Holland...Pics of the Day...July 31st...Wrapping it up...

If you were in Holland, what would you expect to see?

Some cheese...

Lots of water or a canal boat or two...

Tulips...

A house boat...this pic is especially for my friend T.F...

Quaint houses...

Bicycles...

Cute shops...

...A Shabby Chic Shop? Yes. In downtown Amsterdam no less...

Old churches...

Wooden shoes...

More wooden shoes...

...and even MORE wooden shoes! I hope you enjoyed this little tour...

Satisfied...Pic of the Day...July 30th...

When I took this picture of my Brother-in-laws empty coffee cup months ago, he looked at me like I was crazy. His look seemed to say: What in the world will she do with a picture like that? She takes pictures of everything! She does. I had no idea what I would do with it at the time, but somehow it intrigued me. We were in the Anna Frank coffee house in Amsterdam. A little lower level ( as in, basically under ground ), coffee shop. It was very warm, unusual there, but very true that day. The line for the Anne Frank museum ( the actual house she and her family hid in during World War 2 ), was hours long, so we did not end up going into it. I have toured it before and would highly recommend it. Anyway, I have obviously messed with this pic to age it, quite a bit, but it is a fun memory and it still intrigues me. It seems to say, I'm satisfied, or satisfaction. I love that a picture can make you remember every detail of certain spots in time. Sometimes they can even help conjure up the taste or smell or the feeling you were having at the moment you took it, or other such tiny details in your memory. And that, of course is why we take them. To remember, to capture an instant in history, to share that moment with others, or to share something beautiful or interesting...
Enjoy!
M. :)

Goals for Saturday...

Today my goals are:

*Work...

*Rest...

*Play...In normal proportions, by the way...

*Eat healthfully-Gluten and dairy free...
(Oh, this is another fun post) %-0

*Exercise

*Come up with something brilliant to share with you...

Well, maybe most of these... ;)

Hope your Saturday is enjoyable, what do you have planned?

Wordy Shadow...Pic of the Day...July 29th...

I've decided to put my "days title" before- Pic of the Day. Otherwise, ALL my posts start with "Pic of the Day". Then all down my list of posts, it starts with the same title and it looks like I only have a picture and not a written post...So, here's to learning as you go and changing when necessary. :)

Wordy Shadow
If a picture is worth a thousand words
Then, shoot, what can I say?
This is my best and longest post
And picture of the day...

Enjoy!
M. :)

Sneak peak...Just to get you curious! :)

Curlie Girl detail...

Pic of the Day...July 28th...Milk-Suds...

Just a little silliness
Just a little fun
Just a glass milk bottle
And some soap-sud fun
Can you believe the colors
In this simple little dish
All the colors of the rainbow
Any color that you wish
Just a quick clean up
Made a great photo opp
Now you know my secret, absolutely no photoshop!

Hours of editing today (NOT this pic, I just told you that!), with an uncooperative computer...but the job is just about complete! Need to add about ten photos and delete ten others. Then the slide show will be ready and the DVDs will be on their way to ATL. Yeah! Will have to do a little jig and sing the Hallelujah chorus! This is on the record as my fastest turn around ever!

I love this simple collage of light and color, and I hope you
Enjoy it too!

M. :)

Here's the plan...and Pic of the Day...July 27th...

Here is another summer pic of the day, a lovely beach in Seaside, CA. While you are looking at that I will tell you my plan :)... I want to finish up my Holland series of photos. Bet you thought I was done with that or just forgot, but I was just taking a little break. ;) Then I want to tell you about and show you the pictures of my "Curlie Girls". Mixed media, 3D art. Can't wait and it's high time, but I've got a little(big) project that I need to finish up first. Had a wedding this weekend and I am working on some editing, then I will have a little more freedom...The wedding was awesome, sweet, beautiful and inspiring. I will write a bit about that too. I have two weddings in September and then I am done with weddings people. It's not that I don't love them, because I absolutely do! OH, I'm jumping ahead of myself. Again. It's how ADD works. :) It works really well sometimes, like when you want to be creative, and have a million ideas...But anyway, that is my plan, if I didn't confuse you with my ramblings...Here, I will make it clear:
A. Pic of the day
B. Finish current project
C. Post Dutch photos
D. Show and tell you about my art
E. Ect
F. Any questions? ( it's late...)
G. Please Enjoy Photo!

M. :)

i'm looking...

i'm looking over a four leaf...

hydrangea

...hydrangea, that i overlooked before! keep your eyes OPEN to the wonderful, tiny, amazing, multitudes of details that can bring you joy every day...

