Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!

The time up to Christmas was hectic and crazy - more than usual - and it has been hard for me to get into the mood. But now that I'm beginning to calm down a bit, I also feel the anticipation and joy that comes with Christmas and I'm looking forward to candles, cookies and Christmas carols.

However you celebrate Christmas or spend the Christmas days - have a wonderful time everyone!

Oh, well...

As Nancy pointed out to me in her comment here, it's almost December...

I feel like a broken record even only thinking, how time flies, and I won't bore you with all the reasons and details, why it wasn't possible for me to show up here more often (or at all).

So I'm just happy to have made it here today and linking up to Kim's last Texture Tuesday for 2012:

taken with my iPhone - texture "Kristin" by Kim Klassen

Have a wonderful week everyone! I hope to be here again soon (and more often, too...!).

October?!

I feel a bit like whirled around in a time machine...

Taken with my iPhone

I remember vaguely doing August Break, then there was September - at least I think so - and today is October 1... Can you believe it? Well, actually I can't!

Have a good start into a wonderful October everyone - I hope to hop off that time machine again soon to visit and catch up with you!

Busy

I've been busy these days/weeks (and obviously I'm not the only one!)...

Busy bees - taken with my iPhone

... and so I decided to come here for a quick "Hello", wishing you a most wonderful week.

Looking Back

Here's a quick recap of this year's August Break before September is over, too...

All photos taken with my iPhone

August was filled with visits to farmers' markets, fresh fruit and vegetables, thunderstorms, a lot of rain and a bit of sunshine and all kind of flowers. Despite the not so summerly weather there was a beautiful light, even in the waiting room at the doctor's.

August was over in a heartbeat, now let's see what September will bring!

Have a wonderful September everyone!

Too windy...

Taken with my iPhone - Textures by Kim Klassen

Yes, it has definitely been much too windy to get a decent flower shot these days and so I decided to try something new. Buildings have the advantage that they don't move in the wind - at least not normally...

For this image I decreased the saturation a bit and then used Kim's textures Cool Grunge and KK2 - that's it. It amazes me that it looks a bit like a sketch.

Enjoy the last day of July and have a great start into August, where I'm sure we'll all meet for August Break! Now off to see all the beautiful pictures over at Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

Happy Weekend

Taken with my iPhone

Thank you all so much for your lovely and encouraging comments and emails on my post last week! I can't tell you how much I appreciate them!

And so I didn't want to let this (headache-filled) week pass without thanking you and wishing you a most fabulous weekend!

I fear I lost it...

Taken with my iPhone and processed with Kim's textures Elevate and Trust

I was so looking forward to playing around with textures for Texture Tuesday, and today's rule to simply use 2 of Kim's textures on one's photo gave so much opportunity for play... and here I am - totally frustrated with my photos and my use of textures.

However happy I am when snapping photos with my iPhone, I tend to get more and more frustrated when uploading them on my computer, let alone trying to process them. I always loved to play around with textures, but now I can't decide which textures to use, try around almost endlessly and then I don't like the results.

I still love taking photos with my iPhone, but I also notice that I take different photos with my iPhone than with my DSLR, photos I'm not sooo satisfied with most of the time. Well, maybe it's just my impatience to be able to get going again with my Canon... but I do hope to get back that feeling of satisfaction after playing with textures and loving the photos I take.

Though I'm not really happy with my photo today, I'll still put it up here so as not to lose the routine of posting that I'm trying to get into again.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Natural Beauty

Taken with my iPhone and processed with Kim's Freebie "LetGo"

I've read that Kim Klassen declared the "Natural Edition" for this week's Texture Tuesday and I thought this natural beauty would be just perfect to participate.

I hope your days are full of beauty, too!

It's Summer!

For me, it's a sure sign for summer, when I can wear my Tevas... You must know I always have cold feet and it takes a lot to get me out of my socks...!

You've probably seen similar feet shots on Instagram where Holly aka Soupatraveler is posting hers, there is even a Flickr group for this kind of captures, and I must say I gave them a try (several actually) myself. But, try as I may, they always look kind of funny - sometimes the angle is so weird, giving the impression that I'm either a giant with small feet or vice versa, then I discover on the photos that my shoes are in urgent need of shoe polish, or that I should buy new shoes altogether...

And you can consider yourself lucky that I spare you photos of my feet in thick comfy wool socks (did I mention my ever cold feet...) wearing Birkenstocks - don't worry, I only wear that combination at home, where no one can see it (ahem, other than my husband that is...)!

However, I can live with that feet shot above, which I took as proof of a warm summer day.

By the way, that's the nail polish I'm wearing - unfortunately it's disappointingly invisible, not only on the photo...

Happy 4th of July to all my friends in the United States, and a wonderful day for everyone!

What Did I Miss?

Beauty can be found even in hospital

Well, quite obviously, I missed the whole month of May and most of June... can't wait to see what you've been up to all that time!

I do miss being able to take photo walks (or any longer walks) with my DSLR, which I can't carry around at the moment. I wish recovery from my surgery were faster, but as they say, patience is a virtue...

Before I bore you with listing all the things that aren't possible here, I've decided to concentrate more on what is doable, which is taking short walks and carrying an iPhone (I can't remember how life was without one...) for photos on the way. And sitting long enough to write a post and connect with you again. Oh, and by the way, if you are on Instagram, you'll find me there as @rosiegrey - I've found this a nice way for keeping contact already with some of you, too.

So, if you don't mind I will share my iPhone photos here for a while - I hope you'll like them!

I couldn't leave without putting up a flower, could I? ;-)

Pictures of Florida

Some weeks before I had that MRI showing I had to have surgery urgently, I had enjoyed one of my most relaxing holidays, spent in Florida. And as I was in that machine with my eyes pressed firmly shut (I'm not claustrophobic, but I could never open my eyes in there...) I tried to distract myself by bringing back pictures of the beaches and the sea, pretending to feel the sea breeze instead of the machine's ventilator.

