Smile on Saturday

flat lay

February Alphabet Fun Month, 2022 edition.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support.

Cheers!

Michelle :)

April 2026: a month in 30 pictures

A quick flat lay when I remembered I needed to take a photo just before I go out for the evening. I still had the Sol 45 on my camera so disengaged the aperture blades to avoid the texture they give.

Sorry to post and run again, I seem to spend my life saying I will catch up later.

…it’s an old shot, I just thought I’d give it some extra exposure (dreadful pun intended)

The "Flickr Friday" group theme for this week is: Motto

I thought this message would be a good one to read to start off with your day! I hope it is a great one!

Thanks for your visit! :)

291/365

#78 in my 100 x challenge - Monochrome

Another flatlay today as I couldn't think of anything else.

Pentacon 50mm f1.8

26/31: October 2019: A month in 31 pictures

Well you knew I'd use these pumpkins again, didn't you? I thought it was time Stitch (my little mouse) put in an appearance again too...along with some similarly toned stuff.

I made my favourite style of photo for my favourite holiday of the year.

Thank you very much for your visit. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

In American Victorian-era advertising, children were popular on trade cards because children were often the ones who sought out and traded these cards. Merchants would even have children hand out cards on sidewalks to other children to ensure they were brought home to parents. As child welfare movements grew in America, images of happy, healthy children provided a "halo effect" for products—even dangerous ones. For instance, cards for Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup featured serene babies to mask the fact that the product contained harmful ingredients like morphine! Cards often depicted children in affluent, leisurely settings. For young girls in more restrictive environments, these cards served as a symbol of the "attractive consumerist activities" available in the new industrial era. "Sympathetic imagery" of children in difficult circumstances was used to sell medicine, as consumers were more likely to buy a remedy if they believed it could help fix widespread disease among children.

Last year, I was shopping in an antiques and curios shop (surprise surprise) when I came across two boxes full of beautifully lithographed Victorian era business cards, the majority from America, and most business long lost to time over the last 150 or more years. The box had a handwritten sign on it saying that the cards were $5.00 each, reduced to $3.00 if I bought five or more. I asked to see the boxes and went through them.

As I was going through them, the lady behind the counter told me that they were all the collection of a woman who used to have a stall in the antique shop (which is a collective). Sadly, but not unexpectedly, the former owner of this collection of cards died of cancer and, having no children of her own, asked her family (who had no interest in them) to sell off her collections in her stall at the antique shop at reasonable prices.

I was so impressed by the quality of the cards, and touched by the story of their former collector owner, that I ended up buying eighty of the cards. I have taken several trips back since then and bought a great many more. At least this way I have held at least a portion of her collection, which she had so carefully curated, together. I have also bought more from elsewhere to enhance and grow my collection.

Autumn flat lay with ginkgo and wild rose leaves.

The rainy season arrived this week in Portland. Not much landscape photography for four months. Between showers today on a walk, I collected some autumn leaves and berries and shot this flat lay.

Compositionally Challenged Week 28 - Hands

I chalked myself up using black and blue chalk. I don't suggest it, lol! Of course there's lots of trial and error so I had to soap up, wash off, and reapply a few times. This is the closest I got to my vision and decided it was good enough. : )

CC Rainbow - Blue

Taken for this weeks Crazy Tuesdays group theme: ❤ Heart(s) ❤

Thank you for your visit! HaPpY CrAzY tUeSdAy!

Donkey pulling cart as it winds through a grass field.

I'm very sorry for all of you who have commented as "Smile on Saturday!! because I have been told that it doesn't meet the rules for this category.

懐かしい写真見つけた、、、。

The amount of time and energy used to arrange and take this photo far exceeded the quality of the resulting image.

These are the red tulips I posted on Day 36 (February 5th) and even though I have some newer tulips I decided to photograph these at least one more time.

We are celebrating a long weekend here and we are getting ready to head off to visit with my parents and also my brother who is visiting from out of town. It is quite snowy and not the nicest for going out or travelling anywhere but at least we aren't needing to drive very far. I like winter and snow but I am kind of glad that February is a short month.

