2013 Adventures

Scavenger Hunt Sunday…or Monday

2013-03-04T23:16:00.001-08:00

Where has all the time went? I can’t believe it is March already!!!! The last few weeks I really haven’t been picking up my camera much. Nothing fun or interesting has sparked my interest in photographing. Last weekend was the first time I really picked it up, for my sisters engagement party. Didn’t take many photos but too some good ones for her.

Well here are my photos for this week!

1. Red

While making dinner I through on my macro filer set and took some pictures of my nice ripe, red tomatoes.

2. Orange

A carrot anyone? Yes, blurry but I like the texture it gives it.

3. Yellow

Nothing like a bright yellow lemon, with a close up. It seasoned my fish just perfectly.

4. Green

The green asparagus, was very good broiled.

5. Blue

Ok I couldn’t find a blue food, while making this dinner. So you will have to settle for my future brother-in-laws ‘blue’ shirt. Ha!

Flip Flop Challenge Edit

2013-02-21T21:57:00.001-08:00

This is my second time doing this edit. This young woman is simply beautiful. I enjoyed my outcome.

Here is the Original:

Here is my edit.

I applied a white balance fixer to it. Then I ran Coffeeshop powder room 3 on her, softened up the skin a bit and a little detail to her eyes, then I ran Envi Sharpen and Gloss and then added a Coffeeshop frame. Hope you enjoy.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday…

2013-02-10T22:38:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe we are already in the second week of February, where is this year GOING!!!! Well the past few weeks have been insane around here…Getting up new websites, working on a never ending remodel. Well here I am back and ready to blog. Hopefully weather will be nice tomorrow and I can get out and get some new photos…Here is to hoping.

On to the scavenger hunt.

1. The Small Things

Matt got these Rosary beads for me in Peru. The beads are little. I love this Rosary.

2. Illustration

I will be coloring this and framing this for part of Matt’s gift for Valentine’s Day.

3. Valentine

Some Valentines I will be giving out and a Valentine coupon book…Wow I didn’t wait until the night before.

4. Work of Art

I took this photo at Mono Lake this last summer. I brought it into Photoshop and applied the chalk and charcoal filter. I like it.

5. Window Beauty

This is the view from my backdoor into our neighbors yard and their kids playhouse and our lovely Southern California dark cloudy skies.

Enjoy and have a great week!

Flip Flop Edit Challenge

2013-02-10T20:20:00.001-08:00

I was given this photo as the original:

I transformed it in to this:

I corrected the while balance, applied a small texture, brightened and enriched the colors to make them pop. Hope you enjoy.

Flip Flop Edit Challenge..

2013-02-04T12:46:00.001-08:00

This is my first time joining up with the Flip Flop Edit Challenge… Hope you like my edit.

Original:

Edited:

I corrected the white balance, reduced the reds, brightened eyes, softened skin and added a blast of sun flare on right side.

Hope you enjoy.

Wittle People Wednesday…well Thursday now…

2013-01-17T23:32:00.001-08:00

I love these little girls…They love the camera…and if you take a photo of one the other gets jealous…LOVE IT…Hope you guys love it too..

Black and White Photo Day

2013-01-16T13:04:00.001-08:00

I know I have been absent from my blog for quite some time…I am trying to finish a 5 page to do list and well this is very last on my list…But in order to change things around here, I am trying to blog at least 3 times a week…So lets hope I can keep this up.

I finally got around to editing photos from all of December and January…I love this photo from New Years Eve of my friend and her daughter..

Hope you enjoy.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2013-01-15T20:48:00.001-08:00

1. Outside

A picture of a flower while I was on a photo shoot in December…I love flowers…Had to stop and snap a photo of it…

2. Backside

Taking a stretch on this on…the backside of a turkey from Christmas…

3. Little Things

For Christmas Matt received a lego set of R2D2, this is him putting together all 3,000 tiny Legos…(he is finished now, photos to come).

4. A cup of

A cup of ~~juice~~…Not!!! It is a cup of pomegranate margarita…Was pretty good considering I don’t like tequila much.

5. Reflect

I am taking the meaning of reflect as the verb, to think or ponder…This is Amanda’s grave site. Matt’s late sister who was killed…I think that I will never have a sister-in-law, his parents won’t get to see her grow into the woman she was becoming and most of all Matt no longer has a sister to share things with…

Top 12 of 2012

2013-01-10T00:18:00.001-08:00

Did 2012 really just end? I can’t believe it flew by that fast…As part of 2013 new year’s resolution I want to start blogging more on a regular basis…So I am going to really try and keep up..I have organized a lot of things lately and plan to keep it up…Over the next few weeks you will see a lot more going on with my blog, business and other business…Hope you will all keep posted and pass on the word… On to the top 12 I took of 2012….

