My Year In Pictures: January Week 4

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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 every single month.  Scaling back to a few per week seems a lot more realistic and I’m looking forward to a lighter schedule, posting when I want and jumping back into some of the challenges I’ve missed.

Instead of 7 images and 1 full week we’ve got a super-sized gallery of 11 to finish out the year and I like the stories that they tell.  We start with a street performer in Seattle, a sleepy Finn and a beautiful sunset.  Ryan and I sat together in the car on a clear, cold night unable to leave this view while the radio played an acoustic version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity.  My last 7 shots are an exploration of the soft blues and grays that make up so much of our Pacific Northwest winters.  For editing I reached back to some tried and true favorites so you see one shot processed with Oggl and the rest were finished with VSCO.  All images were shot with my iPhone 7+.

If you’d like to see the whole year again I’ll have a dedicated page posted soon to join my previous years recaps from the 1 Day 1 World Project and A Surprise Every Day with Hipstamatic.

Lisa15 Comments

My Year In Photos: May Week 4

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If these seven photos are going to stand as the final word about my last four weeks I guess they’re saying it was a month of contrasts.  I see soft focus and hard edges here and by Friday I even posted one image twice because I couldn’t decide which direction to take with editing.  You’ll have to let me know which version you prefer. 🙂

Sunday’s photo is the last of my spring peony series and Monday I snapped a preview of our new wood brand tags.  We’re almost ready to list a few new items for our Etsy shop and these tags look great  on the pillows and blankets.  After the soft petals and round edges of the first two days Tuesday’s photo shows us some gritty concrete and I asked my Instagram and Facebook communities to weigh in on their choices when facing a crossroads.  Is your first instinct to turn right or do you look left?

Wednesday was all about roundness and soft focus when I shared this photo of the glass globe John and Ryan gave me for Christmas and Thursday I told the story about why these UPF protection scarves are so important to me.  The short version is that 8 years ago I received the bad news that a small mole on my leg was really Melanoma.  Fortunately my Doctors were able to successfully remove all the cancer (along with a good chunk of my calf) but now I to follow a strict regime of daily sunscreen, limited sun exposure and frequent check ups to watch for any changes in my skin.  I’m always looking for new clothes and accessories that can also serve as protection and this soft stretch jersey makes beautiful scarves that block 98% of the sun’s UVA/UVB rays.  Friday afternoon I stopped to snap this photo of the small strip of visible sky through parking garage floors and by the end of the day I couldn’t decide which version to post, the soft faded one or the hard edges and bold colors.  Do you have a favorite?  The week ended with a small detail shot of a decorative mirror in front of the brick trim around our fireplace.  I can’t wait to pull this brick off the wall and start fresh with some built-in bookcases but while it’s in place I might as well make it work for us. 🙂

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa10 Comments

My Year In Pictures: May Week 2

We’ve turned the corner into the middle of May and as spring fades to summer our family focus has been on growth and new beginnings.  A quick scroll through this set of seven images really highlights what’s captured my attention:  pretty, soft colors, natural science and good health.  We’ve enjoyed fresh new flowers growing in the spring sun, Ryan’s hip continues to heal through hard work and physical therapy and his favorite school subjects are always natural science.

I went out alone for a pretty walk on Mother’s Day morning while John and Ryan cleaned the house and Monday morning Finn and I stopped by this plant to capture one pretty bloom.  Tuesday afternoons mean it’s time for the first of Ryan’s twice weekly Physical Therapy sessions and Wednesday I had this beautiful view as a reward for making time to go to the gym for my own good health.

Thursday was a stretch for me as I helped Ryan catch up on some missed Biology homework and Friday night I snapped this photo of the final day of my beautiful Mother’s Day Peonies.  Saturday brought rain but these red maple leaves look pretty in all weather conditions.

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest spring adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa26 Comments

My Year In Pictures: April Week 3

My last set of photos was really a random, disconnected glimpse into our mid-April but this week I’m seeing a definite trend toward happiness and good wishes.  Not only did I stop to appreciate a sign announcing “I’m in the pursuit of happiness” but we had the good fortune to enjoy plenty of flowers, candles and even some birthday cake.

Sunday’s photo is a product shot of our new Lemon Verbena candles and Monday I have a close-up of Ryan’s newest treasures because he says “dinosaurs make everything better.”  Tuesday I slowed down long enough to acknowledge we should all be in the pursuit of happiness and by Wednesday morning it was time to make a wish on dandelion fluff instead of complaining about all the weeds.

Thursday’s photo is a shot of this hardy clematis that thrives in spite of its terrible location and more than a little neglect and Friday night we took Ryan out for a little pre-birthday celebration and plenty of cake. 🙂  Saturday was his big day (Happy 15 Ryan!) and the entire family came together to share a great meal, more cake and a fun round of Monopoly.

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest spring adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa19 Comments

My Year In Pictures: April Week 2

Looking through this set of photos I can’t see an obvious theme tying them together unless I decide to count general randomness as a unifying thread but any week that jumps from Lego mini-figures to trains to audio books to 80’s records must have contained some interesting moments and really that’s all that matters to me today.

Sunday afternoon Falcon landed on our deck for a quick hello and my Monday commute was made a little bit easier by listening to Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy, a funny book about horrible things.  Tuesday I stopped at this pretty little roadside park in a neighborhood of million dollar homes.  It’s wonderful to see a small parcel of land set aside for anyone who walks past to enjoy the view.

