Summer Breeze

Today has been warm and breezy...the kind of day where you just want to be outside and on a beach somewhere.

Actually I did a little bit of both.  This afternoon I had lunch with my dear friend Anna, and we ate outside which was so wonderful this early in the year.  She filled me in on her recent trip to Costa Rica and some cool coastal ideas she has in the works, so when I got home I had to go hang out by the water for a bit, just to get a little beach vibe going.

I know summer is just around the corner and my whole being is craving it. Even my pictures reflect it with their beachy blues and greens.

If we continue to have weather like this, it won't be long before my flip flops are out of the closet and shorts and t-shirts become my new uniform.  Ahh, is there anything quite as wonderful as those warm summer breezes?!

Don't Wait...

Spread your wings and soar...

I love this song and the powerful lyrics...like this line

*See in your hands, the world is yours* 

I hope this weekend you all spread your wings and soar!  (P.S. Thanks Kate!)

I've Been Framed

After a long day of working yesterday, Mr. Tide and I decided we would head out for a walk on the beach.  It isn't a beach right by our house, but one a little ways from where we live that we like to visit.

The skies were blue and there was a nice crisp chill in the air.  Mr. Tide thought I was crazy for wearing a light jacket, but I thought it felt refreshing.

Each morning when I wake up, I look out the window in our bedroom and on days like this, when the air has a nip in it and there isn't a cloud in the sky, I can see the houses on the opposite shoreline of the river.

Those houses are 5 miles away, so being able to see them is something that goes away when the hot hazy days of summer roll around.

These images were all taken from a beach on another river at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and it was so clear yesterday that I could see the land all the way across the Bay.  That is even more impressive than seeing just 5 miles across the river where we live because it's a whopping 12+ miles across the bay at that particular point!

Maybe I have a bit of ancient mariner in my blood, because for as long as I can remember I have always been thrilled to be able to see that far across the bay.  It's as if a part of me once knew that spotting land after a long journey meant you were almost home.

Also yesterday I took some pictures of a few of my latest projects.  I've had some of my images professionally framed and I'm really pleased with how they've turned out.

I found out yesterday while trying to photograph these that because we have added so many windows to this house that it is nearly impossible to find a dark, reflection free place to take pictures of my pictures.

These were all shot in a tiny hallway by my laundry room, and even there you can see that there are reflections of the windows, my camera, the tripod, whatever, in nearly every image.  And the colors are a little off, but that's to be expected when you don't have a nice set up for photographing framed artwork.

But hopefully you can get the gist of how they look.  I especially love the faux bamboo frame that surrounds the orchid picture, it just gives it a little added oomph I think.  Sorry it has the little corner protectors on it, I couldn't remove them from all of the pictures without a lot of trouble so I just left them on.

And I also love the barnwood frames used for the horse photo above and the boats image as well.  The horse pictured actually belongs to friends of ours.  This picture is a gift to them, let's hope she doesn't read this particular blog post before I give it to her in a few weeks!

So, there you have it, what I've been working on.  If you would like to have one of my framed giclee prints to hang on your wall be sure to check out my latest Giveway by clicking HERE.  You don't have to choose one of these images, or even one of these frames, but these will at least give you an idea of what yours might look like, so hurry on over and join my Giveaway, you have until Friday!  

Thank you!

Shake it Up

Be yourself, decorate with the things you love, find the joy...shake it up and live a little!

Longing For

This morning as the ground crunched beneath my feet while out with the dogs, I mentally transported myself to warmer climes.  I envisioned myself meandering barefooted along a vast expanse of sand with waves lapping at sun kissed toes and feet with flip flop shaped tan lines.

I could almost hear the pounding of the surf and feel the sea spray on my face.

In my daydream, there were tiny sandpipers scurrying around searching for their next meal, and the sound of children laughing as they built sandcastles and flew kites amidst the gentle breeze.

There were also other sounds and smells, like hot dogs cooking, charcoal, and lighter fluid.  And the hypnotic combination of salt air and sunscreen.

Of course my delusional state of bliss was quickly interrupted as I emerged from the woods and realized it truly 'was' as cold as I thought it was, and I really was as bundled up as any human being could possibly be.

But a girl can still dream right, and she can still long for all of those things I mentioned above!

In my post hypnotic state I completely forgot to note each and every texture I used, sorry, but they are all from the following sources and in no particular order.

