scavenger hunt sunday

Happy Reformation Day! Or, for those of you that celebrate it, Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a blast today :)

I'm going to participate in Scavenger Hunt Sunday today...it's super fun! You should join in too :)



1. My town. This is a shot of my city's skyline...it was a little boring, so I added some texture to spice it up a little.



2. Something vintage. This metal box I found an at an estate sale for a mere fifty cents. I love it to pieces.


3. Tilt-shift photography. This is my first time trying tilt-shift photography...did I do it right? I'm still not sure what my opinion on it is ;)



4. My beautiful sister, MeMe, in one of her ballet outfits. I'm loving all the blue/green tones in this photo... :)



5. Chocolate. Yes, I've expressed my opinion on this little piece of heaven probably one too many times. Sigh...my true love.

Have a wonderful day!

-carlotta

PS Today is the last day to enter in my photo challenge! You don't want to miss this! :)

proof

You probably think you know what I look like, from previous pictures of me.

I look like this, right?



It's true, I do look like that...sometimes.

Then there's the real me. The crazy, weird face making, can't stop laughing me. And here's the proof that this side really does exist.






Creepy.

Are you sure you still want to read my blog after seeing how I actually am? ;) Please tell me I'm not alone...

I just realized something. I posted some rather...unflattering photos of me for the whole internet to see. What have I gotten myself into?! Oh gosh.

By the way, tomorrow is the last day to enter in my photo challenge -  if you haven't already entered, dig up your best colorful photos and play along! :)

Happy Saturday! What do you have planned? Do tell!

-carlotta

cutest in the world

"Are pumpkins made out of the same material as these?" (referring to plastic pumpkins)
-MeMe

Me: "How would you like it if I always sat in your chair?" MeMe: "Well, you are!" (MeMe liked sitting in my chair during meals, so I had to resort to sitting in her chair ;))

"I'm giving everyone name tags in case we forget each others' names."
-MeMe

"We saw a callapitter at the park!"
-Lilly

"I'm gonna finish watching the movie. You can just finish making dinner by yourself."
-Lilly

"Can I have some mild salsa in my hot chocolate?"
-MeMe

I asked MeMe to put on some weather appropriate clothes, as she was wearing shorts and a tshirt and was cold. Lilly responded, "When I get cold, I just go to Mama."

"I love you, Caladda [Carlotta]."
-Lilly



I'm pretty sure they're the cutest kids in the world. Then again, I'm biased, as I'm their big sister. Oh well. I still think they're the cutest kids in the world.

Have your siblings/children said anything lately that made you crack up or your heart melt?

-carlotta

PS Two words. 500 followers. Just like I think I have the best siblings in the world, I'm pretty sure I have the best readers in the world. Group hug!

PPS For those of you who wondered how I make my blog header, head on over here. It's the same method, I just arrange my photos a little differently than when I wrote the tutorial.

miscellaneous ramblings (and the giveaway winner!)

1. i made a new header. You like? It's basically the same header...I just swapped out four of the five photos to make it a little more "fallish". I really like how versatile these types of headers are. I can keep the same design but change up the look of my blog a little bit by switching the photos every once in awhile.


2. i won't keep you in suspense. If you entered the Organic Bloom giveaway, you probably just want to know who's the winner, right? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. The winner of the giveaway is...Polka Dot! Congrats, Polka Dot! Shoot me an email and we'll get you all set up :)


3. hot chocolate. I've really been loving it lately. There's nothing better than a warm mug of steaming hot chocolate on my favorite blue polka dotted coffee cup set. Actually, it's my mom's blue polka dotted coffee cup set. I went so far as to say that when she died, I wanted that set. Is that bad? I mean, I don't want her to be dead. I just really like it.

I digress. On to the photos.

See? Don't you understand why I envy it now? ;)

4. could life be a little less crazy, please? Man, this last past week has been an absolute whirlwind. Full of the unexpected. Many, many ups and downs. I wish life had a pause button. In the midst of all this, I really need some time to just think and pray. Some time to get away from it all. Sigh.


