Greengate Photography Blog

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-26T18:08:00.000-08:00

This week I've been thinking about some of the recent good things, and I knew I should've written them down but I just kept thinking I'd surely remember. (How dumb am I?) And now, of course, I can't remember. Hopefully they'll come to me as I compile this list.

1. My immersion hand blender. I love that thing! I got it for Christmas and have used it so much.

2. Friends who drive me to and from the airport. It seems like I often have an upcoming flight and I'm needing yet another ride. Even when the times are incredibly inconvenient, my friends are always so willing to help me out. They never complain or seem put out--they even say they enjoy it! (It's over an hour to get there, so it's not a quick trip.) I have a handful of people I can ask so that there is always someone available, and they have saved me the money of parking my car at the airport, and the extra time it takes to park and catch the shuttle. THANK YOU, FRIENDS! And I owe some of you an email about who "won" the upcoming rides. :D

3. It's getting lighter later. It seemed like the dark drives home from work were very few this year, even though I know it's about the same every year. But now it is still a little light when I drive home, and it really makes a big difference in my mood as I leave work.

4. No cavities! I had a dentist appointment after not having one for two years (hey, I don't have dental insurance!). I was certain I'd need some dental work, but I'm apparently not as knowledgeable about teeth as my dentist!

5. My cross street is open again. Over the summer, the main road I take out of my neighborhood was closed for two months while they rebuilt a bridge. Every day I felt annoyed to have to take the more complicated route, and I was so glad when it was finished! Then, last week during the flooding, it was closed again due to the creek that likes to overflow. It was only closed about a week, but I missed it and was very glad when it was open again.

6. Words With Friends. Have I already mentioned this in Thankful Thursday? If so, oh well. I really enjoy having a game I can play with several friends. It's just a little way to connect and exercise the brain, but it's very entertaining. My mom and I play, and I like that we have regular contact through a game that she taught me years ago (in the form of Scrabble, of course). (If any of you want to play WWF with me, I'd love to play! My username is GreengatePhoto.)

7. Tax season. I know that it won't always be a time I welcome with open arms, but for now it means a refund! I'm anxiously awaiting my W-2s. And a sub-thankful: my life is simple enough that doing my taxes very manageable. I don't own a home and I'm unmarried and childless, so it's all pretty straightforward.

8. Comments on my blog. Thanks, all of you who comment! I love it, and I'm sorry I'm not very quick to respond. I'll try to do better.

That's all I have. There's no rule that I have to do 10.

What's something good from your past week or so?

Winter so far

2012-01-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I posted. It's not that I don't have some material lined up, I just haven't felt very up to it, for whatever reason. Maybe it's just January demotivating me. Anyway, I think now would be a good time for a little catching up. Here's what's going on with me.

One of my resolutions for the new year was to bake bread with yeast, because I never had. Check!

It finally snowed, but it didn't stay long. It wasn't quite as wonderland-pretty as it has been in the past, so the few photos I have aren't all that enchanting.

Meanwhile, I made some delicious potatoes au gratin where I cut some of the potatoes into stars with a cookie cutter. Food cuteness!

Then the temps warmed up like 20 degrees one day, and it was pouring rain and melting snow, which meant flooding all over Salem.

That lake out there is not normally there.

Nor is this one. Lots of creeks and rivers overflowed into surrounding areas. It didn't affect me except an alternate route to and from work, but some people's homes were flooded in Salem and especially Turner (nearby).

Between the weather news, I've been prepping for some upcoming travels. I can't remember if I already mentioned that I'm photographing a friend's wedding next month. She's in Colorado Springs, so after that I'll take a short flight to Albuquerque to visit my sisters and their families for a few days. I finally got all my plane tickets worked out and I'm starting to get pretty excited. I was just texting my niece L about it. Yay!

I'm also nervous, because I want to do a good job with the wedding photography. (As usual, I think my hopes and expectations on myself are beyond where they should be.) I only have two weddings under my belt, so I'm going to make plenty of mistakes and probably miss some important shots. However, I have been saying that I would be open to doing a wedding here and there for the right person, and Holly is definitely the right person. I'm very honored that she and her fiance want me to take their pictures! I'm praying for decent weather and that everything goes smoothly.

Okay, that's enough. If you read this far, thank you. :) I really appreciate all my blog followers!

Project 52 (30)

2012-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Some geese came and landed on the lake when it was semi-frozen. It was thin ice, so they kept stomping through it and then wanting out again. (Sorry to those of you who have already seen these pictures.)

Photography: Light Painting

2012-01-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

A friend reminded me about this technique that I'd read about but never tried. Too often I put off fun experiments with lame excuses, so the other night I just went for it based on my memory of reading an article about it several months ago. My results aren't fabulous, but you get the idea. Below are instructions on how you can do something similar (and likely much better).

SETUP

1. Grab a flashlight. I tried it with a keychain version and a large Maglite, because those are the only flashlights I have.

2. Set up your camera with remote on a tripod or shelf of some sort. Or if you're like me, a bistro chair topped with a concordance, parallel Bible, and a Harry and David box.

3. You can do this trick without a remote if you set your camera to 30-second exposures on a timer and keep your "paintings" in that time slot (pretty easy to do). In fact, it might even work better to not bother with the remote.

4. Your camera's aperture and ISO settings need to be ones that don't allow much light in. I put mine on f/16 with 100 ISO.

5. My shutter speed was set to BULB for the remote, but without a remote you can put it on whatever's slowest (likely 30 seconds).

6. Clear a space and make it very dark. After the obvious steps, like waiting until night time, closing all blinds from outdoor lighting and turning off all lights in my home, I draped a blanket over my TV and electronics so their little lights wouldn't interfere with my artistic magic.

7. Put your camera on the timer setting. (On my camera it did this automatically on the Remote setting.)

LIGHT PAINTING
(Not to be confused with painting light, which is Thomas Kinkade's job.)

So here's how I did it with my wired remote. I walked over with the flashlight on and flipped the remote into the locked position to keep the shutter open indefinitely. Because of the timer setting, it didn't open the shutter for a few seconds, so I quickly walked back into place and turned out my flashlight. After I heard the shutter open, I proceeded to turn on my flashlight, aim it at the camera, and draw whatever I wanted. Then I turned out the flashlight when I was done, walked over and switched the remote to close the shutter.

It's harder than I thought it would be. Apparently I'm not much on air-drawing. I kept moving the flashlight too high, so you can see my pictures are cut off.

Clearly I'm very spiritual. (Well, maybe not so clearly--that says "God," but all messily and cut off.)

NOTES

If you write something, it will turn out backwards in the resulting photo, so you can just reverse it in a photo editing program. Or you can try to write backwards, if you're that talented.

I found the key chain light gave a nice, fine line, but it was almost too fine. Also, I obviously tried writing my name a few times, but it wasn't turning out all that nicely.

I remembered someone mentioning a way to color the light by putting a cloth over it. The large Maglite was bright enough that it needed to be toned down anyway, so I first used a green washcloth and held it over the light. Later I tried a multi-colored sock, which was a better idea. It stayed on the flashlight better, and created more interesting colors. Notice there's both purple and green on some of these.

(I started blanking on words to try.)

Also--and I don't know if this made a difference--I dressed in dark clothing while I did this. I didn't want to show up in the pictures, and figured the fewer reflective surfaces, the better. My face wasn't covered, though, and you can't see any indication of me, so that's why I don't know if it mattered.

So...does that make sense? Feel free to ask questions in the comments. :) No guarantee I can be any clearer, though. There are other tutorials out there that do a better job, I'm sure. Google them.

This is a sad-looking heart. Wow.

Pinteresting

2012-01-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

I've been using Pinterest more lately, and thought I'd share a few of the clever and funny things I've come across. There's lots of stuff to pin (recipes, craft ideas, fashion, tips/hints, etc.), but these are some instantly entertaining things I have on my "Clever-adorable-awesome-funny" board. (I'm really good at naming boards.)

I'm an introvert!

Mine was!

Hi, Lori!

Hi, R!

Yes, I do have two Lionel Richie references. My friend and I often joke about the head sculpture from the Hello video.

Have a good week!

Project 52 (27-29)

2012-01-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hey, I should post my Project 52 photos!

Week 27: This is my mom's cook book. It's in lovely condition! I remember using this when I was a kid and just learning to bake. It has lots of good recipes from her mom or my dad's mom.. I don't really know where they all came from.

Week 28: A killdeer distracting me from my mission to get heron photos.

Week 29: The moon's reflection tonight.

BONUS: If you're curious, here's what it looked like in the sky.

UNRELATED: Here's a sunrise from the other day.

Bye!

Crab Bisque

2012-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted to mention a recipe that my dad tried on Christmas Eve-Eve. It was sooooo delicious. You might even be able to substitute something other than crab if you don't like it or it's too pricy.

When I think of bisque, I think of something very pureed, and I typically don't go for that kind of soup. This is still hearty with pieces of potatoes and crab, like a good clam chowder, so I liked it a lot.

My dad used some American cheese slices because he couldn't find the Velveeta at the store. I know it sounds weird, but I think it just helps with the texture of the soup. It did not taste cheesy.

Anyway, here's where he got the recipe: Winning Crab Bisque

I'll paste it down here, too, in case something happens to the page I linked you to.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced-fat margarine
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
2 cups fat-free milk
4 cups fat-free half-and-half
10 ounces reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (1 pound) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, celery, green pepper and garlic in margarine until tender. Reduce heat to medium; add the potatoes and milk. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are just tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove 1-1/2 cups of the potato mixture; mash and return to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Stir in half-and-half and process cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add the crab, salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts).

Christmas vacation pictures

2012-01-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hi there. Happy New Year! That exclamation point is really fake, because let's just put it this way: today was not an exclamation point kind of day. But now it's my favorite time (evenings at home) and everything is going to be okay. :) <--Also somewhat fake.

I spent New Year's Eve with friends. I happened to take only one photo with my cell phone, and it's definitely not worth sharing. I guess I wasn't feeling the whole photography thing that night, but it's nice to put the camera aside sometimes. I enjoyed playing games and hanging out with awesome girls. The evening seemed to go pretty quickly. One minute we're playing Balderdash, then suddenly it was time to watch Lady Gaga in Times Square and toast in the new year over peach sparkling cider.

But enough about that. I actually have some Christmas photos to show you. Nothing amazing. I kind of forgot them. I also owe this blog my Project 52 photos, but that'll be later.

My mom set out this picture in the guest room for when I arrived. :P She's funny. As you can read, it's a picture I made when I was 10, and because my name was on it, it made it safely home after a dramatic kidnapping. Man, that would've made an awesome episode of COPS!

This was hilarious--these finches were drinking from my mom's hummingbird feeders!

My mom and I took a drive near the Sutter Buttes to get some pictures. It was a really nice evening and great weather for December.

At sunset everything was vibrant.

I forgot to share a recipe here, but maybe I'll link you to a few recipes in a later post. Ooooooooooooooooooookay bye.

2011 Books

2011-12-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

I saw this cute idea on another blog and totally copied it. Only, mine isn't quite as neat and even as the other girl's, but I'm all about cutting corners where possible. You still get the idea.

A few thoughts...

1. Don't judge me! I read to escape, not to become a lit. professor.

2. I know all Mary Higgins Clark books are the same, but I still like them, and there are always plenty available on audio. I went through a phase where I was rereading some of her books, and I had even forgotten the killer in a couple!

3. These were my first Maureen Johnson books--I enjoyed them and will definitely read more of her stuff.

4. Sophie Kinsella is a good writer, but I'm not consistently impressed with her books.

5. Grace for the Good Girl was very good. I recommend it. I think I need to reread it.

6. Eight of these books were read on my Kindle.

7. Many of these books were audio... I loooove listening to audiobooks while I drive! And yes, they still count!

8. I just barely finished the Mindy Kaling book today. I wouldn't say it was LOL-funny, but it was entertaining and very interesting. She seems like a pretty cool chica.

9. The Barry and Fey books were audio and read by the author, which I highly recommend for that sort of book.

10. I can't remember, now, why I read Rescue Your Love Life. I used to read marriage books when I was a teenager, though, so I guess I was revisiting that hobby.

So did you read anything interesting this year?

2011 in photos

2011-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo summary of my year, minus portraits since I included those in a separate post. In some captions, I've linked you to a post (or set of posts) that contain more photos, for any of you who are new or like to re-look at pictures. :)

So here's what happened in 2011...

I brought in the new year at my place, with some of my friends. We ate and played Pictionary, because we're a wild bunch. I looked through the photos I took that night, and they're all blurry! That's just sparkling cider, though. :P

In February, I switched my photography brand name from Hello Butterfly to Greengate Photography.

I had a pancake party for Valentine's Day.

It snowed!

Dania and Brenda came to visit! We went to the very windy coast, among other places. (That photo of me (middle) isn't great, but one of my resolutions is to post more pictures of myself and stop being such a baby about it.)

