one world one heart

i am so excited to participate in this year's one world one heart blogging event.  it's put on by the very whimsical bohemian lisa.  many kudos and thanks to her for all the work she's doing to bring a bunch of bloggers together with the opportunity to meet, share secrets and inspire each other.

so... i'm pat. welcome to my little place here that i call images through an open window....it's a place where i share some life moments through my photos and little stories of every day life. 

my path.... when i was younger, i did not really have any hobbies or crafts. while raising my kids, i did a little gardening design and that's it.  about 10 years ago when my family responsibilities settled down, i started exploring knitting, embroidery, drawing, watercolors and acrylics. i 've done some felting and have quite a collection of brooches and little cosmetic type bags.  it was a fun journey but nothing really captured me.  on a whim, i purchased some beads one day and that was the start of a passion.  something i felt for the first time!  i became obsessed and had to try everything..... now i lean toward a jewelry design with a natural, fluid, vintagey style.

my husband, who is a real nice man, has supported and encouraged me through my artistic journey. he gave me a canon camera and told me to go see the world through the lens.  that was the beginning of a new passion. after a few years of a thousand pictures, he encouraged me to try digital and bought me another camera.  at first, i didn't like it.  i wanted to see my world with all it's flaws.  but i went with it.

now to the present.... i love capturing moments every day.  i have learned so much.  i make some adjustments in pse, love using textures and working with collage both digitally and mixed media.  i want to learn and try everything! i am collecting all kinds of cameras. every so often i will use film with my holga and old polaroid cameras.  my newest adventure is combining my photos with jewelry design and my head is full of ideas!

ok... enough about me. on to the goodies!  

a 5x7 loose leaf calendar.  it's printed on quality luster photo paper so when the month is done, you cut off the bottom and you'll have 12 5x5 photos to keep or share.  i call this "moments"... what else! and since january is already over, you won't have to wait to cut!

a 6x6" wooden photo block.  the winner can choose!

a set of four different 5x7 blank note cards.  great for the flower lover, like me!

this event is open to all active bloggers. please leave a comment and a way to reach you so i can come visit you (and notify the winners).  the winners will be announced on february 17th and i'll contact you by email.

hope you've enjoyed your visit and i look forward to meeting all of you, too!

tired now

this was what you might call a mind numbing, achy neck kind of day. i was not motivated to do anything but drink coffee, eat the meals my husband put in front of me, load the dishwasher, play with the cat and spend the day on the computer.

i opened a tumblr account and worked through it until the light bulb went off, explored etsy for lots of eye candy, visited and curated treasuries, and over all had a great, lazy day.

how did you spend your sunday?

sunday... a treasury day

after the storm

i know i've been talking alot about snow lately but i really feel like i'm being traumatized.  the best therapy is to just let it all out.  the story would not be the same if i lived in buffalo new york but i live where we may get a foot or maybe two in a winter.

from my front door the night before the storm

well, we had another storm yesterday that thundered another 15".  i heard the weathermen talking about snow thunder.... which i didn't even know existed.  it's like a summer thunder storm that dumps a bunch of rain very quickly.  this snow thunder storm was dumping 4" an hour.  i heard it.  the house shook!

i was up early prepared to go into work a little late.  i start at 7 am so i called and said i'd be in by 8. 

 images through my windows

my hubby told me i was being too "optimistic" and after attempting to step outside, i turned around and called saying i would be a little later than that....

a quick cup of coffee, some wicked bundling and i headed out first to fill the feeders.

the poor guys are just as traumatized as i....

my usual attire i wear in the hot tub that i haven't been able to get to in days.....

my house is on a private section of a road that the town won't plow due to "liability" issues.... i tell them i'll take my chances but no....

my driveway is up a hill with one way in, no turn around so you have to back down.  whoever built this was not a rocket scientist for sure!

now i don't want to sound spoiled.  i love my home but the phrase "snowed in" is so true...

that's my hubby zooming around on his mule and plow

so we started plowing and shoveling around 7:30 and by 11:00 i had no more to give...  i made another call to work and called it a day.

i'm usually a pretty mellow, even tempered person but at this point i was just a wee bit "mizzy" (as my hubby calls me).  i plopped on the couch and started googling about snow.

i'd like to share a couple of things that just turned my day around.....

thanks for listening...

if anyone would like to share just how mizzy they are, i'll return the favor.  or just google for awhile and maybe you'll find something that will put it all in perspective.

if i have to have snow i'll go to the beach

baby it's cold outside...

another weather forecast coming to you from the great cold state of connecticut! 

a third storm in 2 days!  expecting another 8-12" overnight!

dr. mel channel 8 news reports "breaking news" with such joy in his voice "we broke history today for the most snow in january in this state"!

