living, learning, and keeping with the times
I seem to be drawn to tiny, understated flowers, so when I saw that my oregano was blooming I had to snip a few sprigs to play with.
I think it would make a great bridal bouquet … for an elf …
The cute font is free and is DJB Jacked Up Kinda Love from our own fontographer, Darcy Baldwin (from Digital Scrapper). You can find her fonts in the shop here, and Darcy can also turn your very own handwriting into a font! Check that out here.
LR Preset: kk_lightandairy
Texture: kk_poetic
Our summer this year was amazing. We had above average temperatures and no violent storms. We had lots of time with our family which we spent out on the lake, having campfires, and just generally hanging out.
Now the sun is rising later and setting earlier … there’s just no getting around it. That’s one of the first signs that things are changing. The leaves are looking tired and so are my flower pots.
I have to admit I’m a bit relieved to have some rain and cooler temps this morning and I plan to do some baking, something I haven’t done for weeks because of the heat.
And as far as blogging goes I feel like I’ve fallen off the grid and must now either step it up or … else …
So I pulled an image out of the archives this morning; something that has become a lot easier since I’ve been working on my LR organization. However, I was watching one of the videos for the 31 Days class and oh.my.heavens … my keywords are a disaster … oh my … but onwards and upwards!
Today I’m posting a creation and that’s what counts! I ran kk_lightandairy_film and then added one layer of kk_quiet on soft light.
Don’t forget “app” happy wednesday tomorrow! I hope to see you there!
Sometimes you don’t have to go far to find something interesting.
As I stepped out my front door, I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired. In fact I was feeling pretty much the opposite of particularly inspired. But then I spied a pink flower in the bushes and went over to investigate. The flower was pretty, and quite unexpected (it was a volunteer Lavatera), but then I spied the chokecherries.
It’s a big sign that we are tipping over the edge of summer.
This brings a ton of mixed feelings; the urge to scream no, then excitement and anticipation for the time of year I love most, a bit of nostalgia, and a feeling of calm.
I’ll soon be making jelly with these sour little bullets. I can’t wait to be pouring the dark burgundy liquid into hot jars, sealing them tightly, and adding a cute little lid and tag. Treasures ready for gifting.
Oh, and here’s the pretty volunteer Lavatera that drew me in …
Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Today is TT and I’m late to the party … but as it turns out, it’s a good thing.
When I read Kim’s post I was so struck by her words “something good is about to happen” …
Those words! So full of promise, anticipation, excitement.
Something good is about to happen!
I don’t really know what she is referring to, but that doesn’t matter. It’s not the point. If I saw these words on my bathroom mirror every morning I’d be so excited to start the day wondering what it could be … Perhaps it’s only that …
For today’s image I used kk_melancholy and the font is Arsenale White on Overlay Blend Mode
Don’t forget! tomorrow is “app” happy wednesday!!
Good Monday Morning! What are you having for breakfast?
I’m having white space.
One of our challenges in the Be Still 52 class was to create a still life around a spoon. Once again my love for clean, minimal, and white kicked in.
I took this with my DSLR and I have to tell you that it’s becoming more and more difficult for me to set up for a square image. I’ve become so used to my phone which makes it a breeze because of the option to take a square shot to start with.
So here I first set everything on a 12×12 inch piece of scrapbook paper and then removed it when I was ready to shoot. That helped but it wasn’t perfect. I still had to crop and straighten. Then I had to lighten, brighten, dodge and burn. Oh well, it turned out in the end and I achieved what I was going for.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
The flower arranging bug has hit me — and hit me hard this year. I’m not content with putting only one type of flower in a vase and calling it done.
Last week after I arranged my Funky Modern Triangular Bouquet I started to see possibilities everywhere … such as this lovely lily and (bluebell) bunch that I placed in a vintage baking powder tin. Easy peasy.
In the past I’ve been quite annoyed by these purple flowers (I think they’re some kind of bluebell) and I would pull them out of my garden like weeds …
… oh, now wait just a minute … I love weeds! so I added some flowering thyme to fill in the spaces and voila!
I processed this photo in LR and used kk_oldendays at a reduced opacity.
For these two images I simply let the vibrant colours loose …
Summer is so busy! This week I have three of my grandchildren visiting and the days are packed full. So now before I call it a day I have to muster up some energy and go and water my plants.
So thank you for visiting and I do hope your summer is going as beautifully as mine!
