#WTFSEPT Photography Challenge - Days 7-9

Day 7 - now playing

Here you can see that I am incredibly dorky since I own the Harry Potter version of Clue. I was tempted to take a picture of my Simpsons chess set, which is even cooler than this, but I guess I don't care enough about y'all to set up all of those pieces just for a photo. Sorry. Your loss.

Day 8 - I am _____

This one's an easy one. I am evil. There. Done. Good thing NJ and Hell have pretty much the same landscape so the view outside the bedroom window really works for this photo.

Day 9 - on the run

No, today's picture did not turn out as I'd hoped. No, I didn't even bother to go for a run today. The best I managed was putting on my running shoes for this photo. Bad me.

#WTFSEPT Photography Challenge - Days 5 & 6

Day 5 - flare

 Oh look, I happen to own a pair of flared Lululemon pants. I knew they would come in handy one of these days.

Day 6 - bright

That's right. Today's theme is bright and I have egotistically posted a photo of myself. In case you weren't already convinced that I'm bright, I went ahead and wore my nerdy glasses. Poor vision = intelligence, right?

#WTFSEPT Photography Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 - sweat

Today's theme isn't particularly pretty. Sweat. Great. How am I going to maintain my aura of ladylike sophistication if I have to show y'all my sweat?

The other day I had a particularly ridiculous bout of vanity when I seriously considered skipping my workout because my hair looked so good. Of course, I quickly realized how silly I was being and did my usual workout as penance for those donuts I'd indulged in, giving up my perfectly straight, shiny locks for a frizzy, curly mess atop my head. Probably a wise trade-off. This is how awful my hair looks when I get done working out. Not exactly glamorous, eh? But hey, it's a sign that I worked hard and don't have to feel too guilty about all of those cupcakes I eat.

#WTFSEPT Photography Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 - reflection

You know us girls. Sometimes when we look in the mirror we simply don't like what we see. It's almost as if there's a monster staring back at us.

What the Focus September Photography Challenge - Day 2

Here are are again. Yet another photography challenge. Prepare yourself for the onslaught of photos. Fortunately for the both of us this one only lasts 30 days. Because it's hosted by Lululemon, a workout clothing company, many of the prompts are fitness related. Perhaps this challenge will serve two purposes: force me to get my camera back out and keep me motivated to do my daily workouts.

Of course, I already outwitted them and came up with a wildly unhealthy picture for the first prompt.

Day 1 - centre

I behaved myself with the second prompt, "set the bar(re)," and came up with something suitable.  At the recommendation of a friend, I recently added some Pure Barre DVDs to my workout routine. They're a grueling combination of ballet, pilates, weight training, and even a little kickboxing. Definitely heavy-duty work for the lower body. There are long sections of exercises done en pointe, or at least as high up on my tippy toes as I can manage. By the end of it I'm usually cursing the instructor and her entire family, pets included. My poor little legs. This stuff had better be working!

Day 2 - set the bar(re)

Lemon Rolls With Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

I began this long holiday weekend planning to make another batch of lemon pull apart bread. I'd been looking forward to it all week and the big bag of lemons sitting in my fruit basket teased and tantalized me with the promise of delicious baked goods. So what changed that plan? 

I discovered another photography challenge I'm tempted to try. You may have noticed I flaked out and gave up on the photography challenge I began at the beginning of the year. I have a million excuses from life getting in the way to my camera crapping out on me but the bottom line is I lost my mojo and haven't felt like picking up my camera for a while. I guess I go through phases like that in my life. A friend sent me the link to a photography challenge hosted by Lululemon, a workout clothing company that I've become more than a little obsessed with. I figure if I spend so much of my life working out I might as well invest a little in looking and feeling cute while I do it. Anyway, the challenge features 30 days of prompts that look to combine my love of being healthy with my love of photography. Let's ignore the fact that today's picture focuses more on butter and sugar than healthy living. It was such a simple switcheroo to find a lemon roll recipe that incorporated the same elements as that lemon pull apart bread, thus perfectly meeting the qualifications for today's photography theme: Centre. We all know the center is the best part of the roll.

