Venetian Gothic

Ca d'Zan, Sarasota, FL - Nikon D40 with 55mm lens

Inspiration Avenue: Believe

Believe - art collage - Nikon D40 with 55 mm lens

For this week's challenge I decided to go outside my comfort zone and create a collage, of sorts, with scrapbooking materials. It is a little known fact that I love to art journal, but I never post anything because it's mostly hideous. But, in the spirit of a coming new year and new challenges, I decided to go for it. I am kind of happy with the way this one turned out. And I really believe The Time Is Now, for many things.

Please head over to Inspiration Avenue and view the other submissions.

Quote of the Day

"Why, sometimes I believed in as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

~ The White Queen from Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Seasons Greetings

Outake, December 24, 2009 - Nikon D40 with 55mm lens

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night." (Gotta go with the classics.)

Inspiration Avenue: Hidden

Hidden - Nikon D40 with 55 mm lens

My submission for the Inspiration Avenue challenge. This mama Mockingbird hid her nest inside our gardenia bush. I love the color of the eggs, a bright blue with brown speckles.

Please visit Inspiration Avenue to see the other submissions.

Rainy Day

Pink Gas Pump, February 2008 - Nikon D40 with 55 mm lens

I have been on vacation for the past four days and it has been lovely. I did not travel. I just relaxed. I have accomplished a few small projects which had been on my to-do list for far too long. I have allowed myself the luxury of not going and doing 24/7. I have replenished the batteries. I am not back to work until next week, but already I feel so much better than I did before. For a thousand reasons I kept telling myself I didn't have time to take time off. Always working hard to be all things to all people. But now that I am chilling out, I notice how vital this time off has been. The lesson here (I'm always looking for the lessons) is to take the time before I get frantic and anxious.

Taking care of myself, allowing myself a chance to rest and recharge, is not selfish. It makes me better able to take care of others. That is the best thing I can do for the people in my life.

I hope you all, even in this most hectic of seasons, can take a few hours at least to look after yourselves. I promise you, it's worth it.

Inspiration Avenue: Imagine/Imagination

Skyward, December 12, 2009 - Nikon D40 with 55 mm lens

I can imagine anything when I'm looking toward the sky. It is as though all limitation slips away when contemplating something so immense. Words fail. But I try anyway.

Please head on over to Inspiration Avenue and enjoy everyone's submissions.

Excitement

I am very excited to tell you that Inspiration Avenue has selected me to be a member of their team!

I first heard about the Inspiration Avenue team from Sharon at Mana Moon Studios. She invited me to participate in their weekly challenges, which have been so much fun. Everyone there is very friendly and excited about the pieces being submitted. I was impressed by how genuinely supportive they are of all the participants.

After I opened my Etsy shop Sharon invited me to fill out the membership application for the team. Even the application was fun! I knew this was something I wanted to be involved in. So I filled out the form, crossed my fingers and hit the send button.

And they said yes! Everyone has been welcoming and kind and I am probably going to start babbling here soon. So, to borrow a line from Shel: "The fun begins . . . now!"

Backyard Cafe

Hungry Squirrel - Nikon D40 with telephoto lens

I'm sitting at my desk, the windows open because the weather is gorgeous, and I hear a sound like someone is tossing pebbles. Now, our yard is covered with fallen pine needles because we are surrounded by eighty-foot pine trees and we've had three days of storms to blow everything across the lawn. So, there's a nice carpet of pine needles onto which something is tossing pinecone shards. I look up to see one of the two squirrels who live in our trees sitting about forty feet up the tree, working on a pinecone like it's corn on the cob. Click on that picture and take a look at that little dude.

Leftovers, Nikon D40 with telephoto lens

And this is what's littered on the ground underneath the pine tree. He peeled every petal, or whatever, off those pinecones, ate the seed, and tossed it on the ground. Then he chucked the remnants of the pinecones, picked clean, right after them.

But do you think he'd come down and clean up after himself? Of course not. If I didn't know better, I'd think the little rascal actually pointed at me and laughed.

Inspiration Avenue: Peaches and Cream

Peaches & Cream - Nikon D40 with 55mm lens

(Click image for larger view)

I love this summery theme here at the beginning of winter. And winter it is. The temperature on my patio this morning was 47 degrees. That's winter in Southwest Florida, my friends. I even put on socks!

New Endeavor

Scarlet, Selby Botanical Gardens, April 2008 - Nikon D40 with 55mm lens

I did it. I took a giant leap of faith and opened an Etsy shop to sell my photographs. This has been a big dream of mine for a while now and I am so excited. Please stop by and tell me what you think.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/chrisfinck

In other exciting news, I'm sure you've noticed the gorgeous holiday banner here on SilverBluePearl. I won the November Giveaway at Inspiration Avenue and the prize was a blog banner donated by the amazing Lulu Kellogg of Coastal Sisters. My little blog has never been so well dressed! Those Inspiration Avenue folks are sensational. Go check out the site. Go now!

I leave you with my new favorite quote: "Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country." ~~ Anais Nin