Saralonde's World

blood oranges

2012-01-25T12:42:00.001-05:00

blood oranges, originally uploaded by saralonde.

sooc, just cropped

"A Hockey Night..."

2012-01-25T12:41:00.001-05:00

"A Hockey Night...", originally uploaded by saralonde.

A hockey game and a choice between nachos and a Primanti sandwich. If you lived in Pittsburgh, you'd understand.

Pretty bad pics. I'm not exacting a master of phone photography!

Blackberries

2012-01-24T09:14:00.003-05:00

Blackberries, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Well-loved childhood books

2012-01-24T09:14:00.001-05:00

Well-loved childhood books, originally uploaded by saralonde.

"Incredible Journey" is the top one. If I could have found my tattered "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Little Women" books, they would have made the picture, too ♥

wooden matches

2012-01-24T09:13:00.001-05:00

wooden matches, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Cold and snowy means shoot indoors :-)

I find this just a tad scary...

2012-01-21T12:58:00.003-05:00

I find this just a tad scary..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

Only one good thing to do with snow

2012-01-21T12:58:00.001-05:00

Only one good thing to do with snow, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Heirloom Tomatoes

2012-01-18T17:03:00.001-05:00

Heirloom Tomatoes, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Sometimes a phone comes in handy for a 366 :-)

Sweets

2012-01-18T17:02:00.005-05:00

Sweets, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter and I toured Epcot by buying sweets at all the different stores. LOL,
do you think we have a sugar problem?
1. United Kingdom
2. Germany
3. Mexico
4. Japan

My son, who hates posing for shots :-)

2012-01-18T17:02:00.003-05:00

My son, who hates posing for shots :-), originally uploaded by saralonde.

Ready to Soar

2012-01-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

Ready to Soar, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Primal Whirl

2012-01-18T17:01:00.007-05:00

Primal Whirl, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Backlot

2012-01-18T17:01:00.005-05:00

Backlot, originally uploaded by saralonde.

There's no good reason for this shot other than I looked back at the very few pics I took that day and found little to nothing. Tried to de-emphasize the tourists in PS a bit, but not sure how well this worked.

Guess where ☺

2012-01-18T17:01:00.003-05:00

Guess where ☺, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Okay, if this is the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, where is Johnny Depp?

2012-01-18T17:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, if this is the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, where is Johnny Depp?, originally uploaded by saralonde.

When I was very little, I had a Viewmaster (anyone remember those?) and one of the disks was all about Disneyland. There was a picture of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party ride. It looked so colorful and exciting it was my absolute dream to ride it. Unfortunately, spinning rides and my head do not go well together so standing and watching is the best I could do.

Going about their business without noticing a plane hanging over their heads

2012-01-18T17:00:00.001-05:00

Going about their business without noticing a plane hanging over their heads, originally uploaded by saralonde.

No one ever looked up.

Had to do this with 2 separate shots.

Mmmm...fudge

2012-01-18T16:59:00.001-05:00

Mmmm...fudge, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Left from Christmas, the only time I make it.

Fig Jam Breakfast

2012-01-18T16:58:00.001-05:00

Fig Jam Breakfast, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My computer was down for awhile, but my son came to my rescue and now I can download all my missing 366 shots.

"Happy New Year"

2012-01-01T15:52:00.002-05:00

"Happy New Year" , originally uploaded by saralonde.

May this be your best ever!

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is agarden."

2011-06-23T09:06:00.002-04:00

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.", originally uploaded by saralonde.

☺

2011-06-23T09:05:00.003-04:00

☺, originally uploaded by saralonde.

tea and roses ♥

2011-06-23T09:05:00.001-04:00

tea and roses ♥, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Puerto Rican Bokeh Fence

2011-06-23T09:04:00.001-04:00

Puerto Rican Bokeh Fence, originally uploaded by saralonde.

morning sun hits the street

2011-06-23T09:03:00.001-04:00

morning sun hits the street, originally uploaded by saralonde.

"Just in case you're dreaming of summer...

2011-01-31T10:45:00.006-05:00

"Just in case you're dreaming of summer..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

...here's a cool drink to aid your daydreams."

