Saturday, October 31, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 31 Happy Halloween!

Today is the last day of my 31 Days of Inspiration posts. - It's been a lot of fun sharing the quotes and photos.  I want to thank everyone who stopped by and left such great comments.  I appreciated each one.  So for today I'm doing something just a bit different since it's also Halloween today.  I thought I'd share some Halloween Fun with you all.

 
Coleen  as a Delinquent Devil
 
 

 
That's one BIG spider!



Make no bones about it this guy has lost his head!
 
 

 Very stylish and not to creepy either.


 Pixie meets a "Zombie Dog"


 
The Wicked Witch of the East (no I didn't model for this!)
 
 Pumpkin Art
 
 
Just plain Creepy!
 
 
These Guys know how to "party"
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I'm not sure how "Inspirational" this quote is but it was fitting for the occasion.  Have a great day!

Friday, October 30, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 30

Hello & Welcome.

Here is today's Inspiration Photo.  Since yesterday was National Cat's Day I thought it would be appropriate to share this photo today in honor of them.


Not everyone is a "cat lover" but I think the quote today is great.  Life should be easy, natural and enjoyable.  Surround yourself with things you love and you are halfway there!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Good Fences #84 & 31 Days of Inspiration - Day 29

 
 Welcome! - Hey it's GOOD FENCES day and that means it's time to join Theresa for some fun viewing some good fences.

Following the fence photos you'll find today's Inspiration photo.


I thought since it's nearly Halloween (here in the US) that I'd share some spooky fun fences today.

 
 

 BOO!
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We all have love to give and there are always people who need love.  Show some to someone today and may your life be filled with abundance.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 28

Well we are halfway through another week - Hope it's been going well for you.

Here is today's Inspiration Photo:


  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
                                           Romans 12:18 NIV

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 27

Hello & Welcome. 

Here is today's Inspiration Photo:


My Azalea bush blooms in the fall now instead of in the spring.  It's bugged me since it started doing that about 2-3 years ago.  Then I realized that now I have showy flowers and showy foliage to go with them.  - Happiness!

I like this quote a lot. - Sometimes I find myself envying people who have better camera's, better skills with their camera's etc...but you know when I think about it I take photo's because they make me happy and I enjoy doing it so thats what should matter the most.

It's good advice to live by not just in photography but in life itself.  Go out there today and enjoy life.

Monday, October 26, 2015

One Four Challenge - Week. 4


 
Oops on me....I forgot today was Monday and the last week of the One Four Challenge.

So here goes:









Week 4
 
 
For the final week I endited the photo on Be Funky using the watercolor feature.  Then I added a frame.  This particular frame changed the photo size to what you see here.  I really liked how this one turned out.
 
Here are the other versions:
 

 
Week 3
 
 
Week 2
 
 
Week 1
 
The Original Photo (SOOC)
 
 
Which version was your favorite edit? Let me know in the comments.

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 26

 
 
Happy Monday! Here is today's Inspiration Photo:
 

 

It's laundry day here today.   I will be grateful that I have enough clothes to wear that they need to be washed weekly instead of every day.

How about you?  What can you show "gratitude" for today?

Sunday, October 25, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 25

Thank you to everyone who wished Coleen success with her fund raising yesterday. - She sold all 48 bottles of water and actually earned $56 as some people just donated without buying the $1 bottled water from her.  - She spent 2-1/2 hours selling the water and was very excited about earning that much money for her school.

I'll be off to church shortly but wanted to post today's Inspiration photo first.



One of the ways I keep my mind "even" is by grounding it in Faith. - I hope you will search for a way to keep you mind even as you navigate life as sometimes the path can be steep.  Take care & have a Blessed Day.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 24

Happy Saturday - Today I will be spending time with Coleen as she tries to sell bottled water to earn money for a school fund raiser so I may not get around to visiting your blogs.

Here is today's Inspiration Photo:


Remember to be thankful for what you have instead of longing for what you don't have.  Life is full of opportunities and blessings if you look for them.

Friday, October 23, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 23 and Six Word Fridays


 Today I'm joining Adrienne, (My Memory Art) for SIX WORD FRIDAYS - The word this week was, Leaf.

I love this time of year because there is so much beauty in the changing of the trees.

My last photo will be today's Inspiration Photo.

 
Click to Enlarge All Images.





GLORIOUS
 
 

 BEAUTY
 
 
 
CHANGING
 
 
 
QUICKLY
 
 
AUTUMN
 
 
COMES


          Wishing you truth and joyous tranquillity.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Good Fences # 83 - 31 Days of Inspiration - Day 22



 Joining Theresa (The Run-a-round Ranch Report) today for GOOD FENCES and sharing my 31 Days of Inspiration Photo as well.



