The House and Garden

Learning my DSLR camera

2016-04-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

Notice how everyone is taking pictures and sharing them on social media these days - and Instagram, the photo sharing site is exploding!

My cell phone is old and does not take very good pictures - especially in low light, so I finally took my "real" camera out of the closet and dusted it off again. Let me explain..... my holiday pictures were really bad , bad lighting, wrong settings and a huge frustration for me. Even on the auto setting they were not coming out very well. I kind of gave up until-

A forced 48 hour rest because of a pulled muscle in my back led me to start reading my camera manual and learning more about the functions and features of my DSLR camera. What was a bummer at the time
( laying on the sofa for a whole weekend) turned out to be a blessing because I am beginning to see improvement in my pictures and I have found a new hobby!

Taking really good pictures is a skill that is learned with many hours of practice and trial and error. I mean hours and hours of practice. It was clear very quickly that it's not as easy as it looks, and taking good photos is not all about how expensive the camera is either! Sometimes it's the user :)

I have been researching and soaking up information on Pinterest and photo websites with tips and tutorials. There are also private FB groups that will help with gentle critiques of your pictures and advice for how to improve. There is a whole big photo world out there !

I even started my own 52 week photo challenge with a few others, so that we take pictures in a more deliberate way and a chance to learn on a regular basis. ( More on that another time )

As I started reading up on photography, a few tips and themes have surfaced consistently - like understanding aperture, ISO and shutter speed . I will share some leanings in a future post. .

In the meantime, if you want to get started on reading up on getting better pictures with a DSLR camera - here are a few places that I found to be very, very helpful. These photography sites were great in providing information in easy to understand language like how to get out of the AUTO setting tutorials and a basic understanding of the buttons and modes on the camera as well as concepts of composition and the importance of light.

Check these awesome websites out :

Other interesting photography blogs :

Peonies and Polaroids

Photo Focus

No Caption Needed

Do you have some favorite photography resources?

Time to run - have a good week!

2016-04-08T16:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! When Easter rolls around, I know that warmer weather is not too far away.
We had a relaxing Easter weekend with an added bonus of pecan truffles for dessert - made by my husband!

They are filled with chocolate rum mousse and then a chocolate frosting crust topped with a perfect pecan. Soooo good !

A few simple ingredients turned into a masterpiece by this wonderful guy.

April Snow

2016-04-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Its April something and we have snow this morning. If it were October , the snow might be a little exciting, but not in April.

Our forsythia bush just broke out in delicate flowers a few days ago, and then bam- it was hit by the cold and snow. I did salvage some of the blossoms for the house.

The bunny that likes the clover in the backyard was interrupted from his lunch when the flakes started coming down pretty heavy. I don't think he was to happy either and he did not stay long....

Have a wonderful Friday!

Lazy Sunday

2016-01-24T19:34:00.001-06:00

Lazy Winter Sunday

The holidays are officially over, but the long winter days are still here. Today I'm relaxing and enjoying the quiet cozy moments as the snow is falling outside.

From my spot on the sofa I can take in the antique oil painting in soft muted colors . It's a very relaxing picture and perfectly suited on the black wall. The mantel is very simple for the winter months with only pinecones gathered from the yard and a few lanterns purchased a few years ago from Pottery Barn.

Other parts of the house are similarly decorated with subtle hints of winter using winter landscape paintings , pinecones and candles.

The view of the 3 season porch from my spot on the sofa. It feels good to do nothing.

2015-12-28T16:13:00.003-06:00

Learning to use my SONY a35 is more difficult than I thought . I've been reading up on Pinterest and the google as much as I can - and then I have been experimenting with the settings and practicing with tons of pictures. Most of the pictures are not looking like what I think they should look like - especially the rooms - full view . Is my perception far from reality ? or bad photography? or both?

I think that some of the rooms and wall decor look pretty good- until I see the photographs that is ! Anyway....

Our house is decorated pretty much the same as last year with maybe a few less things. I'm hoping that
2016 is going to be a year of reducing clutter and accessories around the house . Well I will try my darnedest anyway ! I must admit that clutter of chotchkies and knick knacks are something that I struggle with constantly .

Christmas presents for my girlfriends were decorated with greens from the garden and pine cones from the tree in the front yard. I like the simplicity . I used a cute stamp of a vintage car , and stamped it on watercolor paper . With just a few brush strokes of water colors and a hole punch - they were complete.

I used a macro lens to get this picture above to be in focus up front and blurry in the back. I still need practice here .

Every year I set up a spot with the snow babies that I received as gifts over the years.

The Christmas tree has dwindled to a tall thin specimen (fake) of a tree to what is known as a pencil tree. Im not sure how I feel about the shape- but we have limited space so it works here.

A few more shots of the holiday decor on the living room buffet.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

2015-07-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

More Home Garden Ideas on my website

This is a little terrarium that I pulled together with some things that I had around the house. The vintage tea cup from a thrift store was the perfect container for a tiny fern and some moss. I liked how it all came together . Easy too!

Find a small teacup and a clay saucer ( thrift store!)
Place one layer of pebbles at the bottom of the cup for drainage
Add Potting Mix half way up the cup
Add a small plant
Put a bit of moss on top to cover the soil
Add some moss in the saucer
"Thread " 2 buttons through a stick pin and add a note
Place the cloche over the teacup and enjoy!

2015-07-02T20:43:00.000-05:00

Trying my best to get a good crop of herbs and tomatoes this summer !

BE

2015-04-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

April Snow Blast

2014-04-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

Snow in April ! ARGHHH!

I thought that we were on the downside of winter, and I suppose we are . sigh .

The snow seems to have been piled up all over the place forever . Including overnight .

