A journey through my creative side
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Balancing Act
Its been one of those weeks where I'm trying to achieve balance, but it always seems to be just out of my reach.
Getting quiet, much needed "me" time, but often at the expense of a good night's rest.
Trying to get a feel for working the gym into our lifestyle and daily routine, but accepting days where it just doesn't fit in.
Enjoying some down time, but at the expense of the thousand things around the house that need constant up-keep.
Overall, not a bad week.... however I'm tired and I feel a little worn down. I think its all a way of life reminding me to slow down a little, be a little gentler and kinder to myself, and know that in the big picture the world is not going to disintegrate if the floors aren't mopped or my social calendar is not brimming with activities.
There is wisdom in the balance, but I'm still a little wobbly as I try to embrace it.
Getting quiet, much needed "me" time, but often at the expense of a good night's rest.
Trying to get a feel for working the gym into our lifestyle and daily routine, but accepting days where it just doesn't fit in.
Enjoying some down time, but at the expense of the thousand things around the house that need constant up-keep.
Overall, not a bad week.... however I'm tired and I feel a little worn down. I think its all a way of life reminding me to slow down a little, be a little gentler and kinder to myself, and know that in the big picture the world is not going to disintegrate if the floors aren't mopped or my social calendar is not brimming with activities.
There is wisdom in the balance, but I'm still a little wobbly as I try to embrace it.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
August Break Day 24
We went to the children's discovery museum, only to find that they were closed while finishing a new exhibit. We didn't let that get to us, though.... there was the grounds to walk on, a creek to squish in, sprinklers to run in, birds and squirrels (chipmunks?) to watch, a pond to listen to, and wild berries to eat. It was a good day at the discovery museum. :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
August Break Day 21, 22, and 23... whoops!
I guess I sort of missed the point of August Break the past few days, huh? : )
I'm ridiculously sleepy right now and its been a long couple of days, so while I intend to have some fun processing all of the photos from this day later, for now they're comin' to you with the bare minimum (cropping, and since I'm still not getting those bright sunny days right on my manual settings quite yet, some exposure correction).
Those are just are a few shots from our day in the Napa Valley. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and for our wine tasting experience, being taken around in the limo was so much fun! The only downside was that I didn't have the time to hold everyone up while I took all the photos I wanted to, so next time I'll be going with my camera and no schedule or agenda. In a way it was a blessing, since I made an effort to forget about the pictures I didn't take and enjoy the good wine and even better company.
I'm ridiculously sleepy right now and its been a long couple of days, so while I intend to have some fun processing all of the photos from this day later, for now they're comin' to you with the bare minimum (cropping, and since I'm still not getting those bright sunny days right on my manual settings quite yet, some exposure correction).
Those are just are a few shots from our day in the Napa Valley. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and for our wine tasting experience, being taken around in the limo was so much fun! The only downside was that I didn't have the time to hold everyone up while I took all the photos I wanted to, so next time I'll be going with my camera and no schedule or agenda. In a way it was a blessing, since I made an effort to forget about the pictures I didn't take and enjoy the good wine and even better company.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
August Break Day 19 and 20
Where does the time go?
Yesterday was a day off, yet a busy day of appointments, errands, and stealing a few minutes of simple moments with my little one.
Oh, and he got a Chia Pet for his birthday in March (which, for the record, was an awesome gift for a 4 year old), which we finally got around to.... planting? Waiting for the seeds to soak was torturous, but well worth it... they were so gooey and interesting on our fingers, and against the contrasting texture of the ceramic elephant. Now waiting anxiously for growth....
Today was R & R. We completely ignored our house chores until the very last moment before bedtime, while we lounged, and talked, and giggled, and lounged some more. I finally got the chores done, with the second wind I always get around the time I should be drifting off to sleep. I'll be reluctant to roll out of bed for my early morning tomorrow, but will smile to see a tidy house when I come downstairs.
I didn't get around to taking pictures today so I will give Day 20 a photograph from another day; another picture from our lovely evening in Capitola last month... He looks a little intense in this picture... but he gets that way sometimes. And did I mention that he loves to whistle?
Tomorrow I will pay one of our beloved babysitters a ridiculous amount of money to play with my charming little munchkin while I take an 8 hour wine tour in a limo with some girls, to celebrate my lovely friend's birthday. It will be worth it and I do love giving our young friends a little extra spending money before they start their new school year (for most of them, it being their first year at college). I have always wanted to do this wine tour, and time with good company, good wine, and beautiful scenery is always time well spent.
