Life In Photos #34

Some snaps from the last couple weeks in January.

Static electricity is the best.

He fell asleep with his tongue out…it was so cute!

While snapping photos for A Day In The Life, I snagged this gem which was her face upon waking from nap and seeing me in the doorway with my camera at the ready!

These were taken from out our playroom window – there was a squirrel party going on! They were climbing all around, right next to the house, and it was hilarious. I love squirrels! Unfortunately the little miss was napping, but my cat enjoyed the heck out of it.

And now a few shots from the ‘snowmageddon’ this past week. Luckily, where I am in NH didn’t get swamped too badly. Only about 10 inches of snow, and it was all super light and fluffy. Perfect for playing in (though terrible for snowman/fort building). Plus, since everything in the entire state pretty much shut down in preparation, the hubs got a free day off from work so we got to spend it as a family. Woohoo!

I love trees in the snow!

Her favorite part of winter is nomming the fresh snow. It’s hilarious.

This is my favorite shot from that day. I love the snow in her lashes, and in general that magical wondrous look that little kids get when they discover something to be fascinated by.

A Day In The Life

This is a post I’ve had planned for a long time, and finally got around to snapping pics for! Today, I want to share a typical day in my life through photos (and the occasional blurb from yours truly). It isn’t quite a photo-an-hour, which I’ve seen floating around the web, but I think this gives a better idea of an average day for me.

8am: Wake Up and Breakfast

9am: Screen Time

Clearly the best position for TV watching.

10am – 12:30pm: Playtime!

12:30pm: Lunch

1:15pm: Quiet Time

She heads into her room for quiet playtime before nap.

I usually spend my time with my kitty and a book, or gaming.

2:00pm: Nap Time

I tend to wait to start art projects until she’s asleep, since nap is never a guarantee.

4:00pm: Snuggles, Snack, & Chores

When she first wakes from nap, she always wants snuggles on the couch for a few!

5:00pm/5:30pm: Cooking

My little’s favorite: Quesadillas.

6:00pm: Dinner

7:00pm: Daddy Playtime

Since she’s with me all day, she likes to have time with just Daddy after dinner. It works great for me, as I get an hour of chill time to do what I like!

8:00pm: Bedtime

She always has Daddy do bedtime reading…it’s so adorable!

9:00pm – Midnight: Party Time!

And by party I mean doing art, playing board games, watching shows, or busting out some computer work!

So that’s a typical day of my life as a stay at home mum. I adore getting to spend so much time with my little miss; it is so unbelievably rewarding! Obviously, I couldn’t capture everything we do, but this is a pretty good roundup. The only thing not pictured is the amount of arts and crafts we do together, but of course in the two days I took these pics, my little wanted to do other things. I hope you enjoyed the little glimpse into my life!

What does a typical day in your life look like? If you end up making a post, feel free to share in the comments; I’d love to check it out!

Also, feel free to leave some feedback about the new layout! I needed a change, and switched to this. I’m not 100% in love with it yet, but for now it’ll do! There’ll be a few more small changes to come, mainly in the sidebar and pages (you may notice a few missing at the moment from the top menu bar…still working on ’em!).

Life In Photos #33

It’s been awhile since a Life In Photos update, and truthfully, it was a much needed break. I love photography dearly, but trying to take pictures enough for a post every week was becoming tedious. Lately, I’ve just been snapping when the mood strikes, or if there is something specific I want to try and capture.

Since it’s been quite a bit since my last post, I’ve actually got lots of photos to kick off my first Life In Photos of 2015! Hope you enjoy some snaps from my daily life (daily life = daughter, kitties, and outdoor adventures).

She picked TV time in the morning one day, and cozied right up.

These two have been buds since she was an infant. He puts up with all her snuggle antics.

We spent New Years with our best friends, and I just can’t resist snapping pics of her new little man when I’m there!

A chubby squirrel in a tree during a recent snowstorm. This picture isn’t as crisp as I wanted; I really need to work on steadier hands. I took this from my living room window with my zoom lens haha!

Her favorite part of snowstorms? Catching snowflakes on her tongue, and eating the fresh snow.

A cute crow couple! Or maybe BFFs? Either way, they stayed together the entire time they were in the yard, moving from tree to tree.

