Tag: photography

Lists

(image)

You know I loves me a list.

I have had “BLOG” on the top of my latest batch of lists for the past few weeks.  Immediately following that, I have had “Get Your Shit Together”.  Seriously.  There are so many projects that I want to tackle and I just keep getting sidetracked.  I’m not even talking about the regular ol’ household, parenting, and so forth.  I’m like one of those birds flying along, sees something shiny and is instantly like “Oooh, shiny!”

Here are a few ways that I’ve been wasting repurposing my time:

1. tumblr.  Come follow me, though.  It’s fun to look at pretty pictures.

2. Pinterest.  Do I really need to explain? Of course, I have been on it in search of some easy, budget friendly summer activities for the girls.  When I offer to turn on the sprinkler for them, I get a full body eye roll that would make Liz Lemon proud.  Really? You’re kids. It’s summer.  Sprinklers are fun. I don’t see why this math isn’t adding up.

3. OPB (Other People’s Blogs).  I’m a blog stalker.  I hardly ever leave comments, although people are super kind enough to leave them for me.  I read posts, I look through photos and all that stuff, but I never have anything to add to the comments that hasn’t already been said.  Of course, who doesn’t like to hear an additional, “You’re right!” or “Great post!” or other accolade.  Note to self: leave comments on what you read, even if it’s just the written equivalent of a high five.

4.  reading books on my new fangled iPad mini.  I know, I know, I said that I would never, never, never cross to the darkside that is the e-reader, but I can’t help it!  The Hubs gifted me with the mini for our anniversary last month and I started getting a few samples of books here and there.  My first sample was “Divergent” and well, it’s been downhill from there.

5.  physical therapy (again).  The saga continues; I had tenolysis surgery on the 28th and spent a week recouperating in Chesapeake at my parents house. The up-side is that I was out of the boot in a week. I’m walking on my own, but things are stiff.  I’ve got the gait of a suburban Frankenstein.  Still, it’s way better progress than the first time around.  Fitting PT in two to three times a day with the young ones underfoot is a challenge, but I gotta do it, man because. . .

6. Las Vegas!  My sorority sisters and I are going on a much needed girls getaway to Vegas next month. Can I even tell you how excited I am about this? I’m pulling clothes from the closet, putting new clothes and bathing suits in various virtual shopping carts around the internet, bombarding my line sister with pictures of myself in various bathing suits to make sure I don’t look like the chaperone while we’re out there (and yes, I owe her a huge stack of gift cards to retailers of her choice for putting up with me with that).  I’ve got a Las Vegas list of sorts going on, too.

There are always lists.  I keep a notepad and pen in the bathroom with my make-up because inevitably, I think of something that will leave my head before I get downstairs to the kitchen to write it down.  I “borrowed” a mini legal pad at my parents house to write things down as they came to me so that when we got back home, I could just get started.  I’ve got another folded up piece of paper that I pulled from some random pile of stuff to be sorted so that I could remember what songs to add to my work-out playlist, what odds and ends I needed to pick up from the grocery store, who I had to call, who I had to email, and what activities to look up on Pinterest. Vicious circle, vicious, vicious circle.

And really, my ideal list would include taking pictures, writing stories, having a good long nap, being totally and thoroughly (and uninterruptedly) romanced by my husband, and that’s it.  Well, I’m sure some bacon, wine, and chocolate would be involved in there, too, but you know, that goes without saying.

Bacon, wine, and chocolate. . .need to put that on my grocery list.

Continue Reading
IN: ON: July 10, 2013 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

Challenge!

So, back in February, I decided that I was going to do the February Photo-A-Day challenge on Instagram.  It was pretty fun and motivated me to take a snap everyday.  When the end of the month drew near, I decided I would continue on and found a March Photo-A-Day challenge.  From there, I was inspired to try to do a photo a day for a whole year.  I set up a tumblr site specifically dedicated to this journey.  Since February, I take a snap, add a filter and upload it to Instagram and to tumblr.  The challenges I’ve been using I came across from another website called The Idea Room.  It’s a great site with lots of interesting DIY, crafts, and other just fun stuffs to read and pass time.

