproost has a great one to try and I liked how the results turned out. It said I was 67% Cottage Chic and 33% Nantucket which tells me I am one beachy kind of lady. I dream of living near the beach someday but until then, I'll incorporate the beachy feel into my house.

I love the furniture and how it's laid out in the room above.

It's so airy and relaxing.

The furniture and room layout still has me wishing for warmer days at the beach.

The coffee table and accessories are perfect.

And here's my favorite room of all.

One beautiful picture wall.

Love, love, love this coffee table!

I've been eyeing one just like it for about a year.

Furniture and rug are perfect.

And look at that cute dog relaxing on the coach - reminds me of our living room.

What are you waiting for? Head on over to Sproost and take the quiz.

All Lit Up

2010-11-23T22:47:00.000-06:00

Last week I asked everyone which outdoor lighting options they liked the most and I got a real mix of responses. I love seeing how everyone picks something a bit different but I ended up picking none of the options that I posted. We were under a bit of a time crunch and needed to purchase lights that were at a store versus on the Internet. I'm happy with my selection and they installed the lights today - now I'm wishing I had purchased new lights for next to the front door but they are good enough for now. I did however listen to all of you and went with clear glass versus the opaque glass. I hope you like what we picked!

Dont' the lights look all regal and proud to be next to the garage door? I love them but most importantly they work and will make me feel better about getting home in the dark, no boogie mans to jump out and scare me thanks to the motion sensors.

Now we have one more thing to check off the house to-do list. Don't you love that feeling?

You Capture - What Inspires Me.

2010-11-18T08:03:00.001-06:00

This week's You Capture topic over at I Should Be Folding Laundry is all about what inspires me. Here's a few pictures that I took that inspire me.

Seeing the world differently through my camera lens.

Trying something new - taken during my macro class this past weekend.

Appreciating the beauty of the simplest things.

Freedom!

Getting up early on a Sunday morning to go for a nature walk.

Beauty from a different perspective.

The list of things that inspire me go on, and on, and on but this is what has been inspiring me lately. Interested in joining the You Capture Challenge, learn more here.

P.S. Santa is coming early this year and I am getting my present on Thursday. A new camera? Possibly....

Light 'Em Up

2010-11-16T21:45:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving break will be here in a few short days and now that I have my photography class under my belt, it's time to get some much needed projects done around the house. First on my very long list is to get outdoor lighting installed on the garage so that our house is better lit and will provide the lighting we need to shovel our driveway in the winter. I know, I hate to admit that winter is on it's way and unfortunately in Chicago we get a lot of white fluffy snow. In addition to installing more lighting, we are also going to have an outdoor outlet on the front of the house installed so it'll make it so much easier to put up holiday lights. Gosh, we'll have to do that over the Thanksgiving break too. In the meantime I would love your advice on the following lighting options that I am pondering. Please let me know which of the following options you like. Thanks in advance for your advice!

Light 1

Light 2

Light 3

Light 4

Light 5

Light 6

Light 7

Light 8

Light 9

Photography Assignment - Final

2010-11-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

Monday night is our last night of class and we had to put together a slide show of 25-30 pictures based on our subject. I decided to do abstract flowers since I was going to be taking a macro class over the weekend. The macro class was a workshop taught by the same instructor who teaches the Composition class I am taking on Monday nights. He is a great instructor and I learned that macro photography isn't as easy as you may think! I felt like my composition was strong but I struggled with the technical stuff...still. So much to think about - depth of field, white balance, ISO, lighting, lighting, and more about lighting. You get the idea, I love it but I have a whole lot more to learn.

Here's a collage of my final project, I hope you enjoy it. Gosh I wish I had another week to work on it but this is as good as it gets at this point.

You Capture - Serene

2010-11-11T21:02:00.007-06:00

This week the You Capture challenge is "serene". Given that my final photography assignment on "abstract flowers" is also due this week, I thought they went very well together. I have always found flowers to be so relaxing and peaceful and I hope that shows up in these pictures.

Webster Definition: Serene - calm, peaceful or tranquil

Captured through wavy glass to give that abstract affect.

It's my first attempt but I still like how it turned out, I'll get better with practice.
Another wavy glass shot.
This one really has a calming feel to it.

Pebbled glass.

A beautiful pink rose.

I was trying to capture the texture on the petals with my extension tubes.

I hope you enjoyed my "Capture" for this week's Serene challenge. Interested in seeing how others captured this? Click here for more inspiration.

