Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

Friday Finds, and Gratitude

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We had another rainy week which gave me lots of opportunities to get my house in order, but after a while, I simply had to get outside for a bit.

I threw on the old yellow raincoat and hat, slipped on my rubber boots, and grabbed an umbrella. Yes, it was raining that much.

As I was standing at the edge of the garden, I spied the poppy I had been waiting for… it had decided to bloom in the rain. I guess it just couldn’t help itself.

I thought it would be a shame to leave it in the garden where I couldn’t appreciate it, so I snipped it off and popped it into this old blue bottle. I can’t remember where I found this bottle … but it’s a real treasure; old, blue, scratchy and filmy.

A real “find”!

Gratitude Word Art

This crazy poppy is so big I had trouble photographing it. I must have taken 75 shots and deleted 70…

It makes me think of a giant butterfly with its feathery petals and the wild way it opens them.

poppy butterfly

… gorgeous details…

depth of field… amazing details..

DSC_2676

… it looks like velvet.

Speaking of rain. The southern part of our beautiful province of Alberta was hit by some of the most torrential rains it’s ever seen. Rivers went wild, spilling their banks and causing serious, widespread, and devastating floods. One whole town (population of over 12,000) is under water. Many more towns and villages are suffering the same fate.

The City of Calgary was hit hard too, and is still under a State of Emergency (as are all the hard-hit areas). The whole downtown core of this city of over a million people was evacuated, as well as thousands of others in various communities. The zoo was flooded. Giraffes were standing in water up to their chests. It’s being called a disaster. It’s going to cost billions of dollars, and at least ten years, to rebuild.

Four lives were lost (so far). There’s no rebuilding that.

One week later, news of more and more devastation continues to surface. As I write this, I feel tears welling up and I am fighting to control them. I hurt for the people of our province.

Our area was not affected (physically), and right now I look outside and see the sun shining, green grass, and pots and pots of cheerful flowers. I feel a lot of things, and one of them is gratitude. Gratitude for my family, my clean home, my beautiful yard, and even my life.

free word art

 

This word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop. Simply click on the graphic above to download.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_3003

Be the Reason

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word art, texture, texture tuesday, clematis, still life

Some days when I sit down to write a blog post, the words just aren’t there. So I’m just going to go with it.

It’s not that I don’t have much going on, because I do (it’s summer, and I live at a lake…)

I also have lots of ideas and projects lined up, and no less than 3 classes starting in July, all of which I’m very excited about.

But for today, a quick “hi, hope you are well” and another little bit of word art.

I hope I made you smile.

If you want to see more, check out the Word Art tab at the top of my blog.

 

free word art

 

 

This word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

 

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_lettherebelight (LR Preset)

kk_cora x 2

What Did You Find This Week?

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clematis

Another week has flown by, and here it is Friday already. And that means it’s time for “Friday Finds” hosted by Kim Klassen at Kim Klassen dot com.

I think about this all week. Kim’s meme has ignited a fire in me (or should I say, fanned the flames). I’m always hunting around for treasures, and now I get to share them with everyone! I swear, if Kim ever abandons this linky party, I’m going to have to host it myself…

So, anyway, last Saturday I went to our town-wide flea market where I scooped up the best bargain, and I wrote about it here. However, I didn’t reveal my little teacup. Isn’t it ever so pretty?! A lovely lady sold me two cups and saucers for $5.00, and they were just what I was looking for. Oh my, I can’t wait to reveal the other one…

After I left the market, I had to stop for a few groceries. Somehow I found myself in the garden center, and what did I see, but this beautiful, healthy clematis. My plant dies of winter kill every year and I wasn’t sure I was going to replace it this time, until I saw this beauty. I was instantly smitten and “Diana” now resides happily in my garden.

There are just so many “finds” here! A teacup, a flower, and a new location with great light for photos (it’s been there all the time and I just didn’t see it).

Oh, and yes, some more word art! So please help yourself, my friends, and thank you for stopping by!

free word art

free word art pngIf you want to see more word art, check out the Word Art tab at the top of my blog.

