མགོན་པོ།: 31/366

Our beautiful Tibetan Mahākāla or Goinbo, meaning "lord" or "protector", mask hangs in our entry and it is the first thing to greet you to our home. Mahakala is regarded as one of the most powerful forces as in the end all things succumb to the forces of the infinite nature of time itself. … Mahakala is able to swallow the whole Universe. Mahakala is relied upon in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. …Mahakala is typically black in color....

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Tree: 30/366

Tall tree in our yard. Love the height and shape. Lounging on the sofa looking out towards this tree is very picturesque. Your view is above the rooftops and watching birds fly to and fro is so calming. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark * ...

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Waiting: 29/366

Rainy Sunday. When moving here, I was warned of the rain and thought nothing of it. Being raised in fog and much more a night owl than a sun worshiper, I didn't think it would make any difference to me or my mood. After 3 years, all these gray days really do take a toll. Last month sunset would have been around 4:20 pm and sunrise around 8:00 am. That's 15.5 hours of darkness and it gets really dark around here. I can barely see the roads...

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Misfits: 28/366

Discovered the show Misfits today. Brilliant! We started the day devouring homemade waffles with bananas on top and we ended up watching the entirety of Season 1 of this British show. Don't judge, it was only six episodes. Sometimes you just need a lazy day. Lazy day......lazy photo. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  ProCamera, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Y and Z: 27/366

A snippet of our mantelscape. As some of you know from his blog, my husband goes by Yesmar online, which happens to be his name backwards. My name starts with the letter Z and Z has been a long time nickname from friends and family. Also, when writing out our name together it naturally tends to come out as Ramsey & Zarina. I think you get the idea. Basically since we met, we have been Y & Z. I basically love this and take it as...

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Signs Of Life: 26/366

A macro of the tiniest signs of life in our garden today. I have no idea what kind of plant this is but the tiny bright red pods stand out amongst all the bare branches. Taken with: iPhone 4S, Photojojo Macro Lens for iPhone Apps used:  ProCamera, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Brrrrainsssss!: 25/366

The Zombie Apocalypse beings in our master bath. We love these finger puppets. I positioned them so they kind of look like they are making out and dining on each other at the same time. Yes, I am a bit weird. They live atop a shelf next to my French Milled Skull Soaps, which it seems, I can't bear to use because I love them too much, even though there are four. We've threatened to make a video with our zombie puppets, maybe one day. I...

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Honey Bear Don't Care: 24/366

Love these Honey Bear jars we get from local Moon Valley Organics located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain range. The honey that comes inside is the best, yum! They don't come with the cute bonnet, those I get from Zira's Grandma Lucy's freeze-dried treats. The combo makes me swoon and I am starting to accumulate a wee stash since I discovered the pairing. Not sure what I will end up doing with them besides ogling in delight....

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Hardware: 23/366

Detail of the cabinet pull from our favorite chest. Y gave my three Photojojo iPhone lenses for Christmas and I'm having a bit too much fun with the macro lens. You have been warned. Taken with: iPhone 4S, Photojojo Macro Lens for iPhone Apps used:  Camera, Camera+, iWatermark ...

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Love Me: 22/366

Zira again. She was just too cute asking me to love her. I gave her loads of love and managed to snap a few photos in the process. She really is the sweetest kitty I have ever known. Raised by Y from a kitten, weened too early from her mother, all she knows is love. Before I met her, Y had warned me that she had never taken to anyone besides himself. She took to me immediately and by day three, she was snuggling up between my legs for...

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Peppermint Tea: 21/366

We have been drinking our Mariage Frères teas all winter. Above is a macro of the Peppermint whole-leaf tea. So pretty. We went a bit tea crazy in Paris.....that's putting it mildly. We visited two of the Mariage Frères Tea Salons/Emporiums/Museums in Le Marias & Louvre. The Marias location is their main establishment and I highly recommend a visit when you are in Paris. Taken with: iPhone 4S, Photojojo Macro Lens for iPhone ...

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Gaudi Doll: 20/366

My freaky cool souvenir from Gaudi's Casa Milà in Barcelona, Spain. She's basically a representation of the cool chimneys that top the building. When I saw her, I had to have her. Her white tennis shoes crack me up. She lives atop our dresser and as we pass back & forth each day, she blindly walks across the top as if trying to find her way to a rooftop. She is weighty and strong for a ceramic figure, having survived many weeks travel...

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Cy: 19/366

Cy the cyclops was a gift from Y. I love him. He holds little treasures or important notes for me on my desk. Always making sure my day goes smoothly. Magically. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used: ProCamera, Vintage Cam, PhotoStudio, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Isis Smiles: 18/366

A souvenir of the Tut exhibit many moons ago in San Francisco when I was a young lass, Isis has been with me ever since. Smiling and reminding me of the magical experience through tents with glowing torches illuminating the golden treasures of Egypt in the middle of Golden Gate Park. I shall be forever grateful to my mother for giving me such a gift at such a young age. My memories of it are pure magic. Taken with: iPhone 4S, Photojojo...

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Satsuma Sunshine: 17/366

Prepared a little Satsuma snack for Y today. They looked so pretty in one of the yellow bowls we brought back from Paris. Such a nice contrast to the cold, white, wintery outside. Nice to have a tiny bite of sunshine amidst this winter wonderland. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark ...

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Kitchen Buddies: 16/366

I bought the hot sauce many years ago in Phoenix.  Never dared to taste. Seriously, did you catch the name? As a skullaholic and lover of heat in my food, I could not pass it up. Bender is one of Y's treasures. These two now cavort in our kitchen, plotting, judging and keeping watch. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed, Retouch, Camera+, iWatermark   *...