I am going to do one photo from every month…or I would be choosing one whole shoot I did a couple months back..LOL..

January

So the city thought it would be amazing to release all the fire hydrants in neighborhood at one time…needless to say all of are streets were flooded and the very next day it rained for three straight days…

February

Yes, even flowers get spider webs…Don’t judge me..

March

My best friend's daughter…isn’t she freaking adorable…Loved this photo shoot.

April

I conquered my fears in April. I got in a hot air balloon and I lived…It was beautiful I highly recommend it.

May

Beautiful flowers on a day trip of ours…

June

Aubrey is three weeks old in this photo and she still slept through the whole thing…she is so pretty and I can’t believe she will be a year old in 5 months!!!!

July

Ally turned 3. She had a Spiderman birthday party to come home for her second round at birthday parties and dressed up as Snow White…She is so precious…

August

Our best friend’s from Seattle came to visit…Got to sneak in a photo shoot at Huntington Beach…This is their precious family….I love the lighting of this photo.

September

In September, I was able to witness the space shuttle fly over my home…It was much better than seeing it crash years ago when I was second grade..It even brought tears to my eyes…One of life’s events I am so glad I was able to witness.

October

Our friends the Cohan’s rented a cabana in Laguna Beach, California. Their daughters wanted to go in the ocean. Matt decided he would take them. They were holding onto him for dear life…I love this photo…We don’t have children yet, but I can see how he will eventually be with our kids when we have them…

November

In November, Matt came home from work, ran into the house and yelled, “Larissa, get your camera! Come look at the sky!” This is what I captured….It is a bit grainy because I didn’t have time to set up…Oh well…still love the colors…

December

This photo was taken on December 31st. Told Ally to stand still and look cute this is what I got..I captured perfection…

Chasing the Light- Photo Challenge

2013-01-09T22:31:00.001-08:00

I took this photo while floating in a balloon, we were literally chasing the light…I wish it was better composed but I was holding onto the basket for dear life and trying to shoot this amazing photo.

Hope you enjoy.

Best Face of 2012

2013-01-09T21:56:00.001-08:00

I think I have used this photo a few times on my blog and Facebook…But it is simply the best face by far of 2012. It shows innocence and a carefree child… I love this photo…

Memories, Dreams and Reflections 2012

2013-01-09T21:23:00.001-08:00

1. Me

This is me..This year I tried to get in front of my camera more often…let’s just say that was an epic fail…in 2013 I promise to do this. Life is short and need to capture as much as I can while I can…

2. I love you

This is easy. These are the two people I see daily and I don’t know what life would be like without them. I love you both dearly.

3. Still Laughing

She didn’t want to stick her hand inside the pumpkin to carve it, this is the look she gave me when I told her she had to, to make it pretty…I am still laughing when I see it.

Please bury me in the sand, laughing the whole time I was doing it…

4. Winter Wonderland

Well we really don’t get snow in Southern California, so you are going to have to settle for rain falling from non-existent rain gutters.

5. Birthday

This is my birthday dessert after sushi….Yum, it was so good, oh the dessert was too…

Of course Matt has to make a funny face for my birthday picture…

6. Friends

Our friends the Price’s came to visit from Seattle and I couldn’t resist a little family photo shoot…My first time doing a silhouette and I love the way it turned out.

7. I was inspired

I love my double exposure, that I believe Ashley taught us how to do…Love it….

8. Spring Fever

Perfect Spring rose from my backyard.

9. Travel or Vacation

Well I got to see Mono Lake this summer…It was gorgeous, would love to go back some time…

Matt got to see Machu Picchu. I think he got the better deal…

10. Summer Days

Love the photo from the Price photo shoot at Huntington Beach…These girls love the camera…

Huntington Beach Pier, typical place to go during the summer here in Orange County, California.

11. A Day in my life

I love to cook, I am always cooking…So that is a day in my life..

Fresh cut vegetables…

Great Bloody Mary…So good…

12. All Smiles

First soccer trophy she was all smiles…

13. Autumn Harvest

A front porch full of pumpkins what says, harvest better than that…

Of course Matt goes and makes Spiderman, and by the way, it is hand drawn and carved, no pattern used..He is just that talented.

14. Family or Home

This was my bookshelf in January, unfinished and ugly…

This is my almost finished bookshelf in July…Looks much better still needs a little work though….

This is my family…He is my love…

15. Celebrate

Celebrating a third birthday…Can you tell she was excited…

She had two parties…Snow White/ Spiderman crossover..Happy third birthday Ally.

