A Life in Pictures

{on the move}

2011-01-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."

— Albert Einstein

Since the address of this blog references my 365, a project I notably failed to complete, I decided to start a fresh clean blog. You know, one that doesn't reference my failure in the address ;). You will find it HERE and I would love it (like really love it) if you would join me over there. It's still in the construction stage but it's up and running for now. You will see that I have teamed up with some really fabulous ladies from The Bloom Forum as part of my 52 week challenge. Our blogs are all linked in a circle that you can click through to see how we interpreted the theme each week. I bet you will be as inspired by them as I have been!

Please come over and check it out! You will find this week's image here.

{laugh out loud}

2011-01-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

"Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it."

-L.M. Montgomery

1/52 Things I love . . . {fresh starts}

2011-01-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

You can never go back and start a new beginning,

but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

-Maria Robinson

The end of one year and beginning of another makes us look back at where we have been and look ahead to where we are going. 2010 has been quite a year. I started the year with a goal of a picture a day but fell off the wagon somewhere past half way through. Though I wasn't successful in completing the project I learned a tremendous amount and my camera and about myself. I overcame my self-consciousness of shooting in public places and learned to embrace the details of life's little beautiful moments.

I captured my kids. Sometimes in obvious ways, other times more creatively. I cherish all of these images of them today and know I will only love them more as the years pass and the memories of who they once were grow thinner and harder to recall. One of the strongest things I take forward into 2011 is remembering to capture them. The smiles, the silly, the serious.

In 2010, I was also thrilled with the chance to capture other people. It was an immense pleasure to get a chance to put it all together on people other than my kids.

And speaking of capturing my kids as they are today, here's my boy. He thinks he's so funny. He came over when I was taking the calendar picture and when I would point the camera at him he'd say "cheese!" I never say that so I have no idea where he picked it up from.

From our family to yours, may you be blessed with love and laughter in 2011!

{a creative journey}

2010-12-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

"It is good to have an end to journey toward;

but it is the journey that matters, in the end."

-Ernest Hemmingway

Marta Locklear is hosting a creative journey of hue and texture on her blog. This is just the type of creative exercise I'm looking for to battle the winter blues.

Last week's inspiration points were

hue. silver. texture. shiny.

You can see this week's theme here if you'd like to join in.

{believe . . . }

2010-12-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

This picture is old (and noisy). My baby's not that small anymore but I do love the look of wonder in his first meeting with Santa. We're headed off to one of our holiday traditions tonight - a train of lights - which is where this shot was taken. My kids are so excited!

{anticipation}

2010-12-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

"Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work's important, family's important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You're cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what's coming." – Nicholas Sparks

Christmas week is in full swing at my house. We spent the weekends with my-inlaws and the extended family of siblings and cousins. Boxes from long distance relatives are rolling in, populating the area beneath the tree with tantalizingly wrapped presents and driving much speculation about what may or may not be contained within. The kids are as excited as can be about the nightly frolics of our house elf and the imminent arrival of Santa. I wonder if this is the last year they all believe? Maybe I have one more year but if not, I’m enjoying this one.

. . .{yawn} . . .

2010-12-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

I feel like I’m waking up from a long snooze. My poor blog has been neglected for so long. I wanted to say a huge thank you to those of you who have dropped me a note whether in a comment here or on Facebook. It truly gave me a wonderful feeling to have someone check in on me or say something kind about my work.

Truth be told, I have missed the challenge, perspective and creativity of my 365 project – the joy in the details shots that I never would have taken otherwise. I need to find a way to reharness that creativity without the crushing pressure of a 365 so I’m trying to decide what the new year will bring in that regard. Probably a 52 week project. I’m toying with "things I love" as a theme. Anyone have a photography project on tap for 2011? If so, I’d love to hear about it and be inspired! I’m working on a fresh new blog so I’ll some place to start anew.

Despite neglecting my blog, I haven’t abandoned my camera. I shot a couple spring lines for an online boutique which was lots of fun and indulged my slight obsession with cute kids' clothes. This weekend, I had a chance to meet up with some amazing photographers from The Bloom Forum to eat, bond and shoot some gorgeous models. Here are a few of my favorites . . .

curls

2010-09-14T15:08:00.003-07:00

curls, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

When my oldest was a baby she had this ringlet curl that dropped down the middle of her forehead. When I saw my little guy with this one the other day, it totally took me back.

my guy

2010-09-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

my guy, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Just kickin' it.

