Laugh Until You Cry

Last week I joined in for my first Edit Me Challenge and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to visit other blogs who did something with the same image, so I’m joining in again.

This weeks image is of a lovely little girl doing a little twirl. I love this image and the sense of youth it provokes.

Original:

Edit:

Since the little girl was already close to the edge and I didn’t want to lose any more of the essence of the image I didn’t do any cropping. Instead, I focused on bringing her out from the background. I upped the saturation, deepend the contrast a big, and added a very slight haze.

If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn.  ~Andrew Mason

There is no denying that picking and blowing the puffy, soft, airy bits of a dandelion is an essential part of childhood. Heck, I still enjoy doing it now! We are fortunate (?) enough to have plenty around our yard this year, so Collin and I went outside this weekend and picked some.

It is hard to teach a 3 year old how to blow on dandelions properly.

As if there is a “proper” way to do it.

We had fun, despite my failed teaching attempts. Collin blows on them while his mouth is formed as if he’s making the “F” sound, so I am sure not as much air as possible could be getting out. But you know what? His way works too.

I am loving capturing macro images. I have this deep desire to take pictures of the littlest parts of the things around us, exploring and viewing them in a way that isn’t usually possible as we move through every day. Its incredible to see how plants are put together. The shapes and patterns on the dandelions above are just so intriguing to me!

This weekend was great – I am happy to report that the sun finally did decide to come out. It literally rained almost all week last week! I think Mother Nature got her calendar mixed up and missed that the showers are supposed to happen in April. Since we got so much rain, and then the sun came out – well… whoa. Its GREEN around here. And purple, and yellow, and white. Its beautiful. The flowers and buds and grass have proven… life goes on.

Collin had his first soccer game of the spring season Saturday morning and I am so proud of him. He’s been playing for about 6 months now and while he has yet to score a goal on his own, he is much better, kicking the ball with some intensity, keeping his eye on the action, and coming over to the sideline for a hug or a high five much less than he used to. I remember his very first game last fall – he came over to us incessantly, and a mother standing next to us came to me and asked if it was his first time playing. When I responded yes she said “mine did that too, it will pass” and sure enough… she was right.

We spent some time outside this weekend – thankful for the sun. Collin rode his bike, we played ball, and practiced some soccer. I wanted to stop time, to be in the moment and not let it go. But… well… life goes on. I had a couple of photography sessions, we went to the movies, Brian took Collin fishing. Instead of keeping life at a standstill I walked around with my camera, capturing things to preserve.

The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.  ~Isak Dinesen

I’m a child of the ocean and I can’t quite describe the feeling I get when I go back to the salty sweet air. My entire family is from one of the oldest fishing ports in the whole country, I spent countless summers exploring the rocks and tide pools just steps away from my grandparents house, and despite my pasty white skin burning to the exact color of “lobster” in no time, I adore the feeling of sand and sun. I have a visceral reaction when I get to the coast – the smell brings me back to days of visiting fishing ships, enjoying a walk down the boulevard with my grandparents, and filling buckets with little crabs to bring back to the house as “pets.”

Brian and I spent our anniversary at the coast and it was perfect. Our hotel was literally on its own island and I was surrounded by the sea. As we approached our destination I rolled down the window and let the smell overcome me. The first thing we did was walk around the downtown shopping area and as we did the wind blew my hair around, enveloping me in that salty breeze.

In my wildest dreams I think about having a beach house, a seaside retreat all my own. Just the thought brings me back to my childhood. How I would LOVE to share the beach exploration, ice cream stands, and summer fun with Collin. Someday…

At school we have an endearing adjective for every day of the week. I’d like to believe this helps me make the best of every day, but the truth is sometimes I wouldn’t mind coming up with an alternate description. Today is “wonderful Wednesday.” I am SURE it will be full of wonder, but that might have to do with my lack of sleep, desperate need for a coffee iv drip, and desire to be anywhere but here more than how wonderful it really is.

Anyway. This wonderful Wednesday is my third day in a row for blogging. Its a record as of late! I’m very excited and wanted to keep up my streak by doing something a bit different. I decided to participate in Edit Me which can be found HERE.
This challenge is easy – take an original image, edit it, and submit your edited image to the link up. Here is the original:

Its a great photo, but there is a lot going on. I really wanted to focus on the wagon wheels at the bottom so I cropped it and brightened that area. I love the reflection in the water, so I sharpened that up a bit. Here is my edit: