Leap Into Spring | Rain/Water

This week's theme for Leap Into Spring is Rain/Water. We've certainly had plenty of rain this week. Unfortunately, after the wonderful heat wave we experienced last week, a cold front has swept through our region this week. Towns only about an hour away experienced a foot or more of snow. I'm so very thankful we were spared the snow ... I'm not sure I could have handled that very well, ha ha. Anyway, I grabbed my umbrella and pulled on my favorite rain boots and braved the elements to capture the rain drops softly dripping off these flower petals.








And here is a collage of a few shots I captured this week via Instagram.


The weatherman assured us this morning that a warm-up was on the way next week. I sure hope he doesn't disappoint!
Happy Friday!


-tish xoxo

Texture Tuesday & Wordful Wednesday

                   mouse over to check out the before

My husband bought me lovely yellow tulips for my birthday last month. I snapped a few photos one morning before they all dried up. I propped a frame I bought at a sale last summer against the wall and put the vase inside it. I liked how it framed the flower. I used Kim Klassen's Let Go watercolor texture and really liked the result. 

But I wanted to enhance this photo further, really make it something special. If you mouse over my photo, you can see the original photo ... its really pretty dull. I opened the photo in Photoshop and added a hue/saturation adjustment to tone down the yellow flower. I added a layer of Let Go at soft light 100% opacity. Next, I added a duplicate layer with a layer mask and brushed the flower at 50% opacity. I think it adds a vintage effect. I topped it off with the verse by Ralph Waldo Emerson in CK Ali's Hand font.

Adding texture to a photo can add a whole new vibe. If you sign up for Kim's Texture Lovin' List on her site, you can receive a free texture each week! Another great source for textures is Life-n-Reflection. Kristy also offers amazing textures. If you check out her site, she has some freebies along with some great tutorials. As a matter of fact, I just purchased a texture package yesterday. I'm really looking forward to trying these new textures out! 

Thanks for stopping in! 

-tish xoxo

White Beauty

This week was like a blur, running from one thing to the next every day. So, today I am incredibly thankful for a quiet day at home. I've spent some more time in Photoshop today, playing with textures, adding layer masks and text. I am quite pleased how this one turned out. I applied Kim Klassen's Aurora texture at 61% opacity, applied a layer mask and brushed over the flowers at 100%. Next, I added a second layer of the Aurora texture but at 43% opacity this time. I added another layer mask and brushed over the flowers at 40% and applied the Hardlight filter. Last, I added the layer with the beautiful verse by John Keats.


Have a lovely weekend! 
-tish xoxo

Leap Into Spring | Blossoms/Trees

I wish I had more time to put into this challenge this week, but I feel lucky I even had a few minutes to edit these photos. I'm disappointed with my post this week ... I feel like it's just a hodgepodge of photos thrown together. They are even different sizes (frown). But, let's just say it's a sampling of Spring's awesome display of beauty. It's truly incredible, breathtaking. I have a million more photos I could have posted as I can't stop snapping photos of the new life and beauty that is bursting forth each day. The brilliant colors, the new textures and the lovely fragrances are overwhelming. What a truly amazing season. 


 -tish xoxo

Project 64: Out of the Box ... is Coming to an End

Sixty-four weeks of colors! I started this project in January of 2011 and here we are in April of 2012. When I started this project, I had just received my D7000 as a gift from my husband for Christmas. I jumped online, scouring the internet for any information I could find about photography and that's when I stumbled across Project 64 and so many other amazing photographers and their blogs. I am so thankful for this project and for all the lovely ladies who share their knowledge of photography. I certainly have not arrived, but as I look back at my photos, I realize just how far I've come! I started out only shooting in auto, now I love the control that I have in manual.  


Anyway, I could go on about all that I've learned, but let's get down to colors ... the last four. I want to thank Brooke Martin for hanging in there for us and seeing it through to the end.  I know this has been a lot of work for her, especially of late as she prepares for the new addition to her family. :-)


Peach. This was the most difficult find for me. These roses are not a dark peach, but seemed to have some peach coloring to them.
Granny Smith Apple. I thought these buds were a beautiful color match. Have I told you how happy I am that Spring has finally come? (wink, wink). 

Violet. I just couldn't wait another moment to add some color to my patio. So this week, I planted these beautiful petunias and placed them on my patio tables. Their deep, rich color catch my eye each time I pass by the windows. 

Mauvelous. This was the easiest match of them all.  The dogwood tree we planted in our front yard began to bloom just in time!  

I've really gained so much through this challenge including some new friends. Thanks ladies for all your encouragement and sweet comments along the way. I hope we continue to meet up through other challenges! 


-tish xoxo

Project 64: Out of the Box | Cornflower Blue

Week 60's color for Project 64 is Cornflower Blue. I looked all over for a match and found it in my daughter's collection of string. She's into making friendship bracelets at the moment. The string can sit without being touched for months at a time, then suddenly she will pick it up again and make a "million" bracelets. She loves wearing most all of them at the same time too. :D hee, hee.


-tish xoxo

Leap into Spring! | Easter/Eggs

What a lovely Easter we had! The day was beautiful and we enjoyed a wonderful day visiting with family. You'd never know by the photos, though, that our oldest, A, wasn't feeling her best. :( She toughed out the day and then crashed when we came home. We took her temperature and it was 101.0. I felt like such a bad mom having kept her out all day. :( We gave her some medicine, tucked her in bed and she felt much better the next day.


We are thankful for the Resurrection and the Hope we have!
I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Easter Sunday as well.
How did you spend your day?


-tish xoxo

Let There Be Light

I am in love with the beauty that surrounds us, the new life that is bursting forth each and every day! I am so thankful that we've finally turned the corner and spring is upon us.



Among all the beauty that spring offers, one of my favorites is the abundant sunshine. The combination of the warmer temperatures and the sunlight stimulates growth - new life. 



The sun shines through all the brilliant colors and the earth now pops with color.




The sun's heat steadily warms our days through the early spring months.




The promise of longer light-filled days has arrived as the sun rises earlier and sets later into the evening hours.



And spring brings with it hope, hope for a fresh start and better opportunities, but also it brings us a gentle reminder of the Hope we have... 
"This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the LIGHT, that all through Him might believe."  
 - John 1:7


I'm joining Kristi of Live and Love Outloud, Alicia of Project Alicia and Rebecca of Bumbles and Light for their Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge. Join us over the next six weeks as we Leap Into Spring together! 
Happy Spring and Happy Easter! 
-tish xoxo