Five.

It's Monday, after a seriously action packed weekend (including getting lost on the 202 in Phoenix, AZ), so please don't judge me when I say that I made no photographs yesterday, but rather fully enjoyed every aspect of the words, "Day of Rest."  Luckily I have a small bank of photographs from the last two weeks. Since I've been taking three different photography classes all at once, I've been taking quite a few photographs, and I am proudly sitting atop a few gems.  This one one of them.

This is definitely one of the more abstract images that I've taken in a long time, because my love of portraiture has captured my creativity, and I have yet to escape that frame of mind (no pun intended, but I'm still pretty proud when I make a joke accidentally).  This image was taken during the very first day of Digital Photography I, and the area is my little secret, shared only by the girl in the window.  I absolutely love it, and I actually think, though abstract, it is still a portrait.

Four.

There might be a theme in my life.  Maybe the theme is telling me that I should be a zoologist, a biologist, or a veterinarian.  Or maybe I can stick with the idea that taking photographs of animals is pretty much my favorite hobby.  I like that a little bit.

 This weekend we celebrated my birthday by going to the coolest zoo in Arizona, Wildlife World!  We had a blast, and treated it like a photographic safari.  We enjoyed the animals, and enjoyed discussing apertures and shutter speeds the whole time.  It was the best birthday ever, including my two favorite things at once, super cool animals, and photography!

 So since I had such a great time, I have to share more than one image, of course.

Poison dart frogs!  These tiny amphibians are absolutely incredible.  So many incredible colors on an animal that's only about an inch long!  So amazing!

This fish was one of my absolute favorites!  Discos!  Doesn't that name seem absolutely appropriate for this colorful cutie?

According to my husband Zebras are just big, stupid horses, and as I photographed these beautiful beasts, he enjoyed startling them time after time, just like big, stupid horses.

I loved this trip to the zoo, because as William Beebe said, "Modern man's trip to the zoo... is his emergency return to nature."  It was so amazing to view, and contemplate all of these incredible animals, covered in colors, patterns and textures.  It was definitely obvious that the Lord enjoyed creating this beautiful Earth for us to enjoy!  How grateful I am for this planet, covered in so much beauty, and to capture that beauty in photographs.

Three.

Day three of my project makes two pictures of dogs out of three pictures.  You know that all photography instructors absolutely hate photographs of dogs, especially puppies, because there's absolutely no proof of your skills are a photographer within those cute little faces.  But that's okay.  Today I only need proof that my sister made the best decision of her life when she brought Molly home with her.

Molly really is happy to be here, but she doesn't like being teased with treats.  She was being so good, and he made her wait MUCH too long for her Cheerio.  I think she was telling me, "Please let me have it?"  Cute!

Two.

Here's day two of my 365 day project!  Indiana is my baby, and she is a crazy beast, as you can see.  I kind of like her.

I also like to brag about her beautiful teeth.  She loves her toothbrush.  Poultry flavor toothpaste!

One.

So today I'm doing the hip thing to do as a photographer!  I'm starting my 365 project!  I'll be taking a picture every single day, inspired or not, for a whole year, and I'll be posting them up here for the world to see!  It'll be so fun!  ... some of the time.

So here's photo number one: Also the start to my other project.  Images of my shoes, where they go, where they rest, and how dirty they get along the way.

Black Beans and Rice

MMHM! You guessed it! This sweet, creative blog has just been transformed into the typical recipe blog.  Don't read it if you don't want to.  I'm doing it for my own brain.  I've got to remember the stuff I've invented in my natural realm, the kitchen.  I sure do flourish in there.  Maybe that was the start of my waistline problem...

So today I made a huge batch of Brown Rice.  I made two cups (plus water, expanded, blahdy blahdy makes so many cups of rice, who knew?) so that I'll have some in the fridge for the next few days.  Then I rinsed a can of corn, diced half a green bell pepper and one teensy tomato, grated two carrots, and pinched apart a few tiny bunches of cilantro.  I heated up a can of black beans, submerged in some of the juice.  Plating goes like this: Brown Rice, Lime Juice, Salsa, Veggies, Black Beans, Lime Juice, and a little slosh of Balsamic Vinaigrette, but we all know it ends up the same place, so plate as you will.

Eat it.  It's good.

Vegan?

Getting pregnant, it can take so much time! So here I am, nine months after the start of this blog, and this conception plan, and no baby to show for it!  I do however have a big ol' bump to show for it, unfortunately lacking the baby within.  What's going on?!  Since I said sayonara to my measured out hormones, and my perfectly balanced life, I unwittingly said the same to my waistline!

Since the day I went of of the pill there were several immediate signs of...  What do you call it?  Womanhood?  Insanity?  I'm not sure, but there were immediate signs that my body, my moods, and my personality were changing.  I have of course, shared some of those changes with you.  I'm moody, grouchy, grumpy, however you want to name it.  I'm whiney and selfish.  I no longer choose to wield the tools of a strong woman, and I make my husband fix all of my problems (What? Isn't that what they're for?)  And all the problems the husband can't fix, are quickly cured with large doses of sugar and fat.  To say the least, I've become a lump on the inside.  AND THEN all of a sudden I looked in the mirror, and I have also become a lump on the outside!  (It's funny how the whole, beauty on the inside thing works out...)  So here I am, thirty pounds heavier than I was last year, as I prepared for my wedding day, and slipped flawlessly into that beautiful white dress.  MmHm.

So finally after a couple months of realizing this was happening and doing nothing about it, I stood on the scale and instead of skulking off to the fridge, I stood upright and looked myself in the mirror!  I am beautiful (I have no doubt about that).  I have a strong will (My husband will tell you all about it).  I am lactose intolerant (Why didn't I just listen to the pleading of my bowels?).  I have nothing standing in my way of once again being the hot mama Michael married.

Losing weight is easy, I've done it before.  Luckily I have a bit more confidence and self-esteem than the last time I weighed this much.  This time I also have a man who loves me, and will willingly watch me suffer through it all (no doubt while stuffing cookies in his mouth).  I am ready.  I can do this.  I am going to be back to my proper weight in no time, but I'm not stopping there!  I'm going to change my whole life.  I'm going to change my lifestyle.  I'm going to be that skinny girl in yoga class that smells like lavender and sage.  I'm going to be vegan.

VEGAN!  But it's not for the animals, not even for the baby ones.  I'm going to be Vegan so that I will learn to love vegetables.  I'm going to learn how to cook them, and eat them raw.  I'm going to live off of grains the way nature intended, and screw oil!  Goodbye fat!  Hello crunchy delicious bell peppers.  I'm so ready for this!