In the fall you see this wonderful vine all over the place. - I never knew what it was called until I started blogging and learned that it's called, Virginia Creeper.  Which is weird since I live in Washington state not Virginia but who cares....it's just gorgeous.

Oops! - I posted yesterday's Inspiration Photo a Day early. It was supposed to be part of this post.  - Oh well here is a different one for today.


USE IT WISELY


 
On the way to the grocery store one day I spotted a Chain Link fence with this same type of vine on it and stopped to snap some photos to share for Good Fences:

There is a smalle creek running behind that fence and I love how the red, yellow & orange of the vines is mixed in with the green trees.

 
 



Did you spot any bug visitors in this shot?


I'd say these vines dress up that chain link fencing mighty fine.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 21


Welcome: - Yes this is my 2nd post today. - I needed to post my book review and didn't want to add my Inspiration photo to that post so you get two posts today.




I really liked this quote today.  - Sometimes we let fear of the unkown over take our lives and loose out on appreciating what is around us.  There is always "hope" that things will get better and that life is truly something to be appreciated.

Wishing you all a wonderful and hopeful day filled with many blessings that you can appreciate.

Book Review - The Photograph





** I was given a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

 
Excerpt from Bethany House Publishers:
 
 

He studied the picture more closely, finding it curious that the young woman looked so boldly into the camera while wearing a white prayer Kapp shaped like a heart--the characteristic head covering for the Lancaster County Old Order Amish.
Why would a devout girl have her picture taken?


When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother's passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the People. Yet Lily's disappearance isn't Eva's only concern: She and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger--but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all. . . .


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My thoughts:  I must confess that at first I found this book a little slow and perhaps not my favorite "cup of tea" so to speak.  I debated about saying anything negative because I hate giving a review that might discourage someone from reading the book. - However we are to be "honest" in our reviews so I'm going ahead with my review.

I found this book a little hard to follow with the usage of a lot of the Amish terms and no explanation as to what they meant.  I've read a lot of Amish fiction and some authors have a list of the "Amish Terms" in the front of the book which helps you to understand the story better.  This one did not.

The plot is interesting though.   Eva and her sisters are forced to relocate after their parents die and their brother takes over the family farm. - When this happens Eva's youngest sister, Lily disappears.  It is feared that she has left the Amish life to join the outside world or "Englishers" as is the Amish term for others not of their faith.

Eva eventually meets, Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker.  He happens upon a photograph of a young Amish woman looking directly into the camera.  It is highly unusual for a devote Amish person to have their photograph taken much less look boldly into the camera.  Who is this woman and what is the story behind the photograph?

As the story unfolds you are drawn into it more & more.  Will Lily be found and return to her Amish roots and family,  Will Eva find a new place in her life after she has to leave her family home and the little Candy business that her father had set up for her as a young girl?  Will Jed find love again after the loss of his fiance?  Will the mystery of the photograph be solved?

It took me awhile to get into the plot of the book but that doesn't mean this isn't an interesting story so do give this book a read if you want to find out the answers to the questions above.




Tuesday, October 20, 2015

31 Days of Inspiration - Day 20

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on this series that I've been doing this month. - If I don't personally reply back to your comment please know that I appreciate each and every one. 

Here is today's Inspiration:


Be respectful of others and be humble. - Have a blessed day.

Monday, October 19, 2015

One Four Challenge and 31 Days of Inspiration - Day 19



 Happy Monday. - For those looking for my 31 Days of Inspiration Photo it will follow after the One Four Challenge here today so keep scrolling down.

It's Week 3 of the One Four Challenge hosted by Robyn from the ( Captivate Me ) blog.

Click to Enlarge Images:

So here is what I did this week:  I took the edit from Week 1, Cloned the flower pot in the corner of the photo and moved it over so I could crop out the telephone pole and most of the tree in the left hand corner.
Wk. 1

Next I used some effects on Pic Monkey to add a different color tone (Rapture Effect) to the scene.

After that I went to Be Funky and used the Cartoonizer Effect to create the photo below:
I saved that image and went back to Pic Monkey and open it up there and then overlayed the 2nd image edit shown here today to get my Final Week 3 edit:

Week 3
I also added the word, (Amour) to finish off the edit.

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Here is today's Inspirational Photo:


Sometimes "attitude" is everything. - Wishing you all a great week.