Holiday outtakes

outtakes
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

I just wanted to take a moment and post a few outtakes...Boys will be boys ;)

Feeling Inspired....

   It's the end of the year, and I have a number of thoughts floating in my head.  So many things that I need to get out of my head & on to paper otherwise I'll lose them...Some of my thoughts are things I need to do now, some are things to do later.  I have a number of ideas for photos and ideas for "creating art" as my boys say....and I even have 6 different blog posts that have been swimming in my head.
  I have a number of things that I want to do involving my camera.. I love taking pictures of my kids, but now I find myself wishing I could do something... MORE... although, I don't know what more is...playing, experimenting... Maybe a little freelance? hmmmmm...I'm not sure, but it's all because of this book--{5} and here is a short little video about it...
   I've been so caught up in my mom's health for the last two years that I really could not think beyond the immediate future.  A few months ago, I decided that I owe it to my mom to "do something" and not take my life for granted. One day after my mom's doctor appointment, I dropped by Vroman's bookstore (I love that place!). As I browsed the aisles a bright red book with the number 5 caught my eye.  On the cover was written, "Where will you be five years from today?"  I flipped through the book and knew I had to buy it.
   So now as my mind has been full of things I need to do, it is now full of  things I wish I could do, and thoughts of things I might like to do.  I'm feeling inspired for the first time in a long time.  If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend you pick-up a copy.  As a side note, I just heard that Compendium is coming out with  a blog shortly.. I'll keep you posted :)

Where does time go?

I just noticed it has been two months since I posted... Wow, where does time go?  I blinked and it's GONE.
I blinked and Christmas is here.  I blinked and my little babies have turned into boys.  While thumbing through photos, I compiled a collage of my favorites~ and it breaks my heart to know they are getting so big....

Fall Cornfields

Fall Cornfields
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

Haven't posted or updated in a while...so I decided to repost..
Just remembering our family trip to see my grandma last year in October. So happy we were able to introduce her to the boys as she passed before Thanksgiving.

Contemplative --- I HEART FACES

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "contemplative". I had a few to choose from and decided to go with this one.

I took my little guy to Disneyland for a mommy and me day before he started big boy school (kindergarten). As we were sitting eating lunch my son was watching a nearby (private) birthday party and was wondering why he couldn't go to where Mickey and Minnie were...So, I decided to grab my camera... (more to the story continues on post below)

I'm # 392 !!! WOW that's a LOT of entries

Contemplative (continued)

After the birthday party was done, Mickey and Minnie left and said goodbye. My little guy was really worried that they were leaving the park for good. I reassured him that they were not leaving... Kids are so precious, aren't they ;)

BUBBLES - I Heart Faces

It's been a little while since I participated in an I Heart Faces contest...and I was looking forward to this week's theme. I took a bunch of photos of my kids blowing bubbles in the backyard a couple of months ago... here is one of the many ;) ENJOY TODAY

This week's theme is Bubbles....

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

I am #54 whoo hoooo!

P.S. More bubble photos below

Saturday

It's absolutely beautiful outside.. Except for a little haze probably caused by the fire up north. This week is a new week and I decided that I will be participating in the I heart Faces contest again. This week's theme is "bubbles". Figures, I already used my favorite photo below (6/22)... Hmmm I guess I'll have to whip out the camera this weekend.

Yeah--I know

I know it's been a while since I updated the blog, but I've been busy... {translation, lazy}... I haven't even entered any I Heart Faces contests lately because I keep missing the deadline :( ....So, instead of a really long catch up post-- I decided to take the easy way out and post a few collages to show what we've been doing... and of course I had to include a few outtakes ;) ENJOY TODAY

Let's Hear It For The Boys...

This week's theme is "Let's Hear It For The Boys" and as you can tell from my blog, I have two.
I took this picture of my older son this past weekend.. We were enjoying the beautiful Father's Day weather... FINALLY a sunny day ! I know it's not the typical "posed" picture, but it makes me smile when I look at it ;) Have a good week!

P.S. I am #296 and you can check out all the entries at http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

Father's Day

I know.. I know.. I've been neglecting my little blog..and I was doing so well.. but, at least I've been taking tons of pictures...Hopefully I will be able to catch up within the next couple of weeks.
Today was Father's Day and it was a beautiful day to spend time outside...What a wonderful day to end the gloomy weekend:) I was thinking of my Dad today, knowing that he was smiling down from above and laughing at the boys' antics this weekend. I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well.

