you capture::colorful

I haven't joined in on You Capture for quite a while and when I popped in over there yesterday to see the new challenge I just had to be a part of it.  The challenge this week was colorful.  I had hoped to capture a new flock of Cedar Waxwings that have been foraging in the cedar tree right outside the schoolroom window, but no such luck.  I guess it was too late in the day.  Then, as the day, the crazy, exhausting, fun day that we had was winding down I noticed a pinkish hue being cast on the wall through the curtains.  I looked out the living room window...a prime sunset watching spot...and saw the most beautiful pink sky.  And yes, I captured it.  After two or three days of rain and gray, overcast skies, it was quite the special treat to see this last bit of a beautiful sunset. 

This picture is straight out of the camera (SOOC). I didn't doctor it up at all. I didn't even crop it. Now, I could have probably intensified the color or cropped it a little, but I didn't want to. I usually do edit my photos, but this one, it was just right for me. I love the tree silhouettes and the  pink billowy clouds.  xoANG

you capture::fall

I've only got a couple of minutes today between homeschool and after-school tutoring, but I knew this week's theme was fall and I couldn't not share. Just the other day I took some pictures of the maple tree in our front yard. It's gorgeous. The bright yellows and oranges against the clear, bright, blue sky of autumn was breathtaking.

Then as my girls and I played in the woods behind our house, woods where most of the leaves have fallen and left a crunchy path for us to travel, I looked up to see the most beautiful maple tree. The leaves so red they were screaming to be noticed in the cozy browns and greys of season.

It's amazing what you can notice if you just stop for a moment and look up. xoANG

See more pictures at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

you capture: fruit

It's early. Tim just left for work, I put my girls in the tub for a much needed bath, I fed the cat so he would behave, I finished my coffee, and I found just a few minutes as the sun continues to rise along with the mercury to sit at the computer. I haven't checked out the You Capture theme for a while, but today I did. The theme is fruit. Perfect. We do have two fruit trees in our back yard which we will eventually make into a small orchard. We have an apple tree, which seems to be having some production issues, and a pear tree that is due for a much needed pruning. Pears though, they are one of my most favorite fruits when perfectly ripe and juicy. I snapped a few shots of the pear abundance just the other day when I was down at the butterfly bush. Yesterday we watched a doe and a ground hog enjoy the fallen fruits. They were fascinating to watch but I need to stay on top of that because I'd like for those pears to be ours. Maybe I'll get to make some pear butter this fall. My sister made some a few years back and she said it was easy and super delicious. Anyway, here is one fully loaded branch.

And here's a shot of the whole, unruly tree. (note to self: find out when to prune fruit trees) See that opening in the woods behind the tree? That is the doorway through which the wildlife enters our yard. We spotted a fawn back there yesterday...no pun intended...but really a tiny fawn with white spots, it really doesn't get any cuter than that.

So there you have it. An early morning post with a side of fruit. xoANG

you capture::things that start with "L"

Proverbs 31:13b She works with her hands in delight.

Over the past week we have been blessed with some very warm days. Days that soak us in sunlight and a warmth that awakens our anticipation for spring. It spurred me on to start digging up my tiny garden spot. Shoveling down deep in the soil and turning it over, the smell of fresh earth, the sight of hard working worms, the promise of new life as the sun continues to warm us all. My girls, even in a feverish state, loved being outside in our little garden with boots on and rakes in hand to smooth out the soil and find the worms. The worms wiggle and wonder how they reached the surface. After a few minutes they are place back on the dirt and we watch them work their way back down below. Working with my hands in delight? Oh, yes. It delights me to work, to plan, to cultivate, to sow. And while I'm doing all of that work I get to wear my beautiful, girly girl gardening gloves. They are soft from use, they are sturdy in their construction, and they are pretty. They are Liberty of London. A girl can be cute while she works with her hands in delight, right? It makes it even more fun! If only I had some cute boots to match. Happy Thursday. xoANG

