A Strange Kind of Beauty

Hello friends - this post is not at all stamping related, but I had to share this with you.  You may have heard about the High Park Fire here in northern Colorado and it just happens to be about 10 miles NW of where I live.  We've had a couple fires in the area already this year, but this one, by far, is the most devastating.  It started on Saturday morning when lightning struck the mountainside.  Because it's been so dry, we often get lightning storms without any rain, so the winds and the dry brush are a recipe for wildfire.  

Sunday night as the sun was setting, the smoke from the fire had this eerie glow to it.  It's strangely beautiful, and yet so frightening.  How can something so devastating be so pretty?  I went to the edge of my neighborhood and snapped some pictures.  This is looking west toward the foothills; the fires are just behind that second hogback. 

The smoke was mesmerizing as it lifted up from the hills.  It was like watching clouds form in fast motion, billowing up to the unknown. 

All of my thoughts and prayers are with those who are directly affected by this fire - the firefighters, the pilots, the families who have been evacuated, not knowing whether their home is still standing.  It's heartbreaking to see and know that the landscape is forever changed.

Little Peanut

I haven't posted anything photography related in a long time and I was so thrilled to be able to capture some sweet moments of my newest little nephew, I just had to share.  My super fabulous friend, Sally, who is an AMAZING photographer, helped me out and gave me a few tips and pointers for a successful newborn shoot.

Here are some of my favorites from the day - I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks so much for stopping by -
Karen

Woot Woot!!!

This post is not at all stamping related, but I am just too excited not to share.  This week over at Pioneer Woman, Ree is hosting a Silly Photo challenge on her photography blog and I entered a picture {this is nothing new, I think I've entered about 12 of these things}.  Sure enough - in group 2 is my photo!!

Meet Katie the sudsy goof ball. 

Now I'm just crossing my fingers to be included with the finalists next week - she's giving away happy shiny prizes!

You all should hop on over to PW and check out the submissions - some of them will make you spit your coffee out!  Seriously!!

Ok, that's it for now - back to your regularly scheduled program....

Thanks for letting me stray off topic for just a sec ;)
Karen

My 365 Project | Week 12

Good morning!  I'm completely back on track with my project, at least for now.  7 photos for you this week.  My week -

Day 65: Waiting for Craig

We went to Denver to see Craig Ferguson's stand-up bit and took a peek in the building a tad early so I could get a photo. Our show didn't start until 10:30, which was a lie, we didn't get in the door until 10:30, so it was a late night, but SO much fun! My cheeks were so sore from laughing - and wow, did I need that! That's my hubby looking in the window. I almost cropped him out...

 

Day 66: Happy Hour

This photo is from our night out on the town on Saturday. I have so many fun photos and I couldn't pick which one I wanted to upload, so I'm cheating and putting another one here for today.

 

Day 67: Necessities

Goggles. Can't have a swim lesson without them. He tells me he needs them so he can be fast. I'd believe him if it were not for all the scratches on the lenses - they've been dropped, dragged, stepped on, and I think we've run them over with the wagon a couple of times on the way to the neighborhood pool. He still loves them. Like a good friend.

 

Day 68: But...

I love taking pictures of the kids when they're trying to explain to me the reasons why I shouldn't take their photo. Hehe. He's telling me his eyes hurt when he smiles. I'm just digging the leftover milk on his face.

 

Day 69: You know it's spring when...

you get gigantic strawberries from the grocery store! Either that or he's shrinking...

 

Day 70: Happy Girl

I had the chance to do a little mini-shoot for a friend this afternoon and her daughter was amazing! She's all smiles and did great - happy 9 months little Miss A!

 

Day 71: Ink Swirls

This idea is hardly an original, but I've been wanting to try it and this week's ink theme gave me the nudge. This is a little jar about 3" high, so I had to work quickly! Love this effect and I knew those SU re-inkers would come in handy some day.

 

 

That's it for this week - stay tuned.  Thanks so much for swinging by!

Karen

 

 

My 365 Project | Week 11

I'm getting back in the groove - only one missed day for week 11.  I'm getting the itch back, finally, and it's a good thing I have crafty things to fall back on, haha!

Day 59: Inky Fingers

Cardmaking is a hobby of mine. A sweet hobby that turned into my 'work' - I need a sign "I work for stamps!" I absolutely love transforming cardstock and ribbon and buttons and rhinestones into one sweet little pretty card. I just try not to picture what happens to these precious creations after they are given away. I'm sure people frame them and cherish them forever, not toss them in the trash bin, right?

