Friday Five - Bubbles and Blue Skies

♥ Happy Friday to you all! ♥

The weather has been warming every so slightly. Sunny, with clear skies, but still a slight chill in the air. The outdoors seem to call to me when this beautiful...beckoning me to enjoy it.

Last week we were playing with Ella in the backyard.

Blowing bubbles, watching her chase and try to eat them.

I felt like a kid again, in awe of the rainbow of colors bouncing off the glass-like bubbles...

...Watching as the wind carried the bubbles in different direction,

bobbing and swaying like they had their own mind...

...Giddy when the delicate bubbles

somehow managed not to pop when they landed...

...And amazed when I saw a reflection of the house in the bubbles.

Sometimes it feels so good to just act like a kid. Pretend there is nothing to worry about, and just play. It is easy to take life so seriously, but it's the little things that can remind you that you need to allow time to make happy and carefree.

Tell me, what sense of child-like wonder have you come across lately?

Leave a comment or click below to post a link to photos or a blog post.

Friday Five - Spring

Bright new colors are showing up all around.

:: Hello Spring ::

I love how each day I see a new patch of flower somewhere,

something pretty to look at while driving, something to brighten my day.

I associate each season with different feelings, different mindsets,

different visual memories.

Spring is light and airy, sunny yet chilly, with colors abound.

Spring brings a freshness, a coolness, a newness.

When I see a field of wildflowers I imagine it as a watercolor painting.

A sea of beautiful colors.

Do you have any photos lately that say Springtime to you? Share your link below!

(Click the frog)

InLinkz

Shadow Portraits

Over at Mortal Muses, this week's challenge theme is Shadow Portraits. I have always loved taking photos of shadows, in any form...whether people, objects, etc. My camera and I love to play with light and what better than shadows? Happy Friday everyone! For this week's Friday Five I wanted to share five of my shadow portraits. I like that it adds a certain mystery to the shot...a certain anonymity.

Fallbrook, CA

Dana Point, CA

Granby, Colorado

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

San Clemente, CA

They may not be the world's most creative shadow shots, but I still like the different take on a people photo. I like that it adds a certain anonymity to the shot.

Happy Friday! ♥

Friday Five - Beauty in Starkness

California may not get the extreme winters the rest of the country faces, but I still like to pay attention and notice the slight seasonal changes. Trees are bare, green is scarce, and there is a chill in the air. Here are five California-style winter shots for you. Today I was featured on the Mortal Muses site, check it out HERE!

Today is Friday (yay!) and Brent's birthday (yay!) so it should be a fun couple of days between the birthday celebrations and Superbowl parties.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday Five - A Little Love

♥ Happy Friday to everyone!! Sending a little love your way. ♥

LOVE - In 5 Languages

♥♥♥♥♥

Indonesian - Sayang

Dutch - Liefde

Icelandic - Ást

Romanian - Dragoste

Czech - Láska

"Laugh as much as you breathe, and love as long as you live."

- Unknown

Friday Five - Photo Style

It's Friday! Happy Friday everyone. I thought I'd share 5 photos from the week that made me happy. I hope they do they same for you as you ready for a fun or relaxing weekend!

Five Wishes, Thankful #3

For this week's Friday Five, I wrote a poem about five wishes. Enjoy! ♥

{Dandelion Wishes}

A dandelion is a weed

with a special power.

Wispy white and delicate

A little wishing flower.

Think of all you hope and wish

And close your eyes real tight.

Blow every last spore away

And wish with all your might.

I wish I were a kid again,

no worries and carefree.

Before all the big obstacles

Popped up in front of me.

I wish my body had no pain

Hips, back or even knees.

No aches, no pills, a good sleep

Can this come true please?

I wish I wasn’t bound by time

Seconds and hours moot,

Would let me do all I want

Before the day is through.

I wish I could travel the world

No place left unseen.

Not held back by time or money

Becoming a travel fiend.

I wish I knew which direction

for where to steer my life.

It’s hard not knowing where to go,

Photographer, nurse...housewife?

With all of my wishes wished

I watch them float away.

Just one more wish I have to make

That these come true some day.

