Painting

I love the beauty of watercolor paints and have swooned over pieces of are created with watercolors for so long... I finally decided to create watercolor pieces on my own. So this afternoon, I headed to the art store (only moments before a thunderstorm set in...) to get some supplies. Of course, I'm only experimenting... Nothing too fantastic... But it was so relaxing and I was so focused while I painted and experimented with my new brushes and my new paints.

My beautiful window work space.

One of the things I realized today is I kind of don't know when to stop. I was happy with the flower piece and then I kept adding to it... and it got to the point that I was not happy with it anymore.

I used the pages from one of the old books I found on a stoop. These pages have come in handy (remember the birds... and then again as a texture here). I bought watercolor paper, but thought I'd do a few practices on these pages before I put anything on the actual watercolor paper...

ATV Day

Seth and Ian

I'm SLOWLY getting through the photos from our trip at the beginning of July. The next day I'm sharing is the day the family went ATV-ing. Last year, our adventure was white water rafting. This year, we decided on ATVs. I briefly mentioned it here when I described the little tantrum I threw, but I promised there was a good reason for it... It was a fit of fear. I was doing fine on the four-wheeler on my own, but then switched off so Seth and his sister would also get a chance to ride solo. Riding behind someone is difficult, and by the time it was all done, I had decided that it isn't happening again. It's not easy for anyone, and even P had gotten to the point of not enjoying the doubled up ride. It's hard to predict the bumps and to really move your body with them. My shoulders and arms were sore for days, and my middle back was crushed to pain... that also stayed for days.

Okay, so I guess you can all see that I'm a little bit of a wimp. On top of riding behind Seth, who was doing an okay job of not scaring the be-jeezes out of me, we ended up going up an insane path. Seth turned on the wrong path, following his dare-devil youngest brother, and we ended up a little stuck... unable to move any further up the mountain, part way up this steep incline... With ME on the back, holding on for dear life. I got a little... okay, VERY scared and jumped off. This is when my fit started. I was literally crying, stomping, cursing. And then I pouted and refused to move from my spot part way up the mountain. Seth told me to walk up it, but I had decided I would just Stay right where I was and Wait. Of course, my senses came back and I trudged up the mountain, another round of tears as I climbed... But it all cleared when we got to the top, parked the ATVs, and climbed a path Seth's oldest brother and sister-in-law found. At the top, we had a fantastic view.

Ian got all crazy and climbed over the edge... Then he decided he'd hold onto the rocks and lean backwards over the drop. This photo doesn't do it justice, but I'm to terrified of heights to get any closer.

I'd like to say the rest of the ATV adventure was easy going... but our way back down, Seth's cousin missed the turn and flew over the edge. She was extremely lucky and barely injured herself. (I don't know how she didn't get hurt.) Poor thing was sore for the rest of the trip...

Here I am, post tantrum, calm and letting Seth near me again. :)

Visiting Fort Collins

Back to vacation photos! One of the days, Seth, Ian, Sean, and I piled into the car and headed to Fort Collins to see one of our favorite friends from college. It had been over a year since we'd seen him and our first time visiting his place in Colorado. We walked through downtown and on our way back to John's place to see some more of our college friends, we stopped and hiked to an overlook with a view of Fort Collins.

We enjoyed seeing old friends. Our trip home was interesting... as google directions via our iPhones took us on some crazy back road adventure (with me driving! in the dark!) We ended up on a dirt road crossing a narrow bridge, coming to a red rock wall with the option of going left or right on a single car road in the dark, with a drop off into water to the right and a rock wall to the left. I was terrified and praying we'd meet no other cars. We did make it down the road and home safely...

First Hike

It's been almost a month since we took this hike... (I will get all my photos up. I will get all my photos up. I will get all my photos up!) Here is the first hike we took in Colorado, a shorter hike by a small and Beautiful lake.

I spy... Seth. Do you?

P entrusted Seth and me into holding his treasured pine cone. Seth was sitting on rocks looking out over the edge, and as I handed him the pine cone to keep secure in his pocket, he simply Tossed it over the edge!! (Just because Jac didn't share the story, doesn't mean I'm not going to ;)...) So the previous pictures show him and Jac climbing back up the edge after searching out this special pine cone that had been temporarily tossed.