Quite often in the summer I’ll jump in the car and simply drive around. Yes, I’m searching for photos, but at the same time I’m soaking up life. If I hadn’t gone out and about I would not have discovered this wonderful barn. I sat and stared at it for the longest time. The whole scene brought me peace.
So orderly.
So tidy.
So loved. I wanted to take it home with me.
I could smell freshly cut lawn and clover.
I could hear tall grasses rustling in the warm breeze, and a squirrel chattering in the evergreens. Other than that … silence.
Later in the day I visited Star Lake and ran into this fellow who was pretty much minding his own (business) …
… seriously?
OK. Goodnight! I’ll leave you alone.
For the past few days we’ve had smoke from forest fires blanketing our area, so that’s why the sky in each of these images looks blown out and featureless. The poor air quality has been rated as high as 7 (out of 10) which is unheard of in these parts. And even though it does make for some interesting light I’m ready for some fresh air. Here’s hoping for a cool breeze and a bit of rain please.
Thanks for stopping by, I so appreciate it! Have a wonderful weekend!
It’s full-on summer here and I have wildflower fever.
I’m constantly scouring ditches and fields for pretty wildflowers and this year with all the rain and warm temperatures there is no shortage of material.
On Sunday I threw on my sunhat, grabbed some shears and a pail of water, and and joyfully hit the road in search of treasures. I’d seen a vision and I was on a mission.
First of all I clipped a whole clump of purple vetch. It’s a must to put it into a pail of water immediately or it’s not going to make it. It wilts extremely fast and has a hard time recovering (if ever does at all). Most wildflowers (weeds) are like that – they need water asap. After I had gathered everything, I let it sit in water overnight (outside and out of sunlight.) The next day in the cool of the morning, I arranged my bouquet.
So here’s what I used:
Thanks for stopping by!
Good morning! The peonies are producing like crazy and I have light pink, dark pink and white ones vying for attention.
Today I have a single light pink blossom to share with you. I’m cheating … I know it’s Texture Tuesday but with all the lr presets that Kim has provided in the Be Still 52 class … I cannot stop playing …
I used kk_oldendays on these … sigh …
… and be still my heart palpitations … I applied kk_darkmood and reduced the clarity from 57 to -44.
… good heavens, I can’t decide! here it is with the clarity at 57 … which do you prefer?
Oh my … you are getting off easy today. I could post 15 of these but I’m going to restrain myself and save some for a rainy day.
Happy TT!
This week I’m like a kid in a candy shop. I”m finding flowers everywhere I look.
To say my garden is exploding would be an understatement. I hardly know what to do with it all! Oh would that I could save some for January, February, and March! But alas I cannot, so photos will have to do.
I could post a flower-a-day for 365 days I’m sure … .
So here are five random things that made me happy this past week:
So what did you find this past week? What made you happy?
Just popping in to say hi! and happy TT! Today is Canada Day, so Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!
We’ve had such a fun holiday visiting with family. Our oldest daughter and her family have been here since Friday. Today they are heading home … so sad … already can’t wait for next time … .
Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you tomorrow at “app” happy wednesday!
kk_awaken
LR Preset Melancholy at 25%
I had planned to write a rather large post to take you on a tour through my garden but somehow the day got away on me. It’s the Canada Day long weekend coming up and we’re looking forward to some quality family time. The house is clean, the beds are made, and the bathrooms are sparkling. I have steaks marinating in the freezer, hamburgers ready, and pies in the works.
Between all the preparations I took a minute and sat down with a glass of ice cold water, camera in hand, and waited for that elusive butterfly that had been taunting me all morning. It had been flitting through the yard and around my head and not once did it land anywhere near me. So I set out some bait: a jar full of lilacs. I knew it could not resist and sooner or later I would “capture” it. And yes, well the rest is history.
I edited this in Lightroom with one of Kim’s presets (kk_oldendays) … a click of a button and magic happens.
Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! I’ll see everyone next week or you can find me on Instagram if you’re interested in our weekend shenanigans!
As one lilac shrub finishes blooming, I have another one just starting. I’m afraid the melancholy days may not be over … .
kk_greyday
kk_melancholy lr preset
Today my still life blends lilacs present with lilacs past.
A fresh bouquet rests on a white tea towel while photos from last spring and a soft mauve scarf draw the eye through the image.
Although the end is near, the shrubs still have blooms and even as they droop and fade their scent gets stronger and sweeter. Now there are swarms of swallowtail butterflies and hummingbird moths (hemaris thysbe) and bees and wasps all trying to gather up every single drop of nectar before it’s gone.