Fence Friday

2010-09-11T17:54:00.001-07:00

Fence Friday, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Blogged a day late!

Going urban

2010-09-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the quiet holiday weekend in the city to have a girls day out and do some urban shots. Lots more to process.

picnic

2010-09-07T12:43:00.001-07:00

picnic, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Nothing says holiday weekend like a picnic. The baby was to small to reach the table from the bench so I plopped him down on the table to eat.

Silly Bandz

2010-09-05T09:50:00.001-07:00

Silly Bandz, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Are your kids into these? The girls had a bunch of them that they received over the summer but were totally uninterested in them until my oldest got to school and figured out they were all the rage. Now, she's obsessed with them. But we only let her wear 2-3 to school so she comes home and piles them on.

2010-09-05T09:49:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Boring shot for the day but it's time to start getting some fall clothes into the kid's closets for those cool mornings. It's likely to stay pretty warm here for a while though.

Fence Friday

2010-09-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

the daily grind

2010-09-03T15:32:00.005-07:00

the daily grind, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

2010-09-03T15:32:00.003-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Just uploading my backlogged pics. This is my guy at the end of the day. Messy hair and countless stains on his shirt. It's been kind of an uninspired week. I'm looking forward to the weekend to (hopefully) get my groove back.

2010-09-03T15:32:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Hey 365ers . . . or anyone thinking of doing a 365

2010-08-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

I loved everything about this post by Madeline Bea on her blog. http://madelinebea.com/blog/2010/08/365-days-plus-thirty/ Now, she's undertaking her second 365 and is assembling a group of people doing the same (start time is irrelevant). A little support never hurts right?

Check it out here--> http://madelinebea.com/blog/365-days-a-photographic-journey/

Picking a sweet one

2010-08-30T08:50:00.003-07:00

Picking a sweet one, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

The last vestiges of summer

2010-08-30T08:50:00.001-07:00

The last vestiges of summer, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Few foods say sumer to me more than a caprese salad. The tomatoes from the farmer's market were so yummy!

buds and bokeh

2010-08-30T08:49:00.001-07:00

buds and bokeh, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Back to School time

2010-08-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Playing catch up . . .

2010-08-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

What else is new?

In a sea of flowers

2010-08-18T15:23:00.003-07:00

In a sea of flowers, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Trying to catch up on some 365 uploads . . .

yeah buddy, me too

2010-08-18T15:23:00.001-07:00

yeah buddy, me too, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Ever have a day like this? I feel like somewhere along the line I raised my hand for too many things. This month seems to have every activtity and obligation going crazy. I'm pooped!

2010-08-18T15:22:00.003-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

I had grand aspirations for some cute shots on this new stool I got but she wasn't in the mood. The good thing about the stool is that it's high so she was kind of stuck on it for at least one shot.

2010-08-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

His big sisters were playing peek-a-boo with him. He was so excited when they appeared!

Some more workshop images

2010-08-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some more images from Brianna Graham's workshop in Salt Lake City.

Gorgeous senior

2010-08-10T12:03:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous senior, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

I've been out of town travelling - part work and part fun - and hopelessly behind in processing and uploading my 365 shots. The fun part of my trip was my first in person workshop. It was with Brianna Graham and I had such a blast. We got to work with the most gorgeous seniors! I've got a ridiculous number of files to process but this is one of the first ones.

golden light

2010-08-01T12:34:00.001-07:00

golden light, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

I've been playing around with Lightroom and trying to figure it out because people seem to love it and they say it speeds up editing time. Right now all it's doing is slowing me down (though I'm pretty sure that's my fault not the program's) but I'm committed to giving it a shot.

This is actually the second time I've tried. The first time I threw my hands up. So I guess I'm resiliant. Or just a glutton for punishment.

In a pear tree

2010-08-01T12:32:00.001-07:00

In a pear tree, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

The old pear orchards largely gave way to suburbia decades ago but there are still a few vestiges of them around.

