I guess I should check more often!

I actually won a photo challenge and I get to be this weeks guest judge!

Whoo hooo....

I was scrolling through my Google Reader this morning, trying to catch up after being away for a long weekend in Atlanta with Gene (photos to come soon). I noticed that this weeks guest judge at Sailor and Company's Raw E photo challenge had my name.

Which if you were born in the 70's, you probably know two, three, more like ten of us Lisa's. But, I clicked to see the winner's photo and was suprised to see my blog pop up!

I can't believe my supersized cupcake won! I'm so excited to pick this weeks winner, this weeks' theme is yellow (my mom's favorite color!).

I have a yellow photo to share. I didn't take this one, this was a photography friend of ours, Pat Wright. We won a sitting from our church auction a few years ago and he came out to our house to photograph us. This was at the peak of the fall color. JJ looks so sharp!

Make sure to head over to Sailor and Company and check out more Yellow photos!

Bokeh

I have a problem with Bokeh. I'm addicted to it. Seriously... I need an intervention. I've had the Tamron for about three months and I don't think I've moved much from 2.8 or 3.2. I need to let it go and dial up sometimes. I have plenty of shots that are ruined because its too tight.

But, then again, I have plenty of shots that are just perfect. This weeks POTW challenge involved my favorite thing.

Several weeks ago, I took some photos of the water lilies in the coy pond. I noticed the other day that there were some more blooming, so I raced out there with my camera. They are still buds, but just as beautiful.

Here is my POTW submission:




Here are some more from that session:

Pretty in Pink!

This weeks Raw E challange is all about Pink. Now, Raw E challenges aren't like the others. These photos are unedited, untouched masterpieces. I have learned a lot can be done to "enhance" a photo with a little post-processing, so its a little daunting to throw one out there that's "fresh"

I have a very large sweet tooth. A Dentist wouldn't know it because I have never (knock on wood) had a cavity. But I love all things sweet. Pies, cookies, brownies, ice cream, and I really love cake. More frosting than cake. (I'm also a frosting snob, if its not buttercream---blah--garbage!) I love the corner piece with all the piled on roses. Yum....

Every year we celebrate JJ's homecoming. This year I made him jumbo cupcakes. The frosting was suppose to be red (Wilton you lie!), but alas it turned out pink. He didn't care, he ate them anyway.

What's better than a jumbo cupcake... Jumbo frosting! Oh and sprinkles of course!

Party like its your birthday

No new birthdays to celebrate... just a little less than a month till Gene's and a little less than two till mine... but this weeks theme at Simplicty is all about Birthdays!

JJ loved his birthday. Two weeks after he was still asking if there were any cards in the mail for him. Ahh....to be a kid again.

Here is one of my favorites from his birthday. We tricked him with trick candles. He'll never think of candles the same away again!



Hop on over to Simplicity to see more Happy Birthday!

Gasp! I won something...

A week or so ago, Ashley posted a giveaway over at Ramblings and Photos. She was giving away two, really cute, vintage hair clips. I feel like I'm in a hair rut. I change my mind everytime I go to the salon as to which style I want. Layers, no Layers, long, short... I think my stylist is beginning to hate me.

I entered the giveaway, which was easy. I already followed Ashley's Blog, so I left a comment about how cute the clips were. Well.... wouldn't you know I won one! And, the purple one at that! (Either the purple or the orange would have been fine with me, I love both colors equally... go tigers!)



As any good photography blogger should do. I took some photos of my new prize. Have you ever tired to take photos of yourself in a mirror, with poor lighting? Its HARD! No lie, I took at least 100 photos of myself. Most were out of focus, or way off the mark.

Case in point....





But, I did manage to come up with a few that were decent enough to share...









I also realized I could wear it not only in my hair, but as I decorative clip on my work ID badge.



Thanks Ashley for the great prize. I hope to get a lot of use out of it!

Trees

Ashley has chosen this weeks theme at Ramblings and Photos/ In a Yellow House as Trees. By trade, Gene is a Woodworker; by heart, he's an Arborist. He believes fully in the circle... if you use one, plant one back.

A few years ago, we travelled to California for a wedding. We stop at Muir Woods so Gene could revel in the tall trees. This was pre-DSLR days, but I love the sunflare through the trees in this photo.




If I don't know what to get Gene as a gift, I buy him a tree. We have all kinds of trees in our yard to celebrate different things. The tree they planted the day JJ's adoption was final, the tree from our first dating anniversary, as well as our first wedding anniversary. There is a live oak to symbolize my Charleston roots, plenty of Gene's favorites, Japanese Maples.

