Jewl Of The Lotus

the sound that strengthens compassion in all enlightened beings. om mani padme hum.

 

Golden Crowned Kinglets

Now that the seasons are changing again, we’re bound to see a new wave of migratory birds. I’m going to try and post more regularly upon spotting them. First up, captured over my lunch break today, are a pair of Golden Crowned Kinglets. This is the male: And here is the female: They are...

 

Birds of The Syrup Ranch

In January, Nate and I moved into a lovely house in the Historical East Side neighborhood of Ypsilanti. Built in 1886, but remodeled and modernized a multitude of times, it’s the perfect combination of spaces with a bit of retro-rustic charm, plus – an AMAZING backyard. We love it and have fondly named our...

 

Istanbul 2014

Last month Nate was invited to Istanbul to speak at a brand new conference, Istanbul Tech Talks. The company hosting the event was generous enough to invite the speakers to bring a guest, and so we journeyed to a land far, far away. It was a great time, overall. We met some great people....

 

Saugatuck 2012

Last Fall, I had the chance to stay a few nights in the cute little Lake Michigan coastal town of Saugatuck, Michigan. There was even time for a day trip up to Holland. Not pictured here: my favorite part of the trip – sampling beers at Saugatuck Brewing, New Holland Brewing, and Bell’s Brewing....

 

Curry Lentil, Pepper, and Bacon Seitan Soup

I kind of went crazy with the soups this week… Mostly because my throat’s been a bit sore for the last few days. This one actually didn’t help too much with that due to the spice from the curry and jalapeƱo! Oops :) Improv Score: 4/5 Curry Lentil, Pepper, and Bacon Seitan Soup 1...

 

White Bean, Kale, and Italian Seitan Sausage Soup

Here’s another great improv meal for you! Again, I’d recommend loosely following the recipe, but substituting ingredients as necessary. For example, if I’d had an entire onion – I’d have just used that, but instead I only had half of one, so I supplemented with a shallot and lots of garlic! Improv Score: 4.5/5...

 

New York City 2012

Finally! I’ve gotten around to posting a few of my favorites from last year’s trip to NYC. I don’t think too much explanation will be needed, so let’s just get straight to the photos…

 

Project 365 – Days 30 – 40

Here’s a big set for you – the last 10 days worth of photos! Some are ok, some are horrible. I’m trying to find the right balance between not being an annoying all day photographer and still getting a good shot or two of something… Also… I swear I’m going to try and not...

 

Project 365 – Days 28 & 29

This weeks theme (so far): grit. Day 28 – Detroit. Day 29 – Life Happens.

 

Project 365 – Day 22

Today’s photo features one of Ginger’s once beloved toys – the decapitated monkey. Even though she doesn’t play with it much anymore, we keep it around as a reminder of her deadly and primal nature, and as a warning to all that this could happen to you… while you sleep.

 

Joy & Jason’s Holiday Card Portraits

This weekend I had the awesome opportunity to try my hand for the first time at portrait photography – and you can judge for yourself, but I think it went pretty well! I read through some quick refreshers prior to heading out and browsed through some google images for pose ideas. We made our...