Days 279-285

Hey guys,

Sorry for the incredibly, ridiculously, embarrassingly late posts.  Hopefully I'll get back on track with these pretty soon.  This is a great indication of how I get easily overwhelmed and shut down.  It's amazing that I've made it this far on the project without giving up entirely. :)

The following pictures are for the week of March 7-13.

Day 279: Playdate?

Some cute cards my friend Kimmy gave me for my birthday last year.  They're so cute, I don't have the heart to use them. I know it's silly, but I'm weird like that.

Day 280: Pre-spring sunset

One day I might count how many sunsets I took at work during this photo challenge...I bet it's in the double-digits.

Day 281: I'm toast

Trying to get creative with bland-looking food by putting pretty plates underneath it.

Not sure it worked.

Day 282: Reading Party!

We like to have reading parties in our family.  They mainly consist of us all sitting around in silence, reading different novels.

...It sounds cooler than it is.

Day 283: Snow-capped Mountains

Some days I'm just struck by the beauty of this place!

Day 284: The Chocolate!

Coolest little bakery I've ever been to!  I'm going back.  Soon.  Who cares about that stupid, "no sugar" rule anymore.  Life after this place will never be the same!  There is so much I want to say about it...the awesome pictures on their website, the quaint atmosphere of the shop, the friendly staff who know how to joke around with customers, the AMAZING vanilla cake with chocolate ganache, the TO DIE FOR hot chocolate with spices in it that really make you feel like you're drinking Christmas in a cup all year round...

SO GOOD!

Day 285: My Triumph!

Inspired by that awesome bakery from yesterday, I decided to make a cake of my own...

After a fiasco with the first cake, Christine made a great red velvet from scratch so I could still use all of the awesome decorating stuff I got for my birthday.  This is what we made as a result!  I'm so proud!  I can't believe it looks almost presentable!  Cake decorating is easier than I thought it would be!

Days 272 through 278

Day 272: Inundated

This is the pile of mail that greeted us when we got home last night.  It's about half as big as the pile of paperwork on my desk when I returned to work.  I am thoroughly overwhelmed.  I have no idea where to even begin with everything I have to do now that I'm home.

Help!

Day 273: Glory in Imperfections

I got this penguin at the flea market in Cabo.  I picked him out amid a bunch of other, better looking, trinkets because I liked his little gimpy fin.  Being unique is something of which we all have the capability.  But here's the secret: you can't be unique when you're trying to be.  You can only pull it off when you are truly yourself - when you are no longer concerned with how you compare to others.

That is the challenge.

Day 274: The End of Something

Month 9 is complete!  That's right, I only have 3 months left!  The end is near...finally.

Today as I took pictures of the sunset, I was sad to know they would be the last pictures I took with this awesome lens I rented from Borrow Lenses.  I rented this same lens last summer for my family reunions, and I can't express how much I wish I didn't have to give it back.  It's too expensive for me to justify the purchase, but if I rent it any more times I will completely nullify that excuse.  The rentals aren't cheap, and soon I'll have paid the same amount in rental costs as I would have if I'd purchased the dang thing.

One day...

Day 275: The "Little" Things

I'm so glad RoseAnne came over tonight for our regularly scheduled girls night!  She was all dressed up for an appointment she had before she came over, and she looked so cute!  Jack was his usual adorable self, chasing the cats around the house in his speedy crawl, making faces at us, and being generally captivating for the camera.

I really love my family!

Day 276: Red Trees

I'm used to seeing trees turn red during the fall, but I'm not familiar with red trees with no leaves.  I saw these today in a parking lot and had to stop and capture them.  In the slanting winter sunlight, the bark on these trees shone a vivid red - almost fuchsia.  I wish I still had that lens I rented because it would have been able to capture these better.

Ah, well.  No use thinking about it.

Day 277: Note to Self

Note to self: put makeup on before taking an extreme close-up of your face.

If I had taken any other pictures today, I would have posted one of them instead.  This picture required an obscene amount of touch-up to make it even slightly acceptable, when all I needed to do was dab on a bit of cover-up and eyeliner before I hit the shutter button.  I guess I'm still shell-shocked from my return to work this week.  I can't believe how busy I was, and yet how little I got done!  So frustrating!  I guess all I can hope for is to do better next week.

Day 278: The Old Standby

Whenever you see a picture of my cats on here, you can almost be certain it's because I forgot to take a picture until right before I went to bed.  The cats seem to be my last resort subjects.  If I'm too tired to think of something original, I just run upstairs and snap a few of the cats and call it good.

