Photo-a-Day Challenge Update

Boy, I don't know what it is, but I have struggled with the photo challenge prompts these last few days.  I'm participating in Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-Day Challenge and until this week I've felt like I was able to creatively interpret the prompts.

I guess I have photographer's block?  Take Sunday's prompt, for instance: breakfast.  My usual breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with a little bit of milk in it.  I'm not sure how to put an interesting or creative spin on oatmeal.  I suggested to my husband that we go to Sunday brunch somewhere, envisioning beautifully presented buffet tables and a ton of photo ops for the prompt "breakfast".  But really that didn't seem fair.  :)  Besides, part of the appeal of this challenge for me is that it helps me capture everyday life.  And everyday life for me, for breakfast, is oatmeal.


March 25: Breakfast

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Monday's prompt was "key."  Again I was not feelin' the creativity here.  So I just set down my keys, zoomed in, and clicked.  Done.
March 26: Key

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When I'm getting my hair done at the salon, I always indulge in the guilty pleasure of reading the entertainment and gossip magazines.  I love to look at them, but I don't read them regularly.  Only at the salon, the dentist, or if I'm flying on an airplane.  Yesterday, I had a hair appointment.  And I was on the lookout for a fitting way to capture the photo challenge prompt "your name."
March 27: Your Name

I think "Duchess" looks very good in front of my name, don't you? ;)
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And speaking of the entertainment and gossip magazines, today's photo prompt is "trash."  This was another tough one.  Feeling uninspired, I grabbed my iPhone and snapped a picture of the trash in my car.
March 28: Trash

You know, they say that you can learn a lot about someone by their trash.  (No, I'm not talking about the "Caution: I'm Hot.")  I'm talking about the coffee and chocolate.  Now that's everyday life.

Easter Decor

Yesterday I shared with you my bunny paint chip art project.  Today, I'll show you the rest of my Easter decor, starting with this fun centerpiece that has been all over Pinterest lately:

I found the tutorial here.  It was so easy to make!
Here's another small Easter project that I did:

 I found this huge jar on clearance last month and decided I'd fill it with plastic eggs for Easter.  I wanted the eggs to be pastels, but more muted than I could find in the stores.  So I bought the bright colored eggs and spray painted them almond, pink, and blue.  The blue turned out too dark so I oversprayed them with the pink.  Then I simply dipped a wet toothbrush in brown paint and flicked speckles on the eggs.  These eggs go so well with my pastel bunnies and cross.

Another really simple but fun decoration that I use year-round are these jars that I keep on my kitchen counter:

I got the jars from Hobby Lobby and used a nail to poke a hole in the center of each lid.  Then I just screw on different drawer pulls (also from Hobby Lobby) depending on the season or holiday.The large jar always has coffee beans in it because I {LOVE} coffee!  The second jar's contents change depending on the season or holiday.  At Christmastime I filled the small jar with jingle bells and I had a red and white striped drawer pull on one (looked like a candycane) and a green glass pull on the other; for Thanksgiving I had acorns in it and the drawer pulls were brown and bronze.  In the summertime, I have crystal drawer pulls and lemons in the small jar.  Etc, etc, etc.  It's pretty fun to change them up every month or so!  
We are all ready for the Easter Bunny now!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Mmmm Mmmm

     Today is my husband's birthday {Happy Birthday, Sweetie}!  Birthdays around here always include really good food.  So it was fortuitous that today's Photo-a-Day Challenge prompt was "delicious."
Breakfast was a rich, chocolatey doughnut with coffee.

It was really like eating cake for breakfast.

Lunch was my daily green juice which, even though it's healthy, is delicious.

Dinner was at Outback Steakhouse and included one of their loaded baked potatoes.

 
Dessert was carrot cake cupcakes from Aimee's Home Cookin', my friend's catering company.

Each cupcake has just a touch of the homemade cream cheese frosting inside as well as on top.