We also visited Klickitat Street in Portland!

My parents and I went camping in Death Valley, CA in March. (We also went to Vegas for a day. My first time beyond the airport!)

While there, we visited Scotty's Castle.

I saw about a million rainbows from my back deck.

It may have rained a time or two.

My friends and I went to the wildlife safari in Winston, OR.

I went to Deepwood Estate a few times.

I visited Ankeny Wildlife Refuge several times.

I also went to Bush Park on a semi-regular basis. Salem is a good city.

I managed to get photos of Western Tanagers.

Did I mention the rainbows?

I went to the coast again, when the weather was a little nicer.

I watched beavers swimming around in the lake.

Dania came up again for Independence Day weekend, and we went to Seattle.

I saw deer at work.

I took lots of food photos.

And, of course, hummingbird photos.

I went to New Mexico to see my family. (This isn't a very New Mexico-y photo, though.)

I ate too much Padington's pizza (but Tina was my lovely company several times!), and also started a weekly photo project.

I saw raccoons at work!

I learned how to make pasties.

I went [back] to the Bellevue Botanical Garden in September.

My parents came to visit over my (and my dad's) birthday weekend!

I went to the pumpkin patch with some friends. (This is P, enjoying pumpkin ice cream.)

I had a crush on fall.

I celebrated 11/11/11 over dinner at 5 Guys and a caramel apple party with friends.

I took lots of frost and mushroom pictures.

I spent Christmas with my parents (in California).

So that was my year. As always, it was full of ups and downs (not pictured), and lots of beautiful sights. How was yours?

Favorite portraits

2011-12-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Hi there! I'm home and feeling that new year inspiration that I get each December after Christmas (if only it would last!). As we finish up 2011, I want to post a few entries that sum up my year. I hope they are entertaining to you, but they mostly benefit me, as they remind me of my progress and experiences.

For starters, I think I'll post some of my favorite portrait photos from 2011. I'm so thankful for the portrait photography opportunities I've had, even when some experiences resulted in me feeling bad about myself. I learn from them all, right? I think I've learned a LOT this year (I've certainly made a lot of mistakes). Enjoy!

Thanks for looking! If you'd like to view more portraits, I have them all tagged in the portraits category along the right side of my blog. Or you can just click here.

Hi, heron.

2011-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

Just checking in. I'm currently in northern California visiting my parents, and today my mom and I took a drive to see some birds. Herons are so skittish that this one flew off when I got semi-close, but the nice part was being able to get some flying photos! I still want something better than this one day, but it was a decent catch.

How are you? How was your Christmas? I hope to post some end-of-the-year entries soon.

Death's dark shadows put to flight

2011-12-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

I used this trick around the neighborhood. :) I'm a fantastic tree cutter.

Have a wonderful day!

Thankful Thursday: The Goodness Of Winter

2011-12-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Winter Solstice! Typically it falls on the 21st, but this year it's on the 22nd, which works out well for Thankful Thursday. I admit that winter is my least-favorite season. There are plenty of things I don't like about it, but let's talk about the nice things.

[The pictures in this post are all old photos from winters past. I thought it would be fun to dig out some pre-blog stuff.]

I could be wrong on the location of this photo. We were on a drive, so maybe we weren't quite in Maine yet. R?

1. Snow. It's rare enough here that it's an exciting treat when it snows (challenges aside). Getting a snow day is awesome, but even just having a chance to take snowy pictures is something I look forward to.

2. Being cozy. People often say it's easier to warm up than cool down. That's especially true in the land of no air conditioning, and I love being able to wear sweats and cover up in blankets while I sleep.

3. Drinks stay cold in the car. It's a little thing, but it's one of those perks I always appreciate. I tend to keep bottled water in my trunk, and it's so nice that they are ready to drink! Or if I forget a beverage in my cup holder, it'll stay nice and icy cold for hours while I'm at work or in the store.

4. Fog. I enjoy this mostly from a photography standpoint, like many things. It gives the landscape some mystery, adds dewdrops to spider webs, ups the chances of streams of light coming through the trees, and it makes everything a little quieter.

5. More ducks on the lake. In the summer I mostly see mallards and wood ducks out on the lake behind my place, but in the winter we have several other species that have migrated down. It's fun.

6. A better view of the lake. Without all of the leaves on the trees, I can better see the aforementioned ducks. Or ice.

7. The days get longer. I remember my dad once mentioning how the nice thing about the first day of winter is that the days get longer from there. It feels so dark so early, that this is very bueno news.

8. Holidays. Yes, I have complained about the holidays, but they certainly have their good aspects, too! Christmas can be magical, New Year's means new beginnings, and even Valentine's Day (heart fun!) falls in winter.

9. Using the oven. No need to worry about heating the house!

10. It makes me appreciate spring and summer even more. Does that count as a real reason? :)

I'm sorry to say I did not take this photo. I wish! My sister's friend actually took it after an ice storm. I hope it's okay I'm featuring it here. I came across it in my files and it's just too awesome not to show you. Also, it reminds me of one of my favorite poems, Birches by Robert Frost:

But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

(Please don't hate me for quoting poetry in my blog! I know that's a little sappy.)

Okay, tell me your favorite thing about winter, please!

I took some pictures.

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

The ring-necked ducks are here for winter, so now I'll show you foggy pictures of them.

It wasn't easy getting this diving shot.

Did I mention there was fog?

But not here--this was when it was all sunrisey outside. And then I took my time machine to earlier this year so I could use my old watermark.

Here's more non-fog.

I took this a couple of weeks ago. There was a thin fog creating streams of sunlight, which are barely visible in this photo since the sun is kind of hogging the stage. (Typical.)

Okay, I'm going to talk for a second. How's your Christmas shopping going? I'm about done, but I always think that and then get more ideas right at the end. I really enjoy gift-giving, though I don't really like that Gifts is one of my primary Love Languages (the other being Words of Affirmation). It's kind of an uncool Love Language, because it seems so materialistic and it's more susceptible to the obligations trap that one can fall into with friends and family.

As the year wraps up, I've been thinking about 2011 and what I'd like to remember or forget. I'm looking forward to posting more about the former, and coming up with ideas or changes for 2012. I know many people scoff at the idea of New Year's resolutions, but I see no problem with setting goals at a particular time. I set (and fail at) goals year round, but the beginning of a year is a good time to get reflective, along with everyone else, and dream about change and improvements. It's like celebrating Valentine's Day--sure, you can and should show your love all year long, but what's wrong with having a special day for it too? I like holidays.

Sometimes I get so curious about who is out there looking at this blog.

PS I redecorated for winter.

Project 52 (26)

2011-12-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

The beavers have started on a couple of new trees. I'll have to keep an eye on them. In the background is the beaver lodge.

I'm a little late to post this because of computer issues I've been having all weekend. But I think I've figured out the problem and have a temporary fix until someone smarter can look at it. I'm so happy to sit here at my computer and not have it freeze up on me every 10 minutes!

This picture shows both the beaverized trees.

Happy week before Christmas!

Portraits - Kayli

2011-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was able to get outside for a portrait session, and it was just what I needed on an otherwise gray day. I think I get a little high off of taking pictures, sometimes! Kayli was an excellent subject--beautiful and comfortable in front of the camera.

I was really excited about how many of these turned out. It was hard to narrow down which ones to post, so I tried to choose a variety. Be sure to read between the photos for Kayli's mini interview responses!

What do you do for fun in your spare time? In my spare time I enjoy riding my horse, running, and hanging with friends and family.

What kind of music are you listening to lately? I love my country music!

What's your favorite holiday treat? My favorite holiday treat would probably be peppermint ice cream.

Don't you love her hair?

What's your favorite thing about college? I love college because I'm learning so much about my career, being encouraged in my faith, and getting to hang out with some amazing peers :) (sorry I guess that's three things!)

Thanks again, Kayli!

Portraits - Anna

2011-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Just a few photos from a brief portrait session I did the other day....

I hope you're having a nice week so far!

More frost

2011-12-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the other day. It hasn't snowed, but after several days of fog and freezing temperatures, the frost was building up on everything. I've enjoyed it much more than rain!

All of the spiderwebs became strings of ice, and they were much more pronounced on the trees and bushes. You can see it draping down on this tree, and there's a string of web hanging vertically on the right side.

Of course I checked back on some mushrooms, while I was in the area.

More complete spiderwebs.

A mushroom family huddles in fear as a gang of teenagers approaches.

So orange.

The underside.

Cooold little mushrooms.

In other natural news, did anyone see the lunar eclipse? I didn't wake up for it. I'm not even sure how visible it was here with the fog and clouds. I'm a little sad, but I have seen them before, and will see more again.

Project 52 (25)

2011-12-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Not a great photo, but it's a funny combination of events. I had first just taken a photo of the feeder, with it's frozen "nectar," on the backdrop of the foggy/wintry scene. Then a few minutes later, I had my first customer (first one I had seen since adding more food, at least) and was able to take this. I guess it wasn't completely frozen. Anyway, that's been the scene around here lately: fog and ice. And hummingbirds.

I have more frost photos coming up this weekend. :D I'm sure you're at the edge of your seat.

Food Friday

2011-12-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's about time for Food Friday, don't you think? These aren't great photos, but they do represent some activities and recipes I've tried from the past month+.

Some pot roast I made a million years ago.

These don't go together, but whatevs. There's a salmon dinner from I don't know when, and now we're starting the 11/11/11 food photos.

So, I wanted to do something to celebrate 11/11/11. I decided to have some friends over, and when I mentioned it to an online friend of mine who teaches over in South Korea, she told me about Pepero Day. You can go read about it.. I don't really have time to tell you here, but she sweetly sent me a bunch of Pepero cookie sticks to serve at my party! So that's the photo on the right.

For our activity, we made caramel apples!

The cute dishes I have for toppings! (I'm using a lot of exclamation points!) I had actually just gotten those (all four shown) for my birthday, and they worked perfectly.

And here are some of the resulting apples. Yay!

Thanksgiving dinner. Stuffed salmon, smashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and a dinner roll. I could go for this dinner right now, actually.

This is a recipe I saw on Pinterest: Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole. I can't vouch for whether it tastes like the original, since I've never had it. But it was good! And I mixed in some ham and also chives. The only thing I'd do differently is mix it up first, so the sauce doesn't lay on the top.

I made these cookies for a Christmas party. I decided that instead of chocolate chips, I'd make some with M&Ms and some with chopped up Hershey Cookies and Cream bars.

This is Mongolian Beef that I made in the crock pot the other day. It was pretty good, but I might tweak the sauce a little next time. Also, I don't know if they use chopsticks in Mongolia, it just seemed like a nice prop for the photo. :)

Have a great weekend! For me this weekend has to be about Christmas shopping. Yes, I'm one of those who gets a late start. I'll probably be posting a couple of blog entries as well! I know that's very exciting information.

Frosty the Leaf Man

2011-12-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

It's been cold, but there is sun and pretty frost, so I'm okay with it.

Why would I crop that right-side photo the way I did, all snuggled up to the edge? I don't know! I'm a mystery.

A heart! And those are blackberries on the left, if you can't tell. After the photo, I picked them and made pie.

I imagine there will be more frost photos as the season goes on. If only I had a macro lens for some of the details! One day. :)

Now I will go back to watching Pride and Prejudice. I'm almost to the lovely ending.

Project 52 (24)

2011-12-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of photos to choose from this week. Here's a tree outside my office.

Photography: How to make fun shapes out of light

2011-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is a little trick I remember reading a long time ago, but I just now decided to give it a try! It's the right time of year since it works so well with Christmas lights.

(There are a lot of better tutorials out there for this, but I haven't looked at any of them to make this post, because I'll just compare and worry too much about my own instructions. Feel free to Google for more thorough and accurate information.)

Here's how I did it:

1. Cut out a shape. I happened to have a decorative punch (for scrapbooking) in the shape of a butterfly. Any shape will do--I've seen examples with hearts and stars, for instance. I'm interested in experimenting with some hand-cut creations. Cut the circle large enough to fit over your lens. I traced around my cap for sizing. It doesn't have to be perfect (or even circular), I just tried to make it semi-neat for the photo.

2. Attach it in front of your lens. I just used tape, knowing I'd be removing it after a few minutes.

3. Take a picture of some Christmas lights! The important thing is that the lights are as blurry as possible. Basically, what you're creating is shapely bokeh. You can either manually take the lights out of focus, or you can force the camera to focus on something at a different distance and hold down the shutter so it won't refocus on the lights.

Some places sell little plastic lens caps that have shapes pre-cut for this purpose. This is just the cheap, DIY version of those.