I adore this shot, the main reason being I took it using manual settings! I managed to get the bird in silhouette, with that wing detail peeking through, and I love the light gradient from the clouds.

And lastly, a selfie! I almost never snap selfies unless they are for a specific tag on IG, but we were outside in the snow, the day was just so lovely, and I felt so incredibly peaceful as the snow was falling down. I wanted to capture it! So I just held up the camera to snap a shot. And funnily enough, I actually love this photo of myself. It was an entirely unplanned picture, yet it captured the moment beautifully for me.

Life In Photos #32

I have a few fun shots to share this week!

I just love the way snow looks on the pine trees. So wintry, and oddly cozy looking even though it’s so chilly!

Visited with my BFF and her new little man was wide awake when I arrived! After snapping a few shot, I then snagged him and proceeded to have hours of snuggles.

I was playing around with my manual settings and ended up with this shot, which I love. His peaceful face, the tree in the background – it just gives me that Christmas magic feeling!

My mum’s yard always has some form of animal in it as she puts out food scraps all winter for them! A variety of birds, squirrels and chipmunks, deer, and others are always about. I snapped a pic of these blue jays and then did some partial black and white edits. I just love how the blue pops on the snow! I’m glad these turned out since I shot them through my mum’s door window (the blue jays quickly got perturbed with me). 😉

Hopefully I’ll be able to get some deer shots sometime!

Links to the Past

• This article shows some fabulous photographs from a Lithuanian photographer. They have such a mystical feel to them – love it!
• Litographs is a fabulous new (to me) website with fun literature related things. My personal favorites are the book t-shirts – check em out!
• Our Nerd Home has been showcasing some fantastic geek gifts in their new series – check out Part 1 and Part 2!
• An excellent article about 11 influential women in geek culture.
• One of my favorite blogs, Nerd In The Brain, has this fantastic post about happiness. I find it just perfectly said!

Totally forgot to scout for fanart this week, so until next time!

Photography: My Camera Tech and Wishlist

In yesterday’s Life In Photos post, I touched a bit on my love for photography as a hobby. Taking pictures has always been a prominent part of my life. I went through so many disposable cameras in my middle school days, and still have albums full of pictures from back then. Both my mother and grandmother document life through photos as well, so it’s no surprise I picked it up.

Last year I bought my first DSLR camera, a Nikon D3000. I saw it online, and the deal, which was the camera base, two lenses, an 8GB memory card, and a case, seemed amazing. After verifying that it was a good deal with some photography friends, I snatched it up right away.

This is the kit I got, which came with two lenses. A standard 18-55mm, and a 55-200mm. Nothing crazy, being kit lenses, but they do their job well.

I’ve never looked at the DVDs that came with it. I’m sure they have useful information, but I did lots of research online, and then just jumped in with a ‘learn by doing’ attitude.

After having this camera for over a year I am ready for an upgrade. Lenses are my top priority. I’d really like some that allow me a wider range for taking portraits, and I also definitely want a macro lens as I love close ups of nature things. Below are my top picks for new camera gear!

1. This portrait lens, a 10-24mm. This is the most ‘longshot’ of my wishlist because it’s a freaking $900 lens. We just don’t have that kind of money to toss into my hobbies!! But I’d like to try making a camera fund stash this year and hopefully I’ll come up with enough!

2. This macro lens, a 40mm. I love macro photography, and this is a really affordable lens for me to learn on. Plus, I think it could be great for taking close ups of my art.

3. A tripod. Really any tripod. I don’t need anything fancy. The one pictured is 72″ which I like better than a 60″ option. The main reason I want one is for taking pictures of my art. I LOATHE having to take pictures of my artwork without one.

4. A camera strap from Etsy shop Cooper’s Collars. I have a strap now, but it’s thin and not that comfortable. I’d love one of their gorgeous straps! The two above are my faves, but they have a ton of great ones.

5. And since this is a wishlist I totally get to add completely frivolous unnecessary stuff, right? Right. If I were going to upgrade my base, this would be my pick – the Nikon D7100. Me likey a lot.

Are you into photography? What do you shoot with, and what’s on your wishlist?