Dang, when I lay it all out like this it's a good thing I had the juice, right?
And it's a good thing birthdays only come once a year.......er......actually they come five times a year in this family.
Well.....of course there's also Mom's birthday, and Dad's, and oh.boy.  No wonder the scale never comes down much.  ;)
Any one of those photos could've been my photo for today's "delicious" prompt.  But it was mid-morning, and I was enjoying a cup of coffee, when I looked up and saw my little jar of chocolate-covered espresso beans. 
Delicious!

And since they're not as familiar as a doughnut, or juice, or baked potato, or cupcake I wanted to photograph them for my prompt.  In fact, I just discovered them about a year ago.  (Yeah, I know...how did I, coffee-lover that I am, not know about these little gems?  I dunno.  Don't get out much, I guess.)  I went to a local coffee bar that had just opened and they put these espresso beans on top of each coffee cup lid as a garnish.
Boy oh boy, I'm tellin' ya....a hot, fresh cup of coffee just can't be beat.  Or couldn't until now.  Try eating a chocolate-covered espresso bean before sipping that hot coffee and you'll see what I mean: delicious!

Now, Where Was I?

     Oh yeah, I was writing a post every day to coincide with Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-Day Challenge.  I posted every day from January 31 through March 9.  Then I decided to take the weekend off.  And it turned into a looooooong 5 day weekend!

     Whaddya say we catch up?

March 10: Loud

This is my cat, Sophie.  Her "IwantacattreatandIwantitNOW" cry is very loud.  And irritating.  But she's so cute, right?

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March 11: Someone You Talked to Today

Every morning, weekday or weekend, rain or shine, my husband, Jon, and I have our coffee time.  We kick back with a cuppa Joe and spend the time chatting (reminiscent of our college days spent chilling and talking for hours over coffee at Village Inn).  It's a daily ritual that I cherish and it's a wonderful way to start each day.

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March 12: Fork

fork noun \ 'fòrk\ : an implement with two or more prongs

used especially for taking up (as in eating), pitching, or digging

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March 13: A Sign

There is still one week until the official start of spring, but I'm tellin' ya, it sure seems like it's here already.  We're having beautiful, unseasonably warm weather (high today: 68°!) and with the time change this past weekend and the daylight lasting longer, it feels official.

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March 14: Clouds

One thing I love about this daily photo challenge is that it helps me take at least one moment each day to stop, to take a breather, to be in the present moment, and to notice the things around me.  You know, like the phrase "stop and smell the roses".  Yesterday's prompt, clouds, is the perfect example of this.  Obviously I see clouds in the sky on a cloudy day, but yesterday I was actually looking at the clouds and seeing them and admiring their beauty and majesty.

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And that brings us to today.  Is it really March 15 already?!?

March 15: Car

Behold the 2012 Maserati Quattroporte.  It is $130,000 of pure luxury and beauty.  Jon had the opportunity to test drive one and he brought it home for me to see.  I'll never forget the purr of the engine as it pulled into the driveway, beckoning me to come outside, to softly touch its smooth, sleek body, to sit in its supple, leather seat.  I had no idea that a car could sound so pretty.  Or feel so heavenly.......

What?!?  Oh.  Wait.  The prompt didn't say "dream car", did it?  Okaaaaay.  Here's my real photo for "car":

March 15: Car (Take Two)

I do love my Honda Odyssey.  It's a perfectly practical vehicle for our family right now.  I know that there's a certain stereotype about minivan drivers, but that doesn't bother me in the least.  This widely-held belief is that minivan drivers have the "distinctive reputation for being mothers, most likely of multiple children...(with) an unruly teen in the front seat playing with the stereo dial.  Toys and fast food wrappings litter the floorboards of the car."  Yep, that sounds like me.  Can't argue with the truth, can we?

But someday, when I am willing and able to be impractical about my car, you will find me behind the wheel of a Maserati.

Until then, thanks for stopping by, and have a fantastic day!