Project 12..Month 12! The Way I view..Holidays

This post concludes the Clickin Moms monthly project revolving around different themes for 2012. It was so fun participating in the blog circle and am so proud of those of us that were able to make it through all year! So here is my final 2012 project 12 post about How I view: Holidays:

Christmas kind of snuck up on me this year for some reason so cookie baking took place on Christmas Eve day with lots of help from Oldest and Youngest. They took a break to Skype with family across the country. Christmas Eve includes family that lives in town, munching good food, and opening some gifts. Christmas Morning starts at dark thirty with the pickle ornament hunt and the rest of gift opening. It is always such a joy to watch the girls, they so enjoy both the giving and getting

New Year’s Eve is very family focused for us, involving food, fireworks, and fun. We devoured some delicious and not so nutritious foods (hot wings for youngest, delicioso pulled pork- I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding a jalapeno and chipoltle in adobo sauce instead of the green peppers..so awesome- for non fire breathers, and decadent desserts!)Youngest is our firework monster so despite the rain and fog out she went to blow some things up..it was very short lived since it started to pour but she was happy! We then started to compete in our family “Minute to Win it tournament..of Doom!” These little games were way more challenging than expected but lots of fun!

Finally New Year’s Day is never complete without my husband taking a noon polar bear plunge! When we lived in the Northern part of the country this was a much crazier thing, however despite Christmas being 75 degrees, we hit a rapid plunge in temps so the 20 mph winds and 47 degree temps qualified as cold Last year Youngest did it too but it was actually cold today so she opted to be a fan instead . We follow his annual plunge by trying out a local restaurant, this year’s choice was a winner since I can hardly wait to have the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich again lol!

Thanks for taking a moment and checking out how I viewed the holidays. Follow the blog circle to see how Dawne views the Holidays. I hope you continue to visit my blog through 2013 as I embark on some more fun projects Happy 2013!

Fall Fundraiser due….

Rubbing off on them?

I share everything I learn about photography as I learn it with my girls. They ask great questions which in turn helps me as well (since everyone knows you really have to KNOW something to teach it to someone else!) I suspect I may be rubbing off on them ….here’s why….

Yep, I think I’m onto something here  {the oatmeal cream pies were delicioso! Here is the recipe…it’s a repeater for us, they were gone by the next day }

P52 Week 15…TWO

This week’s theme is “Two”. Lots of Two’s in my life this week..too many things happening, trying to be in two places at once twice…. but this morning I spent some time trying to take this classic shot. It’s been seen a million times but I’ve never in a million years thought I’d be able to capture it

I’m pretty excited about this picture, for me it shows how much I’ve learned in the past few months! I know I’ve got a long way to go but I’m enjoying the journey!

School project….

There once was a 5th grader with a project to do ,

she filled out the paper, just like she was supposed to…

“Mom, this is so boring,” she said, “how can I make mine different instead?”

So she read the directions again and shouted aloud “I have an idea to make mine stand out from the crowd!” She toiled and toiled all afternoon long, she cut, glued, and researched in betweeen walking the dog!

Finally revealed, a masterpiece indeed, her project is “WOW!” just like she wants it to be!

Send me to school, this girl is ready to present!

Project MCP Challenges

I think I’m going to start participating in MCP Actions monthly photo challenges. I’m really enjoying the photo projects I’ve got going on so far and I love the flexibility of this one! Here are the challenges for this month:

• Challenge #1 – Take a picture from a high vantage point, from above your subject
• Challenge #2 – Capture a photo using natural light.
• Challenge #3 -  Express the following word in a photo: Transition
• Challenge #4 – Create a “guess what” photo – this is a photo that is so close up that the subject becomes abstract.

On our weekend walk I found a shot that definitely shows challenge #3 “Transition”

I know I’ll be back with more this month

P52: Leading Lines

This weeks challenge was “leading lines” if you’re curious as to why here you go. …”One of the tools you can use as a photographer to create a meaningful composition is to use leading lines. Leading lines are used to draw the viewer’s eye through a photograph. They are intentional or unintentional, natural lines created in the space of the photograph and are used to create a visual narrative in the composition. Leading lines are also used to draw your eye to a focal point in the shot that you would like to highlight“….We had so much fun with this, not to mention great conditions…beautiful 60 degree breezy day, bikes, pup, sunshine…I’ve got so many shots I can’t decide which one to submit because I love them all! Lucky for me I can put plenty here

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P52 Week 7 “Red Hot”

Today is my oldest’s 13th bday, that sounds ridiculously old to me!

She has developed a love affair with red velvet cake but is torn every year because of her love for cheesecake. I was looking for recipe ideas when the foodnetwork.com email for Valentine’s day recipe caught my eye…low and behold a recipe for red velvet cheesecake! Perfect! I showed oldest, she confirmed so I was committed. The only thing is I don’t like cheesecake, never have, doubt I ever will, so I have never in my life made a cheesecake before!! I gave it my best effort! Here are my in progress shots at making this cheesecake while using my awsome “red hot” mixer…

I’ll have to get back to you on wether or not it works cuz bday girl has to give me the final word after skating the night away!!!

{I made some googly eye chocolate cupcakes as back ups just in case! }

Update: Red velevet cheesecake is a hit! According to the cheescake connoisseurs in this household; it is now the requested birthday dessert for their foreseeable future

Project 12: The Way I view…..”Beginnings” (January)

This post kicks off the Project 12 created by members of Clickin Moms, a fantastc photography forum I’m a part of! I’ve been putting together some images for the month of January. The theme “beginnings” took on a lot of different things for me and my family, take a peek at the way I view “beginnings”:

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Thanks for peeking into my January beginnings This project includes 11 other talented photographers. Follow the awesome blog circle and check out how Dawn views “Beginnings”

Dog dreams…achieved!!

We have a beautiful lab mix that we got from the pound when she was only 4 weeks old. She has the life of a princess and she knows it; her own comfy bed, blankies to cover her when she lets us know she is chilly, a mirror she has taken to looking in daily, inclusion in a multitude of dog friendly activities and vacations, adoring owners..she’s got it all…..

….EXCEPT a squirrel. This puppy princess has been OBSSESSED with squirrels since she walked out the pound doors. She diligently stalks them in our back yard running pine tree to pine tree, having stare downs, waiting patiently for HOURS all to no avail for the past 4 years….

Until today. Today Nahla caught a squirrel. She is very very proud of herself.

By the way, my oldest told me she will probably get rabies from having to help clean up the achievement. (not gonna lie, there was lots of squealing and screaming by all humans involved while Nahla just wagged her tail and showed off her trophy)