Photography Assignment #4

2010-11-07T18:09:00.001-06:00

This week's photography assignment was architecture and people/animals. Originally I planned on taking pictures of Tanner for the assignment but I ended up going back home to help my brother move and these horses were across the street from his new home. I had to take an opportunity to capture these beautiful animals but I don't think they were as happy about it as I was - 2 of the 3 tried to charge me at the fence!

This horse above was the first in the bunch to try and charge me.

My niece named him "Charge" - how appropriate.

This white horse was the 2nd horse that came at me for trying to take pictures during dinner time. My niece named him "Whitey".

Notice them eyeing me while they are eating?

Here comes "Charge" coming after me.

This is the only shot with all 3 of the horses but unfortunately that branch is cutting off "Charge".

This is my favorite horse shot - look at those nostrils.

This isn't part of the assignment but I am putting them in anyways.

My niece plucked the "hair" off of each one of these after I took some pictures.

She is quite the explorer and loves nature including bugs.

These 3 pictures are part of my architecture assignment that I took of the 5 story spiral staircase. The building I work in is absolutely gorgeous but I was in a hurry to get the shots done before the sun set one evening.

The first 2 shots are from the 1st floor looking up and the last is from the 5th floor looking down.

I hope you enjoyed this week's assignment, next week is our final assignment and I picked railroad tracks for my subject.....haven't had anytime to get pictures so this ought to be interesting. Stay tuned.

You Capture - Halloween

2010-11-03T20:30:00.001-05:00

Each week Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry hosts a "You Capture" event to encourage us to pull out our cameras and take some shots based on a different challenge topic. Since I am taking a photography class, this is already happening on a regular basis but it's nice to have a challenge each week to continue this good habit. The more I pull out the camera and switch up my subjects the better I can see my photography become and the more I learn about my camera.

This week's challenge on "You Capture" is Halloween. These aren't the most stellar shots I've taken but at least you can see what we were for Halloween.

Tanner - cutest bumble bee ever!
Me - Dr. Pepper (get it?!)

Us.

My hubby with hair! One good looking monk.

I mean a "chipmunk" (get it?)

Yes we are corny but it was a kids party and we needed to not be risky if you know what I mean.

Photography Assignment #3

2010-11-02T08:00:00.006-05:00

I just completed my week 3 photography assignment which consisted of landscape (blah) and a your choice shot. Since I just got my extension tubes in the mail (love, love, love) I thought that was the perfect opportunity to showcase them using macro photography shots. I headed to a couple of our local forest preserves early Sunday morning and got a couple of shots. Well actually A LOT of shots but that's part of the assignment, take at least 20 of the same subject. At first I didn't think that was necessary but once you start taking more and more shots you realize that there are a million ways to shoot the same subject and hence comes the creativity.

Your Choice shot #1
Your Choice Shot #2
and my favorite!

Landscape #1

Landscape #2

Haunted Halloween Cards 2010

2010-10-31T16:50:00.004-05:00

This year I decided to make a couple of different Halloween cards because it was more fun that way. The funny thing is that I finished making these last weekend but I didn't get them in the mail until.....yesterday - I know, totally embarrassing. I hope the kids that receive them forgive me. Here's how they turned out.

Hopefully you can see the texture from the embossed pumpkin and witches feet. Thanks to my photography class I know that you need side-lighting for texture but right now the sun is pretty harsh and isn't helping me with these shots. I think you get the picture though.....ha, ha.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Wicked Cool, House of Haunts
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, black patterned paper (unknown source)
Ink: Basic Black, Versamark
Other: spider embossing folder, big shot, pumpkin pie corduroy buttons, polka dot embossing folder, black waffle paper, round punch, round scallop punch, buttons, twine, black embossing powder

Note: All products used are Stampin Up unless otherwise noted.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

Photography Assignment #2

2010-10-30T00:22:00.007-05:00

I recently shared with you that I began a photography class on composition a couple of weeks ago. I'm a bit behind on blogging these days because it seems that I never have a spare minute. I may have over-committed myself but that's OK, it's all fun stuff. I shared with you my assignment from week 1's photography class here, and I thought I would also share some of my shots from week 2.

The focus of week 2 was shape, texture, and perspective. I was very excited about the texture assignment but the others I struggled with. I was off from work on Friday and I was able to get out for a few hours to go exploring and find some inspiring subjects to shoot.

Just me on assignment - please ignore the no makeup.

Shape - being my silhouette

Texture - capturing the old rubber tires and peeling paint.

Texture - peeling paint from the floorboard of a really old truck

Perspective - merry go round at the park at our beach.