We even got engaged with a tree. Gene gave me the tree as a Valentines gift... he doesn't believe in cut flowers. We didn't get to planting it till a few weeks later. He used the guise that we would plant it on JJ's special day (his adoption day). JJ asked me to take his picture by the tree (which he helped plant),how could I say no to that! Here are some photos from that event:

JJ being silly (he was in on it)


JJ's really trying to hold it together (the grey speck above his head is the ring)


Gene trying not to blow up because I won't get the camera out of his face


After admiring the tree, Gene pulled me close, told me how much he loved me, and pulled the ring off the branch. I was floored. I had no idea this was coming (well I did, but I didn't). JJ danced around with excitement.

The newly engaged couple (JJ did such a great job with this)



The funny this about this tree is, about week after we got engaged I noticed a green ring had formed around the tree. I've never noticed it on any other tree before and I haven't noticed it since.



I'll say I'm a believer in signs. I took this as a good thing. A perfect circle. Like love, it has no beginning and has no end.

Thank God I'm a Country Boy

Earlier this summer JJ's grandparents bought him some chickens. They have a fancy name, but I don't know it. But they are all females. The live in a coup under his tree(less) house.

Here are some of the gals:



The reason for all females was so we could have plenty of these:



JJ seems to like it:



My kitchen as awful lighting. The deep red walls, mixed with the medium colored wood, makes a terrible place for photographs. I did the best I could, but there isn't much you can do. (besides get a speedlite, which is next on the wish list).

We hope that these pretty ladies continue to produce delicousness for us. They could have at least told me it was coming soon so I didn't buy a whole dozen Wednesday at the supermarket!

This isn't part of a photo challenge, just me sharing my life.
TGIF!

Wee Bit Of Me

I'm linking up with My Leigh Ashley this week to let you learn a little bit about me....She provides the questions, I provide the answers.

Enjoy!

{one} who’s the funniest person you know?
Gene, without a doubt, he's got a dry wit that always cheers me up

{two} were you a Michael Jackson fan?
YES! I listened to him on cassette tape. I jammed with my little red radio.

{three} what was your favorite book as a child?
The Ramona series. Loved every one of them.

{four} what’s the most delicious meal you’ve ever eaten?
Thanksgiving Dinner, every year. My most favorite meal of the year.

{five} if you could eliminate on thing you do each day in the bathroom so you never have to do it again?
shaving, I hate it, I hate the I get razor burn if I do it too often. I hate the time it takes. Did you get the I hate it!

{six} if you could ask Barack Obama one question, what would it be?
What's your favorite flavor ice cream

{seven} what’s the best place near you to get a drink?
Ha! My fridge. Belton doesn't have many great places, but there is a great new place in Anderson call Matties.

{eight} what kind of music can you just not stand to listen to?
Gangsta Rap.... the language, please, who needs to hear that crap.

{nine} who and when was your first kiss?
My brother and his brothers dared me when I was 8. His name was Darren. It wasn't pretty.

{ten} what 3 things do you think will become obsolete in the next ten years?
CDs: all music going digital
The Newspaper: again going digital
hmmm...
JJ being an only child... hehehe (couldn't think of anything else and I threw that one out there for fun!)

Arts-N-Crafts

I'm going out on limb here, going outside the box with this weeks, In a Yellow House/Ramblings and Photos challenge.

Ashley has selected arts and crafts for this week. Maybe because I love to show it, maybe because its hotter than hades right now and I would like some relief... I'm not sure what's possessing me to share this one.

This is our house, in the winter (of course!). It's Arts-N-Crafts style. We call it the Nungalow, or "New Bungle". Gene has worked like a dog renovating it and turning it into a master piece that Greene and Greene would envy (that's a pair of Arts N Crafts architects for those that aren't familiar :) ) Its still got a lot of work to do on it, but this is our forever house, so why not use all the time we have.



Hop on over to Ramblings and Photos to check out those that stayed in the box

Orange

Does Paper Mama know that's what color my blood runs? How did she know?!? Hahaha... Can you tell I'm excited for college football to start?

Her theme this week is orange, and I happen to have the perfect photo of Woody sporting his Game Day colors.



So we are a house divided at our house. Half of Woody's game day gear is orange and the other is garnet. He just happened to look at me from the orange side, go figure... we know which team his likes!

Favorite things

This weeks theme at Trendy Treehouse is My Favorite Things. I could do a lot with this, but when I started looking through pictures, I realized there is one things that I love the most...the unconditional love I get from JJ. (I'm going to get sappy now...)

JJ doesn't have to love me. He already has mom that loves him to the moon and back. But from the first time I met him, he opened himself to me. He treats me just like he treats his mom. Hugs, kisses, he makes me things at school, he talks to me about things, we do things "just the two of us". He doesn't have to do any of this for me (and he has never been pressured to).

