And The Winner Is...

Amanda Rodgers! Congrats on winning my print "Payphone."

For the rest of you, there will be more giveaways later in the year! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Yellow Wildflowers

I found these pretty little wildflowers just off the beaten path earlier this week.

Sheep

I went out again yesterday morning trying to catch the mist, but I missed it again. What I thought I learned Monday was that I needed to actually be out in the precipitation to get the effect. I was wrong. So now what I think I learned was that I need to be out earlier, if it looks like it's going to be a damp day, to see the mist hanging low on the hills. I did, however, spot this adorable herd of sheep, complete with playful lambs and a ewe with a bell around her neck that clanged as she grazed.

Misty Morning

I try to always carry my camera with me but I was running late to church yesterday and I failed to grab it. What a mistake! I drove through rain and light snow and was mesmerized by how the landscape was shrouded in mist. It was so unlike how I see the area usually. I figured the weather would pass, at least the magical part, while I was in church, but when I was driving home, it looked much the same. Everywhere I looked I saw a photo, so I drove as fast as I could to get home. I grabbed my camera and loaded up the dogs since I thought they would like a drive, and headed back out. But by the time I got out of town and onto the back roads, the mist had lifted. I got these shots, but it had already stopped raining and just didn't look the same.

On Vacation

CLOSED One Year Blogiversary Giveaway

I can hardly believe I have been blogging for an entire year, but it's true!

To thank all of you for reading and creating a sense of community here, I'm giving away this 8x12 print, "Payphone." This was a test print and I thought it came out great. The text is soft, but not blurry, and I think you can feel the late night urban vibe that was there when I took this.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. I'll be choosing a winner April 29th. Good luck!

If you just can't wait to get your hands on "Payphone," I just listed it in my Etsy shop!

FEATURED: On "The Beauty You Love"

I would like to thank One Clay Bead for featuring this Easter Lily image on her blog, The Beauty You Love, as part of an Earth Day post. I was in the company of Everyday Moments and Gary Heller, so it was quite an honor.

ETSY PLUG - The Clay Press

I love getting surprises in the mail, and this beautiful necklace from The Clay Press was a lovely belated birthday surprise from a very dear friend. I love that I am seeing more and more folks buy locally and handmade. Today I mention locally, since The Clay Press is out of Summerville, S.C., just a stone's throw from my hometown of Moncks Corner.

At The Clay Press's Etsy store, you'll find a variety of handmade pottery pendants. The designs are handpressed from vintage glassware and silver patterns. The artist was inspired by an inheritance of vintage glassware from her late grandmother, and she wanted to preserve and share the beautiful patterns on them. I love not only the pendants at The Clay Press, but also the beauty of the idea behind them. No two are exactly alike.

NEW: The Wyoming Collection

After many, many days of sorting all the images I have taken since I moved to Wyoming, I have assembled the beginning of the Wyoming Collection. It is open-ended, so I will be adding new photos as I see fit, but the 22 images I've included are a solid beginning. They come from across the state and capture the vast differences in the seasons. A few, like "Askew" (above) have been residing in other categories and have been moved. Most, however are new - though if you've been reading this blog for some time, many will look familiar.

Wyoming Collection - Almost Done

I'm nearly done editing my Wyoming collection. Hopefully I'll have it up soon!

Grape Hyacinth

These bonny grape hyacinth were hiding behind the daffodils. I think I'm going to have to dig all these up when the time comes so they are where I can better see them instead of hidden behind the side of the porch.

Daffodil

I found my daffodils blooming yesterday. Unfortunately, their delicate stems had been crushed by the weight of several recent snows, so they were all drooped over, top-heavy with blooms kissing the ground. I staked them up so now they are all upright, at least.

Spotting

Friday we went out to spot for turkey, but all we saw were deer. Lots of deer - both whitetails and mulies. All the little ones are yearlings, most of which are still hanging close to their mothers, who are pregnant again this time of year.

