Day 30: Predator and Prey

Here it is!  The last post of my 30 day "photo of the day challenge" (ok, so it was a little more than 30 days)!  I have decided from here on out to do a "photo of the week" instead.  So be sure to stop by every week to check it out!

I do probably need to warn you about today's post though, it is a little creepy.  This is a spider that was hanging out outside my back door the other night as he was preparing to eat his catch of the day!

Day 29: Go Fetch

I love springtime.  It's so nice to finally be able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!  Today, Gary and I were able to play fetch with the dogs in our freshly mowed backyard.  Here are some of the highlights.

Day 28: Birthday Toms

One of my birthday gifts from my family this past weekend was a new pair of Toms ballet flats!  They arrived in the mail today and I am so excited to wear them!  These are the Natalia Rose Linen flats.

Day 27: Approach and Landing

Spring is here!  Today I was able to witness one of the first sure signs of spring, a bee buzzing around a blossoming tree.  Spring is probably my favorite time of year.  There are so many colors popping out everywhere and the warming weather just makes me happy!  That's one of the good things about living in Columbia, spring always starts a little earlier than most places and it won't be long before those hot, sticky days of summer are back!

  

Day 26: Happy Trails!

This is a short trail we took while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to get to the Juney Whank Falls (don't ask about pronunciation, I don't know, but it's fun to make up your own!).

Day 25: Bridges of Cherokee County

Today's picture is another view from the Mingo Falls in Cherokee, NC.  This is a bridge that goes across the base of the falls and offers beautiful views of the area.

Day 24: Chasing Waterfalls

As promised, here is the first of several hiking pictures that are sure to appear on the blog.  These are the Mingo Falls in Cherokee, NC.  It was a short hike to get to the falls but it was straight uphill.  The view was more than worth it though.  These are some of the prettiest falls I've seen in the area.  If you're ever near the Cherokee Reservation in NC, make sure you stop by and check it out!

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Day 23: Chico

I've gotten a couple of days behind on my posts but I have plenty of pictures to make up for it!  My husband and I spent the weekend in the mountains of NC so I have tons of photos from our hiking trips.  But first, here is a picture of a sweet Yorkie that my parents have been dog sitting for the past few days whose name is Chico.  Chico is an energetic but very sweet little dog.  We got to see Chico on our way out of town on Friday and he decided to pose for a brief photo session!

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Day 22: Catching Fire

Today's picture is in honor of the second book of "The Hunger Games" trilogy called "Catching Fire".  A friend of mine let me borrow it because 928357 people were on the wait list for it at the library.  I am so excited to start reading it!  I've heard it's better than the first book.  If you've read the trilogy, which book was your favorite?

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Day 21: Two Dozen Roses

Happy Valentine's Day!  For those of you who are not fans of this particular love fest, you will probably not enjoy today's post.  But for those of you who are not cynical and bitter, I just wanted to take a moment to brag on my wonderful husband.

After much discussion, we had decided not to exchange gifts for Valentine's day since we are planning a trip to the mountains for my birthday in a couple of weeks.  I know what you're thinking, "that's a trap", and for some people it is, but I really did not expect anything other than maybe going out to dinner tonight.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised when these were delivered to my desk at work today.  Two dozen of the prettiest roses I've ever received!  Here's a tip for my guy friends out there: flowers, candy, cards, or whatever the gift may be, are so much better when they are unexpected.  So stick that little morsel of advice in your back pocket and use it someday.  Trust me, your significant other will appreciate it.  Well, I've gotta get to a romantic dinner at Outback.  That bloomin' onion is calling my name!  Happy Valentine's Day!!

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Day 20: Pound Cake Love

Today I have been high on cold medicine most of the day and have not really felt inspired to photograph anything.  So, here is a photo I took of a pound cake that I made last week.  Now, there is an interesting story behind this pound cake.  I had intended to do a step-by-step tutorial on the making of this cake similar to the one I did for my Red Velvet Cheesecake.  However, I was rushed by someone, who shall remain nameless (he knows who he is), during the baking process and it ended up not getting done and sticking to the pan.  But, fortunately I grabbed this shot while it was still in the pan, and I thought it sufficiently conveyed the fluffy texture of the pound cake and would perhaps still inspire you all to go out and attempt this cake yourself!  And since nothing says "I love you" more than baking someone a cake, maybe you could make it for your honey for Valentine's Day.  Happy Baking!

