Photo Journal

Snowy

2008-12-31T17:42:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful time ringing in the new year - no matter if that is by partying the night away, or watching TV in your pj's.

I am closing this blog down as of today. This will be the last post. But no worries - I'm just moving! I will be posting at www.stelladolceblog.blogspot.com from now on!

Goodbye 2008!

2009 is sure to bring some very interesting surprises!!

iPhone Case

2008-12-30T12:17:00.001-08:00

My Momma got me this pretty iPhone case for Christmas.

Flare

2008-12-30T12:06:00.001-08:00

The Hubby got me a starburst filter for Christmas. I am loving what it did with with the glare off the truck!

On the drive home

2008-12-29T08:14:00.001-08:00

I got The Art of Children's Portrait Photography for Christmas. It is written by one of my most favorite photographers ever, Tamara Lackey.

The photo is a little out of focus, but I did take it while riding in the car.

Tuckered Out

2008-12-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

Taken on Christmas Day - Beau passed out on the couch.

iSee Me

2008-12-27T06:12:00.001-08:00

We had a good Christmas in Knoxville and just got back last night. Now we're off to have Christmas with my family!

Christmas Candy

2008-12-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

We had our office holiday party last night. This morning, before I finished the clean-up, I took some photos of the candy.

Holiday Lights

2008-12-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

Eric refused to hang Christmas lights on the house, so I made him dirve me around so I could take some photos of the other houses in the neighborhood.

Fiery Sunset

2008-12-20T07:48:00.001-08:00

Another pretty sunset at work.

Waffle House

2008-12-19T08:59:00.001-08:00

waffle house, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Eric and I go to Waffle House every Friday morning for Breakfast. Yum!

Reminder

2008-12-18T09:12:00.001-08:00

reminder, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

A photo from September. I really like it.

Berries

2008-12-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

These are the same berries seen here and here - taken a year and a few weeks later.

iPhone

2008-12-16T11:32:00.001-08:00

iphone, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

I got an iPhone this past weekend! I luvs it.

Monica

2008-12-16T08:22:00.001-08:00

Another photo I took of Monica the other weekend.

Snow Puppies

2008-12-15T09:22:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple of photos from Friday morning of the puppies in the snow.

Snowy Branches

2008-12-12T11:08:00.001-08:00

snowy branches, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

We got snow last night! This photo was taken this morning at around 7:00am. As I type this, at 1:15pm, all of the snow has melted. :(

Dark Red

2008-12-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

Monica came over this past weekend (as I'm sure you guessed, considering Monday's post was a new photo of her) and before I broke out the camera, she dyed my hair! I have been debating on whether or not to dye it for a while now, and finally just did it.

I am so very pleased with the results!

Here is a before and after:

Dreamy Sunset

2008-12-09T14:21:00.001-08:00

Yesterday's sunset was really pretty.

Monica

2008-12-08T11:46:00.001-08:00

monica , originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Athena

2008-12-07T19:20:00.001-08:00

athena, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Napping on the clean laundry.

Beau

2008-12-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

beau, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

One of November's rejects.

I really like this shot of Beau.

Red Rose

2008-12-03T06:36:00.001-08:00

red rose, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December.
~J. M. Barrie

Taken in June 2008.

Candice

2008-12-02T09:47:00.001-08:00

candice, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Coming Home

2008-11-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

November 30, 2008
Day 30

We drove home tonight from Knoxville. The traffic on I-40 was horrendous - even without adding in the rain/hail. We decided to take an alternate route. This is the view from when we got off the interstate.

Voila! I am done for this year. You wouldn't think taking one photo a day would be all that hard, but sometimes inspiration doesn't come as easily as others. I am really in awe of the people out there that can do this for a whole year!

Obviously he hates dogs.

2008-11-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

November 29, 2008
Day 29

Eric with Bailey.

He hates dogs.
He still hates dogs.

