Photo of the Week - Fancy Charleston Garden Gate

Charleston, South Carolina

Ornate iron gates are legendary in the historical Charleston area. One could easily spend a whole week photographing them, without a doubt. There is a terrific Pinterest board HERE that features a sampling of them. And I already highlighted another a charming example in a December 30, 2013 post.

A Personal Photo Challenge - Let There Be Light

It’s time for A Personal Photo Challenge! “Let There Be Light” is the theme this month. 

This challenge had me working down to the wire! Today I am presenting one interior and two landscaping images that prominently feature light.  I used my Nikon D7100 camera and trusty go-to lens, Nikon's 18-200mm zoom.  Of course, I did my customary post-processing on the images using Photoshop CC and various Nik and Topaz plug-in programs. Please click on the photos to see them bigger!

The "SNOW" Decorative Word Project

As usual, I am running behind on completing tasks. My attention is easily diverted on normal days, and it’s even worse during the Christmas season. Our cottage is decorated (minimally), but I haven’t gone around to take photos and share them here on my blog. Perhaps I’ll get that done in the next week, perhaps not! No promises. It’s all about priorities, right?

Despite being pulled in many different directions, I managed to recently get a quick décor-crafting project completed. And it’s good for the entire winter season, not just for Christmas!

"Rock City" Barn

As I mentioned previously, we took a little “leaf peeping” road trip last week.  And on the way back home, we decided to stop at Benton’s to get a fresh supply of smoked bacon. We got to a highway crossroads and couldn’t remember whether we were supposed to turn left or right to get to the store. We took a gamble and turned left.

After about five miles, we realized that we went the wrong way, so a U-turn was in order. But the mistake was actually a lucky break. Otherwise, we would have missed seeing this beautiful “Rock City” barn!

Barns like this are becoming Americana relics of an earlier time. Since 1935, they have been advertising the Rock City tourist destination located on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. There are less than 100 that now remain along our country roads. More about the barn history can be found HERE.

Mid-August Ruminations & Cogitations

vintage light fixture, Camas Creek Yarn shop, Kalispell, Montana

Well, I’m on the other side of some of life’s difficulties, and I’m now seeing the light once again. How do you like the beautiful stained glass shown above? When we explored the downtown area of Kalispell last year, we found a delightful knit shop in a restored building. The colors and textures surrounding us were a feast for the eyes. Though the yarns and creative displays begged for my constant attention, I remembered to look up. And I was glad that I did! Once again, I was reminded that an observant photographer could find stunning subject matter in the most unexpected places.

August is now halfway complete and it has been one big blur. But I will try to reconstruct it and provide you with a a recap and status report.

Wordless Wednesday - God Bless Cowgirls Sign

Kalispell, Montana

Spotlight and Giveaway - Lana Manis Designs

From time to time, I have posted about various fine and folk arts and the creative people behind them. Today, I want to introduce you to blogging friend, artisan, and fellow Tennesseean: Lana Manis.

I have admired Lana’s exquisite art work over the years and have watched her effortless transitions in mastering various media. She has recently branched out into a new direction for her cottage industry by creating chic, cottage style paintings with a modernly fresh pallete of colors. To support her business efforts, Lana has rolled out a new blog and etsy shop.  Both of them are called Lana Manis Designs. And she has asked me to help her spread the word and offer a giveaway for one of her lovely fine art prints! Of course, I said yes!

Dining Room at Our Cottage

Between recovering from my second cold of the winter season and all of our 2013 trip planning, I have been pulled this way and that. But now I have a slice of time to finally share some recent photos of our dining room at Grey Havens cottage.

Needless to say, a “cookie cutter” look of decorating doesn’t match our personalities. Our style is country eclectic, blending antiques and folk art together. The dining room furnishings announce a whimsical bent as soon as a visitor walks through the front door.

New Hallway Table and Fabric Hearts

There are no photos to see of pretty landscapes or wildlife in this post! Fair warning: this post is about decorating. So if your eyes glaze over at the very mention of the “decorating” word, then feel free to close this this one out and come back in a couple of days.

