Bella Carta

playing with PSE

This summer I've decided to play around with Photoshop Elements a bit and get to know it better!   Its a daunting program, but practice does help.  

This is a passionflower (sometimes called May Pop) and I took this photo with my cell phone (so you don't need an expensive camera to take great photos), added some basic editing (cropped and rotated clockwise).  Then I decided to strip out the color and add turqoise in.  

If you don't have PSE .... you can still do many of these things using photoshopexpress.com from Adobe.  Try the "pop color" feature :-) 

falling off the wagon!

 

I've had houseguests here and we're enjoying the sights of Florida!

We went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure the other day, and despite warm temps and huge crowds, we had a great time!   We spent time in the Harry Potter area with the rides and the amazing job they did on recreating the town.  It was my second trip there and I still had several "firsts" like trying butterbeer for the first time.  I found this recipe on the internet and looks like its an easy mix, try it slushy frozen for a cool treat! 

(recipe from Mugglenet:  http://www.mugglenet.com/misc/rosmertas/butterbeer.shtml)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 oz) club soda or cream soda
• ½ cup (4 oz) butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping)
• ½ tablespoon butter

Directions:

Step 1: Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated.

Step 2: Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit.

Step 3: Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses; a perfectly warm Hogwarts treat for two!

 

A few more pics to enjoy:

 

Hagrid's cottage (near the Flight of the Hippogriff ride)

The owl that comes out of the town square clock every fifteen minutes:

Hogsmeade:

And Hogwarts:

 

Tropical Storm Bonnie

Tropical Storm Bonnie remains largely to the south of where I live, but it is going to leave us some much needed rain.

Here is some pics from the waterfront:

 

a frozen nativity

A few more pics from the ICE! exhibit.  This is the last room of the display, a larger than life nativity.

ICE!!!! In Florida!

***It's been chilly here, but not that chilly!  These pics are from one of my favorite events - the ICE! exhibit at the Gaylord Palms resort/convention center.  They bring ice carvers in from China and chill the exhibit hall to 9 degrees (fahrenheit!).  They provide long parkas for people to wear.    Everything you see pictured here is carved ice - even the colored stuff!

 

 


 

 

Wordless Wednesday {oct 14, 2009}

This was in my garden the other day ....

Great blue!

Replica ships of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria (the ships of Christopher Columbus) were in our harbor. I jogged down to go photograph them and was a few minutes too late.   But, I did find this handsome fellow catching his lunch in the shallow water - a Great Blue Heron.

 

And check this one out!

This one is on the front porch, its a terrestial orchid that grows everywhere down here, particularly from trees and anything with soil.  Its amazingly bright orange!

PS between the holiday weekend and being out of town this week for business, I won't have my Twilight Tuesday project posted till later on this week.

 

Look what I found .....

I found this in my garden this weekend - with two blooms, my speckled orchid.   It was just an absolutely, drop dead gorgeous day in FL on Sunday, I couldn't have asked for more perfect weather!  Sunny, warm - good food and good friends!