Falling Again

October 19, 2017 | Allison

Heh heh. Aren’t my puns great? *Sigh* Yes, I know they’re awful. ANYWAY, I’m super excited to show you guys these fall pictures! I’ve been saving them up for a while now and I finally get to post them. 🙂

First I want to show you our beautiful ombre maple tree. 😀 Well actually the leaves are all fallen from it now, but this is how it used to look. Isn’t it lovely?

One of the other maples beside our lane was absolutely gorgeous this year! Especially with the sun shining through the leaves… ah, it was beautiful.

I LOVE these pumpkin pictures! 😀

And back to the tree again. This bokeh… OH MY GOODNESS! ♥

I really like the composition of the next one. (Wow, I’m doing a lot of portrait, vertical photos aren’t I? Here’s a question: Should I make them smaller so you can see them without scrolling, or do you like them full size as they are?)

Leaves can make even dusty black trucks pretty. 🙂

I promise I didn’t put the leaf there. Isn’t the position so neat and funny?

And of course we musn’t forget the classic holding-a-leaf-up picture, am I right?

Ooh, and then I got several adorable pictures of Maggie looking all dejected. 😛

HA HA Maggie looks like she’s havng an intent conversation with a leaf or something and the leaf just said something shocking. XD What would you caption this photo? (No winners this time – just for fun. 😉 )

Here’s a fun fall photography prompt: try to find fall leaves in a half-rainbow, from red to green. Arrange them in an ombre pattern and snap away! 🙂 I had a lot of fun with this, but it also took FOREVER to collect the leaves.

Huh, what do you know. I’m wearing the same skirt as in this post. (I promise I don’t wear it every Sunday. XD )

I rather like this edit.

And lastly, just a few edited photos. I spent SUCH a long time trying to capture a leaf falling. XD

And we end with a photo featuring a picturesque (?) four-wheeler? Okay…

Alright, you got to the end. *applause* Actually, you didn’t. Let me talk for a bit first.

Ahem. Some people mentioned in the survey that they don’t love scrolling through so many pictures in my photography posts, and I definitely understand that. I always try to cram a ton in. XD So I shall attempt to be a little more picky and not burden you with so many at once. What do you think? More photos, which might contain some less quality photos, or less photos, but more quality ones?

Also it seems like I kind of failed my goal with this post, but let me tell you, I was much more selective than normal. IT WAS SO HARD. THERE ARE SO MANY PICTURES TO SORT THROUGH.

Thank you guys so, so much for taking my survey, by the way! I can’t please everyone nor am I going to try, but it really is helpful to hear your thoughts. ♥ Thus, my goals are…

Condense my photography posts a little. And post more people and pet photography rather than mostly random nature photos like I just did.
Keep my header but maybe change the theme and clean up the sidebar. (Question: do you ever use the category pictures on my sidebar? If not, I’ll just delete them.)
Make more art posts and start up with Art Lab again! The thing is, it’s a little hard to do a collab art blog with just me posting… heh heh. I want to get that figured out too. Anyway, I already have a fun Art Lab post in mind which I will hopefully post maybe Saturday or Sunday.
Make featured images for all my posts, not just some, for more cohesiveness.

Okay, I am FINALLY done with this post. Thank you so much for bearing with me, dears, and listening to my many questions! Do you have a favorite photo? What do you think of my four goals?

Have a lovely fall day!

***Allison***

P. S. GUYS. I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING ELSE. If you type this: :{), it looks like an emoji with a mustache. WHY IS THAT NOT A THING? Oh, right. Probably because it’s completely useless. True. BUT STILL. Okay, I’m actually done now.

Bunnies in Autumn

October 3, 2017 | Allison

EXTREME CUTENESS ALERT: If you are not able to cope with impossibly adorable animals, perhaps you should skip this post.

Okay, everyone’s still here. Good. BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO CUTE TO MISS, EEP! This is definitely my favorite bunny photoshoot I’ve ever done and it turned out gorgeous, if I do say so myself! 😀 Special thanks to my sister Megan who posed and calmed the bunnies throughout this traumatizing time of sitting on white foamboard and being bombarded by flowers and shot by cameras.

