Day 29--Low Angle Shot

This is my first attempt at low angle shots.  I will be practicing them this week.  It must be nearly spring--Kent is busy pruning everything in the yard.

Day 28--Still Life {Food}

This week's assignment from the Digital Photography School website is "Still Life:  Food."  This is my version taken at a vineyard just down the road from where I live.  

Day 27--Oak Reflection

No, I did NOT find my missing lens cap.  But, I did find this awesome picture of my current favorite oak tree!  I caught this image quite by accident.  I just happened to notice the reflection of the tree in the water.  I picked the exact right time of day to get this shot.  The second picture is a bonus picture of the same shot taken yesterday.  I saw the sun breaking through the clouds and thought it was an improvement over yesterday's picture.  

Day 26--The Mighty Oak

Gloomy--that's about all you can say about our weather these days.  The only thing of beauty is the stark outlines of the oak trees against the fog.  I hurried out to the fields and snapped this picture before the sun went down--not that you could tell it was out, but it did help a little bit!  I remembered Melanie told me that a picture was more interesting if the subject was off to the side and changed my focus point halfway through taking pictures.  (Rule of thirds.)  I took a ton more pictures of various scenes, but I didn't like any of them!  Oh well!  I'll try again another day.  I like this one.  (And I think my lens cap fell out of my pocket somewhere in the mud!  I'll go back and find it tomorrow!)

Day 25--Cupcakes!

LL's Triple Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Thank you Melanie for this most delicious cupcake recipe!  I will say it was quite labor intensive, but worth the effort!  I doubled the batch and made 30 of them.  I gave most of them away, but saved a few to eat.  I have to admit I burned the first batch of caramel, but that is sort of what this was all about for me--learning new techniques.  I'm already excited for February's cupcake creation! Click on the link above for the recipe if you think you want to try baking them!  Have fun! 

Day 24--Command Central

This is what my family room coffee table looks like most of the time.  I call it "Command Central."  I have everything I need within reach.  I sometimes think I am extremely lazy--or would you call me extremely efficient? 

Day 23--Aperture

Today's picture has been given to you by the letter 'A'...which stands for aperture. I decided to refresh my memory on aperture and try my hand at some fancy pictures. This is the only rose worth having its picture taken in our back yard. Most of the roses are long gone. I think my memory is coming back...

Day 22--Macro

This week the p365 challenge is 'macro.' Not very exciting. So, I decided to make it exciting and play with PSE and see what I could do with this simple leaf. If I'm going to have amazing photos, I have to learn how to do an amazing job editing too. Apparently this plant needs lots of sun to actually turn all the leaves red--something it doesn't get. This is one of the only leaves with a hint of red on it. I kind of think this photo is a little bit exciting now. :)

Day 21--Keep Calm and Press On

OK, I admit it--my iron and ironing board are not supposed to be home decor. But in my house, they are. I feel like the world is unbalanced whenever I take down the ironing board and put the iron away. You see, I do love to iron and iron nearly every single day. So, why not embrace it? Melanie made me this sign to hang on the wall in my family room. Yep, "Keep Calm and Press On." Love it! Now I don't feel so bad when company comes and they are greeted by Mr. Iron.

Day 20--Mondo Loaves

I kind of love making bread, but my shoulder doesn't these days. Today I had enough dough I should have made 5 or 6 loaves, but quit at 4. They taste the same, they are just huge! This time I made just plain white bread. Next time I will make wheat with everything but the kitchen sink!

Day 19--We're Sewing Again!

It has been a long time since I have been able to go to my friend Elaine's house and work on my Dear Jane quilt. Today was the day! We decided to pick an easy block and to just complete one of them. Elaine's block is the purple one, mine is the beige. It is from my 'resting row' of my quilt. It was sure nice to get away from it all and enjoy sewing and talking with Elaine. We are great friends! Wednesdays are officially off limits again!


This picture was taken in July and is most of the blocks we have done so far. We have finished a few more than what is in this picture. Documenting this quilt is the reason for my camera! Enjoy! (We know we are crazy quilters!)

Day 18--Strong Genes

I think it is safe to say the Welsh genes run strong in the family. Here's a cute pic for you of Kent with Noah. They could be father and son! It is almost creepy when Kent holds him! haha

Day 17--Worth Cheating

I know the quality of this picture is lousy, but it is worth cheating. I did indeed take the picture! I pushed my mouse at the exact moment needed to catch all three boys smiling and standing there at the same time! Melanie called us on Skype to have the boys sing "Faith" to us for FHE. Grant taught the song to Blake and Hayden to complete a goal in his "Faith in God" book. They were so cute singing to us! Great job Grant!!! Great job boys!!!

