I Will Be Here

Day 179/366
Twenty-two years ago we had the song "I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman sung at our wedding, and I still choke up every time I hear it. I am certainly blessed to be celebrating twenty-two years of marriage with this amazing guy. Happy anniversary, my love!

Fresh Flowers

Day 124/366
I love to bring fresh flowers in from the yard and make bouquets for the table or to place around the house. These tulips looked so bright and cheery! I snagged a few additional flowers from Enavi's birthday bouquet to fill out the antique glass jar. They look lovely on my kitchen counter.

Window View

Day 110/366
Anyone else finding themselves looking out the window more? There are times when I stand in the kitchen, looking out the window for long stretches, observing subtle changes in the outside world.

My Sipila Sweater

Day 89/366
My finished Sipila sweater... I decided to throw it on to take a few pictures and chase off some of the afternoon gloom. This was my first time actually wearing the sweater and it fits perfectly. The color work is done with a gradient yarn that I hand-dyed at a local yarn store last summer. The sweater is super soft and comfortable. I can't wait to actually wear it out of the house.

Self-Portrait I

Day 56/366
I'm going to be honest... I am so much better at working behind the camera than in front of it! I decided to take a self portrait for today's picture and I pretty much immediately regretted it. The process of taking the picture is a bit of work, but I had my trusty assistant with me who helped with hanging lights in our old shed, removing junk from the background and being my stand in while trying to achieve focus. I'm not sure what it is about posting pictures of myself, but I really don't like it. It makes me feel kind of squeamish and uncomfortable... but it's also really good for me. So, I'm being brave and I'm posting this picture today. There are lots of things that I don't love about it, but in the end I can say I don't hate it. Ha! In an effort to desensitize myself to this irrational fear of self portraits, I'm hoping to do more of these. ;) Maybe, with practice, I'll become more comfortable being in front of the camera and can get creative with self-portraits.

Self Portrait 2

Day 37/365
I attempted another self-portrait session today, and tested out my new remote. I am still working out the best way to take self-portraits with this system, but it was fun to try some different expressions and posing. I am finding I definitely prefer portraits of myself in black and white - it just seems kinder on the wrinkles, somehow (holy crow's feet, Batman!). I also discovered how difficult it is to photograph someone wearing glasses and not get any glare. The picture above was my favorite of the bunch: note the lack of glasses. :)

Self Portraits are Scary!

Day 8/365
I decided to attempt taking a self portrait today, and it gives me butterflies in my tummy to even think about posting it. This year is about learning about photography and sharing my photos, so I'm going to be brave and bold and share this shot of me. It is really hard to take a flattering picture of yourself, or maybe it's just me? I love to take beautiful pictures of others, but have rarely had pictures taken of me that I have liked. I guess I am my own worst critic. As I was working through the editing of this photo, one of my favorite Bible verses kept humming through my brain: "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) It made me stop and think, reminding me that I am a beautiful creation in Christ. I may not always feel that way, but that is how the Lord sees me each and every day. How's that for a dose of courage?