Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Raconteur

The Raconteur - Metuchen

Located on Main Street in Metuchen, this is a quaint little book store that not only has some rare and unique finds, but also has many events that will enlighten and amuse.



Here the mike is set up in preparation for a radio play enactment


Fun and eclectic atmosphere


There were several rare and antique typewriters found though out the store


Found in the front window, a perfect place to have a game of chess


Ship in bottle and a short history....


Dream the Impossible Dream!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tribute...

Tribute...
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

A quick tribute to "The King"

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Life is....

what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. ~ John Lennon

It's been over two months since I last posted, wow that sure is a long time. I actually started this post about two weeks ago and got distracted once again by some tiny little detail... minutia, but the trail was lost and it took time to get back on track. Not that the last two months have been uneventful, quite the contrary. It was so eventful I was completely overwhelmed by it all.


The last week in May ended with the passing of a very close friend and confidant, my Aunt Lil was so special to me and she is missed daily. The pain and suffering are over and she is in a better place, yes I do believe there is a better place. The flowers of May brought relief and beauty in a time of deep sorrow.


June brought a birthday dinner for my daughter and I. Since we share a birthday, we also shared a celebratory cocktail while waiting to be seated. I had the honor of celebrating the 25th Anniversary of my 29th birthday this year.... but who's counting?

July was an exciting month! We attended my niece's wedding in south west Pennsylvania, a celebration and road trip all in one. With a dog and cat to tend to my DH stayed home while my daughter and I had a semi Thelma and Louise weekend (lol). It was great to spend time with my brother and nieces, something that's become far to rare! The bride was beautiful and the groom was as excited as a little boy, may they be blessed with love and happiness for many years to come.



Unfortunately we ended the month on a sad note. Our cat Belle has been suffering with kidney disease for the last year and sadly we had to let her go with the help of the vet that has cared for since we adopted her in 1994.


Seventeen years is a long time, she gave it the good fight and held on until the end, may she now rest in peace.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Music Love

135/365 Music Love
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Pretty exciting day for Kate... she won tickets to see Sugarland and her favorite band Little Big Town this Saturday from Thunder 106.3 in NJ. They also included a "Meet and Greet" which put her over the top!

Congrats Kate... I can't wait!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Texture Tuesday

134/365 Classic
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

I've enrolled in Kim Klassen's Photoshop Skinny-Mini course to help me get the most out of the Photoshop Elements trial I downloaded.

I haven't really ventured into the post-processing realm until now and it is stirring a new inspiration for photography. This is a good thing, since I seem to be falling behind on my 365 Project.

For today's processing I applied Pioneer Woman's Vintage action, then applied Kim's Pour Vous texture at 75% soft light. What do you think? Have you used Actions and Textures in processing your photography?

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Travel Dreams

131/365 Travel Dreams
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Spring has sprung and with it the travel bug has arrived! While dreams of seeing the world struck last week, the reality is I'll be staying local this year.

Don't get me wrong there is plenty to explore and see right here close to home. New Jersey and New York provide for some very interesting backdrops. I just need to plan some trips and then get out and do it!

Hopefully there will be many day trips now that the cold and snow are gone... looking forward to the sharing with all my friends!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Texture Tuesday


Friendships Remembered
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem


Friendships Remembered - Summer memories always improve with age. Applied Pioneer Woman's Vintage action and Kim Klassen's Silence texture for Texture Tuesday submission.

Here is the original


Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Watch Dog

Letting me know the mailman has entered the block.... you'd think he was a giant much larger than his ten pounds of terror!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

April Showers

108/365 April Showers
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem


The morning rain on my neighbor's beautiful flowers. These are gorgeous when open, I'll have to post another day when that happens!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Spring is in the Air

This past week has certainly been proof that Spring is gaining ground in these parts!

Beautiful pink blossoms were found at the local supermarket, in the parking lot.


Also at the local pharmacy


And while out and about visiting my customers, there were new bunnies everywhere!











Can Easter be far behind?

Speaking of Easter, has anyone seen Hop?


Looks like it's been #1 at the box office these past two weekends, looks like a fun movie. Yes, I'm still a child deep down :-)

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Stop...

96/365 Stop...
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem


Finally, some blossoms proving that indeed Spring will arrive!

Another shot in the Spring Colors series, which I forgot to mention yesterday was inspired by the Spring Colours Week hosted at Poppytalk you can find out more on their site.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Color Week 2011

200/365 Dreamy Sunflowers
Originally uploaded by maggie_gem

Today's Shutter Sisters post inspired me to dig a bit into the archives in hunt for Yellow. Despite the gray rainy day.... I'm now walking on sunshine! Happy Tuesday everyone.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Branch Brook Park 2010

Cherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJ
Cherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJ
Cherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJ98/365 Branch Brook Park Newark NJ
Cherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJCherry Blossoms Newark NJ

Branch Brook Park, a set on Flickr.

Revisiting last year's photos and looking forward to making another trip this year.

The Bloom Fest is scheduled for Sunday April 17th.