Mosaic Monday: A Little Bit of Cheer

What could be happier on a dreary winter's day (it snowed again last night) than a little shot of yellow? And polka dots, too! The folks at Shop-Rite (bless their hearts) had tulips on sale this week. And after the week I had, and the week before that, too -- two bunches of bright and cheerful yellow tulips were just the ticket!

I'm not an expert on color theory, but I have to think that the power of yellow is very real. Just having these beauties in the house has cheered me up immensely. And wow, did I ever need some cheering!

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 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: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	SPARKLE	33.	ldh	65.	Krea-krampen
2.	Eileen, Md	34.	linda	66.	La @ A Musing Potpourri
3.	Twisty Lane	35.	Ebie, CA, USA	67.	Sue @My Garden & Me
4.	M i s for Maga	36.	QMM	68.	Jackie in Surrey, UK
5.	GardeninginaSandbox	37.	Hearts & Texture	69.	Jeri
6.	A Garden of Threads	38.	Dawna @ That Country Place	70.	Rabbits@ the fable of the table
7.	Sheila@Starshine Through My Windows	39.	Cathy	71.	Aud Irene
8.	Sharon @ Infatuated with Homes and Gardens	40.	ann	72.	Project Bag
9.	Lavender Cottage	41.	shirley-winter trail	73.	OstranderBlog
10.	Rajesh, India	42.	Cindy@ Chalk it up!	74.	Mmmm...
11.	Lost Homes Of Levy	43.	Heart's Garden	75.	Some Green In January
12.	Teacup Lane - Creative Crocheting	44.	Becky G.	76.	Sue-Someone's Mom
13.	Home is Where the Boat is~	45.	Regina-DailyLiving, PH	77.	Sall's Country Life
14.	Life Images by Jill	46.	Genie~VA~Buttons for Baga	78.	Smudgy - "7 breeds"
15.	Pondside-It can change in a minute	47.	Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen	79.	Meri @ Playing Along
16.	ellen b	48.	Suzy @ Kitchen Bouquet Great Magazine Challenge	80.	Cass at That Old House
17.	Blessing Reflections	49.	Self Sagacity	81.	Carolyn @ Aiken House & Gardens
18.	EG Wow, Canada	50.	Millie	82.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine
19.	Susan @ Ash Tree Cottage	51.	Teacup In The Garden	83.	Cupcakes @ AlmotaRoses
20.	There's Always Thyme to Cook	52.	Lorrie	84.	Traci
21.	Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	53.	Color Chic visits Amity	85.	Schotzy, in Virginia
22.	{oc cottage}	54.	Hyacinths For the Soul	86.	Agni
23.	Wandering Thought	55.	Agni	87.	Jane in England
24.	Elizabeth @ Wee Kitchen	56.	Milla	88.	Art/Visual Journals Mosaic | ReArtingDotNet
25.	Betty @ My Cozy Corner	57.	Maggie @ Normandy Life	89.	Little Dresses for Africa
26.	Christine	58.	Bernie from Australia	90.	GIVEAWAY
27.	Shirley's World	59.	AJ Kreations	91.	Bohemian Valhalla
28.	Verde Farm	60.	Lesley@Adventures with a Camera	92.	Emily of Elliott Crafty Creations
29.	Significant @ My Place to Yours	61.	Carol at Serendipity	93.	bhupesh
30.	A Montana Life	62.	DawnTreader, Sweden	94.	Anna @ Laughing Raven
31.	Candy @ The Little Round Table	63.	Vermont Girl
32.	Cottage and Creek	64.	Crafty Gardener, Canada

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Venting

I was on line at the supermarket yesterday, when I realized that I had forgotten one item. There were two people ahead of me. I ran to get the item, and when I returned, less than one minute later, some woman had pushed my cart out of the way and was starting to load her items on the belt.

When I told her (very politely) that I was next in line, she told me that I shouldn't have left my cart unattended. Now mind you, I was gone less than one minute and they had not even started checking out the woman who had been ahead of me on line.

Can you believe that??? It wasn't as if I had kept her waiting...

I don't mind telling you, I was madder than hell!

