Challenge, Community, Creativity, Messages to readers, Milestones, Reblog, Uncategorized

MY VERY FIRST POST – #MYFIRSTPOSTREVISITED

March 3, 2017March 3, 2017 Carolina Russo

MY VERY FIRST POST – #MYFIRSTPOSTREVISITED

A tag started by a blogger/writer called Sarah Brentyn, asking us to revisit our first ever blog posts! ❤

I have been invited by two of my dearest friends here on the blogosphere my dear blog brother Syl65′ and my dear blog sister Erika Kind they both tagged me for this challenge! I thought that was very kind of them thinking of me and what a great way to look back and see how all this amazing time started. Actually It is almost two years ago that I started blogging, to be precise it was the end of March 2015! Soon this month would be my second Blog Anniversary!!! I remembered that my first post was about my Jewelry, that was one of the reasons my Blog was born, to launch one side of my art, my Jewelry Design Collections! I went to look back and found my very first post written on March 24, 2015 only few words, one of my photos and a shy update announcement! After two years my Blog forged and developed greatly in something complete that reflects what I am. My Blog became also a showroom of all my Art ways, form and expression of my creativity and inspirations. A place of my own that I love so very much, a place where I can share with all of you. A special thanks goes to all my dear followers and friends that supported and encouraged me during these two great years! Thank you!

❤ Here it is my very first Blog Post:

New Update!

Posted on March 24, 2015 by YesterdayAfter

New update “Jewelry Portfolio” is a gallery showcasing my work, I will keep updating!
I am now up working on new designs for my “Among Nature Jewelry Collection” and on some custom orders. Soon my Etsy shop would be open!

Thank You!

Here we come to the rules:

Obvious rules:

No cheating. (It must be your first post. Not your second post, not one you love…first post only.)

Link back to the person who tagged you (thank them if you feel like it or, if not, curse them with a plague of ladybugs).

Other rules:

Cut and paste your old post into a new post or reblog your own bad self. (Either way is fine but NO editing.)

Put the hashtag #MyFirstPostRevisited in your title.

Tag…um…~~tentwotwelve~~ five (5) other bloggers to take up this challenge.

Notify your tags in the comment section of their blog (don’t just hope they notice a pingback somewhere in their spam).

Feel free to cut and paste the badge to use in your post.

Include “the rules” in your post.

Completely silly rules that I’m making up as I type:

Drink a glass of wine, bottle of beer, cup of coffee, mug of herbal tea or whatever floats your boat after you hit “publish”. (In other words, toast yourself. Go you!)

Read the post out loud in a Mickey Mouse voice.

Here there are my tag choices:

❤ Miriam

❤ Mark Lanesbury

❤ Jodi McKinney

❤ Joleene Naylor

❤ Just Plain Ol’ Vic

You are by no mean obligated to participate but if you do would be a fun way to look at your Blog growth and transformation!

Thank you again Syl and Erika for including me in your Tag it was fun to look back to the beginning!

Love you all!

Carolina

#WorldWatercolorGroup, And Featured Is, Art, Creativity, Digital Art, Doodlewash, Drawings, Etsy, Events, Featured, Friendship, Life, Love, Meet and Greet Fridays, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized, wellness

And The Featured of the Month is…

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 Carolina Russo

And FEATURED is… Jodi McKinney!

THE CREATIVE LIFE IN BETWEEN is….

YesterdayAfter – Featured of the Month – September 2016

first-fall-leaves-the-old-dogwood-tree-0916-mars-pa — First Fall Leaves The Old Dogwood Tree

Hello dear friends and new followers, welcome once again to The Featured of the Month, during this year I made a lots of new connections with very inspiring bloggers and creative people. Thanks everyone for the participation to our weekly Meet and Greet Fridays. Because this event that I started in 2015 I had the opportunity to discover and connect with numerous great Blogs. I had the pleasure and honor to Feature many and still is not easy for me to choose only one of you each month. Sorry this month I am a little late but I was able to made my pick for September and finally write this post.

