Saturday, January 12, 2019

Mosaic Monday #10 - Under the Tree


If you were expecting a post about our trip to Ohio and my Mother's 90th birthday, you are going to be (temporarily) disappointed.  I won't bore you with the technical details; suffice it to say I am having issues with my photos from the trip.  So, 2019 is already presenting me with an opportunity to exercise my flexibility.  Yippee!


Yes, our tree is still up and decorated!
What better time to show you my treasures from Christmas?  It's a win-win because it's surely time to move them from the under the tree, where most of them have been on display since Christmas Day.  Yes, Christmas Day.  I have good reasons … the day after Christmas we skied all day, and the very next day we traveled to Ohio.  See?

Oh, and yes, life has been chock-a-block since our return.  But you grow weary of the prologue - let's get on with the main event!

It seems appropriate to start with new tools - namely, a new wireless MOUSE!  Josie is not impressed but it sure makes my computer 'work' a breeze.  Thanks, #1 Son!

Does your family give out 'gift certificates' for Christmas?  We do.  A perfect example?  Spousal Unit presented me with a gift certificate good for several Adventures for 2019, dates to be scheduled.  Dog sled ride, dance lessons, Indian dancing event and a Grizzlies football game (that's University of Montana in Missoula, if you don't know).  You can bet you'll hear about our escapades in a future post!!!
Gift certificate, address plaque and spa gift card.  Ooh la la!


Window bird feeder, red sweater,
phone bracket and pillowcase 
with words to our Bruce Springsteen song
If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that all of my pictures are taken with my phone.  And in some posts I might have complained a time or two about its limitations when capturing small objects at a distance.  Well, now I have another option - a bracket especially designed to pair with a spotting scope; I can take close-ups THROUGH the spotting scope.  Last year, we saw some spectacular grizzly bear photos taken in this manner.  I am very excited about the potential to share some stunning wildlife pictures with all of you - watch this space!
Window bird feeder installed outside our dining room

And where will I find said wildlife?  On hikes, of course.  The book "Day Hikes Around the Flathead" promises to point us to new terrain and heavenly vistas.  I put the book on my wish list because the author prides herself in writing about hikes she has actually completed, and recently.  I can't tell you how many times we have followed directions to or on a hike, only to find the information is wrong.  And this book contains pictures, such as confusing junctions, with helpful arrows and guidance to ensure you do not stray.  Sounds simple, right?  I call it brilliant.
Hiking book and Botanical Hand-lettering Workbook, with pens

A number of my fellow bloggers are talented artists, and you know that I have admired your creations.  This Christmas I took a miniscule step toward drawing with "The Botanical Hand-Lettering Workbook" from #1 Daughter.  We all start somewhere, right?
"Remember, there are no mistakes in hand lettering - find
BEAUTY in the IMPERFECTIONS."
The workbook provides examples on the left and a blank page for
practice on the right.  I am experimenting with various pens ..



















Christmas would not be complete without something for your sweet tooth; in my case, it came in the form of two of my favorites - Licorice All Sorts and Classic Christmas Candies.  Who can resist those chunky ribbon candies or the miniature 'pillows' or the broken stick candy with a shape in the middle?  How it takes me back to my childhood!
What are your Christmas treasures, past and present?










Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
 

38 comments:

  1. Those upcoming adventures sound like fun and your drawings are very nice!

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  2. Lovely and thoughtful presents for sure! We give each other little surprises thru the whole season. Enjoy your new treasures! Kit

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  3. Great gifts for Christmas, I like the certificates idea. Licorice allsorts are yum!! Great drawing book. My Christmas treasures past are decorations the boys made when they were younger and for the present I am gathering tomte, I love them.

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  4. Looks like you had a fabulous Christmas. I like the idea of being able to look through a spotting scope to take photos. I'll have to tell my husband. BTW, I am glad that you enjoyed the dollhouse blog. Thank you.

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  5. A gift of adventures sounds like a great way to experience 2019!

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  6. In my opinion each of us can draw. It’s only the first step to go...
    ...wish you a very good Week!

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  7. ...I have seen some mighty nice images taken with a phone, but I;ll stick with my camera.

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  8. My camera died a few months ago and I've been only using my phone to take pictures too. Missed my camera at first but have found my phone does a pretty good job.
    Your beginning drawings look pretty good to me. I have no talent at all for drawing.

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  9. Your Christmas gifts are lovely. I especially like that there are things to anticipate in the coming months, not only the adventures, but also learning to draw and use your phone camera more.
    Thank you for hosting MM once again, Angie. Have a great week.

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  10. ha! I am off to e calligraphy workshop today! Going back to my high-school days when I loved calligraphy. I am trying to see the author of the botanical handlettering book you have. Can you let me know? It looks very interesting! Have a fabulous start to 2019. Mine is busy!

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  11. What lovely gifts! My wireless mouse and keyboard have saved me buying so many batteries as they charge via USB. A great invention!

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  12. The technology is sometimes a bad servant and drives me crazy ocasionally, too. Then I cry for help from my husband :). Drawing & art is a fun hobby. Nowadays I mainly draw with the mouse. My art blog is Digi Passions if you wish to look. Thank you for hosting - happy MM.

