For The Folks at GardenWeb

Before I started blogging last January, I got my daily decorating fix from a wonderful site called GardenWeb!

The people on the forums at GW are knowledgeable and very supportive, helping people with everything from picking paint colors, to how to remodel an entire house!

Now that my own remodel is finished, except for my darn kitchen backsplash which I hope to remedy soon...I even called a contractor today about getting the tile up...I rarely get the chance to pop by GW the way I used to!

During my time there, I met some wonderful people, including my dear friend Traci.  We helped each other through our whole house reno's and are now fast friends, and hope to meet sometime in person!  I featured her kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom remodels on my blog when I first started out.  You can see her beautiful remodel by clicking  Here and Here!

So you're probably all wondering what in the heck these awful photos (back when I didn't have a clue what I was doing or a tripod!) of my kitchen decorated for Christmas have to do with all of this!

Well, someone over on the GW forums was trying to find an inspiration photo for a kitchen they saw last year that had lights in jars...which I did.  Turns out it wasn't my kitchen they were looking for, but true to form, the nice folks at GW were more than happy to wrack their brains and try and help a friend out to find the inspiration picture she was looking for!

That's how they roll over there...helping each other out when asked!  I did however say that I would try and find these old photos, which I thought were lost due to the lightning strike, and post them...so here they are!

I promise, this year's Christmas pictures will be MUCH better...I've come a long way baby!

Keep Calm and Carry On

Recently I won a couple of amazing giveaways!  One was an incredible $200 gift certificate to Modern Bird Studios which I won from the lovely Sherry at No Minimalist Here!  I can't wait to use my gift certificate and have Modern Bird create a one of a kind piece of art from one of my photos...now I just have to settle on a photo!!!  Thank you Sherry and Modern Bird Studios!!!

 

The other great giveaway I won was from Dee at French Bleu Vintage.   Dee not only has a wonderful blog which you can find HERE, but she also has a wonderful shop filled with all sorts of lovely things!!!  Click HERE to visit Dee's shop!

Over on Dee's blog I won this beautiful pillow, which I love!!!  I've mentioned before my love of everything English, and this pillow is quintessentially English due to the saying embroidered on it.  You see, back during WWII, this message was created to encourage people to "Keep Calm and Carry On," despite the war!  This particular saying never made it into store windows, or train stations as it was actually being reserved for the potential invasion of Britain by the Germans.

According to Wikipedia, a series of 3 sayings graced posters across the UK, and this particular saying was rediscovered about 10 years ago, and as we all know it has since found it's way onto everything from coffee mugs to home decor!

"Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, intended to raise the morale of the British public under the threat of impending invasion. It was little known and never used. The poster was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private sector companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of other products."  via Wikipedia.

Thank you Dee for this lovely pillow!  If you would like your own pillow, Dee sells these in her shop!  I know that when my daughter sees this she will try and steal it!!!

Remember there is still time to enter my cute Santa Rug giveaway from Jellybean Rugs!  Just click HERE to find out how to enter!!!

I'm Alive and Well

Today, the birds were out in force in my backyard. There were mostly Blue Birds, which are my favorite due to their happy nature and striking colors.

All the birds sounded more like they were singing about springtime, rather than autumn. And they flitted from tree to tree as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Even this Red Bellied Woodpecker (tucked behind the leaves in the center of the picture) was happy as a Lark. I wonder why people say that...happy as a Lark? I guess Larks are the optimists of the bird world and are always happy?!

I've always mistakenly called these birds Red Headed Woodpeckers...Google is a wonderful thing folks, and I learned something new today! I knew I would need to mind my P's and Q's for those of you who know your birdies.

As I watched these happy go lucky creatures who seemed so content just to be alive, it made me reflect on how fragile life really is. One day we can be fine and happy, and the next moment life can change on a dime.

Yesterday I read a post entitled Bye My Lovlies on A-M's beautiful blog The House That A-M Built and it made me very sad. She has decided to end her blog due to unforeseen circumstances. That phrase "unforeseen circumstances" conjures up so many things, none of which seem good for some reason. I'd like to think that she won the lottery, was offered a TV hosting position, or is now so busy designing her own line of lighting that she doesn't have time to blog, but the realist in me thinks it's something else. Whatever her reasons, and they are only hers to know, I wish her all the best and hope that she will be happy and healthy and that she will return to blogging when the time is right for her and her family. Please pop over and send her some well wishes and support, I know she would appreciate it.

Last night Mr. Tide returned home from a business trip, I'm always so happy to see him walk through the door!  We never really know what tomorrow will bring, but at this moment, I'm alive and well...and today, you know, that's good enough for me!

