Team Up Thursday - The Low Down

We took our cue from Melody and Megan again this week, I love a good challenge and hadn't been down low later, like lying that is. What fun can be had from that point of view.

Like Megan, I was thinking on my back, then as a I lay on the ground taking a picture in a classroom today, I realized, "OH DUH! I can get on my stomach too." Indeed, it was the second time in a week that I found myself on my stomach to get a shot (without even realizing what I was doing).

This week I'm above and Joanne below. I love the inside-outside/ work-play feel this diptych provokes. And how can you not love that hint of the lush beauty from Australia?



Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

What's Missing From This Picture?

How about a four-year-old boy who tearfully insisted on carving pumpkins to no avail on Tuesday night only to abandon the pumpkin-carving fiesta five minutes in on Wednesday...

The Guy I Dig really stepped up to the plate with me. He is a Master Pumpkin cleaner.  At least Harrison picked out two of the templates we used. (The third pumpkin was done by me freehand, that's why it's not as fancy.)

I love curly stems.

waiting it's turn.

I started this one and the GID graciously finished it.

The trio ready for the business of Halloween.

As I finished the final pumpkin, the missing ingredient from this ritual sauntered back over to the table and announced, "I want to carve now!"



Then I turned into a pumpkin.


Visit Mental Inventory for Theme Thursday and Photo Story Friday hosted by Cecily and Carissa

But it was a good sunset!

Tragically, forest fires spawn awesome sunsets (as does any given smoggy day in Sunny Southern California).

So it was last week - several days into the fires to the north. It had been clear to partly cloudy - perfect for a sunset picture. And I have that new tripod from Christmas. I could try out. And I have my new 50mm f1.4 lens, albeit not telephoto.

[What? I haven't mentioned that I replaced my broken lens?! Yeah, Baby! sold some baby furniture and RAN *okay drove* to the camera store the very next day! S.W.E.E.T!]

BUT - I have a child, and dinner and bath time and bedtime and, well, dropping everything to run out the door to get a picture of a sunset just isn't an easy task. It just isn't possible.


I did the next best thing.

I ran upstairs to the craft room, camera in hand, and snapped a picture out the window, over the apartments next door and into the sun.

Yeah, the window is a tad bit dirty.


I opened the window and tried again.

Better...

Sort of.

Not.

Defeated, I headed back downstairs to finish dinner, the wheels still turning in my head. 20 minutes later, after pondering, processing, contemplating and procrastinating; I was out the door and down the street to capture the sunset - next to that line of photographers who flock down to the pier on evenings like this and Harrison with Daddy were out the door and across the street for a few more minutes of scooter fun.

All seemed right in the world once again.

Although...

I was too late.

The sun was already resting on the horizon bidding farewell and those "fancy" looking photographers were already packing up to leave with their "money shot" secured on their memory card.

Pshaw! I wasn't about to let the opportunity go wasted so I snapped anyway.

Then I realized how much like fall it already felt right then; and I realized that, really, my favorite time of the year at the beach is in the fall and winter.

Once again, summer blew by me like a freakin' freight train.

But Fall?

Fall sweetly drifts in on a cool breeze in a quiet whisper, gently swirling around me, kissing me on my face with it's golden color. I love the fading light of summer as it becomes fall, I love the fading light of fall evenings when the marine layer rolls in and engulfs the shore, curling up the smells and sounds of pier and casting them out over the streets and houses peppered inland. Music, people, fryers, crabs, lobsters and fish,  sweet churros and the cadence of the fog horn.

Perfectly peaceful.

No, it wasn't wasted time - missing the sun tip it's head goodnight. Not one minute.

I love the ocean in the fall.


It has been a while since I've participated in Theme Thursday - now I know exactly how many weeks I've missed! Wow. Now go visit the Cheese Party!

Theme Thursday/Photo Story Friday - The Love of Color

In my past life I was training to be a theatrical lighting designer - I LOVE theatrical lighting. I love creating "atmosphere" and "mood" with light and... color.

 And I Loved, Simply LOVED creating the light show for a small rock band I worked with in the mid-80's. Especially the opening sequence, bringing up back-lighting on the musicians as they came out through the smoke then pulling up the front lights and moving into a show that complimented the beat of the music. Yup, 1980's smoke machines and stage lighting rocked!

