52 Weeks of Me (gasp!)

I tried last year to do a 365 project but as week 20 approached life got out of hand. I had put the project on hold only to not go back to it at all. I had considered for about 1/2 a second to give it a go again this coming year and decided, NOT. I have then seen a few blogs and Flickr groups that did more of a 52 week project and thought that would be much more manageable.

When I read that Jessie @ The Lucas Zoo was thinking of a 365 project, I mentioned the idea of a 52 instead. She is a busy mom like me and I thought she might like that idea instead of 365. Jessie then asked me if I was going to host the 52 week project, I had not even thought about hosting. I was just going to post a picture each week, then she mentioned she was thinking about a 52 week project but was going to do self portraits. Wow, what an idea! I told her we should co-host it and she took me up on it.

Now I don't like to be in front of the camera but I was telling Jessie that when I saw a picture of myself the other day I had not recognized myself. I am in so few photo's that I almost forgot what I looked like. So I thought this might be a good project all around, one- to get me thinking creatively, two- to remember what I look like (LOL), and three- to get to know how to use my new camera (yes Santa was good to me).

So join Jessie and I for "52 Weeks of Me" project. We have come up with some themes but you can do what ever you like. We decided to do our post's on Sunday's and will kick off the New Year, Jan. 2nd with our first theme of a Traditional Portrait. Using the Mister Linky widget you can link your photo and join in on the project. You don't need a blog to participate just create an account with Flickr, upload your photo there, and use that link.

I look forward to seeing the creativity that will come about.

Morning Frost

The other morning I was up with the kids early, like that is a surprise, and notice the frost outside. I go and throw on my boots, my jacket and my husbands ski hat and venture outside. Yes, I am in my jammies too. In our backyard there is a huge area of land that is overgrown, full of weeds, sticker bushes and wildlife. Not exactly a wooded area but close. The sun also comes up on that side of the house. So there I am, in my little get up, trampling through the bushes at the crack of dawn taking pictures of weeds. Can you imagine what the neighbors think, then again they know me and the camera so it probably didn't even phase them.

This is my favorite, it's a dead weed but looks so pretty full of frost and the rising sun bokeh.


These are some type of berry on one of the bushes.


More frost covered berries.


Weeds again, isn't nice how the light can even make weeds look interesting.

I tried while Michael was away one day after work and bath to get the boys photo for our Christmas card. I had the speedlight, the tripod, and the 50mm. That should have been a recipe for success, it was not. The one photo that they were even smiling in was not a true smile. They had that I am smiling because Mom is yelling and I am getting chocolate when this is all over.

So they were not going to work. I tried again and out of 150 shot, no lie, I actually got one that I liked. Not loved, but really like. Even better were some of the outtakes from the attempt. One of these day I will actually send one of the outtakes as the card.

So here is the shot I managed to get:


Of course I need to include some of the outtakes:


I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas this year!

Busy Just Gets Busier

So I went from busy to busier and there seems to be no slowing down. I can just imagine all of you are also just as busy. Why does everything seem to come all at once and around a Holiday?

I forgot to post on Thursday my diptych that Jen and I did for the Team-Up Thursday. I thought I had done the post the night before but it wasn't until the end of the day Thursday that I realized I hadn't. I think that was the night I laid down with the boys for a few minutes and fell asleep. (I've bet we have all been there before.)

I just love Jen photo and how ours go together. I think her's is of decoration on a mantle maybe since I see the lovely bokeh of the Christmas tree in the back ground. Mine is of the Snowman outside on our front lawn patch of grass. I really like how we both had the bokeh on the same side and the color red in the focal point. The color red definitely makes me think December.

One of the nice things about December is the Christmas light, the kids ask me to drive down our street when we get home just to look at the other houses and their light. We also look for lights along the way as we travel home and sometimes take alternate (off the highway) routes just to see them.


I tried to take a shot of my neighbors house with the tripos and a longer shutter and I love how the light look like little sunburst. I am really hoping to get the chance to take more pictures over the Holiday. Shelly and I are talking about doing a "52 Week" project instead of a 365 this coming year. 52 seem so much more manageable than 365. We haven't iron out the details since there are a million more pressing items on the list. Like I said busy just got busier.

I can say that I did finally send my Christmas cards which is a huge accomplishment for me. I will post some pictures and the out-takes (which are the best) soon.

Don't forget to head on over to Megan and Hip Momma to see the other Team-Up Thursday photos for the December theme.

Team Up Thursday - Busy

Jen emailed me Tuesday and reminded me that we had not pick a theme, it had again slipped both our minds. On her list of possible themes, one was busy. It really stood out to me because that about sums it up for me at present.

What is it about the Holidays that make us so busy we can barely keep our heads above water? The one thing that is constant for me is the incessant amount of stuff I pick up on a regular basis.

Once I finished this photo all I could think of was how great it would be to have 3 clones of myself. I would give each one a list of thing to do, while I sat back, supervised and read my favorite blogs. Oh, a girl can dream.



I am not sure what those are that Jen is busy working on but they sure are cute. I am not sure if they are buttons, pins or magnets (I could use one that says I've been mostly nice!). I am pretty sure she up-cycled them from something because she is so crafty like that. She inspired me to look at something I might throw away and think of another purpose or how to up-cycle it into something new.

For more great dipytch's:

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

Team Up Thirsday -End of the Day

OMG, can this time of year get any busier?
I feel like I go from one thing to the next. The one thing that is constant for me is bed time. Nothing beats, footy jammies, a pillow pet and a school bus (in my 2 year old's mine). The footy jammies are my favorite. By 4 1/2 - 5 they are a little too old (more because I can't find them) and the babiness is gone. Nicolo is on the cusp of big boy/baby and I am grasping at the baby aspect everyday. The more he talks to me as a child the more I wish I never hoped for the day he would be a boy.

There are so many parts of growing up that I want him to achieve, but there are just as many infantile trait that I will so miss. A part of me thinks I may try for another, but a bigger part of me know he is and always will be my baby. I also think he knows that too (which he plays to his advantage regularly).

Jen on the other hand had represented the "end if the day" in a manner in which I would love too and will participate in on a regular basis (LOL).

Her photo reminds me of a conversation I had with my Doctor once. She said, "Do you drink regularly?" I said, "Yes, everyday after the kids go to bed." She said..."Good for you."
3 weeks later she was telling me I had the lowest cholesterol in practice...I reminded her of my daily relief.




Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma