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A waterfall fountain in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia

As I shared a few weeks ago when I changed my blog design, I was looking for a template that came with a wider main section so that I could post BIGGER photographs. My previous blog design had a main section that was 595px wide, however, this one came with a 700px section which I customized to 645px because I feel that if a main section is too wide, it makes reading the text a bit more challenging because it's harder for your eyes to follow.

So, earlier this week I went through several photographs I had stored on my computer and edited their original massive size down to 615px which is larger than I used to post.

And here are the results...


#1) I have no idea what this flower is because I totally suck at horticulture; therefore couldn't tell you the difference between a rose and a tulip (um, slight exaggeration), but I LOVE this flower. So, if anyone can tell me what it is I would be eternally grateful.


#2) The entrance to a house, not far from where I live. I love the spookiness of this house.


#3) Same house, using a camera editing effect.


#4) Again, I have no idea what these flowers are. Mums or Dads perhaps?


#5) A close-up shot of the door from the house photos above.


#6) Historical building in Society Hill, Philadelphia.


#7) Rooftop of the Drake Apartments in Philadelphia. I love the architecture of this building.


#8) I took this shot from my apartment window of an office building about two blocks away, using my zoom lens.


#9) Hey, congratulate me because I DO know what this flower is....a rose. Bwhahahahaha! Only kidding. This is a sunflower. I think...

Have a picturesque weekend everyone!
X

57 comments:

  1. I love the larger photos! Great decisions to go wider, and I'm impressed you manipulator the width to your liking.
    Quite the zoom lens on your camera! I think I can a late night worker in that office building. :-)

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  2. Hey there Jean!

    Thank you :) Since I've been posting more and more photos over the past year, I've wanted to try a blog template that had a wider main section. I taught myself how to customize and adjust a blog. Honestly though, it's VERY easy.

    "Quite the zoom lens on your camera! I think I can see a late night worker in that office building. :-)"

    EXCELLENT eye you have because I was going to mention the late night worker in the window, but I wanted to see if anyone else noticed him. And you DID!

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a super weekend!!!!
    X

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  3. Daft thing is, Ron, I have that pink flower in the garden but can't remember what it is called. I just did a search on the Net but had no luck at establishing the name. Isn't it awful when something is on the tip of one's tongue and won't materialise?


    I love the new width of your pictures and, as commented by Jean, I'm impressed that you know how to minimise and maximise. My favourite picture is the rooftop, the way it dominates the blue sky is fabulous.


    Have a good weekend x

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  4. Missed you on my last post! I always watch for that Ronnie comment to brighten my day ;)

    I adore the spooky entry way picture here. I actually like the first one without the camera effect. I am a sucker for anything spooky so this is right up my alley. Would love to see that in person!

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  5. Wow, bigger really is better! Great photos, Ron. I don't know diddly about flowers either, but whatever those things were, you captured them beautifully! And you really brought out the character of the buildings as well. Terrific job!


    Have massively great weekend, buddy!

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  6. What you have there are some daisies - the first is probably an Alpine Daisy and the second is a Gebera daisy. I do like bigger pictures - easier to see the details. If I had to choose favorites I like #1 and #8...

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  7. Ron, these are gorgeous! I love your wider section because it really shows off the detail in your photographs.

    My favorites are the very first one of the fountain and #'s 1, 7 and 8.

    "Mums or Dads perhaps?" Lol. I'm not very good at identifying flowers either, so that made me laugh!



    Have a wonderful weekend, Ron x

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  8. Hey there Shae!

    Check your spam box because I definitely remember commenting on your last post (Monday) about the glitter mugs because I LOVED them :)


    Please let me know if you found it, okay?

    "I adore the spooky entry way picture here. I am a sucker for anything spooky so this is right up my alley."



    Meeeeee too! I love anything spooky and Goth.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a super weekend!


    X

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  9. "Wow, bigger really is better!"

    HAHAHAHAHAHA! Rob, it's so funny you said that because I almost used those exact words for my post title!!

    " I don't know diddly about flowers either...."



    I am SO bad when it comes to identifying flowers, trees, and plants. I love and admire them, but I don't know diddly about their names.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a SUPA weekend!


