One Little Word - In Photos

So, I have had a challenging time with my One Little Word assignment this month. Ali encouraged us to take photographs of things that represent our word, literally and figuratively. I have kind of been waiting to have certain things speak to me but am having a difficult time seeing my word NURTURE in pictures. I know what it means to me but I just can't seem to capture it with my camera. However, today while working on my photography assignment for Elisha's class I was inspired to capture two images that I think represent 'nurture'.

I was reading a book recently with an image of hands holding a heart on the front and so I recreated that idea on my own and love how it turned out.

Also, I think these Willow Tree figures are a beautiful representation of love, nurture, and motherhood. I have about 10 of these figures but specifically picked these three for the photo shoot to represent nurturing myself, my relationship with my husband, and my kids.

I made sure to nurture my creative self today! I think I took at least 50 photographs and created two cards. And yesterday I created 4 cards...trying to see if I can get a few picked up for publication!

It was a snow day for us here today so I enjoyed a fun day at home with my boys...we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Photography 101

So, my one little word this year is NURTURE and part of that is nurturing myself...my interests, my creative soul, taking time for myself. I have been enjoying Ali's One Little Word Class at Big Picture Scrapbooking and when I saw that they were offering a photography class titled Mastering the Manual Mode, after I hestitated for a minute about spending some money on myself, I decided to go for it! The pre-class assignment is to take a variety of pictures that we will then take again at the end of class to see how our photography has improved. So, I thought I'd share my pre-class photos here and in a few months I'll share my new photos and we'll see how my photography has changed.

Here are the picture assignments:

1. Someone you love - (my oldest son).

2. Two people you love - (my hubby and new baby nephew)

3. Your favorite food. (M&M cookies...YUM! You can find the recipe HERE).


4. A flower, tree, or plant.


5. A landscape. (Obviously not my strong suit.)

6. A person or pet in action - (my youngest son running to come see me).


7. A candid photo (try not to let the subject know you're photographing them).

8. A self-portrait. (Yep, that's me...can't wait to learn how to improve this! :)

9. A favorite object in your home. (The leaves have great sentimental value as we picked them up for a third anniversary gift when we were on vacation in Oregon. However, the red bowl and decorative balls made for a nicer picture I think.)

10. A group portrait. ( Unfortunately I can't share one of my favorite group photos...as it has a whole bunch of kids in it that I don't have specific permission to share here.)

Have any of you taken a great online photography class, visit a fab photography blog, or have any photography tips? I'd love to hear them! Any feedback on these photos is also appreciated! :)

One Little Word....

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for a great New Year! My whole family was super sick over Christmas so it was just the four of us celebrating and spending time together for the past 10 days...which, eventhough we were sick, was special and nice. We will be celebrating more with family this weekend now that we are feeling better...yeah!

Every year Ali Edwards starts the year off with her One Little Word project. I think it is a wonderful way to start the New Year with intention and focus. And it's more than just a 'resolution' that will most likely be forgotten or brushed aside as the year goes on.

This year my word is NURTURE.

As a mom, nuturing my children comes naturally and I commit to it fully. However, I want to focus on the word nurture in a greater way this year. Nurturing all my relationships...with God, my husband, family, and friends. And nurturing myself...mind, body, and soul.

I hope to blog about my word once a month to help stay focused on it and document where it is taking me. Already I have many thoughts about actions I can take this year around the word nuture...more date nights with my hubby, attending church more regularly, more girls' nights out, learning new things, having a spa day, exploring my interests more...but I also want to let the word develop some things in me naturally. So maybe I'll need to do some meditation or journaling to help guide me as well.

Do you have a word for 2011? Or a resolution that you are really excited about? I'd love to hear what it is!