tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22308799383417456032024-03-06T02:53:36.316-05:00Souvenirs From LifeSouvenir-(def)French 1765-1775- To remember;The act of remembering;to come to mind;something kept or serving as a reminder of a place, person or occasion;keepsake;memento.Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-3062457078375194362013-04-20T22:27:00.000-04:002013-04-20T23:03:19.842-04:00Focusing On Life 52 Weeks~ Week 16 ~ Take A Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is the view through the front door </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">from the inside of what used to be our children's playhouse </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> turned garden shed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I designed and decorated this old door to look like stained glass</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">using the lead lining in the tube and stained glass paints back in 1991.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You see, for the prompt this week we were told to take a walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Down Memory Lane.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did not realize at the time how difficult this walk would prove to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This past week we began the monumental task of cleaning out and tearing down this old shed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As much as we hated to do it, the floor had rotted out after it had settled lower onto the ground and some of the trim boards and roofing and siding had bad areas too so we decided to order a new one to replace it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But during the course of this week my emotions went the way of the demolition.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkHwGw3yPKhRXHdk-oR1aIrW-vGXQE3qZkQgeVFzKvQZeGu4YuTRDC_kKrC-bHsAmBLAgdMCoCyb6ukL0SD1EowuLDwn5gvFD-mehs3ScLW5QSG1iWLMkbzs0h43VxWrV4OuSfyrkSmoe/s1600/takeawalk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkHwGw3yPKhRXHdk-oR1aIrW-vGXQE3qZkQgeVFzKvQZeGu4YuTRDC_kKrC-bHsAmBLAgdMCoCyb6ukL0SD1EowuLDwn5gvFD-mehs3ScLW5QSG1iWLMkbzs0h43VxWrV4OuSfyrkSmoe/s640/takeawalk4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Upside down and inside out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And I soon realized,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Nothing would ever replace it.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The year was 1991</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the shed was original to our house </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">dirt floor ,open door, typical old outdoor tool shed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had covered the failing wood shingled roof with tin prior to this</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and after building a larger outdoor storage barn/studio the year before,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">decided to convert this into a playhouse for our daughter </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">who had just turned 7. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Our son who was 2 at the time, would later get a fort of his own, complete with trap door. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7svaEJoKotcpBPFoQeOaGHi1hX1ndjvM3yxZP-4lOkgr6veYpEsDXHLUiTmzFBeg15d7OtBctjC3Vi3NDbCqZAY1pVrbrLjKK6xRxx_kwzImfjmUHt65lvldw7DOp685y9qwNEX7Wz3HA/s1600/takeawalk6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7svaEJoKotcpBPFoQeOaGHi1hX1ndjvM3yxZP-4lOkgr6veYpEsDXHLUiTmzFBeg15d7OtBctjC3Vi3NDbCqZAY1pVrbrLjKK6xRxx_kwzImfjmUHt65lvldw7DOp685y9qwNEX7Wz3HA/s640/takeawalk6.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had salvaged the door from a renovation we had done on a rental house and cut it to size.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbBMb82GgS7oHL7ab45lmW0rJyADVB5YNrnXRczBOvUBdRx_eK2CUKJZJTU0spXhT-sGFnwjH_v1lziKxtcZiJ3_MTfD8ZP75k11b6_KnLDp4G-y6WsvXhefs7djF-vGYrqYPZVsvd4T_/s1600/takeawalk7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbBMb82GgS7oHL7ab45lmW0rJyADVB5YNrnXRczBOvUBdRx_eK2CUKJZJTU0spXhT-sGFnwjH_v1lziKxtcZiJ3_MTfD8ZP75k11b6_KnLDp4G-y6WsvXhefs7djF-vGYrqYPZVsvd4T_/s640/takeawalk7.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ready for occupancy except for the front steps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We planted some camellias in bright pink </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and even added some pink gingerbread trim to match the wraparound porch on our house.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUmrckx-MV0h3yw8_HA0jVJny6kJrX945o2Yi-9m7WYRi8CHaxGfg0nzEMgY26AEUlwfPpY-xxcdHeve1HqCvVBjK2U4NwEGc3XvimpCNlv7tGPTJefJZNzYgxPtPOg6O7CJHh9v5_cj8/s1600/takeawalk8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUmrckx-MV0h3yw8_HA0jVJny6kJrX945o2Yi-9m7WYRi8CHaxGfg0nzEMgY26AEUlwfPpY-xxcdHeve1HqCvVBjK2U4NwEGc3XvimpCNlv7tGPTJefJZNzYgxPtPOg6O7CJHh9v5_cj8/s640/takeawalk8.png" width="442" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Inside, I painted the floor with porch floor paint and stenciled designs around the perimeter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband built 2 bunks onto which we placed air mattresses and even a handmade quilt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We hung a closet rod to hold all the dress up outfits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There were storage drawers and boxes to hold items like play food and dishes,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">dolls and clothes, art and craft supplies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No this was no ordinary playhouse, it was a dream house.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLixXEkBdqAvMYFFsseFvw4CLCvbi5yhpPuNpZJF3FJcMgiMwbrI5i1Bkg9tKWCkCvmPRdl0cpJwkEJXobpXTM3s7GDKCFWLsOW3L0rM6L7QQT847faV2X8RJRTqzBJcqZtfRD_L3ZfbR2/s1600/takeawalk9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLixXEkBdqAvMYFFsseFvw4CLCvbi5yhpPuNpZJF3FJcMgiMwbrI5i1Bkg9tKWCkCvmPRdl0cpJwkEJXobpXTM3s7GDKCFWLsOW3L0rM6L7QQT847faV2X8RJRTqzBJcqZtfRD_L3ZfbR2/s640/takeawalk9.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There was a ladder to a full carpeted loft above for even more play area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There were sleepovers out here, more plays and pageants than I can count with neighborhood kids, food was cooked in the play kitchen, babies were fed and bathed and put to sleep and imaginations were nurtured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With the exception of the first 4 photos taken this week,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the rest have been culled from photo albums and scanned .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was the process of looking through those albums</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">seeing all these pictures</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">finding myself way down memory lane</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> that a flood of emotions came over me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">taking me back</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">making me realize the significance of losing the playhouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I found myself wanting to go back to these days, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">even if just for a little while</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">duck my head and enter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sit to a tea party with my hostess </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">most likely dressed in a gown, play makeup and all,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and just soak it all up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Enjoy every moment without feeling like there was something else I should be doing,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">places I needed to go, errands to run, work to do, half distracted</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the way most mother's feel at that time in their lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since that is not possible, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I will have to content myself with these photos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and all the wonderful memories</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">have a good cry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and start over with my grandchildren.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tea anyone?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I would also like to thank everyone for their comments last week, I have been unable to respond yet and visit everyone's posts but I will work on catching up over the next 2 weeks as I will be away again next week at <a href="http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/retreat-VABeach2013-retreat.php" target="_blank">Art and Soul</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Now you can take a walk, over to <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/04/19/focus-on-life-week-16/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> to see all the other great posts.</span></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-35458546125030594032013-04-12T21:03:00.000-04:002013-04-12T21:07:18.547-04:00Focusing OnLife 52 Weeks~ Week 15~ Aged Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was a beautiful sunny warm morning</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All of the vendors were busy spreading their wares</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">on tables and blankets and even the dew kissed ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The hunters and gatherers, wide eyed with anticipation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">already scanning the vista, the aisles of treasures</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">just awaiting their moment of discovery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Excitement was in the air along with the smell of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">fresh donuts, kettle corn and breakfast fare.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi760AuA6LIHGLUM30kFdh1jSgdwLPZqJVRzDg3K46oQWoM3LIRbkZfeOriFjnDUdcNc9kRKjADMZDlZsWa1xi8pxmfmDJkbvUsV9YeWyiM4iAaqCg0SDBc48UspNkQI7gm9nEwQ_7WLjVk/s1600/agedbeauty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi760AuA6LIHGLUM30kFdh1jSgdwLPZqJVRzDg3K46oQWoM3LIRbkZfeOriFjnDUdcNc9kRKjADMZDlZsWa1xi8pxmfmDJkbvUsV9YeWyiM4iAaqCg0SDBc48UspNkQI7gm9nEwQ_7WLjVk/s640/agedbeauty2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A small crowd had gathered in front of one vendors table</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">always a good sign, drawing others in </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">something wonderful must be here, so much interest.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I glanced quickly so as not to miss out</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">she called to me, so loudly I could hear no other call</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"May I see that brass pin?" I found myself saying</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">reaching past the other hunters who were suddenly quiet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"I'll take it"</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoGTsmA2uet7_cYC3IWTqngdRCkMtbKMM09SYPmOLvb7ifMSUZCxU7cDyVLIRayLB8oEOZpK-ahG-yln9B0ge9WZYQL6T2kcrc_DhwCMWXmZylyrIt9_CktbTyBoAcGtLvyl9okFksXiH/s1600/agedbeauty3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoGTsmA2uet7_cYC3IWTqngdRCkMtbKMM09SYPmOLvb7ifMSUZCxU7cDyVLIRayLB8oEOZpK-ahG-yln9B0ge9WZYQL6T2kcrc_DhwCMWXmZylyrIt9_CktbTyBoAcGtLvyl9okFksXiH/s640/agedbeauty3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Burying my treasure in my bag until later</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I walked away, giddy over what I had found</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But it wasn't until much later, this week in fact </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">with the aid of my macro lens</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">that I came to appreciate her true aged beauty.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The intricate handwork which went into her creation</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">what I once thought was just silver filigree in the background</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">showcasing vintage rhinestones and pearls,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">turned out to be a labyrinth of seed beads</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in mother of pearl and silver lined crystal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4Rr1c3p3eEQz4WY_gpAHSOAUB4HM5-7TE5EfjDGfHYlS8P_jJIYivgUjI_CNbAwqKG_MBss7enNNAglV9jJTAiK3WXINY-pfX3upjkI2eghix-iJvHIUerOKAftKV78ALzH0bh_J_1Zo/s1600/agedbeauty4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4Rr1c3p3eEQz4WY_gpAHSOAUB4HM5-7TE5EfjDGfHYlS8P_jJIYivgUjI_CNbAwqKG_MBss7enNNAglV9jJTAiK3WXINY-pfX3upjkI2eghix-iJvHIUerOKAftKV78ALzH0bh_J_1Zo/s640/agedbeauty4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Behind every aged beauty lies a story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">a past history</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">a mystery to unfold</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I will wonder about hers.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">To enjoy some more aged beauty head on over to <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/04/12/focus-on-life-week-15/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-24446342696430812902013-04-05T22:44:00.000-04:002013-04-05T22:44:24.484-04:00Focusing On Life~Week 14~Up Close<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdOf2ZqgW4PM2xnUcywr3ePvkv28D0Lu1M1oL9TzGvoKMAqebhd6xGhRV-uSf3M2PHQrKZ-uLNC72pL6kvpxynH5ArxP-7LlgN7kEm-nZYvpr_VG7G6eKd8RZErkGmWtmBOuRfQWFLGRd/s1600/star1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdOf2ZqgW4PM2xnUcywr3ePvkv28D0Lu1M1oL9TzGvoKMAqebhd6xGhRV-uSf3M2PHQrKZ-uLNC72pL6kvpxynH5ArxP-7LlgN7kEm-nZYvpr_VG7G6eKd8RZErkGmWtmBOuRfQWFLGRd/s640/star1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Looking at any object up close transforms it into an unidentifiable landscape,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">a scary terrain seemingly from another planet</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">complete with hidden caves and stalagtites</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQacJzacQqrAGSbb87BpNPYD20tGfrNXViKL3qxoozxJmUscpNpIU2O3s4SUv3B6W7mv1pYc78ZH_SP4wvZGVOjBKoSQBaoCIT9QnYMiEejEt4bJXySQ68CI4j_4nnVYvAihY-6AQoR6l/s1600/star2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQacJzacQqrAGSbb87BpNPYD20tGfrNXViKL3qxoozxJmUscpNpIU2O3s4SUv3B6W7mv1pYc78ZH_SP4wvZGVOjBKoSQBaoCIT9QnYMiEejEt4bJXySQ68CI4j_4nnVYvAihY-6AQoR6l/s640/star2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It can even sometimes take on human characteristics</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">like these hands and fingers which seem to reach up out of the ground to grasp an object</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQyRYDdx8c7aVWHVMqRa4Cq9ayIZWNXl6JcLPWyCNpcPlk2bo5mmsBtCyeCNAsDbigMs0BY4EzcQgQEbCHKHeMLQzXvy23TGw_nWBdvl3Bdj25BlNODdSekVZNN5xbxxRI5skY-53D2bq/s1600/star3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQyRYDdx8c7aVWHVMqRa4Cq9ayIZWNXl6JcLPWyCNpcPlk2bo5mmsBtCyeCNAsDbigMs0BY4EzcQgQEbCHKHeMLQzXvy23TGw_nWBdvl3Bdj25BlNODdSekVZNN5xbxxRI5skY-53D2bq/s640/star3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can see well defined patterns and rows of shapes that would otherwise go unnoticed</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WHtZ6ly8VTizKHAYX2Dftjk6Z0Qo9osQHodSkwhx96_mO03KlZyM33z7P1HpUiZnR1kcrDHcmUQsQ3wZmq2LlchhAFNUG0M-im9DPvGI-8Mu7CdlJDZPV7Z8_N3t016Am_WvvsEr2-ir/s1600/star4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WHtZ6ly8VTizKHAYX2Dftjk6Z0Qo9osQHodSkwhx96_mO03KlZyM33z7P1HpUiZnR1kcrDHcmUQsQ3wZmq2LlchhAFNUG0M-im9DPvGI-8Mu7CdlJDZPV7Z8_N3t016Am_WvvsEr2-ir/s640/star4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And textures not visible to the naked eye</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnFT__GB9mBBfUDewm9gn-m231QtUDQehyphenhyphenzwn6TX2Om6OJZ8a-PpZ1fc3V6ik8IX3D6Ba5jQbpFTC1pFoll7ff3i__JkKp_eaYFopbNrrxGde64zJi_bsyOHHgqZfyhH8FWo0RCy4JBHt/s1600/star5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="618" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnFT__GB9mBBfUDewm9gn-m231QtUDQehyphenhyphenzwn6TX2Om6OJZ8a-PpZ1fc3V6ik8IX3D6Ba5jQbpFTC1pFoll7ff3i__JkKp_eaYFopbNrrxGde64zJi_bsyOHHgqZfyhH8FWo0RCy4JBHt/s640/star5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You begin to wonder, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">what am I looking at?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF16aeEe_4sr79rjW9sx5gC4P2JtvGH0cft94E3QVbKlLTmT6CSZ_mde4FsHWaF-A394ImPx9XrKVkkSCwn2kQw7yX7hhjxDsg3LFOBkmD6p8jWg41a9yzuCgyB5sbykR8npEkOw8DIb8E/s1600/star6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF16aeEe_4sr79rjW9sx5gC4P2JtvGH0cft94E3QVbKlLTmT6CSZ_mde4FsHWaF-A394ImPx9XrKVkkSCwn2kQw7yX7hhjxDsg3LFOBkmD6p8jWg41a9yzuCgyB5sbykR8npEkOw8DIb8E/s640/star6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then suddenly it all makes sense.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Head on over to <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> to get up close and personal this week.</span></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-84992850336012251412013-03-29T19:32:00.000-04:002013-03-29T19:32:11.874-04:00Focusing On Life 52 Weeks~ Week 13~ Have Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwIzCrLMsd__f1WSPz8aSVKG9u2Hihko0Dt-b7_BU-KQ-La_X1tqkAwgjVK4gEBaUO8XQJaX3limDQZxHHd5vRNL_UuyCcYZMSu2e6BOm_P6MywZmbSZ2H5coFW6iGGGqyFjK4FiD9KUC/s1600/faith1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwIzCrLMsd__f1WSPz8aSVKG9u2Hihko0Dt-b7_BU-KQ-La_X1tqkAwgjVK4gEBaUO8XQJaX3limDQZxHHd5vRNL_UuyCcYZMSu2e6BOm_P6MywZmbSZ2H5coFW6iGGGqyFjK4FiD9KUC/s640/faith1.jpg" usa="true" width="482" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My faith runs deep and strong</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It sustains me in uncertain times</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Calms my fears</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Quiets the noise in my head</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Directs me in the ways I should go.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAc5Ccdpqj5JixF7IWQnUmOLvZRoGCqQbnt1lpBWkjpi8lqc_C9pDuugV0kqxm1TFSia_F_ycQvntvhTHTSp8Mj_0Ir4G0mksWEillx8pk3RCpeN8GQp8GtPByqvqONewAvxlG8CpbRY4/s1600/faith2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAc5Ccdpqj5JixF7IWQnUmOLvZRoGCqQbnt1lpBWkjpi8lqc_C9pDuugV0kqxm1TFSia_F_ycQvntvhTHTSp8Mj_0Ir4G0mksWEillx8pk3RCpeN8GQp8GtPByqvqONewAvxlG8CpbRY4/s640/faith2.jpg" usa="true" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have faith in a power greater than myself</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One who holds the master plan that I am not privy to</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I realize that each of us has to walk our own path in this life</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Find our own way</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Deal with the pitfalls and obstacles and detours</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Inherently ours alone.</span></div>