Beautiful view.

Heart String

I've pretty much spent the whole week in the house this week. I did so much in the city last week, that I just felt the need to do stay home and just be. The days kind of slip by me, and before I know it, it's 4:30 p.m. and I haven't eaten a thing all day. I'm exploring blogs and finding inspiration. I've been adding posts to my NEW BLOG and processing photos, experimenting with photoshop. I've even started getting some stuff around for the fall, when I return to work.

Today, I vowed to leave the apartment, to walk the short walk to the park (that I have Not been taking advantage of since our move). After I enjoyed my iced coffee (didn't want to hassle with carrying a coffee and a camera...), I packed my bag with my notebook (for my daily writing), my camera, The Last Lecture (a book Alissa lent me to read a long time ago, but just finally getting to), and some papers pulled from a the landscape of art book to draw on.

On my way to the park, I met a sweet old man. You should meet him too - Click HERE. After our meeting, I went on my way and found a spot to think in the north lawn. While I was sitting, thinking, sorting thoughts, writing, I noticed this string in the grass, tangled... into a heart. Perfect. It's Love Thursday. The heart is for me!

Here's to Love Thursday, and the treasures you can find, if only you look. I have more treasures to share from my walk to the park. I'll try to get them up later this afternoon on be a photograph. I'll also try to get some more Colorado photos up (I was supposed to do that this week but have been putting my thoughts elsewhere. Ooops.) I can't make any promises though about how much will get done, because I also have to get dinner ready for friends who are coming to see our new home for the first time tonight. (eeek... I guess that means I also need to clean up a bit around here.)

PS: Dad this is the first time I've posted since adding your email. Shoot me a note back letting me know if you got it okay. (O and I almost posted photos of snow, to send cooler thoughts your way...)

Rainy Morning

We woke up to the rain coming down this morning. It's been a few days since we've seen rain... All of May and June seemed to be taken over by rainy days. It was so hard those two months to go to work when the soft sprinkles fell from the sky, when all I wanted to do was stay home and listen to it fall from my comfortable place. Today, I'm happy to greet the rain, to pull the windows up and listen as it falls, listen as it speeds up and slows down.

In the photo, you cannot quite tell if it is raining... couldn't quite capture it... but I did get the yellow flowers that have recently bloomed. They belong to P and his mama, but are living on my fire escape for another week or so :)

Check out the blur of this photo at beaphotograph.com.

Thoughts Float by like Clouds

My thoughts are all over the place today. So here is a collection of random links for your Monday:

• Brooklyn Snapshot book I randomly clicked to... The part about Brooklyn Pride is true. Even I have it and I've lived here less than 2 years! Love Brooklyn!
  

• Last week, Seth was informing us (myself and our house guests) about how we were opening bananas wrong. He showed us the correct way of opening them. I am not changing my banana opening ways, even if they are "wrong"... And then I found this video linked from a blog, maybe the same video Seth watched... But it's not necessarily the Correct way of opening bananas... It's actually the Monkey's way. I know they are the professional banana eaters, but it doesn't mean I have to act like a monkey! Check out the video here. How do you open your bananas? The human way or the monkey way??
  

• The two links above came from a search I did about THIS book. I WANT it soooo bad! I might have to give in and get it soon. I was hoping the library would have it (although I figured they wouldn't since some of it is blank for writing...) Anyone have the book How to Be an Explorer of the World: Portable Life Museum by Keri Smith? Do you love it? Anyone like me and Really want it??

• And while I'm sharing links, I should share the link to this post I read this morning. Beth always has wonderful goodness in her space. Today's post made me realize how lucky I am to have so many smooth rocks in my life... You don't want to miss out on her beautiful words!

• One last link... Remember my list of 24? Well I've been working on it. Click over to my photo blog to see the first photo project I started for #4 on the list! I've also been collecting words for #2, and need to send out another letter for #1 (but my first letter arrived safely to its destination). I've been doing pretty good with #7, even if I just have a moment to jot down a thought or two.

• Today I love this song. Happy Monday! Hope it's beautiful!
  

