i heart faces: scenic black and white

Today's theme at I Heart Faces is "scenic black and white". I immediately thought of this photo...

This is my mom and me in front of the Eiffel Tower, taken on my surprise birthday trip to Paris this October. It may seem like the average cheesy "Smile! You're a dumb tourist in Paris!" shot, but it means a lot to me. The feeling you have when you're gazing at the Eiffel Tower for the first time is incredible. It was such a special moment for me. I mean, Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world! How often have we seen Eiffel Towers printed on miscellaneous objects? I can't even begin to count. But to actually be there? It's surreal. 

What's your favorite city?

-carlotta
PS Thank you for your sweet compliments on my room yesterday! Since I live in it, I'm always seeing little things that could be fixed, artwork that needs switching out, etc, but your words made me happy :)

miscellaneous ramblings

1. the photo challenge finalists and winners.

I know, I should I have gotten this up earlier. I'm sorry. Some of you were blackmailing me asking me nicely to announce the finalists and winners for my food photo challenge...you don't have to wait any longer :)

The finalists are A Story Told in Pictures, Da Hughes Ohana, Pixels and Stories, Emma Claire's Blog, and 4 Lettre Words.

Seriously y'all, I wanted to make each of you finalists winners. But unfortunately, that's not how it works.

The winner of the challenge is...



Emma Claire's Blog! Congratulations :) I loved your photo. The tones are so light and warm, the focus is perfect, and that cupcake looks amazing. Great job!

2. feeling uninspired.

Lately, I've been feeling rather uninspired when it comes to blogging, hence the sporadic posting this week. I've been having trouble coming up with ideas and seeing my visitor numbers plunge hasn't really helped either. But on the other hand, I've kind of liked not posting when I don't have anything to say. It feels...refreshing.

3. a pretty headboard.

I wrapped mini Christmas lights around the headboard of my bed and I'm in love. I gaze at it every time I walk in the room. Is that bad?




And because I was so enamored with my headboard, I wanted to restore the rest of my room to cleanliness. Finally.



(I know my walls look slightly purple, but I promise you they're brown.)
Le sigh. Looking at my room right now, it makes me never want to mess it up again. I really shouldn't let it messy all the time.

And yes, that is my Organic Bloom frame leaning against the wall. I need to get around to ordering the print so I can finally hang it up...

4. kids say the cutest things.

I was babysitting a little four year old girl the other day, and nearly accidentally let the dog out of the backyard. In her little voice, she exclaimed, "It's a good thing you did let out the dog - Mommy would have come home and said 'What the heck! Why is the dog out?'" I about died.

And while talking to MeMe, Lilly said, "This is mine, forever and ever amen." Oh man.

Is there anything funny that your kids or siblings have said lately?

5. the chocolate pie recipe.

A few of you asked for the chocolate pie recipe, and since I aim to please, here it is :)

I was improvising as I went along, so I don't know the exact measurements of everything, but I'll do my best.

- Any pie crust
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips), chopped, plus more for topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee or cold brewed coffee (optional)

Toast the almonds in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350°F for about five minutes. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate. Mix in the egg, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and coffee together in the bowl until completely combined. Pour into pie crust and top with chocolate and almonds. Bake for 12-14 minutes in a 350° oven until filling is softly set and trembles slightly in the center. Cool to room temperature, about an hour.

I kept my pie in the refrigerator and actually preferred it that way, but you can do whatever you feel like :) And feel free to add more/less sugar...like I said, I'm just estimating how much I used.



6. in love with twitter.

I really am. It's so much fun and I feel so smart typing @so and so and using hashtags. And with all this twittering, I can't help thinking of this video. I don't think I've ever watched a movie and laughed that hard. Hilarious.

Do you tweet?

7. my new coat.

I got a new winter coat and I'm smitten. I got this one...I adore peacoats this one fits the bill quite nicely. Oh, how I adore it.

When it comes to winter coats, what do you prefer? Puffy ones? Peacoats? Trench coats?

Have a wonderful day!

-carlotta

sweet

Homemade cinnamon rolls...




...Double Chocolate Chip Starbucks frappucino...