This month we have the opportunity to visit the creative world of Jodi exploring all the beautiful things that she does with her creativity!

Today I am very happy and honored to introduce you my dear friend and Featured of the Month… Jodi McKinney and her beautiful Blog THE CREATIVE LIFE IN BETWEEN Jodi says “I enjoy writing immensely… painting pictures with words… expressing emotions through words… telling stories… sharing my thoughts and my escapades… musing from mars…”

monochromatic-fall-landscape-raw-and-burnt-sienna-quin-gold-10x12-300lb-fabriano-artistico — Watercolor Landscape by ©Jodi McKinney

Several months ago I happily connected with Jodi through the Blog of our dear friend Charlie from doodlewash.com. We came across each other blogs because our passion for watercolor painting. I loved to discover her Blog and what she share, she love to craft and sell her creations on Etsy. Jodi has lots of creativity, from painting, to writing, to photography to cooking…and lots more. Her beautiful and positive energy shows in everything she does. I love to be connected with Jodi and I love to read her comments on my Blog. We have many things and passion in common that we love and can relate. And today I am very happy to share her Blog with you!

This is an excerpt of her About Page…

People have been telling me for a while that I should write a blog…. Okay – a few people…. Maybe just a couple…. Oh well – I want to try a blog and one or two people might have encouraged me…. So here I go. I have a very full and blessed life. First and foremost, I am a wife to a wonderful (most of the time) man I met when I was 16 years old, married when I was 19, and still tell I love every day 32 33 years later (you do the math – yep – I’m 51 52 years old! Where did the time go?!) Truly – it is he who puts up with me! I am mom to two of the most amazing young men in the entire world and mother-in-law to the sweetest young lady any mom could wish for her son to find. My full-time job is director of corporate communications for a hospice and home health agency (shameless plug for http://www.celtichealthcare.com :)), where my husband tells me I get paid to talk for a living. Of course I do a few more things… but I am truly blessed to work for an amazing company. (Please also note: the views expressed on this blog are my own and are in no way related to Celtic Healthcare.)

This blog is going to be about all that stuff that is in between that… the things I love to do…. (Continue reading)

I hope that you enjoyed this new Feature of the Month and want to know more about Jodi’s life and adventures please give her Blog a visit!

(Please Jodi grab this Badge and post it somewhere on your Blog linked to this post!) ❤

How to be Featured on YesterdayAfter?

Stay Connected! Participate to the Meet and Greet Fridays weekly event leaving your Blog link, Follow here and on my other social media be active! Inspire!
You never know…maybe next Month I will choose YOU!

Wish you all a wonderful Sunday and a great week!

Congratulations to Jodi McKinney to be the Featured of the Month of September 2016

Stay connected for the next month feature!!!

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Thank You!

©Copyright CarolinaRusso – yesterdayafter.com

Art, Challenge, Creativity, Events, Indie, Life, Nature, Photography

Weekly Photo Challenge: Edge!

September 12, 2016 Carolina Russo

Koi - Photography ©Carolina Russo — Koi – Photography ©Carolina Russo

Today blog post is for The Daily Post “Weekly Photo Challenge” the theme for this week is interesting and inspiring “Edge”

Wish you all a great week!

Thank You!

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

Emotions, Events, Friendship, Life, Love, Messages to readers, Milestones, Ocean, Photography, Uncategorized

Anniversary 14 years in USA! And Anniversary for my Blog!

August 22, 2016August 23, 2016 Carolina Russo

- Malibu - Photo ©Carolina Russo — Southern California – Photo ©Carolina Russo

I moved from Italy in 2002

Today is my 14 years Anniversary here in USA
I just wanted to share this with my friends and because today it is also my Blog Anniversary on WordPress!

Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 4 years ago!

Thanks for flying with us.