5. photo challenge & project 365. My photo challenge is still open if you want to enter! You have until Sunday. I've looked at every single one of the photos submitted so far, but haven't gotten around to commenting on all of them. So, if you entered, and I haven't said anything, don't worry. I will try my best to get around to it!
And Project 365. Well, many of you know about the blog that I reserve specifically for posting a photo everyday. I'm closing it. I have all the photos, but I'm two and a half months behind. It's just too much work to catch up. But I'll still be posting recent photos on here everyday! :)

5. oh dear. I'm becoming rather obsessed with knitting. Knitting?! Yes. It's true. Feel free to slap an old lady sticker on me and get the heck of here. Or, you know, not. I sincerely hope I'm not skipping most of my life and turning into an old lady...please tell me I'm not the only one suffering from EKS*.
But there's something so soothing about knitting, especially with everything that's been going on lately. It's so nice to know that when you hold the needles in your hands and wrap the yarn around them, the yarn will grow. Soon you'll have a long piece of wool (or cotton, or whatever material you use). I love being able to do something that's so predictable in this unpredictable thing we call life.


*Extreme knitting syndrome. It's real, you know. Okay, fine, it's not.


6. six hundred and one. Blog posts, that is. That kind of scares me, actually. I've filled the internet with six hundred and one crazy posts?! Wow. I hope you forgive me ;)

7. i love anthropologie. The first store in the state opened in a shopping center literally a ten minute walk from our house. It was love at first sight. I've seen their items on the website, but that's nothing like seeing it in real life. And the decoration of the store! Oh.my.gosh. J'adore. Now if only I could do something about the prices... ;)

8. real quick. I need to tell you something. It's a secret that comes from the deepest, darkest parts of my heart.

I love chocolate.

Okay, sorry to disappoint you. I just thought I'd let you know - again! ;)

-carlotta

PS This post was a bit longer than I meant it to be. Sorry. I just had a lot to say. And now I'm making it even longer. Have a great day!

on cloud nine

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another edition of On Cloud Nine! Is there a photo that makes you happy? One that warms your heart or tells a funny story? One that puts you on cloud nine? Here's your chance to share it! 

<a href="http://pastorsgirlsponderings.com/"><img src="http://imgur.com/AS92y.jpg"/></a>
Just put up a post on your blog containing one photo. You can add as much or as little text along with the photo as you would like. After writing your post, come back here to link up - you have until Thursday at 11:59pm CST to do so. Don't forget to link back to me, whether it be via the above button or a link. :) And remember to visit others' photos as well! 
Now for my On Cloud Nine shot...



Our sweet neighbors had us over for s'mores last night - they were delicious. (The s'mores were delicious. Not the neighbors. Ahem.) The fire was crackling, providing lovely warmth. The little ones were bouncing on the trampoline, shrieking with laughter. And me? I listened to the conversation while snapping contentedly away at the fire. It was a wonderful way to end a very busy day. Hey, that rhymed! ;)


-carlotta

PS If you haven't done so yet, this is your last chance to enter in my giveaway, which ends at 11:59pm tonight!

thinking

Today I'm thinking.

Thinking about how delightful the sound of rain steadily drumming on the roof is.



Thinking about pink. (My entry for the I Heart Faces pink photo challenge)

Thinking about photography. Things are really falling into place right now, everything paving the way to hopefully someday being a professional. I'll share more about everything that's opening up at some point... :)

Thinking about how glad I am to have my biology project over with.




Thinking about fall and all its beauty.

Thinking about how I really need to get more sleep at night. Which means going to bed earlier, but I always have so much to do in the evening! I need to spread things around better...

Thinking about my siblings. They seriously crack me up. Jeremiah told me recently that I "express myself too much". What is that supposed to mean? Ha.

Thinking about Taylor Swift. Her new album, Speak Now, came out yesterday and I'm smitten. While I readily admit she's not the greatest singer in the world, I still adore her. And I admire that she writes all her own songs.




Thinking that self portraits aren't all that bad. I really don't like having my picture taken/taking pictures of myself. I prefer hiding behind the camera ;) But I like my eyes in this one.

Thinking about my blog design. I like it how it is now, but do you think I should change it up a bit to make it more fallish?

Thinking about all the wonderful entries in my photo challenge. I don't ever know how I'm going to pick a winner! You still have plenty of time to submit a photo if you'd like to.