you capture::doorways

I haven't participated in You Capture for several months. Just busy, I guess. The theme for this week was doorways. Perfect. I chose to capture our new daily ritual of reading a chapter from the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, sometimes it's two chapters because it's just so interesting the girls don't want me to stop reading. We are on chapter 9 of book two already. The girls are loving it, so am I, so is Tim. He reads chapters to them as well. In fact, he started the ritual while on Christmas break. The best part about all of this is not the family time we have together enjoying this story. The best part is not the excitement that is evoked when I reach for the book. The best part is not the anticipation I hear in their voices when they talk about what might happen next. The best part isn't even how much they are loving a wonderful piece of classic literature...the teacher in me really loves that part.

The best part is, however, the unintentional learning, the endless enjoyment, the creative imagination, the intense interest, the earnest listening, and the growing love of literature that all comes through the doorway of an open book.
See more captures here. Happy Thursday xoANG

you capture::signs

I stopped to take notice of a few things this week. Signs of things to come.

a tiny crocheted sweater (yarn-sugar&cream white and warm brown/free pattern-"Everyday is a New Sweater Day" from Rima of Yarny Days...also on Ravelry) and hat in the works -the sign of a fall baby...no, not mine

(f/5 - iso200 - 1/5sec.)

beautiful fabric - the sign of a new skirt or dress to be made soon

(f/5-iso200-1sec.)

beach chairs drying in the sun after a good cleaning - the sign of our much anticipated vacation

(f/8-iso400-1/1250sec.)

Oh, then there was this sign that I found quite humorous. My kids?...not so much.

There are more signs over at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Happy Thursday. xoANG

gluten free parmesan rosemary nuggets

This week's You Capture theme was perfect...in the kitchen. I made something for dinner that my gluten free kiddos haven't had in a really long time...chicken nuggets! I know, not too exciting for most and probably avoided by many, but for kids that haven't had nuggets in years, this was a big deal. First of all, have you ever tasted a prepackaged gluten free chicken nugget? Um, not so good, so I decided to make my own. And, of course, I used real chicken breast cut into pieces, not some weird, minced, mutilated, chicken-tasting substance pressed into a nugget shape. Anyway, here's what I used. Glutino cheddar crackers (kind of like Ritz but not), parmesan cheese, and fresh rosemary right out of my yard. My little helper did the crushing of the crackers with a rolling pin in a zipper bag. Next, we added the parmesan (a 1/4 cup or so) and gave it a good shake. I finely chopped the rosemary and added that, too. After I cut the chicken breast into nugget sized pieces we added them to the bag and shook it all up. Shaking is the fun part so the kiddos did that for me. I did not add salt or pepper because the crackers and parmesan were plenty salty. Oh, I added a smidge of garlic powder as well. Everything is better with some garlic, right? Then we just dumped the entire contents of the bag into a baking dish and threw very gently put it in the oven which, by the way, was preheated to 425 degrees. 18-20 minutes later and it was done.

The smell was heavenly and the sight? Well, the sight of these nuggets and all of their golden brown goodness was just wonderful. Add a side of steamed broccoli and oven-roasted potatoes and you've got a meal that everyone will love. And the leftover nuggets were fabulous chopped up and added to a salad the next day for lunch.

So there you have it...in the kitchen. I should have taken a picture of the girls enjoying the meal, but it was all devoured very quickly so there was nothing left but crumbs. Happy Thursday xoANG

you capture::black&white

This week's challenge for You Capture is Black & White. Simple enough, right? I love black and white photos of people and landscapes. However, when I edit my own pictures to be black and white I'm never too thrilled. I tend to like vibrant color and crisp photos. I guess since I'm trying to learn how to use my camera really well it seems to defeat the purpose of capturing the perfect shot. Then I chose these photos and I really like them.

I do. The eyelashes, the frizzy hair, the tiny earrings, all stand out because my eyes are not distracted by the vibrant colors of such a sunny day.