WOW!  exciting.... NOT!

snow feathers

another light blanket of snow falling on my world....

heading off to work.  hope you all have a peaceful day!

mosaic monday: a spot of color in the snow

photographers of etsy team mosaic monday

i love weekends

i'm fortunate that i don't have to work weekends! i love being home on the weekend!  i usually take full advantage of just putzing around the house... doing a little of this and that.  if i didn't have to go out i wouldn't. but sometimes there are just things that need to be done out in the world....

this has been a specially great one.  my hubby and i have been pretty much together and having some much needed connection time. we've had quite a bit of stressors lately so it was wonderful to share lots of laughs and the chores. he was very happy that i spent so very little time on the computer.  he hates computers!

we decided to take a break and each do our own thing.... 

he's in the living room yelling at the tv.  green bay is beating chicago 21 to 7.  president obama said he would be the first president to go to a super bowl game if chicago won.  i imagine he's sitting on his couch right now also yelling at the tv. 

i just downloaded the photos i took this weekend and thought i'd share a little.

my paperwhites are blooming finally.  i've been waiting....

 

i like this shot the best with the light in the background....

i thought they were supposed to have a pleasant aroma but these are kind of stinky.  maybe my memory is failing....

i think i have the smartest cat in the world!  the dogs sleep in the bedroom with us.... we are the pack!  soon as they catch wind that we're getting ready to head upstairs... they beat us to the room.  now i don't really mind except for the mornings when they wake me an hour before i need to get up.  the cat, however, i don't want in my room!  being the night owl that he is... he messes with the dogs and jumps all over the place.  we usually end up throwing him out of the room and closing the door.  what does he do?  he sits and meows and scratches the door.

a few nights ago he kept it up so my hubby put him in the basement.  now that's not such a bad thing.... it's finished off and he had a nice comfy couch to sleep on.  he could've watched a little tv too if he wanted. 

well, the latch on the door is loose so within minutes he was back up in the bedroom.  did he learn his lesson and be a good boy?  what do you think?

another trip to the basement for him!  this time with a chair blocking the door.

now i said earlier that i think he's the smartest cat in the world but this escapade does not prove it.  

but this one does....

mom, can i go out?

no rocky, the birds are eating...

please????

 

got it....

not quite....

let's try this again....

another day, another time... just you wait!

this is what he wants...

i know one day he will open that door!  it's a balancing act of nature....

now without further adieu, i've got to be fair and show off the siblings.....

what did you do this weekend?

the snow story

thinking back a few weeks to late december, i was wishing and hoping and praying for snow. on etsy, I searched all the winter white treasuries to get my fix. every time I heard the weather men on tv, I would stop in my tracks to listen for snow coming to connecticut.

then we had our first storm. not a big one, but I was tickled white. then another, a little bigger. last week we got over 2 feet in 12 hours. a few days later, another few inches.yesterday, another 6 inches and the forecast is calling for more on tuesday.  we've had 6 snow storms!

if it sounds like i'm whining, i'm not. so i've had a couple of falls, a few problems with our plow and our driveway has become a tunnel cause there's no melting going on. on these snow days, my commute to work is treacherous but glorious and so peaceful at the same time.

i love getting out in the snow with my camera. there's nothing more exhilarating than getting down on my knees and sometimes as far as my tummy to get the perfect view if need be. it's also good because i count it as my daily exercise that I so dearly dread!

my favorite photos are ones with a strong contrast between color and the pure whiteness. i think bare, snow laden tree branches are just as beautiful as the fall foliage (sometimes even more so).

have a great saturday and i'll share some more pics after the next snow.....