<div align="center">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00Ryv_IP9v6CmkiEqX38iDPWx_eHw36NvMHPVs_A6xcLfSOTQc8CAnwfTS-HYriBYM-mxwQp2lhqy0UVrJ_rHdVeMWi0AtSnLFTPLjJFnbYGseEvi3mjuxldEsuAwIwfiyx6B7FPJPsHC/s1600/faith3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00Ryv_IP9v6CmkiEqX38iDPWx_eHw36NvMHPVs_A6xcLfSOTQc8CAnwfTS-HYriBYM-mxwQp2lhqy0UVrJ_rHdVeMWi0AtSnLFTPLjJFnbYGseEvi3mjuxldEsuAwIwfiyx6B7FPJPsHC/s640/faith3.png" usa="true" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That for as much as we would like to spare someone </span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the experience of what we perceive to be mistakes and bad decisions</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and the subsequent growing pains sure to follow</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">we must let them go</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and hold onto the faith that we are all right where we should be</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">when we should be there</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">learning exactly what it is we need to learn</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">every step of the way.</span></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
Join the rest of the faithful at <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/03/29/focus-on-life-week-13/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-29831531363897393692013-03-23T06:51:00.000-04:002013-03-23T06:51:09.482-04:00Focusing On Life 52 weeks~ Week 12~ Observe The Curve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2q5vPWW5b9Xn9TbG-zcQADl_jMQSIkBgfPH28QL4Eaxu_phNF7da6RegEto5At2CkO1vP4hgw0CbGW_AlA-goWOwzbAIvj7uUaKKPaSgfaM74j_9GP3J1kD6vr9pBKBW0XbDLwNXLvM0/s1600/curve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2q5vPWW5b9Xn9TbG-zcQADl_jMQSIkBgfPH28QL4Eaxu_phNF7da6RegEto5At2CkO1vP4hgw0CbGW_AlA-goWOwzbAIvj7uUaKKPaSgfaM74j_9GP3J1kD6vr9pBKBW0XbDLwNXLvM0/s640/curve.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Much like a roadmap,</span> </div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">a sewing pattern is a guide,</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">full of twists and turns and curves,</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">stop signs and markers and directions</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">taking you on a journey.</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A little confusing at the start perhaps,</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">even overwhelming at times</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">but if you trust in the process,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and in the mapmaker's skills,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">have a little faith,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">you will end up right where you need to be.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SCrtQnpz34SbzWcT4MoHXHk8V3sv9xKHD3rowG4064jAv9w3YnsWyuX1peJcnhHbvS9Xp1EZnCmorhNGUZIO7_2o-s2hvaZpb3dePEHeDXfKB3l8AQUFPcSyTWGZBBCGSlDKHlnlAVsX/s1600/curve2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SCrtQnpz34SbzWcT4MoHXHk8V3sv9xKHD3rowG4064jAv9w3YnsWyuX1peJcnhHbvS9Xp1EZnCmorhNGUZIO7_2o-s2hvaZpb3dePEHeDXfKB3l8AQUFPcSyTWGZBBCGSlDKHlnlAVsX/s640/curve2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This past weekend, I was lucky to attend <a href="http://www.sewingexpo.com/LakelandFL.aspx" target="_blank">The Sewing and Quilt Expo</a> in Lakeland with my Mom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I have been inspired to do a little more sewing ever since going to the <a href="http://shows.craftcouncil.org/baltimore" target="_blank">ACC show</a> in Baltimore a few weeks ago with my friend<a href="http://artpagesetc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Bette</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">At that show I fell in love with several handmade garments, gorgeous tunics and jackets that were unfortunatley WAY out of my price range.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">When I saw the sewing expo advertized I jumped on the chance to go and I was not disappointed, as a matter of fact, I wish I had found out about it sooner as they offered many classes over the course of 4 days, a good number of them in garment construction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I may try to get to the one in Baltimore when it comes there and pick up a few classes if I can get away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I was able to pick up several designer patterns and some wonderful fabrics that I don't usually see in the average fabric shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I opened one of the patterns and immediately saw the answer to this week's prompt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I have also wanted to use the posterization affect on a photo and the graphic nature of this photo lent itself perfectly to that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Observe the rest of the curves over at <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Sudio Sublime</a>.</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-68402947336485429012013-03-15T22:42:00.000-04:002013-03-15T22:42:08.764-04:00Focusing On Life 52 Weeks~ Week 11~ The Possibilities Are Endless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4Wr9p5_FbO1zieJ9puWS6OU7Sj2FFPL8QX5_kC7ExS4G7lv5E2yYXlLxWwi_mmwgE72uqDJZQLIyphr94mrsMCYE0lZGJJxxcwmFf3ubdWZqikvA2jdfom7HSgbVW4sGCnxS1e4zHp9G/s1600/sunrise1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4Wr9p5_FbO1zieJ9puWS6OU7Sj2FFPL8QX5_kC7ExS4G7lv5E2yYXlLxWwi_mmwgE72uqDJZQLIyphr94mrsMCYE0lZGJJxxcwmFf3ubdWZqikvA2jdfom7HSgbVW4sGCnxS1e4zHp9G/s640/sunrise1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>"Each morning we are born again.</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>What we do today is what matters most"</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Buddha's Little Instruction Book</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> When pondering this weeks prompt,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The possiblilities are endless,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I thought, had I been home I might take a picture of a new block of clay, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">or perhaps my stash of beads or art supplies, all affording endless possibilities</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">of creation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But then I thought a little deeper, and took a picture this morning of the sunrise and then this evening of the sunset, the hours between, the possibilities are endless as to what we make of them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmbomssFUMbMJrZU0b3nH2p07b6pI3EW03BIDfAwJAZZybVXKXwXuZsZHqRDV26v5CN1Exp251iKaNtp9DRgaCsdhP7baJamUirL-u-dE5xV6BqsxmHWRS28WK3-sDqzAQMqsEjV_sze6/s1600/sunset2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmbomssFUMbMJrZU0b3nH2p07b6pI3EW03BIDfAwJAZZybVXKXwXuZsZHqRDV26v5CN1Exp251iKaNtp9DRgaCsdhP7baJamUirL-u-dE5xV6BqsxmHWRS28WK3-sDqzAQMqsEjV_sze6/s640/sunset2.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How many do we foolishly waste on unimportant things, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">always taking for granted there will be another one right behind it?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Q8ZJ-pi9UosCy3d4NPQzzcQwtKSx3uiv0BDbOIJNn6kKAeLg12RRb9A6EbKGH4Eu_Ae_TcD7KTqKv-zxt04TVpqWNv1et2tvqWRGIXm7y2g0lNOHH6oVh5eQNt3ZmaUNCBwLN8_Hmzog/s1600/sunset3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Q8ZJ-pi9UosCy3d4NPQzzcQwtKSx3uiv0BDbOIJNn6kKAeLg12RRb9A6EbKGH4Eu_Ae_TcD7KTqKv-zxt04TVpqWNv1et2tvqWRGIXm7y2g0lNOHH6oVh5eQNt3ZmaUNCBwLN8_Hmzog/s640/sunset3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hope to be ever mindful that I have been given this day,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> this hour, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">this minute, only.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Go explore all the other possibilities at<a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/03/15/focus-on-life-week-11/" target="_blank"> the Studio Sublime</a></span></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-27949448636948219242013-03-09T10:08:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:08:36.168-05:00Focus On Life 52 Weeks~ Week 10 ~ All Wrapped Up<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoQxpM6QxzRJVVQSvie5Zb6JstJ7sdJH6Eipry10Vo9AUYHH1PmyoRRPeA8ceZKqWz8Xi5J8Shzem8CGnYgnHvbe0CMqX302JKYvdfZdxn_dmNSzq_eGFhrqW5pyEw0unoSGcSSAZBw5w/s1600/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoQxpM6QxzRJVVQSvie5Zb6JstJ7sdJH6Eipry10Vo9AUYHH1PmyoRRPeA8ceZKqWz8Xi5J8Shzem8CGnYgnHvbe0CMqX302JKYvdfZdxn_dmNSzq_eGFhrqW5pyEw0unoSGcSSAZBw5w/s640/009.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wrapped up and trapped in their own skins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">kraft paper camellias</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZZvgqhUULY-TtfO4ZWGhDS8nIw59AAK4xBg-PWBi_KuLvfhTnMLL1x1LlcTyXk6bKHr0SL6lXCzMeWCoVJ7rVTjlPOt9UcxZZbWVjdffQfMahA9TjUCzFzWGjejabJfrmyx0tkkvFTdS/s1600/camellia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZZvgqhUULY-TtfO4ZWGhDS8nIw59AAK4xBg-PWBi_KuLvfhTnMLL1x1LlcTyXk6bKHr0SL6lXCzMeWCoVJ7rVTjlPOt9UcxZZbWVjdffQfMahA9TjUCzFzWGjejabJfrmyx0tkkvFTdS/s640/camellia.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Frozen in time</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Never to realize their full potential</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGfR_nozsUhvCAMnaic3azYSSKhoNUBDKA-Kb3KxSzRirCQnKZ53e_7Wy8PQcYa3iddyJn0TTw7b6kaQo-1jSU4AWZJzdAgDEwRBykwowYEFqJrQFPJ28MZCjXALyHSRK3HVBpCckIJJ/s1600/camellia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGfR_nozsUhvCAMnaic3azYSSKhoNUBDKA-Kb3KxSzRirCQnKZ53e_7Wy8PQcYa3iddyJn0TTw7b6kaQo-1jSU4AWZJzdAgDEwRBykwowYEFqJrQFPJ28MZCjXALyHSRK3HVBpCckIJJ/s640/camellia1.jpg" width="626" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yearning to open and bask in the warmth of the sun</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFXjlaOvcDs05QjZCkkpvkWrIdCe7g82GTwOOK92EhK-yEq_XGjt-LzM8_fS014aA6j988L87NlIejdJmPdYGpF9TAR7r8W3it62kPk54ytUOlbX9PmmaGVEw7FswBXuDEIJMrb9s3oRT/s1600/camellia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFXjlaOvcDs05QjZCkkpvkWrIdCe7g82GTwOOK92EhK-yEq_XGjt-LzM8_fS014aA6j988L87NlIejdJmPdYGpF9TAR7r8W3it62kPk54ytUOlbX9PmmaGVEw7FswBXuDEIJMrb9s3oRT/s640/camellia2.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To show their true colors</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNA-76EUpNlkVjeV7qvEzwgIU33meIQP-GUXhX9h1o-U97nrZbnrxT_VyzXIK5HFG8S9IVtNdk8sAMX67Jd4GGsrwXkKPS3auqEhW2Bw4feRpLMFQgJuWCRqWBEtIHEGXRWywOg1V5hB2/s1600/camellia7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNA-76EUpNlkVjeV7qvEzwgIU33meIQP-GUXhX9h1o-U97nrZbnrxT_VyzXIK5HFG8S9IVtNdk8sAMX67Jd4GGsrwXkKPS3auqEhW2Bw4feRpLMFQgJuWCRqWBEtIHEGXRWywOg1V5hB2/s640/camellia7.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Alas only to find they are</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">a faded memory of what will never be</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDdXAffDEgeUavitGA10ajH6areewACm1oZdKp54gaTtpt2hP144IFgO09iaG14YV9q2OBrbWh98Ml0YY_dG5N0Ex_doAw3XnFJWB50DnVkQInAFB-bZ_iPCdMGv5h5hvm0JZthHACH7F/s1600/camellia8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDdXAffDEgeUavitGA10ajH6areewACm1oZdKp54gaTtpt2hP144IFgO09iaG14YV9q2OBrbWh98Ml0YY_dG5N0Ex_doAw3XnFJWB50DnVkQInAFB-bZ_iPCdMGv5h5hvm0JZthHACH7F/s640/camellia8.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Youth and beauty lost.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh99d8rAZccRNJCAH1nHAVV269KAQCZmzpfyAT9B4kPr4fFIPG09U6seTZu4STbev1Rr0G-Tjk5PpBc3LfI9R2FLt2ONkoBwYnZufIE-n_WFy9dDpT-TgXhQZOux2TuxZnkljT2tyGeXz/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jsa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh99d8rAZccRNJCAH1nHAVV269KAQCZmzpfyAT9B4kPr4fFIPG09U6seTZu4STbev1Rr0G-Tjk5PpBc3LfI9R2FLt2ONkoBwYnZufIE-n_WFy9dDpT-TgXhQZOux2TuxZnkljT2tyGeXz/s640/009.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This week's prompt was all wrapped up and while this initially conjured many other ideas,</div>
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when I saw my camellia bush, which stands a stately 10 or so feet tall by my front door, </div>
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covered in buds that never had the chance to open due to the freezing weather, I knew I had my subject.</div>
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Since this is a photography challenge, this week instead of shooting several photos, I chose to stick with one and experiment with some post processing to see what I could evoke.</div>
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The last photo is the photo I used in it's as shot, straight from the camera condition.</div>
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This shows me that when you take the time to frame the photo right when shooting, you will have a good strong dynamic image to work with which is then open to many opportunities to explore in post processing with very little effort.</div>