Life In Photos: Newborn Photoshoot

I’ve been thinking a lot about my Life In Photos series lately. I do love it. I love sharing the snippets of my life even if often they are just pictures of my kitties and daughter. However, I have come to realize that I don’t want to do it every week. I think I’d like to scale it back a bit, and only share shots I really enjoy or ones I’m really proud of.

Photography has always been a hobby of mine; I love to document things through photos. That has only expanded since getting my first DSLR camera last year. But I by no means consider myself a photographer in a professional sense. I adore taking photos, and taking them for other people. I love capturing moments for people. But, it’s not something I want as a job. I do it for fun, for the love of it.

Today I’d like to share some photos I took for my best friend. She just welcomed a new baby boy on November 12th, and on Friday I went to do a little newborn photoshoot of him and his big sister. I’m really proud of some of the shots!

This was literally the first shot I took. Sometimes the magic just happens haha! He is such a relaxed baby boy, and he loves to be on his belly!

This was my favorite shot of the two siblings together. The light is a little extreme, even after editing, but it’s grown on me.

This is kind of a strange shot, with a lot of it in silhouette, but I love it! I did another edit where I took the windowsill out and the whole background was white but I ended up not liking it, much to my surprise. It just didn’t look grounded and ended up seeming as if the hands were just floating there. I wasn’t a fan.

The is the same pose as the above photo, but from the other side with the light shining on the little man. Part of me wishes the background were different, but at the same time, I’ve embraced it. The table with it’s few pieces of clutter gives it a personal touch in a way. This is their home, not a studio, filled with love and joy for their new expanded family.

I like so many, but this was favorite shot from the day. He is just so serene and peaceful in his mama’s hands, and I love his little hands in there too.

I could share more, but those were my favorites of the day. I’m hoping to expand on my photography gear and skills with the coming year (in fact, there’ll be a post on that tomorrow!) so Life In Photos will definitely still be kicking around, just not every week.

Links to the Past

I missed last week’s weekend posts so there’s a lot to catch up on this week! Enjoy!

• I can’t applaud this Texas town enough for what they did with an abandoned WalMart building. I wish all abandoned property had this happen!

• I need one of these Piggyback Riders STAT. It would make hiking trips with the little SO much easier, and she would love the view.

• Media for Misfits had this great post on different contemporary comic artists and their art.

• This article from the Frozen Moon about being an Anti-Mommy Mom sits near and dear to my heart. It’s long, but it covers the feeling that for her, being a mom isn’t enough – she has to be her own person too. I struggled with that (and the guilt that comes with it) around my daughter’s first birthday, and I can so relate to her post! A fave quote from it: “I want to BE a bigger picture, one where motherhood is just the part of the color scheme in the art of my life.” SO MUCH YES.

• Celebrity guests on Sesame Street rarely disappoint – Hello Giggles rounds up some of the best!

• Minor confession: I have been SUPER disappointed with the Final Fantasy games since FFXII. (I’ve never played FFX, so I can’t judge those). This article about why it’s okay to (possibly) be excited about FFXV, and pretty much describes my exact feelings on the subject of FF.

• Mirrors + trees = this amazing photography. Seriously, check this out.

• The new trailer for Insurgent is up and I am actually really disappointed. Maybe it’s because I am always cynical about book-to-movie adaptations, but this was just a disappointment. I feel like it’s entirely catered to 3D, doesn’t actually give any sense of the story, and as far as I can remember (though it’s been awhile), this ‘scene’ has NOTHING to do with the book. I know it’s a teaser trailer, but really? Grumble frumble. Your thoughts?

• One of my favorite YouTubers Mary Doodles has started a new series called How To Art! I know this may seem like a weird pick, as I consider myself pretty competent in the how-to-art department, but I love seeing other artists process and thoughts on the subject. I feel you can never have too much info on a subject you love. Part 1 and Part 2 are up, with more to come! I really like Part 1, and her thoughts on art in general.

• Lastly, what I feel is the most important link this week, is this post from KimiWho about boycotting Black Thursday. I feel Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family and friends, and that’s IT. Definitely read her article, and share the graphic she provided!

And now, some spectacular Sailor Moon fan art.

