Weekly Header Challenge -- Looking Up

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

Imac 

Lew

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

Visit the other participants' blogs to see their entries!

Theme ~ Looking Up

Chosen by Tom.

For this week's theme, I traveled back in time to our silver anniversary trip to Paris.  Although pictures don't do justice to the view, it's pretty amazing standing at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower and looking up.  Here is the uncropped image I used for this week's header:

Closer to home is another tower--the Moser Tower which houses the Millenium Carillon in Naperville.  At the bottom, looking up, you can see a series of bells, from the largest bell, "Big Joe," to the smaller and smaller ones, until you have to climb the stairs to see the smallest bells of the carillon.

At the very top of the Moser Tower, you can look up and see the sky.  I took a picture, then turned 90 degrees and took a second picture for a different look.  I do like the second one better, though both are visually interesting.

In Chicago, you can find many old churches, one of which is Notre Dame de Chicago, which boasts this beautiful dome in its sanctuary.

Lots of signs can be seen if you look up; here is one of my favorite ice cream shops, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

Finally, here's one old image I took at a springtime church picnic.  Daddy sure had to look up so he could catch his little son!

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Birds

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

Imac 

Lew

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

Click on the other participants' blogs to see

what they've come up with!

Theme ~ Birds

Chosen by Kathy.

I was out of town last week, and I'll be out of town again this week.  So, this post will be just photos.  First is my header image, then other birds I've taken pictures of recently.  Enjoy!

I'm looking forward to spring, and early morning birdsong, and robins in my green grass!!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- In the Kitchen

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

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!

Theme ~ In the Kitchen

Chosen by me.

Since it's winter, I've been in my kitchen a lot.  Cooking and baking are not only fun, but they keep me warm!  These images are all from the past two months; to start, here is the full-frame version from my header:

Homemade ravioli!

Over on my family blog, I post lots of recipes.  I like sharing them with the cyber-world, and I want to eventually include all my favorite ones for easy access when I'm away from home.  Or, you know, if my house burns down and I lose my recipe binder...  So, I take lots of pictures, not just of the finished product, but of the process as well.  Here's one image of my ingredients, ready to be turned into Bay Rice Pilaf:

I love a good salad, and though I don't eat many of them during the winter, I have to satisfy the craving when it occurs.

Salad with peas, tomatoes, and cranberries.

A new recipe for me is this delicious Ham Chili, which I paired with cornbread made in my cast iron skillet.

Whole-wheat biscuits make a delicious and healthy side dish.

Here's the finished product:  Bay Rice Pilaf.

Finally, here's a new cake I tried--Almond Cream Cake, for Jake's birthday (he had friends over for his "Games 'n Grub" party).  It looks nothing like the picture showed me it was supposed to look in the original recipe, plus Jake bought me blanched sliced almonds instead of regular plain ol' slivered almonds.  The cooked frosting--my first attempt at such a recipe--was a disaster, but I doctored it and made it work.

The Games 'n Grub (board games, card games, etc., plus food = Games 'n Grub) was a ton of fun, and we ended up in the kitchen for dessert, which was said cake above.  While we were singing Happy Birthday, our very own Craver (who, with his wife, partied with us!) grabbed my camera, set it to auto, held it up, and snapped this picture:

Birthday in my kitchen!

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Shadows

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

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!

Theme ~ Shadows

Chosen by Mac.

I went back as far as I could to find some images for this week's theme.  Here's what I found, beginning with the image I used for my header:

I like the interesting patterns and lines of the snow, how the ridges create shadows and textures.  Without the shadows, you wouldn't be able to see the detail and the textures.

Here is another snow and ice picture, edited a bit to show off the brilliance of the ice crystals, with shadows on the sidewalk.

Finally, one last one I pulled up showing one of my first fly pictures with its wings as shadows on the siding of the house.

That's it for this week.  I soon hope to have more time with my camera to focus (pardon the pun) on our photography themes each week; life has been busy, that's for sure!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Black and White

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

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!

Theme ~ Black & White

Chosen by All of Us.

I had to dig back a bit to find some black and white images.  I haven't experimented with this format in a while, but I think I'm going to have to revisit it sometime soon.  A black and white image focuses more on shapes, light and dark, and mood/feeling more than the actual subject matter--though that is also important.  Here is my selection for this week's theme, starting with the image I chose for my header:

Since I took the above image at the farm a friend's son was starting up (I actually did their initial website photography!), I decided to show you several black and white images I took from that visit--all things farm-y and rustic.

I start with an old water pump on the property:

A dying purple coneflower, in black and white, becomes a study in shapes, light/dark, and lines.

On to an ornamental windmill next to the farmhouse.

This last one was taken at a local park, and I love how the light shines into the photograph.  The flowers were white in the color version, and I like how they stand out starkly against the deep dark shadows of the background.

That's it for this week!

Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Back from Break: My Favorites

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

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!

Theme ~ Back from Break:  My Favorites

Chosen by Tom.

Happy New Year!  We Headbangers are back from Christmas break, and ready for a new year of photography adventures together.  Starting with the image I used for my header, here are some of my favorites from our time away.  These were taken on Fernando's and my driving date to see local Christmas light displays.

The above wasn't the best Christmas light display, or the nicest image in composition, but I was able to crop it nicely for my header.  My favorite Christmas light display is this one, below:

Across from that house, was this one, below, bedecked in a cascade of white lights.

And, the below is a close-up from another display.  It was such a mild day that we got out of our car several times to enjoy the lights, and in many cases, accompanying music.

This was our own "light display."

I collect snowflake ornaments and hope to have our tree covered in them.  But this Christmas, our tree also sported several leaf ornaments.  These ornaments are all actual leaves; a local artist turns them into amazing works of art, and I love them hanging on my tree.

Finally, I can't not post a food photo from our time away!  Here is one of my favorites from New Year's Day, when we had a traditional Italian meal of ravioli.  My parents celebrated with us, and my mom and I spent all afternoon making these beauties.  I messed up the recipe a bit, but the ravioli turned out yummy, so all was forgiven.

Again, Happy New Year!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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Weekly Header Challenge -- Far Far Away

It's time for the Weekly Header Challenge!

"Headbanger" Participants

Fishing Guy 

Kathy 

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!

Theme ~ Far Far Away

Chosen by Kathy.

After a two-week break for us headbangers, we're back with a new year and a new theme.  My first thought upon seeing the theme was Paris, but I've used lots of photos from there, and it was also a while ago.  The most recent "far away" place I've been is California, so I thought I'd feature this image, which was taken at sunset at my sister-in-law's home.  In silhouette, with the palm tree branches gently swaying, it looks like an exotic place far away from wintry Chicago.

You may remember from a few weeks ago my header image from Huntington Beach, California; here is a "re-post" sunset image from that far-away locale.

While in far-away California, we had the chance to visit and connect with many family members.

The hibiscus flower is definitely not from around here; another "far far away" flower!

Here is our "far far away" family, with a photo of my aunt held by her granddaughter, and many family members in front of her home.

That's it from far far away!


Treasuring life's moments,
Christine

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