In the above photos I focused on my little hummingbird decoration and a butterfly Christmas ornament so you can see that the lights are just strung up in the background and blurred (into the shape of butterflies). The more lights the better, and it still works in a brighter image, it just doesn't have the same vibrancy. Experiment with it, because I certainly haven't done much experimenting and I am sure there are lots of cool things you can do with this. Also, I don't know how well it works with non-SLR cameras. Anyone want to try and get back to me?

Catching up

2011-11-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very posty, mostly because I don't have a lot of photos and I just haven't felt like putting forth any blog energy on my vacation. :) But today my Project 52 photo is due, so I thought I'd mix it with a few other pictures and comments.

Project 52: I was watching this squirrel on my neighbor's deck. She had some sort of berry plant that he liked.

But the click of my camera made him a little nervous.

He's suspicious. ("I think this character is going to be suspicious about stuff." - Joey from Friends)

Food non-Friday: I had many delicious and special foods on Thanksgiving. Breakfast was orange cinnamon rolls! Just the Pillsbury kind, nothing fancy, but they're special since I so rarely buy these.

Thankful non-Thursday: One of the joys in life is clean sheets, so I had to take a picture after I made my bed up clean. Hey...how did he get in there? :) That's my orca, Finnegan! I'm a grownup.

More fall: Photo taken in the past couple of weeks.

Where are they now? While I'm being random, here's my old Cabbage Patch doll that I told you about. My mom sent me a photo she had taken after she restored her from her one-armed state and sewed her a new dress. She is now apparently living a happy life in New Mexico with my niece.

Disappointing fact: People have said I look like a Cabbage Patch doll. :|

How has your Thanksgiving break been? We get three days off from work, so I have five days of down time. It's actually been really awesome! I managed to do a little cleaning and filing, I cooked foods I normally am too lazy to make, I've almost finished season 7 of The Office after signing up for a free month of Netflix, I talked to some of my family members, shopped, paid bills, slept in, read, played games, planned out some of my gift-giving, listened to music, and have been extremely lazy at some moments. Now I just need to not feel guilty about it and I'll be great.

Have a nice weekend!

Portraits - Hollie

2011-11-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

One more 15-minute portrait session to take advantage of the great light and fall colors. I felt especially happy with these--Hollie's a great model for me and has the perfect fall look. I love photographing red heads! It's nice that she works just upstairs from me so I could interrupt her for a few photos at a moment's notice. Even nicer is that all these photos were taken right near our office building!

Read between the photos for more info about Hollie!

The leaves had just been blown into piles, so we took advantage (and didn't make a mess, I promise!).

What music do you listen to the most these days? Christian and Pop/Rock

What's your favorite season? Spring, because everything smells fresh and flowers start blooming.

What are you looking forward to? Being debt-free!

Describe your personality. Friendly, warm and fun. <--I can vouch for this.

How do you spend your free time? Baking, knitting and hanging out with family and friends.

Thank you, Hollie! I may be dragging you out again sometime. :) Winter photos, you know.

PS Am I crazy, or does she kind of resemble Sandra Bullock from certain angles?

Project 52 (22)

2011-11-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Buttoning up one's coat has become everyday life around here. Here's Hollie between poses during our brief photo shoot the other day. Tomorrow I'll post my favorites, so check back! I really liked how they turned out.

Another everyday photo from earlier this week when several geese gathered at the edge of the lake out back.

Portraits - Katrina

2011-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Katrina graciously agreed, once again, to let me take some pictures of her. :) (See a previous session here.) It was yet another lovely afternoon at work when we could take a 15-minute break for photos. I was glad to practice photographing flare/into the sun, and I definitely learned a lot about what not to do. :P But I'm still happy with several shots.

I forgot to do this with Heather, but read between the photos for fun facts about Katrina!

What are some of your favorite books? Favorite books of all time include The Boxcar Children, The Bobbsey Twins, and Sue Barton. Yeah, I’m a big fan of kids’ books. These days I rarely I have time to read.

What’s your favorite way to spend your free time? Free time, ha! Love to read, but usually quilting wins out. Because I love that too!

It's a lot harder than it seems to catch a good leaf-tossing shot that isn't too blurry.

If you could be doing any type of work, what would it be? My dream job would be at home as a wife and mom. But since I am neither, and can’t live in dreamland, I do love office work, which is convenient, because that’s what I do. :)

Name some of your favorite foods. Tacos, pizza, chocolate (because chocolate is a food, right?)

What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? I enjoy my church’s candlelight service at Christmas.

Thanks again, Katrina. I'm sure this isn't the last time you'll be featured in my blog! :)

It's mushroom season

2011-11-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few photos I took last week.

There've been lots of foggy days.

I love cute mushrooms!

There are so many kinds.

This one looks like a sponge.

These were a surprise when I saw them up on the side of a hill when I was about to pack up and head back. They looked like cartoon mushrooms! I had to climb the steepish hill to get photos. Not great photos, but some evidence. They were very large--about 5 or 6 inches across the top. And guess what? Dania once gave me a little mushroom guide, so I can look these up. They are Fly Agaric. A quote: "The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually deep red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture." Well I don't think I've ever seen one in real life, but it does look like something in a children's book or cartoon. Awesome! That's your lesson for the day.

We'll end on something a little daintier. Darling!

Links

2011-11-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted links in awhile, so here are a few things I've enjoyed lately, from friends and strangers...

Binksie and Bep - The very talented Hannah has finished a children's book that she wrote and illustrated all herself! It looks really cute. I don't know Hannah that well (I know her sister a little better), but I'm really impressed with her work. She's only 25!

Spinach and Artichoke Hors d'oevres - These look delish. I need to try them.

My Little Turkey - A cute photo post about a photographer trying to get photos of her baby in a costume.

Heart and Earth - If you like things to be all-natural, my friend Rebecca makes organic body care products for you to purchase. There's lip balm, hand soap, deodorant, and more.

Senior Portraits - I just think these turned out really beautifully.

Holy Matrimony - My sister posts lots of cute stories about her kids (you may be interested in following her blog regularly!), but here's a fairly recent one that was especially amusing.

Sailing - This song came to mind the other day, and it used to be one of my favorites when I was a teenager. It makes me very daydreamy. [The video effects ruin it for me (sorry, but sailing and crackling squares don't really go hand-in-hand), so probably don't watch it while you listen.]

Let me know if you enjoyed any of these! I like being able to support people's happy corners of the internet. There's a lot of horrid stuff online, but there are so many fun things to celebrate, too.

Portraits - Heather

2011-11-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

The weather was so nice in the afternoons last week, and I hadn't done portraits in awhile. I was really eager to take advantage of the nice color and light, so I convinced a couple of coworker-friends to let me do a 15-minute portrait session with them. :) They were both very cooperative. First, here's Heather!

I like outtakes!

She's pondering life. Actually, I don't even know if she realized I took this shot.. she was just glancing between photos.

Thank you, Heather! Let's do this again in the spring. :)

Project 52 (21)

2011-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to say about this photo--it just captures the fall feeling from this past week. I loved it!
(Hand modeling by Katrina.)

11/11/11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Ones Day! Or Elevens Day. Yes, I did schedule this to post at 11:11am. :) I don't think I can designate the seconds, though.

[I don't have a special photo, but I wanted this entry to be more than text, so just imagine those weeds are making the number eleven on purpose. :D It's a very festive photo, isn't it? So bold and full of energy.]

This day seems special, so I have even planned a get-together with some of my friends to celebrate it tonight! I know it also happens to be Veteran's Day, so many of you have the day off and will think more about veterans than numbers (as you probably should).

Have a great day!

Just a few fally pictures

2011-11-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

Project 52 (20)

2011-11-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw these leaves that look like hearts, so I gathered up a few for a photo. ♥

I leaf fall!
(That is NOT a design piece for the portfolio. :P)

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Only one photo this time, sorry!

1. Local friends. I was considering this the other day. Not only is it amazing that I have more than one or two local friends at all, but several friends are even in a similar life situation as me (aka Christian, single, my age range, etc.). My introverted self doesn't need a LOT of time socializing outside the home, but knowing there are people I can call on to spend time with is awesome. It's also something I take for granted at times. Thanks, friends, for putting up with me!

2. Online friends. I know it might seem weird to some of you, but I have some really valuable relationships with people I originally met online (and some I still only know online).

3. Work projects that get done more quickly and easily than I feared. I don't think I need to add anything to that.

4. Recipes that turn out as well as I'd hoped. I made this Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins recipe into a cake, in order to use up my apples and canned pumpkin, and it's deeeeeeelicious! I used less sugar than it calls for, though--the topping is sweet enough to balance it.

5. The Old Testament. The stories are really interesting, so I find it easier to keep up with Bible reading (something I confess I'm NOT great about) when I get to reread OT stories. Right now I'm in Joshua.

6. Sketches in my notes. Something I've been trying this week is to have a little more freedom in my Bible note-taking. I've been drawing very quick (and very bad--I'm talking about stick-figures here, so don't get any ideas about a detailed drawing that I'm being modest about) sketches to depict something from what I read. It's fun and it helps me visualize the situation a little better, making it more real.

7. Feeling good without trying. Sometimes it's easy to take for granted when I just feel fine, with no particular worries or ailments, and I didn't even do anything to get myself to that place.

8. Stock photos and graphics. I rely on them a lot more than I used to. There's some great stuff out there for pretty cheap, and it makes my job a lot easier.

9. Taking portraits. I actually haven't done this very much recently, and it's making me crave it, and appreciate the times I've been able to do it.

10. We're hiring another designer at work. That should help a lot! If you or someone you know is interested in a graphic design job in Salem, Oregon, let me know. I can link you to the info (I don't like to say where I work to the public).

Venting

2011-11-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

I guess this is like the opposite of a Thankful Thursday post.

1. Google Reader. They changed their whole look, and that's fine I guess, but in the process they changed where the "previous/next post" button is. I'm STILL bringing my cursor down to the bottom of the screen and then getting all angry when I remember it's up at the top right now. Why, Google? WHY??

2. Google+. Speaking of Google, I haven't been able to use Google+ (Google Plus?) in months. They suspended my account because my name wasn't the format they wanted. I changed it, but it's still just suspended indefinitely. It says it's "under review" like it'll get fixed soon, but nothing has changed in almost three months. I can't post anything there. I wasn't hooked on it anyway, and I'm tempted to deactivate, but it just makes me annoyed that it happened at all and that they don't provide any way to clarify or fix the situation.

3. Target. Yes, I'm about to complain about Target, even though I love it. Two things really annoyed me the other day. One was the fact that a woman was boldly walking her dog around on a leash, and at least three employees saw her but said nothing. I'm not talking about a seeing eye dog, it was a small terrier or something. Is it suddenly okay to walk your dog around inside stores?

4. Target 2. This is something that has bothered me many times, but I was reminded the other day. When you see that yellow "low price" (or some other wording) tag hanging off the shelf like there's a sale, often you can scoot it over to reveal the original price underneath. And often that original price is EXACTLY THE SAME as the "low price." I know what they're doing--they're trying to draw attention like there is some deal and you should stock up, but in reality they have done nothing but spend time and money hanging tags on the shelves in order to trick you. Other times you might see it say "Price Cut," and if you look at the original price, it might be literally 2 or 4 cents more. I have a photo to prove it (but can't find it right now, sorry). I don't like it when businesses try to trick you. Target is also known for their fluorescent red-orange clearance stickers. They draw the eye, but often you'll see the "clearance" price is less than a dollar off the original price. That's not clearance, Target. Don't insult me.

5. Putting a long-sleeved sweater over a long-sleeved shirt. It gets all twisted on the arms. As my coworker would say, it whomps.

6. The holiday season. Yes, I know this is going to sound totally grinchy, but every year I have less and less patience for the extended festivities and obligations that come with the holidays. I have nothing against the holidays themselves (of course not!), but the pressure we have to deal with is ridiculous. The stores start carrying Christmas decor before Halloween, but by November 1 they are in full-blown Christmas mode. There are constant messages around us to buy presents for everyone, spend lots of money, attend (and host) many parties when things are already hectic, listen to Christmas music 24/7, and go to great lengths to get together with relatives when flying is expensive and road conditions are iffy. I guess I just wish everyone would calm down. We should remember and celebrate Jesus's birth, for sure. But the other stuff should be for enhancing the season, not burning us out.

7. My pride. It's out of control sometimes. I can be less-than-loving in how I talk to people when I am looking out for myself.

Okay, I think that's enough grouchiness for today.

In good news, it's been sunny (even if cold) and I'm just so thankful (again) for free evenings. With work being stressful at times, they are my happy section of the day that I can look forward to. Also, there should be a new episode of Ringer ready for me to watch online! Yes, I've been watching Ringer. My taste in TV shows is impeccable.

(Those photos were taken with my phone and edited in Picplz. That's why they're kind of odd.)

Project 52 (19)

2011-10-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to have friends who are willing photo subjects! Here's P enjoying her pumpkin ice cream at the pumpkin patch. She's been looking forward to it (and so was I). It's like an annual tradition!

