This Year - Written in My Heart

I have taken this photo with Camera+ -App in iPhone 4S, the text with Rhonne Designs App, Softly-texture with the courtesy of Kim Klassen

Some moments pop into my mind as I look back in 2013:

- Sitting in a rowing boat and fishing . . . our youngest son was learning to cast and he caught a mussel - He smiled so proudly! This experience kept him practising until he learned to cast the line until it flew smoothly through the air and swopped perfectly in to the water.

- Preparing my mom's 70 year birthday - the week in Finland with my parents, meeting family and catchin up.

- The valleys of concern and worry for the loved ones, who'se been caught in the middle of challenging circumstances - carrying both these precious people and my worries, giving them to God, who is able and does answer our prayers ... Most of the worry and pain have been transformed to tears of joy and relief - God does work in His time, which never fails!

- The happy moments in everyday life - they're like pearls that lighten our way, small drops of laughter, a smile, someone opening the door, and unexpected greeting ...

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I want to share these thoughts with you, as we're about to enter 2014:

My goal for 2014 could be formed as even more peaceful and unhurried everyday life - where there is place to listen and see, feel and notice ... the small and big things taking place in and around us:



Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
 
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
 
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.
 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Wishing you a Joyous and Happy New Year,

Nina

PS. I have not been very active on the blog-sphere during the holidays, but I look forward of catching up and popping by, very soon!

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 Texture Tuesday  Sweet Shot Tuesday

Create a touch of vintage to your photos: Photo Recipe

 

 



Removing an item from its original surroundings - like picking up this acorn from the forest floor and bringing it inside - and photographing that item isolated in a new setting, brings about a renewed focus and opens up for a fresh perspective.

 

I photographed the acorn under a direct light from above, creating a narrow and precise shadow under the acorn, thereby underlining its round form. I have taken the picture with my Nikon 3200 camera, using a 18-55 mm lens.

 

I wanted to create a touch of vintage feeling to this photo, so I selected three textures from the Olde World Collection and the Simplicity Collection from Love That Shot.

 

 

  

Photo Recipe:

1. I have edited this photo in Photoshop CS6 - I started with increasing the contrast of my original photo to 26 and the brightness to 22.
2. I added the Avignon texture from the Olde World Collection, using blending mode soft light with 50 % opacity.
3. My second texture, Palermo, is also found in the Olde World Collection: I used blending mode soft light with 35 % opacity.
4. The last texture Granite, is from the Simplicity Collection. Once again, I used blending mode soft light, this time with 30 % opacity.

 

 

The picture below shows the difference between my original photo and the texturized photo. I like the warm and delicate vintage-like feeling, these textures have created.



 

 

 

I like to use some of my photos as post cards. In these occasions I often add a greeting or a short quote to the photo. Ralph Waldo Emersons quote suits well with this little acorn of mine, so I added it to my photo. I selected a dark brown shade from my picture as the color of the text. Finally, I reduced the opacity of the text just a bit to create a soft, dreamy look.

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed following along - You'll find more inspiration from Love That Shot's beautiful Photo Texture Collections and  Photo Veil Collections.

Creating vintage-like photos and post cards is a great way to relax, giving a flow to your creativity. And even better - You'll make someone happy when e-mailing or sending your post card ... A joy that's shared is a joy made double!

Wishing you a happy and creative week,

Nina
 

His wonderful works

 

He causes us to remember his wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

Psalm 111:4 (New Living Translation)

 

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 Sam Robson: It Is Well With My Soul (Acapella Arrangement)

Blessings to your week, 

Nina
 

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Here's a printable
of Psalm 111:4 for you 

 

Sharing with: 
 

Still Saturday, The Weekend Brew,
Sunday Stillness, The Sunday Community

Textures with the courtesy of Nancy Clayes: Painted Skies 4 and Anna Lenabem: Texture 168

 

 

Christmas Greeting

 

Photo with iPhone, Mextures & PicFx - apps, texture 0212 by Kim Klassen

The shopping street is decorated in pine branches and Christmas lights ... We we shortly in downtown on Saturday, to visit a vintage flea marked called "Episode". The boutique was lovely and inviting. Our niece's Christmas wish is a voucher to Episode.

It is really nice that the younger generation is in for recycle and repurposing! When I stepped out of the boutique, I noticed the pretty mannequin above. I walked slowly along the street, feeling the misty rain falling softly down, enjoying the reflections of the lights in the puddles of water.

Now we have Christmas Holidays. We decorated the Christmas tree yesterday - It is nice just to look at it in the evenings. There is a story, an occasion, a person - connected to many of the Christmas ornaments ... Cherishing these memories popping up.




Photo with iPhone, Rhonna Desings app, texture 0212 by Kim Klassen



 Love came down at Christmas;

Love all lovely, love divine;

 Love was born at Christmas,

Stars and angels gave the sign.

 

Christina Rossetti

 

 

... Wishing you a Merry and Joyous Christmas,

 

Nina

 

 

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  Saturday Share Fest Simple Things Sunday Weekly Top Shot

When they saw the star...

After listening to the king, they went on their way.

And behold, the start that they had seen when it rose

went before them until it came to rest over the place

where the child was. When they saw the star,

they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

 

Matthew 2:9-10

 

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The Christmas Story told by the children of St Paul's Church,

Auckland, New Zealand:

 

 

 

Happy 4th Advent &
Blessings to your week, 

Nina
 

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Here's a printable
of Mathhew 2:9-10 for you 

 

Sharing with: 
 

Still Saturday, The Weekend Brew,
Sunday Stillness, The Sunday Community


I have taken the photo with Iphone using Hipstamatic App.
Then I added the 3 Wise Men in RhonnaDesings-App,
the text with Phonto-App and the "snow"-effect with Afterlight-App.

Tidbits in Candlelight {iPhoneography}

 

Photo taken with Camera+ and edited in Snapseed, DistressedFx, PicFx and PhotoToaster

I found these pretty hyacints on my desc at the office today - A greeting from "the secret elf". During the month of December everyone is "a secret elf" for someone else. Each elf is to make her / himself known in some way 3 times. It's been nice to make surprises - and  to be surprised!



Photo taken with Camera+.I have added textures 2811 by Kim Klassen and Avignon from Olde World Collection by Love That Shot

Candlelight brings coziness to the dark, wintery mornings...

Camera+, HandyPhoto

... and enlightens the evenings as well. It is often dark outside, both when you go to work and come back from work ... We do need some soft candlelight!

Hipstamatic, Snapseed, Mextures

The tiny oak, next to the Christmas tree on our local town square, has gotten a woolen scarf :)

Camera+, Snapseed

My bicycle tire punctured on Wednesday - so I had to do some extra walking and I got home late. When walking slowly towards the train station, I discovered that the station looks pretty cool with all these lights ... I haven't noticed that when biking! And as I arrived to the station, I met an acquintance, I hadn't talked with for a long time ... we chatted and cathed up in the train. So the punctured tire was not a disaster, after all.

... Have a great weekend,

 

Nina

 

 

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They will walk ...

 

"... but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

 

Isaiah 40:31

 

Oslo Gosper Choir: Open the Eyes of My Heart

Blessings to your week, 

Nina
 

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Here's a printable
of Isaiah 40:31 for you 

 

Sharing with: 
 

Still Saturday, The Weekend Brew,
Sunday Stillness, The Sunday Community

Textures with the courtesy of Nancy Clayes (Scriptured 2 & Scriptured 3) and Love That Shot (Sunshine 2 & 3 from Illumination Collection  and Naples from Olde World Collection)