Having fun with my Costumes!

Wow,  I was playing around with my links on my computer and realized I hadn't visited my blog for awhile.    I'm mostly on facebook these days.   It is interesting to see the old posts on this blog.   Costuming is a positive endeavor for me...it always makes me smile to dress up or see others dressed up too....

It is always fun to be creative and dress up for events and holidays.  I have been playing a harp since 2010 and have mostly been posting on my facebook site:  M.O.T.H. Maria On The Harp ...you may need to ask me to get access...but for now the reason I mention it is because I'm always looking for creative ways to dress for when I play.   I like being whimsical and especially anything with wings!   Here I'm dressed as a White Moth...however, I have yet to play somewhere with this on...lol.....maybe at a Renaissance or Mythical fair sometime in the future....

The second photo was done using an iphone application.   It's 2018 now and technology has advanced to using what is called smartphone to edit and play with photos you take with your smartphone.  I have an Apple Iphone 7Plus.    It is already getting out of date since now there is an Iphone X out there.    

Halloween has come and gone but this year I had the best time with the trick or treaters dressed as Steam Punk girl with my Steam Punk guy!

What is the definition of Positive?

I have made my blog public once more...

I decided to look up the work positive and see what the Webster had to say about it.  I was surprised to find several meanings.   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/positive  check it out.  The one definition I focus on is number 8 on the site.
a :  having a good effect :  favorable a positive role modelb :  marked by optimism the positive point of view
 Especially 8 b....marked by optimism.  But why that is the last definition instead of the first...I just can't fathom it....It is such an important thing to have optimism.  A matter of attitude of course but definitely a way of life.   Don't you want to have a positive point of view?...or have a good effect on others?   Seems like a good idea to me!

2014 - 01 Positive Quote Mardi Gras

"Be Amazing!   It is up to me to Illuminate the world!"

King's Cake   http://homecooking.about.com/od/cakerecipes/r/blc148.htm   and some other images:  King's cake images  A traditional cake for Fat Tuesday or the day before Lent.  First time I have made it...I think it's more a New Orlean's tradition but I like it!  It is fun and the cake is very good!!!!  I made two and froze one!   Hey there are even seasonal Kings cakes!  https://www.randazzokingcake.com/pages/Seasonal-King-Cakes.html   Check it out for Easter, St. Patrick's day...etc......cool!!!!

 The second photo is of my Tap Dance Seattle class with Mardi Gras Head Gear with me, Bill, Gigi, Stacy, Karen, Nancy, Karlyne, Darcy?, and Amy  (from left to right)!  The exercise is great and the people are so friendly and enterprising.   

Amy has a facial and waxing business:  http://www.theskinfirmseattle.com/  

Darcy owns Neilsen's Bakery in Downtown Seattle.  http://nielsenspastries.com/   and some images:Google Images of bakery

Today I have made my blog private....so I can focus more on inspiring myself and not be dissappointed when not many people read my blog.  It is mostly for me...I always loved getting the feedback but it was pretty scarce in coming.  I had this crazy idea that my bog would go viral all by itself, in that millions would want to read it.  Boy, was I off the mark on that one.  My entries were not bad but they were mostly non-controversial and safe.  I also knew I did not want to do the marketing or to create controversy to make my blog a universally sought resource.  It might happen some other way but not that way.  That's ok with me.   I know I have good things to say and do!  So here I will record some of my wonderful happenings and inspirations.   I will only allow those who really have an interest in being my blog friend to see my blog at this point.

Pink Saturday - Flowers and things

Time for another Pink Saturday posting...this week I am posting some pics of pink flowers I had around the house awhile ago,  a pink building in Vegas, one in Arizona and a pink tinted sunset in  Scottsdale, Arizona.    I guess I'll need to go on a pink photo shoot soon....I love the color yet it is not always easy to find a pic of it in my folders....I'll have to fix that.   In any case be sure to visit the Pink Saturday blog by Beverly...she has an amazing following and inspires me to post..as you can see from some of my recent posts.   It's a positive thing to encourage others to post...while posting some very cool things yourself...that's Beverly!

Pink Saturday Link

 

 

Here are my pics for the Pink Saturday post:

 

Ahhh,  Sweet Peas in my Bathroom!

 

Oriental Lily on my porch!

 

Double Delight Rose on my coffee table....

 

Wild horses in Vegas?...maybe Arizona....Albuqurque...gosh

I've forgotten where now that I am looking at the pic!!!!

 

 

Pink building definitely taken at ASU...Arizona State University

Pink Sunset in Scottsdale, Arizona with a bonus pool reflection!

 

 

Well that's it for now until next time....I'll be on the lookout for more pink in my life...why?  Because I like it!!!!!

