Photo Challenges and finally ... Spring!

It's been a good day ... this Friday.  Busy indoors with housecleaning, laundry, dinner ... but the best part was spending the afternoon out in the sunshine with my dear sweet husband who first of all, blessed me by bringing home one of those yummy mocha coconut frappaccinos from Starbuck's after work!  If you don't know yet, it's what they call "happy hour" from 3:00 to 5:00 every day from now until the 15th ... hallelujah, they're half price!  You only have until Sunday, so you had better get there quick!  Honestly, I've never had one, that is until a friend introduced me this last week.  Thank goodness it was for the happy hour discount ... at the regular price they're as much as a gallon of gasoline these days!  After enjoying every last little drop of what may be my last one for awhile, and looking through some scrumptious gardening magazines, I got that coffee-kick giving me extra energy to plant some lavender with my hubby.  He's good at gardening ... at least someone in the family is!  He's taught me a lot, and ever since, I've enjoyed getting out there and getting my hands dirty ... especially when there's lavender around! :)

 

It was inevitable ...
winter has finally given way to spring's arrival ...
warm sunshine, blue skies, gentle breeze, flowers, birds,
the smell of fresh cut grass, bees 'a buzzin',
backyard barbeques, and yes, dirt ...
it's the promise of growth, and new life ... 

oh, how I love Spring ...

... and did I mention lavender?

... oh, and yes the sunflowers ...
mustn't forget about the sunflowers!

{another little 'gift' from my darlin' husband!}

And finally ... I'm entering a couple of photo challenges with the following images over at 'Before and After', as well as, 'Black and White Wednesday' ... this is my great niece (what you can see of her, that is), and my two, oh-so-cute, great nephews!  They all live out of state, and it's such a joy being with them when they're able to be here!  To see more, black and white, and before-and-after images, or to add your own, click on the buttons below. 

Hope you're able to get out and enjoy the weekend ... we're hoping this one won't be a total wash-out with all the rain we've been getting.  Today was exceptional, and we hope we get more sun tomorrow to completely dry things out around here.  We'd also like to browse some of the early spring garage sales and stop at a couple of farmer's markets.  There's a new one this year with lots of organic produce, honey, homemade soap, and flowers ... lots of flowers! :)

- sooc -

  

 - Canon 30D - Lens 24-70mm f/2.8 -
I warmed it up just a bit ...
hmmm, maybe just a bit too much,
but, you'll have to forgive me, I'm finding my way around Lightroom 3.
It's been a bit confusing since I've only used Photoshop Elements.
If anyone knows of any good tutorials for LR3, do let me know!

I also converted this image to b/w. 
I love how it brightened up the boy's faces here.
Be sure to check out the other entries ...
the link buttons are below.
Enjoy the sunshine, and have a blessed weekend.

Photo Challenge | Motherhood

Another photo challenge from I Heart Faces!  This week, in honor of Mother's Day, and motherhood!  Hope you all had a blessed day appreciating the wonderful moms in your life! Click HERE to take you over to see more images that will touch your heart at ......

Well, it's been awhile since I've been pregnant, or had a little one to hold, snuggled close to my heart ... I so miss those days of the pitter-patter of tiny feet, squeals of delight, peanut butter and jelly kisses, games of peek-a-boo, toys scattered all around, and their simple childhood wonder of it all!  No, there's nothing like God's gift of motherhood, but alas, time moves forward ... one day they're babies, so dependent on us for their every need, then before you know it, they're grown and out in this great big world, living on their own.  We're left with only the memories of those innocent younger years, forever etched so deeply into our hearts and minds.  Tears come, when I look at photos of my son when he was little ... no matter how hard I try, they just can't be stopped ... it is the heart of a mother, and I wouldn't dare change one thing!  I will say though, enjoy every moment with your little ones, for all too soon you'll find that those days have passed and moved on into your memories of yesterday.

The photo I chose to enter is one that touches a special place in my heart, bringing back memories of my own little one .... again!  It is of my dear sister-in-law and her precious grand daughter, aka: my great niece, Little Rylie.  Here they were, bathed in the late afternoon sun, enjoying a tender moment on the backyard swing ... another memory born.  My son is married now ... recently I might add, and I'm looking forward to the future when I'll be making memories on a sun drenched day in that backyard swing with my grandchildren!

Slow down, make a memory, and have a blessed day!

A Photo Challenge | Texture Thursday

Vintage Roses

I found yet another fun photo challenge {you'll find more listed under the Photo Challenge tab, and I'm adding more as I find them.}  This one I particularly like ... it requires a touch of texture.  We can either show an image that has texture in the photo itself, or add a texture layer to make it even more interesting.  I love adding the layers and, since there's so much talk this week about a very famous royal wedding, I'm sharing a photo I took of a friend's wedding bouquet.  I dropped over to her home, and noticed that she had them hanging to dry.  Couldn't resist capturing a memory for her.  I then edited it up a bit, and applied a few different textures, giving it a vintage feel.  This is the finished product!  To see a variety of great textured images, or to add one of your own, click on the link below!  Hope you all have a blessed weekend!