Rocks and Photoshop Class With Susan Tuttle

Do you remember those rocks from the last post?

The texture rocks?

This is them, in a different life, after some manipulation in Photoshop --

Loving my class with Susan Tuttle!

Bits and Pieces of the Last Week

Are you wondering why in the world I would have taken a picture of gravel, mixed with fallen pine needles?

Simple

Texture

I got up my nerve to go to the first week's class with Susan Tuttle. 

Even though I am just learning Photoshop Elements, I am exstatic

to report I have been able to follow the first two lessons and execute them, as she presented them to us. I am unable to show them to you because she requested we not post our work which has used her original photographs. They are strictly for our practice. I have one more lesson I need to do by Monday morning. She presents three different lessons a week and they are all building on one another.

I have not ventured past creating my own images, using the lessons yet. I hope to do this as it will be important for me to practice. I was able to download the lessons, just not the videos, so I will have the instructions to fall back on, long after the class has ended. 

I just can't begin to tell you how good it felt to be able to follow what she was talking about!!!!!!!!

New Tomato Plants

These are now in the ground although here you see them still in their pots. My husband ran a drip system to them so they would be watered while we are in the valley this week. Our front yard has a watering system but the back yard does not. The back yard will be next summer's project, most likely.

I am hoping they will be alright this time. I have my receipt saved though, just in case. I do remember it snowing, big time, on one Memorial Day Weekend, not too very many years ago!

It is hard to see in this picture, but if you look closely, you can see some of the places shingles flew off our roof this past winter. Thus, time last week was also dedicated to picking out a new roof and getting it ordered. Below is a sample of what we chose.

It is a metal corrugated roof, made to look like the old fashioned ones, after they have rusted-

The difference is there is none of the mess as with the unprotected metal roofs.

This is a brand new product and we will be the first to have it installed "on the mountain" as locals refer to our area. 

I am thankful to have the decision made!

And down to the valley we drove on Thursday-

How about our Phoenix Suns?

Must admit, I have not gotten totally into the Suns since the days of old when Charles Barkley was on our team and playing instead of commentating

BUT

how could anyone not be excited to watch this series 

WELL

anyone who likes basketball--

The game on Friday night was heartbreak hotel for us. I did not get a picture of the scoreboard as we were at a little local neighborhood bar watching the game. Sidelight---

one of those try something different things because as we pulled up in front of Zipps, a sports bar, it was packed to the gills-

had passed this new little bar and ended up there-

was a nice experience and I like giving individual owners business-

Alright, back on track-

So looking forward to game six tonight!!!

 The above picture and the below picture show our major projects for this week-

painting furniture

NOT

cabinets or walls!

YES!

Lots of furniture!

See the bed in the below picture-

the Oak one-

Let me see-

must be about 37 years ago now-

I worked and worked and worked and worked to strip off the white paint that was on it when it was purchased. I paid $40. for the bed.

Now, in no time at all, I will be painting it white all over again. I imagine, someday, someone else will be working and working and working to get that white paint off so the beautiful Oak will show.

Is just the way it is.

Smile

Those are the things that have taken my physical energy this week-

There have been other items taking my mental energy,

ALL

of which

have been mixed with much emotion-

Amber, my daughter, called Maria wanting to see Chandler-

Maria said no, of course - All of our hearts were in our stomachs and our stomachs were in knots-

We were all caught off guard-

Our minds, or at least mine, just beginning not to think about her every other hour of the day-

Maria is accepting a job in the valley.

She listed the house to be sold and low and behold it is sold-

It actually sold to the first person that looked at it

but there is a catch-

the people actually had made an offer on the house when Amber had it listed over a year ago. Amber tried to get Maria to accept the offer and split the money with her and not pay her uncle, or her dad and me back any of the money we had invested. Maria refused and it is all an involved story-

the bottom line being ,

hearing this again brought up more sad memories and emotions involving how , how can this all be?

Anyway,

Maria is moving back to the valley with Chandler-

Once again,

topsy 

turvy

changes

in 

our 

lives

and 

we

are 

trying

to 

stay

in

the

car

or

the 

boat

or

what

ever

vehicle

in

which

we 

seem

to 

be 

passengers

because

we

certainly

do

not

seem

to

be

in

the 

driver's

seat.

Hope the view from your window is a peaceful one today!