Just when I think that I'll be able to check the garden to see if anything ( like a tulip or two- is that asking too much?) might be peeking up through the dirt, another 3-5 inches of the white stuff comes barreling down .

Heres the view from my office this morning - Do you see my red chairs that are looking so cold?

In the mean time - instead of harboring bad thoughts about the weather, I am keeping busy planning my summer parties. I love parties.

I got a lot of inspiration for a Mexican Fiesta party on a recent trip to Mexico . I loved this wooden settee below , and all of the colorful banners I saw in the outdoor cafes and shops. And the food we ate during this trip was fabulous

Some pictures from that trip are here on my website http://www.home-garden-ideas.net/mexican_outdoor_party.html

this is the settee that I saw ........ isn't it grand?

I can't wait to celebrate summer with an outdoor PARTAAAAY!

2011-11-03T07:38:00.001-05:00

I can't pretend any longer. Old Man Winter is on it's way.It really is. A few weeks ago it was unusually warm for Oct in MN at 86* and sunny. I already had my pumpkins thinking the cold snap was coming any minute. I was wrong- we had another 3 weeks of fabulous weather ! I set a fall table , but the trees were still full of leaves, and it looks like the middle of summer. ....but it wasn't . honest. I like how these turned out .

And here are some table ideas. I played around with the orange pumpkins and more fall like themes first.

I gathered some vintage china and other fall like "stuff"

Even pulled out some silver with a warm patina.


I like how the different materials , pumpkins and and textures play off of each other and gives a soft	comfortable look.

Weekend Walk in Autumn

2011-10-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

I took a walk this weekend through our community gardens . Not many people were up and around yet , so it was peaceful and quiet. I snapped a few pictures of the last flowers and blooms that were hanging on from the summer .I found one last cone flower and a tone of seed pods.

Notice how blue and clear the sky is? I didn't photo shop this - it was just that blue.

We used to call these seed pods milk weed. not sure what it really is , but

I know that butterflies like it.


This shrub is really cool . Love love love the texture.

The neighborhood birds will love these berries all winter long!


So bright and cheery

A few more flowers that have survived the fall drought.

These Pee Gee Hydrangeas were gorgeous! I was on public property and could not cut or pick any .
I do have these in my garden too so I may have to make one last bouquet with whatever is left in my garden.

I came around the bend in the road and saw the grasses. Breathtaking!


I've got to add native grasses to our back yard.They are easy to care for, takes little rain and looks so cool.

This community garden has wildlife habitats throughout the property. This is a butterfly house rising above the weeds - I mean native plants ( above)

The sun was high and bright - what a wonderful day to take pictures and enjoy being outside .

It's all about decorating with apples

2011-10-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

A few days ago my aunt and uncle gave me some apples from their apple trees. A TON of apples. At first I thought that I would have a baking marathon with them - and well......that never happened. I didn't want to keep them in the brown bag that they came in, so I started looking around the house to see how I could use them in displays and decorations and then use as I needed for baking or just eating. Here are some pictures of my displays.

The first one is in the entry hall - I know it's unusual to have a shelf with apples as soon as you enter the house, but I like the way it looks.

The apples under the glass cloche makes the them look like a pieces of art- very sculptural .

Notice how the black stand makes the red in the apples pop off of the wall color.

Well, since I have many more apples than these three, I had to find other spots to hold them . I had a birdcage sitting in the porch, and since it was empty - it was a perfect solution .

After giving dozens of apples away to family and friends, I still had enough to add a display in the living room.I played around with different options until I liked the balance. What do you think?

I didn't want to use the traditional fall colors and be too orange/yellow and red.........

The dried hydrangeas are from our garden - they add the right touch of fall-ish-ness.

Cake stands are great for anything that you want to display. I added the green moss to add some life - love it !

The end result

These pewter candlesticks are from a thrifting outing , along with the bowls that are just set on top . I could epoxy them and make a permanent, but I like changing the bowls out for different occasions.

This would be a great mantel display at Christmas time too .

Dining Alfresco

2011-06-17T07:37:00.000-05:00

This time of year in the upper Midwest, the late afternoon sun is warm ,but you can feel the cool night air hovering above, just waiting for the sun to go down.

With summer weather finally here, there is nothing better than having dinner outside . Eating with Al as my daughter says.

On this sunny Sunday afternoon , we decided to sit outside for a cocktail and watch my husband grill up something delicious for dinner . He's a great grill master!

My daughter and I had fun designing the table-scape, using the colors in the table cloth for our design inspiration .

The table cloth and melamine dishes are both from Target.

We grabbed whatever we could find around the house that had the lime citrus green and soothing whites.

Don't be afraid to mix old and new together. Here the vintage porcelain pitcher and old wire locker basket provide the right balance with the contemporary graphics of the table cloth and dishes.

Cool and refreshing on a warm summer night !

Ladies Mantle and variegated grass is all that was needed for this fresh centerpiece. My flowers in the garden are pinks and red and didn't look right on the table. If I had white flowers, I would have used them here, but I like the simplicity of the greens alone.

The antique silver tray added a little touch of class to the evening!

SALUD!

Check this out for more ideas and pictures for outdoor entertaining and parties.
http://www.home-garden-ideas.net/garden-party-idea.html

Today from the Garden

2011-06-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

the vintage milk glass vase and candle holders were my mothers

I added a few blades of striped grass to the arrangement

the colors seem to change with different backgrounds

love it !

yes the large purple globe flower is the good old herb plant CHIVE - such a pretty flower!

Today I was in the mood for a small bouquet of flowers, and I came up with this little arrangement. The garden is in an in between stage with lilacs and azaleas winding down, and the annuals not quite in bloom yet. It only takes a few flowers and some greenery in a vase to make me smile.

2011-04-27T06:53:00.000-05:00