A Trip to Remember

We finally made our way to Disney! The boys had a great time overall. We learned a lot, ate a lot, waited a lot and walked a lot. We even got a lot of rain but you wouldn't know it from the pictures. The boys favorite rides were "It's a Small World" and "Toy Story Mania". If you ask Francesco his favorite part of the trip he will say, "the whole entire thing", if you ask Nicolo he will say, "the roller coasters". Not sure why he says that since he was not able to go on any roller coasters, but he went on a lot of other rides.



I of course took a ton of pictures. I made a little collage of my favorites.





If I had to pick one picture from the hundreds that I took as one to hang on the wall it would be this one.







I have a solo picture of Nicolo that I am going to hang and now I have one with a similar composition of Francesco. These are begging to be made into canvases.







Overall it was a fabulous vacation, a definite must do again. Now to get ready for school. Kindergarten is starting in two weeks and we have a few more things to do to prepare. Look for a sappy, emotional post about the first day.

Liberate Your Art

I recently participated in a unmistakably neat project called Liberate Your Art. Kat of The Kat Eye View of the World had those who wanted to participate send her 5 postcards with your art (any medium) along with address labels with your address and the stamps. She then dived out the cards, put on the postage and the address labels and sent then out. I've gotten 5 postcards from 5 different people from 5 different places around the world. How cool is that?







This one is from Steph, I love the single line flowers. I have such trouble not lifting the pen when "attempting" to draw anything. She is a creative writer and has a great website you should check out.







This one is from Joelle. I am not sure if she has a website but I know she is from Ohio. I like the interesting perspective of the shot. The blue and white contrast is really striking too.







This one is from Sassy she has a really neat site absolutely worth a visit. I have no idea what this is but I like it. I like that I am intrigued by not knowing what it is a picture of, plus the color green is so soothing to look at.







This one is from Rosa she is and artist and a writer. Her card was handmade, as well as beautiful. The purple is so regal.







Last, but certainly not least this one is from Lynn. Lynn's is a photo of a vignette style composition she learned from a online class. I've also sent Lynn one of my cards after corresponding with her via e-mail. That's the best part of this project, connecting.









Here are a couple of links to the people that I have heard from that received my cards.



Sun Breaks in the Forecast



Ann Isik



Hearts and Scars



Creative Explorer

52 Weeks of Me: Week 33 {Hands}

How impressed are you that I am posting on Sunday for our 52 Weeks of Me Project???? Probably not as impressed as I am (LOL)! This weeks theme was hands. I think I've taken more pictures of my hands than my face in this project so far. This is a shot of me writing a postcard...you heard it, I am sending snail mail. I can't tell you who I am sending this to because I want it to be a surprise. Don't you love getting a card in the real mail? I had some postcards made for the Liberate Your Art Project, I will be posting more about that at the end of next week.





I also tried something a little different- not sure if I like it but I thought I would post it so you could see that I did try to think outside the box. I think my arms look weird, but I think I am looking at it too much. If you look closely you can see I am actually standing in the rain.







Next weeks theme: Night Shot - that's going to be a tough one(think, think, think)!



Don't forget there is the Flickr Group and we also have all the themes posted there. Plus, if you want this cute blog button swing by Jessie's she has the code.

52 Weeks of Me - Week32 {Negative Space}

This weeks theme was negative space. I love this photographic technique but found it really hard to do a selfie. I ended up finding a blank wall in the house and had to climb on top of the chair next to the fish tank. The hardest part was keeping the cat out of the shot. In reality she is in my lap, you just can see her. I also did a little cross processing because the gray color of my blouse did not look good against the green walls of the basement.







Next weeks theme: Hands -that should be easy for me (LOL)!



Don't forget there is the Flickr Group and we also have all the themes posted there. Plus, if you want this cute blog button swing by Jessie's she has the code.

How do you like them apples?

Don't you just hate when you lose things, especially when you are going to need them? I lost my license at a concert that had about 67,000 people at it (that's the seating capacity of the stadium). I was pretty sure I wasn't getting it back, so now I had to figure out how to get a duplicate and fast. I have to fly soon and need my license to get on the plane without need a full body search.



