26/365 "It's a Tradition!"

Mark makes the pies...and there is a reason! I could NEVER make a pie the way he does..yum.

24/365 "They're Expecting"

well, aren't I tad behind? catch up time...fun shoot yesterday with some expectant parents. Their dog Cooper was the best! This will be their holiday card..and it will say, "WE'RE EXPECTING....you to have happy holidays"

18/365 "Doing what I love best"

One of those busy days in which you do a ton of stuff yet nothing seems like it got down??  Met with a client to deliver photos and had an awesome lunch catching up. (funny how you can go years without seeing someone, but at a reunion it is just so-yesterday. I LOVE that). BUT..I did do a little editing. This picture is a little soft as she was a busy girl, but I love the sweetness. This kitty's name is Cheezit, and he has Feline Leukemia. This family purposely adopts cats with cancer. That. Is. Special.

17/365 "straight to me heart...and stomach)

I have a weakness. It comes in the form of a cupcake wrapper and made for me by my daughter as she knows how much I love them. Salted Caramel Cupcakes, and they are freshly frosted. The house smells delicious, and my tummy is happy. Spoiled. I. Am.

16/365 "3 out of 4 ain't bad"

She is having a baby!! and she will have four little girls, 5 and under :) GOD BLESS!!!! But, what sweet girls! Can you see the love awaiting baby #4? What a joy.

15/365 "I Long to Be.."

I took a bunch of photos today, and nothing thrilled me...so I decided to post a photo of a place my mind "wandered" to quite a bit today but could not physically photograph.. Is that cheating??? Probably, but I am making my own rules...This is Peggy's Cove in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Honestly, I love Canada. I have been probably 6 times, and everytime I visit, I leave with a better appreciation. The people are nice, the scenery is gorgeous and the air smells of balsam  (well, at least where I have visited). ok..gotta go..packing for Canada ;)

14/365 "Moosey-moose"

Are you tired of  reading posts of the dismal nature?? ya.. I am tired of writing them. Hoping it all be better soon and I will go back to my posts of butterflies, cotton candy and angels... ;)
However, an angel did arrive via mail yesterday in the form of a moose..a teddy bear dressed as a moose..and anyone who knows me, knows I love bears and I love moose so what an awesome combination. Thanks to my friend, Kathy... and as quoted on my Jeeps spare tire cover, she certainly is "Cool as a Moose".

13/365 "Pick-Me-Up"

I had a very bad day.. hell, the last three weeks have sucked. Amongst spending some time at Dana Farber for cyst evaluations and a back injury, I had to have an infected tooth removed today. Due to everything going on, I did not have the luxury of time to go to an oral surgeon and went to the dentist to  have it pulled under Novocain. To make a long story short, I did not respond well to the numbing and I was aware of the procedure. Not only was the tooth deeply rooted, but they had to break it into small pieces to remove it. I felt every pull, twirl and yank. In the process the fillings of the surrounding teeth were damaged and had to be refilled. I was sent home with meds, but they still do not seem to be touching the pain. Honestly, this is all breaking me down, but thankfully I have the most incredible friends and family. This bouquet arrived from my sister in law at a time when I needed it the most. Not only did it brighten me up, but I instantly wanted to photograph it, and once I have a camera in my hand, the sun shines over my head...This is a beautiful bouquet and I wanted to share it with you..

12/365 "One Day at a Time"

"Isn't it crazy how we can look back a year ago and realize how much everything has changed? The amount of people who have left your life, entered, and stayed. The memories you won't forget and the moments you wish you did.  It's crazy how all that happened in just one year."
I have always kept a travel journal and a daily makeshift journal of some form or another, but I bought one of those line a day journals a few years back and have actually not missed a day. It is fun to look back to see what I was up to in the past..I hope someone gets enjoyment years down the line :)

11/365 "mommy will be home soon!!"

My daughter has been visiting her boyfriend in Syracuse for a few days and I think her cat is just a TAD lonely. Poor Mark sported a "parrot" the entire time he was trying to get ready for work. (his sandwich may have a few extra kitty hairs today??). Mommy will be home soon, Gomez...

10/365 "Dogs Love Pancakes".

Granted you do not see any dogs in this picture, but believe me they are there in the background (and, I was much too hungry to fuss too much with details ;) )
DOGS LOVE PANCAKES.. our dogs are fed zero "people food", but every once in awhile we make pancakes. We mentioned it last night, and they were excited and waiting in the kitchen before we even started cooking.. :)

9/365 "how can you tell me 'no' ?"

