Seeing Green

                                                                    

 

I love spring because of the green that begins to pop up. We don't really see a true spring until April or the beginning of May if we  are really unlucky. So, I try to find beautiful green plants that I can put outdoors in the Spring/Summer months, and have in my home during the Winter. 

I love Succulents! You will see them in many of the photos above. A Succulent  is a plant that has evolved various ways to survive its hostile environment and for someone who loves plants, but they don't always love me,so this is the perfect kind of plant for my home. I love all of the different ideas on how to display them (the Tea Cup being one of my favorites) and they are really great for Wedding bouquets and floral arrangements. I hope you have a little green in your home as there are health benefits  as well.  

Enjoy and Happy Hump Day!

Mini Vacation Revisited

 This past summer K and I took a mini weekend vacation to Niagara Falls. We have been there a few times, but this time we went in the middle of the summer. It was a really nice getaway where we ditched the dog and cat and spent 3 days just to ourselves.

That's me sitting under a tree that had some serious character. I love all the bumps on that tree.

This is not from the Botanical gardens, but the Buddhist temple close by. 

                                                                       I love this view

I love getting out for long walks and K and I decided to walk from the center of Niagara falls to the Butterfly Conservatory/Botanical Gardens. The pictures above are from that trip. The walk took almost 3 hours which is fine since we took lots of photos and a few breaks along the way. Hope you like! Also, I have updated and added a few photo's in my About section of my blog, so check it out.

The Beauty of the Wilderness

Last year my husband and I went to San Francisco for a week. It was a beautiful trip and I had a great time. One of the highlights for me was visiting Rodney Lough Jr. Wilderness Gallery , right down by the Fisherman's Wharf. The photographs were amazing and the printing quality was so spectacular that the colors are so vivid (something the Web can't fully capture). I have never seen such large and beautiful nature photographs. The gallery is large and made of reclaimed wood that has this wonderful woodsy smell. My husband and I spent maybe 2 hours in total in the gallery viewing each photo and sitting in the chairs that are conveniently placed in each room. If you make a trip to San Francisco or live there but have never gone in, then make the effort and check it out (it's free too!).

 Worldly Wonder

 River of Silence

Momentum 

Autumn's Delicate Dance

Crystal Clear 

That's me below (or the back of my head) in Muir Woods. That's another place that's really beautiful that has to be visited when you're in San Fran.

Carved Pumpkins to Admire

Former teacher, now professional sculptor, Ray Villafane creates some of the most realistic and demented pumpkin carvings out there. What was once just a hobby and something he did with his students, has now turned into a professional career of sculpting not only pumpkins, but toys and sand as well.  Here is just a taste of his creations, and more pumpkins can be found here.

Time to Shop?

Thursdays usually get me excited because I know that the weekend is just around the corner. I like to shop just like the rest of you, and while browsing fashion on Lookbook.nu I found these two looks that I adore. I don't think I'm ready for fall fashion fully, which you can tell by the shorts and lovely dress.

 1. I love this outfit,especially the navy tank worn by Rockie Nolan's  , which you can  view                Lookbook.nu find more of her fashion.

2. I love this soft feminine dress worn by Esther Boller seen on Lookbook.nu as well as her blog.



 
  

Sweetness Found in the Morning Fog

This photo is by Steve Mackay and it's called The Doe and the Jackdaw. I saw this photo today and immediately fell in love. The tones and softness of this photo and the the morning fog bring this photo perfectly together. I love that the Doe takes no real notice of the Jackday and is willing to let it just hitch a ride. A sweet friendship maybe?

Wednesday has Talent!

I love to paint and because of this I have a great appreciation for those who do it really well. When I paint, I love the feeling of calm and peace while I work. I also enjoy finding the right colors and textures. Today I am posting some really great nature themed paintings by really beautiful artists.

These two paintings are by Amy Talluto,whos paintings I first found on 20 x 200.com. This first painting is called Sweet William and the second painting is called Blue Pool. Amy works exclusively with landscape imagery in my paintings and drawings and has a great collection on her website. 

I love her subject matter and the colors are so vibrant and beautiful.


 The second artist is a fellow Etsy shop owner who's paintings I first found on We heart it, and from there I found her lovely shop on Etsy . Brandy Cattor has a great eye and I loved these two nature themed paintings and the yellow used in this second painting is brilliant. The first painting is called Intrigue and the second painting is called Evergreens and Yellows.

The last two paintings are by Jaime Lauler Solberg and her artwork was shown today on the front page of Etsy in a treasury. I loved the mood and feeling of her work.

The first painting is called Cloud second painting is called Back to Dark. You can find more of Jaime's artwork on her website.




 

Monday is a Hoot!

 

1.   Let the Outside In by Juliette Crane

2.  Owl Ready to Go Mug 

3. Fake Gauge Earrings, Owl Design - Dewi Design

4. Owl Crest Earrings,- From The Nature

Lovely owl items that you just got to have!

Wassupbrothers Great Giveaway

A few weeks ago I entered Wassupbrothers giveaway for one of Olga's sweet little owls. I picked the color and won the giveaway! I love Wassupbrothers sweet soft creatures and was so excited for the arrival of my cutie and wanted you guys to see her. By the way I named her Eve.

Here is Eve ready for her trip from Russia. She came in great packaging too! Here is Eve enjoying her day out in her new home of Toronto Canada!

Thank You Olga! See her cuties at Wassupbrothers and check out her awesome blog too! She has another giveaway for this great guy, and I love his colbalt blue color.

Thrilled

The weekend is almost near and I can see Friday is just around the corner. It's time for my favorite treat of the week. I'm easy to please...... a warm soak and a large glass of red wine. Any wine recommendations?