...Honey Crunch & Oats cereal...




...and homemade chocolate pie.

I'd say that's pretty sweet.

And you know what else is sweet? This video.

We die. Well, maybe not all of us. But I certainly did. And then came back to life.

Sweet.

One more sweet thing. I'd never thought this would happen but...I'm tweeting. Oh dear. God help me. If you have a Twitter account, feel free to follow me!

What do you find sweet?

-carlotta

PS My photo challenge ends tonight! Don't forget to enter! :)

thankful

I need to make a confession.

We're not really huge Thanksgiving people. Sure, we observe it, but we don't go all out like some.

Blame it on the fact that both my parents were born in Germany, but it's never been a huge deal for us. In fact, we had our Thanksgiving dinner last night. And in lieu of turkey, we had roast chicken. Today we'll just have desserts...I'm making cinnamon rolls and a chocolate pie. Hey, we like to do things our own way ;)

But Thanksgiving isn't really about when and how you eat a feast. It's about being thankful for the many blessings we all have. Like having warm beds to sleep in, food filling our stomachs, and a roof over our head. While these things might seem so basic, something so easy to take for granted, there are so many in this world that don't have them. Children with bloated bellies, hunger in their eyes. People sleeping under whatever they can find in the street.

This Thanksgiving, I'm truly thankful for what I have.

A loving Savior who died for our sins.

My family.

Wonderful friends.

Adorable, sweet pets.

A camera to capture memories.

A laptop to write this.

Delicious food.

The rhythmic pattering of rain, interrupted by thunder and lightning.

Chocolate.

Being able to travel around the world.

Knitting. (Yes, I know it sounds rather old lady like, but it's so soothing. It takes away stress and tension, and it's the perfect thing to do while watching a movie. Try it sometime.)

Starbucks. I'm really loving their Double Chocolate Chip frappuccinos right now...

And if I'm going to list Starbucks, I might as well throw in Target as well.

Siblings that make me laugh.

I could go on and on. These are just a very small fraction of everything I'm so incredibly blessed with. What are you thankful for?



Happy Thanksgiving!

-carlotta

on cloud nine

Aren't my parents the cutest things ever? I'm so thankful to have them in my life. I know I'm not always easy to deal with, but they put up with me just the same. They make sure we have food in our stomachs, a cozy room, and clothes on our backs. They give us so much, like taking us all to Europe nearly every year. Or getting us things we don't really need but want ;) I love them. So much.



<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 that you've taken. You can add as much or as little text as you would like along with it. 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 so others can join in, whether it be via the above button or a link. :) And remember to visit others' photos as well! 


-carlotta
PS Don't forget to enter in my photo challenge! You have until Friday, November 26th :)

a few of my favorite things

Neatly wrapped balls of yarn. This particular ball was previously a jumbled up mess until I finally took the time to untangle it. It's so much easier to work with now.

Sunny seventy five degree weather in late November. Yes, it's true. As I'm typing this, it's over seventy five degrees outside. I guess that's what you get for living in Oklahoma...being pretty much smack in the middle of the country, we get everyone else's leftovers. Ha.



Sparkly Christmas lights. This is one of our local art museums, decked out in twinkly colorful finery. But to tell you the truth, even though I'd love to, I can't bring myself to turn on Christmas music and drag out the jolly Santa figurines until after Thanksgiving. But this Friday, you'd better believe I'm going to be weaving strands of Christmas lights into my headboard and making paper snowflakes.

The fact that I have five hundred and eighty followers. You have no idea how much joy it gives me to see that people actually like what I write and photograph. Thanks for putting up with all my dorkiness :)



The crazy ideas Jeremiah comes up with. This is his "Tortilla Man" mask that he fashioned using none other than a tortilla and a knife. Ever since he was a baby, he's been coming up with the most hilarious, but extremely creative, things.



Quesadillas. The buttery, flakey, melted, cheesy triangles of goodness are the epitome of comfort food. No matter what's ailing me, they never fail to cheer me up. And they're so simple, too. I just slather two tortillas with soft butter, slice a few pieces of colby cheese, and fry them in a buttered non-stick pan over medium heat. Delicious.