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Now grab a cuppa, wrap up in something warm and cozy and head on over to <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/03/08/week-10-all-wrapped-up/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> and visit all the other talented photographers on this journey with me.</div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-79123727370609430482013-03-02T09:46:00.000-05:002013-03-02T09:46:45.702-05:00Focus On Life 52 Weeks~ Week 9~ Knock Knock<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A door opened and I went through it. ~Temple Grandin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">Sally's</a> prompt for us this week-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Let's open some doors to see what awaits us on the other side. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it a door that holds opportunity?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A door that holds a story?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it a door you have been hesitating to open?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is a gate to a new life?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A door to a new adventure?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it a door that holds a memory?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it the perfect door for a simple picture?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have arrived at the door for a reason, open it up and step in!" </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul3iFm0ByYoh7pVHnDRU487tn9ZY3h0sV_YTYIe75lraK3AERqwhVXPJ90mEDKA3AsuRMQNhyS99RFDMAovZa7AYkhhhLzEOoW9Jozb29Iq96Kpe4XTjZZ8Y2gJ4Lc3dT3VeFQ_xwkUPm/s1600/door1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul3iFm0ByYoh7pVHnDRU487tn9ZY3h0sV_YTYIe75lraK3AERqwhVXPJ90mEDKA3AsuRMQNhyS99RFDMAovZa7AYkhhhLzEOoW9Jozb29Iq96Kpe4XTjZZ8Y2gJ4Lc3dT3VeFQ_xwkUPm/s640/door1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I knew it was only a dream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and yet I found myself wanting, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">no, needing </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">to step over the threshhold</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">walk through the archway</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">see what awaited on the other side</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUkOmXkWAGkUtA_0NwNlwAC-lZkF0JlUjYBoQDBVbRkeYFGwWEURgKVkaitVreH-xdlhtZooIkZsasl9U6U-PCHzP2iuMWa4XTNnV3cqtYSeD5vx5xKvYG4XillrH0AAZiy9vesRYcf2T/s1600/door4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUkOmXkWAGkUtA_0NwNlwAC-lZkF0JlUjYBoQDBVbRkeYFGwWEURgKVkaitVreH-xdlhtZooIkZsasl9U6U-PCHzP2iuMWa4XTNnV3cqtYSeD5vx5xKvYG4XillrH0AAZiy9vesRYcf2T/s640/door4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now I find myself thinking</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Was it really a dream?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Or have I been awake the whole time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The vision is etched in my memory</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">haunting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">lingering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last Sunday, as I was on my way to Baltimore to the <a href="http://shows.craftcouncil.org/baltimore" target="_blank">ACC show</a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I passed what looks like an old cemetary with one wall still standing of a chapel perhaps?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As soon as I saw that doorway, I knew it was the one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was raining still at the time so I stopped on my way back home and grabbed a few shots which I then played with in post processing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Step inside <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/03/01/focus-on-life-week-9/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> to see what everyone else captured this week</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-55253253724731830812013-02-22T22:16:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:24:42.395-05:00Focus On Life 52 Photos ~ Week 8 ~ Monochromatic<div style="text-align: center;">
Monochromatic ~ consisting of one color</div>
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<a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">Sally's</a> prompt for us this week<br />
Monochromatic photos tell a story, evoke emotion and uncovers the soul with the simple contrast of one color. Monochromatic photos enable the viewer to see a deeper meaning behind what may be concealed by multiple colors. </div>
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This week look deeper through the lens to the story your photo captures and then process it to one color! Or be daring and shoot in B&W (monochrome). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk59MMSp3XpjTRHNr21dts4BlU618K6XUztOpJOK8INxA1vbo_RI3sbeqNASBf9kshs7ji4z2s0H-ACHzC_fDZHRcjFmhyphenhyphencbw7uvP1TVuMJJMeTm2nYJIr6PjMCgZ62boy-Jmmbrw9hRo/s1600/002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk59MMSp3XpjTRHNr21dts4BlU618K6XUztOpJOK8INxA1vbo_RI3sbeqNASBf9kshs7ji4z2s0H-ACHzC_fDZHRcjFmhyphenhyphencbw7uvP1TVuMJJMeTm2nYJIr6PjMCgZ62boy-Jmmbrw9hRo/s640/002a.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Faded photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Edges bent and even torn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Lying in a pile of memories</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> tucked away in some long forgotten musty cardboard box.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Old friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Family gatherings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> Momentous occasions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Snippets of a life captured on film</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> to be revisited time and again over the years.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKsiIOfJ4XV2yBXIZPDHCSMpcWHVda5_Fi6ymH_wwIryffXm62YOG24_8_exeibRWQue0j-EwsL0ZTyf80FsRsWVkUI-RBhFiU3BNDt-bb5mDnKOFq92fNVi4PyCSNH6C5SvHVWVlbGXp/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKsiIOfJ4XV2yBXIZPDHCSMpcWHVda5_Fi6ymH_wwIryffXm62YOG24_8_exeibRWQue0j-EwsL0ZTyf80FsRsWVkUI-RBhFiU3BNDt-bb5mDnKOFq92fNVi4PyCSNH6C5SvHVWVlbGXp/s640/001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heartwarming thoughts of times together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> People and places once visited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Stories told.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Dreams and secrets shared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Hugs and laughter exchanged.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWfXTKcVupb4kMrq2uRJ8R6heEw5umDRqzE38yKvLgdJe3DoiKLNUTaE99spRB86UuRY1bHfgFFGRITdCyrgTiveyf0RgIUKMYQzKtKuOCQrSvakjR0u7pZWTZAd9DMy6X_siTzOKW-Ip/s1600/004.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWfXTKcVupb4kMrq2uRJ8R6heEw5umDRqzE38yKvLgdJe3DoiKLNUTaE99spRB86UuRY1bHfgFFGRITdCyrgTiveyf0RgIUKMYQzKtKuOCQrSvakjR0u7pZWTZAd9DMy6X_siTzOKW-Ip/s640/004.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Old times that take on a dreamlike quality</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Living in our memory and our hearts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Forever revived with a simple photograph.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEmWL0yCdMWmAXvOAbpKlUOAseCWvfi2RPlJBvhV2i_J-P2SA82nkSmcW1o2K7bOariIbK7GhS7PDfzpchxwX7epT9h7S0hKR2AuuvoouwII8lMze-7PIgikVOkyU-S4CowhX9l2WZraT/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEmWL0yCdMWmAXvOAbpKlUOAseCWvfi2RPlJBvhV2i_J-P2SA82nkSmcW1o2K7bOariIbK7GhS7PDfzpchxwX7epT9h7S0hKR2AuuvoouwII8lMze-7PIgikVOkyU-S4CowhX9l2WZraT/s640/002.JPG" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">original photo before processing for monochromatic</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This past week I had the opportunity to visit with my dear friend <a href="http://www.caroldeezigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Carol</a> and her hubby as they were in the process of cleaning out their other home to be sold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We enjoyed a wonderful lunch together followed by conversation and laughter back at her home by the fireplace all nice and toasty.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Before leaving, I spotted this amazing old school desk that Carol had used to create on and would not be making the trip to their townhouse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The next day Carol contacted me to come and get the desk, knowing it was going to a good home where it would be loved and appreciated.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I wonder how many papers were corrected on this desk,</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">lessons planned, books and reports piled,</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> how many gifts to teacher placed there in the morning, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">a shiny apple perhaps, a flower from someones garden?</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Then all the artwork and jewelry that Carol created sitting at this same desk.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Letters written, books and papers piled.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Now handed down to me to carry on the tradition.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Thank you sweet friend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Hugs.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Be sure to visit <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> for more monochromatic memories.</span></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-51889782127470030352013-02-16T13:03:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:19:18.114-05:00Focus On Life 52 Photos - Week 7 ~ The Beauty of Flowers<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally's prompt for us this week was~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"A single flower with it's beauty has the ability to lift our spirits and bring a sense of happiness to our souls. The sheer sight of flowers can evoke feelings of excitement, positivity and enhance our well being.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This week take a moment to bring a little happiness to your soul and enhance your well being.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Take a moment to enjoy the beauty of flowers."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGUVaSWj9EHcs5VNgeVZiHPV-1L_qBC3lOxp1NSVsVUt6zC9Mqsj6KH7YRONMdLs5vkXOll3xEk4iupF9CKoeO3YCbtDeHeaSgFHVFo1t1ZSR5JHes06dMNemJTLDZmQGp7kYAnip7g0G/s1600/744a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGUVaSWj9EHcs5VNgeVZiHPV-1L_qBC3lOxp1NSVsVUt6zC9Mqsj6KH7YRONMdLs5vkXOll3xEk4iupF9CKoeO3YCbtDeHeaSgFHVFo1t1ZSR5JHes06dMNemJTLDZmQGp7kYAnip7g0G/s640/744a.jpg" uea="true" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I took these shots right before we left Florida to come home. They are of the purple passion flower vine that we planted along the fence behind our house about 10 months ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The vine has spanned the width of our property in that time and you can tell by the tightness of the tendrils, it is a serious climber!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The blooms remind me of some underwater sea creature, as if it could just swim right away into that deep blue sky there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I want you to know that these are not post processed in any way other than applying a frame to them and this first one is slightly cropped. The colors are that vivid.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7Kd1zm7Y7u6jCFz7XPHyBm_2b3j22xAnF7UoNPyxXodjRj65roY_lfa6-A_S2HcxPrzLXOc_fzV8IRUtZju3pR1UfLZ70tXdiK1YgUTxIoBSQQ0lv5dyUq7Y8cgJlct7knmIYxgQ066m/s1600/730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7Kd1zm7Y7u6jCFz7XPHyBm_2b3j22xAnF7UoNPyxXodjRj65roY_lfa6-A_S2HcxPrzLXOc_fzV8IRUtZju3pR1UfLZ70tXdiK1YgUTxIoBSQQ0lv5dyUq7Y8cgJlct7knmIYxgQ066m/s640/730.jpg" uea="true" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The outermost petals remind me a little of an upside down water lily.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatTE5-8r5MXyMVuTushWRCvSZLDzvxxLxvLD7ulSzfVa5PmgrJf96cHyYfhY173YMcEGPgTBSnSFQYpjNbdtVK_SMja_IJn6kL-ovTZ3fL5UsrzuYGWrMGpcS8NSLjZx49E2W_XWHHJLT/s1600/741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatTE5-8r5MXyMVuTushWRCvSZLDzvxxLxvLD7ulSzfVa5PmgrJf96cHyYfhY173YMcEGPgTBSnSFQYpjNbdtVK_SMja_IJn6kL-ovTZ3fL5UsrzuYGWrMGpcS8NSLjZx49E2W_XWHHJLT/s640/741.jpg" uea="true" width="482" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Seeing as how we are having a very cold rain right now which is supposed to turn to sleet and snow as the day and night wear on, the sight of these flowers and that beautiful blue sky really do brighten my day today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Go enjoy a walk through the virtual garden at <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> and see what everyone has picked this week!</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-50564308139051717942013-02-09T11:41:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:24:12.172-05:00Focus On Life 52 Photos - Week 6 ~ Feel The Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, believe it or not it is already week 6 of </span><a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally Russick's</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> challenge to Focus on Life 52 weeks in photos and for this week Sally told us-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Since love is in the air in February,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">this week keep your heart open, breath in the air and feel the love, then capture it in a photo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Feel the love that the universe is trying to show us everyday!"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURIpIUdiU7RMYLUvFh29AGizVMOym2GpSTnCSWR7XBMsvB_Sa554Af6KUyjAFl6Yx1DVDD95dNrGIAM-NXobu9pYH-22ypzvyMSdigvLjYLPigwNCZwIzeObGCjTuHrhLDTB5VKX9u2Te/s1600/186.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURIpIUdiU7RMYLUvFh29AGizVMOym2GpSTnCSWR7XBMsvB_Sa554Af6KUyjAFl6Yx1DVDD95dNrGIAM-NXobu9pYH-22ypzvyMSdigvLjYLPigwNCZwIzeObGCjTuHrhLDTB5VKX9u2Te/s640/186.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ray and I left our place in Florida Tuesday morning and traveled straight through to get to these hugs and smiles impatiently awaiting us! Our daughter invited us to stop over to their house for dinner on our way home knowing we would be exhausted from the 13 1/2 hour trip , and she was right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But as soon as we arrived at the door, we could hear our names being called " NANNY, POP-POP" and we were greeted with the best running and jumping hugs and kisses to revive us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Thankfully, I had my little point and shoot in my purse and grabbed these shots.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf1Ov_QDxDRAfmrskJPkPo5X8PyQy2nfewPVSn2j5XiVevfvCyOh8vEA8WQxjb6vqapdUwLAqXRfX7liXHnQ2wAH9d1J_a-huVoshpmzEO1j8q70uBZr712bkAL5N98Asv0A8hyRYOr_Z/s1600/190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf1Ov_QDxDRAfmrskJPkPo5X8PyQy2nfewPVSn2j5XiVevfvCyOh8vEA8WQxjb6vqapdUwLAqXRfX7liXHnQ2wAH9d1J_a-huVoshpmzEO1j8q70uBZr712bkAL5N98Asv0A8hyRYOr_Z/s640/190.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is just the best! It made leaving the 80* temps and sunshine to come home to the 30*'s and dreary gray a lot more bearable!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fujBo2WN-I27w4idgaqXYB_cq3UgiMSjeOOhyphenhyphenJbL24ZBIyMVDtpiBBzfjg5idJXeuX-myrZe62FVzOdqwB3mbh214Cav9Hftj8GShg0Vr8qjGSIfIUTIqGoaRtbo3YDjzIIFlIQCaWnA/s1600/193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fujBo2WN-I27w4idgaqXYB_cq3UgiMSjeOOhyphenhyphenJbL24ZBIyMVDtpiBBzfjg5idJXeuX-myrZe62FVzOdqwB3mbh214Cav9Hftj8GShg0Vr8qjGSIfIUTIqGoaRtbo3YDjzIIFlIQCaWnA/s640/193.jpg" width="542" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When we got to our house, as soon as we opened the porch door we were greeted again with lots of love!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7RoyuQBrZC0DQZq7yFOw5NPNSzaO65W3Gu2muflhbJOzjFzFRNr_Pb6so_dY1NaAgfoUyv3nD74oVJBtg5l9aVfR1QXDYL98nJ2N5CiWwXCr38nv3Z4IQK5P4bmBlRxy-hvhz1jbVI6s/s1600/197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7RoyuQBrZC0DQZq7yFOw5NPNSzaO65W3Gu2muflhbJOzjFzFRNr_Pb6so_dY1NaAgfoUyv3nD74oVJBtg5l9aVfR1QXDYL98nJ2N5CiWwXCr38nv3Z4IQK5P4bmBlRxy-hvhz1jbVI6s/s640/197.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our cat Lunabelle is 11 1/2 yrs old so she stayed home in the care of our son while we were away and she has barely left our side since getting home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In this shot she was sitting on the arm of my husband's chair but she wouldn't let my hand leave her, as I rubbed her neck she leaned further and further following my hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I got to feel the love a lot this week, in the pictures above but also in the goodbye hugs from my loving parents when we left Florida and then with our son and family and friends as we celebrated his 24th birthday with margaritas, mexican food and lots of chatter and laughter at a local restaurant and then back at his new place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I would like to end this post with a wish for the safety and well being of all of those in the path of this winter storm Nemo. We were fortunate to just receive several inches of rain and lots of wind and cold temps but I know those to the north of us have received much worse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I hope you are all warm and safe and feeling the love!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Head on over and maybe even decide to join in the challenge, the year is young, at <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime </a>and feel the love!</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-71067342951298882462013-02-01T22:30:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:23:47.863-05:00Focus On Life 52 Photos - Week 5 ~ Capture A Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First of all, I would like to thank everyone for all of their heartfelt comments over the first 4 weeks of these prompts. I am diligently working my way through all of the posts that I have missed and commenting on each one as I think that is one of the best parts of being in a hop like this, getting to know everyone on a deeper level, taking the time to really connect ( remember my word for the year?) I find there is so much more to be gained by doing so than simply fullfilling my prompt for the week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have also begun to respond to comments left here on this blog in the comment section as there are quite a few that come through as noreply comment @ blogger so you can read my responses right here instead of individual emails.