Seeing through new lenses

Well, I just selected and ordered my new camera that is my gift for Christmas from my husband.

It was a week long ordeal of comparing and deciding.  I know I will be in love!

So........

I needed to get in one last log of pictures before the big switcheroo to the new one....

Here are lots of just random shots from the last few weeks.....enjoy...

A beautiful tablescape that never got posted, some sweet dog pictures and catching the sunlight just right one morning...after the few Christmas shots....
Well, well...I got some pictures posted in December after all..

Merry Christmas y'all..

Love,
Mona

Taking Inside Pictures

Sometimes when I am scrolling through the many pictures on Pinterest, I come upon an actually helpful Pin..

This morning was that kind of morning.  as some of you know, I am learning a new camera...my first DSLR.
And it does have it's challenges, especially when taking indoor pictures...
A little known fact..my dining room has NO windows...that's right NONE..NADA...it is located in the center of our house and has big openings to all of the other rooms so is not completely dark but.....to say the least, it has been a real challenge to take pictures in there..  and there are so many blogs about tablescapes that I would like to participate in but the quality has not been good enough....  so that is my sad story...LOL

This morning, it finally clicked as I read someone's blog about White Balance and Aperture......I am not good enough to teach you but will show you my first attempts with these new settings.....inside on a cloudy day...pretty good, don't you think?

I am so excited to see the colors of my china turn out as their true colors ....I know there is still a lot of experimenting but just wanted to show you these pictures...Maybe, just maybe I can now do a tablescape and be pleased with the colors.......

Anybody ready for a tea party?

Here is a link to her blog post.....    Tips for indoor Photos

My Winter Garden

Living in Georgia definitely has it's advantages during the winter months.  We hardly ever get really cold and stay that way. Therefore, we have flowers blooming almost constantly..and when you are from the south, camellias are probably in your yard or in your neighbors yard...or at least a part of your childhood memories.  My Grandmother grew prize camellias way back when gardening wasn't nearly as popular as it is today.  I remember her camellias vividly..  I especially loved the waxed camellias she had on her dining room table.

I have some red ones near our house that bloom their hearts out every year.  One of them is right outside my family room window and I got these pictures last weekend just before a freeze turned the blooms brown..

Several other flowers are blooming now too...I hope you enjoy this little view into my world....

oh, and in case you haven't heard....LOL  I am enjoying learning my new camera and the photo program that came with it......so I had to show somebody my experiments.....thanks for being patient with me....

snowdrops

spirea

chives

Happy weekend folks....

It's a New Year!!

Being the true southern girl that I am, we ate our way through New year's Eve and New Year's Day..  never thought I would be spending the first day of a new year COOKING!!!   LOL  not one of my favorite pastimes but tradition won out and I got that traditional New Year's meal on our table for one more year...collards, blackeye peas, hog jowl and cornbread......this year we added Boudin for a little variety..I think it is one of my favorite foods....thanks to my dear husband, I have learned quite a lot about Cajun food and cooking....no, he is not Cajun..he just lived in Mississippi for a while and fell in love with the food and culture....enough about all of that..

We also ate a very elegant meal for New Year's eve....dear hubby did that cooking for that one..he has gotten to be a pro at grilling steaks and cooking lobster...

we have really enjoyed our Christmas trees this year and I hate to take them down...maybe one more week..grin..

and lately, this is my life....I am loving learning this new camera.and a new way of looking at everything......and if you get near me, your picture WILL be taken...just a friendly warning..

Do you have plans for learning something new this year?