Yesterday was a day off, yet a busy day of appointments, errands, and stealing a few minutes of simple moments with my little one.
Oh, and he got a Chia Pet for his birthday in March (which, for the record, was an awesome gift for a 4 year old), which we finally got around to.... planting? Waiting for the seeds to soak was torturous, but well worth it... they were so gooey and interesting on our fingers, and against the contrasting texture of the ceramic elephant. Now waiting anxiously for growth....
Today was R & R. We completely ignored our house chores until the very last moment before bedtime, while we lounged, and talked, and giggled, and lounged some more. I finally got the chores done, with the second wind I always get around the time I should be drifting off to sleep. I'll be reluctant to roll out of bed for my early morning tomorrow, but will smile to see a tidy house when I come downstairs.
I didn't get around to taking pictures today so I will give Day 20 a photograph from another day; another picture from our lovely evening in Capitola last month... He looks a little intense in this picture... but he gets that way sometimes. And did I mention that he loves to whistle?
Tomorrow I will pay one of our beloved babysitters a ridiculous amount of money to play with my charming little munchkin while I take an 8 hour wine tour in a limo with some girls, to celebrate my lovely friend's birthday. It will be worth it and I do love giving our young friends a little extra spending money before they start their new school year (for most of them, it being their first year at college). I have always wanted to do this wine tour, and time with good company, good wine, and beautiful scenery is always time well spent.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
August Break Day 18
I had a long day today, so when I got home from the gym the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. Z and I hung outside, meeting new neighbors, riding his scooter, and enjoying the warm summer night until we couldn't call it dusk anymore.
Once I got little man settled, I realized I was starving! I needed something to eat ASAP and while I was tempted to grab the easiest and nearest thing (which happened to be a container of Trader Joe's dark chocolate rocky road) and devour it, I also realized I should nourish my body a little better than that. : ) I had some leftover quinoa with peppers, tomatoes and feta cheese in the fridge from dinner a few nights ago, and a zucchini that needed to be used or else it would need to be made into zucchini bread, so voila! - quinoa stuffed zucchini boats!
Its not exactly the prettiest food in the world, but it sure was yummy!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
August Break Day 17
This is sort of a duplicate for anyone reading here from my other blog... not the same photos, but the same subjects. :)
My little brother and Z were watching School House Rock on DVD while I was making dinner last night, and I couldn't help but steal a few shots.
I just love those little feet belonging to Z (even when they're super dirty, haha.. or maybe especially when they're super dirty). I love, love the lines on the bottom of his feet. He had the deepest creases on the bottoms of his feet when he was born.... I so clearly remember. This was taken in super low light (just overflow light from the dining room into the living room at dark) with no flash. Still muddling my way through manual mode. I can't wait until it all becomes second nature so I can focus more on my composition. In the meantime, I am so enjoying my time behind the camera so its a good, worthy process.
My little brother and Z were watching School House Rock on DVD while I was making dinner last night, and I couldn't help but steal a few shots.
I just love those little feet belonging to Z (even when they're super dirty, haha.. or maybe especially when they're super dirty). I love, love the lines on the bottom of his feet. He had the deepest creases on the bottoms of his feet when he was born.... I so clearly remember. This was taken in super low light (just overflow light from the dining room into the living room at dark) with no flash. Still muddling my way through manual mode. I can't wait until it all becomes second nature so I can focus more on my composition. In the meantime, I am so enjoying my time behind the camera so its a good, worthy process.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
August Break Day 14 and A Lesson
Last weekend my son and I went berry picking for the first time together. We came completely unprepared, which I only realized when I saw other families in their sun hats, applying sunscreen, appropriately clothed and shoed. Nonetheless, we got our baskets and went-a-pickin'.
I pulled out my camera and started snapping, trying to find my settings for this extremely bright, late morning adventure, and three shots in... dead battery. Talk about the epitome of unpreparedness!!!
I have a story about buying two extra batteries, losing and buying chargers, and then losing two new extra batteries, but its a pretty boring story so I'll skip to the moral.... And the moral of the story is, "whatever, just buy another battery!".
But with the help of Picnik, I'll add another conclusion... sometimes its not about the perfect picture, but capturing a memory from a perfect day.
