Current Mood: 
So little Abby will officially become a permanent member of our household tomorrow. She's a most welcomed addition, too. Maddie and Izzy loooove their little cousin.
Come to think about it, I guess she'll become more like their sister now. While Abby and Izzy wrestle and play throughout the day, I'm sure Maddie will have a lot fun "corralling" the two. 
Maddie's the dog/cat herder in the family, and Izzy likes having a doggie her own size to roughhouse with.
My uncle and his new wife are visiting us this week, and it's such a strange thought to think that Abby will be here. She's always done well here while my brother and SIL were on vacation, so I think she'll adjust well. I certainly hope so. What I'm most worried over is Wendy (my hellish cat) behaving herself.
And since we'll have guests here in a couple days, I guess this means I should think of taking the Christmas village down? Lol!
Mom bought some beautiful flowers for the backyard, but of course all the shots I took looked awful. I tried dabbling with textures on one of the photos, but it didn't turn out too well.
I also practiced textures on an older picture of mine, but it isn't too great either. I can't seem to find any in depth tutorials to help me out.
(Larger Size HERE)
Still a newbie, but one day I'll get the hang of it. I have to have SOMETHING take over my obsession with Pinterest.
(Kate Greenaway)
The bluebirds have been busy lately. Three of them are building a nest together. I wonder if one of them is Duncan, or little FIEVEL all grown up?
Ya never know. 
Current Mood: 
There’s been a lot of informative talk about Pinterest lately. Things we’ve learned and so forth. I joined Pinterest not long ago… after waiting for what might have been a light year if not for someone’s generosity in inviting me… and I was hooked from the get-go. As a matter of fact, I’m still hooked and think of that place as a candy store. I pinned a few things in the beginning…. (oh the JOY I felt at how my favorite photos and blogs could be categorized like that!)…. and I always linked to the original source. Only a few times did I think I linked to the original source, via Tumblr, but then recently realized that Tumblr is pretty much just another Pinterest and that those photos weren‘t necessarily taken by the user which posted them.
Upon discovering this, I’ve opted to either delete my account entirely (which would make my blog ugly as sin with nothing but broken images) or just “repin” instead and not pin anything myself at all.
I know that technically, once anyone posts anything online... writing, photography, art, etc.... it's considered published material and is now in the public domain for people to do with it what they will. I'd like to think the best of people, but there are some immoral folks out there. (For example, my brother composed a song when he was 16 and some loser kid stole it, uploaded it to his site, and then claimed that it was all his own creation. Lucky for the thief, my brother let it slide as he's the creative type where once a project is done he completely detaches himself from it. Myself... I'm still seething over it). I just think it's important for people to be reminded of that fact and to be careful. If you put it out there, you're taking a risk by your own hand.
Still, I do believe Pinterest is a GREAT free advertising tool for all the blogs and artsy types out there. I’m living proof of that, since probably at least half the blogs I follow I was led to because people had pinned some b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l photos there which led me to the photo‘s original source/blog. If a person is impressed enough to share what gems they find, and they don't profit in any way, I personally can't see the harm. If anything, it could work to their advantage. Not only could it increase your blog traffic, but if you sell any of your art in an online shop Pinterest is quite possibly sending a flock of new customers your way.
And let’s be honest: Not all of us have fancy cameras or even the talent to take breathtaking photographs to post on our blogs in the first place, so I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that that’s why Pinterest is so gosh darn popular.
Anyway, the purpose of this post isn’t just to babble. Reading others thoughts on Pinterest this week, I just want it known that if you see a photograph on here (whether it belongs to you or not) that isn’t properly linked, PLEASE let me know. I know I’ve been good about linking to the original source whenever I pinned anything myself, but if you do happen to see an error on my part… please tell me! Likewise, if it's your photo and you just don't want it shared at all - whether I pinned it myself or not - kindly let me know.
I promise I won’t bite. 
I won’t bite, and I won’t be offended. I’m as human as anybody else reading this, and mistakes do happen. Even if it’s a photo I’ve linked from someone else’s Pinterest board, and you’ve noticed the link they posted is not original….. please either copy/paste the correct link on Pinterest yourself or share it with me so that I can change it myself. I have done that a few times already; correcting an incorrect link. I confess that I did feel a tad picky or snooty for doing that, but at the end of the day I knew it was the right thing to do. I'm a follow-the-rules kind of gal. (It's probably a Southern thing).
Now, if I ever do get an awesome camera and discover some latent talent via photography… feel free to pin my images. I’d be flattered, and it’d be nice “meeting” any new blog friends which might come my way thanks to a photo of mine being linked to that lovely world of Pinterest.
Wow... I can't believe I babbled so much. Obviously, I have nothing to talk about (to my audience of about 3?) and shouldn't have had that second cup of java tonight. I do feel like I've been hooked up to a grid.
UPDATE: I decided to just delete most of my Pinterest boards. I'm regretting it already.
But if anyone wants an invite, click on THIS past post of mine for details.
Current Mood: 
(Art by Lynn Bonnette)
The March Birth Flower is the Jonquil (aka Daffodil or Narcissus).
Meaning: Friendship and Domestic Happiness.
Hidden Message from Victorian Times: “You are an Angel.”
National Flower of Wales
Flower Language
Regard or unrequited love (Victorian)
Chivalry (The great yellow daffodil-Victorian)
Good fortune (Chinese)
mirth and joyousness (Japan)
Mythology/ Folklore
According to the Greek mythology, Echo was a mountain nymph who fell madly in love with a beautiful young man, Narcissus-- a vain youth who cared for nothing but his own beauty. He spent all his time looking at his own reflection in a pool of water and spurned Echo's love until she finally faded away, leaving nothing but her voice. The gods, angry with Narcissus because of his vanity, changed him into a flower who was destined always to sit by a pool nodding at his own reflection.
Similar versions of this myth occur in Rome, Arabia, Egypt, Spain and Portugal.
Venus, god of beauty, governs all daffodils except the yellow, and that belongs to Mars, god of war.
Narcissus was also sacred to to Persephone, embodiment of the earth's fertility and Queen of the Underworld.
Jonquil Violent Sympathy and Desire.
Have pity on my passion.
Although the jonquil is a member of the narcissus family, the narcissus have only one flower per stem and the jonquil have cluster of flowers per stem.
The particularly favorite flower of Queen Anne was jonquils. She wove patterns of jonquil blossoms in her delicate needlework which included carpets, tapestry and dresses. She was inspired by her love of jonquils to establish Kensington Palace Gardens, the first public gardens in England.
A Greek myth relates the story of Proserpina. While she gathering lilies, she was kidnapped the to god Pluto who carried her to the underworld. As Pluto carried Proserpina, she dropped the lilies. As the lilies fell to earth, they became daffodils, hanging their heads for Proserpina's sorrow.
A superstition in Maine states that you will cause a daffodil not bloom if you point at it with an index finger.
Link 1 / Link 2 / Link 3
Maddie's the dog/cat herder in the family, and Izzy likes having a doggie her own size to roughhouse with.
