It’s been quite cold and foggy in the mornings. Today it was very white and peaceful out there. The horse in the pasture next door added a nice, scenic element. Thanks, horsie!

Horse grazing on a foggy winter morning

Participating in Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Photog Friday, Camera Critters and Scenic Weekends. Thanks so much for visiting!

Every New Year’s Eve I cut up some vegetables for our after midnight snack, along with the crabmeat and cream cheese dip, with potato chips! Hey, the veggies cancel out the yummy fats, is how I think. Hope you had a wonderful celebration, and the luckiest year to you in 2013.

The carrots and broccoli are from our backyard!

Joining up at Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Macro Monday. If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

As this year comes to a close, this photo of two kayakers on Bowman Bay, right off of Deception Pass in western Washington State, really “floats my boat.” It symbolizes the feeling I have of moving out into life, alone but with a companion, on water which is dangerous but gives so much pleasure. The blue sky and water, the calm day, the companionable silence, and the feeling of freedom, make this a picture of my wishes for you in 2013. May you have these blessings and more.

In the ancient system of I Ching, water is the symbol in two of the eight basic parts of the hexagram. One is the symbol for Danger, and one is the symbol for Lake, or Pleasure. I love that.

Two kayaks on scenic Bowman Bay, WA

Participating this week at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Mellow Yellow Monday. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon! If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest of the pretty pictures. Thanks!

There’s a lady not too far from my house who really goes all out with the holidays. She does amazing things at Halloween and July Fourth, as well. But the Christmas display is my favorite. At this time of year, in this northern latitude, we love lights! Below is the view from the road in front of her house, showing the reflection on the top of my car as I steadied my camera, and below that is a closer view which includes Santa in the gazebo. There’s a huge Christmas village inside the home, but we’ll save that for another day. Merry Christmas!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, and Weekend Reflections. If you’d like to see the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

Normandy Park, WA holiday lights

Santa waving from the gazebo

Here’s a view at Seattle’s Woodland Park Rose Garden, from a June solstice a few years ago. It’s been raining here, or completely overcast, since the second week in October and I, for one, want to look at sunshine and flowers. Hope you do, too.

Joining up this week in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the latest images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!

I was at the open house at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle on Friday and it was so cool. That model train they have this year is the neatest thing. I’ll do a photo of that later on, but now I just wanted to share a shot of the prettiest, glitteriest, most festive tree I’ve seen in a long time. Wish this was my tree at home!

Participating in My Romantic Home, Mellow Yellow Monday, Pink Saturday, Weekend Reflections, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the recent images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!

Winter in Seattle, so far north, can be challenging when the light is so reduced. But the good part of the low-angled sun is that when it actually is sunny, the light streams in the south windows and makes marvelous shadows. This is my kitchen counter the other day. I love this image and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Thanks for stopping by!

Participating in SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday 2, My Romantic Home, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, and Ruby Tuesday 2.

Walking to our neighbors’ the other day, their front yard had the loveliest red bird feeder, scenic and against the rainy leaves. Hope the birdies appreciate the pretty leaves as much as we do.

Joining this post in Outdoor Wednesday, My Romantic Home, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Mellow Yellow Monday, Pink Saturday, and Ruby Tuesday 2. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above if there’s only one photo below. So glad you stopped by.

After all that rain we had, the display of autumn leaves are mostly done here in Seattle, but these golden yellow Japanese maple leaves half in the shadows are still giving us a show. And don’t you love that tiny red stem?

Participating at My Romantic Home, Macro Monday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Be sure to try a new tag or category while you are here, just for fun, and thanks for visiting.

I don’t know why I haven’t posted much about it, but I’ve been a busy bee with my new business, Love That Image glass tile jewelry. It’s made from the actual pages of my book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory. How it came about is that last year when I was at a craft fair with my daughter Lila, selling the Flowers book as a holiday gift, she saw all the crowds at neighboring booths selling jewelry and said, “Mom, why don’t we make jewelry from your book? I saw on Pinterest how to do that.” I was amazed at the whole idea and had no clue what she might be talking about.

Next thing I knew, we were in the jewelry business. Pinterest changed my life!

It’s a year later and we’ve learned a lot, experimented, and come up with so many pretty designs that the only problem is choosing. For now, we are selling to stores and in craft fairs only. We just had a spectacular success at the Kent WA Holiday Craft Market and we certainly will do that again next year. Check out the new Jewelry page on the navigation bar above to see other locations where the jewelry is available. Do let us know if there’s a store near you that you think would be a good fit to carry them.

The next time you can see all the pieces in person will be at the Normandy Park, WA Cove Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 1. If you are in the area, we hope you will drop by and say hi. Of course I’ll be signing books there, too!

I’m linking up at My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Thursday Challenge (Orange), Wordless Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. I really like this photo, set up by Lila, and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Thanks for stopping by!