The photo wasn't great, but the end result reminds me of how I felt that day.... very nostalgic and full of memories of picking from the ample blackberry bushes around our property with my brothers and parents, eating warm berries straight from the vine, stained fingertips and purple mouths, and the anticipation of blackberry pie, and while watching my little guy I smiled knowing that someday I'd look back with fond memories of this day, too.
Yeah, I wish I had more photos of my seriously lovable 4 year old studiously choosing the perfect berries to pick, or his little pursed, purple lips when he sampled one that wasn't quite ripe, or the baskets of our beautiful loot when we finally had sweat enough for the day. But the great thing about summer is that blackberries grow until September. I sometimes learn lessons pretty quickly so next week when we go back (who knew we could go through that many blackberries so quickly!?), we'll be armed with hats, appropriate clothing, and plenty of battery life. :)
I pulled out my camera and started snapping, trying to find my settings for this extremely bright, late morning adventure, and three shots in... dead battery. Talk about the epitome of unpreparedness!!!
I have a story about buying two extra batteries, losing and buying chargers, and then losing two new extra batteries, but its a pretty boring story so I'll skip to the moral.... And the moral of the story is, "whatever, just buy another battery!".
But with the help of Picnik, I'll add another conclusion... sometimes its not about the perfect picture, but capturing a memory from a perfect day.
The photo wasn't great, but the end result reminds me of how I felt that day.... very nostalgic and full of memories of picking from the ample blackberry bushes around our property with my brothers and parents, eating warm berries straight from the vine, stained fingertips and purple mouths, and the anticipation of blackberry pie, and while watching my little guy I smiled knowing that someday I'd look back with fond memories of this day, too.
Yeah, I wish I had more photos of my seriously lovable 4 year old studiously choosing the perfect berries to pick, or his little pursed, purple lips when he sampled one that wasn't quite ripe, or the baskets of our beautiful loot when we finally had sweat enough for the day. But the great thing about summer is that blackberries grow until September. I sometimes learn lessons pretty quickly so next week when we go back (who knew we could go through that many blackberries so quickly!?), we'll be armed with hats, appropriate clothing, and plenty of battery life. :)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
August Break Day 13 and a Project
Last weekend, my son and I were cleaning up his room and I realized we were getting nowhere.... each area we cleaned up became a stack of stuff in another area, another "miscellaneous" bin, and another temptation to either throw everything he owns away in the middle of the night and blame it on trolls, or shove it all under the crawl space under his new bed.
Solution: rearrange!
This was fun, in the moving-heavy-furniture-by-yourself-while-maneuvering-around-random-piles-of-kid-junk-and-getting-sweat-in-your-eyes-but-having-a-vision kind of way.
I've had a vision for my son's room ever since we moved in, but it just wasn't happening... I don't know, maybe the chi was off or something, but I think its finally set up right. My favorite part of the new set-up is a little reading nook I was able to carve out of the new space. It just needed a little something.... so I shamelessly copied an idea from Kelle Hampton's Enjoying the Small Things blog.
And while my letters are only halfway done and it was a learn-as-you-go kind of process, we had fun with this little project.
Hoping to finish up tomorrow and get the letters hung, buy a little bean bag or floor pillow, and get inspired to finish the next stage of Captain Fantastic's room... building a tree. Stay tuned!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
August Break Day 11
Two boys with sticks....
This photo is my son hanging out with my dad at a family bbq this summer.
Singing Friend
I've worked in the same place for over fifteen years, and I've seen a lot of people come and a lot of people go. But one of the faces that has remained the same for as long as I can remember is that of an older woman who works for the onsite maintenance company. She has always been so sweet to me, even standing outside a bathroom stall once when I was in the early stages of morning sickness while pregnant with my son, to make sure I was okay. Her eyes are kind, and her face is smooth, except for the deep smile lines that seem to prove that she never frowns and her heart is light. Its always quite pleasant to run into her and see her warm smile.
She also sings while she works. Its quite lovely, and it reminds me of both of my grandmothers, because their singing and humming is the soundtrack to most of my memories with them. This woman at work has a beautiful voice. I wonder if she sings at church, sings to her little grandchildren, and I imagine her singing her heart out in her car on the way home from work.
Today, I heard her singing and I thought of my grandmother singing while she cooked, and then I thought of my son singing to himself while he colors. Sometimes when I think of my grandmothers, I miss them and I feel a little bit sad. Sometimes, I just feel warm, like a memory has come out of hiding and given me a big, loving hug. That's how I felt today when the singing in the restroom brought visions of my grandma, and heard myself thinking "Thank you" to this singing friend.