I have been so busy but hope to catch up on everyone's blogs!

I was born to catch dragons in their dens

2010-07-27T14:53:00.003-07:00

I was born to catch dragons in their dens, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

And pick flowers
To tell tales and laugh away the morning
To drift and dream like a lazy stream
And walk barefoot across sunshine days
— James Kavanaugh

summer grillin'

2010-07-27T14:53:00.001-07:00

summer grillin' , originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

In laws were in town this weekend so dinner on the grill is all I had for a 365 shot. I do love summer grilling though. So easy and good and no pots to clean!

"What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than allthe words I have read in my life."

2010-07-24T13:43:00.001-07:00

"What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the words I have read in my life.", originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

— Walt Whitman

I'm on a Florabella Mink kick right now. It's so luscious.

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have endedup where I needed to be."

2010-07-22T09:43:00.001-07:00

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.", originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

-Douglas Adams

walk with me

2010-07-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

walk with me, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

"Words can never fully say what we want them to say, for they fumble, stammer, and break the best porcelain. The best one can hope for is to find along the way someone to share the path, content to walk in silence, for the heart communes best when it does not try to speak."
— Margaret Weis

yellow flowers

2010-07-19T20:50:00.001-07:00

yellow flowers, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

busy bee

2010-07-19T20:49:00.007-07:00

busy bee, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Ours bees are attracted to the little white blooms on this ground cover we have. The plants are just abuzz with many bees doing their daily work. I wanted to try to capture them but it made me wish I was faster and that I had a macro lens. This little guy was kind enough to face the camera.

Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness.

2010-07-19T20:49:00.005-07:00

Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness., originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

My girl

2010-07-19T20:49:00.003-07:00

, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

shades of blue

2010-07-19T20:49:00.001-07:00

shades of blue, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

summer night

2010-07-19T20:48:00.007-07:00

summer night, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Grabbed this shot on the way to an outdoor concert last night. Our summer Thursday night ritual. I have to go back and shoot some more on this bridge.

Fence Friday . . . {picket fence edition}

2010-07-19T20:48:00.005-07:00

Fence Friday . . . {picket fence edition}, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

on a shelf

2010-07-19T20:48:00.003-07:00

on a shelf, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

hanging basket

2010-07-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

hanging basket, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."

2010-07-19T20:47:00.005-07:00

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.", originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

-Marilyn Monroe

These are my favorite shoes. You can't tell in b&w but they are a fabulous brick red patent leather. You can't help but feel a little sexy in them. Even if you're having a fat day. Or, you know, a fat year.

“live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air” - Ralph WaldoEmerson

2010-07-19T20:47:00.003-07:00

“live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

I wish I had gotten down lower for this shot. Ah well, you live, you learn. I do love the night sky though.

Pretty things II

2010-07-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

Pretty things II, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

Pretty things

2010-07-19T20:46:00.001-07:00

Pretty things, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {ali c}.

The pursuit of perfection, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and light. ~Matthew Arnold

2010-07-12T17:00:00.003-07:00

The pursuit of perfection, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and light. ~Matthew Arnold, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {back & trying to catch up}.

Back from the beach

2010-07-12T17:00:00.001-07:00

Back from the beach, originally uploaded by murpheyblue {back & trying to catch up}.

I'm back from a nice vacation and looking forward to catching up.

Beach walk fence

2010-07-02T09:31:00.001-07:00

Beach walk fence, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I am behind on my uploads and will be away from my computer for a while. Will have to catch up later. Hope everyone has a fabuous 4th! Happy Fence Friday!

179/365 . . . summertime!

2010-06-28T12:37:00.001-07:00

179/365 . . . summertime!, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

It was so hot here yesterday. Thank goodness for the pool!

178/365 . . . milk and cookies

2010-06-27T10:28:00.003-07:00

178/365 . . . milk and cookies, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

"humans are the only species to keep searching for milk after they've been weaned...we're also the only species with cookies."