Day 60: Library only has ONE 'R'...

my daugher says. Now, I realize she's being difficult and stubborn - arguing just to argue, but now I have proof that I'm right, see? So there!

Day 61: Hopscotch

I couldn't decide which hopscotch photo I wanted to upload, but I liked this one of big brother watching little sister have a go at hopscotch on our sidewalk. It was SO beautiful outside today and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer, so we'll be heading outside again. It was nice to get out in the fresh air this afternoon, most definitely.

**I also like that my daughter is wearing ALL the colors of the rainbow today - those green sparkly shoes really tie in the bright yellow jacket with her Christmas plaid dress...

Day 62: OM-NOM-NOM

Yep - the scone monster was here today. She devoured everything except the napkin. My daughter. Love her.

Day 63: Ben & Jerry's

What do you do when the temperature creeps up into the 60's? Go grab some ice cream, of course! I took the littlest kids to Ben & Jerry's for a little treat today and they quickly put their jackets back on when the brain freeze soaked in. Rainbow sprinkles make me ache for summer.

Day 64: ...are you the snake??

Had a little friend over this afternoon for a cut-throat game of Guess Who. His concentration could not be broken.

Thanks again for your kind words and support on this project!  I need all the cheering I can get :)

Karen

My 365 Project | Week 9 & 10

I'm combining weeks 9 and 10 on this page since I only took one photo in week 9 {the bubble} and week 10 only has 3!  Slacker.  The 365 website I use numbers each photo you take instead of numbering the day on which you took it, so I may remake these pages so there aren't any blanks.  I don't know.  I'm back on track now though, whew! 

Enjoy!

Day 55: Spring Preview

Today was the most gorgeous almost-spring day and the kids were so excited to get out and play and run around and just be flat out crazy. I was pretty excited too. Time to get out the bubbles - LOVE my son's expression as he's trying to race down the bubble to pop it before the wind sweeps it away.
You may have noticed I've fallen off of the 365 Project planet - wow. Boy have I ever failed in getting anything photograped for a long, long time and I feel terrible! I'm such a slacker and the motivation was sucked out of me. I hope to get back on track here!!!

 

Day 56: Start 'em Young

I lost my old iPod Nano, so I just *had* to go buy myself a new Touch. I don't have one of those fancy iPhones and I'm SO excited to use aps! I'm in with the real world now, baby! My daughter grabbed this and is now completely hooked on Tiny Wings. Can't say I blame her really. Mine is Angry Birds. I shall get a photo of that crazy addiction tomorrow *wink*

 

Day 57: Time to Myself

The best thing about stealing away with a good book is the quiet - ahhh, that precious time of night when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet {I'll ignore the sounds of March Madness coming from the living room} and I get to go somewhere else, follow along in someone else's life and run away for a bit. Of course, I always go somewhere that has a great mystery to solve with lots of twists and turns along the way.

 

Day 58: Friday Night Pizza

It's family night and that usually means a trip to a local mom & pop pizza place called Justine's. Mmmm. Best pizza ever! And is it right that her drink is bigger than her face? The best part about our pizza tradition is we bring along a game to play while we wait. Love those family moments and I'm hoping this tradition stays alive as long as the pizza place stays in business.

 

That's it this time.  Short and sweet.

Karen

My 365 Project | Week 8

I had to get fancy with my layout for week 8 since I slacked and didn't take photos on 2 of the days.  Just wait 'til you see next week!  haha! 

Day 50: Girls Weekend

So this would be a photo to help remind me that I need lots more practice at indoor photos {read: carry a tripod with me at all times??} but since I was an idiot and forgot to bring my camera with me when we were walking around Denver in the daylight, this is what I have. Six of us moms took the weekend off from being mom and we treated ourselves to martinis and Maggianos. Mmm... Cheers!

 

Day 51: This next move is gonna be killer!

I actually took this photo on Tuesday and back-filled it for Sunday since I didn't have any photos from the day, despite going to a birthday party - sheesh.

My son, he's the ultimate game lover, and bless his heart, he tried to teach me this game. We ended up just moving pieces around and then gave up. It's one of his daddy's games that I haven't learned yet. Also, his little face still has marker on it from craft time in his class. I'm such a good mom.

 

Day 52: Up a Tree

We have this little nest in our tree out front and it is surviving our windy winter. There was one last year too, but it met a terrible end by blowing away. It's much too high to take photos of the nest later in the spring when there may be eggs, which is a real bummer. The sky was such a beautiful blue today and I thought it would make a great backdrop.