At least someone is enjoying waiting for the bus :)

2011-01-31T10:45:00.005-05:00

At least someone is enjoying waiting for the bus :), originally uploaded by saralonde.

Exhausted mom was sitting in the doorway with the baby stroller and child #3 (see him in the window. I can imagine four children in a busy city would be tiring.

Still Life

2011-01-31T10:44:00.003-05:00

Still Life, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Alvin's

2011-01-25T14:02:00.002-05:00

Alvin's, originally uploaded by saralonde.

When I go out shooting, I seem to always look for doors, windows and signs. Loved finding this older one. And no, the clock does not work.

"Getting Ready for the Day"

2011-01-25T14:01:00.007-05:00

"Getting Ready for the Day", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Just a few shots I took last fall on an early morning walk.

~

2011-01-25T14:01:00.006-05:00

~, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I've been busy lately scanning old slides and transferring them to my computer. I was struck by the colors of the old Kodachrome and Ektachrome films and feeling a little sad that the last processor stopped work on that discontinued film.

This is not an old slide, but an attempt to recreate that feeling.

Black and White Daisy

2011-01-25T14:00:00.005-05:00

Black and White Daisy, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Guess it's in keeping with the weather outside!

Surveying His Realm

2011-01-25T14:00:00.004-05:00

Surveying His Realm, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I know some people call them "rats with wings", but their colors are rather beautiful.

white, white and more white!

2011-01-25T13:59:00.008-05:00

white, white and more white!, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I'm living in a monochromatic world :)

Sunshine Daisy

2011-01-25T13:59:00.007-05:00

Sunshine Daisy, originally uploaded by saralonde.

In the grayest days of winter, we dream of spring

~stuck~

2011-01-25T13:59:00.003-05:00

~stuck~, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I seem to be fixating on lost leaves this week, LOL

quiet winter day

2011-01-25T13:58:00.005-05:00

quiet winter day, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Feeling housebound because of the cold, I started playing in photoshop. I learned a few things, but it's easy to get carried away...

~ alone~

2011-01-25T13:58:00.004-05:00

~ alone~, originally uploaded by saralonde.

This little fella just doesn't want to give up.

Park bench in the snow

2011-01-25T13:57:00.005-05:00

Park bench in the snow, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Beautiful snow falling today, so my camera and I braved the 20 degree weather to see what we could find.

waiting patiently...

2011-01-25T13:57:00.004-05:00

waiting patiently..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

Must be a favorite with the little ones in warmer weather. They've worn the paint right off the handles!

clementines

2011-01-25T13:55:00.003-05:00

clementines, originally uploaded by saralonde.

It's starting to snow and between that and the cold {brrr}, I'm looking for things to shoot inside. This just may be fruit week. Texture week, too, since it's been awhile since I played with those.

Texture courtesy of the great Jerry Jones, the king of textures! This was from his Square Texture set #19.

putting Christmas away

2011-01-25T13:54:00.002-05:00

putting Christmas away, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Happy New Year everyone!

lebkuchen, bokeh and a snowman mug

2011-01-25T13:53:00.002-05:00

lebkuchen, bokeh and a snowman mug, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Thanks, Lena, for the wonderful snowman mug!

Happy Holidays ♥

2010-12-25T15:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays, flickr friends ♥, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Happy Holidays ♥

2010-12-15T10:21:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays ♥, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Sunshine Bokeh

2010-08-21T11:45:00.003-04:00

Sunshine Bokeh, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Kayt & AJ MB

2010-08-21T11:45:00.001-04:00

Kayt & AJ MB, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Beach portraits

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

2010-08-21T11:44:00.003-04:00

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Loved reading her books when I was young...well, younger than I am now, anyway ;-)

"Raring to go"

2010-08-21T11:44:00.001-04:00

"Raring to go", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Decisions, decisions...

2010-08-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

Decisions, decisions..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

Taking Flight

2010-08-21T11:42:00.001-04:00

Taking Flight, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Swings!

Grape Hyacinths

2010-06-28T19:15:00.001-04:00

Grape Hyacinths, originally uploaded by saralonde {off on vacation}.

This is from April in my garden. It got a little lost on my computer, but spring flowers are nice any time, don't you think?

