Archives for November 2015

National Blog Posting Month – 15 Tips for Surviving It

November 30, 2015 by Barb 14 Comments

Today I’m celebrating and sharing 15 tips on how I not only survived, but thrived, during National Blog Posting Month!

Woo Hoo! Happy Happy Dance over here … I did it! I posted every single day in November.

High Fives all around. Time to party!

I wish I could say I had been organized and prepared, with tons of content squirrelled away, ready to go … but I cannot.

I did not even know I was going to participate until November 1st when I saw Xanthe Berkeley’s post on Instagram … in fact, I’d never even heard of National Blog Posting Month. Then I saw that Kim Klassen was also participating, and it sounded like a great challenge, so I jumped right in with my first post NaBloPoMo Otherwise Known as Madness. It seems like ages ago … .

So how did I do it? First of all I was determined … then …

15 Tips on Surviving National Blog Posting Month

Commit. Set your intention. Be positive … see it as an exercise that will strengthen your blogging muscle.
Give yourself permission on really hard days to simply post a photo and say “Hi … how are you? I’m so happy you’re here reading my blog, thank you!”
Use prompts. I used one prompt from the BlogHer prompt pool. My post What I Did This Morning (and most mornings) and What Does Goatsbeard Have to Do With It (take that Google) was a result … a bit silly and goofy, but I got it done (and had a little fun.)
Rely on your strengths. My strength is photography. I have no problem taking a photo a day. Once I have a photo, the rest will follow.
Dig into the photo archives and bring content out of the dark that may never have made it otherwise. Don’t worry that it may be old content. I shared a mushroom and wild rice soup recipe I’d been meaning to post for months and months.
Start first thing in the morning (or when you feel the most productive). You may not finish it, but by the time you go back to it later in the day it won’t be so daunting.
Write at the same time every day.
Set a time limit. This eliminates agonizing – get it done already. Ignore SEO. SEO drove me crazy this month. I’ll explain later … hey! another post idea!
Write about what you love. Write down everything you can think of – throw it on the page – editing comes later.
Get that title figured out.
Edit photos in down time.
Try to work ahead by at least one day (I’ve already admitted I did not do this).
Write a heartfelt post, reveal some inner thoughts, share your vulnerabilities.
Just start. Follow leads. Search online. Join memes. Instagram is endless inspiration.
On an extremely busy or hectic day, put in a “place holder” … a paragraph with just enough info, explain your dilemma, then go back later (maybe even a day later) and elaborate. At least you have a blog post holder for that day. I would not recommend doing this too often … once maybe when you are desperate (which I was one Sunday … we were visiting family and I didn’t want to lose one precious moment).

So there you have it! How I survived and thrived whilst posting every day for 30 days. Will I do it again? I am not sure :)

DAY 30 #NABLOPOMO WOOT!

Sunday Sundries Features November 29

November 29, 2015 by Barb 2 Comments

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries! I’m here to ramble on about my week, it helps me be grateful and to “celebrate” all the small (and large) extraordinary moments in my life.

Another week has disappeared and we’re heading straight into December … it’s a beautiful month full of moments to celebrate and I plan to fill it with preparations for our family Christmas at the lake.

I’m very excited the hubs and I are hosting this year so I’m going all out! A full-on Ukrainian dinner for Christmas Eve is in the works. I’m starting Monday by making Pyrizhky … oh, my … uh oh, I better set up a schedule for walking every day next month :)

But for now, here are my four features for #sunday_sundries … so much beauty in the gallery again! It’s really hard to choose four images … argh … but here goes!

Please help me celebrate the amazing work of these four talented artists:

TL: @lunaa80 TR: @the.life.so.beautiful_ BL: @claireb_photography BR: @fridaflorentina

So what else am I celebrating this week?

I have to say the #1 thing I’m celebrating is the fact I’ve (almost) made it through National Blog Posting Month. After tomorrow I will have posted every day for the month of November. Big Giant “Whew”!!
Snow! Yes, I love snow this time of year. It makes everything look so fresh and clean … plus it really puts a person in the mood for decorating and baking.
Stepping outside for a walk and hearing coyotes yipping back and forth. Looking up and seeing a bald eagle. Hearing the twitter of cedar waxwings.
Packages in the mail! I won a little gift from Somerset Studios. When you subscribe to their newsletter and then open that newsletter, you are automatically entered in a draw … which I won. How fun! You can check out their newsletter here.
Cute new curtains in the dining room.
A husband who comes home and helps finish the curtains task by a) removing old brackets, and b) helping me order new blinds. I’m hoping they arrive before Christmas … but they may not.
Fresh (affordable) evergreen bunches available in stores right now.
Instagram inspiration.

Thank you so much for dropping by Sunday Sundries today!

Tomorrow is the last day for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) on BlogHer.com where bloggers committed to post every single day this month! Woo Hoo! I’ll have a recap and a few tips on how I survived … .