Punkin

2008-11-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

November 28, 2008
Day 28

We went Knoxville on Friday afternoon (after I had gotten up to go shopping waaay early). Eric's dad is back in the hospital after having some really bad shoulder pain. We spent a lot of our time Friday evening there, and Eric actually spent the night. They are pretty sure they know why he was having the pain, and are taking steps to aleivate it. This was one of the Thanksgiving decorations in the Radiology waiting room.

Tarte Normande à la Crème

2008-11-28T02:23:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2008
Day 27

Tarte Normande à la Crème
(Normandy Apple and Cream Tart)

1 10 1/2-inch Pastry, unbaked
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large (approximately 1-inch) cubes *I sliced mine instead. I don't think it made any difference*
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the melted butter until they are well coated, then set aside.
Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Beat the sugar and eggs together until they are creamy and pale yellow.
Add the cream and the vanilla extract and heat until the ingredients are well blended.
Spread the apples evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.
Pour in the cream mixture so that the apples are evenly covered and the cream fills the tart to just below the rim of the shell.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the tart. *I also added some cinnamon on the top*
Set the tart on a baking sheet, and bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the batter is set, the apples are browned, and the crust is deep golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack.
Remove the side of the pan from the tart, and serve lukewarm or at room temperature.
Serves 6 to 8

I hope everyone had a marvelous Thanksgiving!!

Frosty Morning

2008-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

November 26, 2008
Day 26

There was really pretty frost on the ground this morning.

My Evenings

2008-11-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2008
Day 25

This is what my evenings have looked like lately.

Scottie Hat

2008-11-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2008
Day 24

Here is another entry for the I Love That, Please Send group on flickr. I received a faux scottie hat and kilt in the mail the other day, and took a few photos with the hat last night.

Cupcake - FAIL

2008-11-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

November 23, 2008
Day 23

So I tried to make some Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes with Apple Butter Frosting today. They were a big, fat FAIL! I don't know what went wrong. The cupcakes were oily or something, and don't taste very good. The frosting is yummy, but I made a HUGE mess trying to make it. Apparently I don't know how to sift powdered sugar without getting it everywhere.

This was made from some leftover batter. I put it in a corning ware ramekin and made a big cupcake with it.

**Edit - So I ate another cupcake this afternoon, and they wern't that bad after all. Not as cupcake-y as I would have liked, but not as bad as they were last night before cooling.**

Sunrise

2008-11-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2008
Day 22

Today was the first time I have seen 6:00am in a long time.

Suitcase

2008-11-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

November 21, 2008
Day 21

You cannot leave a suitcase sitting open in my house. Someone will quickly decide it is a great place for a nap.

Beads

2008-11-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

November 20, 2008
Day 20

An updated version of last year's Day 19. I like this one better.

Eyes

2008-11-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

November 19, 2008
Day 19

All you need is...

2008-11-18T19:42:00.001-08:00

November 18, 2008
Day 18

Stella

2008-11-18T10:26:00.001-08:00

November 17, 2008
Day 17

I was feeling sick last night and was only able to take maybe 4 photos. All of Stella, and all blurry. I tried to salvage this one with textures, but I'm afraid it's not that good. Unfortunately, it's all I've got.

Krispy Kreme

2008-11-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2008
Day 16

I. Love. Donuts.

Elvis

2008-11-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

November 15, 2008
Day 15

Last week my aunt and uncle got a new beagle puppy! Meet Elvis. He is just adorable!

Candlelight

2008-11-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

November 14, 2008
Day 14

The idea for this photo comes from a friend on flickr. Mike B shot this photo for his 365 project. I really liked it and decided I would ~~steal his idea~~ do a tribute photo.

Lace

2008-11-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

November 13, 2008
Day 13

Aphrodite

2008-11-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

November 12, 2008
Day 12

Night

2008-11-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

November 11, 2008
Day 11

I passed by the guest room tonight and thought this looked pretty.

Magnetic Poetry

2008-11-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2008
Day 10

winter garden
bare and frantic
go there after storming
& sing beauty

~Niki Cardwell

La Loma

2008-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

November 9, 2008
Day 9

I love Mexican food. And this is my most favorite Mexican restaurant. There is nothing better than a margarita in one hand and a tortilla chip loaded with salsa in the other hand. mmm...

