Discover

discover |disˈkəvər|verb [ trans. ]1 find (something or someone) unexpectedly or in the course of a search: firemen discovered a body in the debris | she discovered her lover in the arms of another woman.• become aware of (a fact or situation) : the courage to discover the truth and possibly be disappointed | [with clause ] it was a relief to discover that he wasn't in.• be the first to find or observe (a place, substance, or scientific phenomenon) : Fleming discovered penicillin early in the twentieth century.• perceive the attractions of (an activity or subject) for the first time : a teenager who has recently discovered fashion.• be the first to recognize the potential of (an actor, singer, or musician) : I discovered the band back in the mid 70s
I have been given the most thoughtful and fabulous gift for my impending birthday from my kind-hearted, loving boyfriend Dan .  A Nikon D3100 camera that is helping me discover the world in a whole new way.  I was equally anxious and excited to begin shooting with it.  After reading the manual cover to cover several times I decided that practice makes perfect.  So I set out to get some practice.  It has been two weeks and we have managed to take 500 pictures of just about everything we see.  Through the camera's view finder, life is framed in a way that begs you to capture it.  
Here is a small sampling of the images we've discovered so far...

Views from my front porch

My faithful subjects, Mickey and Kira

The BeltLine Trail through Ardmore Park in my backyard

My favorite place, Fernandina Beach FL

Ana Kathryn, the cutest red-head I know

Bijoux

bijou |ˈbē zh oō|adjective(esp. of a residence or business establishment) small and elegant : the greasy spoons have given way to bijou restaurants.noun ( pl. -joux |- zh oō(z)| |ˈbiʒu(z)| |biˈʒu(z)|) archaica jewel or trinket.
A co-worker of mine got me interested in making my own jewelry when I complimented her on a necklace she wore one day.  When she told me she made it I thought I can do that, too!  "Fun jewelry" as I like to call it can be quite pricey and often not even made of quality materials.  My friend took me to her bead store and while I was overwhelmed by the millions of colors, shapes, and sizes of beads I was excited to see what I could come up with.  

Photographs

photograph |ˈfōtəˌgraf|nouna picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused onto film or other light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment.verb [ trans. ]take a photograph of.• [ intrans. ] appear in a particular way when in a photograph : that cityscape photographs well.
In addition to the photographs I take on trips, I also love to snap shots of family, friends, and the things around me.  

Crafts

craft |kraft|noun1 an activity involving skill in making things by hand : the craft of bookbinding | pewter craft.• ( crafts) work or objects made by hand : the shop sells local crafts | [asadj. ] ( craft) a craft fair.• a skilled activity or profession : the historian's craft.• skill in carrying out one's work : a player with plenty of craft.
I really consider myself more crafty than anything else.  I get ideas from things I see in stores and magazines-  then I scan the list I keep in my head of items I have that I could manipulate and turn into creations like the ones I've seen.  
One such piece I saw repeatedly in stores was wind chimes made from different types of seashells.  Having an extensive collection of seashells, I knew I could make my own.  I located my biggest shell and drilled a small hole through the center of it as well as four holes evenly placed around the edges.  I picked out twelve other shells all similar in size to one another but smaller than the main shell at the top.  I drilled a small hole into the top and bottom of each shell, linking them with clear fishing line that I measured out.  Lastly, I hung one last shell in the middle to act as the "chime maker."  Pleased with the aesthetics, I was anxious to hang it and see if I had created a functional wind chime.  Low and behold the wind finally blew and the shells swayed in the breeze, eventually finding their way among each other.  The sound is of course different than that of a typical wind chime.   I find I like it better- being reminded of the changing tides and the tranquillity of the beach.