Lovely Surprises

 

The past few weeks the UPS truck, Fedex, and our mailman's jeep have been paying frequent visits to our humble abode.  Between things I've ordered and happy little packages sent by others arriving nearly every day, it's been a little bit like Christmas.

Recently the lovely Tricia Rose of Rough Linen fame created her very own bread bag out of some of her beautiful linen.  After road testing the bag herself she offered to send a few out to her readers, and I was one of the lucky ones to receive one of her bags.

Now I know I've been mostly gluten free since January, but trust me, I will find a million and one good uses for this lovely bag.  And just having it makes me pine for Tricia's linens which are on my "most wanted to buy" list!  Thank you Tricia!!!

The next lovely package to arrive on my doorstep was one from The Polished Pebble.  Those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time know that along with my love for Rough Linen's wares, I share equal affection for Kelley and her amazing design talents!

Along with her design business, Kelley just opened a shop where she sells one of a kind vintage pieces and some of her homemade goodies, like soaps and potpourri.  Kelley was so sweet and sent me some samples of both her Lavender and Rose potpourris and to say they smell heavenly would be a bit of an understatement.

Each generous bag is filled to the brim with the scent of her Ojai Roses or snippets of the beautiful lavender she grows in the highly coveted yard of her California home.  Now my home can smell a tiny bit like what I image lounging in her backyard on a gorgeous summer day must feel and smell like! Thank you Kelley!!!

Last but not least are some documents I ordered from Oscar Naylor on Etsy.  Alwen, who owns Oscar Naylor was so wonderful to work with and helped find me just the right antique ephemera I was looking for.

These are beautiful vintage documents, many dating back to the 1700 and 1800s and I plan to get them framed to hang in just the right spot in my house.  And along with the items I ordered, Alwen gifted me with a few extra goodies...thank you so much Alwen, I will treasure these!

So as you can see, it has been like Christmas around here, with lovely little surprises showing up each week.  And with Mother's Day right around the corner I think there might be a few more surprises coming my way.

I hope you each have had a few pleasant surprises at your house lately, and for those of you who are moms, I wish you each a VERY Happy Mother's Day!

Thinking of You

Thank you everyone for your sweet comments about my osprey pictures!  And for those of you who have not enabled your email please,please do so.  When I do have time to write back (which isn't often), I can't reach you because I have no way to do so...hint hint Leaf and Ink.  I loved your eagle shots but I can never reply to your comments or comment on your blog (you have comments disabled) to tell you how much I enjoy your photos!  And that makes me feel like this... :-(

We always know when a package arrives at our house, Mr. Quinn makes sure of that by barking loudly to let us know that we have an intruder, ie. the mailman at our door.

Yesterday he was barking like a madman and when Mr. Tide went to the door, he brought back a nice big box which was addressed to me!  I swear I'm just like a 5 year old when any package arrives for me, whether I'm expecting one or not.

This time it was a complete surprise, and not anything I had ordered, so I couldn't wait to tear it open.  It was from my friend and fellow blogger, Linda of the wonderful blog Itsy Bits and Pieces!  Don't you just love that name?!

Neatly packed inside the box was a treasure trove of goodies, including the beautiful beach inspired block with my initial on it!

Ephemera is Linda's middle name, and she puts together the most wonderful altered art pieces and even sells them, along with all kinds of other great vintage stuff at her 2 Etsy stores...Itsy Bits and Pieces and Romantic Farmhouse.

Just look at the darling sea shells she included in the piece she sent to me!

And I love the intricately carved K...for Kat of course...on this old wooden alphabet block.  It must date back to the Victorian era based on how beautiful and ornate it is.

I've named her "Beach Babe Kat" and she is now sitting in a bright sunny spot in my family room, because every beach babe deserves her day in the sun right?!

Now Kat the Beach Babe would have been thrilling enough, but of course Linda also sent me a few other things that made me smile from ear to ear.

She knows how I like to display old cards and ephemera using my antique flower frogs, so she sent me this wonderful vintage flash card with an oyster and lobster on it.  I come from oyster country, Linda knows this because I've pined after an old oyster tin she found, so this is perfect for me and looks wonderful displayed in my little flower frog.

And there was also an assortment of wonderful old bingo cards inside my package!  I love me some bingo cards!

The wonderful colors and fonts, and the simplicity of them is what I love most.

I can just imagine folks at the local church bingo years ago with these old cards and hoping to win the big jackpot!  Yes, our local churches still host bingo to help raise money!

The printing is beautiful on these vintage pieces, and this one even has my lucky number "8" in the bottom corner!

I created a nice vignette with my wonderful new treasures on the old chest in my living room.  Now every time I'm in there, I will be reminded of Linda's kindness and her sweet note which said, "Thinking of you Kat."

Thank you Linda, I'll be thinking of you too and treasuring these wonderful bits of history and my very own Beach Babe!!!

If you would like to visit Linda's blog and see more of her wonderful wares, go HERE!

I've decided that I might start a meme party called Spread the Love.  One day a week, other bloggers could link up their favorite blogs and help spread the love.  What do you all think?