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have to say, I am so not feeling this post! I started typing it up yesterday, which is a good thing, otherwise I'd probably just want to rant. Anyway, switching gears from this cheerful first paragraph...

Goooood things from this week:

1. The sunrise yesterday morning, and the fact that I was available to photograph it.

2. The weather. It's chilly, but not very rainy, and there's been sun! Fall is about at its peak, so the colors are getting awesome. I'm sorry to say I haven't really taken many photos, but I'm hoping to over the next few days before all the leaves fall.

3. Morning fog, because even though it can be a bit of a driving hindrance, it makes for some awesome scenery.

4. Sims 2 Castaway for Wii! (I thought I'd switch gears from all the nature references.) I probably shouldn't be grateful for the time-suck that is this game, but it's just fun. I don't even know why because, in a way, it's tedious. But I like having little escapes and to relax on my couch. So yeah, I'm a potato.

5. My smartphone. Have I mentioned this yet? I have an Android phone and I've been loving it. Aside from the adjustment process, which is always tiresome.

6. Surprise money. It wasn't much, but the other day I came across both a check and some cash in my wallet that I had forgotten about. Also, one of my bills was less than I thought. Those discoveries all took place within about 10 minutes of each other, so it was a fun Monday night.

7. Mexican food. I love Mexican food, and I had it for two of my birthday meals (I had a total of six different birthday meals!!). My friend P made enchiladas for my church group birthday gathering, and my coworker D took me to Mexican for lunch yesterday. Both were delicious meals. Can I say "meals" more?

8. Ibuprofen. How great is that stuff for sore muscles?

9. Fresh starts. We get them every day, every week, etc. etc. It's good.

10. Job security. I have plenty of that lately.

Silver Falls

2011-10-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

During my parents' visit we went to Silver Falls State Park. I like taking visitors there because it's nearby (about 30-40 minutes from Salem) and has beautiful sights year round. There are clean bathrooms, safe trails, a nice visitor's center, and a few different hiking options depending on your time frame and energy level. It's the perfect blend of civilization and nature. And that's my plug for Silver Falls!

The most popular waterfall there is called South Falls (boring name). I had to take a photo of my mom photographing it because she so rarely takes pictures. :) This is an odd sight. She's good with her iPhone, though--nice composition, Mom!

The coolest feature of South Falls is the trail that goes behind it.

I didn't take a ton of waterfall photos since I have so many on my computer already (some are here). This time I think I enjoyed the natural setting more.

I don't think I've ever gone up here to the stream that leads into South Falls. There are some really pretty scenes, and the water is surprisingly calm and shallow up there.

The fall color was looking nice up there. I kind of want to go back this season when it's at its peak.

You know me and path photos! We arrived early enough on a cloudy day that it wasn't very crowded, as you can see.

I thought this looked more like the house from Hansel and Gretel than a bathroom. It seemed to be locked, but isn't it quaint?

I think this is North Falls, but I'm not positive. There is a lookout for this view, and a trail that takes you a bit closer (we didn't go on it).

I think that little curving trail is very picturesque.

We took another trail that had some nice colors. My parents were very cooperative when I kept requesting their photo. I need more pictures of them, plus it gives some perspective.

One of many stalker photos.

Here's the waterfall we came to on this trail. What is this.. Twin Falls? I really can't remember.

My cute mom.

Have you been to Silver Falls?

Project 52 (18)

2011-10-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Fall is coming kind of slowly here. The weather is gray and fally, but the colors aren't as vivid as I remember. Maybe I'm just being impatient.

A few related photos...

I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more mushroom photos, since they are a fun subject for me and they've only barely started growing.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Food Friday

2011-10-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

What's this? Yes, it's Food Friday! These are from the past month plus.

Chicken salad sandwich.

I learned how to make ranch dressing in a delicious way--just double the seasoning and use buttermilk!

Finally I was successful at cooking beans from dried.

Except they were a little too done and mushy, so I made them into refried beans!

Lime Pie Fudge that I made a friend for his birthday.

Delicious breakfast sandwich.

Turkey sandwich on a cheddar bagel.

I couldn't decide which photo to keep, so you get both.

Crab quiche from Bistro Maison and Creamy Crock Pot Chicken from Jessica's Kitchen.

Delicious stir fry from Chang's Mongolian Grill (free meal on your birthday!).

Shari's Berries! A birthday gift from Dania.

Also from Shari's Berries: a caramel apple with white chocolate. This was SO GOOD.

Until next time, may all your meals be delish!

35

2011-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm 35 today! I don't feel it, but I'm starting to get used to not feeling my age. To celebrate, I thought I might share some things about myself that don't relate to photography, so here are 35 facts:

1. I used to work at McDonald's.

2. My first car was a 1969 VW Bug.

3. I prefer milk chocolate over dark.

4. I was on a jumprope team when I was 6.

5. Being on said team led to my first plane trip (at age 6)--we flew to Colorado for the national jumprope competition.

6. I used to own a snake--a red-tail boa--and he grew to about 7 feet long before my parents found a new home for him since I was in college and not really around.

7. I'm a shorty at just over 5'1.

8. All of my education was in public school, aside from one semester at a private college.

9. I prefer all red meat to be well done. It should be brown meat.

10. I moved back in with my parents four times since the first time I moved out at age 18. :P

11. But now I've been out of their house for 6 years. It's a new record!

12. I don't like coffee.

13. I've been at my current job for almost 6 years, which is the longest I've ever worked at the same place.

14. My bachelor's degree is in communication studies with an emphasis in organizational communication.

15. I'm the middle of three sisters.

16. I'm an INTP. (Some of that description does not match me, but this particular part is pretty much me: "The INTP is likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, the INTP is very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand.")

17. I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with 35 facts about myself! This is hard.

18. I was born and raised in northern California, but I have also lived in Nevada, Oregon (duh), and temporarily in Texas (one semester) and New Hampshire (if a two-month stay with my sister counts...I say it should!).

19. Growing up, we had several pets including various dogs, a cat, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and fish. I'm not really into pets now, though--too much responsibility.

20. I have 9 nieces and nephews. They call me "Tia" because my sisters decided to have their kids refer to aunts that way, even though we're not Spanish-speakers. I can't remember all of the reasoning now. :)

21. I grew up in the Lutheran church, but now I'm a member of a Baptist church. I'm not particularly tied to any denomination. I am tied to Jesus Christ. :D

22. I've sung in three church choirs for a total of at least 10 years in church choir. PS I'm an alto (although I took voice lessons for 6 months and was told I'm a soprano...I probably am if I'd sing correctly :P).

23. I've been on several road trips and have visited 42 US states and 6 Canadian provinces.

24. I bite my nails. :( It's a lifelong battle.

25. It's too hard to choose favorites of practically anything, but some of my favorite books are Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger), This Time of Darkness (H. M. Hoover) and Z for Zachariah (Robert C. O'Brien).

26. Some of the TV shows I loved as a kid were: The Brady Bunch, Three's Company, Webster, Facts of Life, Who's the Boss?, Saved by the Bell, The Cosby Show, and Gimme a Break. Despite the size of that list, I didn't like watching TV all that much, and still don't.

27. As an adult, the shows I've enjoyed most over the years are Friends, Jeopardy, The Office, Chuck, Veronica Mars and Alias (which I watched entirely on DVD after the series had ended). I'm not really into reality shows unless it's to bash them.

28. Continuing on with this theme, the movies I watched the most as a kid were Annie and Grease. Sometimes I would quietly sing Hopelessly Devoted to myself on the playground when I was 6. I'm so cool! I wanted to sing like Sandy. And Annie.

29. My current car is the first/only one I ever got brand new, and recently (October 13th) I hit the tenth anniversary of purchasing it! It still feels like a "new car" to me, but obviously it isn't.

30. I've worked for three universities.

31. My favorite flowers are gardenias.

32. I LOVED swimming when I was a kid (still do, but don't get much of an opportunity).

33. Some of my favorite games are Scrabble, Cribbage and Trivial Pursuit (or any sort of quizzing game).

34. Typing was one of my most useful high school classes. I'm a pretty fast typist, and I was even able to type people's papers for pay when I was in college.

35. I just ate a Shari's Berry that Dania sent me for my birthday! :)

WOW, that was hard.

Project 52 (17)

2011-10-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to post! The past week was packed, but very good. I was preparing for my parents' visit, then they arrived on Thursday. I'll show you some photos from the weekend later on, but for now I have my weekly Everyday photo for you. I've had it ready, but didn't manage to get it posted on Saturday, like I prefer.

At certain times of the year, this tree by my office has a frog sitting inside it almost every time I pass by. The hole is a perfect frog house, and this little guy let me take lots of pictures, so I'm going to post a few more below.

Quick poll: Do you like the sizing I use on my photos here? Or are they too big/small? Many photography blogs post much larger photos, but I figured it made it too hard when you have to scroll to see the full length of the verticals. I'm open for suggestions and changes, though.

Two years of this

2011-10-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

[First sunrise after moving in.]
I moved to my current abode two years ago today. I feel very blessed to live where I do. I was unhappy in my previous place, and that probably boosted my appreciation of this place even more.

The inside is nothing remarkable, but I like it. I have bamboo floors and berber carpet that looks decent even when it needs to be vacuumed. My ceilings are slightly taller than average, so the rooms feel more spacious. I love my bathroom, and the fact that I have so many windows.

But I mostly moved here for the view.

Sometimes I will walk by my back door and glance outside thinking how crazy it is that I get to see that from my livingroom, instead of some other person's apartment, a parking lot or a street.

The scene is always changing, and I've tried to photograph every version, as you well know.

Sometimes the lake freezes a little. In the winter I can see more of the water, but in the summer it's all lush and more private feeling.

In the spring, I have the perfect view of rainbows.

And then there's the wildlife. I love that I have been able to see so many animals right from my deck. Beavers are always fun to watch in the morning or evening.

One year I even saw an otter. I've also seen deer a few times, and of course plenty of squirrels.

I even enjoy nutria sightings, despite how nasty they are.

And then there are the birds...

Having the lake means lots of waterfowl, like herons, cormorants, geese and several types of ducks. (I don't think I've ever used the word "waterfowl" before.)

Of course the mallards hang out year round, along with wood ducks, but in the winter I see several other types.

And when I feel like venturing downstairs, there is more loveliness.

When I move someday, I know I will miss this place, but I'm just glad to have it now. It's perfect for me. It makes me always want to live on some body of water, though I don't think that's very realistic. :)

What's your favorite thing about your home?

Project 52 (16)

2011-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't take many pictures this week, but this one was on my camera and definitely represents everyday life: rain and mallards on the lake behind my place.

It feels like it's been forev since I blogged, but it was just Wednesday. How are you? I actually have food photos to share, but didn't manage to get a Food Friday post up. Next week, I guess!

This week I got my first smartphone (Android), so I've taken a few photos with it (that aren't great...it's still a cell camera, even if it is 5 megapixels) and barely touched my "real" camera. I have touched Words With Friends, though! Want to play? Let me know your username if we're not already in a game. :)

I've been pretty obsessed with the phone, trying to figure out the ideal settings and keeping an eye on my data use. It's kind of tiring, but I'll probably calm down soon enough.

Today I'm just counting down the days until my parents visit (and hoping for nice weather!) and trying to figure out how to manage my two dining sets (long story). It's an exciting life I lead!

Fallpaper Wednesday

2011-10-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, but I thought I'd post a few fallish wallpapers! Enjoy.

[TO USE: Click on the resolution that's closest to yours to open the picture (you can check your screen resolution here, although I've heard it's not always accurate). You can then right-click on top of the image and "Set as desktop background..." or whatever the similar wording is in that menu.]

1024x768 | 1280x1024 | 1680x1059

1024x768 | 1280x1024 | 1680x1059

1024x768 | 1280x1024 | 1680x1059
I had to include the raccoons!

Making Pasties

2011-10-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

When I was visiting a friend a couple of weekends ago, his dad (who's originally from Montana) made pasties as a special dinner. I've heard of pasties through a couple of Montanans, but had never seen them before. When I brought them up in another online forum, I was told they are also big in Michigan (specifically the Upper Peninsula). Friends tell me they became popular as a meal for miners who needed something portable that didn't require a plate and utensils.

Anywho, I figured it might be fun to take a few photos of the pasty-making process. They aren't world-class photos, but I think we'll all live.

I'm sure B would want me to mention that he made the pie crust ahead of time and felt it was a little too dry/crumbly as a result. Just in case you're inspecting these photos with an eagle eye. Later they decided to warm the dough and add some water to bring it back to it's pliable self.

S peels carrots for the filling which is basically ground beef, carrots, onions and potatoes. After rolling out the dough and scooping a generous portion of filling onto the center, B added a pat of butter.

Then the pouch is sealed, and a vent is cut into the top.

Ready for the oven!

