Ballooooooons

These just flew by my window...thought I'd share.

Photos upload better on flickr

Photo 33/365

I volunteered at an elementary school this morning for my companies annual Comcast Cares Day. We painted the inside of their gym while others planted trees, painted portables (teal and orange!) and did some overall beautification. We were having a lot of fun just rolling on paint, but not thinking a lot of it, until a woman came in and started talking about how great the gym looked. After we had talked to her for a bit, we learned that she was the school's secretary and had attended the school herself, as had her father. She told us that the gym had been an awful brown color, that the paint was chipping and that she hadn't had any idea how they were going to paint it before the school's upcoming Promotion Ceremony. Getting a little paint on my hands was completely worth all of that.

(Also, no idea why my shirt looks like it's glowing. It came out of the camera like that and when I had to brighten the picture it made it even more phosphorescent.)

Photo 32/365

I'm just beginning my second month of this project, which got me thinking, where will my life be when I finish it? 

I'm headed off to a Comcast SportsNet Girls Book Club meeting today (which is really just a food party) and then will be working the Sharks game tonight. Making sure not to wear any red the next couple weeks (and you should all do the same!)

Photo 31/365 (ONE MONTH!)

Yeah, yeah, I know. I've had a lot of flower pictures, but it's Spring and they are everywhere! 

My sister gets home from Italy today! Cannot wait to go pick her up from the airport! 

Photo 30/365

There's nothing like coming home after a long day of work and putting your feet up. That may be one of the most grown up sentences I've ever typed. Yes, I know this photo is crooked, but that's because I was too wiped out to sit up straight. Hey! I had to deal with extra innings at work today!

Fun fact of the day (aka things you didn't need to know): My apartment walls are so thin, I can hear every word of a conversation happening in a different unit right now. Not that I'm complaining. I love my apartment. Although, I could do without having to hear the people next to us use the bathroom...

Also, if you like seeing things I take pictures of (and who are we kidding, of course you do...maybe...) I have a flickr where I post more than just the one photo each day.

Photo 29/365

No, this isn't mine. It's one of my boyfriend's. Note the placement of the apostrophe. He has multiple Emmys, I don't have multiple boyfriends...at least that I'm willing to admit ;-). Who knows, maybe someday I'll have a few Emmys of my own. Or a Pulitzer Prize in photography.

Retail Therapy

Ok, I like this one better. I bought these measuring cups at Anthropologie today. I was in a mood where I just needed to buy myself a little something, just for me. I'm not a big shopper, but every once in awhile, I do truly believe in retail therapy...it's second only to fast food therapy.

Photo(s) 28/365

Decided to try to do a diptych for this one, mostly because I wanted to see if I could figure out how to do it (I'm still a Photoshop novice). These are both photos from my front yard. It's starting to look a lot like Spring out there, kids! 

Easter Day

Photo 27/365

Happy Easter! The beauty of having young cousins is that the Easter magic lives on! 

Getting Ready For Easter

                                  

                                      

                                      

Photo 26/365

My dad got these from a co-worker and passed them on to me saying that I would have more use for them. He was right. My first use for them was spreading them around and taking pictures of them. Probably not what he initially had in mind, but they sure do make for cool photos.

Photo 25/365

I've turned into that crazy lady who takes pictures of her pets, but when your gorgeous German Shepherd is practically posing next to the pool, what are you gonna do?

Apparently, I didn't have comments enabled for everyone, but I've fixed that so feel free to leave them!

Happy Friday, Friday...

Photo 24/365

Law: When driving to one's friends house to watch a playoff hockey game, if one sees a shocking amount of purple flowers by the side of the road, one must pull over (safely, of course) and take pictures. Especially if one's favorite color is purple and one is trying to do a 365 photo project.

Photo 23/365

The boyfriend's out of town, it's raining, I'm off work early; that can mean only one thing: Girly night! Sometimes it's the simple things.

Hey, I have to do 365 of these things. They can't all be perfect. Or even interesting.

Photo 22/365

My cousin, Annelies came over to help my mom with her garden. The girl has some spunk! I told her to pretend like I wasn't here while I was taking pictures and she quickly took on her serious task of gardening. A few minutes later, I chimed in on the conversation she was having with my mom and Annelies quickly replied with, "If you're not here, are you supposed to be talking?" Ha! Touche Annelies, Touche.

Unbelievable win for the Sharks tonight (they came back from a four goal deficit to win 6-5 in OT) and a fun beat down on the Red Sox for the A's. All in all, a pretty good day.

I caught this picture of my cat while I had the camera out today. Of course, I had to go with the picture of my little cousin (so as not to be seen as a crazy cat lady... and because she's a cutie), but I just wanted you to see it because it's a gem.