I need a new standby I think.

Day 255: Night Watchman

The tree in my front yard.

I've been checking out different pictures of trees, and I keep seeing these amazing shots of trees up close, at night.  Of course, all of the shots I saw were much cooler than this one, but as it is my first attempt, I'm pretty proud of myself. :)

Day 238: Lamplight Stock

A tree highlighted by a street lamp.

Tonight I found myself in a great area of lamp-lit trees.  After several attempts at photographing different trees around the pathway I was on, I found this beauty.  It was the perfect lucky shot that actually made me ooh with pleasure when I was it on the LCD screen!

I love trees because they have so much character.  There's so much to look at and they provide such stark contrasts depending on the time of year.

For some reason, I love leafless trees the best.  They make the prettiest photos.  They fill me with a peace I can't describe.

Day 232: Cheap Shot

My lame attempt at capturing the sunset cloud.

So tonight on my way to the temple I noticed the awesome pink cloud domineering the sky.  I was pulling out of a parking lot so I didn't have a lot of time to take a picture.  Still, I whipped out my camera as fast as I could and snapped a few quick shots without checking the settings.

The pictures turned out like crap.

Luckily I like to edit the heck out of every picture I take, so I was able to salvage at least one of them.

Day 224: Static Daydreams

Steam rising in the morning air.

This picture is me.
It's everything I like about poetry, books, music, art, movies, etc.
It's dark and beautiful, and a little confusing.
It's inexact and interesting.

One day I'll be able to write the perfect story,
Filled with melancholy
And beauty.
And intrigue.

Someday I'll find the words to express,
This thing that I love about the world.
But the words are lost somewhere.
Wherever this dream is that I keep chasing.

So for now I will have to show it in pictures.
My love of that imperfect beauty.
That static dream that is just beyond reach.

Until I get it right.

Day 218: Highlighted

A grove of trees

So, I realize that the last few weeks I've alternated between pictures of trees and pictures of things up close, but I don't really care tonight.  I saw this tree as I was pulling into the parking lot at the temple, and I loved it so much that I braved the cold (in my skirt) and made the trek across the icy parking lot to get the best angle. The sun was highlighting the trunk of the tree so beautifully that it literally caught my eye as I drove past it.  That's the kind of picture I should stop to take more often.

Now, if only I had gotten a clean shot of it.  Every picture I took of this tree was just a bit off somehow.  I was very sad when I downloaded them onto my computer and realized that none of them captured the beauty of the moment.

Oh well.  Better luck next time, right?

Day 213: New Year's Tree

A tree in Orem

Happy New Year everyone!  This will be my last post in 2010, and I'm excited to get moving on 2011!  Hopefully it will be a year of awesome experiences!

I was out running errands with my mom and sister today when I saw this tree at a stop light.  I thought it looked remarkably well for the dead of winter in Utah, so I took a picture of it.  I know I should have put up a picture from our New Year's party tonight, but I've decided to save my favorite shot of the evening for tomorrow's blog post, since I took it after midnight.  :)

Day 211: Snowed In

Trees in my neighborhood

So the storm the newscasters have been predicting all week finally hit today.  It started out strong this morning, with heavy, wet, slushy snow that covered the walks and cars and especially the trees.  When I finally made it upstairs around mid-morning, it was a winter wonderland outside.  By mid-afternoon, when I took this shot, the snow had ceased, and the wet snow on the trees had rapidly melted and fallen off.  These trees were still pretty covered, but almost everything else in the neighborhood had cleared up.  By early evening, the winds blew harder and colder, and the mini-blizzard (as I dubbed it) hurled itself on our windows and back door.  It didn't last very long, but it did manage to re-cover all the freshly shoveled walkways and scraped cars.

I loved it!  I had no plans to leave the house today, so I got to watch it all unfold from my living room as I did a few chores and read my book.  My favorite way to experience a storm!

Day 185: Christmas Cheer

Our Christmas Tree

Sorry for the late posts.  As usual, the weekend caught up with me.

Tonight I went out to a movie with friends, and afterwards we walked around the newly-remodeled Riverwoods shopping center.  They have the coolest Christmas wonderland theme right now!  It's an outdoor mall, so you wouldn't think kiosks and Santa's workshop would be a good idea in Winter, but they skillfully placed fire pits and heat lamps all over the shopping center to allow shoppers to enjoy the ambiance without getting frost bite.

Our movie didn't get out until after 11pm, so when we walked around the shopping center it was basically deserted.  That made it all the more fun for me!  I just wish I had my camera with me.  The trees were gorgeously lit, and there were little icicle lights that "trickled" downward.  We walked around the entire area twice, and only went back to our car when the heaters and lights started turning off.

