summer's end ... and change

the end of another summer is upon us ...

oh, how the world has changed.

how my life has changed ... how i have changed.

i haven't been using my camera too terribly much since i last posted ...

i've missed it so much!

i have an excuse to pick it up again ...
a dear and precious grandson!

among so many things, he loves the camera and ...
he loves flowers as much as i do!

... and i LOVE him!

he had a rough start in life but is doing beautifully
now at the age of 2!

looks like much has changed here on blogger.
i hope to get back here now and begin posting more photos
as soon as i do some homework and figure out how it
all works ... again!!

if any of my followers are out there,
please do leave a comment.
i would really enjoy hearing from you!
in the meantime,
enjoy the beautiful autumn weather as i am!

my favorite time of year and i hope to be
taking more photos to share soon!

love & blessings to all!

~ deborah ~

beginning again ....

~Hello~

if anyone here still has me on their list of blogs they follow,

please do let me know below in the comments when you see this post.

i've missed so much the times i was here
but life has thrown me a few curves as they say,
yet i have survived!

i would love to know if anyone is still here.
i have missed sharing with those who visited me.

i found that i am unable to get to your blogs
by clicking on your names in the comments as before
so i have concluded that blogger has made some changes,
to which i will need to reacquaint myself with.

i haven't lost my love and passion
for capturing the moments of life
... large or small.
my 'friend' has been tucked safely away in it's case
and i'm truly anxious to begin again as time allows.

i hope this finds you all well and healthy in the world
in which we find ourselves in today ...

so much going on around us ...

so many changes ...

emotions are up and down ...

i am getting older now too ...

yet in the midst ...

I find rest.

i pray you do as well!

i am anxiously looking forward to
seeing some comments from you!

love & blessings to all,
~ deborah ~

texture tuesday || softly summer free and easy

i've missed a few weeks of posting with you all over at
texture tuesday ...

a bit of an update first:
back in august i shared with you the story of my nephew here in this post.
i want to thank those of you who thought of him and prayed.

early on a beautiful sunday morning, september 7th,
just before we were to make our trip to visit him,
God called our TJ home.
quietly and in his sleep, he left the pain behind.

much has transpired since then.
a sadness prevails in our family ...
and there will always be a void in our hearts.
but hope indeed reigns.



i'm sharing this image with kim's cafe.
i love roses, but have never grown them.
this particular one is called 'grandma's blessing' ...
it's one that our neighbors planted for us before they moved.
this just bloomed recently and I wanted to share it's loveliness.
it truly has been a 'blessing' to watch it grow.

sad to think that summer has come to an end ...
but we can know for sure that beauty can be found in any season!

my free and easy recipe:
kk_violet
multiplied @ 40% opacity

click the link's above to join in!
{ i've tried uploading the TT button from kim's site a few times,
but as you can see below, it's broken. has anyone else had the same problem? }

hope you all are enjoying a wonderful week weather wise.
fall seems to be making an early appearance with much cooler temperatures,
along with wind and rain that are on the way for the weekend.
even with the past few days of indian summer warmth,
the leaves are beginning to turn and fall.
hoping the weekend weather has a change of heart ...
i'd love to capture more fall colors to share.

blessings to you,
- deborah xo

texture tuesday free and easy || out of the mist

i love the changing of the seasons

the warm days of summer are beginning to wind down around here ...
you can feel it in the air.
storms are brewing west of us and should be arriving wednesday,
bringing lots and lots of rain and ushering in much cooler temperatures for the rest of the week.
looking forward to that, although the early frost they are predicting would not be good.

we have new neighbors now ...
you may remember when i shared that we lost
our landscapers last month when, sadly, they moved away.
well, this time we have a young family.
he is a mechanic (filing that info away for future reference),
and i believe she is a stay-at-home momma of two small boys.
saw them both playing out in the backyard today ...
in the mounds of topsoil and mulch where the newly planted bushes are.
not sure they'll keep the yard as nice as the previous renters,
but they seem to enjoy the fruits of his labor ...
that is what remained of the tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.
he told us we could help ourselves, as well.
looking forward to getting to know them better.
i do enjoy meeting new friends!



linking up with kim's cafe again this week.
just click if you would like to join in.

i missed last tuesday due to the passing of a dear family friend.
it is never easy ... grief.
he will be greatly missed, but we know he is home now, and at rest.

this image of a wild flower is one i captured along the side of a country road.
the depth of field along with the added texture makes it seem as if it's reaching out of the mist.
grief can feel like that, but experience tells me that time lessens the pain.
we lost my husband's parents four years ago this month, too.
a touching story i may share sometime, but for now,
we are so very grateful for all the cherished memories we hold in our hearts.

i used kim's providence multiplied at 100% for this image.
hope you all enjoy a beautiful week making lots of memories with those you love!

