simply my life { deux }

moving to wordpress

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:07:00 +0000

Yes ... I'm moving again. Posterous is closing in a couple of months ... this will be the second blogging platform that has shut down while I was using their service. And the second time I am left without a backup of my data. Years of blogging gone ...

So, I am giving up on free blogs and self-hosting over on wordpress. Please join me there http://wp.yffoto.com/.

Thank you!

10 on 10 { feb 2013 }

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:29:00 +0000

I remembered! I remembered! Today I snapped a LOT of photos, but made sure to grab one per hour so I could be true to the 10 on 10 challenge! Spent the day at the Museum of Science and Industry, my favorite Chicago museum, with the Pittman's! I wanted to go to catch the Peanuts exhibit - and crazy -Holly, Jeff and Bella had never been before... what!?! They totally loved it. YaYa always knows the best places to go!

breakfast and facebook

selfie after getting ready for the day

allergy shot - four years of these and still counting - damn cats!

Peanuts exhibit was really great

I have always wanted an original Peanuts cel

Sloane LOVED that piano.

We watched the movie Born to be Free in the Omnimax Theater - it was fabulous!

Went on the U505 tour - the claustrophobic in me did not enjoy this much

'twas a dreary day here in Chicago, but I really cannot complain ... rain in February is not normal

target

finalizing plans for birthday trip

beauty from tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 04:58:00 +0000

via instacanv.as

I ran across an article on ABC News about the woman that was killed in Turkey. She was apparently into phtography and her sister has decided to sell her photos on Instacanv.as as a way to raise money for her two boys. I cannot think of a better idea! And she's got some wonderful images too. The one above is my favorite.

before midnight !!

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:00:00 +0000

OMG I am so excited !!! And from what I hear, it got rave reviews at Sundance! I am a HUGE fan of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset... HUGE! I backpacked around Europe post college and kind of wished I could have found a beautiful traveler to spark up a little romance. Sadly, it was not in the cards for me... but there's still time, right?

Frozen

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 03:33:00 +0000

Frozen, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

Man have I been a BAD blogger ... I guess I should be thankful that it means I have been living life offline, but I miss blogging. I think a lot of my problem is that I'm not getting out and taking photos either ... must do better. Must.

LesMis ... wow!

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:40:00 +0000

Have you seen Les Miserables the Movie yet? I finally made my way to the theater tonight and WOW, WOW, WOW! That was just outstanding! The actors were amazing (well didn't loooove Russell Crow), voices amazing, set design amazing. Everything. Amazing! It's so true to the theater production that I wanted to stand up and clap after the first act. I felt like I was seeing the most amazing theater production, really. Cannot say how much I loved this movie!

benji

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:39:00 +0000

It's no secret that I am a sports fan ... college basketball most specifically. I have been taking in some of the ESPN 30 on 30 films and really loving them. Yesterday I saw the film on Ben Wilson, a potential NBA star from a local Chicago high school, and was completely touched on so many levels. The strength of his mother. The emotions his teammates have all these years after his death. The outpouring of support from all of Chicagoland...

But what gets me the most is how unbelievable it is that we have not grown and learned from his story. Benji's story could be on the news today, some thirty years later. Chicago is on record for the most murders in 2012 at 499! And I cannot help but remember the line that the kid who killed Benji said his grandfather told him "if you show your gun, you better use it." What? I mean, what? And people don't think we should have gun laws and restrictions in the United States.... Every high school kid should be required to watch this film. Period!

Hot chocolate at Hot Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:02:00 +0000

Hot chocolate at Hot Chocolate, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

FINALLY! I frequently dine at Mindy's Hot Chocolate in Bucktown, and for some crazy reason I have never had the hot chocolate! What the heck is wrong with me? Anyway ... today I finally had some of their hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows and have to say it completely lives up to the hype. I got the dark - 72% rich dark french chocolate - and also got a taste of the candy cane, both were perfect! Simply perfect! I even picked up some of their mix and marshmallows for home!

look up

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:48:00 +0000

, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

This is what I do while waiting for my colleagues for meetings in the city. I'm a punctual girl ... can't stand being late. And on the rare occasion that it does happen, I make sure to let those that might be expecting me know... Anyway, to pass the time I wonder the city streets, just looking up. I don't think I will ever tire of Chicago architecture.

Side note: Very excited to see Teitur on Wednesday!!

happy new year

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:34:00 +0000

Happy New Year! 2013 is off to a pretty good start for me! Let's hope it keeps up that way!

I spotted this grouping of trees a few days ago and had to go back with the camera before the weather changed how they look. They are kind of tucked back behind a bunch of houses, you'd never know they were there if you didn't get a peek at just the right moment while driving. Loved how they looked with the snow.

365 : it's a wrap!

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:02:00 +0000

I am very happy that my photo a day challenge is now over. I certainly lost steam as the year went on - did very well through July, where I missed my first photo. I had some crazy idea that doing this challenge would somehow better my photography ... that didn't really work because I decided to keep it all iPhone. I love my iPhone. I love taking photos with my iPhone, but does it make me a better photographer - nope. I need to make it a point to pick up the DSLR!