My favorite thing is JJ and his unconditional love...

I'm going to find some tissues now. Hop on over to Trendy Treehouse for some more Shutter Love Tuesdays, Favorite Things.

POTW: Mood

I haven't participated in the Photo of the Week lately. I think time has gotten the best of me and its run out before I can pull something together. I also have felt the need to take a new photo for the theme each week and that just hasn't worked out either. But, I have discovered the world of post processing and I'm loving what it can do for an old photo. I happen to have found a oldie but goodie for this weeks theme, mood.

JJ is a pretty easy going kid. He doesn't cause much trouble, he doesn't have many fits. But this particular day he decided to have a fit and I'm glad I had the camera to capture it.



This was his reaction to Gene and I telling him he couldn't continue on a 10 mile hike with friends. We had all done the first mile together, out to a grotto. They were going to continue through the tough terrain and meet us back at the house for burgers. JJ didn't want to go home, he wanted to continue on his nature adventure. You can't help but laugh at this pouty face.

I want to thank my friend Christina for helping me edit this photo. This was taken with my film SLR and scanned. The scanning cause a lot of noise and Christina was able to reduce all of that. Thanks Stina B for your help!

On the Road

Ashley has chosen On the Road for this weeks In A Yellow House/Ramblings and Photos theme.
I'm excited because we are hitting the road tomorrow night. Gene has business to do in Nashville and JJ and I will be tagging along for one last Horrah! for the summer.

This is what Woody likes to do when he's on the road.



When you get in the car, he'll look at you, then the window, then you, then the window.. until you let it down and he can enjoy the wind upon his face. What a silly dog.

Vacation

This weeks theme at Trendy Treehouse is vacation! I love a great vacation. I think I'm just a little excited because we are taking a mini-vaca this weekend. I dug into the vacation files and found one of my favorites from our Costa Rican honeymoon.



This photo is Gene showing me his "boarding pass" for the puddle hopper we were taking back to San Jose. It's a laminated piece of paper. The stewardess/ticket agent/baggage lady instructed us that we would hand that back to her when we boarded.

I'm not an anxious traveller, but the site of this ticket.. plus being weighed in with my luggage made me a little skeptical. Gene and I were the only people on this flight! We had to make an alternative stop outside San Jose because the run way in San Jose was closed for a while. During our "lay over" we got to witness a baptism at the Airport Church.

We were a little ready to get home by then.

More Water

The Paper Mama this week has decided to go with the Water theme. I have tons of water photos. JJ in the pool, JJ in the river, fountains from Charleston, Fountains from Greenville. I went with this photo from JJ's birthday party. I just love that all the boys are having such a fun time. Who knew water could be so fun!

Just because I'm so proud of myself... I have to show you the before image....

Surprise!

This weeks theme at I Heart Faces is Surprise. This is a tough one. JJ isn't one to give you a surprise face... or at least I'm not quick enough to catch it.

Here is a photo from his birthday. We tricked him with trick candles. He loved it. I love that I caught him astonished at the candles. This was taken after his second attempt to blow them out. He spent at least 10 minutes working on these candles. Oh to be a kid again!

Food

This weeks theme at Two Mom's Made a Photo Challenge is Food! I don't photograph a lot of food, well, because I forget to stop along the way an take photos. I love to cook, and I love to bake, but I get so into it, I forget to capture what I'm doing.
I do have some photos though....

Here is a photo of Gene's favorite food.. M & M cookies. Although, he likes the cookie more than the M&M's. His request is just add one or two candies for a tad of flavor. I am the opposite... I want lots of candies in my cookies. So, what do I do, make some for him and some for her!

Yummy! The recipe is super easy. It was handed down to my from my Mother in Law. Its on a faded recipe card. I love it. I'm not sure she intended for me to keep it, but I did. I keep it on the fridge, so it doesn't get lost in the zoo of a house we live in.

Help me chose

My local Center for the Arts, Juried Art Show is coming up. I have submitted works in the past, but I have never been accepted. This year, I feel like my photography has come a long way and I have a much better chance.


However, I have no idea which photos to choose. I can submit two. In the past, I've always had just one, maybe two that were submittable.


So, I need your help. I've posted my top pics, I think there are ELEVEN photos in all! There is a great little poll on the left side. If you think they all suck and I shouldn't enter, there is an option for that too. But, I am on the Board of Directors, so I should submit something.


#1 Water Lily




#2 Water Lily Bud





#3 Sunflower Back





#4 Sunflower Front





#5 Hot Peppers





#6 Begonia





#7 JJ River Side




#8 JJ River Back





#9 Mr. Bells House





#10 Peach Blossom





#11 Acorn




Now Vote!