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

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

This giveaway is now closed.

I'm so blown away I have over five hundred followers. Five hundred, folks! That's less than half way to a thousand! I have the best readers. Ever. Make sure you go eat some chocolate chip cookies. Or truffles. Or whatever sweet treat floats your boat. :)

To celebrate this momentous occasion, there's going to be a giveaway! Y'all deserve it. (Yes, I know it's rather late, considering I got my 500th follower over two weeks ago, but that's how I roll :))

So, what can you win?

Rebecca of Rebecca Plotnick Photography has generously offered to donate a 12x12 inch photo printed on canvas, the winner being able to choose any photo from Rebecca's shop. She specializes in travel photography, including scenes from Paris and Italy. Looking at her Paris photos makes me ache to be back in that beautiful city again...oh Paris, how I love you.

(blue doors in the french quarter...j'adore. Note: the photo is not mine; it was taken by Rebecca. It's my favorite photo from her shop...)

If you haven't already noticed, I love having two winners for giveaways. It's double the fun! Shawnee of My Fair Lady has very kindly offered to give away this beautiful pair of earrings...

I'm dying. So adorable! I wish I could enter this giveaway, you guys. Seriously.

I know you want to enter to win of of these, right? Here's how it's going to work...

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment on this post answering the following question.

"What's one city you want to visit in your lifetime?" Before, I would have said Paris in a heartbeat. But since I've been there already - but want to go back! - I'll say New York. Or San Francisco. Or Venice. Or London. Oh, I can't make up my mind. This'll just have to be a multiple answer question for me ;)

(one entry)

Extra Entries

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

Write a blog post about this giveaway.

(Each of the above count as one entry)

Please leave a separate comment per entry!

The giveaway will end on Monday, November 22nd at 9pm CST. EDIT: I messed up with the date. It actually ends Monday, November 15th, not the 22nd. Sorry! :)

Have fun and good luck! :)

-carlotta

Sunsets are so beautiful. They're also one of the most photographed scenes of nature...but that doesn't bother me. There's something about the whispy swirls of cotton candy like clouds that gets me every time. Or the bold, dramatic strokes of a fiery orange and black sky.
But no matter the color combination, sunsets never fail to amaze me.



<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