Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

Bad Photo

Sooooo....I didn't have a lot of time today to take a photo to use with Kim Klassen's  texture, Rejoice. Nope, it was a rushed affair.  I've been taking a photo everyday rather than delve into my stash. Anyhow...the photo turned out bad and it didn't fit with the texture at all. No matter which way I tried to spin it I had problems getting the look I wanted.

Bad photo, that's what it is.

So what to do... hide it in the trash, tell everyone a stranger grabbed my camera and shot this hideous photo, or go ahead and stick it on the blog saying to the world....  Hey I'm not perfect!  I chose the latter.

So without further adieu let me introduce to you the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of photos...

Eeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww......

Now if you want to see photos that really make Kim's textures pop head to her website blog.



 

PS You will not find this photo on my flickr photostream.

Christmas Greens

The fresh smell of pine wafts through the house when the tree is brought in to be decorated.  It was an exciting time when we went off to find the Christmas, whether it was cut-fresh from a tree farm or selected from a local Christmas tree vendor it's what I imagine the bringing in of the yule log must have been like from the Christmases of long, long ago.  The stories of ancient Christmas traditions fascinates me.  I prefer to use fresh greens over artificial.  Fresh white pine that reminds of me of spidery fireworks in shades of green creates a base.  The legendary holly bearing plump red berries is so lovely to set upon window sills and add to garlands, wreaths, and in arrangements.  And then, English ivy, the little evergreen with so much spunk that it will grow up stone and brick walls.
  


So I gathered a few greens and those bright berries that wink at me outside my window. Placed in an English trug the greens and berries could be from the Christmases of Eleanor of Aquitaine or Anne Boleyn.  I love that about Christmas...the tradition, the legends, the lore, the memories.

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The textures used on the photo are Kim Klassen's new one for today, Providence layered twice, and then Edward to add a timeless look.  You'll find more tantalizing textured treasures at....

Make a Joyful Noise

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  Around the age of 7 or 8 I taught myself to play the piano.  I was gifted with the ability to play the piano by ear. My sister, B, started taking piano lessons.  She came home, sat at the old upright and practiced scales and songs.  I listened closely and waited with anxious anticipation for her to be finished.  Now it was my turn to pick out the notes through trial and error that she'd just played. It wasn't long until side-by-side we sat at the piano, B showing  and teaching me how to read music.  I never learned correct fingering, but I learned to play the piano well enough without ever taking a lesson from a teacher besides my sister. 
I played trumpet and French horn in the band, but it was always the piano that enchanted me. Then one day I had a little girl of my own. She learned to play the piano through the instruction of several area pianists, but  she wanted to play the flute.

 And boy...could she play the flute.  Her sound was rich with lush bravado.  To this day I love the sound of the flute, the violin, and the piano, my three favorite instruments.

When I think back music enriched my life from the deep baritone of my dad's voice to the sweet lilting notes of my daughter's flute.  My sister went on to get her degree in music and teach.  I went on to play the piano in the solitary confines of the parlor, and my daughter...once in a great while she picks up her flute and makes a joyful noise that this mama adores.

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Oh that Kim Klassen!  She's done it again with yet another lovely texture titled, Lola.  The flute photo is layered with Lola and also Kim's Wonderful Magic Stars.  Search for more textured beauties here...

More Texturizing

I'm collecting each of Kim Klassen's textures, but I've not had time to put them into action so I'm behind.  Here's a couple photos I with a couple of her textures.
 
The first one, Snow Globe, has been textured with first storm and then more magic scratches.


The second photo has a layer of storm also and then a layer of wonderful magic scripted, another charming texture created by Kim Klassen. 


I hope each of you are making merry as the holidays approach on a fast sleigh of time. 

Day 3 & 4: Ribbons & Bows

There's just so much to do: gifts to wrap, cards to finish (yes, I'm late), gingerbread men to create, and more baking.  With all this busy, I missed yesterday's 12 Days of Textures, but I'm using the two textures Kim offered on today's photos.  I'm all about ribbons and bows.  I've said it before: I love ribbons of all colors and kinds. One can never have too many ribbons. 


This photo was layered with Look-Up first, followed by Edward, yesterday's texture.