This is Casey.. She is an adorable doggie who is not allowed on the couch, but how can you deny this face??? 

8/365 "feeling loved!"

yup..feeling loved..I received two of the best care packages this week. What a surprise to receive a sunshiny yellow bundle of goodies (post-its, candy, puzzles, bubbles, water bottles, etc. (all yellow) from my good friend in NY, and another package filled with fun home accents "April style"..stuffed mice, moose, pumpkins, etc...and a festive wreath. yup..feeling loved!! Here is one of the cute little critters!

7/365.."Best dressed!"

7/365..a day devoted to one of the sweetest, most photogenic kitties around..our favorite best dressed kitty, "Gomez".

6/365 "make them go away"

HALLOWEEN CANDY...I don't have enough willpower to stop eating the leftovers..and I don't have the willpower to throw them away.. 
PS can you tell which candy was the least popular in the household? 
PSS this was a 5 pound bag and we had NO trick or treaters..lol!..oy..

5/365 "I done good"

off to see the neurosurgeoun today and does my daughter know how to step up to the plate!! She has planned all of our meals for the week, grocery shopped and last night made an incredible Canadian Beer Cheddar soup and homemade cornbread. I AM SO VERY BLESSED to have her in my life. LOVE that kid...

4/365 "choices"

choices choices choices...let's see.. Wild Mountain Blueberry? Pumpkin Spice? Kona? Salted Caramel? French Vanilla? Brown Sugar Cake? don't you wish all choices were this delicious :) Gotta love my morning coffee!!

3/365 "hanging on.."

I thrive on positivity. I seek out positive people, read uplifting blogs, wrap my head around self-help books and put a positive spin on most situations (like one of those people that make you want to gag).. HOWEVER, this sucks!! I have been pretty much bedridden for 8 days now..8 days that I cannot grab my camera and shoot whatever I want however I want..doing the army crawl, or on my back upside down, or standing on a stool or any other creative angle I can fathom...freedom = gone. Taking away my creative privileges is the worst punishment.
But, I was determined to take this photo before these glorious red leaves fall to the ground, so I hobbled out and prayed the few shots I took would please me. and they do :)
so here is the last leaves of fall in New England. Perhaps you don't get to see the red foliage in your area? Please enjoy! and have a happy day :)

2/365 "sweet visitors"

Although there are times when I truly believe that I would thrive in the hustle and bustle of the city, I never take country living for granted.  We are frequently visited by turkeys, deer, fox, raccoons, coyotes and multitudes of birds - a photographers paradise. Here are some little friends nibbling on our apple tree. The deer have no fear, and will hang around while we drive up the driveway or empty groceries from the car (they never offer to help tho..lol).   Yup - never take country living for granted...

1/365 "tired of this view"

What a way to start my 365 day project! On the couch..again (Day 6)..Todays scene is brought to you by Winnie the Pooh and the blustery day, and todays lapdog is Trey (he truly thinks he is a Chihuahua).
But it is what it is..and hopefully I will get in to see the neurosurgeoun soon and then perhaps I can take my daily pictures from a hospital room! (I will be sure to sneak the camera low enough to do johnny peeks). UNTIL TOMORROW!!! Have a wonderful day! I am off to lala land with some more vicodin.

365 Day Project

Tomorrow I will be starting my 365 day project. This means that I will be taking a picture per day and adding it to my facebook and/or blog. What a great way to document your life as well as sharpen up your photography skills. Anyone can do this! Isn't this what photography is all about? Capturing a moment in time during our day to day activities? Join me :)
11 Tips for Completing 365 day Project

Shooting from the Hip...an exercise in creativity.

I love taking pictures of people in public places. I truly think that this is what photography is all about as people make the story, and I love a good story. Admit it..people are cool, wild, nutso, and often make you go "hmmm...". However, I am a chicken and I do not feel comfortable taking pictures of strangers. Actually, that is an understatement. I have absolutely NO confidence in this area, and I expect every person that catches me snapping a picture of them to rip my camera out of my hands and call the cops while cornering me so that I cannot run away. In reality, I am sure 60% of the people do not even notice me or my camera and another 30% probably would probably gladly pose for a photo (I would)..the other 10%? well, they are the scary lot...lol..
So for now I will compromise and experiment by taking pictures from my hip. This is not easy, and I have not mastered this technique by any means. Actually, I am quite proficient at taking boobs, butts, elbows, shoes, skies, gravel.....but, this is part of the fun. Cool angles, candids, and interesting lighting. Thank goodness for digital cameras and the "delete" button. Do I not say that at least 30 times a day?
So, here are some "hip" photos from my Sunday play day...I thought there were some stories here:
This is the guy packing up his truck from a week of vending. They had A LOT of stuff to pack, and they started early. I love his look, and I love the orange tones in the photo:

Letters, letters, letters, numbers and letters...all types..brass, metal, large, small...fascinating..I wanted to buy a "1992" set to put on our house. Hey, some day that date may be impressive!