Sorry to drop all that on you! But by now (hopefully) I'm over it. lol And so I'll just post this pretty tea cup and wish you all a pleasant weekend.

*********

I hope to see you all at Mosaic Monday. No more venting, I promise! The linky thingy will be up on Sunday night by 8:30 pm Eastern time, USA. If you need help learning how to make a mosaic, be sure to check out my tutorial on the sidebar.

Thanks!

I'm Crying "Uncle"

OK, let me say this right up front -- I've had enough snow. Yes, it is pretty. Once or twice. But when you get at least one storm per week, every week, it starts to get old.

Here's how you tell when you've had enough snow:

1. When your snow shovels have a permanent place by the back door.
2. When there is an open bag of salt next to the steps.
3. When your Christmas decorations are still up one month after Christmas, because you are too busy shoveling snow.
4. When you keep firewood next to the door, in case of power failures.
5. When the snow is creeping slowly toward the door!

My daughter and I shoveled about five inches from the driveway on Wednesday, so that we could get her out to the train to go back to school.

This is what it looked like on Thursday morning, at the foot of the porch stairs. Eighteen inches. My husband, my son and I shoveled for nearly two hours to clear the driveway.

So yes, I've had enough snow. Please alert the media.

*********

Thank you so much for your sweet birthday wishes! My daughter came home to surprise me, and my son skipped his class so that we could all have dinner as a family.

It was one of the nicest birthdays ever. :)

hibernate

It's my birthday, which I would just as soon forget, and it's snowing like crazy, which I would definitely like to forget.

I'm going back to bed. Wake me when it's spring. Or when there are Hershey's Kisses in the house. Whichever comes first.

Mosaic Monday: Berries and Tea

I was eating blueberries one morning, as I considered what to use as my next Mosaic Monday subject. The sunshine was pouring in through the window, and I wanted to try out my 50mm f1.4 lens. So I grabbed one of my mother's favorite decorative teacups, and began to snap some shots.

And that's the entire story of this mosaic. Sometimes I can be such a camera nerd. lol But somehow, I feel a teacup series of photos coming on... :)

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 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: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Diann @ The Thrifty Groove	27.	Dawna @ That Country Place	53.	DawnTreader, Sweden
2.	Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook	28.	{oc cottage}	54.	Carol at Serendipity
3.	rose stamping w kids	29.	Riet	55.	Krea-krampen
4.	Lavender Dreams	30.	Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook	56.	iPad cover @ Fable of the Table
5.	A Garden of Threads	31.	Ebie - The Main Ingredient	57.	La @ A Musing Potpourri
6.	Jeri	32.	Betty- 4th Cupcake Sunday	58.	CollectInTexas Gal
7.	GardeninginaSandboxg	33.	Life Among Mountains	59.	Becky @ Hearth and Home
8.	Cathy	34.	Meri @ Playing Along	60.	Anna @ Laughing Raven
9.	Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	35.	Sheila	61.	Cottage & Creek
10.	Kathy-Delightsome Life	36.	Sweet Nothings	62.	Moodscapes
11.	Rajesh, India	37.	Nicole	63.	Sall's Country Life
12.	Cindy @ Custom Comforts	38.	Queenmothermamaw	64.	lesley@adventures with a camera
13.	Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen	39.	ann	65.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen
14.	Vermont Girl	40.	Inside-Out	66.	ReArtingDotNet | Art Journal Mosaic
15.	Podso	41.	Arlene	67.	linda
16.	Hearts	42.	One	68.	M is for Maga
17.	Polish Sausage Making - A Family Tradition	43.	Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner	69.	Jan Halvard, Bolivia
18.	eileen, md	44.	Garden Geek	70.	genie~va~usa
19.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine	45.	Teacup In The Garden	71.	Melody @ Fresh Go Vintage
20.	Twisty Lane	46.	Lorrie	72.	Bhupesh
21.	shirley - Florence, Italy	47.	Balance Found @ Color Chic	73.	NO name
22.	Just Another Girl's Blog	48.	Jackie's life in Surrey	74.	From EDa
23.	Lavender Cottage	49.	Sharon@infatuated with Homes and Gardens	75.	Laura @ PatioPatch
24.	EG Wow, Canada	50.	Heart's Garden	76.	Frippery
25.	Wandering Thought	51.	Anja, spring doodle 1
26.	Blessing Reflections	52.	Project Bag

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Happy & Peppy

Greetings, peeps! I just wanted to say thank you for all your lovely get well wishes. I truly enjoyed reading every one! I now have three days of antibiotics under my belt, and I am starting to feel a little better. :)

I thought that I would show you something else that is making me feel nice these days: this little vignette of white in my kitchen. I just love this display of graduated platters on the wall. Isn't it funny how the littlest things can make you happy?

