Tag: Edmonds
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2019 The Year of Small Surprises and Second Chances: Weeks 14 & 15
The year of small surprises and second chances… To be honest I think this might be how I approach the rest of 2019. Embracing those sneaky, small surprises and allowing for second chances. The first set of images is a throwback to my 2016 photo project when I took one…
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2019 The Year of Mountain Tops and Flowers: Week 9
It’s sunday afternoon and the sun is shining but the air is still too cold for comfort and I am really ready for winter to be over. I know the calendar says we’re a few days into March and warmer days are coming soon so I’m pinning new PNW hikes…
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2019 The Year of Looking for Light: Week 8
I know February is coming to a close when I can hear birds again in the morning but daylight hours are short and it’s too cold for spring flowers to fill the gardens. We’re turning the corner but we aren’t there yet! Because my mornings and evenings are still fairly…
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2019 The Year of Looking Back to Avoid Seeing Today: Week 7
Looking back to avoid seeing today… not something I usually recommend but every once in a while it’s a coping technique I can get behind. We’ve been snowbound for weeks and while I’ve promised to post a photo a day I was tired of looking at icy pictures so after…
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2019 The Year of Comfort: Week 5
If you’ve read a few of these 2019 posts you’ve probably noticed each title begins with the same “2019 The Year of” then changes to a short descriptive phrase from the past week. In the past I’ve tried to keep yearly project titles more consistent but my objective with this…
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2019 The Year of Changing Views: Week 4
This week has been a bit of change for me since I spent all of it at home resting so my photo choices are a mixed gallery of memories, sights from a typical work week, followed by a slow Saturday walk along the waterfront. Changing views indeed. We started the…
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2019 The Year of a New Daily Photo Project: Week 1
Will 2019 be my year of living dangerously? No that’s not it… a year of self-control, or reckoning, discovery, relaxation? Sigh, I’m terrible with resolutions. Honestly whenever I try to think of a theme or title for the new year all I come up with are overused movie quotes and…
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2018 – A New Year and a New Look
While I say I like to reach out and try new things, deep down I’m really a creature of habit. Many habits. If I find a breakfast or lunch I like I’ll eat it every day for a year or longer, I play the same albums over and over and…
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Shades of Blue: Part 7 – Crab Pots and Donuts
As an antidote to the wet, windy weather outside I’m remembering a sunny day in July and returning to my Shades of Blue series. Today’s post is picture heavy with only a few words so we can all enjoy the pretty blue skies, colorful flowers and peaceful waterfront views from…
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Shades of Blue: Part 6 Summer Skies and Garden Flowers
Football is on the television, fresh rain is clearing the last of the forest fire smoke and I’m reaching for a fleece vest while looking back through my pictures for another summer gallery. Today’s choices are all about summer skies, summer flowers, summer nights and summer salads. Plenty of flowers…
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Shades of Blue: Part 5 – Dusty Corners
Walk, run, cycle – When you live inside your head for such long periods of time, you have to open the windows, air it out a bit, let sunlight stream into all the dark and dusty corners of your mind. Twinkle Khanna I like to think of summer as a…
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Shades of Blue: Part 4
I’ve got a photo filled post for you this week as we continue my June walks through town and along the beach. You get to see my mother’s day flowers blooming by our backdoor, views from the marina, an accidental shot of beach sand when I was trying to put…
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Shades of Blue: Part 3
I’d better pick up the pace with these spring themed posts or I’ll still be working through May photos after the 4th of July. 🙂 Today you get to see Ryan and I out in the neighborhood looking signs of spring, roaming the beach skipping rocks and finding interesting driftwood/seaweed…
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Shades of Blue: Part 2
Continuing my thoughts from last weeks post about Hipstamatic and Shades of Blue I have a new series of small photos from my walks around town. This was a surprising spring morning filled with fog that could have passed for fall if you looked past the brave new blooms. The…
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Shades of Blue: Part 1
If you’ve been with me for a while you might know I take all my photos with my iPhone and if you are a details person you’ve noticed I typically tag each photo or post with the editing app used in case a reader wants to try something new with their own…
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Evanescent
Night is brushed aside like so much cobweb. The day is wound up and begins even before the last haunted dreams, the last of the fog, those spectral and evanescent residues, have faded away. Gregory Maguire, After Alice That 2017 is setting records for the coldest and wettest spring in pacific…
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Wanderlust
You don’t even know where I’m going. I don’t care. I’d like to go anywhere. John Steinbeck While the word wanderlust brings to mind images of grand vacations and months long backpacking adventures I have the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to thank for a definition that makes sense to those of us who…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 4
Wow, after 2 years and 730 daily photos I can finally say this project is finished! I’ve enjoyed the practice of taking and posting one photo for every day of the year but now that it’s over I’ll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by the pace of creating 30 new photos…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 2
If we say a New Year shows it’s colors in the first weeks of January I hope my 2017 is filled with shades of a pastel rainbow. Fingers crossed that these photos start a positive trend leading to more time with family, more time in the outdoors and a chance to…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 1
Hello 2017! In Kennedy family tradition our year began on the beach and as you can see we’ve been trapped in a cold but beautiful weather pattern all week. I’m a native Pacific Northwesterner so I don’t let a little cold (or wet) weather keep me from enjoying the great…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 4
The days leading up to any big holiday are always a busy blur and you’d think by now I’d have found a manageable way to balance the demands of work and family and fun but I guess that dream will always be bit of a work-in-progress. I do try to slow down…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 3
We’re deep into the holiday season now and depending on your point of view I expect you’re having a wonderfully festive time, scrambling to keep up with expectations, tired of shopping or you’re one of those people who finished everything before Thanksgiving. Guess where I fall. 🙂 This weeks set of…
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My Year In Pictures: November Weeks 1 & 2
It’s felt like a true roller-coaster ride carried us through the first two weeks of November with days of fun, family, flowers, sadness and wine. We had a great visit with my Aunt, enjoyed John’s over-the-top Halloween decorations, listed new items in our Etsy shop, drank some wine as the election results started…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 4
Sometimes these weekly recaps have a theme and sometimes they are really just random snapshots of what it’s like to run through our week. There are times when I like to tell a longer story and have plenty of photos to stretch the event over a few days and then we run…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 1
October is here, the weather is changing and my thoughts are turning to late garden color, cozy accessories, movies and spooky lights. My week in a nutshell! After ignoring our yard for much of the summer I had fun at some end-of-season plant sales and shipped my first warm scarf of the…
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My Year In Pictures: August Week 2
My photos this week are a fun blend of hot colors mixed with cool mountain air and ocean breezes. It’s finally started to feel like summer again even though there’s a heat advisory in place we’re spending as much time as possible outdoors, enjoying every minute. Sunday afternoon we tried to…
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My Year In Pictures: June Week 4
Strawberries, flowers, sail boats and lazy days at the lake – this week’s set of photos is all about summer memories new and old. The week started with this pretty shot from my parent’s garden followed by one of our tiny wild strawberry plants caught in the middle of an evening sunbeam.…
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My Year In Photos: June Week 3
What a week! The third week of June flew by in a flash only slowing to note Father’s Day, the first day of summer, the last day of school and the start of Ryan’s trip to spend some quality time with his Grandparents. We enjoyed a quiet Father’s Day and loved…
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My Year In Photos – May Week 5 & June Week 1
After nearly 1.5 years of taking and posting daily photos along with a 2 year tradition of regular weekly wrap-up posts here on the blog I’m finally throwing my hands up and admitting this time around I’ve totally blown my self-induced deadlines. I hope you like this super-sized post covering two weeks…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 3
This week I don’t see a common thought tying these seven images together but there is a sneaky unifying thread about this group that surprised me. Brick red is definitely not one of my favorite colors but shades of loud orange-red are present in each shot. It’s all but hidden in two photos when…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 1
I feel like we’ve finally turned the corner toward a long, warm summer and now instead of rushing outside at the first hint of blue sky I’m secretly looking forward to some rainy days so I can catch up on inside chores. Spring 2016 has been picture perfect here in…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 4
Looking at Ryan’s 1000 piece puzzle spread out on the desk is a lot like searching through my photo files filled with tiny images that tell the story of our lives. It takes 1000 little pieces to show every known atom in the universe and at the end of this year I’ll have 1096…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 1
Wow, we’re only a few days into March and already I feel like it’s living up to its reputation of coming in like a lion and (hopefully) going out like a lamb. I’ve had enough of the lion and am sitting here impatiently waiting for some lamb time. The last Sunday of…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 4