The recipe I found was so similar to the pull apart bread that I knew it would be just as delicious. The recipe upped the yummy quotient by adding ginger and nutmeg, two of my favorite things. As I expected, the lemon flavor is strong in this one. Just the way I like it. Eating a few of these in place of lunch was a great way to kick off the holiday weekend.

 

Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

Recipe adapted from The Kitchn 

For the dough:
1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F (warm but not hot on your wrist)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft, plus 3 tablespoons more for roll assembly
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you may not use it all)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs

Zest of one lemon

For the sticky lemon filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Zest of two lemons

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons orange zest

For the lemon cream cheese glaze:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons milk
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Make the dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes or until foamy. With the mixer paddle, stir the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour into this milk and yeast mixture. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and the lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

(If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)

Lightly grease the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled — about one hour.

Make the filling:
In a small bowl, mix 1 cup sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest (1/3) with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles soft sand. Slowly pour in the lemon juice, stirring. Stop when the sugar and lemon juice form a thick, clumpy mixture like wet sand. (You may not use all of the lemon juice depending on how much juice you got from your lemon.)

Assemble the rolls:
Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish or two 9" cake pans with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches.

Spread the dough evenly with 3 tablespoons of very soft unsalted butter, then spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the lemon sugar firm inside. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls. Pinch the bottom of each roll closed to help keep the lemon sugar inside, and place each one, open and cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a towel, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour before proceeding with baking.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F. Check the rolls after 20 minutes and if they're getting dark on top cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the baking time.

Make the glaze:
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small food processor (or with a mixer, or a sturdy whisk), whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the milk and the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.

Finish the rolls:
When the rolls are done, smear them with the cream cheese glaze. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving, but do serve while still warm.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 13]

Last week's Paint the Moon theme was "Look out for curves."

Sorry I'm falling behind so much on this project. I took this photo during the appropriate week and then waited almost a week and a half before processing it. I started out motivated and inspired by the themes and now find myself struggling to come up with anything good. I'll keep plugging away but it's become quite a chore for me.

52 Week Photo Project [Weeks 10-12]

I've been lax in posting lately. My apologies! Between my dad's visit last week and the lovely warm weather we've been having I've been spending less time on my computer and more time out and about. I'm three weeks behind in posting my photographs, which is just as well since I only got around to taking last week's photo today. Oops!

Week 10 Theme: Monochrome

Week 11 Theme: Teeny Tiny

We just so happen to call Loofy "Teeny Tiny" on account of her small size. I mean, all of our cats are unnaturally thin but she takes the cake at only seven pounds. We do feed her, I swear!

Week 12 Theme: Vintage

I know I've already taken pictures of the Ford Galaxie 500 from every imaginable angle, so instead I tried something a little different with the processing. Hope you like it.

By the way, word verification for comments is back on after another slew of spam comments. Not sure that'll cure the problem but I'll try whatever I can to keep that crap off of my blog.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 9]

Now I remember why I was so glad to finish my 365 project. The pressure of getting a good shot for the theme can really get you down.

Last week's Paint the Moon theme was "framed." I had a few good ideas but they all required lots of natural light. Of course, the only time I'm home when there's light coming through the windows is on the weekend, so I had to wait until then. I was pretty busy so by the time I settled down to try out my ideas it was already late Sunday afternoon, the last day to post my photo. Turns out all of my ideas were horrible failures so I found myself rushing around in the rapidly dying light trying to come up with another idea. Any idea would do, really. So this is what I came up with at the last minute. I don't think poor little Punky will ever forgive me for this indignity.