Phone Pic of the Day...July 26th...Fun

This is a phone pic, but just too fun not to share! You may remember a marble photo I posted last month that reminds you of this. But these are not marbles! This is a soap-sudsy sink full of colored glass balls. I want to call them Japanese fishing balls (net floaters), that's what I was told when I first started getting them, but they are a little too perfect to have been used for that. Let's say that they were fashioned after the J. Fishing balls. ;) They range in size from about, 2 1/2 inches across to probably 8 inches across! They are brightly colored, made of glass, reflect the light and are perfect for photographing, so of course I love them! I originally used them at Christmas time but loved them too much to put away and let them hang in a window for years. Well they have been packed up now for quite some time, but now have been washed and polished and are ready to go in their new spot, the ceiling! Really. Hung from hooks on fishing wire. :) Now that's appropriate!
So how about you? Are you shining, bringing beauty to others, able to move into different areas in life, repurposed ( when necessary, and how many times does THAT happen in life), and most importantly, reflecting the Light? That's my hope today, to lift your spirits a bit, to encourage, to show you some beauty and to be a blessing to others...

Enjoy!
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 25th...One of those days...Well, maybe not...

Well, it's been one of " those" days...the kind you are glad that are over...the, "Mama said there'd be days like this" kind of day...But, I said I'd be honest if (when) I crawl...I didn't exactly crawl, ran is more like it, but you know those kind of days when you go from the mountains of praise to the pits of exhaustion... Or things start out well and then just slide down the hill...or something big and depressing happens, or a series of a lot of little things go wrong...Anyway, it WAS one of those days.......but its OVER and I get to go to sleep...and start over again tomorrow...and maybe there won't be quite as much to do...and two baby chicks won't die...and I won't be as tired...and it might not rain three times or be as humid......Just maybe......Let me end on a high note though and remember the good things...I noticed the bright green moss hiding in the grass...and minuscule purple flowers...and an army of double marching ants...all in the same six inches of grass...the clouds were incredible...and there are still, at this point, three baby chicks left...I got to swim, after a hot outside working session...I sang...at the top of my lungs...got some long pressing things accomplished...downloaded part of this past weekends photos...made a pretty yummy dinner...drew for about 15 minutes...listened to music...had tea a few times...checked out a few photo blogs...did some laundry...did some paper work...my boys and DH helped me today and were sweet...talked to a friend for a bit and laughed...
You know what? It was a pretty good day!
It's a wonder how things turn around when you count your blessings...
Sigh...
Night..
Enjoy!
M. :)

PicS of the DayS...Earth Flowers...Sunday, July 24th

Ok, ok, I know I missed yesterday's Pic of the Day, but I had a very good reason and a crazy busy day...so, as these things happen in life (often), we'll just get over it and move on. :)
I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson...and I love the water droplet on the "Peppermint Patty" that has the reflection of the petals within it. There I go again with reflections, I'm going to have to start counting how many times I use that word, or technique. :)
Enjoy!
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 22nd... Japanese Beauty

Forgive me...I saw this composition and I just couldn't help myself...I know they are destructive pests, but when I saw this little beauty with it's iridescent copper colored elytra and it's green thorax and head, just sitting there, not biting anything...looking so beautiful, I just had to get a shot. Have you ever looked closely at one, I mean, really closely? They are amazing...Sigh...But very destructive, I know. So when you see one, or two or ten, pluck them off your plants because beetles attract more beetles. I know there is a lesson in that! ( Esp. For teenagers, but I'm not going to go there). According to Wikipedia, the Japanese Beetle was first seen in a nursery near Riverton, New Jersey in 1916. They believe the larvae came over from Japan in 1912, on a shipment of Iris bulbs. Interestingly, the little buggers are not that destructive in Japan because of natural predators. The once popular beetle bags used to "get rid of them" with their pheromones, actually attract more beetles than they catch. Some natural repellents include: catnip, chives, garlic and tansy. A soap and water mixture in a spray bottle is also a natural method.
So, I realize that this post is completely random, but I liked this picture and had to make up for my choice with a little beetle education. By the way, I had to look up "elytra". :) It is the hard outer covering that protects the inner wings...
Weird, but still beautiful, so I hope you
Enjoy!
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 21st...Profound... :)

id like to write something note worthy
id like to write something kind
id like to write something awe inspiring
something to ease your mind
a little gift of wisdom
maybe an amazing quote
something to really inspire you
or a very funny joke

id like to write something thought provoking
something really profound
words that are just right
where amazingness abounds
but im afraid that for this night, maybe just this time
you'll have to settle for a pretty pic and a silly little rhyme
Enjoy!
M. :)

Interruption...Pic of the Day...July 20th

I interrupt this blazing hot day, in the middle of this blazing hot summer, (and in the midst of my Dutch photo series), to bring you a refreshing taste of winter. Ahh, now doesn't this look lovely? So cool and delicious! A blast of nice cold air...
Enjoy!
M. :)

Finding Colors...