 My gel filter samples via 1986

I also love clean white space, it's true.

but sometimes...

You Just {have to} Add Color.

Photo Story is Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

And since I've been such a stranger latey, don't forget to visit Stacy for more Theme Thursday love!

Theme Thursday - Baby It's COLD Inside!

Snow and ice in SoCal?

 

We get it quit often, Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall (that could be a good song...)

 

 Indeed, it is only the milk freezing once again in our Sub Zero-let me freeze EVERYTHING-refrigerator.

 

Fortunately, it doesn't phase me too much. Now when the filtered water water freezes, then I get miffed.

Sorry about the non-sharp focus, I don't know if it's me or the camera.

Probably me.


Check out more cold-goodness as we brace for another 6 weeks of winter. (According to that annoying little groundhog.)

Togetherness - Nine Years Ago Today...

I married the Guy I Dig!

Here is the bridal party. I couldn't ask for a better group of women to surround me that special day. We chose not to see each other before the wedding. Yeah, it changes up the picture taking - but well worth the wait. He really wanted the first moment when I walked down the isle.
(Back in 1999 we weren't using a lot of digital quite yet. I had to scan all there pictures. Photos by Shawn Jolicoeur)

The Groom's party, the best man would be the tall gorgeous blonde to the right of my hubby (her husband is flanking my husband's left side). I love this picture.

 

This adorable flower girl is now 16 and GORGEOUS!! [She is also God-sister to Harrison. See her all grown up at Harrison's 3rd birthday.] How about that breeze, I couldn't keep that veil down to save my life.

Check out handsome nine-year-old Big Brother! Not so big there. (hey is that hair on hubby's head?)

The music I chose still to this day moves me to tears. I found that out as I listened to it last night as I was putting this post together. Then the internet went down for 24 hours and all was lost. I'm starting all over tonight - before we retire after a yummy dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant sans children.

Anyway, most of the music came from the movie soundtrack Much Ado About Nothing by Patrick Doyle. If you haven't heard Patrick Doyle, check him out. You won't be disappointed.

 

The runner above got messed up when the flower girl stopped to turn around and spread out some of the rose pedals she had dropped.  I love it. Those are the moments most remembered.

Seriously I never thought I would get married. Never. Nine years later, well let's just say it still feels like yesterday sometimes and I still pinch myself that he married me.

My favorite photo of our rings. Back then I hadn't looked at a lot of the wedding photography I've seen in recent months. If I had I would have requested more of the small details. I'm a details girl.

It was supposed to be a 3-tier round cake. Made for us by a friend. A little accident happened on the way to the reception hall and the bottom tier (my favorite part - chocolate with raspberry filling) bit the dust. The cake maker was devastated. I made a couple of calls to friends with Costco cards and one rushed a cake over to the hall. The caterer had extra frosting from another event and my florist decorated it with the fresh flowers we had planed on using in the first place, so all was good. No one knew the difference. (No I didn't care that much. I was getting married and I just wanted to celebrate - that we did.)

Our program, I was going for an old fashioned theater feel with a twist. Sort of.

Our "cast" in order of appearance.

 

The lyrics from our special song sung by Harrison's God-father, musician Jerry Lansdowne.

My parents each passed away before they could see this special day; but my brother walked me down the isle and my Godparents stood in my parents place along with my brother to give me away.

Nine years ago today my life changed for the better becuase I met the love of my life, the man who loves me unconditionally, the man who supports me and my dreams. The man who would lasso the moon and give it to me if he could.

And I wouldn't change a moment of it.

Our first dance was to At Last by Etta James. (yeah, everyone uses that song -blah, blah, blah) because the lyrics rang so true for me. I waited for a long time. When my mom was ill with cancer I longed for someone to hold me in his arms and comfort me. I leaned into God and I waited. As I watched and celebrated with each of my friends as they got married - I waited.

Until ~
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last

And then we realized that WE were the ones who were supposed to kiss when the spoons clinked against the glasses at the reception. 

At last.

