Morning

"Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment--this day--is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day--each moment of this day--a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity."

Dan Custer

I need a few more days off to give my achy fingers a rest. No blogging till Sunday night.

Seriously.

Yeah, let's see how long that lasts. lol

Have a great weekend, dear bloggers. I hope to see you on Sunday night after 8:30pm when Mr. Linky will be up for Mosaic Monday. :)

Greetings from Wildwood

I've been having a lot of fun processing my photos from the beach. A little Photoshop magic and they end up looking like vintage postcards. :)

But I may have been overdoing it just a little -- my right hand is really achy and I wonder if I'm getting a touch of arthritis in it. Yikes! I think I'll take the day off, and hope that it feels better on Thursday.

Catch you later, alligators!

Cape May Victorian

At the very southernmost tip of New Jersey is the beautiful town of Cape May. Filled with Victorian houses, the town is a feast for the eyes.

A fire destroyed much of the town in 1878, resulting in a great flowering of Victorian architecture.

Many of the houses sport very elaborate gingerbread trim and bright, cheerful colors.

The porches are amazing.

Isn't this pink one (above) beautiful?

Some are private homes, but many are businesses or bed & breakfasts.

Even the most unprepossessing has it's share of gingerbread. :)

We didn't have a lot of time to tour the town, and we will definitely be going back to visit again. There are so many great Victorians that I didn't get a chance to photograph. lol

Mosaic Monday: At the Beach

We spent last week at the beach or "down the shore" as we say in New Jersey.

It was heavenly. We were very lucky with the weather -- only one rainy day -- and the water temperature was in the 70's which is very warm for July. I got up early every morning and walked a few miles, then came home and relaxed until the rest of my family woke and we started the day. I took my camera everywhere.

Here are a few of my favorite images. I love dunes and beach grass and salt marshes and wide open skies. We visited Cape May, where there are so many beautiful Victorian houses that there is a photo opportunity every few steps. We walked the beach and searched for shells. We had a wonderful time. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

Making Photo Mosaics: A Tutorial

No, it is not Monday. lol

I have had several requests for instructions on making photo collages or mosaics, so I thought I would post a little tutorial here. For the past several weeks, I have been hosting a meme called Mosaic Monday. Each week, about 50 wonderful bloggers join the party. So far, subjects have included flowers, food, decorating, travel, scenery, butterflies, family and pets. Really, any subject that you enjoy photographing can make a great mosaic.

There are lots of options for making photo collages. You can do a Google search for "photo collage" and find a bunch. But here is what I do: I upload my photos to flickr, the photo-sharing website. Then I use a site called Big Huge Labs to create mosaics.

I strongly suggest that you sign up for an account at flickr, the photo-sharing website. I believe that the first 200 photos that you upload can be stored for free. After that, it costs $24.99 a year.

Once you have your photos on flickr, go to Big Huge Labs and find the Mosaic Maker. Then let the fun begin. ;)

Here are some directions to make the layout that I use most often in my mosaics -- a large central picture, with smaller pictures surrounding it.

At the top of the page, you will see the command "Choose Layout." Click on the drop down menu and choose the last option -- 4X4 with large center.

You can choose the colors for your frame by clicking on the white boxes that say background color and border color. A color wheel will appear, and you may scroll over it and click on any color you like.

For "Space between Images" I usually choose 2 pixels which gives a rather narrow border, but this one is totally subjective -- use whatever you like.

You will be asked to choose 13 photos to fill this layout. Note that the large center photo is No. 1, and then they go across from the top row, second row, etc.

Once you have chosen your photos, click "Create." If you wish to edit it, click on "Edit" at the top of the mosaic. Then you can go back and delete or change any photos, background colors, etc. When you are satisfied, click on "Save" at the top of the page.

I hope this helps all of you who want to learn how to make a mosaic, and I also hope to see you all at Mosaic Monday. :)

*****

I will be taking a few days off to recharge my batteries. I hope to be posting again on the 26th, when I will have Mr. Linky up for Mosaic Monday.

