I Am Craving Color

It is grey outside. Dreary, wet, and grey so I was craving some color. I know I shouldn't complain as some people are dealing with snow. I am dealing with the post "I took my holiday decorations down" blues and the weather isn't helping.

This was taken at Epcot, Walt Disney World, during the 2012 Food & Wine Festival. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. Just be ready for some crowds & some raucous attendees (hello, it's not just wine they are serving). It's great for people-watching because some groups have hilarious "I drank around the world" (i.e. Epcot's World Showcase) shirts on as well as crazy hats to keep you highly entertained.

I'm not feeling very witty or descriptive today (not a lot of sleep - last night was the pug puppy's first night sleeping in the bed) so I am going to just leave you with the awesome sunset colors as your take home feel good of the day.

Counting Down The Hours....

Tomorrow, I am officially on Holiday Break. Physically, I am here but mentally.....I am far far far away. The lights are on but no one is home. And so on and so on. We recently got a new addition to our household, a new black pug puppy named Winston. His puppy energy was exactly what we needed around the house because I had fallen into a bit of a rut (and Otis, the 10yr old pug as well). Winston has kept most of my attention lately and I cannot wait to be home with my husband and our dogs for the next two weeks. Just gotta make it through the streeeetching hours of today.......

I wanted to post some photos I found tucked away in my "edited photos" file and for some reason had not shared yet. It is my favorite city, London, at St. Paul's Cathedral, an absolutely breathtaking place to visit. If you ever go to see it, you definitely want to go to the top but be forewarned - it is a lot of steps. I mean - A LOT of steps. I was warned and thought it wouldn't be an issue but they also didn't tell me that the steps are not consistently the same size, so for some you barely fit your toes onto the step and you have to be careful. I can't even imagine by husband's size 16 feet making it up those teensy weensy stairs. It is a beautiful view though up there. Now, if you are afraid of heights - you might want to skip it.

I've posted the image below in both  color and black and white. I am equally attached to both edits so you get to enjoy them both. As I count down my clock until the holidays, I will just keep looking at London photos and dream......

Magic Of Main Street | DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

To me, this is the classic Walt Disney World memory of Magic Kingdom: Walking up Main Street, Cinderella's castle lit up in the distance as a beacon of imagination, balloon vendors selling the classic Mickey balloons, families stopping in the middle of main street to pose for the Disney Photopass Photographers, and crowds meandering along the sides where the shops are to either do some window shopping or find the perfect souvenir. I absolutely love to stop here and take it all in but sometimes it can just be too crowded to take a moment and enjoy this. I was so happy I could capture it this lovely evening. We were entering the park for Magic Hours (12AM-3AM) so most people were clearing out, exhausted, and ready to go back to their hotel beds. We were just getting started - fresh and energized!

I have Disney on the brain lately. I haven't gone that much this year (well, MY definition of not that much) because it was just SOOOOO hot. I'm telling you, the locals don't go to Disney when it is so hot. If we do, it's because our relatives are visiting since their kids are out of school. We are lucky enough to be able to delay and go when the weather is better and this is the time of year for it. (Insider's Tip: February and March are also great times to go and the crowds aren't as massive then.The weather can be a bit unpredictable but I trade that any day for crazy long lines and heat.)

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is going on at Magic Kingdom right now and so is the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Soon enough, the holiday decorations will go up and all the holiday activities will begin. I get super excited when that begins. Disney's Christmas decorations are amazing. So, it's "Disney Season" for me. It's time to get over there while the weather isn't too hot and before the HUGE holiday crowds show up in December.

When you visit Disney, what is "The Thing" you have to do that makes it real and allows you to know the magic has begun? Is it Main Street as well? Or is it a certain ride? Restaurant? Classic Disney treat? I'd love to know. For me, seeing any of the Disney parks at night and lit up is an absolute must. That's when the magic really happens for my trip.

Ghosts In Grand Central Station | NYC PHOTOGRAPHY

I have been sick with a cold, so I have no energy for wittiness or descriptive writing. I've been working my way through the 7 Cold Dwarfs: Sniffy, Drippy, Coughy, Sneezy (a classic), Achy, Chilly, and Sweaty (the twins). Loads of fun, I tell ya. My husband even declared wherever I am to be the "No Fun Zone".

As to the photo, this was a happy accident. Sometimes, those can be the best things to happen to you. I had my settings for a darker location before and the shutter was open for longer than I intended. It worked out better, in my opinion.