Friday, April 30, 2021

Only in Bucks County: Distressed FX App

I use various editing apps for my professional photos, mostly to eliminate shadows on food photos, add clarity to real estate photos, or to lightly edit family photos and portraits by removing blemishes and whitening teeth. I have two favorite apps that I use, but this type of editing is out of necessity and can feel tedious to me. What’s not tedious is the Distressed FX app for turning your photos into art!

I actually discovered Distressed FX through a hashtag on Instagram (#distressedfx) and began following many artists who use the app! It adds texture to your work and can give your photos everything from the look of a watercolor painting, to what I refer to as an “Alice in Wonderland” ethereal type of effect. 



















PROS!

You can add and adjust both overlays and textures.

The Distressed FX app starts at 99 cents, and is pretty simple to use.

It can give images a painterly quality, especially the sky and sea scapes.

You can add the effects very quickly and save your image as a new photo.

I've never had a problem with the app crashing, or any technical difficulties!

Cons:

The overlays and textures might detract from (flatten) the beautiful lighting of your original photo.




                                
                               My FAVORITE filter is this scratchy effect!


                                                                   



I can't decide which of these edits of Daisies I like best!
Please write (1), (2) or (3) in the comments section, and let me know if Distressed FX is an app you'd consider! Oh yeah... and of COURSE these photos were taken all around Bucks County! 


                                                                





Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Only in Bucks County: Newtown Brewing Company




The lure of a food truck that serves warm or chilled 
authentic Maine Lobster Rolls; along with nice enough weather to have lunch outside 
finally brought me to Newtown Brewing Company, which opened in October 2019 in a big 
industrial space on Penn's Trail in Newtown, PA.




I was impressed with Cousins Maine Lobster, (you can see from my photos that my "Connecticut Roll" looked as amazing as it tasted), but I was even more impressed with Newtown Brewing Co! 


It was our first time there, and the staff were all very friendly and accommodating. If anyone knows Dave (I call him “Famous Dave”) who I believe is the General Manager, make sure he sees this!
He went out of his way to make us feel welcome and comfortable.






This was our first time eating indoors in over a year since the Coronavirus pandemic hit. 
(I wonder if we'll ever look back at this challenging time of COVID as a distant memory?) 
Everything was clean & spacious and spread out, and Richard and I both felt safe and comfortable in the large and airy taproom.
 We ordered a few beers, went out to the food truck and got our lunch, then had another cold beer with our meal. There were four large picnic tables and a decent amount of Adirondack chairs outside, but as I said, it was very spacious and airy indoors, so we opted to dine in. 
Newtown Brewing Company is a BYOF (Bring your own Food) establishment, but they do offer some snacks to nibble on, as well as a rotating food truck list.





We only had the lightest Lager on the list, but the beer was ice cold and delicious.
A young couple at the next table were sharing beer flights.
There were two hard seltzers on the menu that I considered, and I noticed that they also serve wine from a nearby winery. Like most craft breweries, entertainment is offered on the weekends, but it's the beer selection and the food truck choices that what will bring ME back.

If you're more into the live music scene, or enjoying some craft beers while competing in a Trivia Night, here's Newtown Brewing Co's upcoming entertainment schedule.

Newtown Brewing Company's address is 
103 Penn's Trail right off the Newtown Bypass in Newtown, Bucks County...
and I recommend that you follow them on their Facebook Page so you don't miss any updates!

Cheers to no-masks sometime soon!

Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. 
Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” ~ Dave Barry, Humorist and writer.








































Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Only in Bucks County: Happy Houseplants


I know my blog is supposed to be about Bucks County, well, this post is about a house in Bucks County that has happy plants! I’ve never been interested in having houseplants until we moved into our forever home, which turns out to be just perfect for them!





                                                              



When my best friend came to see the fixer upper my husband and I purchased in 2016, she walked in and almost immediately exclaimed, "It has good bones!"

I think it also has "good lighting" or "good humidity", or the right exposure, or whatever plants need to grow and be happy, because all of our plants are doing really well, and I keep adding to our collection. 





Add in the pandemic with us being home more often; blasting Country music while I cook, dancing to Salsa music on Saturday nights, and listening to the Rock and Roll of our high school years during game night... and they’re thriving!


Who ever thought I’d have a green thumb? Aside from a regular weekly watering, I don’t know what I’m doing. Maybe it just takes... happiness... for them to be happy. 










Fun fact: My sister in law names all her houseplants.

(I’m not that crazy... YET!)

Currently, she has two “Money Trees” she's named "Daddy Warbucks"

and "Jeff Bezos".

A trio of herb plants in her Kitchen window named Monkey, Tarzan, and Jane. 

An air plant that is only to be misted that she calls "Misty",

and an Aloe plant named VERA!


Here’s some more of our green gang in their natural habitat:









Pictured below is our newest addition. I do feel like I should name it! :-) 
 It’s Richard’s Valentines Day gift, which I’ve had hiding on a sunny windowsill
behind a larger plant for about a week now. 

It was the last one at the store, and I just had to have it! I know he’ll love it too. 

Happy Valentines Day everyone!


“Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul.”
~Linda Solegato