And now let’s just get to the pictures. I CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGER. (Actually I can wait long enough to give you a warning that there will probably be a lot of caps in this post. Obviously.)

Let’s start with the one and only Olaf. Olaf’s prop was a rosebud from our bush, and it was perfect! Also sorry for all the weird different shades of white in the backgrounds. The original pictures were rather bluish and they were hard to adjust properly since Olaf’s a different color of white. Anyway, just ignore that part and hopefully enjoy them anyway.

Wait. That… wasn’t a rabbit. Oh well.

I dub thee, Princess Olaf. (Yes, Olaf is a girl. We thought she was a boy and had already named her by the time we figured out that the seller had given us the wrong one. XD)

BWAHAHAHA isn’t this picture hilarious? Olaf kept winking for some reason.

AGAIN WITH THE WINK.

Ugh the white is so off on this one but I love it otherwise! Isn’t it so pretty?

And now for my dear fluffy Willow. She actually had recently gotten a trim when I took these pictures so she’s not as fluffy as normal. Also Willow gets more pictures because I didn’t need to edit them as much, heh heh. AND BECAUSE SHE’S FLUFFY.

Here we have a behind-the-scenes picture. My little sister Carmen also wanted to help (but just briefly), and poor Willow was a bit befuddled with all the chaos, I think. We chose marigolds because they’re pretty, but I think they may actually be poisonous to rabbits? I’m not sure. Anyway, we made sure she didn’t so much as nibble one, and she’s still alive to tell the story.

I’m pretty sure that’s an orange teardrop of stress on her cheek.

Good JOB, Willow! You stayed!

HA HA. I don’t even know what her expression is but it’s funny.

THIS. IS. HILARIOUS. It looks like she’s directing a plane coming in for landing or helping someone try to parallel park. “Okay a little to the right. Nope, your other right. There, you got it. Keep on a-coming, beep, beep, beep.”

We actually did get some good photos in the midst of all the funny ones, though! While it may look like she sat there innocently staring at me, she did not. She took every chance to meander away from where she was supposed to be in hopes of greener grass. (But this grass is pretty green, so…)

Ha ha, she looks like a scared little fluffy pancake. But a cute one. ♥

Aww, so sweet! That’s it, your getting the hang of it now, Willow!

Mmpf, maybe not. SOOOORRY.

Aww I love this one! Isn’t it so beautiful and adorable? You are a lovely Queen of Summer, Willow.

Next we have Diamond. I think she’s very noble-looking and handsomely beautiful, don’t you? I love the colors in these pictures!

Whoops, I think I over-edited this one…

Next we went to the soybean field, which is mostly featured in these pictures as a yellow glow.

I LOVE this one!

Ha ha, her dewlap. XD (A dewlap is the big floppy thingy around their neck that some adult female rabbits have. It’s normal, don’t worry. 😉 )

Now for Snickers. GUYS, HIS CHUBBY CHEEKS HELP ME. Is he not the cutest?

AHHH THIS PICTURE THOUGH.

I LOVE HIS SQUISHY FACE.

And lastly but not leastly, a picture of the three compadres, Diamond, Olaf, and Lily. They are similar breeds (Diamond’s a Silver Fox and the other two are New Zealands), but they’re different colors, which makes for a lovely group shot. (And again I have kind of a weird white balance thing going on. Sorry ’bout that!)

Lily: Let me just move up a little bit so you can see me better. Is this a good angle?

Olaf: Mmph. You’re squishing me.

In which three frightened rabbits cower under the… oh, it’s just a camera.

HA HA WHAT IS UP WITH THE WINKING AGAIN, OLAF?! XD It cracks me up.

And that’s about it! I took tons more photos than that but those were the best. What did you think, guys? Guys? Oh dear, perhaps that was a little too much cuteness for one post…

If anyone survived, which bunny’s shoot was your favorite?

Thanks so much for reading, my dears, and have a wonderful day!

***Allison***

P. S. OOPS. Nearly forgot about the Caption It contest! Here’s the photo:

And my favorite caption was by Zielle.

