musical instrument ... 42/365

musical instrument ...
/ˈmyuzɪkəl ˈɪnstrəmənt/, - noun
a contrivance or apparatus for producing musical sounds

... how could i not add a close up of hannah's musical instrument? ... (and i know i don't typically edit ...) ... but who could resist a little rocker-ish look? ... please note ... this could have also qualified as the broken challenge ... but broken makes mama so much happier ... 'nuf said.

musically inclined ... 41/365

musically inclined ...
/ˈmyuzɪkəl li ɪnˈklaɪnd/ –adverb
a person that is skilled in music.

... i'm not sure if we can consider our stella musically inclined yet ... but she has a current fascination with all things hannah ... montana, that is ... and apparently ... hannah made a stop! at our house! and put on a concert! ... but ... alas ... stella was no where to be found. (i'll let you in on a little secret ... she planned this for DAYS! it was darling. )

fire or flame ... 40/365

flame ...
/fleɪm/ –noun
any flamelike condition; glow; inflamed condition.

... it looks as if it is flickering on my screen ...

girl ... 39/365

girl ...
/gɜrl/ –noun
a female child, from birth to full growth., a daughter

... yup ... that's my girl ... loves having a camera in her hands, just like mama ... and i love that boppa bought her a pink grown up camera ... it suits her ... but what i especially love? seeing what she thinks is special enough to photograph ... through her eyes.

bent ... 38/365

bent ...
/bɛnt/ –adjective
curved; crooked

... a piece of bark ... bent around a twig ... and resting ... perfectly balanced ...

the games we play ... 37/365

the games we play ...
/ðə geɪmz wi pleɪ/
activities that we do for amusement or fun ...

... for some reason ... cora's peeky-boo version of peek-a-boo ... has been a favorite ... stella bored of this game at a much earlier age ... cora still thinks it's hilarious ... and so we oblige ... we also love to play hide and seek ... but i'm not willing to tote the camera and risk them finding my best hiding spots.

grass ... 36/365

grass ...
/græs/ –noun
any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains.

... peeking out from beneath the ice ...

sleepy ... 35/365

sleepy ...
/ˈslipi/ –adjective, sleep⋅i⋅er, sleep⋅i⋅est.
of or showing drowsiness.

... yes ... blurry ... but oh so sleepy ... and i love that sleepy filled face combined with her just woken up mess of hair ...

clouds ... 34/365

clouds ...
/klaʊdz/ –noun
a visible collection of particles of water or ice suspended in the air, usually at an elevation above the earth's surface.

... and when they are pink ... i'm so much more apt to pay attention to them.

beverage of choice ... 33/365

beverage of choice ...
/ˈbɛvərɪdʒ - ʌv - tʃɔɪs/, noun
the liquid that i would prefer each morning

... just the right color ... even better when sitting across from the baby that loves her ta-si too ... (recipe for baby ta-si? a few sips of milk ... a splash of coconut coffee creamer ... and an even smaller splash of coffee ... in a big girl cup ... just like mama).

hangs on a wall ... 32/365

hangs on a wall ...
/hæŋz - ɔn - ə - wɔl/
an object that is suspended upon a wall

... i'll stop taking pictures of things in my home ... soon ... a favorite sign ... i watched until this baby hit $4 ... before snatching it up ... husband did not love it ... immediately ... but, i think it's growing on him ... or maybe he just doesn't want to have to fill in my nail holes ... ah ... see ... there are my green-ish walls ...

candlelight ... 31/365

candlelight ...
/ˈkændlˌlaɪt/, noun
the light of a candle

... this amber colored candle encrusted wall hanging was my first purchase for my new-to-me kitchen ... i love the amber against the green walls (what? you couldn't tell they were green?) ... and i especially love the glow emitted ... while cooking a simple dinner.

yellow ... 30/365

yellow ...
/ˈyɛloʊ/–noun
a color like that of egg yolk, ripe lemons, etc.; the primary color between green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 570 and 590 nm.

