“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.”
― Sylvia Plath

13/52 weeks

“As before the collapse, the setting sun brushed the tiles, brought out the warm brown glow on the wallpaper, and hung the shadow of the birch on the wall as if it were a woman’s scarf.”
― Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago

12/52 weeks

“ Her arms quiver from holding the bowl. She must truly love him to hold that bowl for so very long. There must be something inside of him that is worthy of that kindness”
― Carrie Jones, Endure

11/52

Perfect Party Cake
from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

While still warm, poke each layer all over with a fork, and pour over lemon glaze (recipe follows). When cool, frost cake with black tea frosting & garnish with candied lemon slices.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice, stir with a fork.

Black Tea Frosting

2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup strongly brewed black tea
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup strongly brewed black tea

Beat egg whites in a mixing bowl until foamy & thick, they should mound, but not peak.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, black tea & salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 242 degrees F and all sugar is dissolved.
Begin beating the egg whites again and slowly pour in boiling sugar syrup in a slow steam. Continue to beat on high for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Add 1/4 black tea by the tablespoon, beating after each addition.

Continue beating until frosting reaches desired consistency, about 2 minutes. Use immediately.

In our life there is a single color, as on an artist`s palette,
which provides the meaning of life and art.
It is the color of love.
~Marc Chagall

fuji 400h

“You’ve got this life and while you’ve got it, you’d better kiss like you only have one moment, try to hold someone’s hand like you will never get another chance to, look into people’s eyes like they’re the last you’ll ever see, watch someone sleeping like there’s no time left, jump if you feel like jumping, run if you feel like running, play music in your head when there is none, and eat cake like it’s the only one left in the world!”
― C. JoyBell C.

5/52

4/52

Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone.
Thomas Moore

” I think best in a hot bath , with my head tilted back and my feet high “

- Elizabeth Jane Howard , Mr.Wrong

3/52 

“Ah! There is nothing like staying home, for real comfort”

- Jane Austen

i cannot tell a lie , this roll was shot a day late !   it was december first and i was knee deep in Christmas decorating when i realized that i hadn’t done my november roll of film. huge snowflakes were falling and the light was nearly gone so i grabbed a wreath and a star and headed outside. let’s just say that with my haste , howling wind and cold, new lighting conditions and very flighty  subjects this roll of film is nothing short of  a Christmas  miracle !

minolta maxxum 7000

50mm 1.8

fuji pro 400h

manual focus

a few years back I started and completed a 365 project . it began on little more the  a whim or the inkling of an idea .  had i thought it through more and realized just what a huge undertaking it was , i never would have started. i am so glad i jumped in, it was one of my biggest personal challenges and as i watched others who had begun their own projects slowly drop out, i realized what an accomplishment it was. i learned so much in that year . i learned how to make my camera work for me . i learned about lighting and composition  . I began to have a sense of my artistic style . it gave me an excuse to shoot ( sometimes i need one )

i realized over the holidays that with the end of wedding season and my film project that i had not touched my  digital camera in weeks , so once again  i am jumping in. the project is much more manageable this time , but the idea is the same .there is no parameters so far other than an image a week. 2013 …  52 weeks project  , this is the begining.

1/52