And for "What I am Thankful For" Day 3, I am thankful for Fridays. Even though I am not working or in school, there is still something about that feeling of reaching the end of the week, knowing I have those two days to rest and relax and not worry about checking items off my to-do lists, and spending time with Brent.

The Five Senses

Today's Friday Five is all about the senses. Smell, taste, touch, sound & sight...

{Favorite Senses}

Favorite smells: Vanilla, coffee beans, kettle corn, freshly baked cookies,

fresh cut grass, rain, candle burning in a pumpkin, sweet peas

Favorite tastes: Lattes, fresh chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered

strawberries, caramel, red wine, cinnamon

Favorite feelings: A hug, the velvety nose of a horse, a cat snuggled against me,

warm laundry, a kiss, the comfort of a soft warm bed in a cold room

Favorite sounds: Live guitar, rain falling on the roof, music, purring cat

Favorite sights: A sunset, baby animals, two people holding hands - young and old,

dew drops glistening in the sun, newly fallen snow

{As I write this I am...}

Hearing: The hum of the heater

Tasting: Mango tea, and cottage cheese with berries

Seeing: Sitting at the dining room table and looking out the window at the small palm trees

Feeling: Freezing cold! I am bundled up but it is cold this morning! Also feeling the smoothness of the computer keys against my fingers

Smelling: My mango tea

What are your senses picking up on today and what are your favorites?

Happy Friday!!

Picture Fall

{Photos from top left moving clockwise: Fall Bounty, I Love Fall, Repetition, Stem, Muse: Weather, Sweet Relief, Subtleties, The Great Pumpkin, Golden, Sunshine, Fall Colors, Fall Baking, Treasures}

I always thought California was completely robbed of the quintessential beauty of fall. But during the month of October I took an online photo class called "Picture Fall" with Tracey Clark and it changed my mind. For the first time I can ever remember, I was really able to see and appreciate the beauty of the mild and subtle changes. Leaves turned from green to shades of gold and red and orange. I watched as they fell to the ground, strewn about in gutters and sidewalks, and I could imagine the crunch they make if I walked or driven on. I watched walls of dark green ivy slowly turn to a beautiful red and eventually brown. The trees became bare, their branches naked and exposed to the new chill in the air. Rain fell and new bright green grass and clover appeared on the ground. The hair on my arms stood on end as I began to spot the season's 8-legged creatures, yet I found myself getting closer to them than ever before to capture the beauty of their webs with my camera. Fall has always been my favorite season. Yet I feel the combination of my camera, creativity, and newfound passion for capturing beauty through my lens has allowed me to appreciate the season in a completely eye-opening way. Some of these photos are repeats I posted along the way, but I wanted to post my favorites now that the class is over.

For this week's Friday Five I want to include 5 of my interpretations of favorite ideas and thoughts from Tracey Clark's (the teacher of the class) daily emails. Tracey's point of view was very inspiring, encouraging me to relate some of the elements of the season to my own life.

1 ::Comfort::

Did you know that the word harvest comes from old English hærfest which meant Autumn? Throughout history, fall represents the time in which to celebrate and reap the benefits of the hard work through the year. This is the perfect opportunity to take the time to celebrate our own personal harvests by seeking out comfort. Find that spot in your home, that food, that person, that activity, or whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable and happy. Reflect on all your hard work-at your job, school, at home, for your family, etc. and bask in the thought that all your hard work is for a purpose. Allow yourself to celebrate and maybe even indulge. After all, 'tis the season of Halloween candy and Thanksgiving feasts!

2 ::Beauty in Starkness::

Fall arrives and nature begins its process of retreat. Colors change then fade and eventually diminish, leaves and petals fall, things begin to die, and stems and branches are left bare. It's easy to find beauty in seasons filled with blooms and vibrant colors, but fall offers less obvious forms of beauty. Looking closely, noticing and discovering something that most people would overlook was an unexpected way of appreciating what Fall has to offer.

3 ::Preparation::

The trees shed their leaves and the flowers lose their lives in preparation of gaining a new luster and beauty in Spring. So why not mimic nature's process and shed those lackluster, jaded, and tired extensions of ourselves in preparation of the new growth that lay ahead in the seasons to come. The beginning of the year is typically used as a jumping off point for starting fresh, but why not now? Just as the trees and flowers will welcome new growth, starting now will allow you to welcome change once the time comes. But remember, nature moves at its own pace, and you too need not feel rushed.