blessings,
deborah xo

texture tuesday || free and easy

oh my, it's been far too long since i spent time sharing here,
but i haven't forgotten any of you just as i said in my 'last-long-ago' post!

i could go into all the details of my absence,
but for now i'll keep it short and simple to say that after a long cold winter,
as well as life's sometimes difficult journey with those we love along the way,
and gratefully watching as spring turned into summer,
it's good to be back!

i needed some time away to give my attention to some on-going family issues
but now, i can no longer put off continuing on with this passion of mine ...
i've missed it so!

for my 'welcome back' post i'm starting with a weekly favorite ...
kim's texture tuesday.

now mind you, it's been a little while since i've taken time to sit and create so i'm a bit rusty.
these lovely corn flowers were growing in the garden at our church.
after editing this image to the tone i preferred
i actually layered it with kim's 'anna' two times as follows ...

the first layer 
multiply . 60% opacity
the second layer .
screen . 25% opacity

there, you have it ... and i hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
i plan on seeing you next tuesday, and maybe even before. :)
in the meantime, we're enjoying some 'fall-like' weather here ...
it's early for these temperatures, but we're so grateful for the break from the humidity.

i'm heading over to the 'the cafe' now to see more textured images
and catch up with some old friends ...
just click the button below to come along and join me!

blessings,
- deborah
xoxo

floral love || pretty pink peonies

my sweet husband made a stop on the way home after a long day at work ...
he knew i needed some cheering up.
he always thinks of me, no matter how tired he is!
yes, i love peonies, especially pretty pink ones,
and yes ... i am blessed!

i wanted to capture the memory of these 'pretties' and share them with you
before they succumbed to the elements around them here.

i often think that there will be forever-flowers in Heaven!

*the second image has a softness about it that was no doing of mine ...
it had been a rainy, muggy, and humid day, so when i stepped onto the porch
to take this picture, the lens began to fog up.
i snapped a few real quick because it was getting worse!
i wasn't sure how any of them would turn out,
but i do like the softness that the 'fog' gave to this one.

not sure, but i don't think it's good for our cameras ...
does anyone have any knowledge about that?

i would love to find a lens that would give an image this soft effect,
so if anyone knows about that as well, please share!



well, i know i've been absent for a few weeks,
{post coming soon with one of the reasons why}
but, it's so good to be back,
and, i'm looking forward to sharing again!

i have missed all my friends here!

i'll be linking up with mona's floral love
so do come over and see more 'pretties',
and join in with one of your own!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
it's a special weekend here for us ...
we'll be celebrating our son's 29th birthday! :)

blessings,
deborah xoxo

indeed, it was a beautiful day ...

"ventured to a quaint little town,
with some sweet and quaint little shops
had a quaint cup of herbal tea
got lots of quaint little shots"

... of mostly flowers"! :)

i put together a quaint little mosaic / collage
with some images of the special things i saw, and loved!

i'm linking up with mona's floral love,

and also, come monday,
when entries are submitted for the week,
i'll be linking to mosaic monday, over at the 'dear little red house',
an interesting and fun challenge i recently stumbled onto!

do come and join in one, or both!

*note on how to make a collage / mosaic ...

i've found a site, and yes, with a funny name, where i made this collage using my images.
it offers a few ways to do it, and even more when you learn to adjust the palette,
which allows you to add more images, as well.

i've tried making collages/mosaics in my own editing program,
but never quite got the 'hang' of it.

if you're interested in making your own, i hope this site helps you.
you can also do some fun photo editing there as well.

PicMonkey

flora love { lilium

another beauty, or two, that i discovered while walking through the flower market again.
i just can't seem to stay away!

linking up with mona's floral love.
come join us for a walk through all of this week's beauties!

happy weekend!

deborah
xoxo

floral love || dear daisy

joining in with mona's picturesque: floral love this week.
daisies are everywhere this time of year,

and i thought i would share two favorites of mine ...
both are 'before' and 'after' a bit of editing.

we went 'flower shopping' this week,
and this first gerbera daisy was a beauty!

the 'before' of both of these images are pretty much 'sooc',
{straight out of the camera}
other than removing a little bit of 'noise'.
the second ones are 'after' a bit of editing fun!

to see more fantastic florals, and to join in with one of yours,
just click on over to mona's floral love!

looking forward to seeing you there!
have a blessed weekend!
- deborah xoxo

here is the second set ...
and yes, these are the actual colors of the flowers in the 'before' image!
a sweet friend gave them to me for my birthday ...
very colorful, yes?!
happy flowers, i'd say!

i would sure love your thoughts on the 'after' image.
i was just having some fun playing around with the tones,
and this is what i ended up with!

a rose and a prayer for oklahoma

- a rose for oklahoma -

my thoughts and prayers, as i am sure are most of yours,
have been with all those affected by the tornado this week.

i am holding my family, and loved ones, much closer these days,
and being mindful of never taking anyone, or anything, for granted!

i wanted to share this image in remembrance
of the dear and precious lives that were lost in this
unbelievable and heartbreaking tragedy!