Red Autumn

2008-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

November 8, 2008
Day 8

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and this vibrant red is my favorite color the leaves turn. I look forward to this time every year and always think that it doesn't last nearly long enough.

Boba Fett

2008-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

November 7, 2008
Day 7

There is a group on flickr called I Love That, Please Send. For this group, people offer up things (hats, toys, wigs, etc) to mail to other flickr members. It's a way to liven up your photos without having to buy new props all the time. When I saw that someone had a Boba Fett action figure up for sending, I had to add my name to the list. He arrived on Thursday, and I took him to work with me on Friday and got this shot. Click here to see the shot I took of him when he got to the house on Thursday.

Athena

2008-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

November 6, 2008
Day 6

Pretty kitty.

Diamond

2008-11-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

November 5, 2008
Day 5

Five years ago today, Eric popped the question. I am happy he did. :)

Did you?

2008-11-04T15:54:00.001-08:00

November 4, 2008
Day 4

They didn't give me a sticker, so I used a sharpie.

J.D. Robb

2008-11-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

November 3, 2008
Day 3

J.D. Robb writes these fantastic futuristic romantic suspense books. This is my most favorite series of books ever. The series has 33 titles (so far), which includes 5 novellas. I don't have all of them, but I always pick them up when I get the chance.

Beau in Black&White

2008-11-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

November 2, 2008
Day 2

The woods behind my work were cleared out a couple of weeks ago and there is a sign for free firewood for whoever wants to come and get it. Eric and I went by there today with the dogs to cut some up for a friend. Here is Beau climbing on one of the fallen trees as we walked around waiting for Eric to finish up.

Kitchen Sink Jambalaya

2008-11-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today is November 1, 2008.

Last year, my good friend Ruth participated in a little thing called NaNoWriMo. I decided to show my support by taking one photo a day for the month of November. Sure, it's no novel, but I am a photographer, not a writer. I successfully completed my project last year. This year, I have decided to play again! I have been tossing around ideas on making my project themed in some way. But in the end, I think I am just going to stick with what I did last year. Just a photo-a-day for an entire month. Please expect to see lots of animals, some nature, my face (and possible Eric's - if I can get him to cooperate), as well as several recipes.

Day 1

Kitchen Sink Jambalaya

Recipe as follows (I don't measure, so everything is just estimated):

One package turkey sausage, sliced then quartered
Half an onion, chopped
A handful or so of baby carrots, chopped
One can diced tomatoes
Half a can corn, drained
One can Pinto beans, drained
One box of Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix
3 Cups of water
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and herb grilling spices

1. Saute the sausage then move to a separate bowl
2. Saute the carrot then move them with the sausage
3. Saute the onion in a little oil with some red pepper flakes
4. Add water and Zatarain's Mix, bring to a boil
5. Add sausage and carrots, as well as the tomatoes, corn, and beans
6. Throw in some herb grilling spices, garlic powder, salt and pepper
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes
8. Voila!

Aside from the sausage and onion, I put pretty much anything in this. This particular recipe goes with the photo above, and is just what I had on hand tonight. Sometimes I will add celery, or just a bag of frozen vegetables. Use whatever you have. it's yummy no matter what you throw in!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T06:34:00.001-07:00

happy halloween!, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

The puppies were less than impressed with me trying to get a photo of them in their Halloween collars. But they still look cute!

The Beatles

2008-10-30T08:27:00.001-07:00

beatles, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

This post is for Amanda a.k.a. the Beatles freak

Cirque du Soleil has a show in Las Vegas about the Beatles called Love. We didn't see the show, but we did go to the Mirage to take some photos. The top photo is of the Revolution Lounge and the bottom two are at the theatre entrance.

Us

2008-10-29T19:34:00.001-07:00

us , originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

We are back from Las Vegas and are completely exhausted! The trip was fantastic and we had a great time. I will post more photos later, but here is one to tide you over. Here is a quick snapshot of Eric and I as we were roaming the strip on Sunday.