This woman sat FOREVER pondering over this purchase, or perhaps she was just taking a trip down Memory Lane. Wonder if she finally bought it?

This was an area filled with old leather couches and chairs and heavy metal piped in on the speakers. This particular chair called to him.

and finally...well said..."don't take life so seriously". GREAT advice. 

CHECK for experience....

We all saw the Supermoon, and whether impressed or not..my experience of photographing the moon was perfect..alone, barefoot, in my PJs and lying on the grass in my front yard..shooting at the moon with the fireflies around me.. I loved how the neighbors red light glowed from the window offsetting the bright orange..I will remember the experience more than the moon Have a wonderful day!!

Still smiling....

We have had a very trying two days. Not only is Ally in crunch time for her boards tomorrow, but when she went out to her car last night to grab a notebook, she was greeted with 4 inches of water on her floor and a flooded trunk. Her spare tire was actually floating!! Did the car start?? Of course not.  Did you know that cars are equipped with an engine immobilization system? ya, me either, but they work. Unfortunately if your car was bought used and you do not know the secret codes to disable it, you are out of luck. (YouTube and forums were helpful for troubleshooting, tho! This battery had  a really nice workup).
But, after all is said and done, she still has a smile on her face...and a great dad who has given her his car to travel to her district meeting out west and arranged all of the car repairs. Oh wait, now he has to take my car so that I am the one stranded!! Ok..a great mom, too :) It is all good....

opportunities are never too far away.

I was going to take a ride this evening to look for some material that would inspire me and spark my creativity but decidedinstead  to poke around in my back yard to see if anything was new since the heavy rains. Yay!! I love when these cheerful flowers make an appearance at the edge of the field.
So glad I stayed home :)

When there is no one else...

....there is always me :)
I have one child. Well, she is not a child. Her maturity level is higher than mine as is her IQ..lol...but, ya she is my child in that I still squish spiders for her, and make her favorite foods and go shopping with her when no one else is available.. typical stuff. However, as a photographer, my "child" is useless as subject matter. She has been there and done that. I have scrapbooks filled with her goings on from her first squeal to last school dance. She has humored me and paid her dues. So when I am itching for subject matter and even the family pets run and hide, I have....ME!!!! and I will do JUST fine...HELLO :)

Sometimes it takes a bunch of busy boys to make you realize....

..how much you love your job!! I first met Heidi at one of her jewelry parties held at my best friend's house, and later she showed up as a new employee at my place of business.. (one of those...."hey...don't I KNOW you?"moments)...So, I was thrilled when she asked if I could photograph her family before they transition on a new adventure south. This family has A LOT on their plate!! If you EVER hear me complaining about having too much to do, please smack me around and point me in the direction of Heidi. But, she does it with a smile. It ALWAYS gets done in the end. Doesn't it??
Heidi and Brian have a beautiful family, and I photographed them at their newly sold (congrats!!)  home. BITTERSWEET! In between giggles, games on their iPads and cuddles with their sweet dog, Ebony, we were able to get some pretty great pictures! Hopefully  these pictures will remind them of the great times they had in their MA home, and I wish them the best of luck in the future. YAY for new adventures!!!
PS!!! If you would like me to help you capture your own memories, drop me a line at TinyLeafDesigns@gmail.com , and I can send you off some info or discuss setting up a photo shoot!

a very cool bridge..

"So..what is down this road?", he asks..
"I don't know..Let's check it out", I say!
A VERY COOL BRIDGE. (and if I could only figure out where it was, I would fill you in!)
I think I was more enthralled with the graffiti than I was with the construction. Every inch of wood was covered with hearts and autographs. I know I am supposed to be disgusted by this malicious destruction, but it was ART..

and, it was fun to hide when cars were coming through. I would poke my camera out in surprise! I felt very "spy-like"! Yup. This was a VERY cool bridge.