177/365 . . . perspective

2010-06-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

177/365 . . . perspective, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

"There is never anything to change but our own perspective."
— Karen Casey

176/365 . . . bees

2010-06-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

176/365 . . . bees, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

A couple months ago by husband and I went on a garden tour and one of the homes had a beautiful garden and tucked in the corner of the yard, had two hives of bees. I have a riduculous fear of flying bugs but, for some reason, the bees intrigued me and I told my husband we should look into getting some. He loves to garden and was smitten with idea and threw himself into investigating bees. So we are now the proud owners of a hive of honey bees.

These guys came from a nice man in a neighboring town who had some to give away. They are, my report, Italian, and very docile. They weren't bothered at all when we lifted the lid to snap a few pics. They should start producing honey by next spring.

175/365 . . . {tagged}

2010-06-26T07:34:00.001-07:00

175/365 . . . {tagged}, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I was tagged (on Flickr) by the wildly talented Sarah of Image Bearers. www.flickr.com/photos/theanimatorswife/ so I thought I'd post my responses here too.

Five names you go by:
Ali
Al
Alison
Mom
murpheyblue (just as an online name – I’m stretching here)

Three things you are wearing right now (well, yesterday when I originally post this):
black dress
black heels
Long, camel colored sweater coat. It's summer in San Francisco and it's freezing.

Four things you want very badly at this moment:
a vacation
chocolate
someone to do my laundry
my house to be decluttered. I swear the junk multiplies when I'm not looking.

Three people who will answer this.
?
??
???

Two things you did last night:
Ate Spaghetti Carbonora. So bad for you but soooo good (and easy too). Caught up on Top Chef DC.

Last two people you talked to on the phone:
I’m not a phone talker at all. My most recent calls today have been work calls. As far as personal calls, my oldest daughter called this monring. She's at her grandmother's for a few days which she usually just loves but she had a rough night and she was sad this morning saying she missed us. :( We'll have to plan something fun for the weekend.

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
Hmm, not sure. Something fun with the family. I've got to go to Target for a new lunch box for the middle kid. While there I will fill my cart with 101 things that I didn't intend to buy when I walked in. Target has that effect on me.

Three favorite drinks:
Diet Coke
Mochas
Probably a good glass of wine or a nice cold beer but that doesn't sound good so I'll say Arnold Palmers

random fact:
I love cereal and milk. I could eat it all the time. My pantry looks like Jerry Seinfeld's.

Would love to hear about everyone else. Play along if you want!

174/365 . . . hands full

2010-06-26T07:32:00.001-07:00

174/365 . . . hands full, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I feel like this picture requires an explanation. The girls got a new package of sidewalk chalk from a birthday party. My son was so excited about it and he kept trying to pick up all the little bundles at once but his little arms weren't long enough to hold all his priczs so he would inevitably drop one, bend down to pick it up and drop another. He was persistent though and occasionally triumphed and got all three in his arms.

In other news, I've decided to start watermarking my images which feels, well, weird. But then there are lots of weirdos out there and it's one small (perhaps needless, perhaps futile) step to protect my images (not from here so much as Flickr). At least it gives someone a fighting chance of telling me if they see an image that was taken, kwim? Still feels weird though.

. . . I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. . .

2010-06-22T22:44:00.001-07:00

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. . ., originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

173/365

2010-06-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

173/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Sigh, she doesn't look like a little kid to me anymore. It's like you turn around one day and - BAM - they're six going on sixteen.

172/365

2010-06-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

172/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I found a cool location with lots of old buildings, peeling paint and just great texture. I can't wait to take the kids back when they're in the mood for some pics.

171/365

2010-06-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

171/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

167/169/365 . . . so behind

2010-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of long days last week so I just ended up snapping a quick shot right as I walked in the door at night. Rather inspired. Big development in our house though, the little guy can use a straw. Opens up a world on possibilities! And spills.

The Pioneer Woman - Group 1 - Bugs!

2010-06-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to see that my ladybug shot made Group 1 of The Pioneer Woman's Photography assignment on bugs! A bit ironic as I have a major bug phobia. Though I make an exception for ladybugs.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2010/06/your-bug-photos-group-1/

166/365 . . . full-bodied

2010-06-16T08:58:00.001-07:00

166/365 . . . full-bodied, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I love a dark, rich cup of Joe.