Theme Thursday - Sunflares in My Camera Makes Me Happy

Okay so their not the best sunflare pictures - or even that great of pictures but...


I haven't had a lot of time to go take pictures lately; although I ran out of the house one evening last week and took some pictures through my Duaflex viewfinder as the sun was setting - at the expense of a couple people gawking at me as they walked by. I'm sure it does look rather strange seeing a person standing on the sidewalk, pointing a camera down a long, black smokestack-like tube.

On the other hand, Harrison and I went ended a day at the park a few weeks ago and I have gorgeous photos of him being King of the Mountain as he stood on a rock and shouted into the setting sun.


I had my 50mm lens on my camera and forgot to step back and get the full picture of him on the rock. Another day. Oh how I love that golden light!

Go enjoy more sunshine at the Land of K.A.!

Theme Thrusday - Ornery times Two

I am convinced these Pelicans are distant cousins of the vulture. Both species of birds have that ugly looming look about them and the both tend to be scavengers - at least the pelicans I come in contact with on a weekly basis.

You see, these birds are the vultures of the pier, they defiantly sit in rows, perched at the edge of nail-covered roofs [rebelling against the very purpose the nails were put there - to keep them off] and wait for the fishermen to turn their back and then try to swoop in and steal the freshly caught fish. Forget scooping them out of the sea, that's for Finding Nemo, why work when you have a fisherman's pier at your disposal?

And for fun when the fishing is not going so well, they look for innocent bystanders to bird-scream at, toy with, and worse, excrete on.


Oh yes my friends, that ugly sucker POOPED on me. And I swear I heard him laugh.

I wasn't even aware of what happened to me. I thought I felt something as I turned to take a picture, then I saw it, all down the front of my [black] shirt and continuing down the entire length of my pants. I do count myself lucky, the fiend missed my head. HA! Back at ya, bird!
I know he was aiming for that.

Thankfully, one of the lingering joys of having a child and still carrying a backpack for him -- babywipes. They cleaned me right up in no time.


Anyone have a BB gun?

JUST KIDDING! Geez!


Multiply the fun by going to Land of K.A.!

I Wonder...

Seriously, please, please, please head over here and tell me what this is.

Bueller?


Bueller?


Bueller?



8/25/2008 - Edited to add said ugly (possibly dead) fish/thing.

Theme Thursday - Antique

I'm still here. Just very busy. Here's a sneak at my photo shoot for work as I prepare the newsletter for September. Apples and Honey. Mmm.




It's the hub's birthday tomorrow. (today - depending on where you are!) Harrison want's to make cupcakes. we'll see how they turn out!

And a couple pictures of "antiques" from around my house.

I love these pigs. I gave this photo of Lomo effect.


Remember this little guy? He took a flying leap off a shelf (ok, maybe he had some help from me.) I put him back together again - just like Humpty Dumpty; and just like the big egg, I'm sure he has a permanent headache. Oh, and check out that back injury. Eek.


Ok, so it's late but I wanted to check in. More after I'm past this deadline!

Check out Land of K.A for more antique-y-ness!

Theme Thursday - Aged

I love aged/vintage things and buildings so I thought I would share a couple more diptychs of old things around my house.


This is an old fire engine at the Travel Town museum that we frequent. More favorites here.


And here is the junk pile behind my grandparents home. I love birch trees, my grandfather used to carve bark off the birch trees and make toy canoes for me.


Hop over to Land of K.A. to see more "aged" photos!

Theme Thursday - Before and After

I did a self portrait a couple of months ago and wanted to try tweaking it a little - cloning out the pictures in the background, but then as life has it. I got busy with other things. Well, I finally played with it and I decided that I really like the original better. (Part of the reason, is I don't remember all the steps I took in processing it - as usual I'm blissfully stumbling through the program)

Here is the result and the SOOC shot.


Here is the picture from the original post...


At the same time I also reworked an older picture of Harrison using textures , here is the SOOC shot.


Here is the final...
It's pretty clear that I love playing with the post-processing of my pictures, it's one of my crative outlets. The original pictures were OK but not great. I love the fun results.

No new picture for today because we're out taking pictures and need to do some downloading!

Check out Land of K.A. for more before and after!