I'm having entirely too much fun lately! The possibilities...yours and mine, are endless...
By the way, I'm finding colors and beauty everywhere...Are you looking for them today?
Enjoy
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 19th...A little extraordinary in the ordinary...

Isn't it fun to take the ordinary things from your day and make then extraordinary? A little yogurt, a tiny blue bowl, a sprinkle of cinnamon and one perfect strawberry. Just a snack, right? But put it all together, stand it on a mason jar, snap a picture and you have a tiny composition...Look at the colors of the red walls and strawberry, the contrast of the pretty blue bowl, the light shining on the yogurt and the bokeh! We have bokeh! Ok, I know I am enthusiastic, my favorite punctuation is an exclamation point, after all!! ( Forgive me, I do tend to over use them). But back to the other point...You can just grab a bite or bite at the good, the fun and the opportunities! Don't waste the photo opps of life whether you are taking a picture or not, and after all is said and done, you still get to eat it!
Enjoy!
M. :)

Searching for Beauty...

My eyes search for beauty like a parched man searches for water...
Everywhere I go, everything I do, every corner is scanned for beauty...
It's in almost everything and everywhere, are you looking for it?
Along the side of the road, Queen Anne's Lace is blooming profusely...
An old building with peeling paint, a faded red barn from days gone by...
Slanting rays of sunlight streaming through an open cloud, billowing cumulus clouds on a summer day...
An azure sky, a dark grey sky with an angry powerful storm approaching...
The fresh bright green of Spring's new leaves...
A rushing river, a single splash of rain...
A bird's morning song and a cicadas unique clicking...
Fireflies in the warm velvet breeze...
The delicate colors and veins of a single petal...
Misty blue rounded mountains and sharp rocky mountain peaks...
The varying ocean shades with sand and rocks to crash against...
It's easy to find beauty in nature, you say, but what if I'm stuck inside?
There is always something for color hungry eyes to seek out...
Watercolor palates, dried paint on a dish, a colorful set of tea cups...
Pens, fabric, papers, fresh fruit and veggies...
A child's smile, a puppy's kiss...
Colored glasses, the bold pages of a magazine, a favorite childhood book...
Photographs of birthdays and happy times, loved ones...
I can find it anywhere, in the silliest of objects and places...
Give me a bag of marbles to photograph or a set of old colored pencils...
A tin of tea or a creamy latte, a stack of cards or a vintage book...
It doesn't have to be perfect or large...
Sometimes it's stopping to take a picture with your phone's camera of a sunset or of a bee landing on a flower in a home store...
Are you looking? Are you looking? It's not hard to find...and it's all free...
Open your eyes, there is so much to see and...
Enjoy.
M. :)

This one is for Jayne! Are YOU playing the game with us?

Let's play a little game...

This is another pic in the Dutch Series photos... I thought I'd have a little fun with you. I told you that I have this amazing app, which I will reveal tomorrow, that can do ALL kinds of amazing things to your photographs...As I was playing with it tonight, I had this idea... Let me back up. This was another run-by shot. Seriously. We had just had a delicious, fresh fish lunch and were heading back to the center of town to look around. As usual, everyone was far ahead of me and I just happened to glance back into this ally, ran back and got this shot. I sure hope that the words on the door are not cuss words... I asked a few people and they thought not, so if I'm wrong, forgive me... Anyway, it was a striking wall and just so perfect and 'Dutch' with the bike propped up against it... So back to the app, I fiddled quite a bit with the original photo and I was wondering if you could guess what the REAL color of this wall was? What do you think, makes sense to you, or which is your favorite? Aww, come on, GUESS!
And while you are at it, I hope you
Enjoy.
Marianne :)

Guessing wall color...

...possibly this muted purple?

Still guessing?

Golden browns and yellows...

Wall colors...

Is it possible that it was this lovely terra cotta shade?

Wall color...?

Could it have been this intense red?

Color...

Was it navy?

Color...

Was it this delicious blue?

Color?

Is this how it really looked...

Several pics of the Day...July 18th...Dutch Series continued...

...or is this the real color?