Day 29 #nablopomo

I Had Good Intentions

November 27, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

I got out of bed this morning with good intentions … I had a great blog post in mind for #nablopomo, and I was ready to tackle it (after coffee and breakfast).

But life being what it is, time slipped away. It’s not that I/we wasted it. The hubs was home and had seen my new curtains.

Being the type A personality he is, he wanted to tackle the rest of the job which meant a) remove the old brackets, and b) order new blinds/shades. Two hours later we were finished with the blinds and it was (way past) time for lunch. I wasn’t showered or dressed.

kk_Lilly

After that I’m not sure what happened. I spent a bit of time preparing some eucalyptus for a wreath, and then decided I should create a little flatlay for IG.

Next I dragged in the old paint splotched table I bought this past summer and tried a few more arrangements …

kk_DarkDay

… and now the sun is almost setting! I kid you not! Sunset here is 4:21 … aack. Time to get supper on.

Day 27 #nablopomo

Home Stretch

November 26, 2015 by Barb 1 Comment

What to do when you don’t know what to do:

drink tea
tidy up the house
have a bath
take a nap
read … have you seen Sweet Paul Magazine Winter 2015 issue?

Day 26 #nablopomo

My Art is not Frivolous

November 25, 2015 by Barb 22 Comments

I often wonder why I do what I do, and is it frivolous?

frivolous \

of little weight or importance
lacking in seriousness
irresponsibly self-indulgent

I puzzle over why I get up in the morning so eager to set up a still life and take photos …

But it seems I’ve been staging “still life” images my entire life. To me “still life is real life is still life.” To have a chippy chair sitting in the dining room, an apron draped over the top, and treasured linens stacked on the seat is calming. And those poppy seed heads … I grew them, I picked them, and I dried them. What is more real than that?

Right from our first apartment I’ve decorated my home; from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom. I’ve always liked to surround myself with pretty things and while the objects have changed over the years, the passion has not … in fact it has grown to such proportions I can hardly contain myself. And it’s because I now love photography.

I can no longer dismiss this (photography) passion as “frivolous“. It’s become as much a part of my life as creating a comfortable home for my self, my husband, and my children and grandchildren. It’s as important as a home-made meal … as important as freshly baked cookies coming straight out of the oven … and as important as a bouquet of wildflowers sitting on the windowsill for no other reason than to delight the senses.

It’s as important as anything I do because it fills me up, and then spills over into my life.

It gives me purpose at a time when I could be feeling lost. I could be stressing over the fact that I’m aging and my face and body are definitely not what they used to be. But I don’t have time. Where would I find the time to stand in front of the mirror agonizing over sags and wrinkles when there’s a still life waiting to be brought into the world? Oh, and before I bring that still life into the world, I may have to bake something, or paint a background, or find the perfect new semi-opaque curtains for the dining room … the list is endless.

And I mustn’t trivialize the fact that I’ve spent over six years learning how to use a dslr so that I may bring these images to life in as creative a way as possible. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent learning this craft … and I cannot think of one other thing in which I’ve invested so much of my time and effort (unless it’s my blog.)

That’s why the quote by Henry Miller spoke to me … it sums up how I want to live my life. I want to live as artfully as possible … and that’s not frivolous.

#stilllifeisreallife @stilllifeisreallife

Day 25 #nablopomo

Hem Curtains Without Sewing

November 24, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Hem curtains in 10 seconds flat without sewing … for real! Here’s an easy and fast (hack) when drapes are long and time is short.

For weeks I’d been trying to update the curtain situation in our dining room. We’d had the same metal mini-horizontals and cotton topper for over 10 years, and I was so done with it.

However, since the task to change everything seemed daunting, I called in a “decorator” to help. Ummm, let’s just say it didn’t go well; her tastes differed vastly from mine. Vastly.

So I went out and bought panels with grommets, at the time thinking I could hem them myself and all would be well. Not … .

Now, I’m a good sewer and have done a lot of sewing, but those panels were cheap (which is not a bad thing) and when I started to cut them I discovered the grain was crooked and the curtain itself was so slippery it wouldn’t stay on the ironing board … (insert scream face). Never have I made a quicker trip to the thrift store to donate something. I just wanted them to be gone (a heartfelt apology to the hubs who spent a fair amount of time helping me find said panels).

Then this past week I came across some lovely *side panels at Jysk (a Danish retail chain), and they’re gorgeous!

They were just what I was looking for: white, crinkly, semi-opaque, and cheap at $10.00/panel! They brighten up my dining room and make for a beautiful backdrop …

… and as I was walking out of the store a thought occurred to me … they don’t even need to be hemmed! Since they aren’t too bulky it would be easy to simply tie them in a knot … it takes about 10 seconds per panel. Voila! Am I brilliant or what ;)

Proof that it doesn’t have to be expensive, or complicated …
When open, the panels are wide enough to fit across the entire width of my windows. Of course when they are pulled closed, the bottoms will “puddle” on the floor, which I don’t mind since I will only close them when I’m trying to take photos.