    X

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  10. I love the larger photos! And the camera effect TOTALLY changes the look of the building! Brilliant colors in all of them.
    BTW, I believe those are coneflowers and Gerbera daisies. Just tell me you know what a carnation looks like...haha!

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  11. Grace, thank you sooooooooooo much for identifying those for me!

    (((((((( You )))))))))

    The first one I thought looked a lot like Echinacea, which is a herb I take whenever I get a cold: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea

    "I do like bigger pictures - easier to see the details."

    Yes, I agree.

    Much thanks for stopping by and again, I appreciate you letting me know about the flowers. Have a super weekend!

    X

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  12. Hola Denise!

    Thank you :) I've been wanting a blog template with a wider main section for the longest time so I could post bigger photos. I was so happy that I found this one online.

    "I'm not very good at identifying flowers either, so that made me laugh!"



    HA! OMG...I suck at knowing the names of flowers, trees and plants.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a wonderful weekend too!


    X

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  13. Hey there Bijoux!

    " And the camera effect TOTALLY changes the look of the building!"

    I used an effect in my camera called, Toy Camera Effect, to get that look.

    "BTW, I believe those are coneflowers and Gerbera daisies."

    Thank you for letting me know. And it's ironic you mentioned 'coneflowers' because I thought that the first flower looked a lot like Echinacea, which is an herb I take whenever I get a cold. Here's the link :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea - and it does mention it being a 'coneflower.' Grace mentioned something about it being an "Alpine Daisy" so I'm wondering if a coneflower is a form of a daisy.

    "Just tell me you know what a carnation looks like...haha!"


    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I do know what a carnation looks like, I swear.

    Have a super weekend, my friend, and thanks so much for stopping by!

    X

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  14. Oh, Ron...please tell me you didn't get too close to that first flower. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all horticulturists, and that is the Pinkish Killemish (Latin), commonly referred to as the Pink Death Flower. It's so toxic, just breathing the air within ten feet of those petals will cause your organs to shut down and you will die a slow, grueling death.


    But I'm sure you're fine. You still managed to update your blog...good sign.


    Hope you survive the weekend and have a great one!

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  15. Ron, your passion for photography and ability gets more and more impressive. These photos are beautiful. The ones of the spooky house are so cool. And the difference in how each one looks gives them a unique feel. I love the contrast of light in #8. And I can't believe how close you got with your lens. #6 looks like something you would see in Rome, Italy!

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  16. "and that is the Pinkish Killemish (Latin), commonly referred to as the Pink Death Flower. It's so toxic, just breathing the air within ten feet of those petals will cause your organs to shut down and you will die a slow, grueling death."


    Bwhahhahahahaha! Mark, I had tears streaming down my face reading that! OMG...you are so freakin' HILARIOUS!


    And yes, I'm fine. I survived and was able to update my blog. Whew!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy, and for the great laugh! Have a super weekend!


    X to you and Tara!

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  17. Hiya Matt!

    "And the difference in how each one looks gives them a unique feel."



    I used an effect on my camera called, "Toy Camera Effect" to achieve that second photo. I'm still learning so much about the settings and effects on my camera.


    My camera has a optical zoom of 16x, which is not that powerful compared to what some of the newer cameras have right now. But I'm still impressed by how close it enables me to get, while keeping the photo sharp and clear. One of these days, I would like to upgrade my camera to a more powerful zoom.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy, and for your encouragement. Have a most excellent weekend!


    X

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  18. Now that you mention it - I looked up echinacea and your photo may be just that. Echinacea is also a daisy - there are so many kinds of daisies it boggles the mind!

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  19. Echinacea or commonly called cone flower-my absolute favorite besides black eyed Susans. My gardens are filled with both.
    Love your photos!

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  20. "Echinacea or commonly called cone flower-my absolute favorite besides black eyed Susans. My gardens are filled with both."

    *clapping*

    Thank you, Suzi! I had a feeling you would know what that flower was! A few weeks ago, you posted a photo of the same flower and do you remember me mentioning in my comment that I had taken a picture of the same one?

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a super weekend!

    X

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  21. Hi Grace! Yes, one of my readers (Suzi) mentioned that in her comment. But you were also correct because Echinacea is a daisy. So, thank you very much :)

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  22. Lovely photos, Ron.

