5/22/2011: Lavender

LAVENDER

I always thought of lavender as more purple in color, but looking at the crayon it looks like it has more pink to me. When I think of lavender, I often associate it with a calming, sleeping effect. I thought this picture of the Tucker Twins, Adriana (on left) and Mariela (on right) portrayed both the color with thier matching dollie blankets and the meaning. Aren't they the cutest? It's been fun watching them grow. My oldest friend, Cristy has amazed me with her ability to raise a teenager and twin babies! You go, girl!

5/15/2011: Jungle Green

Meet Rat.
This was our guide when Mark and I took the Coopertown Air Boat ride into the Everglades. He was more entertaining than the gators we saw. I loved every minute we spent with him. Before getting into the boat, I asked him which seat was the best place to sit. He quickly replied, "Why seated next to me of course". It was a done deal. I rode shotgun to a man that honestly owned a shot gun among other things. He was about as authentic as they come right down to the gold plated air boat medallion he was wearing. Mark sat in front of us as we took turns driving our air boat. It was a nice change from the glitz and glam from Miami to head into the bayou. We had a fantastic tour on the air boat. Although the sun was strong and didnt help the situation with our sunburns.

Appearantly, the state of Florida hadn't seen any rain since January and this area in particular had record lows of water levels. The drought seemed to be effecting the Everglades to our favor because as a result all of the gators were in one spot. I dont think I've ever seen sooo many gators of all sizes. They were all around us! It was soo neat. If you're ever in the Everglade area, I highly recommend Cooperstown Air Boat rides, and ask for Rat. You won't be disappointed!

5/8/2011: Green

GREEN

Living in New Hampshire, everything is green right now! We've had A LOT of rain for the month of April and May. It's been annoying, but now it seems to have stopped. Over the weekend, Mark, Zac, Tye and I decided to do a hike to the top of Gunstock Mountain. It was a nice little hike through the woods to the top of the ski hill. Had it been a nicer day the views of Lake Winniepausaukee would have been beautiful. Lots of mosquitos! Good thing we had bug spray.

5/1/2011: Gray

GRAY

Mark and I have been attempting to visit and try new restaurants in Manchester. There seems to always be something new popping up. We decided to try this create-your-own burger joint called the Patty Shack. It's located in downtown on Elm Street nestled between the Black Brimmer and Ceasario's. They have quite an extensive list of options and the sit down area is on the smaller size.. nothing fancy. The cool thing is they are open until 3:00 am, they deliver, and they carry tator tots! It was a yummy place to visit. This photograph was taken inside the restaurant while seated at our table.

4/24/2011: Gold

Mark and I were able to get away for a much needed April vacation. It was a last minute trip put together quickly. We ended up finding a great deal online through Booking Buddy. We had our round trip (direct) flights, hotel stay, and a rental car all bundled for an affordable price.

Before the trip, I purchased a new camera case that's been more convienent to use and store my camera. (At Christmas, the camera came with a bulky Nikon case that holds both lenses, the camera base, as well as other compartments. It's been a pain to lug that around. I've been looking around online at styles that I like, and found several Lowepro cases that fit my bill. I found a good deal at Best Buy and picked up the case before our flight out. So far so good, it's been great.

I also stopped by Ritz Camera and spoke to them about purchasing a UV lens to go over my lens to protect it. I read up online that it's an essential and no brainer, as they cost about $10 and will save the heartbreak of a cracked or broken lens. Should the camera drop, this often protects the lens. I picked one of those bad boys up, as well as a polarizer and diffuser. I think it will be fun to play around with these new additions. The associate at Ritz was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the products and my camera.

While on the trip, I took a TON of pictures, here is my pic for gold. We took a walk by all the high rise hotels and this was one of the grand entrances to one of the older hotels on Miami Beach.

4/17/2011: Fuchsia

It's been a while since I posted, but I don't want anyone to think that I haven't been snapping away. Since I have an Iphone, I've been too lazy to actually log into a real computer. My photos have been piling up on the old memory card. So here is my attempt to purge and get caught up.

FUSCHIA

4/10/11: Forest Green

FOREST GREEN

Mark and I decided to venture to downtown Manchester for the St. Patrick's Day parade. It was a sunny day, but the wind chill and temperature made it a nightmare. We were all bundled up, freezing our booties off. We managed to last for atleast half of the parade. I was impressed by all the parade people, especially the bag pipers who weren't wearing any gloves and minimal coverage on the legs. I love the sound of bag pipes. I would love to learn how to play, who knows maybe years of playing the saxophone might have prepared me.

4/3/11: Dandelion

DANDELION

Since moving to Manchester, I'm constantly finding new places to eat, stores to shop, and buildings that I normally may have not have noticed. While driving down a one way headed to return my library books, I happened apon this bath house. I love the color combinations and the pop of the dandelion yellow among the shapes.

3/27/11: Cornflower

CORNFLOWER

Over my school vacation, several friends and I got together to make Alicia's wedding invitations. It was a fun afternoon working like an assembly line with the girls. Just before we added the ribbons, I snapped this picture. I love how the ribbons look so playful on the side.
I think we did a great job and I can't wait to get my copy in the mail!
July 23 will be here before we know it.