My next plan of attack is to install light filtering cellular shades and I’ll never have to close the panels. Perfect. So next time, before you automatically think you have to hem curtains … think again.

The side panels are “Tina” 53″ x 96″ with hidden tabs … and yes … 100% polyester … .

Day 24 #nablopomo

Light Study at My Daughters’ Home

November 23, 2015 by Barb 4 Comments

It seems I can’t go anywhere without doing a little light study …I took a few moments to quickly capture some of my daughters’ (props) … I’m not sure I can call them props, since she sees them simply as her decorations, and kitchen bowls …

… and recipe books …
… but goodness … what’s a lover of still life to do when presented with such beauty?

The Studio | Online

kk_SoftHaze

Day 23 #nablopomo

Sunday Sundries Features November 22

November 22, 2015 by Barb Leave a Comment

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries! I’m here to ramble on about my week, it helps me be grateful and to “celebrate” all the small (and large) extraordinary moments in my life.

But first, here are my four features for #sunday_sundries … I love all the wonderful fruits, foraged pine cones, cups of tea, old baking tins and splattered cookbooks! Absolutely delightful! Thank you to all who tagged your images! Please remember to visit these galleries and leave some love! and don’t forget you can tag to #sunday_sundries @keepingwiththetimes all week!

Sunday Sundries Feature November 22, Keeping With the Times

TL: @gayane TR: @aprettylife BL: @parfumprovence BR: @ kellykardos

So what else am I celebrating? So many wonderful things!

A weekend spent with our entire family. I’ve missed them all so much … we aren’t so far apart that this couldn’t happen more often, but everyone seems to be going in different directions at all times. Next up: Christmas together! Yay!
Good food. Homemade food. Amazing food.
Christmas craft markets. Finding fresh greens and cute ornaments.
A walk through a most amazing forest right in the middle of a major city.
Driving on good roads and arriving home safely (ahead of a nasty winter storm that’s predicted).
A carload of supplies for baking, crafting, and decorating.
Friends that call and wonder where you are!

My Sunday Sundries was a bit scattered this week – but I made it and I thank you for stopping by!

Bird Nest in Rose Bush

November 21, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

I found this bird nest in a rose bush …
… it wasn’t easy to retrieve … but what a gift …

Hope your day is filled with gifts! Happy Saturday!

Day 21 #nablopomo

Renaming Photos in Lightroom

November 20, 2015 by Barb 4 Comments

Renaming photos in Lightroom is very easy, and today I’m going to share this process for my Blogging Bits and Bytes series. You can find links to previous newsletters, etc. if you check out the tab on the Main Menu here on my blog.

I’m moving on to crafting a blog post from conception to completion. Keep in mind that it may sound like too much work, but I promise you, it’s worth it. You just need to be organized.

In the 7 Ideas for Kickstarting a Blog Post I revealed my top secret for “getting it done” which was to simply come up with a name for your post. You may have the idea, you may have the photos, and you may even have started writing it. But for me, once I settle on a name, it all comes together so much better since my work flow is smoother: I know my keyword, and I know how to proceed on renaming photos.

The next few lessons are about crafting a blog post, and each lesson will build on the previous one. I have a Crafting a Blog Post checklist which I’ll share with you at the end of this series. I use WordPress (self-hosted) but these tips are applicable to any platform.

So here’s the plan for this (imaginary) blog post. I came up with an idea, the photos, a name, and a keyword:

Name: Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas
Keyword (s): thanksgiving table setting

Now it’s time to show you how I re-name my photos, and I have a video for you! Ta da! Always living and learning here! The video is about re-naming photos only. It’s not about the edits, or resizing, or using Lightroom. I simply am doing the work in Lightroom.

Renaming Photos in Lightroom

*Please make sure you’re viewing this in HD and the expanded screen.

*

Day 20 #nablopomo

Wood Photography Background

November 19, 2015 by Barb 6 Comments

I’m always on the lookout for new wood photography background ideas. I dare say a person cannot have too many choices … one day you may feel like using barn wood, the next day you may feel like using an old rusty old drawer … and the next … well, nothing seems right.

And what if you aren’t home and don’t have access to your “stuff”? We travel between two places and of course it’s not possible for me to throw my chippy potting bench into the trunk along with my suitcase … hmmmm, or is it? … nah. not.

Anyway, as I’ve been staying in my “city home” the last few days, I needed something small and easy to carry, so I made a quick trip to Michaels where I found a 28″ x 11″ piece of wood (and it’s light as a feather – bonus).

I have no idea what it’s really for … a sign perhaps? I quickly scooped up 2 pieces and a small container of Martha Stewart’s Vintage Decor Paint with a matte chalk finish.

Here’s the before:
… and here’s the after …
Since I was going for a rough finish, it took me about 15 minutes to paint both boards. Initially I was going to give them 2 coats but decided it wasn’t necessary (I must say Martha’s paints are very thick and easy to apply).

