It’s the Cruella De Vil of origami!

**ht: Becca.

Monument to Union Pit Disaster of 1902

The Hundred of St Briavels was an ancient name that marked the area between the Wye Valley and the River Severn.  If you are born in this area you are allowed traditional rights; to be a Freeminer, or to graze livestock.  The new St Briavels Hundred is a series of ten guided walks, each of 10 miles starting at different points in this beautiful area.  The walks take you to parts of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley that are off the beaten track.  When you have completed all ten you will have travelled over a hundred miles and explored on your journey the unique culture and history of an undiscovered part of the world.

All the routes are circular and have short cuts, so you can break the walk into a distance to suit your capabilities.  Most of the routes are on the outskirts of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley and the traveller will be rewarded with wonderful views of the Welsh Mountains, The Malverns, May Hill and the Wye and Severn Valleys.  Most walks take place on the first Sunday of the month.

The names of the routes, Milo’s Revenge, In the footsteps of Henry V, Journey to Middle Earth, In search of Sabrina, In the Steps of Wordsworth, etc,  reflect the folklore and history that your expert guide will describe. 

Once you have experienced one of the walks you will want to return again and again to sample the distinct flavour of all ten.  Complete all ten and you will become a Forest Freewalker.  Even after you have joined the exclusive ranks of those that have achieved all ten walks you will want to try them at different times of the year; when the bluebells are out, during autumn colour, when the daffodils or snow drops blossom or on a crisp winter’s day.

Benefit from our local knowledge.  Walk with us and we will give you interesting facts en-route,  and show you parts of this historic area that other visitors do not see.  Take your first step on a journey of a hundred miles, by contacting the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Tour Guides or book online now for £10 per person.

I was browsing through my pictures and i came across these pictures taken in New Zealand by Victor. The scenery is just breathtaking, so picturesque and colors so rich. I would really like to go there one day to just admire God’s work of art.

Here are our additional photos taken during our Coron Island hopping. Enjoy!

Heute wurde das MacGraPhoto Bundle enthüllt und es ist 15 Tage lang erhältlich.

39,99$ (knapp 27 €) anstatt 251$. 84% Rabatt.

Folgende 7 Anwendungen sind enthalten:

• Picturesque – Bildmanipulation und Effekte
• ImageFramer – Fotorealistische Bilderrahmen
• GraphicConverter – Multiformat Umwandler
• Funtastic Photos – Bildmanipulation und Effekt
• Graphic Designer Toolbox – Generator für Grafiken und Texturen
• DrawIt – Vektor Grafikprogramm
• HoudahGeo – Geotagging von Fotos

Ein doch recht brauchbares Bundle wie ich finde.

http://www.macgraphoto.com/

Here is a beautiful old building in Newcastle – Custom’s House. Across the road from the Newcastle Railway Station, this wonderful building is a landmark in it’s own right. Sadly, another old building in Newcastle that could be considered beautiful has been run into the ground so to speak – the Post Office.

Custom’s House is now occupied by a restaurant and what a beautiful location – right on the foreshore of Newcastle’s picturesque parkland area.

Whenever I catch a bus to Newcastle – I spend a bit of time here in the park in front of Custom’s House. The bus stop for the return trip (and the arrival stop) is right next to the train station and opposite this magnificent building and parkland area. It is a great little spot to pass the time while waiting for the bus.

Early in October Pearl Pictures shot a wedding at the stunning location of Orchardleigh in Somerset. The bride and groom were Vicky and Gordon Duncan, who were accompanied by beautiful bridesmaids including their 1 year old little girl, Daisy. Vicky’s vintage dress was decorated in streams of beads and pearls, and styled in the 1940’s. The whole style of the day was very ‘vintage glamour’ with Orchardleigh being the perfect backdrop.

The Mughal rulers used Kashmir as their retreat and recreational spot from the imperial forts and palaces of Agra and Delhi. It was their getaway destination. Kashmir is still India’s heaven on earth. The beautiful Mughal Garden is located in Srinagar. It was founded by the Mughal Rulers.  The picturesque beauty of the hillsides, water bodies and endless array of trees and flowering shrubs makes Mughal Garden one of the most beautiful and most visited gardens in Kashmir. It is one of the well designed gardens in India. The creative use of the landscape with perfect mix of colours and texture, choosing the perfect spot for colorful flowery shrubs and fountains make Mugal Garden one of a kind.

