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Somedays you just have to remember to appreciate the little things. |
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Freebies...Friends & Family
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| Two sweet sisters |
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| What a lovely group of friends |
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| Life long friends |
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| Friends with a lot in common |
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| Cousins |
The past few weeks I have come to appreciate family and friends just a little more. I do not know what we would have done without all of their support. They brought us food, sent us flowers and cards, emails, phone calls, visits, arranged food for the memorial service for my father, took pictures of the ceremonies, DVD's of the military service with my Father singing in the background, comforted us with hugs and memories, opened their homes to us for dinners and brunches. The list goes on and on.
This week I honor them all by asking you to remember a friend or family member that might enjoy a phone call or card from you. Tell someone you love them, it might make a world of difference in their life and yours. Enjoy the freebies!
Digital Photograph edited on my iphone...The Homestead
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| The Homestead It has been a long month. I think my family has been through an emotional ringer. The most positive thing was that we were all reunited in one place. I have enjoyed spending time with my cousin Barbara, my sister and my Mother. The four of us together was a really nice thing. My Father would have enjoyed watching us girls chatting and cooking, giving each other strength. I left Washington D.C. for home on Thursday. I had to stop in Charlotte North Carolina to pick up one of my sons. He is going to help me with all of the boxes and help me move my furniture around in my new house. I have only been there twice since I bought it in early December. Then it was only to retrieve some clothes for Daddy's funeral. I figure it is time to get my life unpacked, sorted and set back up. It has been a long journey to get to this place. I really want to say "Thank You" for all of your support. It was much needed an appreciated. The digital photograph above is of a beautiful little farmhouse in Virginia I considered buying. I took the picture with my iphone camera then edited it in Filter Mania then again in 100 Cameras. I am so thankful to have these Apps. When I am waiting in line, etc. I like to play with these. I feel like I am doing something creative rather than just waiting... |
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Digital Photograph...Cemetery Tree...
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| Tree in Arlington Cemetery Yesterday after a beautiful and very moving military service we interred Daddy at Arlington Cemetery. He would have loved it. We love and miss him very much! |
Couple Freebies for You...
They are adorable. So fancied up!
I like the drum table. So very Military.
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Portrait of a young couple in their very best clothes |
Bonnie and Clyde
This week I decided to give you some couples to work with. I figured with Valentine's Day just around the corner Love is in the air. I wish you all a great week.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Digital Collage...Doors
Here is a digital collage using one of the textures below. The doors are a photograph I took of an old store along the Broad River. I thought I would show you one way to use the textures below. Enjoy!
Some Textures for You from My Iphone...
I haven't done any free textures lately, so I decided to share a few I have been making on my iphone. I have had to wait on other people lately so while I am doing that I play on my phone. These are of a brick wall in a resturant I visited in Northern Virginia. I used the iphone App Filter Mania to edit my original photograph. Hope you can use these in your art work.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Digital Collage...Mountain Home
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| A Mountain Home I found this little gem over the weekend in the mountains surrounding my new home. I am constantly amazed at the sheer strength that some people have. Someone actually lived here, probably raised a few children here. Through the snow, wind, and cold. The rainy, muggy days of summer. This was home. I am so thankful for my little brick retro 60's ranch. |
Turkey Chili - Turkey Tacos
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This week I was looking for something I could make that took a short amount of time to prepare and that I could snack on as I unpacked. I also wanted something that I could turn into something else with a few more ingedients. I decided after going through some of my recipe journals to make this delicious Turkey Chili. I love this with cornbread or a baked potato. The other nice thing is that this is pretty basic so you can add or switch around some of the ingredients. I hope you enjoy it. Turkey Chili 2 pounds of ground turkey/or 1 pound ground turkey and 1 pound chicken sausage 1 large yellow onion/chopped into pieces 1 medium green pepper/chopped into small pieces 2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder 1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cumin 3 1/2 cups of V8 Vegetable Juice/the low sodium works as well as the originial 2 cans/15 ounces each/of kidney beans. I like to use 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of black beans. Sourcream and sour cream for garnish. 1. Cook turkey/meat,onion, chili powder, ground cumin till the turkey is cooked through in a saucepan. 2. Add V8 vegetable juice, green pepper, and beans. Stir well and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low or simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or till vegetables are tender. 3. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. 4. Corn bread is a nice side dish. Enjoy! I love chili but I usually only want it for a day or maybe two. I always have left overs so I turn my chili into tacos. Here is my version... Turkey Tacos Shredded lettuce Chopped tomatoes Sliced black olives Shredded cheese Sour cream Soft or hard tacos Take the Turkey Chili and warm it up. Use as your meat filler for tacos. Add lettuce, tomatoes, olives. Top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy! |
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Digital Collage...A Tree
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| A Tree Thought I would share a tree with you I found last week up in the mountains near my new home. I have found a great stress reliever in driving around and taking pictures. I unpack a little. Line a few shelves. Take care of a little buisness. Hope in my car and set out for an hour. Then back home to start all over again... |
Four Letter Words
I am sure a word generator would be easier, but probably not as fun...
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Siblings....Freebies for You
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| A beautiful tintype |
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| Little stairsteps |
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| Brothers forever! |
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| Love the building behind them |
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| Curly hair, straw hats, and beautiful fringe! |
I thought I would give you some freebies this week. I am trying to get back on some type of routine with my life. Things are pretty scattered, tied up in boxes, etc. for me right now. I have been doing some of that New Year thinking the past couple of days. One of the things that I realized was how lucky I am to have a brother and sister to help me through the past month. I have realized how important my siblings are to me...no matter where we are or how old we get...we are there for each other. Hope you remember to tell someone how important they are in your life today.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Digital Photograph - Red Roof Barn
Last week as I drove back to North Carolina I had a pity party in my car. It rained the whole way through Virginia. As I crossed the North Carolina state line the sun came out and these big rolling clouds blew by. I immediately got off the interstate and starting looking for shots. My camera was more than ready. This was my first barn encounter in weeks. I thought it represented how I was feeling...still standing after a terrible wind had blown through and changed my reality. Enjoy!
A Happy New Year to All...
New Year's Day I spent around 10 hours on my computer going through emails and catching up on posts on some of my favorite blogs and Yahoo groups I belong to. It was the first time I had opened my computer since I left for D.C. after hearing my father was hospitalized. I had just bought my new home and the movers came and did a drop/dump of my things. I locked the door and just left. I forgot my laptop - which I probably would not have used much anyway. Needless to say, we did not celebrate the Holidays this year, nor have I really felt more blessed in my life. I think about my Dad and realize how lucky I am to have had such a fine man in my life. Then, I look at my family and realize how blessed I am to have all of them in my life. It is strange the way life can twist and turn.
I want to thank all of you who left comments and sent me such beautiful e-cards. I think I went through a whole new box of kleenix yesterday. How fortunate I am to have so many kind and thoughtful friends. I appreciate each and every one of you. Your kind words and messages of hope truly sustain me. Thank you! I am wishing you all a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2012!