Book 7 - Hamlet

My seventh book of the year - Hamlet by William Shakespeare.  This has, probably, been my favorite Shakespeare I have read so far (which includes Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, and Henry V)  Some of this reason may be the fact that we watched the movie with David Tennant staring as Hamlet, so throughout the play I had his voice running through my head :P  Also, Hamlet has many soliloquies (parts of the play where he talks to himself/the audience) so for this character I could see what he was thinking, which frequently doesn't happen in Shakespeare's plays.  

I used The Annotated Shakespeare to read this play, which, like Folgers, has notes to help you with words you don't know, phrases that don't make sense, or definitions that have changed over time.  These were quite useful, as always, but I found myself looking at them less over the course of this play.  I am finally getting used to the flow of Shakespeare's words!  This was definitely enjoyable!

Skyeler

Children Photography - Paint the Moon

Photographing kids is always an adventure, if your the parent, child, or the photographer.  I stumbled across this post at Paint the Moon that gives some amazing tips on how to get those wonderful, beautiful smiles and expressions, not the cheesy grin or dejected pout XD  Here is the link to this post:  Capturing Real Smiles and Expressions in Children's Photos | Photoshop Actions for Photographers by Paint the Moon   I would definitely suggest checking it out!  It certainly gave me some insight!

Skyeler

Audio Book 3 - Boston Jane

My third audio book finished this year; Boston Jane by Jennifer L. Holm.  This book was enjoyable.  I definitely liked the reader, who could perform several accents quite well.  The story line was very good, though there were some parts about the Indian's gods which were, though not promoted or demoted, a bit...strange.  There were a few creepy/unnerving scenes with ghosts, of all things, but nothing terribly scary.  All in all it was about a "young lady" on the frontier, and I enjoyed it!  I will probably look for the next book in the series eventually :)

1855. The unknown wilds of the Pacific Northwest—a land not yet tamed, and certainly not fitting for a proper young lady! Yet that’s just where Miss Jane Peck finds herself. After a tumultuous childhood on the wrong side of Philadelphia high society, Jane is trying to put aside her reckless ways and be accepted as a proper young lady. And so when handsome William Baldt proposes, she joyfully accepts and prepares to join him in a world away from her home in Washington Territory. But Miss Hepplewhite’ s straitlaced finishing school was hardly preparation for the treacherous months at sea it takes to get there, the haunting loss she’ll face on the way, or the colorful characters and crude life that await her on the frontier." - Amazon

Skyeler

My Pygmy Puff

This is Puffskein.  Isn't he so cute?  I was playing with my mom's zoom lens, which I haven't truly practiced with before.  Puffskein was one of my subjects ^_^

Skyeler

Audio Book 2 - Wrapped

This is the second audio book I have listened too so far this year: Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury.  This book is set in the 1800's and was amazing!  The reader also had a lovely voice.  I very much enjoyed listen to her British accent.  Several references to Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy ^_^  A beautiful and intriguing mystery.

"Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history. 

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her. 

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback. 

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping. 

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn't just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain. 

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes." - Amazon

Definitely a recommended book!!!

Skyeler

Random Portraits

This afternoon Elizabeth and I went outside to take some pictures.  It was very cold, but we still had so much fun!  These were some of the results ^_^  (these are all portraits of her that I took.  The portraits of me I have yet to play with/look at as closely.)

Skyeler

Random Word Picture 2

I have been uncertain of what to use for this word: Isolating.  Today Elizabeth and I went outside to take some random pictures, and upon editing this one with the contrast bar found that it actually seemed to fit.  It looks like she is alone on the street, and it looks more gloomy and dusk-like.  Of course I was there too ;)  It almost looks like she is cut off from the world, running.  (Though in reality she was twirling and skipping and grinning.)

Skyeler