don't fly away

Hummingbirds - everywhere I go. Flying hummingbirds, eating hummingbirds, resting hummingbirds - I'm surrounded by hummingbirds. I'm not complaining. I love their little colorful bodies. Just suddenly, hummingbirds everywhere.

If you have hummingbirds in your life, their symbolic meaning is joy and playfulness as well as adaptability. If they show up in your life it may remind you to enjoy life's simple pleasures and take time to enjoy yourself. Some other meanings include: being more present; independence; lifting up negativity; ability to respond quickly; and resiliency.

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dragonflies

At a certain time of year - now, orange dragonflies cover the skies around here. Hundreds of dragonflies with the sun glistening off their wings hover just above our heads. It's an awesome sight and an incredible feeling of being connected with these blessed wing creatures...

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butterflies

While researching the symbolic meaning of black butterflies, I came across some beautiful words and art...

Morning light, silken dream to flight

As the darkness gave way to dawn

You've survived, now your moment has arrived

Now your dream has finally been born

Black Butterfly, sailed across the waters

Tell your sons and daughters

What the struggle brings

Black Butterfly, set the skies on fire

Rise up even higher

So the ageless winds of time can catch your wings...

Deniece Williams

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words

Lately it seems doors are closing for me. I'm trying to keep the faith and looking for other doors - or even windows - to open. Pondering my current situation, I remembered the words to the only poem I ever memorized...

Listen to the mustn'ts, child,

Listen to the don'ts

Listen to the shouldn'ts

The impossibles, the won'ts

Listen to the never haves

Then listen close to me --

Anything can happen, child,

Anything can be.

Shel Silverstein

from Where the Sidewalk Ends

by Shel Silverstein

epic

Miss J and I are already in the summer frame of mind even though she still has to finish this week of school. Instead of reading or going to her skating lesson, we cut out and went to the movies this afternoon. We saw Epic in 3d - cute story, absolutely beautiful animation, the bad guys were a little dark for both of us. The animation was breathtaking. The piece with the Queen's transport carried by dragonflies was awesome. I searched everywhere online to try to find a still of it, but couldn't. The animation alone is worth seeing the movie. The Queen - voiced by Beyonce Knowles - reminded me of Barbie. Maybe that's why I was so taken with her!

Queen Tara

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

photographer: whitney neal

via 100 layer cake

wed wednesday 2

My other favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

I love Frida Kahlo...

photographer: amber vickery

via ruffled

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

photographer: a brit and a blonde

via style me pretty canada

speaking of cake...

My favorite cake painter is Paul Ferney. A few years ago, he and his wife of Oh Happy Day reknown collaborated. She baked the cakes and he painted 5x7 oils of each cake. All of the originals have sold, but prints are available here. Among my most prized possessions are two of the original paintings.

The first I bought was the upside down cake. I thought it was appropriate for me...

A few months later, I bought the second for Miss J's fifth birthday. Her first piece of original art...

I wish I had been fast enough to purchase this one. It's my favorite...

This is how they look on the shelf in my little house...

let them eat cake

A party without cake

is just a meeting.

Julia Child

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wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my tumblr, veilsandtales...

photographer: clare martin lapworth

via polka dot bride

wed wednesday

My favorite photo of the week from my wedding tumblr, veils and tales...

photographer: rebecca wood

via style me pretty canada

society 6

I've opened a new shop on Society 6. I just have horse photos listed as of now. I'll be posting more over the next few days. I still have the Etsy shops as well. The online world is so vast, I needed to diversify. And I love the art on Society 6. They print and ship, so the prices are very reasonable. The art is top notch. They even print iPhone cases and tote bags and the like. Not for my photos - it's just not me - but great graphics and photos available.

Society 6 shop here.
My shop here.

Photo prices are very reasonable...
mini - 8x5 photo on 10x7 paper - $15
small - 17x11 photo - $27
medium - 19x13 photo - $35
large - 24x16 photo - $44

one of the photos I've listed...

Grey

wed wednesday

From the veils and tales tumblr, my favorite photo of the week...

photographer: Julie Mikos

via style me pretty

wed day

I have another blog - a tumblr. I had another tumblr about two years ago called Bats in my Belfry. Bats was devoted to photos of animals. Not cutesy photos. Photos that just happened to have an animal in it. I posted to that tumblr for about three months. It was incredibly labor intensive because I refused to post a photo without sourcing it. So I spent hours finding out who the photographers were. I finally gave it up because of how much time it took. Sooooo, in my infinite wisdom and lack of memory, I started another tumblr. My first post was on February 14th. Did I mention it's a wedding tumblr? You see, I'm obsessed with weddings. Not my own. Just weddings in general. Especially the photographs. Wedding photography has become so artistic and the professional photographers who practice this craft are amazing. I read all the wedding blogs every day anyway. I thought I would post the photos that knock me out in some way. All subject matter is covered, as long as it's wedding related. It takes me about three hours a day to go through the blogs and post to my tumblr with all photos sourced. I'm not complaining. I love it. Although my back is beginning to scream at spending so many hours at the computer!

If you're a wedding junkie like myself or are just curious, please check out my tumblr. It's title is Beyond the Veil and it's tumblr name is Veils and Tales. You can see it here.

I tried to choose one photo as my favorite. Impossible. So I made a collage of some of my favorites. Sources and more on my tumblr.

maddie on things

Have you seen Maddie? She's a rescued coonhound belonging to photographer Theron Humphrey. On a cross-country trip, after noticing her incredible patience and ability to balance, he started taking photos of her on things, in things, things on her. The photos are wonderful! He has a book called Maddie on Things.

The instagram prints are available for a very reasonable price here. I'm having a difficult time deciding between the following two prints:

graffiti as marriage proposal

story here

so many favorites

e.soule is having a sale on her incredible, magical photographs. The prints start as Polaroid photos that she scans and prints. Check it out. The sale prices are fantastic. I wish I could get them all.

e.soule on etsy

e.soule website

e.soule blog

what we see

There is only you and your camera.

The limitations in your photography are in yourself.

For what we see is what we are.

Ernst Haas

two feathers

google

I love the way google manipulates its letters to mark different occasions and events. I was extra happy to see todays. Edward Gorey is one of my favorite illustrators. How could he not be with all the cats!