Freebies #32 - Magazine Covers

This week's freebies came to me as I stood at Barnes and Nobles this morning and they rung up three magazines for almost fifty dollars. Whew! The woman who ran me up said something to the effect of how she remembered buying several magazines for less than a dollar when she was growing up for her Mom.

Her Mom would send her to the drugstore to pick up the latest "rags". Not wanting anyone to see her buying some of them she would send her daughter. I mentioned I would love to have some of those magazine now. The covers and ad's had such wonderful images and graphics on them. It is so sad how some of the magazines are going out of business. So here I am posting some of those covers for you. I hope you will enjoy them.

Digital Collage #18 - Live the Life you Imagined

A little collage using this weeks freebie images. The stamp is a Tim Holtz - Stamper's Anonymous. I am trying to do a collage using at least one of the freebie images a week. I was able to use four images in this one. A new record for me. I did this one collage about ten times and finally said enough. I must be tired. I tend to overwork things then.

French Toast Casserole

This is a really great recipe. I use this a lot when I am having company and need something elegant to serve for breakfast, but do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I am making it this weekend for a "after the prom" breakfast. I am hoping this is the last prom for awhile. This would also be an excellent Mother's Day Breakfast. Some one could discreetly leave the recipe where someone could find it. The great thing is you make it the night before and just stick it in the oven. How complicated can that be?

This is for 6 to 8 people. You will need a 13" by 9" cake pan.

2 tablespoons of corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
10 to 16 slices of bread [you can use any type of bread you like, french bread, regular sandwich bread, baguettes]
Nuts are optional
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the first three ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until syrupy. Pour into 13" by 9" pan. Lay the bread slices on top of the mixture and keep laying them on top of each other till the pan is full.
Beat well the next four ingredients. Pour over the bread. Cover, place in refrigerator overnight.
In the morning preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the top lightly with cinnamon. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with maple syrup, butter, and or fresh fruit. I like to take a fruit jam and heat it in a bowl in the microwave. Wash and trim your fresh fruit. I serve the french toast with the jam and fresh fruit. Also, fresh orange juice and bacon, ham or sausage is optional.

Quote - Life

Wildfires are Scary Stuff

This is the way it looks heading from North Carolina into South Carolina. North Myrtle beach is only an hour or so away from my house. The area that burned is one of the places we use to take the kids to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Home owners from the development called Barefoot Landing coming home to find their home gone. This subdivision lost 70 houses alone. The fire jumped from street to street, burning some and leaving others untouched. I have always found that to be the epitome of randomness.
This is one of the resorts across from Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach boasts of some of the nicest and oldest golf courses on the East Coast. They also have the most putt putt golf places I personally have ever seen. I think the pink sky from the fire really tells you how hot that must have been. The pink is almost pretty if you didn't know that it was houses and businesses burning up.
Here is a couple sitting on their back porch across the strand from the fire. This must have been difficult. The whole coastal area is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Inter coastal Waterway. This waterway is made up of fresh water. It splits and meanders and is fed by creeks, streams and rivers. We call some of that strands. These waterways create vast swamps and wetlands. Areas that are boggy and full of peat. That is what is burning here. So far 20,000 acres or 33 square miles.
This is US 17 that runs along the coast in North Carolina and South Carolina. When I was coming home the other night from my road trip I kept smelling smoke. It was dark and late and I was in an area that the White Swamp and the Green Swamp are in, also a large fresh water lake - Waccamaw and another river. This area is noted for the fog. However, you could not see five feet in front of you for the smoke. I can't imagine what being really close is like.

So, please pray that this thing does not come any closer to North Carolina and that the wonderful firefighters are able to fully extinguish this monster. There are a lot of people out there who have lost everything and could certainly use our thoughts and prayers.

Freebies #31 - Trade Cards

My freebies this week are a bit late. I have been on the road this week on and off and have been playing catch up. Today is do everything in the house - laundry, water plants, put everything away, just the little things that add up day.

I chose these images because I am up to my elbows in laundry. I got out some of the starch images and progressed from there. I hope you will enjoy them. I think these young ladies are amazing.