My husband decides to help me out by looking up the process. First he tells me he thinks I might only be able to do it by mail. I was like, are you kidding me? He then tells me that no, I could got the Photo License Center and get a duplicate. He looks up the hours of operation and let me know, 8:30 -4:15 M-F and till 6:00 on Thursday. He then tells me to go to the building were the Driver License center has always been (more on that in a minute). Then he reminds me I could use my Passport, so I relax a little and think that even if I'm not able to get a duplicate in time at least I could use my passport. I go get it out to have on hand and my husband tells me to look at the expiration date...guess what...you got it, expired April 2011. (Someone shoot me already)



So the next day I get ready to go get a duplicate, as I am on my way my husband calls and informs me to get cash because they don't take checks. I said, "Are you serious?" he said, "trust me." (You know what that means.) So I stop, get cash and head to the building he told me to go to and guess what...it was all boarded up. Yep, they are no longer there. So I call him to see if he could look up the NEW address, at first he didn't believe me, but as he was looking it up he realized that there was a new place, he says..."guess I missed that."



So, thankfully the new building is not far from the old and I head over there. As I pull up the place is literally deserted. I mean any other time I’ve gone to the DMV there is a line out the door waiting for the place to open. Plus, I notice a HUGE sign in the window that sates "WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH" (remember "trust me"?). I go inside and there are 2 ladies sitting behind desks having a conversation, the door I walk through makes a sound and I walk over to the one ladies desk. She does not stop talking or even look in my direction for that matter. I wait about 30 second to let her finish her sentence and still no acknowledgement, not even from the other women she is talking to.



Finally I say excuse me and then they ask what they can help me with, I tell her I need a duplicate license. Guess what....that office is closed on Mondays (come to find out that's another thing my husband missed when looking up the information for me) and I can only get a duplicate license Tues - Sat. 8:30 - 4:15. I said to lady, "REALLY?", her response was "really".



So I leave and call my wonderful husband who helped to facilitate the procurement of my duplicate license to let him know my progress...nil! I had to face the fact I would have to come back tomorrow, which meant another day late for work.



That is not the end of the story though. You know that saying about if you do kind things it comes back to you tenfold. Well I must have done something right because last night when we got the mail, there was my license. Someone found it and put it in the mailbox and the post office put it in and envelope and delivered to me. How do you like them apples?!



I was shocked but completely relieved! I do not have to try and obtain a duplicate and the kind act of a stranger completely made my day. I don't know who it was but I sure hope that something good happens to them, they deserve it.

Five Already

Francesco-
Wow, five already. I never believed it when people said the time would fly. In a few short week you will be heading to school and learning new thing. It feels like we are closing a chapter on a part of your life, you know what they say...you can't go back. You can capture it though, and that is just what I've tried to do.

Words could never describe how I feel about you, I've tried to find those words but I just can't. You have a smile that lights up the room, eyes that make my heart melt and the biggest personality a little kid could have. So, since I can't tell you how I feel I thought I would show you what I see when I look at you.



I would love to be able to pause this time and not move forward, freeze you at 5 forever but I can't. I hope that in the coming years when you look back at this it will make all the memories of getting to 5 seem more real and let you to remember what an awesome little kid you were.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Love,
Mommy

52 Weeks of Me - Week 30 {I Love ...} & Week 31 {Leading Lines}

I know, I know, I am crazy behind. I even missed posting on Francesco's 5TH Birthday! You heard me, my boy turned 5! I do have something to post for him but I wanted to get this up as to not get even farther in the hole.

Week 30's theme was I Love..., all I had to do was take a self portrait that completed the sentence. Not easy. Then I realized one morning that all the things I loved were right in front of me. Now I know what your thinking, I am not in the shot, but I am. You see those two little guys, they are me, I see myself in them daily. One I see my face and one I see my personality. That big guy over there, I love him to the moon and back and would not have those two little guys without him. So if I had to complete the sentence I love...it would say: I love my boys!


Week 31's theme was Leading Lines. I love leading lines in a photo but found it super difficult to get a self portrait. I tried sitting on steps, standing down the end of a road and leaning against a wall. My biggest issue was the focus, I was always completely blurry. Then I tried to get closer and thought that this one worked. I took a walk at lunch and set the camera on a fence post. I had to use the timer since I left my remote home from all my prior attempts. I think you can see the leading line in there.


Next weeks theme: Negative Space - again another composition technique that I love but an not sure how to capture in a selfie.

Don't forget there is the Flickr Group and we also have all the themes posted there. Plus, if you want this cute blog button swing by Jessie's she has the code.