Keep up the good blogging!

After I signed up on WP I had my Blog active but silent for about more than 2 years.F I have been without writing or posting anything but working behind the scenes!
First I wanted to reserve my domain name yesterdayafter.com since I love it a lot!

At the same time I was working on launching my Jewelry Design Collections, my Paintings, Digital Art, Poetry and all my creative work.
I was only working on the graphics and designs to customize the theme and layout of this Blog reflecting my own creativity. I wanted to launch it as soon I was ready, but no word was ever posted. Some life events also slowed down the process. Then only on March 2015, I decided to jump in and I made a very small first post announcing the opening of my Etsy Shop.

I felt like I was a tiny drop into the ocean of the Blogosphere, almost impossible to be seen in between the millions of other Blogs, I felt so little but I kept going!
And you great people started to discover my Blog! I was posting once in a while my Jewelry and Artworks and I got very nice feedback! As Artist I express my Art and creativity in different ways, my posts are not always about the same subject. I work with different media and my followers showed appreciation and love for my talents. I actually like the variety between all the things I love! I like to surprise you with the unexpected.

“A Tip” that I can give to new Bloggers that feel a bit lonely and in need of friends and followers is to be active!

When I started, after a month that I got to see how it was blogging, I decided to go around leaving comments on other Blogs, and not just stay here reading. I let people know how much I loved their work and they responded to me beautifully with kindred words and they discovered my Blog and Art and started to follow recognizing me with Awards. I felt very honored for such a beautiful recognitions. Right now I have become an “Award Free” Blog but I am always honored from your nominations and I will post your link in the Awards Page!

In May 2015 I also created my own Award to pass on “The Starlight Blogger Award” I launched this Award to highlight and Promote Inspiring Bloggers and I am so happy that the Award is going all over around the world! I see lots of Bloggers that link to me using this Award!

Last year I decided that I wanted to do something to give back to this beautiful Community and help to bring Blogs together I started my weekly Meet and Greet Event this year is named Meet and Greet Fridays! And Every month I choose to Feature one Blogger and Blog that I admire and I am Inspired from, introducing them to inspire others.

I felt very welcome here I discovered amazing Blogs and Bloggers that are beautiful friends and I also had the opportunity to meet some in person!

I also found an amazing Community of Artists that is very supportive and inspiring!

I am stunned and amazed about the fast growth it’s fascinating!

…..THANK YOU to ALL…..

each one of you made this happen leaving your comments and love!

I am very happy because our strength together is very powerful and encouraging to keep going I am so grateful for you!
Stay connected and support each other good things will come and never stop dreaming!

Thank You!

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

And Featured Is, Creativity, Events, Featured, Friendship, Life, Meet and Greet Fridays, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized, wellness

And The Featured of the Month is…

August 12, 2016 Carolina Russo

And FEATURED is…Maria Jansson Photography!

YesterdayAfter Featured of the Month August 2016

Hello everyone during the past few months I made beautiful new connections. Thanks to everyone for the participation to our weekly Meet and Greet Fridays I had the opportunity to discover and connect with numerous and inspiring Blogs and it is not easy for me to choose only one each month. Sorry I had to skip the month of July cause I have been very busy with the World Watercolor Month event. But finally I was able to made my pick for the month of August.

This month we will have the opportunity to travel around the world of Maria and read all about it !

Today I am very pleased and honored to introduce you my new friend and Featured of the Month and featured is…Maria Jansson and her beautiful Blog

MARIA JANSSON PHOTOGRAPHY

“I am passionate about; exploring the back roads, being fit, healthy food, hiking, camping, horses, wide open spaces, road trips, the joy of hearing my daughters laugh, and ending each day in peace.
My grandmother gave me my first camera when I was five years old, and I’ve been taking photos ever since.