Being the Type A, proper prior planner that I am, I was steadily checking the website for the June Photo Challenge as May started to dwindle away.  I didn’t see anything, didn’t see anything, didn’t see anything.  The evening of May 31st started it’s descent into memory.  Still nothing on the site, so
I decided to make my own.

(image)

For those of you unfamiliar with the Photo A Day Challenge, I’ve provided you with a list of prompts or suggestions for each day of the month.  On the designated day, you snap a photo of the suggestion or a photo of your interpretation of the suggestion and post it to Instagram.  You can add a caption to your photo, as well as the hashtag #hilarywithonel so we can keep up with you.  If you input #hilarywithonel in the Instagram search box, you’ll be able to see what others have already posted.  It’s only the third day of the month, so it’s not too late if you want to join in the fun.

As it turns out, the owner of The Idea Room suffered a peroneal tendon injury, hence the delay on the post.  What’s up with bloggers and tendon injuries?!

Continue Reading
IN: ON: June 4, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

That Time V Turned One

.
(hgd photography)

I read once that the first birthday party is really for the parents.  After spending any time on Pinterest searching kids birthday parties, there is a crap ton of information that supports that claim.  From the decorations to the themes, to the party favors and the food, some of these One Year celebrations are enough to qualify for a reality show of their own.  Did anyone else see the Marie Antoinette First Birthday?  You think I’m making this up, but truly, it’s real.  Kudos to the mom who created such a féte; it’s really something to behold.

When Mo and Co each turned one, we kept it simple.  Family came over. We ate, we sang, we let the girls eat cake.  So, too, this is what we did with V.  My parents came, my brother, my father-in-law, and V’s godparents.  We had burgers, and chicken, my grandmother’s potato salad, and cupcakes that I did not make.  I know! Shut the front door on that one, but yes, I decided to forgo getting all Betty Crocker and let Pearl’s Cupcakes do the heavy lifting on this one.  We had home made iced tea and cold beers. It was a perfect summer meal on an overcast and slightly rainy early summer day.  We sang the song and the girls helped V blow out her candle.  I made vodka tonics for the grown ups, while my brother made drunken gummy bears for me and him to share.  We ate. We laughed. We talked. The girls disappeared to watch TV while V napped.  We ate again. We laughed some more. We talked even more.  The party came to its natural end, and everyone was sufficiently sated with fellowship, food, and fun.  The girls reappeared, looking for dinner and trying to stave off bedtime.  So we ate again and laughed some more.

After even had returned safely home, after the girls had been bathed, pj’ed and dropped in their beds, the house was quiet again.  The Hubs thanked me for pulling together such a nice time for our family.  I know it was V’s birthday, but I think with those simple words, I’m pretty sure I got the gift.

Continue Reading
IN: ON: May 20, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

Wednesday

I’ve been splitting my time between writing, taking pictures, and building a new website.  These are all tasks which require me to use different parts of my brain in different ways.  It’s a miracle that I am still coherent enough to form these sentences right now.

Web designing is not for the faint of heart.  I have learned so much in such a short period time, but it’s been a straight up “pump and dump” kind of thing.  Remember back in school when you’d learn about something that you were confident you’d never use again?  You retained it long enough to pass the test or the class or write the paper.  Seriously, how often are you asked how to prove congruent parts of congruent triangles are congruent?  Or when was the last time someone asked you the Vice Presidents for Grover Cleveland, Millard Fillmore, and Chester A. Arthur?   SN: The answer there would be Adali Stevenson and Thomas A. Hendricks for Cleveland, and none for Fillmore or Arthur who were both Veeps that assumed the presidency upon the assassination of their respective presidents.  As for me, I didn’t really pay attention on how to draw perspective in art class.

(image)

Remember those? Ugh, I couldn’t even make a straight line with the ruler, let alone get a house or a series of buildings to populate the page.  It’s hard to pump and dump artistic skill, but I passed art class, so I must have clung onto something and spit it back out on the paper.