There was also a lot of paint left over, so I’ve been painting up a storm … more backgrounds to come … .

Day 19 #nablopomo

Autumn is Definitely on the Way Out

November 18, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

As much as I am in denial, autumn is definitely on the way out. Pinecones and holly berries are waiting in the wings, along with shortbread and sugar cookies.

Last night’s blustery snow squall, and today’s freezing temperatures are the cold hard reality.

I just got back from shopping for groceries and my hands are so cold! I neglected to wear gloves, but at least I was wearing shoes and socks, which is something I put off for as long as possible. Sandals, sandals, sandals … to the end … brrrrrr.

So now, I shall bid adieu to autumn with a few more pressed beauties:… and another one for Frankenstein …

Dragging my b*tt today for Day 18 #nablopomo

Supporting Actors

November 17, 2015 by Barb 7 Comments

The prompt in The Studio|Online is about allowing the supporting actors (i.e. tables, etc) be the star for once. As usual, it’s open to interpretation, so I’m letting “the chair” shine.

I’ve had this little beauty for a few years and I don’t believe I’ve given it the respect it deserves. Somehow it got relegated to a bedroom in the basement and as they say “outta sight, outta mind”.

Well, no more. Meet Ms. Chippy Chair.

She’s really quite lovely.

And so are these apples … I still have apples I picked from my neighbours orchard last September, and I don’t want them to go to waste. So, what to do …

I think making apple sauce is once again on the agenda.

Since most of the apples I picked were teeny tiny, I gave up with the peeling part and found I liked it much better. That went for the pies and crisps too … no more peeling for me. I also discovered that after a whirl in the blender the peel virtually disappears. All those years of peeling … what was I thinking?

How do you make applesauce?

Day 17 #nablopomo

Thirty Days Hath November and Nablopomo

November 16, 2015 by Barb 8 Comments

OK, so it just occurred to me that we are halfway through November, and that means halfway through nablopomo as well. And bonus … I just realized there’s only 30 days!

I’ve posted every day for 15 days, and that’s a record for me … hope it’s not sounding like a broken record around here …

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November.
All the rest have 31,
Except for February all alone,
It has 28 each year,’
but 29 each leap year.
Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November
All the rest have 31,
Except for February.
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November
All the rest have thirty-one
But February’s a different one
~Mother Goose~

nablopomo, November Leaves, Keeping With the Times

kk_BurntAlmond

kk_Eve

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not wishing away my time. On the contrary. I want to hold on to November and all the beauty it offers.

I’m actually feeling pretty energized by this exercise, and so far there has been only one day where I truly struggled.

Ideas are spinning around in my head all the time and this has given me permission to release them … even if they’re not perfect, so

I have a recipe I’ve been meaning to publish but I keep putting it on the back burner (snort).
I have an update on my “Blogging Bits and Bytes”.
And, I have this fear that if I miss a day I might have to apologize … that’s enough to keep me awake at night ;)

Day 16 #nablopomo

Sunday Sundries Features November 15

November 15, 2015 by Barb 2 Comments

My Word for 2015 is “celebrate” and that’s how Sunday Sundries came about. I wanted this year to be a celebration.

However, at first I had a little trouble with the word “celebrate” because quite frankly there are some things about this world that just do not deserve to be celebrated. So I wondered, how could I make this work?

I thought maybe a quote would help, so I started searching for something that I could relate to, something that would give me “permission” to celebrate, and I found this by Tom Peters:

celebrate what you want to see more of
~Tom Peters~

I’m thinking I may carry this word on into 2016 … .

I started a linkup here on my blog for people to share their celebrations, but as things changed (they always do), it migrated to Instagram at #sunday_sundries. So once again, please help me celebrate the work of these talented artists:

TL: @saurand TR: @ solinterior BL: @lunaa80 BR: @traceyc1968

So what else am I celebrating this week?

Small, quiet moments, sipping tea, and playing with leaves.
Safe travels.
Falling into a big soft bed at 2:30 am after a looong day.
Twinkly lights.
A skiff of snow, signalling it’s time to stay indoors, drink tea, and sit by the fire.

Here’s to a quiet and peaceful Sunday.

Day 15 #nablopomo

Mount Lemmon AZ, Ski Valley Autumn Colour

November 14, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Welcome to Part II of my Catalina Highway, Mount Lemmon Trip Review!

If you like, you can read part I here.

As we headed further up the Catalina Highway, we started to feel hopeful as small pockets of yellow started to peek through the pines.

These are just teasers!
And then, goodness me … yes! How amazing are these carved tree trunks! At first I was dismayed at the damage, but then I began to think otherwise, what do you think? Check out the beautiful sunlight, peeking through brilliant yellows leaves against an impossibly blue sky. Sigh.I was thrilled to see oak … I don’t have access to many of these beauties.

and then …stunning maples … . I may have gasped. At the top …It’s so beautiful!

I know, it was a serious photo dump ;) but I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

If you’re thinking of taking this trip, this may be a good place to do a bit of research: Sky Island Parkway .

