Few Things…

…fill my heart with as much joy as the nearby park in spring.

Saturday at the Garden

Woke up this morning with the urge to wander through the Botanical Garden. Oh, what a lucky decision that was. This artist made my day. I wish you could see his painting. It’s a beauty. I’ve been to the Garden a million times, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it look quite this…

Whoa…

Well, spring is out doing itself this year. Lemme tell ya, if these photos were scratch and sniff, you’d totally leave a nose print on your screen.

At Last…

After ten years of this… …we finally have this. I’m so proud that you’d think I actually had something to do with this. I don’t know why it took so long for these to bloom, but I’m overjoyed.

Sunday…

…at the Botanical Garden Orchid Show. So much to love. It’s so hard to do these justice.

Sniff….

These hyacinths are the best purchases I’ve made in a very, very long time. My whole house smells like spring.

Looking Like Fall

Temperatures in the 70s and new fall flowers. My kind of Saturday.

Tickled…

…pink! Lots and lots of pink! Even the moon was peeking through a pink haze.

Sunday Session

For awhile now, Drew and I have been talking about taking some “Senior Photos” of him before his last year of college kicks off. So this morning, we decided to set out. Destinations: Laumeier Sculpture Park and Citygarden. Perfect morning, perfect locations. And perfect company. Loved the late summer blooms. St. Louis, I love you…

Just Because

Started this morning with a long, slow stroll through the Botanical Gardens…for no other reason than I could. A lot of fun things are blooming right now…but the waterlilies are the showstoppers. Stuh-ning. The Chihuly glass brings such a wonderful sense of whimsy to it all.  Not sure what this little guy is, but the…

Setting: Random

I can’t believe I forgot to include my favorite photo in yesterday’s post. This was taken with my phone’s Hipstamatic app. I’ve been using this app for years now, and over time, I’ve accumulated tons of lenses, films and flashes. Probably too many, because I don’t play around much with it any more. I just stick…

Wow. Just Wow.

This morning I got a cryptic text from my beloved and blissfully retired former boss. She gave me specific directions to something she wanted me to see, but wouldn’t tell me what I was looking for — only that I would know it when I saw it and it was amazing. The location was just beyond…

Not My Kids’ Legos

When the kids were growing up, I learned quickly that the bottoms of adult feet have some strange magnetic pull specific to stray Legos left on the floor. Especially in the middle of the night. I became quite familiar with that feeling of cut glass underfoot. Thanks to an afternoon trip to the Botanical Garden, it…

More to Love

After a trip to a familiar garden on Wednesday, I was able to visit a new one today. Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Around every bend, there was something new to make me catch my breath.   It was right around this spot that I realized that part of my heart would be left behind here. “Rest here…

Happy Place

Had a chance to visit the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, yesterday. I love this place. I’ve been here several times, but never in the spring. Every visit has been different; every visit has had something new to offer. The only season I’m missing is winter. And I’ll bet that’s beautiful, too.

Let it happen.

So I bought this blooming plant for my dining room table without asking what it is — or even caring. It is truly one of the most gorgeous things I’ve seen. But I love it even more after photographing it. Above photo was intentional. The next two were total accidents. And I love them best….

Unexpected

I know I’ve been blogging floral photos constantly lately — and I confess that I headed to the park this afternoon to take more. But then I became a little sidetracked. Check this guy out! He wasn’t crazy about me, but he indulged me for a few minutes. But then he decided he’d had enough…

Glimpses

This has been one of the most beautiful springs I can remember. Many flowers seem to be peaking this weekend. Sigh. Smile.

Wednesday Walk

Went for a long walk with Tanner this evening after work for no other reason than we could. It’s spring, it’s beautiful…why not. So I grabbed my camera just in case. Oh, the variety of colors, shapes, sizes and scents. Lest it appear that my only focus is flowers nowadays, may I present this. As we walked,…

New Friends and Flowers

Saturday hike with Tanner on a perfect spring day. I’ll take it. We met new friends. This is Sadie and Sophie Bassett. We found random fields of flowers… …some Bleeding Heart… …and the show-stopper: loads of lilacs just starting to bloom. We’ll have to go back when the bushes are at their peak. But today…

Friday with Mom

My mamma picked THE most beautiful day of the year for a day trip to our zip code. Sunny, seventy degrees…so, so lovely. And we picked THE most beautiful place to start the day — the Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show. So many wonderful varieties, shapes and colors. But mostly just wonderful company. Loved getting to…

Distracted Runner, Sunday Edition

This morning brought sunshine and my long run for the week. While I enjoy them, long runs are tough for me — but not for the most obvious reasons. Ten and a half miles outdoors provides a lot of territory for observation and the risk for distraction is super high — especially for someone who dabbles…

Sunday at the Garden

Early morning trek to the Botanical Garden and I saw this guy along the way. This set the tone for my adventure. I had a smile on my face for the next several hours. Here was my destination: the 2014 Orchid Show. It was more fun when I went last year with my mom, but…

Celebrating Craft and Color

I noticed today on my iPhone that I’ve taken a few photos this week that had something unintentional in common. They all represent crafts I admire and similar rich colors. Above was a woman dying clothes by hand at SKIF. Like the store, each piece is unique. Below is a small display at my favorite…