Autumn snow

Hello friends!  It's been awhile since I've posted!  Early October was busy with our Thanksgiving preparations (it seems so long ago now!) which kept me away.  And then I came down with some sort of respiratory thing that they're still trying to figure out.  Apparently, I only have about 74% of my lung function and an xray yesterday revealed some fluid in my right lung and some "fullness" that they want a CT scan of.  I see my oncologist in just a few weeks so he'll take care of that.  In the meantime, I'm feeling a little better so I'm optimistic that this was maybe just a virus and is on it's way out!

We've had snow!  Quite a lot of it for this time of year - I don't remember ever having this much snow this early.  It did make for some pretty photos though and maybe I did get a little carried away.  :)

 

I can't believe that next week is American Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent after that!  I confess that I've put away my Autumn decor (it looked a little out of place with all the snow outside!) and have brought out a few wintery things, pine cones and such.  I like to wait until Advent to begin decorating for Christmas and will add things gradually over the coming weeks.

How about you?  Have you started putting up your Christmas decor?

Welcoming February

" I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields ... It covers them up snug, like a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the Summer comes again.' " - Lewis Carroll

February began much as January ended ... with more snow.  I like the idea of the snow covering the garden in a cosy white quilt.  Underneath all that white, the garden still lives and is preparing for Spring.

I've noticed a group of sparrows that have taken to nestling on our front porch for warmth and shelter.  I hear them every morning as they chirp and fluff their feathers.

Crystals of snow cling to branches and leaves that refuse to fall.  There's so much beauty in the subtle colours of nature.

The snow weighs heavy on evergreen branches, bending them lower and lower to the ground.  I'm still dreaming of Spring but I can't help grabbing my camera every time there's a fresh fall of snow.

xo,
Lynda

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year dear friends!   Thank you for following along on this journey of mine.  2013 had some pretty rough moments but I'm hoping and praying for much better news in 2014.

I'm getting ready to tackle new projects and a brand new year.  Can't wait to share things with you.

Hope your year is filled with all good things!

xoxo,
Lynda

A Garden Ice Palace

Winter arrived last weekend with a vengeance!  25mm (approximately 1") of freezing rain fell between Saturday and Sunday.  The garden looked like an ice palace!  Everything was covered with a thick sheet of crystal.

Icicles hung everywhere.  Every surface was covered with a layer of ice making going anywhere impossible.

Freezing rain against the window.

 

 
And then the destruction began.  Trees and power lines overwhelmed from the weight of the ice started to break.

Hundreds of thousands of people lost power, many of them still without it a week later.  We were very fortunate.  Living in a relatively new development, our trees are young and power lines are buried underground.  We lost a large section of our redbud and I'm not sure if the tree can be saved.  We'll wait and see what happens in the Spring.

This tree on the boulevard lost a large branch then later that day broke completely in half.  So many trees were shattered and will sadly need to be taken down.  It's heartbreaking to see the damage the storm caused.

This morning the ice has finally melted but it will take months to clean up the destruction.  It makes me wonder how something so beautiful could be so destructive. 

Merry Christmas!

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  

And this shall be a sign unto you:  Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.   

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.

~ Luke 2: 10-14 (KJV)

From our home to yours, have a very Merry Christmas filled with peace, joy and love.

xo,

Lynda

Creating a "chalkboard" print and a free printable

Hi everyone!  I though I'd share how I made my chalkboard print.  It's so easy and you can make them for the different seasons.  I don't have a video or step-by-step photos so I hope it makes sense.

I created my print in Photoshop CS5 but you should be able to use any programme that uses layers.  I kept the size to 8x10 so I could easily print it at home.  If you want a larger print, you could have it printed at a photo lab.

To make the "chalkboard" I used solid black background with a texture layered over it.  I used Florabella's "Whitewash" on lighten at 20%.  You can also do a search for free chalkboard backgrounds. 

