I am working on a third post in my Style Series which I’ll put up on Monday.
In the meantime, here are a few variations I did on a photo I took at our downtown waterfront. I’m still tossing around the idea of making cards but am trying to find my style.
This is an older one, but one of my all time favorites.
The following two photos are from Facebook so I don’t know who took them. But they show a little bit of the damage done here during the most recent storm. (These were taken about 25 minutes from our house.)
And now moving from scenery pictures to people pictures . . .
I took this photo in front of our refrigerator. Because–why not? It’s actually sort of a cool, low-cost, low hassle photographic backdrop.
It’s Steve’s day off so he’s headed out to mow the grass at the RC plane flying field. He absolutely loves to put on his oldest clothes and go out and do messy jobs. One of the many reasons I love him.
Here are three loves of my life–such a beautiful mama and her babies. Meagan had pointed out how sweet it was that Noah has his arm over his sister. I’m looking forward to their trip home at Christmas.
Here are Ma and Pa Smith, holding the license plate for a new-to-them 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan. They were able to get it without having to incur any debt which they were very thankful for since they continue to diligently work on paying down their student loans. We kid them now that they are a real minivan family and most definitely real grown ups. 🙂
In closing, for those (very few) of you who have been following the drama of my gastrointestinal issues and the missing test tubes of “you know what,” I’m sure you will be greatly relieved to know that all contents have finally been accounted for and all tests have come back negative. That means I don’t have C-Diff or parasites or any other lovely thingies taking up residence in my person.
Happy day.
On a not-as-happy note, I am currently undergoing some testing for some other health issues but I won’t have results for about a week. No sense in worrying about them though, on this beautiful, autumn day off. I’m headed out the door in a few minutes to do some thrifting and get a hair cut.
See you Monday with my next style blog.
Wow I love your photos. Very dramatic and compelling. If you made photos cards and sold them I’d line up to buy some! . I also do love the photo of you.
Jenna,
I appreciate your words so much. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again–you truly have the gift of encouragement.
Love these photos. What photo editing system do you use? How long did it take for you to learn the basics?
Thanks,
Debbie
Debbie,
For landscape/scenery pictures, I use a program called Smart Photo Editor. I don’t use it as much for people pictures. http://www.smartphotoeditor.com/
You download it to your computer and it’s about $30. And truthfully? There is a very low learning curve; it’s nothing like Photoshop with layers and masks, etc. It’s almost embarrassingly easy also to create some very cool effects. Of course, you can dig a lot deeper into it and do more complicated things but anyone can do neat stuff with it in about 5 minutes.
The website I posted has a link for getting a free trial and also some galleries and tutorials for showing what it can do. Give it a try! I love it.
I also like the picture taken through the rain drops. But then, I am a ‘rain fan’. Your grand babies are getting big! Seems like yesterday that Noah was born. Praying for good results with your testing. Waiting is, by far, the worst. I try very hard to have faith, but this always pushes me to dig deeper because I find it so challenging.
Finally, you have very good lighting in front of your refrigerator, nice photo Miss Beck.
Pictures are great! Praying for the health issues. Always enjoy your pictures.
Thanks, Ann. You are always so encouraging!
Love the new picture – you look refreshed! So thankful for the negative results.
Sharyn,
Glad you liked the picture; I’m not very photogenic so I’m always glad when one turns out. 🙂
All the photos are wonderful, but I like #5 best…the one with all the rain. Possibly that’s a sign I’ve been living in the Pacific Northwest too long.
Sweet picture of Meagan and your grandbabies. Love the picture of Meagan and Nate with the keys to the van. Oddly, both my sons now have big SUV’s (because their wives put their feet down to vans). I giggle every time I think back to the hot cars they dreamed of when they were first driving. How times change!
So glad the test tubes are where they belong. Imagine the surprise of the folks doing tests on blood samples when they opened your tubes by mistake! (OK…I’ll stop with that on this subject.)
Good luck with your upcoming tests. It seems that as the years creep up they find more and more things that are possible problems. I used to worry a lot about that, from the moment I was told I’d need further tests until I got the “all clear.” Now I go for the tests, read my book in the waiting room and am surprised when they call me to go in for the tests, and am surprised when they phone with the “all clear,” because I truly don’t worry about the potential problems. Perhaps it’s because there’ve been so many false alarms, or perhaps because I’m at a place in my life where I can accept that what will be will be. (Or perhaps my memory is just getting bad, but we won’t go there.) I know that you’re held in the hands of the Master, and whatever happens you will be watched over from above.
Shame on me for not mentioning the beautiful new picture of you. You’re positively glowing! (And Steve looks adorable all gussied up for yard work.) OK…now I’m really done.
Jan,
I’m glowing and Steve is adorable. What a good pair we make. 🙂
Jan,
I always appreciate your well thought out, wise, and witty comments.
I’m glad we got a little mileage out of the missing test tubes although just getting the bill for $450 for testing 5 tubes did not make me very happy!
Your attitude about medical tests is a good one; don’t dread them and accept whatever comes, knowing we are, indeed, held in good good hands.
Absolutely LOVE the last four photographs you took – especially the one that looks like it has a glass ring on it and the one with ran drops in front of lens! Very nice. Meagan and the babies are so precious. What a great Christmas you will have at your house. So glad your testing came out negative – I had something similar recently – thought it may be stress or a bug I caught in the ER when I was there with my daughter – eventually got better. Hope the other tests are nothing serious – praying for you – enjoy your autumn day and weekend – it is a gorgeous one here in St. Louis also.
Mary,
Glad your tests came out okay and you’re feeling better these days! And isn’t fall an absolutely splendid time of year? Enjoy every single moment!
Glad you like the pictures; thanks so much for the encouragement.
Beautiful! Those would make lovely cards.
I’m glad everything came back negative.
Jessica,
Glad you liked the photos–now, to figure out how to get from Point A. to Point B. Turning photos into cards! 🙂
Whew! I am SO glad that the test tubes have been found and that the tests were all negative too! 🙂 Your photography inspires me. Such a sweet picture of Meagan and the babes. And I love the picture of you!!! Looking forward to Monday’s fashion post. Happy Friday!!
LeeAnne,
I’m so thankful for the technology of getting to take pictures; sure glad I didn’t live a hundred years ago and couldn’t have pictures of my grand babies!