Florabella

Pareeerica

Sterling Silverr

Playing with Brushes

Kim Klassen

Shadowhouse Creations

A Little Taste of Sunshines

A few Saturdays ago, after spending the day with my dear friend Connie, I headed back towards home for a local beach party in the quiet town of Leonardtown, Maryland.  Mr. Tide had phoned me as I was making my way back home to ask if I wanted to go to the party, and it sounded like great way to cap off a perfect day!

A bypass put in years ago, which re-routed traffic away from the historic downtown shopping district in Leonardtown, nearly sealed the town's fate.  But those who had grown up in the area refused to let that happen, and over the years small businesses, residents, and area officials have worked together to bring life back to this once booming small town.

And one of the ways they've sought to inject Leonardtown with a sense of community and economic welfare is to host several annual events which are centered around the town's square.  Vendors, musicians, and our local fire and rescue departments all gather on the square for the various events where fun can be had by all.

And although many of the original businesses are no longer located on the square in Leonardtown, many new and thriving ones have come in to take their place.   You can find everything from a local pub to a wonderful used book store.  And you can even find a place to take cooking lessons or purchase a piece of fine art created by local artisans.

And of course there are wonderful places to dine.  One of the new kids on the block, and a favorite for Mr. Tide and me, is The Front Porch.  It's located in a historic home once owned by the Sterling family, a prominent local name.  The house remained in the family for many generations until it was sold, completely renovated, and turned into a wonderful restaurant.

I love the casual family friendly atmosphere of The Front Porch.  The decor inside includes a trip down memory lane as the walls are filled with items and photos of Leonardtown from years gone by.  And I love this vintage bicycle with petunias spilling out of the basket!

And true to its name, The Front Porch does indeed have an inviting front porch where you can dine on great food or simply sit and have a drink overlooking the town.  And if you're feeling up to a little friendly competition, you can play a game or two of croquet on the restaurant's well manicured front lawn. 

By the time we arrived, the sun was getting low, but that didn't stop the children from having a fun time in the water provided by Leonardtown's Volunteer Fire Department.

And what kind of beach party would it be without some sand and water?!  It was a hot day that day so kids weren't the only ones enjoying the cool mist!

Crazy for Ewe is one of my favorite stores in town.  Not because I knit, but because the windows are adorned with the most wonderful sheep paintings!  It is a great knitting store to boot though, and they even offer lessons!

There are so many great places and cool old buildings in Leonardtown.  And the evening light was perfect!  Duke's, which was once a notorious watering hole (they had a drive-thru window where you could order a mixed drink!), is now home to Cafe Des Artistes, a wonderful French restaurant.  Owners Karleen and Loic Jaffres are gracious proprietors and their profiteroles are to die for!  And don't forget to try my personal favorite, the European style hot dog served in a banquette with yummy mustard from their lunch menu!

And Leonardtown is blessed with not one but several wonderful floral shops, so flowers are never hard to come by...my kind of town!

Even the bank is located in a gorgeous old building!  Unfortunately it's no longer locally owned and operated like so many banks which have fallen on hard times, but they can never take away the history and craftsmanship that went into the building itself.

And check out the beautiful Maryland seals that adorn its brick facade!  I have made many a deposit at this old bank when I worked for local attorneys in town many years ago during my summer breaks from college.

But it wasn't just the chance to wander around the historic old buildings, beautiful homes, say hi to our son, and to mingle with a lot of friends that brought us to Leonardtown that night.  We had heard from a reliable source that one of our favorite catering companies was going to be selling their wares at the beach party that night!

You see, we had it on good authority from our friend and painter extraordinaire Jeff (he's on the left in the blue shirt) that there would be yummy BBQ to be had!

Sunshines Catering is located in Hollywood, Maryland and is owned by Patrick T. Michael, but most people just call him Chef.  They are well known throughout southern Maryland for their delicious food, and the steady stream of customers buying their BBQ at the beach party was certainly happy to see them!

And if the heavenly smell of their BBQ and other yummy food doesn't help you find them, well you can always look for their one of a kind truck!

Imagine Jimmy Buffett and a pirate/artist/biker chick had a love child...that's Sunshines Catering.  Laid back, fun loving, and oh so good!

And waiting in line becomes a real treat when this great catering company is serving up the grub!  They don't just set up a booth, they do it in style!

I just love their quirky sense of humor and I'm not going to argue with a bull and a bun!