What are you thinking about? I'd love to hear all the random tidbits floating around in your brain :)

-carlotta

paris part three

Yes, there is a part three of my trip to Paris. Three weeks later. Oh well. Today is crazy busy - seriously, it's not even funny how much I need to accomplish in twenty four hours - so I thought why not start off this Monday morning with a little Parisian spirit?

Paris is, without a doubt, my favorite city that I've been to. I know I've gushed about it time and again, but I really can't help myself. I'd give anything to be back there right now. Really. I am a very firm believer in the fact that everyone should go there at least once in their life time. Even if you're not super crazy about Paris to begin with! It's so worth it. I'm so thankful to have such wonderful parents that would give me such an amazing birthday gift. Never in a million years would I have thought I would get a trip to Paris for my birthday! I'll never, ever forget the two and a half days I spent there with my mom. It will always be one of my fondest memories. And I sincerely hope that I'll be able to make more memories there again sometime!

What is your favorite city?

-carlotta

Psst...don't forget to enter in my giveaway if you haven't already!

photo challenge: color

I proudly present to you Pastor's Girl's Ponderings first photo challenge! Yes, this is the long awaited (for me at least ;)), much talked about, promised photo contest. I'm not sure how often I'll do this - probably not more than  one or two times a month - but I still hope it's fun :)

For this time's photo challenge, the theme is color. Bright, lovely, illuminating-the-world color. Oh, I just love it. I know it like I've been posting a lot of pictures of fall-ish things lately (i.e., colorful leaves, like below, pumpkins, etc), but I just can't help myself!

<a href="http://www.pastorsgirlsponderings.com/"><img src="http://imgur.com/DHzpL.jpg" /></a>

Want to join? Just write a post containing a color-filled photo that you've taken, then come back here and link up! Feel free to grab the above button as well - just make sure you have some sort of link to me so others can participate as well :) You have until October 31st, at 11:59pm CST to enter; the winner will be announced shortly afterwards. And make sure you visit other entries as well!

I can't wait to see all your colorful shots!


-carlotta

the organic bloom: a giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.

Y'all are in for a treat today! I'm so excited about this...



(Not such a great photo, I know...sorry ;))



This is my frame from The Organic Bloom I got recently. I'm so in love! I plan to put in a photo of the Eiffel Tower. I'm smitten.

Do you have a photo that you'd love to have a beautiful frame for? A poster that just aches for something to showcase it? (Or, if you'd prefer, you could even frame one of my photos) Then this is your chance to win your very own Organic Bloom frame of your choice (up to 16x20 inches)! The choices are never ending...you can choose from so many great sizes, colors, and frame styles. Eek - isn't this exciting?! ;)

But sadly, with every giveaway there needs to be boring fine print...

Mandatory Entry


Leave a comment on this post answering the following question.

"How would you describe your fashion style?" For me, it'd definitely be vintage modern. I love modern fashion, but I like to mix it with older pieces as well. Although I've been loving military style clothing lately too...

And if you're a guy entering this giveaway, then just leave a random comment...you don't have to answer the above question ;)

(1 entry)

Extra Entries


Become a follower of my blog - if you already follow, that counts too.

"Like" The Organic Bloom's Facebook page.

Write a blog post about this giveaway.

(Each of the above with 1 entry)

Please leave a separate comment per entry!

Have fun and good luck! :)

-carlotta

you're welcome

I am officially obsessed with pumpkin bread. And here are the photos to prove it.











You're welcome.

Yesterday morning, I had class at 8:30am. I woke up exactly at 8:31. Oh man, I sprang out of bed so fast. Thankfully, since it was an online class, I didn't have to go anywhere. While sitting in my bed dutifully taking notes on cellular respiration, my mom came in with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a slice of pumpkin bread. It was amazing.

What food are you currently obsessed with?

