Project 365 ~ 2009

Day One

Kicking back on New Years Day. Whose energy drink was that??

Day Two

The best Christmas present - a pen tablet!

Day Three

This chair originally belonged to my grandparents, and they got it from a local YMCA years ago. After my grandmother's death, my mom brought it home and had it recovered (it used to be blue vinyl!!) and refinished. I love this chair!

Day Four

I curse whoever got my dad hooked on football! At least he didn't sit down to watch until after he puttered in the garage and backyard. ;)

Day Five

Took this after I got home from a concert the night before, so it was technically day 5! :)

Day Six

My dad's pride and joy - his roses.

Day Seven

Anatomy of a purse. :)

Day Eight

On the way home from the dog park - darn camera focused on the top of his head instead of his eyes, but it was the best shot I got of what I like to call his "Puss in Boots" (y'know, from Shrek!) expression. Those sad eyes are so hard to discipline! :)

Day Nine

The top of my dresser - I think I'm going to need a bigger jewelry box! I just love these necklace and earring stands from Urban Outfitters though. :)

Day Ten

My parents' shih tzu, Ted E. Bear (the name my grandmother gave him!), was getting jealous that I was only taking Dante's photo so I had to snap one of him too. :)

Day Eleven

My dad and I went down to the dog beach in Huntington today because we had record highs (75-80 at the beach!!) thanks to the Santa Ana winds. It was the clearest I've seen it in years - you can see Catalina Island!

Day Twelve

My nightstand - I'm forever reading at least two books at once! :)

Day Thirteen

Bokeh bokeh bokeh! :) Created by the plants behind this awesome vintage plane spinner in the backyard.

Day Fourteen

Self-manicure time!

Day Fifteen

Packing for Vegas, baby!

Day Sixteen

All dressed up and ready to hit the Strip in Vegas! Hence why I don't have photos for days 17 and 18. ;)

Day Nineteen

Went over to my good friend Nancy's for some fantastic paella!

Day Twenty

Dad brought home these gorgeous stargazers for mom. Love that smell!

Day Twenty-One

Thanks to the horrific cold I'm slogging through, this was my day - Zicam and toast.

Day Twenty-Two

Still sick, so my dad was a hero and brought me Jamba Juice!

Day Twenty-Three

We finally had some rain, so I ran out to grab this photo!

Day Twenty-Four

Meet Sprocket, Eirik and Roseann's new puppy!

Day Twenty-Five

Sprocket meets grass. He was a little scared!

Day Twenty-Seven

Still fairly sick, so made myself some comfort food: Top Ramen.

Day Twenty-Eight

Dante, wondering why the heck I won't put down the camera and feed him!

Day Twenty-Nine

I just love her!

Day Thirty

Sprocket, using Eirik's shoulder and neck for support, checks out the world outside.

Day Thirty-One

These gorgeous flowers grew up out of one of mom's giant succulents!

Day Thirty-Two

During the Super Bowl, Eirik succumbed to exhaustion and Sprocket took advantage. :)

Day Thirty-Three

Messing around with manual focus. Dante is always such a willing subject! :)

Day Thirty-Four

Why is it I can't get just one thing when I go to Barnes & Noble??

Day Thirty-Five

I'm a makeup junkie!

Day Thirty-Six

A cold and rainy day, so I went with warm comfort food!

Day Thirty-Seven

And then the clouds cleared.

Day Thirty-Eight

New glasses! Try to ignore the nappy hair and lack of makeup.

Day Thirty-Nine

Dad getting antsy for his lunch!

Day Forty

Puppy nose!

Day Forty-One

How's that for a deal?? :)

Day Forty-Two

Sprocket just cracks me up! A big dog trapped in a little dog's body.

Day Forty-Three

I call this look Yoda(nte). Loves blankets, he does.

Day Forty-Four

It had been raining all afternoon, but when I saw the sun come out just before sunset, I ran outside to catch water droplets on the Japanese maple. :)

Day Forty-Five

Lewis Black for Valentine's Day!

Day Forty-Six

Not the most exciting shot, but it just made me laugh that the ever-elusive Ella deigned to allow Puss to share Lars' bed.

Day Forty-Seven

Rain, rain, rain. But I'm not (really) complaining, because all of this rain means we might be able to water our lawns this summer.

