Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Last weekend I went away for a few days with friend from my photography club.  We shared a house on the beach and had a fantastic time.  It was a great way to spend this last week's hunt.

Yellow:

Most of my photos from the weekend were blue, lots of beautiful blue, but I found a few bits of yellow.  This was one of my favorites.

Ancient or Antique:

The two lighthouses we visited were built in the mid 1800's, pretty much as old as things get out here on the west coast.  I don't feel my photos did the beauty of the place justice, but luckily I was with some amazing landscape photographers who did.  It was a great learning experience for me.

Splash:

I have so many splash pictures, it was hard to choose.  This is the Pacific Ocean on a calm, peaceful day. 

In the Sun:

I was so happy to spend the weekend in the sun even though I wasn't hopeful when I left my house during the rain.  The weather was absolutely fantastic and beauty was all around me.  A perfect way to waste time.

Something that Makes Me Smile:

They dressed up for my Sister-In-Law's Birthday tea.  Some of them are better skilled at it than others, but always, always seeing my children happy and together makes me smile.  We leave Wednesday to bring home our new daughter and two weeks after that we will all be together as a family.  No matter what they are wearing THAT will makes us all smile big (between bouts of jetlag.)  If you want to follow our trip to China, I do plan to blog about it on my family blog, Joyful Mama Gives In, depending on internet and time.

See you in a few months, I hope!

Randomness

Just so you can see how chaotically my mind is working...these are the last 5 pictures (minus one) that I have edited.

Yes, that is a Harry Potter book he is carrying in his hoody.  No, he is NOT hanging from a ledge.

My thoughts are all over the map as we get closer to leaving for China...a little over ONE week! Our days have been full of family and sun and our nights with planning. I have so many pictures and so little time.  The treat I wanted to give my regular readers before I left is not going to be ready in time.  I only seem to have intermittent moments of focus and competence.  Right now is not exactly one of them. 

But, just in case I don't have time to say it again, I appreciate each one of you who have encouraged me with my photography and life this last year.  It as been a real pleasure to "meet" you and I hope to continue where we left off in a month or two.  I have one more post planned for this blog, and then I will be committing myself to only posting on my family/adoption blog as we travel to China and adjust. 

If any of you want to keep up with Sunflower and her cronies there, at Joyful Mama Gives In, we'd love to have you.  Otherwise, someday I will be back, but in order to focus on my family at this time of transition, I am not making any promises as to when.  I will miss you all.

Tuesday's Treasures

Lest you start to think that Sunflower is my only child, I have a sweet shot for the three oldest today.

Sunflower:

SnapDragon:

Huckleberry:

Soon we will have treasure number four, but for now some flowers will have to do:

I tried to use some textures on this so I could submit it for Texture Tuesday, but nothing was working for me.  I think the background already had enough texture and color in it.  So then I used a different picture for Texture Tuesday.  I love how textures can totally change an image.

I used several different layers today. On the bottom one layer of Kim Klassen's Annabelle at 100% soft-light.  Then on layer of Not too Shabby at 38% soft-light.  Then a final top layer of Not Too Shabby at 17% Hard Light.

I hope you have a most excellent Tuesday!

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Aw, I'd forgotten how much fun photography is when there is actual light!  And to shoot specifically for the prompts?  Fun hunt!

Today I followed a friend who is a professional photographer on her mini-shoots.  It was a blast to see her work and I learned a lot.  She works so well with her clients and does beautiful work.  Someday...

Simple:

Just in case anyone thought it was simple to get a good portrait shot.

Grain:

This little one had no trouble sitting on the grains of sand.  (I also took lots of pictures of the sand, but I really just think kids are more interesting.)

Transportation:

I am confident this mode of transportation won't get Sunflower very far, but she sure looks like she believes it will.

Stitch:

The stitches on my tennis shoe with my other friend's macro lens.  I gotta get me a macro!

Bubbles:

This little one made the cutest little bubbles.  She is one day younger than our soon to be daughter.

I hope you had a great week and have a fantastic Sunday!

The Bulb Farm

I still haven't worked on my Easter pictures because I went to a bulb farm with friends and worked on those pictures first.  The husbands of the two ladies I went with are deployed so I wanted them to have the photos to share quickly.  Of course I spent some of the time taking pictures of Sunflower...she is, at least for now, my favorite model.

Yes...this is her Easter dress.  She had to wait a whole week to wear it after we bought it; she insisted on wearing it two days in a row.  Who am I to complain?  She looks so beautiful in it.

Sweet Shot Tuesday

It was a lovely, lovely Easter!

 

I just need some more time for looking at all the pictures...

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

4 more weeks until we meet our girl.  In the meantime we are ready to go, so I have a little time to play with pictures again.  So back to the hunt!  This week's prompts seemed a little difficult, but I think that is because I'm out of the habit.  It feels great to be able to participate this week.  Spring is in the air, and this week's hunt proves it!

New:

The kids got to hold new baby chicks at the Prairie Days put on by the Historical Society in town.  Sunflower refused her turn, but they all eagerly churned butter, sampled fresh popped on the stove popcorn, and pet the goats.

Life:

With such short lifespans it is funny that butterflies always represent life to me...either way it was a blast to spend some time in the Tropical Butterfly House at the science museum.

Fragrant:

It is very fragrant with the scent of new blooms outside this week.  I love spring!

Pink:

Sunflower's first of many eggs dyed today at Auntie J's house.  Now how to eat 4 dozen boiled eggs before they go bad.  I see egg salad sandwiches in my near future.

Obvious:

I think it is obvious this one was NOT in the mood to cooperate with photos.  I still think he's adorable.

Ummmm, My Name

Okay, so we are under construction, and given that tomorrow we are going to the Science Center and I am not paying a designer, and I don't know when I'll feel like working on it again, it may be this way forever.  I figure after a year it is about TIME I got a header.  This is better than that!

Anyway, in the meantime I am working on my site where I can sell photos and share photos from events.  I am doing this mostly because it makes sharing photos with friends and family so much easier, but I figure I might as well put some up for purchase while I'm at it.  But to link that back to here I wanted to use my "business name."  So while I'll still be signing things as Cedar for awhile, feel free to start thinking of me as Nora.  That is my name, and I'm sticking changing back to it.