January G+ photo scavenging

In December I signed up for my 2nd G+ photo scavenger hunt. The first one was so much fun, I had to do it again. This time instead of 2 months and 26 photos, it was just one month and 10 photos. I was shocked when I actually got some points for some of my photos. When the points were all counted, I was tied for an actual prize with another photographer. Unfortunately, I came in fourth after the tie breaking judging.

The sign up for March's hunt starts Feb 20...  G+, you know you want to.

 

Cookie

 Love

 Weather

 Flowers

Received 1st place from Lotus Carol

Received 3rd place from Alan Shapiro

 Joy

Received honorable mention from Alan Shapiro

 Whiskers

Received honorable mention from Lotus Carol

 Orange

 Secret

Received 1st place from Lotus Carol

Received honorable mention from Alan Shapiro

 Water

Received 1st place from Chrysta Rae

Received 2nd place from Alan Shapiro

Skin (The booboo is a fake and she was mad at Siah.)

Received 2nd place from Alan Shapiro

366 Days of 2012 - Day 43 - Feb 12

The New Orange - Day 43

It's time to resubmit my orange image for +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt.This time in honor of #chrystaraeday . These cheddar mini rice cakes are almost edible.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 42 - Feb 11

Swimming Hole - Day 42

Everytime we drive by this building, which is often, Adaya asks, "Can we go swimming today?" This is our local community center/swimming pool. This morning we loaded up the kids and spent some time splashing. I took this picture of it during the sunset this evening.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 41 - Feb 10

Artist at Work - Day 41

 

Now to redeem myself for not getting the sunset tonight... Here's something I did capture well. My youngest artist, doing her thing. Lately it has been some drawing and a couple short words. She recently learned to spell the word 'pen.' She has been writing mommy's name too, only "G is hard to write, Mommy." 

366 Days of 2012 - Day 40 - Feb 9

Storage Issues - Day 40

I've been taking a lot of photos and started shooting RAW. I have storage issues.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 39 - Feb 8

Capture - Day 39

And this is what I do. I create images. (But you already knew that.) I'm also a daughter, grand-daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, niece, friend, and a daughter of The King. When I'm not cooking, cleaning, running errands, playing the baby game, having tea parties, helping with homework, volunteering, presiding over squabbles, snuggling, nursing the sick, reading aloud, answering the question "Why?" etc... Then there is a good chance you'll find me behind a lense.

That my friends, is the end of my four day introduction to my family.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 38 - Feb 7

Rocking - Day 38

This is what my husband does. He jams. That is, when he's not doing his day job as computer nerd or his evening job as Daddy. You can find him or hear him playing his heart out many times a week. The boy has three different types of bass guitars, two acoustics, and this here electric. And I got him a keyboard for Christmas. He sings a little too.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 37 - Feb 6

Vocalizing - Day 37

This is what my daughter does. She sings. Actually, this is her on a short break. She was using her daddy's music stand to put on a short performance for me yesterday. She loves singing, often it is a tune she knows and made up words about her life. It is beautiful. I can hear her now, as she gets ready for preschool.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 36 - Feb 5

Absorption - Day 36

This is what my son does. He reads. He collects knowledge from the words in books. He's seriously introverted. When he reads, he blocks out the world and focuses on the things he loves.

Today, when we were in a very social atmosphere, he found a corner bathed in sun and read about trucks.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 35 - Feb 4

Sherrett St - share it - Day 35

I love Portland. Today my family went on a city walk in the Sellwood area with a couple of friends. They introduced us to the intersection of 9th and Sherrett. Here, they do a little play on words with the name is like "share it."

On one corner there is a community bulitin board and a cool statue storage box where you can pick up the local community newspaper. On another corner is a fun bench made from rock and branches, as well as a dry place for books and mags, take one/leave one. The third corner has another bench as well as a tea stop, as pictured. The final corner is a cool childrens fort constructed of tree branches. Inside are random toys for the kids to enjoy. Finally in the middle of the street is a huge painted flower.

I've got lots of pictures. I suppose I'll make a city walk album for them.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 34 - Feb 3

Time for Celebration

I wish, for my photo of the day, I had a selfie of me being histerical over the annoucement of the flower catagory winners in the +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt. But I don't so I'll have to settle for this.
Today they were celebrating the 5th birthday of My Masterpiece Art Studio, a local art studio geared towards kids. PPS didn't have school, so the kids and I headed to the party. They sculpted and painted clay cupcakes. I helped and took pictures and got clay on my camera. It was good morning.

