Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Day 365: Photography Journey

Well, this is the last post of my 365 Days Project.  I thought the best way to finish it was with a photo of my Diana Mini camera.  It's a bitter sweet feeling though, in a way I'm happy but a bit sad because this project is coming to and end.

Looking backwards I can tell you, it was very hard some days to find inspiration (seems like it comes and goes as it pleases).  Even though I found several obstacles I overcame them and learnt in the process, which I think is the idea of this kind of projects.  There were also a lot of pleasant surprises.  I could boost my creativity and try new things and approaches.

I'm also happy because I could document, in a way, what happened to us during this year, which places we visited, happy moments, sad moments, feelings,...

To start this project was one of the best ideas I ever had!  It was an amazing photography journey! Thanks to everyone for being a part of it and for following me during this year :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope 2015 brings you lots of success, happiness, new projects, love, friendship, harmony and all of what your heart wishes for!!!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/15s  f/8

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Day 364: Bombones de Quaker

Aaawh!!!  You should see my face right now... I'm so tempted to lick the screen hahahahaha  This bonbons are a delicacy and they are super addictive (for anyone that have sweet tooth like myself).  I think each of them has at least 500 calories.  They are made of oats (finely ground), sweet cacao, butter and dulce de leche (yes, in Argentina we use dulce de leche as much as Americans use peanut butter).  The final touch is rolling each of them in shredded coconut.

Since we move to the US this is the first time that these bonbons taste almost like the ones that I used to make in Argentina.  Basically the problem is the cocoa, you need a very sweet cocoa and is very hard to find.  Luckily, I found it at Crate & Barrel (seasonal double chocolate cocoa).  Unfortunately they shop ran out of that cocoa because they bring it only for special holidays :(
Next time, I'll buy a lot of cans and store them for future bonbons :)

Now you probably understand why we will need to start a diet next year... and there is still New Year celebration!!! Luckily I don't think we'll eat this much because we won't be at home, we'll be enjoying a Spa in San Luis Obispo.

We still have some (around 6) of these on the fridge... mmm... hopefully my will will be strong enough to make them last until this evening :P


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/10s  f/10

Day 363: Alfajores de Maicena

Enough of salty food, now it's time for sweet treats!! My favorite treats hehe  These are called Alfajores de maicena, they are kind of a cookie filled with dulce de leche (kind of caramel but better).  The cookie is soft with a hint of lemon.  Each bite releases an explosion of flavor and texture in your mouth! mmm I'm starting to droll over the keyboard hehehe
This delicious treats were made by my lovely hubby :) Thank you for taking the time to prepare them! :D

If you are wondering... do we have at least one small bite left? Of course not! We ate them all!!! :(


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/15s  f/10

Day 362: Picada

Just looking at this photo makes me want to eat!! hehehe It's almost noon here, so I'm already hungry :P  Unfortunately we already ate these so there is nothing left to be eaten...
We found this delicious pepperoni and calabrese salami at Whole Foods, if you like this kind of meat you have to try it!! It was super tasty! Best appetizer ever!!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 0.8s  f/10

Day 361: Yummy hummus

I can't believe we are so close to the end of the year! I only have 4 more posts to write.  It seems like yesterday that I started it! This year went by so fast!

Now, let's get down to food!!! hahahaha  Homemade dry tomatoe & basil hummus with mini toasts....mmm it was so good! You can tell I love food, right? hihi
It was a bit tricky to prepare the hummus though since I didn't have a stand blender, but I could manage :)  

Thanks a lot hon for being my Guinea Pig with the hummus! (on the other hand...you were quite anxious to trying it out hehehe).  Truth is... it doesn't matter... you will always be my official food tester! :D


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/8s  f/14

Day 360: Branches & Leaves

Good morning!! How was your Christmas? We had a wonderful one! We ate a lot though... I guess the first thing that we will do next year will be start a diet hehehehehe
The food was sooo good!! And we prepared everything from scratch :) It was a very special Christmas.
I wanted to post one more photo of nature, but this will be my last photo of this kind of this yearly project :)



Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/320s  f/14

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Day 359: Merry Christmas!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! It finally arrived!!! Did Santa bring you nice presents? It seems like we were nice this year because we received a lot of presents hehehehehe
But, I must say that the most important things I received were love, care, harmony and peace. Thanks hon for giving me all of that always!!

I hope this holidays brought you the same!!
Have a warm and special Christmas!


