WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – UP

Posted on April 23, 2013 by firstandfabulous | 15 Comments

UP!

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge

This leaves a person wide open. But, I guess I’m going for the obvious. So…

Click on the icon and travel over to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge and see what up with UP!

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – COLOR

Posted on April 6, 2013 by firstandfabulous | 33 Comments

For this week’s challenge, I‘d love to use all the colorful spring flowers growing hither and yon, BUT THERE AREN’T ANY! Well hardly any. This forced me to go on a color treasure hunt. Spring will pop electric soon enough – I suppose. Here’s a mix of some of last year’s flowers and a few other items out of the crayon box.

gnomes for the garden

colorful chick-fil-a coffee cup – cute!

actually one of this year’s bright beauties

rainbow Easter eggs from the Marlton Diner in NJ

a few blue jellies

variations on a purple theme

sun and succulents at Bob’s Gardening Center in Cardiff, NJ

last year’s red

a plethora of nemos

garden globes also at Bob’s Garden Center

crocus peeking out of a tree trunk

just plain colorful

Click on the WordPress logo to make your way over to lots of other colorful posts.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – LOST IN THE DETAILS

Posted on March 2, 2013 by firstandfabulous | 52 Comments

I’ve become intrigued by the art of doodling. So yesterday, before opening my email, I began doing a bit of doodling of my own. Fearing I’d get sloppy after a half hour of pen to paper, I stopped to check my email. It struck me as coincidental that the challenge for this week was titled “Lost in the Details.” Peace – Lost in the Details.

It’s my first attempt at this doodling thing. I found it quite relaxing and engaging. You should try it.

Stop over at WordPress by clicking here and take a “Where’s Waldo” look at more of Lost in the Details.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – UNIQUE

Posted on February 1, 2013 by firstandfabulous | 36 Comments

The most UNIQUE library “lawn ornaments I’ve ever seen.

Each day this couple can be found relaxing on the front lawn of the Cherry Hill Library in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Day in, day out. Sun, rain, snow, sleet, hail, you name it. They’re there. She with her shoes and handbag thrown off to one side. Him with his jacket placed carefully on the grass, his head resting on The New York Times.

I kid you not when I say I had to do a double take. Maybe I don’t get out much, but I think this is about the most unusual couple to ever decorate a patch of grass.

For a look at more of what’s unique, click on the WordPress logo, which by the way was painstakingly created by Jake at Jakesprinters.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – BEYOND

Posted on January 19, 2013 by firstandfabulous | 30 Comments

Beyond the cold hard ground, far beyond the trees, the sun sets brilliantly into the west.

Travel beyond here to more WordPress Challenge entries… Click on the WordPress icon below.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – SOLITARY

Posted on September 21, 2012 by firstandfabulous | 30 Comments

OK. Maybe I’m not being completely serious with a topic that sounds like it might just should be that way :-), but I couldn’t help myself.

Celebrating both International Peace Day and the last day of summer, Jeff and I headed to the beach knowing full well that we would have our pick of places to plop our chairs. The beach is nearly void of visitors this time of year, and me, being the – ah – introvert that I am, find it most relaxing when I can hear the waves brushing the shore, sans the hum of human beach goers. Far be it from me to begrudge people their holidays, nor do I wish to take fun-in-the-sun time away from anyone. I just like the space and serenity afforded me when the real estate is less occupied.

I am a solitary man, except I’m a woman. (huh?)

Apparently, I’m not alone in my need to be alone. There’s this good ol’ boy.

Those of you that know me, know Rocky, my long-haired German Shephard. Well, this is not him. But it could be his double. Except Rocky would not be sitting as peacefully in the sand. Or anywhere else for that matter. But that’s another story.
Thanks to Cheri Lucas for this week’s topic. There are a plethora of posts that have been submitted this week, as always. Worth looking into. For more on Solitary, click on the WordPress logo below.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – GROWTH

Posted on August 3, 2012 by firstandfabulous | 33 Comments

There was no doubt in my mind that my fabulous fig tree would be the subject for this week’s topic – growth. I just wish I had a picture of her when she was a” baby”. She stood all of about 15 inches tall, and I didn’t have high hopes for her surviving my ineptness when it comes to things that grow.