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now on to week 5, can it really be 5 weeks already???</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgE-3AUmIZta-gGomxOzQRt7ObU3w1qrWe_d2pfV17o1UId07BFrGGCwwSaGOUSnIz3EnvOmIZCTcvU7RfUkvwKtq2U39BIWVZQmPqMfRcrWVCODh5PzyihSaKABQzNnI2LmeIqBd7zCW/s1600/089.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgE-3AUmIZta-gGomxOzQRt7ObU3w1qrWe_d2pfV17o1UId07BFrGGCwwSaGOUSnIz3EnvOmIZCTcvU7RfUkvwKtq2U39BIWVZQmPqMfRcrWVCODh5PzyihSaKABQzNnI2LmeIqBd7zCW/s640/089.png" width="516" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Sally's prompt for week 5 in her own words-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #75665e;">"Have you ever taken a moment to notice all the hearts that come into your life everyday? From candy hearts, patterns on clothes, a paper heart you make yourself or heart shaped spirals made from the ornate rod iron fencing that you may or may not have ever noticed on your walk around the neighborhood, hearts are hidding everywhere. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #75665e;">This week pay attention to your surroundings, think outside the box and capture a <span style="color: #e03434;">heart</span>! " </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is strawberry season in Florida where we are still visiting and something I love to do is make strawberry jam when they are at their peak of freshness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Part of my word for the year to reconnect is to reconnect with ALL things I love and canning is one of them and something I had gotten away from save for a few batches of jam here or there each year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I was hulling the strawberries for a batch this week, I pulled back the green leaves and was getting ready to cut when the sight of this heart stopped me in my tracks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> So this is my found heart for this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You can click <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to go see how everyone else captured a heart this week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A lot of people who have never made homemade jam shy away thinking it is a lot of work but it is really very simple and very gratifying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I personally use Sure Jell and Certo in my recipes and before the holidays discovered that if you go to </span><a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/">www.kraftrecipes.</a></span><a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">com </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">and type sure jell or certo in the search box, no less than 179 recipes pop up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have since made the <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-banana-nut-bread-51023.aspx" target="_blank">Banana Nut Bread Jam</a>, <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-banana-butter-57356.aspx" target="_blank">Banana Butter</a>, <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-holiday-fruit-57360.aspx" target="_blank">Holiday Fruit and Nut Jam</a>,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-chocolate-raspberry-spread-62809.aspx" target="_blank">Chocolate Raspberry Spread</a>, <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-wine-jelly-52990.aspx" target="_blank">Wine Jelly</a>, <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-strawberry-pineapple-jam-60860.aspx" target="_blank">Strawberry Pineapple</a>, <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-pineapple-jam-52027.aspx" target="_blank">Pineapple Jam</a>, & <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-cherry-almond-jam-60884.aspx" target="_blank">Cherry Almond</a> all of which have gotten rave reviews.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0KruTBDnJVNhfJERdOFfSKED9HoyZRTX4a9am6cqT33K2Wd1c8xPcoD79mdF9RfzmDJEcrzVii40_V2ufKDkYYX2RBDmz68IlaJvzsVUNXbYaP3gXW3dx4ReeDH3AEY3p2eNYoGUgvC8/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0KruTBDnJVNhfJERdOFfSKED9HoyZRTX4a9am6cqT33K2Wd1c8xPcoD79mdF9RfzmDJEcrzVii40_V2ufKDkYYX2RBDmz68IlaJvzsVUNXbYaP3gXW3dx4ReeDH3AEY3p2eNYoGUgvC8/s640/002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It doesn't take a lot of fancy equipment and supplies to make jam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Start with firm fresh fruit when possible. For strawberries, wash and hull and drain in a colander.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0uY8UYh9PLNw-H8POxYdTzeAFoVVlnaL_eJIPsDYXWQbQnCSvI35zp3yE2cy_tAGe6dn0_3YX6b1HeJZLHgnUuhCx31fcl07Ds1mH1-n1cjP-4OSHlp0Cq1PV8P5Ef1I608mbtP9Lv6S/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0uY8UYh9PLNw-H8POxYdTzeAFoVVlnaL_eJIPsDYXWQbQnCSvI35zp3yE2cy_tAGe6dn0_3YX6b1HeJZLHgnUuhCx31fcl07Ds1mH1-n1cjP-4OSHlp0Cq1PV8P5Ef1I608mbtP9Lv6S/s640/006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I use a blender but depending how fine you like the fruit in your jam, you can even just crush the fruit by hand. I like mine smooth with tiny bits of fruit, not large pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Measure fruit and sugar, for this recipe it takes 5 cups of pureed fruit and 7 cups of sugar. I also made the lower sugar version which takes 6 cups of fruit and 4 cups of sugar.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_eFlTNzLJ6kCmo7CVCY3q21bHaY9VP8oPtRkiIctGx3J7dqWA6F45CM6Tzdg7zFVrd9WPJ2HcxIW-K1vohV-CCi1l0OQQVRcHAB4bldpkppLfROWj13vzGtJRPzCI_aVLsZu2uvSGN3l/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_eFlTNzLJ6kCmo7CVCY3q21bHaY9VP8oPtRkiIctGx3J7dqWA6F45CM6Tzdg7zFVrd9WPJ2HcxIW-K1vohV-CCi1l0OQQVRcHAB4bldpkppLfROWj13vzGtJRPzCI_aVLsZu2uvSGN3l/s640/007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dump the fruit in the stock pot, add a tablespoon of butter to reduce foaming, dump one box of sure jell in, stir and put on medium heat, stirring constantly until it starts to boil which only takes a couple of minutes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvj7nnA4AqCb01HkcfN-xLOvSa7zervJJ80dIlZrfJLhEn60iftmQ5bLQbhewWsume3cBxXzL7xCI62rs-n4kCMfVA9jyPSFl16nInfhaxMRv5SZCsadCkE2BJRpTnBX-b66OipGW0KWO/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvj7nnA4AqCb01HkcfN-xLOvSa7zervJJ80dIlZrfJLhEn60iftmQ5bLQbhewWsume3cBxXzL7xCI62rs-n4kCMfVA9jyPSFl16nInfhaxMRv5SZCsadCkE2BJRpTnBX-b66OipGW0KWO/s640/008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> When it hits a boil, dump all the sugar in and stir rapidly to prevent scorching and continue to stir until it reaches a full rolling boil again. Stir for one full minute and then remove from heat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Now what I haven't shown you here is that I have washed my jelly jars and placed them in a pan in the oven on 200* to stay hot until i am ready to fill them. I also have a small pot of water on the stove which when it came to a boil I turned the burner off and put the jar lids and bands in to sit until ready to use. I also have my pressure canner pot ( just because it is the largest one I have here, but you can even use another stock pot) filled with water on a simmer until ready on the back burner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And since it is a rather quick process at this point, i don't have a photo of the funnel and filling the jars, but you just take your jars out of the oven and using the funnel, one by one fill the jars with the hot jam to within an 1/8" of the top, place a flat lid and a band on each jar, hand tighten and place in the water bath in your large pot. Make sure the water is covering the tops of the jars by an inch or 2.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UVVuOTLMC1MhgcB6W6Xn52jdi_qvgIZILQHYNQ3x9sYFaHRJ5lqEXZeAlTjFhFoP2GRfcu6c6Kq7oOklxhF0z1UfLfDzCxOISb2mGVMedizmc3os5MHYGEbXIuzUbErdpS6SJEJvy4Zm/s1600/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UVVuOTLMC1MhgcB6W6Xn52jdi_qvgIZILQHYNQ3x9sYFaHRJ5lqEXZeAlTjFhFoP2GRfcu6c6Kq7oOklxhF0z1UfLfDzCxOISb2mGVMedizmc3os5MHYGEbXIuzUbErdpS6SJEJvy4Zm/s640/009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bring water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, ( no lid) then remove jars and let cool on the counter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As they cool you will hear the satisfying "POP" of the lids as they vacuum seal down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The process is pretty much the same for each jam recipe, any variances will be in the ingredients. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It may seem complicated but the whole process only takes about a 1/2 hour start to finish ( once the fruit is hulled) I actually prefer to make several batches, even different ones once I have everything out and going. While the batch is in the water bath I clean up and gather the ingredients for the next batch and start over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It is a great activity to do with kids as it goes quickly and they have something very tangible to enjoy at the end and feel a great sense of accomplishment. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTXMOMs4YlFtHG7Yp4gL9LO5kConaRGcMP81-UCB9ZVGiepvbEDrRnDKQm5JnFjSMIqikc7W8F626vMWrHdNh6M41sK1qc3d32GQOIbdqBeK_2iy3op7CtleoJejVgk7wc94nAUBt7bL-/s1600/012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTXMOMs4YlFtHG7Yp4gL9LO5kConaRGcMP81-UCB9ZVGiepvbEDrRnDKQm5JnFjSMIqikc7W8F626vMWrHdNh6M41sK1qc3d32GQOIbdqBeK_2iy3op7CtleoJejVgk7wc94nAUBt7bL-/s640/012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Shown L-R, strawberry pineapple, regular strawberry and low sugar strawberry. You can tell the low sugar version is much more fruit dense and less sugar.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4k3yUn5ICsctb0iTWiB0_yyMuMAJOhs3DTaqhT86nlclT2IefgptLjpF2GeOUl-UdNaTIZaLbCE7rqadnBy-ur9CYuSri5EoM0n6k0peGTWk2EFODQvROrFqntkVmI1mNUhGlXrsQvn2/s1600/014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4k3yUn5ICsctb0iTWiB0_yyMuMAJOhs3DTaqhT86nlclT2IefgptLjpF2GeOUl-UdNaTIZaLbCE7rqadnBy-ur9CYuSri5EoM0n6k0peGTWk2EFODQvROrFqntkVmI1mNUhGlXrsQvn2/s640/014.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> This however is the full sugar version :) on a piece of sourdough toast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But the sweetest thing of all was being able to spend the time with my Mom in the kitchen, working together we made 6 batches in 4 hours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Love you Mom.</span></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-68424611759571498232013-01-25T23:10:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:21:00.367-05:00Focus On Life 52 Photos - Week 4 ~ Create Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUQn-yORYmGZmFhpiIbH7gVkWmxxx55OBoOq268Juxv3XBfX4Kpjbtfoe9WpYx-h4jv0XKIIolFWhl2GIjH_SmuMv3RFsep3OTZS8xY_-SQFnnPTuS0ZdKNV825S1zfd7daUV2nvAjth2/s1600/113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUQn-yORYmGZmFhpiIbH7gVkWmxxx55OBoOq268Juxv3XBfX4Kpjbtfoe9WpYx-h4jv0XKIIolFWhl2GIjH_SmuMv3RFsep3OTZS8xY_-SQFnnPTuS0ZdKNV825S1zfd7daUV2nvAjth2/s640/113.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Prompt Sally gave us for week 4 of focus on life 52 photos was "create art"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in Sally's own words-</span></div>
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<span style="color: #75665e; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">This week let's CREATE ART! There is no wrong way to be creative! Immerse your self in what you already love to make or take this prompt as the little push to try something completely new! Then show us! </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I decided to go with something completely new. Thanks for the push Sally!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52lIBk-tJO47Vm08v3gkht8-ljF7QD1VXdvXJ2YEx91-Fb-zR2_9-ydM12FVQT0QcCMy9iqqYoDJ9tBRgBma9VNuVhLLVW5LxBFJdpBPiAl6XjDGi5MOuf9JcXmLFZB5v3-ap75d-dIPo/s1600/117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52lIBk-tJO47Vm08v3gkht8-ljF7QD1VXdvXJ2YEx91-Fb-zR2_9-ydM12FVQT0QcCMy9iqqYoDJ9tBRgBma9VNuVhLLVW5LxBFJdpBPiAl6XjDGi5MOuf9JcXmLFZB5v3-ap75d-dIPo/s640/117.jpg" width="486" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last Saturday I headed out for St.Pete to check another thing off my bucket list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyone who knows me is well aware of the love affair I have with glass, especially stained glass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have in my studio most of the tools required to create stained glass and had fully intended to muddle through on my own to learn the craft, something I have wanted to learn for a VERY long time now, but I am so much better with a little show and tell, so I signed up for a beginner's series of classes at </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://grandcentralstainedglass.com/" target="_blank">Grand Central Stained Glass and Graphics.</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH3T7pfMa1GkpHk5ZwQ7VHp6Rq5ogpFBydZn07J2Fzky3iZvFeOSHDMPZixxNUm4nNsBBA9Je_uHNrMgmDlb_F8VZC5LxD-wD4Egk0QyJQ9Pa4tGQ73zdgu1AA-ZoF0UJfYsw3NiBIkVf/s1600/132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH3T7pfMa1GkpHk5ZwQ7VHp6Rq5ogpFBydZn07J2Fzky3iZvFeOSHDMPZixxNUm4nNsBBA9Je_uHNrMgmDlb_F8VZC5LxD-wD4Egk0QyJQ9Pa4tGQ73zdgu1AA-ZoF0UJfYsw3NiBIkVf/s640/132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pictured here L-R are the owners, Bradley and Eloyne Erickson, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">along with Christi and Dawn, all of whom are glass and jewelry artists and instructors in the studio. Bradley also operates the fine art graphics end of the business in the adjoining studio space. ( another artist, Ragon is missing from the photo but was a great help getting me settled in and picking out my glass in the morning)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My hat is off to all of you for creating such a welcoming atmosphere so conducive to learning and for having the patience to share your wealth of knowledge and skills to make my experience in the class a success.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMRjlheENw8Kfz_Nvwpsa7D0rfXXGp8-KEiXXTH1IHl0UiLD-m0Wz8urzVFYGHJWqnB3mhDexyNnEpO47_0eTISS2V-_gRTOD0MxevOP1pLdRO3r68kGyi_xNYxGBxY2YJrWUUnHM8qKy/s1600/115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMRjlheENw8Kfz_Nvwpsa7D0rfXXGp8-KEiXXTH1IHl0UiLD-m0Wz8urzVFYGHJWqnB3mhDexyNnEpO47_0eTISS2V-_gRTOD0MxevOP1pLdRO3r68kGyi_xNYxGBxY2YJrWUUnHM8qKy/s640/115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The studio itself is huge and filled with the most amazing natural light, large worktables at the perfect working height for glass, fantastic music streaming from Pandora and all the supplies and beautiful glass neatly organized around the room, not to mention all the finished works of art hanging in the front windows for inspiration.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidyGSQrtO_r43kn4Hu1AfkiE2ENMODXhNQS6KiqAUeFgZvVdaZ44wnlwPQq-bDsot4Hflw56BDbqriFJ_QbBmA1K7Acg0_pBieOX7VHa5Fpl2WidAimkExh4fcfV4mYy5Yq3hzGg9kgvV/s1600/114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidyGSQrtO_r43kn4Hu1AfkiE2ENMODXhNQS6KiqAUeFgZvVdaZ44wnlwPQq-bDsot4Hflw56BDbqriFJ_QbBmA1K7Acg0_pBieOX7VHa5Fpl2WidAimkExh4fcfV4mYy5Yq3hzGg9kgvV/s640/114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The classes are set up in convenient 2 hour sessions with an hour break in between and so I opted to take all 3 sessions offered on Saturday to save travel time and get as much done as I could since I was short on time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Each session brought with it a new group of participants at all different stages of working, some beginners like me in each session and others coming in for studio time to work on individual projects of varying degrees, both in stained and fused glass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">One of my tablemates was an ambitious young man working on only his second project of which he chose to recreate his family's crest in glass as a gift for his Father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I shared with him one of my favorite sayings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"> "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXczzuloCNFchM1RYgevr-hcsCjoOorTAq4gN45yOsKBVAd6u4b4q1-9OtMrh7ego9OfZ1I4W_l9NaSyy6aULLRxSa0w54cPI5Mez-OPXnpxcYUSvS7LmS9-1dQinbf1gGDAnJhnd7mS_/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXczzuloCNFchM1RYgevr-hcsCjoOorTAq4gN45yOsKBVAd6u4b4q1-9OtMrh7ego9OfZ1I4W_l9NaSyy6aULLRxSa0w54cPI5Mez-OPXnpxcYUSvS7LmS9-1dQinbf1gGDAnJhnd7mS_/s640/PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I on the other hand was very grateful once I got started to be working on a suncatcher of manageable size and design for a beginner. Step by step, each of the instructors guided me and taught me the skills I would need to go on from here and I feel very confident in being able to take what I learned and tackle a more ambitious project myself now too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Clockwise from top left- all the pieces of glass, cut and fit to the pattern layout, copper taped, initial tacking and soldering to stabilize the piece on both sides and then the final soldering on each side and framed in zinc.