Four Letter Words - Play

My Reason for a Better World

If this is not a reason to make this planet a better place I don't know what is. I spent most of earth day with "our girl" outside at the park seeing things in her eyes. It was a joyous day.

A Walk in the Park...

A furry little caterpillar that gave us shrieks of delight.

Beautiful Azalea's that were in full bloom. They were emitting a perfume that made the park smell like cotton candy at the fair.

Snow ball Hydrangea's that were so old they looked like trees. They were like walking in a fairy land. They reached up to the sky with their flowery pom poms.

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. Please remember today that the planet belongs to us all. Remember to respect her. Reuse, recycle, repurpose... figure out today how you can be a better citizen of this wonderful place called Earth.

Digital Collage #17 - Discover yourself

This is from the image of the two little girls in the previous digital collage. I just had to do something else. I tinted her eyes, which is really fun to do. The background is from some sidewalk chalk drawings that a friend of mine's granddaughter did this weekend. I just thought they were so sweet that I snapped a few pictures. After I got home I realized what a treasure as backgrounds they could be. I could see this little girl drawing like that in the dirt. I don't think that aspect of growing up as changed that much. At least I hope not.

The Art and Life of Dante Rossetti

Sanctas Lilias

Vision of Fiammetta

Lady of the Flame

Sybilla Palmifera

Veronica Veronese

Lady of the Window

Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti was born of Italian parents in England in 1828. He was born and raised in England, went to school there, but spoke Italian and acted quite Italian, although he never stepped foot in Italy. He was a painter and a poet.

He was an avid reader and enjoyed Dante, Shakespeare and was fascinated with Edgar Allen Poe. He was one of the seven original founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They believed in "truth to nature". They were greatly influenced by the tales of medieval life, the gods, and the idea of femme fatale. I love the way he brings nature into every painting. Each flower and plant represent something. I enjoy that kind of imagery. The other thing I love about his paintings is the hands of the women he paints. They have so much expression and movement.

I am sure you immediately recognized his work. He used the same two or three models that so many of the group used. He took it one step farther and married his favorite model Elizabeth Siddal. She was his inspiration and obsession. Unfortunately, they had a still born daughter. Elizabeth never fully recovered from the loss. She overdosed on laudanum. Dante Rossetti was devastated. He buried his new manuscript of poetry with her.

Like so many artists he channeled his grief into his work. Even after death he used her in many of his works. After Elizabeth's death his long time friend, William Morris sort of took him under his wing. They shared a studio together and Rossetti spent many a day at Morris's home with his family. It is thought that Dante Rossetti developed a crush on William Morris's wife - Jane. She begins to appear in his work along with her daughter, May, quite a bit. It is believed that Jane convinced him to dig up his wife and retrieve his poetry and have it published. Which he did. This of course was quite the talk in London. I am sure it must of helped the sale of his poetry book.

Dante Rossetti was also a laudanum user. He developed respiratory problems from the prolong use. He died in 1882. His lungs just gave out. He always hoped that he would meet Elizabeth in death as Dante had met Beatrice. She lives on through his paintings.

Digital Collage #16

Another digital collage I worked on this morning. I love that the two girls look so happy. They seem to want to just bust out with one of those deep belly laughs that kids have. The homespun dresses and the black tights are great. The worn out shoes... all make this so endearing to me.

Freebies #30 -French Postcards

Today when I decided to post my freebies I decided to just do a whole french theme thing. I have been trying to decide how to celebrate a year of blogging - coming up soon - and having over 500 posts. Do I do a give away? What do I give away? I have been putting things aside and debating what to do. Going to other blogs and checking out their giveaways, etc. So I decided today to give away ALOT of images to everyone at one time. A gift of sorts. The giveaways go to one or two people, and I want to give to as many as possible so here is my mini image giveaway.

Freebies #29 - French Architecture

Freebies #28 - The back of the postcard

Freebies #27 - French Fashion...

This week I am feeling all French. I am thinking April in Paris... a very good time, with the love of my life. All of this started with the Somerset issue of Marie. After reading the magazine a couple of times - great art work and some beautiful ideas. I just wanted to pull out my lace and buttons, french images and go to town. Which I guess was the whole point to inspire us. So this week I am going to give you a bunch of French images and see what you can't do. Have fun.