    My blog panel is 700 and I was wondering how difficult it was to read. Do you find it a pain to read mine? I can easily make it smaller, if it would be better.

    The flowers Look the same as our daisies, we have, but ours are white. That's about as much as I know about flowers too :)

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  23. Beautiful shots, Ron, and now I see why you were eager to change up the look and feel of your blog. Totally rockin'!!

    I'm not sure what those flowers are, but they're so colorful. And happy-looking. I believe they're called coneflowers (their seeds attract songbirds).

    #7 doesn't look like it belongs in Philly, though -- maybe southern California or the Mediterranean area instead??

    I'm glad you were able to bring us these camera "leftovers" -- no sense letting perfectly good photos go to waste!

    Happy Weekend to you!

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  24. Hiya Babs!

    "My blog panel is 700 and I was wondering how difficult it was to read. Do you find it a pain to read mine? I can easily make it smaller, if it would be better."

    No, not at all. And I think the reason being is your text font (Verdana), which I truly find one of the easiest of all to read online. A few of the blogs I read are even wider than 700px and have a very small font size. And for me, my eyes have trouble following the width of the sentences. In fact, this new template came with a smaller font, which I changed.

    "The flowers Look the same as our daisies, we have, but ours are white."

    Yup, your right...both of these flowers are a form of daisies. The first I discovered from Suzi is a cone flower (Echinacea). And the second is a Gerbera daisy.

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a lovely weekend!

    X to you and Mo!

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  25. Thank you, Debbie :)

    "I believe they're called coneflowers (their seeds attract songbirds)."

    Yes, you're absolutely right! I discovered (from Suzi) that it's in the daisy family and also referred to as Echinacea, which is an herb I take whenever I get a cold because it strengthens your immune system.

    "#7 doesn't look like it belongs in Philly, though -- maybe southern California or the Mediterranean area instead??"



    Loved that! Yes, it does look like something you would see in southern California or the Mediterranean area. Philadelphia has such a wide variety of architecture, that you get the feeling you're in different places in different areas.


    Much thanks for stopping by, dear lady. Happy weekend to you too!


    X

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  26. These are absolutely glorious! You are a great photographer, Ron. I think my favorite is the first. There is something about the geometry and colors. The house pictures; are the of one of the houses that we walked past? Beautiful!

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  27. Yes, I do remember!

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  28. "Mums or Dads perhaps?" Lol.


    Ron, these are gorgeous! I really like the larger sizing. Each one has a completely different feel. I love the one of the fountain. I agree with one of your readers, there is something about the geometry and colors. I also like how you caught the water flowing. Also, the one of the windows at night is just beautiful. That must be some zoom you have to get that close up. I would love to go inside that spooky house and see what it looks like.


    Is your camera a DSLR?

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  29. Thank you, Jayne :)


    I have this 'odd attraction' to homes or buildings that look distressed or decaying because it like seeing into the past of what was. Philadelphia has a lot of older, historical homes and buildings that just beg to have their photograph taken.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a super weekend!

    X

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  30. Hey there Michelle!

    Thank you :) I love photography and learn more and more the longer I practice it.

    "he house pictures; are the of one of the houses that we walked past? Beautiful!"



    I can't exactly remember if that was one of the homes we walking by when you were here, but it may be. We did walk through many streets with homes just like that one though - they were on the little side streets I took you down.


    Much thanks for stopping by, girl. Have a fantabulous weekend!

    X

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  31. Hey ho Robert!

    ""Mums or Dads perhaps?" Lol.

    HA! Yes, I finally found out through some of my readers that they are actually called, Gerbera daisies!

    "That must be some zoom you have to get that close up."

    My camera has a 16x zoom lens, but I'm amazed by how close it can get and still keep focus and clarity.

    "I would love to go inside that spooky house and see what it looks like."



    OMG...I thought the SAME THING! I did try peeking through the windows but the curtains block a clear view - HA!


    No, I don't have a DSLR camera. I have a Canon Power Shot camera that has both auto and manual modes. One of these days though, I would like to upgrade to a DSLR.


    Much thanks for stopping by, bud. Have a super-duper weekend!

