Red {Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge}

The pops of red are breathtaking this time of year. As we made our exodus out of Iowa this week, my eyes were fixed on the passing landscape. I wanted to remember every bit of the midwest autumn beauty. I will certainly miss the exquisite color palette.

Whether it is a simple leaf...



A group of berries...



Or a crimson maple tree...



I am in awe of the majestic beauty that is there for the taking.


I'm doing my best to keep up. We are in the process of driving cross country right now. Stopped at relatives for the night and was able to put together this post, but may not have internet access right away when I arrive in South Carolina.

I hope that you are doing well. I can't wait to see all of your beautiful photos when I return.


I’m teaming up with the lovely and talented Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud and Rebecca of Bumbles & Light for the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge – a colorfully inspiring autumn photography challenge aimed at capturing the beautiful shades of autumn.

Just a few details:
All are welcome regardless of experience, time commitment and whether or not you’re experiencing fall at the moment.

Simply share your favorite images inspired by the autumn shade of the week each Friday and grab our button while you’re at it.


<a href="http://www.projectalicia.com/p/autumn-photo-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/divindecay/autumnchallenge3-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge"></a>

The linky will remain open from 12:01am CST Friday – 11:59pm CST Wednesday. Link directly to your Shades of Autumn blog post or Flickr photo. Feel free to share your photos in our Shades of Autumn Flickr Group or Pinterest Board as well.

We’ll select our favorite photos of the week and share them with you at Bumbles & Light, Live and Love Out Loud, and Project Alicia the following Thursday.

Next week’s theme will be purple. For a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Page.

Top Pics of the Week: Orange {Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge}

It is dark. I am somewhere in the midwest heading southward with a patchy E signal on my iphone.

Saying good-bye to open roads and vast farmland as far as the eye can see.

My brain is fuzzy and my heart is heavy as I leave comfort and familiarity....

I can barely see straight after this moving craziness, but I am excited for the adventures ahead.

If you stopped by for Shades of Autumn favorites, I am sorry to say I am unable to provide that tonight. Turns out my magical smart phone is limited in the boondocks of Illinois or Indiana or thereabouts.

You can get your fix over at Live and Love out Loud or Bumbles & Light. So swing by and see who made the cut.


We have been having fun pinning our favs over at our Shades of Autumn Pinterest Board as well. So, your pic may be floating through pinterestland.

Tomorrow begins our red week. So grab those cameras and start snapping.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

WW: Off to New Adventures

If there's one thing we do well around here, it's trippin. Over the last couple years we have racked up some serious miles on the car driving to South Dakota, Florida, West Virginia, Washington State, New Mexico, and North Carolina to name a few... If you think we're nuts, you can read about why we road trip here.

Today we are off on another trip, this time to relocate our family to the beautiful state of South Carolina.

We were lucky enough to have a sneak peek as a family last March and we are sold. Wish us luck on this new adventure...

I am not sure when I will have computer access again. So, until next time...

Hope you are doing well. I apologize for my absence, but I'll be back before you know it.

Oh, and if you haven't heard, as of Oct 28th my lish@mchsi.com email will no longer work.

You can now reach me at callmelish@gmail.com.

If you would like to share a photo, just link it up below. Then stop back and check out a few other WWs.

Orange {Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge}

I have a recent infatuation with orange.

Not sure why. I suppose we all go through strange phases from time to time.

To further prove my point, let me direct you to my Pinterest Board set aside for all things orange. I kid not.


Check out that adorable handbag. Now I just need to convince hubs it's a practical color.

As I've worked my way through the last few weeks of the challenge, I've tried to veer on the side of nature when thinking of photo ops, as to reflect autumn at it's best. It is such an exquisite time of year here in the midwest.



However, due to time restraints and all, this time around I cheated just a little. I actually purchased an orange gerber daisy. And yes, I know this is not typically an autumn flower. It is, however, one of my favs. It is also orange. And it turned out to be better than some of my other ideas. So, how could I deny you? :) In case you haven't noticed, I love simplicity. A beautifully executed simple shot can speak volumes. At least to me.


For my previous green leaf and yellow pear textured images I was lucky enough to have those hues as a beautiful backdrop in the landscape. Orange was a little trickier. We are in advanced stages of Autumn now and those vibrant hues are hard to find. So, I opted to put an orange scrapbook sheet behind the pumpkin. Then I added a shadowhouse bokeh texture. (One of many he offers.) And voila! (Similar to the first orange image above only with a different texture.)


For my collage today I am mixing old with new, so some of these may be repeats for you. The center leaf shot was in the running for Still Life Standouts.


And to close, I leave you with this orange for orange week. How fitting is that? Sure wish I'd gotten the macro out now. Maybe next time...

Today I am deep in the throes of packing, purging, and possibly pulling my hair out. Moving is a pain in the you-know-what. Please bare with me in the coming weeks as we transition to a new state.

Thanks so much for the visit! I look forward to checking out your beautiful orange photos!


I’m teaming up with the lovely and talented Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud and Rebecca of Bumbles & Light for the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge – a colorfully inspiring autumn photography challenge aimed at capturing the beautiful shades of autumn.

Just a few details:
All are welcome regardless of experience, time commitment and whether or not you’re experiencing fall at the moment.

Simply share your favorite images inspired by the autumn shade of the week each Friday and grab our button while you’re at it.


<a href="http://www.projectalicia.com/p/autumn-photo-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/divindecay/autumnchallenge3-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge"></a>

The linky will remain open from 12:01am CST Friday – 11:59pm CST Wednesday. Link directly to your Shades of Autumn blog post or Flickr photo. Feel free to share your photos in our Shades of Autumn Flickr Group or Pinterest Board as well.

