Friday Finds

On this image I used Kim Klassen's Lightroom preset kk_still and her texture kk_100 in PS Elements

I was straightening up last night and came across a book I haven't looked at in a few years, Living Artfully by Sandra Magsamen.  I opened it and found a passage I previously highlighted:

We have been conditioned to focus on whatever little thing isn't quite right about ourselves, our creations, and our surroundings.  Instead, let's decide to focus on what is right, lovely, and beautiful.  This is a simple concept, yes, but it's transformative just the same.

Isn't funny how we come across things right when we need them.  I have a habit of looking at what needs to be changed, in my pictures, my house, myself...  I am going to take her advise and try to 'focus on what is right, lovely and beautiful'.

I am also going to reread her book. 

On this image I used Kim Klassen's Lightroom preset kk_DreamLike and her texture kk_0603.

I made a trip to the Antique Mall this week.  I have always loved mismatched teacups stacked in pictures but only had one teacup.  This trip I found two cheap teacups to add to my props and used them for Kim Klassen's class Be Still, the prompt was 'tea and change from above'.  My coins are from the Bahamas.

I had also been keeping an eye out for an old chippy window.  I found one.  I used it with The Studio prompt 'potting bench'.

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Friday Finds, The Studio and the class Be Still. 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Michelle

Lots Of Friday Finds

I took a lot of pictures this week.  

I found the cute flat basket in the photo above at Michael's Craft Store.  It came in two sizes, I bought the smaller one for a photo prop.  I loved it so much I went back a few days later and bought the bigger one too.  I am not even a basket person.

We took a drive through the Ohio countryside this past weekend and came across a railroad car.  Yep, an old railroad car just sitting on it's small piece of track nowhere near a regular railroad track.  My husband simply asked, "Where do you want me to stop?"  I jumped out of the car with my iphone took a few pictures.

I found a sunflower begging for it's portrait to be taken.

I found the full moon (above, left) as I was taking the trash out.  My iphone decided not to focus in the dark, so I gave up.  Inside I looked at my pictures and loved the out of focus moon and lights.  Sometimes mistakes are good...

We had a little bit of snow (above, middle) on Wednesday night.  It was just enough snow to brighten the day, not enough to close school. 

At the hardware store (above, right) we found the bagging center for Santa's helpers. :)

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Friday Finds and The Studio.  The Studio prompt was flowers from above.  My top image was processed in Lightroom starting with Kim's preset melancholy and textured with avery.  For the sunflower portrait I used Kim's Lightroom preset darklight and textured it with waterfront7_magic.  My Finds this week are baskets, a sunflower, an old railroad car and realizing there are many moments worth a picture everyday.

Thank you for stopping by!!

Have a great weekend!!

Michelle

Veggies

It was 18° F outside as I snuck out my front door with a silver serving spoon to dig in my snow covered landscaping.  I didn't need much dirt, just enough to make my veggies look recently pulled from the ground.  Luckily, I don't think any of my neighbors saw me.  I came inside and filled a spray bottle with water, the one I use to give our birds a bath.  The birds did see me, one got excited about the possibility of a bath and the other 2 were quiet, hoping to become invisible if indeed it was bath time.  

I took my dirt, spray bottle and veggies upstairs to take pictures, lots of pictures.  

I sprayed the veggies with some water, rubbed them with dirt and sprinkled some around too.  It was fun.  When the dirt thawed, it's smell reminded me of spring...  

This photo was taken with my iphone and processed in Camera+ which gave the sky a bit more blue than was actually there.

Our winter really hasn't been too bad here in SW Ohio.  We only got a little over an inch of snow with the last storm, sorry to rub that in if you live on the east coast.  Thursday we had some freezing rain in the morning, cold and dreary, but when the clouds were breaking up letting the sun peak through, everything wet reflected the sunlight.  It was beautiful.  Paying attention to those little things has helped me see how there is beauty in winter, dare I say, as much as any of the other seasons...  

Today I am joining Kim Klassen's Friday Finds.  The weekly prompt from The Studio was veggies, the spark for my images.  My veggie images were given Kim's chocolate preset in LIghtroom and her texture thursday2014 in PS Elements.  My Finds this week were having fun photographing veggies and seeing beauty in winter.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!                                

Have a great weekend!!

Michelle