After the Holiday Rush & new Team-Up Theme

Pictured is a nice moment of quiet in between Christmas and New Year's. Hope you are experiencing a lot of these moments, too.

Melody and I are ready to jump back into the Team-Up scene next week with the theme NEW. Seems perfect for welcoming a brand new year, doesn't it?

So join us with NEW, or pick your own theme.

Hope to see you next Thursday, January 6th, here and in our flickr pool.

Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful holiday!

Holiday Houses

You'd want to think long and hard before eating any of the candies off this house. Trust me.

And the Winner is...

Carissa and Jenn!


Thank you so much to everyone who played -- so much fun to look at the loveliness of DECEMBER through your diptychs. We're taking the week off here at Team-Up, so we'll look forward to more wonderful photos when we return.

Now, I know you're wondering about the prizes. If you don't already know about Photojojo, they have great gifts like this wooden camera gift set that we'll be sending to both our winners. So Carissa and Jenn, email me at monamegs@hotmail.com or flickrmail me with your addresses so that Melody and I can mail your prizes.

Wishing those of you who celebrate the holiday a wonderful Christmas -- may your days be merry and bright!

Contest Entries

The contest entries for the theme DECEMBER:



















Check back for the winner!

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty Six (DECEMBER): Contest Time!

There's nothing like a contest to get you motivated, right? Melody and I aren't eligible for the contest...since we organized it...and we're the judges. But that didn't stop us from getting in the DECEMBER spirit with a diptych. Melody's twinkle lights on top, my poinsettia on bottom.

We are extending the contest entries through today (Thursday the 16th), so be sure to post your DECEMBER diptych in the flickr pool today and tag it "Team-Up Contest" so we know it's an entry. I will be posting all the entries here at the blog tomorrow, so be sure to check out the competition. Melody and I will then pick a winner, so stay tuned!

P.S. We're taking a brief Team-Up vacation next week in the run up to Christmas, so check back here for our new theme after the holiday.

Tree Climbing

If you don't know us IRL, that's my 6'4" husband with my 5' tall 10 year old on his shoulders. On a chair.

I'm thinking Santa might want to deliver a ladder this year.

FYI: Reliable Sources

Conversation between James and Harrison last night:

Harrison: Dad, will you tell Mom to unblock Wikipedia on our computer?

James: Well, you need to be careful with Wikipedia. Not all the information is reliable, you know.

Harrison: I know, Dad. Anyone can upload information to Wikipedia, so you have to make sure that what you're reading is true.

James: How did you know that?

Harrison: I looked up "Wikipedia" on Wikipedia.


(Harrison will be freelancing as an independent researcher over the holidays, if anyone's in need of his services....)

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty Five (WORDS)

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, this is a busy time of year. What better way to appreciate the season than by listening and looking for quiet words that really underscore the meaning of the holiday? From a child's heartfelt note to a joyous chorus of "The Messiah," wonderful words of the season are all around, if we simply take the time to look.

What WORDS do you have for us this week?

Remember to check out the details of our fabulous contest we've got going on this coming week! The theme is DECEMBER, and we're using that for our regular theme as well.

Melody and I have a couple of fun prizes lined up for the winning diptych partners, so get into the DECEMBER spirit and play along!

P.S. Edited to add: I forgot! I've got another person interested in a partner...any lurkers out there wanting to jump in?? Now's the time:)!

The Tree

Trust me. It looks even bigger in the house.

Team-Up Contest

Right in the middle of your busy holiday season, Melody and I have decided to run a contest!

Here are the nitty-gritty details:

Theme: DECEMBER diptychs

When: Post your entries between December 9th and December 15th.

Where: Post your diptychs to the usual flickr pool, but tag them with the "Contest Team-Up" label so that it's easy to identify them.

How: On Thursday, December 16th, we will post links to all the contest photos so you can see them all. Because this is such a quick contest, Melody and I will be the judges (we'll be fair and impartial, I promise).

Why: Because it's fun. Because everyone needs a creative boost in December. Because we've got a fun little prize for both partners of the winning diptych.

So grab your partner and snap away -- can't wait to see your DECEMBER dips in the pool.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty Four (METAL)

We're back! It was a bit strange to skip a week, but we figured everyone (in the U.S.) would be busy with family, friends, and turkey.



METAL was our theme for the week, and we came up with an interesting diptych. I love the feeling Melody's mariachi trumpets evoke: a fun night of celebration!

Mine is more mundane: shot of my son's METAL MEDAL. Do you like that? "Metal medal?" I can hear your groans from here :).

