Day 31 - Rotary Phone

 You know what amuses me about this phone besides the silly eyes and the fact that the string to pull it is significantly longer than the string that connects the receiver to the base resulting in a very awkward phone call? The fact that it's a ROTARY phone! They still have kid toys that mirror products you will no longer find at your local Target or Walmart. Boy does it take me back to childhood and I am not THAT old. :)

Day 30 - Bubble

Sundays are hard days for me to get a photo since we are at church morning and evening so I had to search for something to take a picture of here at home. Considering I am usually pretty tired by the end of the day I didn't have the 'umph' to get too creative so I settled on a soap bubble.

Day 29 - Snack Cup

These snack cups are pretty cool. We have two different ones as you can see. One of my other mom friends told me about them so I decided to try them out. My baby girl loves it and so do I. She has access to her handy dandy snacks whenever and I don't have to clean up a mess every time she wants some. She can stick her little hand in through the top where the lid gives way and then it closes shut once her hand is out so as not to dump the snacks all over the floor. Genius!

Day 28 - 10 Years


Ok, so I obviously didn't take this picture today but it's sentimental to me. This is me and my dad when I was just a little girl. 10 years ago today my dad went Home to be with the Lord. Accepting Christ as my personal Savior has given me the assurance that I will see him again some day and Heaven is so much sweeter to me now knowing that my dad is there and we will be reunited again. I love you, Dad!

Day 27 - Dead of Winter

By 'dead of winter' I mean that everything is brown and dead looking around here. The green of this gazebo at one of our local lakes at least adds a little bit of pop to the picture though.

Day 26 - Weathered and Worn

 I went to a nearby lake today just as the sun was beginning to set and found this beat up canoe resting on the embankment. It's amazing how even with age you can still find great beauty.

Day 25 - On the Go

 
My baby girl is 14 months old and finally walking! I am one proud mommy right now. I love how she holds her arms up to maintain her balance. She walked back and forth back and forth across the living room while I snapped pictures. She's pretty fast so I had to be quick about it. I love this one! It captures her personality and her great walking skillz!

Day 24 - Laundry Day


Monday is our laundry day most weeks. I know a lot of people especially with large families don't have one day dedicated to doing laundry. It's pretty much a load a day in their homes. Considering I live in an apartment though and have to use my kitchen sink to run the washing machine, we have a laundry day. I'm sure those in the snowy states wouldn't mind experiencing the toasty warmth created by the dryer, but in our little apartment and our 70+ degree temps it gets a little too warm in here.

BTW, thank you everyone for the feedback on the comment replies. I don't check back for replies to my comments either so good to know we are all on the same page. If I do get a question though I will try to post my response on that person's blog. Thanks again for all the comment love. :)

Day 23 - A Girl's Best Friend

It's a good thing I don't keep this stuff stocked in my house or I would be as big as a house. Instead I get my fill when I am at mom's house to hold me over for a few days. :) Reese's and KitKats are two of my absolute faves but the dark chocolate versions are way better!

P.S. I need some feedback. I like to respond as best I can to people who comment on my blog, but I don't know how many people actually click the button to receive an e-mail when a new comment has been posted or if anyone checks back for my responses. Please be honest. If you aren't notified or checking back for my responses or if you do please let me know so I know whether to continue to respond to people's comments. Don't want to reply if no one sees them, ya know.  lol :) I do thank everyone for their comments. I enjoy reading each and every one.

Day 22 - All because...

 
We spent some time together with my whole family at my brother and sister-in-law's house tonight. I love this plaque they have hanging in their home and since I hadn't taken a picture yet today I decided that this would do nicely. I love this saying. "All because two people fell in love." I could list 100 things all because we fell in love...

Day 21 - Peanuts


I almost always spend Friday afternoon and evening with my mom and my little girl. Mom decided she wanted us to eat out at Roadhouse Grill. It's a cool little western themed restaurant where you are handed a bucket of peanuts and are free to throw the shells on the floor. I, of course had to give it a try but I felt weird throwing peanut shells on the floor. The food left a lot to be desired too. Ah well. We had a good time together anyway.

Day 20 - Intense Stare


We live in such a great city. The weather is awesome and there are so many great things to see. Today we headed out to another local theme park. Having passes is awesome, let me tell you. We practically had the park to ourselves since it was later in the afternoon and everyone else is at work. This guy look like he wanted to eat me. Thankfully there was a big wall and ditch that separated us.

Day 19 - Memories



"Precious memories...how they ever flood my soul." One of the reasons I became a photographer was to capture memories so that when days have gone by, when loved ones have passed, when children are grown, precious memories will linger on.

Day 18 - I Got My Eye On You

Another GORGEOUS day with 70+ degree temps! At one of our local amusement parks the penguins were enjoying the water staying cool in our warmer weather . I caught this cute little guy eyeing me up and decided to make him my picture for today.

Day 17 - Let Your Light So Shine



Bright and sunny in the upper 70s today. The hubs suggested we get out and enjoy it and possibly help me find a picture for today. This out of commission lighthouse was my subject of choice.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

Day 16 - Meet My Dog


Our living space is rather small and therefore we don't have the room to have a large dog like we would prefer so this little guy sits right under my computer screen looking all cute. On the bright side, I don't have to take him for a walk, feed him, clean up his nastiness or take him to the vet. The only work he requires is the occasional dusting. :) I'm not big on nicknacks but until I get a real dog, this guy will have to do.

