photo challenge #11 - something old

my childhood teddy bear

ragged from many years of snuggles

this poor old bear - missing both eyes, part of an ear, and a fair amount of stuffing,

has traveled with me from home to home

- and now resides on my bedroom dresser

I knew a couple of weeks ago that my teddy bear would be the subject of this prompt

-  which brought me into the realm of still life photography

- something I know absolutely nothing about

Reading articles about lights, backdrops, reflectors...

I thought to myself - yeah, I'm not doing any of that

So I moved my bear about the house - seeking a setting that felt right

- and when I placed him on this antique chair,

letting the outdoor lighting provide the backdrop,

it all just sort of clicked for me

Next up - Something New

Do you have a cherished childhood item?

I'd love to see it captured in a photo!

Canon EOS REBEL T3i

EF24-105mm f/4 IS USM, 65mm

1/125 sec at f/4.0

photo challenge - week #10 juxtaposition

I'm running behind

- yep, nothing new, here...

Sooooo - juxtaposition...
Anyway - a couple of weeks ago, during a snowstorm in Boston,

I heard on the news of a man in Copley Square, lying in a hammock

Yeah - he was there, I wasn't - but how cool would that have been?

Then, this morning on my commuter train, 

pulling into the station in Boston, a man is wearing a ski helmet

- goggles and all - ???

I was there - but missed that shot too...

So - thank goodness for Copley Square

- my old reliable

where historic and modern comfortably coexist

Next up - something old

which will likely be late - again

I think I know what I want to do, but need daylight - at home

yeah - I'm not home during daylight hours...

Is it summer yet?

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

32mm 1/50 sec at f/9.0

thankful thursday -

"When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty

my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup"

Sam Lefkowitz

But this can be easy to forget in this harried, hurried, hectic world
- I get caught up in my daily hurdles and frustrations
- and as I enter a busy time of year in my little corner of academia
- with a frenzy of deadlines looming

this is me

hanging on - tenacious like little Nutkins

and while I generally think of myself as a cup half-full sort of gal
I often need to slow it down - reminding myself to just be thankful for that cup
- and I am -

I'm joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

- So yeah, does anyone happen to know who Sam Lefkowitz is?

Thanks for dropping in!

scene and story & photo challenge week #9 - beverages

Okay - yes, I groaned when I saw that my next prompt was "beverages"

- and yet, sitting back, bidding farewell to 2016,
this was our scene for the new year
welcome 2017!

- a bottle of pink champagne - left over from Laura and Jeff's wedding

- a warm fire in the stove, casting a soft glow

- watching Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve performance (?? - yikes...)

- sharing a comfortable moment to end the year

2016 wasn't a bad year for me, but I can't say I am sad to see it go

2017 will bring some substantial changes to our family

- new worries, new adventures...

- but as Greg and I enjoy this peaceful end of one year,

it's with optimism, hope - celebration - that I look forward to the new one

I am joining Sarah @ Paisley Rain Boots & Lee @ Sea Blue Lens for Scene and Story

Canon EOS Rebel T31

EF50mm f/1.8 II

ISO1600

1/13 sec at f/2.2

away for the week

After the hustle and bustle leading up to the holidays,
Greg and I were fortunate to enjoy a quiet week in Vermont
resting, relaxing, puttering, exploring,
turning off that 5 am alarm - yes!
:-)

I'm especially thankful that our girls were able to join us for a couple of days after Christmas
with busy lives of their own, these "everyday" moments are rare
- they just couldn't pass up a selfie with a snowy mountain background
(and I couldn't pass up sneaking a photo)

Chickadee and I shared a few peaceful moments watching the snowfall

and what would a week in Vermont be
without traipsing through the snow for yet another barn shot?
- splashes of color persevere in the winter scenery

So now it's back to my hectic workaday world
and that morning alarm
- yeah, that's okay...  kind of...
but for this week away - I am thankful beyond words

I am joining Michelle for Thankful Thursday

photo challenge week #8 - sooc

I hope you all have had a wonderful week!

I actually thought I would spend this past week taking lots of photos

and posting lots of posts...

Ummm - not so much

Christmas was wonderful

and Greg and I have been enjoying some "away" time

it's all good

so - on to this week's photo challenge

ugh

Truth be told, every prompt should probably be sooc - (straight out of camera)

I considered postponing another week

 - but, well - I kind of want to be done with this one.

This little waterfall and mill sits hidden, behind a community theater

in Weston, Vermont.

It's truly beautiful to look at

and yet - when I looked at my photos, I kind of thought - "meh"

it happens - I like it when my photos to speak to me - this one doesn't

- for sooc purposes, though, it works pretty darned well

- anyway -

I shot in both RAW and JPEG - above is the untouched JPEG version

and here is the RAW version with a few Lightroom tweeks

so, next week - moving on to "beverages"

seriously? 

Happy New Year! 

Canon EOS Rebel T3i

EF24-105mm F/4L IS USM

47mm 1/50 sec at f/9.0