AutoFocus

It's been a little while since I last posted.. I went through a pretty busy time with work followed by a really fun vacation in Las Vegas... I have so many projects, ideas and thoughts that have been in my mind lately, that I'm having to keep my trusty notebook on my nightstand to capture them all. I have so many things that I want to do, and of course, they are all in different areas (photography, cooking, etc..).. There just is not enough hours in the day (and I don't sleep that much as it is). Sometimes I wish I had an Autofocus button. I have so many things that are swimming in my head (I have to start rereading my GTD books!) and I have also been spending way too much time on Scribd. Have you heard of it? Great website ;) .I have a number of links that I would love to share too, but first-- I need to get back to work... More later

Heimlich/Shmeimlich

Catchy title, huh? I had a good weekend, I hope you did as well. Lots of kids in the backyard, slip n slides, drinks, friends etc... we had a revolving door the last few days. I even got to swim 5 days this past week, which was great, but it's sure hard to get back into it. Everything went pretty smoothly, with one minor incident involving me, my younger son and the Heimlich... Needless to say, he will not be eating any more tootsie rolls for a while ;) Luckily, I seem to be pretty calm in the "big & scary" situations (earthquake, childbirth, operations etc.). I must've inherited that from my mom... that and my high tolerance for pain...I still feel bad for my friend Royce, who doesn't have any kids and was a witness to the events. I didn't realize that it scared him a bit, until on his way out he mentioned that his heart was still racing... {SORRY ROYCE}..I'm sure he was fine a few hours later because he went w/ the husband and a bottle of Jack to a Laker party...
I didn't take any photos this past weekend, can you believe it? I brought it to my mom's house on Sunday, but didn't take any. The boys and I took her for some Japanese food @ Tokyo Lobby in San Gabriel, since she was feeling pretty good. They ate pretty much everything, and love using the chopsticks. I got a kick out of my son putting his head through a space in the wall telling two or three girls that they were beautiful.. He is such a flirt...Hope you had a beautiful weekend... :)

My Reprieve!

I was given a reprieve and it turns out that I don't have to work this weekend (THANK GOODNESS!).. After a very busy week and way too much work, I'm chillin' out this weekend..Maybe cook a little, visit my mom, go shopping... Maybe take a walk w/ my camera.. hmm who knows. I was happy to have a little me time this afternoon-- I snuck away to the gym to swim a few laps before company came over this afternoon. (Same as Friday night, friends, drinks, barbecue).. I must be getting old-- two nights of this and I'm wiped out, but a good wiped out.. The kids had a great time since they got to play w/ their best friends two nights in a row...Hope you had a good Saturday and are feeling wiped out too :)

Marshfield

Marshfield
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

This week, the theme for the I heart faces contest is "My Favorite Face Photo".  I love this photo for so many reasons..The colors of the trees, grass, everything seems so vivid out in the country ;)  I also love this photo for the memories it brings back...
Last year while my mom was feeling pretty good, I took the boys (and my mom) back East so that they could spend time w/ my Grandma. She was 90 years old and was recovering from a stroke and I felt it was important for them to spend time with her...The boys had fun visiting with their Great-Grandma and the rest of the family. They absolutely loved it.. (What's not to love? hayrides, running in cornfields, fishing, lots of open space, COWS...absolutely beautiful). My son's expression probably says it all, "Mom, hurry up and take the picture, I want to go play". :)
I was really happy that we were able to spend time w/ my Grandma as she passed about a month after... 

As I was digging through my photos last night, I came across a bunch of candids of the boys playing with my Grandma and talking to her......they are priceless.  It's amazing how a camera can capture a moment in time, so you can keep it in your heart. ENJOY TODAY

P.S. I'm #384 :)

"I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites."

Saturday

Beautiful day today.. We spent the day outside and took care of a few domestic duties.. I got my hair cut (said goodbye to 7")..not very exciting stuff, I know. ;)

We truly are lucky to live in Southern California...Everything is so close, the beach, the mountains, the lake. I just love this time of year... We have a few camping trips planned within the next few months and no doubt we'll be running to the lake too...Summer is always a busy time & the calendar is filling up.