We’re almost at the end of the first month in my new year-long challenge and after 27 days of daily photos I am happy to report that it is still fun. 🙂 I’m enjoying the freedom to try some new things after spending a year exploring the random settings in Hipstamatic…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 2
Finding the right words to describe February in the Pacific Northwest is always a challenge for me. Some days feel like winter while others bring a mix of spring-like skies, rainbows and thunder storms. In truth it’s a month of contradictions as the snow fans fear their last chance of a white blanket…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 4)
Today I’m going to jump right into my last “shake it up” recap so we can get to my final thoughts about this project and start talking about where I’m going for the next phase of my photo-a-day challenge. Sunday was a little too cold and wet for my comfort but perfect…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I know I started this random photo a day project as a way to acknowledge the good in every day but there are some weeks when I just want them to hurry up and be gone. This week was definitely one of those and while nothing terrible happened sometimes a series of complications…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 5)
It’s fitting that on the day I decided to check off the last remaining items from three old “to-do” lists I’m ending it by writing a post that bridges the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. It’s a day to clean house, both literally and figuratively and according to WordPress my three-year blogging anniversary.…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle (Goodbye 2015 and Hello 2016)
If I had to make a list of favorite ways to welcome the New Year visiting a beach would be right up at the top. John and Ryan have bravely joined me for some of cold, wet and windy walks along the shore followed by a quick photo to mark our presence…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 4 – the Christmas edition)
In the few hours left before our New Year’s Eve countdown I’m here online to recap a 7 day stretch that was filled with Christmas. We spent last full week of the month surrounded by festive displays, holiday decorations, good food, and family. Next week will bring a fresh start and end of the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I’m pretty sure I read hundreds of “how to” articles before starting this blog in January of 2013 but only one piece of advice really stuck in my head, “never apologize.” At first I thought this was just a throwaway line from the kind of person who thinks manners don’t matter on…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Hello everyone! I didn’t plan to be away for so long and don’t think I’ve ever gone 10 days without a post but sometimes life just gets in the way… One thing I didn’t let go though was my daily photo habit and even though this set of 7 images…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I’m still shaking my head at the fact that as I write this there are only a few hours left in the month of November. Our wintry weather, family activities, busy work days and holiday decorations are all telling me the end of the year is almost here but I swear it we…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 3)
“Wow what a week” is all I can say as I after seeing this set of 7 photos together in a gallery waiting for my post. It’s been another non-stop whirlwind of activity broken up by a major wind storm, a night without power and some chilly days. Brr…winter is coming.…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 2)
If I had to pick one word summarizing the past week I think I’d choose “stormy.” Our surprising Pacific Northwest drought is coming to an end as a series of “Pineapple Express” weather systems have delivered more rain in the past 10 days than we usually see in the whole month of November with plenty more…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic ( week 1)
As I sit in front of my computer tonight, three days after the day I wanted to finish this post I’m reminded one more time why this random image, daily photo project is important. It’s so easy to get lost in our busy days. I rush from work to evening events, the laundry room…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 5)
As promised I have a few more spooky images from John’s latest creations in my newest recap. The past week was filled with Halloween preparations and you can see he really had fun designing and displaying new vignettes. I mixed in a few “daily life” photos to keep my theme…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Panorama (Crossing Puget Sound)
Even though my iPhone has a great panorama feature I rarely remember to use it. I’d like to think I am so caught up in the beauty of each location I can’t be bothered to think about trying something new but really I’m probably trying to get a few quick shots…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 4)
We’re reaching the end of October and in a house where Halloween is everything even our simple, daily views are magically transformed into something spooky. This week I’ve included a few glimpses of our newest decorations and some surprising examples of ordinary moments seen in a new light. Sunday is a shot of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 3)
October is finally settling into a true fall like feel here in the Pacific Northwest. Apples are dropping, leaves are turning and scarecrows are popping up all over town. Our Indian summer continued through mid-week with one last stretch of 70 degree days but by Saturday afternoon rain returned and the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The first full week of October blew through the Pacific Northwest in true fall fashion. We enjoyed a stretch of sunny days filled with blue skies and fall colors, our summer-brown lawns and dry plants started to green up again and the sun rise is now late enough that I can enjoy…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 5)
If our fourth week of September was all about crisis management the fifth was about going with the flow. I guess the best we can hope for is that everyone ends the week healthy and happy and this time I’m relieved to report we did just that. Finn is on the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 4)
As you can see from the big red, white and blue emergency sign this week did not follow my carefully constructed plan for a normal stretch of days. The early shots capture some pretty sights and colors that caught my eye but a phone call Friday afternoon changed everything. Regular readers have watched…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White (Fall in the Park)
Fall in the Pacific Northwest is a season of extremes. We bounce back and forth between stunning blue skies, mild temperatures and bright fall foliage contrasted by extended periods of damp, cool fog. This misty afternoon happened back in October 2013 but the photo is one of my favorites and I’ve been…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 3)
September has been a busy month for us filled with growth, change and some pretty big adjustments. The first week of the month was all about wrapping up summer and preparing for a new school while the second week was filled with last minute preparations for high school, first day nerves,…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I’ve erased dozens of opening sentences tonight trying to sum up my experiences from this past week and finally decided to just start with a few thoughts about the process. It’s hard to find your balance when every day is extreme in its peaks and valleys but in the end,…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The last two days of August and the beginning of September passed through the Pacific Northwest with a season changing storm that’s rare for this time of year. Usually our summer continues for another six weeks and we count on a September filled with pretty fall color, cool nights and sun warmed afternoons but…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s been a crazy week here in the Pacific Northwest and my choices of trees for the first and last images in this series is no accident. We’ve faced blazing hot weather, unhealthy levels of smoke in the air, end of summer berries and a record setting windstorm. I’m writing this…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 3)
This past week was a quiet one, maybe the last we’ll have for a while since my calendar is full of end of summer appointments and back to school activities. Ryan spent the week with my parents enjoying a bit of grandparent spoiling and cousin fun time while John and I…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 5)
Another beautiful week has come and gone here in the Pacific Northwest and I’m happy to say we spent every minute possible enjoying outdoor living and a bit of travel. Sunday afternoon Ryan and I hiked to the lovely waterfall from yesterday’s post along with my aunt, sister and her…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This week’s set of seven photos perfectly illustrate why I love summers in the Pacific Northwest. The temperatures are generally mild, flowers are in full bloom, gardens are at their peak and the beaches are wide open. I’m a day later than usual with this recap because Ryan and I just got home from long weekend…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another pretty week in the Pacific Northwest has come and gone but thanks to my random photo a day project I have some nice souvenirs to remember the season. Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to sit outside for lunch and believe it or not I didn’t plan to match my food…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I think I’ve mentioned before that some weeks I’m surprised by a theme weaving through the photos when I sit down to write my recap. There are plenty of weeks that feature random yet interesting moments but every once in a while I see a trend in my choice of subjects that wasn’t apparent…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking up July With Hipstamatic (week 1)
I have a quick little recap today since we just got home from a weekend away with family celebrating the 4th of July. Ryan is spending the next 5 days with his Grandparents and John and I are on our way to pick up some take out for dinner so we can…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 4)
The fourth week of June was a fun one that began and ended with family time and was filled with what’s turning out to be a stretch of warmer than usual summer days. Since we don’t have air conditioning we’re doing what we can to keep cool and I’m using the high…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Cold Brew Coffee On A Hot Summer Day
Picking a subject for Sally’s Challenger’s Choice week is always fun because with 11 categories to choose from pretty much everything I like to photograph fits the bill. To keep things interesting I try to move through Sally’s list without repeating myself and this month I settled on food photography. I know this is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Hello everyone! I’m back from a whirlwind week of end of the school year activities, annual appointments, a work trip to New York City and preparations for Father’s Day so the dads in my life can take some time off to relax and be reminded of how special they are…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Sometimes these weekly recaps highlight random, un-linked moments from my days and sometimes an unexpected theme emerges. Flowers, flowers and more flowers filled the second week of June. We filled our empty deck planters Sunday afternoon and before they were finished I snapped a photo of a few of the bright colors…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid Peonies
