Project 52 or as Many as I can Manage

Big D and my fam all chipped in for my Birthday and bought me a fancy-shmansy camera,  something I had been lusting over for the past year.  My Dad is a devout Cannon fan so they got me a Cannon Rebel T3i.  Ever since I have been playing more and more around with photography.  Reading books, taking free classes and scouring the internets for info.  I am proud to admit that I probably know what I'm doing about.....hmmm 9% of the time now.  But I'm enjoying it so much I am actually paying to take a 4 week beginners class over the next few weeks.  I'm also following along with this free online photography forum called Project 52.  And by following I mean doing the assignments and totally chickening out when it comes to posting them to flickr and getting a critique, because obviously I'm five.  I figured I would post them here since hardly anyone is reading and I know you are gentle with the criticism.

Assignment 7: One Red Balloon

These were both done in natural light. I would have submitted the bottom one because the exposure is better with the balloon and his hand in focus.  The few people I showed this to were confused as to what was in the foreground (his feet).  However, they were viewing it on my camera screen.  I really loved that it came out so soft and that there was such a pretty catch-light on the balloon.  Compared to the other images submitted this is painfully simple.  But I did pre-plan and set up the shot and I accomplished pretty close to what I had in mind. In retrospect I wish he had been barefoot.  The toes would have been sweet. 

Assignment 7: Samuel Barber CD Cover

This image is overexposed on purpose with a longer shutter speed on a overcast but bright day. I loved the little weird glare coming from the light and the flickers on the water. I also liked how the trees were stark and very cold looking. The Barber piece this would represent is very dark and moving but also ethereal and hopeful despite being painfully sad.  I thought the image was a nice combo of winter with the promise of spring and thus would work for the music.

Don't worry I'll def take a stab at some food porn photography eventually... lol


On another note Miami was wonderful.  J had a bevy of Grandma's adoring him and he hardly noticed we were gone.  Returning to everyday life has been a little rough after so much R&R. Not to mention J is getting three molars all at once.... good times!!

Nervous Nelly

Well our early St. Patty's day feast nearly went off without a hitch.  Big D's family made it here... finally.  They spent most of their first day traveling trapped in a Michigan airport trying to get on a flight to NY.  Their flight was, as you guessed, cancelled after they were already en route.... again!!! I shake my fist at ye traveling Gods and ask Why!! Why??!! I tell you!  I mean seriously, these people see their son and grandson like two times a year and every time they get the shaft.  Horrible :(  The good part is the rest of the trip was an absolute joy.

You know that part of a trip when you have people visiting and they leave and you are secretly glad to have your house back.  Not in a mean way, just in a glad the chaos and excitement is over and life is going back to normal way.  TOTALLY did not happen this time.  I was bereft. The next day the house was all empty and sad. Not to mention the one year old that has been constantly entertained every minute for 4 strait days and holey hell you better keep it up woman or I will LOSE it!!  So yeah, normal life was a little meh this week. 

The second hitch was the corned beef.  It just wasn't up to its corny goodness this year.  It was really just a classic problem of my meat being too big.  (Insert: That's what she said, joke here) It really needed another day or two in the brine.  So I left out the photos. They were unglamourous with a big grey streak in the middle of the meat where the brine didn't reach... Womp womp :(

On to my title post:
 Ever since everyone left I have been super anxious.  I mean, anyone who knows me knows I like to live it high on the anxiety scale.  Well, like is a strong word, have no choice is more like it.  Surprisingly becoming a parent has decreased a lot of these anxieties but inflamed others.  Overall, I would say I'm more relaxed now but every once in a while I get a wave of cracked out random nothing anxiety.  The worst part is that I totally know where it is coming from.  The endless energy of a family visit and running around followed by a lull.  Then next week we are going to Miami and hold on to your panties, I am leaving J with my Mom.  So I am obsessing over stupid crap that I can't control.  His reaction to my leaving, the amount of milk vs. bmilk I should have my Mom give him, planes crashing, my Mom dropping him, pretty much any random stupid thing you could possible worry about.  Oh and I have Tiiiiiiimmme to worry about it.  There is nothing to do here... arrrrrhhhhh!!!  I'm pretty rational about dealing with the brain vomit it just gets exhausting.

That said my awesome MIL brought me Delta airline biscotti and they have totally been helping me through this troubling time.  Why are these so goooood?

Full Circle

Hi There!!! I'm back for my semi-annual post!  How have you been? Have a good year?  Oh meeeee toooooooo.  Here's to hoping I can muster more than three posts this year!!! 

 Little Man is just over a year old.  His first birthday was memorable and exciting.  I imagine you think I scoured pintrest to make decorations and vegan gluten free birthday cake topped with hand dipped candles made from my own earwax.... WROOOOOOOng.  How I wish I had the time to do these things. Well, maybe not the earwax part.  Decorations were courtesy of Party city, in all their Elmo glory.  Food was Pizza from the cheapest pizza place I could find and the cake was amazing but made by my awesome Step-Mom with completely conventional ingredients.  Cake was delish and I hardly felt bad about giving J food coloring considering I didn't have to stress over making a cake :) SCORE!  I did make a pretty bangin' fruit punch that tasted great mixed with Champagne, so big pat on my own back. 

 It really was an awesome day.  Nemo came that weekend and prevented Big D's family from joining us which was a total bummer but they are coming this weekend to make up for it. Hence my current post!! I am curing!!! Or more specifically corning my own beef for Saturday dinner.  I did this last year and the results were insane.  I also was given brisket fever by Sainttigerlily during our visit this weekend.  Please put that braised cabbage recipe up for the world girlfriend, Internet chefs everywhere will thank you.

Disclaimer: this corned beef was from last year.  I'll make sure I have a photo shoot of the new one :)
Also, enjoy the birthday cuteness....