Minna's Photo Assignments

I decided to try the photo challenges from Miriam Lovell Photography. Though I am not inspiring to be a photographer and i definitely don't have a photographer's eye - I do enjoy taking pictures. I use a wimpy 3.2 pixel camera that I have had for the past two and a half years. (Keep in mind that most cell phones have at least 3 pixel cameras on them). None the less, I love my little camera. I love that it fits nicely in my purse and I love that I can take it with me everywhere I go without the bothersome of having to carry an extra bag with me. And I love that I can whip it out at any moment. The pictures below are from my personal archives. Future pictures of Minna's challenges will (hopefully) be pictures I take in order to meet the assignments. Enjoy the fruits of my (and Wyatt's) labor below!

Photo Assignment #1: Light and Shadow

Post Office - Lake Oswego, Oregon - February 2008 - by Wyatt

Photo Assignment #2: Lines

Hancock Tower - Chicago, Illinois - April, 15, 2006 - by Brittany

Photo Assignment #3: Color

City Market - San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines - December 2005 - by Brittany

Photo Assignment #4: Point of View

Claremont Golf Course - Beaverton, Oregon - August 14, 2006 - by Wyatt

Next Assignment - Assignment #5: Pattern/Repetition ...

The Oregon Coast

We went to the coast this last weekend and...

Rode our bikes on the beach,


went whale watching,


played with rocks,


and ate a hamburger!


I think the picture says it all.

Ultimate Peep Show

Happy Easter!

What's in a Name?

Forward:
I am not pregnant.

Now that I have that out of the way... Wyatt and I from time to time like to suggest possible names for our future children to one another. It's a lot of fun hearing the different names that Wyatt likes (and I don't) and vice versa. However, over time my frustration has slowly increased. Names that I have liked for several years have become overly popular, overly used and spelled a thousand different ways. To the point where I just want to gag myself with a spoon.

Take for example the name "Isabella." It was the character of Aunt Bella in the musical Lost in Yonkers that made me first fall in love with the name (and yes, I do realize she was mentally impaired). However, the name Isabella was the 4th most popular name in 2006. The name Bella was ranked at 181. There is no way that I will ever name my little girl Isabella.

Next on the list, Georgia. After my wonderful momma. Again, I have wanted a little Georgia of my own for years - for more sentimental reasons than the name Isabella too. Georgia is currently ranked at 273 and who knows where it'll be by the time we get around to having children. And at that point I'll have to choose if I want my baby to be named after my mother even though every other little girl will share the same name.

I guess I just like having unique - but not bizaar - names. My name was not popular growing up. It wasn't until the 1990 Brittany's or Britney's surfaced and abused the use of the name. Believe it or not it was years before I could ever find a keychain with my name on it. And I was the only Brittany in all my classes grade K-12. It was all the underclassmen that stole my beautiful name. Wyatt on the other hand has only met one other Wyatt in his lifetime. That is until the past two years where every other boy under the age of four is named Wyatt. It is currently ranked at 82.

If you're interested in learning about how names come to popularity you should check out chapter six of this book (or read the whole book, it's a good one). And if you're anything like Wyatt and me and desire a unique - as in unpopular - name, check out this website brought to you by the Social Security Department.

To all our prego friends - good luck with the name game!

Final Destination

As many of you know, I followed Wyatt to Portland. So I was thinking of all the reasons Wyatt and I have continued to reside in Portland and it boils down to one reason - work. This is where we both have jobs and it doesn't make much sense to pack everything up and leave. However, I was trying to think if we were to move, where would I like to live. Below are my choices (in no specific order):

1. Raleigh, North Carolina - I've never actually been to NC but for some reason it just appeals to me. The green hills for Wyatt, green trees for me, mild winters, hot summers and cheap houses. Though, I'm not sure if it is big enough city for me...

2. Cincinnati, Ohio - I really like this city. Perhaps because it straddles the midwest and the east coast. Again, it has green hills for Wyatt, green trees for me, mild winters, hot summers and cheap houses. I guess the fact that it's a mid-sized city in a high metropolitan area is satisfying enough for me.

3. Seattle, Washington - I loved this city from the first day I visited in 2001. Probably where Wyatt and I really will settle down. It satisfies Wyatt's desire to live in the NW and my need to live in a big city.

4. Washington, D.C. - I love how it is saturated with American History. Central in the heavy metropolitan cities of the east coast. Green trees and two international airports.

5. Berlin, Germany - I lived here when I was two and would love to have the experience over again with a better memory. A central city in Europe with unlimited access to other major European cities.

6. Kiribati - We read a book about the author and his girlfriend living on the island of Kiribati. "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" - though he constantly relays his displeasures of the island, he still was able to live a positive impression. Enough for me to want to experience island life myself.

That is just a few of the places I'd like to try for a season. They really do change from day to day. However, in my whole thought process I was curious to know about my readers. So in hopes to make this an interactive post, I'm requesting that you answer my questions.

1. Where do you live now?
2 Why do you live there/how did you end up there?
3. Do you like it?
4. If you could choose where you wanted to live, where would you pick?
5. What influenced your choice for the above? Family, work, price of living, adventure?

I'm excited to read your comments!