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/6s  f/9

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Day 358: Presents

Tonight is Christmas Eve!! Yay!!! In Argentina it's customary to open the presents at midnight :)  I must tell you... is so tempting to open the presents before that time, since you see all of the them on the Christmas Tree, but one must control the urge hehehe

Be strong my followers, midnight will arrive before you start pulling off your hair!! hihihi

Only hours until Christmas!!)

Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/25s  f/7.1

Day 357: Let's dip!

This is one of my favorites dips, it's call Aioli, is made with eggs yolks, garlic, bread, mustard and spices.  It's super yummy and a bit strong :)
If you are a garlic lover, this dip is just for you!!!  But be careful... it's spicy!

1 day away from Christmas!!!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/40s  f/10

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Day 356: Stuffed mushrooms

This was the first time I made this dish :)  According to my hubby it was very good hehehe (but in general he likes my cooking...).

2 days away from Christmas!!!



 Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 0.4s  f/9

Day 355: Red and Green

Cooking time started today!!! Everything needs to be ready for Christmas Eve. There is so much to do and so short time! Anyway... it is also important not to rush and take the time to prepare the food with love and care! :D

The following posts will be about... FOOD, of course!! hehehe

3 days away from Christmas!!!



 Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/6s  f/7.1

Day 354: Frosty

For today's I made an abstract :)  This photo was very challenging because the frosty melted very quickly but luckily I got almost what I wanted :)


4 days away from Christmas!!!



Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/13s  f/7.1

Day 353: Pine

What better way to celebrate the proximity of Christmas but with a close up of a pine fruit.  I love the texture, it's so beautiful, it seems to be made of stone, right?

5 days away from Christmas!!!


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/250s  f/14

Day 352: Candy House

Hey, hey, hey!!!  I've returned!!  I was sick since last Thursday :(  Boomer! I got a cold with sore throat :(  Luckily I'm much better now, still have cough though... hopefully I'll get rid of it soon :)

This house is close to our place and I wanted to take of photo of it since the day I saw it hehehe This house remind me of the witch's house in the Hansel & Gretel fairy tail :P  Just in case, I'll stay far away... hihi

6 days away from Christmas!!!



Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/160s  f/11

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Day 351: Ghost Town

Hello, hello!! The countdown to Christmas starts today!! (at least for me) hehe We are only 7 days away!!! Yay!!

With the awful weather that we had lately, nobody seems to want to go out.  Everyone (that can) stays at home, warm and cozy :P  (me included hihihi)


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/50s  f/10

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Day 350: Christmas Tree

It was so hard for me today to take the photo I wanted.  It seems quite simple, right? Wrong! I guess some days I'm more inspired than others... I feel so tired lately, maybe it's because the end of the year is almost here...

If you go out, take an umbrella, it's pouring again!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1s  f/14


Monday, December 15, 2014

Day 349: Christmas Wreath

Since we moved to the US in 2010 I could spend time discovering new things and new passions because I had a lot of free time.  Photography was the most important discovery.  Thanks to my hubby's support and encouragement I started this beautiful art.  I realized that I love to take photos and express my creativity through it :D

Besides of photography I discovered that I also like to do things with felt and fabrics. The wreath that you are seeing was made by me from scratch (except for the plastic balls, I bought them at Michael's).


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/6s  f/13

Day 348: Christmas Spirit

Christmas is soooo close!!!  I can't hardly wait!! I wanted to celebrate the merry spirit of Christmas photographing ornaments related to this happy holiday.


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/6s  f/14

Post 347: Busy morning

On Saturday we went to a Star Trek Convention in Burlingame (it's a 50 minutes train ride). We left home before 8am (so sleepy) and without any breakfast yep, we wanted to be the first ones there.  This was our first Star Trek Convention.  We were very excited (we didn't disguise though...). 

We found a small Cafe called "Le Croissant Cafe" a few blocks away from the train station, so we rushed inside and enjoyed a delicious breakfast before heading to the convention (as you can imagine we were quite hungry after spending 1 hour on the train).  I must tell you, it was the best breakfast ever! While we were having breakfast 2 vulcans entered the place to have also breakfast hehehe Star Trek was in the air... :P

We had a great time at the convention! The photo that you are seeing was taken from a bridge that goes up the 101 Highway.

Live long and prosper! (like Spock would probably say...)


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/160s  f/13

Friday, December 12, 2014

Day 346: Leaves

Happy Friday!!! It's only 12 more days until Christmas!! Yay!! It's a happy time! What are you going to do this holidays? Something special?
We'll have a romantic dinner for Christmas :)  Happy, happy, happy, happy!!!