See you soon!”
Maria

I connected recently with Maria I came across her Blogs because my passion for photography. I loved her beautiful Photography and after visiting and following her Blog we stayed connected, we have many things in common that we can relate and love. Maria is a lovely new friend for me here on the Bloghosphere. I am very happy I was able to connect. I love to read her comments to my posts and see her stopping by. She has a great love for nature, horses and photograph them beautifully! And I am happy to share her Blog with you!

This is an excerpt of her About Page…

“My grandmother gave me my first camera when I was 5 years old. The photos on this blog represent the beauty I experience, in my not so ordinary life! It would be my greatest joy if they could serve as a source of inspiration for you!

Horses have been my passion even longer than photography, and for a while I had an Equine Photography business. I decided to travel some side roads in life, and to temporary let go of full time photography. I grew up in a small mountain village in Sweden, and I have traveled extensively in Europe, and the US. I believe in the law of attraction, in kindness, and a humble attitude to life. I have a BA in Natural Science, and Early Childhood Education. I’m genuinely interested in a sustainable lifestyle. While not working full time as a photographer I’ve been learning valuable skills connected to my goal of having a homestead on a few acres. Lately my fingers have been starting to itch to make photography a full-time business again. Right now I am learning more about the business side of photography, and collecting all the equipment I need to start out in the best possible way, when I’m ready”... (Continue reading here)

I hope that you enjoyed this new Feature of the Month and to know more about Maria life and adventures please visit her Blog!

(Please Maria grab this Badge and post it somewhere on your Blog linked to this post!) ❤

How to be Featured on YesterdayAfter?

Wish you all a wonderful rest of the weekend and a great week!

Congratulations to Maria Jansson Photography to be the Featured of the Month of August 2016

Stay connected for the next month feature!!!

-Carolina

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©Copyright CarolinaRusso – yesterdayafter.com

Challenge, Emotions, Events, Life, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized

Look Up! – Daily Post Photo Challenge

July 9, 2016 Carolina Russo

This week the Photo Challenge at The Daily Post is “Look Up” it’s all about spending some time during your day to look up and see what there is above you!

On the Daily Post I found these words to be very true in our busy daily life “Going about our day, we often don’t pay attention to what’s directly above us. We’re more likely to focus on what’s in front of us rather than what’s overhead”.

I am an artist and I love to look at the sky, the movement of the clouds, the changing lights and amazing colors during the day until the sunset. If you paint then you know that you will never look at the sky the same way you did before. During my day I always spend few minutes looking up! I find it to be very calming and I get great inspirations for my paintings and photography!

My Photo was taken during a hike and at sunset I was overwhelmed from such beauty all over above me!

Wish you all a great week!

Thank You!

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

And Featured Is, Events, Featured, Friendship, Life, Meet and Greet Fridays, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized

And The Featured of the Month is…

May 15, 2016May 15, 2016 Carolina Russo

And FEATURED is…Miriam Blaker!

YesterdayAfter Featured of the Month May 2016

Hello everyone during last two months I made beautiful new connections. Thanks to everyone for the participation to our weekly Meet and Greet Fridays I had the opportunity to discover and connect with numerous and inspiring Blogs and it is not easy for me to choose only one each month. I was able to made my pick for the month of May. I had to choose between all the wonderful Bloggers that left their Blog links at our weekly event Meet and Greet Fridays this week was #11!

This month we will have the opportunity to travel around Australia and read all about it !

Today I am very pleased and honored to introduce you my new Featured of the Month and featured is…freelance writer Miriam Blaker and her beautiful Blog

OUT an’ ABOUT – Loving life on and off the Tracks

Miriam photo2 — Morning lights – Photo ©Miriam Blaker

I connected with Miriam about two months ago we came across each other Blogs and we followed and stayed connected. Miriam is a lovely friend here on the Bloghosphere I always love her comments to my posts. She has a lovely family and live in Australia on the outskirts of Melbourne, she love to travel and professionally writes about all her adventures!