Wednesday Ryan joined me in Seattle after an appointment and I caught him in a quiet moment waiting for me in this cafe.  Thursday I couldn’t resist another shot of the Skagit Valley Tulip Fields and Friday afternoon I’ll admit I was jealous of the commuters who get to enjoy this waterfront view instead of a congested freeway.  Did you know Saturday April 16th was National Record Store Day?  I didn’t make it out to shop this year but promise each of these albums were purchased at a time when record stores were the only place to get music. 🙂

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest spring adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa20 Comments

My Year In Pictures: March Week 5

There are days when I can focus on the big picture and let little things go by the wayside but then comes a week when the big picture is just a bit to big and I narrow my field of vision searching for small things that make me happy.  I didn’t over think this trend at the end of March but looking through these 7 photos suggests that’s exactly what happened.

My Sunday search for a photo opportunity led me to the backyard and a pretty batch of spring flowers while Monday’s bright spot was a quick run through the car wash.  Tuesday afternoon was spent at Children’s Hospital followed by a stop at Starbucks for some welcome caffeine before driving home.

Wednesday didn’t exactly go as planned but John surprised me with these pretty flowers before dinner and Thursday I asked my Instagram and Facebook friends if they thought looking at the bottom of a glass was a happy or sad moment.  Would they be happy because the Gin & Tonic was so nice or sad because it was gone… results were split 50-50. 🙂  Friday night I liked this view of bare branches in the evening sun and Saturday afternoon Black Widow rode her motorcycle across our deck.

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest spring adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa15 Comments

My Year In Pictures: March Week 3

Random is the first word that came to mind tonight as I clicked through this set of seven images.  Appropriate really since I feel like we’re just flying through each day trying to be present at every appointment and commitment while making time for a quick breath and moment to appreciate the world we live in.  If all I can squeeze in is a second to stand still and snap a picture of something random but pretty then I’ll do my best to make that image count. 🙂

Our week started with anxious Finn watching the door to keep track of every person and creature walking down our street.  At least he held still long enough for a portrait.  Monday Ryan and I walked past this sign in a shop window and it sparked a long conversation about what it means to have “freedom of speech”.  Tuesday is a shot of some pretty moss that looks like fern fronds and Wednesday I stopped to pick up a postcard about Washington State for a 1st grade project about the United States.  Thursday all I had time for was aiming my phone up toward the ceiling as I rode an escalator but I liked these pretty butterflies floating overhead.  Friday’s discovery was this cheery box of candy and Saturday night ended at the gym so John and Ryan could swim and I could get a good workout in the cardio room.

Coming soon I’ve got a great set of new photos almost ready to share here from our latest March adventures and if you’d like to follow along in real-time don’t forget I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa20 Comments

My Year in Pictures: February Week 3

I’m so happy February has an extra day this year!  Really, I’ll need more than one day to catch up but I’ll make the most of what I get. 🙂

The third week of February started on a sweet note with Valentines day falling on a Sunday.  We celebrated with a trip to the Lego store and finished the evening with a wonderful dinner by the fire.  Monday was a holiday here in the US but I still had to spend some time at work so my quest for an interesting photo subject brought me by this retro-styled turntable.  Tuesday you get another image from my morning walk with Finn and a little more insight into the invasive Ivy that is slowly swallowing the neighborhood.  Wednesday brought Ryan and I back to the Orthopedic clinic for a treatment plan and Physical Therapy referral and by Thursday I was really ready for some blue skies and sunshine.  Rain returned Friday morning but I have to admit it added a pretty shine to these fern fronds and Saturday afternoon we joined my family for a pizza party celebrating our parents February birthdays.  This garden window view is of their back porch.

If you’d like to follow along in real-time I post my daily photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook but if a once-a-week blog read is more your speed my weekly recaps will continue here along with caption notes containing editing information for each photo.

Lisa18 Comments

Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Challenger’s Choice (Shades of Finn)

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve joined Sally’s weekly photography challenge but I’m ready to end the year on a high note and jump right back in with two images for this week’s theme of challenger’s choice (animals).

When I opened our Etsy store in November I knew it would mean a lot of extra work and that my hands would have to make a choice each evening between blogging and creating something new to list in the shop but sometimes these two endeavors can coexist and last night I found a way to do both.

Of all the things John and I have learned to make this year and of all the big ideas we have on our future “to do/to learn” list I never expected these little wool dryer balls to be our most viewed and best-selling item.   I hand-roll each ball but my fingers can only take so much winding before cramps set in so after each ball I take a little rest to shake things out.  Last night I discovered this is just the right amount of time to edit a photo so today you get to see my break-time handiwork.

I like both images for different reasons so since I missed last week’s black and white challenge I decided to go ahead and share the pair.  The original photo was taken over Christmas weekend with my iPhone 6 while Finn was waiting for John to come back inside.  The black and white was edited in VSCO cam using the LV2 preset while the color version was edited in Oggl using Ray Mark II and Estrada 83. I like elements in each photo but would love to hear what you think.  Black and white or color?

Lisa37 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Careful (Father and Son)

Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.
Epictetus

Careful

One of the best things about my usual “third in line” hiking position is capturing moments like this.   John and Ryan like to walk a little faster than me and as they get comfortable on their feet the conversation starts to flow covering everything from science to current events, life questions and popular culture.  I get to hang back, take photos and watch the two of them be together in the moment.

Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge:  Careful.

Lisa26 Comments