Life’s Sweet Ordinary — through my lens

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

It’s been two years since my Mom died. I still miss her immensely so tomorrow is not going to be easy for me. She knew she was dying and there was one thing she insisted I take before she died. It was a book of poetry she received decades ago as a gift. It was obviously something she treasured and wanted me to have. There’s a longer story to this but the important thing is that I have that book and I treasure it more than anything. I love her deeply and miss her intensely. Although I told her I loved her, showed her (though could have done more), I wish I had honoured her even more while she was alive. May you have a day filled with the treasures of motherhood and may you honour your Mother on her special day — and every day.

I love that I can sometimes hear her voice in mine. I hope others can see a part of her in me. {I was going to add a YouTube video here but don’t know how. Here is is: We Rise Again.}

PS: Thanks for the great input on social networking. Looks like we all agree — a waste of time!
PPS: I wasn’t able to get my new website ready for launch but watch on Monday for the big announcement and reveal — I think Monday is the day!!

Huh? You’re probably thinking I have that old cliche turned around. You’re right, I do.

For those using film and not digital, the darkroom is where the final processing occurs for photographic prints. Ansel Adams is known to have worked magic in the darkroom ‘finishing’ his masterpieces. Now that so many of us are using digital, a darkroom still exists — it’s the digital darkroom. I’m no master in the digital darkroom though I’ve been spending time in that digital darkroom practicing, experimenting, and even stretching the limits now and again. Today’s image is a result of some of that practice.

The image above, as it came straight out of the camera (SOOC), was nice enough but I thought it had potential for altering it somewhat to give it a more vintage feel. Using my Lightroom 2 software, I created a negative applying specific levels of processing. I’ve found it so much fun to experiment and play around in this way. Recently I also created my very first high-key image which can be done either in the camera or in the processing. I took an already somewhat overexposed image of a horse, increasing the exposure in the digital darkroom, made a few other minor adjustments, and ended up with a more artistic version that you can view at my photoblog. I was really pleased with the results.

This image of a bloom on my Easter cactus has been through the digital darkroom. Using Lightroom I was able to make it appear like it was created with Velvia film. Velvia film is known for having brighter colours and deeper saturation, among its other attributes. While in that darkroom I could have just as easily made this black and white, sepia, or many other options for final processing. Remember the beautiful close up of that clematis and the pink peony I offered for desktop wallpaper? The colours were more brilliant and crisp but I reduced that brilliance, purposely desaturating both images to give them more of a faded old-time feel. All done in my digital darkroom.

Then again, I could run a photo through that digital darkroom, leaving it as it came straight out of the camera, but add one small touch: a bit of vignetting (that darkening of the edges) like with this box of cupcakes. The only difference between the film version of processing and the digital version is that one is done with chemicals and one is done with the computer. I hope you’ve enjoyed walking through my digital darkroom.

In what ways do you like to experiment or play around with any of your creative pursuits (gardening, photography, painting, crafting, sewing, woodworking, or …)?

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” ~ Edward De Bono

“One’s home is like a delicious piece of pie you order in a restaurant on a country road one cozy evening – the best piece of pie you have ever eaten in your life – and can never find again.  After you leave home, you may find yourself feeling homesick, even if you have a new home that has nicer wallpaper and a more efficient dishwasher than the home in which you grew up.”  ~Lemony Snicket

Where I live now

Like Lemony Snicket, even though I’m in that home that “has nicer wallpaper” metaphorically, I still find myself homesick for the home in which I grew up. Not the physical house, but the place. I miss the city, I miss having people around, I miss the conveniences & the culture, I miss the diversity, I miss the people all around (yes, I know I said that but you get the idea). On my recent trip to Edmonton I felt alive again, vibrant, motivated — I had a taste of that excellent metaphorical piece of pie so aptly described by Lemony Snicket.

Upon my return, I was armed with some of the real estate papers for my husband to pore over. To my delight, he actually has been poring over them. We’re still a couple years away from retirement but we’re planning. One day, one of these years I will be able to pack up and return home.

Where do you call home — the place where you’ve had that taste of the best (metaphorical) pie ever?

