Summer Breeze

Today has been warm and breezy...the kind of day where you just want to be outside and on a beach somewhere.

Actually I did a little bit of both.  This afternoon I had lunch with my dear friend Anna, and we ate outside which was so wonderful this early in the year.  She filled me in on her recent trip to Costa Rica and some cool coastal ideas she has in the works, so when I got home I had to go hang out by the water for a bit, just to get a little beach vibe going.

I know summer is just around the corner and my whole being is craving it. Even my pictures reflect it with their beachy blues and greens.

If we continue to have weather like this, it won't be long before my flip flops are out of the closet and shorts and t-shirts become my new uniform.  Ahh, is there anything quite as wonderful as those warm summer breezes?!

Patience is a Virtue

There is really nothing I love to do more than to manipulate images.  If you had told me a year ago I would say this I would have laughed, looked at you kind of funny, and then backed away slowly! ;-)

But it's true, I now enjoy pushing the bounds of my limited abilities and learning something new every day.  It's a form of relaxation and meditation for me, and the added bonus of maybe being able to sell some of these is like icing on the cake!

The biggest challenge I face when I start messing with my images is knowing when to stop, when to put the mouse down and leave well enough alone.  

I once heard a photographer who does lots of post processing (and whose name I have momentarily forgotten) say that he finds that some of his best work comes from images he has walked away from and then revisited later.  That by not feeling like you have to finish something in one sitting you can often find the true vision of the image.  I love that idea, and I now try and subscribe to it, even though I'm fairly impatient and like to get something done all at once.

The image above is a great example.  First I started with just the flowers in the vase, adding textures, messing with the hue and saturation, and then I left it alone for a bit.  Then I remembered a beautiful old french post card that I had that I thought would fit beautifully on the right side of the image which had a good deal of dead space.  And then finally, because I felt it needed a little something else and couldn't figure out how anyone would use this image, I decided to add the "Happy Easter" wishes at the top in pink.  Now I can see it as an Easter card.

Sometimes patience really is a virtue I guess!

Don't Wait...

Spread your wings and soar...

I love this song and the powerful lyrics...like this line

*See in your hands, the world is yours* 

I hope this weekend you all spread your wings and soar!  (P.S. Thanks Kate!)

A Little Bit of Everything

Sometimes when I go to play with an image I have a clear cut vision of the end product.  I would say that about 90% of the time this is true and I can see the finished product before I even begin, but there is still that other 10% of the time when I just go in blind and hope for the best.

When I photographed some Ranunculus I picked up last weekend, I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go picture wise, but I did know that I wanted a soft aqua paired with the pale pink of the flowers.  Usually I like to keep things simple, but for whatever reason, tonight I threw in a little bit of everything, including using some script brushes I bought from FK Textures.  At first I wasn't sure I liked it, but after a bit I decided that sometimes throwing in everything but the kitchen sink makes for a more interesting image.

I've heard through the grapevine that people are stealing other people's images and claiming them as their own...such a shame.  So from now on I will be doing more elaborate watermarks and only posting very low res images.  It makes me sad to think that I have to do this, but with things like Pinterest it appears that those of us who make our living from creating artwork,  need to watch our backs and protect our images.  I have no problem with someone pinning something I post, in fact I love it, but only when they give full credit on mine or anyone else's work.  I try my best to do this on anything I pin as well, though I'm sure we all have a few images that we can't nail down the original photographer or artist, but I would never pretend they were my own work.

Well that's enough blathering for one evening, I hope you all have a very Happy Tuesday!

The Winter Blues

I'm so excited that so many of you felt a connection with my post from yesterday!  I think the Year of US is full of endless possibilities!

Now that almost all of my Christmas decor is snugly packed away for another year, I thought I would throw a little color around the house.  My collection of blue Ball jars and old insulators will now be providing me with a much happier version of the winter blues.


 

When I come into the kitchen each morning I will be greeted by their various shades of blue and aqua.  And at nighttime I might just throw a few tea lights up there to illuminate their beautiful blueness.

And I will smile when I see the light dance through these wavy, undulating, bubbled, glass vessels.

Yep, now that's what I call the perfect winter blues...maybe I'll even sing the blues.  What makes you sing this time of year?

Shake it Up

Be yourself, decorate with the things you love, find the joy...shake it up and live a little!

Shells for Christmas

No words today...well these are words, but you know what I mean.  It's my birthday, I'm 29...again!!!...and my dear husband bought me a new toy to use on my camera, so I'm off to try it out!  I hope you enjoy these shots of my Hepplewhite chest all decked out for Christmas!

 

Oh, a few more words...thank you for all of your wonderful comments about my kitchen windowsill, and my other coastal themed decor from my last few posts!  Have a wonderful day!

Dazed and Confused

This week has been a bit of a blur.  We have cleaned up most of the trees and big leaf debris that came down on our property from Hurricane Irene, now there are just piles of things everywhere.  And my sister, brother, and brother in law have cleaned up the trees down at my parents.  It's been a daunting job and there is still more to do, like removing the other half of our big dead tree.  But after driving around our county and seeing the utter devastation to people's homes and property, our tree can wait so that the tree folks can get to the people who really need their help.  Besides, the dogs are liking the obstacle course of huge branches which still litter our backyard.