2013 - 01 Pink Saturday Jan. 5th NEW YEAR

Ringing in the New Year - 2013 with a bit of a cold!   Darn those bugs and viruses.  However, I did also change my header picture to a view of our Space Needle here in Seattle on New Years night/morning depending on how you look at it. 

      For more Ringing in the new year blogs and entries visit:

                                         Pink Saturday entries Jan. 5, 2013

I love the celebrations of the new year!  I made a couple of New Years icons for the occasion...one is the header:

the other is another view of the fireworks showing the whole space needle. 

 

 

Yes, I stayed up until after midnight welcoming the new year.  There is always so much to think about.   Got the call from my daughter and really loved that...except I had laryngitis...you never know how much you miss your voice until its' gone!  It's come back now, yay!  



  
   A  few days ago it snowed and inspired me to take some snow pics that I am belatedly posting here.   Including some house decorations.    The little hummingbirds kept coming to inspect the red ornaments I hung in the Rose of Sharon trees.   The snow was not a heavy falling but was enough to create a little winter wonderland for a day or so.  Then it melted.   This year's Christmas tree theme was winter wonderland.  There were snowflakes, icicles, white birds, red bows and red ornaments on the tree inside as well.  I love putting the decorations on the tree and as usual I added a few more this year despite us getting a much smaller and thinner tree.   The little doll in the tree is one I made many years ago in our first years of marriage.  I didn't have much money then and decided to make dolls for a couple of my nieces for Christmas.   I kept one as a momento and put it in my tree every year.   One of the two dolls for my nieces still shows up on her mom's tree...the other one is MIA.   They had their names embroidered on them.  I keep thinking of making more...maybe for next year...if I get started early.  Same thing goes for the little soldier clothes pins.  I made them and have slowly been giving them away.  I truly love them.   A few years ago I found some angel dancer clothes pins to go with them.   I'm glad I'm writing this since it is giving me ideas.     Those ornaments hold so many memories.  

     The snow people on the mantle were made by my husbands mom.  Her name was Delores.   She passed away quite a few years ago but they always serve to remind me of her at Christmas time.  It wouldn't be Christmas without her snow people watching over us from somewhere in the house.   It's all her fault I'm so in love with Holiday bazaars....she enjoyed them so much.   The stockings by the fire are hung with those removable Commander hooks.  What a great technology.  I always put an orange in each stocking because it reminds me of a story my mother told me from when I was young only 2 years old so I don't remember the happenings.  They didn't have a lot of money for that Christmas and fruit was in short supply where they lived at the time....so when she had the opportunity to buy some oranges she scooped them up and gave them to us for one of our Christmas presents....well, we (my younger sister and I) were too young to know how special this present really was...so my mother later confided that she and my dad ate the oranges and enjoyed them immensely....so now I always put an orange in the stockings for that enjoyment to live on!!!!

 Here I am thinking of Christmas and it's January 4th!    I'm still working on my resolutions and goals for 2013 but one of them is to remember things that interact with people in special ways...like this blog and remembering birthdays and anniversaries.   That's a good thing.    Ringing in the new year with memories and bells!  There are several bells in some of these pics...check out the inside tree decorations, The front door and the mantle.  I collect them...as well as play handbells at special Church services......but that's a story or two for another posting....

              I'm so happy to be posting!      

2012 - 09 Pink Saturday Inspirational post Front Porch

It's time to post on Pink Saturday and I've been posting via my other photoblogatory blog because I usually use my own pics but today I wanted to pass on a couple of Pinterest sites that have absolutely inspiring Pink posts....  the first one is:

   Pink World   and has a gorgeous little pink front porch...posted....as one of her entries.. I loved all her entries and of course am following her.  She is from Lisbon...and her name is Paula Trinidad...I went to the original entry for the photo she pinned and it was on a site called:  Houzz  at this link:   houzz  .  They encouraged embedding in you blog!  That is great!...It's an idea site for interior decorating...very cool and inspiring.

Tropical Exterior design by Atlanta Interior Designer Suzanne MacCrone Rogers


Another cool pinterest post with pink is called:  cor-de-rosa     which is by Claudia Andre from Bazil...we live in such a cool world....she had some pink heart glazed cornbread cookies that looked pretty good!!!!!
They actually came from a Martha Stewart site originally:   Martha's Pink heart cornbread cookies

For more Pink Saturday posts please visit:

at this weeks posted link:    Pink Saturday post this week

2012 - 08 Inspiration Galore on Pin It

Hello all!   Today's post is about a cool place to get positive inspirations from crafts to music and more.   It's called Pinterest and you can find all sorts of things get you in the mood for what ever you may need to do at

www.Pinterest.com  .  