What a great way to get into the season!

Day 183: Half-way Point!!!!

Sunset in my back yard.

Today marks the last day of month 6 and is the official half-way point in the photo project!  I made it half-way!!  Yay for me!  Tomorrow I start on the second half of the year, which is awesome and a little bit scary because I ran out of ideas a long time ago.  But I'm hoping with the holidays coming up, I'll have a lot more opportunity to take some good shots.

Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on this blog!  I know your numbers are few, but it is a tremendous boost to me on days when I'm ready to give up because I can't stand the sight of my camera!

Some things I've learned so far:
*You don't know if you're good at something until you try
*Consistency is a nightmare, but totally worth it!
*You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.
*Cameras are expensive, sure, but printing the photos on 14x16 mat-board is worse
*Photography looks much cooler on paper than it does on the screen
*It's OK to let yourself be proud of your accomplishments every now and then
*It doesn't matter how many times my mom, or others, praise my pictures, I'll always be a little embarrassed at the compliments.

Day 179: The Lake

Rattlesnake Lake

Christine and I took a short drive up to Rattlesnake Lake today.  We went last year and loved it.  This year was even better for 2 reasons:

1. There was snow and a lot more water to capture, and
2. I had a better camera and more experience with landscape shots.

I still feel like I can't ever quite capture landscape shots, but I'm slowly getting better.  I love this shot because it shows the stark contrasts between the bright white snow and the blackened tree stumps, rippling water, and foggy tree-scape.

Washington is such a beautiful place!  It's freezing right now, but beautiful!

Day 178: Tree Hunting

Mom at the tree farm.

So we're still in Washington for the holiday, and today we got to go pick out a Christmas tree with Vic and Mona!  We got to come with them last year and it was so much fun.  This year Mom and Dad came, and we had a blast trudging through the snow, looking for the perfect tree.  Unfortunately for me, I was wearing the wrong shoes for wet snow puddles.  After about 15 minutes I couldn't feel my toes, so I left early to warm up in the front store.  But not before I got some cute shots of the family walking among the trees.  Mom was so cute in her snow outfit!  I especially love the Santa hat beanie!

Great day!  I'll be sad to leave on Sunday.

Day 171: White Trees

A tree with a few leaves left at the top

Tonight I went out to dinner with my family before heading back to work to finish a project (I know, really fun Friday).  When we walked out of the restaurant, we noticed this awesome tree!  I did not use a flash on this tree.  It was literally glowing white with what looked like flaming red tipped branches.  I wish this shot better emphasized the red leaves, because they were really what made this beauty stand out, but I still like the way looks.

Since Thanksgiving is on it's way, I've been trying to keep in mind the things that I am grateful for.  Even the little things that make up each moment of each day can be really good.  And well, today I'm grateful for freakishly white trees and family time.  I may have to work late, but I don't mind at all because I got to hang out with the family a bit and take a break. :)

Day 157: Autumn

One of the trees outside my office.

Now that the weather is changing and the trees are starting to shed their yellowed leaves, I'm really starting to miss the Autumn's in California.  I grew up in a town that had the perfect weather, year-round.  We had very mild seasons that seemed to blend together.  It was as if we were in a perpetual spring or fall.

I loved it.

My favorite seasons are spring and fall.  I love to watch the blossoms forming on the trees, and the new flowers and grass start to emerge.  But more than spring, I love fall.  I love the brightly colored leaves, the crisp air that is always a relief after summer.  I love the smell of wood smoke and baking.  Fall signals the time of year when all the great holidays arrive.  It signals the end of summer, but also the end of many things.

But in Utah, fall lasts a matter of weeks.  Most of the time the weather can't decide if it's really done with summer or not, and when it's finally decided, it's suddenly winter, and we're breaking out the snow tires and the big coats and the ice scrapers and the boots.  There's no easing into winter here.  It's just not fun.

But today I saw this tree, still struggling to not only hang on to its leaves, but to stay green.  I feel a kinship to this tree.  He knows that it's not time for winter yet.  He knows that fall should last longer.  He gets it.

I don't know what made me decide this tree is a "he."

Day 142: Tree Envy

A tree by the side of the road.

Today I left the office at 5:10pm to go home.  It normally takes me anywhere between 14-18 minutes to get home from work, but today was different.  Today, the line of cars waiting to get onto the freeway stretched all the way to the road in front of my office building.  That may not sound like a long way unless you know where my office is in relation to the freeway.  It's maybe half a mile (might be closer to a mile, I'm not sure).