Then I realized I had never told her how much I appreciate her singing, after all these years. So I told her I thought her singing was beautiful. And she told me that she loves to sing, and that she is always so happy that her heart wants to sing, and that singing makes her happy, too. And I believed her. How wonderful that something so simple as singing while you work can bring joy and that joy can bring music to your heart, and on it goes....
What makes your heart happy?
She also sings while she works. Its quite lovely, and it reminds me of both of my grandmothers, because their singing and humming is the soundtrack to most of my memories with them. This woman at work has a beautiful voice. I wonder if she sings at church, sings to her little grandchildren, and I imagine her singing her heart out in her car on the way home from work.
Today, I heard her singing and I thought of my grandmother singing while she cooked, and then I thought of my son singing to himself while he colors. Sometimes when I think of my grandmothers, I miss them and I feel a little bit sad. Sometimes, I just feel warm, like a memory has come out of hiding and given me a big, loving hug. That's how I felt today when the singing in the restroom brought visions of my grandma, and heard myself thinking "Thank you" to this singing friend.
Then I realized I had never told her how much I appreciate her singing, after all these years. So I told her I thought her singing was beautiful. And she told me that she loves to sing, and that she is always so happy that her heart wants to sing, and that singing makes her happy, too. And I believed her. How wonderful that something so simple as singing while you work can bring joy and that joy can bring music to your heart, and on it goes....
What makes your heart happy?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Summer Night Bliss
It was one of those Saturday evenings where things weren't going well, and I realized all of a sudden I wanted to be anywhere else but home while simultaneously realizing I was starving and nothing in the way of food would do except my very favorite restaurant.... a vegetarian drive-in that was about a 30 minute drive. Never mind that both me and the little guy were famished and already an hour past dinner time (where had the evening gone?). Never mind that I had already planned dinner at home or that it was already creeping up on bedtime for my little person. We wanted Sunflower. And Sunflower was what we got...
The best part about Sunflower is also the worst part... the wait! The food is so great, its well worth the 15-20 minutes it takes for your number to come up - but the food is so great, 20 minutes is also torture.
However, there are always the chickens and roosters roaming around and the interesting people to watch and that part is by far Captain Fantastic's favorite way to spend the wait.
When he wasn't stalking the chickens on foot, he insisted we put the big lens on the camera to stalk them from afar. Technically, the next few shots were his (with mama as his tripod). I wonder if he's ready for his first camera yet?
Yum!!! Finally our food came and we wasted no time getting to work...
We ate outside and the weather was perfect... cool enough to actually BE outside, but warm enough that you didn't forget it was summer, and slightly more humid than is normal for our relatively dry heat. The sun was low and we left with the anticipation of seeing it set on our way home.
Windows down, hair blowing in the wind, and the subtle sounds of traffic-muffled-by-wind... I was freed from my earlier frustrations and muddle-minded spiral. I felt free. I felt... summer.
My son loves a good sunset, and he was looking for it. But we weren't in the best spot for sunset watching. "Just keep driving, mama... drive THAT way! Lets find the sunset." he said, pointing west. And so we did.
We whittled our old car through the old neighborhoods, slowly making our way in the general direction of home, but hugging the west side of town. It was getting darker and darker, without much promise of a stunning view of the sun waning on the horizon. But we weren't going to give up. We could see a faint glow up ahead, and we wanted it.
When we finally got to a dead end on the west-est part of town, we were both breathless from our stalking suspense... I literally left the lights on and doors open as I swooped my little guy out of his seat and we ran past the dividers that blocked the road, coming to an abrupt halt in front of a dusky field. We made it.... while the big star had already sunk below our line of vision, its afterglow was telling us that our race was won.
It wasn't the most spectacular sky we'd ever seen, but here we were, just the two of us, at the end of a quiet, dead-end road, staring into an empty field, barely highlighted by one lonely, amber street lamp and the sky's bluish haze.
Listening to frogs and crickets, with just the faintest hum of traffic in some far-off street, sitting on the warm pavement, watching the first stars appear in the night sky, it was like a small gift.... a little peace, a carefree moment at the end of a day that was full of cares and slightly deficient in peace. I felt so connected to childhood in that moment; both my son's experience and my own distant memories...
The sweet pang of that night has stayed with me... a little smile tucked away for those inevitable moments in real life where a smile is hard to come by. I loved this night.
