Behind

Oh.my! I have so many pictures to post! I've been traveling and well, traveling some more.

My goal is to just post some of what I feel like sharing each day, which means that the order of the time they were taken will be greatly mixed up, but I'll try to include a date for people who enjoy chronologial order like me. :P

I also just got the photoshop free trial on my macbook so I don't have to deal with pokey computers anymore... except to grab a few pictures off of them. Ahhh... I feel blessed! :P


The following pictures are from an evening in Murfreesboro, Tennesse on our way to Alabama from West Virginia.

June, 20th

I was so happy to have Amy along with us for many more reasons than one... the obvious is that she is just plain fun. :) But, the cool thing is that she was willing for me to take pictures of her at absolutely anytime!

 

And I debated about posting this last picture because it is pretty bad quality due to low evening light... but I just like it of her... so, oh.well. what does it matter when I resize all of the pictures on the blog anyway! :/

-MarLeahJoy

Getting Set Up

I just received my MacBook last night. :D
Sometimes I wonder, "Did I make the right choice?" But then, I think about the real reason I went with a MacBook -- for my photography business -- and I don't feel so foolish anymore.
In my mind I keep referring to it as my little Beauty and the Beast. :P So powerful and elegant. :) I love it!

-MarLeahJoy

Tent Camping

I went with my cousin on a little camping trip to capture this star trail. 

While we were out in the field getting set up for this picture, I looked to the East and

saw a blazing blue and yellow meteorite. It was so huge and close that I had the chills for a solid minute!

It's amazing how much more you can see when you are in prairie land. I loved it!

A few clouds got into the frame towards the end of the time I was shooting, so I created a quick

video of the movement of the clouds. :)

In the morning I started a little fire to cook breakfast (my first one to ever start :P).

We completely forgot utensils and plates so we used branches and elephant ear leaves. I'm secretly glad we

forgot them so I could have more of a "roughing-it" experience. ;)

It was such a relaxing spur-of-the-moment camping adventure.
I'm ready to do it again. :)

-MarLeahJoy

In Our Garden

 

I just had to try out my remote after I got it. :)
So here I am, picking spinach. :P
-MarLeahJoy

Peanut Butter Banana Cups

These little things are my current and constant craving! I made them last summer off of a healthier recipe and

 modified it to suit me, so here is my version of the recipe.

Peanut Butter Banana Cups

Yields: Approx. 16 cups

• 1-2 bananas
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup powdered sugar (or desired sweetness)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil soft of melted (virgin for taste, refined for not taste)

1. Cut the banana into 1/4 inch slices.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Drop a small amount of peanut butter mixture into each cup of a mini muffin tray.
4. Place a slice of banana on top.
5. Cover completely with more peanut butter mixture.
6. Place in the freezer to set. (I normally leave it overnight)
7. Store in freezer.

Start out with one banana and slice it into approx. 1/4 inch slices. (I ended up using another 1/2 of a banana, but I would just start with one)

In a small bowl mix 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup powdered sugar, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil.

If the oil is solid, you will need to melt it first. Mine was pretty soft, so I just mixed it in.

Also, Virgin Coconut oil has a stronger flavor than Refined Coconut oil -- I personally like the virgin)

In a mini muffin tray drop a small scoop of the peanut butter mixture.

Place a banana slice on top and cover with more peanut butter mixture and smooth the top to seal the edges.

Freeze until they are set (I just do it overnight), and store in the freezer.

Enjoy!

-MarLeahJoy

I'm Kind Of Excited...

So... it's almost official: I'm getting a new website and blog.
I already bought my domain name and set it up with my free trial on Zenfolio.
It's taking a while to get use to the set up of the site, but I hope I can find out during the trial if it will work for me or not.
-MarLeahJoy

A Ride in the Country

My summer has just been perfect so far... everything I dreamed and imagined it would be.

The best thing about summer is the freedom I have to be outdoors. The other day I took a bike ride in the country, and the smells of the fresh woods and wild flowers was indescribable!

There is just something about gazing into the depths of woods that can never be captured.

Yes, we have Buffalo in Missouri... :)

I found this little turtle on the road, and since no one was around I decided to lay down on the road and take a picture of it... not smart! It was alright in the fact that I could see cars coming and I could move out of the road in time, but I didn't think about a car appearing out of a road nearby. They were heading the other direction, so it was okay, but when I looked up they put on their reverse lights and were obviously going to see if there was really a person (or dead person!) laying in the road. So I scrambled up, grabbed the turtle, and tried to make it look like I was just rescuing a turtle. Ahhh... Thankfully, they didn't pursue an explanation and continued on their way. 

-MarLeahJoy

Blog Makeover

Yay, for a new background, pages, buttons, banner! Coming up! :)

This is what I've wanted to do ever since I started the blog...
So excuse the hiccups until it's done.

The only thing is... my mom ran off to Ohio with the laptop I normally
use, so I don't have hardly any of my pictures to include in the banner.

Yeah, I really need to buy my own laptop that people can't just
take with them if they decided they want it! Does anyone have any
suggestions of what I should get? I know what I want, but I don't know
if I'm willing to spend the money.

-MarLeah Joy

P.S. here's a preview

Peanut Butter Banana Cups

These little things are my current and constant craving! I made them last summer off of a healthier recipe and

 modified it to suit me, so here is my version of the recipe.

The full recipe without pictures is also at the end of the post.

Start out with one banana and slice it into approx. 1/4 inch slices. (I ended up using another 1/2 of a banana,
 but I would just start with one)

In a small bowl mix 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup powdered sugar, 3/4 teaspoon 

vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil.

If the oil is solid, you will need to melt it first. Mine was pretty soft, so I just mixed it in.

Also, Virgin Coconut oil has a stronger flavor than Refined Coconut oil -- I personally like the virgin)

In a mini muffin tray drop a small scoop of the peanut butter mixture.

Place a banana slice on top and cover with more peanut butter mixture and smooth the top to seal the edges.

Freeze until they are set (I just do it overnight), and store in the freezer.

Peanut Butter Banana Cups

Yields: Approx. 16 cups

• 1-2 bananas
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup powdered sugar (or desired sweetness)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil soft of melted (virgin for taste, refined for not taste)

1. Cut the banana into 1/4 inch slices.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Drop a small amount of peanut butter mixture into each cup of a mini muffin tray.
4. Place a slice of banana on top.
5. Cover completely with more peanut butter mixture.
6. Place in the freezer to set. (I normally leave it overnight)
7. Store in freezer.

Enjoy!

-MarLeahJoy