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6mxTTBVZb61nWiWPpzlzmxxUJMtHf5fnTs7vtH6Su_TVYq1A5XIjgAqUQa9WPCuOsjihXazfsdapfPabeHPsaAll2V1pblkMuN95IT2aULkHsHe4Vw77I6xxuayMXZOJjpSWmv012BqD/s1600/Laura+-+Webshot+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6mxTTBVZb61nWiWPpzlzmxxUJMtHf5fnTs7vtH6Su_TVYq1A5XIjgAqUQa9WPCuOsjihXazfsdapfPabeHPsaAll2V1pblkMuN95IT2aULkHsHe4Vw77I6xxuayMXZOJjpSWmv012BqD/s640/Laura+-+Webshot+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bradley was kind enough to send me a copy of the picture he took of me (which I altered) with my completed piece which he had posted on their facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/grandcentralstainedglass" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEPpoKGNJvYBEHmpeRIHhkqFMqjyciC4obVJJJK0jl5y23Op7oVpvshnwtUMgR_pdBI0I31ZwX-nLv0uu1sUDiWhGz4L92mGFRA7jm25fistfQ8bAC_WAewGsMJ1nPDR-M4DvdVGODL4p/s1600/116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEPpoKGNJvYBEHmpeRIHhkqFMqjyciC4obVJJJK0jl5y23Op7oVpvshnwtUMgR_pdBI0I31ZwX-nLv0uu1sUDiWhGz4L92mGFRA7jm25fistfQ8bAC_WAewGsMJ1nPDR-M4DvdVGODL4p/s640/116.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I couldn't possibly go to St Pete and not stop in and see my dear friend Barbara, her studio and shop, <a href="http://www.paintingwithfirestudio.com/" target="_blank">Painting With Fire</a>, is right across the street from Grand Central Stained Glass and is actually how I originally found it. I was visiting Barbara and Jim last year this time when they were busy with all the renovations and getting ready to open her studio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As you can tell,I snuck in during my break and surprised her as she was luring some more interested students to the dark side! I had really hoped to visit with her longer but her schedule was pretty full so I'll just have to take another trip out there, go ahead, twist my arm!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The street where all of this is located is Central Avenue and it is an historic district full of wonderful studios and shops and eateries and I would love to wander along when I have more time and see more of the area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did manage to squeeze in a delicious lunch at </span><a href="http://nitallys.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nitally's Thai Mex Cuisine</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, right down the street from the studio, some Pad Thai with shrimp and iced tea which arrived in a quart canning jar. I can't even remember a time when I went to a restaurant alone so that is another new thing for me but it was nice. The restaurant was filled with interesting things to look at and was decorated very bright and cheerfully. I would enjoy coming back here as well, maybe with some friends next time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Now hop on over to the <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">Studio Sublime</a> and see what everyone else created this week!</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-17381277468172015652013-01-18T22:16:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:21:25.612-05:00Focus on Life 52 Photos - Week 3 ~ Take Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtdyQ7klQ8RzodI1t8aghpHElu3MVtqQf5L6EfNcO3BjAfQjQdQfMIC5OndqwwmKa8O3wlLzI2hc-BGh4a0Hg7ZK0knqbXf8JbjFi2WAXJMVR6M-AKnYyG7VJ7UKJkkaqf2FHi01LUzAr/s1600/005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtdyQ7klQ8RzodI1t8aghpHElu3MVtqQf5L6EfNcO3BjAfQjQdQfMIC5OndqwwmKa8O3wlLzI2hc-BGh4a0Hg7ZK0knqbXf8JbjFi2WAXJMVR6M-AKnYyG7VJ7UKJkkaqf2FHi01LUzAr/s640/005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Week 3 of this journey of focusing on our life, one week at a time, one photo at a time and our prompt was "take time".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally said " take time for you, without feeling guilty, time to recharge"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That just happened to be what I was doing this past week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband and I were on a long awaited vacation in the Keys and as you can tell by this photo, I was recharging and not feeling one iota of guilt about it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The temps were in the mid 80's, sunshine, crystal aqua blue waters. Perfection!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I enjoyed walking around during the day taking lots of photos of the colorful houses and buildings in Key West, seeing the historic sites, all the wonderful artwork and riding the trolley.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then at night I enjoyed the colorful sights again, all the cool bars, hot music, cold drinks and walking down Duval street, drink in hand not feeling guilty again because I was walking and my children are all grown and on their own!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It felt wonderful to just be a couple in love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> not parents, grandparents, business owners or any of the other responsible hats we wear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Why is it these times for ourselves are so few and far between?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No matter how many times we resolve to hold onto these times we so often find ourselves right back in our everyday ruts, caught up in work and responsibility and all the "shoulds" in life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">You know I live right by a beautiful beach and never made it there once this past summer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank you Sally for reminding us of the importance of focusing on time for ourselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Head on over to the <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">Studio Sublime</a> to see how everyone else took time this week.</span><br />
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-75440635692068594582013-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:22:50.473-05:00Focusing On Life 52 Photos- Week 2 ~ Illustrate Your Word For the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlucx3V0qTT8dROBU4z_iUSr_wgkktmJV3rFvitaDtHvKffb8qFPpEk7WOL4MmGVKJcgpEzFuuGEAhNfs9VVRKUcs4ElmESlm7DCAt5I3D7N8913FlGYSQ1hQOtaLvYW7hGnWwQKWTnLc/s1600/week2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlucx3V0qTT8dROBU4z_iUSr_wgkktmJV3rFvitaDtHvKffb8qFPpEk7WOL4MmGVKJcgpEzFuuGEAhNfs9VVRKUcs4ElmESlm7DCAt5I3D7N8913FlGYSQ1hQOtaLvYW7hGnWwQKWTnLc/s640/week2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Week 2 of our photographic journey of 52 weeks of photo prompts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This week's prompt is to illustrate our word for the year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Funny, I have never chosen a word for the year like I have seen so many people do, but decided to pick one for this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My word for the year is<u> reconnect</u>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can read all about the importance of that word for me in my New year's blog post<a href="http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/2013/01/happy-new-year-and-reconnect.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To illustrate it my first thoughts were to find an image of an actual connection, like electrical but then I had the idea for the card, to signify corresponding and reconnecting to family and friends and all that is important to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Head on over to <a href="http://thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Studio Sublime</a> to see what everyone elses word for the year is and how they photographed them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">P.S. I will be out of town when this posts and will visit everyone as soon as I return!</span><br />
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-64560462507958084522013-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:002013-03-09T10:23:13.333-05:00Focusing On Life 52 Photos - Week 1 ~ Self Portrait<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZS4BXQDT1EhxnFlHYkox66Z38d_9LU95IEJOknPM4utc7MW3Mu0LpjpiZ7sgvJfECNZG8oLP2rAPkHwLKpc9FkaVqvjfa1nHCgbWw8Imcgy5r6Rh_bvbLpL8TOqqEqhN_AXzXdR9OJUYc/s1600/034+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZS4BXQDT1EhxnFlHYkox66Z38d_9LU95IEJOknPM4utc7MW3Mu0LpjpiZ7sgvJfECNZG8oLP2rAPkHwLKpc9FkaVqvjfa1nHCgbWw8Imcgy5r6Rh_bvbLpL8TOqqEqhN_AXzXdR9OJUYc/s640/034+%25283%2529.png" width="547" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sally Russick over at <a href="http://www.thestudiosublime.com/" target="_blank">The Sublime Studio</a> is the brainchild behind Focusing On Life 52 photos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Each week she will be giving those of us who have signed up to participate a photo prompt for the week which we will post on the following Saturday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Week 1 is a self portrait, not something I have ever done so already I'm stretching my comfort zone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I can't tell you how many I actually took and then took apart before deciding to just relax on the sofa with my cup of tea and let it be whatever it is, so for me week 1 was also a lot about acceptance. Thanks Sally!</span><br />
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-38909826590866538142013-01-02T20:29:00.000-05:002013-01-18T20:22:14.145-05:00Happy New Year and Reconnect<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k1km2BdlkErEpvIbCaTaER_nT-IpLPKmMkIyMFsrJcz5bwgUuRpbJsk3dXmz2FFBYb6lNgULr95Y9U-tU5lGO-6lBKnMLp0FNKaX7VyE4e4uUmPuJw5BhvUBRqqEePz8POlNcpOsJpah/s1600/134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k1km2BdlkErEpvIbCaTaER_nT-IpLPKmMkIyMFsrJcz5bwgUuRpbJsk3dXmz2FFBYb6lNgULr95Y9U-tU5lGO-6lBKnMLp0FNKaX7VyE4e4uUmPuJw5BhvUBRqqEePz8POlNcpOsJpah/s640/134.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have never chosen a word for the year but for 2013 I am choosing the word " Reconnect".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">According to the Oxford dictionary reconnect means " to connect back together, join again, reestablish a bond of communication or emotion."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During 2012 on more than one occasion I was finding myself very disconnected from self and many things that have always been important to me. The year seemed to take on a life of it's own, whisking me along like an unwilling object floating away downstream, unable to grab at a branch or root to be able to slow down or stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Health issues left me feeling somewhat out of control and disconnected to my body. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I seemed unable to find the time and energy to blog on a regular basis or even keep up with emails and correspondence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have a mound of greeting cards on my desk, everything from get well's and thinking of you cards, to birthdays and anniversaries that I very diligently ran to the store to pick up on time and then never got in the mail!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CmsnMYt923BDdB42RzVIRH-781jFSoo1mzIQTz37xIi2aBuqAYn75ZpWJK2YWxncCUr8TqKTJeFZtvtgjGlXCaGHmDYVD7eiZ9XNt1Dq_Q3YCNmGOXdZzlE6H2ZsrRRgCjeGsva80lUL/s1600/130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CmsnMYt923BDdB42RzVIRH-781jFSoo1mzIQTz37xIi2aBuqAYn75ZpWJK2YWxncCUr8TqKTJeFZtvtgjGlXCaGHmDYVD7eiZ9XNt1Dq_Q3YCNmGOXdZzlE6H2ZsrRRgCjeGsva80lUL/s640/130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My creativity was next to non existent in 2012 with the exception of works made in the few classes I took at different venues. My studios never got organized and workable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We spent so much time between work at the restaurant and renovations on the rental for my son who just moved out Thanksgiving weekend, at times there didn't seem to be enough room in my brain for anything but those myriad of decisions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I never really felt like I caught up in any area of my life last year so instead of trying to catch up, I am just going to approach everything as new and start fresh. I am thinking that will take a lot of the pressure off and make the tasks at hand a little more enjoyable to take on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have found myself relating to past events as if they took place this past year when in fact they were in 2011! I have said often I feel like I lost a year. So I guess my new word could even be "found" but I'd rather reconnect.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LRzR6k0ePO7gFaK7dSTwT3alYxkVNyb-k0f3cqzJD7Fk2xK8e24M9anUJdzcRGhM4Y1WZl3Kt5-qQ7cEuDR2zVc3CLWKMZdCREcLv8Uzb2ZH6Qh6k5w0sgyOr9S8FLaPiVWzgWOcScdm/s1600/138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LRzR6k0ePO7gFaK7dSTwT3alYxkVNyb-k0f3cqzJD7Fk2xK8e24M9anUJdzcRGhM4Y1WZl3Kt5-qQ7cEuDR2zVc3CLWKMZdCREcLv8Uzb2ZH6Qh6k5w0sgyOr9S8FLaPiVWzgWOcScdm/s640/138.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I want to reconnect with all that I love and is important to me, family, friends, home, domestic joys, photography, art, clay, jewelry. I want to be able to enjoy these things again and not feel like everything has become a chore that I need to keep up with but rather springs from a genuine desire to do them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I wish you all a blessed New Year, filled with love, health and all things that fill your life with passion and happiness!</span></div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-88782831288772630662012-10-01T10:15:00.000-04:002012-10-01T10:15:05.443-04:00My Own Worst Enemy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q6KcsDMgtiBZAvCxM08A3KpdrQNoZf01AXYXZZ3rNeiX8UsturPiEa_8PCmosLY-wfi6uZlxBc1xouRn34RnUPSqPIOYHNJBGgFa76saxJvNyspSnqSvwUs_pbZuFBN-VW_zK1Eopxuh/s1600/studio1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q6KcsDMgtiBZAvCxM08A3KpdrQNoZf01AXYXZZ3rNeiX8UsturPiEa_8PCmosLY-wfi6uZlxBc1xouRn34RnUPSqPIOYHNJBGgFa76saxJvNyspSnqSvwUs_pbZuFBN-VW_zK1Eopxuh/s640/studio1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know these pictures would instantly qualify me for an episode of my own on hoarders, but let me at least <em>try</em> to defend myself.</div>
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When I was rearranging everything in the front room of the studio, <a href="http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/2010/10/wanted-for-obstruction-of-creativity.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/2010/11/aaahhhhhthats-better.html" target="_blank">here</a>, everything that wasn't part of that studio re-do was put ( dumped) back here in the pottery rooms until I would have a chance to go through it all. </div>
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That chance hasn't arrived yet. </div>
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So pretty much everything I need to use is buried under piles of stuff.</div>
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The shot above is what you would see as soon as you enter the back door of the studio.</div>
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You have to be very agile as you walk through for fear of falling or breaking a leg!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiTrdS0efc4OQVWnf4fxNFDpSadTElo8TeuYWerNrLTr_utntBqyVq0a5K7MRhMbKfndatJjivPiPFFCH3S77cq10a7dE884EeZQlpPXOXuFq0mshoKz-I0cuPXTrC41WytbxZ7kxfEDn/s1600/studio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiTrdS0efc4OQVWnf4fxNFDpSadTElo8TeuYWerNrLTr_utntBqyVq0a5K7MRhMbKfndatJjivPiPFFCH3S77cq10a7dE884EeZQlpPXOXuFq0mshoKz-I0cuPXTrC41WytbxZ7kxfEDn/s640/studio2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To the right, behind the section of countertop is my slab roller.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBMaJp5yj-rJoJHCp9IwdkPvnDaUVcsx46vpF03AwR2QDzuoSuxB1R-TAF5aSHX0A1u5csvkUzGiJg-PHyyjhRDSqDIGZdlW0CCGpRQWAkixfFWvIOtQGYE0wuqfdYngejwgXsHEduT7D/s1600/studio3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBMaJp5yj-rJoJHCp9IwdkPvnDaUVcsx46vpF03AwR2QDzuoSuxB1R-TAF5aSHX0A1u5csvkUzGiJg-PHyyjhRDSqDIGZdlW0CCGpRQWAkixfFWvIOtQGYE0wuqfdYngejwgXsHEduT7D/s640/studio3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ray had originally built me a wonderful work island out of 2 rows of base cabinets back to back and covered the top with formica, very easy to work with clay and cleanup.</div>
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It too is buried under all you see here, clay, tools, molds, boxes, templates etc.</div>
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The rolling carts hold other tools which had to move from their spot in the front studio during the redo.</div>
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Looking to the back wall you can see the big commercial stainless steel sinks, one section is filled with a tool caddy and buckets and various other clay paraphenalia.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When I began working in ceramics, I did a lot of slip casting with molds which I taught myself.</span></div>
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I really liked working with the vintage molds and doing assemblage of different pieces to come up with originals. I viewed clay as my canvas, i was more interested in the decoration end of it than the forming end of it.</div>