Shopping. I know, that sounds totally materialistic, but it's true. I love flipping through racks filled with colorful clothing and finding amazing deals. My favorite stores are the moment are Target, Delia's, and H&M. I just wish the latter two were closer...I'm just going to have to deal with shopping online. And don't get me started on the amazing store that is Etsy. I could spend hours on there.
Speaking of Etsy, I've been thinking of opening a shop there, selling some of my photographs. What do you think? Would you be interested? Let me know! :)



Crackling, falling leaves. Even though they are a bit of a nuisance to rake up, I love them.



Having my sweet cat, Patches, curl up on my couch in my room and sleep for hours, only waking up to purr when I pet her. I love that cat.
(Please ignore the purple and white checkered sheet. Embarrassingly, it's still on my couch from when a friend slept over a week ago. I still haven't gotten around to taking off the sheet yet...)

My wonderful friends. I seriously have the best friends a girl could ask for. I'm not one of those people that has a ton of friends...I only have a few really, really, really close ones. You guys know who you are...I love y'all :)



Brownies with a swirly design. I think I'm going to do this to all the brownies I make now. Before placing the pan in the oven, I made swirls in the batter. I love it.
I just wrote about swirly brownies. I really need to get a life.

The new iPod Touch. While I don't have one, I'm planning on purchasing one soon. I've got to hand it to Apple...they have amazing designers. All their products are so sleek, gorgeous, and have wonderful features. It's my dream to have to have a silver MacBook Pro for my next computer. Swoon.



Fields dotted with horses and separated with wooden fences. Enough said.

What are some of your favorite things? I'd love to know!

-carlotta

miscellaneous ramblings

1. it's thanksgiving break.

And I could not be any happier. I'm so, so thankful for this reprieve from the craziness that is school. The principle of the online school where I take a few of my classes asked the teachers not to give us too much homework so we could enjoy our time off...I love him. :)

2. a little bokeh tutorial.

After I shared my Chocolate Bokeh On Cloud Nine photo, I got so many questions asking how to achieve bokeh. It's really very simple. On my SLR, I focus on some light and purposely make it as out of focus as I can (I usually manually focus for this). Then, I just click the shutter and there you have it! If you have a point and shoot camera, you can sometimes "trick" your camera into giving you bokeh. Try putting it on the flower, macro, or close up setting and take a picture. There's no guarantee that it'll work, though...on my point and shoot I was never able to coax it into taking a bokeh filled photo.




3. chocolate ice cream with frozen raspberries.

This is one of my favorite desserts...and it's even better with whipped cream on top. So yummy. Try it sometime! You'll definitely love it. Unless you don't, you know, like chocolate. Or raspberries. That might be a bit of a problem.
What's your favorite afternoon pick me up dessert?

4. harry potter.

Am I the only one who isn't head over heels in love with this series? I don't hate it, but I don't exactly love it either. With part one of the seventh movie having just come out, it seems everywhere I go I run into it...oh well, I'll live. ;)

5. let's talk shoes.

I'm such a sucker for cute shoes. Like these adorable pumps. Swoon. Although, let's face it. I could never walk in them. I'm clumsy enough as it is...I really couldn't handle a five inch heel. Heck, I can barely handle a three inch heel. But a girl can dream, can't she?
What do you prefer when it comes to shoes? Do you strive for comfort? (No pun intended...) Or are you all for cute shoes, no matter how painful they are? I'm somewhere in the middle...although I don't have any shoes that are super painful.



6. so pretty.

I was out in our yard a few days ago when I came across this little pink shoot growing from a dead bush. I was drawn in by the color and snapped some shots. Does anyone know what kind of plant it is? I'm kind of in love with it :)

7. pages.

I've changed some of the pages at the top of my blog...I rewrote my photography page and updated the page with my favorite bloggers. I also reworked the URLs for each of the pages...it was really bugging me that the URLs didn't match with the titles. Yeah, I'm a bit type a. Why do you ask?

8. speaking of type a...