Next week, we're working on WORDS as our theme, so join us! Check out the flickr pool and keep taking great shots.

P.S. I've got a new player who would love a partner. Any lurkers out there waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump in? Now's your chance. Email me at monamegs@hotmail.com and let me know.

P.P.S. CONTEST COMING SOON! Melody and I have a little contest coming your way...very soon...check back in the next few days for details!

Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming....

Got a little busy over the holiday weekend. Had a fun time with the cousins: lots of Wii-ing, movie-ing, playing. Also a fun visit to the art studio.



December starts tomorrow, and Owen reminded me that we don't have the advent calendar up yet. Guess what I'll be searching for in storage tonight?

Cast Off!

The last view of the cast...

Crazy Hair Day...Again

I swear this day comes around more than once a year at our school. Harrison likes it because it means his hair looks crazier than usual. And if you've ever seen him in the morning, that's saying something.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty Three (BEFORE)

Melody and I have quite the domestic diptych this week for our theme BEFORE. Melody chose her bed, I think right before she got in it; I just have laundry on my bed. I like her idea better :).

I was thinking about doing a follow up shot of AFTER...but the clothes are still sitting on my bed as I write this.

What do you have to show us this week? Check out the flickr group for more great diptychs.

Join us next week for METAL (heavy or otherwise :).

Weekend

Guess where we were this weekend?

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty Two (PAPER)

A fun combination, huh? I almost did a paper airplane, but I'm glad I didn't. It wouldn't have looked half as artistic as Melody's shot. I made do with something we have a lot of: candy.

I'm thinking of calling my shot "The Morning After." :)

What do you have to show this week? Check out the links in comments, or hop over to our flickr group for even more great diptychs.

Next week, we're doing BEFORE as a theme. Lots of creative interpretations with that one, so we'll see you next Thursday!

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty One (ORANGE)

I wracked my brain all week trying to come up with something ORANGE that didn't have anything to do with Halloween. Apparently, Melody and I had the same thought. How awesome is that orange soda? I've never heard of Frostie soda, but it's sure got a cute bottle:). I love that we chose the same shade of orange, too. My purse + her soda = a match made in heaven!

I sure could have used a swig of that orange bubbly after squatting in the street trying to set up my shot. My neighbor's lawn is covered in beautiful yellow leaves, so I set my camera on the mini tripod in the grass and tried to focus on the purse. Then I set the timer, ran around to the front and tried different things until I got something usable. I'm pretty sure my neighbors thought I was a little loony. Actually, they all know about my photography habit, so it probably didn't phase them.

Can't wait to see what's in the pool this week. Make sure you check it out.

Next week, we'll be doing PAPER -- lots of possibilities there. So join us or pick your own theme, just get shooting!

BSM: Halloween

I present Heat Miser and Snow Miser, those famous brothers from "A Year Without a Santa Claus."





The Miser brothers hit it big on the Halloween circuit, hauling in more candy than they can eat in a year.



And really, who can resist these two charming fellows?

Team-Up Thursday: Week Forty (CALM)

I really like our diptych this week. It certainly embodies the theme: CALM. I need some of that after keeping Owen home from school last week trying to avoid any arm-to-surface contact. I was actually hoping to get a lovely golden light shot like Melody's, but our weather did not cooperate. Instead, I tried to capture the CALM in our bedroom.

My favorite part of both the photos is the sense of softness conveyed. Both look so soft and inviting, don't they?

What do you have to show us this week?

Next week, we'll be doing ORANGE. I have a feeling we'll get some pumpkin shots, eh?

Better

He and his arm are feeling better, thank-you-very-much.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Nine (BUBBLES)

Ah...BUBBLES -- what a happy theme! But really, we had a less than happy week here when Owen broke his arm in two places. Not so many bubbles in the ER, I can say that.

He's home from school this week until they x-ray his arm again and put on a more permanent cast. So I made him be useful and blow some bubbles for me. I figured he needed something to pass the time:). You can even see the edges of his sling if you look carefully.

I love the ethereal nature of Melody's BUBBLE shot. So dreamy with that gorgeous sky.

Check out all the great dips in the pool, and be sure to leave a comment here.

Next week, we're taking it down with CALM for our theme. That's me hoping for a less stressful vibe:).

Broken

Poor little guy. He broke his arm on the playground at school yesterday. Both radius and ulna snapped. Had to have it reset by the orthopoedist.

Not the best way to spend a Friday, but he was such a trooper.

I'm hoping this is kind of like getting the first little dent in your car. After the first one, the ones that follow don't seem so bad.