Thank you for stopping by and have an awesome day!

Day 14 #nablopomo

Catalina Highway, Mount Lemmon Trip Review

November 13, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Today I have a review of our trip to the top of Mount Lemmon via the Catalina Highway. Armed with plenty of water, a homemade lunch, and snacks, we set out on our adventure.

The Catalina Highway, officially the General Hitchcock Highway, is the popular name for a Forest Highway and scenic route located in Pima County in southern Arizona (Wikipedia).

When we first arrived in Arizona it was early November and I wasn’t ready to let go of autumn. After a little research and much debate, we decided to make a trip to Mount Lemmon (near Tucson) rather than Oak Creek (near Sedona) to search for colour.

We weren’t sure we’d find autumn, but we’d never been to Mount Lemmon, so we decided to take the chance. It was quite a hike from our place in Fountain Hills at 172.1 miles (3 hours 28 minutes), and after a while I was feeling a little sheepish, thinking I had sent us on a wild goose chase. But not to worry. It was spectacular! The whole drive was spectacular … we love the Arizona landscape, so really, we would have enjoyed the trip whether we found autumn or not.

As we neared our destination and arrived at the park we found the Cactus Forest which “is a census-designated place in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 594 at the 2010 census (Wikipedia).”

Like I say, spectacular!
When we stopped for lunch at wonderful picnic area, I was already seeing colour … not really, but … maybe? The air was fresh, scented lightly by pines, and if you weren’t in the sun, it did get quite cool. I love that …

I have finally, after years and years of travel, started taking photos of the signs on the highway … oh my … am I the last person in the world to do this?

Mount Lemmon Hoodoo at Windy Point:

and then this … I think we’re on the right track …

I hope you’ll join me tomorrow when I share the spectacular colours we found … you won’t be disappointed!

Day 13 #nablopomo

Wabi Sabi Wood Table Study Part I

November 12, 2015 by Barb 9 Comments

Hello, today I have a little “wabi sabi wood table study” as well as a study of the light and how it changes in our little end-unit condo in Arizona.

When Kim posted the new prompt in The Studio | Online, I was astounded!

It was exactly what I needed … I’d been thinking I should get some shots of this wabi sabi table before we leave for home, but I hadn’t felt inspired.

Wabi Sabi Wood Table, The Studio Online, studying light, shadows, focusing on tables

kk_Lilly – photo taken at 2:00pm north and east light

Here I am, holidaying in the sunniest state, and yet feeling completely blah about taking photos … specifically still life photos—and not just blah … a bit blue … I think I miss my props :( which is silly because I’ve been gathering many wonderful items for this place as well.

Items like this sweet little Wabi Sabi Wooden Table I found last year at a garage sale for $0.50. The story is comical and fits perfectly with the new hashtag #stillswithstories I’m hosting with Kim on IG (have you checked it out?)

Anyway, after reading the prompt and listening to Kim’s inspirational video, I jumped up and started gathering a few treasures to set on my table. I’m also “studying the light” in our little condo, and I’d have to say it’s abundant … we have an end unit so we get north, west, and east light. Mostly, I prefer an east or north exposure for the cooler light and when I get a corner with both lights … well, I’m in heaven.

So, my table doesn’t have great legs ;) but what I love are the grooves along the edge. Apparently they’ve formed because the softer part of the wood has worn away over time and left the hard ridges.

So that’s where I put my focus, on the rough edge.

Camera Settings **
f4.5
1/100s
ISO 250

Wabi Sabi Table, The Studio Online, studying light, shadows, focusing on tables

kk_Chocolate – photo taken at 2:00pm north and east light

It’s dry as tinder and the top boards fall out if you don’t handle it properly … someone suggested glue, but I think I’ll just leave it and see what happens.

kk_Air

… same image, different crop …

Sweet little oak leaves from our trip to Mount Lemmon …

kk_Lilly

I’m now on a mission to capture this table in all sorts of different locations and lighting situations.

** Just wondering** do you find camera settings helpful when listed on a blog post? Does it ever influence how you shoot?

Updated Shoot Info (for Petra) thank you Petra! Your comment made me think a lot harder about my settings, and I’ve tried to answer in the order you asked ;)

I’d say, that it’s interesting to see camera settings when they are listed on a blog post, I always have a look at them, but generally I don’t find them helpful. They usually represent just part of information, don’t they? You don’t know where and how far from the scene the photographer stood, whether they had a lens hood in place and where exactly the focus was aimed, whether the flash fired and at what power, what metering the camera was set to and what kind of light there was, whether they were shooting in manual or aperture/time priority… Also, if you don’t have that particular lens, you can be sure that with your lens the conditions would be different… Yet I admit that if there is most of the above listed explained, then the data have some value. They may not be comparable with your data but they may teach you some principles. They may not give you a detailed manual but they may show you a way. Well, does it make sense, as contradictory as it seems?

