If You Don't Like the Weather...

     You know what they say about the weather in Utah:  if you don't like it, wait a minute.  This seems especially true in the springtime.     This morning we woke up to a bunch of snow on the ground.  Knowing that today's photo prompt is "before/after", and knowing that the snow doesn't last very long this time of year, I put on my snowboots and schlepped outside with my camera at 9:18 a.m.     Three hours later (12:28 to be exact) I went back outside to get my after photo.

 "In the spring I have counted one-hundred and thirty-sixdifferent kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours"
Mark Twain

LOL

     Remember my boys' Super Mario Bros bedroom I showed you a few weeks ago?  The instructions that came with the Blik-brand decals that we put on the walls were pretty funny:

Today's photo challenge prompt: "funny"

  I applaud the companies that dare to add a little humor to their otherwise mundane literature.
T-Mobile's G1 phone has a Quick Start guide with some really funny instructions also:

Source

Who couldn't use an extra chuckle or two?Have a great day, thanks for stopping by, and may you laugh often!

A Little Corner of Home

"Having someone to love is family.
Having somewhere to go is home.
Having both is a blessing."


This is one of my favorite little corners of the house
(today's photo challenge prompt is "a corner of your home.")
This corner reminds me of the wonderful blessings God has given me
and for which I am so very grateful.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

     I've used Photoshop Elements for a couple of years now, but really just for organizing my digital photos.   In the past I would try to tweak photos but usually wound up frustrated.  Cropping a photo was about as far as I got.

     Then, this past week, when I was once again playing around in the program, something "clicked".  In my brain!  Suddenly the whole "layers" aspect of the program made sense to me!  I was amazed at how I could manipulate a photo.  I think that first day I spent three hours absolutely glued to my computer and used Photoshop to transform a Times New Roman asterisk (y'know, this: *) into this rainbow-colored, 3D flower shape:

     The photo above of the Shamrock and Irish Blessing is my photo-a-day challenge photo for the prompt "green".

     Remember the shamrocks from my St. Patrick's Day Decor post?  I love the green glitter on them, so I photographed a close-up of the glitter:

     Then I used Photoshop Elements to create a shamrock shape from a copy of this picture which I then layered on top of this glitter background (after I blurred the background).  Finally, I added text and voila!  An image that is both festive and very green!

     Thank you for stopping by and have a fun, fantastic day!

Keep Calm and Click On Printable

     For my fellow Fat Mum Slim Photo-a-Day Challengers and Project Lifers who might become overwhelmed with this daily photo task (or fall behind and become frustrated),

AND

For any of my dear readers who, like me, really {love} all of the fun "Keep Calm" signs out there, I'd like to share a simple little printable with you today.

Pin It




See the download links below.

I would love to have you follow Hello, New Day.  You can follow through Google Friend Connect (see sidebar) or through the blog's Facebook page (see sidebar).  I've also just added the "Subscribe by E-mail" feature if you'd like to receive post updates via e-mail.  Thank you.  :)

I printed* a 5x7 copy to hang at my desk next to the Photo-a-Day Challenge list.

Keep Calm - 5 x 7 size 

I copied the iPhone-sized image to my phone
and saved it as my Lock Screen Wallpaper

Keep Calm - iPhone background size

I printed* the really small image and attached it to my computer monitor.

Keep Calm - Smaller than Wallet Size

I created a blog-button-sized image to add to my blog's sidebar.
You can add it to your blog also!

Keep Calm - Blog button size

I've made the 5x7 images available in the following colors.  Just click the color that you want and the image will pop up for you to save.

This is my first attempt at offering printables,

so I would appreciate any feedback!

And please let me know if you have any trouble at all with the images.

*NOTE: I printed mine on HP Everyday Glossy Photo paper 

Thank you for visiting, and have a fantastic day!

I'm linking up to:

Sunglasses

     I used to have a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses.  They were my favorite sunglasses ever, partly because they were high quality, but mostly because they have the word Maui in them.  ;)

     I have a hard time seeing in sunglasses.  I don't like how they shade my vision (how dumb does that sound?)  The only time I really wear them is when I'm driving, and then only if it's really sunny.  I have a few different pairs now, but none as cool as the Maui Jims.

Yep, you guessed it.  Today's photo prompt is "sunglasses".

When I think of sunglasses, I think:

Audrey Hepburn
As Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's
Source

Jack Nicholson
"With my sunglasses on, I'm Jack Nicholson.  Without them, I'm fat and 60."
Source

Tom Cruise
As Joel Goodsen in Risky Business
Source

Bono
"I'm the Imelda Marcos of sunglasses."
source

Hmmmm...see a trend here?  Must be a celebrity thing.

Now, Where Was I?

     Oh yeah, I was writing a post every day to coincide with Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-Day Challenge.  I posted every day from January 31 through March 9.  Then I decided to take the weekend off.  And it turned into a looooooong 5 day weekend!

     Whaddya say we catch up?

March 10: Loud

This is my cat, Sophie.  Her "IwantacattreatandIwantitNOW" cry is very loud.  And irritating.  But she's so cute, right?

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March 11: Someone You Talked to Today

Every morning, weekday or weekend, rain or shine, my husband, Jon, and I have our coffee time.  We kick back with a cuppa Joe and spend the time chatting (reminiscent of our college days spent chilling and talking for hours over coffee at Village Inn).  It's a daily ritual that I cherish and it's a wonderful way to start each day.

__________________________________________________

March 12: Fork

fork noun \ 'fòrk\ : an implement with two or more prongs

used especially for taking up (as in eating), pitching, or digging

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March 13: A Sign

There is still one week until the official start of spring, but I'm tellin' ya, it sure seems like it's here already.  We're having beautiful, unseasonably warm weather (high today: 68°!) and with the time change this past weekend and the daylight lasting longer, it feels official.

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March 14: Clouds

One thing I love about this daily photo challenge is that it helps me take at least one moment each day to stop, to take a breather, to be in the present moment, and to notice the things around me.  You know, like the phrase "stop and smell the roses".  Yesterday's prompt, clouds, is the perfect example of this.  Obviously I see clouds in the sky on a cloudy day, but yesterday I was actually looking at the clouds and seeing them and admiring their beauty and majesty.

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And that brings us to today.  Is it really March 15 already?!?

March 15: Car

Behold the 2012 Maserati Quattroporte.  It is $130,000 of pure luxury and beauty.  Jon had the opportunity to test drive one and he brought it home for me to see.  I'll never forget the purr of the engine as it pulled into the driveway, beckoning me to come outside, to softly touch its smooth, sleek body, to sit in its supple, leather seat.  I had no idea that a car could sound so pretty.  Or feel so heavenly.......

What?!?  Oh.  Wait.  The prompt didn't say "dream car", did it?  Okaaaaay.  Here's my real photo for "car":

March 15: Car (Take Two)

I do love my Honda Odyssey.  It's a perfectly practical vehicle for our family right now.  I know that there's a certain stereotype about minivan drivers, but that doesn't bother me in the least.  This widely-held belief is that minivan drivers have the "distinctive reputation for being mothers, most likely of multiple children...(with) an unruly teen in the front seat playing with the stereo dial.  Toys and fast food wrappings litter the floorboards of the car."  Yep, that sounds like me.  Can't argue with the truth, can we?

But someday, when I am willing and able to be impractical about my car, you will find me behind the wheel of a Maserati.

Until then, thanks for stopping by, and have a fantastic day!