-carlotta

PS Stay tuned for a giveaway that's coming up! :)

miscellaneous ramblings

1. i've been craving pumpkin. Blame it on the beautiful fall weather, but I've been craving pumpkin. Whether it be a pumpkin spiced candle or pumpkin bread, it doesn't matter. Some sweet friends of ours gave us some pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing...mmm. It sure did satisfy my craving. I forgot to take a photo...I was too busy devouring the deliciousness. ;)



2. 789 of them. gone. A few nights ago, I was going through the photos on my memory card, preparing for a blog post. I wanted to delete three photos, but I accidentally clicked "select all". Then, I pressed the delete key and watched 789 photos vanish against my will. These were nearly all my Paris photos. Many of my Germany photos. And since I hadn't saved them to my computer yet, they weren't sent to the recycling bin. I freaked out. I was thisclose to the point of tears. Thisclose to having a meltdown. I googled "memory card photo recovery" to see if there was a software I could download to recover my precious pictures. I found one I thought would work - and it did. It recovered all my photos. But if I wanted to save them to my computer, I would have had to pay forty dollars.
Back to google I went. I didn't feel like paying forty dollars - although I probably would have if I hadn't found something else. I discovered another program and downloaded that...thirty agonizing minutes later, it announced that it had successfully recovered my photos. I started dancing in bed. I was seriously elated. Although, some of them got corrupted by the software, but I just can be thankful I take at least ten photos of each thing I photograph.
Above is one of the photos that was deleted but I got back...so so so glad.

That was longer than I meant it to be. Oh well.

3. happy anniversary! It's my parent's anniversary today! Last night they went out - I babysat my siblings. During dinner (Alfredo pasta, made completely by myself, I'm proud to say. It's the one dish I can make without a recipe.), we blared Taylor Swift and Toby Mac; the latter got put on by Jeremiah. We had fun making up crazy dance moves and singing along at the top of our lungs. Okay, maybe that was only me that was singing at the top of my lungs, but still.



4. my typical fall attire. Jeans, a cardigan, tshirt/tank, scarf  (that yellow one belonged to my grandfather over fifty years ago. And then I stole it. Heh.), and my moccasins. You can find me wearing variations of this pretty much everyday. I'm sad to say the stitching of my poor moccasins is coming apart...I guess that's what I get for traipsing around Paris in them. Sigh.

(And yes, I am sitting on a slide meant for five year olds. My hips don't fit through it. Why do you ask?)

5. Thankful Thursdays... Make sure you check out my friend Louis' new blog hop, Thankful Thursdays! I know he's really excited about it :)



6. patches. Being a cat, she's a great model, as she actually stays still for more than two seconds - unlike Sarge. Man, that dog just has too much energy! ;) Although, when I manage get a decent shot of him, he generally looks happy. In most of the shots of Patches I got, she looks rather grumpy. That's a cat for you.

Happy Thursday! I'm so glad it's almost the weekend...I really need that break. What about you?

-carlotta

on cloud nine

Y'all really blew me away last week! So many great photos...and thirty three link ups on a brand new blog hop? That, my friends, is remarkable. Treat yourself to some chocolate :)

<a href="http://pastorsgirlsponderings.com/"><img src="http://imgur.com/AS92y.jpg"/></a>
Is there a photo that makes you happy? One that warms your heart or tells a funny story? One that puts you on cloud nine? Here's your chance to share it! 
Just put up a post on your blog containing one photo. You can add as much or as little text along with the photo as you would like. After writing your post, come back here to link up - you have until Thursday at 11:59pm CST to do so. Don't forget to link back to me, whether it be via the above button or a link. :) And remember to visit others' photos as well! 
Some of you also voted on the winner or no winner for On Cloud Nine...it was a very close tie, with no winner having twelve votes and winner having fourteen votes, but I think I'm going to choose having no winner for On Cloud Nine. I hope y'all aren't mad at me! But it was so close...I think it'll just be less work overall. Eek. Now I'm scared I'm going to get my house blown up or something. *hides under bed* ;)

Alright, enough chatter. Here's my photo for this week...


I think it's pretty self explanatory, no? I've gone back and forth several times on this, but I think chocolate is God's gift to mankind. As if you haven't already, you know, heard that before. Several times. But hey, it's true! Or maybe, for those of you that don't care for chocolate, not. Oh well.
Your turn! I'm excited to see what amazing photos y'all will have to share this week. Have fun! :)
-carlotta

chocolate chip blondies

I never was really a blondie person before. They tasted a little too...blah to me. I like my baked goods really to be chocolaty, or at least have some chocolate to break up the flavors a bit.