Photo 21/365

I'm doing some research for a podcast tomorrow. I'll be a monthly guest on an Athletics After Dark "Hot or Not" segment. It's the first podcast I've ever done and I'm pretty darn excited (and slightly nervous) for it.

And yes, I do always do research for things with an A's snow globe and green and gold sparkly things nearby, thanks for asking.

Photo 20/365

Made my friend Heather stop on the side of the road so I could take pictures of this cool old motel sign. It's a gray, gray day in the city, but Heather and I had fun shop hopping in the Marina and going out to breakfast (our monthly tradition). Now I'm being forced to listen to techno music (the boyfriend's choice) as I edit this picture. It's a total juxtaposition between the sweet 50's motel sign and the headache inducing beats (can you tell how I feel about techno?)

Photo 19/365

I was working in San Jose all day today for the Sharks second playoff game against the Los Angeles Kings and the whole contest was one big pile of stink. I didn't have my 7D with me so I had to go with an iPhone picture. No one ever said they all had to be perfect!

Despite the outcome of the game, it was a good day. I drove to San Jose early for morning skate. My assignment was to go into the Kings dressing room after the game for interviews and I had never been able to do much with hockey before, so I wanted to get the lay of the land. Lucky for me, my boyfriend happens to practically live at H.P. Pavilion so after morning skate we got the chance to go out for lunch and take a walk through a park. In the middle of a hectic day, it was nice to get some of the rare quiet time with him that we are starved for right now.

Photo 18/365

Bokeh Bay Bridge. 

My boyfriend has a nice view from his roof, huh?

Photo 17/365

Yesterday, I promised you the secret to life. I was serious! I've thought about it and at least in my young, 23 and a half year old, part-time employed opinion the simplified secret to life is a two-parter. First, figure out what you like to do and do it. Whether it's as a hobby in your free time or as a career, find something you are passionate about and insert as much of it into your life as possible. Fullfillment, baby. That's what it's all about. Part two: figure out who you enjoy being with and surround yourself with those people. Spend as much time as possible with the people who make you smile. Don't enjoy being with someone who brings you down? Doesn't challenge you? Doesn't comfort you? Doesn't make you laugh? Guess what? There are more than 6 billion people on Earth. You can find others who do. 

Both are hard work, yes, and easier said than done, for whatever reason. But those are my personal goals for life. 

Photo 16/365

I have absolutely no desire, even in the slightest, to get off the couch today. Lucky for me (and anyone with eyes), I noticed that the roses in our backyard are beginning to bloom. Also lucky for me, whatever was in the background of this shot created a natural vignette. Pretty freaking cool.

I feel like I should write something else, like the secret to life, but my brain is just too fried. Maybe tomorrow I'll have that for you.

Pictures From Italy

I just uploaded all my pictures from Italy to a separate page. See where it says explore on the left hand side? Click where it says Pictures from Italy 2011...or just click here. Either way works for me!

Photo 15/365

Finally back home after 20 hours of traveling and this was all I wanted in the whole world. Well, this and A's baseball.

Photo 14/365 (2 weeks down...50 to go!)

They say "Do one thing a day that scares you" (well, at least my Lululemon bag does). This was my one thing for the day...maybe even the week. My family and I climbed to the top of the Duomo in Florence. We hiked up winding, narrow stairways (remember my claustrophobia from the tower in Siena?) and stepped lightly around a ledge high above the inside of the church; so high up they had to have plastic extend along the inside wall so that tourists wouldn't touch the ceiling's fresco.

We leave Italy early tomorrow morning and as long as there are no cancelled flights or delays (knock on wood), we'll be home tomorrow afternoon. Ciao!

Photo 13/365

The town of Volterra...yes fellow Twilight nerds, that Volterra. It sits on the top of a very steep hill and is full of small churches and narrow alleyways. The town only has one piazza with a large bell tower as it's main focal point and the jagged cliffs that surround the city are said to have inspired Dante's cliffs of Hell.

Despite myths of real vampires (not just sparkly ones) in its history and comparisons to Hell, the town really is quite nice. It's very authentic. The only source of tourism that comes its way are those who read about it in a Rick Steves' book or those who know of it due to New Moon. Our reasons for visiting were a little of both.

Photo 12/365

I decided I was too tired to write anything good about today and that it would be easier to upload a group of pictures for the day. Wrong. That took way more time and brain effort. Oh well. Today was my favorite photo day and I wanted you to see them! I'll preface it by saying that we spent the day going from town to town in the Chianti region and came home to a private cooking lesson. If you're curious as to where a specific picture was taken, go to my flickr page and click on the photo. There's a map in the upper right hand corner with the location. Enjoy!