Because I know it's impossible to keep that car from getting dented again, no matter how much I try to protect it.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Eight (FUN)

I'm pretty sure Melody's photo needs no explaining. Yep, she's having FUN with Mickey and friends, but she still managed to iPhone me a great photo.

For anyone who either a) doesn't live in the U.S. or b) does not have elementary school-aged children, my photo might be a bit of a mystery. If you don't fall into either of these categories, you probably knew instantly what my photo was: silly bands. My boys have suddenly become obsessed with them. I don't think it will last too long -- unlike Harrison's Thomas the Tank Engine phase when he was three...and four...and five. But they sure are having FUN with them now.

What kind of FUN have you been up to this week? Check out our flickr group for more great diptychs.

Next week, we're photographing BUBBLES -- now there's a fun challenge!

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Seven (FALL)

As much as I miss Summer, Fall is a lovely time of year. Even more than a new calendar year, I find the beginning of school to be a time of renewal and new goals. Nature has other ideas, however, and is getting ready to go into hibernation. Makes for great photographs, though.

For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, Fall is but a memory and Spring is well underway -- lots of different interpretations of FALL for our theme, so I look forward to seeing everyone's inspirations here and in the flickr pool.

Next week, we'll be tackling FUN, so join us!

Twins

Owen: "Harrison and I are pretty much twins. Except I'm blonde."

Me: "Uh....really?"

Owen: "Yep, people think so."


I had nothing to say to that. They may not be twins, but they sure are cute together.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Six (LANDSCAPE)

I am in love with Melody's photo. The lighting, the mood, the way I want to travel down that road...maybe to pick apples? Such a contrast for us this week, in subject matter, composition, and story. This diptych definitely gives the viewer a lot to examine.

What do you have to offer this week? Can't wait to see...

Next week, we'll be doing FALL. Maybe I should have saved my apples, eh?

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Five (FLYING)

What a fun challenge! It was certainly more difficult than I had envisioned. It was hard to get up high enough so that I could really get a shot directly over the tableau. We had to do some experimenting. My kids really wanted to do a video (like the Coldplay vid), but I told them we needed to start a bit smaller. By the way, my boys are fighting killer asparagus, in case you were wondering.

I love how our two photos are such a contrast in subject matter. I guess that's what happens when you get two boys and two girls each directing their own shots :).

How did everyone else do with our theme this week? Can't wait to make the rounds...

Next week, we'll be working on LANDSCAPE, so get your cameras out of portrait mode and join us!

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Four (SMALL)

If you're checking in early this morning, we're not quite up and running yet...so go ahead and leave a comment, and stop by again later to see our dip!

EDITED TO ADD:



Having some technical difficulties this week, so you're stuck with two of my photos. The top is the one I took for this week. I am in the decluttering process, and I ran across Owen's first shoes in one of the storage bins. Hard to remember when his feet were this SMALL.

The bottom shot is actually from our trip to Australia last year. We went to a butterfly sanctuary and were surrounded by beauty in SMALL packages.

What do you have to show us this week?

Remember, next week, we are FLYING. If you need more info, check out my last two Team-Up posts or the discussion thread in our Flickr group. Can't wait to see what you create!

A Kickin' Weekend

Yep, it's soccer season once again.

Grow Much?

I dug up a photo from Harrison's first day of Kindergarten -- and really, what horrible photography....no idea who took that picture...cough, cough.

Same door, same kid...just a wee bit bigger.

How do these things happen?

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Three (WORK)

Yep, I made my kids do hard manual labor over the holiday weekend. They also went swimming, to the movies, played with friends, and had sleepovers, so I don't think a bit of weeding was asking too much. I love the perspective of Melody's shot. School just started for us on Tuesday, so not too much homework yet.

It's funny that Melody and I chose to take photographs of our children's work rather than our own. I'm not sure what this means. Maybe it's just too hard to photograph yourself doing work. Or that you don't want to be reminded of the work you have to do. Or the kids are just cute. Whatever.

Next week, we're going with SMALL for our theme. Think big, go small. I'm not sure that's a motivating thought or not. However, we definitely want you thinking big for our group project coming up on September 23rd: FLYING.

If you didn't catch last week's post, here are the details: We'd love everyone to join in and FLY that Thursday -- create a work inspired by Jan Von Holleben's "Dreams of Flying" series.

No pressure. We won't shun you if you do your own theme.

Remember to check out all the dips here and in our flickr pool. Don't worry, even though Fall is on its way to the Northern Hemisphere, the water in the flickr pool is always warm, so dive in!

