New SP

What's it called when it's not really a self-portrait but your 5-year-old shutterbug takes the shot? He still loves using the camera. We had it out because he effectively documented Lily's first haircut (at 5 months of age) since I had to hold her.
It's interesting to see myself through his eyes.

Summertime

I miss this project and this blog and all of your projects and talking to you all!
I'm alive though. Kids. Family. House. Fairs. Parties. Playdates. Blogs.

Chasing my tail

All day. Every day.
I miss this blog and I miss this project.
In the past month or so, I've learned how to custom-code a blog for wordpress and taken on a ton of paying projects. I love it. But I'm not finishing one project before moving on to another which means I have like 7 or 8 things going at once. Chasing my tail.
I'm taking more pics this week.
I learned that picasa will do a slideshow with music and video.
I attempted a day in the life and now I want to try it again. It was fun and I learned a lot. I think I really enjoy a photojournalistic approach over portraits. But I think a lot of MWAC's say that.
I'm trying to learn about skin tones. It totally overwhelms me and bogs me down but I want to get it.
Here's snap from today:

lunchboxes

The kids start a summer program on Tuesday and wow, who'd have thought that lunchboxes would be so exciting? I don't remember the last thing he got that he played with this much!



This little play area has such great light, I need to take more shots there!

Japanese Garden

Ooooh, fantastic location!
Too chilly today and my kids weren't feeling the camera but it's going to be a super location. I think it's used for wedding shots a lot:

Seems like I'm hitting the most harsh sun of the day and then struggling with exposure in the shade. Argh!

Summer

has kind of officially started for us since preschool is out. Found a park that will be fun to shoot at when the light is right:

Mother's Day

is totally overrated and I successfully kept my expectations low enough so as not to be disappointed. We had a nice day. Not wonderful or amazing or even great. Just nice which is better than disappointing or miserable.
Pictures in jammies and sweatpants are also better than strained smiles and stressful "cheese" pictures:

12 weeks!

I've been taking more pics...now I need to get back into the habit of posting one every day!!

11 weeks

I'm doing a site for a photog friend that makes cloth diapers. They're insanely perfect and adorable: babysweetbottoms She sent me a few "testers" that she's seriously giving away for $8 at this point so I tried to get a few of Lily in them:

p & s

I had my beloved point & shoot with me today for the big soccer debut but this is my favorite from our little picnic after the game. I need to get back into posting daily shots and need to not feel like everything has to be so much of a work of art or learning experience. So get ready for some snapshots and fun actions. This is from OTSS, the Carnival set (Strawberry Ice Cream).

8 weeks

Slowly but surely we're emerging from the newborn cocoon. Did I mention slowly?

Pretty In Pink

Ah, the birthday-slash-Easter dress. Quite the favorite attire these days:

It's clickable to view the rest of the set.
Someday I'll figure out what day I'm on...but first I have to know what day of the week it is....

OPS Meetup!

I have two favorites from the meetup.
The first is Heather's 11 y/o son. He was a really cool kid and so sweet. I can only hope my kids are so great when they're that age:

and Heather's brother and niece:

6 weeks

I'm sucking at the daily pics...need to pick that back up!
I have 6 week pics today though:

Lake Michigan

We ventured up to see the lake today and I'm so so so excited to have a beach to shoot at this summer. I need to practice up on full-sun shooting though!

Crazy Aunt Sue

My friend Sue came for a visit and we had a ball!
I've started using soft light layers to add contrast and haven't perfected it yet but love the look:

And if you want to see the others: Flickr Set

One Month Old

Took a few quick shots in the swing today since that's where she's getting her best sleep these days. It's where she is now and Brian is asleep on the couch so I can try to sneak in some time in the real bed so I have to be quick here...

Outside!

We got to go outside and play today! And it's supposed to be 50 or better into next week:

Genius

And today I am a photographic genius. In my own little world, I am a photographic genius, just for today. I finally got some shots of the baby that I'm happy with!

Announcements!

Ack! I need help! I DID finally take some pics today and am trying to edit them but I just can't wrap my mind around it. Please take a drive-by my flickr photostream and give me some input on what you see for the baby announcements. I'm lost!

5th Birthday!

Just to keep things interesting, we celebrated a 5th birthday this week. We invited the kids from preschool and had it at Burger King. It went great! Here's just one from yesterday:

and one from the day we went to the park...I went into labor that night!

and my current perfectly imperfect shot of Lily so far:

One week!