Ingredients:
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour (Sans Down brand works well)
1 tbsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Mix cream cheese and butter until well blended.
• Add sugar and blend until smooth in texture
• Add 2 slightly beaten eggs and keep mixing
• Add 1 cup of flour and continue mixing
• Alternate eggs and flour 2 more times (3 times total)
• Mix in vanilla
• Pour mixture into greased bunt pan and place in a cold oven
• Set oven to 300 degrees and bake for 1.5 hours

*Special thanks to Brenna Kendrick for providing me with this recipe!

Day 19: Next Steps

Today several people in our church decided to take their next step in their relationship with Christ by choosing to be baptized!  I was so excited to have the privilege to be able to photograph this special moment for them!

Day 18: A few of my favorite things...

Today's post features two of my favorite things about living in Columbia: Marble Slab ice cream and Gamecock pride.  I have been feeling a little under the weather the past couple of days so my husband and I agreed that ice cream would make everything better.  We decided to have a fun day downtown during which we stopped by one of my favorite places, the garnet and black palmetto tree painting that greets drivers as they cross the bridge into Columbia on Elmwood Ave.  Can't you just feel the Gamecock love?

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Day 17: Granny Kelly

February is full of birthdays in my family (apparently we have an affinity for the month of May, hehe).  And today is my grandmother's 88th!

Obviously I didn't take this picture, but it is one of my favorites of my Granny Kelly.  Here she is as a teenager, around the late 1930's working in a cotton field.  She was raised on a farm and to this day still enjoys working in her garden!  I am so proud to have such a strong, sweet lady as my grandmother!  Happy Birthday Granny!

 

Day 16: Free Chick-fil-a!!

First of all, I want to congratulate Bobby & Kaycee Stoker for winning the free couple's photo session!  I am so excited about working with you guys.  For those of you who also responded, there will be another freebie soon so check back often!!

To continue in the spirit of spending no money for awesome stuff, today's picture of the day is a Chick-fil-a biscuit.  But, my friends, it is no ordinary Chick-fil-a biscuit, for this biscuit was entirely FREE!  That's right, Chick-fil-a is doing another free breakfast week! I realize this week is almost over, but you still have one day left to register for your free breakfast item (at least in the Columbia area, I don't know about elsewhere in the world).  So be inspired by my buttery chicken filet and go out and claim your own!

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Day 15: Valentine's Gifts

Today is February 8 and you know what that means!  Only 6 more days until Valentine's Day!  For anybody in the Anderson area still looking for an awesome gift to give your sweetie, check out the Orange Butterfly.  They have amazing gift baskets that would be the perfect Valentine's Day surprise!  You can check them out at Orange Butterfly Shop on Facebook.  Below is a small sample of some of the awesome baskets they offer!

Also, for my Columbia friends...in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I've decided to offer a FREE couple's photo session at Riverfront Park!  Be the first to email me or RT this post on Twitter to win!!

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Day 14: What's for Supper?

I was so proud of the dinner I made for my husband and I tonight that I had to share it with you all.  This was my first attempt at making Japanese food and surprisingly it tasted almost exactly like what I would order in a restaurant!  The most exciting part however, was the white sauce.  It was amazing and you can find the recipe here.  My husband and I both agreed that this would have to be regular meal in our house from now on!  Try not to drool on your keyboard...

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Day 13: Man's Best Friend

It has long been said that dogs are man's best friend.  Well, these two are certainly evidence to that.  This is my dad and our dog Rocky.  Being the only men out of four women in our household, these two have been inseparable since Rocky was a puppy.  Rocky is a black lab although he's starting to go gray as he gets older.  Rocky celebrated his 9th birthday this past fall and we hope he has many more!

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Day 12: Party Time!

Today I took a road trip up to Anderson to celebrate my mom's birthday with the rest of my family!  This is a shot of her cake which was so yummy!

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Day 11: Happy Birthday Mom!

As you could probably guess by today's post title, today is my mom's birthday!  Anyone who has ever met my mother has loved her.  I know everybody says this about their mom, (but it really is true in my case), she is the sweetest, most kind-hearted, caring, and hilariously funny person on the the planet.  And though I can't be there with her in person today, I made her the subject of my picture of the day, and that really is the best present ever ;)  So Happy Birthday Mom!  Enjoy today's picture and I can't wait to celebrate with you!!

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