Pic of the Day...Sunday July 17th... Favorite Windmill

This is an " Oldie but Goodie". I took this years ago, but since we are doing a 'Holland series' and this has been one of my favorites, I thought it must be included. It's pretty simple. An obvious silhouette. ( Obvious as in, where it's from! ) A bright blue sky and some wispy clouds... Lovely feeling once again. Oh, and I did NOT forget the 'Pic of the Day' yesterday! Went to put it up late and the Internet wasn't working, so anyway...
Enjoy.
M. :)
ps. How about some feedback? Agree with me, don't agree, have a favorite, a request, or a lovely comment! Thanks...

Pic of the Day...July 15th, Friday...Lunch Boat

Think I'll frame this one...I love the feeling it gives me...Kind of a nostalgic, peaceful, pop-of-color, painting-like, peace...Wow, that was a mouthful of silliness! But that is exactly how it makes me feel, so that is exactly what I am going to write! This was taken in Leiden, Holland, as were all of those of the past several days.
Enjoy.
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 14th...Quaint Scene

I love this picture because it could have been taken yesterday or 100 years ago. ( I know, except for the fact that it's in color and that there are cars in it ). But the scene could have taken place long ago... The old buildings, the canal with a rusty barge and children rowing in a little boat...quaint.
Enjoy.
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 13

Tiny Dutch coffee shop with the cute little cups...

Pic of the Day...July 12th...Holland Series photo

Doesn't this look cozy? The shapes and colors of the buildings, the reflection in the river ( oh, you are going to start noticing a pattern with me and reflections ), the balance of the little red boat and the bright green of the trees, the bicycles on the right, and the...Subway shop...What? A Subway shop. I'm cracking up! I just noticed this when I was deciding what to write about this picture. How funny. I'm not surprised though. Just amused. You see, most of my time there was not spent searching for, composing and making sure I got the perfect shot. Most of my shots were 'drive by shootings', or 'walking by really fast' shootings. :) I was constantly lagging behind, quickly grabbing a shot and walking as fast as I could to catch up.
Such is life, isn't it? Doing the best we can, with what we have at the moment, hoping (and praying), for laughter and beauty along the way and that things ( especially the kids ;), will turn out right. I couldn't do it without prayer and hope and faith, or the Lord's help and answers!
Oh! By the way, all my shots of Holland, I think i'll call them 'Dutch Treats' , were taken with a tiny point and shoot camera. Left the big guys at home this time and it was pretty fun to just have a 'regular' tourist camera for once.
Anyway, hope you enjoy!
M. :)

Pic of the Day...7/11/11... Tea for Many

I've been excitedly waiting to show you this pic as the beginning of my "Holland" series pictures. I love it on so many levels! First of all, I love Holland, land of my parent's birth and my heritage. I love tea, all kinds, and shining teapots AND reflections! This was a quant little shop with all things tea (and coffee), with very colorful cups and a deliciously different European flavor. In the side window display, sat this Dutch little pot. As I always can't seem to
help but notice reflections, this I couldn't resist. A little self portrait, the kind I love, where you only get a small touch of the person. In this case it's two people, but more importantly, there is the town church with it's tall steeple, the lines in the road behind me, the sun and shadow, blue sky and last but not least, a miniature reflection on the ball of the lid. Ahh. It may not win any prizes or even meet technical standards, but as the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder... This makes my eyes happy. :)
Enjoy.
M. :)

When are dirty dishes not a problem?

When they are this cute! When I was growing up, my Mom keep a black and yellow saying by our sink... Thank God for dirty dishes, they have a tale to tell, while others may go hungry, we are eating very well! There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for! Think about that today...
These cute cups, by the way were in Holland. I'm going to start a small series of photos from there...
Hope you enjoy
M. :)

Pic of the Day...July 10th, Sunday

Had an Oh So Lovely Day visiting with a friend and her daughter! We talked, took lots of pics, and had tea! So fun! Then I worked on and finished one of my Curlie Girlies for a friend's website, Charity Wings. Check it out at charitywings.org I will do an entire post on my "Curlie Girlies" this week. I will also show you today's creation, but not until my friend has seen it first! :) She requested an Asian Curlie Girl with wings. Can't wait until she sees it! ( and you do too!)
This pic is another detail of a larger painting, water color again, though I did this at the end of last year with water color crayons. I asked some of my favorite people what their favorite words were and wrote them in the different colored circles...added a few doodles too ( I just can't help myself with those doodles!)
Enjoy.
M. :)

Close- Up and personal...journal detail...

See, shapes, swirls, paint. ( Water color )

Paint...

This isn't even completely done, I added details in white also...