 

Day 53: Knob Bokeh

I run the sound and video at our MOPS {Mothers of Preschoolers} group and have always wanted to take a picture of the sound board. It looks way more impressive than what I actually work with, but editing this photo made me want to drive back there and clean these things off - ewww! Purell anyone?

 

Day 54: Personality Profile?

If you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, then should you judge a personality by the book one chooses? I think so - I can see my kiddos in each of these books they picked up today. Fancy Nancy - my princess. Baby Brains and RoboMom - has to be that boy; anything with brains and robots. Bunnicula - yep, the first born. Don't forget me. Can you guess?

 

That's it for this week, now my days don't match up with the days of the year.  Oops!  It's ok - really, it is...

 

Thanks for stopping by!
Karen

My 365 Project | Week 7

I've completely dropped the ball on my 365 Project. Grrr. I forgot to post my week 7 project on my blog, so it's just a wee bit late.  Week 8 is full of holes.  Week 9 is even worse.  Ooopss! I'll get back on the wagon - it's starting to snow here this morning and I cannot tell you how ready for spring I am, not only for taking photos, but just to get outside and get active again.  Lazy weekends under a cozy blanket drinking hot drinks are not good for the waist line.  haha!  Anyway, enough of my babbling - here's what happened in week 7.

Day 43: The Celebration Continues

Today we had my son's birthday party with all of the family and my husband made this adorable dinosaur cake, complete with cupcake dino eggs too. I love the expression of joy and anticipation on his face and how he is just sucked into the moment.

I can't take credit for designing the cake, we found it here: http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/how-to-make-a-dinosaur-cake/17w2za108?q=dinosaur+cake

Day 44: Flare
I am not feeling quite myself today, seems we've been passing something around the house this week. Needless to say, I didn't pick up my camera and once the kids went to bed, I just crashed on the couch. Enter - the filler photo. This one is from December when I was just taking some meter photos to get the exposure right on the fence before the family I was taking pictures of got into place. It's my first sun flare shot and I really like the natural tones of the landscape. Everything here is brown in the winter - all dead and dormant. yuck. But it gives beautiful glow when you add backlight.

Day 45: Valentine Strawberries

My wonderful husband decided to get creative with the kids tonight and dip strawberries with them. They each had their own little cup of chocolate and devoured their strawberries in no time at all. He made me this little trio to photograph - love him.

Day 46: More Chocolate

It's Girl Scout cookie time! We just had 4 boxes delivered this afternoon and they are not going to last long. I debated whether or not I should break the seal, but for the sake of art, I ripped into a box of Tagalongs - chocolate covered peanut butter... mmmm... The odd thing is I packed them back up in the box after I took the photo and drank the milk. What?? I think I'm still on a sugar high from the birthday cake and chocolate strawberries from the past 2 days.

Day 47: The Crazies

It's almost a full moon - just a sliver short I'd say. Time for the crazies to come out and play, oooh!! I haven't taken a photo of the moon yet and thought it was about time I did.

Day 48: King

My oldest had a day off from school, so we packed up the car and headed to the zoo. The weather was about 55 degrees, which felt warm at the time, and this beautiful lion was sunning himself on a rock, catching a little snooze. I just want to reach out and scratch him behind the ears! Love him.

Day 49: Unmotivated...

So, this is a lame photo. I know. But I thought it was funny that instead of making crafty things, which I HAVE to do tonight, I'm playing Free Cell. Over and over and over again. No motivation. None. Nada. Lame. So there.

Thanks for allowing me to share this mighty project with you - see you back soon for all things crafty!
Karen

My 365 Project | Week 6

Hi!  AND happy Valentine's Day!!  I'm back with another 365 page and I am SO appreciative of your kind words through this project and I'm so happy you are enjoying the photography.  It's always tricky since this is really a stamping blog, but with stamping comes photography when we take pictures of all of our little projects.  I'm glad they seem to flow smoothly.  Anyway, here is my week - enjoy!

Day 36: Another Craft Week. 

I've been making cards all week long and so it seems only appropriate to take a photo of buttons. Lovely buttons. I'm hitting a wall with my project and I hope to rise over it soon! My motivation to find unique things to photograph is dwindling and I keep reminding myself that I'm doing this project to keep a photo journal of life at home - my hobbies, the kids, our routine. Oh yes, that routine. I think that is where I'm getting stuck - same old thing day after day... help!