These days,  I’m pumping my head full of info about how to build a webpage. I’ve been all up on my domain hosting site, using the domain name system, making sure my Internet protocol is accurately describing the server where my page will be.  I’ve learned html to make things centered, bold, italicized and forwarded to my email account.  I’ve learned just enough to get somethings done, but if I don’t keep it up, the minute I turn my attention to something else, anything else,  it’ll just slide right out of my head like water through a sieve.

I can remember doing something like this before.  When I built my first website for my photography, I scoured the chat room and help centers for information. I really wanted something short and to the point, concise answer, not long drawn out explanation.  I want to do X, tell me in five sentences or less how to do it.  I leaned heavily on tech support; I’m sure they hated to see my name pop up in the online chats.  The website got built. It wasn’t super fancy, but it was steps above just the name and an “Under Construction” icon.  Once the business started proving itself, I wanted to make some changes to our web presence.  I had totally forgotten how to do it.  I ended up cutting and pasting pages of code into a Word document and saving it so that if I completely broke the webpage, I could just cut and paste it back to normal.  Which is pretty much what I did.

I’ve taken sole ownership of the business. I want a different look to my web presence.  Ideally, I want to farm the whole thing out to someone I can talk to, face to face, and show my sketches and plans. I have pages of notes that I’ve taken on what I want my splash page to look like, how I want my galleries displayed and my blog integrated.  I’ve visited numerous hosting sites and template sites.  I’m pulling from all different directions to create this framework on which to hang my creativity. 

Oh, and I must remember to actually create something.

I’m a minimalist; I don’t want music or multi-colored pages.  I want to keep it simple so that you can focus on why you’re visiting my site: for my writing and for my pictures.  Conveying that on a website is trickier that you’d imagine.

I’m pumping information into a system that’s already overloaded.  I need an external hardrive for my brain.  There’s no reason why I should  still be able to quote whole scenes from the “Cosby Show” and yet, can’t string together simple code so that my welcome on my homepage is in 16 point underlined font.  Some nights find me sitting at the table, surrounded by papers, folders, power cords, and camera pieces.  For as much as I love order and everything in it’s proper place, I don’t feel like I’m in the thick of it unless I’m covered in the paraphernalia that goes along with it.  It’s those times that I want to just stick my hands through the screen and physically manipulate pieces of text and images and all the rest of it so it flows the way I want.  Instead of trying to find a photo-illustrator, a web designer, a graphic artist, and the money with which to do it all,  I want to hold my notes up to the screen and have them be absorbed.

Hmmm. . . I haven’t tried that yet and I did just get this SnowLeopard OS upgrade. . .

Continue Reading
IN: ON: March 20, 2013 TAGS: BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

Fun with Photography

All the fun stuff that I like to do has been neglected lately.  My brother asked me what it is I’ve been doing.  Oh, I don’t know. . .child rearing, laundry, making meals, running a household, laundry, running carpool, doing hair, laundry.  You  know, the usual. 
Somehow, over the week-end, I was able to get everybody occupied and sneak outside to play with my camera for a bit. Talk about neglected!  The pictures on the memory card were from Vivian’s birth! I kid, of course, but still, it definitely feels that way.  I have several shoots coming up and lots of ideas that I want to test out. I may not be able to get all the images done in one shoot, but I definitely want to have a few slick ones up my sleeve.  
If you had driven by the house yesterday, you would have seen me in the driveway, finagling with the tripod and jumping in and out of the car.  It was all in the name of photography! When you don’t have models on hand, you’ve got to be your own model.  
Here’s the original shot that I was going for.
(image)
Couple canoodling in a car mirror, pretty cute! I think this was the image in a Good Housekeeping magazine on how to bring the zing! back into your relationship.  Or maybe it was an article about Greatest Hollywood Kisses or Top Ten Things to Do In a Parked Car. I don’t remember. 
I’m hoping that the couple I’m shooting this week-end is game for some out-of-the-box posing.  I wouldn’t pose anyone in a way I wouldn’t pose myself, so I got to work figuring out the angles and contortions that would make this work.  My biggest concern was the way you’d have to fit yourself in the seat in order for your face to fill the mirror so that I can capture it in the camera.
It wasn’t as tricky as I thought.  I parked the car on the flattest part of the driveway and set up the tripod so that it was parallel to the side of the car, with the lens aimed right at the mirror. 
I spent a few minutes positioning the side mirror so that I could see the middle of the driver’s side headrest in the glass, figuring my head would be in that spot.  
That’s a baby blanket that happened to be in the backseat serving as a placeholder.  Real professional, right?
Back to the camera to get the right focal length and focal point, and then to the contortions. Truth to be told, the hardest part was climbing over the center console from the passenger side to the driver’s side.  I didn’t want to get in the car on the driver’s side because 1) I have automatic running boards that would have knocked my gear to the ground (perish the thought) the minute I released the handle and 2) Everything was set up, ready to go on that side. I didn’t want to mess with it. 
Buns firmly in the seat, remote shutter control in hand, I was ready to go.  I wasn’t sure where to look, so I looked everywhere! Up, down, in the mirror, away from the mirror, eyes closed for that pensive visage.  It was a hilarious, hot mess.  
BUT! I did get the look that I was going for. The top of my head is cut off, but all things considered, not bad for a first attempt. 