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I have a wheel but don't use it, preferring slab construction and I couldn't see myself becoming a production potter. Nowadays my shoulder and back wouldn't allow it.</div>
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So the biggest obstacle to my being able to reorganize and work in here is my sizable collection of molds, some 3000+ most of which are no longer available as just about every ceramic company has gone out of business and sold the master blocks overseas to companies who now use them to make finished ware.</div>
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I would love to get a storage building to house them in, we got a quote for a pole building but having to put a new metal roof on this building this year has shot that idea, too much to afford in one year.</div>
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My husband said just get rid of them. Silly boy.</div>
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Over the years I have donated hundreds to the school programs along with various other supplies.</div>
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The ones on the shelves lining the walls aren't the problem. The ones all over the floor and countertops that can't fit on the shelves are the problem!</div>
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Although, if I had the shelving free i could put slips and glazes on those eliminating my need for other storage shelving and units around, freeing up a lot of space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpLg2Ij6s411LSEvJTOSy7w9dvguGkVI4u43nKi-txPBzVaOtL_L4hdBRk4C0N2MBd_zagoaDOjKO5hnsLdXHFExSqktYpJP_9nIlZlPg2ZjlOVyDNrCtqLt8kKnbwYJISU4L7w9Y6ED-/s1600/studio4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpLg2Ij6s411LSEvJTOSy7w9dvguGkVI4u43nKi-txPBzVaOtL_L4hdBRk4C0N2MBd_zagoaDOjKO5hnsLdXHFExSqktYpJP_9nIlZlPg2ZjlOVyDNrCtqLt8kKnbwYJISU4L7w9Y6ED-/s640/studio4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The kiln room hasn't been spared either. Originally this shelving unit was for overflow of molds and to dry greenware.</div>
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The top of my large Skutt kiln has a big tray of doll arms and legs and the other smaller kiln has one of my containers of candy and ice cream molds ( I used them for clay)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKNq9ombsWjx3ZKk9PG3B3Boj4r_pJ-i7Ls_ZBBu0G9Jyndo3CLq41z4MvB4n3KcKWpOD63hl6j-4CJOBXYOejkpme7i-VNfHL0ykJFPTrPAKDMNxLScNUxNgmSXLEc7jUJdaVVMIbMMQ/s1600/studio5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKNq9ombsWjx3ZKk9PG3B3Boj4r_pJ-i7Ls_ZBBu0G9Jyndo3CLq41z4MvB4n3KcKWpOD63hl6j-4CJOBXYOejkpme7i-VNfHL0ykJFPTrPAKDMNxLScNUxNgmSXLEc7jUJdaVVMIbMMQ/s640/studio5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The built in shelving which holds my pug mill is filled to the brim under and over.</div>
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So here's why I said I am my own worst enemy.</div>
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I have discovered that if I am unable to be doing what I want to do, be it jewelry, pottery, art of any kind, due to work or other obligations, I find that I will order supplies for said venture instead.</div>
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I guess it must make me feel like I am doing SOMETHING. </div>
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Getting closer in some way.</div>
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Collecting everything, hunting and gathering for the day when i can get to do it all.</div>
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Surrounding myself with all the supplies.</div>
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I will take a class and get excited about a new technique and gather all the new tools and supplies needed for it. I have such high hopes.</div>
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The problem is, it is actually preventing me from actually being able to do what i want to do. A sort of self sabotage if you will. </div>
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This realization came to me recently as I looked around at all this STUFF!</div>
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Price tags come with all this stuff, which keeps me having to work which keeps me from being in my studio. DUH!</div>
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Last year I mentioned having an epiphany that woke me in the middle of the night, it involved getting back to clay. So I ordered new clays to work with, got some new drywall boards, cut them and taped the edges, made some molds, investigated new glazes, and then winter came and we left for Florida and that was the end of that.</div>
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Upon coming home we were catapulted back to the real world and our crazy work schedule.</div>
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So here I am a full year after getting those boards taped and supplies bought and I still haven't done a thing with clay. Pathetic isn't it?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMhzNibrquXEhaMYAUrYwdm5ghuzYjdYfEso8oa2M1NKSoRM1T8sNKQZK-aQRNki0_bHZZa92qezK2n6XL-otaxgQkKwlBheRe1CT48umK2_S14Sp2huZa3o34KYRDbo2M8OX4-m_1zYO/s1600/studio6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMhzNibrquXEhaMYAUrYwdm5ghuzYjdYfEso8oa2M1NKSoRM1T8sNKQZK-aQRNki0_bHZZa92qezK2n6XL-otaxgQkKwlBheRe1CT48umK2_S14Sp2huZa3o34KYRDbo2M8OX4-m_1zYO/s640/studio6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my work table at the studio. The pieces you see here were the last ones I was working on before my precious grandson was born in June of 2008.</div>
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The slab plates and trenchers, blank slates waiting to be given life.</div>
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The vintage birds with cutout backs were going to become pincushions complete with a strawberry filled with emery ( which i might add took me a long time to find) hanging from their beaks.</div>
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The small tiles pressed from a wonderful collection of springerle molds.</div>
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This makes me sad everytime i see them sitting on this table.</div>
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So now you can see why in my last post I said this wasn't a simple fix.</div>
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I have been living vicariously through other peoples' blogs when they are setting up a new studio or beginning a new venture.</div>
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Spending too much time here disappearing down the rabbit hole.</div>
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Wishing I had more space, more time, more....</div>
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Enough is quite enough, as I imagine Mary Poppins saying.</div>
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It's time I got back .</div>
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I'm not quite sure how and where to start, but begin I must.</div>
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My creative soul depends on it!</div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-39747698920907218032012-09-29T19:44:00.002-04:002012-09-29T19:44:53.075-04:00So What Am I Missing??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpPBKAd6x6CRMC54jU0UwwP4erbBYQQfx50TcLCZAbd9ryaYXZE5enR35voDcD8YXuXWXa5sxhlfIb1lD7wF0N5nBGwXyPOTQyD6NlqlMN62IMPDJrlkgO4hNX3Q3QyOX54-qRK1LZEqm/s1600/dreamrock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpPBKAd6x6CRMC54jU0UwwP4erbBYQQfx50TcLCZAbd9ryaYXZE5enR35voDcD8YXuXWXa5sxhlfIb1lD7wF0N5nBGwXyPOTQyD6NlqlMN62IMPDJrlkgO4hNX3Q3QyOX54-qRK1LZEqm/s640/dreamrock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My studio.</div>
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This sculpture sits on the back deck near the door to my pottery studio.</div>
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We renovated an old store starting from the ground up, literally, having the building jacked up and having a new foundation built under it, back in the late 90's.</div>
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Then we had the siding, windows, doors and roof done.</div>
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Then for one Christmas I asked for a set of stairs to reach the second floor as we had torn down the outside stairs which used to lead to the upstairs apartment when doing the siding.</div>
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Then we completely finished the inside and I moved my studio in late 2001-into early 2002.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMleCxhJETlXaiSTFlJsGbPxtMW-8x-sq00TDOvHJMidPMzx8fDuSMmn9soKNbhtl1DzfT10Y4lQzvWUN0H7eGhVE60cpu3xF3MSIzHbBnWeDjPCgPxGl45MgR9aNP7IjmOlpBgM2_joKb/s1600/studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMleCxhJETlXaiSTFlJsGbPxtMW-8x-sq00TDOvHJMidPMzx8fDuSMmn9soKNbhtl1DzfT10Y4lQzvWUN0H7eGhVE60cpu3xF3MSIzHbBnWeDjPCgPxGl45MgR9aNP7IjmOlpBgM2_joKb/s640/studio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Standing on the front sidewalk of my house looking towards the corner where my studio sits. </div>
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I used to head down there in the early morning, coffee cup in hand, full of excitement over what I would accomplish that day.</div>
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I miss those days terribly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t-ZaZz7TfAc1tIvgbf2eWLrciIBIVjdsvrSZVquvB3nXp2o7J5y13a5IcSDP7eRt1qI854UfVSua3VA4ul6jg5rloMdvOZ2hWGPBdDKJlkSnditM6JQiihlFGymgXl1nDeLy84ji_yJJ/s1600/newgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t-ZaZz7TfAc1tIvgbf2eWLrciIBIVjdsvrSZVquvB3nXp2o7J5y13a5IcSDP7eRt1qI854UfVSua3VA4ul6jg5rloMdvOZ2hWGPBdDKJlkSnditM6JQiihlFGymgXl1nDeLy84ji_yJJ/s640/newgarden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In 2007, after we found broken headlight glass on the corner by the deck, we decided to build a substantial raised bed flower garden to slow anyone who might get into an accident on the corner and go careening into the building. It worked , as a fews years ago that very thing happened, busting the end off the raised bed and doing some damage to the deck.</div>
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(Had we known at the time that the state was going to come in and take so much road frontage for a turn lane, we would have had the building moved back a ways when we had it up on the house moving jacks.)</div>
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When I would go down in the mornings, I would water the planters and admire all the flowers and plants taking hold. </div>
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It was my happy place. A place of peace and contentment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQc2Zr40hQoRZfY7bQ-YlCHO4VsErAR1du5e8n6vBVLbqVASpK8tpuQFJv4haos26tMMVqCertbOFcp-5slvK59JepHHcga3QgBzGzruzmSp6R4HpKLVoj4y2lxNGUPRg0Ak7QnTjPqBx/s1600/garden2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQc2Zr40hQoRZfY7bQ-YlCHO4VsErAR1du5e8n6vBVLbqVASpK8tpuQFJv4haos26tMMVqCertbOFcp-5slvK59JepHHcga3QgBzGzruzmSp6R4HpKLVoj4y2lxNGUPRg0Ak7QnTjPqBx/s640/garden2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sadly, this is how my garden looked this year. Neglected.</div>
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We boarded up the huge front windows late last year when hurricane Irene was barreling towards us and since I haven't been in there to work anyway, we just left it up this year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHH5vvvUD36I01kLV3214O9yO53HtdKByQN1XYWNJ4gUqp90RxLzbndk5LPb13Vwjplfq-urbof6ERWuFUmiGZYlmSL5Wdda-3Obm6wG230wE4pRiUYmQOa5GCUSlQWPcNRf2Pnu7CkENN/s1600/hibiscus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHH5vvvUD36I01kLV3214O9yO53HtdKByQN1XYWNJ4gUqp90RxLzbndk5LPb13Vwjplfq-urbof6ERWuFUmiGZYlmSL5Wdda-3Obm6wG230wE4pRiUYmQOa5GCUSlQWPcNRf2Pnu7CkENN/s640/hibiscus1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last year I did plant a row of hibiscus along the west side where the red tipped photinias all succumbed to some disease and died off. Funny thing, the ones on the east side all survived and are about 10-12 feet tall!</div>
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This year we also had to replace the roof, the one seen here was damaged in Irene and when we went to replace the missing shingles, found they were not in good shape overall and we had a metal roof put on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo7nY7Mg6YCcQnkwNF0axlUn3Csd4MtZtWIfZQAl4NOxKeCgVejjxn7dfbHSm5utcbQVndE6cbTvhsYK3_RSZ-9amfD9Yuv8lc2Nu-7DqsKjroc8fkBvVNGhvwhJVYm8kT_Q5MLxK-4x6/s1600/hibiscus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo7nY7Mg6YCcQnkwNF0axlUn3Csd4MtZtWIfZQAl4NOxKeCgVejjxn7dfbHSm5utcbQVndE6cbTvhsYK3_RSZ-9amfD9Yuv8lc2Nu-7DqsKjroc8fkBvVNGhvwhJVYm8kT_Q5MLxK-4x6/s640/hibiscus2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Believe it or not, those hibiscus are 3+ feet tall !</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnkdQj2WfJdJln09CHSc4n4aKI__4DRuYMjVBHjv5_pVsu6tg3P1cT4B4yh6ewRlALG3zsNT282G3dyoN7Db_zjxfpaUibgEPEIbSJAx59Mj_ubcBzb23aXJozXU8MMfCclDxoir3iDIc/s1600/oakleafhydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnkdQj2WfJdJln09CHSc4n4aKI__4DRuYMjVBHjv5_pVsu6tg3P1cT4B4yh6ewRlALG3zsNT282G3dyoN7Db_zjxfpaUibgEPEIbSJAx59Mj_ubcBzb23aXJozXU8MMfCclDxoir3iDIc/s640/oakleafhydrangea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This year, the oak leaf hydrangea that I planted a few years ago outdid itself in full bloom!</div>
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As you can see, the planters never got replanted this year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0wvuDFU1yH9P22s9aSnm_TPQFk-PhlClO4rH7i0XOF6bvaV6iahH23ULVYSjRz-uS3_xgxvmKf_Z4lEBJqTU-k36JOmBxDJswhEEmQBf63Nh0GrVICm19q8qpAMulNLYNyImIGFuvCAr/s1600/kiln1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0wvuDFU1yH9P22s9aSnm_TPQFk-PhlClO4rH7i0XOF6bvaV6iahH23ULVYSjRz-uS3_xgxvmKf_Z4lEBJqTU-k36JOmBxDJswhEEmQBf63Nh0GrVICm19q8qpAMulNLYNyImIGFuvCAr/s640/kiln1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I miss stacking the kiln with the annual patriotic Fire-Works pieces and firing them on the 4th of July</div>
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I miss rushing the kiln opening to just sneak a peek inside.</div>
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Every potter I know likens a kiln opening to Christmas morning and that feeling never fades!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoT7qxzJoFkz4WjcVXPbSNS5kCXSvo-He9LDVjvSBidaojYkVfyVD71XFFddYxtWnvBFmBy6v-my6ZkKxbGx3ZdxmDXTW5r7nkw02kSuZ8Gd_byKK83iSQFO36At1CduNCFi50Y2zOxl3/s1600/pottery1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoT7qxzJoFkz4WjcVXPbSNS5kCXSvo-He9LDVjvSBidaojYkVfyVD71XFFddYxtWnvBFmBy6v-my6ZkKxbGx3ZdxmDXTW5r7nkw02kSuZ8Gd_byKK83iSQFO36At1CduNCFi50Y2zOxl3/s640/pottery1.jpg" width="532" /></a></div>
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I miss designing and drawing and carving the clay </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sIl8a1P948vFUzH3FoGW4ehuQEcSx4MGSATmNItxqnHtH0tCJexEndEI16Zth2WyFgbOJ6yK6cw93-Zfv9MpjYJvXqk-crUVEbWvLikg30mDvUXylnllP_j5nBT6yddqAkhJd3yGrcPm/s1600/pottery2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sIl8a1P948vFUzH3FoGW4ehuQEcSx4MGSATmNItxqnHtH0tCJexEndEI16Zth2WyFgbOJ6yK6cw93-Zfv9MpjYJvXqk-crUVEbWvLikg30mDvUXylnllP_j5nBT6yddqAkhJd3yGrcPm/s640/pottery2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All of this work was done totally freehand. </div>
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Sitting here it's hard for me to even remember how I did it all.</div>
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I miss the knowledge and honed skills I had then.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxERhEONr3vNFAxmQQUUR4DJi7VeoQmZq8pj08Rog_YFeYuob6zQC0fUDs8bsYcsZ10uE1ljDCRioKpsQ0Bv4EoMMDkiUseEfebryetOzPsHUkErtbV_8oHyTrlNnZLtpYio4cBo-TcCaX/s1600/pottery3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxERhEONr3vNFAxmQQUUR4DJi7VeoQmZq8pj08Rog_YFeYuob6zQC0fUDs8bsYcsZ10uE1ljDCRioKpsQ0Bv4EoMMDkiUseEfebryetOzPsHUkErtbV_8oHyTrlNnZLtpYio4cBo-TcCaX/s640/pottery3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I miss the feeling of the clay in my hands.</div>
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Taking the slab from the roller and draping it over a mold I made from plaster or one my father turned on the lathe for me, smoothing it with my hands to conform to the shape, trimming and finishing and waiting until it was leatherhard to remove from the mold, then covering it in slip and quickly carving the design through ( sgraffito) before coloring with oxides and glazing.</div>
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The reason I haven't been back is complicated.</div>
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Back in 2008, when my daughter was about to have her second child, our grandson, we knew we couldn't handle 2 young ones in the office at the restaurant. Our granddaughter was just 19 months old and used to come and stay up there with my daughter while she worked in the office full time. Ray and I wouldn't have to be up there all the time. I usually would go in early when I had to and then head to the studio. Many days I wouldn't have to go in until the evening and I would just head to the studio for the day to work.</div>