 

Day 37: Driving. 

Today we drove to Grandma's {the kids' Grandma's} house to watch the Super Bowl and as we were passing by the dormant farmland, I noticed how dark the mountains looked with the storms overhead. I did want it to feel like we were driving along in the photo, so I allowed some motion blur in the fields, but I love how the mountains in the background are still. That would be Long's Peak in the background, only 14,259 ft (4,346 m) high.

 

Day 38: 5!

Today is my son's birthday - the big number 5! And to celebrate, he was ever so disgusted by having to take a picture of the occasion. So I got one shot. I still like it, although I wish he were smiling a bit instead of looking extremely irritated.. Little goof.

 

Day 39: DP with a Twist.

It's how I drink my soda - I HAVE to turn the tab. You know, otherwise the tab rubs on your nose, right? Who's with me?

 

Day 40: ...but it's FREEZING!

I caught this photo on her way out the door for school and boy do I feel the same way. It was COLD this morning. Moments later our neighbor came to pick her up - no walking to school in below zero temps :)

 

Day 41: Flawed.I took about 500 photos {OK, maybe closer to 300} of dripping water today and got ONE sharp droplet. Then the sun went away and hope was lost for the day. So here you go, the ONE successful shot of the bunch.
I absolutely adore this shot - the blues, the pattern of the quilt makes the droplet look irregular. I'm in awe of this technique and now I have an even deeper appreciation of these droplet shots. I used my 55-200m lens for this one and cropped the heck out of it. Still waiting for the macro fairy to arrive with a bucket of gold...

Day 42: Hangin' in there

Our little extra rose is opening up beautifully and I am very thankful to have such a pretty color to shoot today since we're stuck in the house with a little one who is feeling not quite himself. Seems like we've turned the corner and he'll be back to his old, silly self in a while - he better, his birthday party is tomorrow!
Here is the first photo: http://365project.org/kgphotography/365/2011-02-04.

 

That's it for week 6 - thanks for stopping by -

Karen

My 365 Project | Week 5

Hello again!  My blog is quite busy lately and I love that!  I'm back with my next installment of 365Project and I can't say that I'm super excited about all of these photos, but that is what makes me grow and challenge myself, right?  I hope you enjoy them.

Day 29: Braving the Rapids. 

Tonight was game night: Niagara.

I've been to Niagara Falls and for the life of me, I cannot remember these gigantic gems sitting atop the waterfall. Did I miss them? Hmm...

I was Katie's partner. Somehow our poor yellow boat plummeted over the waterfall more times than I care to remember, but she was bound and determined to get those Pinky Pink gems. Love her.

Day 30: Sunrise. 

One advantage of having to get up before the crack of dawn on a Sunday is you have an incredible opportunity to capture the sunrise. As I was leaving the house today, the sun was casting this incredible glow through the native tall grasses as it was peeking over the horizon. I tried to capture it, I'm not entirely sure I *love* this photo, but capturing the perfect sunrise is always a work in progress.

Day 31: Frozen in Time.

Quite a different day than yesterday - remember the golden sunrise, the illusion of warmth? Today we woke up to snow and a whopping 10f degree morning.

These roses are in our front yard and I loved the snow cradled in the petals and leaves {oh how I wish I had a macro lens!}.

Tomorrow's frosty forecast calls for a high of -6f! I think I'll stay in...

Day 32: Crafty.

This is what you take a photo of when you've been working with cardstock, and buttons, and ribbon, and all things crafty all day long.

Day 33: HP.

My daughter begged me to take a picture of her new Harry Potter Lego Hogwarts (love grandparents!) and she had set up this scene and I botched the shot. Oops. Voldemort is a little fuzzy, like he's in one of those Claritin commercials. Poor guy. We were going to go back and try for a better shot, but ran out of light and time. Doh!

Day 34: What to Choose... What to Choose?

We took a little trip to the toy store this afternoon to pick out a gift for his friend's birthday party. So many toys... So little time...

Day 35: Amazed.

Wow... I just learned how to add texture to a photo and I'm completely amazed at the result - it looks like a painting. wow.

Today was Andrew's preschool teacher's birthday and the kids each brought a flower to give to her to complete a bouquet. I thought it was the sweetest idea. This rose was an extra in the bunch we purchased and became my subject today. 

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That's it for this week - you can see my ongoing project here.

Thanks for stopping by and all of your incouraging words!  I love them!