Sunshine

2010-06-14T17:57:00.001-04:00

Sunshine, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Happy Monday!

film noir

2010-06-11T14:56:00.002-04:00

film noir, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter and I were playing around with some film noir-type ideas a few weeks ago. I caught the smoke in the shot, but altering the image to b&w left it looking a little strange.

And no, she doesn't smoke :-), we were trying to give it an old movie vibe.

In color:

Single red rose

2010-06-09T13:29:00.001-04:00

Single red rose, originally uploaded by saralonde.

The rain we've been having has been beating down my roses just as they are all bursting into bloom. So today only a single rose shot.

Loki loves roses, too!

"I think I heard a sound in the basement...."

2010-06-09T13:28:00.001-04:00

"I think I heard a sound in the basement....", originally uploaded by saralonde.

It's late a night and you're home alone. There's a suspicious sound coming from the basement. Cautiously, you open the door and flick the light switch, but the lights won't come on. Do you go down?

Berries of Summer: Blackberries

2010-06-09T13:27:00.001-04:00

Berries of Summer: Blackberries, originally uploaded by saralonde.

What to do with an empty coffee cup...

2010-06-05T13:26:00.002-04:00

What to do with an empty coffee cup..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

This is for Kristybee, who shares my love of coffee and roses and who lifted my spirits the other day.

♥

Summer's first roses

2010-05-29T21:13:00.001-04:00

Summer's first roses, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Background is a little busy, but it was just a quick shot.

Barbed

2010-05-19T08:43:00.001-04:00

Barbed, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Oranges

2010-05-03T12:36:00.001-04:00

Oranges, originally uploaded by saralonde.

"Black Forest Torte" by Kayt

2010-04-30T18:21:00.002-04:00

"Black Forest Torte" by Kayt, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter spent a great deal of time making this one. All the little deer, as well as everything on this cake, were made by hand. The inside - if we dare cut into it - is 3 layers of chocolate genoise, chantilly cream, and sour cherries. The outside is tempered chocolate and the baroque ring surrounding it is tempered chocolate with cocoa butter design and a special type of non-melting powdered sugar for snow.

Sehr gut!

Tea Stained

2010-04-29T12:54:00.001-04:00

Tea Stained, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Spring: It's all about the flowers

2010-04-21T09:36:00.001-04:00

Spring: It's all about the flowers, originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

What can I say? I know there are photographers that groan over flower pics and flowers are not particularly sophisticated subjects, but after a long cold winter, those colorful blossoms that are here for such a short time are irresistible.

At least they are to me. Besides, they make me very happy. Good enough reason to shoot and share :-).

Since some of the blossoms were already turning brown :-(, I decided a slightly vintage look might help.

“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”

2010-04-20T15:27:00.002-04:00

“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”, originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

Wish I could offer everyone here a tiny nosegay of spring violets...

shy

2010-04-19T11:06:00.001-04:00

shy, originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

I love this time of year. I always look forward to seeing the ferns popping out their heads and slowly unfurling, as if they were checking to see if winter was over and it was safe to come out.

"No April Fools, Just a Springtime Pic"

2010-04-01T13:14:00.001-04:00

"No April Fools, Just a Springtime Pic", originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

Spring is always uplifting, isn't it? Pretty much SOOC, because that bright blue sky speaks for itself.
Trying to get my photo mojo back, after a bit of a break.

Details

2010-03-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

Details, originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

I love the detail that old furniture has. These are from some Civil War era pieces built by my husband's great great grandfather. They've been in use all these years and now sit in our home.

Hopefully melting soon...

2010-03-02T16:08:00.001-05:00

Hopefully melting soon..., originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

She left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went. It's easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said.

2010-03-01T14:49:00.002-05:00

She left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went. It's easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said., originally uploaded by saralonde {on a break ♥}.

~Storypeople

I am so missing the sun! We've had gray days for more than I care to remember and the show is still covering everything! My little hydrangea is sitting in the dark hoping the sun will shine through.

Well I know spring will come soon and with it soft pastel flowers and all, but I want it NOW!
{throwing mini temper tantrum ;-)}

There are your fog people & your sun people, he said. I said I wasn't sure which kind I was. He nodded. Fog'll do that to you, he said.