This weekend I will need to work on my assignment when I'm not indulging in Halloween festivities. The focus is landscape and bringing all of the building blocks together. Huh....I think I may need to go back and figure out the second piece of the assignment. Sometimes it's a mystery but I'll come up with something.

P.S. I'm always looking for other bloggers that have an interest in photography....inspiration is a very good thing.

Photography Assignment #1

2010-10-29T23:52:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago I began a photography class on composition. Not really knowing whether or not it was going to be what I was looking for was questionable but it was worth a try. I am taking the class with my friend Brooke from My [Boys]terous Life and so far we are learning a lot. We have a very inspiring teacher which makes all of the difference and he gives us assignments each week to practice the concepts we are learning. It's 3 hours on a Monday night but so far it is revving up my photography engine.

The first week we focused on light and lines. We were given our assignment to shoot the same subject using front, back, and side lighting as well as taking shots illustrating the use of lines. Here's some shots that I took for that assignment.

Lines from my blinds onto the kitchen cabinet

Lines from a bridge at a local forest preserve showing the beautiful fall colors

Side Light - not the best composition but it was only week 1, I still have time to get better right?

Back Light - I like how this one turned out and it really makes the leaves so different.

Front light - pretty pictures but it makes the photo look so flat

Week 2 was about shapes, texture, and perspective and I'll post those photos shortly. I had a lot of fun shooting those shots and am always open to feedback or critic. It's the only way we'll get better.

P.S. If you have any good photography blogs that you would recommend please let me know, I'm always looking for inspiration and a good place to go for reference too.

St. Lucia - part 2

2010-10-22T17:00:00.020-05:00

We have been back from our week long vacation for 2 weeks now and Blogger is not cooperating and letting me properly upload photos. My apologies in advance for these not being in any sort of order but I wanted to share some photos from our trip. It was truly the most relaxing vacation we have ever been on and was truly a time together we will never forget! Here's a few (ok alot) of photos from our trip.

Us being silly

One of the many beautiful waterfalls at the Botanical Gardens

How low can you go? Let's say I didn't last that long during this contest.

Our favorite bartender! He would bring me my favorite drink even before I asked for it. I think it was making my "passion" drink on this sunny afternoon.

David relaxing at the pool on our last day.

Me relaxing at the pool. The blue tile at this pool was truly beautiful.

My last drink before heading home the next morning.

Zip lining!

Us on our 8th anniversary after zip lining through the rain forest in the pouring rain.

This little bird would sit on my chair on our veranda everyday. They are so friendly and I loved feeding them and watching them. They were beautiful.

Another one my friends that would come and visit.

They had a "lazy river" that was hidden away on the property. There were lots of cool places to relax and this was our favorite place to hide-away. It was surrounded by water and was directly in front of a waterfall. I couldn't resist taking this picture of David reading and totally relaxed. He doesn't read that often so it was a memory I had to catch.

This was a Salmon Tree at our resort that looked like it was straight from the movie Avatar. This picture doesn't do it justice - it was breathtaking!!!

This crab loved playing hide and seek while I tried capturing a picture. I got one at least!

This was one of the very friendly locals that we met while going for a walk on the beach. He made a grasshopper for us out of 2 banana leaves. It was something his grandmother taught him to do. He could make all sorts of animals and I loved seeing them use resources that are easily available thanks to nature and use it to make a living. I also bought a birdhouse from him carved out of a coconut.

US - loving life.

David posing on a beautiful piece of driftwood. It was a rainy day but we tried to make the most of it.

Paradise in St. Lucia - part 1

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

We went to St. Lucia for a week to celebrate our 8th anniversary recently. We had been looking forward to this trip for months and when we finally arrived it was everything we were hoping for and more. The morning after we arrived we ate breakfast and headed straight to the beach....this was the first photo taken from my lounger.

P.S. blogger is not cooperating and won't let me post more than 1 photo, more to come soon.

2010-09-29T13:20:00.002-05:00

I plan on sending out a few Halloween cards and decided to start experimenting with some of the colors and stamp sets that I already had. This was suppose to be a prototype but I'm not completely in love with it yet so I'll continue playing in my scraproom.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: house of haunts
Paper: kiwi kiss, rich razzleberry, black patterned paper (source unknown)
Ink: basic black
Other: black embossing powder, versamark, corduroy button, twine, distressing file

Note: all products used are Stampin Up unless otherwise noted.