This word art is available only in .png  format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

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A phone call at 1:08 am is never good, right?

word art, free

I literally had a wake-up call. Not that I need one, because I am always grateful for everything that is good in my life, and grateful for each new day.

But last night I woke up, thinking I had heard the telephone. I’ve done that before, but it has always been a dream (a vivid dream, nonetheless). But just in case, I glanced over at the phone, and it was lit up… omg… it did ring…

It’s 1:08… omg…

Heart pounding furiously, I reached over and turned on the light. Then I leaped over the bed and grabbed the phone and looked at the display. It was my youngest daughter’s cell phone number. Sheer terror gripped my heart. I feel it even now, as I type this.

I grabbed my glasses from the night stand and in the process tipped over a small vase of flowers. I fell to my knees on the floor and hit #1, and then the “talk” button. An eternity passed before I heard her voice. It was small, and weak. Oh, god…

“Mom”, she said, I’m so sorry!, I just got out of bed and stepped on my phone and it dialed your number. I wasn’t sure if it went through, and I didn’t know what to do.

Absolute relief washed over me, and all I could think was “thankyou, thankyou, thankyou“.

After a brief chat, and laugh, we both went back to our beds.

I was a bit shaken up, but I just laid there and thought “thank you” over and over again, like a chant, or a meditation, and it wasn’t long until I drifted back to sleep. And when I woke up this morning, I said it again.

 

 

free word art

 

 

I created some word art to share with you. If you want to see more, check out the Word Art tab at the top of my blog.

All word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

 

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

kk_sybil, and a few LR adjustments

Flea Market Find

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Early Saturday morning, this is where I found myself…
from where i stand

… at our town-wide flea market (at least a half hour before it was officially open).

I made my first score within 5 minutes.

Chairs were not on my radar, but when I saw these, I found myself handing over the money in a daze. I mean, you can’t walk by a chair that costs $5.00… can you? And the nice gentleman who sold them to me helped carry them to my vehicle. Small town perks. My day was off to a great start.

flea market find

I feel a chalk paint project coming on…

IMG_3331

I did buy a few other things, but because one is so outlandish and rusty, I’m too embarrassed to reveal it. But I do have a plan.

So for now, I ‘m showing you this glorious clematis. Every year I have to replace this plant… it never makes it through our winter.

IMG_3357

And here’s my lovely herb garden. It’s coming along splendidly, wouldn’t you say? I picked up some basil which I now need to transplant into some rusty tool box, or pail, or something…

herb garden

I have some work to do inside this morning, and after that, it’s out to the garden, my little piece of heaven on earth.

I have planting, and weeding, and feeding to do. The plants will benefit from all the attention, but not as much, I think, as I will.

The Best Find Ever!

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I have never in my life seen peonies for sale, so imagine my surprise when I walked into Superstore and found these beauties! Be still my heart…
White-Peony

There was no way I was going to leave without them.

I do have some plants in my garden, but they won’t be blooming for at least three weeks, maybe four. Oh, no… these babies were coming home with me.

They started to open up almost immediately, and once I re-cut the stems, they exploded. Beauty.

And the scent… oh the scent. I think we can all relate to that.

After about fifty photos, I chose one and began to play around in Lightroom and Photoshop, and yes, I did tweak it a bit with a funky filter. Not my usual style, but I think it’s subtle enough. What do you think?

word art, free

If I could, I would have a bouquet of these in my house at all times, I’d never tire of them.

Tomorrow our town is having it’s annual Community Street Market. As well as a BBQ, there are activities for the kids, plus “over 75+ tables of gently used items”. I can’t wait!

So happy you stopped by! Have a wonderful weekend!

bb_love-what-you-do-abr-link

 

Again, I created some word art to share with you. If you want to see more, check out the Word Art tab at the top of my blog.

All word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in both Photoshop Elements, and Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

Plant Your Own Garden

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While searching for a quote I ran across this poem by Veronica Shoffstall, and, like many others, I found that it “spoke” to me. Perhaps it speaks to you as well.

After a While

 After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today,

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong,

And you really do have worth.

And you learn and learn…

With every goodbye you learn.