Can I have one of each? I couldn’t walk past this flower stand without picking out a few for myself! Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 1)
I don’t know why the month of May always ends with everyone in our house sick but once again we’ve spent the last 7 days suffering through a cold that simply will. not. end. Sick or not life must go on and our week was full of some nice weather, end…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature and Organic Produce
I know summer’s right around the corner when I can count on a quick trip through our local garden market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. This morning we filled our bags with apples, strawberries, rhubarb and big bouquet of peonies picked fresh a few hours earlier. The house is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 5)
It’s hard to believe June starts tomorrow but the photos above are proof that our unseasonably warm spring is leading right into an early summer. Next week will bring some rain back into the Seattle area but until then we’re enjoying these sunny last days of May. Hipstamatic’s random processing of Sunday’s…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Street Photography (A Quiet Memorial Day)
Most of our downtown businesses were closed Monday in honor of Memorial Day leaving anyone looking for afternoon entertainment with the choice of coffee at Starbucks, some tasty Gelato or the matinee showing of Tomorrowland in a 91-year-old theater. We went to the movies. 🙂 Posted as part of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Broken
The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks. Tennessee Williams While today’s photo doesn’t include violets or mountains it still reminds me of Tennessee Williams’ quote from Camino Real. Symbolic opposites are incorporated throughout this play illustrating a world full of harsh contrasts and in the end we learn the only thing that conquers the broken is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 4)
One of my favorite parts of this daily project/weekly recap series is an “aha” moment when I realize there was a trend to my week that I hadn’t noticed in the middle of the rush to finish each day. A little distance is a great tool for gaining perspective and I’m really starting to…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 3)
It’s been a quiet week here filled with normal life and unpredictable spring weather – just the way I like it. Sunday was Mother’s Day and the boys treated me to flowers, a relaxing afternoon and dinner at home. Ryan and I stopped at Starbucks for Frappuccino’s before walking to the beach while…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Today’s recap is a quick one while I wait for Ryan to finish his math so we can start our Mother’s Day walk to the beach. It was another beautiful spring week here in the Pacific Northwest filled with plenty sun and very little rain. We are all a little concerned about a dry…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This past week was a good example of how nice it is to have a few things to look forward too spread out over the course of seven days. We had just enough time to keep our regular life running smoothly while enjoying a birthday celebration, crazy spring weather and meeting…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Black and White Tiki and Happy Birthday Wishes
Each spring two Robin families make themselves at home below our decks and build these lovely nests raise their babies. Last fall John moved the old ones up to the back porch and they’ve weathered the winter protected from the worst of our wind and rain. This nest has a new resident reminding us…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April with Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another busy week has come and gone but over all it’s been a good one here in our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. While my days fly by in a blur of work, family, driving and if I’m lucky a little bit of blogging I’ve been trying very hard to recognize those quiet moments…
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iPhoneography Challenge: Macro (Spring Trillium)
When we lost the large trees in our front yard I thought my favorite patch of shade loving trillium was finished but we carefully transplanted a few hardy specimens to the back side of our house and this little seedling is growing strong tucked away under a leafy rhododendron. Posted as…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 1)
This past week was a fun one filled with lots of work, the end of the school quarter, crazy spring weather and Easter preparations but thanks to this “shake it to randomize” series I made sure to stop at least once every day and look for something pretty that would have…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I think any week that starts with a big party is bound to go well and this past one was no exception. Our Sunday began in Bellingham with a beautiful lunch in honor of my mom’s birthday and ended with the discovery of these pretty, pink camellia blooms. I’ve been…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Just when we thought this strange, sun filled winter would last forever spring arrived and brought some much needed rain to the Pacific Northwest. This week was exactly how March should feel in Washington with lots of fresh green growth, wet petals on the ground and flashes of bright sunlight. Sunday…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up March with Hipstamatic (week 2)
At least once a day I shake my head and wonder where the time went. I know rushing through weeks, feeling let down because I couldn’t finish an unrealistic “to do” list is a bad habit but one of the benefits of this weekly series is visual proof that I did find time…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 1)
These past seven days are exactly why I need a project like this shake-it-up series. Every day was filled with things to do and tasks to accomplish but working through each item that needed my attention meant I had very little time for creativity. Usually I end a stretch like this feeling…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Nature (Spring Blooms in February)
As you can see from the title I’ve missed my usual iPhone Monday posting schedule by a few days and I also have to admit I never posted the last Black and White Challenge photo from my promised series of 5 images in a row back in February. Hopefully today’s image makes…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s hard to believe February is over but seeing as this is March 1st it must be true! The last week of the month flew by in a blur of work and events but the simple task of looking for one new thing to photograph and share has really helped me…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 3)
While most of the country is trapped in a sub-zero weather pattern our strangely warm Pacific Northwest winter brought bright blue skies and temperatures in the 50’s. No one knows quite what to do here but we’re trying to spend as much time outside as possible knowing the rain and chilly air will be…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Even though it’s hard to believe February is half over I have a new group of 7 random images to share marking the passage of each day in this little month. My “shake to randomize” Hipstamatic project is turning out to be more fun than I expected and not only…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry in Seasons
There is in all things a pattern that is part of our universe. It has symmetry, elegance, and grace – these qualities you find always in that the true artist captures. You can find it in the turning of the seasons, the way sand trails along a ridge, in the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic
February is a strange little month. The big family holidays are over, our days are short and wet, someone is usually sick and I’m running on empty when it comes to creative thoughts. I shouldn’t be surprised as the same things happen every year but once again we hit the end…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth and Compassion
Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. Albert Schweitzer As John, Ryan and I work through the challenges and rewards of living with our newest family member Finn, compassion…
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iPhoneography Monday: Winter Fog On The Waterfront
After a week of heavy fog Ryan and I’d had it with the lack of light and we left the house for the beach in search of some sky. I know driving towards the water isn’t the best way to escape fog but at least we had a chance to see more than gray…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity
I’m a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar. Serenity – Hoban “Wash” Washburne For this week’s photo challenge Cheri asks us to share our interpretations of serenity. I’m sure the prompt was meant as an encouragement to explore calm, peaceful feelings and I’m happy to do that with a photo but…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadow
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. Buddha A place to clear my mind and fill shadows with joy…
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Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015!
I’m back for a brief visit during my internet vacation to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year’s Eve! Regular posting resumes in a few days but I want to close the year with this fun collage of 1st day photos along with some exciting news about my participation in a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow
The middle of the road is for yellow lines and dead armadillos. Jim Hightower I’m glad John and Ryan chose the side of the road for their summer walk. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow.
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Summer Hydrangeas)
December in the Pacific Northwest means plenty of wet days and early sunsets. Today’s 8:33 hours of daylight passed far too quickly but these bright blue Hydrangea flowers remind me that summer is just a few months away. 🙂 Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro.
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature (Fall in my Backyard)
It’s hard to believe December is already here but it’s the first Monday of another month and time for Sally’s creative Phoneography challenge: Nature. I’m happy to be back from a busy few days filled with Thanksgiving visits, half-finished home projects and the general stuff that piles up when I try to do too…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Achievement
We have a small patch of wild strawberries growing in the backyard that are pretty to look at but the birds and squirrels always beat us to eating the fruit. Since I haven’t been able to taste one I don’t know if the berries are tart of sweet but this year the…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Canna Leaves)
Some of you might recognize this canna from a mid-summer black and white photo challenge but I couldn’t resist going back for a new angle to take part in Lens and Pen by Sally’s weekly phoneography challenge: Macro.