    X

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  32. petra michelleFriday, July 18, 2014

    Beautiful! I so appreciate the architectural details and love the range from the Roman/Greek to Art Deco and everything in between, like your house.
    Interesting, Ron, your color editing in #3. Is it teal green? If you've seen The Book Thief, most of the coloring throughout the film is done with a teal green on the clothing, automobiles, shutters, environs, etc. I'm still trying to find out why the cinematographer chose that color. It's a nice change from sepia or black/white, but have no idea what it's supposed to mean, metaphorically.
    Have a wonderful weekend, Ron! :))

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  33. I love the larger size! Does someone live in the spooky house? You should camp outside one day to find out. Said the nosey neighbor woman.
    I suck at flower names, too. Someone asked me once what my favorite flower was. "Um. The pretty pink one with petals." NO clue!
    The photo you took from your window of the office building is so stunning! The shadows inside the windows really add to the interest.
    Have a great weekend! xo

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  34. Love the two treatments of the gothic-looking house, very atmospheric.
    The new photo format looks very slick, I like it.

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  35. Hello there Petra!

    "and love the range from the Roman/Greek to Art Deco and everything in between..."

    Wow! You are so perceptive in your knowledge of architecture because Philadelphia has such a wide variety, and those you mentioned are in fact the styles here, along with a lot of English architecture.

    "Interesting, Ron, your color editing in #3. Is it teal green? If you've seen The Book Thief, most of the coloring throughout the film is done with a teal green on the clothing, automobiles, shutters, environs, etc. I'm still trying to find out why the cinematographer chose that color....."

    In #3 I used a setting called, Toy Camera Effect, which gives the photo an almost 'vintage' style and color. And yes, I know what you mean about The Book Thief having a similar coloring to the film. I think it's done that way (along with other period films I've seen) to make it look and feel as though you're viewing the film IN that time. Other films such as Schindler's List were shot in black and white to create the same effect. And I agree, it's a nice change.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, dear lady. Have a wonderful weekend!

    X

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  36. Hellooooooo there Chrissy!

    " Does someone live in the spooky house? You should camp outside one day to find out. Said the nosey neighbor woman."

    Bwhahahahhahaha! OMG...that cracked me up, Gladys Kravitz! And yes, someone does live in that house, can you believe it? Because from the outside it looks vacant.

    "I suck at flower names, too. Someone asked me once what my favorite flower was. "Um. The pretty pink one with petals." NO clue!"



    HA! I am the same way, NO clue whatsoever!


    It's funny because I didn't notice the shadows inside the office building until after I I uploaded the photo to my computer.


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a grrrrrrreat weekend!


    X


    P.S. It was so awesome talking with you on the phone the other night!

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  37. Hey there Dale!

    Thank you :) As you know, I LOVE anything Gothic-looking because it's so wonderfully spooky and very atmospheric.

    "(Oh, and I think the flower is an Echinacea, widely used in herbal medicine and useful for hastening the clearing of bruises)"



    Yup, you are absolutely right. One of my readers (Suzi) was able to clear that up for me yesterday. I kept thinking it looked like the Echinacea flower because I use that herb whenever I have a cold, but I somehow thought that Echinacea only grew in a certain areas!?!


    Thanks so much for stopping and have an awesome weekend!


    X

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  38. Oh, Ron. I didn't receive this as an email and wondered why you hadn't replied. I recently changed my email programme, but that shouldn't stop Disqus emails reaching me. How strange. I'll have to watch out for that, in future. Or is it that you don't have Disqus any more?

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  39. Babs, thank you SO MUCH for stopping back and mentioning that because I'm not getting all the email replies from other blogs using Disqus whenever I leave a comment on their blogs. I thought perhaps something was wrong with Disqus.

    "Or is it that you don't have Disqus any more?"

    No, I still have Disqus. Is it not visible? Please let me know if it's not, okay?

    Thanks, my friend. X

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  40. Great to hear that, Babs! And yes, right after our last comment together, I received an email notification from a comment response left on another blog. So yes, it was probably a blip in their software.

    X

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  41. OMG Ron! These pics are just STUNNING! I love each and every single one! I cannot help with the name of those flowers because I, too, absolutely suck at anything to do with horticulture! Your photo skills are to die for! Happy Sunday my friend! Xo

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  42. Aw...thank you, Jeanne :)

    "I cannot help with the name of those flowers because I, too, absolutely suck at anything to do with horticulture!"