Srinagar airport is close to the Mughal Garden and Jammu Tawi is the nearest railway station to the destination. The presence of several hotels and resorts in the close environs helps tourists to stay and enjoy the beauty of Kashmir.

Using one of the photos I took last winter and digitally altered, this week I created a series of products on zazzle. This digitally altered photo of a snowy sunlit forest glade covered in brambles at the bottom of a steep hill in picturesque Rainier, Oregon shows the winter sky glowing through the forest canopy in a golden haze of sunlit mist, causing the trees to fade off into the distance. I like the colors in this version of the photo better than the original– it has more of an ethereal fairytale-like atmosphere to it.

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Browse other Oregon Invitations

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
See more Oregon Photo Cards

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Design personal stationery with zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Browse other Oregon Mugs

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Design a neck tie with zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Make a magnet on Zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Create your own promotional keychain at zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
More Oregon Buttons

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Shop for more stickers on zazzle.com

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
View other Oregon T-Shirts

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Design customized t-shirts at zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Design a personalized notecard with zazzle.com

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Browse other Oregon Postcards

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Make personalized mouse pads on zazzle.com

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Browse more Oregon Aprons

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
Create a custom bags using Zazzle

Snowy Sunlit Forest Glade #2 by dlmtleArt
View other Oregon Postage

Dawna’s Gallery of greeting cards, Matted Prints. and T shirts

Dawna’s Fine Art Prints at

Dawna’s Zazzle Gallery of items featuring her Art and Photography

(macZOT! steht echt auf krasse Farben, aber ich mag so etwas…)

Beim MacZOT!  Mac Sale 2 gibt es gerade Software die normal etwa 500$ kostet für etwa 50$.

Folgende Tools bekommt ihr in dem Bundle:

• Crossover Games – Windows Spiele unter Mac OS ausführen
• Picturesque – Grafik Bearbeitung mit Effekten
• HoudahGeo – Geotagging / Fotos mit Koordinaten versehen
• MacJournal – Informationssammlung
• Morph Age Regular – Morphing / Warping von Bildern
• Opacity Express – Grafikbearbeitung
• Searchlight – Suchtool
• Vinoteka – Weinkeller Verwaltung
• Stone iMaginator – Grafikbearbeitung
• Stor – MySQL Datenbank Verwaltung

Beim Verwenden des Gutscheincodes “MACZOTROCKS” gibt es noch mal 5% auf den Preis.

http://www.themacsale.com/

Die Aufnahmen des folgenden Clip entstanden rund um unseren Garten in der Südwestpfalz.

So einen frühen Wintereinbruch wie den am 14. Oktober habe ich übrigens die letzten 35 Jahre nicht mehr erlebt.

Wir nutzten die Zeit, den Garten winterfest zu machen.

Die Keramiken wurden in die geschützte Terrassenecke gepackt, die Kübel mit Oleander und Hibiskus kamen ins Winterquartier und unser Terrassentisch wurde eingepackt und die Abdeckfolie mit Steinen beschwert, um auch in diesem Winter unseren Stürmen trotzen zu können.

Alles für den Winter gerüstet

 Halt alle üblichen Arbeiten, die rechtzeitig erledigt werden müssen, bevor der erste Schnee kommt und es dauerhaft frostig wird.

Zugleich nutzten wir noch die Gelegenheit, uns ein paar “Farbtupfer” für unsere Staudenbeete zu organisieren. Kürbisse sind Farbtupfer im Herbst, beliebt auch bei Hobby-Gärtnern zur Dekoration im naturnahen Bauerngarten. Eine vielfältige Auswahl nicht nur an Zierkürbissen, sondern auch an Speisekürbissen (sowie an Marmeladen, Weinen und Schnäpsen) bietet der besuchenswerte Kürbishof im pfälzischen Birkenhördt.