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So when she left to stay home with the 2 babies, Ray and I divided her responsibilites between us instead of putting someone else up there in case she wanted to return one day. This now meant we were putting in full days and nights there. </div>
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My world changed entirely.</div>
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Now pottery is not something you can start and walk away from for days on end before finishing, so I switched gears and started down the path of jewelry making instead.</div>
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I had a good start already, I began with a fused glass class in 2004 which quickly led to an earrings class to learn the basics of wire wrapping and fabrication and I was on my way. </div>
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But a couple of years ago I started to feel like I was losing my way. I wasn't sure what I was doing anymore or even why. I was losing my authentic self.</div>
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I started this blog as a way to work through it all and hopefully find my muse again and with it my direction and passion.</div>
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Don't get me wrong, I love making jewelry, working with metals, seeing an idea come to fruition, but something is missing.</div>
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The blogosphere has been speaking to me in bits and pieces of posts from many artists talking of passion and following it.</div>
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Remember your childhood and what you loved spending your time doing? </div>
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What wakes you in the middle of the night with a new idea?</div>
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Gets you going first thing in the morning running to the studio to work out the idea?</div>
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What medium could you not give up or do without?</div>
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The answers kept bringing me back to clay.</div>
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I am missing clay.</div>
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In my next post I'll address why this isn't a simple fix.</div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-793628571334624142012-09-25T12:28:00.000-04:002012-09-25T12:28:46.576-04:00Time Flies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSbTuYyeW6pHuPIZTRxkIdsVq3WoNxST5pIDRaWr0zK5_JSj1VT3knM_tlt0F02R57-hOO-G7zefvIO6LxLiqPANB9mofFKTOdI8drmWlmZkMQCCiny6i-iAk9tqwKpFIlEYCa2vN4ga2/s1600/clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSbTuYyeW6pHuPIZTRxkIdsVq3WoNxST5pIDRaWr0zK5_JSj1VT3knM_tlt0F02R57-hOO-G7zefvIO6LxLiqPANB9mofFKTOdI8drmWlmZkMQCCiny6i-iAk9tqwKpFIlEYCa2vN4ga2/s640/clock.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Time flies when you're having fun they say.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I guess it's true because Ray and I just celebrated our 32nd anniversary on friday the 21st.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKO-cFu5Pg7w3KvkxuHdJruwCuJwqDBc9lSwTocGQBQkXh6kTlSLTuNYK2I1JjMOT04lsDrwC1Nb5Ioz-dNKfTumHY8vdpOCErld6A4SSPXndhERmMFsGPxzRGH7rhCKEPCO6YRty4AZP/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKO-cFu5Pg7w3KvkxuHdJruwCuJwqDBc9lSwTocGQBQkXh6kTlSLTuNYK2I1JjMOT04lsDrwC1Nb5Ioz-dNKfTumHY8vdpOCErld6A4SSPXndhERmMFsGPxzRGH7rhCKEPCO6YRty4AZP/s640/flowers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">32 years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had hoped to getaway this year, it was the whole reason I didn't plan to go to Artbliss, but as life would have it, some things have come up that prevented us from getting away just yet.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUJo1CiZAQ33i1-597bewt9DVSTeezZ-Zx4H8Cv9YqTsFMZzg-esOP-DsK2dIzGipsCMrUvarHit5YLz8NRofFRZZ4Hmpq-vG2UDccIPXET2SaXB58gk97RyMwbsxmGczqIZ_G_XVAWfj/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUJo1CiZAQ33i1-597bewt9DVSTeezZ-Zx4H8Cv9YqTsFMZzg-esOP-DsK2dIzGipsCMrUvarHit5YLz8NRofFRZZ4Hmpq-vG2UDccIPXET2SaXB58gk97RyMwbsxmGczqIZ_G_XVAWfj/s640/sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So we decided to just take a day and head on up to Ocean City and enjoy the beautiful weather, get some boardwalk food and relax.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1YJhVFGKJKqrgebqZlINnR51qfIwtBIZjYlqsdNYRGMHEhjZ5AJfH0CAPz4MeA8ibgrgmZbyI9-2smdGiOjgMNqlO5rnxVJEXW1PE5T8QLu8kQNJanJx8K7lCrRY-UTSwfcSWjplOOe3/s1600/sunfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1YJhVFGKJKqrgebqZlINnR51qfIwtBIZjYlqsdNYRGMHEhjZ5AJfH0CAPz4MeA8ibgrgmZbyI9-2smdGiOjgMNqlO5rnxVJEXW1PE5T8QLu8kQNJanJx8K7lCrRY-UTSwfcSWjplOOe3/s640/sunfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We later found out it was Sunfest weekend, where they set up 4 huge big tops in the inlet parking and fill them with music, food and artists and crafters from all over. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQIp27wXhGgpplrwOmKPPvarCwUd392l8AOJ_3fn2lb_4pz9TtbVQHZoupEIDSvMD40abNen2rHlyUooAotImWwLy-LJk3wbx1Et7OzdkfBisuPSvn-7T3vLpzm9PoZUvTo1sJ-ws7qU-/s1600/boardwalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQIp27wXhGgpplrwOmKPPvarCwUd392l8AOJ_3fn2lb_4pz9TtbVQHZoupEIDSvMD40abNen2rHlyUooAotImWwLy-LJk3wbx1Et7OzdkfBisuPSvn-7T3vLpzm9PoZUvTo1sJ-ws7qU-/s640/boardwalk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The place was packed, the line to Thrashers french fries was so long we avoided it altogether opting instead for some pizza and then later some Kohrs Bros. frozen custard. I got the fall flavor, cinnamon and Ray stuck with his favorite vanilla/ orange swirl.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1AGV8g71Cls8MLMNbfItO590ZqbPitn9hBTHHRFztvHGx9HAW8ycEGr529ZUZe45M5FVItvBvvMxv-NriBwmZwfCX3_T47qYx9jbBN71XMiJpmzMuskOTC60TKWDTGPnRnrsll21mTTa/s1600/ferriswheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1AGV8g71Cls8MLMNbfItO590ZqbPitn9hBTHHRFztvHGx9HAW8ycEGr529ZUZe45M5FVItvBvvMxv-NriBwmZwfCX3_T47qYx9jbBN71XMiJpmzMuskOTC60TKWDTGPnRnrsll21mTTa/s640/ferriswheel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You practically had to inherit a spot on a bench to sit and people watch for awhile while eating, and we paid a ridiculous amout to park ($25.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">But the day was indeed gorgeous </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and we were together </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">and really, that's all that matters!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVOpeJ4HFJEtSF1b7ynfbXPAj4uSVZvlulLZzdsjEy10SZJrXxZ2YeUqW5Y3pY40ei3fqzab9J9IebWE23dNKFsTK6EBDgS4xTuncNqciPT4xFaAT6KMJK-3S9YunFWIoFCHqjhZNvTZy/s1600/us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVOpeJ4HFJEtSF1b7ynfbXPAj4uSVZvlulLZzdsjEy10SZJrXxZ2YeUqW5Y3pY40ei3fqzab9J9IebWE23dNKFsTK6EBDgS4xTuncNqciPT4xFaAT6KMJK-3S9YunFWIoFCHqjhZNvTZy/s640/us.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-34801620883024677902012-09-17T16:02:00.000-04:002012-09-17T16:02:30.453-04:00The Connecting Threads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-y_L4-SucVNzMBIP7og5xzgp9nkIY-CrrIXkF1G1gcrnLeZPmBAJH405v81shZPTVN0a75OM08b_ipy3GHEZLc-nRIzYxQ3_-8tyJsZZYYIzXuIgLWs6Q6tGjFODSJQNUeOYv9yKUFhpn/s1600/097.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-y_L4-SucVNzMBIP7og5xzgp9nkIY-CrrIXkF1G1gcrnLeZPmBAJH405v81shZPTVN0a75OM08b_ipy3GHEZLc-nRIzYxQ3_-8tyJsZZYYIzXuIgLWs6Q6tGjFODSJQNUeOYv9yKUFhpn/s640/097.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yesterday marked the start of what I hope will be a long relationship with sewing by my granddaughter.</div>
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2 weeks ago we ventured to Hobby Lobby where we purchased several fabrics to go along with patterns we had purchased previously.</div>
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Little bites when they are this young ( 2 months shy of 6)</div>
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One trip to pick out patterns, one trip to pick out fabrics and then another day to actually sew.</div>
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Too much at once and they get overwhelmed and lose interest.</div>
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She had the most fun picking out and handing me the pearlized pins first picking favorite colors and then making repeating patterns . I taught her that the strawberry was for sharpening the pins, so I now have VERY sharp pins thankyouverymuch!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmw7eP9PJP7xxPBBVZZnGxnJsAck794FRDWQDbYZYV-p1dp0znE2pDy9UfL4JCFYNfBV6ziib8q5PgW2M51z7TUDR-0tE1ZhfrewYp7TM7MOXC2pw2U5r27gNEO0PawmgGGySA_wDLply/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmw7eP9PJP7xxPBBVZZnGxnJsAck794FRDWQDbYZYV-p1dp0znE2pDy9UfL4JCFYNfBV6ziib8q5PgW2M51z7TUDR-0tE1ZhfrewYp7TM7MOXC2pw2U5r27gNEO0PawmgGGySA_wDLply/s640/102.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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She sat on my lap as we sewed, her little hand guiding the fabric under the presser foot.</div>
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After the first seam was stitched she beamed and said "that's so cool!" (the seed is planted!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvYd1N_hT0eBcJpq8aLNICRiN9E4F2Fa-Hf_kkmyFO8tzwaZddDs0h6qULelxTTgjzzCTepqYHJ7sVFI3FtVWcv8xylGQrloT7n4y333ED1KkJVoiIsBZkBFGq6-o6BfXw5Nc5pGuQWo7/s1600/101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvYd1N_hT0eBcJpq8aLNICRiN9E4F2Fa-Hf_kkmyFO8tzwaZddDs0h6qULelxTTgjzzCTepqYHJ7sVFI3FtVWcv8xylGQrloT7n4y333ED1KkJVoiIsBZkBFGq6-o6BfXw5Nc5pGuQWo7/s640/101.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When the top of the dress was completed she giggled.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMZFHsi2JFaFMEtgP7uDvcJllwATJSuJH-HXg2bAkpXltINn6SU7waFX04n7xHaqOpXieLW7Y9RJD1IYB43gIrnyaszYzoaL8H9rd22Uqtji6eUV2KxjJsWhhaTQIzerW-LtOlSSDOMg/s1600/103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKMZFHsi2JFaFMEtgP7uDvcJllwATJSuJH-HXg2bAkpXltINn6SU7waFX04n7xHaqOpXieLW7Y9RJD1IYB43gIrnyaszYzoaL8H9rd22Uqtji6eUV2KxjJsWhhaTQIzerW-LtOlSSDOMg/s640/103.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When it started to look like this, I think she lost heart for a few brief moments, preferring to hand me pins again and collect them back from me as I removed them to sew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvfkNZ82eP1660bdOF5ZxnGAuE4aJ0YFJ-pmSD5DgwJZPTLoyhu9X3scpAArWIY5_KZpOj1K5z6heXeV3Xq8UfWAh0jfJj18taTahWqkBktWI-_TsWHuZ8kLz37HGG-eskZZxgbukPZmx/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvfkNZ82eP1660bdOF5ZxnGAuE4aJ0YFJ-pmSD5DgwJZPTLoyhu9X3scpAArWIY5_KZpOj1K5z6heXeV3Xq8UfWAh0jfJj18taTahWqkBktWI-_TsWHuZ8kLz37HGG-eskZZxgbukPZmx/s640/104.JPG" width="382" /></a></div>
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As soon as it was completed she had to try it on and then we went to show everyone.</div>
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My daughter said she wore it to school today and I can't wait to hear how it went.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguel3unXi3VV0CY4cylqBLvidQgY2ypsxbQCVnJPg_-12BCGPO8pVgeffetVN1JW-ZI_fhyDpUITgKtyPHa13_tPpdVLADyVQXMouHEsO5FH6r9-5cej-wq9Ufjt8AA2UmjuqbasPnMb_T/s1600/105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguel3unXi3VV0CY4cylqBLvidQgY2ypsxbQCVnJPg_-12BCGPO8pVgeffetVN1JW-ZI_fhyDpUITgKtyPHa13_tPpdVLADyVQXMouHEsO5FH6r9-5cej-wq9Ufjt8AA2UmjuqbasPnMb_T/s640/105.JPG" width="350" /></a></div>
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Pattern, fabrics and notions - approx. $20.</div>
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2 hour project - 3 1/2 hours</div>
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"I love you Nanny" hugs , a memory made and that sense of accomplishment on the precious face you see here- Priceless!</div>
Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-64582409225980062782012-09-01T15:59:00.000-04:002012-09-01T15:59:05.979-04:00The Passing Of The Torch - A Tribute to My Grandmother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2tfINyzlms1iooCikPHkUFW4pU3qspg-oAUI1xmOi5lZkqH__JS-rRVIuUpLJ62cV2dIZUb7b6orBtry-Ng-iqu-UfVhx5sTUd-r8X4JgquCF6xSk3-_8dFdyU-C-Df4chX60Fjcc-lJ/s1600/5gengrandma3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2tfINyzlms1iooCikPHkUFW4pU3qspg-oAUI1xmOi5lZkqH__JS-rRVIuUpLJ62cV2dIZUb7b6orBtry-Ng-iqu-UfVhx5sTUd-r8X4JgquCF6xSk3-_8dFdyU-C-Df4chX60Fjcc-lJ/s640/5gengrandma3.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Vivian Brown Roberts June 8, 1914- August 25, 2012</div>
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Last Saturday my paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 98.</div>
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We all went to New Jersey on Wednesday for her funeral service and to say our final farewells.</div>
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She was the eldest of 4 children and the last one to pass away.</div>
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She suffered a debilitating stroke in Nov of 2002 but really didn't start to decline until 5-6 years later.</div>
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In these photos, our last visit together, she had just had surgery for a skin cancer on her nose.</div>
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Pictured are 5 generations</div>
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Vivian Brown Roberts</div>
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Edgar Roberts </div>
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Laura Roberts Twiford</div>
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Lindsay Twiford Fuller</div>
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Savannah Fuller</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiog5cSPg5-6mQewc4GfjbzpokszK_IT9QBI41HUulh2jWwHxv1tw2jw_0K4Z8brcB96O1RiE9mUhNcj2IQy24fOg6ZNIYkPhbkWt_Rt2MrlSiZi3fx3sIpC89vP-H-0BYu_CYPuuJKwNgE/s1600/5gengrandma2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiog5cSPg5-6mQewc4GfjbzpokszK_IT9QBI41HUulh2jWwHxv1tw2jw_0K4Z8brcB96O1RiE9mUhNcj2IQy24fOg6ZNIYkPhbkWt_Rt2MrlSiZi3fx3sIpC89vP-H-0BYu_CYPuuJKwNgE/s640/5gengrandma2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was 5 years ago and she had started to become confused about knowing who everyone was and not as engaged, and everyone commented how lucid she was that day, responding to our granddaughter Savannah and making the connection between me, my daughter and granddaughter.</div>
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It was a happy memory and one I will cherish.</div>
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My grandmother had a large influence on me in many ways.</div>
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While I can only ever remember her teaching me a few things, it was more what I always saw her doing that made me who I am today.</div>
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First of all, her and my grandfather lived in the same house most of their life. It is where my father and aunts were raised and where we stayed as children when being cared for by her.</div>
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She was a good homemaker and always cooked. </div>
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There were many family celebrations in that house, lots of wedding and baby showers, my Aunt's wedding reception, birthday's and holidays.</div>
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At Christmas, they always had a huge real tree going to the 12 foot ceiling, filled with handmade, antique and vintage family ornaments and real leaded tinsel that got hung and then carefully put away again for the next year. My grandfather would setup the train around the tree complete with village and figures which would keep us young children entertained while the grownups visited.</div>
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There was a walkin pantry in the kitchen that always seemed to me to be a magical place but not one we were allowed to go into very often.</div>
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The attic was too, but it was a rare occurrence to get up there.</div>
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It is where he died in 1995 and where she was cared for my Aunt for the past 10 years until her death last week.</div>
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Their house is filled with family heirlooms, antiques, collections, family history and many handmade items by both.</div>
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They saved everything. </div>
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Except, my father will tell you quickly, some of his things, such as a comic book collection of untold value. He also tells me there are baby food jars in the basement from when I was a baby.</div>
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My grandfather was a woodworker, creating pieces on a lathe ( as my father does now), restoring furniture and making wooden toys for some of the grandkids. He kept accurate records of the family tree and always shared stories of all the connections.</div>
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I have a candle stand and blanket rack both of which he made from a cherry tree out back that we used to pick cherries from and a quilt frame he built for me when I was embarking on my quilting career.</div>