I’ll be thumbing through other mags and such for more ideas for upcoming shoots.  Now, I just need to find some more models. . .

Continue Reading
IN: ON: March 4, 2013 TAGS: , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
photography projects & DIY

Black and White Wednesday: NYC Edition

It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve been back from NYC and I’m still reveling.   In the course of four days, we accomplished quite a bit, but aside from the quality time, sans bébé’s, with the hubs.  The highlight for me would have to be the first day in the city.

Friday, the hubs and I took the train up to NYC from Union Station.  Not a bad way to go.  A few stops along the way, but there was Wi-Fi and in 3 hours, we were in the Big Apple.  We hit the streets with hardly a break.  After dropping out bags at the hotel, we trotted across the street for breakfast at a corner coffee shop. After carb-loading on eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns as we sat knee to knee and elbow to elbow with other diners, we bellied over to the subway.

Although I grew up in NJ, literally a stone’s throw from NYC, I have visited the latter more often as an adult.  My first experience with the NYC subway was back in 1995 when my brother took me and several of my girlfriends into the city for lunch.  This was when the subways were disgusting petri dishes full of all kinds of human detritus.  Graffiti, panhandlers, everything that made the subway fearsome and unappealing was at it’s peak right then. Add to the fact that in my pea brain, the whole subway system rendered me dyslexic with its barrage of numbers, letters, and primary colored geometric shapes, I was paranoid that I would never make it to where I wanted to go, let alone where I had started from.  I couldn’t wrap my head around uptown and downtown and why I needed to catch the 6 on the NW corner instead of the SW corner in order to go where it was I was going.

(image)

I’d much rather take a cab. Cabs, however add up.  As my visits to NYC increased in my adulthood, I was more comfortable grabbing the subway with someone else, someone who knew EXACTLY where we were going.  Fast forward to this last trip with our daily itinerary that had us criss-crossing all over the island of Manhattan.  There was no way I could cab it up.  Add to the fact that on one of the days, the hubs was going to be out of pocket for work related reasons.  I decided to get empowered; I studied the subway system before leaving (yes, I’m a dork) and plotted how to get from A to B to C to A to D.  Then I saved it to my phone.

I showed the hubs who just shook his head and showed me the subway app.  Talk about a game changer!  Plug in starting station and your desired arrival station, it tells you how to get there, the shortest route, and what transfers to make.  Cue the Hallelujah chorus!

By the end of the trip, I was riding the subway like I’d been doing it for years.  I had my metro card ready to swipe, my ear buds in my ears, and I navigated those tunnels with more confidence than I felt. Overall, my biggest fear had been getting mugged or accosted in some way, in addition to getting lost.  Although I was a tourist, I didn’t want to look like an easy mark with a map I couldn’t fold or a look on my face that said, “Yes, I’m from the suburbs!”  What I discovered is, even if you don’t know where you’re going, walk with purposeful confidence like you do.  Then duck into a Starbucks (because there is one on EVERY.SINGLE.CORNER and pull out our your phone to figure it out.  