Maggie: Wait, wait, I think I got it! I can wink!
Allison: That’s blinking, Maggie.

HA HA IT’S PERFECT! Thanks, Zielle, and everyone else who participated! I loved reading your captions.

Pink Flowers and Little Sisters

September 17, 2017 | Allison

The other day when we had our little Labor Day adventure I did a rather cute photoshoot with my little sister Carmen, if I do say so myself. 🙂 I just love how the pictures turned out, and I can’t wait to show you guys!

When I saw all the pretty pink smartweed flowers, I knew they were just begging to be in a photoshoot. Heh heh. I asked Carmen if I could take pictures of her and after a few tries she reluctantly agreed… and then once we got started she didn’t want to stop. XD If you love photography and have siblings, especially younger siblings, a photoshoot is a really fun thing to do with them!

Ahem. And now for the pictures (and there are a LOT). XD

DSC_2101 (853x1280) — Aww, isn’t this so cute?

“Oh, Carmen, you look creepy!”

*laughs* “Yeah, I meant to.”

I took a lot of pictures with Carmen in the background because I thought the lighting and bokeh made it look lovely. 🙂

Oh my goodness, isn’t the setting perfect for these? The lighting… the flowers… ahh!

DSC_2137 (853x1280) — Yikes, better watch out for the thistles! O.o

Carmen found a hollow stump and wanted me to take pictures of her in it.

DSC_2148 (1280x853) — Her creepy face again…

DSC_2156 (1280x853) — HA HA! This one’s one of my favorites. XD She just looks so relaxed and nonchalant. I don’t think she even knew her feet were that dirty. XD

DSC_2159 (1280x853) — It looks like she’s in a wooden bathtub or something. 😛

Okay, now these next few pictures are some of my favorites from the shoot!

DSC_2175 (1280x853) — Dirt on her knee and a grin on her face. 🙂

DSC_2174 (1280x853) — I LOVE THIS ONE! Isn’t it so fun when you can capture a moment of genuine, candid laughter?

“Allison, you should take a picture of me bending down, like I’m finding something on the ground.”

Ha ha, so she wanted me to take a picture of her on that long, horizontal limb in the last picture, and I agreed. But we had quite the struggle to get her up there. XD I hung my camera on a branch and tried boosting her up, then letting her climb on top of me, and after several tries and much laughter we finally succeeded. XD

DSC_2213 (853x1280) — I love this one too!

I forget if Carmen or I had the idea for these next pictures… I think it was me. Anyway, they turned out so cute!

She was a bit uncertain of how to pose without jabbing herself on the barbed wire fence, but she figured it out. 😉

And we shall end with another of my favorites:

There we go! I hope you had as much fun looking through the pictures as I did taking them. 🙂 Which was your favorite (if you have one)? Have you ever done a photoshoot with a younger sibling? This one was quite fun and if I started to run out of ideas, Carmen gave me an ample supply. XD

Thanks for reading, my dears, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

Dog + Cats

August 26, 2017 | Allison

Get ready for some furry cuteness, my friends! Today I have some pictures of our yellow Lab, Maggie, along with a Caption It, and lots of pictures of KITTENS! 🙂

Ready?

Set?

Go.

Let’s start with Maggie. She looks so sweet and calm in this picture! Do you see the heart she makes with her paws? ♥ SO CUTE.

I was taking pictures for my sister Megan‘s photo contest, BIBPC, and got one with Maggie in the background. 🙂

HA HA! Maggie makes odd faces sometimes. XD I think she was licking her lips or something, but she looks like she’s in mid-snarl.

I love all the beautiful bokeh in these next pictures. ♥

And we shall end Maggie’s pictures with my favorite – probably my favorite I’ve ever taken of her. IS THIS NOT HILARIOUS?! AND ADORABLE?! Tell me what you think I should caption it in the comments, and I’ll announce the winner in another post. 😀

Now for the cats. (Just so you know, I did edit many of these a bit.) This is Whopper. 😛

I love cats’ eyes! They’re so pretty and round.

Speaking of pretty eyes, take a look at Violet’s eyes! ♥

Okay, now for the wittle kittens. 😀 I believe this is Bubbles (my little sister named him XD), but I’m not certain.