Hmmm. Been thinking about going for a another photowalk, but not sure where to go (hopefully it won't 102 when I decide to go). I like Townsley Canyon, Descanso Gardens & Huntington Library... or Maybe I'll just drive up the 2 freeway and take a peek. I think after all of the hours I have put in at work lately, I deserve to treat myself to a day off, don't you?... Well, maybe after my trip to Sin City w/ my friend Beck.

Hope you had a good Saturday!

A little Laughter never hurt ;)

Laugh
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

For this week's I Heart Faces contest.. The theme is Laughter ;)

WOW, this contest is getting pretty popular... I'm #457!

Mother's Day

So many things to write about Mother's Day, but I'll keep it short right now...The weather was beautiful, the boys made me breakfast in bed and we played outside all day.. So much that I wore my bathing suit & got too much sun. The only draw back, if any, was that I couldn't spend the day with my Mom because her WB count was too low... but, she is feeling better today.. and her doctor appt. on Monday went ok and I am thankful for that. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Take Out

While searching for something in my desk at work last week, I came across a mini-stack of fortunes. I guess it shows you that when I work late and we order in, chances are it will be Chinese food (It's not that we love Chinese, it's just that they deliver in under an hour, and they're close by).....I was having a rough day and rereading some of the fortunes made me chuckle....

Playin' in the sun...

It's been a few days since I posted, I've been reminded by a number people (thanks for the reminders :) ).. Here are a few pictures from today...We are just playin' in the sun today.. It's 97 degrees, so we decided to hang out outside today (& try to get rid of the boys energy). We blew up the inflatable pool for the boys and I've been chillin out catching up on some reading and enjoying the sun..and trying not to melt! Gotta go, I need a refill... Hope you are playing in the sun as well~

Captain Hook

Captain Hook
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

I am trying to enter the I Heart Faces contest every week. There is so much talent on this website, I doubt I will ever win, but hey-- gotta try, right?
This week's theme is "HATS." I took this photo while my little guy was playing dress up.

Darth/Spidey/Elmo

Had a pretty low key Sunday.. Today we played Darth/Spidey/Elmo...& only a few cartwheels today. No more handstands, after the 6th time yesterday my vertigo REALLY kicked in. The boys thought it was fun, but me-- not so much. Imagine feeling like your head was doing somersaults while your body remained still....not good! I didn't get too much time w/ the Nikon today. We were planning on going to JPL today for their open house, but the boys were a little too rowdy today so we stayed home & played in the sunshine instead. I spent a little time playing in the kitchen too (love to cook, hate the prep). I wish I had more hours in the day because there are so many recipes to try.

I have a lot of cookbooks, probably 30 just on my counter. I've been switching between my 3 favorite stand bys the last number of months...My favorite Chinese (The Thousand Recipe Cookbook), Italian cookbook (The Silver Spoon), and Spanish (1080 Recipes). The last two are HUGE cookbooks over 900 pages each and published by Phaidon...I love them & recommend them... Hopefully next weekend I'll find more time to cook!

Hope you had a low key Sunday as well!

Cartwheels & Superspidey Jedi

This AM before lunch the boys and I spent time in the backyard. Somehow they convinced me that I needed to show them I could do cartwheels.... and now--I'm Superwoman ;) the little guy and I were playing Super/Spidey/Jedi for a while until he showed me that he can now go on the monkeybars...I admit it, I was a total freak-- he's just a little guy hanging 6 feet up, and I was afraid he would fall...but, I had to bite my lip.  He's a boy after all.  

Next week is TEACHER APPRECIATION week at his school. I'm pulling out my hair trying to figure out what to do.. How do you thank the people who care for your children as if they are their own?..They spend so many hours teaching, sharing, talking etc. with the boys and it shows. Teachers have such an impact on children and they deserve so much---, but get so little (credit, $$, etc.). I really love the teachers.  Thank you to Roger, Ana & Monica -- You are the best ;)

Any ideas for gifts, please send me an email!

