.. new and improved ..

as you may or may not have noticed, there has been absolutely no activity on this blog in over a month.  


*blush*  


all for good reason: my new and improved BLOG!!  i really do advise that you check it out right now, as it is that exciting!  [or at least i think so :)]


as for this blog, we had a good run.  and just because you taught me lots and were good to me, my reward to you old blog will be too keep you alive via links from my new one.


all you need to do is click: www.melanie-mac.com!  

hummmpphh...

i knew this day would come...

this day, meaning approximately a week or so ago, was frustrating!  i used all of my free space, meaning i have no more free room to showcase my PrOjEcT 365, or add pictures to this blog.   i am currently in the works to have something better up and running very shortly.

i am excited to get back on track and for the new to come! 

good things - i am told - take time :)

m.

mahna mahna :)

cracks me up every time  :)

{side~note: pause music from my playlist to hear the full effects of the 'Mahna Mahna' video!  right hand side, little ways down...}

mark 12:31

getting to know neighbours in this city, as it is in any largely populated area, is challenging.  seems funny really; or perhaps it the country girl coming out in me.  if you grew up on a farm or had the opportunity to visit a rural community, you quickly know everyone within miles; the names of not only the neighbours, but what they drive, their pets names, when their birthdays or anniversary are.  always waving to one-another while meeting them on the road, or never being afraid to call and ask if they have seen your horses or cows {when they happen to get out} or walk to the nearest house to get a tractor to pull your vehicle out of the ditch :)

here in the city it is a little different mentality when it comes to getting to know the neighbour.  getting our own house has made me realize how i took for-granted how easy it was to get to know neighbours in a country setting compared to here in the city.  seems that there is not a lot of Mr. Wilson moments {from the tv show home improvement}, or not too many waves are returned {more confused looks than returning a simple wave}.  so i was forced to keep up what i had been taught: treat your neighbour as you would want to be treated.   when dividing plants, offer to those who seem interested or in the fall when our garden surprises us with more veggies than we can handle, to offer them to our neighbours here in the city {who appreciate more than words can say} or when it snows {as it has this winter especially!}, to shovel our neighbours walk ways and back ally. (to name a few things)  

by 'loving your neighbour as yourself' the rewards are amazing.  i have gained many good friends and love the feeling that i know my little community that immediately surround our home.  which is rare in a city, as odd as that sounds...  i really do enjoy having a conversation with a neighbour when walking farley, or having a community of eyes watching our property when we are gone or at home, who feel comfortable enough to drop in a say if they seen something that seemed out of the ordinary.  

this morning, a neighbour felt so very happy to have us as a neighbour, we were presented with a gift of appreciation.  i accepted the gift, saying that we really did not do the things we do to be rewarded, we simply do it out of love for our neighbourhood.  our neighbour continue to say something that made me fuzzy on the inside, how greatly appreciated are all the things that we have done and continue to do, but how the things we do in our little community are appreciated.  

our gift :)

on another note:

having a blast in the snow, as much as our city will regret getting all this white stuff when it starts to melt...  

oh, yea...  while i have your attention, please do check out my PrOjEcT 365, 
a new photo for every new day.

:)

..words past spoken..

find myself reading a lot, actually tons.  love it, as i always have.  i can remember picking up certain books and finishing them the same evening.  or how some books you purposly read slowly; they seem to pull you into being a part of the amazing world that your imagination had created while reading.  how you seemed to know the characters as they are your close friends.  i do love to read!


came across this piece, made me smile and ponder awhile, enjoy!

If a dead man is raised to life, all men spring up in astonishment.  Yet every day one that has no being is born, and no man wonders, though it is plain to all, without doubt, that it is a greater thing for that to be created which was without being than for that which had being to be restored.  Because the dry rod of Aaron budded, all men were in astonishment; every day a tree is produced from the dry earth...and no man wonders....  Five thousand men were filled with five loaves;...every day the grains of seed that are sown are multiplied in a fullness of ears, and no man wonders.  All...wondered to see water once turned into wine.  Every day the earth's moisture, being drawn into the root of the vine, is turned by the grape into wine, and no man wonders.  Full of wonder then are all the thins which men never think to wonder at, because...they are by habit become dull to the consideration of them.

~ Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)

thanks for popping in, muchly appreciated .

since you are here, swing by my project 365, perhaps leave a comment or two!