I hope you enjoy this little slide show I put together for you, it features one of my all time favorite songs and at the end of the song is a singer who I adore...Dave Matthews. I'll have to tell you my Dave Matthews story sometime...but I'll save that for another day! ;-)

Something In The Water

All over Blogland people seem to be nesting, baking, and making yummy stick to your ribs meals these days.  Kim at Savvy Southern Style recently made some yummy soup...where does that girl find the time to paint AND cook?!  And the lovely Jane from Blondie's Journal made the cutest acorn sugar cookies!!  There must be something in the air...or something in the water that's making us all want to cook and bake!

If you come from the land down under I'm sure all of this seems silly since you are coming into your warmest months.  But for some of us, it's getting chilly and downright yucky outside.  Today it rained cats and dogs here and I had to wear my big warm coat to take the dogs out.

Miss Kylee hasn't been feeling up to snuff this week so I've stayed close to home just in case she needs me.  Today was more of the same, and with the bad weather I decided it would be a good time to make something to warm us up for dinner.

A big pot of chili sounded just right, so I made some using my mom's famous chili recipe.  My son Bugs loves it when the weather gets chilly, because he would eat my mother's chili every day of the week if he could!

It was just Bugs and me at home for dinner tonight and after he ate his bowl of chili, along with a big hunk of french baguette, he suggested I make something yummy for dessert.  As much as he loves my mom's chili recipe he also loves her apple nut cake recipe.  After a little persuading I agreed to make it for him and he was happy as a clam!

My mother was a wonderful cook, just like her mother, and she taught all 4 of us how to cook, including my brother.  When I was young I would watch my mother cut up vegetables as though she were a sous-chef at a busy 5 star restaurant.  Even Mr. Tide once commented on how quickly and efficiently my mother could cut up celery, carrots, onions...anything.

 

When I got married I would often call my mom and ask her for this recipe or that recipe and she would always give me the directions over the phone.  Usually the next time I saw her she would have the recipe neatly written out on a recipe card for me to add to my collection.   Her apple nut cake is one of those beloved recipes that still bears her handwriting, something I now treasure.

This cake is delicious, and the frosting will make you need to take a nap it's so sweet...and oh so good!

Apple Nut Cake

1 1/2 cups Wesson Oil

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups finely chopped apples

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I've used both walnuts and pecans)

3 cups flour (not sifted)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Finely chop the apples and place in a large bowl with the sugar

Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla

Stir in cinnamon, soda, salt, and nuts

Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed

Pour batter into a greased tube pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly and the top is a nice golden brown.  Let cool.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and boil for 4 minutes or until it reaches soft ball stage.  Let cool for 10 minutes and glaze the top and sides of the cake.

My frosting dripped quite a bit because a certain someone was too impatient to wait for it to cool.

It was a yummy meal tonight I must admit, but one small slice of apple cake is plenty for me...it's very rich!  I'd love to hear from any of you that decide to make this delicious apple cake!

And don't forget to enter to win my latest Giveaway... simply click HERE!!!

I heard this song recently and I thought it was cute...enjoy!

Enough About Me, It's Giveaway Time

(all photos courtesy of Madison at Main)

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments about my last two posts, you all raise me up as the saying goes and who could ask for more than that?!  But enough about me, photoshop, and flattering bathroom lighting...it's time for another giveaway!

It's hard to believe that it's already November and soon those of us in the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving!

I know some of you out there are already busy putting together your holiday shopping lists, or even crafting wonderful things to give as gifts!

This year I'm vowing to do a better job and to plan ahead a little more so that I don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle and can enjoy the season a bit more.

And the wonderful folks at Madison at Main, who carry Jellybean and Homefires Accents Rugs have decided to help not only me out with my holiday shopping, but also all of my readers!!

Not only are they offering me a lovely rug to give away to one lucky reader, but they are also offering a special 10% off coupon code for readers of Low Tide High Style!!!

To receive a 10% discount on your next order from Madison at Main, all you have to do is enter the code "HIGHSTYLE10" at checkout!  The 10% off applies to everything except clearance items and Wovenworkz products. The code expires on December 15, 2010.

You've heard me sing the praises of Jellybean and Homefires Accents rugs before and for good reason, I own 3 of their rugs and love them!  The Jellybean Rug line is durable, washable and perfect for indoor outdoor use, while the Homefires Accents rugs are equally as durable, also machine washable, but are meant for indoor use only.

The Homefires Accents Rugs are a little thicker and have a wool like look and feel, giving them a plush feel underfoot!  And of course they have wonderful designs to add a little color and cheer to your home during the holidays or any time!