~Petra~

My Camera Settings: (these setting are based on the second photo, although they are almost identical for all the shots.)
f4.5
1/100s
ISO 250

now, in answer to Petra:

I was sitting about 3 1/2 feet from the table.
focal length 38mm
no lens hood
focused directly on the edge of the table
no flash (I never use a flash)
matrix metering (now I wish I had used spot metering!)
north and east light (2:00 pm)
manual mode
18-105mm lens

Oh my … you just never know how a reader may challenge you! and in a great way – thank you once again Petra. Please feel free to challenge me some more!

Day 12 #nablopomo

Lest We Forget

November 11, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Thank you Dad. We miss you.

And thank you to all the men and women, past and present, who have served for our country.

Artful Blogging Magazine Winner

November 10, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Hello! I’m excited to announce the winner of the Artful Blogging Magazine—it’s Libby Wilke! Congratulations Libby, I’ll have it in the mail tomorrow (thank you so much for getting back to me so promptly!)

A million thanks to all who entered the draw, and for your kind and supportive comments. Wow, I so appreciate each and every one of you!

I wanted to thank you with a gift of the word art I made and used on one of the photos published in the magazine … enjoy!

Click on the image and you will be taken to Box.com where you can download it:

**for personal use only**

Day 10 #nablopomo

What I Did This Morning (and most mornings) and What Does Goatsbeard Have to Do With It (take that Google)

November 9, 2015 by Barb 6 Comments

So what happens when you go to bed at 8:30 pm?

… you get up at 4:00 am.ugh. that was me this morning. and the answer is … what? you get goofy? umm yeah … but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Now it’s almost 4:00 pm and I’m just getting around to writing my daily blog post for #nablopomo. I couldn’t think of anything to write so I popped over to BlogHer to check out the prompts. The question for today is “What is the first thing you do every single day (I mean, after you hit the snooze button)? When did that step in your routine begin?”

OK. So I guess the first thing I do (or at least the first thing I do that you want to hear about) is I make coffee, and then drink it. That started in about grade 10 … . Post done. Check.

Not.

I must elaborate. Today I got up at 4:00 because I couldn’t get back to sleep. Which means I probably was awake at 3:30. Ugh. Oh well. I made coffee then picked up my phone and started checking IG. After a bit I thought I should post a photo. So, (because it was still pitch black outside) I had to go into the archives where I pulled out this image of Goatsbeard I’ve been sitting on since late August.

So I’ve determined that, when you go to bed at 8:30 and get up at 4:00, you:

Write silly posts with really long titles which Google hates.
Write posts that score BAD on the SEO scale. If fact the SEO of this post is N/A. I don’t even have a red dot, it’s black.
Bring things out of the archives (for better or worse).
Have a bit of fun.

Day 9 #nablopomo

Sunday Sundries Features November 8

November 8, 2015 by Barb 2 Comments

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries! I’m here to ramble on about my week, it helps me be grateful and to “celebrate” all the small (and large) extraordinary moments in my life.

But first, here are my four features from #sunday_sundries on Instagram.

I’m continually blown away by the talent in that gallery! Today we have grey pumpkins, yummy golden pancakes, bright autumn leaves, and stunning corrugated metal siding … I swoon, I tell ya! oh, and the light in all of these images … oh my … .

So please help me celebrate the art of these amazing artists, and talented IG’rs!

Sunday Sundries Features November 8, Keeping With the Times

TL: @c_colli TR: @nan_iga BL: @annld60 BR: @mysuburbanfarm

A huge thank you to everyone who tags their beautiful images to #sunday_sundries! There are lots of hashtags out there and I am so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate your art!

So what else am I celebrating this week?

Our little holiday home in Arizona that helps us get away from the harshest parts of winter up north (right now we’re on a bit of a vacation even though the weather at home has been gorgeous.)
I wasn’t ready to leave autumn as we left Alberta, so we took a trip to Mount Lemmon near Tucson, and found autumn right here. Let me tell you, it’s stunning and I have a post coming on that later.
Having coffee with the hubs in our favourite coffee shop, Mountain View Coffee in Fountain Hills … after 4 years we’re considered regulars, and it’s a very cool feeling to be welcomed there! Oh, and they make the best latte’s!
Dinner at Marcellino Ristorante in Old Town Scottsdale. Oh.my.good.heavens. the pasta was seriously to-die-for. It’s made fresh every day. I wanted the espresso infused fettuccine but I felt it would keep me up all night … I wonder if they serve breakfast? hmmm …
Shopping and browsing (nothing serious) at Kierland Commons on a warm, sunny November day in Arizona. It’s a dream. I spent a ton of time in The Pottery Barn, oohhing and ahhing and dreaming … oh I wanted the white marble table but no … I came out with “the worlds’ best potato masher” a few place card holders, a lot of inspiration, and I was happy.