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iPhoneography Monday: 11-3-14
Usually fall in the Pacific Northwest means cool nights, warm afternoons and plenty of fall color flashing against bright blue skies. I hoped our beautiful summer would lead to another perfect season but this year has been anything but typical and now one of the wettest October’s on record…
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Another visit to the 2014 Edmonds Scarecrow Festival
Yesterday’s beautiful fall weather was all the encouragement I needed for another walk through town to photograph a few more scarecrows decorating local businesses. Earlier this week I shared Jack Skellington relaxing by a bank and Salvador Dali looking for inspiration outside an art supply store. While I have one more art related scarecrow…
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-27-14
October in Edmonds means it’s time for the Edmonds Historical Museum’s annual Scarecrow Festival. Participants have two weeks to decorate and register their creative displays followed by two weeks of public voting before the winners are announced November 1st. The streets around town are full of some really imaginative scarecrows drawn from popular fiction, business themes,…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 24 Hour Review
When I wrote my first post in the 1 Day 1 World Project series I hoped I wasn’t promising something I wouldn’t be able to deliver. Could I really write 24 posts documenting 24 real-life hours and still publish content that was interesting or worse, would it be like hosting the dreaded…
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-13-14
A few weeks ago our local beach was covered by a combination of slippery seaweed and clear jellyfish. Every step we took carried the potential for an unpleasant fall but I’m happy to report we returned unharmed and I have this photo to share as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the last hourly post in my six month project documenting one hour each week for 24 straight weeks! Back in May I thought we would have fun watching the time pass through different seasons and countries but I never dreamed this series would inspire so many…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy
I close my eyes, then I drift away, into the magic night I softly say. A silent prayer, like dreamers do, then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you. Roy Orbison – In Dreams Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy.
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iPhoneography Monday: 10-6-14
This relaxed seagull walked over to visit while a some adventuresome kite surfers flew across the waves. Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
One year ago this little corner space beside our driveway was buried under pieces of old asphalt, granite boulders, tree trunks and some pretty big excavation equipment. Bringing some life back to the bed has been an ongoing project and we’ve slowly filled in the soil with new plants that…
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1 Day 1 World Project 9:00 am – 10:00 am
It’s hard to believe 22 weeks have passed since the start of this project but one look at our well used BBQ tells me loud and clear that summer is over. Maybe if we wait a little longer the fall rain will clean it for us… If you have a…
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iPhoneography Monday 9-22-14
Another full weekend and another happy party. I feel like September has passed in a blur of entertaining and schedules but at least the weather has been beautiful, the company has been great and we’ve enjoyed plenty of good food and drink on the deck. I sat down outside Saturday…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Last month I wrote a popular post about how we’ve made an effort to simplify our food choices and buy most of our fresh food from local farmers and suppliers. One of my favorite changes is our weekly visit from Smith Brothers Farms and our milkman, Josh. Four generations of Smith Brothers…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 7:00 am – 8:00 am
In my 6:00 am post I mentioned one of the busiest parts of my week was planning John’s 50th Birthday party. I felt pretty good about finishing the shopping and cleaning by the night before but that meant all the cooking had to happen the morning of the party which is…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 6:00 am – 7:00 am
What do you do with a favorite red wagon when your kid outgrows pull toys and spends his time with electronics and sports? Turn it into a planter. 🙂 This week has flown by in a blur of first week of school activities, a new home re-decorating project and big plans for my husband’s 50th Birthday…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 5:00 am – 6:00 am
We’ve reached the daylight hours again, I’m feeling more like myself and Ryan is home from his late summer week with my parents. Put all these events together and it means another trip to the beach! This time John stayed home to get ready for an early morning at work…
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Travel Theme: Edge
There are several reasons I chose this photo for Alisa’s travel theme “Edge” but my favorite element is the line of Gulls patiently waiting their turn to stretch their wings and fly away.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 4:00 am – 5:00 am
I guess a series of 24 posts coming together exactly as planned was too much to hope for and I should really be feeling lucky I’ve made it through the first 16 hours without anything going seriously wrong but I can’t help but be a little frustrated by this one……
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1 Day 1 World Project: 3:00 am – 4:00 am
I’ve been worried about this 3:00 am week since the beginning of the 1 Day 1 World Project and as of last Saturday didn’t have a single good idea for what to do but Mother Nature came to my rescue with the rare, simultaneous occurrence of a Super Moon and the…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 2:00 am – 3:00 am
I thought it was pretty quiet around here after 2:00 am but look who I found hanging out with popcorn and late night TV… If you have a photo or story to share about your 2:00 am hour I’d love to see it! Please tag your post 1 Day 1 World Project…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Zigzag
This week, share a photo that foregoes the straightforward in favor of the twisting and winding. Ben Huberman – The Daily Post I’m using a loose interpretation of Zigzag today and sharing a photo of this small blue sailboat that has chosen to forego straightforward, nautical themed decor and try…
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iPhoneography Monday: 8-4-14
For nature week at Lens and Pen by Sally I have a close up shot of the Hens and Chicks on our front porch. I love how these plants thrive with little to no attention and this one has been happily residing its tiny pot for years. Posted as part of Lens…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 1:00 am – 2:00 am
It’s 1:00 am, do you know where your kids are? Saturday night found Ryan sitting on my lap insisting on a selfie to capture the rare moment when Mom is up after midnight. 🙂 The low light of one lamp behind us left some shadows under my eyes that I’m not…
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Weekly Travel Theme: Purple
My sweet niece, Sophia checking out the amazing flowers on this Butterfly Bush. July 4th, 2014. Posted as part of Alisa’s Weekly Travel Theme: Purple.
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iPhoneography Monday: 7-21-14
I missed last week’s Macro post but apparently had macro on my mind while looking for a black and white image to post today. Our new front deck is the only part of the yard that really receives full, hot sun so I’ve happily filled one side with herbs and…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Containers
From “Don’t judge a book by its cover” to “Don’t look at the jug, but at what it contains” (an old Rabbinic saying), we’re constantly taught that the contents of things are more important than the vessels, wrappers, and boxes that hold them in place. This week, let’s give outer shells their due…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
I’m not really a night person so a good evening for me means lights out by 10:00 pm. Summers are tough because it’s not dark yet but our mornings still start bright and early so finding some interesting material to post over the next few weeks is going to be quite a challenge. 🙂…
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iPhoneography Monday: 7-7-14
The past week has flown by filled with long overdue family visits and way too much time at work but I want to slow down for a minute and share a photo from our 4th of July walk. Some of you might recognize this pretty landscape from a previous Wordless…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Everyone in the Pacific Northwest jokes that summer doesn’t really start here until July 5th. We usually have one or two warm days in June surrounded by partly sunny days mixed with some rain and clouds but the real heat and sunshine doesn’t come out until mid July. This year our…
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iPhoneography Monday: 6-30-14
Today’s iPhone challenge is to share a photo that’s processed using apps. Sally does a great job encouraging every participant in her weekly photo challenges to stretch the boundaries of their comfort zones and try new things with photography so today I decided it was time to finally explore one of the…
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Travel Theme: Shine
A sparkly evening water view for Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Shine. Happy Friday!