Karen 

My 365 Project | Week 4

Good morning! Some of you have asked me some questions about photography and I'll have a little Q&A at the end of this post...

It's week 4 - 28 photos down, 337 more to go: one day at a time.

Day 22: Baby L.  I had my very first ever newborn shoot today and boy do I have lots to learn and props to buy. She was the best baby, so calm and awake and more awake - she decided not to sleep much for the shoot, so we're trying again in a few days for some sweet sleeping baby, curled up in a ball, shots. I love this picture - I think it's the baby wrinkles in her hair and she was SO tiny. Items to bring next time include a big heat lamp, haha!

Day 23: Onion Volcano.  Tonight we had a girls' night out at a Japanese steakhouse and I knew that I wanted to get a shot of the onion volcano. I won't even tell you the copious amounts of butter I consumed, but that meal sure was delish!

Day 24: Not Sleepy.  Avery chooses the most appropriate reading for her daily reading assignments - this one is always a favorite, although we never listen and make her go to bed even though she's not sleepy and will not go to bed. Lola, she's such a good influence.

Day 25: Scrumptious.  One of my faves - white chocolate & cranberry! A tasty homemade treat from my in-laws tonight. I'm so loved. OK, it might be the kids that persuaded this tasty treat to come home with us - who can say no to those precious grandchildren? :)

Day 26: Sorry!  Andrew and I played a fast and brutal game of Sorry Sliders this afternoon. It started off nicely enough and then soon became a battle of who could slide the pieces the craziest.

Day 27: Just the 2 of Us.  I stole Avery away for the evening and we went to go have a chai at a little local cafe that is amazing. I brought my camera with me and ended up liking this photo of her scraped up, well loved shoes. I love how her feet are just dangling off the edge of the big comfy chair. She's still little and not growing up too fast - just as long as her feet still hang off the end of a chair...

Day 28: All Quiet.  The house was suddenly alarmingly quiet and those mommy instincts sent me searching the house; only instead of finding someone coloring on walls, I found this sweet girl 'reading' Sleeping Beauty on her bed. My little princess, dressed as Cinderella, reading Sleeping Beauty. I found the camera and sat in front of her - she couldn't have cared less - and I took some pictures of her little piggies.

A little Q&A -

Q:  What camera do you use?
A:  I have a Nikon D5000 and it's a wonderful starter SLR camera.  The Canon equivalent is the Rebel T1i, I believe.

Q:  What lenses do you use?
A:  When I bought my camera, it came with 2 kit lenses - the 18-55mm 3.5/f and the 55-200mm 4/f.  I saved my pennies and bought my favorite lens, the 50mm 1.4/f.  It really creates those nice blurry backgrounds (bokeh) and allows me to shoot indoors without the flash.

Q:  Did you take a class? 
A:  I took Oh Shoot to learn how to shoot in full manual mode and then I also took Portraiture 101 to help with composition. 

Q:  What editing programs do you use?
A:  I mostly work with Photoshop Elements 6 (yeah, I should probably upgrade...) and have purchased some editing actions from Paint the Moon, which give photos unique looks and texture. I also have Lightroom 2, which is a super powerful editing program made more specifically for photography, but I'm still new to it, so I end up bouncing back over to PSE where I'm more comfortable. 

Q:  What tips do you have to make photos more interesting?
A:  Photos like laundry?  haha!  I am certainly not an expert at this at any level, so my advice is what works for me and I may look back at this in a year and wonder what the heck I was thinking.  But, this is my take.  When you are photographing a subject, try to capture them at different angles.  Just by simply tilting the camera slightly to the left, or getting below or above the subject can make a huge difference. 

The photo on the left is ok - you see his happy face and the pieces on the board, but tilt the camera a bit and you get the photo on the right.  It's still on the same plane as the photo on the left, but it has a completely different feel and mood.  You can still see Andrew in the background, so you know there is someone playing the game, but the focus is more on the pieces.

The photo on top is cute, you can see her dress-up clothes and princess crown, but I had wanted the focus to be on her toes.  In the bottom photo, I got down lower and closer so that the depth of field changed and all the attention in the picture is brought to her feet.  You can still see that she is reading a book, and you can still see her dress-up clothes, but the focus is where I wanted it.

Like I said, I'm not an expert by any means, but this is what works for me.  Take lots of pictures at different angles and heights and distances and you'll be amazed at the different moods your photos will take on.