They're Here and A Giveaway

Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments on  my last post where I featured my daughter's first attempt at photographing people.  She absolutely loved reading all of your great comments and sends her heartfelt appreciation!   I hope that she will now be encouraged to get out there and take more pictures!

Well, after months of debating, I finally did it.  I ordered some cards and opened up an Etsy shop!  I received the cards last Friday, but I was so busy running around all weekend that I didn't have a chance to take photos of them or to officially open my shop until today.

#1

There are 4 different images in each set I'm offering in my Etsy shop, but the one above is my favorite.

 The cards are blank inside, but I did get fancy smancy and I put my name on the back.

#2

I'm really pleased with these note cards and the card stock they are printed on is really nice and heavy as well.

#3

Of course they come with envelopes too, and they will be packaged in plastic to keep them nice, safe, and clean during shipping.

#4

The one above is my second favorite, I love the soft aqua background that was provided by the paint on my bedroom walls which I used as a backdrop when I took this shot.

And while I was setting up my Etsy store, I decided what the heck?!  And I added a few other items that I had leftover from my last house, but that just don't fit in to this one.  This little wooden hen and chicks used to hang on the wall in my kitchen.

I love the rusty whirly bird bug in her mouth, the twisted wire legs, the cute little chicks clinging to their momma as she brings home the day's dinner, it's folk art fun!  If you're interested, you can click here to buy her and have her come to roost at your own house!   She has a wire tooth hanger on the back to hang on the wall, or there is a drilled hole in the body, just in front of the first chick where you can mount her on a wooden dowel, sorry I don't have a stand for her though.

I also have this metal wall hook for sale.  I love the bright red tulips and the verdigris hook.  This also used to hang in my former kitchen and I hung a Longaberger wall basket on the hook to collect the mail in each day.

Another folk art inspired hen.  I love her carved white spots, and her rustic farmhouse charm.  She can also be mounted onto a wall, but I used to have her perched atop my antique pie safe.  

All of these pieces have served me well, but they just don't seem to go in this house, so it's time they moved on to another happy home.  

If you are interested in any of these, you can purchase them, or a set of note cards, by clicking HERE and visiting my new Etsy Store.  All orders will be processed and shipped within 5 business days!

Thanks for your continued support, without it I never would have gone ahead and made the cards.

Oh and to celebrate and as a way of saying thank you, I'm giving away a set of my note cards.  All you have to do is post a comment telling me which card you love the best...1, 2, 3, or 4...in order starting at the top of the page.  That's it my friends!  I'll let my random friend pick the winner or Friday and let you know who won this Saturday!

Fun With Photoshop, A Question, and A Reminder

It's cold and rainy at my house today, a sure sign that fall is here to stay.  I'm not complaining, the yucky weather has forced me to do some work, and get caught up on a few things I've been putting off.

Another great thing about this time of year is the fact that our resident eagles come back to hang out in the big old dead tree near the waters edge.  They love to sit up here and fish during the cooler months once the osprey have left their nest heading for warmer climes.  

Today there were two eagles on the tree, a juvenile and this one.  They really are huge when you see them in comparison to other birds, even large ones like hawks and osprey.  So big in fact that the branch in the photo above used to be much larger, but the other day it snapped off due to the weight of one of the eagles that was perched on it.  

The younger eagle took off as soon as I walked outside to take the dogs out, but the elders know we pose no threat to them and happily sit in the tree even if we get close to them as we walk down to our dock.

And the one who remained seemed happy to simply sit in the rain and wait for the perfect fish to appear beneath him so that he or she could swoop down and have lunch.

I decided to take a little break from writing today and snapped a few pictures of the last of the summer roses from my hybrid tea.  And then I thought, hmm why not have a little fun with my Photoshop Elements program too?!

The photo above is pretty much straight out of the camera and represents the true color and how the rose appears in real life.  

I did notice something today that I've never seen before though.  When I added my watermark to each picture it changed them ever so slightly, and I'm not sure why.  I have to say that I didn't really like the subtle changes that occurred.  Each picture looked a little more harsh is the only way I can really describe the difference.  If someone knows the reason for this, or how to avoid it I'm all ears!

For this one I softened the clarity just slightly and lowered the saturation, giving it a softer feel.  You can see how it changes the actual color of the rose dramatically.

For this one I did the opposite, I increased the contrast and clarity, but I also overexposed it and then boosted the saturation just a little to increase the color inside the petals instead of along their tips.   By overexposing it, you lose some of the clarity, so it appears softened, even though it was actually sharpened a bit.

This last one is my favorite, I reduced the clarity to soften it and I also reduced the contrast a fair bit to add even more softness.  Then by reducing the saturation I achieved this lovely romantic looking rose with just a whisper of color. 

I am just starting to be brave enough to use PS Elements and all that it has to offer.  These are baby steps in the world of photo editing, the simple stuff in its most basic form, but I'm learning...slow and steady wins the race.

Here is the un-watermarked version of the same photo...can you see the subtle difference, and how the watermarked one has just slightly sharper edges...or something?  Maybe I'm just losing it?....completely possible!