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iPhoneography Monday: 6-16-14
A warm September afternoon and one last chance to feel the sun before fall… Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Challenge: Black and White.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Extra, Extra
It’s been a busy week here filled with family activities, end of school projects, a band concert and a Wednesday birthday. Mine! I was lucky enough to have the day off but couldn’t fit everything I wanted to accomplish into the happy day and still try to relax at the same time.…
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iPhoneography Monday: 6-9-14
It’s Macro week over at Lens and Pen by Sally and my entry is this up close and personal view of a red pepper before adding it to our dinner last night. To see more fun Macro shots please visit Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The late afternoon/early evening hours are my favorite times of day and since we’ve had a stretch of absolutely beautiful June weather the toughest part of today’s post was choosing which photo to share. In the end I settled on this shot from Brackett’s Landing because even though Herons are a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Room
Every time I walk past our local library I see the backside of a mysterious little house covered in moss and protected by a fern. Each week some new element appears and while I didn’t want to creep around the planting bed to take a closer look I finally gave…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The early hours of this project have been a lot of fun here at the Kennedy house as we’ve been able to go out and see some new things every week looking for new material to post. I’m still not sure how we will make the nighttime hours look interesting but…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Ryan and I were at the end of our long list of Saturday afternoon errands when he announced he needed a long, thick stick for a Social Studies project due Tuesday. Of course none of our sticks at home would work, he needed a new one. From the beach. I’m…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Twist
In the winter of 1945 the USS Nereus left for it’s first voyage departing Pearl Harbor bound for Japan. Through it’s 25 year career the Nereus supported US submarines across the Pacific and as far north as the Arctic Circle. An Edmonds resident served aboard the ship in 1955 and in 2012…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Someone in this church has a great sense of humor… They are on a busy street close to our neighborhood and while one side of the sign always announces upcoming club meetings and service times the front is left free to share a message, a laugh or something to think about. We drove by this one last…
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iPhoneography Monday
I’ve still got a few hours left in my Monday to post tonight, sorry to those who read this on Tuesday. 🙂 Sally’s challenge for the second Monday of every month is Macro photography and each time I have to admit it’s the week that gives me the most trouble.…
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iPhoneography Monday: 5-5-14
Sally’s back from a wonderful vacation and her popular Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge begins the month of May with Nature as its subject. I’ve posted this view of Marina Beach Park before when the trees were at their height of fall color and I thought it would be fun…
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A Word A Week: Water
I’ve been in a beachy kind of mood this week with lots of water themed posts so here is one more image from the same spring day as Bud’s Bait Shop and the “I wish I was on a cruise” Life Ring. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge:…
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iPhoneography Monday: 4-28-14
Sally is enjoying her last week of vacation but since I enjoy posting an iPhone photo every Monday I thought I would keep up with her schedule and choose Architecture for my week 4 Challenger’s Choice selection. Every time I walk by Bud’s Bait House on the Edmonds waterfront I think…
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Happy Earth Day 2014
Our April showers paused just long enough for me to take a walk this afternoon and snap some photos of our spring blooming trees in honor of Earth Day. My fingers are crossed hoping these wet days really will bring more May flowers…
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A Word A Week: Contrast
Ryan has a habit of picking up what ever electronic device is left lying around and secretly leaving his mark. I never know what to expect when I realize I haven’t seen my phone for a few hours but usually I discover new voice recordings, fun messages on my fitbit…
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Travel Theme: Misty
I love living by the waterfront with easy access to the beach but our proximity to Puget Sound also brings plenty of misty days . In the fall we can spend weeks at a time wrapped in thick fog and even though I know the trees are turning brilliant shades of red and yellow and that the sky…
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Black & White Tuesday: 4-1-14
I really hope this will be the last bare branches photo of our winter as April’s warmer air and longer days means it’s almost time for the Emerald City (Seattle) to live up to its nickname.
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iPhoneography Monday: 3-31-14
This week introduces a new element to Lens and Pen by Sally’s Non-Traditional photo challenge – editing and processing using apps. I’ve been wanting to try Waterlogue and as I expected it’s been fun seeing what my photos might look like if I had any talent with watercolor. My first attempt was this still…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life
A place reveals itself on its streets, from pedestrians strolling during lunch time, to performers entertaining tourists on sidewalks, to the bustle of local markets, and more. Whether you’re shoveling snow from your own driveway or walking a familiar route to work or getting lost in a foreign city, a…
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Travel Theme: Pink
I know I’ve been very quiet this week but don’t worry I hope to spend some quality time with my reader as soon as tomorrow. I plan to be back to a more normal schedule by next week and can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to while I’ve…
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iPhone Monday: 3-17-14
I’ve posted a few photos of this beach log but I haven’t shown it from this angle before. Is it just me or does anyone else think the old roots look like fingers reaching into the ocean? Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Monday: Black and…
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Travel Theme: Garden
This isn’t a traditional garden picture but March in the Pacific Northwest is a challenging time everyone who loves the outdoors. It’s cold and damp 90% of the time with a few brief stretches of sunny weather that give us all spring fever but send pollen counts into the double…
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iPhone Monday: 3-10-14
In response to Sally’s March Macro Challenge I have a second view of the spring flowers from my Nature post last week. I encourage everyone who is a fan of mobile photography to spend some time with the thoughtful posts at Lens and Pen by Sally. Her Monday photo challenges include valuable tips and insight…
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Travel Theme: Tempting
In honor of Alisa’s newest travel theme “tempting” I have a set of his and hers photos. Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s is always full of tough decisions. This morning I stopped in the entry debating if I should get the Bunch of flowers or do I pick up the Bigger…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective
Perspective is important to every photographer. With the creative use of perspective narrowed down through the lens of a camera, a bit of gravel can look like a barren desert landscape or a few trees can trick the eye into thinking you’re deep in a centuries-old forest. Who hasn’t seen…
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Black & White Tuesday: 3-4-14
After a dreary week of foggy October days Ryan and I grabbed our warm coats and headed to the beach. Late afternoon brought us the first touch of light in days and just as the gray lifted a flock of birds rose from their perches at the Marina and flew out to sea.
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A Word A Week: Frame
Sue’s latest challenge in her popular word a week series is “Frame“. I’m pretty sure I could find a new scenic image framed in an interesting way to share but instead decided to post a photo of this old wooden rowboat living its last days as part of a children’s play area on the Edmonds waterfront. The boat frame is tipped on its…
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Black & White Tuesday: 2-25-14
The only reason I stopped to take this photo was because of how much I liked the leafless branches against a vibrant blue winter sky yet here I am on a black & white Tuesday removing all color. The original brown and blue palette was striking but after viewing it in monochrome I can really appreciate the organic structure of this great…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Three
Michelle’s latest photo challenge asks us to use a three picture posting style to tell a story through images. This is a technique I’ve enjoyed in the past and when you have a son with a flair for the dramatic composing a visual story is a fun way to pass the time. Today, with three images,…
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Black & White Tuesday: 2-18-14
I have another summer beach photo for this mid-February entry in my Black and White Tuesday series. Ryan spent an hour filling his pockets with rocks for sling-shot ammunition while I relaxed on driftwood logs snapping pictures of the day.