Day 16--Caramel Apple Cake

Brother Duncan Hines helped me make this cake on Sunday after church. We found his mix in the pantry on Saturday and thought it would make a nice treat. Since I still needed a picture to take and post, Kent 'staged' this for me. He thought it would be a nice picture with the cake in the background and then got out a fancy fork from his favorite set of silverware to put on the plate. It was a yummy cake!

Day 15--Can I Help You Find Anything?

It was finally pantry cleaning day on Saturday. Oh my goodness! They were awful and you couldn't find a thing! If you look really close in this picture, you will see Kent inside the pantry cleaning the floor. He did most of the work--I directed and made labels with my p-touch. We did the kitchen pantry and the three pantries in the back hallway. It took us all day, but it was well worth the effort!

Day 14--Let There Be Light

Done being 'green!' Just sayin'...I bought some regular incandescent light bulbs and replaced the energy efficient fluorescent bulbs in my kitchen nook and now I love that room again! The fluorescent bulbs made the paint look like a sick yellow and it was so unappetizing to eat anything in that room. Everything looked awful! Now my only problem is I used 60 watt bulbs. Kent says he has to put on his sunglasses to eat. I'll probably switch them out to 40 watt bulbs, but I'm sticking with the incandescent bulbs! Let there be light indeed!

Day 13--Fancy Faces

I have a confession: I have been watching the new season of Toddlers and Tiaras. When Emily followed me upstairs this morning, I could not resist giving her a fancy face! She held really still for me while I used the curling iron on her hair and put a little blush and lipstick on her face. I also gave her UT 80's bangs just to bug Erica. So funny! In the true spirit of Toddlers and Tiaras, Erica helped me airbrush her small imperfections, whiten her teeth, and brighten her baby blues! Such a fancy face!!!

Day 12--Rockin' Robin?

This is my Lady Gouldian Finch I got last fall. I have always wanted one and Kent has always hated the purple feathers on them and has resisted getting me this bird. The feed store had them at the 'right price' and I finally one. I love it! What I didn't know when I bought this bird was that it has a chortle and a chirp that is almost imperceivable and he does it almost all day long. Kent cannot hear this bird ever!

Day 11--Breakfast

This week's the Digital Photography School's theme for p365 is breakfast. This is my typical breakfast and I'm not kidding. Sometimes after an hour or so I eat some 'real' breakfast and have some cottage cheese, hot cereal, or frozen waffles, but it's usually just a Diet Coke and a Twinkie. I know, I'm really bad and it's really unhealthy. Also, I'm totally aware of all the bad things drinking Diet Coke can do to a person!

Day 10--Let The Sun Shine In

I'm still learning how to use my camera...not there yet! Today was the first day in a long time that the sun actually came out of hiding! It was so nice to see the sunshine! I opened all the blinds and when I saw all the patterns on the floor I thought of all the fantastic pictures I could take. They are still in my mind and this is the best of the actual pictures taken. I did get the manual out and play with some of the settings and this picture is actually a result of some of that playing around with settings. Maybe by the end of the year I will be able to capture a shot of what my mind sees.

Day 9--PEC Breakfast

Now that meetings are early in the morning, someone said the Relief Society was in charge of bringing breakfast. In the spirit on "going out of my way," I figured it would be a nice treat to bring in cinnamon rolls--especially because everyone made it clear it was just a joke. The little pan of rolls on the left was for the Priest Quorum presidency meeting held right after PEC. I think everyone enjoyed the treat!

Day 8--You're kidding, right?

Yesterday I went out on the patio to grind some wheat. When I came back in the house, this is what was there to greet me! You're kidding, right? The Mighty Duck Hunter had returned and hung his spoils for all the world to see ON THE END OF MY IRONING BOARD DIRECTLY OVER THE CARPET!!! When I asked him if he really thought that was an acceptable thing to do, he quickly told me how proud he was of the canvasback duck he had just shot and didn't want me to miss seeing it! And besides, since it was the first time ever in his life he had shot a canvasback duck, it was TOTALLY APPROPRIATE! Alright, I see your duck! Now move it off my ironing board please....



OK, he moved it...to the BANISTER! And there his ducks hung for all to admire until he had a chance to butcher them. Even the sister missionaries were able to admire his spoils! Of course, I thought it was a bit over the top to have dead ducks hanging from the banister!



Today's bonus pictures have been brought to you courtesy of "The Mighty Duck Hunter!"

Day 7--Got Ducks?

Really? I married this guy? Kent was so excited to go duck hunting tonight he could hardly wait and stop long enough for me to snap this picture! Then when he decided I wasn't going to let him take my car and leave until he posed for the picture, he put that dorky looking hat with the ear flaps on! Look at all that stuff he has in that car for one night of duck hunting! Now if you look really close, you can see the cammo thermos hanging on his right shoulder filled with hot chocolate for him to drink in the morning. I think it's a fair statement to say you have to love someone to admit you are married to him when he looks this crazy and then goes out in public! hahaha Just sayin'...