See you back tomorrow for more paper goodies -
Karen

My 365 Project | Week 3

Here is a glimpse into my life for week 3 of my 365 Project:

Day 15: Weekend at Grandmas. The kids and my husband are having a little getaway at Grandma's this weekend and I find myself blissfully alone, in complete and total control of the remote. I had a picture in my mind of taking a photo of the kids with their backpacks on, but they would have no part of it, so I did an impromptu shoot on the stairs, haha! Bags are packed with all the comforts of home: just add some love from Grandma and the trip is complete.

Day 16: A Sunday Tradition. Sunday afternoon = Ramen noodles, a cold can of Dr. P and, of course, football. I don't know why Ramen is involved in this little tradition - it all started with my parents when I was a kid and it just feels like home. Some people have pot roast on Sunday. I have Ramen.

Day 17: It's OK Honey. Katie was playing in her room and had quite the elaborate set-up. Baby started to 'cry' and I got this sweet little moment. Look at the concern on her face, it's so cute!

Day 18: Checkmate? He loves to play games and I'm sure I'll have many more photos of him playing this year. He was moving, so the focus is all crazy, but I love the picture. He really does know how to play chess, although he doesn't have the patience to complete a game yet, but it's really amazing to watch him play against his big sis.  Oh, and this is my first cheater photo - so much for taking a good picture everyday, haha! I took this one yesterday. We were trying to get a good mid-air photo today and none of them turned out the way we wanted and then it was too dark. I'll try again tomorrow.

Day 19: Something Pretty.  Well, no luck on getting a fun picture today. I took the kids to drop Andrew off at preschool and it was sunny when we went in, and 10 minutes later, it was an all out blizzard. So weird. So that killed the sunlight and outside ideas I had and now you get a photo of my desk. I know, it's SO exciting! The illusion of organization. The one clean part of my desk at the moment. The bookmark charm caught my eye and it IS important to make those catalogs look pretty, isn't it? I think so.

Day 20: I'll Have S'more.  Ok, is it weird when your s'mores come in a mug and watch you? I'm thinking it is. Another cheater photo - I took this a couple days ago as I was putting the last of the Christmas ornaments away, and this little guy in a mug struck me funny, so I had to take a picture - you know how it goes :)

Day 21: Hey, It's Tow-Mater! This is it! Finally! Andrew and I set this poor guy up about 20 times until we got just the right shot. I've been trying to get this to work for the mid-air theme all week and today it all came together. The light wasn't quite as bright as I would have liked to get a faster shutter, but you gotta work with what you got, right? Mater's face makes me laugh - he's just the cutest.

My 365 Project | Week 2

It's week 2 - here's what's been goin' on....

The photos in the grid aren't necessarily in order of days of the week; I had to put the photos in the boxes they fit in best.  I'm sure you can figure out which day is which from the descriptions though *wink*

Day 8: City Park.  I had a little photo shoot this morning at City Park and I arrived early, so I wandered around and took pictures of random things. This shot is one of my favorites. It was so isolated there.

Day 9: Digging Out.  We had our first big snow of the season last night and now it finally feels like winter in Colorado. I chose this photo today because it shows how spazzy my husband is when the camera is in front of him. Definitely makes me laugh!

Day 10: DS Before Bedtime.  I asked my daughter what picture I should take today and she wanted one of her playing her DS. We turned off the lights and captured the glow on her face and got this spooky effect.

Day 11: Chillin'.  Stopped at Noodles today for some lunch and crazy looks.  Also, I have to add this too because this boy makes me laugh more than anyone. When were were eating lunch, he got a little mac & cheese drooble on his shirt and I wiped it off with my finger and told him to eat it. He says to me, "But Mom, that will taste like shirt!"
Not even makin' it up.

Day 12: The Witching Hour.  It's the time of day when the complaints of hunger and boredom come pouring out and the only cure is a little computer time.

Day 13: Will It Ever End?  The gigantor pile of laundry that somehow seems to gain new life each and every week. Maybe this will be the week I actually put it all away before the evil cycle starts again? Hmm.....

Day 14: Lazy Fridays.  Today was pajama day at preschool and we just kept them on all day, fought a few bad guys and saved the world.

My 365 Project | Week 1

I must be crazy.  I decided it would be a good idea to do a 365 Project for 2011 and take a photo everyday, which will turn into a photo journal of the year.  You know, just a little something to add to my plate and drive my family crazy - how fun!  hahaha!  Having a daily photo journal is part of the reason I want to do this project - I have loads and loads of photos to be scrapbooked and you know, honestly, I don't know if that is ever going to happen.  So this is kind of my little compromise.  Also, I want to develop my skills as a photographer and see if I really want to pursue it as a profession when my kids are all in school - taking my camera with me everywhere has already been a challenge, but I hope it becomes more of a habit.   I found this cute digi frame set and thought it would be cool to add my photos in it and make a book at the end of the year.