Note for my blog followers:  I was one of the winners.  My flower picture earned me both a first by one judge and a third from another.  I'm kind of stoked about it.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 33 - Feb 2

Standing on top of a hill

One day it's raining, the next the sun shines. In Portland the weather is a bit manic. Wasn't it slushing a week or so ago? Today was gorgeous, so while the youngest was at her preschool, I spent a couple hours at the local park. When I saw this scene, I knew it would be my photo of the day.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 32 - Feb 1

Late Blooms

At the beginning of January, I bought one of those Christmas gift force bulbs on clearance. My thought, a flower to photograph for +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt. Yesterday, it finally bloomed. You blew in flowers, you could have been famous. Now you're just in my 366 days album.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 31 - Jan 31

Slow Churned Research

Homemade ice cream is the order of the day. Gotta love it when your Lego League team picks ice cream as their "snack attack" project. This we call research. Research never tasted so good.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 30 - Jan 30

Points to the sky

I don't feel like I've been posting the best pictures. But sometimes life as a mom doesn't leave you with much time to shoot. And sometimes you expend on your shooting skills on silly photo scavenger hunts.

Before school, my son and I stand at this corner and wait for his yellow limousine. Recently, it's just as the sun is breaking the horizon on the other side of the trees across the street. The other day I looked up the street and saw the sign which seem to point to the illuminated clouds. I pointed it out to my son and I think he liked the new reason the sign was there as much as I. Now it's one of our silly morning jokes that puts a smile on his face. Unfortunately, after the bus arrived and I ran inside to get the camera and tripod, the pink had all but faded. I must remember to take my camera to the bus stop with us.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 29 - Jan 29

China Town Bokeh

I may live in Portland, but it's not often that I have the time to find myself downtown. Tonight, I spent it with my honey, +Wesly Smith on our first G+ photo walk. I can't wait to do it again with less rain and wind. #PDXPhotowalk

366 Day of 2012 - Day 27 - Jan 27

She's Falling Apart

I continue to take pictures of flowers, thanks to +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt. I think a lot of people are. The other day +LaDonna Pride tempted me with some focus stacking. So I downloaded the software to give it a try. Kind of a fun thing to do.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 28 - Jan 28

Her World is Pink

How did I end up with such a girlie girl? Some days are more pink than others.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 26 - Jan 26

A Little Hope for my Soul

I was drowning this morning. Then the sun shone through my window and a rainbow was painted. A rainbow to remind me that God's promises are true.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 25 - Jan 25

Taking a trip...

Field trip! Today my son and I took a trip on The Magic School Bus today, at the Oregon Children's Theatre production of Magic School Bus Live: The Climate Challenge. My kids love The Magic School Bus. They watch it every Saturday morning. At least twice. PBS has done a couple of marathons recently and they have watched it for the entire morning. My son also has a dozen chapter books which he has read several times over. Therefore, my son was super excited when he found out his class was going to go to this production and I was excited to get to join him.

Beautiful nieces - Christmas Eve

366 Days of 2012 - Day 24 - Jan 24

In Portland, it Rains

In Portland, it rains. We all know that. We all expect it. The rain falls often. It rained a lot today, therefore I got wet. It poured while Adaya and I rain from the car to the school, dodging puddles. I was soaked when I walked into Target to make a return. The windshield wipers ran at full speed as I drove down the road. Today I present to you, Portland rain.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 23 - Jan 23

Purple Love

Just because I already have my photo hunt "flowers" doesn't mean I can't buy and photograph more. Plus, I thought +Wesly Smith might like to have different flowers than I have. See, my love, I help provide you with props too. Thank you for the wiskers.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 22 - Jan 22

The King Commands that you Read

2 Kings 22 tells us that Josiah was eight when he became king. It goes on to tell us that in the 18th year of King Josiah they found some scrolls and Josiah requested that they be read aloud. Something tells me this is not the first time he requested to be read to while he was king. For I too know an eight year old Josiah who makes this request frequently.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 21 - Jan 21

For the love of Words

The mommy had a playdate today. Old friends arrived at her house just before one. Friends from college that she hadn't seen in about 10 years. The friends had lunch together, spent hours browsing the shelves at Powell's City of Books, and finnished the day with dinner. There were many stories and much laughter. It was a good day.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 20 - Jan 20