Miriam posts on her beautiful Blog are a joy to read and are accompanied by her beautiful and interesting photography. Published freelance writer, she contributing with numerous Australian Travel Magazines.

This is an excerpt of her About page…

“Hi, I’m Miriam. Thanks so much for dropping by and checking out my blog. I’ve been putting words to paper ever since I can remember and, in my late twenties, a Comprehensive Writing Course lead me to my passion – writing about places I visit and the people I meet along the way. I also discovered it’s a great way to journal life.

It was then I decided to try writing for magazines. It was hard work and it took years, but today I can finally say I’m a published freelance writer. Along with some casual copy-writing work it’s exciting to be contributing regularly to a number of well established Australian travel magazines, which you can view here. And equally exciting to be writing my own blog.

My travels have taken me to Europe, Asia and the Pacific however I’m now enjoying the delights of my own backyard, right here in Australia. So whenever I can I hit the road and write, I take photos and relish the great outdoors. I hope through this blog I can share my life, not just on the tracks but close to home, doing ordinary everyday stuff.

When I’m not traveling I live on the outskirts of Melbourne with a wonderful man who shares my sense of adventure and two teenage children who keep me on my toes. I enjoy the simple pleasures of life: keeping fit, walks with my dog, dance and Zumba, playing my guitar, good food, red wine, dark chocolate, hanging out with friends and generally trying to make the most out of life.

Come with me as I get out and about in this world where we’re all connected. And, if you want to comment on any of my posts, or just say hello, I would love to hear from you” – Miriam

I hope that you enjoyed this new Feature of the Month and to know more about Miriam life adventures please visit her Blog!

(Please Miriam grab this Badge and post it somewhere on your Blog linked to this post!) ❤

How to be Featured on YesterdayAfter?

Wish you all a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Congratulations to Miriam to be the Featured of the Month May 2016

Stay connected for the next month feature!!!

-Carolina

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Art, Digital Art, Digital Unique Portraits, Events, Nature, Photography, Uncategorized, When nature meets humans

DP Weekly Photo Challenge – FACE – Portrait #3 Silver Wave

May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 Carolina Russo

When Nature Meet Humans - Portrait #3 Silver Wave — When Nature Meet Humans – Portrait #3 Silver Wave

“WHEN NATURE MEETS HUMANS” Digital Portraits Collection
– Portrait #3 – Silver Wave –

This post also is my participation of the Weekly Daily Post Photo Challenge – FACE –

Today is time for another digital creation that I want to share with you, it’s a Portrait added to this Concept-Collection. This is Portrait #3 Silver Wave.
This is a black and white portrait created with black and white photos only for a monochrome effect, focusing on lighting and transparency. While editing and creating this portrait I was able to archive a magical golden lighting effect giving beautiful shades, it is lovely how it turned out I am very pleased and happy with it. This was a great experiment to work on.

I like to continually evolve with my Art and creativity which I love to express with different mediums. From years I love to work in Digital finding new ways of visualize and learn while experimenting. I like to work with photos, manipulating images of any kind. I often post my Digital Art . I made a new gallery for the “When Nature Meets Humans Portraits Collection” you can see and read all about this great concept here. When I am not working on my Jewelry Designs, and when I am not holding a pencil or a brush watercolor painting or sketching, I love to go Digital is an extension of my art which I love to work with very much and in this case Photoshop is my creative ally. I am using Photoshop from about 15 years, for me there are not other software to really compare with, I am so amazed all the time of what I am able to create with it that motivate and inspire me to create and experiment more and more.

I am very excited and inspired to keep working on this concept created as an experimental and evolving Collection of Artistic and one of a kind Digital Portraits this is also part of my personal creative and artistic growth and evolution. Thanks to all of you for leaving me your feedbacks and comments let me know what you think. I really appreciate all the encouragements and insights. This portrait it is the #3 of this Digital Art Collection, so far by now I created six portraits.