That was 4 years ago...

A few days ago, it was almost impossible to bring back those pictures again, but I made it through the MRI without too much panic.. ;-). It looks as if I'm up for another surgery, but I still hope there is a possibility to avoid that (I more than panic when it comes to hospitals and surgeries...!). There will be a few more examinations and then I will know for sure.

I already missed being here these last weeks and I don't know when I will be back. I sure hope to catch up with you again soon.

All the best for you and have a great time!

A Sad Good-Bye

The last days and weeks feel like a blur to me. Working longer hours has become something of a habit and the days off I was fantasizing about were simply that - fantasies.

Today, it was my goal to start out again, get back into the habit of being here at least on Mondays for Lisa's Creative Exchange.

I'm glad I made it today, because I would have hated to miss the last week of this wonderful creative space, Lisa has created here. Especially after these last weeks I more than understand that life is often about having to adjust priorities, but nevertheless I will miss Creative Exchange on Mondays dearly. It was really something I was looking forward to at the beginning of each week.

Thank you, Lisa, for all the time and effort you had put into this wonderful project and all the best for you!

A Quick Note And Some Felicity

We are in the 5th week now with half of our team away and I must say I'm ready for a break! I had to cut back my hours online here (my apologies for not visiting!) and I guess it won't get any better for the next two weeks. But I plan to take a day or two off when everyone is back again.

I thought I was in for a little treat and so last Friday I decided to buy some flowers on my way home. I was lucky to grab the last bunch of tulips available at the supermarket - even at a discount as they were a bit damaged - and then indulged in having a go at them with my camera on Saturday  and happily playing around a bit with textures, too.

I will link this up at Lisa's Creative Exchange (one day later than planned, but I wouldn't want to miss it!) and then also at Kim's Texture Tuesday, as I just found out that I fulfill today's rules of using at least one layer of her "Felicity" texture.

Have a wonderful week everyone and sorry again for not visiting so much these days!

A Little Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

I know it's one day early but as Lisa's Creative Exchange is all about one's heart in photography I think there's no better place to share my heart with you!

Have a wonderful week!

Monday Again

Can you believe it's Monday again? And February already? And Lisa's Creative Exchange!

Last week more than half of our team in the office was down with flu. You would think that no virus or bacteria would survive in that cold we have been seeing for the last weeks... But although I wasn't able to visit any blogs last week - I do apologize for that and hope there will be more time this week - I'm glad to be one of the working and not of the ill part of the team.

Thus I was able to enjoy a Sunday morning walk, admiring a deep blue sky and white frost on the branches. It was so beautiful I didn't even mind the -15° C / 5° F we had.

Have a wonderful week everyone and stay warm!

This one is taken with my iPhone

No Tulips Yet

I was so looking forward to last Thursday where I planned to buy tulips at the Farmers' Market, come what may, or so I thought...

Well, freezing temperatures came and thus there was no flower stall at the Market. So much for plans or tulips photos! The weather forecast for this week is even colder than last week, so you might have to put up with another orchid shot next Monday for  ;-)

Have a wonderful week everyone! And now off to Lisa's Creative Exchange, maybe there are some tulips there...

Ready For Tulips

After this weekend's roller coaster weather I'm so ready for tulips... I almost bought some last Thursday, when I saw buckets full of tulips in every colour you can think of at a local Farmers' Market. Today, I can't even remember why I didn't buy some, maybe the blue sky that day was enough to make me happy.

I brought my Christmas Rose in from my balcony for a little photo shooting and yes, that made me happy, too! Aren't those buds just beautiful? I'm so fascinated about how those blossoms fold out, change and develop.

Have a wonderful start into a colourful week - see you over at Lisa's to take a look at all those gorgeous submissions for this week's Creative Exchange.

Smiling

Have you ever seen a flower smile back at you? I mean literally... That's what happened to me when I uploaded the photos I took from my orchids and saw this orchid smiling at me.

And looking at that photo I can't help smiling myself. :-)

Have a wonderful week filled with smiles! See you at Lisa's Creative Exchange!

Thank You

Although it was last week that Lisa had asked for our favourite photo 2011, I decided to show you another one. A flower, of course...!

Thank you all so much for your wonderful and encouraging comments and emails! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate them - your are best!

It's already the second week of January and what is quite unusual for me is that I haven't taken up my DSLR so much these days. I'm now a proud owner of an iPhone (I think I must have been the last person on earth to join...) and I have been playing around with Instagram these days. Justine encouraged me to try it and now I'm hooked... ;-) It's really fun and if you'd like to connect with me there, you'll find me @rosiegrey.

I'm linking up to Lisa's Creative Exchange - see you there!

New Year's Blues

Texture: Kim Klassen

I hope you all had wonderful Christmas Holidays and a fantastic start into the New Year! 

The days before Christmas were more than chaotic at work and seemingly have robbed me of the rest of energy I had. I paid the price, but learning the lesson is not so easy... The days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve I spent with sleeping and eating and more sleeping and a few walks in between.

I had put my hope into the start of the New Year - a new beginning, with drive and energy, tackling all things in a stride, beginning new projects, trying out new things, taking courses, finding a word for the year 2012, things you see everywhere in blogging world... well, against my better judgement, as you may guess. I woke up yesterday morning and things were just the same, same me - what a surprise, ha...

How do you manage to see the new beginning, the fresh start, the wonderful projects in 2012 and how do you handle all that? 

For her Creative Exchange today, Lisa asked us to show our favourite photo of 2011. I really don't know if this is my favourite photo, but it spoke to me today.