Tribeca

I ventured down to SoHo and Tribeca on Saturday morning, on my own. . .on the subway!  It was exhilarating and empowering.  And it freaked my parents out when I told them about it.  My dad kept telling me I have to be careful about people pushing people onto the subway tracks. I reminded him that I was hugging the wall like it was a long lost lover.  My mom gets a little . . .flatulent, shall we say. . .when she gets nervous, so the duration of the call was peppered with bursts of agitated wind followed with, “Oh!” and “Oh, dear!” and “You’re making your mother upset!”  I promised them that after I had finished my trip to Tribeca, I met up with the hubs and we traveled together after that.  Poor Mom.  She had to hang up because we couldn’t hear Dad over her. . .distress.

The Met

We went to check out the Matisse exhibit at the Met, both of which were unbelievable.  You would have to visit the museum every day for at least an hour for a year before you could see all it has to offer.  We had to cross through several stunning galleries of Greek art and African Art before we found the Matisse exhibit and it was excruciating to have to power through at that fast a clip.  Every few few, something else caught my eye (hello, Faberge eggs!) or the hubs would pull up short to take a peek at something else (Egyptian exhibit complete with a walkable replica of a royal tomb).

As for Matisse, I had know idea how prolific an artist he had been.  There were at least five large separate rooms in the exhibition hall whose walls were adorned with his works.  And I’m not just talking two 11x14s on each wall.  There were portraits, sketches, stills of fruits, and of views from seaside hotel rooms.  I’m hardly doing it justice; it was just so amazing.  I had been familiar with Matisse and some of the other artists of his generation, but yet, there was not one piece that the hubs and I could identify as his signature work.  Van Gogh is easily recognized by sunflowers or Starry Night.  Klimt has The Kiss.  Gauguin has his Tahitian women. Can’t come up with anything from Matisse (me, personally that is), but there are now pieces that I will associate with the artist from here on out.

After the Met, I persuaded the hubs to take a walk with me to Madison Avenue.  There was a little shop that I wanted to visit.

Need I say more?

If you know me, you know I have been trying to get my feet in a pair of these red bottom shoes for about four years now.  It all started on Labor Day week-end about three years ago.  The hubs and I went to NYC for a week-end.  I had my first photo product photo shoot in Harlem, we caught up with friends, strolled through Central Park and went to Bergdorf’s.  I knew exactly the shoe I wanted, but sadly Bergdorf didn’t have it in my size.  Why I just didn’t go right to the source to begin with escapes me, but no matter.  The clerk at BG directed us up to Madison Avenue.  Too bad for me, the shop was closed for the season.  It was Labor Day week-end, after all, but c’mon! I had shoes to buy and a hub that was willing to crack open his wallet that very day!

So, I went home empty handed, but with a resolve to get myself a pair of red-soled shoes.  And I began to save.  For three years, I socked away a piece of whatever funds came my way.  Once I’d reached my goal in the spring of 2012, I dialed up my girls to plan a week-end away in NYC where we were all going to buy a pair of shoes.  The plan was Columbus Day week-end.  The trip was in the works and the shoes were in sight.  Sure, I could have gone to Saks or Nordstrom and bought a pair, but I was in it for the experience!

Then, September 7, 2012 happened.  You know, the night I jacked-up my leg tripping over a trash bag that had broken glass in it.  Just the usual on a Friday at 7:30 in the evening, the night before my birthday and my 5 year old’s birthday party at our house.  No biggie.

The last five months have found me getting my Lindsay Wagner on, although I’m not bionic, I am feeling very good about where my mobility is at this point.  As soon as I could squish my foot into a regular shoe, my resolve to get those CL’s was stronger than ever. So I decided, I would just go and get them myself.  And I told the hubs, “Look. I’ve been saving. I want the shoes and I’m going to NYC for the week-end. I’d love it you would come with me, but if you can’t, I’ll see you when I get back.”

