2 photographers 1 inspiration...clouds

This post is LONG overdue.  I've felt so overwhelmed just keeping up with daily life that I've really slacked in the blog department.  I truly appreciate your patience. 

Clouds are so beautiful, changing, interesting, and dreamy to me.  I love photographing them and never seem to get bored of their many shapes, sizes & colors.

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky."  ~Rabindranath Tagore

left:  melissa   right:  me

Here is some more cloud inspiration...

I often find photos that I love, that inspire me, that bring a smile to my face, or that give me a sense of peace. I wanted to share these wonderful works of art from some truly amazing photographers. Please stop by their streams...

1. Hello summer, 2. Cloud spotting, 3. teton clouds, 4. clouds & dogwood, 5. Nature Clouds, 6. Written in the clouds, 7. Circus In Town, 8. Cloud Puffs, 9. DSC02177[b]

 How did you capture clouds?  Feel free to post a link to your photo in the comment section...

Black Friday & Cyber Monday SALE!

Starting at midnight I will be having a Black Friday and Cyber Monday SALE in my Etsy Shop! Enter the code: FPOE2011 - to receive 40% off all in stock items in my shop (when you check out you will see a place to enter the coupon code). Sale runs from Nov. 25th-28th.

I have some new items and new 2012 calendars for sale...

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and to those who will be braving the crowds...happy shopping!

photography prompt no. 47...clouds

Melissa and I will post our images on Wednesday, November 30th.

2 photographers 1 inspiration...texture

Autumn is full of so many textures...I had a hard time choosing which texture I wanted to photograph.  Melissa's acorn image is so warm and full of the small details that our eyes tend to miss.  My image is of some pomegranates from our backyard.  I love their vibrant and rich red color and the translucent seeds.  They remind me of tiny rubies.

How did you capture 'texture'?  I'd love to see your image...feel free to post it in the comment section below...

{monday's moment}

next weeks photography prompt...week 46

Melissa and I will post our images on Wednesday, November 16th...

{monday's moment}

Lately, I've visited a few blogs that on a specific day that post a photo without words or posting a photo with a thought (I'm a huge fan of photos with quotes). I like the simplicity of these ideas and thought that I'd try it out.  I'm going to change a few things.  I'm going to call it {monday's moment} and I'll post it on...you guessed it...Mondays. In the back of my mind I'm hoping that this helps me go through my photos and process them instead of letting them slowly find their way into the archives never to be seen again.

Melissa does a post every Thursday called Thursday's Thought.

Amanda does a post every Friday called This Moment.  this moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

So, here is {my moment}...

Feel free to join me.  If you'd like you can share your 'moment' by leaving a link in the comment section below...

2 photographers 1 inspiration...leaves

The cooler weather and the brilliant colors of the changing leaves are what make autumn a favorite season for me.

I love the warm autumn colors in Melissa's image and the amazing depth of field.  I captured my leaf picture while hiking with my family.

left: melissa    right: kristi

How did you capture the leaves of autumn?  Share your image in the comment section below...

photography prompt no. 45...leaves

Melissa and I will post our photos on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

things i love thursday...pumpkins

pumpkins are adorable, colorful, festive, versatile and just plain cute.  I found so many lovely pictures on flickr that it was hard to pick just nine...

1. ♥, 2. :: the pumpkin patch ::, 3. Untitled, 4. "Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting  and autumn a mosaic of them all.", 5. happy...  um...  november!, 6. always be thankful., 7. Happy Halloween!, 8. 70 - 365, 9. k pumpkins

Besides being cute...I love to bake with pumpkins too...they make it feel more like fall when the weather we're having here still feels like summer.  I'm going to share one of my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes with you.  It's super easy and I like it because I usually have all of the ingredients on hand.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blend these ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl blend these ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend.

Then add 1 cup (or more) of mini chocolate chips.  

Both milk chocolate and semi-sweet taste great...use what you like.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Here are some other pumpkin recipes that I'm going to try soon...

pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling from martha stewart

marbled chocolate pumpkin brownies from bhg

pumpkin salted caramel blondies from baked bree

pumpkin muffins from martha stewart

pumpkin scones with spiced glaze from honey and jam

How about you...are you a fan of pumpkins and do you have any favorite pumpkin recipes?

2 photographers 1 inspiration...feet

Feet.  They support us, keep us grounded and take us where we need to go yet they often go unnoticed and are usually neglected.  I admit that I forget about them even though I love photographing them.  That's why I was glad that this week's prompt had us capture our feet.

Melissa's image is beautiful.  Showing the season and showing off her new shoes...so cute!  I chose to capture my Emma's little feet propped up while she was taking a bath.

How did you capture feet this week?

photography prompt no. 44....feet

Melissa and I will post our images on Wednesday, October 12th.  Hope you'll join us...

2 photographers 1 inspiration...doors

This week's prompt was doors.  I love doors for their beauty and for their symbolism.  To me they symbolize hope, a passage, opportunity, transition, opening, shelter, and new beginnings.

 

Melissa photographed this child sized door at a toy store that she loves to visit with her children.  How cute...and I love the red!  I photographed a favorite door of mine-it is at an old pioneer home in the town where I live.  I love the craftsmanship, vivid color and attention to detail that surround it.

left:  melissa   right:  kristi

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." ~Helen Keller

How did you interpret the word 'door'?  Please share your image in the comment section below...

photography prompt week 43...doors

Melissa and I will be posting our images on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

still: the art of living

Just some belated but, exciting news.  I was able to be a part of the latest collaboration by the Female Photographers of Etsy.  Woohoo!  This book is full of such talent and beauty and I am so honored to have my images included.

In their second collaboration, the Female Photographers of Etsy bring us the beauty in everyday living. Selling their diverse and expressive work on Etsy (www.etsy.com), members share their images with a worldwide audience of art and photography enthusiasts. The women of fPOE range from self-taught photographers to professionals, living all over the world.

To see a preview of the book go... here