Monday, March 21, 2011

Darks and Lights

The super moon this weekend was the perfect subject for the weekly MCP Project 52 theme: Darks and Lights. I took this picture on Friday night, right before the submission deadline.  I was hoping to get some more shots on Saturday night, but it was too cloudy.

I love what this project has done for my blogging habit. I've gone from random, inconsistent posts to weekly posts. I'm still kind of random about which day I post, but then nobody's perfect. Especially not me.

I started carrying my camera to work most days, so I can catch those unexpected shots. My husband thinks it's quite amusing to watch me gathering all my bags as I head out the door. With my camera, purse, laptop and sometimes my lunch, I could sometimes use an extra hand. So, I am in the market for a new purse that will double as a camera bag - but not look like a camera bag. There are some great looking bags out there, but they tend to be a bit expensive. Let's face it, I'd rather spend my money on lenses and gadgets, so my current plan is to find a nice large bag and modify it with an insert. Wish me luck!
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I am determined to keep up with my 52 Organizing Missions until the very end... which isn't all that far away. Since I last reported, I have done these:

#45 Organize Your Garden - We have one small flower bed. It has been weeded and I cleared out the dead leaves. A couple of the bulbs have come back and I'm hoping to get some new flowers planted next weekend. Yesterday, we mowed and trimmed the vines along the fence.

#46 Give Yourself a Makeover - Bought a couple of new shirts. Working on revamping the wardrobe, slowly and deliberately. Trying to get back into my workout routine. It's not easy, but I refuse to give up.

#47 Declutter Your Thinking Habits - Negative self-talk is something I am very good at. I'm trying to catch myself whenever I start to head down that dark path and talk myself into a u-turn. This one's tough!

One of the earlier projects - clearing out the old VHS tapes - is done. On Saturday, we delivered three boxes full of videos to our local library for their spring book sale. They were almost as excited to get them as I was to get rid of them. Win-win!

Only five more missions to go!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Childhood Toys

The theme for week 10 of MCP Project 52 was Childhood Toys. 

This one almost had me stumped. My son is a teenager and his current toys consist of computer games and paintball gear. Not exactly what I had in mind.

I know that some of my own childhood toys are still hidden away in the attic of my Nana's house, but I didn't have the time, or the money, to make a trip back home for a photograph.

I really thought I was going to have to submit an off-theme photo.

My co-worker, Claudia, saved the day when she returned from a trip to Germany with some cute little wooden toys. I remember having one like this when I was a kid. You press a button on the base and the animal goes limp, then springs back to life when the button is released. Just the thing for a little stress-relief during the hectic workday.

She brought chocolate, too.  Bless her!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Express Yourself

Last week's theme (week 9) for the MCP Project 52 was Express Yourself.

The thing I love most about digital photography is the ability to delete. I can take a hundred shots to get that one perfect picture. All without paying for film and developing.

Last weekend, I took senior portraits of my son, James. Because he was posing for his mom, there were many moments of silliness. I captured more a few of these, including some where his very expressive face perfectly displayed his feelings about posing for "just one more shot." 

I did get some really nice shots that I will share later, and I saved the cost of hiring a professional, so I'm pretty happy about the experience. And James really didn't mind it all that much.