Day 22 - Hands

Day 22 is hands.

I decided to show you the hands on

my wedding ring.

We got married young {19!} 

and I decided I wanted a Claddagh ring.

So we had one custom made,

since they're not usually available

as real wedding rings. 

We special ordered a heart shaped diamond

and had it custom created just for me.

I love it. 

The hands symbolize friendship.

The heart symbolizes love.

The crown symbolizes loyalty. 

What a great symbol for marriage, no?

This past January, for our 7th anniversary,

Justin took it to be re-plated with white gold

{you're supposed to do that with white gold every

few years, I guess, and we'd never had it done.}

He surprised me by having the girl's birthstones

added to the sides of the crown. A tiny peridot

for Eisley and a tiny amethyst for Violet. 

Maybe someday there will be a third birthstone

up there at the top...?

Day 21 - Faceless Self-Portrait

Day twenty-one is:

a faceless self-portrait.

Love this mirror. 

It was a gift from the mister.
One special night a year ago
he took me to Homegoods {my favorite}
and told me to pick something out.
This mirror was it. 

Day 20 - Bokeh

I'm such a novice wannabe photog.

This is about as bokeh as I get, people.

That's a makeup tin from the 1920s, 

for sale in my Etsy shop. 

Day 19 - Something Orange

Orange is a color I just don't decorate with

or wear {what? I'm cool toned, people.}

unless it's October and in the form of pumpkins.

So I had to go looking outside.

These are the flowers that grow
in the bushes behind our house.

I took this picture through our window,
however,

since a jungle of weeds
kept me from getting close...

{...here's to hoping my neighbors
didn't see me in the window

with my big fat lens pointed toward
their dining room which is

approximately 3 feet away
from our back window...}

Day 18 - Your Shoes

Okay, honest to God, I photographed my shoes today. I even loaded the picture onto my computer and opened it in Picasa.

And then it hit me, I just can't subject you all to that. Not before I have a pedicure, at least.

You see, my summer shoes are almost always flip flops.

And my feet are just not photogenic.

Sorry.

I could just photograph them without wearing them but I didn't think of that before... also, I'm just not a shoe person. I wear what's comfortable, that's about my only requirement.

Day 17 - Technology

I go no where without the smartphone.

Isn't it hard to imagine life without modern technology?

Sometimes I wish I lived in simpler times...

then again, I love that this little device is my:

list keeper

email

web browser

alarm clock

camera

Facebook account

music player

news provider

weather update

etc.

everywhere and anywhere I go. 

Day 16 - Long Exposure

Oops! I fell of the wagon...

time to play catch up. Here's Day 16, long exposure. 

I'm not good at this type of photography, so I'm 

just falling back on this picture Justin took of Eisley

using long exposure. Our little ghost girl...

Tomorrow I'll do 17 - 19. 

The Green Couch

Yesterday we had a little mini photo shoot on the couch

right before daddy got home from work.

Thought I'd share a few...

I go a little crazy with Picasa & Picnik sometimes.

But I just can't resist playing around with the effects. 

Though I always worry it looks better on my screen

than it will on my blog visitor's screens...

{She's supposed to look a little saturated, 
but let me know if I have an orange baby?}

The $50 Goodwill couch makes a fun background, 
does it not?

We were holding out for a new Ikea couch when we saw this

in such good condition {pretty much brand new} so we bit.

What can I say?

I love color and invite it into my home 

with open arms. 

Colorful people welcome, too. 

Day 15 - Silhouette

Day 15

Silhouette

Together the girls watched the rain fall today. 

__________________________________________

Eisley loves to take Violet under her wing,

she shows her things and comforts her little sister. 

When driving, we often look back to check on them

and find Eisley holding Violet's hand. 

I love these two. 

And they love each other.

Day 14 - Eyes

Okay.

Day #14 

and the Photo Challenge

is eyes. 

This could not have been 
more appropriate 

for us today!

{Actually, it would have been more appropriate

if the photo challenge today was something like:

"You head out to the post office for a quick 10 minute run

and end up trapped in the car for over an hour due to a 

torrential downpour and hail and lightning unlike

anything you've seen before in your life

and you can't get out of the car because you have a 

baby in a car seat and a toddler who insists on 

walking by herself anywhere even if it's flooding the sidewalks

and you're fearing for your life."

THAT would have hit the nail on the head for today.}

BUT, since that was not the photo assignment for today,
I have to tell you, "Eyes" was the most appropriate topic, because...

Someone picked up her brand new 

prescription eyeglasses today!

____________________________________________

She's a blur!

Eisley has been diagnosed with amblyopia. 

Inherited her daddy's eye issues, it would seem.

So she needs to wear glasses for at least a couple months 

to try and prevent her from developing a lazy eye.

She may or may not need them after a couple months.

She may or may not need an eye-patch treatment

for a couple hours a day.

 The good thing is, we caught it pretty early.

That is crucial in successfully treating amblyopia.

I "tried them on" and I was shocked.

I have perfect vision and it was amazing

how blurry her glasses made my vision.

Obviously she needs them.

She's keeping them on {mostly}

so that just goes to show you how it's helping her vision. 

I chose some chunky frames over wire frames for her.