We named this little guy Fuzzer Jr., after a cat that looked just like him that my grandmother used to have.

AWW! I love this picture!

IS THIS NOT THE CUTEST?!

And then we have Tiny Tina…

And here’s one of little Louis. I think there’s another one or two kittens, but apparently I didn’t get very good pictures of them.

And last but not least, a couple of pictures of this sweet but startled-looking kitty that showed up at our house. I’m not sure where he’s from. Oh, and Carmen named him Thomas, Tom for short. 😉

Such stunning eyes! Rather shocked-looking, but pretty. 😛

And there’s your dose of cuteness for the day! Which picture was your favorite? Do you like cats or dogs better, and why? I like cats better because they’re more soft and clean and you can hold them, but I like the pictures of Maggie better in this post.

***Allison***

P. S. Are you guys ready for another art post, or should I do the second vacation post first?

Books, Blooms, and Bales {Portrait Photography}

August 21, 2017August 28, 2017 | Allison

Megan and I did a super fun photoshoot of each other yesterday and got tons of great pictures! We had way too much fun figuring out creative ways to pose for each other. I’ve tried (and mostly failed) to narrow them down for you guys. Whoops.

Photo credits to my sister Megan. (And assistance credits to me. Heh heh.)

Okay, buckle up, ’cause this is going to be a loooong post.

We started in the barn, since haybales make awfully good props.

portraits (26) (853x1280) — AHHH I love this picture! I think I might use it for my “About” page.

portraits (18) (1280x853) — XD I am pondering life’s mysteries…

portraits (22) (1280x853) — AHHH THIS IS SO CREEPY. It looks like someone else’s arm is poking out of the straw and grabbing on to me. O.o

portraits (19) (1280x853) — Awkwaaaard. (Don’t worry, it was on purpose.)

portraits (9) (1280x853) — BWAHAHAHA. Megan wanted to take a picture of me with a piece of straw (or hay) in my mouth, so I obliged.

portraits (27) (853x1280) — I love this one too! Do you think this one or the first one is better?

Next we went to the cotton seed barn… with a tiny spiderwebby window. O.o

portraits (36) (853x1280) — This looks like a writing prompt or something. XD

portraits (35) (853x1280) — CREEPY, ALLISON.

portraits (93) (1280x853) — I ALSO like this one. XD

portraits (90) (1280x853) — Megan says my hands look old here. They kind of do, I guess. XD

portraits (83) (1280x853) — This is one of my favorites because I love eyes. ♥ Also wow, I didn’t know I had so many freckles. XD But I don’t mind them.

portraits (82) (1280x853) — For some reason I look a lot younger here…

portraits (73) (1280x853) — I love this one too! My mom says I look like Dad in this picture, and I can see what she means.

portraits (70) (853x1280) — Heh heh, Megan’s aim was a bit off here, but we decided to keep it as a “behind the scenes” photo. Featuring Megan’s dusty feet and Washngton Nationals cap, and *The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict*.

portraits (57) (853x1280) — Hee hee, I like this one.

portraits (54) (1280x853) — I’m eating a marigold. O.o

portraits (51) (853x1280) — Our neighbor’s kitten wandered up. Isn’t she adorable?

portraits (50) (853x1280) — I love this one!

portraits (47) (1280x853) — Hello up there.

portraits (38) (1280x853) — Zinnias are such pretty props.

These pictures are kind of dark but CUTE because, hey, it’s a bunny! 😀

portraits (157) (1280x853) — Basil is whispering comfortingly in my ear.

portraits (133) (853x1280) — I REALLY like this picture. I’m trying to decide whether to use it for a profile picture or not.

portraits (127) (853x1280) — “Th-this barn is kinda creepy.”

portraits (126) (853x1280) — “What if there are bats… or spiders… or…”

portraits (120) (1280x853) — I kind of like the lighting, kind of don’t.

portraits (105) (1280x853) — Heeeeeello.

