Moment of Beauty #31/365: Time Out

As you can see, no photo.  A dear friend lost her husband recently and while I'd taken pictures over the weekend, this wasn't on the top of my list between leaving work early to attend the wake and taking care of my babies.  I actually remembered that I'd not taken a picture at 10:20pm and thought I might sneak one in before midnight but found myself waking up shortly after midnight.  Given recent events I'm cutting myself some slack.  Sorry for not posting a picture people...  Hope you're all well.  Tell your husband/wife/children/family that you love them even when they push your buttons.  Our lives can end in an instant, with no warning.  Make sure the last thing you share with everyone you meet is a little love...

Moment of Beauty #30/365: Giggles and Drools

This little girl has the best personality.  She brings me so much joy.  They both do.  She is today's moment of beauty because I just love the look in her eyes, her smile and the drool on her chin and cheeks... 

Moment of Beauty #29/365: Totally Irresistible

Went to Panera with my aunt and her friend (and mine) Doreen...  Bishop's such a good baby.  Never fussed until the very end when it was close to his nap time.  Here he is with Doreen - just loving the attention.... totally sweet ad totally irresistible...

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Moment of Beauty #28/365: My Other Half

You've met our kids.  You've met two of the dogs.  You've met me (sort of).  And while you've already met Corey, you only met him from behind - lol.  And so, without further ado, here he is, front and center.  This man has brought so much joy to my life.  He is the man that I love; the father of my children; and just an amazing person to know.  Don't think I'm wearing rose-colored glasses ladies - no relationship is perfect, he is not and I am far from it.  BUT I would not want to take this journey with anyone else by my side.  

 

Moment of Beauty #27-365: Afterglow

I love the afterglow of a candle that's just been put out.  Thanks to the 105, I was able to get up close and personal...

Moment of Beauty #26/365: Paper Clips

How is this a moment of beauty?  The colors are what inspired me with this shot.  I'm having such a good time learning to shoot with this lens... 

 

Moment of Beauty #25/365: Running water

Not my normal pic AND since the macro's not left my camera since it's arrival, this was taken from inside my car as it warmed up.  It's a picture of water that was running down my windshield...  

 

Moment of Beauty #24/365: Newest Member of Our Family

I am pleased to introduce the newest member of our family:  the 105mm VR macro!

I'm in LOVE!  It's a good thing I met Corey before I met this lens!  (only kidding - sort of)...

Moment of Beauty #23/365: Me & My Little Man

I tried to take our picture together holding the camera in my right hand - back-button focus and all!  He wasn't thrilled, can you tell?  Ha ha ha...  You should have seen when I took the pacifier away...  

 

Moment of Beauty #22/365: Goofball

Bishop has the best personality.  He's a total goofball and I love it!  He knew I was taking his picture and did his "CHEESE!" pose.  I think he's learned that from my mother (hmmm?  mom???) because I don't say that to him when I take his pictures...

 

Moment of Beauty #21/365: More Snow

So, lately I've been wanting to take photos other than when I get home from work, with so-so lighting and just pictures of my kids.  Don't get me wrong, I love my children to no end, but I thought from a growth standpoint, I should try to take different pictures.  So, here's today's shot - snow falling on the courtyard outside my office..  Never fear though, there will be more and better pictures of my children to come.  :)

 

Moment of Beauty #20/365: Big Bright Moon

The moon was exceptionally large and bright tonight.  Yet as we attempted to drive "closer" to get a better angle, it seemed even farther away.  We tried several angles/images settling on this one.  I'm pretty sure this was taken with my 35...  Noise, blur, yes I know but in keeping with the 365 project, I'll just close my eyes and be happy that I took a photo...

 

Moment of Beauty #19/365: Traffic Bokeh

So tonight I was sitting in traffic and realized I hadn't taken my photo yet for the day.  There was a billboard that I wanted to take a picture of but I passed it before I could get my camera out and the settings together.  Next thought was how much I dislike traffic and that I could make this a sarcastic moment of beauty.  I took some shots and needed to find the positive in a picture I didn't love...  Thus traffic bokeh....   

 

Moment of Beauty #18/365: The Mini-C

If you were to look at Corey, you would see that Bishop has his dad's features and my skin tone.  Apparently, this isn't the only way that Bishop resembles his father...

Thus, the Mini-C...

(PS - this is definitely not one of your "technically correct" pictures..  A little OOF, noise, etc etc etc....  yeah yeah yeah... I choose mommy goggles today)

 

Moment of Beauty #17/365: Siblings

Sorry folks, it's been a few days since I've posted.  The photos were taken on the days they're posted under, I've just been a little busy!

Sooooo......  as you can imagine and as some of you know, life with two small children, especially two under the age of two, has its moments and trying to get a picture of the two of them together can be even more challenging!

Corey took the opportunity to put Lianna next to Bishop just as he was waking from his nap today.  When Bishop's tired he will reach for your ear and rub it.  That's what he's doing here.  Poor Lianna had no idea what was going on.  She was smiling at her daddy...

He's such a giant next to her (18mos and almost 5 mos)...  My oh my how fast they grow...