    You too?


    Yeah, I can't even tell the difference between petals and leaves - HAHAHAHA!


    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Happy Sunday to you too!


    X to you and the girlz!

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  43. Absolutely gorgeous, Ron! All of them. And I don't want to scroll through the comments to find out if anyone has answered it, but that first flower is a coneflower. (An echinacea.) Specifically, a Tennessee purple coneflower, so obviously hey are very common where I live.

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  44. Thank you :)

    "that first flower is a coneflower. (An echinacea.) Specifically, a Tennessee purple coneflower, so obviously hey are very common where I live."

    Yup...you are spot on! One of my readers (Suzi) who lives in Virginia told me the name of that flower. It's funny because I actually take Echinacea whenever I have a cold because it helps tremendously with the immune system. I had seen a few pictures online several years ago of the same flower identified as Echinacea, which looked exactly like this same flower. But for some reason I didn't think Echinacea grew here. Well...I guess it does!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Hope your weekend was grand!

    X

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  45. Amazing close up, Ron!

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  46. Thank you, Matt :) Hope you had a super weekend, bud!

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  47. I concur with Suzie…that first shot is a purple coneflower. The pink ones are Gerber daisies. As for the rest of the collection…I would describe them as…stunning! Fantastic architecture shots! I absolutely love the doors. :-)

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  48. Thank you, Lisa :)

    "I concur with Suzie…that first shot is a purple coneflower. The pink ones are Gerber daisies."

    Yup...you are spot on! I'll tell ya, I've learned a lot from those of you who have shared your knowledge of horticulture, so thank you!!!

    Much thanks for stopping by, my friend. Hope your weekend was super!

    X

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  49. Cone flower followed by gerber daisies, but I'm thinking you now know this.
    And let me be among the many to say "Wow!!" What a difference it does for the photos you have to show off. And I have to say, as a gal who's getting a bit more mature *ahem*, the "read" factor is awesome. Easy on the eyes, which is greatly appreciated. The photos on the new format.....AWESOME!! And thanks for caring about us maturing folk. LOL!!

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  50. Hiya Mel!

    Yup...several of my readers explained to me that they were cone flowers and Gerbera daisies. And thank you so much for letting me know that as well :)

    "And I have to say, as a gal who's getting a bit more mature *ahem*, the "read" factor is awesome. Easy on the eyes, which is greatly appreciated."

    HA! I know EXACTLY what you mean because it's the same with me, my reading eyesight has gotten so bad over the past few years. So, I'm glad to hear that the text is easy for you to read. This new blog template came with a MUCH smaller text font, which I immediately changed to BIGGER.

    Thanks oodles for stopping by, dear lady. Have a super week!

    ((((((((((((((((((((((((( YOU )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

    X

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  51. good gaud. ron i just love ALL OF THE PHOTOS. LIKE WOW. side note: you know i had a dream about you last night. you were a judge in a show. the larger photos do look better. i know someone who posts really large photos and i sit there like wow, so much detail to see. these are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  52. Aw...thank you, Val :) Yes, I like how this new template has allowed me to post bigger pictures because it really makes a difference in seeing the detail. Your blog theme is GREAT for that because your photos always look WOW!

    "side note: you know i had a dream about you last night. you were a judge in a show."



    OMG...how funny! I wonder if that means I'm going to be a judge on "America's Got Talent!" HA!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a great rest of your week!

    X

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  53. The door the door the door the door.... MY FAVORITE! And bonus... you gave us three different looks for it! These are really beautiful. And as far as plants... I forget the name of EVERY ONE I plant!!!

    Peeling paint... spooky buildings. LOVE.

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  54. HA! Katherine, I KNEW you would love the door pics because of our mutual love and admiration for all things distressed, decaying and spooky!


    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl! Hope your week is going faaabulously!


    X

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  55. I really know very little about flowers too, but aren't those flowers nastursiums? I might have spelled that wrong. Love the photos, I can see why you changed your blog format!

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  56. Hey there Benze!


    Thank you :)

    A few of my readers explained to me that the first flower is called a Cone Flower (Echinacea) and the second one's are Gerbera Daisies.



    OMG, I am so clueless at identifying flowers. I'm surprised I even know what tulips is - HA!


    Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
    X

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