Ooh, I love these pictures! We had a lot of fun with hair flips. 😛

portraits (101) (1280x853) — THIS. IS. HILARIOUS.

portraits (100) (1280x853) — I look like I’m trying to be noble but then someone turned a fan on behind me.

portraits (95) (1280x853) — One of my favorites! XD

Okay, if you actually looked at all those pictures… WOW. Congratulations, I give you the Most Patient Reader award.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Which pictures did you like best? Which one or two do you think I should use for my new profile picture?

Also, click here to see some of the pictures I took of Megan.

Thanks for reading!

***Allison***

Farewell, Baby Bunnies

August 12, 2017 | Allison

WARNING: EXTREME CUTENESS ALERT. If you read this post, I can almost guarantee you’ll want a baby bunny… immediately. Read at your own risk. 😛

The other day we sold one of the baby bunnies (Herbert Naninger). It won’t be long till the rest of them go too, most likely. So this *might* be the last baby bunny post for a while. 😦

Anyway, I did take some pretty cute pictures of the ones we’re selling before Herbert left! Actually, “pretty cute” isn’t quite strong enough. I’d say “extremely adorable” sounds more accurate.

Care to have a look?

AWW DOESN’T HERB LOOK ADORABLE?!

Sister and brother. 🙂

The bunnies are SO cute when they stand up and look around like this, aren’t they?

And they’re ALSO so cute when they wash their faces. (Excuse my little sister’s leg. I was too lazy to crop it out. XD)

AWW! Ugh, it would have been a perfect picture if Carmen’s knee hadn’t photobombed it. 😦 *Sigh* Oh well.

Starring: Herbert Naninger. Also Starring: Allison’s hair. 😛

AWWW doesn’t that picture just make you want to squish his (I mean her) fuzzy body? They are sooo soft. I definitely took the most pictures of Herb this time. She’s just so photogenic and sweet, not to mention that was practically the last chance I had.

I kept putting Herb down so I could get a better picture of her but she insisted on hopping back into my lap. ♥

My sweet little Ginger. 😀

As I’ve said before, it’s kind of hard to get good pictures of Mulberry because she’s so dark. That’s why the exposure is kind of off in this photo. But she’s still cute. 🙂

Heh heh, Herb eating grass. XD

AHHHHH!

Bwahahahaha is this photo not hilarious? I think he was twisting his head just as I snapped the picture. XD

Bunny paws… ♥

Poor Mulberry. Almost all her photos are either too dark or too light. 😦

And we’re done. Which photo was your favorite, if you had one? Did you survive the cuteness overdose? I certainly hope so! Where would this blog be without all my dear readers?

***Allison***

P. S. I’ve been meaning to do these shoutouts for a long time but I keep forgetting!

Anyway, guys, you should really check out Livy’s magazine, Christ’s Light. It is SO good and encouraging and interesting! Click here to see the first issue and here to see the second, and be sure to subscribe for more. (Psst, I also sometimes contribute some art or articles to the magazine. 😉 )

Also, while you’re clicking links, you should check out Olivia’s blog! She blogs about music, with a sprinkling of gorgeous photography, her faith, and lifestyle too. 🙂

P. P. S. I’m also participating in Loren’s CWWC writing challenge (yes, I know I that meant “Writing Challenge writing challenge” XD). Instead of posting each thing I write as a post, I’m putting them all on this page. I hope you’re in the mood for links today. XD Which story is your favorite so far?

Phew that was a lot of links!

Pictures, Etc.

July 27, 2017 | Allison

Ugh, I really need better names for these posts. XD Suggestions?

Annnyway, since you guys seem to enjoy random photography posts I enjoy posting them, I figured – let’s do more! 😀

****************

It had just rained and there was an interesting orangish tint to everything outside, different than the golden hour usually looks because it was so cloudy.

Ahh, beautiful rain drops.

Maggie waded into the field, looking noble. XD

HA HA look at her expression.

Okay, this picture might be a bit startling… You have been warned. 😛 He looks pretty angry, doesn’t he (or she)? This snapping turtle appeared in our lane one day and Maggie nearly went crazy. Snapping turtles are weird, ugly creatures. Blech.

