Photo Challenge Day Nineteen...

Welcome to Day Nineteen of the June Photo-A-Day Challenge. If you've missed any of the other photos from June 1st through today, then you'll definitely want to head over HERE first to see all the different photos as well as a list of what picture to take each day.

Now the photo for Day Nineteen: Something Orange...

This morning my Mom, sister, myself, and all the kiddies headed up to Monte Santo Mountain in Hunstville to do some fossil hunting and have a picnic. You can see all the photos that I took HERE at our family website, Just the Three of Us: The Smiths.

These beautiful orange flowers were everywhere...and I needed a photo of something orange.

Stay tuned for tomorrow--Day Twenty: Bokeh.

When my husband first gave me my camera I practiced doing Bokeh shots like this one...

As you can tell, my hole was way too big. Once I made the heart shape smaller the result was more like this...

Still need some work but I did save my pattern for Christmas so that I can try the photo again with the tree lights in the background.

If your not quite sure what a Bokeh is or how to do one then I would highly recommend reading through the article over at The Spohrs Are Multiplying (She gives the camera settings) or check out the photo instructions at The Meta Picture. Just make sure that your shape is the size of a hole punch...and not a dime, like the first blog. You'll get the result of my first photo.

And as always, have fun!!

Photo Challenge Day Eighteen...

Here's a fun photo challenge for today--Day Eighteen: Your Shoes. Can I just confess right now that I actually had a hard time with this one. You see, before we moved I had four pairs of different colored flip flops, two pairs of Mary Jane's, and three pairs of church shoes. We move and my shoes have multiplied...overnight!

I now have WAY too many shoes from my Thrift Store adventures. It's terrible.

So for today I took a few of my favorite pairs to get this shot...

There's now only twelve days left for this month's photo challenge. If you'd like to catch up I'd suggest starting HERE. Enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Salad...

Are you like me in that when you hear fruit and meat you automatically think, "Those two do NOT go together"?  Well, I'm here to say that I have since been converted from my previous thinking. I am a HUGE fan of this recipe that I want to share with you.

Skinny Chicken Salad

by Skinny Mom

What You Will Need:

3 Cups shredded cooked chicken

1 Cup celery, chopped (optional)

1/2 Cup chopped pecans

1 Cup chopped grapes

1/4 Cup finely chopped green onions (optional)

1/2 Cup Greek yogurt, nonfat

1/4 Cup Light Mayo

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

What You Will Do:

• In a large bowl mix chicken, celery, chopped grapes, and green onions.
• In a small bowl mix together Greek yogurt, Light Mayo, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Cover chicken mixture with dressing and stir until well mixed.
• Cover and chill chicken salad until ready to serve. 

If you get a chance to make this please come back and leave a note as to your thoughts of the recipe. Now excuse me while I go sneak a few more bites.

Photo Challenge Day Seventeen...

Are you ready for this one? This was yesterday's photo challenge but I'm posting it today because there are just some days where I don't get to the computer. I'm just thankful that I was able to get a shower.

So here's Day Seventeen: Technology...

I really had to think about this challenge. I couldn't believe how much technology I use in my day to day activities. In the end I narrowed the idea down to the hub of the Smith household.

This is where the creativity happens, sermons are written, Sunday School lessons studied for, friends contacted, purchases made....yada, yada, yada. This is the most used technology in our "home".

Next up will be Day Eighteen: Your Shoes. This one is a fun one. I don't think I'll be able to get ALL my shoes in one photo. Maybe just the important ones.

If you're interested in joining me for the last twelve days of the month I'd suggest reading HERE first to let you know the category of picture for each day, where to e-mail it, and any other information you want to know. All pictures will be posted in a group called "June Photo A Day" on Flickr. Hope you can participate!

Photo Challenge Day Sixteen...

Day Sixteen's photo challenge was actually pretty easy for me. See, I'm still trying to learn this GREAT camera that my husband bought me for my birthday and I still haven't quite figured out the settings yet. So for this challenge we needed something with long exposure. Well, I had lots of photos to choose from.  After a little editing I have my finished product.

Without much ado I give you Day Sixteen: Long Exposure...

It's hard to believe but we are over halfway done with the month of June! I hope you've enjoyed the June Photo-A-Day Challenge as much as I have. I will probably take July off and be back at it in August. My son starts Kindergarten and we'll have lots to celebrate!

It's still not to late to join me. I'd suggest reading HERE first to let you know the category of picture for each day, where to e-mail it, and any other information you want to know. All pictures will be posted in a group called "June Photo A Day" on Flickr.

You can also check out my fellow blogger over at Becky's Blog as she catalogs her photos for each day. Be sure to check back later for Day Seventeen: Technology. I'm still trying to decide exactly what to picture.

Photo Challenge Day 15...

I had to do some research for today's photo challenge. I really had no idea what to do for settings or even editing. My sister and her family were over for our regular Saturday pizza night and her and I were reading through websites looking for setting ideas. Thankfully the web is definitely the place to go. When it was all said and done I actually had two pictures. The first photo was voted the best between the two by 90% of the family. I'm adding the second photo since I ended up with two.

Day 15: Silhouette...

Photo One--

Photo Two--

In editing we turned them black and white since my sister and I are still trying to figure out what the best settings are suppose to be. I think it would be even cooler to have the background in color with them in their dark silhouettes.

Which one do you like best?

Check out all the other previous day's challenges and how you can join by clicking HERE. Enjoy!

Photo Challenge Days 8-14...

We were out of town this last week. Well, not just out of town. We were completely out of the state and out on the west coast! It was fabulous, as always. Let me just say I LOVE California. I would not want to live there but I can definitely handle the visiting part.

So I tried to keep up with my photo a day challenges and I did miss a couple. My Dear Husband was a HUGE help with this project.

Let me begin with Day 8: A Bad Habit...

This is all my Dear Husband's idea and I have to agree. Pinterest has become a bad habit for me.

Now on to Day 9: Someone You Love...

Have I ever mentioned that he is my answer to prayer? I prayed for a godly husband and almost a year later the Lord sent me him. I am so blessed!

Sorry about Day 10: A Childhood Memory. Being in California there wasn't really anything there that reminded me of my childhood. I had never even been in California until the summer of 2000 while I was traveling with a college singing group.

Moving right along to Day 11: Something Blue...

...hands down it would have to be the beautiful Pacific Ocean from the restaurant window in Malibu. It was here I broke out of my food box and tried fish tacos for the first time. Mmmm....good!

Now for Day 12: Sunset...I did this one backwards. You see each night last week we were in church when the sun set. So I'm going to use the photo I took of the sunrise as we were flying toward our first layover in Houston...

We were on the red-eye, red-eye flight...and no, I wasn't stuttering. Our flight took off at 5:30 am so we took off in the dark only to be treated to a beautiful sunrise 20,000 feet up!

For Day 13: You with 13 Things...I went out of the box with this one...

Hanging at in the Southwest baggage claim at LAX were these flower prints. While we were killing time waiting for our friends to arrive from Houston, Jeff took a picture of me in front of each one. If you notice there are thirteen flowers. It's a stretch but it will work!

Then there's Day 14: Eyes...I kind of already covered this one from my Day 4 Photo Challenge: Something Green, in which I took a picture of my son's green eyes. You can see that photo HERE.

Now that I'm all caught up I'm off to get today's photo--Day 15: Silhouette. This one should be fun.

Even if you're just stopping in for the first time I'd still like to invite you to join me for the rest of the month. Just head on over HERE for instructions on what pictures to take, what to use to take them, and where to e-mail them. You can view all photos at the file I've opened over on Flickr. Happy Photo Taking!