A Day Without Shoes

Be the #3

Will you be the third purchase?!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.

NO WAY!

Check out the Restaurant that Jillian and Matthew found when they were out in Borrego Springs:



Maybe I will have to take a road trip soon :)

Ryan's New Board

Ryan is super stoked tonight... A couple weeks ago we decided that he could get his own surfboard shaped for him... He has been working with Chemistry Surfboards (a local surfboard company) to get the board shaped, designed, etc. They finished the board tonight, so of course he had to go pick it up. He is soooo excited. Check out some of the pictures below. I am sure there will be plenty more to come, but this is just the first round :)

Earth Hour

Earth Hour 2009

Started in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour quickly grew into a global observance. More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th, as homes, office towers and landmarks turned off their lights for an hour starting at 8.30 pm local time to raise awareness about climate change and the threat from rising greenhouse gas emissions. Collected here are a series of before-and-after photographs - which (starting with the second one below) will fade between "on" and "off" when clicked. Let me state that again, since I know not everyone reads the whole intro here - starting with image #2 below, click on the image to see an animated fade between "on" and "off". This effect requires javascript to be enabled. (17 photos total)

Check out all of the photos here.

Made a Sale

WHOOOO HOOOO!!! The McDot Shop is on the map!! Last night some one bought one of my jars!! YAY!!!! I was able to put it in the mail this afternoon when I got home from work!! I know, I know, I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, but it is exciting that someone other than my family likes my art :).

Will you be my next sale?! Check out The McDot Shop here!!

7 New Pieces

Hey everyone!! I just posted 7 more new pieces on The McDot Shop... Check 'em out... http://www.padocarl.etsy.com/I'd love feedback. I did 6 of the 7 this afternoon, but one is a little older and just had it hanging in the garage and forgot to post it in the shop.

Hiking Around

Ryan and I hiked around in the Torrey Pines State Park today, for about 3 hours. We had a lot of fun. We found 3 geo caches while we were there. Check out our pictures here.

State Parks:

Shot of the beach along the hiking trails:

The second geo cache of the day:

The booty from our geo caching:

Tired after 3 hours of hiking:

Torrey Pines

I asked Ryan if we could go hiking around in Torrey Pines State Reserve tomorrow and OF COURSE he said "Yes". I am sure I will take a ton of pictures, but check out the website here for more info on the trails and park itself. What are you planning on doing this weekend?!

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a day-use park only. There is no overnight camping facility. Picnics are permitted on the beach only. No food or drinks (other than water) are permitted in the Reserve (i.e., the mesa above the beach and the Extension).

There is no place in the park to buy food or drinks. Hikers are advised to bring and carry drinking water on the trails - especially in the summertime.

Operating Hours
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is open daily from 8:00 AM until sunset.

Wild Things

I think this is going to be a GREAT movie!!



The trailer for Where the Wild Things Are which premiered on Apple. An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.

Paint the Windows

Do you have a sketchbook full of ideas? Do you constantly look for large canvases? Do you want your work seen by all whom wander our Carlsbad village?

This is your opportunity!

Vacant storefront windows in the village are currently being considered as canvases for creative and willing artists. Along with your design, you will be encouraged to include any contact info to promote yourself.

DEADLINE:
Send sketches to theartist@carlsbadcrawl.com by Tuesday March 31st for consideration!

For more info go HERE.

Earth Hour

Hello, Fellow Earthlings ... please play along, it's for a good cause and it's FREE!

Saturday, 28th March 2009 at 8.30pm local time is Earth Hour and millions of people around the world will be turning off lights to draw attention to the impact of global warming. We would like to encourage you to take part and turn your lights off at home.

Earth Hour is a global event in which millions of people will turn off their lights to make a statement of concern about our planet and climate change. Last year, more than 50 million participated and the lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few.

This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger-already 250 cities in 74 countries have agreed to take part including Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville with more signing up every day. Around the world cities like Moscow, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Mexico City will turn out their lights.