Ahem. Let’s move on to cuter pictures… LIKE BABY BUNNIES EEEEE! This is the photoshoot I did to get pictures for selling them. *Sniff* Anyone want to buy a baby bunny? 😉

AHHH THEY’RE SO CUTE I CAN’T STAND IT.

Here’s Mulberry…

And Ginger…

And Herbert Naninger. 🙂 SO. CUTE. (Also if you’re wondering why Basil isn’t on here, it’s because we’re keeping her! So I didn’t need pictures for the listing.)

ISN’T THIS THE CUTEST?!

Okay, after all that cuteness you might need an antidote so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Ready for another slightly creepy picture? Here we go.

XD Praying mantises are so weird. I got this interesting picture of one cleaning itself when we were studying them in Nature Study.

While we’re on the subject of bugs, Megan found three black swallowtail caterpillars outside and we took them inside to watch. We both got some neat pictures of the first one that hatched! 😀 Aren’t butterflies delightful creatures?

And that’s it for today, dears! What was your favorite picture or category? Thanks for reading and have a lovely day. ♥

***Allison***

The Fluffballs Return!

July 10, 2017 | Allison

The baby bunnies are growing SO fast – they’re almost ready to sell! Anyone want to come pick up a fluffball or two? 😉 I got some more adorable pictures, so of course I must share them with you guys. 😉

WARNING: EXTREME CUTENESS ALERT.

Okay, you have been warned. I am not responsible for any melting-into-puddles or *dies* or *faints* now. 😉

AHH IS THIS NOT THE CUTEST THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?!

We put a couple of cinderblocks in their cage for the bunnies to play with, and it’s so cute when they squeeze inside!

Airplane ears. XD

Ginger was helping Megan with Math. 😛

AWW LOOK AT HIM!

I LOVE it when they hold their ears like this!

AWW THAT FACE, I MUST SQUISH HIM AHHH!

Ahem. Well, there you have it, folks, your cuteness overload for the day. 🙂 Which was your favorite picture? Thanks for reading, dears!

***Allison***

Return of the Random Photos

July 6, 2017July 7, 2017 | Allison

My extra photos are piling up again, so I guess that means it’s time for another random photography post! 🙂 YAY! I hope you enjoy!

Aren’t these clouds lovely? ♥

We found this rather odd-looking bird and figured out it was a chimney swift. I think he’s quite weird. XD

I got these next few photos when we all went for a ride in Dad’s pickup to go check some fields and see how the soybeans were growing. (Sadly, they weren’t coming along very well, but Dad replanted them – twice – and now they’re doing fine, I think. 🙂 )

I love the view of our farm from this hill. ♥ Sooooooo pretty!

Aren’t mountains beautiful?

My little sister Carmen, holding a barn kitten we named Truffle:

This is a pretty edit I did of a huge, puffy pink cloud.

One day we studied ladybugs in Nature Study and went out to search for them in an alfalfa field. It was kind of hard to get pictures, but I got a few neat ones. My friend got an amazing one of a ladybug eating an aphid! But sadly, I did not. 😦 😉

I really like ladybugs, but I have to admit – they look a little creepy when you put dozens of them in a jar. XD

These are the kind of bouquets I made to decorate tables for a church potluck in May. It was supposed to be a “Farmer’s Market” theme, so I used a bunch of different stuff from our farm and garden. I think they turned out pretty well, and I love how this picture turned out too!

Hee hee, well this is random. XD We made the BEST playdough ever (seriously – it is!), just for fun one day when my friend came over. It hardly feels like playdough at all, it’s so soft and silky and stretchy. (Wow, alliteration skills. XD ) You can see the recipe here.

Another VERY random photo. 😛 I was going to do a mystery picture of a clementine, but it didn’t turn out. I decided to keep the photo, though, because for some reason I like it.

Lilies are gorgeous, and so photogenic, aren’t they?!

Okay guys, you are going to LOVE this! We’ve been feeding our neighbors’ kittens while they’re on vacation, and they are the sweetest, prettiest little things!

Look at those eyes! ♥♥

Our neighbor has a wonderful in-ground pool that she so generously lets us use pretty much whenever we want! I thought the clouds looked really neat that day, so logically, I took pictures. XD