Doggie shoot today

My husband insisted that our doggie had a photo shoot today - so here are some highlights.

 

New Perspective

So - Day 3 - did pretty good - kitchen is still clean - ate three well balanced meals - but - the nice large glass of red wine and dark chocolate bar - may have set me back.

So - onto camera day!  I love getting out the camera - I took an obscene about of pictures tonight!  To narrow it down to like 45 isn't bad.  Tonight I was playing with perspective.  I was trying new settings and putting the camera in a perspective that I don't normally shoot at - on the ground - and then playing with the focal length.

Here are the first two I took tonight.  I pretty much shot blind and put the camera on the grass.

I really like this one - my middle holding her Lie Lie (lion) very mysterious.

One of my favorite from the night.  He looks so small in the big world.  The exposure was really good - getting the blue sky and clouds, the greens are good too.

This perspective was a little different than most of them - but this one was fun - I shot it at 18mm at my head. I know you don't normally shoot someone so close at 18mm because it distorts them - but - I kind of like that he looks distorted - adds to the charm.

The one on the left I think is fun - Mikey is out of focus in the far right hand corner.  The wrong thing is in focus - I like it.

This is fun too - at first I was upset that the corner of the picnic table was in the picture - but it gives the picture depth - I like....

Adding perspective with my kids at this age shows a big picture - makes them look so small in this big world.

I like this one - it's a lot closer - it was probably at 105mm from where I was vs. the 18-35mm that I was shooting at most of the time.  But - it gives yet another perspective.

Don't ask - I really love feet.  I like that the grass up close is in focus - and she is slightly out of focus.

This to me shows how small and crazy my little munchkins are! 

This looks dreamy to me - the tree's framing our free curb side swing. She is tucking in her lie lie (lion stuffed animal).  So sweet - innocent.  

On to the swingset!  I have a ton of pictures of them on the swings - but not from this vantage point.

Weeeeeee.......

The one on the right seems so pure to me....

Love this.....

At one point he was sitting in the truck - I missed this shot though.

This one makes me smile - I kind of like the totally out of focus of everything but the grass in front. 

A lost army man found in the sandbox.

This one if you don't look close - you'd miss my little man - but here's there - tiny in this big world!

I am having a lot of fun playing with my camera.  And I got a new lens - coming in the mail soon!!!

This spontaneous exercise really taught me to stop - and look at things from a different angle.  Not just with a camera in my hand - but with life in general.

Happy Birthday - to me....Day 2

I should have started today - so I could remember what day I started - but - I love jumping the gun!

Well - day 2 - my kitchen is still spotless - despite those three little rug rats always trying to mess up my tupperware cupboard!!!

And we also ate well - I had fruit and cottage cheese for breakfast - we sat and ate sandwiches and salads as a family for lunch - and a homemade meal with veggies for dinner.  Success - so I splurged on a piece of birthday cake - how could I say no to a cake my mom and girls made!

I leave you with this peaceful image of my daughter on the beach:

Day 1....to healthy living

Well I was relatively motivated by pondering yesterday.  I pledged to start living a more healthy life for me and my family (or is it my family and I?).

So - when all my children awoke at 9:30-10:00am - yes - they slept that late....I'd say they were a little wore out from our vacation!  Well - anyways - I went downstairs and had a conniption when I walked into my kitchen.  I started throwing things - literally - slamming doors - being angry and annoyed....ahh - the joys of being a stressed woman :)  I first apologized to my husband and then thought about the pondering I did yesterday and decided to start today.

Long story short - I spent 6 hours cleaning my kitchen.  I went through every cabinet, every drawer - I scrubbed the floor with a mop and then on my hands and knees.  I cleaned the baseboards, washed the tables, 409'd the counters.  Threw out 4 garbage bags full of junk from there.  I then worked my way into the dining room, family room, play room.  I still have a few areas to do - but for the most part - it's clean. My husband said I deserved to go out to eat.  I don't know what reward there is for taking 3 still overtired kids out to a noisy restaurant - but all and all - they did good and the food was good.

We tag teamed grocery shoppintg - husband went with kid 1 and kid 3 to BJ's - I took kid 2 to the grocery store.  I planned out a weeks worth of real meals!

And - when I walked into the houseI had an overwhelming feeling of calm.  I like how a clean house makes me feel.  So - now with my nice tall glass of wine - and chocolate bar - I will sit and chill and watch a movie - well - ok - probably surf too - I can't just sit here!

And - for a picture:

This is of my three chillins chillin on the beach - this is what life is - this is what it is about - peaceful, relaxing - family....I want to be healthier for them.

Ponder.....

I guess I have a lot of things to ponder.......

Hey, the results are in, amigo!  What's left to ponder?

Sorry - I was channeling my inner Zoolander there for a minute....

But - as I sit and ponder (sorry - can't say that word without laughing!!!) about life - and all it has 

to offer - I sit and look at everything.  And - yes - another birthday is around the corner - 

and that always has me re-evaluating where I am and where I want to be....

I think about what I want to accomplish this coming year.  I think the first thing I want is to 

create a more healthy and happier home for my family.  Is it strange to say I want to clean

more?  But - I want to clean, prepare better meals (ok - prepare meals in general) and 

create the home my family deserves.  

And I also want to delve further into photography - really understand the aspects.  I think I

am going to challenge myself to really understand getting proper exposure right off the bat,

and take a few classes.

And - a post isn't a post without a picture.  Here is a picture of my oldest running through the 

streets of Boston - I love it for a lot of reasons - the water creating a dull background to

really make her clear and pop....Beautiful!