Barefoot Books- LadyD: 2013

The Snow Sledding Boys

Our two grandsons and their dad are sledding on the east coast near their home. They continue to have snowfall and as you can see, the boys are having a blast in the snow wearing their snow buntings, snow gloves and snow shoes. It is so lovely to see. We are having warm temps here. Is it snowing where you are? Hope your Christmas was wonderful, like ours.

Photos for Blue Monday

Here are 5 children's books I recommend for some snow fun:

Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day (Jane O'Connor)

Snow Treasure (Marie McSwigan)

The Snow Globe Family (Jane O'Connor)

Snow! Snow! Snow! (Lee Harper)

The Snow Queen (Hans Christian Andersen)

Photo Editing

I added some hard lighting, along with some radiance and then painted the canvas. I love photography and I'm a novice at playing around in Adobe Photoshop Elements. I have found a professional mentor on line and look forward to learning more from Lori this new year.

Photo for Mandarin Orange Monday

Wishing everyone a blessed and Happy New Year!

Warmly,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

Kid's Choir

Last Sunday we attended the children's Christmas Sunday School program. Their performance included 4 songs and I was able to make a video for you with Ryan singing his favorite song, Joy To The World. Which one is our grandson? Well, #17 of the San Diego Chargers! Hope you enjoy the music clip, especially watching the girls on the right hand side not singing and the boy in red jumping off the step, next to Ryan during his debut. It's so much fun to watch the children perform.

Do you remember participating in some type of musical event at school or church?

Kid's Choir Video: Joy To The World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdgmR-R0DK0

Photos for Blue Monday

On top of experiencing a wonderful musical morning, we were delighted to see the San Diego Chargers winning their next couple of games. We have Charger Fever! Have a favorite team?

It's so much fun to see the individual classrooms at church. Thanks for visiting my blues!

For Mandarin Orange Monday, I chose the same kid's choir photo and added just a few steps.

Photo Edit Process

1. Water texture effect
2. Subtract image overlay

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

Oh Christmas Wreath

Our granddaughter is coming here for a visit over the holiday. We've begun to decorate the house. Our tree is up with all of it's pretty decorations and lights. Now it's time to put up the outdoor lights and hang a Christmas wreath on our door. Because our Flora likes pink, I've colored Elizabeth's beautiful illustration in her favorite tones in Photoshop.

My editing steps are:

1. Nature texture
2. Light overlay
3. Blush Tones
4. Green Paint
5. Orton effect

For more wonderful entries, visit Coloring Page Tuesday.

Working on the project reminded me of the lyrics to the song, O Christmas Tree

"O Tannenbaum" ("O Christmas Tree") is a German song. Based on a traditional folk song, it became associated with the Christmas tree by the early 20th century and sung as a Christmas carol. For more information, visit O Tannenbaum.

Here are the chords for guitar and piano:

  C
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
    Dm            G7      C
Thy leaves are so un-chan-ging;
  C
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
    Dm            G7      C
Thy leaves are so un-chan-ging;


[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/m/misc-christmas/198016.html ]
C        A7         Dm
Not only green when summer's here,
G7                 C
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
  C
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
    Dm            G7      C
Thy leaves are so un-chan-ging;

http://www.guitaretab.com

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

A Christmas Kitchen

'Tis December and I've already started to plan our Christmas dinner for 21 people. No, this is not my dining room but I wondered what your kitchen and eating room looks like...

Photos for Blue Monday and Mandarin Orange Monday

Photo Credit: Free Digital Photos

Of course, Christmas tea sounds delightful in the cozy blue teapot and a crock pot filled with hot apple cider. I can just smell the cinnamon in the air! A cousin is bringing sparkling apple cider for the children. Whether permitting, we'll be enjoying the outdoors as well.

Photo Credit: Gracey

This charming blue doll house brings back memories. I remember having a miniature china dish set as a child. I would play "kitchen" each and every day! Did you have a doll house or kitchen set to play with?

One Christmas awhile back... well, we had purchased a wonderful kitchen set for our granddaughter. You pull it up and it expands and gets higher as they grow. It remains in her home but when she comes to visit us, I just had to make a cardboard kitchen for Flora to play with, along with these pretty blue plates. Isn't it amazing what things you'll find around the house for children to delight themselves in?!