Day Forty-Eight

Gorgeous rain clouds finally rolling away, so I drove to the hilltop park near us to get this shot!

Day Forty-Nine

My favorite tea right now - green chai served English style.

Day Fifty

Nearly the same hill shot as before, but now the breezes picked up today so the view was stunning - snow-capped mountains all around!

Day Fifty-One

Dante teaching Sprocket how to sit for a treat!

Day Fifty-Two

Power sister rings! I actually took this on Sunday, but didn't get any Saturday so I'm counting this one. Katie got this great box of costume jewelry from Colby's coworker's aunt who passed (yes, really) and she had three of the same ring! We just fell in love with them! Nancy got in on the action with another giant cocktail ring that was in the box. :)

Day Fifty-Three

We all got together at Nikki's house for an Oscar-watching party. This is her with our friend Eric, who we've known for years and years. This is so classically "him" that I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

Day Fifty-Four

Guess what puppy got a new shirt? And the funniest part? He won't let them take it off! :)

Day Fifty-Five

Mmmm giant salad, all for me. This and quesadillas made a yummy dinner! :)

Day Fifty-Six

Ted just loves to sit at the end of the driveway and watch the world go by. I had to lay down on the sidewalk to get this shot, but I love it! Especially the wind blowing his ears.

Day Fifty-Seven

My 8x10s from Mpix arrived today! So I now officially have a portfolio, woot!

Day Fifty-Eight

Part 1 - I took so many darn photos at the Huntington Library on Saturday (day 59), that I'm using them for the whole weekend's worth of photos. :) I just loved these cute cacti in the succulent section of the gardens!

Day Fifty-Nine

More from the Huntington Library. Loved the bokeh that came out of this! Not to mention the super cute pink flowers! The place was ginormous, we're going to have to go back at least three more times to see it all. I highly recommend going there!!

Day Sixty

Another part of the Huntington Library trilogy. :) I just loved this statue! The craftsmanship is stunning! The European collection they had was incredible - tons of paintings by some of my favorite artists including Gainsborough, Reynolds and Turner.

Day Sixty-One

Horrible migraine day. This was all I felt like eating - cinnamon raisin English muffins, toasted, with margarine.

Day Sixty-Two

Ugh.

Day Sixty-Four

Self portrait time!

Day Sixty-Five

The jasmine in the backyard has started blooming again - my favorite smell ever!

Day Sixty-Six

Playing Rock Band with some friends - Sean was such a ham!

Day Sixty-Seven

Mad faces because of the BS we had to go through parking at Disneyland that day! I think Katie's crazy ponytail adds extra effect.

Day Sixty-Eight

While over at the house to meet Sprocket, Katie gave Dante a good cuddle so he wouldn't feel left out. I love how he's looking at me like "See, you could be doing this..."

Day Sixty-Nine

This is what happens to bad puppies. Kidding! This is what happens when you need to take a pup on a walk whose parents didn't provide a jacket but it's too cold not to put something on him, and his cousin's sweater is too big. :)

Day Seventy

I've had these little photos of my grandparents in my room for years, I just love them! Currently they sit on my dresser, propped against my jewelry box.

Day Seventy-One

Dad left me a rose from his garden when I wasn't looking.

Day Seventy-Two

At the dog park, the owners of this cute pup were kind enough to let me take pictures! At first we couldn't figure out what he was staring at (standing stock-still for minutes at a time), and then we realized there was a gopher! Eventually he must have realized this dog wasn't going to harm him, and they practically touched noses!

Day Seventy-Three

Now that things are starting to bloom around here, I've begun photographing the lovely things that are popping up in my parent's backyard. I have no idea what this one is called! :)

Day Seventy-Four

That face could break anyone's heart, huh? Sprocket is getting so big!

Day Seventy-Five

Continuing the garden documentation...the bees just looove this plant! :)

Day Seventy-Six

I think this is my official favorite...for now. I was shooting almost wide open (f/1.8) to see what kind of bokeh I could get, and this happened!

Day Seventy-Seven

Since I took a million photos on Saturday, I'm using them as half of my week's daily photos! :) I just love that all the pups and the two Sarahs are in this one (well, plus that extra labrador).

