Still life#4: the gatekeeper

Week #4

of our 2012 Project 52*

(*give or take a week here and there for vacations)

Taken using our 35 mm  f/2.0 lens + Opteka fisheye attachment. 

Our January theme is "still life."

We lovingly refer to this fella as our gatekeeper.  

He stands by our front door to ward off offending neighborhood rabbits.  

Is he effective?  Well, at least the rabbit only gets as far as the front lawn.

A gift from our deal friend, Miles, our gatekeeper has survived rain, hail, the hot summer months, and the occasional sniffing from our dog Friday. 

 Like the Beefeaters guarding the Tower or London, he neither blinks nor shirts from duty.

He does give off a scary vibe if you look closer, but deep inside he is a soft warmhearted, albeit, wild boar.

From now on, I think I'll call him Waldo.
Others have gnomes, we have Waldo.
Waldo, the wild boar. 
Have a fantastic weekend, folks.

xoxoxo
Lease

celebrating 15

15 years.

15. Years.

We were so young and unafraid.

We pretty much grew up together, the Hunk and I.

We've been through a whole lot of happy and sad. 

Trials and tribulations. 

Disappointments and sucesseseseseses. 

Through it all, our sense of humor helped us. 

That, and our commitment to our 2 kiddos (and 1 dog).

I love him more today than I did 15 or so years ago.

We had a trio of creme brulees for our anniversary dessert (1 for every 5 years?). 

We couldn't stop with one.  Because 15 years is an achievement in this day and age.

And because the road to 15 required a trio of creme brulees to celebrate.

Just because.  And maybe because we were sharing with 2 kids.

Here's to many many more creme brulee celebrations. 

xoxoxo

Lease

still life #3: lego world

Week #3

of our 2012 Project 52*

(*give or take a week here and there for vacations)

It's 2012! Another round of photography projects!  I am taking anew approach this year and for each month will showcase shots taken using a lens/accessory combination. This month's set-up includes: 35 mm  f/2.0 lens + Opteka fisheye attachment. Our January theme is "still life."

Okay.  I just googled the phrase "still life photography" and Wikipedia had the following definition: "depiction of inanimate subject matter, most typically a small grouping of objects."  So I guess I have not really been complying with the strict definition of this month's topic because I have been photographing a single object and not a 'grouping' of objects.  Oh, well.

That being said...as I was looking for inanimate objects to photograph for this week's project, my son was busy playing with some of his Christmas presents (this one being from dear friend, F)...Lo and behold - I found my 'willing' subject...

I grew up with Legos.  Granted the earlier versions were not as complicated (?) or thematic as the current versions on the market, but I would still put it out there that Legos are just the perfect vehicle (pardon the pun) for encouraging kids play.  My Lego projects were much simpler - usually building houses and gardens on a 12 x 12 Lego "pad."  I spent countless hours changing up the design of my 'house' and the gardens around it.  I still remember the little shutters/windows and the trees and flowers.

Today's Legos are much more realistic and evolved.  I've seen the Star Wars series.  I love the architectural building sets.  My son's favorites are the rescue vehicle sets.

There's a lot that goes into each box - from sorting out the pieces, to slowly building the vehicle, to the hours of imaginative play afterwards.

It does not hurt that Mom can focus on her chores and other tasks while her 4-year old is busy assembling his rescue vehicle.  Love!

As my son says, these are the best gifts ever.  I most definitely agree.  Thanks, F!

xoxoxo
Lease

traveler's journal: somewhere in the Arizona desert

During a recent trip to Nevada, we decided to travel on to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.  The visit was, to say the least, quite memorable. 

The increasing changes in the terrain as we moved from Las Vegas towards Arizona. The large open spaces.  It puts you in your space, so to speak. 

I loved the mixture of textures.  The spiky trees amidst rolling hills and desert.  Then, you had wispy clouds as a backdrop.

Did I mention the vast open spaces?  Staggering.  There's a whole other world out there. 

Seemed limitless. 

In the words of my 11-year old - it was Epic.

In my words - Unforgetable.

xoxoxo

Lease

still life #2: candles

Week #2 

of our 2012 Project 52*

(*give or take a week here and there for vacations)

It's 2012!  Another round of photography projects! This month's set-up includes: 35 mm  f/2.0 lens + Opteka fish eye attachment. Our theme for January is "still life."

I love candles. Plain white, or infused with scents and colors?  I will most likely have owned one or 2 in the last decade.

I love these ones from Ikea.  Perfect for creating a unique centerpiece on a coffee table.  I placed 3 vanilla scented jars on a dark brown ceramic tray.  You can add river rocks around the jars for effect.

My secret for making the candles last and also to control the amount of scent?  I cut the wick to about half of the original exposed width.  This way I get a nice smaller flame.  With three candles burning, the scent can get overwhelming, and this is how we make sure just a light scent fills the air.  Sometimes I only burn 1 or 2 candles.

I light one (or all three) candles, plop down on the couch and read a book.  It sets the tone for relaxation in an otherwise frazzled life.

Happy weekend everyone!

xoxoxo
Lease