4 ::Bounty::

The summer fruits have disappeared, but Fall brings its own bounty...pumpkins, squash, pomegranates, and more. Each season can be appreciated for the gifts they give. For me, among other things, summer is warm weather, stone fruits, vacations, and carefree attitudes. Spring is blooming flowers, color, and regrowth. Winter is cold weather, warm clothes, holidays, and family time. Appreciating each season for its gifts and uniqueness can inspire us to do the same in our lives...give thanks for the little gifts that make us happy and all the little things that make us special and unique.

6 ::Fun & Fantasy::

It seems as we get older we sometimes forget to have fun, becoming wrapped up in the seriousness of life. Kids are usually so carefree, happy-go-lucky, imaginative and Halloween is such a good way to bring that back to life. While we may be too old to go knocking on doors for candy, kids and adults of all ages still don costumes, pretending to be a completely different person, make-believe character, animal or inanimate object. The holiday is a great reminder to just remember what it feels like to be a kid, and know that it is good for us to have fun and be more carefree. After all...laughter IS the best medicine, right?

Happy Friday to everyone! I hope that during this fall season you are able to enjoy the beauty, savor the moment, take some time out for yourself, prepare for positive changes, give thanks, and of course, have fun!

♥

Five Birthdays

{5 years old}

{22 years old...last year}

It's Friday!! AND it's my birthday!! 23. I like it...for some reason I like the sound of odd-numbered birthdays better than even, I have no idea why! Sooo for this week's Friday Five I thought it appropriate to choose 5 favorite birthday celebrations. When Nick and I were kids, my parents set up a rule where we could only have a party every other year and a family-only celebration on the others. I hated it as a kid, but looking back I definitely appreciate it.

5th - Although I don't remember most of it, I do remember playing hide and seek with my costume-clad guests. I was a bumblebee, but I had taken off my costume in the above photo. This was my only Halloween-themed party and I love this photo. So serious!

7th - The years I did have a party with friends, I loved themed parties. I had a camping-themed party, a clown-themed party, and the aforementioned costume party. This year a had a California miner theme...everyone was to dress up as a miner, we panned for fools gold, and enjoyed a miner-decorated cake.

13th - I was still going through my treatment at this point. I was very swollen and puffy from all the steroids, had very short curly hair, and still very sick. My mom put together a wonderful sushi party for me, she made california rolls from scratch and decorated her condo with fresh daisies and daisy party decorations. I didn't feel great, but I loved my party.

17th - I didn't do anything special for my 16th, and my mom and stepdad wanted me to have a fun 17th. They rented a limousine and drove me and some friends down to the gaslamp district of San Diego for dinner at Dick's Last Resort. I felt like a celebrity cruising the town in the huge Excursion limo, and had a blast at the restaurant.

21st - This year was filled with all sorts of celebrations. The night of my birthday a big group of my family and friends had a wonderful dinner at Sarducci's, a restaurant next to the train depot in San Juan Capistrano. We had a private room, and I was in heaven with lemon drops and their food. A few days later I celebrated with mom and stepdad and Andrea down in San Diego's gaslamp district, with Brent as a surprise guest. AND went wine tasting a few weeks later in San Luis Obispo with my brother and close friends. Beautiful roses from Brent, daisies from Andrea, tickets to the Ellen show from Aunt Lori and many other goodies rounded out the birthday.

Thanks to everyone who has made my birthdays so special over the years!!

♥

Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

-Mary Anne Radmacher

For today's Friday Five, I wanted to post 5 photos from other photographers that inspired me, made me smile, and made me think of appreciating the little things in life.

1. You're making me blush., 2. treasured, 3. Has anyone seen that cat?, 4. Sugar, 5. :)

Picture Fall

I probably sound like a broken record, but I LOVE FALL.

