iPad Blogging with Photos???

Hello fellow bloggers.  This is a common scene in California when the State Flowers are in bloom.  California Poppies are beautiful and bright golden orange.  With the rain we have been having, the fields are full of them.  This photo is from Google and not my camera.

I have a question for anyone who uses an iPad to create a blog post.  I have an iPad Air Retina and I love it.  I write my blog post using Safari and post to Blogger, but when I try to insert a photo from my iPad photo gallery I am unable to do so.  I hesitate to post a words only blog as I feel pictures bring the words to life and make it so much more enjoyable to read what is being shared.
I am NOT technical at all even though I have researched this issue.  I believe the consensus from what I read is that I must download an app for the iPad from iTunes.  These are the suggested apps:  Wordpress, Tumbler, Posts, Blogpress and Blogsy.  All are free except Blogsy is just under $5.  I am not concerned about the cost...it is the learning curve I will have, which is easiest?.

Do any of you have any experience with this?  Do you have any insight for me?  Any advice or words of wisdom?  I would really like to hear your success stories and suggestions. 
I really love the convenience of my iPad but I don't know Mac.  My old desktop and Mr. C's laptop/notebook that I borrow are all PCs.  I manage just fine with Internet Explorer and Blogger with inserting photos and such on the PC. I merely want the added convenience of using my iPad when I want or need to.

Thank you very much.  I hope you are all enjoying the last of March with Creative Bliss...

Visiting Northstar Tahoe...

Living here we have access to wonderful Lake Tahoe most any time of the year.  Since I am not a fan of cold weather or snow or ice, Mr. C and I decided to take a drive on a lovely Sunny day between storms a couple of weeks ago.  We drove to Northstar, Tahoe which is an amazing ski resort.  I have linked it for you if you want more information. The parking lots were full and we thought of leaving...just then a nice young man directed us to a perfect parking spot.  Another nice young man told us to walk a few feet and get on the shuttle bus that would take us up the hill to the "village".  There was no snow on the roads which made for an easy drive.  The ski slopes were full of fresh powder and skiers and boarders of all shapes, sizes and ages. 
 

As Mr. C and I were gazing all about in wonder a nice lady offered to take our photo.  We are standing in front of a fun toy and game store.  You can see they have checkers outside for anyone to play.

Here I am standing near the Ice Rink which was closed until later in the day.  At one end there was a band setting up at an outdoor stage.  We sat in very comfortable outdoor covered and heated seating area and watched the many people coming and going.  Watching the skiers walk in those stiff boots looked challenging and definitely not for me.

After a while we walked some more and then had lunch in one of the many restaurants.  It was a lovely day and we enjoyed our visit very much.  We had a safe drive home over Donner Pass.
March is quickly coming to an end and I am wondering where my days have gone.  Yes, I am still doing my "jobette" at the Chamber.  It leaves me no time for creative vices.  My studio and sewing room are begging for my attendance and activities.  Soon...I promise!
I can hear an awful lot of very big sighes of relief from friends and family as they complete their Income Tax appointments.  Mr. C and I are always early to complete this task.  It gets a lot easier when you have no income as retired seniors on a fixed budget.
What is keeping you busy as we head into April?  I am enjoying reading your blogs when I wind down from my busy day of "working".  I continue to Embrace each and every day with wonder.  There is always something new to learn, or try, or experience.  I enjoy that and never get bored.    May you have wonderful days of Happiness and  JOY...

Happy Spring & Easter Blessings...

Happy Spring to each of you.  Even though Mother Nature isn't done with Winter we are at least enjoying the wonderful rebirth of trees and plants and blossoming bulbs.  The Sun shines even though the thermometer is telling us it is very cold and the chill bites into our souls.  We know life is being renewed by Spring.  My little vignette in honor of things I love.  Yes, you see my Woodland Nest created by Miss Vicki of Two Bags Full.  My wonderful husband, Mr. C, surprised me with it several years ago and it is one of my favorite things.

I love listening to the birds outdoors singing.  I love to watch them flittering about from tree to tree.
These are simply joyful reminders of my love of Mother Nature's beautiful birds.