Moment of Beauty #16/365: Not Just for Newborns

See?  The Boppy Newborn Lounger isn't just for newborns...  :)

Moment of Beauty #15/365: Busted

Look at what I walked in on earlier today!!!  Okay, truth be told, he WAS doing this and and had just dropped the bottle to the ground.  It was as he dropped the bottle that I realized this was today's moment of beauty - being busted!  So, instead of telling him no, that he shouldn't be doing this and that it was bad, I handed him the bottle so I could take a picture for today's post...

Bad mommy...

Moment of Beauty #14/365: Goofball

Bishop was thirsty so Corey gave him water.  Every time Corey put the bottle towards his mouth, out comes this silly smile for no reason other than my son is a goofball...

xoxoxo

Moment of Beauty #13/365: Uninterrupted

There's something to be said about the beauty in nature.  This is a shot of the hill behind my house.  I love that this snow will remain pure throughout its melting stage.   It won't be soiled by foot traffic, dirt, anything...    

 

Moment of Beauty #12/365: Sugar Shock

Went to BJ's the other day.  Craving something sweet.  Originally went for Swedish Fish but settled on these little gems...  763 pieces of goodness @ 13 pieces per serving = a little over 58 servings.    Can someone say sugar shock???

 

Moment of Beauty #11/365: Failed

My eyes opened at 12:06am (Wednesday) and my first thought is I missed it.  I've been able to take a photo every day even if I post it late but tonight I fell asleep and never took a picture during the day.  I started to think maybe I can change the settings in the camera, take a picture and change the settings back BUT that would be cheating, how would that benefit me or anyone else for that matter and what would that really accomplish?  Just to have the exif data show that I made it when I didn't?  I will admit that part of me is IMMENSELY disappointed in myself.  I'm going to try to not beat myself up.  I thought this would have been doable..   I wish I'd taken a photo, any photo first thing in the morning - even if it took all day to post it but at least I'd have a photo.  In the same breath, I want to be moved and take pictures that have meaning.  I thought of photos I'd like to take during the day but I got home and the evening got away from me.  I fell asleep around 10, never realizing that I'd sleep for so long or that Lianna would let me sleep actually.  lol...  

Sorry all...  no picture in this post...

Moment of Beauty #10/365: Say cheese!

Have I mentioned that I'm blessed with two amazing babies?  :)   Love this little boy!!! 

Moment of Beauty #9/365: Happy Baby

I wanted today's post to be a picture of me with Bishop but it didn't come out the way I wanted it so I opted for little miss Lianna...  What more can I tell you about her?  Well, for starters, she has the best personality.  She's full of life, animated, already talks as if she's having a conversation (the CUTEST thing), smiles instantly when I sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"  (can I get away with singing that in July? haha), and is just a happy baby.

Thus, today's post is aptly named.


Oh, and on a side note - she had rice cereal mixed with formula for the very first time today!  Two firsts for my baby girl!!!    AND, lest I've not said it yet, my babies are amazing.  They bring such joy to my life and I am so very blessed and thankful for them...  I love being a mom...

Moment of Beauty #8/365: Generations

You've met Lianna.  But, who is this person holding her?   Next "meet ___" moment - meet my mom, Siony (pronounced Show-nee).  Mom's from the Philippines (I'm half Filipina and half Italian/American) and has been here since the late 60s.  She's actually been here in the US longer than the country she comes from.  


My mom is such a huge help to us and plays a very strong role in my babies' lives.  She is their caregiver (like the good 'ol days, before daycare centers) and they love her to death.  BONUS: she lives next door!  :)  I am very grateful to her all that she does for us and am so glad that my children know her.  She is their Lola (loo-lah, grandmother in Tagalog (Filipino)). 


To me, this picture speaks volumes.  It is so easy to see how much she loves her granddaughter.

(oh wait - you can't tell but Lianna's wearing jeggings.  can you imagine?  lol... jeggings for babies...)

Moment of Beauty #7/365: Puggle Love

You've met Bishop and Lianna.  Come meet two of our other children:  Fatty (red harness) and Jazz (blue).  Yes, his name really is Fatty.  Actually, it's Fatty Fatty Boombalatty and Jazz is really Jasmine after Princess Jasmine (Corey's always liked this name since the Disney movie (heehee) and so she was named).   

Fatty is not a kisser/licker.  Jazz will kiss you all day long if you let her (seriously!).  So, I couldn't not take this picture.  Also, did you notice their bed of choice?  The changing tray from the playpen!  

Sweet dreams puggle love... 

(SOOC, 35mm @ F2, ISO2500, 1/20s)

Moment of Beauty #6/365: YOU

So, if you've been following the blog, you already know how busy my life is...  Work full-time, have 2 children under 2, 3 dogs, 2 cats, house under renovation, trying to launch my photography business, this project, also signed up for a 52-week project, and then family/friends stuff (birthdays, holidays).  Yes, I am certifiable.  Yes, I take on too much.  Yes, I hate to say no (well, depends on if I like you or not ;) ).  But you know what?  I wouldn't trade it for the world...

