Day Thirty-Six

A First Attempt...

Today was a major first for me and I will say I think it went pretty well.  Today for the first time I did a shoot with a subject that wasn't Ava, a pet, or a random household object.  My cousin brought her daughter over today to get some head-shots taken for a pageant she is entering.

My original plan was to take her outside and get some pictures using the scenery around the yard.  I don't have professional backdrops or studio lighting so I was unsure about how an indoor shoot would go.  The weather however had other plans for us because it started to snow about two hours before they got here.  So I grabbed my bag of backdrops and had my cousin hold them up while I took the pictures.  All in all I am pretty happy with how they came out.

Here are a few samples from today's shoot.  I still have some editing to do but these are a few favorites.

 

 

Day Thirty-Five

To Bake or not to Bake...

Certain days, okay more like once a week, I get this overwhelming urge to bake something.  Today we ate leftovers which was nice because I got a break from cooking.  While I was getting everything out of the fridge I saw an extra pie crust that needed to be used.  I wasn't in the mood for a fruit filled pie so I got online and searched for a chocolate pie.  Yum Chocolate!!! 

I  found a recipe for an old fashioned chocolate meringue pie and since I had the ingredients I figured I would give it a shot.  I have never made meringue and I'm not really a meringue person but we didn't have cool whip or heavy cream which would have been my alternative.  

All in all the pie tastes great and the meringue actually turned out well which I really didn't expect.  The thing I didn't know about meringue is how quickly it burns.  Ugh, so much for walking away to get all the dishes put in the sink and the ingredients put away.  The top of the meringue was pretty much black and I had to peel it off.  There was still meringue left but it wasn't nearly as pretty. I would probably make the pie again but if I make it again I will top it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or chopped nuts for some texture. 

 

 

Day Thirty- Four...a bonus post.

Look closely..

Today I set out with my camera to find pictures of small objects.  I feel like we all tend to forget to see those small things.  That's the wonderful part about having a small child around.  I now find myself on the floor, on her level, seeing my world from a new perspective.

This next set of photos is one of those sets that shows you to look at the whole thing to see the real story.  Like I had said before I set out with the intent of photographing the small things.  So here is a set that I took of cheerios earlier today.  Watch the true story unfold...

Yup that's right I have a climber.  She loves to climb anything and everything.  She was watching cartoons but saw me on the other side of the table and instead of coming around she came over.  That was my last picture because the little stinker grabbed up all of the cheerios and ate them.

Day Thirty-Four

The little things...

Today in my anatomy of movement class we did postural assessments.  I will have to do ten postural assessments as a project for this class.  Any takers???  You know you want to.

Today it was my turn to have one done on me and some of the observations I was aware of but others I was not.  During a session last week when my classmate was palpated my spinal column it was discovered that I have two vertebrates that are misaligned (a chiropractic visit would be awesome).  During the postural analysis they found that my upper body is slightly twisted to the left and higher on the right side.  My lower body was aligned correctly so it seems that I could really use an alignment (and no, not the kind for my car).

In case you're wondering, yes I am still in the massage program and no, I didn't switch to a chiropractic program.  You see massage therapist's will use postural analysis' to find out what their clients body is doing.  It tells them what muscles are lengthened and which are shortened.  It really helps you determine the areas of your clients body that need work.    

It's funny that we would do the postural analysis the very day after I just posted about my posture.  I now have a few more clues as to what my body needs to get back to where it should be.  To re-find it's center because right now that center is thrown forward and to the left.  Sometimes I find that in order to understand the big picture you have to look at the smaller objects within it.  So with that I bring you pictures of a very small object that is currently sitting on the mantel.  It really belongs on top of a bird house but it got knocked off.  This little guy is approximately two inches long and maybe an inch high.  Isn't he beautiful!

I took two sets of pictures today of two different subjects.  My initial intent was to post them both in the same post but I feel they each deserve there own.  I will return shortly with a second post.  A BONUS!!!

Day Thirty-Three

Little Toys...

