Serendipity is Sweet

Simple Things Sunday - Calla Lily

2012-02-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

I love the clean lines of a Calla Lily. So simple and soft. Gorgeous, I think. Its beauty is so concise.

What is your favorite flower?

Linking up today at Rebecca's place:

Chasing the Sun

2012-02-10T14:04:00.001-05:00

Monday evening, as we were rushing out to a basketball game where my 6 your old was cheering, I drove across the bridge over the river about 1/2 mile from my house and my jaw dropped as I saw the most gorgeous sunset splattered across the sky. It was amazing! And I immediately began kicking myself for not having my camera with me. Normally, I would have so that I could take pics of the my daughter's cheerleading squad in action. However, hubs was at school and I knew I'd be wrestling an active 4 year old and a squirmy 17 month old on my own that evening, so I had decided to leave my camera at home. Shame on me.

So the next night, and the night after that, I watched the skies for a repeat. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. I did however capture some pretty magnificent skies nonetheless. One of the frustrating things about capturing skies around here is the bazillion power poles, lines and towers all over the place. It is very difficult to find a spot with a clear view. Even though we are surrounded by shores and waterways everywhere we go, we also live in one of the largest ports in the U.S., and next to the largest Naval Base, so there are also a bazillion naval vessels, cargo ships, cranes and container stacks everywhere you look. Like this:

Not so great when you are trying to capture a peaceful sunset. Still, I was blessed with witnessing some magical skies and I tried my best to do them justice.

I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and opinions will vary as to the most appealing sunset, but something about the fiery drama of this last one gets me. So it is my favorite of the week and my submission for Shoot. Edit. Submit. Which is your fave?

Thanks so much for stopping in! Have a great weekend ;)

Poetic Winter Challenge - Warmth

2012-02-10T13:15:00.001-05:00

This week's prompt for the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge is warmth. The weather here, as for much of the US, has been warmer than usual this winter. So I didn't capture any pics of bundled kiddos in mittens and hats, or little fingers clutching mugs of hot cocoa. But I did find warmth in some unexpected moments.

Tutorial Tuesday - Food Photography

2012-02-08T23:23:00.002-05:00

I am not much of a food photographer. I occasionally post favorite recipes on this blog, but even that has fallen by the wayside lately. Truth be told, I don't really like to cook. I do enjoy baking once in a while, but mainly because I am a cookie fiend and I can't go a day without a cookie, lol. While I admire food photography and sometimes drool over the gorgeous images on other foodie photog blogs, I know it's not my forte. I also have crappy light in my kitchen and dining room, and dark red walls. That said, I would like to be able to take decent food photos when I want to post a recipe. When I stumbled upon Ashley's Tutorial Tuesday for this week, which is chock full of tips for food photography, I thought I might as well give it a whirl. I always learn a ton from trying different tutorials, even if my attempts aren't entirely successful.

So, I started with some Valentine's Day candy. I took my light box outside for some natural light and set up a few shots. These were the best of the bunch:

Eh, they're ok, but kind of boring, I think. I started realizing taking some time to really plan out a shot and set things up is key. I am definitely lacking some decent props... nice linens, simple white dishes, or interesting antiques...most things here are more kid-friendly than photo-friendly ;)

Since I was tired of beating the kids away from the m&m's I thought I'd move on to some fruit. Ha, ha, I knew they wouldn't be trying to snatch that out of my shots.

I had seen Jaymi's tutorial on Fruit in Bubbles and was impressed by Gina's shots, so I thought I'd try that next.

I found these shots to be a lot more interesting and fun. I don't have a macro lens, just my kits lens with some macro filters so many were out of focus and just plain bad. But I was glad I pushed myself and tried something new. I learned that lighting makes a huge difference in how appealing food looks, and keeping things clean and simple makes for a better shot.

I'm so glad I took the time to try some new things and learned a bit along the way. Thanks to Ashley and Branson for hosting the fun!!!

