Saturday, April 28, 2012

{23} 4.22.12

Well, it finally happened… I missed a day.  It was a Monday, and taking a photo just didn’t happen.

So, instead of a new picture, I’m just using another one from my session on Sunday (because I STILL have not finished editing the rest of the pictures…I know, I know!)

{23} 4-22-12

So, no, that’s not a typo.  It is my day 23 photo, but it was taken on 4.22.12. 

This is my 365 project, so I can change the rules any time I want. :P

Sunday, April 22, 2012

{22} 4.22.12

{22} 4-22-12

this image is a perfect representation of my photo shoot this afternoon with miss Lexi.  basically, she ran circles around me, occasionally stopping to flash me a smile, and then kept on going full speed ahead.  we had a blast running around, and I can’t wait to get the rest of these photos edited. :)

{21} 4.21.12

{21} 4-21-12

is this not the cutest little watering can you’ve ever seen?! I kind of have a thing for hippos, so maybe I’m a little biased.

it was a Target $1 bin find…and I thought it was so cute I took a picture of it. :)

{20} 4.20.12

{20} 4-20-12

tonight, we went out to dinner with my parents to celebrate my dad’s birthday.  surprise, surprise, we ended up with this giant rack of shots on our table. Happy Birthday, Daddy! :)

{19} 4.19.12

{19} 4-19-12 

another night where I was getting ready to go back to bed, and realized I hadn’t taken a picture yet.  so I looked around, and this is what I saw – a typical scene in our house… 10pm, both of us sitting on the couch with our smart phones.  he’s usually playing a game, I’m usually on Pinterest.  What can I say…exciting lives we lead, exciting lives.

{18} 4.18.12

{18} 4-18-12

these guys desperately wish they were outdoor cats.  they will sit and stare out the screen door all. day. long.  like they did this evening :)

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

{17} 4.17.12

{17} 4-17-12

my first camera. (my first love.)

I found this guy recently when I was cleaning the office closet, and now it’s sitting proudly on the bookshelf.  It actually belonged to my parents, who gave it to me my Junior year in High School when I took my first photography class.  Now, 3 cameras later, it’s fun to look back. :)

{16} 4.16.12

{16} 4-16-12

meet Mr. Squirrel.  You may remember him from a looong time ago (when Daisy chased him up his tree…which she still does, every. single. day.) – we’re guessing this is probably Mr. Squirrel, Jr., or maybe Mr. Squirrel, III.

I wanted to get another picture of Daisy halfway up the tree after him, but he wasn’t in the mood to play today.  He did peek out and stare at me as I was taking pictures, though… just to say hi I guess. :)

{15} 4.15.12

{15} 4-15-12

we spent some time in the backyard since it was so nice out, and the texture of the tree bark caught my eye.

{14} 4.14.12

{14} 4-14-12

we celebrated my dad and my cousin’s birthdays on Saturday.  I made Shelley a Mountain Dew cake (using this recipe, if you were curious…), and her mom made a (much healthier) fruit pizza that we stuck some candles in.  Mmm, now I’m hungry for cake.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Easter

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we had a fun-filled time celebrating Easter last weekend… I already told you about the egg-hunt with my cousins on Saturday, and the yummy cupcakes I brought to my parents house for our Easter lunch.  The last stop on the Easter train was Matt’s sister’s house, where we enjoyed a little BBQ, a little egg hunt, and even some work for the guys.

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Lexi is one lucky little girl, with a daddy, grandpa and uncles who love to build things. :)  The guys spent a lot of the day working on this new playhouse…I cannot wait until it’s finished – I can already see some adorable photo shoots in and around it!

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It took a little encouragement to get Lexi to search for her eggs…after the first couple she was just interested in opening them and eating or playing with whatever was inside. :) 

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But, with a little teamwork, the girls managed to hunt down all of their eggs.

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I think this next one is my new favorite Lexi picture…

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and last but not least…Lexi and her grandpa taking a break in her new playhouse. 

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Friday, April 13, 2012

{13} 4.13.12

{13} 4-13-12
We have this lilac bush on the side of our house…I’ve never really paid much attention to it before.  But today, I was outside cleaning out my car, and the scent of it drew me over. It really is quite beautiful… so I had to run in and get my camera.  :)

Thursday, April 12, 2012

{12} 4.12.12

{12} 4-12-12

so, I’m on a roll with the letters. :)  I still need several for the name that I’m currently working on, and this is one of them.  I’ve been looking for a “K" for quite a while, but it was right in front of (actually behind) me the whole time – the KU sticker on the back of my car.  Score! 

Now if I can just find a “Z”…

{11} 4.11.12

{11} 4-11-12

It’s 10pm. I’m turning off all the lights, and heading to bed.  Then I look down and see my camera. Crap.  I haven’t taken my 365 photo today!

I spent a good 2 minutes debating whether or not I should skip a day.  And then I decided it was too early to fall off the bandwagon, so I turned on the flash and looked around for something to shoot.  Matt walked through the door, Daisy turned her head, and this picture is the result.

{10} 4.10.12

{10} 4-10-12

This isn’t the most interesting photo by itself. (But it’s not meant to be by itself.)