Enjoy your week, dear bloggers! :)

Tablescape Thursday: Too Busy for Breakfast

OK, so I'm cheating a little. This is a poor excuse for a tabletop. But life has been crazy busy recently, and believe it or not this is the best I could do today.

Breakfast on the deck includes orange juice in a crystal glass, which I've popped inside my father's silver glass holder. When I was growing up, this always sat next to the kitchen sink, with my father's glass inside.

And yes, I haven't polished it. I could tell you that I left it this way on purpose, because I like the tarnished patina, but honestly, I just didn't have time. ;)

But I do like the patina.

A linen napkin from the thrift store, with beautiful lace edging, is held by a mother of pearl napkin ring from Target.

We tend to live on the deck in the summer, and this has been a really nice one so far -- not too hot and humid. My tabletop is a Chinese garden bench, purchased a few years ago at Michael's.

I like to think of this plate as a "poor woman's Flora Danica." I love anything with a botanical theme, and this is one of a set of four, each with a unique design.

I know several of you have these same dishes. I love them, and have even hung them on the wall in my bedroom in the past.

I love container gardening, because the deer eat almost everything I try to grow in my regular garden.

Many thanks to our beautiful Tablescape Thursday hostess, Susan. Please visit her wonderful blog, Between Naps on the Porch, for more summer tablescapes.

Flowers for Mary

Yesterday I gathered the tiniest of flowers.

Germander and daisy, lobelia and catmint, and some pretty pink wildflowers.

All in a tiny hobnail milk glass fan vase.

Flowers for Mary, Mother of God, whose statue has watched over the kitchen sink at our Little Red House since my mother began washing dishes here in 1959.

I can never hope to be the wonderful and generous person that my mother was, but I guess I can carry on a few of her traditions. :)

Mosaic Monday: Ah, Summer!

Ah, summer! This has been one of the most beautiful summers I can remember, with perfect growing conditions. We had a lot of rain in the spring, and even though we are enjoying warm and sunny days now, they are tempered by cool breezes. Days are filled with the drone of bees as they fly from flower to flower, and the evenings are cool and lit by the flicker of fireflies. These are the days we will remember when the sky is an unremitting gray, and the snow is turned to slush in the roadways.

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

Weekend Wishes

Wishing you a beautiful weekend, dear bloggers! Please join me for Mosaic Monday. Mr. Linky will be up by 8:30pm Sunday night.

Flower Pots

First of all, thank you so much for your anniversary wishes. You guys are the best!

I wanted to show you some of the infamous pots on my deck. I finally managed to get almost all of them filled, with a mixture of annuals and perennials. Don't you love lavender?

The glazed pot, (above), was a gift from my friend, Toni Ann. It is really heavy.

This urn (above) was on sale at Michael's last year.

I love these tiny blue flowers.

This pot has a mix of annuals and perennial euphorbia.

I'm hoping this perennial euphorbia will overwinter in the deck in it's pot. I love that acid green color almost as much as I love blue flowers.

Such a pretty lavender colored annual called angelonia. It's one of my favorite annuals.

We've been having some really nice weather here in New Jersey -- not too hot and humid, and not too dry. It hardly seems like July. So far, I've not even had to water the pots daily. That will probably change over the next few weeks. But in the meantime, I'm going to sit on the deck with some iced tea, and enjoy the flowers. :)

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 30th wedding anniversary! God, can I really be that old?! What does one give to celebrate a 30th anniversary? I'm not up on all that Hallmark stuff. Besides, we are very low-key. We'll be going out to dinner to celebrate. That's about it.

At least I hope that's all, because I haven't gotten him a gift. :0

And my kids aren't around to do the subtle questioning thing -- "Dad, did you get Mom anything for your anniversary?"

That's my mom's dress, by the way. We found it in the attic, stuffed into an old pillowcase. Yes, I come from a long line of hoarders and recyclers. lol

Anyway, wish us happy. I'm looking forward to another 30 years. :)

My Top Ten Design Elements

The wonderful designer Joni Webb, of Cote de Texas fame, has just begun a series of posts outlining her Top Ten Design Elements.