The parade of blooms continues in my garden. As the lilacs and anemones near their end, I watch closely as the peony buds double in size on a daily basis and the perennial poppies ready themselves to burst open. New growth and life is everywhere and some days I hardly know where to start. I do know that if I don’t move quickly the moment will pass. But some moments will pass and I’m good with that. Some moments are simply meant to be savoured, not saved.
Be Still 52 Class
Day 4: Make it Happen
kk_melancholy LR Preset
Texture: Cora/Soft Light 50%
I simply cannot explain how lovely it is to have a little barn wood-inspired garden right on my deck!
After I finished all the hard work of setting it up, here’s the view as I sit and sip my tea …
Meet my new side table. My perfect little garden on the deck.
I mean, a girl cannot have too many places to put her plants, can she?
Barn wood. I simply cannot resist it. I won’t even tell you how many pieces I’ve collected, but I’ve put each and every one of them to good use.
But really, all you need is just one piece, with two shelves if possible … and it doesn’t even have to be barn wood. I’ve found that having a little garden right on my deck has inspired me in so many ways. Not only do I have my herbs close at hand, but it also saves them from the (cute), but hungry little bunnies that are constantly nibbling away in my big garden.
… safe …
Thanks so much for stopping by today!
This takes me back to the farmhouse where I grew up. Faded memories of lilacs and mom.
I’m swooning over that window. Yes, it’s a sweet little prop …
… and the flowers are glorious this year.
Oh my. Thank you Kim for Melancholy. Just in time for lilacs.
Be Still 52 Class
Day 4: Make it Happen
Oh and don’t forget to join me for “app” happy wednesday tomorrow!
The anemones are blooming! The anemones are blooming!
It’s a pretty exciting time of year around here as my perennials start their parade of blooms.
Today … anemones …
tomorrow … lilacs … melancholy lilacs … can’t you just smell them?
How about this perfectly imperfect pot of johnny-jump ups?
I was out in my garden doing a bit of weeding and I spied this sweet little bunch sitting so prettily in the lawn.
Oh how I love thee.
Simple. Imperfect. Perfect. I know I planted some seeds once, but I haven’t seen you for years … welcome back.
Also, welcome to my Hoosier cabinet in its new home—our pantry! Now that’s perfectly imperfect. I had been earnestly purging and organizing and was thinking how I could really use some more shelves. Long story short, hubby helped me drag it upstairs and I spent a blissful day setting up my treasures.
Take a gander at that side lighting! Its from a north-facing window and is my preferred light. I like the whiter, bluer tones and generally steer away from the yellowish tones. It’s a matter of taste but this is how I see it. The lighting in this room is not perfect (but it’s perfectly imperfect) so I use a piece of white foam core to bounce some light back onto my subject. For the above image I used my 40mm lens on a tripod with a slow shutter speed and an ISO of 250. I also used the timer to reduce shake. I ran Kim’s “Melancholy” LR preset and upped the saturation just a bit.
Here’s a pull-back of my scene.
I’ve had this cabinet for over 20 years and it continues to delight me. It truly is the simple things in life that are the best.
Be Still 52 Class
Day 4 “Make it Happen”
Today I have two treasures to share with you. First up is the Ball Jar, found while browsing antique stores in Prescott, AZ with three of my blogging friends: Melinda, Terri, and Barbara.
It was Terri who alerted us to the jars. She collects them and even knows the dates they were manufactured according to the typeface used for the logo. I figure this one was made sometime between 1910 – 1923.
Second up is the hydrangea. It was so dreamy I couldn’t decide whether I liked it in the Ball jar, or just a plain old white vase, so I went crazy and posted both versions today.
Tomorrow I’ll be posting my Waterlogue version and what I did to get the results I wanted.
BTW, don’t forget that “app” happy wednesday is tomorrow and I really hope to see you there! It’s a fun place to share your photos edited with apps and maybe learn a few tips and tricks from fellow bloggers.
Check it out here: “app” happy wednesday.
Have a wonderful day!
kk_berrily (LR Preset)
kk_sybil texture on Soft Light
What could be simpler and have less impact on our environment than an antique wooden bowl?
Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com
If not for the evidence found in this little fellas coat, I would say that winter is not going away this year.
And if not for these …
and if not for these …
It’s been a cold, snowy, gray/brown week. But also a happy, productive week.
I finished up a tutorial, went for lunch with the ladies and visited a greenhouse!! where I bought some sweet little succulents. I felt overwhelmed with happiness and anticipation of the new gardening season that is sure to come, right?