We finally did something this week that we have talked about for a quite a while. We went furniture shopping! It’s not an activity that we really enjoy, but it needed to be done. After downsizing and selling a lot of furniture a few short years ago, we don’t need more furniture. However, a few replacements have been on our wish list for some time.

The first order of business was finding a new hallway table. Our current cottage has a very small entry hallway, so the designated spot for a table is limited in size. When we moved, we discovered that the only piece of furniture in our inventory that would fit was a diminutive colonial chest. We got the chest 20 years ago and used it as an end table at our former cottage. It is a lovely piece, but I’ve grown tired of it and it doesn’t quite go with the modern craftsman style of our new home.

Colonial Williamsburg - Christmas Decorations

After scouring up a few previously posted images for Vee’s latest note card party, I got to thinking. It’s a dangerous thing, that thinking business. Because if I think long enough, I might get a little jolt of energy to also tinker. And tinker, I did. I dived into my photo archives from our Colonial Williamsburg trip two years ago and edited some fresh images to share with you.

So it’s time to settle down from the hustle and bustle, take a little break, and go on a little journey with me. No shoes required. (And don't forget to click each image to see a bigger size!)

It seems that every door in the historic area is adorned with a wreath, all made out of natural materials. This colorful one looked stunning on a red door and lit by a beam of late afternoon sunlight.

Vee's Note Card Party - Colonial Williamsburg Christmas

I haven’t been able participate in Vee’s monthly note card party in a while, so it is fun to jump back in again. 

We went to Colonial Williamsburg a couple of years ago during the Christmas season. I fondly remember the natural decorations that adorn all of the historical buildings. It was truly beautiful. If I could talk Mister Jim into it, I’d love to go back in 2013 and take some new photos! May I see a show of hands of who votes "yes" to this idea?

Alaska Trip - Petersburg (Part 3)

Many Alaska towns have totem poles on display, and Petersburg is no exception. There are two located in the downtown area, paying homage to Tlingit ancestors who settled in the area. Alaska natives now comprise about 10% of the local population.

The sky was overcast on the day we visited, so the background was a very unattractive grey color. I performed a little Photoshop magic and added a texture background on this image to make it more interesting.

Wordless Wednesday - Keeneland Hitching Post & Chain

Keeneland racetrack, Lexington, Kentucky

Photo Challenge: Childhood Memories

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The current subject is “childhood memories.” After checking out my photos, please click on the above link to see contributions from the other participants. 

I would have adored having a huge collection of stuffed animals when I was a wee girl. But toys were a bit of a rare commodity during my childhood years. I recall having one stuffed animal and it was a furry cat. On a shopping trip to the downtown area with my mom, I had admired it at a Woolworths dime store. (Are you old enough to remember those?) My mom slyly purchased it when I wasn’t looking and later surprised me with it as a gift! 

As most of you have figured out by now, I am bonkers for bears. I have no idea how this fascination started, but I have been afflicted with it for many decades. Thankfully, my husband has the same fondness. And I confess that we have indulged in the purchase of many stuffed bears over the years, making up for lost opportunities in my childhood. Two of our bruins posed for this challenge’s photo shoot. 

Photo Challenge: Antiques

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The current subject is “antiques.” After checking out my photos, please click on the above link to see contributions from the other participants. 

We have a nice assortment of antiques here at the cottage, so I have plenty of subject matter. The hard part was making a decision! I dragged my feet on the assignment until this past Thursday. I tossed out some ideas to Mr. Jim, but he offered up his collection of antique camera equipment for my photo shoot. That got me excited! 

A Photoshop Study - Acoma Pueblo Pottery

After I finished up with the previous photo shoot, I photographed another personal treasure. This one hails from the American southwest! We stayed a few days in Santa Fe when we visited New Mexico last year, and we enjoyed browsing in all of the trendy shops. One of our favorites was Andrea Fisher Pottery near the downtown plaza. My sweet hubby bought me a couple of early birthday presents here, and one of them was this adorable seed pot. Such pots were traditionally used by Native Americans to store garden seeds. 

This artisan piece was made by Rachel Concho (age 76) of the Acoma Pueblo and features a mimbres-stylized rabbit and geometric designs. The intricate design belies its size. It is tiny in stature, measuring 2-1/2 inches across and 1-1/4 inches tall. 