Nicht nur unsere herbstlich-winterlichen Kürbis-Dekorationen finden Sie in unseren Gartentipps (und schauen Sie bei uns durchaus mal auch im Sommer vorbei, gerne bieten wir Ihnen verschiedene Kurse an, nicht nur in der Gestaltung eines naturnahen Gartens).

Von der Leichenhalle zum Kulturzentrum: der Carolinensaal auf dem Alten Friedhof in Pirmasens

Es boten sich uns, nachdem wir alles erledigt hatten, ein paar Stunden der Muse. Wir nutzten sie, um eine wenig bekannte Attraktion aufzusuchen, den “Alten Friedhof” meiner Heimatstadt Pirmasens.

Der Alte Friedhof in Pirmasens übte auf mich schon immer eine große Faszination aus. Zum Teil finden sich noch Grabmale aus seiner Entstehungszeit im Jahr 1740. Besonders im November, um die Zeit der “Stillen Feiertage” war ich seit langen Zeiten dort mit der Kamera unterwegs. Meine Fotos (in aussagestarkem Schwarzweiß und Sepia sind übrigens auch bei RedBubble als Poster oder Postkarten zu erwerben (mein Shop).

Our very own Director at Pearl Pictures, Lucy, got married to Matthew Barbour on 5th September this year with an English country garden wedding in Wiltshire. “We wanted a wedding that was truly personal, so chose to have a marquee in the garden where I grew up” says Lucy. “The idea was to start with a very english, country feel at the church and move the day through to a chic and contemporary styled marquee to reflect our life in London, where we have lived for the last 10 years.”. With guests transported to the quaint country church by a red London routemaster bus, Lucy and Matthew opted for a horse and carriage. Once back at “The Chestnuts” the champagne flowed and guests mingled in the garden to music by the “Stickey Bass Jazz Trio”. Once in the marquee the guests sat at tables named after trees in the garden and dined on cannon of lamb with summer vegetables, followed by lemon and passionfruit tart. At 9.30pm, one of the Ushers, Nick, played with his band “The Black Hats”  and the guests danced the night away until carriages at 1am. Photography by Graham Morgan & Jemma Watts.

Guests arrived at church in a red London routemaster bus

The two bridesmaids wore chiffon gowns in taupe from Dessy

Lucy's lace gown was from Caroline Castigliano, while Matthew's suit was hired from R.Scott & Co in Cirencester, Glos.

Fresh rose petals where thrown as confetti

The guests mingled in the garden while listening to the Stickey Bass Jazz Trio

ivory, apricot and pale pinks were the colours for the church and garden flowers

The black vases and carpet set off the "city" look

The happy couple cut their wobbly cake!

Photographed by Christolakis

View On Black

My Most Interesting Photos

– License

The Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal is free. This means you don’t have to pay, (except for some temporary exhibitions). That and the collection is quite astonishing – including the likes of Monet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, etc… There is also a serious ancient Greece exhibit which, unlike the ROM’s, doesn’t pretend that Roman copies of Greek statues are Greek. There is an excellent exhibit on 20th century style and design. There is an expansive collection of European painting between the 15th and 19th centuries.

In other words, there is enough here that one can get a sense of the entire history of painting in a day. As such, welcome to Tristan’s comprehensive theory of European painting. Just kidding of course, but even a cursory look through does reveal some very interesting events. First off, Painting seems to have progressed quite slowly between the 15 and 19th centuries – many pieces from the early 19th century could be confused with things painted hundreds of years earlier. Basically, until Monet, the advances seem to be mostly technical – as far as style is concerned, there are 14th century landscapes and portraits that look like early 19th century works by lesser painters.

With Monet, however, the codes seem to break down. “Impressionism” means the self-consciously recognized product of painting is emotional. The symbolic codes become the object of play (Picasso), and dismissal (painting black squares). Rejection of symbolic codes for a time is revolutionary (dada), but is later co-opted by the same system it wishes not to reproduce (dada on Starbucks water bottles).