A Cute Little Deer

2010-09-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had a few of my crafty friends over for some card-making and scrapbooking fun. Here's a project that we worked on during our time together. Since fall has definitely arrived in Chicago, I thought it would be appropriate to create something with fall colors and a little deer to boot. We didn't stamp a greeting so that you can customize it accordingly.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Deer Friends
Paper: soft suede, whisper white, Sweet Pea designer paper pack
Ink: soft suede
Other: scallop edge punch, gingham ribbon (American Crafts), faux stitching - paper piercer and white gel pen

Note: All products used are Stampin Up unless otherwise noted.

HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway

2010-09-09T20:15:00.000-05:00

HGTV is giving away a Manhattan apartment that was designed by ~~my boyfriend~~ Vern Yip and I plan on entering twice a day and win this baby. I've never been to NYC but I know I'd love it because I love other large cities. Plus what's not to love about a Manhattan apartment that's worth $1.5 million dollars!!!! The apartment is located on the 34th floor of the W Hotel and has a killer view. Here's a few pictures to show the beauty of this apartment.

W Hotel - 34th floor Manhattan apartment

Living Room

I really like the gray couch and all of the metal accents.

Living Room

A fuller view of the living room and the office area, aren't the large windows gorgeous?

Living Room View

Killer view.........

Foyer

Kitchen

The kitchen is truly gorgeous and the backsplash is very modern. I like that the dining room is so close and so is the laundry room (my new favorite place these days).

Laundry Area/Kitchen

Dining Room/Living Room view

Aren't the ghost chairs beautiful?

Bedroom

This is very similar to the size of our bedroom so I love seeing how they used the space. I only wish I had a view like that with a window seat. There is also a lot more closet space which is a huge plus.

Bathroom

I think the walls, flooring, but most of all the toilet are uber-cool!

Last but not least....The View!!!

You can enter twice a day to win the $1.5million package.

Enter once at HGTV.

Enter again at Front Door.

Laundry Room Demo - The Big Reveal

2010-09-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

The big Laundry Room Reveal is here! I know you have stuck with me through the day by day progress of the laundry room and now I get to show you the final result. What started out as a whole lot of "I wishes" turned into reality with the help of a fabulous contractor. We have been using our new appliances for a couple of weeks and I have almost forgotten what it was like before - but not quite.

Here's a quick recap of our little laundry room transformation:

On Day 1 they demoed the area and moved all of the plumbing to gain our extra 6 inches of space.
On Day 2 they built the new wall and began drywalling the area.
On Day 3 they finished putting up the drywall, cut and laid out the tiles, installed the can lights, and assembled the cabinets.
On Days 4-5 the tiles were grouted, the drywall finished drying, the walls were primed/painted, cabinets were installed along with the filler, and last but not least the new washer and dryer were installed.
And last but not least bead board was just added to hide the ugly 220 volt outlet and some of the plumbing with a little access panel.

And with that - here's our new laundry room!

Concealing all of that necessary but unattractive stuff!

P.S. Sorry the pictures are a bit dark.....the bead board went up today and I couldn't wait a second longer to share the complete project with you. I hope you forgive me and have enjoyed the process as much as we have. With that I am off to find something to wash.....

Cardinals vs. Brewers

2010-09-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like a holiday weekend in the summer and baseball. Around our house that would be Cardinals baseball! My husband has been a Cardinals fan his entire life and I have his teeny tiny little jersey to prove it. I look forward to the day that our children get to wear the same jersey that David did. In the meantime we'll continue cheering on the redbirds and taking lots of pictures of the action. Here's a few from our weekend.

Labor Day

Our friend's son Ryan enjoying a little break from the game.

The man Pujols hitting a double

Here he is warming up and getting ready for the big game. Sorry I couldn't help the view.

And this was right after the GRAND SLAM!!! That's the first time we have seen that in person and it was totally awesome! The score was 8 - 2 at this point and a short while later we decided to leave the game a bit early to beat the traffic. Good thing....they ended up winning only by 8 - 6. Another memorable day at the ballpark! Go Redbirds.

What I Loved in August

2010-08-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

I love reading other blogs that share what the blogger loved during the previous month and I thought I would try something similar. Let's start with August and see where we go from here.

1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson. I finished the 3rd book in the trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that this book had. The author passed away several years ago after turning in the manuscripts and what a wonderful author he was. I highly recommend this trilogy and I'm sure you will love it!

2. Josie Maran Argan Oil. It's 100% pure argan oil from Morocco and I absolutely love it. It's an oil that provides the ultimate hydration and is great for the skin, cuticles, and split ends. I'm constantly finding more and more ways to use this product. Try it, I think you'll love it.

