Visiting with Granddaughter and Family

First of all a word about Google getting rid of Google Friend Connect on March 1, 2012.

This will not affect Blogger accounts. It will affect your blog if you're doing Wordpress. Wordpress and maybe even Typepad but I'm not absolutely positive about it. Right now it looks like Typepad will not be affected but don't quote me on that. Wordpress, at least, will no longer be given the codes to allow GFC to work on their blogs. Those of you who have Google Friend Connect on your Blogger blog have no need to worry about it; it will still work on your blogs. While some prefer to keep their Wordpress, I'm sure there is a way to bring it over to Blogger if you prefer to use Blogger to keep the GFC. If you prefer to not use Blogger and stay with your current blog, you can get other applications if you'd like: a Facebook page just for your blog or Networked Blogs. Personally, I've always preferred Blogger. It's much easier and user-friendly. I've always used the Old Editor as the New Editor is much glitchier. I can usually tell immediately which editor a blogger is using.
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Welcome once again. I hope you've enjoyed the last few posts. I'm in Washington visiting my granddaughter and her family. Miss Caroline will be featured on posts shortly. Our great granddaughter is growing so fast I can't believe it.

There is no rhyme or reason as to how I post the photos. As I've said, there are over 1,100 of them to show you. I mean I have really and truly scouted the internet the last several days looking for photos to lift your spirits. So don't expect a post on gardens or rooms or flowers or weddings or food; just look, dream, get ideas, relax and enjoy. I've done all the hard work for you! But it has truly been my pleasure. I didn't even load all the ones I've seen, just being very selective as to what I like and thought you'd enjoy it also. If not this blog, then wait for the next ones. I think I can promise you that you'll enjoy them. I'll feature a variety each time. I have photos of roses, fruits, homes, gardens, European streets, vignettes, walkways, kitchens, food, bedrooms, yards, rustic, elegance, just anything and everything. My imagination ran wild.

A vine covered outdoor room.

This looks like a sun room. I cannot tell if it's outdoors or indoors but with the vines growing I'm guessing it is outdoors with a cover over it. Quaint though.

Can we say a gypsy or bohemian bathroom? That's what it looks like to me, but I'm loving the lace-covered walls.

I threw this in for all you lovers of rustic.

I threw this one in because I love warm, crusty butter-slathered french bread and red and white ruffled chair covers!

This little tent absolutely stole my heart. I'm not ambitious enough to make one but what a joy it would be to have this on a camp out. This couldn't possibly be a doghouse, could it?! Ooooh, I hope not. Just too danged cute.

Look at that scalloped blue table and those stone walls. Are you lusting yet?

Now, go and smell some beautiful roses.
~*~

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More Practice Photos #3

Again, if you enlarge you can see the yarns - texture - much more clearly.

Exact same thing here. You can see each stitch more intimately. It's very difficult to get a very close up picture with a flash and especially on white. But I'll tell you a little secret that definitely helps. A filter, which can be expensive, or a piece of white clear plastic OR a piece of Scotch tape - the invisible type. Yep, that's what I've been using for a couple of days and it really does cut down on the glare of the flash. I'm soooooooo into cheap where this kind of thing is concerned. But look, it works as per my photos here. I used a piece of invisible tape and voilà, here it is without the glare and I was VERY close up.

Here too.

And here. You might have to adjust your lighting but that's easy. We'll talk about that tomorrow though.

Tad bit of glare on the ribbon but ribbon is notoriously hard to capture since it is so shiny. But as soon as I've solved that one, I'll post it here if anyone is interested. AND if I solve it!! LOL

Now, here I've "un-straightened" the picture. This I did in my iPhoto but I'm sure you have something in your photo editing program that straightens a photo. I use it all the time, but here I did just the opposite. A slight slant in the photo of this little cottage is of visual interest also.

I'm not in the least bit shy about posting my "mistakes" either. This was way too close and I didn't give the camera time to adjust as can be heard with the "whir" of the mechanism inside. Terrible picture.

This was a tad better but again the shiny satin ribbon reflects too badly.

But it worked here on the white of the clock face. I see a spot of light on the faux cookie though that I didn't catch on the iPhoto before I went to the PhotoShop Elements editing. :-(

No glare on this white plate though and those are very difficult to photograph.

I love the shabby little faux cupcakes with the vintage elegant roses plate. Then the cheap wood I painted white adds a touch of country elegance to the photo.

I am absolutely NOT a professional photographer in any way, shape or form, chickadees. I don't even pretend to be. I just want to have fun with it. I make many, many mistakes but I love doing it for blogging and selling on ebay and the selling blog. It's a hobby and not one I spend a huge amount of time in, but I believe people want to see nice clear photos when viewing photos. I think the biggest problem I see on ebay photos is that they are soooooo dark. I sometimes have to drag them to my desktop and edit them to view them properly if I want to see what I might buy.

So pull out that instruction manual and read it a little bit and maybe just on the essential things you'll be using at first. It really is very easy, chickees. Have fun with it and play around with close ups and slants!! Give it a try and you'll see a world of difference in your photos. :-)

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My Favorite Lifestyle Book and More

My favorite lifestyle and decorating author is Alexandra Stoddard. I bought her book, Living a Beautiful Life, many years ago when we lived in California. It is the epitome on how to live graciously in a frantic world. Of course, there are lots of decorating tips in the book, but for the most part it is just about living life. Or as the cover describes it: "500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty and Joy to Every Day of Your Life." And it keeps that promise! I absolutely adore it and have even found some old copies since it was published in 1986 and given them as gifts. I believe the women who have received a copy from me have love the pleasures it offers inside the covers.

Another of her books called, Creating a Beautiful Life, which I also enjoy immensely, is described as "From starting fresh to freshening up - inspiring ideas to help you turn your house into a warm and welcoming home. I suggest you try finding them to read as you'll not be disappointed. I try and live my life graciously and it shows in my home.

Here are the 2 books. It looks like 3 but the Living a Beautiful Life has 2 different covers as I discovered when looking for more of these books.

The illustrations aren't in color but I've colored mine. I relax when I color and this seemed the perfect thing to do to this particular book.

I am also a "marker" of books. I use different colored pencils or markers to highlight thing I want to remember or go back to. She encourages this in her books. She also leaves room at the end of each chapter for "Grace Notes." Plenty of space to add your own grace notes.

Another page I colored and marked on the other side.

Ah, but this little book is something special. It's a grandmother's remembrance book. "A Book of Special Memories for the Family to Share." It all bright pink with beautiful green leaves on the cover and all the way through it also. I did one of these for my son and my daughter, but this one I've had for a very long long time waiting to see what I'd do with it. Well, the time has arrived that a woman I know is expecting her very first grandchild soon and it's to be a girl. So this will be her special prize. She's going to have to read this post to know it though. I can't wait till she finds out. But she is a painter of roses so I know she'll love it.

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