What is most amazing about this history is how, taking Monet as a fulcrum, we can see such a disparate rate of change of artistic style on either historical side – before, 300 years of relative calm – after, less than a hundred before the codes have completely broken down. Of course, they do not disappear – symbolic painting and representational painting persist, but persist as one code among many options.  The old code was not characterized by its properties, its attributes, but by it being the-code, the dominant – not one part of a plurality.
The reason the current age can be said to “have no style” is not that there are no trends in design, not that no one is doing anything new in sculpture or painting or furniture – but rather that no unified code develops amongst people ever inventing the new. Foundings ever repeat, but do not take hold. There are too many choices, freedoms, possibilities. The system embraces it’s own deconstruction. The post-modern self is the one products are marketed towards.

So I couldn’t finish my post yesterday because Piper and I were up until 11 cleaning the back room – and we still haven’t finished it yet.    But last night I went to Bible study, which was fun and crazy as always.  We’re working on our testimonies – mainly the “before” part – and our conversation went something like this:

Mrs. L: “So what have you guys come up with for the ‘before’ part of your testimony?”

Me: “Well….I was like a lawnmower.”

Bible Study Group: “Haha…what?”

Mrs. L: “Can you elaborate?”

Me: “You know how when you start up a lawnmower, you pull the cord once and it kind starts for a second but then dies down?  And then you pull it again and it does the same thing until finally you pull it and it starts up and does its job?  Yeah, that’s how I was.”

Ciara: “Wait, you’ve mowed the lawn?”

Me, jokingly: “I am mowing the lawn!  Right now!”  *big grin*

Ciara: “No, not metaphorically, you’ve actually mowed the lawn in real life?”

Me: “Uh….yeah…”

*Rabbit trail about brothers and mowing the lawn.*

Victoria: “Awww…I want an analogy!”

Mrs. L: “Well, you have to start out with a concept first and then make an analogy from it, not vice versa!”

Victora: “Let’s see….I was kind of couch potato before…I didn’t really do anything for God.”

Ciara: “And then you became French Fries!”

Victoria: “Yeah!!”

Me: “You were deep-fried in the Holy Spirit!!”

Bible Study Group: “Haha, yes!!”

And so it went.  (The conversation wasn’t as dorky as I made it sound.  ;D)  But we had a fun time and drank hot chocolate and tea and made analogies and talked serious stuff and it was amazing. 

FYI – It’s really funny to hear people baby-talking from the other room…all you hear is the tone of their voice and a mush of words because the wall blocks just enough clarity.  It’s hilarious. 

Today consists of cleaning and school.  I’m very happy, actually, and I think that today will be very productive.    Oh, and I started Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury last night.  (Well not really started…I read the first chapter a little while ago and then forgot about it because I was reading Of Mice and Men.)  I love it so far – naturally.  It’s so picturesque.    The only problem is, I’m reading it in entirely the wrong season to be reading it in, so I’m a little distressed about that.  Maybe I’ll have to read The Blue Sword instead.  Something that I’ve been known to read in the Autumn.    I’m adoring this season so far.

Mom and Piper and running to the store for some eggs to make pumpkin chocolate chip bread, so I must away and take care of Charlotte. 

—-

Cleaning uncovers many things…like old love letters between parents.  ;D  I know it’s none of my business but I can’t help skimming through them when I come across them…they make my day.

Remember Eisley?  Yeah, I used to like them, and then I thought they were a silly little girl band, but now they’re coming out with a new CD and I kind of like them again. 

—-

Tasha came over and Charlotte talked up a storm…it was the cutest thing ever.    Then I went to youth group and got really hot and sweaty playing team handball.  I’m actually way more competitive when it comes to games than I thought I was.     I also seem to be immune to pain when I’m playing games, too.  It’s kinda cool.  xD  But the lesson was on humility and I really liked it…:)  I’m also applying for leadership, mostly as a worship director, but also for whatever else they need me for.  All-in-all, today was pretty awesome.  I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow at 7:20…oh boy…I have an irrational fear of doctors.  I’m not afraid of death, martyrdom, torture, monsters, anything – but I am afraid of doctors (especially dentists) and spiders.  How does that work?