ETSY PLUG - The Modern Pet

I don't normally feature sellers I have not purchased something from, but I thought today I could make an exception for The Modern Pet. I was lucky enough to win one of these cool Eco Bone toys from their blog and Little Bear (as you can see) loved it. Both the stuffing and the fabric are made from recycled soda bottles which I thought was so neat. They were soft and furry like you might expect from any toy. And they are made in Montana, my lovely neighbor to the north.





The Modern Pet has two sites, an Etsy store and a separate Web store. In the Etsy store, you will find products handcrafted by The Modern Pet in northern California that match the modern ethos of an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. In the separate Web store, you will find these same products and some that come from other eco-friendly small businesses. As they say on their site, "No mega-corporations, no unpronounceable ingredients, no petrochemical additives or toxins... we pride ourselves on being small-scale, handmade, organic, wild, grass-fed, biodegradable, and of course... oh-so-stylish."



Speaking of stylish, I have been wanting one of these hemp leashes for a while. I find a typical leash cuts my hand when my big dog pulls me around the block, and these hand dyed & hand printed hemp leashes are promised to "break in wonderfully, softening with age like a favorite pair of jeans." My poor calloused hands think that sounds heavenly.

Just as pretty are the leashes handmade with gorgeous jacquard ribbon, backed with durable 100% cotton webbing. They come in a variety of colors and patterns that are really too cute.
Of course you can buy a matching hemp collar or ribbon collar. I am particularly fond of the "Cabana Stripe" collars. They sound and look tropical, which makes me smile.

The Modern Pet also sells an assortment of organic grooming products, which you can purchase individually or in this cute basket. Wouldn't this be perfect for a friend who is welcoming a new furry friend into their home?

Don't tell Little Bear I told you this, but The Modern Pet also has products for cats.
IMAGES: THEMODERN PET

Last Year's Yellowstone Trip

I'm starting to get a bit of spring fever and I desperately want to get outside. So I thought I'd revisit the Yellowstone trip we took last year this time, for the first day the roads were open. Not all of the park opens in April, but it begins to awaken. There were a fair amount of people, but it was still so quiet compared to the summer. It was cold and wet and snowy, making it feel like it was an even bigger secret that we were in on since we had to suffer a bit for it. It was completely worth it and I remember feeling like a little kid, spotting all the animals with glee.

Travel Brochures

I just got my hands on the printed brochures I designed and they look great!

Sandy Beach

I went back to Sandy Beach yesterday to try to find those bluebirds I saw last year this time. They weren't there.

All I found were these Canada goose tracks...

This old boot...


And a pinecone.

Spider Mum

To balance out all that snow yesterday, here is some sunny golden goodness.

Snow Doggies

It's so difficult to get a focused shot of Little Bear when she is playing hard. Even the auto focus can't keep up. But I was having so much fun watching them through the glass doors that I just had to try.

There was so much snow stuck to Happy's face that I wasn't sure if she could see properly.

Little Bear sniffed out the orange guy which was buried in the snow. She and Happy fought over it for a while but she is usually victorious and takes her win to the picnic table to enjoy it. Don't feel bad for Happy, though. She'll never stop trying. Terriers are tenacious that way.

ETSY PLUG - Circular Accessories

I was thinking about Mother's Day, even though it's a ways off, when I started thinking about what I got my mom last year. Part of her gift was this cool "Scissors" shirt from Circular Accessories. She loves to sew and those huge shears reminded me of the ones she uses to cut fabric.


I was reminded again recently of Circular Accessories when reading about Etsy's most hearted shops. This wonderful screen printer from Baton Rouge was among the top twenty.


I have been wanting this shirt, "Black Lotus," for some time now, but I think my new favorite is below.

This design is "Wall Flower" and I just adore it. Like everything else in the shop, this shirt is printed by the artist on a table top 4 color press. I love that despite the more than 6,000 sales, Alison is still doing each one by hand herself.

There are many choices for adults and children at Circular Accessories. I think this onesie design called "The Hunt" is the most adorable thing!

Alison also keeps a blog that features cool music, food and art. Check it out here.

IMAGES: CIRCULAR ACCESSORIES