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iPhoneography Monday: 2-17-14
Without fail, by the time February arrives with its mixed bag of wind, rain and snow I can’t help dreaming of warm afternoons spent at the beach. There aren’t any tropical vacation plans in my near future but I do have plenty of photos from some fun summer days by the water to share and…
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A Word A Week: Violet
One of the things I love about Heather is its determined nature, blooming right on schedule no matter the conditions. This little plant flowers in my front yard every winter providing bright spots of color in a season filled with green, brown and white. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week: …
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iPhoneography Monday: 2-10-14
Our latest snowstorm was perfectly timed, starting after we returned home Saturday night and melting by Sunday afternoon. We had just enough snow to walk around the neighborhood and throw snowballs Sunday morning and safe roads for grocery shopping before the new work and school week began today. Posted as part of Lens and Pen…
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iPhoneography Monday: 2-3-14
Saturday afternoon John, Ryan and I laced up our hiking shoes and set out to explore Southwest County Olympic View Park. This 120 acre parcel was owned and logged in the early 1900’s by Pope and Talbot before they transferred ownership to the University of Washington who eventually granted the property to the City of Edmonds in…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Object
Some photographs, like portraits, focus on individuals, while still-life moments capture the beauty (and often treasured stories) of belongings and found objects. The Daily Post – Cheri Lucas Rowlands I’ll bet this old basket ball has a few good stories to tell… Found during a walk in the woods and posted…
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Travel Theme: Wood
This huge beach log is one of the most photographed spots on our favorite Edmonds beach and of course I can’t help stopping several times a year to try capturing a new angle. When the tide is out this section of the log is almost as high as my shoulder and the…
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iPhoneography Monday: 1-20-14
Today is the third Monday of the month which means it’s time for January’s black and white week over at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge. I wasn’t sure what I was going to post today until I came across this small trillium photo from last spring. While I like the…
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Black and White Tuesday: 1-14-14
This fun piece of public art is located on the Edmonds waterfront and features three generations of a family relaxing at the beach. A few months ago I posted a photo taken from behind the piece showing three of the family members watching the boats and waves. If you missed it the first time around here is a link to…
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iPhoneography Monday: 1-13-14
Yesterday I sat down in our wet backyard grass and decided I wouldn’t go back inside until I found something interesting to photograph for today’s macro challenge. I’m happy I took a few minutes to look at things from a different angle because I had completely missed how pretty this little mushroom was…
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A Word A Week: Yellow
Looking through my archives tonight has forced me to accept that yellow isn’t one of my favorite colors. It’s not something I can wear successfully and it looks like it isn’t a color I photograph often. Actually I’m kind of surprised I don’t have more photos that feature yellow as I do…
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Outside
Tell us about the experience of being outside, looking in — however you’d like to interpret that. Photographers, artists, poets: show us OUTSIDE. My Black and White Tuesday post included the news that I was posting a color photo of the evening sunset from the same Ferry trip on my new Facebook page. Several of you clicked over…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
Beginning. Hello, 2014. And hello and happy new year to our readers, old and new. This week’s theme might be obvious, but I couldn’t help it — it’s a simple and common word, yet can evoke very powerful, emotional images. Cheri Lucas Rowlands – The Daily Post As many of…
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Our Landscaping Project: Progress Update
Writing an updated post about our big landscaping project has been on my to-do list for several weeks (months) but hey, life is busy and I rarely make it to the bottom of a list. I didn’t think I would be posting anything today but when I saw that the Daily Prompt was Progress I realized I was out of excuses. Here is…
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Travel Theme: Birds
Every time I try to take a picture of a cute little bird something goes wrong. If the shot isn’t terribly out of focus, then the bird will move at the last second or the finished image is just too boring to post but my lack of photographic timing doesn’t stop birds from flying into my pictures each time…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Joy
Whether or not you celebrate a winter holiday, the years’ end is a perfect time to look back at the year-that-was and happily forward to the year-that-will-be. A time of renewal, celebration, and joy. This week, let’s set ourselves up for a happy new year: share a photo that shows…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: One
Every good photograph needs a focal point. It’s the thing that draws the viewer’s eye and tells the story. Michelle – The Daily Post This is the first year my son has been able to take the bus to school and since our pick up location is about fifteen minutes away the thirty…
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iPhoneography Monday: 12-16-13
The above ground twists and turns of old tree roots always catch my attention but this one stopped us on the trail. We thought it looked like an ancient dinosaur leg resting on the forest floor… Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s weekly Phoneography Challenge.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Community
In 1916 Washington State outlawed the sale of alcohol and four years later the nation wide prohibition on the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States became law. This ban remained in place until 1933 but as you can see from the 1932 photo above alcohol was…
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Travel Theme: Still
Alisa wrote a lovely post today about stillness and the origins of the word solstice as December 21st is almost here. She explains the word comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) referring to the point at which the sun pauses on its seasonal path (as viewed from Earth)…
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iPhoneography Monday: 12-9-13
The second Monday of every month is devoted to mobile phone Macro photography at Lens and Pen by Sally so for today’s post I have this shot of the last Anemone seed pods left in my garden. The final seeds let loose during our last windstorm and I’m sure we will find new plants sprouting…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Grand
Grand. We’ve hosted a “Big” photo challenge in the past, but for this week’s challenge, we want you to consider not just the size of something, but also that special element: the “wow factor” of a scene or subject that makes a picture so stunning. That magical quality you’re always out looking…
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iPhoneography Monday: Nature 12-2-13
The first Monday of every month focuses on images of nature at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge. I love the vibrant shades of the ever-present bright green moss growing all around this part of the Pacific Northwest. Chilly temperatures will soon take a toll on the vivid display so I’m happy I captured…
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Travel Theme: Fragrant
This week Alisa’s travel theme is all about fragrance and she has some beautiful examples of wildlife, baked goods, fresh fruit and spices posted at Where’s My Backpack. Since the theme for my blog is a view into our corner of the Pacific Northwest I thought it would be fun to show…
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A Word A Week: Lines
Nothing is ours except time. A photo of the time capsule in my town’s Centennial Plaza. I wonder what is waiting underneath these lines… Posted as part of the Word a Week Challenge: Lines.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
Unexpected. The world is an interesting place: we stumble upon unexpected things each day, like signs that are unintentionally amusing… Cheri – The Daily Post When read today’s weekly photo challenge and saw the prompt was the word “unexpected” I couldn’t think of a single image in my photo roll…
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Black and White Tuesday: 11-19-13
The days are getting shorter and shorter here in the Pacific Northwest and as I look out my window to nearly dark sky at 4:20 pm I thought this black and white image was a fitting choice for today’s post. The birds are still flying but the light is almost…
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iPhoneography Monday: 11-18-13
While I have been lucky enough to see several pods of Orca Whales swimming along this waterway I have yet to get a good photo of a whale. Maybe that is why I take so many of pictures of this beachfront sculpture… Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge: Black…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers
Layers. Layers can reveal, conceal, and make something more complex. They can vary in size, texture, color, or functionality. Each layer can have its own story, meaning, or purpose. They can overlap, blend, or be distinctly separate. A layer doesn’t have to be a part of a single object but can…
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Black & White Tuesday: 11-12-13
I missed my black and white post last week but Tuesday is here again and today I have a beachfront image from our stretch of fall fog a few weeks ago. The waterfront was surprisingly full of people but the heavy mist muffled all sounds and if I angled my view just right it…
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iPhoneography Monday: Macro 11-11-13
Capturing clean macro photos is always a challenge for me but I love Sally’s weekly Phoneography posts so here is my latest attempt. These fern fronds were part of the path through a park we visited Saturday afternoon and I liked the woodsy shades of brown on the forest floor while we were surrounded…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit
This week, show us something that’s a HABIT. Capture a moment both constant and fleeting. Michelle – The Daily Post For each new photo challenge I aim to trust my instincts and create a post around the first image or location that comes to mind. As Michelle says above, moments of habit can be…
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Travel Theme: Connections
Walking with my brother’s dog Heidi, my son Ryan and his new friend from school this morning I was thinking about connections and how lucky we are to have a great community of friends and family around us. Of course I couldn’t help taking a few pictures along the way and once…
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A Word A Week Challenge: Behind
One of our favorite things to do in the summer is fill a backpack with supplies and take a walk into town to get ice cream or watch a movie. The hike is a little over two miles each way and Ryan and I always find a few new things to…
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A Word A Week: Two
I have one more forest walk photo for you because it could be a long wait for a better chance to post an image of a two headed tree… Inspired by Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge: Two
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iPhoneography Monday: 11-4-13
The first week of the month is nature’s time to shine at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge and today I have another photo from our Sunday afternoon walk through the woods. We left the house planning to spend a few hours on the beach but now I’m glad the access roads were closed because…
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Travel Theme: Delicate
This is the first, and hopefully only, time I post a photo of a slug but this little guy just insisted on being the center of attention today. Yesterday brought a huge windstorm to the Seattle area and today John, Ryan and I ventured out hoping to visit a “new to us” beach. The…
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Happy Halloween 2013
Halloween is a pretty big deal at our house. Honestly it is my husband’s favorite holiday and he talks about it, plans it and shops for it 365 days a year. Our 2013 theme was inspired by a shoebox of vintage photographs found in my sister-in-law’s attic and abandoned by previous homeowners years ago. Working from…
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Black & White Tuesday: 10-29-13
After spending a few dark days in a surprise stretch of October fog I stopped complaining about missing the fall color and blue skies and headed out to make the best of our gloomy weather. It was very quiet along the beach this afternoon and even though a Washington State Ferry was loading cars next to us the…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon
Horizon. The space or line where the sky meets the earth. Sara Rosso – The Daily Post Here in the Puget Sound we’ve been blanketed by a cold stretch of deep fog and this photo is from the last time I saw the horizon, one week ago today. Keep your fingers crossed for us, this gloomy…
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Black and White Tuesday: 10-22-13
I am so happy that Ryan is a good sport when I ask him to sit still for pictures. Late last year I realized I forgot to schedule an appointment for our traditional Christmas Card portrait and a quick look at the calendar confirmed I missed every deadline to get them done professionally. This was a clear, sunny day…
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Phoneography Monday: Black and White 10-21-13
The third Monday of every month is devoted to black and white phoneography at Lens and Pen By Sally. My small town is in the middle of its fourth day of heavy October fog and I hope Sally doesn’t mind the touch of Sepia in these misty beach photos because I need a hint of color…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: The Hue of You
For this challenge, we want to keep it simple: share a photograph with a prominent color (or assortment of colors) that reveals more about you. It could be a symbolic, meaningful shade; a color that expresses how you currently feel; or a combination of colors that excites you and tells…
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Black and White Tuesday: 10-15-13
I usually prefer my end of the day sun scenes in color but something about this photo with it’s bands of pure, bright light and white fluffy clouds spoke to me today.