2010-02-18T16:40:00.003-05:00

There are your fog people & your sun people, he said. I said I wasn't sure which kind I was. He nodded. Fog'll do that to you, he said., originally uploaded by saralonde.

-Storypeople

Thinking maybe I'm a sun person :-)

Pamela's Diner

2010-02-18T16:40:00.001-05:00

Pamela's Diner, originally uploaded by saralonde.

A snowy trip to a popular diner.

A side note: This is where the Obama's stopped for pancakes while running for office. Later, these ladies were chosen for a trip to the White House to make pancakes for servicemen and women on Veteran's Day.

And, yeah, I ate the pancakes. Really good!

chocolate by kayt

2010-02-18T16:39:00.003-05:00

chocolate by kayt, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter strikes again for Valentine's Day

let's have a conversation...

2010-02-18T16:39:00.001-05:00

let's have a conversation..., originally uploaded by saralonde.

♥

blondies

2010-02-18T16:38:00.001-05:00

blondies, originally uploaded by saralonde.

My blondie made blondies

aftermath of a snowstorm

2010-02-10T12:40:00.001-05:00

aftermath of a snowstorm, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Two big snowstorms in one week leaves you with little left to photograph outside besides a blanket of white. It's beautiful, but spring seems so far away.

Cooped up indoors, I played with Photoshop. Thanks to SkeletalMess for texture and his simple to follow Signature Brush tutorial.

lemon cupcake

2010-02-09T14:59:00.001-05:00

lemon cupcake, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Sunshine in a cake!

"Kayt and AJ"

2010-02-08T22:33:00.001-05:00

"Kayt and AJ", originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter and her fiance on the way to the Barrister's Ball (he's a law student)

tulips in the window

2010-02-05T20:01:00.001-05:00

tulips in the window, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Snowing outside my window, but I have spring in here.

Smile!

2010-02-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

Smile!, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Mimi's cupcake

2010-02-02T15:27:00.001-05:00

Mimi's cupcake, originally uploaded by saralonde.

"le chat"

2010-01-26T14:01:00.001-05:00

"le chat", originally uploaded by saralonde.

A New Orleans kitty

"Memphis: Graceland"

2010-01-23T15:13:00.005-05:00

"Memphis: Graceland", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Going through some older images that are gathering dust...

Interesting place. I'm not a huge Elvis fan, but if you're in Memphis, it should be seen.

Most of it is self-explanatory. Bottom left is the infamous "Jungle Room", middle are gold records (quite a lot!), and bottom right is his favorite grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. I had to eat one, being in Graceland and all. Surprisingly not half bad.

"fortune cookie"

2010-01-23T15:13:00.003-05:00

"fortune cookie", originally uploaded by saralonde.

This past weekend we did dinner and a movie. Saw "Avatar" (better than I expected) and stopped at the nearby PF Changs. Of course, fortune cookies at the end of the meal. Hope this means a good surprise, not a bad one!

Street

2010-01-23T15:13:00.001-05:00

Street, originally uploaded by saralonde.

biscotti and sunlight

2010-01-15T14:22:00.001-05:00

biscotti and sunlight, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I realized this shot has several things I love in it: sunshine, coffee (in a HUGE mug), biscotti (this is lemon, coconut, macadamia), and flowers. The best part is I took this yesterday with potted geraniums from this summer that are still blooming in the middle of January!

Take THAT, snow!

"Who wants to meet me for a coffee and chat in the sun?"

2010-01-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

"Who wants to meet me for a coffee and chat in the sun?", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Still have snow on the ground - I lost track of the days - so I'm looking through old shots of sunnier times...

"What to do on a snowy winter day"

2010-01-11T14:11:00.001-05:00

"What to do on a snowy winter day", originally uploaded by saralonde.

A good book, something hot to drink, and a few spring flowers to remind you that the view outside the window will be gone before you know it!

"A Little Bit of Winter"

2010-01-11T14:10:00.003-05:00

"A Little Bit of Winter", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Trying to get a winter landscape, I pulled my car off the side of a country road and walked around looking for an opportunity. Despite all the snow, I forgot to wear boots (!) and my frozen feet were not willing to leave the slush on the side of the road to tramp in the snow. Because of that, there is a little more sky and foreground than I wanted and my horizon is too centered.

