Foggy Sunday Photo Edited w/ Snapseed

I took this photo from inside looking outside and I liked the reflection of the lamp. It's been a very long time since I've played around with Snapseed on my phone and it was fun making the morning fog in the woods resemble a vintage photo. When I first downloaded the app ages ago, it was expensive ($20) and I could use it on my computer. Google bought it and now Snapseed is free and can only be used on a mobile phone or iPad. Try it, you'll like it! The app can be downloaded on android phones too. xo

iPad Apps: History Lessons on the iPad

What's wrong with this picture? It's pretty daunting to think about what our forefathers achieved with a quill pen and a bottle of ink, isn't it?

Top iPad apps to teach kids about government and US History

Edward BIDDLE (1738-1779) uncle of Richard Biddle, a Delegate from Pennsylvania; born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1738; entered the provincial army as an ensign in 1754, promoted to lieutenant and captain, and served until 1763, when he resigned; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Reading, Pa.; member of the State assembly 1767-1775, serving as speaker in 1774; member of the provincial convention held at Philadelphia in 1775; again a member of the State assembly in 1778; Member of the Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775; died at Chatsworth, near Baltimore, Md., September 5, 1779; interment in St. Paul’s Churchyard, Baltimore, Md. via

A Stamp for Travelers and Stamp Collectors

Here is another etching I made from a photograph of a book cover using this app for iPhone and iPad. It's so much fun!

I overslept this morning and I already had this post ready to go. I have a zillion things to do today too.

Walk and feed a friends dogs before my office meeting, go on open house tours, open a house so an architect can take measurements, go to the dentist. Oh dear! I might not see you again until much later.

I Made Some Dog Money for Webster

Now all he needs is a wallet. I'm having so much fun with my new app. I took an iPad photo of a 1922 bronze dog medal in my collection and turned it into a Dog Dollar.

Antique Delft Tile with Cow

This is an 18th century hand painted Delft Tile from my collection that was converted to a 'dot' image with an app called SnapDot. I'm having fun playing with it. I took the photo with my iPhone and worked on it with my iPad.

The tile is damaged but I love this $2.50 tag sale purchase just the same.

Flowers from My Cottage Free Download

I found an app called PolyFrame and downloaded it. It has lots of pre-set shapes for making collages.

It's easy too. These are spring flowers from my iPhone camera roll. Get it. 

How Do You Count Your Days?

I know it's psychological but when it's hot outside I find it difficult to get anything very productive done inside even though the central air is running. Is this normal? How do you cope with the heat? Even the dogs are lying around like dishrags. Today I shall try to make the day count!! I found the quote in the white box here and I expanded it myself using the Martha Stewart app that's only 'free' for one more day. 

Free iPad App from Martha Stewart

This amazing app for iPad from Martha Stewart is a free download until July 8th and then the price jumps to $4.99. It is amazing. You can type, write freehand, glue, glitter, stamp, use photos, use templates, and so on. It will amuse you for hours creating cards, labels, blog posts, etc. I made this 'card' in just a few minutes -- it's so easy! Download from the app store HERE. It's called Martha Stewart CraftStudio. Get it while it's free. You can thank me later. Free is good! 

*Thanks Martha*

House Blessing

"PLENTY and GRACE BE TO THIS PLACE"

I photographed this terracotta plaque on a fireplace mantle recently. I am trying something new just to see if it works. I am posting from my iPhone. This is a test!

The verdict. I had to resize the photo on my computer because I had not selected image size in the settings. It was way too big to fit in my template. But now I know I can post and save as a draft for computer tweeking later. Could come in handy and now I have the free Blogger App on my iPhone and iPad. You can't change fonts or do anything with rich text. Pretty basic. Come on Google, you can do better!

SNAPSEED Photo Editing App | Free Download

This doesn't happen very often. I got my copy while it was free for one day several months ago and I love it. This is an award-winning photo editing App for iPhone and iPad normally priced at $4.99. It's still the best one too so be sure to grab it while it's free!!! Found here.