That said .. what I do like about the iPhone 365 is that it's a visual journal of what happened throughout my year. So here is my Flickr 365 set from 2012. The good, the bad and everything in between.

5

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:43:00 +0000

5, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

I have been taking my 365 photos but got behind posting them ... since I am only a few days away from the end I am just going to finish out the set over on Flickr.

I have to say, it's a lot harder to take a photo per day than I thought it would be - even with my iPhone. I ended up with 355 of 365 and I figure that's not at all bad. I give mad props to people who can get through the 365 selfies!

kiss by a rose

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:22:00 +0000

Have you ever applied your blush with a rose? Bella may be onto something here ..

snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:17:00 +0000

snow branch, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

It was so great to wake up Christmas morning to snow. Is it silly that I still get a little excited when that happens? It was just a dusting, but in the last couple of days we've gotten a few more inches - that really wet variety that sticks to trees and bushes and that looks super pretty. { love }

50mm 1.4 dream

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:07:00 +0000

look away, a photo by YF [ yffoto ] on Flickr.

Testing my new lens today after work and I am really loving it. I was never a fan of the 'nifty fifty' but the 1.4 is so fast and just soaks in light ... it's dreamy!

sloane : 1 year old

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:56:00 +0000

Super sweet Sloane turns one year old with a candy themed party! She's such a girly girl - no cake smashing for Sloane ... no she looked at her cupcake and waited for someone to hand her a piece which she placed gently in her mouth. So stinkin' cute!

30

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:49:00 +0000

I can hardly believe I am only one month away from the end of my 365 project!!! Sunday night = journal and The Holiday. Oh Jude!

test shooting

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:33:00 +0000

This is the place where I will be shooting a wedding reception. Cute little spot for a foodie couple don't ya think? Took a few shots with the SLR to see if I could get anything w/out flash .. I am going to hope they turn off the fluorescents in the coolers!

31 meat market scouting

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Spent the afternoon with Barbara, Steve, Terena, Fernanda and more in the Fulon Market area brunching at The Publican and scouting for Barbara and Steve's upcoming wedding dinner at the Publican Quality Meats. It's a fabulous little butcher shop and eatery. The perfect place for the foodie couple!

spotted this on the way home and had Barbara snap a quick pic - too funny

32 to 35

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Lucy loves to sit under the tree ... and I need to start wrapping the presents under the tree :)

My all time favorite - A Charlie Brown Christmas!

wedding photo research and tree light bokeh

morning tea - always

39 BACKUP

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Learned a huge lesson today that I thought I'd share here. I have to say, I have been preaching the importance of "backing up" data for a while now. Ever since I started doing all the IT stuff in the office as well as the design and project management parts. You only have to loose something one time for this to really hit home. But, no matter how much I ramble on about this, people just go about their business and fail to follow the advice.

Well, here's another example of why it is SOOOO important to back up your data! My boss and his family were traveling over the holiday and on their way back to the airport decided to stop for lunch. In the short time they were eating, someone broke into the car and stole every single piece of luggage in the car. Imagine how that would feel. And, unfortunately, one of the laptops they had with them had never been backed up. It had a few years worth of family photos that had never been printed or uploaded to an online service.

BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP!!

And if you have a Apple product, make sure you have iCloud and "Find my Mac/iPhone/iPad" enabled, as well as requiring a password upon startup or sleep mode. This will ensure you can cut any access that thieves may have to your information and data.

37 38 decorate

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:38:00 +0000

Now that Thanksgiving is done, time to start embracing the Christmas season. I pulled out the decorations and decided to change things up this year. I put the tree in a new place and decided to swag the garland from the mantle. And I have to say... I kind of like it!

If only I could figure out how to hide the electrical cords...

39 CT

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Took in a Chris Trapper show at Schubas with my friend Robin. We thought it would be a little swing back to the old days, but ... not so much. Chris was fabulous! I LOVE his voice and he's got funny stories between songs. But, the funny thing about the show - there were seats! Robin and I were like .. um, interesting. A few years back, the room would be standing room only and you'd have to get there early to get up close. Even Chris was talking about how respectful of a crowd we were - kind of like playing in church. We sat quietly while he sang and then clapped when it was over. Such an odd experience. But I still loved it, just because I love his music that much!

40 giving thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving - a little late. :) I hope you had a beautiful holiday filled with food, friends and family! I spent the holiday with my friend Amanda's family in Naperville. We did a little departure of the traditional meal with cornish game hens. They were delicious!

I did try my hand, once again, at making my grandma's parker house rolls. Oh me and yeast breads just struggle so... I read somewhere that dough rises best in 80-85 degree temps. Well who has a kitchen that warm? Seriously? So at the advice of my mother, I used a heating pad under the bowl and pans to help keep the warmth and it worked beautifully! I might be on to something here!

This is Amanda's mom. Isn't she cute?

41-43

noreply@blogger.com (Yvette) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:02:00 +0000

prep for the new season - my favorite scent!!

super foggy

technology day! ipad mini and up band arrived same day!