I remember, as a child, my parents’ land lady had a beautiful fig tree in her yard, which I also considered our yard, by association. I had never had a fresh fig. Didn’t even know if the taste would please me, but she looked so pretty and purple. The day came when I mustered up the courage. I knew I just had to have one, so I ripped her from the branch and ran. I hid behind our house and nibbled, carefully, delighting in every tiny bite. I did this on a daily basis, until one day, as you might venture to guess, I was discovered. After all, I was eating them faster than they could grow. (can you say bare tree?) My sweet, soft-spoken mom was mortified and scolded me, vehemently, for picking figs off the tree without asking. I knew I had done wrong, but, I also knew that I loved that heavenly, deep purple fruit and I was addicted!

The pilfering stopped, but the love of figs did not.

That tree was gigantic in my little eyes, and I couldn’t even imagine my black thumb growing anything so big and hearty. But, I knew I had to give it a try. For old times sake. Little did I know…

KADOTA FIGS

Believe it or not, the fruits of my labor!

To see more ‘growth’, click here.

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – PURPLE

Posted on July 31, 2012 by firstandfabulous | 25 Comments

I’ll tell you a little secret. Every time I see the title for a new post – ANY POST – I think, “Where am I going to find that?” Or, “I don’t have anything like that!” Or, “Girl! Your ‘archives’ as I’ve heard many call them, don’t have anything that even closely resembles that.” Let me just tell you, as I sit here typing, that I am thrilled that I am in the possession of something called “archives”! It sounds so professional, and if I had a bucket list, being professional at something would be on it.

So I figure, I’m getting on my bike and touring around town, and I’m going to find something purple to put in my ‘archives” (*giggle* I love that word!) if it kills me!

Now, picture this (no pun intended). I start to gather myself up for what I figure to be a long ride. I grab my camera and Jeff…

(My dear, sweet friend Meghan gave me that beautiful, colorful strap when I retired this year)

And we prepare to peddle off onto the streets of Brigantine…

(I swear the pedicure came before the title of the weekly challenge)

Jeff on his silver bike and me on my Schwinn…

The whole time I’m thinking, “PURPLE! Where am I going to find “PURPLE”? …

So we ride. And we ride. Picture this…again, no pun intended. It’s like 100 degrees, I am pushing 61, and, dang! I’m thirsty! So we make a quick pit stop, and I take a few gulps out of the water bottle I brought from home.

And as I’m sucking down a cool, refreshing mouthful of Wegman’s Spring Water (I know I’ve told you I LOVE Wegman’s), there it was – PURPLE!

A PURPLE HARLEY!

Not that I spotted that shiny, old beauty. That was Jeff. Maybe you’re starting to get the drift of just how observant I really am.

Now I’ve got my picture and I’m weary, so I suggest that we head back home. On the way we stopped for some ice cream…

Because, after all. I worked hard for that shot.

Click here for more shots of purple…

And here: These are just some of the terrific bloggers I’ve met…

http://ceeslifephotographyblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/weekly-photo-challenge-purple/

http://campanulladellaanna.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/weekly-photo-challenge-purple/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple

http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/weekly-photo-challenge-purple/

http://northernnarratives.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/weekly-photo-challenge-purple/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/colour-of-love/

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – INSIDE

Posted on July 23, 2012 by firstandfabulous | 29 Comments

I’d like to take you inside one of the rooms in our house at the shore. I call it the Blue Room, I guess because the pull-out couch is blue and because I don’t like calling it the spare room. Spare room sounds like a “I don’t use this, so why don’t you take it.” kind of room.

Blue room sounds more like you’re staying at the White House. No matter what your political views, that would have to be such a cool place to have a sleep over! Anyway, as much as I’d love to have you stay, and as important as you are to me 🙂 I’m afraid you’d have to live out of your suitcase for the duration of your stay. (Ask our son and his wife.)

You’ll notice that there’s a closet to the left of the pretty blue night light, and there’s another to the right of it, which didn’t make the shot. But these are not really functional, in the sense that closets are used for clothing and shoes, and maybe some extra pillows thrown up on a shelf.

No. Inside, take note, are the makings for some of my husband’s delicious

home made vino.

Currently, you’ll find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pino Grigio, Zinfadel, and Cabernet Franc all “cookin'” in there. (Not that it cooks, but then it’s Jeff’s hobby, not mine. I am vino making-challenged – but luckily, not vino-drinking-challenged,).

Each carboy, (that’s what the juice is in) produces about 28 bottles. It takes approximately a year, or more in some cases, of mostly waiting while the fermenting takes place. There’s racking and reracking, and a few extras involved, but the results yields some pretty decent, glass-clicking, butt-kicking wine.