Day Seventy-Eight

My cousin Sarah's roommate, Sarah, has this dog named Charlie. She is the biggest sweetheart and loves to give hugs! And those big soft ears don't hurt. :)

Day Seventy-Nine

My cousin Sarah's pup, Taj, who's half doberman and half German shorthair, and the biggest baby ever! We just love his sweet personality. And check out those pretty eyes!

Day Eighty

Happy birthday Sarah! You're the best cousin a girl could ask for! :)

Day Eighty-One

After coming home from visiting Sarah in Encinitas, it was off to a BBQ with friends that afternoon. I baked my usual Booze Cake. Yum!

Day Eighty-Two

Some of my grandmother's books on Arabians; they brought them home with them from Cairo in the 70s and became well-known in the community of horse breeders. I love her notes in the margins and on scrap papers!

Day Eighty-Three

My dad's idea of a "basic dinner". It was huge! :)

Eighty-Four

My interview outfit. At least I could depend on the clothes being okay! ;)

Day Eighty-Five

Self portrait time! Somehow I managed to tilt the camera just right to get my whole face.

Day Eighty-Six

Happy puppy! Well, more like he was running around so much in the 80 degree weather he started panting (which the breed doesn't do unless they're really hot). So more like: hot and happy puppy!

Day Eighty-Seven

Yum, yum, yum. Brunch at the Filling Station in Orange never fails to be yummy!

Day Eighty-Eight

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he seemed to say.

We gave Dante and Ted each a cupcake from the local dog bakery, since their birthdays were so close, and they weren't quite sure what to make of them.

Next year, its hot dogs.

Day Eighty-Nine

Hello, spring. The weather around here almost feels like summer, and the plants are acting accordingly!

There are so many pretty things growing right now, I felt a triptych was in order for today. :)

Day Ninety

Upon the news that I'm getting a job, the first move was to go shopping for work clothes that fit! :) (Its not as bad as it looks, really!)

Day Ninety-One

These beautiful little jasmine flowers were in just the right light.

Day Ninety-Two

Evil cat.

Day Ninety-Three

Lovely flowers outside the new library in Encinitas! :)

Day Ninety-Four

My lovely cousin Sarah and her boyfriend Jim. My mom and I went down to Encinitas for the day to hang out with them. We had a lovely picnic at a park with a view of the ocean, and then went down to this meditation center with amazing gardens and koi ponds and an cliffside location!

Day Ninety-Five

The library at Encinitas even has this patio where you can take your books and read while enjoying an ocean view. Just lovely!

Day Ninety-Six

This is what time I went to bed after my first day at the new job. I was up and walking Dante at 5:30 in the am! Sooo sleepy. :)

Day Ninety-Seven

Oh, Maeve Binchy, how dare you write another book that sucks me in so that I get less sleep! :)

Day Ninety-Eight

Hooray for sweet peas making my room smell good!

Day Ninety-Nine

Puss keeping me company when I had to come home sick with the stomach flu.

Day 100

My workspace at the new job (with prints already, of course).

Day 101

I got BANGS! Nothing like a fresh haircut to cheer you right up. :)

Day 102

Pretty girl! My cousin Jen actually got Puss to let her pick him up! ;)

Day 103

Easter lily, the day after. :)

Day 104

Happy kitty in one of his favorite chairs.

Day 105

Some Lily of the Valley that my mom picked up. Normally I don't so crazy with the processing, but this photo focused in such a soft funky way that I thought it merited some funky colors! (And a great way to rescue a "bad" photo!)

Day 106

Earth Day is every day at our house! We use these big rain drums to water our plants instead of tap water.

Day 107

Mmm coffee for once. Love the morning light coming in from the window behind me and casting light on my favorite mug!

Day 108

Me, Lora, and Nikki - the birthday girl! :)

Day 109

My friend Eric, frontman for Las Aranas performing at the District Lounge. Woo!

Day 110

Part of my drive home - all aglow with yellow flowers blooming!

Day 111

Return of the three-legged dog! ;)

Day 112

Yet another rose from dad's garden. :)

Day 113

Another thing we do for the environment. :) We don't line dry all our clothes, but this works really well for thick rugs and mats!

Day 114

Does this creep anybody else out? Not sure why it wound up in the garden...

Day 115

Happy 28th, mom and dad! (Dad wanted to get in on the shot I was taking of my mom holding the other bouquet.)

Day 116

Lots of blooms out on the front patio now!