Guess I'm not willing to sacrifice frostbite for my "art" ;-).

"A Little Bit of Spring"

2010-01-11T14:10:00.001-05:00

"A Little Bit of Spring", originally uploaded by saralonde.

For all you snow weary people, of which I am one, a taste of what's to come...

eventually.

I think.

Fence Soldiers

2010-01-11T14:09:00.003-05:00

Fence Soldiers, originally uploaded by saralonde.

I love fences whether they are city, country, ornate or simple.

I don't think of them as barriers, just as photographic opportunities :-)

"Whoops!"

2010-01-11T14:09:00.001-05:00

"Whoops!", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Occasionally it happens when taking down the Christmas tree.

Day 365-365 Celebration

2009-12-31T18:21:00.001-05:00

Day 365-365 Celebration, originally uploaded by saralonde.

It's seems so fitting that this project should be over at the end of a year (and a decade!), and that a new year and decade is beginning.

Having done a previous 365 before, I knew what I was getting into, that it would be worth the effort and that I would learn a lot. Besides being a journal of a year in my life, I decided at the beginning some of my effort would be in getting to know Photoshop better. At the end of the year I've barely scratched the surface of what that editing program can do, but I'm amazed at the things I can do with it. Yeah, there were some overboard bokeh and texture things going on but hopefully I'm developing a better eye for that.

The downside to a 365? Having days were everything you took looks like rubbish, but you still need to put up a pic, feeling panic at 11:45 PM because you're in bed and you forgot to take a shot (!), losing your photo mojo for weeks at a time, but you still have to work through it. That's when you decide Starbucks cups become a compelling subject!

Upside? First, the people you meet! The 365 - DPS Assignment group has a great bunch of enthusiastic photographers willing to help each other out and applaud everyone's efforts. Then there are the friends that willingly visit your photostream on a regular basis leaving comments and observations, faving and sending flickr mail. They manage to keep you going on off days. Despite some misses along the way - and there were quite a few - I can look at some of these shots and feel as sense of pride that I am slowly improving.

I'm not a naturally gifted photographer, I take 2 steps forward and 1 step back all the time, have no real distinct style, love to take pictures of everything, and constantly mess up under pressure. But those are all reasons why I love doing it, too. The fact that you are never done learning about it, there is always a better picture around the corner, plus the camaraderie of others that feel the same as I do keeps us all going, trying to be better photographers.

So I'm ending by celebrating my year and yours and looking forward to more pictures from all of you ♥

Happy New Year everyone (with a little bokeh ;-))!!

Day 364-365 Popcorn

2009-12-31T18:01:00.001-05:00

Day 364-365 Popcorn, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Day 363-365 "Outside My Front Door"

2009-12-30T11:27:00.001-05:00

Day 363-365 "Outside My Front Door", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Too snowy to travel too far, tired of indoor shots...

Day 362-365 "Kayt's Rustic Apple Pie"

2009-12-29T15:41:00.002-05:00

Day 362-365 "Kayt's Rustic Apple Pie", originally uploaded by saralonde.

My daughter is moving into the world of pie baking and searching for the perfect apple pie. There will be a lot of pie eating in the next few weeks. Better work on my food photography and my waistline!

Day 361-365 Welcome

2009-12-29T15:40:00.002-05:00

Day 361-365 Welcome, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Day 360-365 "Bargain Shopping"

2009-12-29T15:01:00.002-05:00

Day 360-365 "Bargain Shopping", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Spent about an hour at the King of Prussia mall on Saturday.

That was enough.

1. Crowds of shoppers
2. Lego store: Choose your color
3. Sale, sale, sale!!
4. Tons of people trying to get in. Or out.

Day 359-365 "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!"

2009-12-25T14:27:00.002-05:00

Day 359-365 "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!", originally uploaded by saralonde.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Day 358-365 Peace

2009-12-24T16:06:00.002-05:00

Day 358-365 Peace, originally uploaded by saralonde.

Day 357-365 "Sugar and Coffee: It gets you through Christmas crunch time"

2009-12-23T09:48:00.002-05:00

Day 357-365 "Sugar and Coffee: It gets you through Christmas crunch time" , originally uploaded by saralonde.

Are you ready?