after summer is fall ...

There is such a snap to the air! It is definitely fall in New York! Mind you, I can't bring myself to put away the summer clothes yet - I am hoping for one more warm spell...

It was a quiet weekend. We just sort of settled in and regrouped. I am in the process of putting away some of the summer things I put out - shells, etc. But not yet ready to take out the fall things yet. Not yet. But I'm starting to get that itch. Just a bit. I think I'll wait until October 1st ... when do you decorate for fall?

one last look at summer ....

A "guest photographer" today, my Kate, for one last look at summer. She took this picture a few weeks ago, playing with my old point and shoot digital. Not too bad, I think. The reason I pulled this one out of my digital hat was that everywhere I look, every blog I follow, is all about fall. And they really look lovely. But it is going to hit 80 here today, and there is a lovely breeze and no humidity at all. So I say, lets give summer her last hurrah ... see you next year....

more fall goodness

I really had to get over the pecking thing so I am posting some happy, bright, pretty apples ... now I get to go take a bite out of my day! Hope yours is a good one.

peck, peck, peck ...

Ever have one of those days when you feel like you were just pecked by a hundred people a hundred times? Today was one of those days. Someone got hold of my cell phone number and called me before breakfast and it started then. It didn't let up until dinner. I've been pecked at so much by other people today that I feel like a sieve! Some days, you just can't hold anymore of other people's problems.... so I am trying to sit back, decompress. I looked over the pictures from Sunday at the orchard again, and that is helping. I got pecked at today ... but at least I'm not in a wire cage doing the pecking!

take a bite ...

Go ahead - you know you want to! Aren't those the yummiest looking apples? We went apple picking yesterday - and then went to New Paltz down a bit from the orchard we went to. We picked a LOT of apples. Ate a lot too! Then we walked down the oldest street in America. How neat is that? It was a good day...

imagining America ...

Don't know why, but I find myself itching for some small town America. Old-fashioned small town America. Some Americana. A Main Street USA experience. Positively itching for it! We are always looking for new places to visit, especially ones driving distance from New York. So tell me. What is your favorite small town place ... and I'll tell you if we get to give it a try.

hallelujah

Just taking a quick moment to be thankful. Not my church. Not my town. Not even my state. But the grace and the glory make you thankful. Or hopefully do. Take a minute to be grateful for everything you have. My daddy always told me that every day was a gift. Well, then, don't be ungrateful. I am lucky to have far more than I don't have. Bet you are too ...

this is why

Our kids. My sweetheart. She had a tough lesson today with a new instructor. It did her good. She did pretty well. I think she'll do well with this trainer. But I love how in the middle of a crowded ring, she took a quiet moment with Brody, and then led him to the barn for a well earned rest. She needed one too.

happy trails ...

This picture was composed using a kit from the Raspberry Road Frontier Days set. There is a small cost to buy it, but I find it is worth every cent and very reasonable. I must say, I am finding a hundred different ways to use it with my photographs. Here, I used a scenic paper, added the house, the wildflower, and the butterfly, all from the kit, and then did a cut out from one of my all time favorite pictures of my daughter. I love this one. All the joy she feels in riding is clear on her face. Makes me happy every time I look at it. As does my girl.

a little night magic

Some more digital scrapbooking with a layout I made using elements and papers from a kit purchased by Maelia Designs. It is a beautiful kit - this layout is actually very similar to one she did, I just tweaked it a bit and made it more rustic. I think that the setting goes well with the dreamy look on her face... sweet dreams ...

saddle up!

Here is the same picture as below, but without the clock/frame treatment. I tinted the board, added the script, and the extras. All of these elements are available on line. Many people very generously create and share these items for free. Incredibly generous. And I am having so much fun with it. I find that the sites that have the best freebies also have a number of great ones for sale. And I've tried to purchase something from the ones who do such nice giveaways. It seems like the right thing to do, and they are all very reasonably priced. Take a look at some of the ones I've mentioned, and google some others ... this is a lot more fun than I thought regular scrapbooking would be. Try it, and let me know what you think.

a new project ...

One of my latest endeavors is digital scrapbooking. Now, by latest, I definitely mean latest - I only started Thursday night. This compilation was assembled using elements and papers I got for FREE! (who doesn't love a freebie?) - from Shabby Princess on-line. I want to send her a thank you and WOW! for her generosity and talent. It is so easy and so fun to put these pages together. I have been doing layout after layout ... this is a blast. I never took to regular scrapbooking. It always seemed too fussy and time consuming. Plus I never really got the point of doing all these intricate, three dimensional pieces, and then sliding it into a plastic sleeve.

It is hard to tell from the photo, but when this printed (yes, I was a big baby and had to print them out asap!) you really see the different layers. It is easier to see if you click on the photo to enlarge it. This was so pretty in a 12 x 12 inch print. Loves it! Definitely more to come.
Let me know what you think.

tempus fugit ...

It really does! This is my littlest sweetheart. I took this picture recently, and have been playing with it. This one was finally my favorite because of the vintage feel and how fast time really has gone by. Wasn't she just starting kindergarten a few weeks ago? The frame is another that I bought from Cottage Arts. What do you think?

stay out of the water!

This big desert was called the Shark Bite! Starting from the bottom: an Oreo cookie crust, vanilla ice cream swirled with chocolate... a layer of peanut butter, and snickers, and more ice cream, coated all around with peanuts. It was my husband's dessert, but I did "help" a bit. No way to finish it - it was huge! Well over 5 inches high! but yum!

back from vacation

We spent a few beautiful days in Pennsylvania - including some time in the southwestern part of the state. What gorgeous scenery we saw! It reminds us what a beautiful country we live in. How lucky we are to be here! And to have the freedom to enjoy it. More to come soon ...

more photo fun ...

I have been having a lot of fun with these Cottage Arts frames and papers. This is the same photograph that I posted back a few months ago. It is interesting how the effects change the look isn't it? Sigh ... spring seems so long ago, and now we are gearing up for back to school. But I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. Not yet.

just a little photo fun ...

This little charmer was edited with some scrap edging from the lovely people at CottageArts.net. They have some lovely free samples, and some terrific collections of papers, edging and textures for purchase at a very reasonable price. Today was my first foray into this part of photo editing and I am pleased with the results ... When I saw how easy they were to use, I went on-line and ordered 3 more different sets ... more to come later. The original picture was very bright and vibrant. This feels soft. Thanks to the nice people at Cottage Arts.

somewhere over the rainbow ....

I imagine this is what it looks like somewhere over the rainbow ... though instead of bluebirds flying, it was seagulls... we went to the beach last night with some friends and their family ... dinner on the beach ... what could be better than that ...




A perfect end to a really good day ...

by the seashore ...

One of the best parts about where we live is going to the beach often. It is about 20 minutes either north or south - depending on the beach ... The other night, we watched the sun setting over the water. It is always so beautiful. The kids had friends with them, and were busy doing rope climbing anyway, but the grown ups got to appreciate it. (Though my husband did get up there and climb too! It was funny to see him up there with all these kids. It was more than 30 feet up - those kids were pretty brave!)

on and on and on ...

I am so glad we finally have that gorgeous, warm, sultry summer weather. The cooler days were gorgeous too, but summer needs a little swelter, I think. The sky is gorgeous and clear. The air feels hot on your skin. The flowers explode in the fields ... This was taken at the farm where we buy our veggies in the summer. Glad I had my little camera stowed in my bag. Definitely click to enlarge - you feel like the flowers are right there...