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A Word A Week: Silhouette
Sue’s latest word of the week over at A Word in Your Ear is Silhouette. I’ve posted a smaller image of this tree before but thought the contrast of the dark leafless branches against the bright white sky was worth a second look today. Unfortunately the tree died last year and was removed to make way for…
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Phoneography Monday: Nature 10-7-13
I’m home from a fun-filled family trip just in time to participate in Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge: Nature. Last Wednesday I posted a photo looking up through some late summer flowers and today I thought I would show you a view of the same planting bed looking down toward ground level instead of up to…
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A Word A Week: Underneath
A clear sign that the seasons are changing and fall is here…birds flying south for the winter. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge: Underneath I’ll be away from WordPress for a few days enjoying some family time but am looking forward to catching up with your posts when I’m back!
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Saturated
Every year I find at least one place to plant this combination of ferns and red begonias. I enjoy almost every color variety of begonia but non stop red has claimed the top spot as my favorite with the maidenhair fern. This pot spent most of the summer in a shaded spot…
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Waiting
A farmer waiting for his next customer at the Edmonds Market. Posted as part of the Daily Prompt: Waiting
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Black and White Animals: Heidi
I’ve never met a Lab who didn’t love playing at the beach. The combination of water, sticks, sand, other dogs and stinky things to roll in make for a fun-filled afternoon and a happy, sleepy dog who goes to bed early is pretty nice too. Posted as part of Cee’s…
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Black and White Tuesday 9-24-13
I had a few minutes to walk along the beach Friday afternoon and happily spent them listening to this gentleman, in his white suit and hat, play a trumpet while facing the waves. There were several families around us enjoying the last hours of summer and just as I put my phone down two little girls ran up…
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Phoneography Monday: 9-23-13
I recently realized that even though both my About page and widget mention we love to cook, I haven’t posted a single recipe or even a photo of something from our kitchen. You’ll need to wait a little longer for my first recipe post but since this is the fourth Monday of the month…
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Travel Theme: Through
Alisa’s weekly travel theme is all about the word “through”. You never know what will come into focus through these view finders but this time we saw crystal clear views of Mt. Baker, migrating birds heading south for the winter and someone out for their last warm kayak trip of the season. Posted as part…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: From Lines To Patterns
From lines to patterns. We see lines and patterns in the world around us, in nature and things man-made. Sometimes we don’t realize they’re there: on the street, across the walls, up in the sky, and along the ground on which we walk. Cheri Lucas Rowlands on September 20, 2013…
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A Word A Week: Arch
The natural arches in this large driftwood stump are a great place to play, climb and build forts on the Edmonds Waterfront. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge: Arch
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Black and White Tuesday: 9-17-13
When I’m working from home Heidi is happy to nap outside the office door as long as she gets a short walk in the morning and a longer one in the afternoon. Yesterday was busier than normal though and our afternoon walk had to be postponed until later in the day. By 3:00 pm she let me…
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Phoneography Monday: Black and White 9-16-13
The third Monday of every month is dedicated to Black and White Phoneography over at Lens and Pen by Sally. I spent some time with my photo files this morning looking for something interesting to contribute and was surprised by how many pictures of wheels I took this summer. They vary in…
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Travel Theme: Multicoloured
The vendors at our Edmonds Farmer’s Market had an amazing assortment of peppers available this morning . I love their bright, cheery colors and wonderful variety of flavors so of course we ended up with more than one bag for our fajitas tonight! Posted as part of Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Multicoloured
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A Word A Week: Square
It would be nice to have some beautiful travel photos to share for this challenge, maybe a wonderful meal in a town square, a row of interesting windows, or even some funny signs but the school year has started and my “square” experiences are now limited to picking up shoes and perhaps mowing the grass… Posted…
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Weekly Travel Theme: Hidden
Every time we walk past the window of this empty shop space Ryan says “look, there’s Olive Oyl. You know, from Popeye.” When I finally realized he was talking about the group of toys I wondered how I had missed her in the crowd. Now I see her bright red top every time. I think she is…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: An Unusual POV
Challenge yourself to rethink your ideas about what subjects are appropriate, and then challenge yourself again to find an unusual perspective on your subject. Lynn Wohlers – Photography 101 post on Point of View I’ve always been fascinated by street photography and as a kid spent countless summer days laying on…
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Our Landscaping Project: Weeks Five and Six
We have been so busy working I missed my update last week so this is a combo post showing our progress through weeks 5 and 6 of the big Landscaping Project 2013. We have had some long days and a few scheduling setbacks but several big items on our renovation wish list are complete and we feel like…
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Black and White Tuesday 9-3-13
For today’s Black and White Tuesday post I thought it would be fun to experiment with the Hueless app on my iPhone. These piles of curvy driftwood caught my attention as Ryan led me down the beach with the rule that we could only walk on logs…no sand or rock steps allowed.
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A Word A Week: Pink
Sue’s last word of the week was Pink and yes, I know, I’m a little late with this one. Over the next few days I hope to catch up with the recent posts waiting in my draft folder – starting with the word Pink. Though I am not usually a…
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Speed
Photographers, artists, poets: show us SPEED. Every September the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce hosts the Edmonds Classic Car Show filling our downtown area with hundreds of classic cars, live bands, great food and a lot of families having fun. We always stop by and Ryan and his cousins race from car to…
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Our Landscaping Project: Week Four
We are wrapping up week four of our big project and have reached the inevitable plateau that comes after initial excitement of breaking ground meets the sweaty reality a lot of work still left to do. The heavy equipment is gone and the days of huge changes are (hopefully) behind us leaving lots of hard…
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Travel Theme: Play
This simple slingshot has been our “go to” toy of the summer. It travels everywhere with Ryan, tucked into his back pocket, along with a few small pebbles ready to fire whenever we are in a location that is wide open and away from windows. I love that his first choice for play…
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iPhoneography Monday 8-19-13
I take a lot of pictures with my phone every week. Not only do I find images everywhere that look interesting, I frequently shoot the same subject with more than one camera app to learn more about which settings I like in different conditions. I have previously posted photos from these two locations below…
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A Word A Week: Herd
Sue’s newest travel theme, Herd, was a tough one for me and by the end of the week was completely out of ideas. I spend a lot of time by the water, working in my yard and driving on the freeways through Seattle but don’t find myself around herds very often… John and I…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Carefree
One of our favorite places to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon with a fishing pole, crab pot and picnic lunch. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Carefree
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Our Landscaping Project: Week Three
Week three was filled with more shopping trips for plants and materials, a lot of dirty/dusty work framing the new front porch, some time posing next to big equipment that doesn’t usually decorate our front yard, and a few new plants successfully placed in the side yard. The caution tape…
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A Word A Week: Bisect
The word of the week over at Sue’s fun blog A Word in Your Ear is Bisect. Walking back to our car after a beautiful sunset on the beach I turned around for one last photo through the boats in the Marina.
