Happy New Year

Happy 2012, friends!  I started the new year off making a whole heap of changes in my exercise and eating habits as well as my organizational habits.  How about you?  What are you changing for the better?  Today I also got out for a little bit with my muse (aka, my oldest child) and photographed.  I'm thinking of doing the Let's Do 52 photography project on Flickr hosted by Paint the Moon.  I'm just a bit of a commitment phobe when it comes to stuff like that.  I want to make sure I am going to carry out the challenges every week.  Anyone else doing something like this?  I need to be more decisive.

Speaking of being decisive, that is definitely not how I feel right now about these two photographs. Which do you prefer? Black and white or color?  In general, I really love b/w the best.  But it really depends on my mood at the time.  I guess. 

See?  Told you I am indecisive.  Maybe I need to add 'being better at making decisions' to my resolutions list.

Ok. I really do need to go to bed now.  I'm so glad it's 2012.  Goodnight!

{self - portrait}

Going through some left over files on my memory cards always tends to bring up funny images.  Yesterday I found one and had to chuckle.  Lately I have been extremely busy and find myself driving to sessions a lot more than I used to.  I've kind of gotten into a ritual of listening to John Mayer, which pumps me up!  I love listening to his acoustic tunes as I do pretty much anything... especially drive and edit.  So in that way, I felt like this photo kind of defines part of who I am at the moment. So this is me, petal to the medal, jammin' out.  I was probably stopped at a light or something...  Actually, I think I was probably just testing to make sure my camera was on and working properly.  Either way I thought it was a cool image and wanted to share.

The Old Town

Alexandria, Virginia. 

From the moment I drove down the cobblestone streets and walked along its narrow, crooked sidewalks, I was under Old Town Alexandria's charming spell.  I could see myself living in a narrow row house, shutters on every window and a brightly painted door, gardening in my courtyard while my children play. I could picture strolling down to King Street every Friday with my husband for our date night, walking my kids to school and playing with them at the park next to the huge stone church just down the way. I can imagine myself visiting the Saturday farmer's market each week to get fresh fruits and veggies. And, oh! homemade croissants (can't leave those out)! Everything about this little part of Alexandria just beckoned me. And don't even get me started on the photographic possibilities of living in a little town like this. It was so tempting not to snap a photo of every lovely door I passed! I could be gone for hours in a place like this. The history is abundant and compelling. I wanted to learn everything I could about who used to live in each house and what their lives were like back in the 16 and 1700s!

My brother humored me and came with me to Old Town today and I had such a fun time admiring this place. I hope I have done this town a little bit of justice through these photos. It is just incredible!

Aren't these just the CUTEST?!

Love the fall wreath on the alley door!

This tree was growing ON the exterior of the house!

I love doors!

Cute, little trimmed shrubs in the window box. Love.

Courtyard! I want one!

Interesting address.

train tracks, back roads and vampires

This is Kristy, my beautiful sister-in-law. I always love it when people volunteer to let me practice photographing them. She's a great model, isn't she? She also introduced me to the world of Twilight. So, just for fun, I thought I'd make her into a vampire. Watch out Edward Cullen.