I will argue that the sliced beef BBQ, fries, and soda I had that evening were second to none though!

And that the artwork on their truck is amazing!

These folks agree too!

I'm pretty sure if there really are pirates with chests full of booty, then this must be the greatest booty of all!  If you are ever in the area, keep an eye out for the bright blue truck for your own little taste of Sunshines!

And if you live in the area and are in need of an amazing painter, email me and I'll give you Jeff's contact information.  Just don't become too popular Jeff or I won't have my favorite painter around when I need him! ;-)

There is so much more to the town of Leonardtown then what I've been able to show you here, so I hope that if you're ever in southern Maryland that you'll venture down this way and stop by for a visit!

Thank you everyone for your kind comments about Mary Beth's wonderful artwork in her son's nursery, I know it made her happy to see such lovely things said about the room she worked so hard on!

Photo Shoots and Furry Friends

The last few days have been fun filled and very busy!  Wednesday I got to watch Fifi O'Neill in action once again while she styled a home for Cottage Style Magazine and another for Country Sampler Magazine.

There is so much that goes in to styling, and it really is an art!  If you've ever tried taking a photo of one of your rooms and then realized that it doesn't look anything like you see in a magazine that is because a lot of time and effort goes in to making a room look that beautiful.

Of course the stylists and photographers can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as my grandmother would say, but they can take a beautiful home and make it even more beautiful!

And one of the ways they do that is to bring in beautiful flowers, fresh fruit, and yummy food to place in some of the shots!

I've been lucky enough to do a few shoots of my own lately, nothing compared to the major magazine spreads, but some where I needed to add a little something to make the shots a bit more attractive and special and let me tell you, it's not as easy as you might think!

Fifi always comes well prepared for each house she plans to style, but there are always those last minute flowers or pieces of fruit that you need to get once you are on location.  So for the second shoot on Thursday, which was for Country Sampler Magazine, I ran out to a local Mennonite farm and picked up some fresh fruit and a few flowers.

While I was there getting things for Fifi, I picked up a few bouquets for myself and for my own shoots.  When I woke up on Thursday morning to head to the second shoot, my house looked like a flower shop...and it smelled SO good in my kitchen!

The other key component of a successful magazine shoot besides a talented stylist is a fabulous photographer.  For both of the shoots the photographer was Mark Lohman.  Mark's accolades read like a who's who list of some of my favorite magazines!

And he's pretty darn funny too, just beware the hazardous conditions he'll put you in that involve plugging and unplugging lights!  Yup, yours truly has been known to help move furniture and wield an extension cord when called upon!

Watching a stylist like Fifi and photographer like Mark work together really is amazing.  It's such a collaboration borne of trust, and the end result is always spectacular as witnessed by the wonderful magazine spreads we drool over each time our favorite magazine arrives in the mail!

And speaking of trust, the homeowner's kitty cats weren't sure they could trust us, but there is a lot of trust on the part of the homeowners who open up their homes too.  We had two great sets of homeowners that not only trusted Fifi and Mark, but also helped to make the shoots so successful.

Opening your home up to perfect strangers, no matter how wonderful they are, isn't easy.  So it's always nice when you see a shot come together and the look on the homeowner's faces when they see the home they love and cherish looking picture perfect!

After a short while, even the kitty cats decided maybe these strange people weren't so bad after all!

During part of the shoot, I snuck out back and took some pictures of the beautiful waterfront setting of my friend Susan's home to share with all of you!

Not only is the interior of her home beautiful, but so are the views and the wonderful seaside touches she has incorporated into her yard!  I just love how she ringed this tree with shells!

Even with the hot weather, there is almost always a breeze on the water, so the waves were crashing along the shoreline.

You can see what a few storms, high tides, and erosion can do to the trees that are close to the shore!

And the Osprey love to build nests atop these old torpedo sighting towers left over from WWII.  They were circling all around it, making sure I didn't get too close!

Both of the shoots were so much fun and will result in truly wonderful spreads in their respective magazines, and I know those of you that read Country Sampler and Cottage Style will love seeing these two gorgeous homes!

After a yummy meal filled with great conversation and wonderful company we all hugged and parted ways.  Fifi and Mark were headed to Florida to shoot Fifi's guest house for her book!

Sometimes I pinch myself and wonder if I really do get to work with such great people and generous homeowners!  And I know that I appreciate every photo I see, whether it's in a catalog or a magazine, because they truly are works of art...each and every one of them!