Veronica A Shoffstall

Creative Brain Gymnastics

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Creativity, Free Word Art

As I put together this post I became more and more confused.

At first I was having a great time! I took a photo, edited it in LR and exported it to PS. Then I added some word art and made a couple more adjustments. No trouble uploading to WP.

Where it started to get complicated was when I tried to turn the word art into a brush, then a .png file. No matter how many times I do it, I still get it messed up… arghhh (and, incredulously, I’m supposed to be teaching people how to do this…)

Then I had to zip them and upload to BOX. That shouldn’t have been a problem but I kept messing up the descriptions and I had to delete everything and start over. Whew. OK, now to create a couple little thumbnails and link them to the download page. Not so very complicated unless you accidentally hit the PUBLISH button instead of update. OH NO!

Have you ever hit the publish button by mistake? Did you know that you have about 5 seconds to revert a post to draft form before it publishes? I’m guessing it must be so, since that’s about how long it took me.

Lastly, just to make sure that the original post wasn’t floating out in cyberspace with unfinished business, I copied the HTML and created a new post and then deleted the original.

They say that as you (ahem, get older), you should exercise your brain to keep it sharp, but I’m starting to wonder. This little exercise left me feeling a little unnerved… but I finally did get it together and that’s what counts, I guess.

Anyway, this quote (by Erich Fromm) speaks to me, and I wanted to share it. I’m never sure if something I create is “right”. Well, what is right?

 

Creativity Word Art

 

The word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in Photoshop Elements, or Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

“Let There Be Light” LR Preset by Kim Klassen

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

(Vintage) Friday Finds

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My “find” for this week would be a teaspoon.

I’m always on the hunt for vintage silverware, it’s so full of character and makes me think of farmhouses and family meals.  It makes me think of summer, and bridal showers, and other special occasions.

Teaspoon

But I also found the pretty white teacup at Value Village several years ago. I just loved the green and mauve design, and the slightly worn gold edges.Lilacs-Tea2

After I took all my photos, I sat and drank the lovely green tea and admired my garden. It’s doing ultra well this year. We’ve had a lot of rain and there’s more in the forecast.

lilac, tea, garden

Have I mentioned that I love lilacs?

lilacs, tea, garden

And I love my garden.

Garden-Shed

It’s pretty maintenance free, mostly perennials, with a few annuals sprinkled here and there. Right now the anemones are blooming their hearts out.

Anemone

It’s such a rush! Every day a different plant starts to flower. I can hardly keep up. It’s heavenly.

I Think I Finally “Get” Hipstamatic

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Anemones are one of my favourite flowers and I thought that black and white just might do it justice. Was I right? And did you know that good writing dictates that you shouldn’t use the same word/phrase twice in the same paragraph, let alone sentence…
anemone, black and white, focusing on life, hipstamatic

I do so love anemones, aka windflower.

anemones

Green, I can’t get enough of it.

IMG_3232

The view from where I sit.

IMG_3227

My garden is on the deck (safe from all the bunnies that are roaming around here).

anemone, black and white, focusing on life, hipstamatic

I finally figured out how to use Hipstamatic… duh… for these photos today, I actually chose a film, and a lens!! Woot for me! I used Salvador, Dream Canvas Film, and the Salvador 84 lens (I think…) hmmm, don’t quote me on that though.

How does your garden grow? And how does your computer run?

Last night I was tearing my hair out because my internet was sooooo slooowww. And my computer has been whirring and buzzing ceaselessly. So I finally called our internet provider. Loooong story short. I was up until 11:00 talking to a couple of techies. After all was said and done, they concluded that there was nothing wrong with our connection, it was my computer. OK, fair enough.

But get this, when I called them, our speed was between 85-138 kilobits. When I got up this morning and ran a test, it was at 10697 kilobits! A veritable jet engine. Now, I didn’t do anything, so how would a person explain that? I think they must have reset something and didn’t know it. Whatever it was, I’m not complaining.

But I did get busy and I cleaned up my computer today. I removed almost 200 GB of STUFF! Seriously! I use Photoshop a lot and those .psd files are monsters. And now I’m defragging the old beast, so much fun to be had here!