That half-mile stretch took me 39 minutes to cross because of traffic.  THIRTY-NINE minutes to go half a mile.  During that time, I admired the scenery.  The trees are turning red and yellow in sparse patches on the mountains, and the fields of crops looked beautiful with the stark contrasts from the sunset.  Since most of the time during my half-mile journey I was at a dead stop, I took some pictures as I waited.

The picture above looked much cooler in person, but the shot on my camera turned out horribly.  It was faded and hazy.  Obviously over-exposed.  But since I don't have the good editing software on my home computer, I had to be creative.  I don't hate the way the shot turned out, but it's also not right.

Oh well, at least I had some fun!

Day 100: Triple Digits!

A tree behind the Cottonwood shopping center.

One hundred days!!  Only 265 more to go!  A little less than one-third.  Triple digits.  SWEET!

So now that I've got 100 days under my belt, I would like to ask anyone who is still reading this blog to please give me ideas (and I mean in the general sense, like, "You should take more pictures of puppies, or windmills, or sports.").  I don't usually ask this question because I get suggestions from friends and family all the time - without asking.  But I have 2 reasons for asking this time:

One: Because I'm starting to run out of ideas, and
Two: Because I would like to know if there's anything that my small pool of readers is bored with (and I'm bored with just about everything right now).

So, bring it on.

Day 92: Self-awareness

Somewhere in AF.

I'm pretty in tune with myself when it comes to figuring out my flaws and processes.  I like to say that I'm self-aware, which I use as a positive thing, but at times like today, when I figure something out about myself that I don't like, I really hate that phrase.

I was talking to Christine about something I've been thinking about, and as I explained my thought process, I could hear how cynical I was being about it.  And it hit me.  I have a complete lack of confidence or faith in people.  I never thought of myself as a glass-half-empty kind of person, but when it comes to my fellow man, apparently I am.  It wouldn't be so bad if I were a cynic in general, but I'm only a cynic when it comes to people's ability to change and become better.

I don't think anyone can change?!  What!?  Me?

Yep.

It's tragic.  I'm fundamentally flawed if I think no-one has a chance to progress.  But I guess the self-aware part really helps, because I KNOW that's not true.  I seriously know better than to think that people aren't capable of progressing.  I mean, that's the whole point of this life!!  To become better, to grow, to learn!

So if I've been allowing myself to subconsciously judge my fellow man like that, then I need to stop.  Because that kind of thinking not only stops my own ability to change and grow, but it stops my ability to trust and love as well.  And what's the point of life without those things!

Day 45: Trees!

This is one of my favorite trees.

I missed the clouds yesterday.

I kept noticing the lack of clouds every time I looked outside, and when I walked to my car last night, I was a little sad.  They must have missed me too, because they came back in full force by this evening!  I tried to get the awesome sunset-filled clouds with this amazing tree, but the angle didn't work.  These clouds are pretty cool too!

Clouds and trees...what more could I want?

This picture reminds me of a song my mother used to sing to me when I was young (I don't know the title):

I know a place,
Where no one ever goes
There's peace and quiet,
Beauty and repose.

It's hidden in a valley,
Beside a mountain stream.
And lying there beside the stream,
I find that I can dream.

Only of things,
Of beauty to the eye.
Snow peaked mountains,
Rise up to the sky.
Now I know,
That God has made this world,
For me.

One can imagine,
Himself as in a dream.
Climbing up a mountain,
Or down a small ravine.

The beauty of this peace and quiet,
Ever will stay.
To make this place a haven,
Each and every day.

Oh how I wish,
I never had to leave!
All my life,
Such beauty to receive!
Now I know,
That God has made this world,
For me!

Oh yes, for me!

Day 25: Tree Leaves

My view of the tree I was resting under.

Saturday is usually my chore day, and it's usually stressful and/or boring.  Today was nice and relaxed, and not my typical Saturday.

What I liked about today:
 - Watching tennis in my PJ's
 - Eating home made hash browns with my fingers (sometimes food tastes better when you eat it with your hands)
 - Getting in to the local water park for $5
 - Doing flips underwater with my sister and feeling like a kid again
 - The view of the tree above me as I read by the pool
 - The light breeze that blew through the trees and grass
 - The view outside the grocery store as the setting sun hit the mountains
 - Going to the movies with Ryan and Christine
 - Eating candy during the movie when I know I shouldn't
 - Hanging out after the movie until all the lights in the parking lot went out
 - Laughing