Of course, I'm happy right up to the point where I find that I need a platter; then I start to rethink the whole display. lol

Tell me: what is making you happy these days?

Double Yuck

I have never been a big fan of winter; usually by mid-January I am longing for spring. This year it wasn't really too bad -- I have been walking a lot, getting lots of sunshine which really does make a difference in my mood.

But then I got this stinking cold.

Yuck. I really don't want to share all the disgusting symptoms, but suffice it to say that this has not been a good couple of days. Finally, I went to the doctor to learn I have a nasty virus that turned into bronchitis. Now that I have some drugs, it should be getting better.

Sooner rather than later, I hope.

In the meantime, I have these lovely tulips from my daughter. And even feeling crappy, I could not resist taking a few pictures. ;) We had the nastiest weather here yesterday -- snow and freezing rain that turned to all rain with temps in the high 30's.

Yuck. (That's two yucks, if you are keeping score.)

So, I hope everyone is well, and warm and dry. There is something about the color red, isn't there? It just warms the spirit.

Happy Wednesday, dear bloggers!

Mosaic Monday: Old Photographs

I find myself drawn to the old photos I come across occasionally in thrift stores and antiques shops. Who was this person? When did they live? What was their life like? I guess I'm always in search of a good story... or maybe I'm just nosy. :)

I have seen images of wedding parties that look as solemn as a funeral. I often wonder if their expressions were typical for the time in which the photo was taken, or if the newly married couple were seriously contemplating the full import of the vows they had just taken.

I have come across graduation pictures, first communions and candid shots that portray the joy of the moment in now-faded glory. Recently, I found this precious miniature in my favorite thrift shop. Judging by the beautiful case, this child was cherished. What was their life like? Who did they grow up to be? Were their later years filled with joy, or disappointment? Or both, as perhaps is true of us all.

Of course, I will never know the answers to any of my questions. And perhaps that is as it should be. Perhaps the main thing is to ask all of those questions of my own life -- to make sure I am living an examined life.

*********

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 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: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	GardeninginaSandbox	28.	Teacup Lane - Sled Dogs	55.	Milla
2.	Podso	29.	Happier Than A Pig In Mud	56.	DawnTreader, Sweden
3.	Eileen, Md	30.	Sweet Nothings	57.	Perlenkatze
4.	Lavender Dreams	31.	Konda @My Greality	58.	Winter Blues
5.	Wandering Thought	32.	Linsday - North Carolina	59.	bhupesh
6.	The Charm of Home	33.	Sall's Country Life	60.	Shirley, Canada
7.	Blessing Reflections	34.	Garden Geek	61.	Inherited furniture
8.	A Garden of Threads	35.	New Adventure @ Color Chic	62.	Lorrie
9.	Lavender Cottage	36.	Ruth @ Daily Divine	63.	Suzy
10.	Home is Where the Boat is~ Giveaway	37.	The Gardener	64.	Ebie, CA
11.	For the Donkey's Sake	38.	Riet	65.	Cottage and Creek
12.	Elizabeth @ WeeKitchen	39.	The Tablescaper	66.	Cass at That Old House
13.	Sheila	40.	suzyq -atthefarmhouse	67.	Sherry@MyHomeSanctuary
14.	M is for Maga	41.	Sunny Simple Life	68.	auntie bliss
15.	Cindy @ Custom Comforts ~ Giveaway	42.	Pondside-Horoscope Quandry	69.	Eiffel Tower
16.	Pat~ NYC~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	43.	Teacup In The Garden	70.	Clivia @ AlmotaRoses
17.	There's Always Thyme to Cook	44.	Anja, huddling hedgehogs	71.	Jessa | ReArtingDotNet
18.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine	45.	Jackie in Surrey	72.	Anna @ Laughing Raven
19.	Jeri	46.	Bernie in Australia	73.	Dawna @ That Country Place
20.	Diann @ The Thrifty Groove	47.	Maggie @ Normandy Life	74.	Chalk it up!
21.	Genie @ Buttons for Baga	48.	Project Bag	75.	Sue @ Sue's Bird Blog
22.	Susan@SavoringTimeintheKitchen	49.	Maria Berg, Sweden	76.	Moodscapes
23.	Like Mother-Like Daughter	50.	Sharon@infatuated with homes and Gardens	77.	My New Tea Kettle
24.	{oc cottage}	51.	Mountain Breaths	78.	Arlene
25.	Rajesh, India	52.	Carol at Serendipity	79.	Jan Halvard, Bolivia
26.	EG Wow, Canada	53.	agni	80.	Ostranderblog by JennyO
27.	Queenmothermamaw	54.	Snap @ Twisty Lane