I applied minimal digital processing to the image shown above. The photo came out pretty, but I wanted to see if I could kick it up a notch. I applied a little bit of creativity in Photoshop and made some additional images from the original photo file. 

Here is a dramatic low-key application in black and white. I cropped the photo slightly and applied some “glow” for more drama. With the clay texture smoothed out, one can clearly distinguish the pot as handmade, with whispers of shadows dancing across the painted white surface.

Next, I gave the image a vertical crop and applied a neon glow filter that inverted the black and white colors. I then chose a coppery tint to fill in the former white areas of the clay pot. Now it looks like it is made of metal! 

In my final attempt, I was compelled to take advantage of clean dramatic lines of the pottery decoration and the simplicity of the overall scene. So I cropped the photo into a square and applied a stylized filter with glowing edges. The image was transformed to show the pot’s outline and design with vibrant lines on a black background. 

I had fun with my Photoshop playtime! I hope that this demonstration has also given you a giggle!

Photo Challenge: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The subject is “these are a few of my favorite things.” Please visit the link to see contributions by the other participants! 

This photo assignment was difficult! First of all, I had a terrible time figuring out what “few” things I could use in my photo shoot. I have a lot of favorites! I finally settled on a grouping of new bookends and some treasured books. The bookends are rustic, metal rabbits! They are whimsically shaped into a strenuous pose, showing their struggle to hold weighty tomes upright. I had to buy them. They make me laugh! And the treasured books are ones that my husband bought for us 30 years ago. These are collector editions of the J.R.R. Tolkien classics, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (or There and Back Again). Each book is encased in colorful sheaths. We adore the stories and were thrilled when the movies were released in 2001-2003. And we’re looking forward to the December movie release of The Hobbit! 

The second difficulty I had was setting up and executing the final image. I photographed the scene in my home office and used only natural light. Though the light level was relatively low, I had to deal with some annoying shine on the metal rabbits and the gold lettering on the books. Hot spots in a photo are not attractive. Plus, light was needed to fill in on the right-hand side. I ended up taking about two-dozen shots and half-way processed a couple of them before I finally settled on the final image. The finished product took me an hour and a half to accomplish. (I’m a slow and deliberate learner, LOL.) 

The camera settings were f/3.5 (for a shallow depth of field), 1/40 second, and ISO 320. I used an 85 mm lens and a tripod. I began the photo shoot by using a white deflector on the right-hand side of the image to bounce light into the scene. The reflections on the lettering were mottled. It wasn’t the look that I wanted. Frustrated, I started moving the reflector around to see if it would change the effect. Low and behold, holding the reflector directly beneath the scene evened out the light and eliminated the reflections that were annoying me. It was a breakthrough moment to finally figure that out! Digital processing in Photoshop was aided by multiple filters from the Nik Color Efex 4.0 plug-in program, including ones for contrast, detail, and vignette. 

And now that you know the stories behind the photo, here are the bunnies paying homage to Tolkien. 

The Lord of the Rings

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Primitive Eggs

It has been a rare event for me to do any crafting lately. But I managed to whip up a batch of primitive painted eggs this past weekend. When I mentioned it in my previous post, some of my blogging friends requested a photo. I’m happy to oblige! 

The paper mache eggs are available this time of year at your local craft stores. It doesn’t take a lot of skill, time, or expense to do these. With a little supervision, it would be a good project for children or grandchildren too. Thanks to the countless acrylic paints available, you can customize your colors. I have previously painted some in muted pastels. I got a hankering to paint this latest batch in a neutral buttermilk color. I also used a light hand with the sanding so that they would compliment a cottage décor. You can easily vary the amount of distressing. 

I pinned a tutorial on my Pinterest site, but HERE is a convenient link it you want to try making these. As a final touch, I sprayed the eggs with a satin polyurethane spray. This step is not mentioned in the linked instructions. 

Have fun!

Christmas is Almost Here!

Where has the time flown? This month has zipped past faster than any other this year. It’s to be expected since we’re still living in that alternate universe! Hubby is doing incredibly well at the rehab facility and getting stronger each day. He has been a big hit with the staff and several have already mentioned how much they are going to miss him when he leaves there. Right now, he still working on his balance and he is beginning to learn how to walk with a cane. We expect that he will come home in another week.  