So here's my question, actually there are 2...

Which rose picture do you like the best?

and

I'm thinking of opening an Etsy store to sell some of my photos and to maybe use my photos to create blank note cards to sell.  What do you think?  Do you think that note cards with sea inspired themes, flowers, or pretty scenery would be something you would want to buy?  And how much would you want to spend for a pack of say 12 cards, maybe with 4 different designs in each package?  And are there specific things you would want featured on my cards or in photos I would offer?

Ok, that was a huge step for me, to ask you all this and to wait with baited breath for your replies...I'm not very good at self promotion, but like photography I'm learning...baby steps.

Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think about my little idea, your feedback is much appreciated!

Also don't forget there is still time to enter my latest Giveaway...just click HERE to enter!!

Country Girl In The City

Ever since our daughter was born 23 years ago, her style and personality have been tough to pin down.  She loves going for drives in the country, but is equally at home cruising the streets of a major foreign city.   She can throw on shorts and head out in the kayaks, but loves to get dressed up and go to the ballet.

She is able to adapt to her environment, and even though she's not fond of change, she has learned to embrace a place once she is there and take in all that it has to offer.

After graduating from college, she decided she wanted to live by herself and explore the new city she calls home.  But after living on her own for the past year, she decided that having a roommate and moving to a different part of city would be a good change for her.

So a few weeks ago she packed up and headed to her new apartment.  It's in a great location, within walking distance of great shops, wonderful restaurants, and everything a 20 something could want!

When she showed it to us I was amazed at what a 23 year old can get when it comes to housing these days.  Of course it doesn't come cheaply when you live in the DC metro area, but wow, just look at the lobby of her building!

It's stylish, hip, and oh so chic...a far cry from any place Mr. Tide and I ever rented when we were that age!

Of course the hours are long at her job, she has to travel some, and well, working in the big city is always more stressful it seems, but she loves her new place and having someone to come home and talk about her day with, or share a meal together.

These photos were all taken without the benefit of a tripod, which is crucial for good indoor low light shots, but it was so pretty I just had to share it, so I snapped away...

I think it might be fun designing common areas for various apartment buildings.  You could try out all sorts of different styles and if you're anything like me, it would ease your inner design schizophrenia!

When I was little, I wanted a house where every room was done in a different style.  An Asian inspired room, French, Modern, you name it.  I always thought that would be so much fun and then you wouldn't have to settle on just one style!

I think Mr. Tide is happy I outgrew that notion!

By the time I got to my daughter's apartment after a day of running around shopping, it was getting dark.  But I wanted to show you a few things that she has done already with her wonderful new place.

Like these cute British and French inspired prints she found at Target.  She has spent a lot of time in both England and France, and they go perfectly with the black and white toile shower curtain she picked up!

The black and white theme, peppered with pops of red will help wake her up each morning as she prepares to head to her office!

In her bedroom she has filled one wall with a collection of frames and favorite photos.  Some are of her with friends and family, while others are photos she has taken during her many travels.

All the pictures were taken by my daughter, except for the one above.  It was a birthday gift from us recently, and it is the very handsome George, taken by the talented and sweet Kate of Chronicles of a Country Girl. 

Our daughter saw it over at Kate's Etsy store and told me how much she loved it and I have to agree, it is a wonderful picture!  I even picked up a wonderful yellow boat picture from Kate that I have yet to hang in my own home, it's so pretty that I am still searching for the perfect spot to put it!  And if Kate's pictures aren't beautiful enough, she is just as beautiful herself...she gifted me the picture of George and sent me a gorgeous picture of a daisy too...thank you Kate! 

Our daughter is still deciding what sort of bed she wants...she had originally thought about a platform bed, but she's hasn't made up her mind yet.

She did find bedding she loved though, and it was on clearance from Pottery Barn...like mother like daughter, she loves a good bargain.  She already had the pink floral shams and a matching quilt, but added the crisp white monogrammed duvet and shams for a change of pace!  The light came from Ikea and adds a little funkiness to the room.

I tried to take some pictures of the living room, but with the evening light streaming through the french doors, (which lead out to a great balcony) it just wasn't going to happen without my bounce flash which I was too lazy to go get out of the car.

I was able to capture these gorgeous autumn colored tulips that she picked up at the store though!

She truly is my child and loves having fresh flowers in her apartment whenever possible!  These were simply beautiful and so perfect for this time of year!

And check out this kitchen!  It may not be huge, but it's certainly is nice for a rental apartment.  It has absolute black granite counters, stainless steel appliances and opens up onto the living room.

The galley design is compact and efficient but there is plenty of counter space.  And the bi-fold doors lead to a large laundry room which has shelving for even more storage.

Our daughter and her roommate each have their own bedrooms, both of which are en suite...which is so nice for two girls sharing an apartment.  I think the girls have done a great job already of making it home and infusing their own style into the space even though they've only been there for a few weeks.  

I'm sure it will continue to evolve over time, just like the both of them will.  And with its perfect location, it really is a dream place to live when you're 20 something and living the life of a country girl transplanted in the big city!  I can't wait to visit often!