165/365 . . . drizzle

2010-06-14T20:03:00.001-07:00

165/365 . . . drizzle, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

We had friends of our over for dinner last night and this was dessert. We're past the rainy season here in Cali so I recreated dessert to capture drizzle.

164/365 . . . ornament

2010-06-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

164/365 . . . ornament, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

–noun
1. an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something to which it is added or of which it is a part: architectural ornaments.

163/365 . . . fly

2010-06-14T11:31:00.003-07:00

163/365 . . . fly, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Father, flare, fly. My kids always love a little air time with dad.

162/365 . . . fluid

2010-06-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

162/365 . . . fluid, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

My original thought for this word was movement and I took my daughter to the park to capture her doing a cartwheel. Alas, she hasn't quite mastered the skill and let's just say fluid wasn't the word that came to mind from the resulting shots. So a bubble and some bokeh it is.

161/365 . . . grow

2010-06-11T10:03:00.003-07:00

161/365 . . . grow, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

As a mother of three, I find myself sometimes almost imploring them to grow. It's always at my most frustrated, harried moments when I think I wish you were bigger so you could get your own water, put on your own shoes, wipe you own nose.

But in the calmer moments, I know that they are growing all too fast. That the baby who sweetly implores ma-ma over and over again will someday think I am hopelessly uncool (and will probably be right), that the little girl who so proudly finished first grade will be off to middle school and all that it brings before I know it, and the sweet preschooler will outgrow her constant desire to dress up as her favorite princess.

160/365 . . . heavy metal

2010-06-11T10:03:00.001-07:00

160/365 . . . heavy metal, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I spent my day considering lots of heavy metal items - a fire hydrant, rod iron fence, tools. And then there was the chunky jeweled bracelet that I tried to get a shot of but I wanted it on and couldn't quite get the shot I wanted on myself. So I decided these rings of the calendar would do.

159/365 . . . multilayered

2010-06-08T21:28:00.001-07:00

159/365 . . . multilayered, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Layer by layer art strips life bare. - Robert Musil

I have this bush in my yard and it is bursting with flowers. When the petals appear as buds they are tightly wound in a cone shape - layer upon layer - and then they slowly unravel to a big flat blossom.

I heart faces - play!

2010-06-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

"We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing."
— George Bernard Shaw

The theme at I Heart Faces this week is play and nothing quite says play to me like a school playground. Whether alone or with friends, there is fun to be had. I took this picture of my daughter soon after she had mastered the monkey bars. She couldn't be more proud of herself!

Check out all the fabulous entries at www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com.

158/365 . . .picnic

2010-06-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

158/365 . . .picnic, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Creativity Boot Camp - Day Two. OK, not too creative but it's all I've got today.

157/365 . . . ivory

2010-06-07T16:11:00.001-07:00

157/365 . . . ivory, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

It's been a when-it-rains-it pours-week here. One of the dogs broke a bone in his face roughhousing, so $810, 2 bottles of pain meds, and antibiotics later we're supposed to keep the dogs from roughhousing for a while. Somehow a lecture on taking it easy for a few days doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

The baby and I have been sick. Turns out he has mild pneumonia and I have some lovely constellation of symptoms including an ear infection. We've joined the dog on antibiotics and hopefully we're all on the road to recovery.

I am so excited to be taking part in Creativity Boot Camp! I definitely need the challenge and the change of pace.

I'm behind in my 365 uploads. I think I'm just going to back fill over the next few days rather than dump them all now.

153/365 . . . One can never dim the light that shines from within

2010-06-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

153/365 . . . One can never dim the light that shines from within, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

-Maya Angelou

The theme for the week for Parallel Vision is shine. It immediately made me think of the Collective Soul song of the same name which probably dates me. I was feeling 'shine' as an internal light rather than an external one. I must be in an introspective mood.

151/365 . . . memory

2010-05-31T19:44:00.003-07:00

151/365 . . . memory, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

In gratitude to the members of the armed services and their families for their sacrifices.

150/365 . . . The most wasted of all days is one without laughter

2010-05-31T19:44:00.001-07:00

150/365 . . . The most wasted of all days is one without laughter, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

149/365 . . . dining al fresco

2010-05-31T19:43:00.001-07:00

149/365 . . . dining al fresco, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

One of my favorite things about warm weather is eating outside. There is something so wonderful about enjoying a meal in the open air. Hooray for summer!

