Project 2012 -- June 17-23

Project 2012 -- Week 25

June 17 - June 23

How to Link Up With Us

1.  Click here to read the Project 2012 Guidelines, and to get the code to place in your blog.
2.  Fill out the little form below (insert the URL of your blog post, not the main URL of your blog).
3.  Please visit others' links and leave comments; you will receive visits and comments in return!

My Week 25 Photos

I was back out taking tons of pictures of flowers again this past week.  But I also used Ellie for a lot of other shots throughout the week.  We'll start with a flower shot, and a bee to boot!

[169] Bumblebee on Russian sage

And a shot showing the progress of our vegetable garden:

[170] Mid-June garden

Wednesday was spent cleaning--and I mean cleaning--our garage while Fernando was out of town.  We found the below living in an old VCR on my husband's workspace counter.  This creature is no longer with us.  :)

 [171] Mouse house

Back to the flowers, and an amazingly brilliant coneflower.  I keep having to say that I didn't color-enhance this image, because purple coneflowers are usually a pastel lavender color.  This particular cultivar, however, is called Powwow Wild Berry, and its color reflects its name perfectly.

[172] Coneflower

I decided to fool around with a broken mirror and a self-portrait.  Double the smiles!

[173] Broken mirror

Half the guys, and two friends, packed up to go on an overnight campout and canoe trip.

[174] Canoe and campout

I recently discovered the PRINT module in Lightroom3, and have been fiddling around with making collages.  Below is a collage of Thomas' awesome block in Friday night's weekly Frisbee game.

[175] Awesome block

Although I have loved posting Project 2012 images, I will be discontinuing the Linky for sharing blogs--today's Linky will be the last one to link up with.  I've thoroughly enjoyed sharing blog posts with JoAnn (click here to see her Project 2012 blog posts), and I'll continue to visit her and your blogs to see what you're up to.  As for me, I will continue creating weekly blog posts showcasing my favorite images from the week.  I hope you'll keep shooting away, having fun with your camera, and capturing awesome images from your lives.  This is not good-bye!!  :)


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 2012 Week 24 -- June 10-16

Project 2012 -- Week 24

June 10 - June 16

How to Link Up With Us

1.  Click here to read the Project 2012 Guidelines, and to get the code to place in your blog.
2.  Fill out the little form below (insert the URL of your blog post, not the main URL of your blog).
3.  Please visit others' links and leave comments; you will receive visits and comments in return!

My Week 24 Photos

Last week was a relaaaaaaaxing week.  :)  I didn't do much at all, except for capturing some images from my back yard vegetable garden.  We had a garage sale this past weekend, and endured 90+ degree heat.  I'm still tired from being out there all day!  Without further ado, here's what I found in my harvest garden.

[162] Lettuce harvest

Oh, this (below) is not from my garden!  This is Danny being silly with a cornucopia basket my mom was planning on selling in our garage sale.  :)

 [163] Cornucopia Kid

Okay, back to the garden.  Danny hollered at me to put my macro lens on Ellie and run outside, which I did only to discover the below little guy.  And little he was--he's a praying mantis nymph, and was maybe half an inch long, really tiny.  I caught two or three great images of him.  Isn't he cool?

 [164] Praying mantis nymph

 [165] Marigold

[166] Garlic scape

[167] Tomato blossoms

More insects!  This guy was flitting around the garden, landing for only a few seconds each time before taking off.  But I managed to capture him sunning himself on the wire of one of the tomato cages.

[168] Dragonfly on tomato cage

I look ahead to one more sort-of lazy week, then I need to get my act together and get some things done!  Hope you had (and will have another) lovely week of summer!!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Flower Power!!

In between being a wife and mom, and overseeing the household maintenance, I take photos.  And in between portrait sessions and other business work (it's not all work!), I shoot a lot.  It's almost summer, after all!  And who can ignore all that color around the yard, in neighbor's gardens, walking down the street?  Not I.  And so I share with you today all the glorious things I've recently seen.  (It's either this or you get a gazillion posts about flowers in your blog reader!)

So really--grab a cup of coffee or tea, and scroll slowly through as you enjoy your morning cuppa!

Threadleaf coreopsis

Variegated beard tongue

Since the bees love my variegated beard tongue, I couldn't resist plopping myself down in front of them, listening to the hum and buzz all around me, and trying to capture these little guys feasting on nature's yumminess.

I discovered that bees really do take off backwards!

Takeoff #1

Takeoff #2

Dianthus

Blue oat grass--this little guy is recovering from a near-death experience.

Yep--I have weeds, too!

Happy daisies

Another weed--at least it's pretty!

Yucca flower stalk--I'd rather get rid of these plants, though the blooms are pretty.

Yucca blooms--they are pretty, indeed.

Garlic scapes -- hey, it's the flower of the garlic!  It still counts!!

Dianthus

Woodland hydrangea

Cherry tomato blossoms

Sweet pepper blossom

Astilbe "Peach Blossom"

Dreamy colors

Heliopsis (false sunflower) -- pretty daisy-like blooms, about 1.5" wide

Astilbe "Peach Blossom"  (yeah, it's pink)

Woodland hydrangea

Asiatic lily -- dramatic blooms

Purple coneflower "Powwow Wild Berry" -- just starting to bloom!

 Astilbe "Bridal Veil"

Hosta blooms

Monster dandelion about 3" in diameter

I absolutely love-love-love this coneflower variety!

Astilbe "Bridal Veil"

I spied a fly on my astilbe.  (Too bad that doesn't all rhyme!)

Whew!  I'm flowered out.  Except you'll probably see another flower post real soon!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

Visit my website
Stop by my family blog
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