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Twilight Snow: 15/366

Looking out again from my studio window, it was just too pretty to pass up. As pretty as this is, I don't like being trapped at home. [sigh] Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera (on HDR setting), Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Connected Only With An iPhone

I've been without a computer for over a month. Thanks to the lovely Apple folks and my darling hubby, my computer is all fixed and running smoothly, YAYs!!! As posted, I've been participating in Develop's Project 366 for 2012. Luckily, I had decided to only use my iPhone 4S to not only take the pictures (it's always with me) but to also edit them (time to figure out all these camera apps I've loaded on my phone). Not having my computer really kept me on track and I figured out how to upload to my different sites, including...

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First Snow: 14/366

Woke up to find snow today. I was happy as I knew today's photo was obvious. It's getting harder and harder to come up with ideas everyday. Above is a shot looking out my studio window. I really love the effect of tilt shift. Turns buildings into little models. Must be the Architect in me. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Vintage Cam, Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark ...

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Bridezilla: 13/366

I love my little Bridezilla. Had her for ages, over 20 years. She actually spits out sparks as well while rolling on her wheels, so awesome! She wears a full on wedding gown with veil and bouquet. She does have a groom, Godzilla, perfectly matched in size who happens to be a lighter with the flame coming out of his mouth. Had him for just a few years longer but sadly since about week 3 he never worked again. Tried to have him repaired,...

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Woollyheads: 12/366

I LOVE Craspedia, L O V E!! Also known as Billy Balls, Billy Buttons and my favorite, Woollyheads. I managed to acquire quite a stash of dried Craspedia, go me! This is from the bunch in our living area. I just love the beautiful yellow color and how modern they look due to their round heads. Plus, as dry flowers go, these look cheery all the time and are real with no maintenance. Win! Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera...

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Phở-tastic: 11/366

This is our go to meal when we're not feeling 100% or it's chilly out. You can't help but feel good with all the fresh ingredients in this Vietnamese soup of wonders. I like mine especially spicy and chomp on the Serrano peppers. Yum! Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Petit Tour Eiffel: 10/366

This is a pop-up card of the Eiffel Tower in red we picked up during our honeymoon in Paris. It's one of my favorite possessions. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Retouch, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Apple: 9/366

Went to Apple today to pick up my iMac which had a fried hard-drive. Thankfully, Y had installed Time Machine the week before it died!!!! Whew!!! When I thought I had lost all my data.....ALL.....ALL OF IT .............EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER DONE IN MY CAREER OR LIFE....let's just say.......tears, many tears, ok and maybe some choice words. All is right with the world again. YAYs!!! Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed,...

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Sunday At Home: 8/366

My Niece was spending the weekend with us so I broke out the waffle iron. Holy smokes these turned out yummy, if I do say so myself, and I do. First time I put strawberries and powdered sugar on top. Fancy. Pinterest is having an effect on my food presentation skills, hah hah. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Snapseed, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Munchkin: 7/366

My Awesome Niece Had fun with my lovely niece creating this image. I wanted to capture her playful spirit. She's holding a bunch of Prismacolor pencils and wearing her new favorite shoes which we got her for Christmas. They're Converse lace-up boots with sparkles. They also have very handy zippers for easy on and off. I totally want a pair. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used:  Camera, Diptic, Camera+, iWatermark *...

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Z: 6/366

My Half After doing Y's photo I came up with the idea of doing my half as well. I'm very happy with how these turned out and I hope to get these printed out and framed. It was very difficult to try and match my face to Y's and to get the tones to coordinate. The difficulty with matching my face mostly stemmed from having to take an "end of the arm" photo of myself. Made for a very different image size to work with. However, taking this...

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Y: 5/366

My Other Half This started as just an unplanned last minute photo idea. It was after 10pm and I had forgotten to take a photo for the day. Y was wearing a pumpkin colored shirt and I noticed when he walked into the room how well it went with our painting. I basically begged him to let me make him the subject of today's photo. Very reluctantly and making me promise I would be quick about it (he was in the middle of coding), he conceded,...

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Moravian Star: 4/366

We hang this Moravian star every Christmas. It was a gift from Y's mom on my first visit to Winston-Salem, NC. The Moravians had a large presence in Winston-Salem and traditions still influence the town. Old Salem is still preserved with all of its historic buildings and roads. There are little shops filled with all kinds of traditional goodness. I wanted to show off the star without any of the background competing. Turing it into a...

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At The Wheel: 3/366

We had just dropped off my computer at the Apple store. I had planned to take a photo at/in Apple as my photo for the day but totally forgot once we got all wrapped up with the Genius Bar peeps discussing what was wrong with my computer. Literally stopped at the red light, as I lamented what was I going to do for my photo, I looked up and saw the beautiful street in front of me with all the trees lit up with little lights. I then saw...

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Zira: 2/366

Our Sweet Baby Zira was a bit perplexed as we tried to get her to look in certain directions. She's looking at Y in this photo who is distracting her from the fact that I'm snapping images to rival paparazzi standards. She's so sweet that most of the time I try to take closeup photos of her, she just sniffs and rubs on my phone or my head while purring. Both my loves have the most beautiful blue eyes. Taken with: iPhone 4S Apps used: ...

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Home: 1/366

Home sweet home, it really is. We love every minute here. It's our first home together. We were married in the house as well. Loads of love inside these walls. I woke up to a new year and sun! A miracle in this part of the world. I snapped up this shot knowing it might be awhile before the sun comes back out. Plus, it seemed an appropriate photo to being this project. I really love how the miniaturize effect makes the house look like...

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