Please check out my new photo blog at the link below!!
–Ciara
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Week Four: Colorful
Hello all!
Here is my photo for week four! Yesterday night Katie, Amanda, & I went to Panda Express (sooooo good!) before we went to Tue:7 (youth group). Panda Express is such a colorful place and I knew that I had to take my picture for this week there. My initial thought was to photograph the food, but when I took notice of the banners, I decided that that was the better option. This week I also decided to do a slight editing on Picnik playing around with the saturation and temperature. (I’m such a newb when it comes to photo editing!)
Orange Chicken Bowl from Panda Express
Everytime I go to Panda Express, I always get the Orange Chicken Bowl!
Amanda
Here is my friend Amanda. Her fortune reads: You are artistic and others can relate to you.
Katie
Here is my friend Katie. Her fortune reads: Beautiful things await you.
I hope that you all enjoy my photo! Feel free to leave comments, critiques, ect.!
–Ciara
Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of salted butter – softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 package (10 oz.) Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
- 2 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Directions:
- Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed
- Stir in Andes Baking Chips and then flour
- Chill approximately for one hour in refrigerator
- Measure out approximately 1 oz. of dough
- Form ball and slightly flatten
- Raise oven rack one level above middle and bake on non-stick baking pans
- Bake 350F for approximately 8-10 minutes
- Cool on pans for two minutes before removing
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Side Note(s):
- Although, the recipe calls for salted butter, I learned that it’s always better to use unsalted butter, especially if your recipe calls for a certain amount of salt. So, for this recipe, I used unsalted butter.
- I also didn’t sift my flour. I forgot to look for the sifter. :1
- I got a little over three dozen cookies, not exactly four. I used a cookie scoop.
I really like the cookies. If you try this out, let me know how it turned out!! 
(Recipe via Andes Creme De Menthe Baking Chips Package)
–Ciara xx
Week Three: Control
Hello!
First of all, I’m sorry that my photo and post are so late. School started back this week and I’ve been pretty busy!
Instead of focusing solely on control, I focused more on losing control. Also, I didn’t mean for the picture to come out this…weirdly, but I like it. I think it puts more emphasis on the fact (well at least to me, it’s a fact) that when you lose control, you lose what you should treasure and value most - yourself.
I’m pretty excited about this weeks challenge. I don’t really know how I’m going to attempt it, but I’m sure that it will be fun. I will definitely make sure that I update on time!
Since school did start back, I pray that I don’t lose control of that! Off to view your pictures! Hope your week and weekend were great! 
–Ciara
xx
Week Two: Joy
This week, I decided to take simple approach. Looking through my windows and reflecting on my day, life, and random thoughts floating through my head makes me feel happy. Also, Feeling the rays of sunlight shine on me during this cold winter, takes away the chill.
What I like about this photo is the lighting. Natural light is wonderful; it kind of makes everything more magical. Next week’s subject is control. I have an idea of what I want to do, so I am going to try to shoot soon. Also, Spring Semester starts on Tuesday and I couldn’t be more happier.
–Ciara
(Side Note: Want to enter the challenge? For more info visit Shutterboo’s 2011 Weekly Picture Challenge.)
Blue
I usually have a hard time taking self potraits. I can hardly figure out which side of me to show. Sweet? Passive? Aggressive? Girl-y? Tomboyish? The list goes on, I suppose. What I have noticed, is that lately I like only showing half of my face.
To me, there is something mysterious about a person when only half of their face is shown.
It’s kind of like how (sometimes) all the best villians wear a mask or show half of their face. There is more to that villians story. There is a reason why they do what they do.
The reason why I show only part of my face?
Because I think I’m so cool 
–Ciara
Week One: Electricity
For Week One of the Picture Challenge, I didn’t really have a plan for my photo, so I just went outside and took a picture of the lamp on my street. Now that I think about it, I could have used the subject given, in different ways. I could have used more lights, I could have taken a picture of my dying lightbulb in my room, I could have gotten different chords and plugged them together…
Le sigh.
Oh well, as DeStorm says “Another Day, Another Challenge”.
–Ciara
(Side Note: I don’t think that it’s too late to enter the challenge. For more info visit Shutterboo’s 2011 Weekly Picture Challenge.)
Self Goals
- Gain more confidence in myself and in my choices
- Speak up for myself
- Make a list of healthier choices (emotionally and physically) and implement them into my life
- Focus more on the spiritual side of myself – Whether it’s reading my bible, meditating, or doing yoga
- Dress up three days out of the school week (4 Day Week)
- Save Money
- Get out of the house more
Educational Goals
- Maintain a 3.5 GPA for the 2011 Spring Semester
- Plan to transfer schools by Fall 2011 or Spring 2012
- Pick Major(s)
- Make top five list of universities and apply to them
Creative Goals
- Learn more about Photography
- Complete the Weekly Photo Challenge
- Take an art class
- Write More – Poems, Prose, Short Stories, Lyrics, Spoken Word. Just Write.
Life Goals
- Write and send more cards and letters
- Get a Summer Job
- Plan trip to Canada for Summer 2012
- Save money for Chicago Summer 2011
- Document my life around me to remember the year
This list is subject to change (i.e. adding goals, not deleting). I pray that when I look at this in December 2011, a lot of things on this list will be complete!
–Ciara