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Travel Theme: Architecture
The Ganahl-Hanley log cabin was built in the Seaview neighborhood of Edmonds by Gaston Ganahl. Mr. Ganahl fell in love with the guest cabins at Yellowstone Park and in 1930, hired the builder who oversaw their construction to come to Edmonds and build his dream home. All materials for the cabin came from the land surrounding the…
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Black and White Weekly Challenge: Texture
For the current theme of Texture over at Sonel’s Corner I have one more image to share from my walk last week. These tree branches looked so pretty arching over a stone wall that Ryan and I both stopped in the shade to take a few pictures before continuing down the steep hill to the…
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Phoneography Monday: 7-29-13
Walking along the beach is one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon and yesterdays visit was picture perfect. Edmonds has several waterfront parks open to the public 365 days a year and most of them display quirky, fun pieces of public art in unexpected locations. It doesn’t…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Masterpiece
Masterpiece…a location or scene that’s special, unusual, or even magical in some way. Weekly Photo Challenge: Masterpiece Cheri Lucas Rowlands on July 26, 2013 This maple tree, tucked in the far corner of our backyard, shares its beautiful pattern with every season. Posted as part of the WPC: Masterpiece
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh
Fresh. The definition for fresh has a bit of a fork in it – it’s a state (new, recent, previously unknown)… – Sara Rosso This morning, home after a busy week in Texas, I couldn’t wait to sit down and catch up with the latest posts in my reader. As I expected it is filled with…
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Travel Theme: Simplicity
The simple things that bring me back to the beach day after day. Posted as part of Alisa’s weekly travel theme: Simplicity.
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A Perfect Day for Paddle Boarding
Last Sunday we filled our backpacks with swim suits, towels and sunscreen and walked down the hill to the Edmonds – Kingston Ferry for a day of fun on the water. I tried and failed many times to photograph a pod of Orca whales so you will just have to take my word for…
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Travel Theme: Motion
Ryan never stops moving …especially on the soccer field. Posted as part of Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Motion.
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Black and White Weekly Photo Challenge: Bridges
The third week of Sonel’s black and white challenge asks us to show the word “Bridge”. For more unique interpretations of bridge please visit Sonel’s Corner and her Black and White Challenge: Bridge.
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Phoneography Monday: Nature
For today’s Phoneography Monday: Nature post I have two cool images from our Pacific Northwest Spring to share. My afternoon forecast is for the mid 90’s and the season of pretty spring flowers is over…
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My Neighborhood in Black and White
I was happy to discover Sonel’s Corner a few days ago and today I decided to jump in and post my first entry in her new black and white photo challenge. The themes are suggested by readers and this week is set aside for images of your neighborhood. I’ve posted photos of what I loosely…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Companionable
Companion – A person who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another. Share a picture of a COMPANION and explain why you chose that picture. Michelle – The Daily Post I have been thinking a lot about companions today. I am definitely a creature of habit and…
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What I Like About Travel
One of the things I enjoy most about travel is the chance to experience a brand new view during very normal moments. I’m sure most of us have been disappointed by a sub-par hotel room with an uninspiring view of the parking lot but I don’t take pictures of those mistakes… I do…
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Flower Friday 6-21-13
I am going to miss the Weekly Photo Challenge today but here is a Peony from my garden for Flower Friday. Photo taken with my iPhone 5 and edited in Snapseed.
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A Vibrant Edmonds Sunset
If I wasn’t traveling tonight I would right here be at our favorite beach in Edmonds. This sunset was part of a beautiful evening last week and is posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge: Vibrant.
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Wordless Wednesday: 6-19-13
* I am away for a quick summer trip but will be back next week with new photos to share!
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Phoneography Monday: Black and White
Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge: Black and White.
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Travel Theme: Flow
Alisa’s newest travel theme is Flow and I have some fun photos of a very chilly but exciting morning in December when Ryan and I grabbed our warm coats and went to the beach to experience a Winter King Tide. King Tides occur when the sun and moon align increasing the gravitational pull on the…
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Phoneography Monday: Macro 6-10
iPhone 5 and edited in Snapseed and PhotoToaster For more fun Macro images and phoneography tips please visit Lens and Pen by Sally and this week’s Phoneography Challenge: Macro Mobile Photography
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Daily Prompt: Everyday
Is being “normal” — whatever that means to you — a good thing, or a bad thing? Neither? Photographers, artists, poets: show us EVERYDAY. The Daily Prompt – Michelle W. After seven years our “Everyday” is about to change. This playground at Edmonds Elementary is where my son’s school day has…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting
I’ve been thinking a lot about the fleeting moments in our days, and in our lives. The quiet, precious moments between the ones we love. Cheri – The Daily Post In a new post created specifically for this challenge, share a moment that means Fleeting to you. May in the…
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Travel Theme: Costume
Halloween is a huge holiday in our family. It’s my husbands favorite time of year and he really enjoys planning new, spooky decorations for the house and costumes for Ryan. I don’t usually take photos of people in costume but looking through my photos reminded me we have plenty of…
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The Edmonds Spring Garden Market
One of my favorite ways to spend a few hours is walking through a Farmer’s Market. Lucky for me Edmonds has a wonderful space in the Downtown area that hosts both a spring and summer market. The Spring Garden Market opened Saturday, May 4th and continues every Saturday until the Summer Market opens,…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background
In the Background: The places that we pass through day after day, or even once in a lifetime, leave in their small way, echoes and traces of themselves upon us. But so often when taking self portraits or pictures of friends, the places themselves become a soft blurred mush of…
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Daily Prompt: Green
Today in the Daily Post the photography prompt is Green. I almost posted this iPod picture a few weeks ago but in the end decided the finished image was too green to fit with my other photos. Today it gets a second chance for a moment in the sun. This is a small view of my…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern
“Pattern. Patterns are everywhere. Patterns are sometimes intentional and sometimes accidental. They can be decorative or merely a result of repetition, and often patterns can be in the eye of the beholder to discover them.” – Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern Today I made an effort to slow down and look…
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iPhoneography Monday: Nature
For this week’s iPhoneography Monday theme of Nature I have a picture of freshly cut Rhubarb from our local farmer’s market. Photo from my iPhone 5 and edited in Snapseed and PhotoToaster. If you would like to join the iPhoneography Monday photo fun please visit Lens and Pen by Sally for the schedule and details.
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A Word A Week: Sleep
Each week Sue at A Word in Your Ear opens her dictionary to a new word, then challenges her readers to post a photo or write a short paragraph showing our take on the current choice – this week we have “sleep”. Well, I have lots of photos of sleeping kids, pets and…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture
Aaron Joel Santos, the guest host for this week’s challenge writes: Culture is a bit of a loaded word. In a photograph, it can embody everything and nothing. So where do we draw the line? Shopping culture, hippy culture, Asian culture, Thai culture, ancient culture, and on and on. These…
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Travel Theme: Light
An hour before these pictures I had to break the news to my son that his Grandpa Joe was moved into hospice care and would be leaving us soon. While my husband quietly spent the day with his father and sisters I took Ryan to the beach for a walk and a chance to…
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iPhoneography Monday: Earth Day
Did you know that close to 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water? In response to Lens and Pen by Sally’s challenge to share portraits of Nature in celebration of Earth Day I want to post four new iPhone pictures featuring views of the water in Washington State. These first two images…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: A Day in my Life
The new Weekly Photo Challenge is all about documenting a day in your life. I hope you enjoy this quick view of my Friday!
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Lunchtime
My Travel Theme post about the color green mentions our first crab caught from the Edmonds Fishing Pier. We had a great day figuring out how what kind of bait to use (chicken), how to throw the pot, visiting with the other fishers and crabbers around us and discovering what kinds…
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Phoneography Challenge: Neighborhood
Today the Weekly Photo Challenge is all about capturing your neighborhood through phone pictures. We love our small town and I’m always taking pictures on my iPhone so after school my son and I had a little fun on Main Street. All pictures were taken with my iPhone 5 and…
Northwest Frame of Mind 