Then in this last picture, I was practicing with macro and depth of field and I captured a new found skill of stick bending.

It takes a gentle hand and lots of patience to break a stick without actually breaking it all the way through. I love the result in black and white. To see more captures go visit I Should Be Folding Laundry. Happy Thursday. xo ANG

you capture::green

There were choices for the You Capture theme this week. I chose green. I had grandiose ideas of being clever and capturing moments of being environmentally green, being green with envy, being green as in inexperienced at something...but alas, life took over and my ideas went out the window. I did manage to capture a couple of things are a actually just green in color. Not clever or exciting, but still....green.
First up my lovely and very fruitful cherry tomato plant. That red one seems to be showing off a bit, but at least it will motivate those green ones to get with the program.

(f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 800)

Next up, a beautiful Brown Eyed Susan. Yes, I know its yellow and brown. And no, I'm not trying to cheat and just say the leaves are green. If you look closely at the petal on the right you'll notice a tiny green insect. I didn't notice the little bug at first, but when I did see it I just had to include him in the theme this week.

(f/5, 1/2500, ISO 800)

We have been really enjoying the past few days here at the Clothesline. The weather has felt like fall and the sky has been unbelievably blue. The plants are thriving, the birds are singing, and the kiddos are soaking it up. Oh hey! Today is my sister's birthday. She's on her way down to Florida to enjoy the holiday weekend and scuba dive in her new wet suit. Yes, I know, she's cool. I'm the nerd...and I'm okay with that. Happy Birthday Mel! Watch out for sharks!!

Go to I Should Be Folding Laundry for more captures. happy thursday xo ANG

you capture::get down low

I was pretty excited when I saw the challenge for this week's You Capture...get down low. I am that crazy lady... in my yard, at the playground, on the beach, going for a walk in the neighborhood...that will get down on her knees or lay out like a complete nut job just to get a great shot of my kids or flowers or bees pollinating my garden. I love taking pictures down low with the sun shining brightly and the sky as blue as the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii...and if I can get both the sun and the sky in the shot with whatever subject I'm trying to capture then I love it all the more. Throw in an awesome, accidental bokeh and it just rocks! (you know, the hexagon shapes of light in the blurred area of the picture) Okay, for this week I captured my lilies. Nice, bright, orange lilies. I have a bunch of tiger lilies by the fence, but by the back porch one grew that had layers and layers of ruffled petals. I don't know where it came from or why it's different from the others, but oh my, it is beautiful.

(f/16, 1/3200, ISO 800)

Alright, I know this isn't the greatest shot with the porch railing and part the house in there, but the ruffled lily and the sun with the bokeh, I had to include it.

(f/7.1, 1/3200, ISO 800)

This is a better shot of my ruffled lily in all of her orange loveliness.

(f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 800)

This beauty is one of my regular tiger lilies. As you can see, there are many more buds just waiting to bloom. Because of where these flowers are growing in my yard it is difficult to get the sky or the sun in the shot. However, since the sun was shining through the tree in the background I captured a nice crisp shot of my lily and got a wonderful bokeh effect. (which makes me want to try creating my own bokeh in any shape I want...fun!)

To see more go visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Happy Thursday folks! xo ANG

you capture::yellow

Yellow. It's such a wonderful color. It just screams spring, and I love it. Hmm, I wonder why I don't have more yellow in my house then. I suppose I just depend on the flowers outside to show off their yellow beauty. This week's theme for You Capture made me stop and think and look around. Here's what I found.

The first flowers on my tomato plants!

I get so excited every time I see a bloom or notice new growth in the garden. But right now, we're celebrating yellow...and when you see yellow blooms on tomato plants you know that one day soon it'll be a delicious, ripe, juicy tomato. Mmmmm. (that's assuming that the deer won't make a comeback)
The other yellow thing that just longed to be captured on film and shared was a small stack of successfully made...

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits!