I have other examples if you're not convinced yet. For example, I can't stand it when there are black marks from the lead on pencil erasers. And I hate it when the eraser is rounded instead of flat on top. My sheets can't be wrinkled when I go to sleep. It bugs me to no end when they are. Oh, and if I go to bed without brushing my teeth, my skin crawls. But oddly enough, I like having a clean room, but it doesn't bother me too much if it's messy. Weird.
Do you have any funny quirks?

Happy Sunday!

-carlotta

photo challenge: food

Yep, it's time for another photo challenge! Last time, the theme was color. I was blown away at all the wonderful photographs y'all submitted. Gorgeous.

This time? The theme is food. It's no secret that I love food. I mean, of course we need food to sustain our bodies, but I love photographing it. I adore experimenting with angles, lighting, and arranging the food just so. And it's a great subject when none of my siblings want to be photographed, which seems to be happening quite a lot lately. Ahem.

Moving right along.



I took this photo in the display of a quaint macaroon shop in Paris. Why I've never shared it, I don't know. I've never tried a macaroon before - at this store, they wanted sixteen euros for eight ounces (about twenty two dollars), or something crazy like that - but for now, marveling their beauty is enough for me :) What can I say? I love food.

<a href="http://www.pastorsgirlsponderings.com/2010/11/photo-challenge-food.html"><img src="http://imgur.com/DHzpL.jpg" /></a>

Want to join? Just write a post containing a food photo that you've taken (It doesn't matter what type of food it is, whether it be a steak or dessert, it's all welcome :)), 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 :) One entry per person please...if you have several photos in your post, please specify which one you are entering.
You have until November 26th, 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 delicious captures!


-carlotta

confessions.

Confession: I was so inspired last night and wanted so badly to write a blog post, but there was such a ridiculous amount of ideas and words swirling around my brain I couldn't form a coherent thought.

Confession: I like change. Which is why I put up a new header - I can't keep the same one for more than a month! ;) What do you think?

Confession: I've taken all of five photographs since Saturday.

Confession: I have a biology essay due by midnight tomorrow, Friday, and I've barely started.

Confession: Thanksgiving break can't come soon enough. I can't wait for a whole week of blank space in my planner. I'm going to relish the free time, letting the crevices of my body that just need a break be replenished. I'm going to soak up the blank calender dates like it's water quenching my thirst.

Confession: I got asked where I go to college the other day. When I responded I was still in high school, the guy looked shocked. Do I look like I could go to college? Seriously people.

Confession: I loathe geometry. I'm never going to understand proofs.

Confession: I fight with my family too much. And I'm not proud of it.

Confession: I need to learn to take life a day at a time. I have to stop rushing and take a minute to enjoy creation, to cherish the hours in every day.

Confession: I need to get more sleep. It took me thirty minutes to drag myself out of bed this morning. When I finally made it downstairs, I curled up on the couch under a blanket with Lilly and dozed off again.

Confession: I'm convinced that American Eagle sweatpants are the most comfortable piece of clothing every made.

Confession: I eat way too many chocolate chip cookies.

Confession: I really miss Europe.

Confession: I'm enamored with the fall foliage on our street.



Do you have something to confess? It really does feel good to get it off your chest :)

-carlotta

on cloud nine

(Giveaway winners announced below!)



I'm mildly obsessed with bokeh. There's something about the soft, transparent, whimsical dots of light that I find magical.
I've titled this photo Chocolate Bokeh. Why? I was melting chocolate and butter to make brownies and decided to snap a bokeh filled photo of the ingredients that were slowly starting to fuse together. Voila, chocolate bokeh - two of my favorite things. :)

Before I go on, though, I'm going to announce the giveaway winners.

The winner of the 12x12 inch photo printed on canvas is...Emilyann of Iowa! (Who just happens to be my best friend...but I promise you, I didn't show favoritism, it was a coincidence :))

The winner of the earrings is...m&msmommy!

Congrats winners! Shoot me an email and I'll get your prize to you as soon as possible.