Just a picasa link for now!
http://picasaweb.google.com/nancy.lary/Lily?authkey=4_eJdSkOkiM#

Lily

"Aawww...look at all that hair!!"

Welcome, Lily!

She's here! Born at 2:07am on February 11! All is well...except I forgot the USB cord to download pics. I'll update again tomorrow.

110/365

It was a beautiful day so we headed for the park. Not raining but umbrellas are fun in the wind too:

109/365

Big kid in his bunk bed...he loves it!

108/365

We're still trying to enjoy our freedom so the big kid got the trip out with mama today. When we got in the car to go to Target, he said, "Uummm, I've never had cookies at Panera....".

He can't even stop talking long enough to take a picture:

106/365

Just girls at Panera today:

with The Nana:

103/365

The reflector came today! So yeah; I didn't even wipe faces after supper before plopping down on the living room floor:

I had the kit lens on for a quick lesson for Brian too. Just a few more things checked off the list..any day now, baby!

100/365

YAY 100 Days!!!
I did some more Valentine pics today. This time in my bedroom and used the flash a little:

99/365

I tried to focus and practice a little today but it just wasn't happening. I want to use the kit lens at the hospital but I just don't get along with it!

96/365

Snuck in a meetup with another April06 mom today. It totally wiped me out but so very worth it!

95/365

Monster princess!

Yellow cast maybe? At least it's color :P
Saturday night before the Notre Dame/UCONN game:

92/365

So we've been putting off celebrating my birthday b/c my gift hadn't arrived yet after being rerouted when we decided to move like thieves in the night. It finally came today! And he brings this in:

They're my old clubs but it's a new bag and club cover things. I'm thrilled to have it and he was super-proud to give it. Not exactly something I can run out and use...any time in the next 6 months to a year though!

91/365

End of the evening effort tonight! I even settled for the eyelash shots since I couldn't even get eye contact:

That's the sweet conversion (again) with a mocha overlay.
An attempt at color but I just couldn't get it right:

Just for fun, I ran Coffee Shop's Powder Room on my newly pedicured feet. I was trying to go frugal and remove the polish on my toenails this morning but...well, it just wasn't feasible so I let the pros take care of it (at the nail salon in WalMart):

89/365

I just...she just....
And today, we added sparkly red pigtail holders to the getup b/c of course she had to wear it again.
*sigh*

Ran OTSS Vintage Sweet action on this one. And I totally left the mess in the background to make up for the princess bed shot!

88/365

Pink:

87/365

This, my dear photography friends, was not a good day. I barely slept last night and didn't get a bit of rest today between church and kids and grocery shopping and kids and...trying to get ready for a baby. I decided I'd indulge my nesting urge a little and set up the pack 'n play with the bassinet thingy which is where we'd planning on the baby sleeping as long as she was in our room. Alas...only 3 of the 4 poles necessary for the bassinet attachment made it to Indiana. I'm not sure where the 4th might be. It's one of those things I've looked at several times, even before moving and started to think, "Now I see three...doesn't that thing need fou...." and on to the next thought I'd go. But here we are. No place for the baby to sleep.
We're all four going to my 8:30am baby appointment and we're all four going to spend at least the rest of the morning shopping for alternatives; probably for the little gal that's currently hogging the crib mattress on her floor. Baby will likely get the crib in her room while big sister scores with a princess toddler bed or something equally tacky but fun.
Here I am, in my darkest nesting moment with my gut hanging out, my messy room, dirty mirror and 3 out of 4 poles:


On the lighter side, I totally need to update my blog list! If you're another 365'er that reads but I don't have listed, please leave a comment and I'll add you tomorrow!!

86/365

I tried monochrome on my camera today and maybe I just don't know any better but I liked it just fine! Then Catie explained how to use a soft light layer with the high pass filter run on it and I liked it a lot! I gave this a light blue overlay as well; it seems more noticeable on the web than it looks to me in PS:

I just bounced the speedlite off the wall behind me and kind of like that you can kind of see my outline like you would if she was outside looking towards the sun.

85/365

This was a day that the ol' 365 "made" me get the camera out and since I waited until the end of the day, I "had" to use the flash. It's bounced off the plastic covering over the insulation in the basement. We were trying to run them down by letting them ride their bikes down there before wrestling them into bed. This guy had to stop and make a face at me after every lap. I brightened his eyes (they were pretty beady without) just by dodging the iris/pupil area and ran the Itty Bitty Over Expose Vintagy Wow Action:

Reflector, oh reflector, where for art thou?