Weekly Header Challenge - Anything Goes

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Craver VII 

Fishing Guy 

Katney 

Imac 

Lew 

I'm joining in the group above for this weekly challenge.

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Group Theme ~ Anything Goes!

Anything Goes = I Get to Choose My Theme. Which is:

The Color of Winter

Since we've been entrenched (literally and figuratively) in winter, in this seemingly interminable January, I figured I'd make the most of it.  So, here is my header, full-shot mode:

Since there's no way I'd go out in minus-11-degree weather to snag some winter weather images, I'm sharing images from a winter walk that Fernando and I went on earlier in January.  The above header image is actually the last shot I took on our walk.  As we crossed the footbridge on our way to the parking lot, I looked to my left and saw the rocks wearing their hats of snow as the brook emptied its not-quite-frozen contents into the river beyond.  I took the shot kneeling way down to get between the floor of the bridge and the lowest rail.  The perspective was beautiful.

I love those white-capped stones, and the starkness of the trees.  I almost converted the image to black and white, but there was something about those two splashes of gold from the dormant grass that adds an extra warmth and beauty to this scene.  It was a perfect image to end our walk on.

Here are my favorite images from our visit.

At the start of our path.

I edited most of these in black and white mode, which I felt lent itself to the starkness of the season.  Both black (all colors) and white (the absence of color) work together to create beauty of their own, and help me to see that winter is also about shapes and mood.

I love the shape and contrast of winter trees.

Winter prairie scene.

The next image below lent itself to sepia tones.  Although I love the same image in black and white, the sepia adds a little more warmth to the scene.

On the bridge at the river.

In case you wondered, below is the same shot taken a few Octobers ago, with the same tree branch framing the shot (I knew I liked that frame!!).

I vaguely recall that we're supposed to include an image featured in a past header, so here's my header image from January 2:

Toldja we've been entrenched in winter all month!!

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 2012 -- Week 27

Project 2012 -- Week 27

July 1-7

Welcome to my Project 2012 weekly post!  This is my time for looking back over the past week, choosing my seven favorites images, and sharing them here with you.  If you have a project you're working on, please leave a comment so I can visit your blog and see what you're up to!

I took so, so, so many images last week!  Independence Day is a very special holiday; I am passionately excited about the birth of our nation, and about the ideals upon which it was founded.  With get-togethers, fireworks, friends, and other activities, it sure made for a busy week.  Here are my seven favorites from last week:

Danny brought my camera to church to document the sound system, since we'll be on vacation and we trained some new "recruits" to work the sound board during the service.  Danny very thoughtfully created a how-to manual for the sound system.  Since I had my camera at church, I took it outside and wandered the grounds at Naper Settlement, took a few shots, and then the girls came around.  Miss S (below) loved hamming it up for me.  :)

[183] Silly girl

Below is my friend's clematis; it's beautiful, don't you think?

[184] Purple clematis

Independence Day dawned bright and cloudless and hot.  Hot.  Did I mention hot?  It had hit 100+ on July 3, and on the 4th our car thermometer registered 104 degrees at 1:40pm when we reached our destination:  a back yard church Independence Day picnic.  One of the dads has a genuine Jeep; I took the opportunity to experiment with lens flare and sun stars.  I'm kinda proud of how the below image turned out.  :)

 [185] American

My friend's little boy seemed to enjoy the day, and especially the watermelon.  Isn't he just darling?  I think so, too.

[186] A day for watermelon

I'll have a whole separate post for the fireworks, which we actually went to on July 3.  We're so glad we did, too--I was feeling rather sick at the end of our Independence Day celebration, what with being out in the heat all afternoon and all.  We had gone to the fireworks with a bunch of friends the evening before in Naperville, and felt totally fine with skipping a second night of fireworks in Warrenville.  Below is from the fireworks finale.

[187] Fireworks finale

Aaand, even though it hit 104 degrees again on Friday, Frisbee was on the schedule and so we bravely drove to the designated Frisbee field.  The guys and girls decided to play on the smaller field so they wouldn't have to run as much, but they were still super sweaty and thirsty at the end of the evening.  Below, Thomas impeded Adam's chase of the Frisbee.  Adam is pretty hart to block, and we're all proud of Thomas "taking one" for his team.  ;)

[188] Blocking Adam

I brought my camera to the Frisbee game to practice taking action shots.  Not being a sports photographer, I think it's fun to try a different aspect of photography.  But, a baby came along and I kept switching between action shots (of Frisbee) and action shots (of little Keaton and his adoring family and fans).  Here he is below with his auntie.

[189] Adorable, adoring

I love babies.  I'm glad I have a camera to capture all the sweetness they give.  I hope you had a super week filled with memories!  Can't wait to see what you've been up to!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Project 2012 -- Week 19 -- May 6-12

Project 2012 -- Week 19

May 6 - May 12

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 19 Photos

What a hard week to choose photos from!  Seriously--I took over one thousand images.  Really.  I may be photo-ed out!  My week started by watching my friend's four children while she was at the hospital in labor.  Her husband was with her, so I got to spend the day, night, and the next morning with these four really neat kids.  :)

So Little Miss E wouldn't cry at her parents leaving her, we took off for the park as they all waved goodbye to Dad and Mom driving away down the street.  R was like a little papa with Miss E, pulling the wagon, and sliding and swinging with her.  So sweet!

[126] Swingin'

Miss K and C had a great time swinging, and I caught this moment of enjoyment between the two of them.

 [127] Swinging fun

Then it was Miss K's turn to take Miss E on the slide.  Their expressions say it all!

[128] Sliding girls

The next morning, Miss K and Miss E were giving me their trademark expressions while R made gluten-free pancakes for all of us.  (And R is only 11 years old!)

[129] Tongues!

After the baby was born (a girl!), and a few days later, I came back to be with the kids while their dad got their mom home from the hospital.  My Thomas came with me, and he and the two boys ended up in the play room engrossed in a board game.  Just before her nap, I snapped a shot of Miss E looking out the front door waiting for her mommy.

[130] Waiting for Mommy

Miss K and I had a tea party on the porch, and she let me snap a few shots of her.  Sweetie-pie!

[131] Wistful

Mommy and baby came home amid excited, jumping children!  Once everyone was settled, Miss E exclaimed, "I wanna hold dat!" (her new baby sister).  It was so cute.  Since I had my camera and documented most everything in this family's life the past few days, and since the light was perfect, and since baby--Little Miss C--was perfectly precious, I captured the below.  :)

[132] Baby sister

I spent so much time with this family last week, but I wasn't done.  I got to do a newborn session with Little Miss C.  I'll be sharing a few of my favorites from that session real soon.  I love babies!



Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Mom's Flowers

One sunny spring day, the guys and I drove up to my parents' house to dig up some dirt they wanted to get rid of.  My parents have lived in their home for 35+ years, and are getting ready to move.  We were happy to take the extra dirt, since I have raised bed veggie gardens in my back yard that were in need of some extra dirt.

I knew this would probably be the last spring and summer my parents would spend in their longtime home, so I wandered around while the guys worked, and I took some shots of the flowers in bloom at the time.  WARNING:  There are lots of daffodils below!

Hyacinth in my mom's front garden

A row of daffodils

Purple hyacinth along the side of the house

I wanted to try black and white with the daffodils, so that the image becomes more about light and shadow, white and black.  I think they're pretty.

I like the vertical lines of the hosta stems below.

I have to get me some hyacinth plants.  These babies are beautiful!

My mom has taken beautiful care of her gardens throughout the years, and it shows in her spring garden.  Love you, Mom!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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