Yep, you heard me. Biscuits, not hockey pucks. Not gritty, crumbly, inedible biscuit wanna-be's. These were real live, soft, moist, tastes-like-the-real-thing biscuits. You can find the recipe here. And just so you know, I made them again yesterday and added cinnamon and raisins, topped with glaze. Delicious.
Visit I Should Be Folding Laundry for more yellow goodness. Happy Thursday. xo ANG

you capture::spring

Besides the fact that my children are growing like the weeds in my yard every spring, they very excitedly discovered the first of the caterpillars in our yard. They are fascinating and fuzzy. The girls anticipate their arrival every year. Thankfully, for the sake of the caterpillars, every year the girls are a little more gentle.

My azaleas have bloomed! I look forward to this every spring. These azaleas are what drew me in when we were house hunting five years ago. They are just gorgeous. Although, sadly, one of the bushes has died so I'll have to dig it up this summer. Any azalea pruning tips and tricks are welcome.

Now, it just wouldn't be a proper spring without a quickly arriving afternoon thunderstorm which just happened to produce the most beautiful of rainbows. If you look closely you can see there is another rainbow above the bright one. And yes they were full rainbows...a rarity around these parts.
For more spring captures go visit i should be folding laundry. xo ANG

you capture::sweet

I had every intention of sharing some pictures of my girls looking sweet, being sweet, personifying sweet. Then I remembered a moment that made me laugh so hard I cried...and grab my camera.

It was Easter. There were chocolate covered marshmallow eggs tucked neatly into some very annoying, although cute, pink grass.
That afternoon I was busy giving Tim a haircut while the girls played happily as they waited patiently for me to finish so we could go outside to play. (whoa, that's a long sentence-and probably terribly grammatically incorrect) Later, when Easter candy was requested (yes, they normally ask before indulging) I grabbed the baskets and this is what I found in one of them.
Evidently, when I was preoccupied with the hair cutting someone decided to sneak a little bite. Alas, the delicious sweets were irresistible and the nibbling continued.
For more sweet moments visit I Should Be Folding Laundry.

you capture::comfort

There are so many thoughts and images and people that come to mind when I think about the word comfort. What is comforting? An old quilt...a hug...sweet, encouraging words...a cup of tea shared with my husband...snuggling on the couch to read books with the girls...time spent studying the Word. All of these, and so much more. I've been thinking this week about what I could take a picture of that would really represent comfort in my life. I even searched for a thought provoking quote that would represent what I might capture. Then I found this quote and I knew just what picture I would use.

Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.
~James Herriot

Oh, I know, it's not thought provoking or seriously deep, but it made me smile. It also made me remember the warm, sunny day when we ate a picnic lunch on the front porch. The cool breeze and quiet conversation was very comforting. And yes, even Shadow found comfort on the porch with us. Normally he would have been watching the birds, but on this day he decided to lay on the floor beside us and enjoy the comfort of the sun while he took a little cat nap.

you capture::comfort

you capture::feet

With the warmer weather comes flip flops, jump ropes, scooters, bikes, and now roller skates. They're beginner skates, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?

These are exciting times here at the Clothesline and I've learned a lot. First, rolling around the driveway haphazardly just won't do. A proper rink was in order...check! Second, a little decoration in the center of the rink is always necessary...check! If only I could hang a disco ball in the sky for the full affect. A sunny day will just have to do. The third thing I learned was how different my two girls are. Okay, from the womb it was obvious that they were polar opposites, but add skates to the mix and I've got one who wants to be graceful like an ice skater and one who is more of a roller derby chick. Who knew that their feet could bring out so much more of their personalities? you capture::feet happy thursday xo ANG

you capture: a moment

Time has really flown by this week. I'm not even sure why. We didn't have a busy, out and about kind of week. It's all because of the warmer weather, I suppose. If the sun is shining and it's warm then we'll be outside soaking it up. I love that...spending hours outside. Oh sure, we get our school work done, and even some chores, but then we slide on our flip flops and head for the door. I did manage to capture a few great moments this week and I'd love to share them with you.