After they bake for about an hour at 350 (with bit of water added into the vent halfway through), they are ready to eat. This one broke on top a bit, but that means you can see the filling better.

It's popular to serve them with beef gravy. The end result is not unlike a pot pie, but the awesome thing is that they don't contain peas like store-bought pot pies often do (so gross!).

I couldn't stay for the official meal, so they sent me home with two unbaked pasties. If this finished one looks wrong, it's because I had nothing to compare it to. :)

October

2011-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Bonus Saturday post!

Happy October to you and you and you! This is my favorite month, so I had to go back and grab some of my photos from Octobers past. Most of these have not been in my blog before.

First, I must wish Nicole Kelly a very happy birthday. That's my Cabbage Patch Kid! For some reason I always remember her birthday is October 1st, and now she should be turning about 27. Yes, I adopted her when I was at the tender age of 8, on Christmas Day. She came to me as Henreika Kelly, but obviously I had to change that name. What were her biological parents thinking? I have no photos, but this is what she looked like. Now she's living in California, singing in a band somewhere. It's hard to keep up with that girl.

Some of the great things about October: colored leaves, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, pumpkin deliciousness, MY BIRTHDAY, apple-y things, the Balloon Fiesta in NM, some of the weather, harvesty things, the fact that it's not yet the full-blown holiday season, and memories (and hopes!) of changes and happy events that took place in October. For instance:

I interviewed for my current job on October 17th in 2005. That day I was offered the job and it meant I'd be moving to Oregon!
I moved into a previous apartment with my first roommate (not counting one in a dorm) in October of 2007. (Hi, Holly!)
I moved into my current place (which I love!) on October 10th two years ago.
I met one of my very good friends on October 23rd of 2007.
The first time I ever met someone I had originally met online was October 30th many, many, many moons ago.

What changes does October have for me this year? I'm curious. (Hopefully it'll be a lot better than last October.)

Tell me some happy Octobery things!

Is your birthday this month?

Your anniversary?

Have a nice day!

Project 52 (15)

2011-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

B's pasties. I actually have a handful of related photos that I'll post later this week, so not much commentary now.

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

[Don't mind my old watermark... I'm too lazy to fix it.]
1. My younger sister, D. I don't talk as much about D because she is not really online and doesn't follow my blog. But today is her special day, so I wanted to mention her! Happy birthday, D! D is the social butterfly of the family, with a carefree personality, even in hard times. She's also super photogenic and always willing to let me practice on her. (Unfortunately, both of my sisters and their families live about 1,300 miles away from me, so I don't get to practice on them very often. :( )

Recently I was remembering a story my mom always tells about something D said as a little girl. Apparently we were at a gas station and there was a woman wearing a very small shirt--possibly a halter top? So D, age 3, shouts out the window: "Hey, lady! Is that a swimmin' suit or a shirt?"* Ha! And she's still very willing to talk to strangers. She takes after my dad and will do a sales pitch to someone in the store when they are considering a product she loves.

*Only, in her little 3-year-old voice it was more like, "Hey, rady..." and "shirt" was said with a sort of New York accent.

[D and me. That was probably the last time I was taller than her. :P]

2. Time off. I'm not in choir this year, and yesterday I was reflecting on how it changes my Wednesdays--and really, my entire week--when I don't have that evening commitment. I'm pretty greedy when it comes to down time, but that's because it's never really "down." I always have lots of stuff to catch up on in my home and online (which probably sounds lame), and when I have too many outside commitments I feel cheated and stressed. I'm so much happier when I have open evenings after work. Do I always use my time wisely once home? Hardly! But it changes my attitude and I begin to be more productive when I feel I can afford to.

3. A great weekend. Last weekend went really well. The weather was fairly cooperative, my drive home went smoothly, and overall it was just a happy time.

4. Sunshine. We've still had decent weather. I guess since summer began late, it's staying later. Fine by me!

5. Getting dreadful tasks over with. This week I finally got something done that I had been putting off for months, and it's a huge weight off my shoulders! Also--and of course--it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

6. Games. I love playing fun games. :) (I'm sure I'm repeating myself a lot in this list.)

7. Getting caught up at work. Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon!

8. Getting a monitor calibration system at work. Hey, it's something I've been wanting forever, so it's nice that we finally made the purchase. It's going to help a lot.

9. Starbucks iced tea.

10. Motivation. I often lack it, so it's awesome when I have some. I don't even know where it comes from half the time, but I'll take whatever I can get.

Now I'll go back in the archives and dig out a September photo from two years ago, just to add some color to this post.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

2011-09-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that I was in the Seattle area over the weekend. One of my outings while there was to the Bellevue Botanical Garden (I'm sorry to say it, but that site needs work). I'd been once before and was anxious to go back. The awesomest part about it is that it's free!

WARNING: There are bees in several of the following photos. I know that bothers some people, for whatever reason. I promise they won't sting you.

Aren't these images so fall-like? ;)

On the left is an interesting bush I've never seen. Brownish black?

There are lots of paths through wooded areas.

This part of it is styled as a Japanese garden.

I'd love to take someone's portraits here!

A guy pointed out a woodpecker that had flown by. It was really hard to get a decent shot of him--this was the best I could do. I appreciated the heads up, though. I love when strangers alert me to cool photo ops.

Thanks for looking!

Weekend

2011-09-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

I felt like saying hi. :) I had a good weekend. I have several photos, but here's just one from the Bellevue Botanical Garden in Washington.

I went up to the Seattle area to celebrate my friend's birthday. I played a lot of games, won a couple of them, ate at The Cheesecake Factory (I haven't been in probably 1.5 years!), went to that garden and had a very good time overall. I'm sad that I have to go back to work tomorrow. And right now I'm very sleepy and I think I'll go to bed early.

How was your weekend?

Project 52 (14)

2011-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Zesting! This was for some non-key lime pie fudge I made for a friend. It didn't really turn out like fudge, though... I need to work on the recipe.

Bonus picture!

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

I don't really have any new photos to post here, and this will have to be fairly quick, but these are the goods:

1. My sister. Happy birthday, R! Thank you for being patient, very generous, a great listener, and a devoted wife and mother. This is R in a tunnel in Virginia City last year. (You can read more about R over on her blog!)

2. The weather lately. AWESOME.

3. Little pretty moments, like when a flock of birds flies up from the road you're driving on, or when the lake has more vivid reflections, or backlighting when the sun is in just the right position, or wrapping gifts in fun paper. I always feel corny mentioning that stuff, but I do notice it.

4. Fun weekend plans. I have some! Maybe I'll tell you about it later.

5. Audiobooks. I'm sure I've said it before, but I loooove having stories to listen to while I drive. It's not the same without them.

6. On that note, libraries! Probably another re-mention, but who cares? Free books! Free audiobooks. Those things are expensive.

7. My slowcooker. Crockpot, whatever. It's one of my favorite purchases of the year. That's another topic I may address again later.

8. Target.

9. Finishing projects. Work has been very busy, so every completed project is that much more of a relief.

10. Thank-you gifts. My friend gave me a gift certificate for one of my favorite restaurants as a thank-you present! I wasn't expecting anything and was perfectly fine with that, but now, thanks to her, I get to have lunch with a couple of my friends next week!

Travel: Vancouver Island

2011-09-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Lately I've had traveling on the brain, so you might hear from me about it from time to time. While I consider myself a homebody for the most part, I do love to travel a bit, and I daydream about the places I'd like to go and take pictures.

Before I got into photography, I went a lot of nice places that I wish I could revisit. Then there are places I've been since I've gotten into photography, but before this blog. Here's one:

I've been to Vancouver Island twice, but the first time was back in 2000 when I just had a small film camera. Those photos are in albums in the storage closet. The second time was in 2007. My friend Dania and I drove up to the ferry that leaves from Port Angeles, WA and spent a couple of nights in Victoria.

The trip started off a little iffy when we happened to arrive on Canada Day amidst crowds and pub crawls. But things got better by the next day, and we visited the popular spots like the parliament buildings, Craigdarroch Castle, Butchart Gardens and the butterfly garden.

I'd really like to spend more time up there--it's beautiful and there's a lot to see. I have a lot more pictures to take. The above are just a selection from that trip (hint: so-so photos look better when put together in a collage with other so-so photos).

Later I might tell you about some other trips. We'll see.

Project 52 (13)

2011-09-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

If I were into puns, I'd mention something about this being a mug shot, but I'm not, so I won't.

Just in time for fall, these are some of my favorite mugs. And yes, some tea bags scattered to and fro! I don't know if I've ever purchased a mug for myself because they are such popular gifts that I have plenty from other people. I love my little selection!

L to R: The one with the dragonfly inside is from Tina. The elephant is from my aunt and uncle (K & F) because I used to collect elephants. Polka dots is Tina again--she finds some cute mugs! The boat is one I've had since I was a kid. I don't remember the story behind it, but I know it relates to my grandpa since he worked on a boat. My mom will know the background on that mug better than I do. The green one was a gift from a coworker after I coincidentally designed materials for her event in that same color and pattern. The Little Mermaid was also from K & F, and I love it so. It's just very cheerful and bold, and it's probably my most-used mug. The other elephant one is part of a pair, and it's also from K & F.

Now you should describe your favorite mug in the comments!

Journaling and blogging

2011-09-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

For over ten years, I've been journaling elsewhere on the web, in a more secure environment. It's more comfortable to write there, knowing only certain people can read my posts. My many, many, MANY posts. I'm quite the Chatty Cathy there.

I wish posting here were as easy. I tend to get a little paralyzed by the fact that anyone can read this blog. Not because I want to share my darkest secrets, but I just feel more vulnerable to criticism. I feel like I need to check my facts and grammar much more closely here, for instance. I'm not sure what I'm afraid of--some stranger commenting about my poor sentence structure?

Also, I feel I have to think about future photography clients (if they exist), and be choosy about which photos I post and how I conduct myself. It's difficult to find the balance between professionalism and personalization. Add that to the fact that I feel pressure to keep my focus on photography. I guess I don't feel the freedom to just talk about life unless I'm incorporating decent photos.

But I'm probably being silly and making unreasonable rules for myself. As a result, I'm afraid I may err on the impersonal side, which often translates into blandness.

So. What's the point of this? It's just me being me, and you being okay with that. ;) I am hoping to give myself a little more freedom here, which might mean more text and fewer pictures. It might mean topics that aren't photography-related. It might mean I post more than you want me to.

Or I might chicken out and leave everything the same.

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my coworker told me about a wasp nest near our office. I took some pictures with the work camera, but wasn't happy with them since the lens wasn't great. I made a point to bring my own camera today so I could use my telephoto lens.

I was having a bit of a grouchy morning (mostly my bad attitude, I'm sure), and decided to grab my camera and take some nest photos. As I was walking there, I saw two striped tails bobbing along. I realized they were raccoons and tried to get some photos of them retreating. I was so glad to have my long lens all ready to go, but was a little bummed that I had just missed a closer shot.

But then they must've heard someone coming from the other side, because they turned around and ran toward me! I was snapping photos like crazy.

Then they realized I was there and stopped and seemed a little uncertain about where they should go. This gave me the perfect opportunity to get some sharper photos, as they were an ideal distance away and facing me.

:) :) :)

I was sooooo happy for this encounter, and as silly as this might sound, I feel like it was a present from God. He knows I love seeing animals in the wild--it always turns my mood around. And what are the chances I'd cross paths with these two raccoons in the middle of the day in the few minutes when I left my office? AND have the right lens on my camera? AND, as Tina pointed out, have the perfect lighting? AND that they would run closer to me and stop and face me for photos? I love that. It's so rewarding to get decent wildlife photos when the sightings are few and far between. (I know some of you probably see raccoons a lot and even hate them, but the only other time I've seen them in real life was in Texas, in some trees.)

So that was my happy morning. :)

Here's another photo of the wasp nest from the other side. Doesn't it look like a head/face? And there's a wasp going into the mouth.

And earlier this week we had an orange moon!

What were your happy moments this week?

(By the way, do my photos take forever to load up? I don't always remember to change the resolution and I'm wondering if that's okay or not.)

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Project 52 (12)

2011-09-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

My friend (and coworker) Tina and I went to delicious Padington's for lunch and she agreed to let me take pictures of her for this project! She's so cooperative.

Tina's photo idea. :) She loves her some Mt. Dew.

Today is 9/10/11! Do something special today. Like count! That would be appropriate on such a date as this. (Yes, I did force the time on this entry to be 9:10.) Annnnnnd: just over two months until the lovely 11/11/11 (how great would it be to get married or be born on that day?!).

Food Friday

2011-09-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's another edition of Food Friday! I finally gathered up enough so-so photos to make a reasonable post.

This is just another photo from those Pretzel Buttons I made for my family.

Pulled pork sandwich.

Dinner at Katrina's: salmon, zucchini and rice pilaf.

Just something I whipped up with what I had available.. broccoli, potatoes and sausage.