... i'm not usually a fan of fake flowers ... but this hanging vase would sit empty for far too long ... and i loved the look of the leftover from halloween costume sunflowers against my yellow walls (that would not be captured in the film - they are so not white!) ... they seem to bring a bit of sunshine into the hallows of winter ... and come spring and summer will be replaced with the real thing ...

celestial bodies ... 29/365

celestial bodies ...
/səˈlɛstʃəl - ˈbɒdiz/, noun (plural)
natural objects visible in the sky

... and/or on the wall ... a grouping of one moon and numerous stars that my daddy got for me when i was little ... i feel like they came from new mexico ... i'll have to find out ... i've always loved this set ... and it sits so perfectly in the nook in the nursery ...
update ...
my mom is pissed that i didn't remember that SHE got these for me in SAN DIEGO.
sorry mom.

help wanted ... 28/365

help wanted ...
/hɛlp - wɔntɛd/
to feel a need or a desire for; wish for ... assistance.

... my path amongst the reeds ... mind you ... this is a "floating" pathway that winds through a pond of reeds ... completely frozen over ... a skating path ... eek ... we saw many many many deer beds in the cattails ... my husband asked what i would do if a deer popped out ... i want to think i would have run (perhaps after stealing a picture?) ... but i wouldn't have been able to.

canine companion ... 27/365

canine companion ...
/ˈkeɪnaɪn - kəmˈpænyən/, noun
a dog who is frequently in the company of, associates with, or accompanies another

... and this ... down here in the reeds and the valley ... off lead ... is her absolute most favorite place to be ... can you tell? ... i knew i had to have my camera ready when i called her to keep moving ... i love the joy in her body language ...

who put that there? ... 26/365

who put that there? ...
/hu - pʊt - ðæt - ðər/
a question concerning personal responsibility for an action involving location of a certain object.

... see it? ... a tent ... kinda faded pink and green ... and mind you ... this is less than a mile from my house ... and i live in a suburb of a big city ... i wonder if this is the outcome of a someone ... who was much more affected by the current economic breakdown ... than i ... and it breaks my heart thinking that someone must resort to living here ... in hiding ... in the cold ... or maybe it's someone that chose to tent it? ... or a kid's hideaway? ... or an abandoned tent ... and nothing more.

a pair of ... 25/365

a pair of ...

/eɪ pɛər ʌv ... ˈhʊfˌprɪnts/, noun(plural)

two identical, similar, or corresponding things that are matched for use together ... impressions made by an animal's hoof.

... made by deer ... obviously ... best pair of hoofprints i could find on this walk amidst the melted snow turned to ice ... i wish i would have found a pair of deer ...

repeating pattern ... 24/365

repeating pattern ...

/rɪˈpitɪŋ - ˈpætərn/

an image that does the same thing over and over again.

... i had to try to attempt a picture through the car window ... these clouds fascinate me ... my husband the airline pilot could explain them ... i just take a picture ... he told me i should see them from the sky ... why, yes ... yes i should ...

look alikes ... 23/365

look alikes ...
/lʊk-əˈlaɪks/ n.
one that closely resembles another; a double.

... could someone out there please explain this to me?? ... my first attempt at using my tripod ... aka blurriness ... trying to capture the moon ... but, why are there two? ... yes ... i know the picture sucks ... but inquiring minds wanna know! ... by the way ... no one ever said the pictures have to be good ...

paws ... 22/365

paws ...
/paz/ - noun, plural
the foot of an animal, especially a quadruped, that has claws or nails

... skye's dog paws ... amidst a tumbled tower o' cups ... (that was built and posted as up on top) ... this ... is the aftermath.

silly ... 21/365

silly ...
/ˈsɪli/ - adjective
lacking seriousness or responsibleness

... that definition is exactly what i am convinced that being a child is all about ... there are plenty of years to be serious AND responsible ... i'm happy that my children get their full share of silly.

eyes ... 20/365

eyes ...
/aɪz/ –noun (plural)
the organ of sight, in vertebrates typically one of a pair of spherical bodies contained in an orbit of the skull and in humans appearing externally as a dense, white, curved membrane, or sclera, surrounding a circular, colored portion, or iris, that is covered by a clear, curved membrane, or cornea, and in the center of which is an opening, or pupil, through which light passes to the retina.