Things haven’t been going quite as smoothly for me. After being immersed with so many people the past few weeks and all the “to and fro” activities, I have caught a nasty cold. Yep, somebody flung cold cooties on me! Grrrr… I woke up with the telltale onset of symptoms Monday morning. What lovely timing! {sarcasm} I am using an arsenal of over-the-counter medicines, resting when I can, and trucking along anyway when I can’t. At least my workweek is now over and I have a long weekend to rest up and visit with my sweet baboo.  

With sickness descended upon me, I freely admit that I am less than enthused than ever about taking photos now of this year’s decorations. But here are a few scenes I took in our cozy great room. Garland is strung on the stairway banisters and a few Santas are hanging out on the staircase in back of the loveseat. A Santa needlepoint pillow also gives a little pop of color. In case you are wondering, that is some of our Alaskan Native art collection peeking off to the right of the photo. And a cherished grandfather clock resides on the stairway landing (made by hubby’s uncle, now deceased).  

The commanding feature of our great room is the expanse of built-in bookcases along one wall. I put out a few cheery decorations on either side of the television. Though I have an extensive Santa collection, I decided to display a minimum amount this year. A snowman that I made in 1998 dominates this scene. (A tag on the bottom serves as a reminder!) With an apparent burst of energy, I made about a dozen snowmen that year and gave all but two away. The bookcases hold a small assortment of treasures, books, pictures, and small antiques that we have accumulated over the years. If you look closely, you can spot a corner of an antique cowbell in the background on the right-hand side of this photo.  

A large, wild-eyed Santa is the focal point in this scene. It looks like he is ready to deliver a couple of miniature pull toys to some lucky children. We got this folk art piece from Colonial Williamsburg last year. A hand-carved wooden Santa to the right is holding on to a very plump bear. Each piece has a story of its own. Many of them were acquired during our travels or at craft fairs. Some were gifts. And this particular photo gives you a little taste of the types of treasures that we have in the bookcases, including pottery, carvings, and baskets. 

I hope that the hustle and bustle of activities is winding down for all of my blogging friends so that you may enjoy the joys of the season!

Living in an Alternate Universe

We both feel like we have been living in an alternate universe for the past week. Hubby is settled in quite comfortably now at the rehab facility. He wants everyone to know in blogland how much he appreciates your thoughts and prayers! His therapy and healing are progressing quite well. We sure couldn’t ask for a better facility for him. The staff has been terrific. This link shows where he is temporarily residing. And it is located less than 10 miles from our home! I sorely regret not knowing about the place when I had my knee replacement in 2009. Ah, but that is water under the bridge. 

I have the night off from visiting. A reprieve, LOL! So I am able to do a quick post and let everyone know that all is well with both of us. I have been quite busy with the consulting work, maintaining the cottage, and running to and fro. You can continue to expect very few posts from me for at least the next month and possibly longer. There are just so many hours in the day. I have been able to pop in and visit very quickly with some of my blogging friends, but I don’t always leave a comment. 

I hope you are enjoying this lovely season and not getting stressed out by all of the extra tasks such as decorating and shopping. Count those blessings instead of the number of items on your “to do” list! I know, it’s easier said than done! 

And what is the story about the bear in the picture shown above? Here is a summary:

This artisan created bear is quite large and proudly sits in an antique Shaker child's chair in our dining room. During a business trip, hubby adopted him from a Kennebunkport shop and successfully brought him home on several Delta flights as "carry on". With his easy-going personality, he created quite a stir during his journey. I was called out to the garage at about midnight and was surprised to find him in the passenger seat of hubby's truck. I almost fell over when I picked him up, due to my laughter and his weight. His name is Kevin, and he is a limited edition #1 bear, created to fund a hospice in honor of a young Kennebunkport man (Kevin) who died of AIDS. 

Kevin has been a quiet companion for over 17 years, residing in the great room of our former cottage and now in the dining room of our current cottage. He has a view of the front door so that he can properly greet our visitors. In addition to the collar of large bells that he wears on his neck year round, Kevin loves to don a wizard-style Santa hat during the Christmas season. After all, he is magical.