Besides work stuff, I have also been going a little nutty trying to decide what to do on our upcoming trip to Germany.  I'm not a big planner when it comea to travel, often not even knowing where we will stay or go until we get somewhere, but I would at least like to have some idea so that we can make the most of our trip.

We will spend 4 days in Heidelberg, Germany where Mr. Tide has some training, but the last 4 days will be ours to do with however we like.  I would love to venture south into northern France in the Alsace region, but trying to decide where exactly to go has become a bit overwhelming.  The wonderful thing about Europe is that there is so much, so close by, that you can literally lose your mind trying to figure out where to go!  We could go to Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, or stay right in Germany!  I've been looking at the TGV train routes and the world is our oyster, which is both good and bad!  I finally sent Mr. Tide an email this morning telling him my head is spinning and I just might wait until we get there and can talk to the locals to decide where to go.

That's exactly what my daughter and I did a few years ago on a trip to England, and we got to see some of the most beautiful and out of the way places that way.  France appeals to me because we loved our time in the south of France and Paris a few years ago, and I would love a taste of that magical french bread again!  Mr. Tide suggested taking the train back to Paris, which is less than a 4 hour trip.  But I am torn, I know you can never visit Paris too many times, but we've been there, and the thought of going someplace else is weighing on me and sparking my sense of adventure and discovery.

I also looked in to going to Strasbourg, France, which looks amazing, like it fell out of a medieval fairytale book!  But it also looks a bit touristy, which isn't really our style...sigh, so many choices!  A few friends have also made suggestions...thank you Traci, but I am still dazed and confused about where to go.  I know, poor pitiful me right?!

And to top it all off, the budget this month is shot because of college tuition for our son, books, meal plans, and now tree removal!  But I still plan to enjoy myself while I'm over there.

So I will leave the comments open for this post in hopes that one of you, any of you, can tell me where to go...including hell if you like!

I am slowly working through my emails, I have hundreds to return, but made it through about 30 yesterday, so by the end of the year I should be caught up! ;-) 

Bringing the Outside In

After I posted the dragonfly pictures and video yesterday, I started thinking about how we incorporate elements of nature into interior design and decor, jewelry, and all sorts of accessories, both for our homes and for our wardrobes.  And as I wandered around my house, I realized that my love of dragonflies extends far beyond my picture taking.

These are the pulls in my master bathroom.  I bought them 4 years ago at Lowes to dress up the all white vanity.   I never noticed it before, but their shadow casts a golden glow behind them when the sun hits them during the day, so pretty!

I love how designers will take something in nature and create a beautiful item for us to adorn ourselves or our homes with...

Like these earrings which I've had for years.  I wore them yesterday without even thinking about it since they are a favorite of mine.

Or this carved rock that sits on my back patio.  My in-laws gave it to me a few years ago, and I love the color and the dragonfly motif!

Apparently this little dragonfly sensed my love of his or her brethren...maybe it was the earrings?!

I even have dragonfly notecards.  This lovely set from Papyrus was a gift from my daughter.  I love how the gold foil accents the details of the dragonfly!

I'm also happy Jo, that you saw the post yesterday, but I'm sorry I made you cry! :-(  Please send me an email if you get the chance, I have a little something I would like to send you.


In other BIG news, be sure to pop by Karen from This Old House 2's blog for her Dog Days Bid & Bark Sale!

She has some great items for sale to try and raise money for a local Shelter Dogs & Puppies Adoption Event to be held in August!  You know how dogs are very near and dear to my heart, so I've donated one of my framed floral prints!

To purchase this print (which is framed in a distressed shabby chic frame and features one of my 8 x 10 white pitcher prints, the overall frame size is 17 1/2 wide by 15 1/2 tall), and to see all of the other great items up for sale, click HERE! 

Queen of Cashmere

Oh how I wish this could be my title, but my cashmere attire and home accessories are woefully lacking in my house at the moment...but not for long I hope!  Thanks to fellow blogger, Let The Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore, my cashmere dreams may be coming true very soon!

Pop over to her blog to see the beautiful cashmere pillow from Queen of Cashmere that she is giving away!

Isn't it stunning, and can't you just imagine how soft it must be?  It comes in lots of luscious colors and if you win, you'll even get to choose two of these wonderful colors for your very own personalized pillow!

Since my bedroom walls are already turquoise/aqua, I think I might have to pick White and Sea-Shore for my two colors, hmm or  maybe White and Golden Sun...oh this could be hard, they're all so pretty, but orange and turquoise are all the rage right now!  It's going to look so pretty between my two seashell shams, and I've been looking for just the right pillow to place in that spot!

Oh sorry, I was daydreaming a little...stop listening to me ramble and get on over to Let the Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore so you can ponder which color would look best in your home!  Don't forget to check out her entire blog while you're there!