Watercolor Painting

I've had so many questions about photos and the New editor that was introduced many months ago, that I've done a tutorial on it. It's not a comprehensive tutorial but may give a bit of help to some of you who are struggling with photos on your blog. Just go here or click on the tutorial above under my banner/logo.
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Recently I celebrated another birthday. Now, I've admitted the only thing I ever ask for is my dinner out. I'm not good at remembering or celebrating my birthdays and have even been known to forget our anniversary or kids'/grandkids' birthdays. Birthdays are just not high on my list of priorities—mine or anyone else's. So that being said, I have this little story to tell you.

As you may know since I've mentioned it before, I've had an eBay group for over 4 years now. We chat about our lives and decorating and crafting and we've all grown very close and on occasions some of the group have met each other in person. But they treat me royally. I truly do love each of those women.

But a few days after my birthday I received an email from a member who quit—although we still keep in touch via emails—asking me if I checked my mail that day. I confirmed that I had, thinking she meant email, and thanked her for the e-card she sent. She emailed back quickly saying it wasn't email/e-card, but the regular postal service. I had grabbed the mail from the box on my way in from a bit of shopping and told her that yes, I had in fact checked my mail box. She quickly emailed back that she sent something and her confirmation slip said it arrived today. All of a sudden I looked up at my video cam that monitors my front porch and saw a package out there that must have been left while I was out and I had forgotten to check the front porch. Our mail lady leaves packages on the porch for me.

So I quickly ran to the door and opened the package and this is what I found inside—this gorgeous watercolor painting from her! I gasped and was so astounded that she would be so kind as to gift me with such a lovely watercolor. And she even matted it for me. I don't have a frame that it will fit snugly in, but I love using old frames I have painted. I just can't throw them away and mats are so expensive, I have to be creative so this is what I've done.


Isn't it just beautiful? I truly and thrilled and in awe of her talent.

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White Roses

Hubby was pruning the roses recently and this is what he brought in. He loves them as much as I do and he's the gardener in our family. Many have emailed asking how I do it. I tell them I don't. His thumb is green and mine is pink. He just listens to our local nurserymen after much nagging from yours truly and they blossom out like this. The white one below actually starts out pink, then gets paler until it's almost white, but the scent is a citrus-y rose scent. Most wonderful, I assure you.

I was cutting some limbs from our dead pear tree to use for a project and cut off the leaves here on this table. I thought they would make a good prop for a photoshoot for this bouquet of roses.

Now, what could I be going to do with these things?

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Morning in the Garden

I spotted something on the back patio recently and thought it would make a great photo. So this morning after hubby left I tracked out there barefoot—my usual mode of foot attire—and just took in the wonders of the garden, so to speak. This little sign hangs on the back of the house near our vegetable garden.

This little flower pot needs another coat of paint but I like it like this so I'll leave it alone. The little hanging candle holder I fashioned from an old canning jar was taken down from the top of the patio recently to give it a good scrub or something like that and I've yet to hang it back up.

We bought these grapes last year to train them to go over a trellis we bought about 3 years ago. The name of the grape is Himrod and they are the sweetest grapes I've ever eaten. Delicious! Love Bunny brought me in a bunch of them last night and I had the whole bunch almost eaten when I spied a bug on my pant leg and then another one on the arm of my chair. He hadn't washed them and I wondered just how many bugs I ate before I noticed those two. I feel like something is crawling on me as I type this post. ;-) I'd like to say I was aiming for an artistic photo of the leaves, but truthfully I was aiming for the grapes but this turned out even better than I'd hoped. So see, mistakes can be nice after all.

Same here. ;-)

Ahhhhh, now we've got it! Luscious grapes.

Just my view of the trellis from where I was standing. You can see my neighbor's tree in the middle of the background.

Maybe I'm on my way to be a vintner, huh?

My footprints as I was heading into the house. It truly was quiet and beautiful out there in the morning with the dew lapping over my feet. Quiet and cool.

UH!! Now, how did Caroline get in here? LOL This is your eye candy for this morning. She's wearing a dress her great grandma wore almost 70 years ago. ME!

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Hydrangeas

I'm doing something just a tad different in our family room entrance so I brought a mosaic from the entrance to the family room to the entrance to the house. Ever changing, as I've said before.

I had to show you the hydrangeas and roses once more. I thought they had finished blooming but not so. They were planted a couple of years ago and didn't really take off well until this year. Each year they keep getting bigger and bigger like those we had in California. They struggle but I do believe they'll bloom in abundance in the next couple of years. Isn't this bloom gorgeous?

This one on the other side of the plant is withering slowly—playing out its existence for the year.

See how much thicker it's getting.

Again, the opposite side is dying its natural death.

And the roses. I didn't think this bush had that much left in it after Love Bunny's severe pruning thinking that the season was over for it, but I was wrong. (Yeah, let LB know I was wrong! He'd croak for sure.) :-)

Another bush has burst forth in all its glory also. We are truly blessed this year with roses.

And the hostas and day lily are flowering also.

Would you just look at how wonderful God is to bless us so abundantly with this marvelous garden area.

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Porches #4

Fall in the woods with the leaves changing color and the American flag add a touch of nostalgia to this lovely porch.

A beautiful farmhouse like this could be anywhere in the midwest. Starched curtains hanging in the windows. White with touches of black and red just grip my heart here.

There's a trend toward this sort of home in the southeast vacation places. While I can surely appreciate its beauty, it isn't a style with which I'm particularly fond. Very stark and clean looking.

The typical farmhouse found in just about any area, state or county in America. I know many women who would absolutely give up anything they could for a place like this.

I could spend summer mornings and evenings on this cute porch. I like the circular shape and the woodland view. But the wicker really captures my heart.

Mid America? Western America? Northern America? With the basement window barely visible I'm guessing it definitely isn't California!

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