... a picture that doesn't immediately send one to think of eyes as the primary subject of the photograph ... but the first thing that caught my attention ... those eyes ... i swear ... they get me everytime ... and that skinned up chin ... from a sledding incident ... a blue eyed ballerina with a beat up chin ... that's my child ... for sure.

baby, it's cold outside ... 19/365

baby, it's cold outside ...

/ˈbeɪbi ɪts koʊld ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

-- a pop standard with words and music by Frank Loesser. Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party. (definition courtesy of wikipedia).

... it was cold ... but not TOO cold like it's been as of late ... no negative temperatures that day ... which is why we ventured outside for the picture ... i love her blue eyes against the pink ... also not just a picture taking adventure ... we actually played and ran around and rolled in the snow before retreating back into the house ...

furry ... 18/365

furry ...
/ˈfɜri/ –adjective, fur⋅ri⋅er, fur⋅ri⋅est.
covered with fur; wearing fur

... not my furriest kitty ... believe it or not ... but plenty furry ... and dare i say ... my favorite feline in the house ... shhhh ... don't tell the others ... friends ... meet jazz ... a former barn kitten that i carried in my pocket while training horses ... that would hiss at me even when her eyes were still closed ... and would only quiet her yowling when i got to the jazz music station.

handicraft ... 17/365

handicraft ...
/ˈhændiˌkræft, -ˌkrɑft/ –noun
-- an art, craft, or trade in which the skilled use of one's hands is required.

... a little love put into a set of barettes ... i made a set for each little girl in their daycare ... we just click the valentine said ... several varieties ... xoxo ... i (heart) u ... love ... flowers ... buttons ... all in all ... a good excuse for mama to do a little crafting. (husband thinks these are a good idea for a potential etsy shop ... hmmmm?)

up on top ... 16/365

up on top ...

/ʌp-ɔn-tɒp/

the act of moving toward or residing upon the highest point of something

... suspended in time ... girly-girls playing together ... and the activity just so happens to qualify as a challenge word ... my favorite part? ... the memory of them taking turns putting the uppermost cup on the tippity-top ... and big sister holding it steady for her little.

breakfast ... 15/365

breakfast ...

/ˈbrɛkfəst/ –noun
the first meal of the day; morning meal

... not the most asthetically pleasing picture ... but a memory ... and that's really what's important, no? ... a crepe being made in a crepe pan that was given to me on my birthday by a best(est) friend ... following a conversation weeks prior in which i noted (in passing) a desire for a crepe pan ... and that is the sign of a true friend ... remembering a small detail and fulfilling a wish ... the picture of the finished crepes complete with strawberries and whip cream would have been much prettier ... but disappeared much too fast.

black and white ... 14/365

black-and-white 
/ˈblækənˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt/ –adjective
displaying black and white tones; without color, as a picture or chart

... less of a pure black and white ... and more of an awesome display of black and white color ... that contrast of black feathers to white feathers astounds me ... maybe it's the current lack of pure white in a child-full world.

from the sea ... 13/365

from the sea 
/frʌm-ði-si/
act of originating in the salt waters that cover the greater part of the earth's surface.

... i promise to move away from these zoo pictures soon ... maybe. i've been cursed with slow computers and slower editing ... and minimalized mommy time. also note ... first (evah.) attempt at black-and-whiting it with the return of the real color. editing whiz ... i am not. be nice.

... when i sit back and watch the girly-girls watching these creatures from the sea ... i imagine that they are observing them with the desire to sprout a mermaid tail and join them ... it amazes me how unblurred they are ... against the pure blur of fish. still for more than a moment. (sometimes i long for more of those moments ... do you think the zoo has wi-fi down by the underwater exhibit? they should. honey ... if you are reading this ... mama needs a laptop.)