I'm also linking up at Deb's place today. Stop by to say hello!

Wordless Wednesday - Cameillas

2012-02-07T22:19:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for our Cameillas to bloom.

We've had buds for over two months now.

Finally, this week we saw some gorgeous blooms!

Project 366 Rewind- Week 5 - Weary

2012-02-06T16:47:00.002-05:00

Here are a few of my captures from the past week. We were busy little bees ;)

The kids enjoyed the warm weather outside:

My older daughter and I went chasing the sunset:

I happened upon a snowy egret in a muddy bog:

We enjoyed a day at the nautical museum:

We read lots of books!

And took a few walks:

And I grew weary of all the money we spend at the grocery store!!!

Thanks for coming by to say hi! Be sure to check out more Project 366 here:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday Week 5

2012-02-05T22:49:00.001-05:00

This week, like most, was busy, but I had fun seeking out shots to fulfill these prompts. I have been trying to put this post together for about 6 hours now, but keep getting side-tracked, lol. I was hoping to have it up earlier than usual, but that just didn't happen. Anyway, here goes...
Strike A Pose - my 6 year old is all sass:

Footwear (baby shoes are much cuter than my own):

Hobby (my kids love Tech Decks):

Shiny (I love the nostalgia of a good old fashioned bug):

Color Me Green (I was originally going for green with envy, but I didn't happen upon anyone with an awesome camera this week - yes, I often have camera envy):

That's it for this week. Thanks for stopping in!

Just a Girl

2012-02-04T14:51:00.002-05:00

Forgive me if all I ever seem to post are pics of my kids. I've been practicing with my portrait lens and working on focus and composition. Since I'm with them 24/7 they provide endless opportunities for shooting ;) These are the latest pics of Little Miss this week. She's 17 month old now and climbing onto everything. She loves to empty my kitchen cabinets as I make dinner or check email. She also helps unload the dishwasher ;) I can see her face changing and maturing and it makes me a bit sad; but, it is so much fun to see all that personality beginning to burst forth.

I hope you are having a beautiful weekend. Thanks for stopping in to say hello. Your comments always brighten my day!

***I'm updating this post as per my message in the comment section. I revised the above image by cloning out the distractions. It is still not perfect (and my cloning skills need lots of work!) but it's a start. The rake in the first image really bothers me too, but I worked on it for a while and it looked plain awful. Like I said, cloning is an area that I really need to learn and practice. I have only attempted it a couple of times. As I mentioned to Kim in the comments. I welcome any constructive criticism.***

Poetic Winter Photography Challenge - Solitude

2012-02-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

I'm joining in the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge hosted by Alicia at Project Alicia, Rebecca of Bumbles and Light, Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud and Faith of Sweet Violet. It's an inspiring 4-week photo challenge aimed at capturing the poetic beauty of winter through photography. I admire the talent these ladies exhibit through their beautiful images. Be sure to stop by their blogs for some fun and inspiration!

"Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone."

~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

"True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment." ~William Penn

"When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death - ourselves." ~Eda LeShan

"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world." ~Hans Margolius

"It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts." ~K.T. Jong

Solitude is something I rarely experience these days. Not even in the bathroom, the car, or, well, anywhere really. I love being surrounded by my family, but it does not always allow for the peace of mind or the inner-reflection that solitude can provide.

I wish I had more time to play around with some textures and text in Photoshop, but for now, this will have to do. I had a hard enough time accomplishing this much, lol. I can't wait to see everyone else's gorgeous entries. These talented ladies always gather a fabulous and diverse crowd!

Thanks so much for visiting!!