To get a better sense of the event, check out this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjWD8pbK5t8. To sign up, visit http://www.earthhourUS.org where you'll learn more including ways you can spread the word about Earth Hour, plus creative things to do when the lights go out in case you need inspiration!

Also we are encouraging employees to ensure that computers and monitors are switched off when you leave on the 27th - remember a computer left on over the weekend is equivalent to heating enough water to make 350 cups of coffee.

The importance of CO2 reduction was our 2008 environmental focus. The example we set through our impact reductions, the information we provide through our products and our involvement with networks such as Respect Table where we have been working on the roadtocopenhagen will all play a part in the necessary preparation for a new international agreement on climate change being decided this year.

Thanks,
The Green Team

PLEASE WATCH

Please take 36 minutes out of your day to watch this (watch this instead of your 30 minute TV show this evening). This is The Rescue Movie that the Invisible Children have put out. WE NEED TO BE THE CHANGE!! WE NEED TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS - EVEN THOSE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!! WE NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

Please go to this site, and click WATCH THE RESCUE MOVIE.

Lens Life

Will you be the third purchase?!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.

Enter To Win TOMS

Enter to win TOMS Prize Pack... HOW AWESOME!! I hope I win!! A pair of shoes, a t-shirt and a hat!! NO WAY!!

Click here to enter!!

Free Stuff

Check out this article I found on Yahoo! today. It gives a bunch of great websites on where to find FREE STUFF!!

Want free furniture, a place to stay, or even a bike? Thanks to the Internet, it's fairly easy to find a wide variety of free products and services.

Dozens of websites are dedicated to helping you locate stuff your neighbors want to unload, opportunities to swap what you no longer need, ways to find giveaways from businesses, and more.

Obviously, seeking out free stuff is great for your budget, but it can also be good for the planet. Reusing things, for example, keeps valuable items out of the landfill and saves the resources needed to make a new product from scratch.

Shoppe

Check out the newest 6 pieces I posted on The McDot Shop!! The newest pieces are necklaces that I have made so far with sea glass that I picked up in the Virgin Islands. Let me know your thoughts. Ryan helped with the photography (of course). We are going to look into buying a drill that will go through glass so I can try other types of pendants (rather than just wrapping them in wire).

Thanks for your support!!

Emo Ale

Ryan and Austin decided to try and brew their own beer a couple weeks ago. Two weekends ago Ryan went over and they started the process (which apparently was a lot of boiling of things). The past week Ryan went back over to Austin's to bottle it up. It has been sitting in our closet since then and today was the first day that they were able to try it. Ryan said it tasted pretty sweet and it had some little floaters in it. Of course I think all beer smells and probably tastes like what PEE would taste like if I would try it, so I had to pass on it. Ryan enjoyed the process, so there may be more beer brewing in his future. Here are two pictures of him enjoying his creation. I didn't go over for the actual brewing process so there aren't more pictures, but maybe next time.

Vagabond

A vagabond is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterised by almost continuous travelling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for travelling, preferring to stay in one location.

Continual Prayer

Hey guys. I know I mentioned Mr. Ham a few weeks ago and his leukemia. He is still in the hospital (this starting week #4 I believe). I know that he could really use all of our prayers, so if you remember it, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Mrs. Ham has been really great about keeping up their blog and explaining what exactly is going on with the treatments and how he is feeling day to day, so please check it out here.

Thanks for your continual prayer!!

LRA on SVU

Our good friend John Prendergast at Enough has been working with the people at NBC on a special episode of “Law & Order: SVU” that will feature a back story of Child Soldiers abducted by the LRA. The episode will air on Tuesday, March 31st.

As a part of the preparation for the episode the good people at Enough put together a comprehensive webpage about the LRA and the situation in northern Uganda. It would be a great resource for you to give to your friends who want to learn more about the situation. Hey! You could even show them at the house party you are going to host on March 25th.

Check out the original blog on Invisible Children's blog here.