The Puppies

2008-10-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of my favorite shots of the puppies:

They are staying with my aunt and uncle until next Wednesday because Eric and I are going to a conference. In Las Vegas!! I am so excited about this trip! We leave tonight and get back Tuesday afternoon. I will try to post some updates if I get internet access; otherwise, I'll see you guys next week!

Mums

2008-10-22T07:43:00.001-07:00

mums, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Batty

2008-10-21T10:38:00.001-07:00

batty, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

My mother got Stella this bat toy at Old Navy last year for Halloween. I put it up after the holiday passed and just found it again this weekend. Stella and Beau have been playing with it ever since. It's really funny to watch them play tug with it. Sadly, the bat now has a hole in his face as well as his rear and will have to be tossed soon.

Untitled

2008-10-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

triptych, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Stella

2008-10-18T15:23:00.001-07:00

stella, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Kitties

2008-10-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

After posting baby photos of the cats, I thought I'd post some more recent photos of them.

Here is Aphrodite hiding in the closet when we were in the rental house:

And here's Athena trying to nap on the middle shelf of the bookcase (before it had any books on it):

Gone are the blue eyes and fluffy fur, but I think these two are still really pretty.

Baby Pictures

2008-10-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

I was going through an album of photos from several years ago and I came across pictures of the cats from when they were kittens. They were so adorable!

Here's Athena under our old coffee table:

Here's Aphrodite by the back doors playing:

And finally, here's Athena napping in the sunlight:

I can't get over how sweet they looked with their blue eyes and fluffy fur.

Leaves

2008-10-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

leaves , originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Another reject from last year's Photo-A-Day project.

Stella

2008-10-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

stella, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Kira Marie

2008-10-13T13:17:00.001-07:00

kira marie, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

She's a cutie pie.

Mr. and Mrs. Mark

2008-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the wedding of one of Eric's childhood friends. We couldn't be happier for Patrick and Linda. I took a few pictures in between eating a delicious dinner and dancing my feet off.

Here is the lovely church where they were married.

The sancturary was very open provided a great backdrop for the ceremony.

Here is Linda and Patrick with Patrick's parents, Chuck and Bonnie.

The decorations for the reception included apples that tied the autumn theme together.

I didn't get many pictures after the happy couple and thier parents had their dances, mostly because Eric and I were on the dance floor ourselves! Here is Patrick and Bonnie during the mother/son dance.

Congrats Patrick and Linda! We had a blast at the wedding and hope you are having a wonderful time on your honeymoon to China!

Compare the two

2008-10-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

The photos below are of the same subjects, taken by two different photographers, from two different angles. I love the contrasts.

Taken by me.

Taken by Manda.

Flowers

2008-10-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

flowers, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Painted Clouds

2008-10-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

painted clouds, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

These were taken last night about 5 minutes apart each. I love how quickly the colors change.

Shadows

2008-10-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

shadows, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Me and a dog. I can't remember which.

Blue Wall

2008-10-07T11:06:00.001-07:00

blue wall, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

She hardly ever stays still. Thus the blurry face.

Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Muffins

2008-10-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

Last week I saw this great recipe for Cream Cheese-Filled Banana Muffins over at Pinch My Salt. I decided to try and make them this weekend. Here is what they were supposed to look like:

photos from pinchmysalt.com

Needless to say, I am not a baker. Here is what came out of my oven:

My muffins were more like small explosions - but, oh boy, were they tasty explosions!

Play

2008-10-05T06:47:00.001-07:00

play , originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

They are better than TV when they play like this.

Clouds

2008-10-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

clouds, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Sway

2008-10-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

sway, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

This pretty fluff comes from the ugliest bush I have ever seen...

Morning dew

2008-10-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

I got this shot early one morning in Knoxville.

This photo is a great example of bokeh. See all the little blurry dots? So...

Happy Bokeh Wednesday!!!

Attempted Escape

2008-09-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Athena decided she wanted to venture outside while I had the door propped open to bring in groceries yesterday afternoon.

