Round Robin Challenge: Not Of The Season

"To be interesting in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."

-George Santayana

This challenge was my idea wasn't it? LOL. Immediately after I suggested it, the sun stopped shining in the Bay Area, and all those lovely spring conditions were replaced with rain, and chilly temperatures and well... winter conditions! LOL. Which isn't very surprising because, it's winter! SMILE. Oh well, I was able to find some suitable photos for the challenge in my archive, but that's fine too. So, for your viewing pleasure, are some previously unpublished photos that fit the challenge...

The first one was taken last autumn at Pastorino's Pumpkin Patch. What caught my eye was the gorgeous springlike flowers in the those lovely pastel colors, and right in the same frame was the very symbol of autumn... a jack-o-lantern. The scene just appealed to me somehow. Some of my very favorite things, coming together in one pretty little shot. Photographic bliss!

Roses In December?


I consider this rose one of my Christmas/Hanukkah presents from the last holiday season. It started to bloom early in the week, but opened completely on Christmas Eve. Roses, in December? I love my roses, but I had a terrible year with them. Between the ants and the aphids, my lovely roses ended up all but dead. I had given up, but this hardy little rose came through for me. My favorite of all the roses, it's called Green Ice. It was a nice surprise. It has encouraged me to start getting the garden into shape for this spring, beginning next month. Wish me luck!

Be sure to visit all the participating Robins for this challenge. Simply follow the links below...

Linking List ** Welcome New Members!**

Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

Monica... Photographer's Choice
Posted!

Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

Terri... Ways I See The World
Posted!

**Gwenlyn... Greenchair
Posted!

Vicki... Maraca
Posted!

Suzanne R... SuzyQ421s Photo Blog
Posted!

Jama... Sweet Memories
Posted!

Linda... Mommy's Treasures


Marina... Milepebbles
Posted!

Jill... South Bay Soliloquy
Posted!

Julie... Julie's Web Journal
Posted!

Kathy... Through the Viewfinder
Posted!

**Chris... Camera Obscura
Posted!

-rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-MOUNTAIN RIVER WHISPERS


Annie... Pictures of Craziness


Sherrie... Sherrie's Stuff
Posted!

**Basir Seerat... Basir Seerat's Photography


Connie... Far Side Of Fifty Photos
Posted!

Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!



Remember, there is still time to play along with the challenge, but if you can't make it for this round, stop by the Round Robin blog on Sunday to find out what our next challenge will be. :)

-Carly
"Pumpkin And Flowers"
Pastorino's Pumpkin Patch
Half Moon Bay, California
October, 2008
Afternoon

She's Just A Little Bit Caught In The Middle...

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

-Coco Chanel

Milly Dress worn by Dr. Jill Biden on Inauguration Day, 2009


My favorite things to talk about are boys, hair and make-up. LOL. Well, you can also get me to talk about cats and politics once in a while. WINK. But every now and again all my favorite subjects converge, like on inauguration day. With the exception of cats, I got to talk about all of my favorite subjects with the other ladies waiting in line to claim our free cosmetics at MACY*S. The inaugural fashion was on every one's mind, including mine. I wondered what folks would think about the clothes chosen by Michele Obama, and Jill Biden. The ladies I spoke to have mixed feelings. Personally, I like Michele Obama's dress and coat very much, it suited her, but I thought Jill Biden looked especially adorable in her outfit.

While both choices suited the women who wore them, I thought Jill Biden looked more comfortable in her choice. Her outfit has been panned by some as "too sexy" because of the length of the Milly dress she wore, and the boots which were, according to some, "too high." Personally, I don't see any reason why she would need to dress dowdy, just because it was an inauguration. She is a beautiful woman, with a cute little figure, I say show off your youthful side girl! She was dressed wonderfully. End of story.

It's fun to have women about my age, or a little older, to watch in regards to fashion. Princess Diana was my age, and I loved seeing her fashion choices in magazines. She was a strong role model in more then one area of life, and I missed her after her death. On a serious note, she actively worked with compassion, to bring awareness and sensitivity to those who suffered from depression. I will always appreciate her for helping me feel less alone, and better about seeking help. She was more than her fashion, so it irks me to see someone dismissed for superficial reasons. It should be interesting watching these two ladies over the next 4 years, I for one am looking forward to seeing what comes next from these two ladies, be it fashion or the causes they are passionate about.

What do you think about the fashion choices of Michelle Obama and Jill Biden? Has the critiques so far been fair? Do you have a favorite designer? Play fashionista for a moment, how would you have done things differently? Tell me what you think!

Official White House Biography of Michele Obama

Official White House Biography of Dr. Jill Biden


-Carly

Woo Hoo Free Cosmetics!

"When a cat rubs the side of it's face along your leg, it's affectionately marking you with it's scent, identifying you as it's private property, saying, in affect, 'You belong to me.'"

-Susan McDonough

Yesterday, I took a few moments out of celebrating the absence of George W. Bush, by picking up my free cosmetics from MACY*S. It seems that MACY*S, among other stores, got caught price fixing certain cosmetics items between May of 1994 and July of 2003! As a result, the unscrupulous stores mentioned in the ensuing lawsuit, were forced to giveaway, for free, $175 million worth of free cosmetics to those who had purchased cosmetics during those years. Each customer was allowed one product from a list of 19 or so products. I chose Vera Wang's Princess Body Polish (shower gel).