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Sooner or Later

It had to happen sooner or later... after all, it happens every year. Yep, I've got a cold. So it's lots of tea and sitting on the couch, which is all I really feel like at the moment...

So, I hope you all are well, and happy, and enjoying the week. I'll catch you soon, hopefully without the germs. lol

My Snow Story

By the time we have awakened this morning,

we will see something like this scene

outside the windows

at our Little Red House.

We will don warm coats and scarves and mittens,

and venture out into a world

made fresh with white.

And when the driveway has been shoveled,

and the birds have been fed,

and many, many pictures have been taken, ;)

we will stomp the snow off our feet,

and go inside to the warm kitchen,

where we will make hot chocolate,

with marshmallows (of course).

We will sit before the fire,

toasting our toes

and reading,

blankets over our laps.

We will look at the new white world outside,

and be thankful

that we are warm, and dry, and fed,

and together.

the end

Mosaic Monday: My Blue Period

I wanted to show you a few of the fine art nature images that I've been shooting and editing recently. Let's call it my blue period... just like Picasso, except without the incredible talent. lol

I think it is something of an odd feeling when inspiration overtakes you. I remember seeing the sunlight hitting the weeds in the garden, and picking up the camera to go out and see what I could record... nothing more planned than that. When I opened the images in Photoshop, I have no idea what made me begin to edit them with these particular blue tones.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is this -- when you begin an art or craft project, do you have a firm idea in mind, or do you just let inspiration lead you where it may?

Inquiring minds want to know. :)

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 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: mrcarroll(at)optonline

And a quick reminder: if you would like to join Mosaic Monday but don't know quite where to start, there is a tutorial on mosaic-making on my sidebar. Just scroll down, and click on the small blue mosaic.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	31.	GardeninginaSandbox	61.	Mosaic Matinee
2.	Eileen	32.	CollectInTexas Gal	62.	Project Bag
3.	Lavender Dreams	33.	Rajesh, India	63.	Tyra @ Tyra's Garden
4.	viel	34.	Susan	64.	Wandering Thought
5.	AnnA	35.	Elizabeth @ WeeKitchen	65.	Carol at Serendipity
6.	Pondside - Echoes	36.	2011 - It's for US!	66.	Winter Wonders
7.	Valerie	37.	Crafty Gardener, Canada	67.	Blessing Reflections
8.	Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner	38.	Laughing Raven	68.	There's Always Thyme to Cook
9.	M is for Maga	39.	Susan @ Ash Tree Cottage	69.	DawnTreader, Sweden
10.	Cathy	40.	A New England Life	70.	Queenmothermamaw
11.	Home is Where the Boat is~	41.	Sheila@Starshine Through My Windows	71.	Suzy
12.	Claudia@DipityRoad	42.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine	72.	Chalk it up!
13.	Alicia at Titere con Bonete	43.	Sunglasses Required	73.	Sherry
14.	Bernie in Australia	44.	Panda!	74.	Mommy Lene
15.	Sweet Nothings	45.	Teacup Lane - Buddies	75.	Spreading a little Sunshine
16.	Debbie - Mountain Breaths	46.	Pat ~ Mille Fiori Favoriti	76.	Anja, magical colors
17.	Ebie, CA	47.	Cafe Chatelaine	77.	Teacups and Tomes
18.	Meri @ Playing Along	48.	EG Wow, Canada	78.	♥ Candels
19.	My Greality	49.	Spencer~Bellamere Cottage	79.	Shirley
20.	Podso	50.	Riet	80.	More Powerful Beyond Measure
21.	shirley's World Grandkids 2010	51.	Ice Or Not?	81.	Bhupesh
22.	Lorrie	52.	Garden Geek	82.	MOnikaRoseCrochets
23.	A Garden of Threads	53.	My Winter Garden ~ Olga	83.	January Day Photos
24.	Sall's Country Life	54.	Random @ Almota Roses	84.	The Lovely Plants, Gardening Blog
25.	Lavender Cottage	55.	Perlenkatze	85.	Moodscapes
26.	{oc cottage}	56.	Jackie in Surrey UK	86.	The Top Ten Superfoods
27.	Vee	57.	Queen of Dreamsz	87.	Saundra Lane Galloway
28.	Cindy @ Custom Comforts	58.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	88.	Jan Halvard, Bolivia
29.	Betty @ My Cozy Corner	59.	Maggie in Normandy	89.	Jill Ruth & Co.
30.	Snap @ Twisty Lane	60.	agni	90.	Dawna Motz