Thanks for your visit! Have a wonderful day!

I'd like to wish my Flickr friends a very Merry Christmas. I hope you day is filled with joy and love as you celebrate the holiday with family and friends.

I thought I'd try a flat lay with some flowers and hearts and added a texture. I don't need much of anything else in life...hmmm, except maybe chocolate?...oh yes...definitely chocolate! :)

I hope you had a lovely day! Thanks for stopping by.

A flat lay of memories from my now deceased older generations. A white lace tablecloth and brooch from my grandmother H, my Aunty B who died just before Christmas some years ago and who folded parachutes during WWII, her brother my Uncle E, and a cup of tea beloved by my mother with her fancy cup. Candles and potpourri to complete the memories.

Taken as a flat lay with my light box

Crazy Tuesday: theme bookmarks

Thank you everyone for all your kind comments and favs. All are greatly appreciated. HCT

Another great brocante-find: tapestry wool. I will use these wonderful colors in all sort of projects; winding, weaving, knotting, knitting or crochet. I have so many nice ideas.

We’re having a ball at the beach!

Fani Flamingo, Cherry Beach Sunset, and Sailing Dominique pose with some of the beach balls I got in a 12 pack from Amazon, for “Have a ball” and “Beach”.

A cold Spring day calls for some tea to warm you up.

Thanks for your visit! Happy Sunday to all and I hope you have a wonderful week.

Another rainy Spring day here. I am grateful it is mild with just rain and fog because just a little further north the folks are experiencing freezing rain and power outages. The freezing rain has been so bad that trees are breaking and coming down. Mother Nature isn't always kind.

Thanks for your visit! Have a wonderful Sunday, friends.

Why not head across to the blog and check out the free photography course definitelydreaming.com/free-photography-course/!

Strawberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Cinnamon Sticks

Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission.

© All rights reserved

Since I had so many strawberries from a recent trip to a berry patch, deciding what to do with them took a little thinking. I made some strawberry jam and froze some for smoothies but baking something with them is also something I wanted to do. I have made a strawberry pie only once or twice before and I thought that I'd give it another go. I sure hope it tastes good!

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday and I thank you for your visit!

6/30: April 2021: A month in 30 pictures

#30 - 100 x challenge - Lensbaby

Anything goes for 2021 - Handmade with love

A couple of my handmade cards and a handmade and hand written tag, all made with love of course. My creative mojo had disappeared but recently I have been a bit more inspired so have enjoyed making cards rather than it being a chore...and the April challenge is making me pick my camera up every day and think about setting up an image.

Lensbaby Velvet 56 and Omni filter...the bokeh balls top right.

The slow down may not have lasted long but it was long enough so I could drink my cup of tea.

When the afternoon rolled around I was outside doing more yardwork and then finished off by hanging up my Christmas lights. I know it seems a little early (this is the earliest I have ever had them up) but the weather was perfect and I didn't have to freeze my hands off. I'd say that's a win for me.

Happy Sunday to you. Thanks for your visit. :)

Festival of colors

Day 229/365:

Thanks to these dead roses (good job I keep things like this) and my iPhone, I'm still in the game.

I used the stage light in the portrait setting, quick simple composition that involved no difficult manoeuvres.

One day at a time.

110/365

20/30 - April 2018: A month in 30 pictures

Last weekend we were at the beach and the weather wasn't great, this weekend we can't go and the weather is lovely...that's life but it gave me inspiration for the photo. The starfish are ornaments, the letters from my craft stash.

Auswahlfoto

Für "Crazy Tuesday"

Thema "Flat Lay Photography" am 03.01.2023.

🍀A happy and peaceful New Year for everyone.🍀

Have a 😄HaPpY CrAzY Tuesday😄.

And many thanks for all your views, faves and comments.

You can see a lot of flowers at the same time in July.

Can you guess how many flowers are in this bowl??

レインボーみたいに綺麗に色分けしたかった、、。

360/365: It's still the festive season so I'm making the most of it while I can with these props.