rain...rain...all gone!

the northeast was pounded for 3 days with a nor'easter of torrential rains!  it was something i've never seen before! all around me there was massive flooding & evacuations.... oh dear!  a dam on the main road nearest me didn't hold & i almost couldn't get home yesterday.  my basement flooded with 4 inches of water ruining almost everything down there. you might say "oh poor thing...that's terrible...

i say... thank you God! i slept in my own bed last night unlike those who had to leave everything behind & go to an emergency shelter. i didn't lose anything of value.  i got to stay home today & work with 6 good friends who helped clear everything out to a dumpster we had delivered.  we had a blast all working together. such fun!  my terribly unorganized & dirty basement is now spotless although still a little wet.  a job i've been avoiding for several years is now accomplished in one day!

i got new boots that i just love!!!!

and i snuck away for a few to curate a trilogy treasury with my friends annette & pey....

                                                       hot to trot!

what a great day!!!!! how was yours?

good night

                          sleep tight...don't let the bedbugs bite!

a photo a day...

getting back on track with posting a photo daily.... just heading up to bed so made a quick stop here to say....

                              nothing more dear than a mother's love!

treasury.... UP

i adore doing treasuries but it seems lately i'm never around at the right time!

so glad i got to play with my friends annette & pey.  to see a collection of our collective treasuries go to in the making!

2nd generation vintage

                                  new listings in my etsy vintage shop

echo.... "collection"

tanya and i just partnered up to join in the echo project.  this is week 10 "collection".  after chatting for a minute about logistics we sent each other our photos & to my surprise & delight, i discovered we are both lovers of old things & chose that for our interpretation of "collection".
i have been collecting tiny perfume bottles for several years. some of them have been around since the 60's & i love smelling "old" too!
i look forward to many more echo weeks with tanya!

texture experiments...

my learning curve..... playing around with textures. i still have so much to learn about photoshop so while i was feeling a little bored but not quite interested enough to get into ps, i played with superimposing with picasso. interesting, fun to do but not very good.  i really must conquer photoshop!

flying high....

and it's bedtime!

my town....

the weekly challenge at inspiration avenue is themed "my town".  i had to think about how i wanted to represent where i come from.  i kinda live in a neat area.... my house is in a very rural area but i'm surrounded by pockets of tourism, art & the ocean.  i didn't get to take my camera around this week cause i was so busy with wedding planning appointments but i love these weekly challenges.  so i made a couple of mosaics of photos i took through the winter......

                                                           

                                     scenes from ocean beach park

 

wall art & park statues

i don't know much about the history of my area but my camera can find the beauty......

so grab a cup of joe or tea & hop on over to view all the "my town" entries posted this afternoon.....

my etsy vintage shop....

i opened a vintage shop on etsy a few months ago but haven't been able to give it the time it needs.

there's never enough time in any day to do what i want!  i make lists & then more lists... & feel like i am always taking one step backward!

so today i spent several hours taking photos & listing items.  ugh! writing descriptions is not my cup of tea!


i confess..... i'm a pack rat!  i collect things & never throw anything away.  it drives my husband crazy!  you know how it goes.... "one man's junk is another man's treasure".  my house is full of treasures!

my stepson is moving in for awhile so i have to clean out the spare room.  my husband is not liking the idea that i move all my boxes to the basement.  he wants to see it go!

so i am having a huge sale.... buy one item & get any other item free.  i'm thinking this will make my hubby & my stepson happy.  he'll have a place to lay his head!

i will be listing every day & it may take a couple weeks till i get everything that i want listed.  i have boxes of vintage jewels & purses still waiting to be photographed as well.

so please, my dear readers..... i would so appreciate it if you could spread the word to all who love the treasures of yesterday.

for sale in my etsy shop.... 2nd generation vintage

wedding plans

well i made a commitment to post every day for a month.....

i was moving right along but i didn't succeed......

my daughter was here from texas for the week to work on wedding plans.....

a whirlwind week!!!!!

we hit the florists, the caterers, the wedding cake makers, the bridesmaid dress appointments, the seamstress & the dj.  all in 5 days!

she's back on the plane & i'm pooped.....

but we have a florist (white & green orchids, orange calla lilies & green hydrangeas),  a caterer (a barbecue pig roast), a cake (3 tier, beautiful white with complimentary orchids), horizen blue dresses, the wedding dress will be ready in 2 weeks & we chose a rockin dj!

 SUCCESS!!!!

today

        a day unlike any other day.....
available in my etsy shop

sunflowers

i bought myself my first sunflowers in the supermarket this week.  i couldn't resist their beauty & have absolutely loved looking at them on my table.  of course i had to take a few shots & i 'm so psyched i got to continue my study in textures.....

and i listed this one in my etsy shop.....

 

what a great week!!!!  how was yours?

eye of the beholder....

 i have purchased from these etsy artists & not only treasure their art but also their sweet souls!

a desperate want ad....

wanted:  a super cool, experienced photoshop teacher.  must be willing to sit next to the student & guide her hand through photo manipulations & digital collages. she will supply the photos, you will bring the patience.  working conditions include a comfortable chair, gorgeous view of nature through a huge bay window, 2 scruffy guys licking your feet & all the tea & coffee you desire. 

warning:  student can be tempermental & impatient at times.

more ladies....

                 i'm on a roll with the ladies......
                 i need to improve the the textures, though!

no showers today

day 7..... i'm hanging in there!

calla lily

day 6

one of my projects from the photo manipulation class i took with susan tuttle. 

when i see calla's i feel elegance, peace, serenity & simple beauty.

                                                                      

what do you feel?

day 5 of my plan

available in my etsy shop....

the ladies...

day 4......

home sick from work today so i messed around a little in pse.....

 

faces & flowers are my present favs right now.  i'm going to fine tune these & list in my etsy shop.  i think they'd make great note cards.  what do you think?

photo shot...day 3

my friends over on inspiration avenue are running an auction with all proceeds going to a wonderful charity called angel faces.  it offers adolescent girls who have facial disfigurements from burns & other traumas a week long retreat.  they receive counseling & supportive therapies using the arts to help overcome the social challenges they face.  the girls on the ia team have put up a piece of their art with starting bids as low as $5.00.  please go on over & take a look....& place a bid for a worthy cause.

photo shot....day 2

the window to the soul.....

photo shot...day 1

so i have some really crazy things going on in my life right now (i know.. don't we all).  i haven't been taking any time to do my art, shoot pictures or blog.  i'm also not doing much cleaning or paying my bills on time either! my daily routines which i so thrive on have gone by the wayside.   i'm loosing contact with my friends who have been sweet enough to take the time to support me & that really sucks!  i'm not visiting my favorite blogs or updating my etsy shops.
i decided today that despite the obstacles i'm facing right now, i'm taking back control of my life.  i'm starting with my passion.... my photos (better than starting with house cleaning)!  i'm going to post a photo here every day for a month. i'm going to try to shoot each day & post but i will at least post something i've taken recently, worked on in photoshop or is up for sale in my etsy shop.  i'm hoping it will normalize things & get me back on track.

thanks to all my well wishers... you've really helped to motivate me to move forward....so here goes....
day 1.....