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My grandmother was a needlearts woman.</div>
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She knitted, crocheted, did crewel, needlepoint, embroidery, hand hooked punch needle rugs and made exquisite quilts.</div>
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I used to love to go over when the big quilting frame was setup with a new quilt she would be finishing. I loved to see how the different fabrics were put together to create such beauty.</div>
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One such quilt she was working on right before I got married. It was the pattern North Carolina Lily, in pinks and greens with feather plumes for the quilting stitches, all of my favorites, my husband is from N.C and I just KNEW this was going to be for us. But sadly it wasn't, as a matter of fact i do not have a quilt from my grandmother and no one seems to know what became of that quilt once finished.</div>
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She sewed most of her clothes and even made my junior cotillion gown.</div>
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She liked crafts of all varieties, from making orange and clove pomanders at the holidays to painting plaster houses, handrolling paper strips into beads, making bread dough flowers, fancy Easter eggs and christmas ornaments.</div>
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For years it seemed to me she was always learning to do something new and fun.</div>
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Whenever she came to babysit, she always had a project with her to keep busy.</div>
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She never went to a class, on a retreat or sold her work. </div>
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She just enjoyed what she did and made gifts for everyone.</div>
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I have a beautiful afghan, some flannel blankets and clothes from when my children were born.</div>
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She was an avid gardener and took great pride in her yard, bushes and flowers.</div>
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She enjoyed nature and watching the birds at her feeders.</div>
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And she loved jewelry, especially heirloom pieces and fine handmade pieces and old southwest.</div>
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She tried when I was younger, to teach me to knit, I wanted to make myself a scarf, I quit when it was large enough for a barbie blanket. Still have it.</div>
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She also taught me to do macrame when it was cool the first time around, in the early 70's, that i took to, making a belt complete with wooden beads, bracelets and a few other things, wish I still had those.</div>
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She gave me my first piece of real jewelry, a gold birthstone ring with a pink tourmaline stone in it when I was about 7, still have that, and she gave me my first silver charm bracelet and would add charms when they went away, mostly of sealife, still have that.</div>
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They provided me with my nursing education and even helped Ray and I with a loan to help cover the down payment when we purchased the restaurant 27 years ago.</div>
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Education, hard work, saving and stability were very important to them.</div>
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In looking back , it is very apparent to me how much they influenced who I became.</div>
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Now I guess it's my turn, to carry on the traditions and hopefully influence my grandchildren in positive ways, sharing my skills and knowledge, fueling their creativity.</div>
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I have saved everything, continue on a path of lifelong learning, am living in our house 29 years this year,</div>
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I hopefully provided my children with a good education and stable home, sharing family history and the importance of all these values.</div>
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I have a huge walkin pantry that all the kids, from my own children to nephews and granchildren are very much allowed to go into and treat themselves, I pull old toys out of the attic for them to play with and I have encouraged them to dabble and try everything I have ever learned to do.</div>
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I made everyone in my family at one time or another a quilt as a gift, now it's on to the grandchildren.</div>
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As we speak, i have patterns for making some clothes with my granddaughter.</div>
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While it wasn't their way to openly demonstrate a lot of affection or to tell you how they felt, I'd like to think they saw and knew these things were important to me, </div>
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and hopefully I made them proud.</div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-36819736927330257332012-08-26T12:29:00.000-04:002012-09-01T15:59:46.540-04:00I Heart Macro - Aerial View<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3bfWIqvuSwFwXYUas_ap7e4HMEIzmFpya6H3KnGFqZrrLYI2F6o5Kk68UeEZ7T8XJFKxnsCq-hsborco655GfIxSpjk2QXGlkKxi-Kj2K_Ky4e22qrYahSFDsH1swkOYx2gru-CR9qv8/s1600/drops3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3bfWIqvuSwFwXYUas_ap7e4HMEIzmFpya6H3KnGFqZrrLYI2F6o5Kk68UeEZ7T8XJFKxnsCq-hsborco655GfIxSpjk2QXGlkKxi-Kj2K_Ky4e22qrYahSFDsH1swkOYx2gru-CR9qv8/s640/drops3.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>
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Can't you just see the outline of some volcanic island chain, with the blue waters reflecting the sky and clouds and wind currents?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6q6ZWhLb5b40fR3LDmjyEmEJbudyVzB6W3CnMEv0dD2fOTh4DV-S2GtZxqRjgStp0_78vMNXI7WmRIT8QvoH5WGVmO6J33W_-dVWOxGctMJqqt6wyJ5cVe6tCI0CjHeF-K4YE7kmRN0B/s1600/drops1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6q6ZWhLb5b40fR3LDmjyEmEJbudyVzB6W3CnMEv0dD2fOTh4DV-S2GtZxqRjgStp0_78vMNXI7WmRIT8QvoH5WGVmO6J33W_-dVWOxGctMJqqt6wyJ5cVe6tCI0CjHeF-K4YE7kmRN0B/s640/drops1.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>
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Or some undersea adventure with all the aquatic life around?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHzrTnZLqbUS23XWsSWZ3uJ87kTub7zX_T1YuiFq6o98f-AAszQPo__vBsMg_0O9PjGQzpE60ALiFuIrZvFpAWsfvn_r1FuTLkzU9vZpNxuvfSEvX2cP3tzXse2FkBEoGy0y_FlZVSweE/s1600/030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHzrTnZLqbUS23XWsSWZ3uJ87kTub7zX_T1YuiFq6o98f-AAszQPo__vBsMg_0O9PjGQzpE60ALiFuIrZvFpAWsfvn_r1FuTLkzU9vZpNxuvfSEvX2cP3tzXse2FkBEoGy0y_FlZVSweE/s640/030.jpg" width="384" yda="true" /></a></div>
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A strand of micro worlds</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZkzES5Xehti2zvHNsRo7R12NW6lZSy9SZ_Uzchl3U23WspAQbL9aKdw-D5-bI20HXjx24BOWg53X_RrqBsX3LVZgbAGn209xF8oZhbzoH9vn64n3ZUJ5utC64NmAQfkm-ZgtN9DLP5ss/s1600/031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZkzES5Xehti2zvHNsRo7R12NW6lZSy9SZ_Uzchl3U23WspAQbL9aKdw-D5-bI20HXjx24BOWg53X_RrqBsX3LVZgbAGn209xF8oZhbzoH9vn64n3ZUJ5utC64NmAQfkm-ZgtN9DLP5ss/s640/031.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>
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All woven together into a universe of sorts</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2mpWl6cZP8vyzmOZ5nLopbACXc9hJEaZ5Ls09HSQO8blKs1Gsqv1jhKptemwrakjrVvF6Oan-f8CVy2x4oCzOb5q8Ac5-46P9gR4N-nGmmMy1WWOj95hjVQ_GswdKWISG4P3fQqO_H4H/s1600/034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2mpWl6cZP8vyzmOZ5nLopbACXc9hJEaZ5Ls09HSQO8blKs1Gsqv1jhKptemwrakjrVvF6Oan-f8CVy2x4oCzOb5q8Ac5-46P9gR4N-nGmmMy1WWOj95hjVQ_GswdKWISG4P3fQqO_H4H/s640/034.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>
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I sat down yesterday with instructions in hand and created my first Kumihimo necklace with boro glass drops and hand dyed silk ribbons that I picked up last weekend at <a href="http://www.beadfest.com/philadelphia.aspx" target="_blank">Beadfest Philly</a>.</div>
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The rain stopped long enough for me to take it outside and get a few shots to do this post and link up with all the I heart macro goodness over at <a href="http://blog.studiowaterstone.com/" target="_blank">Studio Waterstone</a>. </div>
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Head on over to see what everyone else is focusing on this morning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFltGMQ9sEhZiG4a9roVPHNqOcBTXCgcWAfprtHD8T0LWlBopkbHhVPEePrucjyXOk8hekw83uJfTcJW7vWFfNTXQLr9oi3XvRjcj7IAmPmwZ09-WzJGIqogIAiCRa7HzkuKVk1gwoDBs/s1600/stlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFltGMQ9sEhZiG4a9roVPHNqOcBTXCgcWAfprtHD8T0LWlBopkbHhVPEePrucjyXOk8hekw83uJfTcJW7vWFfNTXQLr9oi3XvRjcj7IAmPmwZ09-WzJGIqogIAiCRa7HzkuKVk1gwoDBs/s1600/stlove.jpg" yda="true" /></a></div>
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Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-51090657919905628102012-08-05T08:52:00.000-04:002012-08-05T08:52:48.941-04:00I Heart Macro - Pony Swim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6CXiRvWdhh_0vujRoaXR0jK2sG4LYSxgKR80JZsKZUUOT4e8-H9weEUqrWBi0S5voVM2MvCd-ApuFeYXeiAwyTOHEo4_5v2M5bO5hGSFM6Y51J6tVmB8JkJnt3DY1FAQu8RUlfvA1a6d/s1600/071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6CXiRvWdhh_0vujRoaXR0jK2sG4LYSxgKR80JZsKZUUOT4e8-H9weEUqrWBi0S5voVM2MvCd-ApuFeYXeiAwyTOHEo4_5v2M5bO5hGSFM6Y51J6tVmB8JkJnt3DY1FAQu8RUlfvA1a6d/s640/071.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last week marked the <a href="http://www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html" target="_blank">87th annual Pony Swim</a> and auction here on Chincoteague Island.</div>
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For all those who live here it is a tradition we are happy to see come and then go as it brings with it a large congregation of tourists which makes for one of the busiest, most demanding weeks of the year if you are in business, as we are.</div>
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Last year I posted about the Pony Auction<a href="http://www.souvenirsfromlife.blogspot.com/2011/08/pony-tails-pony-tales.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.</div>
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So on Monday, our day off, I ventured out to the pool for a little R&R and this is the first thing I saw when I got into the water.</div>
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A Pony shaped leaf.</div>
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I took a picture of it as it lay underwater, (see below) but it was really hard to get into focus as the water kept rippling, so I gently raised it up onto the edge of the pool for this shot.</div>
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The veins in the leaf coincide perfectly with the outline of the horse head don't you think?</div>
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It's amazing what you can see when you take the time to notice and really look. That's why i love I Heart Macro.</div>
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Head on over to <a href="http://blog.studiowaterstone.com/" target="_blank">Studio Waterstone</a> and see what everyone else focused on this week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGDNd_-A_FbPVNgefd04yJH53eZrXQypjoiqPK3mP5uLuxxl04a3m2tvt89mIStibGKOP8CDKndKsFHGxM9m5YAxXmdu4kQ3s5GXCtrqPxL2Q1y4ApwOATJB08w1Lw3P05cCgqrSwE_9b/s1600/061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGDNd_-A_FbPVNgefd04yJH53eZrXQypjoiqPK3mP5uLuxxl04a3m2tvt89mIStibGKOP8CDKndKsFHGxM9m5YAxXmdu4kQ3s5GXCtrqPxL2Q1y4ApwOATJB08w1Lw3P05cCgqrSwE_9b/s640/061.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2E1F3XSdqTezWJ49lvIOyTnvaPzlNoQYhzfmy82tnQhc0FEyzHX5vjUrr8V1aXuudxdy74fNejfXXeYBa3YcwZH21ASwu9zx3b7awWQS3BaJajfeRx6sMOWND3hzJn83TnTTGn4l8Gx_/s1600/stlove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2E1F3XSdqTezWJ49lvIOyTnvaPzlNoQYhzfmy82tnQhc0FEyzHX5vjUrr8V1aXuudxdy74fNejfXXeYBa3YcwZH21ASwu9zx3b7awWQS3BaJajfeRx6sMOWND3hzJn83TnTTGn4l8Gx_/s1600/stlove.jpg" /></a></div>
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</div>Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230879938341745603.post-39866198008692929542012-07-22T11:44:00.000-04:002012-07-23T21:06:48.951-04:00I Heart Macro- My Cup Runneth Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77toNXJj1fzXqhzw5F1ZHVwMZZ2hyphenhyphenSLwV82GK0eu1tTLHqvJtZF2Mhe8WKiF6NOrSJzyt7hxks9uHe2OKInrtuL7wwbbTZpXo9T2BUuQwr7r-HWcAkrmJwHYWq2743ILlEf6qQpxWcBGk/s1600/handle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77toNXJj1fzXqhzw5F1ZHVwMZZ2hyphenhyphenSLwV82GK0eu1tTLHqvJtZF2Mhe8WKiF6NOrSJzyt7hxks9uHe2OKInrtuL7wwbbTZpXo9T2BUuQwr7r-HWcAkrmJwHYWq2743ILlEf6qQpxWcBGk/s640/handle1.jpg" width="592" /></a></div>
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Believe it or not, I tried to do this post 2 weeks ago for I heart Macro Sunday over at <a href="http://blog.studiowaterstone.com/" target="_blank">Studio Waterstone</a> and due to a <em>whole lot</em> of technical difficulties, am just getting it done today!</div>
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Don't you just love the architectural details on this handle? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2dNO_nrRzaT_2B-19YXlgRUeGy8cYfn8nTCspK8V-vVLJfBThgOw2bL8WjBGP-HUbEq6pWcWRN9SdK7HDaT2O8schHOdEL5j8-0SEo-eNatmj0_2TUucf0fkhY56cUQYFWL5xAP_vFax/s1600/042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2dNO_nrRzaT_2B-19YXlgRUeGy8cYfn8nTCspK8V-vVLJfBThgOw2bL8WjBGP-HUbEq6pWcWRN9SdK7HDaT2O8schHOdEL5j8-0SEo-eNatmj0_2TUucf0fkhY56cUQYFWL5xAP_vFax/s640/042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The handle belongs to this beautiful, well loved , silverplated cup that was gifted to me 2 weeks ago.</div>
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<a href="http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com/" target="_blank">Cindy Wimmer</a> and her wonderful family, (hello boys!) stopped by to visit with us at our restaurant and near the end of dinner, she reached into her purse and handed me this gift, wrapped in bright pink paper.</div>
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While on their trip to Adamstown PA a few weeks prior, she spotted this and thought of me and picked it up. </div>
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Just writing those words fills me with such gratitude for such a sweet, thoughtful friend, my cup runneth over!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92kCQcnn1AQ0iUSoyKKUBpXIujWdmuuV0E9ovLLMOVUt7QtD0lPCNiDfxf7_MGYb1LC4reyVRQI2qwiRSgqFy2k40bYeuL4P4sCdz0_Nkbk1SJ66CPVJ3Lo7TUs9CDB5rNexppoXmVY21/s1600/038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92kCQcnn1AQ0iUSoyKKUBpXIujWdmuuV0E9ovLLMOVUt7QtD0lPCNiDfxf7_MGYb1LC4reyVRQI2qwiRSgqFy2k40bYeuL4P4sCdz0_Nkbk1SJ66CPVJ3Lo7TUs9CDB5rNexppoXmVY21/s640/038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As if it's even possible to be more special than that, it is engraved with my name!</div>
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The workmanship is amazing, the details of the chased flowers, all so different, you can see lily of the valley, daisies, roses, sunflowers and what I believe are forget me nots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOwEWBEorYMJzq49atST5e9LncfodHW1JDyDAdifUp60qgIHtszoAV7l3WP8jGg2YlSS3bRvJEBvv-8vkFf9zONkn3jAgFy3ECSVms5wDSTnC_sero1BcpqTMzC6Dib0SNi9DOqvtEjOw/s1600/049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOwEWBEorYMJzq49atST5e9LncfodHW1JDyDAdifUp60qgIHtszoAV7l3WP8jGg2YlSS3bRvJEBvv-8vkFf9zONkn3jAgFy3ECSVms5wDSTnC_sero1BcpqTMzC6Dib0SNi9DOqvtEjOw/s640/049.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hallmark on the bottom even has a set of scales, another coincidence, I am a Libra!</div>
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Thank you Cindy for such a meaningful gift but most of all for your friendship, I will treasure them both!</div>
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PS, as a result of the above macro shot, which helped me to be able to read the hallmark, I did a little investigating to find the history of this piece. I just love history and find the history of a particular piece sentimental and romantic.</div>
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Anyway, it seems Meridan B Company was the Meridan Britannia company from Meridan Ct. of 1852 which bought Rogers Bros in 1878 and later joined other firms to create the International Silver co. in 1898.</div>
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This particular piece is a child's presentation cup, in the Aesthetic style, quadruple plate which they say is the best and not done after 1900. 188 is the pattern number for the leaves and flowers and dated to mid 1800's. How very cool is that??</div>Laura Twifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540487230113700516noreply@blogger.com16