Green & White Mosaic

Taking part in Mary's Mosaic Monday again. Be sure to check out the other fab mosaics via her Mr. Linky.
The viburnum and clover are mine, the tulips and dogwood courtesy of my neighbor, Caroline.
Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek!

Lears - Part I

It took a day of stormy weather to tear me apart from my mulching/weeding/gardening. I figure I'm down to about 30 bags (from 200) of mulch left and much of my body was screaming for a break. Not to mention, how positively awful I was feeling for not working on my dear friends' family portraits before now.

You can see more photos of this wonderful family and larger versions from our shoot here.

I Can Tell It's Spring...

my house is dustier than usual,

the kids beg to be outside every day after school and
the only thing my neighbors have seen of me is my fanny
due to weeding and mulch-spreading.
And then there's this:

I planted these Lily of the Valley plants years ago.
This is the first year one has bloomed.

My new blog is more for my photography and less blabbing.
You can click here or at the top of this blog there is a link.
(But don't Google Traci Lord - that's a whole other kind of photography!)

Happy Spring, blogging friends!

Dog Park Mosaic

Linking up again at Mary's for her Mosaic Monday, found here. I should mention my fabulous models are from top to bottom: Roady (or Rhodey?), Miles and Ella. Ella is mine, if you are new here and I love her as though I birthed her myself. (Really, I should be ashamed, but I'm not.)

Thanks to all the kind comments and visits last week! I love looking at everyone's mosaics - it's a great way to start the week!
Hope everyone had a Happy Easter and thanks so much for visiting.

Spring Decor - Part II

click on any image to enlarge

Built-in shelves flank our fireplace since this house was built. We've lived in this house for 13 years and many of those years these shelves have been one hot mess! Only recently have I been enlightened by my good friend, Amanda, that you don't just pile up all your crap up there and call it a day. Who knew?I always knew I liked how other people arranged their schtuff, but had no idea of the thought process which went into it. So, I scoured catalogs and the internet in search of some guidelines. These are some pointers I took note of.

OBJECTS
Keep "heavy" objects on the lower shelves. (Heavy can be weight or bulkiness.)

Like items make more of an impression when grouped together. (Especially if they're small.)

Use "greens" as a place for your eye to rest. (My greens are dried or fake.)

Vary textures, shapes and colors to keep the eye moving from top to bottom.
For a more subtle effect, vary the textures and shapes, but keep everything in the same color.

Use items which have special meaning to you. (This Pressman camera was given to me by my father-in-law and is a real treasure to me.)

SPACING
Place objects on shelves in layers. (I'm a major offender of this "rule" - I used to line up my items like soldiers in one row.)

Leave some open space on each shelf. (About 10%)

BOOKS
Sort books by color rather than subject. (This works well if you don't have a ton of books.)

Stand books vertically and stack horizontally. Large books make a great stand to elevate a piece. (plates, pictures, etc.)Exclude paperbacks and remove dust jackets from hardcovers.

I don't know that I've followed all the "rules', but I do know my shelves look a whole lot better. Before, I had a ton of framed pictures on my shelves and now the pictures I've selected have special meaning and can get the proper attention they deserve.

What rules do you follow or break when decorating your shelves?
Thanks for visiting and Happy Easter, friends!