I used today’s photo as a chance to add another letter to my collection.  (If you remember, at Christmas I made gifts for my mom’s side of the family with these letter photos).  I currently have another one on order, and I’m still working on making one for us too (of course I need an entire different set of letters for these two names than I did for the previous ones I did…) So I have a feeling this 365 project will help me to round out my letter photo stash pretty quickly! 

And, bonus!  This horseshoe from our backyard gave me both a U and a C :)

C

{9} 4.9.12 {gluten free, dairy free cupcakes!}

{9} 4-9-12

Today’s picture comes with a recipe, too! :)

So, for Easter, I was in charge of bringing a dessert to my mom & dad’s house.  For the past 6 months, I have been on a gluten and dairy free diet (and yes, it sucks just as bad as it sounds!)  My mom urged me to make something that I could eat (as you can imagine, most desserts become off limits when you eliminate gluten & dairy…), so I decided to give these cupcakes a try.  And let me tell you, I’m really glad I did!  I thought they were delicious.  And most things gluten &/or dairy free aren’t usually delicious.

For the cupcakes, I used a box mix from Whole Foods (King Arthur brand – this one, to be exact).  There are several box mixes to choose from, but this particular one only requires eggs and oil to be added, and no butter, so that was perfect! They were simple to whip up, and the chocolate flavor and texture was fabulous.  It tasted like REAL LIVE CAKE! 

For the frosting, I decided to make it from scratch.  There were several different recipes I debated trying, but I settled on this one.  (found on Pinterest, of course)  I actually ended up making 2 batches, because the first one just did not look right.  at. all.  I expected it to look a little different than your typical buttercream frosting, but this was bad.  I was hesitant to even try it.  So here is the variation of the recipe I used for the second batch (which I was not hesitant to try, and it was delicious):

1 c. non-hydrogenated margarine, room temp (I used Bestlife buttery baking sticks)
3-4 c. confectioners sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
(gluten free) food coloring if desired

In a stand mixer, beat the margarine until light and fluffy. Add 3 cups of confectioners sugar (sift if clumpy) and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and food coloring (if desired) and beat for another 5-7 minutes. Add confectioners sugar 1/4 c. at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.

The original recipe also called for milk (of any kind- cow, almond, soy, rice…) and I used almond in the first batch.  But it gave the frosting the weirdest consistency.  It started off runny, and then it did thicken when I added more confectioner’s sugar, but it just didn’t all mix together well…or something.  All I know is that when I made it the second time, without the milk, it was the perfect consistency, the perfect texture, and it tasted really yummy.

I am pretty excited to have found a cupcake with frosting that not only can I eat, but I actually want to eat!  These were delicious, and even the husband (who is very much NOT on a gluten and dairy free diet) thought they tasted good.  His exact words: “Wow, these actually taste like cupcakes!”  Now THAT says something :)

Monday, April 9, 2012

{8} 4.8.12

{8} 4-8-12

Even on a busy Easter Sunday full of family time and egg hunting, Uncle Matt found time to work with Lexi on her swing. :)

my heart = melted.

{7} 4.7.12

{7} 4-7-12

Yes, I am 27 years old, and I participated in an Easter egg hunt.  with my cousins. who are 19 and 22.

what can I say, we’re still kids at heart :)

{6} 4.6.12

{6} 4-6-12

if you were wondering, it’s the top of a pineapple :) 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

{5} 4.5.12

{5} 4-5-12

I promise I’m not going to let this turn into 365 photos of Daisy and my cats. :)  But today, she was sitting so peacefully looking out the window, and my camera was right next to me, so what could I do.  (the peace only lasted for about 10 more minutes, and then someone walked down the street.  Daisy was NOT happy about that.)

{4} 4.4.12

{4} 4-4-12

it’s kind of my life motto. :)

this actually happens to be my grocery bag…   groceries with a message.  I love it.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

{3} 4.3.12

{3} 4-3-12

my husband cringes at the sight of these guys.  to him, they are the ultimate enemy of a well kept lawn.  but to me, at least at this time of year, I kind of like them.  just another sign that spring is here…  until I start sneezing because of them.  then I’ll be glad to see them mowed away.

Monday, April 2, 2012

{2} 4.2.12

{2} 4-2-12

my favorite KU t-shirt.  I got it back when I was actually a student there, and I’m hoping it brings my Jayhawks good luck tonight. :)

here we go

so I’ve decided to do a little project. starting yesterday, I am committing to taking (and blogging!) a photo a day for the next year. 

yep, that’s 365 photos. 

if you google (or search on pinterest for) 365 project, you’ll find tons of these.  a lot of them have themes, or specific assignments, but I’m keeping it simple.

just one photo every day.

now, I can’t promise I’ll actually get them all edited and blogged in real time (obviously I’ve already fallen behind on that!), but I WILL take a picture each day.

let’s get this party started with day 1 (yesterday)’s photo:

{1} 4-1-12

my sweet  little girl, basking in the sun.  It has been unseasonably warm lately, and we recently put a screen door in, so this is her new favorite hangout.

I’ll be back later with today’s photo. :)