Sunset Glow

2012-02-03T12:22:00.000-05:00

Boy, I don't know how all of you Super Moms out there do it. I visit your blogs, read your meaningful, heartfelt posts, learn from your tutorials, gawk over your gorgeous photos and wonder how on earth you have time to accomplish it all! By the time I shoot, upload, organize, edit and prepare my pics for the web, I am so far behind at home that I hardly have time to type in a few mindless sentences. Even when my brain is clear enough to imagine a brilliant idea and begin to plan out it's execution, I am acutely aware of the laundry piling up, the kids fighting in the next room and the guilt trip from my neglected husband. I inevitably fall short, in more ways than one.

So, I don't really know where I am going with this. I don't suppose there is any point to my babbling beyond the release of pressure from admitting defeat. I really only intended to introduce my favorite photo of the week. I'm not really sure it is my favorite photo of the week. When I set out to shoot, I was hoping for a more brilliant sunset or at least some decent HDR pics. I set up for HDR processing, but the movement of the water and the boats caused too much ghosting so I abandoned that idea. So, this is it, and once again I'm falling short, but I'll just keep peddling in hopes that one day I'll get there ;)

The second shot is my entry for Shoot. Edit. Submit.

Thanks for stopping in! I hope you have a beautiful weekend ;)

Just a Boy

2012-02-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

We have been enjoying some gorgeous spring-like weather over the past day or two, and lots of outdoor play! I have been loving the afternoon light and snapping away ;)

Because of the grungy hat, I thought these might look cool in black and white.

But, I ended up liking them better in color.

Today brings rain, cooler temps and a visit to one of our favorite local museums.

So, I'll be snapping away...indoors today.

Be sure to stop by Deb's place for more This or That Thursday.

Wordless Wednesday - Silly Face

2012-01-31T23:07:00.001-05:00

"Cheese"

Click It Up a Notch - Jan Favorite

2012-01-31T17:46:00.000-05:00

Boy has this month gone by in a blur. As January began I was lamenting the end of the holidays and the dreary winter that spread out before me. It's hard to believe that was 4 weeks ago already! Turns out I had little reason to dread winter. Though we've had some gray, rainy days, we've also had some glorious spring-like weather too. And the month has blown by quickly.
I have been shooting a lot. Every day I practice and I'm learning so much. I have been studying through Clickin Mom's Best Beginner course and it has been wonderful. I have learned a great deal and I am so thankful! I plan to keep up the momentum and hope the improvement I've seen continues ;)
Picking a favorite this month was tough, but I just love this profile shot of little miss with her curly curls. I'm submitting it as my favorite of the month at Click It Up a Notch.

Check out more great photos here:

Thanks so much for stopping in to say hi!

Project 366 - Rewind Week 4

2012-01-30T14:51:00.001-05:00

This week I captured:

The pooch

A smile

Peek-a-boo

A warm day on the river

A few raindrops

Sibling love - prompt: close

And my best of the month:

Thanks for stopping in! Hope you have a great week ;)

Simple Things Sunday #9

2012-01-29T19:26:00.000-05:00

My simple thing for this week is puppy love. This big goofy thing is our great dane Bella. She drinks from the sink, bounces around the house like a rabbit when she's excited, can greet you eye to eye, and will happily settle down in your lap if you let her (though only a paw or two will really fit.) Love, love love <3

For more Simple Things Sunday visit Rebecca's beautiful blog:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday Week 4

2012-01-29T18:02:00.001-05:00

Hello friends! It has been fun capturing the prompts for this week's hunt. They are as follows:
Smile - yes that's dirt on her face. She loves to explore outside as much as the boys do:

Stand Alone - I love these graceful birds:

Rusty or Something Old:

Artificial:

Repeating Pattern:

Check out more entries at Ashley's place:
Thanks for stopping by!

This Week's Favorite Pic

2012-01-27T21:35:00.000-05:00

Holy gorgeousness batman! Have you seen the entries lately for Shoot. Edit. Submit?! This challenge gets more and more interesting every week. There are some seriously talented photog's joining in. It is such a fun weekly inspiration. If you haven't already, stop by and check it out!