Creating Keepsakes --- June '09

WHOO HOOO. I just got the mail and wanted to share that if you happen to pick up a copy of June's CK at the store and happen to look at page 29, you may see a familiar name ;)

Creating Keepsakes - August 08

Summer photo
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

I was cleaning out some old files and thought I would share this little photo. This was the first photo that I had published in a magazine. I was asked to write a small piece about how I took the shot (long story short, I hid in the bushes). This photo was so special to me for so many reasons. First, I took the photo of my boys on the last day of their preschool. They had both gone to this school since birth, and I was moving them to the daycare at my work....so, I was a little emotional ;) Second, and more importantly, my mom was going through some really rough chemo and radiation when the magazine was going to be published. I wanted her to think about something other than the "C" word and I was happy to surprise her with a copy of the magazine. She perked up right away and then she promptly showed it off to all of her friends & family...She is so proud of her grandchildren!

I love putting a smile on someone's face when I know they need it, don't you?... {I wish I could bottle that feeling, I would make a mint ;)} ENJOY TODAY

Mom's little Falcon

 

When I was little, I remember sitting in the back of my mom's car while she drove.  I can still remember the way the car sounded, it had a familiar clicking sound when she would turn the corner.  I remember the way the doors sounded when you would slam them shut.. Such a solid car.  After a few years we bought a new F150 Truck and the poor Falcon made its way to the side yard where it sat for over 25 years.  

My brother and I always knew that the car was promised to my Uncle V... And so when my father passed, my mom finally decided to do a few home improvements, one which was getting rid of the eye sore.  To be honest, I was a little bummed to see the car go, it seemed like a piece of my childhood had disappeared....but, it was rusted and someone could probably use the parts.

About 9 months after my mom was diagnosed she casually mentioned that she had something to show me.. you can imagine my surprise when I saw this beautiful car restored...She had been having it restored (secretly) for over two years... I love that car, it has such beautiful lines.  It takes me back to my childhood every time I see it.

AHHH EEEE AHHH EEEE OH OH

AHHH EEEE AHHH EEEE OH OH
Originally uploaded by buneluvr

This week's I HEART FACES contest was a little hard for me..I didn't have any willing models for the "Reflection" theme this week, so I had to look at some old photos.
This photo was taken a while ago when my little guy would repeat over and over again "AHHH EEEE AHHH EE OHOH" & something that sounded like "My name is Bruce".

Sunday

*
I have been trying to be good and take pictures everyday as part of the 365 project, but... I can't seem to do it everyday... I go in spurts and post when I can. Thank you for your nice words of encouragement, I appreciate the notes that you send ;) I will be posting a picture (as soon as I figure out what I'm going to do) for I LOVE FACES contest a little later... Wish me luck!

This AM I went by the Farmer's Market... I Love fresh fruits and vegetables. I love the smell of basil and cilantro and can't get enough of it. I pulled some garlic from my garden too (wow, potent stuff!). When I was sitting outside this AM, I sat in an old bench that has been rusting. I love this bench... When my dad would come to visit, he would sit on this bench for hours. It was his favorite... It's always nice when you can look at something and it takes you back to a fond memory and puts a smile on your face. ENJOY TODAY :)

Doin' Art

This afternoon I broke out my stash for the boys because they wanted to "do art"... I have been a collector of all things art-- (ok maybe I hoard).  I have all sorts of calligraphy pens, pencils, watercolors, pastels, chalk etc.. and don't talk to me about paper...The three of us sat under the gazebo doing art for a while and just enjoyed the day.  I'm not much of an artist, but since I always tell the boys that they should be proud of their art, no matter what it looks like, I posted my pic as well... Hope you are enjoying the day.

Slow it Down

I woke up this morning feeling pretty well rested and decided to sit in the boys play structure and enjoy a cup of coffee and the view. I am grateful that no one lives directly behind us so that we have an unobstructed view. I really enjoyed listening to nothing... except for the gentle breeze or an occassional car driving by. I haven't just sat and listened for a while, except the other day at the Arboretum. It reminds me of the years I spent in Newport where I could just open my window and listen to the ocean... I really miss living at the beach...If you haven't taken the time to just sit and listen, I highly recommend it... Everyone needs to slow down every once and a while... even me :)

Best Friends

Just a quick post today ... a few pictures to share of my son and his best friend. They have known eachother since they were 8 months old. I caught the shots of my son trying to go in for a kiss, when I was hiding around a corner... Poor guy, his first attempt at a kiss forever documented ;)