3. Garden Veggies! I never thought that 1 cucumber plant, 1 tomato plant, and 1 cherry tomato plant would produce enough vegetables to feed the neighborhood. I think I got about 30 cucumbers from my one plant and too many cherry tomatoes to count therefore I've been sharing the fruits of my labor with everyone I can. My book club friends have begun to request my veggies which is a true compliment. What's my secret? Well I use compost, rain water from my rain barrel, and talk really nicely to the plants.....don't you do the same thing?

4. Time spent at Ravinia with my husband and friends. It's a great outdoor music venue where you can camp out in the park and picnic while listening to great music. We saw the Temptations and Carrie Underwood in August which was a blast.

5. My new Washer and Dryer! Our Laundry Room Demo was life altering - seriously! My husband and I have so much more time thanks to our super capacity washer and dryer. We used to do more than 10 loads a week because of the small capacity appliances we had and now we can do 3 a week - huge difference. It was the wisest money we have spent in a long time. The big reveal is coming soon so please ignore the tape since we are still painting and putting some final touches on the room. I'm excited to show you the finished product but you can see quite a bit of it here.

always time for you

2010-08-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

A dear friend of mine from the library lost her father recently. It has been a difficult time for her and her family and I wanted to put together an extra special card for her to not only send my condolences but also to let her know that I'm always here for her. I really enjoyed painting the bench and was especially proud with how the grass turned out underneath the bench. You can read her beautifully written tribute to her father on her blog Life Chapter by Chapter.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Time for You
Paper: basic gray, chocolate chip, riding hood red, whisper white, patterned paper
Ink: basic black, chocolate chip, old olive, always artichoke, riding hood red, soft suede
Other: riding hood red striped ribbon, eyelets, piercer

Note: all products used are Stampin Up.

Pocket Silhouettes Birthday Card

2010-08-21T13:00:00.023-05:00

My book club friend Peg is turning 60 and we are getting together to see "Eat, Pray, Love" on Saturday to celebrate and then the party follows with all things Italian. We have such a feast planned that we certainly will make Elizabeth Gilbert proud. It'll be a fun party and I'm really looking forward to the movie and the party that will proceed. I purchased a gift for her with the theme in mind and wrapped it in a pretty cloth napkin. The napkin contains a floral pattern and was the inspiration for this card. I loved creating it for our special Peg.

Supplies Used:

Paper: Kraft, whisper white, Bermuda bay, kiwi kiss, rich razzleberry
Ink: Versamark
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Happy Birthday stamp
Other: white embossing powder, rich razzleberry dotted ribbon, dimensionals, scoring tool
Techniques: embossing, scoring

Laundry Room Demo - Days 4 & 5

2010-08-20T23:42:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week but our laundry room transformation is almost done! I've been updating all of you throughout the week but Day 4 unfortunately consisted of the drywall drying. After 24 hours it was still not completely dry so I whipped out the fan and it was dry in an hour but it was too late to make any real progress. The tiles were grouted and the drywall dried but that was all that took place on Day 4. Nothing too exciting.

Day 5 however we accomplished a great deal. The walls were finished, the cabinet was hung, and the walls were primed and painted. It's such a small space that I thought it would be easy to paint but after getting covered in ~~Elmer's glue~~ primer and yelling at my husband for getting it everywhere, we ended up needed a little break. David headed to the Laundromat (for the first time ever!) and I headed off for a much needed glass of wine. Afterwards we ate dinner and I completed the coats of paint alone (sorry Honey it's just not your forte)!

The pictures were taken in the evening and aren't the greatest but I'm saving the good pictures for the upcoming reveal. I can't wait until it's all done!!!

Stay tuned for the big reveal....coming soon!

Laundry Room Demo - Day 3

2010-08-19T00:06:00.000-05:00

We just completed day 3 of our laundry room transformation and I'm sure you will all be just as excited as we will be once it's done. Are you sick of me blogging about it yet?!?! I really need to do some laundry here soon and I don't want to spend all weekend doing it - but wait....I can wash big loads now! But still, I don't want stacks of laundry looming over me. I have the hardest part of the job - folding and putting it away.

Here's a recap of our transformation thus far:

On Day 1 we demoed the area and moved all of the plumbing to gain our extra 6 inches of space.
On Day 2 they built the new wall and began to drywall the area.
On Day 3 they finishing putting up the drywall, laid the tiles on the floor, installed the can lights, and assembled the cabinets.