<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 that you've taken. You can add as much or as little text as you would like along with it. 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 so others can join in, whether it be via the above button or a link. :) And remember to visit others' photos as well! 
-carlotta

loving black and white

There's something so magical about black and white photos. Especially in portraits, they offer a window to the soul, showing feelings that would otherwise go unnoticed in a color version. I adore how black and white instantly adds a bit of vintage flair to the photograph. I'm having a blast converting some of my Paris photos to black and white, making them look like they were taken forty years ago.
In short? I'm in love with black and white.

What about you? Do you prefer black and white or color? Do tell!

Psst...don't forget to enter in my giveaway! It ends at 9pm CST tonight - don't miss it!

-carlotta

scavenger hunt sunday

Today I'm joining Scavenger Hunt Sunday again...so fun :) Don't hesitate to play along as well!



1. Self portrait. I've shared this photo once before, but it's the only photo of myself that I took recently and that I like...am I the only one who is super picky about self portraits? Sigh.



2. Handmade. This beaded bracelet was handmade in Kenya. I love it. And the fact that all the proceeds from this piece of jewelry went right back to the Kenyan ladies that made it makes me love it even more.



3. Orange. I know, I know, I've probably shared one too many fall leaf shots. I can't help myself!



4. Candle. This could have actually qualified for orange as well ;)



5. Traffic signal or sign. Man, I'm loving Lightroom so much. It gave this photo a bit more interest. When this free trial is up, I'm definitely buying it. Definitely. 

Happy Sunday!

-carlotta

miscellaneous ramblings

1. so many ideas. I'm in the process of giving my room a mini-makeover, mainly switching out the artwork, rearranging a bit, and putting new bedding on my bed. There's only one problem. I have so many ideas swirling around in my head, it's hard to put together a coherent plan. I know I want to do a series of small collages through out my room, mainly black and white photos. Since our house is over seventy five years old, we have plaster walls. Which makes it difficult to hang up artwork, as the plaster tends to crack. Do you have suggestions on hanging photos without using nails?

2. i love desserts. Who doesn't? I've deemed Thursday afternoons my dessert baking day. My classes are done for the week then and I'm usually craving something sweet after the stress of the previous days. What were the fruits of my labor this past Thursday? Salted Carmel Brownies and, of course, chocolate chip cookies.





The brownies were out of this world. It was my first time making my own caramel; I was a bit nervous, but it turned out fabulously. I used this recipe for the decedent dessert - so amazing. My mom can't stop talking about them. And she used the extra caramel sauce to cover sliced apples...yum.
What's your favorite dessert?

3. sponsors. Want to advertise on my blog? I now have the option of sponsorship! Head over here for more information.

4. it felt freeing. I didn't blog on Thursday - the first time I skipping putting up a post in over five months. It felt so freeing. And I felt kind of rebellious too. I told my mom, "Mom, I didn't blog today. I'm such a rebel." What is my life coming to? ;)

5. addicted. To Lightroom, that is. I downloaded the free trial a few days ago and I'm ridiculously obsessed. I can't stop talking about it...I'm sure my family is so tired of my gushing. I planned on getting it sometime in the near future, but wanted to try it out, just to make sure I would like it. I didn't need to have that fear - I'm hooked. And all the free presets I've found are amazing. I'm especially loving the vintage-looking ones...they allow me to make rather ordinary photos of leaves pretty :)



Anyone else with Lightroom love?

6. standard time is overrated. It's true. I could live without standard time. Sure, come March I'll be happy about having an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, but now? No thanks. I'd much rather have more light in the evening than in the morning. I should move to Arizona - they don't observe the time changes. ;)

7. could you vote? I know I've asked this before a few weeks ago, but I'm asking again. If you haven't yet, could you vote for my photo in the PBTeen/Facebook photo challenge? Thank you so much!



8. rain. I love it. Let me rephrase that - I love rain, but not when it rains for two weeks straight, like it did when we were in Germany. And I don't love it when it interrupts exploring Paris. Ahem. But there's nothing better than curling up on my couch with a blanket, Lightroom 3, and Taylor Swift with the stead patter of rain on the window. Or maybe that's just me.



9. like mountains. As we were driving home from piano a few days ago, I looked out the side mirror and saw giant, puffy clouds seemingly from nowhere. At first glance, I thought they were mountains. So gorgeous.

-carlotta