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  13. You were gifted with wonderful surprises at Christmas, Angie! My husband and I do not exchange Christmas gifts any longer as we feel we have more than enough things, but we do "gift" each other with mini trips and adventures all year long that make us happy. Our children give us gift certificates for a show or a restaurant and the grandchildren hand make us craft gifts that we always adore.

    I must look into the cell phone camera scope as I find I like having the convenience of only having to carry a cell phone instead of a heavy DSLR camera more and more.

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  14. I like the sound of those adventurous gifts, especially the dog sled ride and the Grizzlies football game. But not the dancing lessons. Good luck with your mobile an scope - I could not get the hang of that so I stick to DSLR and long lens, just need sunshine to make that work.

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  15. They are indeed Christmas treasures, Angie and will keep on giving the joy of Christmas right through until next Christmas. Many of our gifts at Christmas are similar, with paints, sketch pads and brushes figuring prominently!

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  16. Happy Mosaic Monday. My Christmas treasure present is 'Becoming by Michelle Obama' that was my Christmas gift 2018 from my daughter

    much love...

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  17. Lovely gifts and great shots, Angie!
    Thanks for hosting.

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  18. What lovely Christmas presents you received, Angie! I especially like the book "Day Hikes Around the Flathead", which looks so helpful and beautiful only to look at. On Christmas Day, adults don’t exchange gifts among my families and friends. Only to the young children, Santa Claus brings something nice. I prefer certificate gift. My children often choose gift card for travel, book, Häagen-Dazs, or Starbucks on my birthday. Have happy days ahead.

    Yoko

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  19. Lovely photos ~ very versatile and lovely Xmas presents! And your sketching is wonderful!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  20. I think your Christmas gifts are lovely, and many thanks for sharing all of your pictures.
    Have a good week ahead.

    All the best Jan

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  21. I love that neat bird feeder! How perfect for bird watchers! And the book to draw looks neat too. I love that red sweater...well, everything you've shown! We like so many of the same things! A treasure I received recently is an old hankie and ring that had been my Aunt's. I'll treasure them always! Happy MM!

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  22. Oh man! I missed your deadline again.

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  23. seems you will hava another busy year :)

    Myself I don´t take part in Chrismases anymore. People today have everything they need and to give money is no fun. :(

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  24. Dearest Angie; Oh, I am happy to read that you said "temporary" for the picture issue♪
    Wow, what a wonderful line up of the Christmas gifts you had(♡^.^♡) I am a bit envious you got the book you wished, Haha. In Japan, I think Christmas present is for MAINLY (probably) for children. I wish we have the custom like yours.
    Yes, the bird feeder truly caught my eyes and enjoyed it for a while with enlarged picture p;-) Only if we had the space in our tiny yard.
    So sorry for my late comment; Thank you very much for your sweet comment and Hosting.
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

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  25. Haha … I like the first photo. It makes me think that seeking perfection can feel like trying to touch a rainbow at times, although a mom having a birthday at 90 IS perfection in itself.

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  26. Those are some great gifts, Angie. Looking forward to your adventures and photos that will be showcased here. Have lots of fun!

    Have a wonderful week.

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  27. I hope you get your photo problem worked out. Technical problems are such a drag. I'm anxious to see how you like your phone camera attachment. It might be just the thing I've been looking for also. But I'll wait for your review first. ;)

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  28. Hi Angie wow what a wonderful post,you sure got lots of wonderful things for xmas,hope you have a wonderful day my friend xx

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  29. I hate it when I can't do what I want with my photos. Hope it gets worked out. I bet using the phone is convenient but I only used my phone for calls and texts--so behind the times!!

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  30. Hello Angie, sorry you are having problems with your trip photos. I have been away in Florida and I am now catching up with my blogging. The Adventures in 2019 sounds interesting and fun, a great gift idea. Cute kitty and I love your window feeder. Enjoy your day and week ahead.

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  31. Oh what fun! You are more than forgiven for not telling us about your trip, because it would have been a shame to have missed learning about your wonderful Christmas treasures. I can imagine the fun around your tree and You gave me some good ideas for next year or birthdays as well. (I felt like if you’d had new pictures, you might have never posted this great collection. Because I had a photo snag too last week and that’s why I did my second post about our little Christmas trip.). I hope we both get our photo problems solved before next week. Thank you as always !

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  32. Sorry about your photo issues. I find those kinds of glitches very frustrating. I missed out on Mosaic Monday since we made a last minute road trip to the West side of the Cascades to catch up with our westside kids! Happy new week to you!

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  33. Oooh, that workbook looks like fun. I'm going to look for it. Your bird feeder is reminding me that I've been thinking about putting out bird feed this winter. A whole bunch of doves were looking for food yesterday. I don't know if they found any kind of seeds beneath the leaves.
    The Husband and I like to give out gift certificates. That was one of our 5 no-money gifts to each other. I was practical, a certificate for a massage, while he was a romantic giving me a certificate for infinite kisses and hugs forever. I'm a lucky gal. :-)

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  34. your drawings are very beautiful.
    have a great weekend

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  35. Looks like you received lots of nice, useful, creative gifts. I exclusively use my phone for photos, too. Close-ups are easy. It's the long distance zoom shots that I use my Canon for, but usually only when it comes to the moon or birds. :) Full moon tonight so the camera will get some use once again. Hope you are having a good weekend.

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  36. Good website! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes it is. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS which may do the trick? Have a great day! photographe

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