Stroganoff - this was the first time I ever made it myself. Katrina gave me the idea and I froze helpings of it for my lunches the next week.

My coworker and his wife just had a new baby girl, so I made these pink Rice Krispy Treats to bring to work.

I put chocolate chips inside and white chocolate on top.

Pasta with a creamy wine, chicken and artichoke sauce. This was also intended for freezing and having at lunches, but it didn't really reheat well.

Water and Diet Pepsi - my drinks when I went to lunch with Tina.

That's all I've got. Have you had anything delicious lately?

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hello! I know it's been about three years since I've done a thankfulness post. It's not that I haven't had good things happen, I've just been busy and distracted and posting pictures of my nephieces. You know--you were there! Anyway, here are some goods:

1. My runaway niece is home. Thanks for your prayers!

2. Jury duty was short and sweet! Today was the first time I've ever had to go to the courthouse for jury duty (I've never made it past the evening phone call before), and I was dreading it. I know some of you are interested in being on a jury, but I am not. Anyway, I was settled in for hours of waiting around, but was excused before 10am! It was a very happy moment. :)

3. My Kindle. I was so glad to have it with me at the courthouse, and I just like having it around in general. I've been reading a lot more since I got it, and it makes any waiting situation seem more desirable. Also, I just downloaded Scrabble for it!

(You know you wanted to see my Kindle's new outfit! It's not an orange cover, as it seemed online, but I still like the brown.)

4. Cool nights. We're in a bit of a heat wave (90s--for us that's hot, especially in September), but it's been cool enough at night that I haven't really suffered much in my non-air-conditioned home. It's so different from a couple of years ago when I felt like life had to be put on hold until it cooled down.

5. Things to look forward to. I have a couple of fun events coming up (a weekend excursion this month, and then my parents are visiting me next month), plus I always love October. Yay fall!

6. My place. I know I've said this before, but I LOVE where I live and am so fortunate to have found this place, with an awesome view, in my price range. We're coming up on a really pretty time of year (not that summer isn't pretty!) with incredible sunrises that I can enjoy from my back deck.

7. Getting better at shooting into the sun. I practiced a little more. I'm having a little more success, though I need lots more practice.

What's the happiest thing that happened to you today? Or this week, if today wasn't great.

Portraits - my niece, N

2011-09-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

We've come to the last of this series with little N, who is 4 (and a half) and enjoys killing people with cuteness. I should warn you that her post is going to have a lot more photos than the other nieces and nephews, and yes that's totally lopsided and unfair. Little kids have it made.

I could've narrowed it down farther, but she was being so hilarious and cute (not to mention cooperative!) that I wanted you to see some of the silliness that I caught. Most of these poses were completely her idea. I only guided her on locations and then she kept holding poses for me and my camera kept snapping photos like it had a mind of its own. Can you blame it, though?

Keep going to read her little interview.

She's so funny! Look at her little model poses. I don't know where she learns them.

What's your favorite part of school? Playing games on the computer.

(Preschool is a little different from when I was a kid! PS She's showing us a little pebble she found.)

I told her to put her hand on her hip in that left photo, but I think she was distracted by her posing ideas and it looks more like she's scratching her side. ;)

What's your favorite thing about your mama? Hugging her. (After answering, she hugged the air in demonstration.)

What's your favorite thing about your daddy? Loving on him.

How do you feel about ladybugs? I try to catch them for Mama because she loves them.

What kind of pet do you want? A dog that's named Pluto.

(?)

Sister L joined her for this one.

N, you're ADORABLE and I'm pretty sure you know it! I wish I could take pictures of you every day!

Project 52 (11)

2011-09-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

I was outside waiting for beavers, but didn't see any. I saw this instead.

I have to say, I had certain expectations of myself on this project and I'm failing to meet them. I had intended to try different sorts of photos than my usual style, and this photo (and many of the others) isn't different. At all.

Part of the problem is I haven't been giving the project enough thought, so by Saturday I'm just choosing from what's on my camera for the week. I need to be more intentional and challenge myself. (Although, this week has been challenging enough on its own. :P)

Anyway, I'll try to do better. How was your week?

(PS Please pray for my niece S, who ran away from home Wednesday night, and her family who misses her. See my sister's blog for slightly more info.)

Quick info

2011-09-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

>> I finally got fairly caught up on comments here. I basically went back and checked all of my August posts and left responses on most of them. I'm sure there are many posts in the past where I didn't respond to your nice comments (or even questions!) and I'm sorry about that. Anyway, if you subscribe to the comments, you'll see them in your inbox. Otherwise, you may want to check back if you were wondering if I'd respond.

>> I was asked about making my blog more mobile-friendly for those of you using smartphones and iPads. Well, I think there are more complicated things I can do for better results, but for now I added a link at the top of my blog that takes you to a small list-version of my blog entries that is apparently easier to manage on a mobile device. I don't have a smartphone or iPad, so I wouldn't know if it's very helpful. :) It doesn't seem to help with commenting at all, so probably not.

>> Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it.

>> Tonight I saw three baby beavers swimming by! But they were too fast for me to photograph.

>> Happy September! September begins Birthday Season, since I have soooo many friends and relatives with birthdays in the next couple of months. I once read October 5th is the most common birthdate in the US, so I guess it's no surprise that this time of year is popular. (Fun fact: I don't know anyone born on October 5th.)

>> Is birthdate one word or two?

>> Here's a photo to liven up this post. Kind of.

Portraits - my nephew, C

2011-09-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

C is 6, but a very young 6. :) He's small and silly and a very outgoing and affectionate little boy. He has a bit of a temper and sometimes it's hard not to laugh at his outbursts. He sometimes seems to think the world exists to be amused by him, which has made for some funny stories about his interaction with strangers. Since most of his poses here are things he came up with on his own, his personality comes through in these photos. Be sure to read his answers to the questions I gave his mom, R, to ask him.

What's the funnest thing to do/play? Have fun with my family and going to Disneyland.

What's your favorite TV show? (He raised his hand to answer for some reason, even though he's the only one here being asked questions. -R) Oh! America's Funniest Home Videos! It has funny stuff like a big man -- a really strong one -- him just doing a funny thing (he's dying laughing trying to tell me and he's very animated as usual -R) and him's chest going bump, bump, bump (older brother walked in overhearing him and said, "Oh, that was America's Got Talent ... the guy was flexing his pectorals." -R).

(I had to include those notes by his mom!)

What do you like to cook? I like to cook brownies and cooking with Daddy and cooking for other people like a baby shower. And my family, too.

(He recently helped his dad cook for a baby shower, hence the reference. :) Also, you'll notice his wet pant legs because right before picture time, he decided it would be wise to splash in a puddle.)

What's your favorite sport? I have two sports: Kung Fu and baseball. (He proceeded to demonstrate "air-versions" of both sports in some kind of combination I don't really understand ... must be a boy thing. -R)

I wish I could've heard him answering those questions! C was one that seemed annoyed about having his portraits done until we actually started. Then he kept trying new poses for me and wanting to do more after his session was over.

One more nephiece portrait shoot to go! I'll post it in the next couple of days. Thanks for reading.

Portraits - my niece, J

2011-08-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

My niece, J, is 6 (almost 7!). She's a very smart and independent little girl, and an adorable photo subject. :) Read more about her between the photos.

What makes you happy? Crafts and painting. And hanging out with my friends.

What's your favorite thing to draw? Carousel horses.

What's your favorite game? Hide-and-seek, because it's fun.

What's your favorite thing about how you look? The brown dot in my eye (birthmark) because I feel really happy about my eyes, because people love them.

My sister R said: She was sad that you didn't ask her (like you asked Z) where she'd like to go...she said, Hawaii, so she could go surfing. (That's the Soul Surfer influence.)

Enjoy Soul Surfer, J!

Portraits - my nephew, Z

2011-08-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Coming in at number 5 in my nephiece portrait series is Z, age 9. Z is an energetic and entertaining boy who also becomes a model in front of the camera. It's funny how most of my younger nephieces expressed some hesitation about doing a portrait shoot, but once we got going they often had more poses they wanted to try.

What do you do best? I do tricks on my bike best.

If you could visit another country, where would you go? Africa, because it's really fun there and I'll see brothers and sisters. (Should I mention that Africa is a continent?)

What age do you think will be the best? Thirties, because Daddy's life is really good in his thirties.

4. What's your favorite animal? A rhino. (I think this is a new preference.. I expected him to say dogs! Also, Z is such a softie when it comes to animals and he loves receiving stuffed animals.)

Check out his little raised eyebrow here. :) Thanks, Z!

(PS As a reminder, these were taken at the lovely Botanic Garden in Albuquerque.)

Portraits - my niece, K

2011-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

K is 10 years old. She's one of those naturals in front of the camera, so I often end up taking lots of pictures of her. Ever since she was little, she knew how to change her poses and smiles and hold them long enough for me to get a photo.

Read more about her between the photos...

What's something you're looking forward to? Going to Disneyland.

(R, I hope you don't mind that we used your pinwheel as a prop! :))

The picture on the right was posed for fun when I reminded her of the picture on the left that I took back in 2002 when she was just 1 and a half. :)

What are some of your favorite foods? Pizza, watermelon, green apples. (I didn't know that when I took this photo!)

If you could watch any movie right now, which one would it be? Soul Surfer.

What's your favorite part of church? The music.

Name a song you like to sing: A Year Without Rain by Selena Gomez.

Beautiful K. I wish I could hang out with you and the other nephieces more often!

Project 52 (10)

2011-08-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I guess the library isn't big on neutral, soothing colors. :)

Portraits - my nephew, C

2011-08-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

C is my oldest nephew at 11. He's grown and changed so much since he was a little boy! I still feel surprised when he's able to be very independent and do things apart from the family.

What kind of books do you like to read? Suspense, mystery, Greek mythology, and drawing books.

What would you like to be when you grow up? A cartoonist/comic book person, a Lego set designer, or an architect. (I see a creativity/design theme here. He's definitely into drawing and showed me some of his pictures during my visit.)

If you could go anywhere for fun right now, where would you go? Holy Moly! Um...how many places am I allowed to pick?! First, Lego Land in Texas, then Disneyworld and Universal Studios.

C - Thanks for enduring the summer heat and a polo shirt so I could get some photos. :) And it was fun drawing animals with you!

Portraits - my niece, L

2011-08-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Next in line is 12-year-old L. L was the first niece of mine that I was able to know from birth, and I can't believe how tall and old and smart she has become! Well, she was always smart. Check between the photos for more fun facts about L.

What's your favorite subject in school? English, because I really like my teacher and it's easy for me.

What is your favorite type of outfit to wear? Shorts and a t-shirt.

(NOTE: When I called her to ask her these questions, she was in the middle of reading Twilight again. As you can see, she's Team Jacob (just like me!).)

What's your favorite season, and why? Summer, because there's no school.

What's your favorite thing about yourself? That I get good grades and I'm smart.

I wrote the smart comments in the first paragraph before I even called her for her answers! :D I guess it's settled, then. What she might not realize about herself is that she's also compassionate and caring. From the time she was a toddler she would comfort people instead of shying away from their sickness or sadness. She's awesome!

Portraits - my niece, S

2011-08-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so while I was visiting family, I took each of my nieces and nephews aside for a mini portrait session. Some yielded more photos than others. I'm going to share some of my favorites of each nephiece, from oldest to youngest.

We'll start with S, who is 16. She has the burden of being the oldest child, which I know (not from experience, just observation) is a difficult role. But she loves her younger siblings and has helped out with them a lot.

I've done a couple of other portrait shoots with S in the past. You can see one here. She's always patient and cooperative with me, so it's extra fun to take her picture. I hope that maybe I can take her senior pictures in a couple of years, though her mom (mi hermana) also enjoys photography and has done a great job documenting her kids' lives.

Check between the rest of the photos for a little more about S!

(That's just a temp tattoo/sticker on her wrist, in case you wondered. :))

What plays the most on your iPod? "Tight" by Stacie Orrico

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? Mint chocolate chip.

(Ha! I can't read that flavor without thinking of Michael Scott saying it.)

What's your favorite thing about your little sister? Her creativity.

Thanks, S! Love the dress!

Reading

2011-08-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've skipped Project 52 two weeks in a row now! It was kind of an accident, but instead of trying to catch up or hunt down photos for each week, I'm just picking up where I left off next week. It's okay to not get all 52 pictures done in 52 weeks, right? :)

Oh yeah, and I got a Kindle. :) :) Thanks, Dad and Mom!

So far I love it. Do you have one? Or want one? I guess I love gadgets, and the idea of having several items to read (and games to play!) all in one little portable device appeals to me. I'm excited to take it everywhere so I can read at all the unexpected waiting times, but I'm waiting for my new cover to come before I just drop it in my purse. I don't want to wreck it! Though I do like the clean, white look...but soon I'll have an orange case for it. Mom, you'll love it!

