My Favorite Photos from 2017!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here and a lot has happened, but the biggest change for me artistically was taking a wonderful course from Anna Aspnes called “A Year of Artplay,” where I learned how to do artistic digital scrapbooking. Anna’s classes are wonderful, as are her products, and she is a wonderful teacher. You can learn more here. I created this layout using one of Anna’s album templates and some of her other products as well.

I’m hoping to get back into posting on my blog again in 2018, and I wish all of you the very best for the holiday season and the coming year!

 

 

6 Comments

  1. Deborah Brown

    Anita, this is fantastic. Love the vibrant colors. And, the layout design is perfect! Wishing you and Rick a very Merry Christmas.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely words, Deborah! Wishing the same to you and Frank and all of your family!

      Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Errol!

      Reply
  2. Beverly

    This is so beautiful and the mention of Anna is so sweet. She is a lovely artist and teacher. Wishing you and Rick a wonderful and special Christmas and Happy New Year! 💗💗💗

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, my dear friend! She is a wonderful artist and teacher and I did want to share her information. I probably should have been posting my layouts here all year, but somehow that never happened!

      Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 💗💗💗

      Reply

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New Words for the New Year

Each year my husband Rick and I each choose three words that will guide and inspire us through the course of the year. My words for 2015 were “create”, “celebrate,” and “energize,” and I was fortunate to have done a lot of all three. I still love those words and will carry their spirit with me into 2016, but they are action words guiding what I do.

For 2016 I have chosen “gratitude,” “mindfulness,” and “authenticity,” words that reflect the spirit that I wish to bring to everything I do, principles that will help me live more fully, more consistently with my values.  Words that remind me to be myself in the present moment, and never for a moment forget how lucky I am.

Happy New Year to all of you, and may you all have as much joy in your lives as I have in mine.

11 Comments

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  2. Diana Foster

    Great words. Your work is so lovely. Visiting from Kim Klassen’s Be Still – One Year Wiser class.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh Diana, thank you so much for your lovely comments!

      Reply
  3. Beverly

    This is just perfect Anita…your 3 words for both years. I like that idea of 3 words instead of one…as it captures more areas to focus on. Wow, yours are just beautiful, as are you! I’ve linked your blog into my “feedly” list so now I can easily check yours.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh Beverly, you are such a sweetheart – thank you so much for your lovely comments!

      Reply
  4. Kristi

    Beautiful post and beautiful words Anita! Very grateful to have you and your friendship in my life!

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Kristi! And I and so lucky and grateful to have you and your friendship in my life!

      Reply
  5. Donna Milburn

    Oh Anita… your words for both 2015 and 2016 are so beautiful. Although we haven’t met in person, I am so blessed to have met you through the Studio Online. I look forward to getting to know you more. Your photos are always amazing…. love love love all your gorgeous flowers! Donna :o)

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh, you are so kind, Donna – thank you so much! I feel so blessed to have met you as well, and both your wonderful, creative work and your beautiful, kind words are such an inspiration to me. Hugs, Anita

      Reply
  6. Ann Davis

    Anita,

    What perfect words for 2016 and actually for always. 3 of my favorite words. Your words for last year were wonderful. I am forever grateful you have come into my life.

    Ann

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh my dear Ann, your kindness and support mean the world to me and I am equally grateful to have you in my life – you are truly a treasure, my dear friend! Hugs, Anita

      Reply

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Fun with Filters

Fun with Filters (2 of 6)

It’s late November and my shooting season is pretty much done, so now it’s time to go back though some of this year’s photos and play with filters!

Aster seed heads are so photogenic, especially in late afternoon light. I shot these a couple of weeks ago, and now they are long gone. I got this effect using a custom filter from Photomorphis in On1 Photo Effects 10, followed by a modified version of the Lavender Meadow preset in Topaz Texture Effects. This is a new program I’ve had only a few days, but it so much fun to play with!

Here are a few more photos from my yard this fall, plus a couple of witch hazel flower shots from early spring.

Fun with Filters (3 of 6)
Fun with Filters (4 of 6)
Fun with Filters (6 of 6)
Fun with Filters (1 of 6)
Fun with Filters (5 of 6)

 

 

 

4 Comments

  1. Jeannie

    anita, as usual, your work is beautiful. I haven’t started playing with the new filter yet, But I am sure I will be asking you for tips

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh Jeannie, you are always so kind – thank you so much! And I’ll be happy to offer any tips you’d like!

      Reply
  2. Ann Davis

    I love the new filters. Glad you bought them so I could see what it look like. These are awesome. Each one is fantastic.
    New things to play with?????.
    Ann

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Ann! Yes, they are a lot of fun and they’ll come in handy in the dreary season!