Slump

2008-09-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am totally in a creative slump. I don't have any inspiration for new photos, so I thought I'd mess around with some of my old photos until my muse returned.

Stella

2008-09-28T10:26:00.001-07:00

stella, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Beau

2008-09-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

beau, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

I really liked this shot. He was standing against my leg wanting me to pick him up.

Sunset

2008-09-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Eric and I went out on the lake last sunday right at sunset and I got some really pretty photos.

All of these have not been processed at all. They are straight out of the camera, or SOOC.

The reflections on the water were really pretty too.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

The Puppies and I

2008-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Beau has a tendency to run out of the yard if I let him off the leash. So until he learns where the boundaries are, he's a leashed dog.

Yellow

2008-09-24T10:20:00.001-07:00

I took this yesterday afternoon on the way to my car after work. I love how the bug is mid-flight.

It looks really good here.

Weekly Words Challenge

2008-09-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from the WWC for several weeks. Life has been so busy, I'm surprised I have had time to take any pictures at all. And when Tink announced this weeks words, I couldn't think of anything to shoot for it. Then last night in the shower an idea just came to me out of the blue!

Primitive

This is a primitive mode of transportation.

Modern

And these are modern modes of transportation.

Want to participate in the Weekly Words Challenge? Tink's in charge, so visit her for detials.

Beau

2008-09-21T18:23:00.001-07:00

beau, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Meet Beau. This is one of my father-in-law's dogs. The have decided to only keep one of their dogs because of the accident. The second one was adopted by a couple they know, and we decided to take Beau. He is so incredibly sweet and wants nothing more than to be held. Stella just loves him.

Moving forward

2008-09-18T08:16:00.001-07:00

So Eric's dad was moved from UT hospital in Knoxville to an acute care facility here in Nashville yesterday. Hooray for getting out of critical care! He's doing much better, but still has a long road ahead of him. It will be nice to have him here so Eric and I can check in on him as often as we like. His wife is also doing better and will be moved to a facility in Johnson City, TN until she can begin her rehab. Her daughter lives in Johnson City and will be able to look after her while she's there. Thanks to everyone that has been keeping us in their thoughts.

Crossed Wires

2008-09-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Losing the light

2008-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

Monica and I tried to get out and shoot in the field next to my office. Unfortunately, the days are getting shorter and we lost the light after just a few shots. I did get a few nice photos though. Hopefully we'll be able to get out there again before the afternoons are completely dark!

The Goldens

2008-09-13T14:49:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago, I donated my photography services to a silent auction. The Goldens were the winners! I went out with Tammy and her daughters, Macy and Megan, this morning for our shoot and had a great time.

It was a bit windy, but I kinda like the windswept look. :)

We've got some Bama fans here!

Aren't the girls just goregous?

And finally, I am offering a clone shot to anyone that purchases a photography shoot, free of charge. (Mostly because I love doing them so much!)

Tammy, Macy, and Megan, I hope you guys are as pleased with how these came out as I am!

Hello :)

2008-09-12T07:02:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Birds

2008-09-11T11:35:00.001-07:00

birds, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Aphrodite

2008-09-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Cloning

2008-09-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE doing these cloning shots! Here are some of my most recent.

Whiskers

2008-09-08T06:12:00.001-07:00

whiskers, originally uploaded by stella_dolce.

Happy Stella

2008-09-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

She's happy in the tall grass.

Surprise Package

2008-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

When I got home yesterday afternoon, a package was waiting for me. This lovely basket of goodies was sent by our friends Ruth and Anne. I can't wait to sample!

The basket included 4 Extra Fancy Gift Pears, an Apple Sampler Cake, some Apple Butter, 2 Raspberry Galettes, and some Caramel Popcorn. And I love, love the basket itself! So cute!

Thanks gals!! You're the best!

Inverted

2008-09-05T08:25:00.001-07:00

I kinda like it.

Fruits of our labor

2008-09-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

All of this was picked last night. It's getting to the point where we can't eat it all in time.

For Ruth

2008-09-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

You can enjoy the crepe myrtle from afar!