59/365: Roll Up the Rim Time!

When we moved up to Canada two years ago, we had not even heard of Tim Hortons, the coffee shop chain. In Ontario, there seems to be a Tim Hortons on every corner. When March comes around every year, it's known as Roll Up the Rim to Win time! Its Tim Hortons' annual marketing campaign with millions in prizes given away. Last year, we only won a large coffee and a donut. Maybe this year, we'll fare better. Today's coffee yielded a disappointing "Please play again." You bet we will!

58/365: The Colorful Princesses

I decided to practice with the girls. My daughter is usually the one playing with these little ladies. But today, they were my patient models as I tested my lens, my exposure and later, my processing.

I will be so glad when spring is here, and I can practice outdoors!

57/365: The Budding Performer

At least once a week, my daughter takes out her pink ukulele so she can sing and dance. She was moving around so much, it was tough to get a decent photo. But here she is giving it her all with her mismatched outfit and her four ponytails!  I'm looking forward to recording her "performance growth"!

56/365: All in the Name of Treats

It's Candy's turn for a portrait. She puts up with me because she knows I have the treats. For those, she'll do just about anything!

These were done for a Clickin' Moms creative challenge. (Window light and the 50mm lens.) These were processed in Lightroom 3 using free presets from Olive Juice (formerly AMP/Amy McMaster's actions & presets). Go check them at http://olivejuiceshoppe.com/.

55/365: Her Favorite Cup

She is at that age where everything is about princesses. She gets her milk in her Princess cup, and she's delighted. This one was a Christmas gift from her aunties.

54/365: Roadside Discoveries

I found myself doing some more drive-by shooting--the photography kind, naturally! And yes, the kids were napping in the mini-van again. For the farm structure, I didn't even get out of the car (I shot these from the driver's side, through the passenger window. Talk about armchair photography!). I'm really enjoying this Project 365, particularly because it's forcing me to experiment with post-processing. For the textured one, I know it's a bit crazy but that's what happens when I play around a little too much.

53/365: His Many Faces

Today's assignment for the Joy of Love photo workshop was to get a portrait of a loved one.  Well, my little girl has gotten several of these lately, so it was my son's turn. How do you get a two-year-old to stay still? You strap him down in his booster seat, of course. I hope he forgives me for holding him hostage for the sake of these photos! 

Captured with natural light and the 85mm at f/2.8 

52/365: Little Hands and Pencil Sharpening

Yesterday we let Natalie play with some colored pencils that came with a pencil sharpener. She insisted on learning how to sharpen pencils "all by myself." After a few tries, she did indeed sharpen one of her Valentine's Day pencils. The first few tries where I showed her how to do it were not easy for her--because as I later realized (in a mom's duh moment), I was showing her how to do it the left-handed way, and she is right-handed! So this morning, practically the first thing out of her mouth: "I want to sharpen stuff by myself!" And, since today's prompt for the Joy of Love workshop was to capture your loved one's hands in  close-up detail, I snapped away.

51/365: Their First Tent

We went to Ikea today and came home with their igloo tent. First Natalie and daddy enjoyed some playtime in the tent. Later, Ian decided he would play around with it, too. They both loved it. Daddy and I were pretty happy with the purchase.

50/365: Pink and Purple in the Snow

After her ballet class, Natalie got to play in the snow for a little while.

49/365: Dining Out at Olive Garden

We were out and about all day beginning with an appointment with my eye doctor and ending with lots of shopping. In between, we went to Olive Garden, and I managed to snap this shot (the only time I had the camera out today!). As luck would have it, today's prompt for the Joy of Love photography workshop was to capture us "going out." I didn't manage to get in the picture this time--maybe next time!

Captured with my "super wide" Canon 15-85 @ focal length 15.  Settings: f/3.5 1/160 ISO 1000

48/365: Leaping Ahead

Yesterday, my preschooler had homework for the first time! Today, she spent some time with her Leap Frog. Her vocabulary is exploding. I'm really enjoying our conversations, too. She's just a few weeks shy of her 4th birthday. Where does the time go?!

Taken with the Canon 15-85mm at 42mm

I have to include this photo that I took two days ago. Just finished tweaking it. It's been tough getting a real smile from her (and not a corny, funny face!).

Taken with the Canon 85mm (yep, love this lens even indoors!) and the Lightscoop.

47/365: The Rings

The prompt for the workshop today was supposed to be a self-portrait. Today was just not the day for that! So I decided to try and capture our rings with those lovely flowers.  I could not decide on which processing to choose!

46/365: Dreaming of Spring

I just had to buy some flowers today since I've got spring on the brain. Is it here yet?! 

