Quiet Memory

A second page in my new journal. 

Remembering the day I took hundred's of nature photos and collected seeds with an old friend.

 

Card crazy

This summer I have been so "not creative". Yes, I have done a few things but they were more utilitarian that artsy. More on those in later post. I've missed it and I think a bit of that creative energy just had to come out.

I made 7 cards in short order mostly from scraps.

Hopefully the creative energy will continue...or at least kick in big time after Labor Day when the kids are back in school. Until then I'm still trying to soak up as much "mom time" as I can with them.



  

Tea with the birds

As I sip my yummy iced tea (from the bargain bin, $0.75 baby) and make my Target list, 

I hear a curious sound. 

Rustling in the serviceberry tree. 

The Cedar Waxwings have returned....

They come every year to pick it clean. 

I think they are so beautiful. 

What I don't think is so beautiful are the messes they leave everywhere. Apparently those berries go right through them. Sorry...TMI.

Gracie is very entertained. 

What more could a cat want....warm sun to lay in while watching dozens of birds right outside the window.

What are you doing today?

Obviously Target is on my list...as well as stopping by my friends Tea Tuesday blogs.

 

Busy, busy end of school

Ever have one of those weeks that you have all planned out way a head of time...then when the week begins you completely forgot that you had a zillion things to do?? That's been my week. I think the 3 day Memorial Day holiday weekend was what started me off on the wrong foot. Monday turned into Tuesday in the blink of an eye. 

 Tuesday I was a bit under the weather...allergies and such.
Wednesday was filled by inventory at the school library.

Yesterday I got to go to the Arboretum as a chaperon for Little J's class. I really love it there. We should really get a membership...but I digress.

The girls enjoyed the Japanese garden...

especially the koi.

I enjoyed a moment of quiet serenity myself. 

But we can't forget about the flowers...

So many beauties. 

It was hard to choose which to share.

This was my favorite floral photo of the day.

Soft and dreamy...and pink!

Today will be my "catch-up" day. 

The team of fairies I wished for at the fountain never showed. A girl's got to dream, right?!?!

How are you preparing for summer?

 

Spring is in the air

We've got a pair of chickadees busy preparing a nest in the bird house I plucked out of a FREE pile at the curb while on a walk last year. Those birdies have it stuffed so full that the nest is trailing out. 

I'm not sure how they plan on raising babies in there.

 

We are finally getting some moisture. It's been so dry that grass was crunchy.

The crab apple blossoms love it.

I'll be cutting some off in a bit to bring inside. Too bad the blossom stage is so short lived.

My neighbor's tree is further ahead than ours...at least I get to enjoy it from afar.

 

Snow Day

The two words every kid longs to hear. 

I was shocked when the call came through at 5:30 this morning. 

I figured we'd maybe have a 2 hour late start but CLOSED.  Really!?!?

We are 5 houses from the edge of our school district...if we were on the next street, the kids would have had school on time, no delay today. 

Weird, huh.

We got rain then sleet then snow then freezing rain then sleet again then snow. Needless to say it's very heavy. Check out my neighbors Spruce tree. 

Another neighbor has a tree leaning down into their driveway.

Our dogwood looks pretty encased in ice.

I wanted to take even more pictured but it's rainy-sleety again and I didn't want to get my lens wet.

It's so pretty out and warm.

 

Light box

I finally made myself a light box for photography!! 

I've seen many tutorials on the web but put it to the back of my to-do list. Well, now it's to-done.  It may not be the prettiest light box but I didn't have to buy a thing.

I have to show you the huge difference that it makes even without adding any additional light from a lamp.

This was a picture I took yesterday on my sofa table. 

I thought the dark wood of the table would really make the vintage ornaments pop. 

And they do...but not in the way I was really looking for.

Now look at this picture taken inside the light box!

What a difference!

I'm definitely going to have much better photos from now on...at least for the small stuff.

Now I just need to figure out where to store it so it doesn't get damaged or dirty but is still very accessible.