As a way to document the season, I am participating in an online photo class called "Picture Fall." A daily photo prompt is accompanied with inspirational words of how to celebrate not only the season but ourselves as well. I feel I am appreciating and observing the subtle changes brought by fall in such a different way than any other year. I am picking up on the little details and seeing how they relate back to me. For today's Friday Five I wanted to include FIVE of my favorite photos taken so far for the project.

"Some seasons come on fast and furious while others take their own sweet time. Where Mother Nature is concerned, there's really no telling. Sometimes things just refused to be rushed.The same goes for our own hearts and minds. There's no way of knowing when we're ready to make changes, shed some skin, grow our wings or when we just need a little more time to hold on to what has been before. There's nothing wrong with that." -Tracey Clark, teacher of Picture Fall

Friday Five

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."

-Marianne Williamson

For this week's Friday Five, I thought I would share five of my favorite memories. Five days I can remember feeling nothing but joy.

{1. Meeting Pete the penguin}

During my treatment post transplant, I had to stay in the hospital for 100 days before I could go home. After I went home I was back in and out of the hospital for various complications. During one of these return stays, I was battling incessant vomiting and was forced to have a feeding tube. I was there during Christmas, a difficult fact to accept for a 13-year old. Everyone did the best they could to make my stay enjoyable, filling my room and walls with Christmas decorations galore, donations of presents from generous strangers, visits from multiple Santa Clauses, and my favorite of all - a visit by Pete the penguin. This was not planned, but one day when my grandma was spending the day with me, someone from Sea World came to my room asking if I would like to meet Pete. We of course said yes, and my grandma was just as excited as me, she has always been a huge penguin lover, and their house is filled with penguins in all forms. They brought him in and let him waddle around while we pet and played with him. One of the most surprising parts was how soft his feathers were! I expected him to feel rubbery... more skin less feathers. It was such a special experience between my grandma and I, and not many people can say they had a one-on-one visit with a penguin! It cheered me right up and temporarily made me forget I was a sick kid spending Christmas in the hospital.

{2. My high school graduation}

Somehow after missing a portion of middle school, doing a semester of high school through independent study due to a knee surgery, and all my other health complications, I managed to graduate high school on time. I remember standing in the gym lined up with the 600+ students in my class, in my gold honors cap and gown, my purple and gold lei, and an enormous grin. High school was a less than pleasant experience for me, teased my first year for being in a wheelchair, betrayed by girls I thought were my friends, and a lack of belonging. So knowing I would never have to return to high school, and just the feeling of accomplishment and pride were overwhelming. This will forever remain one of the happiest days of my life.

{3. The first time Brent told me he loved me}

About 5 months after our first date, Brent and were enjoying a normal relaxing Saturday night. He suggested we get a bottle of champagne and some strawberries to enjoy. It was then while we enjoyed two of my favorite things on this earth- that he told me for the first time he was in love with me. So very special and something you never ever forget!

{4. My ten-year post-transplant anniversary party}

To celebrate 10 years following the cord blood transplant that saved my life, my family threw a party for me. With the people most special to me, we enjoyed the pool, amazing food, wonderful company, and reflected on all I have overcome during those 10 years. It was a special reminder of all that I am thankful for, how lucky I am to still be here and cancer-free, and what an amazing support team I have among my family and friends. If you want to read details about that day, you can here and here.

{5. Participating in my first photo contest}

Always a lover of photography, I took a photo class in college, but after my last surgery it fell by the wayside. Earlier this year I got back into it, and saw an ad in the local paper for a photo contest to capture "My San Clemente" shots that represented personal views of the town. I entered 5 photos, and went with aunt Lori to the awards show and exhibit at a local art gallery. Seeing my photos was such a special experience, I was out of my comfort zone and it was wonderful. I was surprised to learn that 4 out of the 5 I submitted received honorable mentions! It really motivated me and gave me a boost of courage. You can see the photos I submitted here.

What are 5 of your favorite moments?

Friday Five

January 2007 I went to New York for two weeks with my friend and roommate Kelly. It was both our first trip to the city, and we had a wonderful time. We spent the first week on our own, and the second week with our previous roommate, April, who had transferred to NYU. I never did anything with my photos from the trip, so for this week's Friday Five I am sharing five of my favorites. For never having taken any class, they aren't bad! Mostly just remind me of the fun trip we had.