*please, join me in remembering them all in prayer, for their broken hearts to have peace and begin to mend,
and for the strength they will need, as they begin the arduous journey of putting their lives together again.



this week i'm sharing with the following link-ups ...
come and see some of the beautiful entries,
and, you are more than welcome to join in.

blessings,
- deborah
xoxo

texture tuesday || free & easy eDition
texture used on this image as follows:
kk_providence . multiplied . 51%

tuesday muse

floral love

floral love & nurture photography spring 2013 challenge || a 'pull over' moment

i'm linking up to mona's floral love this week ...
click the button below and come join in the flower fun!

also linking up with one i just discovered, a bit late, as it is the 'finale',
but still so very worth the time to enter ... link up found on:
project alicia's nurture photography the spring 2013 challenge!
click her button below to see more beautiful spring photography!
also thanking kristi and rebecca for hosting!

we were running an errand, and happened upon these beautiful blossoms ...
i told my husband to 'pull over', please!!!!
the spring colors on this tree were so rich and vibrant -
i just couldn't resist capturing a few images!
after going through them, this is the one i chose to share this week.
i'm so glad to have an understanding husband,
when a girl has those 'pull over' moments!! ;)

hope you all enjoy your weekend!

blessings,
deborah
xoxo

mother's day fills the heart ... indeed!

i'm a bit late, but still, i wanted to relive, and document, the wonderful day our family had this past sunday ... it was a beautiful mother's day, shared with my dear husband, along with our precious son and his darling wife!  i must say, these two made this year 'more than ever' special for this mother!

we had previously made plans to spend the day together, going to an early dinner, and then doing something fun to fill the afternoon hours.  they met us after church, but not before they had a bit of 'artsy' fun 'decorating' the windows of our car!  i was totally surprised when we came out of church to see what they had done ... i thought it was the absolute sweetest thing!!  and yes, we drove around in all that 'mother-day' glory, noticing the looks and the smiles from those we passed along the way. :)

nope, didn't mind one bit that my son 'marked up' the car ... just like he used to do on the walls of his bedroom ... and I sure didn't mind that he had a partner-in-crime this time, either!  still, i miss those days when he was a young boy, but now, i'm even more blessed to have a son, all grown up, who still lovingly calls me 'momma'! :)

we had a fabulous dinner at carrabba's italian grill, then afterwards we decided to drive downtown to walk along the beautiful scenic canal in the center of the city.  we were all enjoying the absolute perfect day we had, the warmth of the sunshine, white puffy clouds on a background of blue, the gentle breeze, the geese, and ducks, a few flowers, but more importantly, just being family, together ... especially today, as my husband and I both have lost our parents.  our son also missed seeing his grandmothers.  mother's day was always a big family celebration before we lost them.
it was a joyful, yet bittersweet day.

and sadly, it was coming to a close ... but not before we all decided we had 'walked' up an appetite!  we decided to stop at a small, very authentic mexican restaurant we had not seen before.  we had the tastiest steak tacos on the homemade goodness of warm corn tortillas, topped with fresh cilantro, sweet onion, and a few squeezes of lime ... that's all, and they were the best little one dollar and fifty cent tacos i've ever had!  definitely worthy of another visit ... and soon!  i'm wanting to try their chicken tacos next time! :)

and finally, both my son and daughter-in-law had written in a very beautiful mother's day card ...

meaningful words that made the tears flow, and my heart sing ...

words i will treasure forever

tonight, i'm remembering that special day, and reading those treasured words ...
again, tears come, yet, my heart is singing for the love i feel!

yes, my heart is full, and i am blessed ... it was a very good day!

and last but certainly not least,
here's a peek at part of their sweet and thoughtful 'artsyness' ... if there is such a word! lol!
but seriously, what mother wouldn't love this?!

i would love to hear about your day, as well ...

hope each of you were able to enjoy a 'more than ever special' mother's day, too!

blessings,

deborah

xoxo

floral love || rose

i have sadly missed out on a few weeks of mona's 'floral love' meme,

and i'm thrilled to be sharing again!

if you adore flowers, like i do, click her button below

and take a walk through the weekly 'garden',

and, you're most welcome to link up and share one of your own!

have a beautiful weekend!

blessings,
deborah xoxo

tuesday muse || sunflower smiles

yes - i found a new meme to join ... tuesday muse,
and you'll find it over on a very lovely blog - a rural journal.

now, i am running late in entering for this week,
with about 20 minutes to spare,
so this is going to be short and sweet.

winter seems to be making a comeback
with much cooler temperatures, and a frost warning,
so i thought i would share a little gift i received to brighten up the day!