16. Let’s do it again

I need to do that slide again…That was fun…

She poured those balls in a dozen times to keep flying every where…

17. I miss you

I miss my grandparents the most…

18. Beautiful

A friend of mine Roxanne hosted girls night…She set the table up in her atrium for dinner and this was her center piece, just gorgeous.

19. Dress up

Princess Aurora Lauren and SpiderAlly, the cutest thing ever…..

Then we have princess Angel.

20. Macro

Fullerton Arboretum flower…so pretty…

21. Holidays

My Christmas tree 2012…

22. My Favorite

This is my favorite photo of the whole year…she looks so innocent and carefree…I just love it!!!

23. Don’t ever change

Matt is my heart and I love him…Hope he never changes…

24. Just Because

Just because I love wine…These are vines…baby vines…by the time we go back this year, they will be producing…

25. Hopes and Dreams This year I conquered a fear…I got into a hot air balloon and went over 3000 feet into the air, IN A BASKET…I am so proud of myself…It made me look at the future much easier…I can conquer anything I put my mind too…

Weekly Menu January 6-12

2013-01-07T23:01:00.001-08:00

Well this year I have promised myself that I will have a weekly menu. So that we will eat well and have a menu full of vegetables and good food. I am tired of wondering what we will eat for dinner and waiting until the last minute to cook. So this will get my butt in gear and we will eat well this year…Even if it kills me…LOL!!!

Sunday- Spicy Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with a green salad

Monday- Mongolian Beef with brown rice and pickled cucumbers and carrots with a red leaf salad

Tuesday- Skinny crockpot chicken taco chili Served with homemade Guacamole

Wednesday- Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Brussel sprouts

Thursday- Sautéed Tilapia w/ Lemon Peppercorn sauce and baked potato and corn

Friday- Greek Salsa Chicken with oven roasted potatoes

Saturday- Wedge salad with stuffed baked potato

Black and White Wednesday

2012-11-27T22:06:00.001-08:00

I was trying to print out some pictures this past weekend for around the house…This one I changed to a Black and White, to blow up to 27.5” x 51.5” to hang above my fire place. I am hoping it will turn out great! So I thought I would share this on B&W Wednesday.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-11-27T20:53:00.001-08:00

1. Home or thankful

I am very thankful that Angel is doing better after have an abscess. Well she still has it but she is much better and getting back to her normal self. She will just need much needed TLC and nursing for quite awhile.

2. In the Kitchen

I love that my kitchen is clean and the counter tops are gleaming….

3. Couple

These are just a couple of oranges from my orange tree…They have so much juice in them, I love it!

4. Bubbles

I made soap bubbles…Pretty good picture over all…

5. Trees

This is the only tree in my backyard that looks like fall. I love it. Nothing else changes around here…I love the bloom of this tiny tree.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday…Tuesday

2012-11-13T19:32:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe the weekend went by so fast…When it is a holiday weekend we normally pack a lot of stuff into the weekend and this weekend we sure did.

On Saturday, I got up at 6:30 am and started my morning. Matt actually cooked breakfast, then I got ready, had Lauren’s (friends daughters) soccer game and trophy party, then went to the grocery store. Came home made a homemade lasagna and angel food cake with raspberry sauce and ice cream. I was making dinner for Matt’s parents 40th wedding anniversary. I also did three loads of laundry. Then Sunday we worked on projects around the house. Monday we still worked on those projects. Today I played catch up on things I didn’t get done over the weekend…

1. Nature

This is a rose in full bloom from my backyard. I thought the colors were great and the rose is so pretty.

2. Vintage or Retro

This may not stand out as vintage to you. But when I was growing up I always saw my grandmother and mom put the cookies to cool on paper bags instead of cookie racks. So this is vintage to me…By the way those are oatmeal crasin cookies.

3. Whimsical

Lauren playing soccer…This is whimsical to me because you never know what face she will give you while playing…I love that girls facial expressions.

4. Cooking

Simple…Tilapia with lemon cream sauce, topped with green onions, baked potato and steamed broccoli.

5. Weeks Best

I took pictures of Lauren at the park right before her soccer trophy awards…Is she not the cutest little girl!

Black and White Wednesday on Sunday..

2012-11-11T20:47:00.001-08:00

Yep this week passed by way to fast…I am still playing catch up…

Here is my great black a white photo…

Black and White Wednesday…yeah I know it is Sunday…

2012-11-04T22:23:00.001-08:00

I have not had a chance to link up this week…or should I say last week…Oh well…here is my photo finally…. LOL!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

2012-11-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

1. Wild

We got a little carried away carving 8 pumpkins..That is only have of the guts from the pumpkins…I would consider that wild.