Long story long, my internet is speedy, and my computer is silent.

Anyway, are you still here? You’re so polite…

Lilacs can be Overwhelming

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lilacs, photography

We have a beautiful lilac bush in front of our house. It’s not big, but every year it produces a ton of flowers.

I adore lilacs. I love the colour and the sweet smell. What I don’t like, is that they only last about one and a half days as a cut flower.

So I guess that’s where a few (hundred) photographs come in handy. I have taken a ton of shots and this one… this one here, is the very last one I took. It also happens to be the only one I truly like. How does that even happen?

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am overwhelmed by their huge blossoms which turn into huge bouquets when I try to arrange them. Too much of a good thing, perhaps?

I vow to keep trying though, and I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Take a Look at This Real Estate, Honey!

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As I was working in my flower beds, I heard a bird singing far back in the trees. I thought it must be an oriole, or a rosy breasted grosbeak because it had such a BIG voice.

But suddenly, this tiny little wren appeared on a branch nearby and proceeded to belt it out in a BIG way!Wren

At first I thought it was scolding me (how self-centred are we humans…). But then I noticed another wren flitting around in the background.

Ahhh, Mr. Big Voice was showing his potential mate the house that he had found for her . . .

Wren

He went in and out, and in and out, all the while singing and chirping.

wren

Miss Potential Mate finally did come and take a look. At that point, I left the scene so as not to ruin the chances that the two of them would feel safe enough to make this their home.

I really hope they do, they are a joy to have around. So cheerful and bright.

Today I’ll be working around close by, in my flower beds, and at my potting bench, and I’d feel really blessed to have their company.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

 

In My Own Back Yard

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I took at least 50 photos yesterday, and deleted about 40. I don’t usually have such a poor outcome… but nature, light breezes, and sprinkles of rain can play havoc on a scene.

daisy, insect, photography

I did manage to get three insects, which made me happy! Two were taken with my 40mm fixed lens.

insects

This Hemaris Thysbe paid me a visit when I was trying to photograph some lilacs. Well, I failed miserably on the lilacs, but Mr. HT saved the day.

hemaris thysbe, hummingbird moth

And, one of my favourite flowers, the anemone is in bloom. It’s sort of taking over the garden, and that’s fine with me.

anemone

Thank you for stopping by, and here’s to a productive day for all!

Texture Tuesday, and Positive Thoughts

by 7 Comments

Yesterday morning as I was sitting at the computer, I started to feel so uncomfortable. I had the windows open and I could hear the birds singing; the sun was shining and there wasn’t a breath of wind.

It became quite clear that I couldn’t stay inside.
wild strawberry, photoshop, texture, kim klassen texture tuesday

I quickly changed into my work clothes, set my camera by the back door (to grab at a moment’s notice), and sprayed myself with OFF from head to toe… the mosquitoes here are brutal. In fact, there had been one buzzing around my head before I even got out of bed. Gah! I hate that! I managed to fend it off for quite a while, but it eventually got me. I know that because I woke up later with an itchy hand.

Anyway, I spent the morning weeding and fluffing up my flower beds. It always amazes me at how fast the plants grow once they get going, and there are tiny little miracles sprouting and blooming everywhere I look.

I potted up my spicy little herb garden that now sits happily on the deck, and dug up a wild strawberry because it was so cute.

A Hemaris Thysbe, and a Canadian Swallowtail Butterfly were buzzing around. They are here because the lilacs are blooming, and I knew it was only a matter of time before these two creatures would grace our yard.

It was a beautiful morning and I am very thankful for all the good things in my life. As most of you know, Kim Klassen is going through a hard time after learning that her husband has leukemia. He is now in a hospital receiving treatment. The doctors have said they caught it early and he should make a full recovery. In the meantime, I’m sure Kim could use our positive thoughts.

For my image, I used kk_teatime from the “minimay” set.

Friday Finds, and a Little “Find” for You!

by 14 Comments

simplicity, simple life, friday finds, kim klassen, barb blookbank

There’s a new meme in town! Friday Finds, hosted by Kim Klassen.