[I know some of you (Brenda) will recognize what book I have on it in that photo. :)]

Portraits - Trevor

2011-08-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Trevor was my first senior portrait session for the class of 2012. His mom was eager to get this checked off her list, and I have to agree that now is a good time for outdoor portraits!

I was glad to be able to experiment with some masculine backdrops and poses I had in mind, and he was a great subject. Thanks for being so patient, Trevor!

What made it even more fun was that he brought instruments along. Trevor's been playing the cello since he was in fourth grade.

My favorite part of the session was over by this old brick building, when we brought out his electric bass.

If you're interested in having (high school or college) senior portraits done for yourself or your child, please contact me! I'm primarily an outdoor photographer, so I'd love to get more sessions in before the rain comes.

NM Trip

2011-08-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm all behind on commenting back to your comments on my blog! I will catch up, but in the meantime, thank you for the comments. I love them!

I'm also having issues with Google Reader--anyone else? It's showing me old entries from July and it won't remove them from the Unread list. It's very difficult to follow any blogs with that issue, so I'm slightly behind on that as well.

Last weekend I went to New Mexico to visit my family. I have portraits to show you over the next week, but for now here are some general snapshotty photos from the few days I was there.

This cute bunny was in my sister's yard.

After church, we all hung around my sister's place doing Sundayish things, like eating homemade (by my brother-in-law) blueberry muffins. This is my nephew Z.

My sister, nieces and I played Scrabble.

K looks thoughtful. My dad is cooking dinner in the background.

Dinner was barbecued ribs and chicken along with corn, potatoes and watermelon. Delish! I love having meals cooked for me--something I took for granted growing up. I guess we all do.

The next day, my parents were headed to Santa Fe and looking cutely coordinated. My sister has some beautiful paint on her walls, so I snapped a few photos.

My sister and I took four of her kids to the Albuquerque BioPark, which has a Botanic Garden and Aquarium, among other things. We mainly went to get out of the house and take kid portraits, but it was really pretty there and I could've walked around taking non-portraits for awhile (except it was pretty hot). Last time I was there was during February when it's not exactly lush.

WARNING: The rest of this post will contain a few spider and bug photos. If that grosses you out, just stop reading here.

This interesting spider was webbing it up near the doorway to the Botanic Garden. I've never seen one like it! UPDATE: It's called a Black and Yellow Garden Spider.

I was excited that they had a butterfly garden there. I have been craving to go to one for awhile now.

There's a man in the butterfly garden who will tell you about and let you hold a millipede and roaches. My nephews were all over it. I'll just watch, thanks.

Next, we headed into the aquarium where there was blessed air conditioning.

Overall, it was a good trip with great weather and a fun chance to spend time with the family. And now I've seen the Albuquerque area in three seasons (Feb, Oct, Aug)! I guess I need to visit in the spring next--I bet it's really pretty.

Portraits - newborn

2011-08-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to take some photos of an adorable baby girl. Here she is at two days old.

I have a lot of photos to show you from my recent trip, so be ready for a photo bombardment. And here's a little survey based on a recent conversation: does it bother you to come across photos of spiders in a blog? What about other bugs?

What a smooth transition from newborns to spiders! Have a great night. :)

Pretzel Buttons

2011-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is not my idea, I got it off Pinterest and made a couple of changes. Then I made up the name "Pretzel Buttons." Do you like it? :) The original idea uses small pretzels (in the pretzely shape) and regular Kisses, but I thought I'd use Hugs for the stripes, and when I saw these square pretzels they seemed like an easier tray for the candy. I think it would be awesome to get the single-colored M&Ms for something like a baby shower or sports gathering.

All you do is put a Hug on each pretzel, heat it in the oven at about 250 F for 3 minutes, then push the M&Ms onto it and refrigerate. I also used Reese's Pieces, though the peanut butter flavor isn't very strong against the Hug and pretzel.

So cute!

Photography: Rule of Thirds

2011-08-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

UNRELATED INTRO: I've been meaning to post more photography tips and tutorials, but various things stop me. I feel underqualified and boring, or I worry that what I share will be so obvious and well-known that people will be practically insulted that I'm explaining it! I even worry about my vocabulary and that I have misused various words and made myself look really dumb. But I'm trying to work on worrying less about criticism, especially when it comes to this blog and photography in general. It's too easy to let fears and unknowns stifle us. And fortunately (for us all), not everyone in this world is as picky and critical as I am.

MORE STALLING: Before I talk specifically about the Rule of Thirds, I should say that all composition tips are merely suggestions and not requirements for a good photo. In one of my graphic design classes, my professor would always say that we need to learn the rules first, and then we can break them. I think that's so true in many disciplines--rules form a good foundation for creativity. Okay, get to the point, Jessica.

RULE OF THIRDS: To apply this rule, mentally divide your photo/frame into nine equally-sized sections using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. The four intersections of these lines are guides for where your subject/focal point should be centered. I really prefer to use other people's photos to illustrate my point so that you can see how widely it is used, but I don't want to get in trouble with anyone, so I'll use my own. Here are a couple of visual aids to explain what I mean:

(Sorry about the dot-face, Katrina!)
You can also apply the Rule of Thirds when photographing landscapes. Try resting the horizon line along either the top or bottom third instead of right down the middle. It doesn't need to be exact, but it helps to decide on an emphasis--land or sky? It gives the viewer a little direction:

I hope that makes sense and that the lines aren't too distracting. :) Now that you're more aware of the Rule of Thirds, you'll notice it all over. For instance, painters, cinematographers and graphic designers make use of the rule all the time. Try it out and see if it adds some interest to your photos!

Nonfood Friday

2011-08-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'll save the one food photo I have for another week. Instead, I have this picture of a hummingbird. He's probably food to some animal, but not me.. I prefer larger birds.

I was actually on my deck to photograph an osprey, but the hummingbirds are insane and they like to fly right by my head. They're total camera hogs.

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

1. The details...

(Sorry, Mom, I hope you don't mind this moth photo.)

I'm proving that I don't have to do lists of 10 items each time I do one of these posts. :)

Portraits - Callie

2011-08-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

This was actually a work assignment, but I loved how many of the photos turned out and Callie said it was okay to post them in my blog. :) It's true.. I have coworkers that look like models.

I'll finish with my favorite. Nope, I didn't enhance her eyes (or anything, for that matter) at all.

Thanks, Callie!

Portraits - Aiden

2011-08-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

I know Mat and Darcy through my friend T, and I've taken a few snapshots of Aiden in the past. He turns three this month and they asked me to take his annual photos. I was happy do it!

He's very cute. :D

We did a few family portraits.

Aiden loooooves stairs. He just wants to climb up and down them all day.

He was very cooperative and had a seat on the steps as well.

We tried incorporating some bubbles, but the slight breeze wasn't cooperating, and Aiden was distracted by the steps. So Mat brought out this ball, since it's one of Aiden's favorite toys.

Aiden also loves his parents!

Then it was time for the wagon - another favorite toy. I was surprised to see how much wagons have advanced since I was a kid. Fold-up seats with seatbelts!

Here's his touchdown pose.

His shoe slipped off, so Darcy remedied the situation while Aiden pondered. It's awesome being three.

Have a great week, everyone! Thanks for looking. :)

Project 52 (9)

2011-08-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

There's nothing super special about this photo at first glance. It's just a leaf in the grass after the sprinklers did their thing. But if you look closer...

...there are lots of cool patterns that I was able to focus in on (thanks, in part, to a coworker showing me a feature on my camera I didn't know about :P).

Have a great weekend!

Food Friday

2011-08-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

I didn't manage to get a thankful post up yesterday for various reasons including busyness and just not feeling all that thankful (which, of course, is all the more reason to do it). But here's some food and a thankful mixed in...

Chicken chimichangas.

Broccoli beef (no, I didn't make it).

Chicken tacos/burritos/whatevs. I was working through some tortillas, can you tell?

Fish sans chips.

And a thankful! Lunch with T at delicious Padington's. Doesn't she look cute? And I was able to redeem a free pizza with my full punch card (thanks, in part, to others who contributed their pizza purchases to it)!

July books, links, etc.

2011-08-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but happy August!

In July, I listened to these two audiobooks:

Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover - Ally Carter (6 disks)
Third book in the Gallagher Girls series, a YA story about teens going to spy school. The audio of these books has its annoyances, and they really shined in this book (sorry, author!). Dania and I listened to it when we went to Seattle and we often made fun of the silliness. The main character is such a drama queen about some things, or maybe it's just the reader. I don't know, but I was tired of it by the end. The story idea is cute, though, and eventually I'll read the fourth book.

Juliet - Anne Fortier (16 disks)
Julie's aunt (who raised her) dies, and leaves her a key to her late mother's safe deposit box in Sienna, Italy. Julie goes to Italy to embark on a sort of treasure hunt combined with discovering the history behind the story of Romeo and Juliet. This book was pretty long, and there were moments when I was slightly bored or annoyed (the main character is a little annoying). But overall it's very good and interesting.

Books for 2011: 18

I also finished a puzzle!

But it was used, so it was missing one piece. :/

I tried two different photo management programs and ended up preferring Picasa. It's better with the face recognition.

And I found some links that might be of interest:

Cutest Foods - I came across this through Pinterest (see below). They post a cute/clever food picture each day. Check it out, it's pretty fun!

Brown Eyed Baker - A cooking blog that has some yummy recipes without overloading me with pictures of EVERY step.

Princess Hairstyles - A blog with lots of unique and (some crazy) hairstyles meant for young girls. If any of you moms have extra time on your hands ;) you might want to check it out. No, seriously, some of them aren't too complicated.

Also, I joined Pinterest. I haven't used it all that much, mostly because I can tell it's addictive and I haven't wanted to let myself get too involved.

It's a free service that's basically like a virtual bulletin board for ideas and inspiration. You can "pin" anything you find online onto your various "boards" and it'll link back to the site so you know where to go later. The funnest part is just going through friends' and strangers' boards to see what they have pinned, and then you can repin anything to your board or comment on them.

People have found some really awesome, clever and funny things online. Like this hedgehog! People pin everything from yummy recipes, to beautiful photos and locations around the world, to ideas for kids crafts or home decor. I have some invites left, so if you want to try it, let me know and I'll send you one.

Have a great August!

Comment responses

2011-08-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hi again! I keep meaning to remind you all of something.

I try to go back and respond to many/most of the comments left for me here, but you won't know that I have responded unless you physically re-check the blog entry or subscribe to the comments. Subscribing just sends all future comments on that entry to your email.

If you are unsure how to subscribe to comments, it's as easy as clicking on a link when you're in the commenting area. You can click it before or after you have commented. It will use the email address you have connected with whatever account you're commenting with.

Here's a visual aid provided from my recent comment on Brenda's blog:

If you are commenting anonymously, I don't think it'll let you subscribe unless you sign in with one of your accounts. If you don't have one, you'll just have to come back to the post later to check on the followup comments (if you care about them).

>> If you're still not sure how to comment, here are some instructions.

I hope this was helpful!

Taco Seasoning

2011-08-01T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have no problem purchasing packets of taco seasoning, but I've run out enough times that I have tried a few recipes and made it myself. It's fun!

There are a lot of recipes out there, and I don't think I've ever made one exactly as directed since I rarely have all of the ingredients. The following is an easy one I found online that has worked well for me and has a lot of basic stuff you probably have in your cupboards. The red ingredients are ones I haven't added because I didn't have them on hand (and it still tasted great). I never remember to buy oregano, of all things!

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Just mix all those spices together! I think they make about one packet's worth.

The best part is how pretty it looks when you're making it:

Okay, now that you have some taco seasoning go make some Salsa Chicken!

Project 52 (8)

2011-07-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Oregon, seeing deer is a much more everyday occurrence, but I still enjoy it and want to take pictures as often as possible. These two were at my workplace (and this was actually only the third time I've seen them there, though others do more regularly). My coworker called me upstairs and I followed them with the camera to try and get a variety of backgrounds. I think the closest I got to them was about 15 feet.

[PS I LOVE that my coworkers think of me when they see animals that I might like to see/photograph. I've had people call me about deer, nutria, a coyote, and the other day one of my coworkers came to my desk specifically to tell me about a duck and her baby ducklings nearby. It was so sweet of him! I practically want to send people cards for thinking of me in those situations.]

It was hard to pick an official project photo, so I'll show you a few others that I liked.

Food Friday

2011-07-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm not taking daily food photos, I do try to take a few here and there when something looks appealing. So here you go! Hopefully you agree about the appeal.

Some totally posed mashed potatoes. The butter was mixed in with the entire batch before I ate them. :)

Big Town Hero Arti-parm sandwich. SO GOOD.

Some frozen chicken dish that I just had to cook up in a pan. I'm such a chef!