And now for the Giveaway!  The darling Santa rug pictured above was generously donated by Madison at Main to give to one lucky winner!

You'll have 3 chances to Win!!!

1.  Visit Madison at Main by clicking HERE and come back and leave a comment telling me which rug strikes your fancy!

2.  Become a Follower of Low Tide High Style, and leave a second separate comment for another chance to win!  If you already follow, be sure to leave a separate comment letting me know so that you also get another chance to win!

3.  For a third entry, simply follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or mention the Giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or tweet about it and then come back and leave a 3rd comment for yet another chance to win this cute rug!

The Giveaway will end on Thursday, November 11th at midnight PST and the winner will be announced on Friday, November 12th.

And don't forget the great 10% off coupon code "HIGHSTYLE10" available to Low Tide High Style Readers!

The Eyes Have It

For my last post I'm sure many of you wondered just how much Photoshopping I did to make me comfortable posting my picture.  It's true there was some shopping of the photo, and I'll explain with this picture exactly what I did with the other one.  I would show you the before of the other one, but I didn't bother to save the original file.

The photo above was taken in my guest bathroom at 11:30 PM last night...or there abouts, let's just say it was late and I should have been in bed.  It was the only mirror in my house that had decent lighting, and bathroom lighting is also normally flattering...which for me is a good place to start.

The photo is straight out of camera or SOOC, and it's slightly overexposed so everything appears a little washed out.  My eyes are a very light brown, and the later it gets in the day, the more golden they appear but...

Here is the Photoshopped picture, and here's what I did to it.  Bear in mind that these are the same actions/textures I used on the photo in my last post.

First I used Pioneer Womans "bring out the eyes" action which highlights and brightens the color of your eyes.  It really makes my eye become a focal point and brings out the gold tones.  I didn't use anything else on the eye except that action and I lowered the action's opacity to 70%  (I did not lower the opacity in the photo from my last post because it wasn't as alien looking as this picture).

Second, I used Flora Bella's Dreaminess overlay.  I used soft light and increased the opacity slightly to give me a more even skin tone and to soften fine lines (trust me I do have fines lines and wrinkles!).  And I used color burn, which darkens and enriches colors.  I also increased the opacity on the color burn to get my hair color and fleece color to more closely resemble their actual colors in real life.

So there you have it!  Photoshop can do so many things, but I never want my photos to be too far from the truth, just a nicer version of it.  But I also didn't want people to think that I had altered my photos so much that they didn't even resemble me.  Soft light and dreaminess are my friends, but you should still be able to tell it's me in the end.

The lovely Lindsey from Better After posted this great post (click HERE to read it) on how celebrities use Photoshop to get that perfect photo.  Although I wouldn't mind looking years younger (we can't all live in our bathrooms all day!) and pounds thinner, I think I'll stick with just using the simple actions and textures that will maybe make me willing to post my picture every now and then...or as I like to call it...once in a blue moon!

Behind

Mr. Tide once read that people like to know the face behind the blog...so here it is.  

I prefer to be the one behind the camera, not the one the lens is focused on, but since so many of you post your pictures and I enjoy seeing the face that goes with the name, I decided to take a few pictures of myself tonight.  This was the only one I was brave enough to post!

I'm behind on everything, house cleaning, writing, laundry, replying to comments and email...you name it.  Some days there just aren't enough hours in a day to do everything I need to do.  And right now, on top of everything else, we are busy preparing my parent's house to get it ready to sell.  That means trips to the dump, yard sales, and truckloads taken to a local thrift store.

So to everyone who stops by here and leaves such wonderful comments, thank you!  Please know that I read them and they make me smile!

Now I'm happy to go back to being the one "behind" the camera as well as simply behind on my "to do" list!

Walk This Way

On Monday Mr. Quinn and I decided to go for a little drive down to St. Mary's College.  It is a lovely campus, most of which is perched on a hill overlooking the St. Mary's River.


 

As we walked down to the beach we passed by this plant.  It was a shrub/tree really and I have no idea what it is, but there were quite a few of them and they were covered in these fluffy white flowers or seeds that resembled puffs of cotton.

There are beautiful cedar trees all over the campus and the adjoining historic sites, and their weathered bark tells the tale of all that they have endured over the years.  These trees may have even welcomed the first Europeans to Maryland back in the 1600's.

Mr. Quinn had a wonderful time keeping the squirrels at bay while I took pictures.  He was on a leash so his attempts to herd the squirrels were quite futile.  I was able to stop long enough to snap this picture through the trees looking out across the river and down the steep staircase that leads to the beach.

It really is a beautiful place to spend four years of your life, or simply an afternoon!

Be sure to check back this week, I'll be hosting another great giveaway!!