Now as we celebrate Easter I am enjoying my small treasures I collect from year to year.  I keep my décor simple and in one spot so as not to overwhelm Mr. C with holiday overload.  Each year as I gather my treasures I am reminded of each piece and how it came to be in my collection.

Here in the forefront of the picture, laying on the cloth, are some very special eggs.  (Click on the photo to enlarge it).  I reminded Mr. C that I purchased them from a wood carver on Kizhi Island in Russia during our trip a few years ago.
He actually said they are beautiful and asked why I didn't buy more.  Men!
As we celebrate Easter with all the trappings of chocolate, eggs and bunnies, I am reminded of the true meaning of Easter and how it came to be.  May you enjoy a day of Peace and Blessings and time with loved ones.  We will be celebrating with dear friends and combining Easter with a Fiftieth Birthday party.
Embracing LOVE and PEACE and praying for our World and the safety of all.

Pocket Letter Fun...

I recently found a love of Pocket Letters (PL) and began to think of all the fun ways I could make them.  I was sad that I had missed out on Roni's of Ink Stains blog Pocket Letter swap..  Then I saw that Roni's mom wanted to do a one-on-one swap and I pounced on the chance.  So this is the PL I created for Dixie.  I know she has received it so I wanted to share it with each of you. 
It is hard to photograph in the plastic pockets sleeve but I did it anyway.  This is the front.

And here is the back where all the bits and pieces get put in to give it some fun and personality.  I like to add a name card...top middle.  I love buttons and that is why I did a playing card with buttons I sewed onto it.  Some ephemera for creative bliss.  My letter is behind the crocheted button.  And with all this energy being spent to see what is here I added a bit of chocolate for that much needed "pick-me-up".  I had fun putting this together and Miss Dixie says she likes it so much she will hang it in her studio to see everyday.  That makes me happy!

Here is the PL Miss Dixie created for me.  She wrapped it in a beautiful white paper doily and put a pretty ribbon around to hold it together. 

With the coloring craze that is happening she filled each pocket with an ATC ready for me to color.  How clever is this people?!!

Now for the back side of the pockets.  In keeping with the coloring theme she included a brand new set of pens in fun ink colors.  Lots of ephemera to be creative with.  I love the big buttons in the bottom right pocket.  Behind the top left pocket butterfly is her letter of introduction.  This is a wonderful fun-filled Pocket Letter and I feel very fortunate to be the recipient.  Thank you very much Miss Dixie.

Here is a different PL I created.  I like using a calendar page to cut and place in the pockets.  I know the recipient loves the color yellow.

Then the back pockets were filled with a birthday theme.  Ephemera, beads and chocolate once again.
Are you creating any Pocket Letters?  I sent out another birthday PL and the recipient was very surprised and grateful.  This is a fun bit of Creative Bliss.
I have been working my mini job at the Chamber and it is really taking my entire attention and time.  I feel like I am neglecting my blog and missing so much.  I am able to read many of your blogs when I fall into bed at night and read them on my iPad.  "March"ing along the days are going faster than ever for me.  I am really loving the later light we have in the evenings.  I feel like I still have some of my day left for me to enjoy when I get home.
For now I shall be thankful for my mini job and still able to get into my studio and make some cards and PL's for mailing.  I am determined to be ready for my ever so busy April which is right around the bend.  Love Notes, Random Acts of Mail and National Letter Writing all in April...what was I thinking?  Oh yes...I signed up before I took on this mini job.  They always say, "If you want something done, ask a busy person".  I am that busy person and yes I will get it all done.  I feel blessed to be busy!  Embracing Creative Bliss and I am so very grateful for each of you and your wonderful comments you leave when you visit me. 

Mail Tags Received...

As promised this post is about the Snail Mail Tags I received in return after my mailing out some.  You can read my previous post here or merely scroll down.  I was thrilled with the returned tags I received.  This top photo shows the ripped open mail from Annie of FreezeFrame blog.  Don't you love her beautiful wax seal on the envelope?  I certainly do! 