People ask me what's the difference between Pinterest and Facebook?  I'm not the expert but in my opinion, which of course I value highly, (lol),  Pinterest is where you might find things that lift your spirits, that give you ideas and ultimately ways to connect with others that have like interests.  People use it to get fun food ideas,  crafty projects, music to inspire you and all sorts of things.  At least that is what I see.  Some of the participants have business connected with their interests and may guide you there with a link but only if you are interested.  Places like Etsy.com  and others. 

In effect it is like a little bulletin board where you can 'pin' your interests and go back to view them for inspiration or just fun.  Of course to pin you need to open an account but you don't have to pin...you can just surf.

For example...I like cats...do you?  this link to a Pinterest site is all about cats and how to view them in fun ways.

 http://pinterest.com/sabacat/kittymeowmeow/   

If it makes you smile that is what I would expect!   So if you need a lift you can check out some sites or create one of your own and start your own collection.

Does that get you to thinking?  LOL....

It's ok to stay on the fence about it.......do some research.  I'm guessing that if you are a blogger you will love it!

Smiles,  Maria

2012 -07 Inspiration - I SO THINK SO!!! I DREAM

Now sometimes a person comes into a life that truly is inspirational.  Yet, why hasn't it been known?  Who knows...appearances are always deceiving and yet we judge.   Truly do we not know when we judge first.  This singer was the amazing Epitome of that very thing.  Why can we not be patient and let people show themselves?  We are so vain...aren't we? Susan Boyle - I have a Dream   .  Sometimes we just have to have a leap of faith....and trust in someone else.   Don't you think?

Shirt/Blouse Art 2012 - 06

I was googling for a men's peasant shirt for a friend as a positive act of kindness...and I not only found a great link to purchasing one which you will see further down I discovered this great idea from a young woman who blogs about Cultivating Home!

I love it when people are creative and do really neat things....especially with clothing. It can be so practical. The romantic touch is what I'm finding here. It's so positive when people do inspiring things.

First:
This link is to the blogger who redid a men's shirt to make it into a really sweet woman's blouse.
http://www.cultivatinghome.com/2011/06/mens-dress-shirt-to-womans-blouse-sort.html

She shows how to do it too on her Cultivating Home site in a sort of Tutorial. ...and she inspires others!


Second:
A really cool thing is that one of the comments linked to another person's site who made a little girl's blouse from a little boy's shirt!

http://thepleasanttimes.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-blouse-from-rag-bag.html


Third: My successful search for a peasant shirt for a man resulted in this really cool link to the Tudor Shoppe:

http://www.tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=MS

I think this is quite romantic..but there were plenty of others up on the site. This kind of like the opposite of a men's to woman's shirt....more of a woman's peasant look for a man! I love it though. It is dashing and is reminiscent of the pirate look of adventure as well.


All in all a good topic for the day's positive art site!

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Nail Art - St. Patricks Green 2012 - 05

I was looking at Youtube at some water paintings (more on that in another post) and found this cool video on painting your nails with a marbling effect with nail polish and water. It's quite creative and inspiringly beautiful.



Collette from Minneapolis also has a blog which has some cool pictures of the nails http://mysimplelittlepleasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/notd-extreme-green-water-marble.html?showComment=1331781535405#c8860507812288026280

and quite a few other ideas for nails when you go to her home page http://mysimplelittlepleasures.blogspot.com/ ....

Way to go Collette....quite an inspiring form of art. The positive thing about it is not only the beauty but the uniqueness and the sharing she does on Youtube. She is one of the people that makes life and the world just a little bit better by her being in it. This is just me saying thank-you! Smiles.

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G-Dragon Heartbreaker 2012 - 04

It's the year of the dragon in the Chinese Calendar...but this South Korean Singer...I think he really rocks...check it out...talk about artistic. It's crazy good...I'm posting two of his Youtube videos...



Also...in concert.....



I found it amazingly fun...plus I like the rave effects in the concert.

Read more at Wikipedia....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbreaker_(G-Dragon_album)

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Cavalia Artistry 2012 - 03

What is Cavalia? It's an amazing horse and acrobatics show and performance. It is artistry in music for the ears and visuals for the eyes. If ever it should come to your town you must go and see it. Here is a link to the Official Cavalia site: http://unrevedeliberte.cavalia.net/en/medias/photos.aspx

Here are some pics that I took along the walkway to the show the other night. No pics allowed in side...so what you see are pictures of pictures. LOL...still inspiring and amazing. I took all these with my Iphone and then touched them up some ..but that is why the photos look so long...lol

I actually attended by myself. It was a very cold, dark and stormy night. The performance began at 8:00. I had made a last minute decision to go. I needed some inspiration for my Fairy Tale writing. I am up to Chaptor 38 but was getting a little short on some creative thinking. I found my muses here at this show. Wow, I got some great ideas as I was watching. Animals as muses..I should have known. Since I was born in the year of the horse it just seemed very appropriate. I was definitely not disappointed.