Apple's FREE App of The Week: Download link.
HERE IS A GREAT SNAPSEED TUTORIAL IN PICTURES. Pay no attention to the $4.99 quoted price.

Peony with Watering Can Protection

The watering cans make a great fence to keep the wonder dog from "watering" the peonies when I'm not looking. Enjoy your evening and I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.

My Very Own Peony ! ! !

And my very own handwriting. I used to have such good penmanship. Must practice! It's not that easy writing with your finger on an iPad.

Back Then - DANDELION COTTAGE

I downloaded my first audio book yesterday and had a delightful time listening to Dandelion Cottage.

It is a free download -- here is the site if you DON'T have an iPhone.

I never read this book as a young girl and I would have loved it back then. It's never too late to catch up, is it? The free app for iPhone and iPad is called Audiobooks -- The list of free books to download is wonderful. You can also read Dandelion Cottage online or on an eReader here.

440 East Arch, Marquette Michigan

Dandelion Cottage has historical significance for its association with a prize-winning Marquette (Michigan) author who made the house famous in her book of the same name. In 1904 local writer Caroll Watson Rankin wrote a popular children's story of four young girls who earned the right to occupy the cottage as a play house over the summer months for the rental price of ridding its yard of its dandelion crop. The cottage was constructed about 1880 and donated to Saint Paul's Episcopal Church by Marquette pioneer and philanthropist Peter White in 1888 as a rental property. The house was moved from its then-current location adjacent to the church on High Street to a site two hundred feet away on Arch Street. To avoid demolition of the disintegrating structure, then-mayor of Marquette, William Birch and his wife, Sally, agreed to purchase and move the cottage in order to maintain the noted structure's presence in the community. source

Real people still live in this delightful cottage. Read about them here: Back Then - mmnow.com

Dandelion Cottage by Caroll Watson Rankin -- Carroll Watson Rankin is the pen name of American author Caroline Clement Watson Rankin (1864–1945). She began writing the story one August day in 1903 when her young daughter Eleanor proclaimed she had read all the books in the world for little girls.

Free App for making photo collages

My first picture collage using this free app. 

Original iPad finger drawing converted to an eCard.

This beautiful drawing was done by a friend in Vermont. She didn't use a stylus---just her finger. After cropping it, I added the greeting and frame. I think it became a perfect Mother's Day card, don't you?

Happy Faces

These are such happy little flowers, aren't they? I fertilized them last week with some blue water and they are finally blooming again for a second round. My mother always says they are heavy feeders. 

My Ladies Mantle after a rainy night

I have always loved how the serrated edges of the ladies mantle leaves capture the tiny raindrops and the centers cup the big ones. Mine are thriving this year even though they looked awful at the end of last year's summer heat. They missed the cool nights most long-lived perennials prefer. I missed them too!

Mystery Flower at My Cottage

 

 

These were taken today on an overcast morning with my iPad. What are those stunning magenta flowers and how did they get there? They are very large and have popped up in an area that never gets mowed and is allowed to grow wild behind the tall grasses in the second photo and near the buttercups that grow in huge patches near my metal gate. Click to enlarge. Isn't it fun to get surprise flowers planted by birds and magic? 

I have to say my favorite photo app of late is PhotoToasterJr. I almost never use anything else. It's free too. I blogged about it recently (last Saturday 4/28) so look for the post to download.

Spreading Wild Violets

I bought a new lawn mower this year to do the front lawn. It's too tight to get my riding mower in there plus it slings the clippings up against the house and makes a big mess. My old one bit the dust last year and I went one whole season using the old 'reel' mower from the dark ages. I still use it but for big jobs and spring cleanup I prefer a power mulching mower. I got just what I needed at Sears. It has big back wheels and it's RED. Wahoo. I can't wait to fire it up but I'm going to wait a little longer until the violets that have invaded the lawn start to shrivel a little more. They look like miniature orchids up close. These are considered to be a weed by some but I happen to love them and can't bear the thought of chopping their beautiful heads off.

The Skunk Cabbage is Spreading

The woods are being overtaken by the spreading skunk cabbage in the wetlands to the rear of my cottage.