She has invited us to share something that we find each week. It can be anything; from antiques, to flowers, to… whatever!

Magically (it seems), our trees and perennials are starting to bloom, so of course, flowers were an obvious choice. Walking around the yard, I caught a soft, sweet, light scent on the breeze and followed it to our Mayday tree. One quick snip with my shears, and I headed back to the house to look for the perfect vase.

A simple glass jar that had once served as a soap dispenser was hiding under the sink. A perfect “find” don’t you think? I love the cone shape, the small size, and the smooth ridges of glass. Sweet and simple. Love!

After editing the image, and adding texture, etc. it just seemed natural to add a little quote, which I then made into a sweet little graphic. Goodness, when we love doing something we “find” the time, don’t we…

So now, I have a “Friday Find” for you! I’ve made the quote available for you to download! I hope you like it!

 

life-is-really-simple-brush

The word art is a brush in .abr format, which can be used in Photoshop Elements, or Photoshop.

Simply click on the graphic above to download. If you have any questions/problems please ask them in the comment section so others can read them and perhaps find help too.

See you tomorrow at Friday Finds, with Kim Klassen dot com

kk_sybil

Quote by Confucius

Texture Tuesday, and a Bit of Rambling

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texture tuesday, textures

Today is the day I am going to sit here at the computer and get some work done! I am woefully behind on a project that is supposed to be submitted on June 1st, and I don’t even know what I’m going to create… aaackk…

But first, I had to play TT. I took this shot while driving home from Saskatchewan. We had crossed the border and were already in Alberta, but this iconic building could be anywhere on the prairies.

I took it with my phone (can’t remember what app I used) but then I added three layers of kk_1402 on colour burn. I added a linear burn to the sky and added a Gaussian blur.

OK, gotta run!! I am going to join Kim Klassen in an Adobe Connect Meeting. Woot! how fun! I just checked in and Kim’s just setting up! Perhaps I will see you over there?

 

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com

Black and White with a Touch of Colour

by 15 Comments

kim klassen, texture tuesday, black and white photography, adobe photoshop, cs6, liightroom

My favourite day! Texture Tuesday!! Today everyone voted on a subject and Black and White with a Touch of Colour was the winner.

I’m “grandparenting” this week, so I’m at my daughter’s home. As I lay in bed this morning (briefly, I might add, since little ones were soon joining me), I kept looking at this North-facing window with the white curtains. Creative thoughts started to flow.

After breakfast, when the two oldest were off to school, and the 3 year old had had breakfast, my mind turned to TT.

I thought about the lovely sedum that I got for Mother’s Day and went around the house looking for props. A lovely pot, a white table, and an off-white ball seemed to be the perfect combination. It’s a simple scene but that’s what works for me.

Even though there are technically four items, I see three, since the plant and the pot become one. And odd numbers are always a safe bet when designing anything.

I used a technique that Kim taught us using gradients to reveal some colour in the plant. Then I brushed away some of the gradient on the ball to reveal a slight, slight, bit of green to support the theme.

Lastly, one layer of kk_3003 on soft light was the final touch.

I’m totally crushing on this… it’s amazing what a fresh perspective can do.

Well, I gotta go! It’s time to play Hungry Hippo!

 

 

 Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com.

Beyond Inspiration – Day 14

by 12 Comments

kim klassen, beyond, b2b, texture

The lesson in B2B for Day 14 (or should I say one of the lessons) was on how to stretch your canvas and add words to the side of your image.

I have to say that I really like this format. I had a bit of trouble coming up with a good quote but mostly I didn’t sweat it.

When I saw this little spray of flowers at Safeway, my heart jumped. Such a tiny thing. Surrounded by dozens of colourful roses for Mother’s Day, and I pick these.

I adore them. And I adore the potting bench they are sitting on. I’m afraid you are going to be seeing a lot of that bench this summer. I’ll tell you all about it later… I must get to work on my dinner party. EEK, what am I doing sitting here??!!

Have a wonderful, amazing Mother’s Day weekend, everyone!