What does the above have to do with tonight's post?  Well, tonight's post is being used for both projects yet going in opposite directions.  The P52 is themed and it's a self-portrait.  My P365 is about moments of beauty and tonight's moment of beauty is you.  I am really awed that I have even one person following my blog let alone eleven.  So, here I am, looking at you through my camera because you are my moment of beauty.  Thank you for reading my blog, for stopping by to just look at my pictures and also for taking time to comment.  

Much love...

 

Moment of Beauty #5/365: Before the shots

I realized I'd forgotten my moment of beauty shot for today while waiting for Lianna's pediatrician tonight.  All is well - it was just her 4-month appt and a few shots...  I didn't think of using some of the things around me as props - like the ear check thingy (like that? lol) that's hanging on the wall...  Ahh never fear, there are 360 pictures to go.  There will be more opportunities...  

Moment of Beauty #4/365: That Smile

Meet Bishop, my 17-month old baby boy and one of the reasons I am where I am today with my photography.  He, like his sister, brings me pure joy regardless of the number of times I say "no baby, no, noo, No, NO, NOO Bishop, Mommy Said No!"  I thought I'd remember everything but already there are things that I don't remember when I try to think about his development at Lianna's age.

These two babies are my Moments of Beauty.  I know that this project will evolve as it should but, as I sit here typing this entry, I can say with certainty that you will see many more pictures of my children over the coming year.  Photography is an amazing art form in that you are able to capture moments in time that you will never have again.  And how fortunate we are to be able to do this.  I want to document my children's lives so that one day they can see what I saw growing up because, like I said, there are things about Bishop that I don't remember and he's just 17-months old.

Today's picture was taken at his grandmother's house (Corey's mom) and we were playing with an abacus that she'd just given him as a gift.

Hope all is well with you.  Thanks for stopping by.. Have a great day!

EDIT - i'm editing this post to include an additional picture - i'm calling it Abracadabacus...  SOOC no post processing on either (except to get them web ready)

Moment of Beauty #3/365: Going home

At one point I thought this project would be symbolic images of moments of beauty and had more traditional ideas in mind.  BUT, I realized that isn't me.  Anything can be a moment of beauty including today's picture...  Let's just say that today was a LONG day.  I hope you can appreciate today's moment of beauty - I got in the car, turned it on, saw the time and thought "beautiful."  Hence, today's post.. Good night...

 

Moment of Beauty #2/365: Morning hair

Meet Lianna and meet Lianna's morning hair!  At four months old, she is full of personality, a very happy baby and teething.  On this morning, however, she's a little grumpy.  She wasn't feeling well last night, running a little fever and being a little mushy.  That said...  I couldn't resist using this picture today - grain and all, technically imperfect but perfect just the same...  Have a great day!

Moment of Beauty #1/365: It's still the 1st somewhere!

So it's the very first day of P365 and I find myself sitting here in Boston at 1:54am without having posted my picture for the day...  but it's still January 1st on the west coast and the exif data will show that I did take the picture on the 1st (lol yes I just pulled the technical card)...  this is going to prove more challenging than i thought!  I started the day with my intro and then looked for some moments of beauty around me.  Easily found would be pictures of my family although i couldn't justify taking a picture of Corey in his sleep with his mouth ajar (hahaha)...  And I didn't want to take a picture of one of the babies and not the other, especially not for my first photo.

The photo I'm submitting for Day 1 is the choice by default because I let the day get ahead of me and didn't take another photograph for the rest of the day.  This one is of ornaments from our Christmas tree.  Everything was last minute this year for Christmas, including our tree, which turned out to be free (score!).  We even forgot ornament hangers so Corey made twist ties (look at the gold ball on the right).  This year's tree, however, is all the more special too because the ornaments hung represent three generations of my family on my father's side - my grandmother (who passed in 2007 and is the reason why I can bake), my aunt (who recently moved out of state and wasn't here for Christmas) and me.  Simple, created with love (and Corey's creativity - see his ribbon tie on for the gold ornament) and in focus...  this was my moment of beauty this morning...

Intro

Happy New Year and welcome to my blog - 365 Moments of Beauty.  This blog is based on Project 365 (aka P365) - a photography challenge to take a picture every day for a year and post it online.  For all, it's a journey of self-discipline.  For many, it's a personal journey.  Some have themes, some follow groups and have challenges.  For me, however, I have chosen to make this my personal journey with photography.  The challenge is to share a moment of beauty every day which can sometimes be hard if we're not having the best day. 

As for a little bit about me.... well... I am a mom of two under the age of two (17 months and 4 months), work full-time, have 5 other "children" - 3 dogs and 2 cats, and am in the middle of converting and renovating our two family home into a one-family so our home is in a lot of chaos.  Atop all of this is me launching a photography business this month.

So, why would I even consider taking on P365 with so much going on?  Easy...  As I said above, this is my personal journey.  Having/launching a photography business is different than doing it as a hobby.  I don't want to lose touch with my love for photography - only shooting for clients.  Also driving this is a little known fact that one of my dreams has always been to create beauty (via an art form)... 

Anywho...  Thank you for taking the time to read this. 

Best wishes for a wonderfully happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

xo
P