Enjoy your weekend!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/60s  f/11

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Day 345: Lines and Drops

It's pouring outside, from our balcony I can see a pool of rainwater collected on the pavement.  Seems like it will continue raining until Saturday.
Perfect day for a nap! hehehe yes, yes, I know, I'm always thinking about taking naps :P hihihi

Stay warm and dry!


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1/30s  f/6.3

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Day 344: Looking Up

It seems like this week is not going to end soon... everyday when I wake up, I keep thinking it's the following day! Grrr!! Is this week going fast for you? I hope so! :D

Anyway, before the rain comes again (according to the weather forecast we'll have a lot of rain starting tonight) is good to go out and find unexpected things in regular places.



Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/200s  f/14

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Day 343: Just Textures

Good morning!!! I feel on Wednesday today hehehehe it seems like I have a one day delay :P  Today's photo is an abstract, it can be whatever you wanted it to be, set your imagination free!
What I love the most in this one are the different textures of the elements.


Nikon D90 (105mm f/2.8) - 1.3s  f/14

Monday, December 8, 2014

Day 342: Shades of brown

I've been collecting falling leaves lately. There are so many different shapes and colors.  I'm going to run out of space at home soon hehehehe I have so much stuff! :P

I can't believe we are in December already and Christmas is around the corner!  I'm so happy that today we will decorate the Christmas tree! I love the mood of this time of the year, you can see the houses decorated with lights and ornaments.


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1.3s  f/14

Day 341: Hard Rose

A while ago I found this beautiful pine rose on the base of a tree.  It's amazing how similar to roses they are and the best part is that this ones don't decay or dry :)


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 1.3s  f/14

Day 340: Inverted Arch

The rain stopped for now... On the trees you can see the last drops hanging from the branches...


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/50s  f/7.1

Friday, December 5, 2014

Day 339: Naked Branches

You can feel the approaching of winter now... the days are getting colder... the trees had lost most of their leaves... and the ones that are still holding keep shaking with the wind's blow... they know that soon enough they will also fall... The scenery changes into another kind of beauty...

Have a warm weekend!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/1600  f/10

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Day 338: Where we belong

Hello, hello!! Another beautiful day in the Bay Area!  Today, the sun appeared again :)  I don't know how long it will last though because the sky is covered with clouds, but nevertheless I'm happy to see it again.


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/100s  f/9

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Day 337: Drops of light

Happy rainy Wednesday!!  What are your plans for today? It's still pouring outside :)  I must confess though that the sound of the rain is quite soothing. Today I didn't take my big camera out because it was raining too much, but thank God I had my cellphone! hehehe
Rule number one: always always always if you go out take a camera with you (it doesn't matter which camera, just grab one!).

In this particular photo I was experimenting with colors.

LG Optimus Elite - 1/40s  f/2.8

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Day 336: Rainy Days

Second day of the week... it's dark outside... it was raining almost the whole day... Bright side though, you can take great photos and most of the subjects look awesome with rain drops! ;P
It seems like it will continue raining for a couple more days.  When it rains like this I feel like taking looooong naps or to wrap myself in a cozy blanket while watching TV... mmmm soooo good...


Nikon D90 (105mm  f/2.8) - 0.4s  f/7.1

Day 335: Dark Skies

It's been raining since the weekend.  After the rain everything has a fresh look.  I love rainy clouds!


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/500s  f/20

Day 334: Trilogy

I you are wondering if I edited this photo you are wrong :)  This is just as I saw it.  It's amazing how good you can see the moon in the middle of the day! I think it was around 3 pm when I took this shot.


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/320s  f/18

Day 333: Baha'i Temple

If you happen to be in the Chicago area you must visit this place!! It's so beautiful!  You'll probably need a car to get to it though...

Short text regarding the Bahá'í faith (Thanks Wikipedia): The Bahá'í laws emphasizes that its doors must be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction.  It states that the spirit of the House of Worship must be a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.

It would be amazing if the humanity could get rid of the hatred and embrace kindness and love to one another! I hope we can reach that... some day...


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/320s  f/16

Day 332: Winter

I took this photo at the Japanese Garden in Chicago.  It was quite cold but the views were really nice! The water was frozen and the leaves on top of it were ice skating with the help of the wind.


Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/100s  f/7.1

Monday, December 1, 2014

Day 331: Branches

Happy belated Thanksgiving!!!  We spent it with our friends in Chicago!  We visited a lot of places and talked talked talked :) We had to catch up you know... hihihi  Our visit was very short but we had a blast!


 Nikon D90 (18-200mm  f/3.5-5.6) - 1/200s  f/10