here is my first entry for 'tuesday muse' ...
some very beautiful sunflowers my husband brought me!

these made me smile ... sunflowers always do! :)

click here to see more entries for this week's 'tuesday muse'.
enjoy!

blessings,
deborah
xoxo

texture tuesday || another free and easy eDition

another lovely week over at 'the cafe' ...
i was so sorry that i missed all your lovely images in the 'celebration' challenge last week at kim's,
but, i had good reason ... which i won't go into here now, but soon.

here is my offering for this week ...

the beauty of these blossoms never ceases to amaze me each year, but unfortunately, they do not last long.
i just can't seem to get enough of them!  this particular image is sooc, {straight out of the camera}
and i really liked the airy and light look it had, so i did no editing, other than to add one of kim's textures:

i call this 'subtly sybil' - and here is my simple recipe:

kk_sybil . multiplied . 35%
eraser tool used lightly on the petals of the main blossom
"easy-peasy"

if you have some time, do click on over to kim's place to see her amazing image,
along with all the other beautiful textured entries that you can find through the links at the bottom of her page.

have a beautiful day!

deborah
xoxo

texture tuesday || the times two eDition

tulips ... don't ya just love 'em?!
my dear husband brought these home to me,
so i thought i would get creative with them,
however;
i was trying to think of an artful sounding label for them ...

tulip tears
weeping tulips
tulip drops
three tulips weep

hmmm, if you have any thoughts,
by all means, do share! :)

and yes, it's time, again, for a trip to 'the cafe'.
do we ever tire of this .... NO!!

{want to give a little 'shout out' to all who have commented on my images ...
it has so encouraged me, and i want to thank you here, again!}

well, this week kim has asked us to use two of her lovely textures.
my recipe here is done with a light touch, as you can see.

sybil . softlight . 60%
then i flattened the layers and
added the second texture layer
daisy . softlight . 50%

after adding each texture layer i used the eraser tool
on the petals and stems to keep those colors
light and bright.

and the finishing touch ...
the quote by daniella kessler

i'm going on over to kim's site to see what beautiful textured images
there are waiting to tiptoe through!
please, come join me!

have a lovely and blessed week!

xoxo
deborah

free and easy eDition || ... in anticipation of april blooms

it's texture tuesday, and time for a visit to kim's cafe!

this week's theme is 'free and easy'
and we're to share an image with at least one of her lovely texture layers.

here is my "easy peasy" recipe on an image i pulled from the archives
... hence the title of this post.

kk_reentry . multiply . 70%
eraser tool used over main flower for clarity

i thought these tulips were some of the prettiest i had seen at the museum of art.
all the flowers there are so lovely during the spring,
unfortunately, not this spring ... yet!

please, come join in at 'the cafe' and
share one of your beautiful creations with us!



hope you're enjoying much more spring-like weather than we are!
it's still quite cool here, and i can't believe it's april!
i'm just so grateful that the sun has been shining, adding a little warmth to the air.
i hear tell a weekend warm-up is on the way,
and maybe we'll begin to see some flowers very soon!

hoping you all have a blessed week!

deborah
xoxo

floral love I : orchids

i adore flowers ...

they do make the most beautiful and, not to mention,
the easiest 'subjects' to photograph!

spring brings thoughts of all those beautiful colors,
and varieties, we so enjoy each year!

well, hear ye, hear ye ...

there is a new meme on the block that just started this past friday,
and this is one i'm definitely joining!

it's called 'floral love'
with link-up open for entries each friday.
it can be found over on mona's picturesque web site!

click the floral love text link above,
or the button below for the instructions on how to get started,
and to see all the other beautiful entries!

thank you, mona, for hosting this beautiful meme!

and to introduce my floral image for this first week ... an orchid.

have a wonderful day!

xoxo

... the promise

hoping you all have a beautiful
and blessed Resurrection Sunday!

"And this is the promise
which He Himself made to us --
eternal life."
{ I John 2:25 }

xoxo

texture tuesday || flower power eDition

we have just been through an early spring snow,
and i must say, it was absolutely beautiful!

things are beginning to warm now, and the melting has begun,
but spring has yet to blossom here ...
still my heart is so very grateful for all the blessings we do have!

since there are no flowers peeking through just yet,
i pulled one of my favorites out of the photo archives.
this is the same image that i used in my banner at the top of this page,
only, to this one, i added two of kim's gorgeous textures:

cherish . soft light . 100%
edith . multiply . 50%

i also used the eraser tool over a few of the petals
to add softness and to lighten them up just a bit.

jump on over to 'the cafe' and take look at more 'flower power'!
it just might help to get rid of those winter blues ...
and come join in if you have some flowers to share!



have a blessed week,
and, spring or not,
i hope you'll have the sunshine to enjoy!

xoxo
deborah