Then, we found the best recipe in the world. Chocolate chip blondies.

I had no idea that blondies are actually supposed to taste like a chocolate chip cookie with the texture of moist brownies. Like these do. Actually, they're kind of like moist chocolate chip cookies in a pan. Yum.

Even if you've tried blondies before and didn't like them, make these anyway. And try to resist eating all the batter before you get a chance to put it in the oven.

Your life will be forever changed. I promise you.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

(adapted from this recipe)

- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

- 1/2 packed light brown sugar

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- 1 large egg

- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 cup bread flour

- A pinch salt 

- 3/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

What sweet treats have you been making (or craving!) lately?

-carlotta

blogging isn't everything.

Lately my mantra has been "Blogging isn't everything." I've repeated it to myself in the shower, while doing homework, while blogging.

For awhile, I visited others' blogs for the sole purpose of getting my traffic to my blog. I didn't go so far as to ask them to read/follow my blog, but I came pretty darn close to it a couple times. 

I wanted so badly to be a "bigger" blogger. I wanted to have tons of comments on every post. I wanted to have an insane amount of readers. I wanted this so badly, I began to neglect what was important. Instead of spending time with my family, I spent time on my computer. Instead of going outside and enjoying God's creation, I stayed inside with my computer. 

I was becoming addicted. And it wasn't healthy. 

My trip to Europe was so inspirational...and it helped me in many ways. It opened my eyes to the fact that there's so much more in life than blogging. I realized that while blogging is a whole lot of fun, it isn't everything. If I knew I was going to die in an hour, would I rather spend time with loved ones or try to grow my blog readership? I think we would all choose the first option without a moment's hesitation. 

Having said this, blogging has definitely benefited me in so many ways. It's motivated me to improve my photography. It's done wonders for my writing. And it's been so amazing to have a little circle of friends that I don't even know in real life. To tell you truth - being a professional blogger, like Ree from The Pioneer Woman, is my absolute dream job. :)

Do I love getting lots of comments on posts? Definitely. Do I do a happy dance every time I get a new follower? Yep ;) Do I love sharing my photography and getting feedback? Sure. But is blogging something that you need to be obsessed with? Is it everything?

Definitely not. There isn't anything in our life that is everything. The only thing we have that is everything is Christ. He's the one that fulfills every desire, the only one who can truly make us happy. And until he returns, or until I pass from this earthly world, I'm going to try to glorify Him in everything I do.

If you read all of this, thank you. I just needed to get it off my chest. :)

-carlotta

PS Don't worry - I'm not going to quit blogging. I love it way too much! I'm just slowly weening myself from being so dependent on the computer :)

scavenger hunt sunday

I'm hopping on the Scavenger Hunt Sunday bandwagon again - it's so fun! You should give it a try sometime...there's something so satisfying about looking for specific photos.



1. Side lighting. I dug this one out of my archives, but there's something I love about this photo (it's in my header as well). Yes, I don't have a head, but still.



2. Jack o' Lantern. This may not be your traditional jack o' lantern...but it's a face on a pumpkin! Lilly created this lovely masterpiece - the face reminds me of Sponge Bob some how. Ha.

I played around with some textures and effects while editing this photo...what do you think?



3. Faces formed in nature. I realize this one is a stretch, but I couldn't find a face already in nature! So, using some supplies I found outside (berries, a leaf, and a piece of dried grass), I made my own face. I shall call him Billy Bob Joe. ;)



4. Sunset. I got this one out of the archives as well, as we haven't been having a lot of spectacular sunsets here recently. This was taken in Germany one night. It had been raining all day, but in the evening the sun, providing a gorgeous sky. So pretty.



5. Warm. The blankets on my bed. And yes, it's unmade on purpose. I kind of like the look of slightly messy beds.

On a side note, I have a huge favor to ask of you. I entered a photo in a PBTeen photography contest, and need all the votes (or "likes") I can get! The winner of the contest receives a $200 gift certificate and their photo gets made into a wall mural for the store. If you would kindly head on over here and vote for my picture, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

Happy Sunday!

-carlotta