Shutter Speed: 1/50, Aperture: F4, ISO: 200
365 Project – 30: A colorful, mossy world (January 30, 2012)
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365 Project – 29: My naked, blemished, story-telling face (January 29, 2012)
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Not that I wear a lot of makeup, or always wear it, or as my friends can attest, even know HOW to put on my makeup but, lately, covering up my “character lines” and “experience spots” has become part of my morning routine as opposed to just an option for that occasional night out on the town. Almost 40 years ago my auntie told me “It’s okay to wear makeup but, never get to the point that you’re afraid to walk outside the house WITHOUT it. Look in the mirror and like what you see, the way God made you.” I never forgot her words, and when the times comes, I will repeat the same thing to my daughter.
For the first time in my life I feel self-conscious about looking old and tired without my makeup. That’s a sad realization for me. My daughter tells me “Why do you have to wear makeup? You’re already beautiful. You have some spots on your face but, they’re cute.” For Nora I want to “walk the talk” and “practice what I preach.” And, I want to get Carole King’s voice singing “You’re so Vain” out of my head! LOL
I recently remembered that most of my “freckles” are burn scars from a naan cooking accident when I was backpacking in the Himalayas in 1994. Three Nepalese cooks were badly burned by the exploding hot oil yet I only walked away with painful but, mostly cosmetic scars. (I also just remembered the cooks jumping into the icy river, making the burns worse. What a trip that this memory is flashing back to me as I write this!) Fortunately, I was wearing my glasses because my lenses were coated in oil. It was a great reminder that my face actually has some adventurous stories to tell. So, here I am, sharing my naked, freshly scrubbed, fully-blemished, story-telling face with the cyber-world! Can’t get much more public, huh? “Auntie, thank you for that makeup advice. I’m still listening to you!”
See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens365 Project – 28: Ouch!!!!! (January 28, 2012)
Shutter Speed: 1/200, Aperture: F2, ISO: 1600
I wanted to capture some emotion in this picture so I asked Nora to show me what it would look like if a block fell on her foot. This facial expression lasted for maybe half a second before she started busting up laughing. I love all the crinkles around her nose and eyes. Of course, Nora doesn’t like this photo at all but, I love how expressive her face looks. It’s hard to get a posed smile out of her but, dang, she knows how to bring on the pain!
*No real pain was inflicted in the shooting of this picture…only in her imagination* LOL See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens
365 Project – 27: “Open the door, get on the floor. Everybody walk the dinosaur!” (January 27, 2012)
Shutter Speed: 1/50, Aperture: F2.8, ISO: 800, +5 Step
My daughter says the dinosaurs are kissing in this photo but, I think it looks like they’re dancing. Maybe a “bow to your partner” do-si-do, a little salsa, or a dinosaur disco? I hear a little “boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom.” Remember Walk the Dinosaur? And, the blocks remind me of the boxing ring in that Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots game. Yup, I’m dating myself. Or, maybe the dinosaurs are on the ridge of an active volcano; one misstep and they’re eliminated from the competition. The original Dancing with the Dinosaurs reality show! Bah-dum-bump! “Open the door, get on the floor. Everybody walk the dinosaur. Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom boom…” Where’s that virtual *gong* or big hook to get me off this online stage, right? LOL Watch the video below and you’ll get that song stuck in your head too! Well, I hope you all have a FAB Friday. Keep on dancin’, laughin’, and gettin’ those sillies out! 
See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens
Name that subject – can you guess what this is?
I’ve always loved finding hidden pictures in those “I Spy” or “Where’s Waldo” books. I like to do the same with my photography, just for fun. So, I wonder if any you can figure out what this is. It would be fun to know what YOU see!
CLUES:
* The straight out of the camera photo was taken in black and white.
* I bumped up the contrast, sharpness and added color.
* Here is a link to the original image, with the same crop.
OK…what do you think it is?? Thanks for playing along!!
365 Project – 26: Lentil Soup (January 26, 2012)
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Lentil soup is often requested by my daughter, which is always sweet music to my ears when I hear “Can we have lentil soup with dinosaur kale?” If she had her choice she’d eat bean and cheese burritos EVERY day, maybe even every meal. I suppose there could be worse things to eat but, having ONE healthy meal that my daughter actually LOVES makes my life so much easier. Today’s post is all about sharing this straight out of the camera pic, not about sharing a recipe. I can make lentil soup in my sleep but, forget about me writing a recipe. If you’ve never made it, you must. It’s so easy, fast, cheap AND healthy. As a bonus for me, it’s also gluten-free so EVERYONE in the family is happy! Although I don’t have a recipe to share with you now, I can tell you that I always put a lot of red wine in it. Somehow my soup is just as satisfying whether I include meat or not. In the winter I don’t think about buying avocados but, it is such a treat adding those creamy, green cubes atop a dollop of sour cream. So, splurge on that avocado the next time you make some lentil soup. And, about my recipe…I’ll work on it and share it with you all…someday.
See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens
365 Project – 25: On my kitchen shelf (January 25, 2012)
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For the most part I cook without measuring, and use my eyes, nose and taste buds to whip together a meal. When I need a recipe I occasionally search online, but, mostly I cherish my well-worn cookbooks, with their dog-eared, stained pages. If I HAVE to pick my favorites, I’d probably choose my ReBar Modern Food Cookbook, Moosewood Cookbook, andThe Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Today I’m actually going to use the chicken cacciatore recipe from my Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook. Then there are those recipes I try from Sunset Magazine, et al. Oh, it’s so hard to pick just a few of my favs! Not only do I use them for cooking but, I thoroughly enjoy leafing through cooking magazines and cookbooks just for the pure pleasure of it. My husband can’t imagine HOW I can enjoy “reading” a cookbook but, I also can’t relate to his love of Sports Illustrated. To each his/her own!! LOL
See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens
365 Project – 24: Pottery (January 24, 2012)
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I am a moth to pottery like Carrie Bradshow is drawn to shoes. I especially love platters which are artfully carved, molded and painted by hand. This lovely flower pottery plate was a recent birthday present. Little did my friend know that I’ve put myself on a “pottery fast” since my kitchen barely has room for my eclectic collection. But, I can make room for a gift which was so lovingly chosen just for me. Really, I must keep it. It’s just the right thing to do!
See more of my 365 Project: Untouched photos from my Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens
If “I” can make this purse, ANYONE can do it!
I am probably the LEAST crafty person I know amongst my circle of friends. I happen to own a sewing machine, and I have some basic skills from my home-ec classes in middle school (which in my day, those classes were REQUIRED!) but, I RARELY sew…or knit or crochet or anything using fabric, yarn or thread.
I was inspired by some friends who were taking their old clothes and turning them into something else for their kids. We are going to Hawaii soon and Nora was talking about bringing a bag for collecting shells. I had an old pair of maternity shorts in a pile destined to give away and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to re-purpose those shorts into a purse.
I simply cut the shorts right below the crotch, turned them inside-out and stitched a straight line, twice. Nora picked out some ribbon, I measured the length so she could wear the purse like a messenger bag, then I quickly stitched it on. Then using some Unique Stitch (a glue that bonds fabric to fabric) I glued some flower “patches” from old scraps I had laying around.
There you go. Easy-peasy. Not bad, huh? My first homemade purse ever!
365 Project – 23: Chimes in motion (January 23, 2012)
Shutter Speed: 1/250, Aperture: F2.8, ISO: 200