Next we need to finish up the walls, grout the tiles, prime and paint the walls and ceiling (YUCK!), install the cabinets, and last but not least......install the washer and dryer. I also have some finishing touches that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. Let's just say I created art that didn't cost me anything!

I hope you stay with us as we finish the laundry room transformation that will allow us to wash and dry big loads of laundry in style.

Laundry Room Demo - Day 2

2010-08-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we completed day 2 in the construction of our new laundry space. In day 1 we demoed the area and had the plumbing moved so we could gain our extra 6 inches of space. And in day 2 they completed the building of the wall on the left side and began drywalling the area. They didn't get as much done on day 2 but they were only working on it for a 1/2 day because of another project they were working on. Tanner and I got to sleep in so that was a big bonus.

You can see that it's coming together and the most exciting part of the day.....my new appliances arrived! They are temporarily sitting in the garage but I have been studying the manual so that I will know how to use all of the settings once it's time to start doing laundry again. It's really piling up so I hope they are done soon.

Stay tuned for details on what was accomplished on day 3 - I'm hoping the drywall is complete and the tiling on the floor but we'll see.

Liam and Emily's Photoshoot

2010-08-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

I was excited when a friend asked me to take pictures of her twins at a local park while I was on my "stay-cation". I love taking pictures and children are so fun to shoot because you can really capture their personalities. Usually my nieces are my photo victims but given that they live far away I don't get to take their pictures too often. So I was excited to get out in the beautiful weather and spend some time with a great family. Here's a few that I thought I would share.

The photo above was one of my favorites - doesn't she look like an angel?

She is really warming up to the camera and posing for me.

Doesn't he look so mature? I think he's wise beyong his years.

Then they started getting goofy on me and this was not my prompting. I tried to make it fun and the key was to keep them moving. They were itching to change clothes and go to the playground.

Looking for pennies in the wishing well.

This reminds me of Forrest Gump sitting on the bench.

Mom was hiding something for them to find and they were concentrating really hard.

And there you have it, our little trip to shoot some photos of the cutest twins around. They grow up fast and I was happy to capture these pictures for the family.

Enjoy All Life Has to Offer!

Spending 2 days with my Photography Idol

Maternity Pictures at 34 weeks

Lots and Lots of Change

Sunsets and Fireworks

Sunday Scavenger Hunt [06-19-2011]

My Macro Photography Excursion

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-12-2011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [06-05-2011]

Sweet, Sweet Zara

Building my Photography Confidence

I Heart Faces - Flowers

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [05-15-2011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [5-8-2011]

Sunday Scavenger Hunt [05-01-2011]

Cupcakes and Pink Cheeks

hoppy easter

Scavenger Hunt Sunday {04-24-2011}

Happy 7th Birthday Tanner!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4*10*2011]

You've Been Egged!

Let the Cute Begin

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4*03*2011]

You Capture - Vibrance

Sweet Shot Tuesday {3*29*2011}

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3*27*2011]

You Capture - Youth

Over the Moon for the Supermoon

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3*20*2011]

You Capture - Emotions in Black & White

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3*12*2011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

You Capture - Technology

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

A Stella Update - 2 months

You Capture - The Letter "L"

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

You Capture - Cold

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

You Capture - Red

The Blizzard of 2011

You Capture - Circles

A Stella Update - 2 weeks

10 Faves in 2010

Stella - Our New Addition

From Our House To Yours

A new addition to the Family?

Sweet Bokeh Baby

Playing with Shutter Speed

You Capture - Kindred

New Camera - New Journey

My Merry Mantle

DIY: How to Create a Pinecone Wreath

Be Thankful

A little bit Nantucket & A little bit Cottage Chic

All Lit Up

You Capture - What Inspires Me.

Light 'Em Up

Photography Assignment - Final

You Capture - Serene

Photography Assignment #4

You Capture - Halloween

Photography Assignment #3

Haunted Halloween Cards 2010

Happy Halloween!

Photography Assignment #2

Photography Assignment #1

St. Lucia - part 2

Paradise in St. Lucia - part 1

A Cute Little Deer

HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway

Laundry Room Demo - The Big Reveal

Cardinals vs. Brewers

What I Loved in August

always time for you

Pocket Silhouettes Birthday Card

Laundry Room Demo - Days 4 & 5

Laundry Room Demo - Day 3

Laundry Room Demo - Day 2

Liam and Emily's Photoshoot

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4102011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [4032011]

Sweet Shot Tuesday {3292011}

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3272011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3202011]

Scavenger Hunt Sunday [3122011]