It has such a pretty and light scent. I haven't tried Vera Wang's fragrances before, but after trying it I think I might get the perfume as well. It is fun, and spicy, and I am enjoying it very much. It's perfect for daytime. The fragrance I use most often is Christian Dior's Poison, but I have been using that since I was in my 20's, and sometimes a girl just needs a change. I have been considering making a few changes to my wardrobe recently as well. Alan likes me in skirts, and I enjoy wearing them, so maybe I will wear them more often this year, and now I have a nice new fragrance to complete it all. Kohl's has some lovely styles by Vera Wang, she is my favorite designer, so I will go there soon and have a look see. Maybe something new for spring. SMILE. There's nothing like a free makeup giveaway to make a girly-girl smile!

Do you qualify for some free cosmetics? If you have already picked up your free product, what did you get? What perfume or cologne do you wear most often? Did you know about the lawsuit? You can read all about the lawsuit here. The stores involved in the lawsuit have until January 26th to distribute the free cosmetics. But don't wait too long, it's only as supplies last!

Cosmetics Cases Information Website

-Carly

It's Going To Be A Good Day!

"As Americans, we can take enormous pride in the fact that courage has been inspired by our own struggle for freedom, by the tradition of democratic law secured by our forefathers and enshrined in our Constitution. It is a tradition that says that all men are created equal under the law and that no one is above it."

-Barack Obama

:) I think today is going to be a good day! :)

-Carly
"Inauguration 2009"
January 20th, 2009

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #21: Youngins'

"In youth we learn; in age we understand."

-Maria Von Ebner-Eschenbach

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #21: Youngins'.
This week lets have some fun with youth, ours or someone else's. Grab your cameras and show me some YOUNGINS'. Kittens, puppies, baby birds, baby carrots, baby elephants, seedlings, a new moon, human babies and children, anything or anyone that is currently in it's YOUTH will do. So let your imaginations out to play with this one. If you do choose to show off some human YOUNGINS' please remember not to give away their exact locations in your entries. John Scalzi used to pass along that bit of wisdom when he was running that Monday Photo Shoot, and it just seems like a good thing to continue doing. So keep that in mind when you do your posting. :)

Extra Credit: As in my photo above show me sibling YOUNGINS'.

***PLEASE READ***

You have until next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET to get the photo, post it to your blog or journal and comeback here with the direct link to your entry that is specific to this photo shoot assignment. Please remember, it must be the full link back, not a general link to your blog or journal. NO HYPERLINKS ACCEPTED! Also, please include a link back to this entry, so that others can also do the photo shoot assignment. The more the merrier... right? :)

Linking List for EMPS #20: Snack Time! 01/12/09

NOW CLOSED!

1. Jama

2. Karen

3. Suzanne

4. Judi

5. Terri

6. Laura

7. Em Dy

Well done everyone! Now GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! I will see you next Monday with an all new Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot assignment!

-Carly
"Youngins"
Santa Cruz, California
Summer 2006
Afternoon

Bush's Legacy

"The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations."

-David Friedman

To some, the crosses on the hill in Lafayette, California, are simply crosses on a hill. To others it is a travesty, and to a different group of folks it represents the lives of the men and women who gave their lives for the service of their country. This simple memorial has been maligned, and vandalized. It has been protested and has been the scene of classing ideals. A part of me is still surprised that it was allowed to remain, but indeed it has quietly stood up to the controversy over the last few years, and it continues to honor those brave souls who died in Iraq for the freedom to make this statement.

Dick Cheney chose to ban the images of flag draped coffins returning home from Iraq. An apparent move to suppress the hurt we all felt because of these losses, hidden under the guise of respect to the fallen. It's hard for me to believe that true respect for our military was a priority for the Bush Administration, when we have been lied to so much. Respect? Was it respectful to start an unnecessary war? Was it respectful to send those men and women off to fight a war with poor, or substandard equipment? How about all those no-bid contracts? How about paying private security firms to patrol in Iraq at higher pay then we were giving our military? Was it respectful when the Bush Administration failed to send the proper amount of military personal in the beginning? How about how the soldiers that came back? Has anyone ever explained why the conditions at Walter Reed were allowed to fall to where they were?

Bush and Cheney have been working at rewriting history. Dick Cheney has admitted to war crimes. If either of these two men think that one day history will show them in a positive light, they are oh so wrong. I am hoping when Tuesday comes and goes the only time I will ever hear of these two men again, will be in the context of a trial and conviction for their many crimes against America and humanity... but I won't hold my breath. I suppose all I can really hope for is a quiet goodbye come Tuesday. There is a part of me who never believed Bush would actually leave office. I feared that he would come up with some sideways move no one saw coming, as an excuse to stay in power. I will not rest easy until I see Obama take the oath of office. Then I will believe Bush is finally gone. The oppression we have been forced to endure has been at times overwhelming, and it has left us tired, broke and beaten down.



The crosses on the hill in Lafayette is, and will always be, Bush's legacy.

"Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him."

-Colonel Potter, (Henry Morgan) M*A*S*H

-Carly
"Crosses On The Hill"
Lafayette, California
January 17th, 2009
Afternoon