Day 117

Ohhh yes, the only blonde I like. ;) I won this in the office drawing!

Day 118

My fortune today from Pick Up Stix. :) So glad it was an actual fortune and not that dumb personality observations you usually get these days!

Day 119

After my grandparents passed, my mom kept some of the nameplates from their horses' stalls. They bred Arabians for about 30 years. These three were my mom's personal favorites (she competed in dressage and jumping for years.) You can read more about my grandmother's contribution here.

Day 120

The Japanese maple in the backyard is coming along nicely! I like the one wee dead leaf among the bright red ones.

Day 121

Hooray for May! I got him to pay attention by holding his favorite tennis ball. :)

Day 122

Ok, so I didn't technically take this photo, but I was so busy getting ready for the party I didn't take anything else!

Day 123

My friend Mindy. Woo for hair glow!

Day 124

Still more of dad's roses - they're endless!

Day 125

Beware of Puss' shadow.

Day 126

Like I said, the roses are endless!

Day 127

Solitary rose out in the back yard.

Day 128

Happy Friday! We did a mix of limeade and pink lemonade frozen concentrate - yum!

Day 129

Playing in the backyard on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. He sure loves his ball! :)

Day 130

Happy Mother's Day!

Day 131

Picked this cute guy up when we were in Maine one summer. Now he lives on the front porch.

Day 132

Oh, Ted. Why don't I ever get tired of that face?

Day 133

Oops, overexposed. And yet, I love it!

Day 134

Ok so now I'm realizing that this shot is basically the opposite of yesterday's. But these shriveled sweet peas were still interesting to me.

Day 135

This is what happens when I tell her to just not look at me at all. :)

Day 136

Well, three out of four ain't bad.

Day 137

Love these sweet pink flowers growing outside my neighbor's house!

Day 138

More horse stuff (mom used to ride competitively). This is a painting of one of her babies, Wesam, that hangs in the front hall, by Susan Dorazio.

Day 139

Little man stood still just long enough for me to take this! :)

Day 140

In the middle of rolling over, Puss paused to give me this look. I think it means "I'm ready for my closeup".

Day 141

What I pulled out of poor Dante's butt at 1 a.m.! I let him out to go potty and heard rustling in the bushes (probably a possum), so of course he dashed off after it, barking, and then I heard shrieking.

Poor pup had gotten part of the new cactus my parents planted attached to his butt! Luckily I turned the light on to see what it was before pulling it out, otherwise we would've both been hurting! So I spent the better part of an hour baiting him with enough treats so he'd let me pull all the little spikes out of him and put Neosporin all over!

Day 142

My mom, having gone straight from her car to the garden after work.

Day 143

*twitch* Waiting to attack...

Day 144

Hooray for the Cheese! :) And on a Sunday night when you don't have to get up in the morning? Perfection.

Day 145

Happy Memorial Day! And hooray for awesome bargain wedges from Old Navy. :)

Day 146

Found this adorable little half of an eggshell under a tree in front of the house around the corner.

Day 147

I made dinner! This is before it went in the oven - chicken marinated in a mix of different salad dressings, BBQ sauce and spices.

Day 148

HA! I finally caught Dante's kisses in action! :)

Day 149

Wee birdie that dad rescued from Puss' clutches!

Day 150

Comfort food, since I had such a bad migraine all weekend I needed something quiet! Delish scrambled eggs with chives from the garden over bread from the Farmer's Market.

Day 151

Oh yes, he's vicious. :) Baby possum that managed to sneak in the house! Lucky Ted found him before he got very far.

Day 152

Yup, I think we're going to have enough tomatoes this year.

Day 153

This gigantic succulent deserved more than just one shot!

Day 154

More succulents...except this one is teensy.

Day 155

Rawr! Sprocket hated his new carrier (he managed to break the old one). Turns out the silica gel packet was still in it...good one, guys.

Day 156

Self portrait time! Please excuse my flyaways. And don't ask me how I got my eye in focus at f/1.8...I really couldn't tell you.

Day 157

Thank you, dear Trader Joe's, for making frozen stir fry that is good and easy to make.

Day 158

Mmm cotton candy at Disneyland!

Day 159

Happy birthday Lars and Sarah! Yup, they're a whole one day apart. Damn them and their cuteness. And don't you just love mom's homemade cake?