:)

..all good things must come to an end..

hard to believe that our amazing vacation has come to its final days...  feels like we are leaving our 2nd home, thanks to all the turners for making us feel at home!  seems like we just got here and yet we have stayed for a wedding, christmas and new years.  time really does fly when you are having fun! now it is time to pack up and mentally prepare ourselves for freezing temperatures.  :(  

well, actually am getting excited to see our shaggy dog, crazy cat, and to catch a wave, i mean hit the slopes on our boards, that is snow boards...

time for me to get all my daily photos/365 project online ~ super excited to get those posted!!   excited in general to get editing with cs5 and new bamboo pen & touch :)  

thanks to my fab hubby  ;)

hope this finds everyone in good spirits and health!  Sending best wishes for 2011, 

drop by soon to check out some amazing pictures from the rainbow state.

:)

i{heart}faces: pets

Farley Sprocket

currently we are into the deep-freeze of winter; waking to the temperature of -38*C!  makes me a little more excited for our warm holidays.

{two days and counting}

was excited that this challenge was of our PETS!  so the following is my entry, our shaggy friend: Farley Sprocket.  since he has come into our lives a year and a half ago, we have had some amazing adventures! {always exciting}  


this photo was taken this past summer.

enjoy!

...Don't forget

check out other great entries at i{heart}faces & my PrOjEcT 365!

.surprise visitor.

could not help a smile after i read the following Shel Silverstien poem :

Hot Dog

i have a hot dog for a pet,

the only kind my folks would let

me get.

he does smell sort of bad

and yet,

he absolutely never gets

the sofa wet.

we have a butcher for a vet,

the strangest vet you ever met.

guess we're the weirdest family yet,

to have a hot dog for a pet. 

enjoyed a visit from my parents and their little meatloaf.

 

seasons greetings :)

oh, ya...
don't forget to take a peak at my PrOjEcT 365, everyday is a new photo :)

PrOjEcT 365: update

having an absolute blast with my PrOjEcT 365! 

{if you have yet to check it out: check it out here!!}

that was all, well at least for now.  time to walk the dog and venture out to finish what christmas shopping i have left until now. 

:)

! sending warm holiday wishes your way !

i{heart}faces: self portraits

...Self portraits... 

this week the challenge is to take your own picture.  sounds easy enough!  

[after the whole afternoon, and ump-teen photos; this one felt good to show :) ]

remember to check out other other amazing entries!














  lator, gator  :)

'tis the season

time spent with family is time well spent

had an amazing weekend spent with our amazing parentals'!  hard to believe that it has been over two months since we broke the city perimeter to venture to a much more wide open world; too long for us!  

Ed learned some new tricks to making cabbage rolls: who would have know he was a natural.   well they got shining reviews from those involved. although we never did taste the final product, i can say that the rice filling is good as i had to make sure that it was not poisoned, you know like a quality control :) 

this was one of two, then 2 extra large roasters :)

would also like to remind everyone to give those loved ones an extra hug as in today's world you never know what may be in store for you.  today marks a grave anniversary of a horrible event, please take a moment to remember those who are innocent and lost too soon!

fix-it friday #78

Susan snapped this lovely photo of son a couple of years ago, and today it is our subject for fix-it friday @ i{heart}faces.

enjoy my edits :)

original

  

... black & white Vs. colour ...

B/W vs. CoLoUr

{round 1}

this week there was no fix-it friday at i{heart}faces, as thee crew is still recovering from the dream big photography workshop held last week.  no reason not to showcase some of my own editing!  now:

sit back, check out the following photos, leave a comment on your thoughts :)  

fix-it friday #77

wow, friday again!  never ceases to amaze me at the speed at which time flies...  remember when time seemed to go by soo slow: in a day you could build a castle with only the couches, chairs and a blanket ~ only to have it ripped down once perfected cause it is bedtime, how it was the end of the world when you noticed a zit, or how high school would never end...  life as a kid, love how perceptions change :)

seems that i{heart}faces fix-it fridays are keeping me at least blogging once a week. {kinda} i really do look forward to editing, and i{heart}faces gives me a chance to work on someone elses' photos. 

so for all of you who are new to this blow or to i{heart}faces fix-it fridays, it is a weekly event where contributors edit the same photo and participants {such as myself} can join the fun by editing the same photo in their own way and linking into the party!  today the photo was captured by Michelle Johnson of her beautiful daughter.

enjoy :)

original

the following are the edits done with only my edit options on iPhoto.  soon to come {next week} cs5!!!

fix it friday #75

Today the photo is one that Angie had snapped during their family photo session with Jessica Paige!

original

my colour edit

my b/w edit

my sepia edit 

thanks for poppin' in!  please do share the love and leave me some feedback :)