Friday, March 29, 2013

Sunrise to Sunset


Sunrises and sunsets are two of my favorite things in life. If you were to look through samples of my photography, especially early on, you would see a large portion devoted to both. There is something magical about the way the sky fills with color and everything starts to glow.

I have a perfect view for sunrises. My balcony overlooks a golf course surrounded by huge old oak trees and lakes. When the sun starts to rise you see the oaks, dripping with moss, silhouetted against the sky. And then you see the surface of the lake catch fire with the pinks, and corals, and purples. If you happen to look at just the right time you may see an egret or a flock of Canadian Geese flying across the sky. It just takes your breath away.






I can't see the sunsets from my house so that means I have to take my sunset walks. I love to walk down by the pond around twilight. There are more mossy oaks, a field of flowers, and always some geese or ducks in the water. And again, you have the oaks silhouetted against the sky, and the reflection of all that color in the water. In the summer you have the added bonus of fireflies.




And then there are the sunsets when I visit my family back home. This is where my sunsets walks originated. We live out in the country and just down a little side road there is a pasture with rolling green hills and cows. It's a wide-open space that allows you to see the entire sky at sunset.





Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Etsy Love


Etsy is a handmade marketplace. It's a way to buy and sell handmade items, vintage items, art, and supplies. Until I opened my shop, I wasn't that familiar with the site. Now I'm obsessed! I'm on there daily working on my shop, adding items, participating in team activities, and discussions. I also can spend hours at a time just browsing and choosing favorites from all the amazing creations on there. I love to scroll through getting ideas for photos, gift ideas for my family and friends, and of course finding some amazing things for myself too. The selection seems limitless.

Photography prints (yes, that is a shameless plug!), edibles, accessories, paintings, clothing, and furniture are a few of the thousands of listings you can choose from.

Here are some of my favorite items:


You can find this beautiful shoulder bag here at Marbled Bag on etsy.




You can find these stackable rings here at Amy Waltz Designs on etsy.



Isn't this succulent planter perfect for Spring? Find it here at The Little Succulent Shoppe on etsy.



One of my favorite finds from BlueBirdHeaven here on etsy.

If you haven't been to Etsy lately, go take a look. There are so many wonderful things to choose from. And stop by my shop. I would love feedback on the photos I have listed, what you would like to see more of (or less of). 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Dreamy Sunday Afternoon

On Saturday the weather was horrendous. Torrential downpours, lightning popping everywhere, and strong wind gusts. This continued into Sunday morning but by the afternoon...



The clouds parted and gave way to a glorious afternoon!

Since Spring is full speed ahead I just had to be outside. So my trusty hound, Bax, and I headed outdoors to a nearby pond to soak up some sun and fresh air. All the flowers were so happy to have that rain but I think they were loving the sun just as much.



And what could be better than a huge field full of these??!!


Soon I will be picking buckets of blackberries. Blackberry cobbler, blackberry muffins, blackberry pie... I can almost taste it now.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Spring is finally here!!


Spring is here! If you live in the South like me, then you are starting to see the signs of new life all around you. I love the freshness in the air, seeing the beautiful trees and flowers begin to bud out, and just the general "green-ness" of everything.


Once Spring gets here I am ready to change things up a bit. I get the urge to redecorate, craft,  and organize. In other words, Pinterest becomes my best friend! Take a look at some these lovelies:






Can't you just feel the creative juices flowing now? I'm glad the weekend is almost here so I can get started on some of the hundreds of projects I pinned over the winter.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Crazy little thing called life

Ok, so now I have that song, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" running through my head. And now you do too! You can thank me later.

There are a few months out of the year when my job is really busy. And a few weeks out of those months it is insane. I love my job and I would much rather be busy than not, but at some point exhaustion kicks in. I think I always feel it most after the first few week of busy-ness. I get up early, go to work for 12 hours, come home to my poor dog who thinks I have abandoned him, eat dinner, got to bed, and then do it all over again the next day.

I get worn out and soul-weary. I have to remember to stop, breathe, and just take five minutes whenever I can. So today I will look at these photos and remember the beach trip with my family. My sister and one of my nieces got up early with me to watch the sunrise. We were the only ones out there except for the birds and the only thing you could hear was the wind blowing and the waves crashing.




If your day is crazy like mine, I hope you have 5 minutes to stop and breathe and just be glad in the day.





And just for fun... this is my poor, crazy, abandoned dog:





Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Coloring outside of the lines



Welcome to Point of View Creations! My name is Cheryl and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm an amateur photographer, fine art print creator, avid shoe lover, voracious book-reader... Well, the list could go on and on.


Do you ever color outside of the lines? I never used to. I liked every picture perfectly outlined, shaded, and filled in with a carefully pre-selected color.  No surprises for me! Not even the tiniest smudge outside the lines.... Until recently. Sometimes, you just have to take a chance on life and try something new.

Enter my Etsy shop (and this blog!!). I have discovered a love of photography in the last few years. I haven't had any professional training yet but I've had some good friends who were willing to guide, critique, and mentor me along the way. I photograph the beauty in and of life. Whatever speaks to me. Sometimes I just make technical edits. Sometimes I completely change the photo into a brand new creation. This is where coloring outside of the lines comes in. I like breaking the rules. Who knew??!!

Stop by my Etsy shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PointofViewCreations


Be sure to visit and like my shop page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/PointOfViewCreations