Massive

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The Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC is Massive. One feels diminutive when standing within its walls. Pride swells within your chest as you gaze out across the Tidal Basin toward the other memorials scattered across Washington D.C.

Beauty

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These Beauty Queens arrived about halfway though the Fremont Parade. Their eyes lit up when they saw the mirror and squabbles broke out as each fought to have the mirror to themselves. It is amazing how one little thing can bring about such joy and such passion.

Order

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This week's Photo Friday theme is "Order" which reminded me of these magnets in one of the many Amsterdam markets. These were everywhere and one of my travelmates slowly grew obsessed with purchasing as many different kinds of these minature houses as possible. I purchased a few for family but Jen really outdid herself on that trip.

Happiness

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Another photo from my visit to the Fremont Fair. This dog was enjoying the parade next to my group on the sidewalk and of course figured out that Julie was the one to impress. He wiggled his way over and in the midst of mad petting, I snapped this photo. I think the dog just looks so happy here, as most dogs do when they get the chance to meet Julie.

Chaos

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Every year I end up attending the Fremont Fair and I always come away with a new appreciation. This chaos driven parade features some painted bicyclists -- some dressed, some not -- each one representing their own unique-ness in the midst of so much chaos

One

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Chuckles is one special dog. I love his coloring and his intent focus in this photo. I believe his owner was taunting him with delicious treats. He is singularly focused here as only a dog can be.

Complexity

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Complexity. When I was last at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, I captured this image on film. I love the layers of complexity shown from this perch high up in the Cathedral. It was a wonderful visit.

Somber

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Somber. When I visited Paris last Fall, I wondered around a few cemetaries, famous and not so famous. It was in one of the smaller cemeteries that I found this grave marker. It seems so somber.

Attractive

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Attractive. When I visited Southern France last Fall, I found that this house had the most attractive view in all of France. The water was bluer from their windows and the sun seemed to shine brighter. That was a beautiful trip.

SIlky

This week's Photo Friday is "Silky" and my cat, Destiny has the silkiest fur I've ever felt in a cat.

Candid

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Candid and when I took this photo last Summer, Zubin was watching for squirrels from his best friend, Roux's porch. I barely got his attention before he took out after an imaginary squirrel and more Roux wrestling time. Those two really like each other.

Used

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Used and this photo made me think of how often this particular gargoyle is used to show Paris to people at home. I'm sure foreigners believe there is only one gargoyle who overlooks Paris with this much authority.

Orange

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This week's Photo Friday theme is Orange and the curtains in the house I was recently watching were VERY orange. I loved how they swooped back with the wrought iron curtain tieback and burst forth with color.

Sporty

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This week's Photo Friday theme is sporty and these buckets struck me as especially sporty. At my old job, I created these for a sports promotion where these buckets were hand delivered to specific locations by a "cheerleader". These were a hit!

Nerdy

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I'm a little late on this week's Photo Friday but since I was traveling this will have to do. I took this while shopping in Ballard one evening and this week's theme reminded me of it. The letters struck me as a bit "nerdy" in relation to how much letters and books make my heart sing.

Rose

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As I pulled into the driveway tonight, I noticed this particular rose dripping from the recent rain. I love the pink-ness of this flower and how just a few days ago, it was only a thought in the rose bush's mind.

Cookie

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I caught Cookie sleeping last night. She began to wake up when I approached the couch but for once did not run away when I brought out the camera. Shortly after this she fell back asleep. A cat can never get enough sleep.

Rare

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Photo Friday's theme is Rare. I love crepes but it is rare to find an exceptional crepe like the one I had for breakfast in San Diego when I was visiting a friend. This was an exceptional crepe!

Symbol

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Photo Friday's theme is Symbol. I took this last Fall while traveling through Paris. Napolean's insignia was once the symbol of a nation. It helped define the reason behind a war and how a changing nation was lead by a man full of symbolism. I enjoyed seeing Napolean's tomb though I wonder why such a short man required such a large capsule. Maybe to hold his ego?

Green

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Photo Friday's theme is Green. I took this photo while walking with Zubin in Discovery Park one day. I'd say most of that park is GREEN! I really enjoyed how the light filtered down to the ground and how the moss had grown on this tree. It was a beautiful day for a walk.

On Guard

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Another shot from my mini-break to San Diego. I love the lifeguard towers on their beaches and since I'm currently obessed with the the color, teal, I was immediately drawn to this structure.

Forgotten

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TThis is another image from my visit to San Diego. This forgotten shoe captured my attention and the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado provided the nicest background. with some attentiona and a bit of luck, I was able to capture the hotel's reflection in the outgoing tide though my friend did express his wonder at my fascination with this shoe.

Space

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Space". A few weekends ago, I headed down to San Diego to visit a friend. He took me to Coronado Beach to visit the Hotel Del Coronado. While the hotel held his attention, mine was drawn to the beach. Even in less than perfect weather, this was a place I could settle into. The wide open space and sandy lines reminded me of pictures of the surface of the moon.

Action

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Action". One day we took a walk down to the Seattle Waterfront and wandered into the game area. There was a carousel which reminded me of riding them as a child when visiting my Grandfather in Spokane. There were these rings you would try to grab and the "golden" ring was the most valuable. I was never able to grab the "golden" ring.

Fancy

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Fancy". I took this photo last November while visiting Paris at a department store. They had decorated their windows for the holidays and this layout struck me as especially interesting.

Soft

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Soft". Roux the dog looks like a big Muppet (Fozzie Bear to be exact!) and is just as soft. Children get excited when they see him because he reminds them of a big stuffed animal. Too bad he drools though!

