Happy!

Happiness is weekends with roommates. Cheering on your football team as they win the NFC Championship while in Wisconsin? Also equals happy:

In Wisconsin they make Packer cookies.  PACK ATTACK! 

(although in reality we did a lousy job of attacking, and only survived by defending. Defense rocks.) 

They also make Packers pendants, which I, being the classy homeowner I am, used painters tape to stick up to my front door:

Makes me happy when I drive by and see it! 

I made Chelsie take me to Lake Michigan, because cool people go to the beach when it is 15 degrees outside.

(yeah, I look horrible in this picture. but it makes me happy)

The boulders on the beach (we don’t see things like this in Kansas):

Sunset while driving:

It was the type of weekend where I spent tons of time laughing and not much taking pictures. The kind where I was reminded to be grateful for the friendships I was able to form in College, that have lasted so much longer than college.

The kind where I was excessively tired the whole time and came back promptly to get sick and end up in urgent care. 

Oh well…

Still happy.

Part of you capture

I am in need of another travel song besides.. I’m leaving, on a jet plane…

flying to wisconsin tomorrow.

excited.

it is really cold there.

not overly fond of cold.

love my friend, though.

and she is in the cold.

so off to the cold I go.

also, the packers play the bears on Sunday.

Chelsie is the reason I am a packer fan.

so watching the NFC championship game

Bears vs Packers

In Wisconsin

with my football friend.

Makes me happy

(Friend Hillary, Me, Chelsie. Packers vs Chiefs preseason 2010)

(me, Chelsie and her friend Julie, Lambeau field vs Cowboys, 2009)

 

(Ricki and Nathan, Me, Chelsie packers at jaguars 2008.)

We won’t be at the game, but we will be scouting next years schedule to decide what game to go to.

I love friends.

I love trips.

I tolerate cold.

I should probably pack now.

Bye!

Snow. Doorways. Pictures.

Going into work Sunday night it had just started snowing.  I was okay with this because I was able to blame my being late on the weather instead of me having to finish the packers-eagles game before I left.  (GO PACKERS!!!) 

ahem.  coming out of work Monday morning I found the world covered in snow. How much… 4 inches? 5? I haven’t the faintest idea.  I was late getting out and I really should have gone right to bed but instead I grabbed my camera and celebrated my house and I’s first snowfall as a pair. 

that sounds kind of weird. Oh well. my neighbors all think I am weird anyway since they were all either running straight to their cars or shoveling their driveways.  I, on the other hand, was climbing through the snow into the ditch opposite my house to get this shot:

isn’t she pretty?

Out my back doorway:

I wonder what kind of birds will fly through these doors to make a home come summer:

 

and finally, just for fun:

I love snow.

 

Part of you capture

Life’s randomness

I want to blog.  I do.  I want to upload all the pictures of house projects here so I can remember the details because honestly the past month is a little fuzzy.  but then there is the matter of the whole lost the cord to my phone and can’t download the pictures (pretty much all are on my phone because I haven’t trusted my pretty camera in the disaster zone of my house.  oh and let  us not forget the whole working 52 hours this week with 4 to go. or the fact that the only reason I am currently alert is that my cable is getting hooked up (internet is up and working as of 3 hours ago. or it would be if I actually had the faintest idea where my router is.  so for now I will continue to steal the neighbors.).  apparently hooking up dish network involves basements and attics and roofs and have the power cord for the pretty new tv that I just bought but since dad pulled it out of the box for me I didn’t know where it is and I think the guy thinks I am crazy because I have unusable internet and a tv without a plug. Yay me.

I don’t remember what I was talking about.  Do you?

Oh yes.  reasons I don’t blog.  I officially have internet, cable, water, trash, electricity gas, and a mortgage.  I really hope I am not missing anything.  There is a security system going in eventually, but eventually is not anytime soon because I am either working or out of town for the next 3 weeks.

I don’t think that is what I was talking about.

I have the droid 2 and I can’t figure out how to download pictures or upload music.  I love the phone in theory but reality is frustrating me.  However, access to pandora and air-1 radio apps make the monthly bill worth it… music at work keeps me sane.

Packers made the playoffs.  I will be spending Sunday on my couch watching my new!pretty!tv! (with power cord plugged in)  as the packers beat the eagles.  so going to happen.

I wonder if this works as a stream of consciousness post?  that seems to be a popular blog thing. of course, those are on blogs people besides my mom read. (Hi Mom!) 

I thought about doing a year in review for 2010, but honestly… it wasn’t the best year ever.  2011 is going to rock, though.

Did I mention I spent a ton of time cleaning my wood floors and then the guy from westar energy who came to install my new programable thermostat tracked mud all over it?  true, sad, story.

but my kitchen is beautiful, because my mom and sister in law swooped in and unpacked it to save me from the boxes.  which is kind of funny because they swooped in and packed for me back in may when I left my apartment.  What is it that can make me go to the hospital and find chaos and know exactly where to start and how to organize my night and what needs priority but then put me into the chaos of a house full of boxes (empty or full… doesn’t matter) and I get completely overwhelmed and go eat chocolate and read a book?  It is annoying.

except for the part where I am the baby of the family and everyone always comes in and rescues me from the boxes.  and I am much more gracious in accepting help for the boxes and their organization abilities than they are in accepting my free! medical advice.

I think I need to end this now.  Want a picture to end it with? I was very impressed with how well my neighbors internet did in uploading my fav 11 of 2010 pics.

i have a very weird obsession with self portraits.  Miirros, reflecting windows… I like them.  Some blog ( drawing a blank here…) is doing a 1000 faces challenge as part of her bucket list. I wonder if I could do 100 self portraits without it seeming very self-centered?  I like this picture of me and my mom right before I went to work Christmas night.

Life is good.

The favorites

2010 was a year full of photography for me

 

I took classes, started to understand the settings on my camera.  I progressed from shooting everything in program to discovering manual, and loving it.

 

I took some pictures I am very proud of, that seem to capture the very soul of that which my lens was pointed towards.

 

I discovered photoshop, but still strove to take the best SOOC pictures possible. 

I despaired of ever being worthy of being called a photographer. I acknowledged that I don’t have the eye for composition the way some people do.

 

and then I decided I love it and it makes me happy so I don’t care if I am the best out there, my pictures make me smile and people I love, love them, so I will keep taking pictures.

and I will work to improve, although I think I am done with classes… time to just go out and shoot.

  

Goals for 2011:  Take more (posed) pictures of people.  Meaning I need to find more people that want their pictures taken. I especially would love to do some larger groups and babies/little kids.  so… if anyone in the Wichita area wants to be my guinea pigs as I work to improve my people skills, just let me know :)

Goal #2: experiment some more in photoshop, and learn things like what exactly masks are.  I keep doing the same things and I think I could improve. also need to calibrate my monitor somehow so I get better colors.

It is going to be an exciting year~

Part of You Capture!