As this is the Easter week-end, hubby and I will be spending some time with our family (so excited).
I hope you have a wonderful and happy Easter!
Right now my whole world is the colour of a pussy willow; off-white, cream, brown.
Yesterday I observed a rabbit that had this exact colouring! It’s starting to change from the snowy whiteness of winter to the dusty brown of summer.
We have old dirty snow, brown grass, and tangles of branches everywhere.
It’s beautiful. It’s my world, and I feel alive.
Today Kim talks about Wabi Sabi. Oh my! it’s the only reason I got this posted this morning. I won’t say any more… you must pop over to read about it! Thank you Kim!!
Disclaimer:
I’m going into town today with the girls, and I’m making a bee-line to the flower shop …
Have a wonderful Tuesday and thank you for stopping by!
Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com
kk_sophia
I love simplicity in everything whether it’s art, decorating my home, or life in general. And even though I can’t claim that my whole lifestyle is simple, I do try to keep it that way.
I have the luxury of keeping my life simple. I hope I always do.
Happy TT!!
Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com
kk_justatouch2
I have this thing about collecting little jars and filling them with dried bits and pieces. Here we have some birch branches, a sprig of yarrow, and some poppy seed heads. I considered this arrangement for quite some time and decided what I like about it is the orderliness of it all.
The image is made up of three visual triangles:
Yes, I am a little bit obsessed with triangles. I believe it goes back to my days at “Get It Scrapped” where Debbie Hodge devotes several classes to just this concept. Then she teaches a class about how to throw out the whole idea of visual triangles … wait a minute … hmmmm … anyway I now look for visual triangles everywhere I go. I think I love them. You can see it at work on some of my decorating when I created “My Quirky Autumn Mantel“.
Couple things to note today. If you are an Instagrammer, there is a fun little challenge going on called #prettywaterlogueapril hosted by @prettyhandygirl. Check it out on my feed “keepingupblog“, it’s nothing but fun!
Focusing on Life has a new theme for April, which is “Earth Day”, lots of fun there too! You can participate on Instagram, your blog, or flickr – check it out!
And don’t forget to check out all the beauties over at Kim Klassen dot com for Texture Tuesday. I used Kim’s kk_1808 for my image today.
Thanks for stopping by!
Also check out Still Life Photography at Cheryl McCain Photography.
You know how some days you get up, you have a plan; you know exactly what you should be doing but an hour later you find yourself immersed in something totally off-track?
Well that was me yesterday. I started out fully aware that I should be writing a tutorial but I ended up organizing photos in Lightroom … then 8 hours later I realized the day was gone …
But oh my goodness, a light bulb has come on. Suddenly I am able to see photos that have been buried for years and years.
I must admit it started out quite rocky when I imported the first batch and couldn’t find them, and then when I did, I couldn’t figure out how to move them. So I went and sat on the sofa for a few minutes and thought to myself “Barb! just use your head!” So I went back to the computer and followed my instincts based on what I’ve learned over the last year or so. I had to let go of my Windows Explorer and Bridge “brain”. I had to think differently.
Anyway, loooong story short, I’ve organized over 20,000 photos so far and it all makes perfect sense! Oh and hey! there are those vacation photos from 2009! wow! and look at all my flowers and still life images! and look at the grandkids – how much they’ve grown!! Now my husband will be able to look at all the photos I’ve taken (something he’s been wanting for years). I am so stinkin’ proud of myself! Plus, everything is also backed up, neat and tidy.
So that explains my tulip image this morning … it must have aged while waiting for me to find it!
Here’s another photo of my lovely Medalta pottery bowls, and while I started the edits in LR, I did allow myself to take it into Photoshop to finish it up.
I’m so much more pleased with the results this time.
I used a series of similar images in a collage last week for Friday Finds. I had challenged myself to see if I could create a collage from start to finish in LR, and while the results weren’t great, I posted it anyway. It’s part of my ongoing struggle with LR, which I am proud to say I am slowly conquering. Slowly.
This morning I received an e-mail from Pinterest saying that they had removed one of my pins due to a copyright complaint. Gasp! I almost had a heart attack! But they were quick to explain that the complaint was not directed toward me, it was against another user. Hmmm, in the future, I think I’m going to be more careful, maybe visiting the original site and reading their policies before I re-pin something. Stealing content is the last thing I want to be accused of. This has been my first brush with the dark side of Pinterest.