Rest

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Rest". Years ago in high school when my friends and I would travel to Vashon Island from Seattle, we would often be stuck at the ferry dock for hours. One such time, a friend lay down to take a nap and another one thought it would be funny to lie beneath the bench pretending to sleep. This is the result of a funny afternoon but one that accurately depicts rest to me, since we were all in desperate need of rest that day!

Plastic

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Plastic". The plastic bath toys from the place I've been housesitting reminded me of childhood bath time and how much fun it was! Though I didn't have a soaker tub like this place, some kids are just luckier than others.

Hot

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This Photo Friday's theme is "Hot". Gas flames from the stove are HOT!

Sheep

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While house-sitting, I spotted these little sheep lined up next to the tub. I loved their sheepy sheep expressions. Baahhhhh!

Tiny

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Lucy is the tiniest dog I know. She must only weigh about 6 pounds and is the cutest Yip-Yip that I watch. Her brother Jack is also a very cute Yip-Yip but he's not as tiny as Miss Lucy. Yip! Yip!

Bailey

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Ant Beky will miss you.

Building

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This weekend I went pre-shopping for furniture. I visited what felt like a million stores while a wind storm picked up steam. I took this shot outside one of the stores with their flags flying in the wind.

Glow

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I ran the Marine Corp Marathon in October. The day after I made the trek out to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial to catch a shot of the Washington Memorial. I love how the Washington Memorial appears to glow in this shot.

Faces

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A few weeks ago, my friend and I went to a party in an artist loft. There were paintings, sculptures and fun masks. After a few moments, we got into dressing up and snapped this photo. We always snap photos of our faces in this manner. It has become a "tradition", one which I really enjoy.

Tree

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On Sunday, the dog I'm watching and I went to Discovery Park for a walk. It was a gorgeous day and the trails were near empty. This is as close to nature as one can get and still be in the city. Zubin patiently waited for me to take photos and I, in turn provided him with a nice long walk. It was on our way back to the car that I spotted this tree. It isn't a very big tree but it still leaves its mark on the park.

Obsession

Obsession according to Dictionary.com

ob•ses•sion: noun
1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.
2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.



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My obsession is with Dogs, Cats and Yarn. Seriously, I adore pets and I start to shake when I feel really good yarn. My best friend's obsession is with shoes. She even has "shoe pimps" as she calls them looking out for the best shoes in her size. If she could have a house built of shoes, I think it would make her happy.

Spicy

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My very favorite meal at I ♥ Sushi is their Spicy Tofu. It is the perfect meal in every way from it's texture to the bite of spicy-ness one gets when you bite into the tofu. I've been thinking so much about this dish, that today for lunch I'm heading over there for a Bento Box. Yum! You know what, I do ♥ Sushi

Fruity

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This past weekend, I ventured back down to Pike Place Market. While there, I noticed the vibrancy of the fruit that was being sold at the various stands. It reminded me of the markets in France and so I had to capture the image. The reason I was at the market was to take pictures of "Performance Anxiety" for a photography group I recently joined. While I'm not yet sure that I captured this emotion in the street performers, I did have a very enjoyable time with Julie and Matya.

Ghostly

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While in France, I visited the cemetaries and gathered some interesting images. This one reminds me of being "Ghostly" because of the way the sun is hitting the headstone. I wonder how many ghosts wander the graveyards in search of their new home?

Boat

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About a year ago, a friend and I headed up to Port Townsend in an attempt to shake our mid-winter doldrums. The beach provided plenty of opportunity for photos and foolish folly. My friend had once lived in Port Townsend as a child and enjoyed the time she spent reconnecting with nature. I loved the compositions. This boat was sitting on the beach and I believe it has been there for years as I know I've seen it before on previous visits.

Woman

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I went on a "Photo Day" today with a few friends. We met up at the Pike Place Market and wound our way up the hill to the Seattle Library. Along the way, we encountered this woman. Her face projected from the side of a building across from the Seattle Art Museum. I enjoy her serenity and apparent wisdom.

Rural

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I'm not sure where I took this photo but I do know it was one of my first efforts. I took up photography in high school and recently re-discovered my photography class efforts. I had so much fun in that class and while not all of my efforts were successful, I ended up learning a lot about photography. This image grabs me due the rustic building and broken equipment. I enjoy taking pictures of barns and rustic buildings. The flecks of dust from what was an extremely dusty photo room add to the rustic qualities of this image making it appear even older than it is.

Luminous

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I played around this weekend in a dark room with a vase and some candles. I love this vase which actually belongs to my sister-in-law. The fiery appearance of the vase called for light and I'm quite pleased with the accomplished results.

Luscious

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In late October, I visited the National Cathedral in Washington DC while there for a marathon. A friend traveled with me and was very helpful in getting this shot. I love the luscious red color of the rose.

Foggy

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This morning on the way to work, I stopped at a park. Today the ground was frost covered and the trees were lined with frozen dew. While I do enjoy how this turned out, I think that next time I would like to get there earlier so that I could walk further into the park for other views and potentially catch the sun as it rises.

Disembodied

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I attended a party on Saturday night at a wonderful Art Studio. It was filled with artwork from top to bottom. This head struck me as unique and I asked my friend to pose next to it. She really surpassed herself with this face, helping to create a great composition.

Distorted

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Photo Friday was a challenge this week. I thought, quizzed and poured through photos until I found one I took while in the car a few weeks ago. I had the camera on time lapse so this double image of my face appeared. To further distort my face I changed the colors.

Concerts

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We spent New Year's Eve at the SkyChurch in the EMP. Beer was difficult to attain but the images were great. The opening band used a lot of light and background images which led me to quickly fall in love with the vibe from the lead singer. He was super funky!

Dragon

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There is a park I discovered while dogsitting this summer. I used to take the dog there for walks and exploration. Surrounding the play area is a short wall with entry gates decorated with childhood figures. This dragon protects the southeast corner and welcomes children at play.