Here is my favorite photo from this week. I've been working on shooting only in manual and nailing focus. And, with all the practice, this little sweetie has learned to say "eeesh" when I point my lens in her direction. ;)

Thursday's This or That - Down By the River

2012-01-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I was feeling housebound and needed a break from feeling trapped in a petri dish. We've all been nursing colds for well over a week, and the weather had been dreary too. I drove down to the river and took some shots just for fun. A little photo jaunt is always good for lifting my spirits. Today I'm sharing a few pics from that brief excursion. As I captured them they were gray and dreary, just like the weather, so I warmed them up a bit in processing. I like them better this way ;)

Thanks for stopping in! Be sure to stop by Deb's place for more This or That Thursday:

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T09:17:00.001-05:00

Winter

2012-01-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

"O, wind,

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"

~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Randomosity

2012-01-24T17:42:00.000-05:00

I don't have much time to blog today, but I thought I'd post some random pics that I haven't yet shared. The odds and ends of our recent daily adventures, if you will. The best of the rest...or one for the Grandmas ;) I apologize for the photo dump, but I take pictures like a mad woman to practice and learn, and while hundreds get dumped in the trash, there are always a few less than perfect shots that I just can't bear to part with. Anyway, here they are, in no particular order.

Baby feet:

From behind:

A break in the weather:

Idle chatter:

Are you going to eat all that?

Read to me:

Bold:

Thanks for stopping in! The littles seem to be finally recovering from this nasty cold we've all had. Hopefully, when I get through the mountain of laundry, I'll be able to devote more time to a more cohesive post ;) Have a beautiful day!!

Project 366 Rewind - Week 3

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

Good day friends! I hope you are enjoying sunny weather, or at least some beautiful snow. We're on our 5th day of gray, misty, cold. And speaking of cold...I have had a house full of cold germs for several days, so we have been homebodies for the most part - I've spared you any photos of the snotty noses.

I really don't enjoy winter. The cold, and colorless days, the multiplying germs...not my cup of tea. Fortunately, we have a relatively short winter in these parts, or I would surely develop a serious case of the winter blues. Well, enough of my complaining (sorry)...on with the rewind!

We actually had a day last week that was pretty warm and partly sunny, so we spent some time outside.

Wind power! ;)

Played with the tripod and remote:

Extreme close up of a chocolate-nosed baby:

I ventured to the riverfront for some inspiration:

My oldest in his new glasses - we discovered he needed them and he's really been great about wearing them without compliant.

This week's prompt - Start of the day:

That's it for now. Thanks for popping by! Have a great week ;)

Simple Things Sunday #8

2012-01-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

I adore my children, and I am so thankful for all the time I get to spend with them. But with 4 kiddos, life can be chaotic, and it is quite a relief when they finally settle down and drift off to sleep at night.

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."

~Angela Schwindt

Scavenger Hunt Sunday - Week 3

2012-01-22T17:53:00.001-05:00

Sunset - It was gray, rainy and cloudy here all week, and we all had a nasty cold. Capturing a sunset just wasn't possible; so, you get a creative take on a late winter afternoon on the river. I took this shot today, and yes, the roof on that house is ridiculously bright blue in real life.:

Black and White - I've needed these all week:

A Day In My Life - when I'm not folding laundry, or teaching, I'm generally chasing kiddos with my camera:

By the way, that's my super awesome Stylish Beach Bum camera strap. I love, love, love it! It's secure, comfy, lets me wear my camera on my hip as I sometimes like, and adorable don't you think? Check out Gina's new line for Spring here.

Four - clearly my storyboarding skills need some work!:

Colorful - more tulips. I was snap happy with these store bought flowers this week. They really brightened the otherwise dreary gray days:

That's it for this week. Thanks for stopping by ;)

Just a Little Something

2012-01-20T22:47:00.002-05:00

...to brighten your day. I hope you enjoy these tulips as much as I have ;)

"Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into."

~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858