 

kk_3003 (my newest absolutely favourite texture) by Kim Klassen

 

Willow Catkins and the Art of Avoidance

by 8 Comments

willow-catkins-2

Today I woke up early, enjoyed my coffee, checked e-mails, poked around some blogs, primped my own blog, ate French toast for breakfast, and had a nap.

willow-catkins

I walked down to the lake’s edge and sat and listened to the birds. Geese, ducks, seagulls, and loons. It’s a regular cacaphony of hoots, cackles, and wails (got that from the dictionary).

willow-catkins-1

I admired the willow catkins that seem to glow in the sunlight. Then of course I had to pick a few which I spent an hour arranging and photographing.

Which brings me to the question “when am I going to start preparing for that dinner party for 8 that we’re hosting on Saturday?” Egad. I truly wish I could walk into the sunset and leave that one behind. But I cannot. Tomorrow I start.

Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen

by 17 Comments

kim klassen, texture tuesday, hydrangeas,

Hello everyone, hope you are well.

I have been so absent as of late. But I’m not going to bore you with all my excuses. I will say that I thought I had better get a post up before I forget how to do it.

Texture Tuesday seems to be my lifeline. It’s one of the things I love to participate in and I usually try to come up with something. It takes me to a place that I wish I could be all the time; simply creating because I love it.

I picked up this glorious hydrangea the other day. It’s just one bloom in a tiny pot. One perfect little bloom. I love it.

Our world is warming up and things are turning the tiniest bit green. As I drove home from town yesterday, I could see that all the willow catkins were bursting out and seemed to be glowing in the late afternoon sunlight. I’m going to pick a bunch this afternoon and take my time arranging them. I am so looking forward to that.

The ice on our lake has finally vanished and that is cause for major excitement around here. We have a little group that places bets on when it will go ($100.00, and you’re in). Hubby didn’t win this time, but that’s OK. We just want to get our dock assembled, and our boat in the water. And we’re hoping for another wonderful summer spent with family and friends.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

For my image today, I used one layer of kk_3003 on soft light. Kim wanted our image to POP, so I bumped up the saturation on the hydrangea and softened the background. Check it out at Texture Tuesday!

Pansies, Greenhouses, and the Smell of Spring

by 13 Comments

pansy, garden quote, kim klassen, barb brookbank, texture, texture tuesday

Yesterday it snowed. Lots. It was actually a mini-blizzard.

As I sat at the computer trying to work, my mind kept wandering. Something was calling to me… something bright, warm, and filled with flowers.

I knew what I had to do. I had to finish up a draft of my next tutorial and send it off to be approved. Then I would have to wait, wouldn’t I? The person who approves it is halfway across the world in Australia and was probably still asleep. This would give me a few hours where I could do whatever I wanted… so off I went…

the big, greenhouse

 ah, yes… welcome, indeed

I spent about an hour walking up and down the aisles, dreaming and scheming. When I looked around at other people, they all had a hint of a smile on their face. The saleswoman was wearing a tank top! Oh, now doesn’t she have the best job in the world!? And the smell… the smell of soil after a rain… gah, it gave me shivers…

It’s too early to buy anything for the garden, but I could indulge in one little pot of sweet smelling pansies. It’s now sitting on a rough little wooden bench in my kitchen where the sun pours in all afternoon.

After I left the greenhouse, I headed to my favourite junque shop and stocked up on… (oops, that’s for another post).

I’m joining in on the fun at Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen. Today we were to use any of Kim’s textures and add some wise words. Well, I’m not so wise, but I loved the quote.

Credits:

Kim Klassen: Textures kk_3003_2, kk_3003_1
Anna Aspnes: background paper, masks, brushwork, envelope, loop-da-loops
Beads: Amanda Taylor
Vintage Typewriter

 

Simplicity

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picsplay, desert marigold, kim klassen, texture

As I have said before “I need flowers”. However, our holidays are quickly coming to an end and I didn’t want to spend any money on a bouquet that I was going to have to either give away, or (heaven forbid!) throw away. So off I went in search of wildflowers. These charming Desert Marigolds are growing on the roadsides all over Fountain Hills and I didn’t think it would be a problem if I snipped a few and brought them in to grace our humble abode.

