This is Vanessa, my daughter's almost 4 year old guinea pig. (Well, actually one of two guinea pigs. Molly will have her session another day!) Vanessa is such a hoot. (She's an Abyssinian guinea pig, by the way.) I admit, when my daughter came to me at age 11 and told me she wanted a guinea pig (or two), I went "Eewww." I had no idea that they would be such sweet, sociable pets. Educational too--my daughter created a guinea pig website on her own when she was 11. (Is it me, or does Vanessa look just a little like a camel??   I think that's part of her charm.) Anyway, I'm very happy today, because my 50mm 1.8 lens came back from repair this afternoon, and I was able to take some shots of Vanessa with it.

This is a quick shot of my daughter in her new hat. The light was terrible, and she is too close to the wall, but it's my daughter being my daughter, so I kind of like it anyway. I had some fun playing with it to try and get a vintage effect.

Trying to catch up again, so I have posted several pics this time. No great shots that I am proud of--just bits of our week. Life has been unpredictable as always. I learned that the reason my eye has been red and tearing is not due to infection, but rather iritis--another annoying autoimmune by-product (inflammation of the iris.) Bought my first pair of glasses in years, as I can't wear my contacts for a while. I tried and tried to get a good shot of them, but didn't really. I have to snicker at the Vogue insignia on the frame--I've never been the most stylish of women, but my teen daughter has helped me with that. She, by the way, just turned 15 this week, and despite being ill herself, had a pleasant birthday. My cupcake "tree" was not quite as festive as I had seen it in my head (need to get some of those jazzy paper baking cups for the cupcakes next time), but it was fun anyway. And the cat isn't really vicious at all. She just yawns a lot.

Trying to catch up, so one of these is yet another of the Big Shoe (taken on the same COLD day with the point and shoot-- just so you can get an idea of the scale, with my daughter in the photo. (This was the one I really wanted to post from that day, but didn't think she would want me to. Turns out she doesn't mind at all, so I thought I'd throw it on here today.) Hey, maybe I'll just post a different shot of the Big Shoe every day! (just kidding!)

Also, here's a bonus BAD camera phone photo of my two teens at the donut shop. A spontaneous, late night drive to satisfy donut cravings. Donuts are a special treat, as we suffer from multiple food allergies and sensitivities, including wheat and gluten. This was the first donut shop visit in about 2 1/2 years, so we REALLY enjoyed them. I like spending time with my kids anyway. They are hilarious.

We had to make another doctor visit---which means another drive by the Big Shoe. This time I had my little point and shoot with me, but the temperature was at a -2 degrees with the windchill. So I ran out of the car, shot a REALLY quick one, and ran back to the car. So, no great photo, but I did want you to see a close up of the shoe (shoes!) I promise, one day I will get a super shot of this!

We've been driving by this big shoe for years on the way to the ophthalmologist, pediatrician, and all kinds of other destinations. And for years, I've been saying I should take a picture of it. Well, I never have my camera when we drive by it, but today I remembered I did have my phone, so it's another phone camera shot that I have to post today. I took it while stopped at a stoplight. You can't really tell from this image, but the whole shoe is made from....shoes. Lots and lots of shoes. It's pretty cool. Some day I will get a shot of it with a REAL camera!

Not much time for photography yesterday. My "baby" (who is almost 15) has a chronic illness, and yesterday was not a good day. She lay on the futon most of the evening, drinking water. I was just starting to play with the camera, wanting to get some different angles (and maybe focus on her cute feet!), but my camera battery died. So this is all I've got today.

I knew the day would come when I would post something completely weird (well, even weirder than some of my previous posts.) This is Monk Monk. My mom gave it to one of my kids years ago. Monk Monk shows up in various rooms of the house (thanks to my husband.) Last night I found him sitting on one of the hooks on the hall tree (yes, my Christmas decorations are still up. Instead of taking them down, I was taking pictures of a stuffed monkey.) I really need to get out of this house. AND, I need to borrow someone else's creativity.

P.S. See the cat hair? Even our kitty loves Monk Monk.

We babysat for my niece and nephew, which is always very fun. They can both be hilarious. I got my camera out while my nephew was eating, and he said, "Do you want me to make an ornery face?" I said, "Sure," and this was the face he made. (I actually think it's a pretty sweet face.)

It's funny how this project is revealing all kinds of creative opportunities! We went out to dinner at Cracker Barrel, and I used my phone to take this silly shot at the table. (I had never uploaded any phone pics before, so I learned something new in the process. ) We've played the peg game at this restaurant for years. Just for fun, I used a cartoon effect on it (I mean, the photo was of such terrible quality, I felt compelled to do something with it!) Hmm, now I'm considering a camera phone upgrade.

This was shot at 1000 ISO as I played with settings in low light with the kit lens. I love the items. Most of them are treasures from my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. I will try this shot again, with a better low light lens, when the lens comes back from repair.

This time it's my own kitty. I had several other shots of her that I could have used that had much nicer, shallower depth of field, and a less cluttered background (husband works in the living room--hence the laptop cord and strap), but I love her elegant pose in this one. She is such a princess. I also cropped off her tail to manage a little more of the background clutter. Too bad these details weren't better, as she deserves the perfect portrait (I'm sure SHE thinks so too.)

My son has avoidance issues with my camera (I don't blame him--I can be annoying with it!) I was trying to be sneaky, and shot into a mirror to get this shot. He lounged back onto the sofa at the last minute. I love how he's hiding without realizing it.

Just a few days into the project, and I am already behind in posting. I have been shooting every day though! Here's a shot of the table in my basement craft studio, still a mess from my Christmas gift and tag making frenzy. (Creative, not messy, right?) The tags for the little kids' packages never did get finished (which means I am ahead for next year. Silver lining/half full comment.)

Well, the challenges of this project are becoming very apparent to me! I typically enjoy taking photos of people almost exclusively. People in close proximity, mind you, and mainly children (family members mostly.) So this project is really taking me out of my comfort zone, and I think I'm going to learn a lot. For lack of a better photo to post, here is a shot of the electronic holiday skaters that have been pulled from our basement for the last ten years (at least) at Christmas time. I'm having trouble putting them away (as always, we have trouble letting go of Christmas around here), so I thought I'd play around with angles and settings. I never did get a shot that I was thrilled with, but since I have to post SOMETHING, here it is!

This is a photo that is more about documenting the day than it is about great photography. My husband and son play wiffle ball A LOT in our big backyard, and have for years (and will continue to do so for years, I'm sure.) It's rare, though, in January. So a warm enough day for wiffle ball is a good thing. The beauty of this 365 project is that it will keep the camera in my hands, for learning and for documenting our days. This photo would have been better had I used a higher ISO setting(because the light was fading.) I should probably crop it more too (that back fence sure cuts this photo in half), but I kind of like how they are lost in the middle of that big old yard. It warms my heart to have this photo, though, even if it is of poor quality (and as the benefits of doing this project are becoming clear!)