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Quiet

Good morning, dear bloggers! I hope you are having a lovely weekend. It's very quiet here this morning -- my kids are still asleep and my husband is in the office. I have several projects pending at the moment, but here I sit, editing a few pictures and listening to the crows outside my window.

Actually, this has been rather a busy week, wildlife-wise, in my neck of the woods. On Wednesday, I saw a pair of pileated woodpeckers in the park; and yesterday, I spotted a fox right next to our deck where I often throw stale bread for the birds. Unfortunately, I did not get photos of either sighting. So I'm going to leave you with a picture of the little pink primrose which is brightening my kitchen counter at the moment.

Happy weekend, dear bloggers! And because I don't say it nearly enough: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy days to visit me here and leave such lovely comments!

*********

It's almost time for Mosaic Monday again. Where did the week go? I hope to see you all tomorrow. The linky thingy will be up by 8:30 pm Sunday. Thanks for sharing your world with me!

Winter White

We always crave white after the wild excesses of the holidays. That's why Victoria magazine always has their white issue in January, right? Well, I think the ladies at my favorite thrift store have caught on. When they reopened the shop after New Year's Day, they had a whole table filled with white dishes.

It's almost as if they knew I was coming. lol

I've been collecting white and cream dishes for my kitchen, and although I already have a few tureens, I just had to bring this one home with me. For $12., it was a thrifty addition to my kitchen decor.

And who can resist a beautiful white beauty like this in January?

My Strange Breakfast

I had minestrone for breakfast this morning.

It could be worse, right? I mean, there have been times when I've had a handful of chocolate covered craisins for breakfast, or a slice of cold pizza, or a handful of last night's popcorn, so minestrone is actually a good choice, right?

After all, I did resolve to eat more vegetables in 2011.

I made the minestrone for dinner last night. I cut a recipe out of a magazine years ago, and I've made it so often that I don't even follow the recipe any more. So I can't really share a recipe with you, except to say that it starts with onions, carrots and celery, salt and pepper, sauteed in some olive oil.

I add a small can of tomato paste and some chicken stock to deglaze the pot.

(Can I tell you a blogging secret? When I took the picture of the stock being poured into the pot, I had my eye to the camera viewfinder and sort of missed the pot. All that steam is the stock hitting the stove's burner. lol)

I add some red kidney beans and zucchini. Then I just let it simmer till it thickens. I serve it with pasta elbows, which I cook separately so that they do not get too soft.

So that's about it. Minestrone for dinner. And breakfast. :)

Mosaic Monday: 2011 Calendar

This is the second year I have done a calendar from the free Shutter Sisters templates. This year, I had some printed up as 5" x 5" prints at Mpix, and I'm offering a few in my etsy shop. I'm also keeping one to use. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, and it's very convenient to display on a bulletin or magnetic board. If you have Photoshop, go grab the template from Shutter Sisters and give it a whirl. It's so easy, and fun!

