Rainy Day Ramblings

Those who are all fed up with rainy and cold summer will probably want to get me hanged... but I had been waiting for it. A whole Sunday with constant rain! It's just what I needed. To stay inside, snuggle with children, chill, read, edit...

I had it all figured out. We would sleep late but not too late to waste the day.

We would enjoy the dusky look of the nature today.

Gloomy yet green and beautiful.

We would curl up in a children bed - me and my girls - open up the curtains and watch and listen the rain beating the trees and window.

We would bake cookies and have them on the living room carpet with milk.

And in between showers I would run outside to capture the rain.

Smell the fresh air and summer flowers.

... and I would grin to think that it's not my holiday yet (what a horrible person I am). Mine will come after two weeks with sunshine.

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential and fight for your dreams.
-Ashley Smith

Have a good week ahead ♡

Inspirational Finds {Links to Love}

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

 - Rabindranath Tagore

We are still waiting those summer days and sun shine. This week I've found inspiration from the sky. 

I just love sky photography!

If you wanna get inspired as well, I've got some suggestions for you.

You could visit my Sky Love Pinterest Board and feel free to suggest Pins if you are on Pinterest.

If you are fond of textures, overlays and editing, you should check out Jessica Drossin Cloud Overlays. Even if you are not willing to spend any money on new products at the moment, these are worth of  taking time to just admire!

The Gratitude Collaborative Top Ten Skies is full of gorgeous sky photos!
This image is from Jasmine Keath Photography.

Also I just updated my blog header with a template by Angie Marie Photography and now it shows a little piece of sky there as well.

I'm happy to have a day off tomorrow! I wish you all happy weekend ♡

Sharing with: Friday Finds, 

Midsummer Feast

This year relaxation took over celebration. Which is pretty much all the same when you start to think of it really...  So it was all about being home in the quiet neighborhood just with the family. Sunshine and rain, naps, flowers, new potatoes, cherries, sauna, the heavenly scent of birch and a good night sleep in the midnight sun...

Sharing with: Simple Things Sunday,

Inspirational Finds {Links to Love}

We are about to start our Midsummer feast here in Finland but the weather here has been dreadful. Far from summer. Few days ago the news said it had been colder than last Christmas! I've been surfing around the net to get inspired and buried myself in daydreams. Enjoying under my covers with my laptop.

I'm desperately waiting my summer holiday to start (...still three more weeks!) and dream of our annual trip to the beach on the last week of July. No matter what the weather will be then, it will be wonderful.
I just created a collage out of my last year favorites.

For more inspiration, I've been browsing through some lovely seashore pictures in Pinterest.
See my inspiring Seaside Pinterest board here!

It's the open space I long for the most... And talking about the Open Space, it was the theme for Angie Marie Photography Challenge a while ago. My submission, another favorite from last year, made it to the Top Ten!

Last year, right after our trip to the beach, I discovered this Summer at the Beach Video from Florabella Collection. I fell in love instantly and while weeping in front of it, I knew I would want to make my own video some day. Not today (because I have no idea how). But some day.

You should watch this. It is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l !!!






Last I want to share my latest find: Summer Photo Prompts from Life'n Reflection. Take a look, download and print your own copy. I'm gonna do this!

Sharing with: Friday Finds

Beyond Layers

Layers. They are my hobby, my medication for high blood pressure, my creative side, my passion.
Textures. They are exhilarating, joyful, fun. And when their magic works they are the way to express my inner feelings.

Not many people get this. I'm happy to have Texture Tuesday friends and Texture Twisters by my side.

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. 

- Scott Adams

Textured with 'Charm' from Rusty Romance Collection

Textured with Kim Klassen 'Rest'

Textured with 'November' & 'Brave' from Rusty Romance Collection

More about Rusty Romance Collection - Click here!

Rusty Romance Texture Collection - Giveaway on Facebook

I'm happy to announce that there is a giveaway on my Facebook page.
Enter for a chance to win the new Rusty Romance Texture Collection. Contest ends Monday at midnight (UTC +2) and winners announced Tuesday on Facebook.

More information about the collection - click here!

Rusty Romance Texture Collection {Available Now}

Rusty Romance Textures Collection  includes eight new high-res textures. Use these textures to create works of art using textures in your editing to add romantic and a vintage effect. Charm, Earth, November, Posh, Rusty and Romance –textures are give nice moody and nostalgic effect. Brave and Monday work best on the top of the other textures (in screen mode) to give more romance and shabby feel or as their own on darker shade images.

To purchase click here to visit the Texture Shop!

Textured with Charm

Textured with Posh

Textured with November & Brave

Textured with Earth

Textured with November & Brave

In this picture, November Texture is first applied twice - second time desaturated. You can always use textures without colors and make the most of your collections. If you need help desaturating, I got you covered here

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Full recipe!

Texture sizes may vary but you can easily re-size to fit any image. When purchasing a collection all eight jpeg-textures come in one zipped file. The purchase allows instant download via e-mail you’ll receive after payment. Digital file purchases are non-refundable.

The purchase includes a license for both personal and commercial use. You may use the textures to your own images or to sell the finished product where you have applied the textures to your images. You may not share or sell these textures or redistribute them in any way. Your purchase is a one person license. Please do not claim the textures as your own. 

Summer

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the Rain 
- Vivian Greene 

It's been raining more than we've known. I'm stuck inside with my computer and I'm kinda liking it. I'm finishing my new textures, laying under my covers, enjoying. Normally I would be devastated, since summer is too short in Finland anyway. But right now rain feels good. Comforting. And my summer holiday is still four weeks away. Meanwhile I'll enjoy life as it is. And browsing trough my archives to see the sun.

I'm finishing with some texture news. The image below is textured with a freebie called 'Muse'. 

You can download it here! If you aren't PS or PSE user but would be interested in using textures in your editing, please check out my tutorial about working with textures in GIMP.

As I said I have a new collection coming up just in few days. It's called 'Rusty Romance' ♥

Here is a little peek textured with 'Charm' from the upcoming collection. Collection available now! CLICK.

Sharing with: Friday Finds, Simple Things Sunday, Weekly Top Shot,