Shadow Shot Sunday #55

Shadow shots this week are on our deck--hooray, we finally got some sunshine here in the St Louis area! Hope it lasts a while!

Hop over to Tracy's site to see a wealth of shadow shots from photographers around the world--they are so inspiring!

Purse Size Photo Album

This evening I used some scrap pieces of Whoops A Daisy papers and one 12 inch square piece of cardstock (cut into three 4 inch widths and scored at 4 and 8 inches) to create a purse size accordion album, just the right size for a friend's preteen daughter's school photos of herself and her friends.

The stamp set is "Girly Girl" -- the "girlfriends" title looks red, but it's Watermelon IRL and matches the pink in the papers. Strange lighting effect in the photos!

Now it's time to clean up my mess and shut down. We're getting more thunder/lightning storms with a prediction of quarter-size hail. The clouds look so ominous--we may have to stay in the basement a while if the siren alert goes off. It's tornado season in the Midwest, and we've had the typical near-90 degree days with the 100% humidity for the past weeks, preventing us from doing much yard and garden work. But the upside of that is that I've had a little more time to scrapbook!

In everything, give thanks!

Engagement Congratulations

inside sentiment:

This evening our DD's friend called to tell us the happy news of her engagement!

We're so excited for her and her fiance!

I whipped up this fast card tonight using these Close To My Heart products:

Whoops A Daisy papers

Ocean and Watermelon inks and markers

Congratulations (Dainty Thoughts); "Be Yourself" girl stamp (May Stamp of the Month); HAPPY everything (With Love) for the inside sentiment

A blingy Sparkle on her hand (one can never be too big!)

and nonCTMH ribbon ...

I'll surprise T with it tomorrow, trusting she won't have any time to look at my blog tonight. I can't wait to see her very heavy left hand. And I'll be sure to wear my shades.

Evening Sky after Thunderstorms

After the last thunderstorm of today, right before sunset, the sun began to light up the clouds and I grabbed my camera. Within a few minutes, darkness had covered our little corner of the world. I'm so glad I got out on the driveway when I did to get these shots!

May showers will certainly bring June flowers I hope ... it seems those flowers that we have are going to need life jackets if the rains don't stop soon ... and it's very hard on the farmers who are trying so hard to plant their corn, beans, and wheat in the Midwest.

But God is good, and He always gives us what we need -- including the sunshine and the rain at the right times! Thank You, loving Creator!

Shadow Shot Sunday #54

Tree shadows in the duck pond


Shadows behind our kitchen sink


Our backyard tree--the view from our corner office window


Lantana hanging basket hook & tree shadows

If you like photography and people's unique perspectives, be sure to look at the Shadow Shots each week on Tracy's HeyHarriet site! She posts amazing collages of shadow shots from around the world. Just in the short time I've been participating, I've gained a keener eye and greater appreciation of this art form.

I didn't have to go searching for these shadows--they just popped out at me when I least expected them. I almost missed the backyard tree shadow with the sun setting so quickly.

Enjoy! And be blessed in God's beautiful world!

Memorial Day & Red Poppies

It's not just about the hot dogs, brats, beer, boating and camping. Memorial Day is a national holiday that started after the Civil War, one remembrance day that has since become an entire long weekend. Families used to go to patriotic parades, attend gun salutes and place flowers on cemetery graves. Some still do, but for many it's now all about ball games, a lake getaway, BBQs and picnics, and a weekend to sleep in and/or get yardwork done.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Waterloo, NY was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966. But the origins of the holiday go back to the 1860s when those who died in the Civil War were honored and when General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Memorial Day would be observed on May 30, 1868. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The tradition continues.

In 1915, inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields, Moina Michael replied with her own poem and also thought of the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving our nation during war. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922, the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later, their Buddy Poppy Program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.

I receive a new red poppy each Memorial Day weekend from a veteran who stands outside our neighborhood WalMart store. I shake his hand and thank him for his service to our country. I thank God for bringing my father and brother and so many Americans home from wars. Then I hang the poppy from my rear-view mirror, and am reminded daily of the highest sacrifice of our country's military men and women, given so that we might have our freedoms and I thank God for them all.

Will you display a red poppy this year? Will you fly the American flag proudly and patriotically? Will you thank God for those who have died serving in the US military? I hope and pray so.

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Have a safe, happy Memorial Day, one of true remembrance and thanksgiving.

Animal Cookies & Bella

Today I grabbed some time to play in the studio and came up with these little papercrafted projects...two of CTMH's new papers are Animal Cookies and Bella...I just love all the colors! But one of these days I have to start "Tinkerin'" too!

The Lemonade Stand Blog Award

This morning I was sweetly surprised to find an email from Jaime saying that she had awarded me The Lemonade Stand Award!

Thanks to all of you who have brought traffic and followers to my blog!

The Lemonade Stand Blog Award

The rules of this award:

*comment on this blog

*cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog

*nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude

*link to your nominees within your blog post

*comment on their blogs to let them know they received the award

*link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation

And the award goes from ME to YOU special bloggers who show great attitude and gratitude ...

Emily

Janet

Hope

Jennifer

Laurel

Tresa

Tina

Jane

Jena

Tracy

Congratulations, ladies, and thanks again, Jaime!

Shadow Shot Sunday #53

Congratulations to Tracy at HeyHarriet on her 1st anniversary of the Shadow Shots!

I've enjoyed participating in this challenging meme. Some weeks, as these last few, have been especially challenging with little or no sun here in Missouri. With a partly cloudy day today, I got a few shots outside, and a couple inside too.

Here they are!

Be sure to check out the Shadow Shots each week on the HeyHarriet site! You'll see some awesome photographic work by people around the world. They inspire me to look at the details in our world in an entirely different way.

Thanks for creating the Shadow Shots Sunday collages, Tracy, and Happy Anniversary!

Showing Off My Blooms!

Spring is just gorgeous in Missouri (however, we don't like the tornado warnings!) ...

What a lot of rain we've had to help make the grass, trees, and bushes so lush and emerald green.

As each bloom appears in my garden areas, I slip on my gardening clogs and grab the d-SLR and shoot away ... I love keeping a gardening journal of all the iris and other blooms. Some of the hybrid irises didn't bloom last year, so they must be taking turns! What fun surprises!

It's been challenging to capture the photos between the thunderstorms, and the high winds predicted for tonight might do some damage. If that happens, I'll have the slideshow to reminisce.

These are some of my favorite Bible verses about grass and flowers and His promising Word:

As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him ... Psalm 103:15-17

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field ... The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:7-8

See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ... Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself ... Matthew 6:28-34

Blessings and more!

Awesome Iris Blooms

This spring our reblooming irises have been gorgeous--today these four colors bloomed, and more are still to come. I just wish the blooms would last forever. Is that too much to ask?