Today this country bumpkin is heading into “town” with friends for a day of shopping and lunching. The perfect antidote to the March blahs…
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com
kk_anne
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.
May your heart be as light as a song.
May each day bring you bright, happy hours.
That stay with you all the year long.
It’s a beautiful Monday morning; sunny and bright, and I just returned from my walk with the “ladies”. Apparently there’s snow on the way, but so what else is new for March?
But I’m excited to start a brand new week. I signed up for “The Art of iPhoneography: Self Portraiture” with Susan Tuttle. Whoa! what a challenge this is going to be! especially when I hate to see myself in photos… I think I’m going to be heavy into the blurs and the textures and shots of my feet.
I’m also trying to catch up with Start to Finish and Beyond Beyond over at the cafe. What an inspiring lesson for Day 47 of 2B! It’s bursting with tips and inspiration!
I learned a little tip about WordPress this week. If you’ve ever written a post in Word and then copied and pasted it into your blog, you’ll know that it comes with so much strange formatting that it’s just not worth the trouble. Well, I learned that if you press Ctrl Shift V as you add it to your blog post, the text is stripped of all that annoying stuff. I think that’s pretty cool!
What are you up to this week? I’d love to hear!
So Kim is back, and I ventured into the S2F classroom and oh, my, goodness. What a treasure trove of inspiration I found! It was just what I needed and I had to stop midway through a video to run and set up my still life. I love it when that happens.
When I watched how she set up her photo shoot, it reminded me that I have a pretty amazing spot to catch the light (if I’m early enough), and that would be our bathroom. In my previous post “Direction” I had revealed how I set up a small table in the bathtub. Today I covered that table with an old flour sack and hung some cotton tea towels on a foam core board as a backdrop. I found the tea towels at Williams Sonoma and they were worth every single penny. They wash beautifully and end up with just the right amount of wrinkle. When I’m finished with them I hang them on a back of a chair so that they don’t get fold lines since fold lines drive me nuts.
OK, so what did I find this week? First up, I found this beautiful big white Medalta bowl to go with my smaller bowls – major score!
I found that I could edit and save my collage in Lightroom with the help of Kim’s free template. I’m becoming a lot more comfortable with Lightroom (never thought I’d see the day) but this is the 5th version of my bowl collage, and I’m still not completely happy with it. In Photoshop I use lots of masks to control where adjustments appear and I haven’t figured that out in LR yet. What I did find amazing was that after I added my three images to the template, if I made an adjustment in the Develop Module, it was reflected in the template – way cool. It has been a great learning experience!
So that’s it for today! Thanks for stopping by, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you found this week!
There are a couple “finds” in this photo, the most recent being these yummy little Mandarins. I found them in a little store as I made my way to my country home this past week. It was the bright colour that caught my eye and at the time I wasn’t even thinking of photographing them. I picked up a bunch of daffodils too, which will soon be making an appearance here.
An older “find” is the four white Medalta bowls … swoon … . As I’ve mentioned before, I love to collect Medalta pottery. The cup I used in my “Heart Chocolate” is Medalta. I didn’t realize how much I love the white pottery … .
I find that I don’t have much to say these days. Yikes, I need an infusion of inspiration. This is where I say I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather. I’m not going to complain about the weather.
OK. I’m not going to complain about the weather.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Hover your cursor over this image to see the “before” photo.
I think I may have become so accustomed to playing with iPhoneography that it has spilled over into my TT creations. I’m also working on a tiny laptop with questionable monitor colours. So I guess I’m asking you to forgive me if my image looks a bit, shall we say, different today.
Oh good heavens! I need to get over it – I’m just having fun! We’ve been suffering through dangerously cold temperatures with ghastly wind chills on top of it, so if I want to go a bit wild on my Tucson doors, I guess that’s what I have to do.
When I added Kim’s “cherishedscripted” texture with the “Hue” blend mode, something magical happened. Hover your cursor over the image to see the “before” photo and you’ll see what I mean.
Here’s the texture I used:
I also ran a couple Photoshop filters to simultaneously sharpen and blur the photo.
I know spring is around the corner, at least that’s what the calendar tells me. And that’s what the stores are telling me too. They are overflowing with colourful capris, and t-shirts, and light jackets, and I’d be lying if I said I had resisted the urge to pick up a “few” new things … it’s a form of dreaming, I guess.
So what about you? Are you caught in the vise grip of winter too? or are you enjoying spring? Do tell!
Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com
kk_sophia