If you are interested, you can see my 365 project in full size and see every picture I take for each day.

Now for the details:

Day 1: Mr. Potato Head explodes.  I thought this was hysterical!  Avery and I kept putting that poor guy back together and then she'd push the little "explode" button and I'd try to get all his bits and pieces in mid air.  This is a Toy Story potato, so he talks and throws his limbs about - he's cute.

Day 2: Winter Wreath.  This is a wreath my mom gave me years ago and I put it out each Christmas.  It hangs on our coat closet door and the light hits it just right and the clear beads just glow.  Now it is all packed away...

Day 3: Cocoa Date.  I have to admit, this a completely planned outing for the photo op, haha!  I took the kids to Starbucks for a little cocoa/frappuccino date and caught Andrew mid thought.

Day 4: Angel of Patience.  I was a single mom while my husband was on a trip and I just needed more patience on this day.  And I thought I'd practice some bokeh (blurred background) shots with the Christmas tree lights before I took it down.

Day 5: Through the Looking Glass.  Katie and I went on a little walk in our neighborhood while the other 2 were in school and she found this piece of ice and was trying to look through it.  Oh, and I think I actually told her not to eat the yellow snow.

Day 6: Color Me Copic.  I'm sure you all know what these little beautiful blue markers are *wink*.  It was a bad photo day and I needed to take a picture of something, so there you have it.  They're beautiful, aren't they??

Day 7: Brown Eyed Girl.  Katie again.  She's so sweet and she finally let me take a real picture of her in her brother's room.  I love her sweet little toothless smile.  And of course her crazy hair that I can never ever keep under control.

OK, that's it for this week's 365.  I'll post again next week and see how I do.  It's been tough to find new inspiration everyday.  We shall see!!

Karen

Merry Christmas

I was a complete and total slacker this year and didn't make my own Christmas cards and I opted to go the photo card route.  I'm really excited to send some of my absolute favorite photos I took of the kids this fall and love how it turned out. Andrew went with me to scope out a setting for a family shoot I did a little while ago and he was my handsome little helper and let me take some practice shots of him.  That little "peace" photo was one of my favorites of him that day.

This is what happened toward the end...

He treats me like I'm Paparazzi - it's a love/hate relationship with my lens... But he saves his 1000 hugs and kisses for me each day.  He's such a little love.

Katie, she's my princess.  Everything dressy and twirly and just pure "love".  The photo of her was taken for my photography class and it quickly became my all-time favorite of her.  I think it's the light shining through her amazing, chocolate eyes.

How can I deny her anything?  Oh right, it's that money thing.  She's such a sweetie.

I've posted this photo of Avery before, but it's rare she gets in front of the camera and doesn't stick out her tongue or squeeze her eyes shut tight.  That girl...

She's my no-nonsense girl.  No ribbons.  No fancy hairdos.  Certainly no dresses.  She's just like me!  My Mini Me.

Have a wonderful Holiday and fabulous New Year.  See you back soon!
Karen

More Photography

I had the chance to take some pictures for a friend and neighbor at our little park down the street and I just loved these pictures and wanted to share with you.  It is part of the reason the blog has been quiet for a bit - lots to edit this week!

I really wanted to play with back light and I LOVE this photo.  Back light is my new best friend.

I love his sweet little expression - I think I took about 15 pictures of him swinging and finally got one in focus.  haha!

Thanks for stopping by -
Karen

It was brought to life through a fit of frustration | photography

It all started when I was no longer happy with the horrible flash on my little point and shoot camera.  It took great outdoor photos, but the minute we had to use the flash, everyone looked like they got their goth on - pasty, white, blown out images that I couldn't use.  I mean seriously, what the heck would you do with this photo??

 I just wanted a picture of my boy at his preschool Christmas program.  And yes, that was the way he smiled at that time - crazy boy. 

So I penny pinched and saved and sold watermarks and saved and then one happy day, I bought this.

She makes beautiful pictures.  Instantly, I started taking pictures all over the place, not one ounce of knowledge on how to use this beautiful camera.  All out Auto Mode - I was instantly in love:

LOVE.  Pure love.  No more washed out faces.  I took a class on how to use this beautiful machine and slowly but surely I became addicted to taking pictures, capturing those truly candid moments when the kids don't know I'm there.  Mostly because when the see the camera, they scream like little girls and run away.  I think I've ruined them.  They hate getting their picture taken now - so who am I going to practice on? 

