Cottages and Roses Paintings #1

Before the main event below begins, let me say one thing.

For quite a while now I've wanted to do a tutorial on photography. I've made notes and note of things and narrowed it down to a few very simple points that might help other women on their road to taking excellent photos. I didn't do this with an air of superiority because the Lord knows how lacking I am in anything "superior" but I truly did it with the intent of helping women achieve beautiful photos for blogging and/or ebay or whatever your intent is with your photos. With that intent in mind I've finished it after several months of note taking and thinking and about a week of actual "working" on it intensely and came up with it yesterday. With that being said, you'll now find it on the right sidebar just below my laundry room. It is not meant to criticize! It is truly intended as a help to those of us who struggle through this relatively new experience of blogging, selling, digital cameras and all things 21st century. I say go forward, chicks, and conquer this one because there will be a new one by a new entrepreneur any day now. How wonderful it is to live in these times of new inventions!! As Charles Dicken said and it is certainly true in our times today: "It was the worst of times and the best of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness." I don't know about you gals, but I have a bright future ahead for me. I'm positively loving living at this time of the world. Be of good cheer, be happy, be kind, be prayerful, be a friend, be a doer. We have much waiting for us if we get through with the help of our Lord. I don't fear because I know he is in charge - no one else.
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I was searching the web a couple of weeks ago for some cottage or roses prints and came across this artist and just adored her work. In some of her paintings she seems to replicate the old masters, but in some she's just as froufrou-y as the rest of us. She even has a few "country" or "primitive" paintings. Those aren't my favorites so I didn't include any of those in here. So take a look at the first of many I'll be displaying in the next week or two. I think you'll love her as much as I do. Her name is Barbara Mock if you'd like to "google" her paintings.
~*~

A lovely white picket fence with a rose arbor along a stone path.

A bouquet of dusky pale pink roses.

Some victorian women on a lake watching a regatta through a garden gate nearby.

A country shelf with pansies, tulips, a gardening sign and a bird nest.

The quintessential garden shed.

Potted flowers.

Another "old masters" looking painting of lush flowers.

A garden spot most of us dream about from time to time.

A spot to repose inside a potting shed.

A tablescape vignette.

More to follow soon...........

Being Home #1

I was recently talking on the phone to a good friend who was a bit down and lives about an hour away. She's a stay-at-home mom - 4 kids, one boy on a mission, one daughter newly married and girl, 14 and boy, 17 still at home. She's feeling the soon-to-be empty nest syndrome and fretting about it somewhat. She's one of the best moms I've ever seen. She's very diligent and one child is her trial in life! Hah..... I know that feeling. But she's trying to figure out how to make her life mean more or as I put it to her the other day: finding her passion. And that's not yet within her reach or grasp - that Passion.

I talked with her for about an hour throwing out suggestions but she kept saying "no, that's not it." She paints in watercolors and is very good but that isn't a passion. We never did hit upon it and I know her pretty well. She doesn't give herself enough credit even when her wonderful hubby DOES. He loves her being home for their kids.

I have many passions. I think the strongest passion is decorating my home to be a refuge from the world in the coming times. My second biggest passion is painting a rose. Ooooh, I'd like to paint just about anything but roses were a true passion! I've finally produced one that I can "live with" (my old english teacher would cringe at that clause - ending with a preposition!).

But that got me to thinking about a lot of things I do.

I love being home and love having my time mine. Well, I do for the most part. When hubby went to San Diego for 4 days I missed him - especially at night. But my days were free from having to stop doing something and get dinners, etc. While pondering on this today I thought I'd post a little about "being home."

I love the freedom being here gives me. I didn't realize this until I chose to stay at home when we moved to Idaho several years ago. It's absolutely a choice I'd make again! I do realize it isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love it after all those years working at a job and trying to keep up a home while hubby and I shared duties and child raising. But bear with me for a little while, my sweet chicks.

Ironing. I love the sereneness it gives me. While ironing is a chore I put off until I absolutely have to do it, it still brings me pleasure. I love the iron gliding over the white shirts and pillowcases (when I iron them), the steam rising up from the iron and the way it looks in my linen closet. And the pride I get when I look at a "job well done." And the pleasure it gives Love Bunny when he puts on a crisp white shirt. I love the look of freshly laundered clothing hanging in our closet and peeking out at me from the shelves in our armoire.

Okay okay, so it ain't so neat; live with it!!!! ;-)

He's very picky about his collars since he's a retired Marine. *Sigh*............

You can see here I'm a very "colorful" chick. :-)

Okay, truth???? His white shirts that he only wears with a suit I only iron the collar and front. He never takes off his suit jacket so no problem here and it saves me time.

Fresh sheets with fabric softener just smell so good in the closet. Mmmmmmm....

I love the blue dials on the iron. I select things for color if at all possible and was fortunate here.

I think I am going to do a series of articles on this and what I do each day so you might want to stay tuned.