I wanted to make some cookies for my coworker as a thank you for being so helpful to me. She's not a chocolate fan (I know!), so I found this recipe for fluffy snickerdoodles (rather than the dense ones I usually end up with). They turned out exactly as I wanted! Go check out that page I linked to, because the photos there are better.

One of my coworkers brought in these beautiful treats leftover from his daughter's wedding. I couldn't help but take several photos of them. I didn't try them, though, so who knows if they're any good. ;)

Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have had some miserable moments because I'm such a baby about being sick. But in the midst of my whining, there were some really happy things. Here are some of them:

1. My heating pad. So good on the ear!

2. A new office chair! After years of talking about how much I need a decent chair for my computer desk, I finally got one! I was just getting so tired of feeling uncomfortable in a place where I spend so much time. I got one I've seen at the store a hundred times, but dreaded putting it together. I had a little help, and it really wasn't too bad!

3. Delicious food. Padington's pizza and Talenti vanilla bean gelato stand out in my mind. (It's not ranch dressing, Dan!)

4. Wildlife. Fun wildlife sightings are always a lift to my spirits. This past week I've seen/photographed beavers, hummingbirds, dragonflies, frogs, butterflies, a snake and a nutria, among other things.

5. Alias season 5. I had plenty of down time and finished the series this past week. (It was fun to finish, but I'm a little sad that it's over!)

6. Nice weather. The weekend was warm and sunny, but cool enough at night that my apartment handled it pretty well.

7. Salsa chicken. Yes, another food reference, but only because this crock pot dish was soooo delicious. The photo doesn't really do it justice. Thanks to Brenda for the recipe. It's super easy and more delicious than I ever imagined. Just put four chicken breasts (I even used frozen ones), a can of cream of mushroom soup, a cup of salsa and a packet of taco seasoning in the crock pot on low. I think it only takes like 4-5 hours to cook, but you can leave it in there longer if you need to. Stir half a cup of sour cream into the finished product and enjoy over rice. Seriously, it is SO GOOD. Try it. It tastes kind of like chili without the beans. I want to make it again this weekend!

8. Fun games with a friend. I love games! I love having a friend who loves games too!

9. Nice coworkers. I missed a lot of work (at least for me) during a busy time, but my coworkers have been really great about it, helping me out and insisting I get plenty of rest. I love the flexibility I have with my job in times like these.

10. Good friends (and family). People have offered sympathy, prayed for me, given suggestions and listened to me whine about my earache for over a week. One friend woke up to take my pathetic 1am phone call when I was at a low point with pain and worry.

TOP HAPPY THING: 11. Sweet relief! My ear is feeling MUCH better. Wow, it's so nice to feel somewhat normal.

What are some of your goods from the past week?

K

2011-07-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my aunt K! I meant to send out a card but of course I slacked off.

I just wanted to give a special shout out to K since she reads my blog regularly and often responds to the entries with nice emails. And right now I'm behind on responding to her email, because I'm such a good niece.

You know one thing I associate with K? Eggs. She makes the best scrambled eggs, and I have learned an egg trick or two from her. She can cook a lot of things well, but I think I associate her most with awesome breakfasts, since she provides them whenever I visit.

Anyway, have a great day, K, and thank you for being awesome!

Here's a photo to break up the textiness of this entry...

[Unrelated: I took this from my back deck last week..notice the summery sky. ;)]

Dragonflies, etc.

2011-07-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

A week ago today, I woke up with an ear ache. I really thought it would go away on its own in a few days, but seven days, two doctor's appointments, dozens of prescription ear drops, four days off work (and one off church) and lots of ibuprofen later, I still have an ear ache. I feel better overall, but the ear still bothers me and I'm very tired of it.

But! I've been able to sleep more and have had some very nice ups with the downs. During one of the ups yesterday, I visited Ankeny Wildlife Refuge again and took several photos. Here they are, plus a few from home (WARNING: spider photo at the end, for those of you who hate those):

The right photo has a couple of dragonflies (damselflies?). I just thought it was funny how brave they were. Don't frogs eat those?

This big, ugly nutria was swimming around in all of the clovery water. So gross.

Obviously I like taking pictures of dragonflies.

And butterflies! You're getting three of these.

His wing's a little torn up.

This morning I woke up very early and saw part of the sunrise. It wasn't ultra spectacular, but I still took pictures (of course).

I can stand on my deck and take pictures of the hummingbirds like six feet away.

Sorry for those of you who can't handle spider photos and missed the warning!

It's been a wildlifey couple of days! I've seen beavers each night, but have resisted taking pictures.

This weekend the temps are up and it feels like summer. I really want some ice cream! Have a great Sunday and new week. :)

Project 52 (7)

2011-07-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

I can hear bullfrogs by my place almost every day, though I got this photo at the nearby refuge. I don't know if you can tell in this photo, but he's just a teenager - about half the size of a full grown bullfrog.

I have more to say and more photos to post later, but I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

The bad hotel

2011-07-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

This post has no photos.

I wrote this up awhile back after having a dream that reminded me about it. I wasn't sure if or where I'd post it, but I might as well put it here. This is my "worst hotel" experience (everyone has one, right?).

My cousin Stacy and I were on a road trip across Canada in 2000. We had made a stop in Edmonton at what was then the world's largest mall, and on "Bourbon Street" (part of the mall) we went and saw a comedy show. After the show, we were talking to one of the comedians, and in our conversation it came up that we were headed to Winnipeg.

The comedian (comedienne, actually) talked about how horrible the mosquitoes are in Winnipeg, and that it wasn't a good idea to camp there. We had camped for much of our trip, but used hotels when sites weren't available or we wanted a decent shower. We decided we would make Winnipeg one of our hotel stops.

It wasn't like nowadays, where you just get on your smart phone and check out hotels and reviews and such. We just had a travel guidebook with a listing of hotels, and after calling several (on a pay phone!), we finally found one in our price range with an open room for the night we'd be there. Booking hotels I've never heard of without seeing them first is not my favorite, but we felt we had no choice. The comedienne was very adamant about the mosquito problem.

So we rolled into Winnipeg one night and eventually found our hotel. It was over a bar, so from our room we could hear pounding music for much of the night. We entered our room from a creepy hallway with a regular key (not the key cards that were normal even then), and found two twin beds. ?? The room--and especially the bathroom--smelled bad. It was very unpleasant, but we were tired and had been driving a lot. There wasn't the luxury of finding a better place, especially in the middle of Canada (which is a lot like driving through Wyoming or the Dakotas--you never know how long you'll drive before finding civilization).

Because of our poor hotel experience, Winnipeg was tainted for us and we decided not to stick around after checking out the following morning. I feel bad now, because my mom told me how she had been to Winnipeg a time or two as a girl, and she had good memories. I remember she seemed disappointed that we had just left it without seeing anything, and I almost feel like apologizing to her right now! So I will: I'm sorry, Mom!

I feel like I haven't really thought of or talked about my Canada trip to many people. I've talked more about the US trip I took in 96, but for some reason this one goes mostly forgotten. Talking about it now has brought up so many memories. I'll have to tell you more sometime, if you're interested. I could maybe scan some of my photos.

Project 52 (6)

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for another flowers-in-vase photo, but I'm pretty sure this is the only picture I took this week! I've been spending free time on other things, like labeling thousands of faces with the face recognition software I'm trying out. Only like 6,000 more to go, though, so I'm on the home stretch. ;)

Independence Day Weekend (Part 6)

2011-07-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

[These look like plant fireworks, don't they?]
This is my final post in this series! Are you relieved? :) If you missed the first five posts, you can get to them here:

Independence Weekend (Part 1)
Independence Weekend (Part 2)
Independence Weekend (Part 3)
Independence Weekend (Part 4)
Independence Weekend (Part 5)
Okay. So Dania was leaving on the afternoon of July 4th, so we didn't have a lot of time. We had decided to make a trip out to Multnomah Falls since she had never been and it's pretty close to the airport. Well, apparently everyone decided to go out there for Independence Day, and it was very crowded. There was also a wedding at Bridal Veil Falls, so every free parking space (and non-space) was taken.

Eventually we got to Oneonta Gorge (whatever that is) and found a place to park so we could get out and look around.

The tunnel was the most interesting part, and then you can hike below to a stream. We took a few photos, got to the end of the trail, and then headed back to the airport. It didn't go as I imagined, but we tried. :)

The day didn't feel very 4th of July-y to me, but that's okay. Sometimes it's easier for me to pretend holidays are just regular days, anyway. There were some fireworks going off that I could see from my deck, but I failed to get a decent photo of any of them.

And that was Monday! Kind of a mellow end to this series, but that's exactly how the end of my long weekend felt.

Now we've had another weekend since, which is kind of hard to believe. Work is busy and I feel so tired lately. I feel extremely tired right now, for some reason, and I can't think of a good way to end this post. I'll just end it abruptly.

Independence Weekend (Part 5)

2011-07-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

After an eventful trip up to Seattle, I wanted some down time. I decided Sunday should be low key, which might've been a little boring for Dania, but she was nice about it.

I don't watch a ton of movies, so it was weird that we watched three movies that day! First it was Somewhere In Time, because Dania had never seen it. Who has seen that? I first saw it at age 6 and was fascinated, for some reason.

[Dania on the porch at the Bush House.]
In the evening we took a drive to Bush Park so we could take a few photos at the rose garden, etc. It wasn't really the best time of day for pictures, so I'm not happy with mine, but I've put some in this post anyway.

[I experimented with shooting into the sun.]
On our way home we ordered up some delicious Padington's pizza and rented a movie from the Blockbuster "vending machine" at Safeway. I'd never used that or Red Box before, so Dania showed me the ropes and we chose Just Go With It. It was pretty funny/cute, but also had some of Adam Sandler's typical weird/over-the-top humor that makes me cringe.

We later put in Last Holiday (all these girly movies!) while we played Scrabble. If you haven't seen that one (with Queen Latifah), you should. It's definitely a feel-good movie.

[Note about the new Scrabble boards: I just got mine for Christmas because I had a very old and incomplete set. They finally took the idea from Travel Scrabble and added ridges so the letters don't slip, and I love that. I also love the wheels (we used to put a Lazy Susan under ours, because my mom is a genius), but WHY did they change the colors of the squares? It totally messes me up! Now Double Letter is the color of the old Triple Letter, and Double Word is the color of the old Triple Word. How is that a good change? Not cool, Scrabble...not cool.]

And that was pretty much our day! Oh wait, we also went out and looked at beavers swimming in the lake, but it was too dark for decent photos.

[This is just kind of funny--I was taking a picture of this bird with a moth/butterfly in its mouth...]

[...and then it jumped off the branch while I was taking its picture so it looks like a fake/dead bird here.]
Thanks for sticking with me all this time. I have one more post for what we did on the 4th, and then this series will come to an end. Are you relieved? :)

I hope you've been having a nice weekend.

Project 52 (5)

2011-07-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

You get a little break from my trip journal for my everyday life photo of the week. I took it at my friend's house when I was there for a gathering.

Jennifer's kitchen has lots of fun little features, like the black and white floor, toile wallpaper, and cute little table. It's unique and very photogenic. I imagine Jennifer eating breakfast there each morning, but I have no idea if she actually does. :)

Here are a couple of other photos from her place that I think should be included in this post, because they feel like a set to me. I'd actually love to take more pictures at her house sometime.

This one (above) was an alternate in case I changed my mind about the kitchen table photo, but I didn't!

No, Jennifer, the photo you asked me to take of the dead frog is NOT part of the set!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Independence Weekend (Part 4)

2011-07-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

I wrapped up Friday's events in my last post, so here's how Saturday went. I actually didn't take one picture on Saturday, oddly enough! But Dania sent me hers.

After sleeping in, checking out of the hotel and going to Dan's, we hung out a little before having lunch at Teddy's in Woodinville. Then we headed over to the Rainbow Run putting course in Redmond. I love this course, because it's not your typical miniature golf land with windmills and crazy characters opening their mouth for you to golf into. (Not that there's anything wrong with those places.) It's on a regular golf course, so it feels more like an actual mini version of the original.

[Some photos of the golf course--some of these are Dania's some are ones I took a couple of years ago on a previous visit.]

Unfortunately the grounds seemed a little neglected this time, so it wasn't quite as pretty and well-maintained, but it was still a fun time. Dan won, of course.

[Dan showing us his mad juggling skills, per my request.]

After golf, I was all tired (still from the previous day), so we drank iced tea and played some cards before Dania and I had to make the trip home. Our drive went very smoothly and we listened to an audio book for much of the way. We got home around 9ish and watched First Daughter since Dania hadn't seen it. I find more to criticize about it every time I watch it, yet I own it! :) It was probably on sale.

I hope these more texty posts aren't annoying you guys. Later I'll talk about the Sunday and Monday haps. I'm sooooo glad it's the weekend again, because work has been hectic and I feel like I've barely had any down time. Jessica needs her down time!