This morning I set them on the little antique chest that has become our coffee table. I love it’s rough texture and peeling paint and the fact that at a certain time the sun streams in and hits it on the corner, creating a perfect sunbeam. No fake Photoshop sunbeam here (although I am not above that).

I snapped the photo with my iPhone and took it into #PicsPlay where I added a filter and the text. Then I added one layer of kk_subtlyyours by Kim Klassen.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Thursday!! Yes, yes, I’m late to the party! :)

My apologies for re-posting this… there were some error messages with the first one and I’m trying to figure out what it was. Thanks so much for your patience. I saved all the comments from the previous post (I treasure and appreciate all of them).

Musings on the Desert and the Good Life

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sonoron desert, arizona

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Yes, we are still on holidays. It seems like it was another lifetime that we went to the Grand Canyon but it was only a couple of weeks ago. We’ve seen everything from a blizzard to parched desert floors. I was photographing cactus flowers when I noticed this plant and saw what a beautiful shape it had. This is the thing that my iPhone has opened up for me–the courage to take photos that at first don’t seem worth taking but turn into mini pieces of art by adding a filter or two. Simple everyday moments are recorded. I now turn to my Instagram page to recall the details of my life. Are you following me on Instagram? There are lots of little snippets there that you might find fun…

Here’s a bit of water to quench that dry desert floor feeling:

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cool waters

We surely packed in a lot of adventures. We had 3 different sets of company (loved it all). We visited the Canyon, Goldfield Ghost Town (where we watched a western gun fight), Tortilla Flats,  Sedona, Montezuma Castle, the Zoo, the Rio Verde drive, then all the way up to Cave Creek.

We enjoyed lunches, dinners, picnics, water parks, and pool time.

Did I mention dinners? Here’s a tasty treat I enjoyed at Lon’s. Grilled Halibut on Risotto with Fennel, yummm.

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grilled halibut

And, we went shopping–from Target to Casa Decor to Anthropologie (and back).

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anthropologie

Yesterday, hubby and I went to Restoration Hardware just to see what it was about. Whoa… it’s not what I expected. Swank, people. Swank.

Our first clue was that we had to walk through a courtyard to get to the door. I wanted to turn back but couldn’t help myself. I wanted to see it. First thing we encountered was a gentleman sitting on a couch looking at us like we were slugs or something. That was uncomfortable. Until hubby stopped and looked at a ginormous pine table and turned to me and said “I don’t think this is big enough, do you?” I hesitated only for a moment but then glanced at the gentleman out of the corner of my eye and said “well, yes… I think it needs another piece of pine –it’s not wide enough” (this thing would not have fit in our garage). Lucky for me I didn’t go into a fit of giggles. It wouldn’t have been pretty considering the amount of water I had been consuming.

We soldiered on and went right up to the top floor, looked around, exchanged niceties with the salespeople and then got the he** out of there, our white running shoes flashing as we went.

Please don’t get me wrong. I can appreciate the good things in life and Restoration Hardware is definitely one of them. If I could, I probably would shop there. Actually, we determined that we could manage to buy a lamp… if they had some kind of lay-a-way program.

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday at Tina’s PicStory (sorry this is not so wordless) :)

A Sun-Dappled Patio

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We enjoyed a relaxing hour or so while having lunch on the patio at “The House of Tricks” in downtown Tempe near the popular Mill Avenue. Protected from the sun by a leafy canopy and surrounded by pots of flowers, it’s a quiet oasis that makes a person want to linger. It makes you want to savour every bite, talk about life, and sip slowly on your beverage of choice. Ours was coffee; aromatic and flavourful, poured from little decanters and served in tiny mismatched teacups.

It stirred some distant memory or feeling in me that I can’t quite explain. Probably just a combination of all the summer days of my life and the gratefulness I feel when sitting on a deck surrounded by flowers, friends, and family. Whatever it was, it’s elusive so I’m going to leave it at that. I would highly recommend this restaurant, not just for the atmosphere but also for the food. I ate so much that I skipped dinner last night and at the time of this writing I’m still not ready for breakfast!

