The tides are in our veins...

I've been back from my annual women's retreat to Port Aransas, Texas for a few weeks now... 

...and I'm already counting the days until next year.

Photos will have to do for now. 

Somehow, I managed to keep my photography under control - 

I can post my favorite shots in one post.

Granted, it's going to be a long post. 

But it's still one post. 

I hope it gives you a sense of our weekend retreat.

The tides are in our veins. 

~ Robinson Jeffers

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. 

~ Isak Dinesen

Back to Georgetown

 A small town square decked out for Christmas + lots of friends + my camera =

my idea of fun!

For some reason, taking photos of things I love is almost as good as buying them. 

And much cheaper!

For instance, I'm a sucker for children's chairs, like the one above and especially, the one below. 

There's just something about these little festive painted chairs... 

...but I already have two, 

so I was satisfied with a photo of this one.
(Especially after seeing the price tag!)

When I was small, we had an aluminum tree.

I didn't like it, and longed for a real tree.

So why do I love these now?

I'm Texan, but this purse is plain creepy!

This photo below turned out a little blurry, but I decided I really like it and had lots of fun playing with it.

I love old glass ornaments, but my tree is over-saturated as it is.

Sigh.

I took this one for my friend Mary Kay. 

She loves buttons and making things. 

(And I have lots of wine corks!)

I tried to take different photos this time, but I just can't resist a repeat of this metal stairway.

Sculptures dot the square.  

Here are just a couple.

This little girl posed for me on the turtle. 

I have one of me trying to imitate it, but you're not going to see that one.
You'd have nightmares.

But I'll share this one of all of us. 

I love good wine, but good friends are priceless!

P.S. I did buy something.

This square picnic basket was just $3!!!

Photo Magic and Sweet Blog Friends

Charlotte, of Butterbean Row, sent the above photo to me.

She is one of several blogger/photographer friends who have helped me grow so much as a photographer over the past couple of years by always patiently answering my questions, offering encouragement and support, as well as continually learning new things and sharing what they learn with their readers.

When Charlotte posted what she had learned from Kim Klassen's Beyond Layers class about photo brushes, I commented that I still didn't get what "brushes" were, so she sent me an email with this explanation: 

It took me time to "get" what brushes are for, also. You can think of it this way; it is sort of a stamp, that you apply with your mouse. There are tons of shapes, texts, like eyelash brushes to add to a girl's portrait. 

But she didn't stop there. She took this photo of mine...

...and created the one at the top with a brush, so I could see the difference myself. 

I love it! Thank you, sweet Charlotte! 

I hope to take Kim's class and learn how to do this myself one day... (my original just looks empty now, doesn't it?)...

But in the meantime, I feel blessed to have stumbled upon friends like Charlotte who obviously believe in holding friends with both hands. 

(I just wish there was something I could teach her in return!)