There is something magical about toys that intrigues me and begs to be photographed.  It might be the bright colors, the odd shapes and characters, or maybe they invoke that lost imaginary world that we all grow out of.  That world that we all use to run to and hide in, where magic was real, and the possibilities were endless.  Toys represent childhood and the ability to be carefree.  A time before you were told to stand a certain way, dress a certain way, walk a certain way, sit a certain way, and told which mold was yours to conform to. 

Something I am learning through my massage class is that I am my body's worst enemy.  I breath wrong, I stand wrong, I tighten muscles that should be loose and loosen muscles that should be tight.  Where and when did I start breathing in my shoulders and not my belly.  Is it because at a certain age we are told as girls to not poke out our stomachs because it's unattractive.  Why is it that I sprained my ankle back when I was fifteen but yet I still walk like I have a cast on.  Not when I walk fast but when I walk slowly I don't move my ankle because somewhere it became ingrained that I should walk that way.  I have horrible posture and slouch more often than not.  I NEVER use to slouch.  I watch Ava walk and think to myself when and where did it all start to be one large bad habit. Feel your own body and your aches and think about why exactly they ache.  What is it that you are doing that is causing you pain because guess what, shocker, it's you doing it.  Why do you do it?  When did it start?  How can you correct it?  The funny thing about it all is that now you are aware that you do it and will notice when you are doing it.  The great thing about that is that it will then start to annoy you and we all know that the only bad habits we ever change are the ones that annoy us. 

Now to go back to before you learned bad habits and just were.

Day Thirty-Two

Afternoon recharge...

Last night was a long restless night for our little family.  Ava went to bed an hour early and this Momma should have known better and not let her go to bed prior to 9pm (kicking self now).  So at about midnight Ava woke up and did not go back to sleep until after 3:30am.  That is the last time I remember seeing before I finally was about to drift off. 

Ava has been cutting molars which she does handle surprisingly well.  She will run a fever when the process starts and then after that will have periodic crankiness and lack of an appetite.  The biggest sign that Ava is teething is her rebellion against sleeping.  I guess all in all I do consider myself lucky to have such a trooper because those teeth look like they hurt something fierce. 

Ava has never ever been a sleeper and is a night owl like her parents.  In fact she was up for two straight hours after her birth just looking at everything.  Should have known then that our little miss would be a night owl.  People told me she just had her days and nights confused and if that is true then she still does.  I love that she is like us in that respect because since neither of us are morning people I don't know what we would do with a child that was. 

In fact little miss is currently dancing around in front of a mirror saying happy (haa-pee) and giggling.  This age really is just so much fun.  Ava is very independent and really doesn't like to be bothered.  If she wants you to play with her she will bring you a toy but mostly she likes to be left to herself.  When she is tired she will bring you a book and when she is ready to cuddle she will lay her head on your lap.  However, when she is "doing her thing" it is fun for us to just sit and watch her.  Every so often she will look to see if we are watching and laugh or smile. 

Now let me get back to last night and our total lack of sleep.  Ava was up, dressed, and in the car by a little after eight and NOT happy about it.  She got over that quickly when she saw Nan at the door ready to take her.  She LOVES being at Nana and Poppies and will literally jump out of my arms to go to Nan and then turn and tell me bye.  It's nice to know she doesn't cry or get upset when I leave and she runs to greet me when I return.

Today when she came to greet me and I could tell she was also feeling the lack of sleep.  When we got home she took her nap and I did homework.  It would have been nice to catch up on some sleep with her but it was quiet and I had some chapters to read.  When her Daddy got home I went up to brew up a pot of coffee for our afternoon recharge.  Normally I only drink coffee in the morning but today was a two cups of coffee kind of day.

 

 

Ava got an apple...

 Let's hoope for a few more hours of sleep tonight.

Day Thirty-One

Operation Ikea...

The streets were clear enough today to get to Ikea.  I have been wanting to get Ava's toys organized for some time now.  It had gotten to where I would organize and she would destroy daily.  Thanks to Ikea things should stay a little cleaner.  Today's post will be image heavy and not exactly photography standard photos.  Today the pictures will focus on a different success and that is toy organization. 

 

  

  

 

 

 

Today also marks another accomplishment.  I have officially completed a full month of the project 365.  Come on February!!!!