Day 15 - Macro


These babies are awesome! An inexpensive alternative for a macro lense are these macro filters. They attach right on to my 18-55mm and take some great macro shots. These are what I have been using for all my previous macro posts.

Day 14 - Indescribable Love

 
My mother gave me this when I gave birth to my daughter and it is one of the most precious gifts I have ever received. The love a mother has for her child can't be put into words but the following quote by this unknown person came pretty close.

'What took me by surprise is the way I feel when her face lights up when I walk into a room because I am her world and she is mine. Being a mother is like taking your heart out of your chest and watching it walk around.' - Unknown

Day 13 - What Chu Lookin' At?

 
Beautiful day here! Sun is shining. 70 degree weather. Best kind of day for a trip to the zoo. This cheery old fellow was lazily hanging out and didn't mind the cameras in his face and the fingers being pointed. Occasionally he would get up and turn his back to us as if he had enough, but then would humor us again by turning back around.

Day 12 - Rose


I'm barely getting this one in today by the skin of my teeth, but at least I'm getting one in! I spent a long time tonight looking for something to photograph and settled on this pretty rose.

Day 11 - Minty Fresh


  Always a good thing to have on hand...breath mints! Take one out and pass it around. :)

Day 10 - Winter Cuteness

Meet my adorable baby girl! I snapped a few pictures of her today stylin' in her new winter hat and they turned out so cute I just had to make one of them today's photo to share my pride and joy with you all and send you a smile.


Day 9 - Baby Brush

 The bristles on a baby brush are so soft and gentle, just the right softness for a newborn's head. My daughter has too much hair now to need the baby brush but it still made for a fun photo capturing the bristles up close.

Day 8 - Heads or Tails

The hubs came up with the title for this one and I think it is quite fitting. We keep a jar of loose change like I'm sure many people do and I thought it would make an interesting picture for today. Maybe someday when I am rich I will forget what change looks like, but I will have this picture to remind me. lol

Day 7 - Near and Dear to My Heart



There are so many bracelets out there that stand for so many causes but here are two of mine that are especially dear to my heart...

'Not another moment lost to seizures' is the Epilepsy Foundation's slogan. My little 7 yr. old nephew has epilepsy and what a terrifying experience that has been for our family, especially for my brother and sister in law. My nephew gave me this bracelet and that moment he handed it me was one of the most heart touching experiences for me. I love him so much.

A few months ago I stumbled across a blog called Don't Waste Your Cancer. It's the story of a 27 year old wife and mother named Libby who was diagnosed with lymphoma back in July of 2010. Her blog is the story of her journey as she battles this disease. Though I have never met her in person, I have grown to really care for her family as I have followed their journey over the past several months. My 'Team Libby' bracelet is in support of her fight to beat lymphoma.

Day 6 - Fishing

'All that is outdoors' best describes my husband. One of his many hobbies is fishing. While many fisherman may enjoy taking a boat out into the middle of a lake or ocean to cast their line, the hubs prefers remote streams most of all. He has caught many a wild beauty over the years and since he most often prefers catch and release he has watched those same beauts grow up into bigger ones.

Day 5 - Pink

I had to get a little more creative today and use artificial light for this photo and since my counter tops are not white, I had to improvise and use paper.  This is one of my favorite perfumes from Victoria Secret. The light brushing of pink gracing the bottle gives it a very soft and romantic appeal.

Day 4 - Jeans



There's nothing like a good old pair of comfy jeans. The sun is actually shining here for the first time in a few days and the rays of light coming through my bedroom window made for some great lighting. As I was taking jeans out of the washing machine today, this pair ended up on top and the pockets just stuck out to me. Part of the fun of this 365 challenge is seeing ordinary things in a different way.

ISO 100
F/2.8
SS 1/13
Lense 70-200mm
Focal Length 120mm

Day 3 - Way Out West

It's raining today and considering my camera gear isn't waterproof I had to get a little creative. As I was driving home from the store this morning I passed a housing development that had this wagon wheel positioned at the entrance. I pulled my truck up right next to it, rolled down the window, took aim and voila! there you have it: dry camera gear and the third picture of the year.

ISO 100
F/2.8
SS 1/125

Day 2 - Lingering Festivity

Today being church I didn't want to carry around my bulky Nikon D60 but I always have my smaller Olympus SP-500UZ in my purse. We always spend Sunday afternoon at mom's house for lunch, so after we ate I decided to walk around her complex and see what I could find. With it only being a couple of days into the new year, many people still had their Christmas decorations up and I found this cheery ornament as part of the outer decor of a neighbor's home.


ISO 80
F/3.2
SS 1/13

Day 1 - Firelight

I was going to try to get outside to take my first picture of the year but before I knew it night had fallen. So I ventured into our bedroom where we have some pretty sconces hanging on the wall. With the lights out I decided to focus in on one and capture the beauty of the flame of a candle aglow through the charming design of this lovely sconce.

ISO 800
F/10
SS 1s (I had to use a tripod for the slower shutter speed)