      Reply

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The Glory of a New England Autumn

foliage_by_the_river

Walking along the beautiful rail trails is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of fall in New England, and we’ve been doing just that almost every day. One of the trails runs along the east side of the Nashua River, and the backlit foliage along the river in the late afternoon light is just spectacular. I took many shots there and this is one of my favorites.

But why stop at one? Here’s a slideshow with some more of my favorites. There are 9 images and all but #5 were taken on the Nashua River Rail Trail in either Pepperell or Groton, Massachusetts. Number 5 was shot on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

 

Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (9 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (2 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (8 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (1 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (6 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (7 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (5 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (4 of 9)
Rail Trail Foliage October 2015 (3 of 9)

18 Comments

  1. Diana Foster

    Your Autumn’s are so lovely. Visiting from Kim Klassen’s My Still Sunday class.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Diana!

      Reply
  2. Jeannie

    Lovely images, Anita.It is so nice to see the varied colors of an East Coast Autumn

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Jeannie!

      Reply
  3. Nancy

    Anita, these captures are stunning. I think it’s wonderful that you have such a beautiful place to walk. I would think it would be very hard to stay inside with this beauty so close by.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Nancy! We are so lucky to have these beautiful places so close to home, and yes, it is hard to stay inside, especially with our recent warm weather!

      Reply
  4. Julia

    Anita,

    Absolutely lovely. Thank you for sharing a bit of New England.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for stopping by and for your lovely comments, Julia!

      Reply
  5. Carolyn

    Stunningly beautiful . .. each photo is breathtaking . .. I loved the East Coast in the Autumn . .. my favourite season of all.

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Carolyn! It’s my favorite season too!

      Reply
  6. frank and betty

    Gorgeous color..very impressed..you defintely are ready for prime time!

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Frank and Betty – you are so kind!

      Reply
  7. Kristi Cromwell

    These are wonderful Anita! You captured the beauty of an autumn in New England beautifully!

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Kristi! I hope you’ve been enjoying this beautiful autumn!

      Reply
  8. Ann Davis

    Seeing the pictures on the iPhone does not even begin to do them justice so I had to go to my computer. These are so fantastic. The colors are brilliant!!!!!

    Ann

    Reply
    • Anita

      You are so kind, Ann – thank you so much!

      Reply
  9. Lisa Advent

    Simply beautiful my friend! WOW!!!!

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Lisa – you are so kind!

      Reply

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The Magic of Acadia

Duck Brook 1Acadia National Park is one of our favorite places in the world. We’ve been there countless times over the last 35 years, but its beauty and magic enchant us still. And this was the first time we ever saw an eclipse there – the splendor of the blood moon was enhanced by a sky filled with more stars than we have ever seen. Although we didn’t photograph the eclipse, the memories of that glorious evening will fill our hearts with joy forever.

One spot we love to visit and photograph is Duck Brook, and on our last day there we stopped by late in the morning, and the light on the reeds was just amazing. I took lots of shots, but this one was my favorites.

4 Comments

  1. Ann Davis

    Anita this is so much prettier on the computer than on my smaller devices. It is also so much easier to type an message here. Love the story with the picture. WOW :):)

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Ann – it’s an incredible place!

      Reply
  2. Donna Milburn

    Anita… this is amazing, stunning and perfect. So vibrant and full of colour. Your trip will have wonderful memories for years to come. :o)

    Reply
    • Anita

      Oh Donna, you are such a sweetheart – you have really made my day. Your kindness fills me with joy – thank you so much! And those memories will help us get through the winter!

      Reply

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Yes I Canna!

Orange Canna

I had a delightful lunch with Kristi Cromwell at Tower Hill Botanic Garden last week, and we had a wonderful time strolling through the gardens.  They have beautiful cannas planted in pots throughout the garden, and this this beauty really caught my eye. She was bold and sassy, and I really wanted to do her justice. But I was shooting with my point and shoot camera that day, so when I looked at the image at home, all I saw was the distracting background.

Fortunately, I love playing with filters almost as much as I love shooting, so I brought the sassy gal into Photoshop where I used  several presets from Totally Rad’s RadLab plus a duplicated layer set to “multiply” to get the look I wanted. Bye-bye background, and hello gorgeous!

2 Comments

  1. Kristi

    You did an amazing job with the processing Anita! She is a bold and sassy flower and you did her justice. What a delightful afternoon it was…summer was still in the air and such good company!

    Reply
    • Anita

      Thank you so much, Kristi – I’m so glad you like it! And yes, it was a delightful afternoon spent with delightful company!

      Reply

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