And before you go thinking she's an unnaturally patient and willing model, I will confess that there was a little Photoshop magic involved. I actually took the picture holding the glasses up a few inches in front of her face, then put the glasses down and took a few pictures so I could edit my hand out. I know from the time I tried to make her wear a chicken hat that she is not at all cooperative about wearing a costume. I do still feel a little guilty about this:

52 Week Photo Project [Week 8]

This week's Paint the Moon theme is "simplicity." Earlier in the week I came up with the below photo but wasn't 100% happy with it. I mean, I like how it turned out but it wasn't very original and certainly didn't tell a story. So today I played around and came up with one that reflects the simple pleasures of life for me. None better than curling up with a good book and a cup of hot tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Poor rejected photo

52 Week Photo Project [Week 7]

Smooth Criminal

This week's Paint the Moon theme is "smooth." Just like this smooth hunk of white chocolate. Oh yeah, baby.

Alright, I did not steal this chocolate. No criminal activity involved here. But the post-Valentine's Day sale price was a bit of a steal. :)

52 Week Photo Project [Week 6]

This week's Paint the Moon themes were "topsy turvy" and "linear." I couldn't think of a thing to do for the topsy turvy theme but the linear one seemed wide open to me. I've been looking for lines everywhere I've been the past week. I've noticed them everywhere from the aerial tower on my way to work to the fence in front of the old folks' community up the road. Ultimately I decided to go for something abstract and I actually like how it turned out. So here's my entry for week 6.

Alright, yes, it's a fork taped to the window. And yes, I accidentally left it there all day so any neighbors walking by probably wondered what the heck is wrong with me.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 5]

All by myself...

This week's Paint the Moon theme was inspired by Annie's realization that she doesn't come out from behind the camera often enough. All of her family photos are missing one important thing: her. I was touched by her story about losing her brother and regretting not taking more pictures of him on the sly. He was so camera shy she was left with very few pictures of someone she'd cherished and lost. I adore my family and spend lots of time flipping through old photos of us all.

That said, while I liked the idea behind the theme I also struggled with it. It only served to remind me that I'm all alone without close family or friends near me. All I have are oodles and oodles of pictures of those I love. At least I could get those photographs to pose with me without complaint. Not one complained about looking fat or having a bad hair day!

52 Week Photo Project [Week 4]

Alas, poor Yorick!

This week's Paint the Moon theme is "sparkle." I just so happen to own a glitter-covered skull that I thought would fit the theme. Of course, I suspect there are all sorts of tricks to capturing sparkly stuff in low light that I don't know. At least I got a chance to play around with my Bokeh Masters Kit.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 3]

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.

I so need to buy myself more shoes. I only own one pair of real heels so I had to work with what I got.

This week's Paint the Moon theme is "white space." I had so much success with the "overexposed" theme last year that I wanted to tie the two together. And, uh, I wanted to do something a little different from the perfect photos of cute kids that seem to dominate the Paint the Moon Flickr group. I think we can agree this is pretty much the polar opposite of showing off one's adorable offspring. I so don't fit in there but I'm going to plow on with the project for my own sake, not because I think I'll ever get recognition there.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 2]

This week's Paint the Moon theme is "open." I'd originally planned to do something involving a book (super original, I know) but then yesterday we had a little change around here that fit the theme perfectly. We've opened our home and our hearts to a foster dog. I'm still not convinced this is a good idea as two out of our three cats seem petrified but I'm hoping they'll adjust.

Major's a rambunctious lab and terrier mix who's still got a lot of puppy in him at only seven months. But he's a real sweetheart and adorable to boot. It's fun having a dog in the house and a walking partner who can keep up with my pace. Even if we have to stop for frequent bathroom breaks in the neighbors' yards along the way. Mostly for his sake, of course.

