Mosaic Monday Change

Just a reminder:  Judith, of  Lavender Cottage, will be taking over Mosaic Monday beginning this Sunday.  She will be posting around 2:00pm EST.  

And a quick thank you to all of you who left such sweet comments for me this week!  I wish that I could answer each and every one individually.  However, I've been experiencing a lot of pain the past few days from too much Photoshop.  But please know that I am so  grateful for your thoughts and words!  xoxo

Mosaic Monday: Goodbye

I'm a little sad, and yet a little relieved, to say that this will be my last Mosaic Monday post.  For the past several years, I have found it hard to keep up with this weekly duty -- first because an overuse injury to my hand has kept me from commenting on other blogs, and secondly, because of time constraints.  I have found that I'm not taking as many photos purely for my own enjoyment as I used to, and that is something that I need to work more on in the future.  For whatever else I do with my camera, I want to make sure that I am always following my heart.

So I have removed the advertising from my blog, and I am giving up Mosaic Monday.  If anyone wishes to take over and keep it going, please email me, and I will announce it on the blog later this week.  I will be keeping the blog available, though I'm not sure how often I will be posting.  Hopefully, that will be only when I have something worthwhile that I wish to share.  In the meantime, I have to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your comments and encouragement throughout the years.  You have been such a large part of my life!  xoxo

Edited to add: Great news!  Judith, from Lavender Cottage, has offered to host Mosaic Monday.  Please join her next week.  She will be posting around 2:00pm EST.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz 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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Walking London

Hyde Park

Buckingham Palace

St. James Park, with Buckingham Palace in the distance

Big Ben, and St. Paul's Cathedral

Westminster Abbey, and the Buckingham Palace gates

Buckingham Palace

St. James Park

Westminster Abbey

We had such a wonderful vacation in London in June, that whenever life gets particularly stressful the first thing we say to each other is "Let's go back to London!"  :)

On our first full day there, we walked a great deal, just taking in all the sights.  Here are a few photos that I don't think I ever shared with you.  I love the beautiful and historic architecture, and the fabulous parks.  One of my absolute favorite cities!

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Frelinghuysen Arboretum

I took a little time to wander around Frelinghuysen Arboretum last month.  We are so lucky to have such a beautiful garden nearby.  Here is a little bit of history, as written by the Friends of Frelinghuysen Arboretum:

George G. Frelinghuysen, a patent attorney and son of Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Secretary of State under president Chester A. Arthur, was married in 1881 to Sara Ballantine of Newark. She was the granddaughter of the founder of the P. Ballantine Brewing Company.

In 1891 the couple commissioned the Boston architectural firm of Rotch & Tilden to construct a summer home and carriage house on property they named Whippany Farm for the river nearby. The Colonial Revival style is evident in such details as the Federal urns and swags, Ionic columns on the porte-cochere and the large Palladian window on the second floor landing.

The family only lived here during the summer months. In the winter they resided at 1 Sutton Place in New York City. The property was a working farm. Vegetables and flowers were grown for the family's consumption and sent to them in New York City via train. There were greenhouses, several barns and some smaller houses on the property. Some servants lived on the property year around.

George Frelinghuysen died in 1936 and Sara Frelinghuysen died in 1940. This property was left to their only daughter, Matilda (1887-1969). Miss Frelinghuysen had an interest in gardening and was a member of the Garden Club of Morristown. In 1964, she began plans for turning the estate into an arboretum. Upon her death the land and house was bequeathed to the people of Morris County for the use as a public arboretum. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum was dedicated in 1971.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Belle

As  some of you probably know, I have a small portrait photography business here in New Jersey.  I thought I would share a little bit of this session with you, as I've been very busy shooting and editing for the past few weeks.

Belle is only four  years old, but she is a wonderful model, and a real sweetheart!  We went through several costume changes, as you can see, and she was so patient and polite through it all.  Thank you, Belle, for helping to make my photographic vision come true!  :)

My portrait website
My Facebook page
My Google+ page

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Kensington Palace

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  I keep forgetting about Mosaic Monday!  This week, I do have something of an excuse -- with the holiday weekend here in the United States, I just forgot what day it is.  :)

Anyway, here are a few photos from our trip to London last month.  This is Kensington Palace -- specifically, the King's State Apartments, sumptuously decorated in the reign of George II and Queen Caroline.  The Queen's State Apartments were closed for renovations, so I will just have to go back to visit them, right?  ;)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Chinese Dogwood

It's been a bit of a busy week here, and somehow I totally forgot about Mosaic Monday!  But, better late than never, right?  So, here we go...

Our Chinese Dogwood tree was absolutely loaded with blossoms this year.  I guess maybe it was all the precipitation we had this winter?  Anyway, I'm so glad I got the chance to go out and shoot them while they lasted.  :)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Hyde Park Rose Garden

Last year when my daughter and I went to London, the rose garden at Hyde Park was not quite in bloom yet.  This year, it was blooming with exuberant abandon.  The fragrance was amazing!  My family took a short break from our epic, eight-mile sightseeing hike to let me shoot a few photos.  :)  Such a beautiful garden!

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Kensington Gardens

So we took a last-minute trip to London at the beginning of June, and here are some photos from the Kensington Palace sunken gardens.  We stayed in a fabulous flat that we rented from onefinestay, located a few blocks from the palace.  I would highly recommend onefinestay -- they provided great customer service, and living in a flat for a week makes you feel like a native.  It was a wonderful experience!

I love the fact that anyone can walk right up to the gates of the palace in Kensington Park, too.  There were families picnicking, office workers walking through the park on their lunch hour, and tourists like us just enjoying the beautiful day.  We couldn't actually go in the sunken garden, but you could view it from above.  I do have some photos from the King's State Apartments in the palace itself.  I will share them at a later date.

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Lovely Spring

It's been a crazy busy spring here, between our little "weather event" and my daughter's college graduation, not to mention a weekend filled with three portrait sessions.

I feel like spring is passing me by.

I took a few minutes earlier in the week to take the camera out and shoot some of the flowers currently blooming in our garden.  We've got pink rhododendron and white azaleas, Siberian iris in both blue and white, and a shrub with little white, highly fragrant flowers.  I think it is sweet olive, but I'm not sure.  All I know is that it smells divine, and it's fragrance wafts in the bedroom window at night.

I love spring.

I'm going to take the next two weeks off to regroup, and to enjoy the rest of spring.  See you on June 15th.  :)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

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Mosaic Monday: Spring at Little Red House

First of all, thank you for your understanding and your concerns about our crazy weather last week.  We were very lucky that the three trees which landed on our roof did no lasting damage.  All together, we lost eleven trees, all in the same general location.  To say that our view to the east is markedly different is an understatement.  We were without power for seventeen hours, during which time both our battery backup sump pump and our generator were not working.  Luckily, we did not have enough rain to gather in the cellar.  So glad that is over!

We have white azaleas, lily of the valley and purple bugle flowering at the Little Red House right now.  The lily of the valley smells amazing.  Wild sweet olive shrubs are starting to bloom as well.  Earlier in the week I picked a few stems and placed them in one of my many milk glass containers.  Instant bouquet!  I love spring.  :)

Here are the instructions to join today's post:

1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post. The post may be about any subject you wish. The only stipulation is that it include a collage, or mosaic of photos.
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 inlinkz box in this post.
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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: marycarroll222(at)gmail.com.

An InLinkz Link-up