Well, Well, Well

Don't ask me what happend for me to get my settings back -
Once again shows you how little I know-
Seems when I was trying to post I had clicked on the Edit HTML button. I accidentally just clicked on the compose button and all my options across the top of the posting screen once more cropped up on the screen ---
I know---silly!
Am done trying to do anything different for today!

And Just What Was I Thinking

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Well, that is the $64,000. question. I originally was using this title for something else I intended to post today ----
That was before I ran into the problem of me totally screwing up my blog----
I got an email from Blogger Buster about adding different fonts----
I tried it but screwed everything up and don't know how to get back to what I had----
Not Good----
Not sure what I am going to do next. I am not able to add pictures, I have absolutely no choice of fonts now , text size, etc. ---- Guess it does not pay to not know what one is doing --
I am just posting this so you know I will be working on getting this fixed or totally starting over, at some point .--------

Now, because I am able to link, I will tell you what the title is or was originally about---
Some of you probably know who Susan Tuttle is --
Her digital work has been featured in various publications--
You can visit her ---- well, I just tried to link to her and HTML code comes up on my post instead of the link --- You see, I have really done a number on this blog!
She has authored two books and she teaches online digital manipulation classes.
Her work is amazing.
I signed up to receive notification when she was offering an online class.
Yesterday was the last day to sign up for her current offering.
Never did I really intend to take her class---
It was a dream plan for waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down the road when I learned a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot more about Photoshop Elements.
Don't ask me, even now, why I hit the buttons ---
Was it because I just wanted to say I had enrolled in one of her classes?????
Was it because I just wanted to see what others were able to create under her instruction?????
Was it because I thought maybe there would be a file I could download and keep for future reference?????
And to make matters worse, I checked yes about being listed on the class list
And I put in my blogsite to be linked with my name -----
What's a girl to do but laugh about it??????
I am going to choose to laugh about it -----
I am going to choose to laugh ---
I am going to choose----
I am going-----
I am ----
I

Yesterday

Was the first day for coffee in the morning on the porch

and

Cocktails in the evening on the porch -

I've misplaced my cushions for the ottomons and my cushions for the chairs that go with the dining table They were put away for the winter but where??!!! The others were stored in the bath tub upstairs but where or where can my cushions be? This house does not have much storage! 

I will let you know if and when I find them!

Hope you find a piece of happiness today!

I Am Not So Happy To Show You

Frozen Marigolds

Frozen Tomato Plants

Guess we planted too soon!

We were so proud of our efforts!

There were more frozen plants all around the yard

BUT

Decided these were enough pictures for

YOU

to get the picture !

Anyway, we are learning. I am happy to report all of our pansies , and there are many, are just fine.

I think I was the most upset about the tomato plants. We purchased them huge, with tomatoes already on 

them. They were ten dollars for each plant , but even at this, we thought they were a bargain. I would 

have paid twenty five dollars a piece, I wanted them so badly. There is nothing better tasting to me than a 

homegrown tomoato. We bought the last of the plants or I would gladly pay again. Oh Well!

I will be replacing the marigolds and I will be on the look out for more large tomato plants. We are 

watching the weather more closely now. Truth is though, we have so many plants planted, it would be 

quite difficult to cover them all. Next year we will wait till closer to the end of May to put out our 

bedding plants.  In the meantime, I will be happy that not everything was wiped out.

I Am Happy To Show You

After all those snow pictures 

I am happy to show you

 the wishing well

 looking like springtime!

Instead of shoveling snow 

this past weekend, 

we were shoveling dirt-

These vintage wire baskets, 

planted with Geraniums, 

now flank the front porch. 

Vintage wash tubs

 filled with pretties

flank the front 

of thedriveway 

Pansies of different colors

fill the flower beds

 on each side of the house

by the front steps-

Hanging baskets 

adorn the side porch-

At the end of the day 

we are still not finished-

Seems there can never

be enough flowers-

The deck is scrubbed-

ready for touch up paint---

The Willow furniture 

is ready for cushions---

which were mended and refreshed

 during all those snow months---

We returned home 

Thursday night,

 from our San Antonio trip. 

 From the pictures above

it is pretty easy to tell 

what we did over

 Mother's Day Weekend !

Hope yours was as colorful and beautiful--

Now to keep the beauty multiplying!

An Old Stop With A New Twist

On Our way to San Antonio we stopped in Midland ,Texas, to spend the night with our friends, The Leetons. The last time we visited, they had started a new project --- a new bathroom addition.

The pictures below show the results of the completed project.

In the first picture Barbara is welcoming you to come in and take a look!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!