45/365: The Mizpah Coin

My sweetheart gave me a Mizpah Coin necklace for Valentine's Day. It goes well with today's Joy of Love workshop assignment (jewelry/wedding band). I'd seen this type of necklace before but I love the message of the Mizpah Coin: "The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another. Genesis XXXI:49." 

Next time I might avoid these patterns and angles! I keep feeling like it's crooked! Maybe even dizzying?! LOL

44/365: Preparing for Valentine's Day

Natalie and I spent the better part of the day finishing the Valentines for her preschool classmates. I had taken her photo more than a week ago so we just did the assembly today for the envelopes and bookmarks. It was a fun little project!

43/365: The Eyes Have It

I was just about exhausted when I completed the assignment for the Joy of Love workshop! It's very hard to get a three-year-old to stay still for any length of time. But at last, I think I captured the twinkle in her eyes and her playfulness.

42/365: Little Red Corvette

Capture your loved one's dream--that was today's prompt for the Joy of Love workshop. And, no, my two-year-old does not dream of driving a Corvette. His daddy does! My hubby is all about the Corvette--he sighs when he sees one. He drooled incessantly at the National Corvette Museum. And, he's not giving up hope that one day when he's retired, he'll own a Corvette to keep in the driveway.

My doggie got groomed today. He was looking quite dapper if I say so myself! He has this way of turning his head to the side when I talk to him--as if to say "Huh?" Love that look!

41/365: Mommy-mode

I've been in full mommy-mode these past few days--dealing with a sick kiddo, battling a cold, juggling errands, shopping--even managed to include an in-person delivery of photos! I was too exhausted last night to write a blog post with yesterday's photos! The picture of my hubby reading was my way of capturing one of his hobbies as part of the Joy of Love workshop assignment. I did a last minute capture of the flower and vase just to play with textures. I'm still learning how to post-process using textures but really enjoyed fiddling with them. It felt as blissful to me as I'm sure reading felt to my hubby!

Today, we got home so late I ran up against the "what-the-heck am I going to photograph today?" question that I'm sure my fellow Project 365-mates face a lot. So this is why I'm posting a photo of my counter, with all the stuff I have yet to put away in the pantry!  

40/365: Following Bliss

39/365: Love from the heart

Today's assignment from the Joy of Love workshop was to capture a "gift" from the heart.  I treasure this necklace, which my hubby gave to me, for all that it symbolizes.

Just a quick thank you to everyone for all the encouraging and sweet comments about my photo-blog.

38/365: Drive-by Clickin'

I wish I had something more exciting to post today. It was just that kind of winter day--grey, wet, snowy, slushy. Once again I found myself with two sleeping children in the mini-van, so I drove around for some drive-by clickin' (you know, the kind you do without getting out of the car!). Here's a nice flock of Canadian geese just hanging out. Next time, I'll bring my big zoom lens instead of the prime.

37/365: Sunday Love

1/13 f/2 ISO 6400 Candle-light only 50mm 1.4

36/365: The Terrible Twos

Today's photography assignment (Joy of Love workshop) was to capture that which we love to hate about our loved one. So how about those terrible twos?! My son has turned up the volume on his tantrums lately. So when he's not crying or demanding or making messes, he's also sneaking upstairs. Oh, the joy!

35/365: What they wear

Today's assignment was to capture "what they wear." I thought the shoes in the front entrance (mostly winter shoes) would be appropriate. Now that I see it, it just makes me wish for warm weather. That groundhog better be right!!!!

34/365: Then and Now

Today's photo assignment in the Joy of Love workshop is showing our loved one in some type of "Then and Now" photo. I showed my daughter these tiny hand-made sandals she wore as a baby. She tried putting them on her feet.  She barely got her big toe in the sandal! My little munchkin will be four next month.

33/365: Capture your loved one...How they look

It's been a fun day that started with the phone call that officially declared it a Snow Day for my daughter's school. I took photos of the snow accumulation and of my hubby shoveling. I did a gag self-portrait for a Clickin' Moms contest. See below! And, I completed my day 2 assignment of the Joy of Love workshop. Here's my daughter trying to ignore mommy by staring at the TV. That's so her!

32/365: WHAT THEY DO

It's the first day of February, and the first day of a month-long photography workshop called the Joy of Love (WilletteDesigns.com). Our first assignment was to photograph someone we love doing "what they do." In all fairness, my hubby does not spend a lot of time commanding the remote! But today was his day off, so he is doing what he does when he relaxes!

85mm  1/125 f/2.2 ISO 1600