AHHHHHHH! I am dying of joy over here. Art noveau is one of my favorite art styles, and this series by DA User eri-phyle is just spectacular!! Click her username to see her gallery, which has lots more individual Sailor Scout artwork.

Life In Photos #31

A very small (and child-centric) photo post this week. The last few days I have felt quite awful (ironic as I’m getting my flu shot tomorrow!) and I didn’t snap too many other pics this week. Luckily my little seems to be doing fine, and Halloween wasn’t interrupted!

My little was so excited Eli let her pet him for a few minutes! He tends to stay away from her, but lately he’s been warming up quite a bit!

We finally got a new bookshelf for the living room!! YAY! The project is still only partially complete as now we need a smaller shelf for all my little’s books, and then we can transfer our old bookshelf to our bedroom. Even though it’s still a work in progress, I’m so excited to have a new shelf, and have much more organized book storage than the massively over-crammed system we had going on before.

And of course, pics of my little in her costume! She had a blast trick or treating and I’m so glad the weather stayed ‘warm’ for it. By warm I mean mid 40s, which is pretty good for late fall New Hampshire, especially since today it never crept above 35. Anywho, she loved her costume! This was the first year she picked what she wanted to be 100% on her own, and she was not disappointed. I think she made a very good ‘queen riding a unicorn’. 🙂 I love how the front hooves of the unicorn move when she walks, so it looks like the unicorn is walking too. All in all, costume success!

Clockwise from top left…

1. We had our first D&D session last Sunday and it went great! Plus, I finally found a use for this notebook I love. I play a Druid, and she rocks. 😀
2. Eli was much obliged to participate in snuggles for National Cat Day last Wednesday!
3. The hubs and I had a day together for a round of Christmas shopping, and we were planning to eat out for lunch. The day was so nice we decided to literally eat out, and snag our TGI Friday’s to go so we could have an impromptu riverside lunch date.
4. The little and I attend a once a week nature/environmental class and last week we got to see the pet turtle devour a worm! They kind of just glom it in like a big thick spaghetti piece. Enjoy that mental image. 😉

Today has been a day of sickness unfortunately, but it has been really nice to just laze around with my little (the hubs is judging a Magic event today!). I hope your Halloween and weekend were excellent!

 

Life In Photos #29

A week ago we went to the Sandwich Fair and my little met the most content, relaxed bunny I’ve ever seen in my life.

We also saw this absolutely fantastic breed of chicken. New life goal: attain afro chickens.

While reading outside one afternoon, this teeny tiny little bug landed on my book and, even after some gentle prodding, refused to budge. I had to blow him off to avoid smushing when I turned the page!

We took a walk at sunset and I attempted to have an impromptu photoshoot with my little…after a million silly faces I gave up. Sometimes it’s just not happening.

However, walks at sunset are now my new favorite thing as the fall leaves just look so extraordinary! So while the photoshoot with my daughter didn’t work out, I did get some fun fall themed shots!

I found an excellent reflective window (see below for the fabulous schoolhouse said window is from) which made for a fun selfie! I like how the cobwebs and window dust almost give it an old photograph feel.

This old schoolhouse is right next door to my apartment, and I have always found it to be so creepy! Definitely creepy in a good way, though I wouldn’t be caught dead near it at night by myself. I definitely want to come back here in different light and take some photos – it just screams haunted house to me. Although I don’t know when it was originally built, it has been in use since the 1800s. It was restored back in 2011, but the inside has so many class photos from the 1800s and 1900s which to me just adds to the creep factor! Chalk it up (HEH schoolhouse pun) to too many horror movies.

I think this is my favorite edit of the day. I really wish I could get that chain link fence out of there, but my PS skills are just not that good. However on the whole, I love the light hitting the tree leaves, and the paled out school house in the background.

Clockwise from top left…

1. Eli sits like such a proper gentleman kitty sometimes!
2. I’ve started the My Little Pony plushes for my little for Christmas. Coming along nicely!
3. We made some yummy fall Rice Krispie treats. This was my first time making them – I used to hate them as a kid!
4. Drafted four more patterns of plushes for Christmas presents. So much to do!

We were originally supposed to do our yearly family photo shoot today, but it is a cold and rainy mess outside, so that’s been postponed! Instead, a day of lounging and playtime awaits!