Here are the contents of her ever creative mail.  Not only did Annie fill out my mail tag I sent her she in turn sent me a tag to fill out and send back to her (which I did but didn't keep any photo of).  I was quite impressed with her artsy style of answers.

This is Annie's returned tag she sent me .  I love how she cleverly used Washi tape and letters to answer.  It makes for a very fun read.  Thank you so very much for playing along Annie!

Now this beautiful butterfly card is from my friend Theresa P (with no blog).  I have shared lots of wonderful cards and goodies Theresa has created and gifted to me over the years.  I adore her attention to details and the many layers of texture she achieves. 

This is the tag I sent out to Theresa.  Not very creative but I like the cheerful yellow paint chip and the grape sticker just seemed to be the right size and look.

This is a terrible photo I took...photography does not hold my interest long enough to practice and learn the skills it requires!  At least you can see Theresa answered my questions and mailed it back to me.  She also included a new tag for me to answer.  I did so and mailed it without a photo.  Thank you so very much Theresa and you know how much I love your creative style. 
I suppose people could go on and on and mail tags back and forth forever but I am happy with my initial questions and answers.  This is a good way to get to know someone...maybe a pen pal.  I will definitely be ready for National Letter Writing Month this April and my newest pen pal.  Meanwhile I have mailed out several more of my Snail Mail Tags so we shall see if any come back to me.
The rain came and we got over six (6) inches in just two days!  We had a bit of hail this morning and are now awaiting the next storm tonight which is to have lots more rain and lower snow.  Our pond is full to the top and overflowing just the proper way Mr. C designed it to do.  No photo right now as it is also full of mud from the bogs that are flooded.  The annual frog convention should be really happy.  I think you can almost hear them from here.  I love to listen to the tunes they croak.  Ribbit...
I think I better get out my Easter decorations and enjoy them for a little while.  As fast as the days are zooming by, Easter will be over before I get my eggs boiled.   Wait for me Easter Bunny...
Embracing Creative Bliss each and every day...even if I don't have time to spend in my creative heaven I still get such bliss from everyday things...drops of rain, bulb flowers blooming, frogs singing, meeting interesting people and of course following each of you and what you are doing.

Snail Mail Tags...

I recently read an interesting blog by Pam entitled The Lost Art of Letter Writing.  Because this is right up my alley of weekly Random Acts of Mail and my quarterly Love Notes and my annual National Letter Writing participation I just had to read more of her posts.  I found this one  on Snail Mail Tags to be fun.  I created a Snail Mail Tag and mailed it out to someone who was willing to play along. 

I kept my questions to a simple number of five (5).  I didn't want to overwhelm anyone and make this a chore to complete.

And because when I find something I like I cannot stop at just one I made another to mail out to yet another willing partner.

A simple tag in a simple card.  I realize in this photo I forgot to write Mail Tag on the yellow strip.

Here are my paint chips I seem to collect and use for wonderful crafty things.  Mr. C about called the police to arrest me for stealing when he saw my collection.  I have since pared it down to a few that I am keeping for fun things.  I don't consider these stolen because we have spent about $50,000 dollars in paint and primer just for this house and out buildings alone.  Mr. C only buys the best paint and never the cheap inferior brands or big box paints.  I feel I have paid for these many times over! Now go ahead and get out your paint chips (What? You don't have any?  How can that be!) and have some Snail Mail Tag fun for yourself.  Of course you don't have to use paint chips...you can use card stock or whatever suits your creative fancy. 
Next I will share the Mail Tag fun I received in the mail. 
What are you busy creating?  I am beginning to see lots of Easter and Spring goodies. 
We have been having Spring weather and just as I suspected it is turning cold and nasty with lots of rain and snow predicted for days.  Just when my daffodils are looking beautiful they will get pounded down into the mud.  It happens every year.  I will be grateful for more rain here and snow in the higher country.  El Nino so far has not helped our drought like it was expected to do. 
Enjoy your days with things that make you happy and fulfilled.
Embracing Creative Bliss...