3/20/11: Copper

COPPER

I love this purse for many reasons. 1. I love the color combos of pink and brown. 2. I love the strap and how it fits comfortably over my shoulder and yet snug between my side. Perfect for when you are out at bar and don't want to put your purse down. 3. I love the size and it's ability to hold my essentials, as well as outlawed candy for the theatres. But most of all, I love the story and memory of purchasing the purse.

A few years ago, I travelled to NYC to meet up with my best friend, Alicia who was also visiting the big city. Alicia and her parents were there for the week, and had a nice hotel room and offered me a place to crash if I wanted to come in for a day or two. I thought it would be fun and so I hopped on my favorite transportation into the city that never sleeps... FUNG WAH!

Now for those that don't know about Fung Wah. I love it. It's the fastest way in/out, as they have buses that leave just about every 15 minutes. It's super cheap, $25 roundtrip from Boston to NYC. But according to local news, not always the safest way to travel. As they are often show on tv news: on fire, crashed, and or pulled over on the side of the road. But for me, I roll the dice everytime I ride. I've been a proud passenger atleast 5 times, and to this day nothing. So for the price, the schedule, and the stories of passengers... I love it, and continue to embrace it!

This gem of a purse was purchased on Canal Street.. We're talking black market, 2 way radio communication, knock three times on a hidden wall situation. Full fledge black market ish and quite an adventure. If it's not on your bucket list, purchasing a knock off purse on Canal Street in NYC, it should be.

3/13/11: Chestnut

CHESTNUT

These are the train tracks that are down the street from my childhood home in Exeter. I used to cross these tracks everyday walking home from school. As a kid, these are the train tracks that my brother and I would lift up our feet over while driving in the car and making a wish. I can hear the familiar thud-thud. The other day while in town, my mom and I took her dog, Willow for a walk and I brought my camera along to look for the color chestnut. I think the color on the inside of the track is what sticks out to me.

3/6/11: Cerulean

CERULEAN

• Introduced in 1990

St George's Greek Church
Manchester, NH

This Saturday, while driving home a Greek Church caught my eye. The architecture and design of the building makes it stand out from the dozen of other churches nestled within the city that I pass on a daily basis. If I had more time, I would have liked to venture inside the church to see what it looked like. I've never been to a Greek Church, or service. It would be interesting to check it out one of these days. But for drive by purposes, I thought the buiding captured the color, Cerulean well.

Snapping pictures of the church made me think of my distant relatives and family. My Great grandfather came to the United States as a stow away on a potato boat from Greece to escape the Nazis/German forces. According to my Nana, her father's family lived/owned land on the island of Lafkada. As kid, I've always felt like a Casadine (GH reference) and wanted to go back to regain control of our family's island that was lost/taken away. It would be a dream come true to travel to Greece and visit our island. I hope to one day soon make that dream a reality.

2/27/11: Carnation Pink

CARNATION PINK

• Introduced in 1949

Be Mine.

Conversation hearts are always a staple around my apartment for Valentine's Day. I'm happy to report that this year, Mark and I appear to have eaten none of these sweet treats as proof by the photo. I try to put out my 'holiday decorations' a few weeks before, and as I picked up things to get ready for the next occassion I found the heart shaped jar filled to the brim with these tokens of affection. As I snapped away, hoping to capture carnation pink, I was disappointed to see all the new slangs and greetings imprinted. I was happy to see that atleast they still have I love you.

2/20/11: Cadet Blue

Taken from the 5th Floor of Saints Medical Center
Lowell, MA

3/13/2011: This has been an emotional week. Mark's father fell ill on Monday, and landed himself in the hospital. He's doing well now, but earlier this week we weren't sure what his prognosis would be. It's been a scary thing to witness and to feel so helpless for Mark and his amazing family. Mark's Dad is still recovering and has a long road ahead, but thankfully it looks like he will be okay. It's amazing what you can miss when your thoughts are elsewhere. Mark and I have been visiting the hospital daily for hours at a time and yet it wasn't until today, that I noticed this out of the hospital window. Unfortunately, this was the only decent picture I was able to take because of the XXX bars on the windows of the hospital room, but I think it still came out kinda cool. I thought it was symbolic of the current situation, faith rebuilt.

2/13/11: Brown

BROWN

• Introduced in 1904
• Personality traits: earthy, not at all frivolous, dislikes showiness, dependable, comfortable

The Sampler

Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery

2/6/11: Brick Red

BRICK

• Introduced in 1949
• Ranked #19 out of America's Top 50 Crayons
• Personality traits: hot, energetic, loud
• A ruby was worn in China to promote long life
• In Cherokee tribes, red was a symbol of success, faith, and communication.

