Simply Stated

It's raining, it's pouring....

.....the old man is snoring.

Not really ;-) 

The air was so heavy with the scent of spring time flowers, I just had to pick more daffodils today. I can honestly say that I never remember my daffodils having such a lovely scent to them. Perhaps the long drawn out, cool and rainy spring has made all the difference.

It's rather stormy outside right now, so I am playing around with textures from a couple of my favorite sources just for something to do. Click on the links to check them out if you haven't done so already. I am positive you will like them just as much as I do!

Bliss and Folly

and 

Shadowhouse Creations

Hope you are enjoying your evening and wanted to remind you of my 

April Showers bring May flowers Sale 

Click here for more information.

 

Take care ~ Rebecca

Photo texture challenges

If you haven't noticed already from some of the images I have been sharing here ~ I am loving textures! Kim Klassen has been kind enough to share some of her lovely masterpieces and I have been in heaven. 

This last week she gave us a challenge to use two of her creations on a photograph

they were Silence and Sweettreat 

First I wanted to share my original image SOOC

And here are two versions using both textures on the same photo but

with two different looks...

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~~~~~~

I love how the use of textures and subtle changes can change the entire mood of a picture. A big "thank you" Kim for sharing and inspiring.

Off to see more great work ~ have a beautiful day!!

April Showers bring May flowers Sale!

Hi everyone stopping by to let you know about my

April Showers bring May flowers Sale

Get 15% off at

SimplyAesthetic and Simply Stated Antiques when you enter

coupon Code: AprilShowersSale

Looking to the weekend

It has been a whirlwind week filled with highs and lows.

The kids and I were so fortunate to be able to attend the Production of The Lion King on Tuesday and I have been keeping busy helping with the preparations for my daughters Junior Prom.

At the same time we were saddened that.....

we were unable to visit my sister and her family to attend my niece’s Confirmation,

or my nephews 16^th birthday,

that we had to attend the funerals of two family friends today,

then learning this morning of the passing of a former coworker. 

I am tired right now….looking toward the weekend and keeping dear friends in our thoughts.

I am sure you are looking forward to the weekend too.

Take care, have fun, and enjoy every moment of it!

Patience

Textures by Kim Klassen

...Not a virtue of mine.

Sweet Surprises

Woke to the smell of coffee this morning, rubbed the sand from my eyes, and wandered to the computer to check my email for messages left in the night.

Not really expecting much, I had to stop and rub my eyes twice more ~ For what I saw  was a note that...

I had won the book drawing over at Carol Spinski's!!!

Her blog is called Raised in Cotton

I had stopped by March 30 (which by the way is my Birthday ) to see what was new and she had posted a giveaway for one lucky person to receive their very own copy ofFifi O'Neill's

Romantic Prairie Style Book.

I am so excited!!!!

How wonderful is that!?!?!?

I always look forward to stopping by to visit Carol...I love her style and her photography ~ It is just like being at home for me. Carol's home was featured in Fifi's (of whom I have been an admirer for some time now) book and I am so anxious to curl up and read it from cover to cover!

Can you tell??? I am really, really excited!!!!

Woo-Hoo Happy Dance!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Carol!

It's like getting Whipped cream with Cherries on top ~ and all before breakfast!

So Sweet !!!!!!

Typical March

Eight days in and March has arrived with it's usual mix of crazy weather....

50 one day and 4 the next.

Rain, sun, snow, sleet ~ you name it we have had it....and so have I.

I am litterally dreaming of hot sunny days and of mowing the grass (hey - it beats shoveling snow!) I even found myself watching golf on television on Sunday (not something I normally do) - jealous of those enjoying the weather without the need of parkas, boots, gloves and scarves!

All in good time I guess ~ till then I'll stay busy working inside as well as outside...

In anticipation of springtime blossoms and green green grass if you hadn't noticed, I decided to change the header here

and just listed these at SimplyStatedAntiques on Etsy this morning

keeping my fingers crossed March exits like a lamb. 

Timber!

How we spent most of the weekend...Well at least the hubby and our youngest.

I returned home from running errands and found them working on this

HUGE tree in the back yard!

 

Lots and lots of wood to keep us toasty warm!

Snow days, cold days

 
I enjoy snow days. Everyone home, sleeping in late, no running all over to meet deadlines and make appointments. Though it usually means colder weather will be moving in afterwards (a sharp, biting cold like the thorns of this tree)  I love the crisp white beauty accented with shades of gray.

Along with little surprises...

Knee deep in snow, I came upon these beautiful dried stalks of Queen Anne's Lace. Covered with feathery soft snowflakes they still looked as if they were in full blossom.
  

Snowflowers...instead of Sunflowers.

As is usual ~ tonight it's cold...5 degrees...and the coyotes are howling at the dark blue stary sky. Not planning on going for a walk outside any time soon ...

Records are falling

And so are the temperatures!  

WOW it's COLD outside! 

Currently at 8 am it is -14 degrees breaking a record set back in 1976. Certainly not for the faint of heart!

(nothing like the -44 I heard in the news last week that Montana was having but still.... it's cold!) 

As if to voice it's own discontent ~ the house creeks, it pops, it snaps, and moans at the frigid temperatures.

It is so difficult for the furnace to keep up and get the house comfortably warm. A task that has always been attempted with great effort. Our home was built in 1854; what little bit of insulation there was before we bought our home wasn't the greatest (if it even existed) so we have replaced and added new through the many years of renovations.

And some of the windows.... 

well, lets just say that some of them still need replacing. Here someone has left a little smiley face in the frosted window panes. A cute little reminder left behind by one of the kids. As cold as it is it brings a smile even to my face...I just hope it doesn't freeze that way!