147/365

2010-05-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

147/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

It has been an unseasonably cold May for us but it seems like it if finally, gloriously Spring. Blue skies, warm air, and a three day weekend! Hope everyone has a great one!

146/365 . . . birdhouse in your soul

2010-05-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

146/365 . . . birdhouse in your soul, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

146/365

2010-05-29T10:46:00.001-07:00

146/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Kind of an uninspired day. Just some of the many chickens that grace my kitchen.

145/365 . . . rainy day

2010-05-29T10:44:00.001-07:00

145/365 . . . rainy day, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

There is something about rainy days in the city that makes want to try out of focus shots. I was going for something more out of focus here but I am always paranoid about shooting strangers.

Do you want to go to boot camp?

2010-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Creativity boot camp! I came across this fabulous idea organized by photographer Madeline Bea. I am consistently inspired by her beautiful work on Flickr. The e-course is from June 6th to 18th and she provides a daily inspirational assignment. The best part, it's totally free!

I hope you'll join in!

144/365

2010-05-25T11:43:00.003-07:00

144/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

One of those days with literally no time to shoot. This poor guy is the only one who can't say no - LOL.

143/365 . . . water play

2010-05-25T11:43:00.001-07:00

143/365 . . . water play, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all."
— Emily Dickinson

It was a nice warm day on Sunday and the kids had a blast with their bathing suits and the spigot for the house. Good childhood fun.

2010-05-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

This week is yellow week at I Heart Faces. And just in time because yellow screams summer to me and I am ready for warm summer days! I went back and forth between two photos for this week but landed on this one.

Find a yellow shot and join in the fun or just check out the other awesome entries at http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/.

142/365 - One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse tosoar

2010-05-23T12:03:00.001-07:00

142/365 - One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Shot for the worm's eye view Sunday group on Flickr. It's such a fun perspective to shoot from.

141/365 . . .almost party time

2010-05-22T21:05:00.003-07:00

141/365 . . .almost party time, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

This is part of the reason I've been MIA. We had a birthday party for my daughter today. The theme was Alice in Wonderland and I found these cute teacup planters to use as decorations and party favors. This is them all lined up last night.

140/365

2010-05-22T21:05:00.001-07:00

140/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

139/365

2010-05-22T21:04:00.003-07:00

139/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

It was my daughter's open house at school on Wednesday. The students each had a book with photos and work from throughout the year. The I am most proud of me line made me smile. As a parent, I think if my kids leave the nest someday with a healthy dose of self-respect and self-esteem they'll probably do okay out there.

138/365

2010-05-22T21:04:00.001-07:00

138/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Sorry to dump and run. Busy week. Will be back in the morning to catch up on everyone's blogs. I need a good dose of inspiration.

I Heart Faces - Flowers and Faces

2010-05-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is flowers and faces so I am entering this picture due to its abundance of flowers (albeit fake ones ;) ).

Check all of this week's entries at www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com and enter your own!

137/365 . . . little orange car

2010-05-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

137/365 . . . little orange car, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

I first saw this car during macaroni and cheese week with the sixty-four colors group. I thought it was delightfully macaroni and cheesy so I drove around the block 3 times looking for a parking spot or a clear shot to no avail. But today, there it was again! Isn't it just the cutest little car?

136/365

2010-05-16T22:46:00.001-07:00

136/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

135/365

2010-05-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

135/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

133/365 . . . birthday

2010-05-16T22:44:00.005-07:00

133/365 . . . birthday, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

Thursday was my middle child's birthday so we celebrated with her favorite cupcakes. She's a chocolate/cohoclate girl, just like her mother.

132/365

2010-05-16T22:44:00.003-07:00

132/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

At the end of the year I should tally up how many of my 365 shots were shot in a pinch out my car window. Not an insignfiicant number. Some days it's all I've got in me.

131/365

2010-05-16T22:44:00.001-07:00

131/365, originally uploaded by murpheyblue.

We went to a ballgame of Tuesday night and there were these Carnival drummers there playing these increible beats. Very cool but very loud!