Day 160

One solitary pink flower...

Day 161

Sorry for the weird DOF, but the view from my backyard was just so pretty!

Day 162

Oh, Mr. Bear, you are just so darn cute.

Day 163

TGIF. And TG for my dad's Lemon Drops - the best martinis evah!

Day 164

No skin fixing whatsoever. And yet I still love her.

Day 165

She really is as wise and gorgeous as she looks!

Day 166

Yup, Gap jeans for $11. Woot!

Day 167

More of the tomato bumper crop. :)

Day 168

Baby geese in the lake!

Day 169

Gorgeous gardenias in the backyard.

Day 170

Good times at a friend's house party!

Day 171

Karl, Donna and Alex came up to hang out for the afternoon and evening. This photo of Karl and Alex picking tomatos cracks me up!

Day 172

Happy Papa's Day!

Day 173

Part of my drive home - crazy interchange on the 10 freeway!

Day 174

Hooray! My giveaway from Tarte (courtesy of the Meilily blog) arrived!

Day 175

Gooorgeous and delish cake courtesy of Beverly's Best - if you're in the OC, go there!

Day 176

Making Pioneer Woman's recipe for Spring Shells - basically veggie and cheese casserole. Delish!!

Day 177

Gorgeous Morning Glories that have exploded at the end of our driveway. Had to get up early before work for this shot! :)

Day 178

While at my alma mater's 75th anniversary celebration, I just fell in love with these walls of photos they had done (surprise). :)

Day 179

My lovely best friend. It was perfect light that afternoon when she came over to hang out, so I jumped at the chance to take some portraits!

Day 180

Oh, Dante. You break my heart when you look at me like that!

Day 181

Had to get a shot of my neighbor's giant tree when these gorgeous purple blooms exploded!

Day 182

Just some weird clouds that day. Around here it can be really gloomy in the mornings the first part of summer, but the clouds are normally gone by afternoon.

Day 183

Oh Ted E. You are so cute when you try to run up the driveway!

Day 184

We had a "Third of July" party instead this year, and this shot of my mom's boss and her husband is one of my faves from that night. :)

Day 185

Not your typical 4th of July photo I suppose, but my friends and I really did play croquet in my backyard before the sun went down!

Day 186

So technically I baked these on the 3rd, not the 5th, but just had to share the photo anyways! Yummy margarita cupcakes! :)

Day 187

A neighbors' lovely flowers. Hooray for sun flare!

Day 188

We buried Puss today. :( See my blog for a tribute to the awesome kitty, AKA Gigantor.

Day 189

When you have a long-nosed sighthound and love to shoot wide open, this kind of focusing is bound to happen. ;)

Day 190

Caught in the act!! They really DO love each other! :)

Day 191

My gorgeous friend Nancy. And yes, her skin really glows like that in real life, and her hair just curls like that. I try not to hate her too much.

Day 192

During a big wedding planning day with Ro, we took some time out at the dog park.

Day 193

I just love this corner of my room. Some pictures of my friends and family, a sketch of my great-grandmother done by my great-grandfather, and a vintage lamp passed down from my grandmother's house. :)

Day 194

Mom's tea was such a pretty color!

Day 195

Some awesome desert blooms in my neighbor's yard.

Day 196

Healthy cooking! Eventually these veggies had a sauce with them. Yummmm

Day 197

I've been waiting for the right photo for this PS action - who knew it would be these wee flowers right outside the front door?

Day 198

Oh Ted, thank you for standing just inside the light from the kitchen. :)

Day 199

A work in project...repurposing old bowling balls as yard decorations. :)

Day 200

Today we made Puss' headstone...it was pretty cathartic.

Day 201

I don't know what it is about succulents, they just photograph so nicely! ;)

Day 202

Hooray, my order from Red Velvet Art arrived!

Day 203

Hellllooo watering can.

Day 204

I've had so many people come up to me about my "Coexist" bumper magnet! :)

Day 205

Mmm sushi takeout...

Day 206

Meet Potter. He likes to hide under low things, like this side table. :)

Day 207

This poor hummingbird ran straight into the window this morning. He was so stunned that I was able to get up pretty close and take some shots!

Day 208

Oh Gizmo. Your little eyes when they're closed break my heart!

Day 209

A sweet moment where Ted just had to sit right in between Lars and his laptop. :)