Hike with Friends

A morning photo walk of the hike Seth and I took with April and Nick. If I imagine that I'm there hard enough, maybe I can even smell that beautiful fresh Rocky Mountain air...

Photography Website

In April, I took some steps towards actually creating the photo blog I had been dreaming up... What started as a simple, quick project on blogger turned into a complicated, drawn out project moved over to wordpress where I would get more freedom in creating the website I wanted. (kind of... if I can figure out how to do everything I want done!) Just the other day I asked for advice on the banners that I had created... And as you'll see, I didn't even end up using any of the banners that I had posted. And if you could look at my computer, you'd see that I have created 15 different banners over the last few months...

And despite the fact that the website is not completely done, I'm ready to share it. I'm ready to start posting on it and everything else will be fixed along the way! So, please head over and check it out:

be a photograph

And please, let me know what you think... It's just a baby right now, with one single post... but I have a photo project going up tomorrow and many more photos to come after...

Sun Flare

Happy Flare Friday! I got a new push of flare inspiration recently from a post on Shutter Sisters, so here's the flare I found this week! It's been a busy one, and I've been extremely exhausted when I haven't been out doing all the various activities... Washington Square Park, History Museum, Met, Central Park, Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge, Botanical Garden, Financial District, High Line Park, Guggenheim, Magnolia Bakery, Sweet Melissa's, East Village, Soho, Union Square... Two more days of fun, heading back to Central Park today and the Beach tomorrow!

I have large amounts of photos to share and still some from our vacation that I want to get up! Maybe next week... Have a wonderful Friday!

be a photo

Way back in April, I began working on a website for my photos. Now don't jump to any conclusions that what I've created is Fantastic (just because I've been working for so long)... Really, I am having a hard time creating it because I want it to be fantastic and I cannot quite decide what will make it fantastic! I hope to have it up in the next week or so. It's really driving me crazy not having it going, and the longer I take at creating it, the more I change my mind on what I like and what I don't like and the more time I spend changing things that would probably be fine if I just had it set.

My biggest challenge has been the banner. I don't know what it should look like, and when I have something I think I like, I turn around and decide I don't. Here are two that I have thought about today. Anyone have any opinions? Anyone have ANY suggestions?? I actually have the feeling that neither of these will end up being banners on my site... Anyone else have these same issues that I do?? I think for now I'm going to walk away... and maybe try to create one or two more options later... Then just call it good and get it up and going.

P.S. Please click on the photos for a closer look... and Please share your opinions on the banner options with me!

One Year

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm often late... as I am with this post. I wanted to make a special post about how my husband and I have been married a year this summer (officially the 27th of June), about how much I love him and how much he loves me, about our first year as husband and wife and how I can barely remember not being his wife. Unfortunately, this isn't the Ultimate post, just a quick, Honey I love you. I love that you love me. Thanks for putting up with me this year during our transition not only into marriage, but into our new home states away from the life I'd known previously. I can't wait to see what fun we'll have in the next year of our marriage. You are the sugar to my coffee :) Love.

Because of our budget being tightened this summer (with vacation, moving, and new phones squeezing our accounts dry), we decided that our gift to each other would be a list of things we would do for each other throughout our second year of marriage. I thought I would share the list we created together...

My list to Seth:

• a back rub
• a lazy Saturday of doing nothing
• clean the stove (I'm very bad at not cleaning the stove... and even though Seth doesn't often use the kitchen, it drives him nuts to see the stains!)
• cuddle session
• get out of jail free card (this may be hard, but I guess when something happens and he wants to just put it behind him and make me his happy wife again, he'll present the "card" and we'll forget it ever happened... hmmm...)
• a surprise adventure
• clean up my piles
• day vacation
• dinner at the Japanese Hibachi
• tickle his skin
• send him off to a guys night out
• dinner and movie date to a movie of his choice

And the list of things Seth is giving to me:

• go on a walk
• winter beach day
  
• walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
• dishes for a week (woo!)
• make dinner
• a surprise adventure
• chick-flick movie date (no whining allowed from the husband)
• computer-less day
  
• picnic
• day vacation
• sushi dinner
• go directly to bed
  

We have decided that we each get one a month. Only a few more weeks in July... I'll have to get picking!