Last week I took the kids to the Colorado State University campus to try and get some pictures of them together, you know, so I can send them in Christmas cards, give them to the grandmas to show off to their friends - the usual stuff.  We walked all over that campus all while they were mad and sassy and complaining, dragging their feet, grumble... grumble....  I gave up.  I packed them up and went to Old Town for lunch.  We went to Old Chicago and the hostess sat us next to this giant window and an old brick wall with lots and lots of names written in crayon on each brick.  Hmmmm?  "Quick Avery, give me a nice smile!".....  Click.

My all time favorite picture.  Her eyes.  The wall.  The natural light.  Sigh.

I posted it on Facebook and then the requests started coming in.  What?  Me?  Really?  Ok....  I took some photos for a friend and I really do think that I may have just found my "job" when the kids are all in school full time.  I love this craft.  I love capturing a feeling, a mood, a moment with one click of a button.

Yup.  This photo may have just launched my newest career.  Thanks boys!  I need fresh faces since my kids run for the hills any time I have that look in my eyes.

My newest test subject is Dino.

I think he'll be perfect to practice my portraiture with - he doesn't complain.  Such a good dino.

Edited:  I have had a few requests for lens information, so I'll just add that here.  The photo with Katie loving on her fingers was shot with a 18-55mm and the rest were taken with a 50mm f/1.4 lens (my pride and joy these days.)  I hope this info is helpful.

Thank you all for all your loving comments!  You are all so incredible!!

My heart has melted

Ok, I'm so sorry that you may have stopped here looking for some crafty cards, but I guess you'll have to settle for this...

Oh my!  I just couldn't resist posting it - she's such a doll!  We were going to a Princess Story Time at a local cupcake shop this afternoon, but my niece woke up with a bug.  So she brought over this adorable tutu peace offering.  So sweet!

Rockies

Just fair warning for you - this post has nothing to do with stamping or anything crafty, just pure American baseball.  My very sweet MIL scored us some amazing tickets to Saturday's Rockies game, and as it turned out, it was a double-header, so we got two games in these amazing seats - only 7 rows back from the dugout.  I brought along my camera to keep practicing in that crazy manual mode and I wanted to share some pictures here - I think I found my calling - Karen Giron, Sports photographer.  Nice.  I think it fits.  Of course I may be about $30K short on equipment, but what are ya gonna do?

Click on the pictures to see a larger (and crisper) image...

We started off by scoring FREE rock star parking right across from Coors Field - loving my day already.  Not to mention it's the first time the sun was shining in 3 days - Happy Birthday to me!!

So here we are in the first game - Todd Helton at 1st base chatting it up with somebody Collins from the Florida Marlins.  I think they're talking about me, the crazy chick taking all the pictures...

Foul tip - Tulowitzki aka "Tulo".

Ah, this guy.  You can't watch baseball and not see a bunch of "grabbing" but this guy... he grabbed himself about 5 times as part of his batting routine every time he came up to bat.  This just made me giggle, so I had to post it.

Call to the bull pen - Sorry Greg, but you stunk it up!

Don't you DARE let that hose touch that sacred gravel - LOL!  Another one that just makes me laugh - how many big guys does it take to carry a hose...

They ran the fountains between games since we didn't get any homeruns in the first game.  Just practicing my "show movement" assignment - right Sarah?

Now we're in the 2nd game - much better pitching this go 'round.

Swing!

....and out at home.

Well, thanks for humoring me with all this baseball business.  See you back soon for all things crafty!
Karen

Sweet Sunday Sketch Winner

Hello and Happy Friday!!  I'm here to announce this week's winner.  Random.org has chosen - get this - #63 (out of 63 entries!)

Lee Pelosi!!

I am in LOVE with this darling little fairy and her cute little flower.  The satin ribbon really gives some fun texture with the dotted background.  Love it!!  You can see more of Lee's wonderful card on her blog, Lulla's L-ink - stop on by and say hello!

On an not so stamping note - I was bound and determined to finish my photography assignment today, and in the process got these shots that I loved...

My princess with her little princess.

Having fun in spite of the cold, breezy afternoon.

This one is one I picked for my assignment - love his sad little look.

.....and we're done.  Time to go home...

See you back soon!
Karen