With 5 grandchildren running about, we'll pause for a "reindeer sandwich."

Whatever you decide to cook for that day (I'm thinking barbecued turkey/honey baked ham), I wish abundant joy and everlasting peace for the coming holiday.

I just love the song, Christmas Time Is Here. If you're interested in the chords, I've posted them, here.

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

Turkey Day Poetry

I'm thankful for family and friends... for you, and pumpkin pie! I'll be lighting a candle and saying a little prayer for happiness around your table and for world peace. Photos for Blue Monday

Heap High the Board

Heap high the board with plenteous cheer,
And gather to the feast,
And toast the sturdy Pilgrim band
Whose courage never ceased.

Give praise to that All-Gracious One
By whom their steps were led,
And thanks unto the harvest's Lord
Who sends our daily bread.
Alice Williams Brotherton

A Grateful Heart

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
George Herbert

And singing a song, along with this pretty bird, of praise and thanksgiving on this special day... each and every day.

I'll be eating mostly vegetables while the family enjoys the turkey bird!

Turkey's on the Table
"When turkey's on the table laid,
And good things I may scan,
I'm thankful that I wasn't made
A vegetarian.
Edgar A. Guest

Photo Credit: Taliesin

If Turkeys Thought

If turkeys thought, they'd run away,
A week before Thanksgiving Day.
But turkeys can't anticipate,
And so there's turkey on my plate!
Jack Prelutsky

Photo Editing: Light Trail Texture with Lomo effect

Photo for Mandarin Orange Monday

Funny Bird

A turkey is a funny bird,
Its head goes wobble, wobble,
All it knows is just one word,
"Gobble, gobble, gobble."
Author Unknown

Full Circle

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
"The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway
Thanksgiving comes again!
Author Unknown

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating in the US, Canada and the Philippines!

Blessings,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

Reading Monster: Dino Tales

Here's my photo shop contribution for Coloring Page Tuesdays

I started with the image below drawn by Elizabeth Dulemba. This is so cute with the dinosaur reading a dino tale upon a stack of books! My 4 grandson's are happy campers with this inspiring image to encourage reading!

Then I added some nature texture, like these green leaves with multiply layer. The finished product was adding a radiant shine layer in the first photo.

There's a celebration going on right now... It's Picture Book Month for November. On the calendar is "Heidiey Stemple - Dinosaurs." For more information, visit Heidiey Stemple's Bio. I'm not familiar with the author but I do know Barefoot Books favors dinosaurs and here are some of my former posts on the subject.

1. Dino Island

2. Meeting The Blue Dino

3. Dragons and Monsters

4. I Dreamt I Was A Dinosaur

By the way, I was featured at Dulemba ColoringPages! A special thanks to a very talented illustrator/author Elizabeth Dulemba for choosing the photo shop "Reading Fox."

Happy Reading!

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

Retro Gas Stations

The Escondido Bowling Alley... oh, how I remember it well. It was a highlight of my younger days, along with that same red gallaxie that my parents owned. (maybe it's them!) :=)

Photos for Blue Monday and Mandarin Orange Monday

Although I grew up in El Cajon, trips to North county were fondly remembered. The loud, dungy-dive place is off of Via Rancho Parkway but unfortunately gas is no longer 25 cents! ElectroSpark captured it well and offers more retro pics on his blog, http://www.flickr.com/photos/electrospark/3516258643/

My cousin sent the family many nostalgia type gas station photos. Photo Credit: hipspi/freewebspace

I love the overhead power lines and the good looking cars of the 60s.

Rancho Cucamonga is a suburban city in San Bernardino County, California. I love this vintage look before all the development took place. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Cucamonga,_California

Photo Edit: Color Boost, Nature Overlay

Happy trails,

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

Reading Fox: Aesop's Fables

Coloring Page Tuesdays is hosted by a wonderful book author/illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba. I enjoy reading her posts about book giveaways and author interviews. I've been fortunate to win one of her books also that I absolutely love. You can read my review of Prince's Diary

If you're interested in participating in this meme, post your drawings and cards at her gallery, http://dulemba.com

I love taking photographs and I like posting them for Blue Monday and Mandarin Orange Monday.
Even though I missed yesterday for this new meme, I wanted to experiment and see what coloring looked like in PhotoShop. Here's what I did to get this effect for the Reading Fox.