What a terrific idea!

I'm certainly no designer but, as they say, I know what I like. And Joni encouraged her readers to make their own lists, so without further ado, here is mine:

1. Pattern -- I have seen beautiful rooms that are calm and serene and mostly white, but I don't think I could ever live in one. New Jersey has so many snowy or gray days that we need some warmth and pattern to wrap round ourselves in the winter. Besides, I grew up with pattern -- in wonderful wallpapers and beautiful tea-stained fabrics, and they are still among my favorite building blocks for a comfortable room. I love the wallpapered ceiling in our library (above), and the big floral patterned curtains.

2. Antiques -- Even one beautiful old piece will give instant presence to any room. And family heirlooms are even better. The black Seth Thomas mantel clock in the photo below belonged to my maternal grandfather. It is one of my most cherished pieces. The Bristolware vase, (above) was a thrift store find, but antique and quite lovely.

3. Books -- Any kind will do, but I always love to include some antique books; their colors and the often gilded typography on their spines make a beautiful addition to bookshelves or tables.

4. Needlepoint -- I go weak at the knees for needlepoint pillows. I know that a lot of people think they are impossibly "granny," but I just love the texture and the handmade feeling that they bring to a room. And double points if they portray a floral subject.

5. Dishes -- Transferware or anything with flowers on it. They make any room feel a little lighter, perhaps a little feminine. Love that!

6. Curvy Furniture -- Oh how I love a Chippendale sofa, or a wing chair with it's sinuous curves. Again, it's that feminine touch. I also love French fauteilles, with their delicate legs. So beautiful!

7. Ottomans -- I just can't get into coffee tables. This is a totally subjective opinion. Instead, I love to have a beautifully upholstered ottoman on which to place a tea tray or a few books. And of course, they help make a room comfortable and approachable. You can't feel stiff in a room where you can put your feet up.

8. Throws -- I love the feel of a beautiful wool or cotton throw. Again, they make a room more comfortable. I have throws in almost every room, and I use them every day. They can also lend a softening effect to a more formal upholstered piece.

9. Flowers -- Real flowers shine in any room, but can be expensive. So yes, I do use some dried or silk flowers (horror of horrors!). I also almost always have flowers present in either fabrics or china or vintage botanical prints. Lately I've been collecting pressed flowers in small frames. They make a pretty grouping on a wall.

10. Light -- Especially from true divided light windows. Yes, they are hell to wash, and not really all that weatherproof, but they have such charm. And I'm all about the charm. :)

Well, that's my list. Be sure to visit Joni and read her wonderful post. And let me know what your favorites are.

Mosaic Monday: 4th of July

We had the most beautiful weather this weekend! Sunny, breezy, warm, and two whole days without any rain, which was quite a rare treat this summer. My husband grilled, we put out the hammock, and lazed around on the deck. I even got a lot of my flower pots filled, finally.

Our town did not have fireworks this year, which was disappointing. I always feel funny going to another town to see fireworks. Does that sound strange? It just seems like it should be a hometown thing -- something you share with your neighbors.

But even without fireworks, this holiday was the perfect summer weekend -- complete with strawberries, green grass, daisies, and dinner on the deck. It's what we dream of in the cold winter months. :)

How was your weekend?

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.net. I can't wait to see your mosaics! Here is Mr. Linky:

Independence Day

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday! :)

Break's Over

Well, I had a lovely break. Didn't get much accomplished, but just enjoyed the respite from my three almost-daily blogs. Don't get me wrong -- I love photography and I love blogging, and your comments and friendship really do mean the world to me -- but I guess I just hit the wall.

Totally out of ideas.

So I'm going to take my camera out on the roads around here and see what I can come up with. Maybe some of my favorite houses or shops. Maybe our local farm stand. Or maybe my completely weed-filled garden. ;)

Don't get too excited.

*****

Do you have anything planned for Mosaic Monday? I'll have Mr. Linky up by 8:30pm Sunday night. Hope to have you join me! :)