Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This is my first week participating in Scavenger Hunt Sunday. I have to admit that I've been lurking for a few weeks because I didn't think I could handle 5 new photos that I was willing to post in a week. So, here goes.

Sparkle: A necklace that hangs on my rear view mirror that my daughter made.
The View Above: Standing above an old bell that sits outside of a local church

Something Hot

Something cold from the archives.

Electronic: With my husband being in charge of all the technology at work I was able to sneak in his room to snap some pictures this week. I had some really cool shots of the inside of computers and tons of wires and some real behind the scenes electronic stuff. I was squeezing behind furniture and sticking my arm through small spaces to get the perfect shot. And at the end of it all this is all I got. It would sound more exciting to say that the other photos were confiscated by security since I felt like a spy in there but the real reason was that the lighting was horrible and I was unable to edit any of them to my liking.

You Capture: What inspires you?

One thing that really inspires are all of the awesome photographers and photography blogs I have discovered. Chances are if you are reading this then YOU are who I am talking about. Aside from participating and sharing photos in the many challenges out there I have been inspired to move outside of my comfort zone with my photo editing. I use Picasa which isn't very fancy but I tend to always use the "feeling lucky" button and then one click on "sharpen." So, this week while I was waiting in the car for one daughter to finish her piano lesson, I snapped a picture of my oldest daughter's first grade reading beads. I thought it was the perfect picture to venture out with some enhancements that I normally wouldn't use and share. Thanks to all those creative and artsy people out there who are so generous to share their experiences, secrets, and photos I have learned a thing or too and have found some great communities of photographers who support each other! And most importantly, I like what I came up with! Thanks for the inspiration!

The View From Here: Milestones

This is a milestone post for me because it is the first time that I have used an archive picture for a photo challenge and it's my first time participating in The View From Here. As for my two youngest children they both figured out how to swim underwater this summer!

For more milestones check out the photo challenges below.

Happiness Project

Pizza makes me wildly happy. We drove an hour to just to eat Steve's recipe and it was totally worth it. The crust was a simple yeast recipe and cooked to be crunchy on the outside and a bit doughy on the inside. And I especially love that it wasn't greasy. The cheese was fresh. It was the perfect consistency without it feeling gummy or gluey in your mouth. It came to the table steaming hot with my favorite toppings...sausage and green olives. Oh, I didn't mention the sauce because it needed more. That's my only complaint...MORE sauce. We WILL be making the hour drive back to Steve's pizza and ordering the same pizza only this time with a heavy dose of their sweet orange tomato sauce. Just thinking about it makes me happy So, have you decided what you are having for lunch today?

Visit more happiness by visiting Leigh vs Laundry!

You Capture: Serene

This week the weather was beautiful. After school I sat outside and watched the kids play. P just found herself comfortable riding her younger brother's 2 wheeler and I was so proud as I watched him cheer and encourage her. I got to sit with the late warming afternoon sun and snap pictures. To some this may not be the picture of serenity but let me tell you that the photographer was in a state of utter tranquility. It was after work for me, after school for the kids and nobody was crying, hungry, or arguing and most of all they didn't need me for anything. This meant I could simply slip into my happy place and enjoy watching them.


P would coast and balance down the hill and S with pedal it back up for her.

Shutter Love Tuesday: Brown

This beautiful head of hair is what I wish mine could be. It's soft, curly, and bouncy. Meet my second daughter P. She is such a good sport with me because I am NOT super hair fixing kind of momma at all. I can braid but I'm not a super braider. I can do pony tails and piggy tails but make no promises that they will be straight. P usually walks around with some crazy doos but she can totally pull it off with her natural locks and her offbeat personality. So, I'm joining this weeks BROWN party over at Trendy Treehouse with my amateur debut photo taken in the garage from my point and shoot camera.

Gratitude

I'm not going to write much because most of the time I simply don't have anything to say. I've just been feeling an enormous sense of gratitude today. And because of that I'm here posting again. The pictures are from this summer in Guatemala but I think they sum up my heart...

What would I do without flowers? and those nourishing drops of water? I'm sending gratitude to LIFE.

I'm thankful for COFFEE and all of the effects it has on me. That tender little bean was carefully planted and it's baby soft stem was grafted and wrapped so that it can bloom and grow into a coffee plant. The best part of waking up...

I'm sending gratitude to my abilty to REFLECT. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have access to all those archives.
I send gratitude to the JOURNEY AHEAD and that I have a desire to CLIMB and move FORWARD.
I'm sending gratitude to everything this picture says...

What are you thankful for today?