52 Week Photo Project [Week 1]

I am officially back in business! As you may have noticed, my photography adventures have been rather sporadic and sparse since the blissful day when I completed my 365 project. Now, I'm not big on making resolutions or huge goals for myself at the start of the year as I think I'm pretty disciplined and in tune with what needs to be fixed in my life throughout the year. Still, there's something nice about starting a new project with the new year. I've decided to join in the 52 week photography challenge at Paint the Moon. She'll have weekly themes to guide us and a Flickr group to share our pictures. I'm excited to have another project to work on and am looking forward to joining another photography community even though I can already tell I'm outclassed by many others in the group.

Feel free to join in yourself! Fifty-two photos for the year should be much more doable and less of a strain than 365.

This week we've been given two themes to choose from, "sharing" or "natural." I chose "natural," as in my fluffy 100% cotton towel and the strange figure in the background, presumably posing au natural. :)

A Photo A Day [Days 395-396] - New York City Edition

Day 395

The famous Radio City Music Hall. Didn't actually see a show there on this trip but I've done plenty of the Christmas shows in the past. To be honest, I'd much rather see a play than a singing/dancing extravaganza. Which is exactly what I did. Although tickets were pricey I treated my family to a viewing of the drool-worthy Alan Rickman in Seminar, which proved to be fun for the whole family. Well, that might only hold true if your family's as weird and highbrow as mine. *adjusts monocle*

Day 396

A stolen moment captured on camera. Two lovers embrace while a zebra looks on disapprovingly. A serial killer lurches into frame. You can only imagine what happens next. My camera will never tell...

Our hotel was conveniently located just half a block off of 5th Avenue, the shopping mecca of NYC. While most of the stores were beyond my budget it did make for some nice photo opportunities. The best part is, we were able to sneak out of the hotel at night once the stores were shut and the crowds were gone so I could take photos of the impressive window displays at Bergdorf Goodman. This is but a sampling of the oddities they had to offer:







This last shot was such a lucky one, snapped just before we got on the bus to return home. While waiting for the bus to arrive I started to look around to see what photography mischief I could get up to and the perfect New York scene presented itself. Goodbye, New York! For now.

A Photo A Day [Day 394]

You may say I'm a dreamer

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I played host to my mom and little brother and we took a brief jaunt up to NYC for a few days after Christmas. Got to see Alan Rickman on Broadway where I managed to refrain from drooling. Did lots of shopping, hit my favorite book store (Strand), and ate so much delicious food in just two days.

This was taken on a walk through Central Park on our way to the Museum of Natural History. I didn't even realize it was the famous Dakota Building until later. I just liked the way it peeked through the bare branches of the trees up the winding path.

A Photo A Day [Days 390-392]

Another one of those photos where it didn't turn out as I'd planned so I forced it to work with the aid of Photoshop.




Over the weekend I dragged my husband to go see a cabaret/burlesque version of The Nutcracker being performed in Philadelphia. It was a fun enough time that was sort of ruined by the misery we had to suffer upon returning home.

It was shortly after 10:00 PM on a cold winter's evening when we discovered that our front door no longer wanted to open. It was as if the doorknob wouldn't turn far enough to unlock. Called an emergency locksmith who, because our doorknob is old and weird like everything else in our house, was unable to use any of the usual methods to get the door open. In fact, every time we have someone out to repair something the worker always comments on how he's never had to work with a __ (fill in the blank) so strange and difficult to fix. Over the course of the next hour the locksmith wound up hacking the entire doorknob to pieces, bit by bit, using a drill, metal cutters, and a saw. I'm sure our neighbors loved us for the sound of power tools echoing through the peaceful neighborhood at midnight. Let's not even talk about how bloody cold it was locked out of our house as frost formed on the grass and cars. Let's really not talk about how much the entire thing cost us by the end of the ordeal. Still, I was never so grateful to see the inside of my house. The poor cats who were inside when this all went down were petrified beyond belief and didn't recover until the next day.





Hark! Glory to my new-found holiday-flavored milk! What to my wondering eye did appear while wandering the aisles of Target than this red velvet chocolate milk. Yes, it is as odd and tasty as you'd imagine. I simply couldn't resist buying it for my husband.