Wordless Wednesday

On the Road: Photo Challenge

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

-Jackson Brown

{Location: Cozumel, Mexico}

Be sure to click this link for more "on the road" shots & this link for some fun "vacation" shots!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday!

Wow! What a weekend! I wish tomorrow wasn't Monday because I could really use one more day to sleep in after this fun-filled weekend (which included a luau party...pictures to follow!) And...instead of relaxing on this Sunday evening I decided to play a little scavenger hunt game...just me, myself and I! It was a lot of fun! It was also my first time to participate in Ashley's "Scavenger Hunt Sunday."

Hope you enjoy my five scavenger hunt items!

1. Shadow or Silhouette

{my friend's little boy about to jump into an inflatable moonwalk}

2. Motion Blur

{Metro bus downtown}

3. Magazine

{two of my favorite magazines currently sitting on my coffee table}

4. Ten

{10 x 10 = 100}

5. Glass

{glass marbles}

Happy Sunday everyone! Have a great week!

Summer in Six Words!

{Smiles}

{Swimsuits}

{Shades}

{Sandals}

{Shovels}

{Sunshine}

So long summer....

This week's theme at YouCapture was "Summer"

Click on the link for more summer shots!

B&W Wednesday: "Cupcakes"

Last Saturday I spent the day with this sweet, little angel. She is turning one in just a few short weeks! We spent the afternoon playing, tasting cupcakes and of course getting some cute pictures for her momma! Here is a sneak peek of some of the cute moments I captured. I'll be posting some more soon! She is just too cute for words...look at those big, beautiful eyes!

After the fun smash session with the cupcakes, it was clean up time!

Photohunt!

I've always loved a good scavenger hunt! Except this one involves my other half...my beloved camera! I've seen this photo hunt challenge before but have always been too much of a chicken to enter. This time, however, I figured if I blogged about it I wouldn't have any excuses to not do it! Plus, I just bought a new lens for my camera, so what better way to practice with it!

This photohunt is open to everyone (all skill levels/all cameras), so if you are looking for a fun challenge or just something to keep you busy this month, you should join in the fun!

Here's what we'll be on the hunt for...

1. A flag that represents you (your town, state, country, team, etc.)
2. Something comfortable
3. Something in season
4. Feet
5. Repetition
6. Culture or ethnicity
7. Contrast
8. An indulgence
9. A macro or closeup
10. Something masculine
11. Something feminine
12. Light
13. Eco-friendly
14. Business
15. An arrow
16. Something wet
17. Something dry
18. Butterflies
19. Heart-Shaped Clouds
20. Strength

The Rules:
•Photos should be taken between August 1st and August 31st.
•You may use a maximum of two photos from your archives — as long as they were taken within the past year — if you find yourself stuck on the 31st without having a photo for a category or two.
•You ARE allowed (and encouraged!) to use Photoshop or other photo-editing software as you’d like (it often adds to the artistic quality of the photo).
•It is up to you whether you post your photos on your blog as you go or wait until September 1st to unveil them and make it a surprise.
•Put all 20 photos in one single blog post or in a single online gallery by September 4th. Please label each photo file in the following manner: Yourname-category.jpg (ex: kristi-something musical.jpg).

So, there you have it...I'm off to start photo hunting! I'm nervous and excited all at the same time! Some of the items are a little tricky. Wonder what I'll come up with?! Wish me luck!

Dog Days of Summer!

Ever wonder where this phrase came from?

Well...if so, you're in luck...here's a fun Friday fact for you...

"Dog days" are referred to as the hottest, most sultry days of summer.

(Thank you Wikipedia)

The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was somehow responsible for the hot weather.

Well, I'm real "Sirius" when I say that I'm pretty darn tired of the scorching heat we've been blessed with lately.

Don't you think that ("feels like") 100*F should somehow be illegal?

I know. Not possible. But still!

It's H.O.T.!

Happy Weekend Bloggers!

Stay C.O.O.L!

Wishful Wednesday

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."

Big City Livin'

There are many pros and cons of living the big city life!

Other than all the amazing restaurants, museums and shops, some of my favorite things about the city are all the lights and tall buildings. I love driving past downtown and seeing all the different colors!

One thing I could live without, however, would be the traffic!

This week's In a Yellow House Photo Challenge is "Urban." The above photo is my submission. I love the starburst effect coming from the street lights. This is really easy to do. My f-stop in this particular picture was set at f/22. The lower the f-stop (or higher the number), the more exaggerated the effect. Try it, it's fun! Remember when taking night time photography you will want a tripod to keep the camera steady. Exposure times typically will last seconds, rather than the usual fraction of a second. In the above picture I think my exposure time was close to 30 seconds! It may feel like a long time, but it is definitely worth the wait!

Be sure to check out the link for other urban photos!

SkyWatch

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky."

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Be sure to check out the link for more sky shots from around the world! This Friday's SkyWatch comes from Galveston Island, Texas! (I know, I know...I couldn't just pick one sky photo!)