Dancing with Mr Twiga

Adaya and I had a playdate today. Mr. Giraffe always comes along with this friend. I find it interesting to see what children cling to as they grow. Adaya needs to have "Pink Baby Doll" whenever she heads to bed. Once in a while she takes her somewhere, but mostly pink baby doll stays at home. Josiah always had to have his blanket, for years, right next to him in bed. Now at eight, it's usually a part of some fort, stage, or trap he has designed. Children and their attachments, security and joy.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 19 - Jan 19

The Enemy

When I was a kid, I disliked spelling homework, because I couldn't spell. It was the one thing I kind of sucked at academically. No, I still can't spell. I may have gotten a 4.0 GPA in high school and I may have a college degree, but I still can't spell. My son, he can spell just about anything. However, writing is a different story. Therefore, spelling homework is still one of my greatest foes. (Yes, I looked up more than one word while typing this.)

366 Days of 2012 - Day 18 - Jan 18

Making Cookies with my Daya

Yesterday my daughter came to me with a cookies cutter and asked, "Can we make cookies shaped like strawberries?" During a rare trip to the local M, she got it as part of her toy. So we made 1/2 a vanilla cookie batch and decorated them. Turns out my kids don't like vanilla cookies. To me they taste like Christmas because my mom only made them once a year.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 17 - Jan 17

Rainbow Banana

Today was Jr.FLL day. That means five 2nd graders hung out at my house, after school, to do Lego. This year's challenge theme is "Snack Attack." Today we brain stormed names. One of the boys came up with the name Rainbow Banana. This is his mini design idea to go with it. That is him, on a rainbow banana.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 16 - Jan 16

Coming in for another attack.

My mom got these for her sons. Sometimes I think it's fun that +Wesly Smith gets such a kick out of his little boy toy. Then other times I want to rip it out of the air and snap it in two. Often I turn and find it hurtling towards me at top speed or hovering within a foot of my head. I'm waiting for the day it gets caught in my hair and I have to wear in to the hair salon.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 15 - Jan 15

Portland Snow

It snowed today. So I present you with Portland snow.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 14 - Jan 14

The sun sets on a local rose.

On most days, when the sun is putting on a show, I am at home with my children while the hubs is at work. Today, when we noticed the sky begin to light up with color, I mentioned that I often think about heading up to the dairy to take photos. So Wesly Smith "made me" take a walk. This is Alpenrose. Perhaps you have heard of it for it is "Home of the Little League Softball World Series."

366 Days of 2012 - Day 13 - Jan 13

White Avurvedic Chai

One of the things you should know about me, is I'm a tea-holic. My tea and I are tight. If you came to my house, you would not see on my counter a coffee maker. What you would see is a kettle for boiling water and several tins of loose leaf tea from Teavana. Yes, I am a Teavana snob. Just like I'm a Lego snob and a Creative Memories snob. Now if you'll excuse me, my water is boiling.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 12 - Jan 12

"Daddy, I got a new computer today."

Not much happened photographically today. Spent half my day at Target checking out the 70% off sale. I should have presents for all the children in my life for the next year now. Adaya fell in love with this little toy computer. I don't usually just buy her anything but she wanted this barbie-like tangled doll, so I handed her this thing to play with and she forgot all about the twinkling lights, purple glitter dress,long haired, signing princess.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 11 - Jan 11

Yellow Blooms

I've been enjoying my Christmas present from Wesly Smith and the kiddos. Who knew a tripod could be so much fun? I've always hated using a tripod, because the one I've been using for the last 10+ yrs is a piece of junk.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 10 - Jan 10

Mr. E has his game face on.

This is my favorite 9 month old. He comes over to our house (and brings his parents too) almost every Tuesday evening for community group. I'm his paparazzi, been taking pictures of him since the very moment he entered this world.

366 Days of 2012 - Day 9 - Jan 9

7:30am fog

I had hoped for some "weather" fun today. But it was just foggy and overcast and Adaya didn't want to go anywhere, so we stayed home and played games. I did try something different for "orange." Maybe tomorrow I will go buy some "flowers" during preschool. This is 7:30am fog and the bright light is the street light.

What is 366 Days of 2012?

This summer Google started a social network, called G+.  Within it is a huge photo community, which has served to inspire me in my photographic journey.  I decided to endever to post on G+ one photo a day, which I took that day, and therefore represents that specific day.  This evening I decided that I might as well post them on my blog too, in case anyone reads my blog anymore.  So what you will see on these posts is exactly what I posted on G+.  If you see a name you do not reconize, that would be because it's someone I interact with within G+.  Hope you enjoy.