I cross-processed With Love and then added today's texture gift: Zuzu.  Kim does an amazing job creating these lovelies that adds to the story of each photo with depth and pattern.  I'm so lovin' this 12 days of textures that I've challenged myself to complete.  Wanna see more texture love?  Click below...



I hope you find time to savor the moments leading up to Christmas with a cup of tea, a hint of serenity, and a heaping helping of love. 

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Now a Rant and a Plea

For the last couple weeks I've been having problems viewing the blogs of others.  Some of the images come through, but then others do not.  I have no idea why I'm having this problem.  It's frustrating to no end.  I've researched the problem, followed the instructions all for naught...nothing changed.  Anyone have any ideas why there are red X's in the corners where images should appear?  Any solutions? 

Also, I'm having problems commenting on some blogs.  For some reason, I keep getting sent back to change my Google ID.  After re-typing the information all ready there, I'm sent back again. I can't give different information because there's only the one.   Any suggestions or ideas would be so appreciated.

Day 3: Of Inspiration & Red Berries

Inspiration is all around, often in the most obscure places and things.  The red berries that I see outside my window have been a source of inspiration and beauty through fall and still they cling to the branch as winter fast approaches.  It's the color red, like a shiny object, that draws me in. 

This is day three of Kim Klassen's 12 Days of Textures.  I used two of the textures for today's photo.  The first, Lily, was multiplied on to the photo and faded a tad.  The  new texture for today, Cosmos, was overlayed on top and faded to 42%.  Do you see that light in the distance?  That's the light coming from creative souls you can find at .....

Day 2: Mom's Recipe Box

One of the happiest holiday memories I hold deep in my soul is baking with my mom and siblings. What fun we had frosting cookies and each other.  Oh my the glorious smells that wafted through the house during the holidays...sugar cookies, gingerbread men, peanut butter blossoms, and many more.  She was a passionate candy maker, too.  Chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, penuche fudge, divinity, peanut brittle, buckeyes, caramels and taffy filled tins. 

As we grew up and moved on with our own lives, we still came together to make candy. By the time each of us arrived the recipe box was open with a stack of recipes at the ready.  We got busy kneading, mixing, dipping, and creating.  Sisters and sister-in-laws came and went as life sent us in various directions, but the tradition continued for those who could make it until my mom became too ill to open her recipe box.

Now when I hold those recipes in my hands and admire the lovely handwriting that was my mom's I can hear the music of her kitchen; the deep, rich sounds of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, the laughter of the ladies in my life, and for a moment she is right here once again.

*Blowing a kiss to the heavens above*

This is day two of Kim Klassen's 12 Days of Textures.  Each day she's sharing a texture that can be downloaded for free.  Here's your chance to give textures a try on your photography.  Follow the cookie crumb trail here.

Celebrate Them Home

I've not done so well capturing 25 days in December, but maybe I can get in Kim Klassen's Twleve Days of Texture.  She's giving away a texture each day for the next 12 days.  It's amazing how a texture tells a different photographic story. 

The ornament hangs on my friend MJ's tree.  It's one of those lovely retro ornaments that we hold dear and inspires to recall Christmas past. Each year as I decorate I am reminded how I got this ornament, where that Santa came from, and mostly of those that are no longer near by. Oh how I wish I could celebrate them home. 


I fell in love with today's texture, Lily, by Kim Klassen.  Find more texture love here.

Of Buckeyes & Holidays

Here in Ohio we're all about buckeyes. Yep, we gather buckeyes, the nuts from an indigenous tree, and add them to our fall decor.  My family cheers the Buckeyes on every fall Saturday, even through tough times.  And when the holidays roll around...it's time to make... 


It's a tradition in my family to spend a couple hours mixing the creamy peanut butter center, shaping into balls,and then dipping in chocolate leaving a circle on top.  The end result looks just like a buckeye.  

Mmmmmm....buckeye love!

Even if you don't live in Ohio you can give these tasty little treats a try.  They're easy to make and oh my....it's melt-in-your-mouth, peanut butter goodness.

B u c k e y e s

1/2 cup of crunchy or creamy peanut butter

1/4 lb. of butter

3/4 lb (2 2/3 cups) confectioner's sugar

12 ounces of Nestle chocolate chips

A bit less than a 1/4 bar of paraffin

To a large bowl add peanut butter, butter, and confectioner's sugar.  Mix ingredients with your hands until the mixture becomes well blended and creamy, but firm.  Refrigerate for an hour or so. Roll into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch balls and refrigerate until firm.   

