Monday

2011.10.31 Halloween Party at Jeanne/Barry's

Once again,
let the Halloween celebrations begin . . 

This year, movies and cartoons were added
on a big screen in the outdoor lodgeport.
Featured was "Young Frankenstein" . . .

A large selection of goodies . . .

and two campfires to help us stay or get warm . . .

Linked to:

Sunday

2011.10.30 20th Annual Pumpkin Carving

On October 22, Vince and I hosted our 20th
Pumpkin Carving Party,
attended by 104 adults and children.

This blog post made me realize that my first ever
blog post in October 2008 was about our 17th Pumpkin Carving.
I've been blogging for more than three years.
My first blog post is here:

Here are the pumpkins about half way through the party . . .

Here are some photos around the pumpkin carving table . . .

And one of my newest nieces, Lydia . . .

And, my newest nephew, Abe . . .

Friday

2011.10.28 The last of my September 10th vintage cars

I've processed the last photos from the stash of vintage cars
found in an Indiana small town on September 10 of this year.

(ShadowHouse OldCanvas4 / PSE levels adjustment) 

(TheCoffeeShopBlog Orton action / Pixel Dust Photo Art Fanciful texture)

(TheCoffeeShopBlog MochaTint & UrbanGrit actions / ShadowHouse WornThin3 texture)

(TheCoffeeShopBlog IcePop & UrbanGrit actions / ShadowHouse UberGrunge2 texture)

Linked to:

2011.10.28 More . . . Finding joy in . . .

Ever since I had my ears pierced at the end of 2010

I've been collecting earrings.
Hmmm.
I've been trying to buy handmade ones because

1.  I want to support artists
and
2.  the earrings are different from mass-produces ones
and
3.  (sigh) I'm addicted.

A recent purchase . . .

This photo is a self-portrait taken on my walk to the mailbox this morning.
Which goes to prove that morning light (shutter speed = 1/30)
combined with 2 mugs of coffee
produces camera shake.
But, back to the subject . . .

These earrings are felted wool balls on a chain.
When I bought them, I didn't realize the chains are pull-through.
Yikes.
You can adjust them to any length.
I thought I would feel the chain as I pulled it through,
but, nope, no problems at all.

You can find these earrings and other jewelry by this artist here:  Tactile Melodies

I've also been making a few Etsy purchases

I'm reining in my attraction to earring purchases.

Thursday

2011.10.20 It started as my driveway

I've been playing in PhotoShopElements again.
Surprised?

Using a texture from Pixel Dust, I created this . . .
(PixelDustPhotoArt's Linen Blind)

and using PSE's watercolor effect, I created this . . .

The first is cropped from the upper right
and the second is cropped from the lower left
of this [boring] photo
taken on a gray, rainy day as I walked back from the mailbox  . . .

Linked to:

Thursday

2011.10.13 Fall asters . . .

I picked these while watching my granddaughter
and then quickly put them in a vase when we came inside.
Late in the evening,
with only a single lit candle on the mantle,
they caught my eye. . .
(CoffeeShop's MoodyPop action / KimKlassen's GrannysCupboard texture)

Linked to:

2011.10.13 Finding joy in . . .

. . . the bounty of Goodwill . . .

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Monday

2011.10.10 Annual October outing . . .

. . . for Jeanne's birthday.

Autumn is here, that bittersweet time . . .
(CoffeeShop's SunKissedAction / ShadowHouseCreations Bokeh1 and Vintage1 textures)

Linked to:
Creative Exchange
Shutter Sisters

Friday

2011.10.07 More vintage cars

On September 10, Vince and I found a treasure trove of "rusty relics".
I posted my first photos here 2011.09.15 Vintage cars

More . . .
(CoffeeShop's UrbanGrit action / ShadowHouseCreations AllHellBreaksLoose texture)

(CoffeeShop's IcePop action / ShadowHouseCreations PaintSet6 texture)

(CoffeeShop's CrossProcessing action)

And, there are still more to be processed :)

Wednesday

2011.10.05 A trio of black and white

I love black and white photos.
But, I rarely change MY shot-in-color photographs to black and white
or even try them in PhotoShopElements to see how they would look.

I must have been inspired by the piano keys . . .
(PSE convert to black-and-white)

(CoffeeShop Orton action / ShadowHouse NF1 texture)

(CoffeeShop Orton action / CoffeeShop StorybookVillage action)

Linked to:  The Daily Wyatt blog

Tuesday

2011.10.04 Textured eggs . . .

I have grown to love and appreciate eggs . . .
(textures:  Kim Klassen's The Ladder, Autumn Burst)

Monday

2011.10.03 An earring junkie . . . Me

Today, Shutter Sisters asks how you've changed the way you see yourself.
Just before New Year's of last year, I had my ears pierced.
For the first time.
Anne had been urging me to get them pierced for . . . years.
With her by my side, I did it.

Now, I've become an earring junkie.
Different ones every day.
Some recent photos from my cell phone to show her what I'm wearing . . .
(frame:  The CoffeeShop Blog)

Linked to:  Shutter Sisters