23 Friday Oct 2015
Posted in All Sparkled Up, allsparkledup, encouragement, God, nature, photography, Scripture, sunset
Tags
allsparkledup, encouragement, light, ocean, photography, scripture, sunset
It’s ok. Trust God. He’s not silent.
17 Saturday Oct 2015
Posted in All Sparkled Up, ballet, beach, nature, photography, sparkling, sunlight, sunset, Uncategorized
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All Sparkled Up, ballet, beach, children, nature, peaceful, photo, photography, sunlight, sunset
For just a moment, she stood in the sunset.
01 Thursday Oct 2015
Posted in All Sparkled Up, family, nature, photography, sunset
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allsparkledup, Atlantic Ocean, family, gloaming, nature, photography, sea, sunset
Gloaming: that time of day when the brilliant sunset has passed and the sky softly darkens.
They walked in the gloaming by the sea.
31 Friday Jul 2015
Posted in beach, nature, photography, sunset
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So looking forward to the stunning sunsets at Sunset Beach, NC this fall.
These photos were taken last year.
Sunset Beach NC, 2014
Sunset Beach, NC
Sunset Beach NC
09 Monday Feb 2015
Posted in All Sparkled Up, family, nature, photography, sparkling, sunlight
15 Monday Sep 2014
Tags
beach, cakes, cookies, family, food, Mom, ocean, picnic basket, sunlight, sunset, tea, tea time, waiting
She’s six now. Last year she carried a ship to the beach. This year she carried a picnic basket.
The delicious treats filled the tray.
The blooming tea was still warm.
Coconut Cream glaze dripped down the blueberry pomegranate jam-filled cakes. Some were topped with toasted coconut and macadamias, others were topped with sugared rose and lilac petals. Vanilla pearls were sprinkled on top of shell-shaped spice Madeleines. Tiny oranges looked like blooming lotus blossoms and green and Concorde grapes filled the bowl. Crumbly Lavender Lemon Shortbread squares and tea cups were piled on the picnic basket top.
On the top tray: Vanilla Bean cakes filled with Blueberry Pomegranate Jam and topped with Coconut Cream Glaze, toasted coconut & macadamias, sugared lavender and rose petals. On the bottom tray, Spice Madeleines sprinkled with vanilla pearls. On the dessert plates under the tea cups: Lavender Lemon Shortbread.
She poured a cup of tea and waited by the sea.
The sunset was soft and dreamy.
The breeze was warm and welcome.
The colors were slipping away and still she waited.
She didn’t stop hoping
And finally her mom sat down. Even when the sunset is gone, Tea by the Sea is best with mom.
[We had a wonderful time making the treats for this, setting up the table and photographing it all. Thank you, Gabriel Monroe, for being second shooter and lighting expert. Thank you, Donna, for your lovely suggestions and help. Thank you, Uncle Butch and Aunt Dilly, for the use of your beautiful chair! We had a splendid time and it was perfect.
The lovely lace-embossed Filigree appetizer plates, bowl and infinity tray are by Rosanna, Inc.]
02 Wednesday Jul 2014
Posted in Inspirational, nature, photography, Scripture, words
Tags
inspirational, nature, photography, scripture, sunset, words
The first and third photos were taken at Sunset Beach, NC. The photo in the middle was taken in my backyard. Please feel free to copy, save and print these encouraging cards if you want.
Edited to add: I just remembered when that first photo was taken. My granddaughter and husband were with me to hold my camera gear as we walked to the beach. We had been at the beach house for five days and I still had not walked down to the beach because I was in so much searing pain and seriously disabled. I suspected my back was broken but it had not yet been confirmed. I could barely walk or move. But I was determined to not miss an opportunity to photograph my granddaughter in the sunset and asked God to please help me make it down to the shore and back. During the slow and painful walk, the sun broke through the clouds. I have never seen such as spectacular sky as that evening. Instead of remembering the terrifying unstable spine, I have photos such as this to remind me… God was with me.
02 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in nature
21 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in family, Little Plastic Bears, nature
Tags
bears, hms endeavour, Little Plastic Bears, ship, sunset, Sunset Beach, sunset beach north carolina, vacation
As the sun set, she carefully positioned the Little Plastic Bears on the ship’s deck. The HMS Endeavour, a British Royal Navy research vessel from the 1700’s was the perfect vessel for The Bear’s maiden voyage at sea.
The Little Plastic Bears get ready to go to sea.
The tide shifted as the sun slipped into the clouds. She quickly positioned a Bear at the helm, studying the surf.
She watched as wave after wave teased the tip of the boat with a frothy kiss.
As the tide receded, and the sun slipped below the horizon, we realized today was not going to be the day The Bears had their grand adventure at sea. Maybe next year.
Sunset Beach, North Carolina, September 2012.
Eventually, the Little Plastic Bears will have their own website, where you can follow all their grand adventures. In the meantime, you can enjoy their debut here.
25 Saturday Aug 2012
We stayed at Sunset Beach in North Carolina for a week last September. We’ve visited plenty of times over the years but for the first time ever, we saw the kind of sunset for which the island got its name.
There are no words to describe the glorious colors and beauty. It literally took my breath away. Please click each image to see it large. At the top left of the photo will be the original size. Click that number link to see the full size photo. And then imagine this scene filling all the space and sky in front of you, with the constant and rhythmic whoosh as each wave washes ashore, frothed in color.
These photos were all taken the same evening. The colors stretched across the sky, from shades of pink and blue in the east to vibrant oranges and yellows in the west and changed by the minute. I can not believe that the beauty displayed on this earth is by chance, but rather by the artistic hand of the Creator of the Universe.
All Sparkled Up 