I’m also grateful that Xanthe and Kim alerted me to #nablopomo (blogging every day in November). It’s not easy to keep up, but some amazing things have already come of it. I started a series on my trip to Rivers, Manitoba for Finding Stillness 2015, and you can check it out here and here. I hadn’t blogged about that at all yet … I don’t know why … but perhaps #nablopomo has opened some floodgates!

So, before I sign off I want to remind you enter the draw (if you haven’t already) for a chance to win a copy of Artful Blogging! Draw to be made November 10th and everyone is welcome!

Thank you so much for dropping by and have a wonderful day!

Barb

Day 8 #nablopomo

Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About-Town Part II

November 7, 2015 by Barb 1 Comment

Today I’m sharing a few more buildings as seen on my Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About Town, and first up is the loveliest Xanthe Berkeley wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Xanthe is also participating in the #nablopomo challenge this month.

Oh, and I was not intending to be posing in any photos, but because I was wearing this beautiful yellow throw (taken from the sofa in The Studio) I had no choice …
But let’s quickly get back to the lovely Xanthe … she’s so darn sweet!
And say hello to the amazing and beautiful Diana Foster who is equally as sweet …
OK, it’s Saturday afternoon and I need to get dinner ready … where oh where does the time go?

Day 7 #nablopomo

Rivers, Manitoba Walk-About-Town Part I

November 6, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

One of the many things I enjoyed while attending Finding Stillness|2015 in Rivers, Manitoba were the walks we took …

Not only did we take walks along the many beautiful trails, we also walked around the town itself, and were delighted to find some of the most intriguing buildings you are going to find anywhere!

While I know it’s not a true still life, as I composed this first shot and then later edited it, I found stillness in there; the weathered wood, the window, the door, and the chippy paint … these are all things I love to incorporate into my photography … I just wish I could have brought everything home with me!

Don’t you just love it when a photo opportunity is just sitting there, waiting for you to take notice!

All photos edited in Lightroom using kk_DarkMood

Read Part II here.

Day 6 #nablopomo

Garden Cleanup (it’s not pretty)

November 5, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

I’m always showing you the “pretty” in my garden … today I thought you might enjoy seeing the garden cleanup … aackk … it’s not pretty … .

The truth is we live in a rather untamed area, surrounded by boreal forest which is constantly pushing against any attempts to keep it back … roots invade the lawn, leaves cover it, branches fall all over it.

The hubs goes around cutting down foliage with a hedge trimmer/chain saw, then I pick it up, put it in a wheel barrow, and dump it in a makeshift compost behind the fir trees; stringy stuff in one pile, composted matter in another.

Hostas need to be cut off and the leaves removed to discourage slugs … ugh …

I adore daylilies but they are the stringiest things to clean up.

Gah! I don’t even have an “after” shot to show you. I’ll wait ’til the snow falls and makes everything look perfect.

This post would likely never have seen the light of day if not for #nablopomo (Day 5)

Artful Blogging Magazine Giveaway

November 4, 2015 by Barb

Today I’m celebrating something I dreamed of, but did not quite believe would ever happen … my blog has been published in the winter issue of Artful Blogging!

The moment I laid eyes on a Stampington Publication many years ago, I was smitten. I’d never seen so much creativity in one spot; such inspiring and unique creativity. Since then I’ve amassed quite the stack of these treasures: Somerset Studio, Somerset Life, Stampers’ Sampler, Where Women Cook, Where Women Create, Digital Studio, Mingle, Artful Blogging, Bella Grace … so many! Goodness, I can’t even list them all here! To say I’m obsessed … um well … maybe?

No matter! To celebrate, I want to gift a copy of Artful Blogging to one of my lovely readers … could it be you?

If you would like to be entered into the draw, please leave a comment here on my blog saying that you’d love a copy (I’d love to send it to you) … don’t be shy – everyone welcome!

The draw will be random and will be made on November 10, 2015. ** comments are now closed **

Thank you for visiting and remember that dreams can and do come true …

Barb

Day 4 #nablopomo

Succulent Parade and a Lightroom Tip

November 3, 2015 by Barb 7 Comments

I’m not ready to say goodbye to the succulent parade …

Succulent Parade, Barb Brookbank, Keeping With the Times

kk_Lilly

I guess I’ll have to spend the winter editing photos and playing with Kim’s presets …

Succulent Parade, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank, #nablopomo

kk_Lilly

kk_Hazed

kk_Organic

Do you use Lightroom? Have you ever spent a ton of time getting a photo just right (which is great) but then deciding you want to adjust exposure, or contrast,or try a different preset?

Lightroom Tip of the Day:

In the Library Module, with the original image selected, right-click and choose Create Virtual Copy.
Work on the virtual copy.
Now you still have the original to go back to.
You’re welcome!

Day 3 #nablopomo

kk_DarkMood

Autumn Vignette

November 2, 2015 by Barb 14 Comments

This year my Autumn Vignette shows I am definitely into the neutrals: soft greys, blues, creams, and browns, all working together to create a sense of calm and peace. I’ll quickly note right here that before I even began decorating, I got rid of a ton of clutter; clearing my space and my mind for what I really want in my home and my life. Lately, if something isn’t working for me … I let it go … but that’s another story.
The decorating started with the ladder … the 10 foot, 6 inch ladder. When I first dragged that thing home, I was petrified as to what the hubs would think, but I knew I could make it work. I knew I had to have it, and I knew I could prove it to be useful.