The other cool thing about this night is that it was the first time I kept myself in manual mode at this time of day. And for once I didn't over think my photographs... I just let them come, I made adjustments and I got to know my camera a little better. I used an editor on two of the photographs I posted here (one to fix a reflection and one to stack a couple of my traffic shots to give a feel for the moment), but for the rest of the pictures I'm terrified to touch them! I'm still pretty new to editing and didn't want to take away from what the night actually looked like, so most of these shots are straight out of my camera. I'm more than happy to get feedback and suggestions on edits, or adjustments on the settings for future night shots... I love feedback, constructive or otherwise!!!
What are some moments that bring bliss to your summer nights?
However, there are always the chickens and roosters roaming around and the interesting people to watch and that part is by far Captain Fantastic's favorite way to spend the wait.
When he wasn't stalking the chickens on foot, he insisted we put the big lens on the camera to stalk them from afar. Technically, the next few shots were his (with mama as his tripod). I wonder if he's ready for his first camera yet?
Yum!!! Finally our food came and we wasted no time getting to work...
We ate outside and the weather was perfect... cool enough to actually BE outside, but warm enough that you didn't forget it was summer, and slightly more humid than is normal for our relatively dry heat. The sun was low and we left with the anticipation of seeing it set on our way home.
Windows down, hair blowing in the wind, and the subtle sounds of traffic-muffled-by-wind... I was freed from my earlier frustrations and muddle-minded spiral. I felt free. I felt... summer.
My son loves a good sunset, and he was looking for it. But we weren't in the best spot for sunset watching. "Just keep driving, mama... drive THAT way! Lets find the sunset." he said, pointing west. And so we did.
We whittled our old car through the old neighborhoods, slowly making our way in the general direction of home, but hugging the west side of town. It was getting darker and darker, without much promise of a stunning view of the sun waning on the horizon. But we weren't going to give up. We could see a faint glow up ahead, and we wanted it.
When we finally got to a dead end on the west-est part of town, we were both breathless from our stalking suspense... I literally left the lights on and doors open as I swooped my little guy out of his seat and we ran past the dividers that blocked the road, coming to an abrupt halt in front of a dusky field. We made it.... while the big star had already sunk below our line of vision, its afterglow was telling us that our race was won.
It wasn't the most spectacular sky we'd ever seen, but here we were, just the two of us, at the end of a quiet, dead-end road, staring into an empty field, barely highlighted by one lonely, amber street lamp and the sky's bluish haze.
Listening to frogs and crickets, with just the faintest hum of traffic in some far-off street, sitting on the warm pavement, watching the first stars appear in the night sky, it was like a small gift.... a little peace, a carefree moment at the end of a day that was full of cares and slightly deficient in peace. I felt so connected to childhood in that moment; both my son's experience and my own distant memories...
The sweet pang of that night has stayed with me... a little smile tucked away for those inevitable moments in real life where a smile is hard to come by. I loved this night.
The other cool thing about this night is that it was the first time I kept myself in manual mode at this time of day. And for once I didn't over think my photographs... I just let them come, I made adjustments and I got to know my camera a little better. I used an editor on two of the photographs I posted here (one to fix a reflection and one to stack a couple of my traffic shots to give a feel for the moment), but for the rest of the pictures I'm terrified to touch them! I'm still pretty new to editing and didn't want to take away from what the night actually looked like, so most of these shots are straight out of my camera. I'm more than happy to get feedback and suggestions on edits, or adjustments on the settings for future night shots... I love feedback, constructive or otherwise!!!
What are some moments that bring bliss to your summer nights?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
August Break Day 3
Tonight I had the unexpected surprise of my mom having Captain Fantastic over for a sleepover. The stars aligned and my best friend I and got together at our old favorite Mexican place for dinner and margaritas. I brought my camera hoping to get some classic chips-and-salsa-and-margaritas-on-the-rocks-with-salt pictures... but realized too late it was without card. So I used my (not smart, terrible quality but works in a pinch) camera phone instead, only to realize when I got home that I accidentally erased the photo instead of saving it. So, colossal fail on capturing the moment, but I assure you it was a fabulous evening with a fabulous friend.
While I didn't get the picture I wanted, I did come across the one above from a couple of days ago. Classic little boy entertainment... under that juice glass, there's some sort of bug he found outside that he started at endlessly until we finally decided it needed to go back outside for some air. : )
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