Chookoloonks (Karen Walrond), a fellow Shutter Sister, ages ago began Love Thursday. The idea is to post an image of love and tell a brief story about it, if you like. Most people always post images of hearts. I’m participating today but my image, instead of being one of hearts, is born of the heart.

My mom bought me a pair of mini birds that she discovered at a garage sale. Knowing I love birds, I can picture her and how pleased she must have been when she came across these. She always loved giving me special things. This is just one of those two little tweety darlings. My mother is gone now but the birds sit beside the sink where I see them and love them every day. A wonderful memory of my mom.

Oh, and I’m having a giveaway — draw being made on March 17!

The other day while looking at some of the photos at Shutter Sisters I came across a lovely image and was immediately smitten when I read the description explaining the image. It was a comfort drawer. Apparently it’s actually an idea from the book Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy in which the author suggests creating a comfort drawer to “stockpile small indulgences” for when comfort is needed. It should include items to pamper yourself, however you view pampering. I love that idea!

There was a fantastic old train case (about 12″ x 12″) that my mom had and now I wish I would have kept it. I would have put all my comfort items in that. Instead I’m going to create one in the drawer in my bedside headboard. I haven’t entirely decided upon everything that will go in there but I do know it will include items such as: a favourite book or two; something my mom gave me; a photograph of her; photos of my son & his young family; a chubby, smooth writing pen plus a pretty journal; my favourite handmade body lotion; maybe a piece of free trade chocolate; and I’m sure I’ll come up with other things certain to give me comfort.

So now I come to the part about the giveaway. Several weeks ago I was one of the lucky winners in a pay-it-forward by this lovely Canadian lady from her new blog. She mailed me a beautiful triptych she had photographed (below) and created, so now it’s my turn to pay-it-forward. Here’s how I’m going to do it:

a lovely and very unique triptych by Suvarna Mollerup

• Leave a message with this post telling me what you would put in your comfort drawer. Or, write a post about it at your own blog but leave a link to it here in the comments.
• For anyone who makes a comfort drawer (put it in a basket or decorative box) and gives one to their mother (or other really deserving person), you get your name entered three times for my giveaway. So that I know you’ve created one to give away, please take a photo of it and leave the link to your photo here in this post.
• Easy peasy right?
• Right now, I’m thinking I’ll draw on St Patrick’s Day (March 17). That’s less than a week away. If I don’t get enough entries, I may move the date up a bit. Feel free to let others know about the giveaway (you do have to tell me what you would put in your comfort drawer — that’s the whole idea!) and don’t forget about tripling your chances by making a comfort box/drawer for someone really deserving, like your Mom.

If you’re wondering what the giveaway is, I’m keeping it a surprise the way Suvarna did. Hint: the giveaway will likely be an 8×10 of one of my images but I bet there will be something else too. We all love surprises don’t we?

Okay, so tell me what you would put in your comfort drawer and, better yet, go make one for your Mom (or other really deserving person). I can hardly wait to read the responses!

I need your input.

I have decided I would like to offer you, my blog readers, a free desktop wallpaper for download every month beginning in March. Because I am limited to the size I can offer with this particular blog format, it has me considering a slight change. This is where I need your input please.

Cyclamen © Copyright Diane Schuller. All Rights Reserved.

To be able to ‘drop in’ a suitably sized image for you to download once each month, I would have to change the particular blog theme so that it can handle a larger sized image (in dimension and pixels). So, are you open to seeing a facelift here? If I do a facelift to the blog I’m still limited to using the standard WordPress templates, especially since I have no idea how to customize blog themes. You are the ones coming to view the photos and read the blog, so I felt I’d give you the opportunity for input on this. Would you like to see a fresh perky white or light background? I thought it might be nice with Spring soon upon us anyway. I really like how the black background allows the photos to stand out, although white can do the same thing. So, here are the two real questions for which I need a response:

1. Would you be interested in a free downloadable desktop wallpaper (a new one available each month)?
2. Would you like to see a change in theme with a white or other light background (even if only for the spring & summer months)?

If you have other suggestions how I could conveniently offer the free downloadable photos each month, I’d love to read your suggestions. Also, if you have any other suggestions about the blog theme (how the blog looks), bearing in mind I haven’t a clue how to customize using CSS (whatever that is) or HTML.

PS: This is blog post 2 of 2 for today! … just in case you missed the one below.