I shared my woes and fears with my friends and co-conspirators in The Studio | Online. They were more than supportive—helping me come up with solutions on how to promote this thing. But now I think I have been redeemed. It’s the perfect place for holding and displaying cozy new throws and blankets, ready for someone to grab and curl up with by the fire.

I then added my small vintage nightstand (rescued from the basement) since it it just the right height, and the bit of brown adds warmth. It also gave extra room to accommodate that gorgeous white jug which I filled with the dried Echinops picked from my garden this year.

The mirror adds sparkle and light, and the pumpkin pillow from The Pottery Barn was the perfect finishing touch. It was on clearance here in Canada since Thanksgiving is over, and already the stores are filled with Christmas merchandise. But I’ll hang on to autumn for a bit longer, thank you very much.

I’m also loving my vintage letter holder which I found at One Man’s Treasure (where else?) it’s the perfect size to hold my contact cards from Social Print Studio.

And then, because what would autumn be without some lovely warm tea? and a few golden leaves …

Decorating for the seasons doesn’t need to be complicated, especially when you choose classic, timeless pieces. If you keep your palette simple and neutral, it’s easy to introduce a bit of colour and then to change that colour with the seasons. I suspect next month you may see some red here instead of gold.

I’ll share the full ladder story in a later post … .

Day 2 of NaBloPoMo … you can read about it here.

Sunday Sundries Features Nov 1

November 1, 2015 by Barb 12 Comments

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries! I’m here to ramble on about my week, it helps me be grateful and to “celebrate” all the small (and large) extraordinary moments in my life.

But first, here are my four features from #sunday_sundries on Instagram. I see a recurring theme … autumn of course, and a little bit of Halloween, but also seeds! which didn’t register until I saw this grid – how fun! Please help me celebrate the art of these talented IG’rs!

Sunday Sundries November 1, Keeping With the Times

TL: @totallybydesign TR: @muguet_journal BL: @flojoro123 BR: @claireb_photography

It’s been a busy week once again. I spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing my house. I brought the remainder of my plants indoors for the winter. I roasted and froze pumpkin and squash, as well as apple crisps and sauces to bring out on the up-coming dark winter days. Totally satisfying.

The time change is upon us where I live. The sun sets at 5:01 pm and there’s no use grouching about it. It just means I have to be more organized when it comes to photography. I start shooting earlier in the day or else … .

So what more could I be celebrating? well …

Having my photo featured by @anthropologie. I tell you I ~~was~~ am flabbergasted … and I keep going back to their feed to see if it really happened … it did. Big Magic (Elizabeth Gilbert).
Having my photo featured by @teavanatea … seriously … wha???
Having the opportunity to co-host a new hashtag on Instagram with Kim Klassen #stillswithstories … another gift
Warm autumn days, homemade soup, tea, photography … life …

And then … having my blog featured in Artful Blogging. I could hardly believe it to be true until yesterday when I held a copy of it in my hands. Yes, my story is there. My photographs are there. I.can’t.even. So to celebrate this happy moment, I’m going to be giving away one copy to one lovely reader. Watch the blog for details … .

Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy Sunday! I appreciate each and every one of you.

Barb

NaBloPoMo Otherwise Known as Madness

November 1, 2015 by Barb 13 Comments

Little did I know when I woke up this morning, I would find myself committing to NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) on BlogHer.com. I tend to feel most inspired when I first get out of bed, which may explain why I’ve jumped in so impulsively, plus I immediately thought it would tie in beautifully with my Blogging Bits and Bytes series.

I won’t try to explain the round-about-way I found this challenge … it confuses even me … but to recap:

I’m going to post daily on my blog for the month of November.
I’m going to participate with BlogHer only as much as I am able. I am not going to sweat it. But there’s lots of great info over there – you should check it out.
Every post will not be a blockbuster (we talked about that).
Some days (maybe most days) it will be a photo, and a quick wave before I take off on some adventure.

If you’re thinking of jumping in – do not stress that you’re starting late … it does not matter. What does matter is that you use this to stretch your creative muscle. Dig back into your archives and bring forth the posts that are sitting there, waiting to see the light of day. Don’t worry about BlogHer or anyone else. Just do this.

I’ve been reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert who says over and over if you have an idea and don’t run with it, someone else will. Well, there are thousands of people running with this idea, but at least I’m one of them. There’s room for all of us here.

The next Blogging Bits and Bytes newsletter is scheduled to go out early next week but if you missed the first two, you can find them on the Blogging Bits and Bytes page (check the tab at the top of my blog.)

And I’ll be back later with my Sunday Sundries feature! TWO posts in one day!