The wire frames looked dorky. 

Before you jump on me for that, it's just on her. 

I'm not saying people with glasses or wire frames are "dorky".

I like wire frames on many people.

But she's not a wire-framed type. 

They didn't suit her.

She's got spunk.

And the chunky, purple Candies frames fit her perfectly.

I told her,

"All the best masterpieces have 

fancy frames, you know."

Day 13 - Me & 13 Things

Today's photo challenge is myself with 13 things.

This was tricky, it took me a while to figure something out.

Finally, I decided a collage was acceptable. 

Me and 13 things I made. 

{Click to enlarge.}

From top left, clockwise spiral:

 1. magazine bag

2. blouse turned lampshade

3. paper party crown

4. embellished clipboard, 

5. "Carpe Diem" paper garland

6. Roman window shades

7. Eisley's door hanger

8. recipe box

9. wall decor

10. me with my business cards I designed myself

11. my hanging folder paper organizer 

12. altered book

13. another wall decor made with Photoshop

Day 12 - Sunset

Sunset? This is the best I can do.

My sister and I at the wedding last Saturday,

the sunset is behind us.

We have the most gorgeous sunsets

here in Colorado.

Unfortunately I never seem to take any pictures

of them... sorry...

It was real pretty, though, the sky that evening...

Day 11 - Something Blue

I'm taking a rain check on Day 10.

Day Eleven is Something Blue

Blue is another one of my favorite colors,

there are a million things blue in my home 

to chose from. 

But these days my favorite blue is

that of my Vi-Pie's eyes. 

Day 9 - Someone You Love

Someone I Love?

I love my baby daddy. 

There you have it.

Day 8 - Bad Habit

Day 8 is A Bad Habit.

Here it goes...

I have a bad habit of putting 

empty containers back into the fridge.

See milk jug, it's empty.

Drives Justin crazy.

That is all.

{Not to say this is my only bad habit.

Probably just my least embarrassing one.}

Day 7 - Fruit

Day 7: Fruit

These gigantic strawberries were from Sunflower Market. 

They are now reincarnated as strawberry jam,

and living happily in Kerr jars,

in my cupboard.

Okay, so I didn't take this picture today.

I was *going* to snap a picture of the 

strawberries growing in our yard.

But it was thunder-storming all day.

So this is all you get. 

Day 6 - Low Angle

Day 6 of the photo challenge:

a low angle

Those would be The Pie's new wellies.

From Goodwill. $4.

{Yep, I'm totally addicted to thrifting these days.}

Although I rarely buy shoes at thrift stores...

I think they're gross when used.

But I'd been searching for some wellies 

for my puddle jumper for weeks,

and this pair was in great condition at the right price.

She adores them.

Day 5 - High Angle

From a high angle...

Does this count?

This is Violet, laying on daddy's lap

during evening fireworks 

on Independence Day yesterday.

Day 4 - Something Green

Something Green.

I'm cheating a little bit on this one. 

First because I'm late, and second, 

because I have so much green in my house 

it's hard to chose just one thing. 

The Emerald City in my recently thrifted 

1956 version of The Wizard of Oz is my favorite, I think. 

I found this charming green edition at the Goodwill for $2, and I love it. 

It's just like those Penguin Classics that are so in right now,

except this one is 60+ years old. 

Also green, and coincidentally also from the 1950s, 

this vintage Pyrex loaf pan I scored today. Also $2. 

They make for a lovely green display together. 

This is one of my favorite colors.

Do you see why I had trouble with this one?

Day 3 - Clouds

What clouds?

By the time I got around to taking my photo today 

there was not a cloud in sight.

But that's ok.

This is something I love about Colorado.

Thunderheads one moment, blue skies the next.

Day 2 - What you wore today

It's Day 2 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge.

What did I wear today?

A styling cape, color papers, and a plastic cap. 

Hair day for Angela & I, remember?
We do each other's hair every couple months at her home salon. It was interesting to have a "hair appointment" with two 2-year-olds and a baby present. 

It was even more interesting, however, because today was Angela's first bout of morning sickness. {She's 7 weeks!} Poor thing!

I bet your hairstylist has never said, 
while washing your hair at the sink, 

"I'm sorry if I puke on your face!"

I felt bad laughing, but I still did. 
Is that mean? It's just not something one hears everyday...
Glad I don't have to add "vomit" to the list of what I wore today. 

Love my hair, Angela! 
Hope the morning sickness is short-lived... 

30 Days - Day 1

I've seen these 30-day challenges on Facebook & on various blogs. 

Today Jan posted about starting a 30-day photo challenge.

I thought I'd join in on the fun.

Because blogging has been lacking lately.

This could be fun... yes?

So here I am, Day 1: Self Portrait.

Via webcam.

Don't worry, tomorrow I'll get out the Nikon and have some real fun... 

this is what I get, though, for joining last minute.

Thoughts? My hair is LONG! I'm getting it cut tomorrow.

Hair day with Angela. 

My only remaining reward for making it through beauty school, I still get cuts & color for free. 

All I have to do is cut & color her hair, too. 

Can't wait to find out if I cut it all off or keep it long. 

I haven't decided yet...