We’ll select our favorite photos of the week and share them with you at Bumbles & Light, Live and Love Out Loud, and Project Alicia the following Thursday.

Next week’s theme will be red. For a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Page.

Top Pics of the Week: Yellow {Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge}

This is going to be short and sweet tonight because there are no words to describe the un-freaking-believable entries this week. Just go over and take a peek for yourself! We had over 100 amazing photogs participate and every single one had me oohing and aahing. I had a blast looking through and pinning your yellow inspired images. Ah-maz-ing! You guys rock! The end.

Congrats to our Top Pics of the Week:

Submitted by Not Always Picture Perfect


Submitted by A Little Bit Crunchy a Little Bit Rock'n Roll


Submitted by A Fresh Perspective

See what I mean? Amazing doesn't quite seem enough.


Thank you so much for joining Rebecca of Bumbles & Light, Kristi of Live and Love out Loud and me in the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge. Don't forget to join us tomorrow - Friday, Oct 21st - as we move on to our new "ORANGE" theme. Woohoo!

Everyone's invited regardless of skill level, time commitment, or camera equipment. You don't even have to be experiencing autumn at the moment. For additional details and a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Shades of Autumn Challenge Page.

Don't forget...
We have a Shades of Autumn Flickr Group set up for you to share your photos as a community if you wish. And for our fellow Pinterest-addicted Shades of Autumn participants...



We’ve got a Shades of Autumn Pinterest Board set up as well! Rebecca, Kristi, and I will be adding our favorites to the board throughout the challenge. It’s a great place to get colorfully-inspired. I’d love for you to join us.

Can't wait to see those orange pics!

WW: I Can't Make This Stuff Up

Our Autumnal days in Iowa are numbered with every falling leaf... very soon raking will be a thing of the past. Woohoo! But without leaves, there will be no more leaf-jumping-throwing-playing fun.

Yes, we are Bidding Adieu to Iowa. If you missed last week, you can read all about that here.

I have taken annual leaf pics of the kids for as long as I can remember. Some are pre-digital.

This one is from 2005. Weren't they cute?

We finally had a chance to do some raking last week after the rains let up. The leaves were a bit wet, but I knew that if I didn't take the opportunity then to photograph the kids, the moment would pass by and there would be no 2011 annual leaf pics. These are the silly thoughts that torment me. lol.

So, after some doing I finally got the kids on board, but by then the light was fading. While Little Man changed out of his obnoxious soccer clothes (picture a bright red top and orange shorts...) I managed one keeper of Pokey.



Then Little Man hopped in.

Minimal whining. Smiles. It seemed to be the making of one of the best pics of the kids together in some time. Until...

I noticed the furry critter crawling up Little Man's arm for his photographic debut. It was all I could do to stay steady to snap the shot. But as it continued towards his face I panicked and screamed. Pokey was out of there faster than I could say the word.


But Little Man? He brushed it off and had quite a laugh.

By then there was no getting Pokey back and the light was no good.

So, this year the only keeper of the two of them together has an eight legged friend. Perhaps this is a more fitting way to remember our home in the woods?


In case you haven't heard, I am hosting a Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge with Rebecca of Bumbles & Light and Kristi of Live and Love out Loud. The YELLOW linky is open until Wednesday, Oct 19th at 11:59 PM. We will share a few of our favs Thursday, Oct 20th and then ORANGE week begins Friday, Oct 21st at 21:01 AM. You can find the complete list of themes and more details here. If you are wanting to practice your photography or meet a few fellow photogs, this is a fun opportunity. It is open to all regardless of your skill level, camera equipment or whether or not you are experiencing autumn at the moment.

And if you don't want to participate yourself, you can enjoy some of our favorite entries at our new Shades of Autumn Pinterest Board.


Thanks for dropping by! Link your photo(s) below and then swing back later to check out a few new blogs.

Yellow {Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge}

To me, yellow is synonymous with Autumn. Bright. Happy. And the perfect complimentary color for those reds, oranges, and browns. It has many facets to it's character. A golden personality if you will.

It can be striking against a blue sky or dark trunk.


It can be sweet and delicious.


It can be contrasting and bold.


It can be subtle and corny. (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)


And definitely warm and inviting.


Autumn wouldn't be the same without it.

In case you missed it, here's a 4x6 freebie. Grab it here. I'm compiling all of my favorite quotes. Feel free to join me.


I’m teaming up with the lovely and talented Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud and Rebecca of Bumbles & Light for the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge – a colorfully inspiring autumn photography challenge aimed at capturing the beautiful shades of autumn.

Just a few details:
All are welcome regardless of experience, time commitment and whether or not you’re experiencing fall at the moment.

Simply share your favorite images inspired by the autumn shade of the week each Friday and grab our button while you’re at it.


<a href="http://www.projectalicia.com/p/autumn-photo-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/divindecay/autumnchallenge3-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge"></a>

The linky will remain open from 12:01am CST Friday – 11:59pm CST Wednesday. Link directly to your Shades of Autumn blog post or Flickr photo. Feel free to share your photos in our Shades of Autumn Flickr Group or Pinterest Board as well.

We’ll select our favorite photos of the week and share them with you at Bumbles & Light, Live and Love Out Loud, and Project Alicia the following Thursday.

Next week’s theme will be orange. For a complete list of upcoming themes, head on over to the Shades of Autumn Photo Challenge Page.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Can't wait to see your yellow pics!