2. Welcome

Well I was all ready to go out and capture a new picture of my welcome mat. Although when I went to open the front door, there was a swarm of wasp attached to my front door. Thank God for some glass on the door so I was able to see them. Matt had to go outside and spray wasp killer on them and then hopefully he got the nest too above the front eves. We will find out tomorrow. So you will have to settle for an archived photo. Sorry.

3. Adventure

We have a family of new kittens that were born in our backyard. They are taking shelter in a large pile of wood we have left over from the remodel and demolition. There are three kittens and a mommy. Today the kittens were out on an adventure walking around the wood. If you look closely you can see one other kitty’s paws…

4. Vibrant

What is more vibrant than Princess Aurora, Spiderman/girl and a porch full of pumpkins… How cute!

5. Classic

I would have to say this photo is classic. She was over the photos…Although this photo is when we were trying to her to stick her hands in the pumpkin to pull out the guts…At first she wanted nothing to do with it, then she saw all of us starting to do it so she jumped right in.

Happy Halloween

2012-10-31T14:57:00.001-07:00

Angel begged me and begged me to dress her up for Halloween…Well JK…I don’t know how many Halloween’s or holidays I will get with her so I decided I am going to take any picture I can possibly get from her…Here is her Halloween photo-shoot…I think she looks cute…So Happy Halloween everyone…

And since I have no children…For now this is going to do for my Wittle Me…Unless I see Spiderman and Princess Aurora tonight…

Edit me Challenge

2012-10-23T23:00:00.001-07:00

It’s that time of week again for the edit me challenge. I love this photo by Little Adventures.

Here is the original:

Here is my edit:

I opened it in Lightroom 4, and did this:

Scavenger Hunt Sunday….

2012-10-21T22:02:00.001-07:00

Wow did I actually get this completed today…Sunday…no way…This weekend flew by and it was quite busy…Yesterday I attended our friends daughters soccer game. Needless to say while driving there is was drizzling hard then when I arrived there it started to warm up…Got to love Southern California weather…Well I will take rain any day over 100 plus temperatures… Wish I could say I have an array of photos from different things this week, but shooting was short and sweet this week…Only because my week was packed…I am in organization mode and it is taking a lot of time… This week I am going to try to get a lot more shooting in and hoping to to shoot my favorite little kids on Friday…

1. Orange/Pink (Breast Cancer Month)

I love that their team name is Pinkalicious. What could say lets support breast cancer more than that. In the photo above I had her scream, “No!” and boy did she ever…LOL

2. Faceless Portrait

They were learning how to stop the ball. She did a great job. I was going to get one of me doing this but I would have been in the way of the game, so you will have to settle for her.

3. View From Top

This was the view at the top of Mount Baldy. There was NO WAY in hell, I was getting as close to the edge as Matt did. But love the view from the top and love the scenery and well him too…

4. Cozy

Yep, she was cozy being buried in the sand…Minus the face in her eyes, she loved it…

5. Stacked

The seats were stacked all the way from the top to bottom. I took this picture while they decided to stop the ski lift and it kept me from freaking out…So hopefully you enjoy.

Well these are my interpretations for the week. Hope you enjoyed.

Black & White Wednesday

2012-10-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

I love this precious little girl…I pulled it out of archives and was re-editing some of them…I fell absolutely in love with this.

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Edit me

2012-10-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

It’s time for Edit me again… I love doing this because I am working with someone else's photos, rather than me…I am really hard on myself on mine so I tend to get more creative with others…you might think that is weird but that is just me…

Here is the original:

Here is my edited version:

For my edit I ran:

Ashley Sisk’s Nice and Easy Action

then I played with the curves and hues just a bit.

Then I added a frame from Coffeeshop Blog.

then what you see is what you get!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday….Tuesday…

2012-10-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a whirlwind of projects..finally finished a bunch of them…Then Sunday we went a small trip to Mount Baldy and San Antonio Winery…It was a great Sunday…

Monday played catch up from things I should have finished over the weekend…Today…I am finally blogging…LOL…

So on to the best part instead of me rambling…the photos…

1. Water drops/ Flowing

This is our mini bar sink…I love the water flowing along with the water drops.

2. Faithfulness

This is from our trip Sunday to Mount Baldy. This is at the top of the ski lift…Wish it would have been clearer out but still gorgeous.

3. Then & Now

Then:

This is how it looked before it was decorated and painted and finished.

Now:

This is all decorated and painted..Still have a few touch ups and to add a few more details…Although I am very happy I have done it all myself, minus building it that goes to Matt…

4. Fingertips

This candy is at kept away from small fingertips…as you can tell still left over from Valentine’s Day, you can tell how much we eat candy around here. I love the lighting of this photo though…

5. One from the bucket list

I got myself a pumpkin latte tonight from Starbucks when I picked up Matt Golden Spoons…We were both soooooo happy!