Little encounters during the day [or night]

Zebra car?, originally uploaded by desireux.

My cell phone died last week, and I love my new one! It has a camera and bluetooth, which means that I can upload my photos very easily. My usual camera is a clunky-Olympus and it really isn't practical to carry with me everyday. For a short while I had a Canon Sd1000 which I loved. It was small and sleek but most importantly fit in my handbag. I carried it around taking photos of little bits and pieces of my life. Oh how I missed it when I gave it back to my brother.

So now I'm really enjoying my phone's camera, even though its only 1.3 mp. I used to think that having a good, fancy camera was extremely important, but not anymore. Yes, it is for taking photos of my pop-up cards or more "serious" photography, but to have a camera which you can just whip out and not miss out on those precious little moments [like a three-wheeled zebra car] is just as important.

Glued to the TV

Statue of a lady, originally uploaded by desireux.

I was watching the Olympics for the past 3 hours. Women's gymnastics and men's swimming was going on. I always get this fuzzy feeling when I see the look of determination when the athletes perform, their big smile when they've finished a routine ... the hugs, the encouragement. It's so touching to see that look in their eyes when they are on the podium and the national anthem is played. And Michael Phelps was just amazing to watch :)

Not moon craters

Craters, originally uploaded by desireux.

I was at Pebble Beach a few weeks ago. The rocks there were beautiful, they had craters of all shapes and sizes carved into them. These craters were filled with naturally polished pebbles of all shades of grey and brown, hence the name Pebble Beach. When I first got there, it was so cold and windy that I didn't really take the time to look around me. Then, as I started taking photos, I began to notice how amazing the patterns were. Each one was different and made me go 'wow' over and over again. Little things like this remind me how important it is to slow down and really pay attention to what goes on around me.

This Pebble Beach is not the one at Carmel. It's a San Mateo County Beach located near Pescadero. To see more photos of the lovely rocks and pebbles, clicking on the photo will take you to my Flickr set.

Back from a break

Take 2, originally uploaded by desireux.

It was a nice month. I took time off from lab and from making pop-up cards to spend time with family and friends. It was a much needed break filled with mini-adventures and memorable moments.

The photo was taken at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, located on the California coast 50 miles south of San Francisco. I was dangling my legs over a cliff looking down at the very blue sea. The wind was so strong and it was quite chilly! I was in my hoodie, hugging myself for warmth and quite surprised that it could get so cold in the middle of summer :)

A Love Poem

Updated: Loving You, originally uploaded by desireux.

If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
'I love her for her smile--her look--her way
Of speaking gently,--for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed or change for thee--and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

I love reading these 'messages' inside bottle caps, fortune cookies, and labels. This love poem was inside the wrapper of a bar of yummy chilies & cherries dark chocolate. One very sweet present I received once was a bottle of 365 notes, one to open each day. It was so much fun to open and I would even bring some along with me if I had to be out of town so that i wouldn't miss a day.

Elle the Baby Elephant

Elle the Baby Elephant, originally uploaded by desireux.

Hi everyone, meet Elle the baby elephant. She was born on a quiet night in June. Elle has the cutest little toe nails and loves splashing around in the bathtub. Elle loves to munch on sweet, young branches of sugarcane. She brings love and joy to anyone she meets :D

i Love U too

i Love U too, originally uploaded by desireux.

i Love U too is the 'girly' version of this Coffee and Cream colored one which made it to Flickr's Explore page sometime last week. I usually check my Flickr Stats each night before sleeping and I noticed a huge spike in traffic one day. After digging deeper, I found out the good news.

Anyway, as much as I like the Coffee and Cream one, I really love the color of this card. It's a Strawberry Pink and wrapped like a present with a Lime Green ribbon. When I was making this card, I was thinking how sweet it would be if a guy gave this card to a girl. I know I would be so touched, and I hope the lucky girl who receives this card feels that way too.