P.S. I've got a long-time Team-Up participant who has lost her partner and would love to join in with someone new -- anyone game? Email me if you'd like a partner: monamegs@hotmail.com

Somebody's Seven

Happy birthday to my other little muffin.

You sure are cute.

Even when you really don't want your picture taken.

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-Two (SELECTIVE FOCUS)

SELECTIVE FOCUS was a fun theme for me -- I can't wait to see what other pairs created! I love that Melody chose the less obvious shot here. Rather than focus on V, she left her in the background to focus on the fence. Mine is a bit more straightforward, but I do like how only one wooden flower is left for the viewer. This is a great theme for being a bit more creative, so I'll have to keep it in mind whenever I'm shooting.

Next week, we'll be tackling WORK for our theme. I'm sure everyone is all too familiar with that concept.

In other news, I mentioned last week that Melody and I were wanting to do another group theme. We have only done one: way back in February, we challenged everyone to do a SELF-PORTRAIT diptych. It was a ton of fun, and it was great to have everyone participating with the same theme.

Fast forward to September and we're finally ready for another group challenge. This one requires a bit more preparation, so we're giving you three weeks. For the week of September 23rd, we're all going to go FLYING! Let me be more specific: Jan Von Holleben's "Dreams of Flying" is a wonderful series of photographs of people flying...without leaving the ground.

Check out this link and be sure to watch the series of photos as well as the Coldplay video lower down in the post. Then get out your ladders (or scout out a place you can take a photo from above) and get those creative juices flowing.

Don't worry, if you and your partner want to do your own theme, please don't feel pressured -- it's all good.

Peace, Love, and Tie-Dye

Hmm....someone's not getting into the whole "peace and love" thing here.

Looks more like he's into the "disgruntled and disgusted" vibe instead.

I guess four out of five isn't bad.

P.S. It is totally acceptable to have your kids and their cousins not only wear matching shirts, but force them to make the shirts beforehand as well. Just sayin'...

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty-One (OLD)

This dip makes me smile. It appears that Rockey and the camera are leaning towards one another, doesn't it? I had trouble with OLD, although I'm not sure why. I settled on my first camera, a hand-me-down from my parents years ago. It's a bit worse for wear, but it still had film in it when I found it. I have it ready to be developed, but I have to call around to find a place that will do it. It's definitely OLD.

Next week, Melody and I are working on SELECTIVE FOCUS. Lots of possibilities there, so join us if you feel so inclined. We are also working on another group project -- a theme we can all do together -- so if you have any suggestions, please let us know.

As always, check out all the dips in our flickr group!

Just a few...

Have only just begun wading through vacation photos. We went to the Washington coast for a week, and then down the Oregon coast for week number two. Lots of fun with my cute niece, my parents, and my brother. Having trouble facing the fact that school starts in two weeks. Yes, I know, lots of you have already started, but we begin after Labor Day, so there's a bit more time for summer fun.

We're Back...

Lots of photos of my wacky bunch of vacationers.

I was sure no one wanted to miss this one:).

Team-Up Thursday: Week Thirty (BIG)

Sorry about the delay, but I'm still on vacation and Melody's already in the midst of back-to-school craziness, so check back a bit later in the morning for our dip. You can go ahead and post your link here in comments!


EDITED TO ADD:



OK, we made it! And our dip is certainly BIG, don't you think? I love the perspective on Melody's shot; I was trying for something like that, but couldn't quite figure out how to do it with the phone camera. My favorite thing about Melody's photo is that from that angle, N's shoes end up looking like the old-time Frankenstein boots. Not N herself, of course :).

Hope you have lots of good stuff to show us this week. I'll be back in non-vacation mode next week, so I'll have a ton of dips to go back and explore.

We'll be doing OLD next week, so come along for the ride, or choose your own theme. Either way, play along!

Team-Up Thursday: Week Twenty-Nine (MORNING)

I'm on vacation this week, and Melody was nice enough to put together our dip. The stillness in her photo seems to contrast with the large bird of prey I encountered on my walk yesterday morning. Sure, he's keeping still, but I think he was just waiting for an unsuspecting rodent to come along. I couldn't get close enough (nor did I want to) to see what kind of bird it was, but it was enormous. I had my phone with me, so I grabbed this MORNING shot.

What do you have to show us this week?

P.S. I won't be able to visit the dips this week, since the wi-fi is spotty and I've only got my phone -- so make sure you guys all make the rounds in my stead:).

P.S. We're going BIG next week for our theme, so join us if you dare.