The first sprouts of the season. Those are sweet banana peppers..Mmmmm.

While I was folding laundry the other day I left the pile unattended for a moment. When I returned, there was Shadow all cute and snugly taking a nap like he owns the place.

And then there's this moment. My favorite of the week. The big sister encouraging her little sister that she can master those monkey bars.

For more special moments go check out I Should Be Folding Laundry.

you capture::reaching

I can't believe it's Friday already. This has been one busy week here at the Clothesline. I did manage to have a few moments that had me reaching for my camera.

Ah yes, the first daffodil of spring. Okay, so it was in my neighbor's yard...but it counts, right?

And then there were these ferocious lions. Seriously, could they be any cuter?

See more of you capture-reaching at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

you capture::quiet

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. I Peter 3:3-4

Yes, a gentle and quiet spirit, that is something that I strive to achieve. It does not come easily. Sometimes my own thoughts, my own will, my own ideas are loud and boisterous . Oh sure, sometimes that loud and boisterous spirit of mine is one of enthusiasm and excitement of what God can and is doing. But most of the time it's my stubbornness and lack of faith that is ringing in my ears, my heart. A quiet and gentle spirit...to be the wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend that God created me to be...a quiet and gentle spirit. I cannot do it on my own. I read, study, absorb, apply the Words of wisdom that in the quietness seem as though they were written just for me.

Earlier in the week I noticed something beautiful as we all hiked through the woods by the river. The sun was shining and it was quiet. An occasional bird song, the snapping of twigs, some squirrels rustling the dried leaves, the girls softly talking and giggling as they walked ahead of us hand in hand was all that I heard...and it was quiet. Quiet for me is often a state of mind, the condition of my heart, not sounds. I do enjoy those quiet moments when I am reminded just how blessed I am.

for more interpretations of you capture::quiet go visit I Should Be Folding Laundry.

And don't forget to go here to enter my 400th post giveaway for a chance to win a knitting book.

Happy Thursday...enjoy those quiet moments. xo ANG

you capture::hopeful

“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.” Emily Dickinson

Even after so much snow and ridiculously cold weather there are signs of spring. Hope.
The Dutch irises have survived so there is hope for beautiful blooms.

Our little bush has buds already. There is hope for beautiful green leaves.

The frost date is too far away, but with some seeds and a new little greenhouse there is still hope for early planting and early harvest.

We are waiting for spring and we are hopeful that the sun will shine warmly upon us...soon.

-to see more go to I Should Be Folding Laundry's- You Capture: Hopeful
happy thursday xoANG

you capture::shapes

You know you've seen a shirt, a sticker, or a button that says..."What? I'm in shape. Round is a shape." Well, for this week's assignment I decided to capture round things that I've been using to help me keep from being just that.Ah yes, the ol' ball. My first one, quite the steal on the clearance rack actually, but it's not my friend yet. Plus it's not easy to try push-ups or anything else when the girls are tickling my feet or the cat is attacking my hands..or the ball.
Next, my all important pilates mat. Well, there's two. The blue one is mine, the gray one is for the girls. Let me tell you, there is nothing cuter than my two girls trying to do the hundred with me.
Now, because the girls have been the subject of my You Capture pictures before they are under the impression that the assignments should always include them. So for the shape assignment this week they worked on being round for me. They squirmed and wiggled and posed. I took many pictures until I got one that they approved of...not too shabby, eh? And for a more artistic approach I thought I'd try this shot.
And because we were using a bracelet that Shadow loves to play with he thought he should be in on the fun, too.I know I started this post by saying these were round things that keep me from being just that, and you know what? The girls do fit in that category. Not only do I want to be healthy so I can play and have fun with them, but playing with them does keep me healthy. We're an active little bunch. The cat? Well, he's just furry and cute.
See more shapes at I Should Be Folding Laundry-You Capture:Shapes xo ANG