The story for this one starts with the title I gave “Silver Wave” because the reflection of the water combined with the light and the grays and white tones. I also feel that the portrait emits messages of peace and calm feelings and strength at the same time, it represent the image of a strong woman who is illuminated by rays of kindness and love with a sense of inner peace, purity and happiness.

To create this portrait I used only two beautiful and amazing photos found over internet source Pinterest note that the images used are not my own Photography (I apologize but haven’t found any names of the photographers to give Credits for their ©Copyrights).

I came up with this idea to mix nature with humans and create a unique and very different kind of portraits…let’s say very unusual portraits that tell a story, each one I created has their own story and meanings, they are filled with all my experience, art and soul into it.

If you’re interested in purchase a custom and unique portrait like this one using your own personal photos, I can create your personal and unique story with a custom Digital Art Portrait, for more info and details please contact me.

As always thank you I love to know your opinion and I appreciate your feedback!

Important Note: I respect all the Rights and Copyrights. Credits for the photos used to create this portrait goes to their respective owners. “The finished portrait” created as result of blending and layering the photos I used for this experimental Art Concept Collection it is my Digital Artwork and has my Copyright© Carolina Russo.
Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without explicit permissions.

Events, Meet and Greet Fridays, Messages to readers, Uncategorized

Great News!!!

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 Carolina Russo

Great News!

I am very proud and happy to let you all know that our great weekly event “Meet and Greet Fridays” made the Events Page of The Daily Post blog/website curated from the editors at WordPress.com! A special thank you goes to the editors for the approval and the great opportunity for my Blog to be listed on their Events Page.

I did submit my event to The Daily Post when we jump started. I didn’t know until today when I made a search about it, that I got the “Editors Approval” and with great surprise, my event appear now listed and searchable on their Blog Events Page, that’s amazing!!! I am very happy for this achievement it means a lot to me to be able to offer a great platform to my readers and amazing followers to engage!

You can see how is listed here on the links below:

The Daily Post Blog Events Listing Page

The Daily Post – Meet and Greet Fridays…

The Daily Post Events

I wish you all a wonderful and happy day or night<3

Carolina

And Featured Is, Events, Featured, Life, Meet and Greet Fridays, Photography, Reviews, Uncategorized

And The Featured of the Month is…

April 9, 2016April 10, 2016 Carolina Russo

And FEATURED is… Andy Smart!

YesterdayAfter Featured of the Month April 2016

Hello everyone during last 30 days I came across lots of beautiful, interesting and inspiring Blogs and I made my pick for the month of April. I choose between all the wonderful Bloggers that left their Blog links at our weekly event Meet and Greet Fridays!

This month is about exploring life travelling and discovering China!

Today I am very pleased and honored to introduce you my new Featured of the Month and featured is…Author Andy Smart and his Blog Just Turn Left same title goes to his great book!

I discovered Andy only about a month ago we came across each other Blogs and we followed and stayed connected. Andy has a very friendly and great personality he seems that friend that you knew all life long and it is fun to engage with. Andy has a great Blog dedicated to his life change, his journey going from UK to China. The Blog is filled with his beautiful street photography, travelling experiences, advice, suggestions and daily life happening, he always bring me a good laugh while reading his posts! Andy is a Writer, Teacher, Traveler and I add Explorer too, he is the Author of the book “Just Turn Left at the Mountain multi-entry trials meandering across Chinese borders”

“In 2005 Andy Smart opted for a life change and hit the road; a truly amazing three year journey across China, South East Asia, South Korea and Mongolia. After finally setting roots down in Beijing he finally found the time to write about the adventure. Andy writes with humor in mind so if you want something to put a smile on your face then grab ‘Just Turn Left at the Mountain, multi-entry trials meandering across Chinese borders’. In his down to earth streetwise style Andy writes with the sole intention of making his readers laugh out loud and brighten up their day.”

Andy also developed his own TEFL teaching and living in China.