It was that serious.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and me and the hubs being buzzed into the store.  It was like being on the inside of a genie bottle.  Red plush carpet. Round padded ottoman. Shoes lining the walls, hiding out in recessed nooks, in repose on shelves.

not my best work, but i was trying not to geek out.

I couldn’t get my shoes off fast enough.  The store isn’t that large, mind you, but there were a crap ton of women in there, all of which had one regular shoe on one foot and on red bottomed shoe on the other foot.  We found some free space on a chaise with leopard print pillows and waited for me to flag down a clerk.

I had initially gone in for a pair of Bianca’s in nude, but recently decided black patent leather would be more practical.  When I finally got the clerk to help me out, she brought out Bianca, Rolando, Pigalle and the Simple Pump. Decisions, decisions.

Bianca, Pigalle, Rolando and Simple Pump

Two women across the way from me were in deep discussion about the relative comfort of the pointy toe box.

Nude Heels:  I really like these, but my toes are all bunched up.
Leopard Wedges: Oh, I have those! My toes go numb after about five minutes, but I love them. They’re so cute!
Clerk: Look, these shoes aren’t meant to be comfortable.  Women end up getting a larger size thinking that the toe box is going to give them more room, but in fact, it creates more room in the back of the shoe, so that your heel slips and you’ll walk out of the shoe and fall on your face.
Hubs: Seriously? Are you for real with this?

Poor hubs! He was totes out of his element and completely amazed at the number of shoes being tried on, exchanged and purchased.  His analytical mind was reeling; he has to admit that CL’s branding and marketing is unparalleled.

By the time I got to the Simple Pump, I was beginning to think that I was going to go home empty handed yet again.  The Bianca’s were too pointy. My toes were not having it.  The Pigalle was the same  thing, and Rolando didn’t come in my size.  There was no way that I was going to drop over $800 on shoes that made my eyes water just walking around in a circle.  Plus the fact that I was taking these little mincing steps? Yeah, that wasn’t going to work.  When I finally put my foot in the Simple Pump, it was like putting on a pair of Isotoner slippers!

Remember when Ariel sings into the shell for Ursula the sea witch? Yeah, it was like that.

And there you have it.  Victory is mine!

*le sigh*

And yes, I am wearing them while I type this.  Only on the carpet, though.

SN: the hubs and I went out for an event yesterday evening.  It was raining, and we skittered from the parking garage to the location, he saw that I was wearing a pair of patent leather pumps.

“Are those the shoes?”

“In the rain? You’re kidding right?” and I gave an eye roll so massive, Liz Lemon felt it.

Continue Reading
IN: photography projects & DIY ON: February 27, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading

February 14th, 2013

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Last year, I over-achieved with Mo’s card to the exclusion of any Valentine cards for Co.  Oops! This year, I was way ahead of the game.  I had found this cute idea on Pinterest (obvi) shortly after I had wrapped up Mo’s lollipop filled Valentine.  When February rolled around, I remembered that I had pinned this cute idea and got to work.

Basically, you take a bunch of funny pictures of your little person.  Using a program like Picasa or Google +, you can collage the pictures and add text.  Print out the collages on regular paper )or get extra fancy and print them on cardstock) and affix them to Hershey Kiss filled baggies.   Ta-Da!  Done and done.  I think the most time consuming part was the picture taking and the collage making.  I have yet to get on Pinterest today and see what catches my eye for next year.  Something tells me, I might be hitting up the drugstore for a box of perforated [insert Cartoon Character of Choice] Valentines.

Yeah, right. . .we all know I’m going to be at tit again.  As a matter of fact, a friend of mine sent me the following entry from The Bloggess about Valentine’s Day Under-Achiveing, which simply re-enforced my Type A commitment to this foolishness. I’ll leave you with the link here.  Happy Love Day, y’all!

Continue Reading
IN: ON: February 14, 2013 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
Continue Reading
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 8