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 stayed  home to work and binge watch season 3 of Orange is the New Black.  It’s getting hard to stay up later than Ryan these days and some television shows are best watched without teenagers in the room…

Sunday we had a fun family lunch before leaving Ryan with Grandma and Grandpa and even if I wanted to forget about back to school shopping every window I passed on Monday shouted “it’s time to spend money!”.  Most of Tuesday passed without a photo opportunity and by the time I left work and walked to my car I started to worry there wouldn’t be anything interesting to share.  Then I noticed the elevator doors and realized once again all I needed to do was look around and really pay attention to my surroundings.

Wednesday morning I found a work crew replacing this stretch of fence beside the main road next to our street.  In the six years we’ve lived in this neighborhood this is the third time someone has driven through the barrier and over the retaining wall.  Fortunately no one was seriously hurt today.  Thursday night John and I had a glass of wine outside while our salmon cooked on the BBQ and Friday night Finn and I moped around alone with some takeout and ice cream.  John took the day off to drive north and get Ryan from my parents and the two of them went to the local Fair, ate junk food, rode the rides and walked through every animal barn.  I had to stay home for work and Finn did his best to keep me company but I could tell he was suffering from empty house syndrome as much as I was.  Saturday morning brought the boys home, Finn ran laps around the house welcoming them back and I noticed this little ice plant growing underneath the front deck.  Some seeds must have dropped from last years flower pots and they are now happily blooming for a second year in a row.

Each photo was taken with my iPhone 6 using Hipstamatic’s “shake to randomize” function then posted without any additional editing. If you like a particular combination and want to try it at home just click on the image to see the lens and filter used.  For variety I continue to add new lenses and filters so if you want to try Hipstamatic but are unsure how to start let me know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

Lisa17 Comments

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 online friends for an afternoon walk and dinner.

Sunday started our week in the best way possible as I got to meet a good blogging friend, Andra Watkins in person.  Andra was in town with her husband Michael and we all enjoyed a nice visit, a great meal and a walk through the city on a warm April day.  Monday started off with plenty of sunshine too and I took this shot of our rhododendrons before the incoming rain and hail took a toll on the soft blossoms.  Now that Easter is over every store is preparing up for Memorial Day BBQ’s and Tuesday’s brightly colored shelf full of outdoor toys reminded me of lazy afternoons watching bubbles float up to the sky.

Wednesday is another shot in our backyard as I walked down the hill to find Finn munching on new fiddleheads.  Lucky for him our yard is full of ferns and snacking opportunities so he can spread the damage out over many plants instead of eating one prize perennial.  Thursday’s random photo finally used one of the new combinations for this image of the Tesla Store in Bellevue Square Mall.  I was surprised the first time I saw a car showroom in a mall but these cars are so pretty I think they actually belong here with the high-end retail stores.   Friday’s Sasquatch socks are a close up of Ryan’s legs, he couldn’t wait to wear his new birthday present to school and I liked the image of these little Squatches walking through our lawn.  The week ends with a closeup of our dwarf Korean Lilac tree that’s followed us from apartment to house to house for 20 years now.  Fully mature, it’s about 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide with a spicy scent that tells me April is almost over.

Each photo is straight from Hipstamatic’s “shake to randomize” function and posted without any additional editing. If you like a particular combination and want to try it at home just click on the image to see the lens and filter used.  For variety I’m working with some new lenses and filters this week so if you want to try Hipstamatic but are unsure how to start let me know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions!

Lisa26 Comments

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 been overlooked in my rush to the next item on the list.

Sunday night John opened this Seahawk banner that’s been flying over his office building since their 2014 Super Bowl win.  The edges are frayed from a years worth of wind and rain so his bosses finally took it down but they thought Ryan would like it so I guess I’ll be finding somewhere to stash a big flag inside the house for the next few years. Monday evening’s few minutes of sunshine were enough to step outside and see our pretty green Japanese maple starting to leaf and Tuesday morning I found Finn’s favorite blanket unoccupied at the top of the stairs.   He’s a tactile dog and loves cozy fleece but everything he touches is permanently covered in white dog hair…

Wednesday morning I Finn and I walked up our hill at the exact moment the sun cleared the top and Ryan’s school bus passed by.  Thursday’s image is another attempt to capture this part of our neighborhood and all the pretty shades of green but once again Hipstamatic decided to change things up and shoot it in black and white.  It’s a good thing I’m liking all these new black and white combinations. 🙂  Friday is a corner view of a pretty flower shop ready for a rush of Easter shoppers and Saturday found us in a new Antique store.  I wish we had room for a few of these old bags!

Each photo is straight from Hipstamatic’s “shake to randomize” function and posted without any additional editing. If you like a particular combination and want to try it at home just click on the image to see the lens and filter used.  I will be away from WordPress next week enjoying some time off with Ryan for his Spring Break but I’ll be back next Sunday with 7 new photos and maybe even a few new favorites!

 

Lisa20 Comments