Another brick in the wall

Outside of Julien's Corner Kitchen, Manchester NH

Red Door

Manchester, NH

1/30/11: Blue Green

BLUE GREEN:

• Introduced in 1934 by Crayola
• Ranked #13 of the America's Top 50 Crayons
• Personality Traits: crisp, fresh, devotion
• In some languages, the word 'blue' also means 'green'

New Elliot Hospital
Hasn't opened yet, but super close to our home.

Thirteen again?

The 'Old' Exeter AREA Junior High

This was a sad sight to see and capture. Many of my mornings, days, and nights of my adolescent life were spent at this building. I can fondly remember my morning drive-ins in 'Pinky'.

93 Southbound Exit 32

1/23/11: Blue

BLUE:

• Introduced in 1903
• Ranked #1 out of America's Top 50 Crayons
• Personality traits: calm, relaxed, loyal, soothing, tranquility, peace, confident, serene, purity, gentleness, infinity, strength, reliability, healing, patience, truth, devotion, honor, sincerity, wisdom, security

Got Mail?
Mailbox on Union & Pearl Street Manchester, NH

Fresh Falling Snow at Dusk
Hanover Street, Manchester NH

1/16/11: Black

BLACK

• Introduced by Crayola in 1903
• Ranked #34 out of America's Top 50 Crayons
• Personality traits: mysterious, powerful, sophisticated, dormant, chic, cool, in control, conventional, conservative, serious, mournful, heavy, secrecy
• Is the absence of light and the absorption of all color

Antique Typewriter
The Woodstock Station Lincoln, NH

Fresh Ink
Luke Mokkosian's newest tat

Ready for Action

1/9/11 Bittersweet

BITTERSWEET

• In the color family of orange
• Introduced by Crayola in 1949

Spare Time Bowling Alley
Corner of Maple and Valley, Manchester

Used Tire Store
Lincoln, NH

Used Tire Store
Lincoln, NH

1/2/11: Aquamarine

AQUAMARINE
Here are some fun facts about the color, courtesy of the Crayola website

• Introduced in 1957
• Ranked #5 out of America's Top 50 Crayons
• Personality traits: tranquility, peace, gentleness
• In Feng Shui, interpretted as "heaven's laughter"
• The color blue causes the brain to secrete calming hormones

Windows of the Manchester Public Library
Since moving to the big city, I frequent here often for books, books on tape, and people watching.

My Mother's assortment of jewelry
My Mother has A LOT of jewelry, most of it costume style but I find her brave to wear the things she does. I am also impressed in her ability to wear it well! She can dress up any outfit with the sparkle and color splashes.


An extra special piece of jewelry.
This belongs to my Nana, who gave it to my Mother recently. It was a given to my Nana from my Grandpa when he proposed to her. He presented her with a necklace and a ring. What a guy! They've been happily married over 60 years!

The challenge at hand...

Box of 64 count Crayola Crayons - $2.39 on a rollback
DSLR Nikon D3100 - $700+
Taking photos for a year = priceless

So the challenge has begun! We've had to revamp our color choices as Crayola has retired 13 colors. So here is the updated, new, and improved list of colors we'll be capturing:

1. Aquamarine
2. Bittersweet
3. Black
4. Blue
5. Blue Green
6. Brick Red
7. Brown
8. Cadet Blue
9. Carnation Pink
10. Cerulean
11. Chestnut
12. Copper
13. Cornflower
14. Dandelion
15. Forest Green
16. Fuchsia
17. Gold
18. Gray
19. Green
20. Jungle Green
21. Lavender
22. Magenta
23. Mahogany
24. Maroon

25. Melon

26. Midnight Blue
27. Mulberry

28. Navy Blue
29. Olive Green
30. Orange
31. Orchid

32. Periwinkle
33. Pine Green

34. Plum

35. Red

36. Red Orange
37. Red Violet

38. Royal Purple

39. Salmon

40. Sea Green

41. Sepia

42. Silver

43. Sky Blue

44. Spring Green

45. Turquoise Blue

46. Violet (Purple)
47. Violet Red

48. Vivid Tangerine

49. White
50. Wild Strawberry

51. Yellow

52. Yellow Green

One color, once a week, for one year...

Clearly, I'm not the best at blogging or keeping up with blogging. I don't have the best track record with this sort of thing. But as one my new year's resolutions I will work hard to change this. Having said that... For Christmas, my boyfriend of a million years (in cat years- and no I'm not kidding) gave me a DSLR Nikon D3100. I have to admit that I am in awe of it and am scared of it all at the same time. There is something about exploring new technology that can be bittersweet. I want to embrace using the new camera, but feel discouraged that I won't be able to operate or take the photos that I know I can take with my other cameras. I'm hoping that me and my Nikon can settle into a long, ever lasting friendship that will capture people, places, and events.

In an attempt to get to know one another, my good friend Molly has shared a photography challenge that she is sharing with her Nikon D3100, and friends Cyrena and Sarah. I asked if I could join them in this experience and see where it takes me and my Nikon. Here is the scoop:
They took a 64 box of Crayola Crayons and have selected 52 colors to locate, photograph, and post. One color, once a week, for one year. I'm excited for this journey and hope that you'll share this with me and my Nikon.