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your words of encouragement yesterday. Your comments always make my day, but they are especially appreciated when I'm feeling a little apprehensive about the future. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

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 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: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful images with all of us at Mosaic Monday!  

1.	Milla	29.	Rajesh, India	57.	The Ggreenhouse...
2.	Diann @ The Thrifty Groove	30.	Gardeninginasandbox	58.	Carol at Serendipity
3.	Candy @ The Little Round Table	31.	Sweet Nothings	59.	MonikaRoseCrochets
4.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	32.	JSELEP - Library of Congress	60.	A Musing Potpourri
5.	Eileen, MD	33.	Lorrie	61.	bhupesh
6.	Carol@My Painting Room	34.	Blessing Reflections	62.	EG Wow, Canada
7.	Molly @ A Bit O' Shine	35.	Wandering Thought	63.	jette
8.	Project Bag	36.	Claudia	64.	Goodwill Top 10 Finds
9.	The Mask	37.	Coffee Break Mama	65.	Moodscapes
10.	For Christmas Tree	38.	A Garden of Threads	66.	Cherry's in the Garden & more
11.	Black Eyed Susans Kitchen	39.	Vermont Girl	67.	Queenmothermamaw
12.	CollectIn Texas Gal	40.	Nicole	68.	Pleated Pouches
13.	Cindy @ Custom Comforts	41.	Garden Geek	69.	Angels from London
14.	Shannara	42.	Riet, Holland	70.	M is for Maga
15.	Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook	43.	Karen, A Scrapbook of Inspiration	71.	Henrietta
16.	Lavender Dreams	44.	A Montana Life	72.	agni
17.	Pam @ Abiding with Love	45.	Sall's Country Life	73.	Snowflakes @ AlmotaRoses
18.	Snap @ Twisty Lane	46.	Shirley's World Renovations	74.	Teacup Lane - Winter White
19.	Teapots and Birdies	47.	Francisca in Quezon	75.	Mallard Cove Mommy
20.	Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen	48.	Bernie in Australia	76.	SWMementos
21.	Linens @ My Place to Yours	49.	Susan@Forever His	77.	Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner
22.	Podso	50.	MB in Stanwood USA	78.	zaza
23.	Pondside-Winter Walk	51.	swiming up stream	79.	Lynn @ Cottage & Creek
24.	Home is Where the Boat is~	52.	Anja, our Christmas tree	80.	Shirley's World Hoar Frost
25.	ldh ~ Spanish Cuisine	53.	Anja, happy new year	81.	Sheila
26.	BunnyKissd =:3*	54.	Jackie in Surrey UK	82.	DawnTreader, Sweden
27.	Lavender Cottage	55.	Maggie @ Normandy Life	83.	Shirley
28.	Cathy	56.	Betty@My Cozy Corner

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

1-1-11

Most years, I don't really get into the whole New Year's thing -- making resolutions, turning the page, choosing a word to guide my way... But this morning I woke up to a beautiful, warm and sunny day, and it just felt right to consider where I wanted to go this year and how to get there.

If I had to choose a word for this new year, as so many bloggers have done, I think it would be the word accomplish. There are so many things I have wanted to do, but have been afraid or, worse yet, too lazy to really try to do. But this year, I am making a conscious effort to change my drifting life, and really accomplish some of my goals.

And those goals are both big and small: exercise every day, eat more vegetables, paint my bedroom dresser, put up wainscoting in the kitchen, start a portrait photography business.

Start a portrait photography business -- yup, there's the one that scares the pants off me. I am so not a business woman. But I know that I'm smart, and if I just read and learn, I can find my way forward. I may need to make a trail, follow a path, without quite knowing what is over the horizon -- but sometimes a little faith is called for, no?

So that is what I'm going to do. Walk forward, with as much knowledge as I can find and a little bit of faith to guide me, and work toward accomplishing some of those goals.

Wish me luck!

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Don't forget to check out my giveaway, to see if you won!

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Are you ready for the first Mosaic Monday of the new year? The linky thingy will be up by 8:30 pm Eastern time Sunday. Hope to see you there!