Pour chocolate chips into the top of a double boiler and shave paraffin using a vegetable peeler on top.  Melt chocolate and paraffin until all is smooth.  Using toothpicks dip each ball into the chocolate leaving a circle of the peanut butter middle showing on top. Place buckeyes on parchment or waxed paper and let set until chocolate is no longer sticky to touch.  Do not place in 'fridge to set.

Enjoy! 

PS There IS a difference between horse chestnuts and buckeyes. 

Texture Tuesday: Celebrate Light

When I think about the word celebrate a multitude of images comes to mind.  Delicious foods shared with family and friends, shouts of Happy Birthday and Congratulations, laughter, witty banter, and light...yes light.  So many celebrations bring out the candles from birthday cakes to  romantic dinner tables to mantles dressed up for the holidays.  For a romantic like me, candles say it all.  



I used two different textures created by Kim Klassen.  The first layer, added after cropping, was Look-Up.  I faded it a bit.  The last layer, Pour Vous, was also faded.  The photo was taken in my light box. I picked up poster board and cut it to size for the background and what a difference it makes. Definitely smoother. 

Kim Klassen hosts Textured Tuesday each week where a bounty of photographers add their textured beauties.  Click the box belong and be swept away...

Holiday Shopping & Stuff

There's something going on around here. Little shops are springing up and it's exciting! Last Saturday, MJ and I galivanted about Williams County visiting shops. To give you a bit of background...Williams county lies in the very northwest corner of Ohio bordered by Indiana to the west and Michigan to the north. With a population of less than 38,000 you just know there's room to stretch. The county was hit hard by the economic woes the country faces and as of October 2011 the unemployment rate continues in double digits at 10%. 

So what's a rural area that relied on Detroit to do?

Get creative!  Set up shop! And oh how imaginative entrepeneurs are grabbing on to the possibilities and making them work...

Our first stop was at a holiday shop in West Unity.  You'll hear more about that shop in a later post, so let's travel down the road to Stryker, Ohio and...

The Green Awning

Yep, I've given you a bit of insight into the Green Awning in a previous post,but let me tell you...Kathy & Tom Short do it up right for the holidays.  Everything was bright, cheerful, and beautiful from antiques & old stuff in the window...

to the clove-studded oranges beneath an old stove...

After catching up with old friends and laughing at Kathy's Christmas hat, with a wave we were on way to Bryan and the...

East Mulberry Gift Cottage

What vintage love is found within the whimsical vignettes of Sharon & Gary Gyurnek's shop.  Birds in purses, perched on iron farm implement seats and everywhere creates a natural ambiance that pulls browsers and buyers into Sharon's world.  Look up....

  to find teacups hanging from twiggy branches on soft, silken ribbons.

Look down...

and there it is... a vintage suitcase just waiting to come home with me and be filled with dreams of far away places and crazy adventures.

Across the square sits Special Ocassions,one of my favorite stores in the area.  I'm saving this little gem for another post, so let's hurry out of town and to...

Fox Farms Christmas in the Barn

A clutch of hens and roosters greeted us as we walked toward the big barn.  Just outside the barn, a whimsical arrangement bid welcome and enter

Within the barn everlastings hung in huge bundles, ready to be crafted into wreaths, swags, garlands, and more. 

A loft circled with tiny white lights held more drieds

Karin Fox takes the everlastings and fashions one- of-a-kind-wreaths-and-designs. The Barn is open every Saturday through December 10th.

The Green Awning Gallery

Tom & Kathy Short

106 Defiance Street

Stryker, Ohio  43557

(419) 682-7432

E. Mulberry Gift Cottage

Sharon & Gary Gyurnek

847 E Mulberry Street

Bryan, Ohio  43506

(419) 630-0100

Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10-6  Saturday 10-4

Fox Farms

Jerry & Karin Fox

09 319 Rd 750

Edon, Ohio  43518

(419) 272-2278

Open every Saturday through December 10th 10-4

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A December Photo Challenge: 25 photos in 25 days

 December 1 Berries & Bokeh

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I'm not quite finished.  Don't forget about the Holiday Planner under the Gift for You page. You're welcome to download, copy it, print it, and share it anyway and anywhere you like. 

Have a delightful December Day!