How To Nap :)

I will be taking one of these this afternoon... Here is a link to a article about HOW TO NAP in the Boston Globe :)

Cash Traffic Jam

Too bad I wasn't on the 805 yesterday afternoon :)

Freeway Drivers Grab Money as Suspects Toss Thousands During Police Chase

SAN DIEGO - Thousands of dollars worth of hundred dollar bills brought rush hour to an abrupt halt on two San Diego freeways.

Drug suspects tossed the money from their car as they were chased by police. Other drivers say the money and stopped their cars on the freeway to dash into traffic trying to get some of the cash.

San Diego Police Officer Chuck Kaye said the pursuit started after police, "got a request from DEA to assist in a traffic stop around Texas and Highway 8."

The pursuit began about 5 p.m. Thursday. The fleeing driver soon exited southbound SR-15 at Ocean View Boulevard in Logan Heights and drove over various city streets before re-entering the freeway, this time heading north.

Officers chased the truck on the state route for several miles, then onto Interstate 805 through the city's central districts and into its north-coastal reaches.

In several spots -- including Serra Mesa in the area of Murray Ridge Road and Sorrento Valley near Mira Mesa Boulevard -- cash was hurled out of the truck, prompting passers-by to run onto the roadways to grab it, according to police.

Read the rest of the story here.

Sunshine

I am crossing my fingers for some sunshine this weekend... Seems like MAY GRAY has come a few months early this year...

Flight Attendant RAP

Ryan had this on his blog and I had to pass it along :) GO SOUTHWEST :)

Sun Bear Babies

Your morning adorable: Sun bear cubs at the San Diego Zoo

Bornean sun bear cub Pagi, right, reassured her brother, Palu, during their public debut at the San Diego Zoo. The cubs were born in October but ventured into the zoo's Sun Bear Forest exhibit for the first time Monday.

Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world and are named for the crescent-shaped markings on their chests. Pagi and Palu are only the third litter of sun bears to be born in North America. The earlier two litters were also born at the San Diego Zoo.

Sun bears are an endangered species; major threats to them in the wild include habitat loss and poaching. It's unknown how many sun bears still exist in the wild.

Swimming Pot?

I didn't know pot could swim... Well apparently not that well if it needs a life vest...

Marijuana Bundles Wash Ashore in Del Mar

DEL MAR - Eight bundles of marijuana weighing a total of about 100 pounds were discovered Wednesday morning on the sand in Del Mar, a sheriff's sergeant said.

The discovery at the foot of 11th Street was reported around 4 a.m., San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Gary Steadman said.

A life vest was also found near the bundles, he said.

Geo Caching Pics

Ryan and I hadn't been out geo caching in a while, so Sunday afternoon we decided to go out for a couple. We went to search for 4, ended up going to 5 and finding 4 of them. We took some pictures along the way.

Sea Glass Pieces

Check out the newest 6 pieces I posted on The McDot Shop!! The newest pieces are necklaces that I have made so far with sea glass that I picked up in the Virgin Islands. Let me know your thoughts. Ryan helped with the photography (of course). We are going to look into buying a drill that will go through glass so I can try other types of pendants (rather than just wrapping them in wire).

Thanks for your support!!

Lens Life Published

Will you be the third purchase?!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT LENS LIFE YET?!

I published my book!! Check it out!! Thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive and encouraging along the way!! I know my book is on the expensive side, but I hope it will be well worth it. It is a Hard Cover Book, 73 pages, etc. Let me know if you have ANY questions about it.

I came across an awesome challenge. It was an experiment to take one photo every day for a year. The idea is that the collection will help to show what is important to you, make you a better photographer & leave you with some great shots. I haven’t edited or altered the photos in any way. I wanted the natural beauty to shine through, not my creative ability using editing tools. I began taking pictures everyday & posted them on a blog that I dedicated to the project. Each day a new photo was posted with the date being the subject & the comments telling the name of the piece, the place it was taken & a few details of what each picture shows. If you would like to read any of the details or would like to see where a picture was taken, please feel free to check out the blog at: http://everydaypicture.blogspot.com/. Just because I have finished this chapter in my photography, the story of my life will continue to be found through pictures. Hope you enjoy looking at my life through a lens.