I hope you might have the pleasure of going to one of these shows. They are truly magical
and one of a kind.

Smiles, Maria
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Fairy Tale Collage 2012 - 02

Just trying out the collage feature in photo bucket with my fairy tale characters


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Fireworks Art 2012 -01

What a great way to start the New Year with a Seattle Space Needle Fireworks show! Here are two versions of the events...one with music dubbed in and the other with music from the fireworks speakers...a little hard to hear but the theme was a Space theme. You can hear Neil Armstrong if you listen hard enough announcing the giant leap for mankind. Smiles.

The First one just has the music dubbed in and is quite peaceful...a bit of a contrast to the loud booming of the actual show but kind of nice too:



This second video is closer to the real experience:



It's all good though! The New Year is upon us and with it all the scrambling for resolutions, goal setting and just thinking ahead and reflecting on what has transpired last year.

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Fireworks Art 2011-14 New Years!

It's New Years all day! Ha, ha...because we have a big world! Happy New Year to the world and peace to all..please...peace and prosperity....coming is the Year of the Dragon...chinese calendar... that means prosperity and a good year for money. About time!

First a little Happy New Year from ABBA!


AUSTRALIA:

Here is a view of the New Year's celebration in Australia that is a must see...one of the first of the New Year!....Incredible, Inspirational!!!!!....amazing....



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LONDON, PARIS, BERLIN AND ROME





Space Needle Fireworks are in the First Entry for 2012

Love the Fireshows!!!!!

Smiles,
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Positive Art 2011-13 Dreaming, Writing

This year has gone by so fast. I've been doing a lot of dreaming and doing...I began writing stories. I had remembered how much I enjoyed fairy tales when I was younger. They got my imagination going. I loved the mostly happy endings. Some, like Grimm's Fairy tales didn't always end well but I still loved the creatures and fantastic word pictures. The little drawings always helped me go one step further in my mind as well. However, I wanted to write something that was different. My thought was to include something from modern days in my fairy tales and document some of the technology we have in a fantasy world. Who would have dreamed that we would have things like Iphones and Craigslist? I've always been inspired by winged creatures and things...real ones such as birds and insects and more elusive ones such as angels and dragons. I hope to finish my first little story by early 2012...but I need inspiration...so I have photographed some graphics that I worked with to support that need.

It would be good to know if others might find it fun to read a little more updated fairy tales as well. Interestingly, shortly after I started writing my first few chaptors a TV show called Once Upon a Time began airing. It also has the theme of incorporating the modern world into the story line. I must have been on the same wavelength. However, my story is all new characters, unlike the TV show.

The little video incorporates my inspirations and one of the characters in the photo is Ophelia Angelica...the main character in my first attempt at fairy tales...can you guess which one? Well, more to come in a later entry.




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Positive Art 2011-12 Fairy Tale Journals and Books

I used to love reading Fairy Tales and also having them read to me. There were always such imaginative characters and of course princes and princesses. It strikes me that it also helped me to learn to write and created a desire in me to learn more. Fairy tales can have such ethereal characters such as maidens with blue hair and bedazzled dragons which would befriend kind rugged warriors. They are the stuff of dreams.

Journaling whether in a book or here on the worldwide web is creative art and can have such a positive effect on one's life if one lets it happen. The wonder of a journal of blank pages to fill becomes so much more inviting when there is a magical creature on the cover of the book or the beginnning of a blog entry. A magical creature can inspire, be a buddy or just be a work of art in a journal. Hope this little blue haired portrait is as magical to you as she is to me....a little bit pixelated but that adds to the magic...of the whimsy.

:)

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Positive Art 2011-11 - Rainbow in Swizterland

This is the famous Geneva fountain in Swizterland! Just came back from a wonderful trip and took so many photos it is mind boggling. Lake Geneva is a wonderful place. There is a very tall fountain here called the Jet d'eau.. For more indepth infor on this check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain This fountain is turned on every day. It is an artform in an of itself. Inspirational in so many ways: the majestic look and feel of it, the cooling water mists..you can actually walk out very close to the fountain...and this thing is tall (shoots up to 459 feet)! A short 35 second video on Youtube gives you another good view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF4q-MkTMSM

However, the art form that happened while I was watching it one day here was a rainbow which formed in the fountain. One late afternoon the sun was shining in just the right spot where I was standing...so I took a couple of snapshots of the rainbow in the fountain. It made me smile as rainbows always do. Smiles!

Where there is water....look for the rainbow...if it isn't there yet...be the rainbow!

Maria

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