Just Another Day in Arizona

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Palm-Trees-AZ

Today we spent most of the day at our local park. We found a spot on the grass, set up our little picnic area and enjoyed a delicious lunch of homemade chicken sandwiches and fresh fruit. When we finished, the boys went to play on the slides and us adults sat and relaxed for a bit.

It wasn’t long until I wandered off to “take photos” and came back with some lattés and cinnamon coffee cake. It just doesn’t get any better, I tell ya!

Hubby and I have so enjoyed having our family with us and we are really, really going to miss them. I feel teary remembering the ginormous hugs that we received at the airport when we picked them up a week ago (I was almost toppled over by a 3-year-old). And now, already, we are soon going to be saying our good-byes. It’s going to be pretty quiet when we get back to our condo (except for the snores).

A Big Day at the Zoo–It Was a Tall Order

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giraffe

Today we spent five hours with our daughter and grandsons at the zoo and we had a blast! There’s an incredible amount to see, from scorpions to rattle snakes, to jaguars. I have dozens of photos to process but I’m going to have to leave you with this giraffe I captured on my iPhone. There’s only so much I can cram in into one day…

(processed with distressed fx)

The Grand Canyon–The Final Episode

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Our second morning dawned clear, bright, and cold. We were pretty relieved and couldn’t wait to get out and explore.

After a quick breakfast we headed out and spent the next several hours walking along the rim. Alert: photo overload!
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As you can tell, I was pretty impressed with this surreal, natural wonder.

If you ever get the chance… no wait! don’t leave it to chance–make it happen–visit the Grand Canyon!!

The Grand Canyon Continues

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Just a few more snowy vistas before we move along.Grand Canyon-web04DSC_0159

The sun stayed out for about an hour and we were able to enjoy the gorgeousness of the forest…

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I didn’t want to stand there with hubby so I offered to take his photo…

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Finally, the Grand Canyon. Photos cannot capture it. Words cannot describe it.

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But us photographers try.

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National Geographic writes “the road to the Grand Canyon from the south crosses a gently rising plateau that gives no hint at what is about to unfold. You wonder if you have made a wrong turn. All at once an immense gorge a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide opens up. The scale is so vast that even from the best vantage point only a fraction of the canyon’s 277 miles can be seen”.

It wasn’t long until the clouds and snow took over once again so we headed to the Yavapai Lodge where we spent the night.

We were travelling with another couple so we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the El Tovar Dining Room. It was warm and cozy, the food was good, and we had a view of the rim of the canyon.

We watched people scurrying around outside with hoods and scarves pulled over their heads. We marveled at the snow blowing around and off the roof and made predictions about what we were going to wake up to. Would it be cold, but clear? Or was there going to be a foot of snow blanketing everything?

 

The Grand Canyon

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Shortly after we left the shelter of the gift shop/cafeteria (to escape the blizzard) and began to drive to our hotel, the sun started to peek out and we caught our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.

We pulled into a viewing area and I just couldn’t get past the trees. They were so absolutely gorgeous with their twisted trunks, rough bark, and snowy branches.

I knew that the lighting was perfect and that the snow was soon going to melt so I slowed down and took dozens of shots, all the while exclaiming how beautiful it was. But the excitement was building as we inched our way closer and closer to the rim…  more photos to come later!

I was using my new Nikon D7100 with the 55-105mm lens for the first time! I’m pretty excited about it! I did a lot of thinking about which camera I wanted. I looked at full sensors but decided the cost was just too prohibitive and not necessary for my needs. The D7100 is a 24.1-MP DX-format CMOS sensor and shoots up to 6 fps. I also bought the 55-105mm lens which will enable me to take a wider range of photos without having to change out the lenses constantly.

I sharpened the photos, adjusted the exposure, then bumped up the blues and greens a wee bit–that’s it…

So far, I’m quite pleased. I cropped the last image to within an inch of it’s life and I think the detail is still pretty amazing.