Choose your quotation then start to add the letters.  For this print, I used three different fonts - actually four if you include the snowflake.  There are a wealth of free fonts out there.  Check out The Graphics Fairy for some of her recommendations.  I used two or three fonts that I found there - I think using a couple of different fonts makes it look more interesting. I used white for my lettering but you can also add colour if you like.

Merge the layers and print!  I recommend printing on the highest resolution possible.  I printed mine on white card stock and framed it without glass.  Just add a layer of chipboard or cardboard so your print won't shift in the frame.  Have fun!  These add a nice accent and are super easy (and cheap!) to create.

I've included the one I made for you to download and frame (personal use only please).  Just print it on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock then trim to fit an 8x10 frame.

{To download, click the image to enlarge then right click to save to your computer}

I don't think there's any question whether we'll have a white Christmas this year!  We've had a lot snow with more to come this weekend.  It looked so pretty as it fell last weekend.  The prettiness wears off very quickly and in a few weeks, I'm sure I'll be wishing for it all to be gone!

One more thing - the latest issue of Homebound is now available!  I'm thrilled to once again be a contributor to Heather's wonderful magazine.  Lots of gorgeous photos in this issue along with recipes, decor and more.  Be sure to take a peek!

xo,
Lynda

Christmas decor 2013

It's been fun looking at the holiday home tours going on all over blogland these past few weeks.  Lots of inspiring ideas!  As much as I love seeing the bedrooms, bathrooms and every other room in the house decorated, I've just decorated my living and dining room.  I bought a bundle of fresh mixed greenery on the weekend and have tucked it all over - it smells like Christmas in here!

I've been seeing chalkboard signs everywhere and really like them.  My handwriting isn't that great so I decided to make one using photoshop.  I'll share how I did it in my next post.  I'm happy with how it turned out and it actually looks like it was written on a chalkboard!

To keep the greenery fresh, I tucked a plastic dish filled with water inside this bowl and then added the boughs.  You could also use floral foam but I didn't have any and didn't want to venture out to buy some.  This seems to be working and if it starts to die off, I've got some extra branches I can use to replace it.

My mantel needed something to fill in the vast expanse of mirror so I decided to make this"joy" banner.  It's hung with mini clothespins on jute twine and I used tiny suction cup hooks that I placed right on the mirror.

I made the snow "globes" with Epsom salts, bottle brush trees and mini Snowbabies ornaments.

Taking photos indoors on these gray days definitely presents a challenge.  All of these photos were taken with no sun, no artificial light, no flash and minimal editing in Lightroom.  I've been playing around with my camera to figure out how to take better photos on dark dreary days and found that by increasing the ISO to 400 or higher and increasing the exposure compensation, I can manage to get a decent photo.  The higher the ISO the grainier the photo is so I've found that for me, 400 ISO is the highest that I like to use.  And a tripod is a must.

We bought our tree today!  Once it's decorated, I'll share a few more photos with you.  I think I'm finished my shopping but I haven't baked a single cookie yet.  Bobby had his 6 month CT scan and check up and he remains cancer free!  (My scan is on Monday but I won't get the results until January.)

With all the shopping, decorating and medical appointments, I'm really behind with your blogs!  I'm hoping for a few quiet days to catch up ... see you soon!

xo,
Lynda

Winter Journal

We've had a lot of snow this winter.  I haven't ventured outside of the house much but have sat by the window and watched the snow softly fall.  The garden takes on a different look in the winter as the snow gathers like cotton balls on bare branches.  But as much as I love these images, I confess that lately I've been dreaming about Spring.  Now that March is here, it won't be long until the snow melts and tiny green shots begin to appear.  Truthfully, I can't wait.

My chemo has gone well; the tumour is now small enough to be removed and I'll be having surgery in a couple of weeks.  I'll still need to continue with chemo after surgery to kill off any remaining cancer cells but I'm beginning to feel a little better, a little like my old self.  I'm looking forward to dusting off my camera and taking photos again.  I've missed my camera.  A lot.

Thank you for your continued prayers and good wishes.  While I haven't felt up to being online much, your comments and emails mean so much.  I'm truly grateful for each and every one of you. 

See you soon.

xoxo,
Lynda