Day 1031's Week in Pictures: Noticing Color

Lovely colors on this dry-stacked stone wall. The rusty orange with the blue-gray particularly caught my eye.


Pretty black door and brass handle on a local storefront. Still dying to paint something black ...


It is super-green at our house. The dogwood blossoms have faded, the azaleas are on their way out, and the green of summer is taking over. Not that I'm complaining. My hydrangeas are starting to think about blooming -- I'm so glad I didn't kill them!

Day 1024: Week in Pictures

This isn't so much the week in pictures as it's five-minutes-on-Tuesday-evening in pictures. I got home in time to see the setting sun looking so, so lovely on the azalea in the peak of their bloom. By the time I changed out of my work heels and grabbed the step ladder (one of them has got to be six-feet tall!), the light (above) was all but gone. I still managed a few nice shots, I think.

Where I've Been

It's only April, but I can already feel the summer busy season beginning. And even when I am home, I've been spending more and more time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. In other words, not in front of my computer. Last week I discovered these darling weeds growing in our grass-less backyard.


They seem very happy next to my kitchen sink.


Over the weekend, I went to Tennessee to help Baby Sister throw a camp-out cook-out for one of her friends. The budget for decorating the party was Zero, so Middle Sister and I joined forces to make it special. Dad clipped red bud and dogwood from the woods on his property, and we put them in big glass vases (the biggest of which I didn't get a photo of).


And of course there were lanterns and lots of candles. FYI, dogwood blooms don't do so well out of water.


The party was at my Dad's cabin. He recently added this pretty Empire dresser to the bedroom, where it seems equally out of place and so right at home.

What have you been up to?

The Week in Pictures (So Far)

I kind of fell off the week-in-pictures wagon this month. Now that the weather is clearing up, I'm feeling inspired to pick up my camera again, and just in time for the blooming of the cherry trees! I look forward to this all year, they are just so beautiful.


This forsythia is completely covered in blooms. It must like the full sun it gets, because there are flowers on top of flowers on it. I walked past it the other day on an evening walk and with the sinking sun behind it, it looked like the burning bush! So naturally, I came back with my camera the next evening. Our neighbors probably think I'm a loon.


There is a faint dusting of light green over the trees as they begin to leaf. I'm sure a pollen burst is soon to follow, but, for now, it's exciting. The spring fever in the air is palpable.


Wes made some great progress on our deck over the weekend. It needs stairs on one side and a railing, but we've already been using it. I actually kind of like it sans a railing, as it is easier to toss Maddie's ball into the yard for her to chase.


Which she really likes, as you can see.


Oh, and that cherry tree? What can I say? This little branch wanted to come home with me! Whoops!

Day 968's week in pictures

Tiny little crocus (I think) growing under the oak tree in our front yard.


Oh the painting! Will it ever end?!


Maddie-girl is ready for the painting to end, too.


Trying to appreciate the beauty of winter.


Wes sneaking a doughnut before I'm finished with them. Although it is pretty ridiculous to not eat them warm in the name a taking a photo, isn't it?

Day 962's week in pictures

An early and very unexpected birthday present from Wes.


Afternoon walk in the snow.


A very dirty but very happy pup after a romp in the very muddy dog park. It's a good thing I keep a "dog blanket" in my car.


Fun little painting project!

Day 954's week in pictures

My trip to NYC last week wasn't short, but it was last-minute. I did manage to visit two shops on my list (Aero and John Derian) before catching my flight out on Saturday. This knarled tree root outside JD looked kind of pretty covered in what little snow the city got from the forcasted "snowpocalypse." I always get a kick out of the doomsday predictions by weathermen in the South, but nothing can top what they were saying on the east coast last week: "punished by snow," "epic," and "snowmagedden" were some of my favorites.


Peeps the cat kept an eye on things at home while I was gone.


I don't think I've shown you the little black Jasperware tray that Wes gave me for Christmas. I love it!

Day 947: week in pictures

Four weeks below 35 degrees (rare for central Alabama) followed by one week above 60 and a few days of rain and the early spring flowers are already starting to come out. This Forsythia is just getting started in the parking deck at work. I really enjoy checking its progress each morning.


The weekend started out cold and dreary, so what's a girl to do but stay inside and bake something? I've been craving bread pudding (I don't know what's with my obsession with lowcountry fare these days) and had a stack of recipes to try. I went with this one because I thought I could improvise it a tad and use the Challah bread with raisins that I already had. Totally hit the spot. At Wes' request I'll try a chocolate version next.


Based on my pictures you probably think that Maddie is calm and serene. While she can be, she definitely has a wild streak, too. Like this morning when she nipped at my ankles all the way to the back door to let her out. It's just that she's so much easier to photograph when she's calm and serene! Or sleeping.


The purple tulips opened up nicely. And of course grew about two inches in the process. Tulips are crazy like that.


I was just messing around one morning and rather liked the way this bowl looked on top of our entertainment center. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy a simple still life?

Day 940's week in pictures

I have even fewer pictures to show this week than last! I don't know what I did with myself last week since I obviously didn't use my camera. I did make pancakes on Monday morning. Poor Wes had work, so I went a little crazy doctoring my Bisquick mix with things he won't eat. Like lots of cinnamon and pecans. YUM!


Wes' sister got married over the weekend. I'm still sorting through all of the pictures I took, but this one turned out nicely. We (the bridesmaids) got to ring the church bell (this is the rope) before the ceremony started -- it was so fun!


I did buy that portrait I mentioned on Friday. It was 40% off -- sweet! I don't think it's too creepy, but maybe it is. For now I kind of like it hanging between the silk curtains in the living room. I'm pretty sure it's a reproduction of one of the masters, but I really don't know that much about art (nor have I spent the time to figure it out.) Off the top of my head I'm thinking Rembrandt. Laura, thoughts?

Day 934: week in pictures

My pictures are a little weak this week. It was a busy one, I suppose. My sister had knee surgery, so I bought miniature daffodils to cheer up her hospital room. The five bulbs came potted from the grocery store, of all places. She loves all things miniature, so I knew she'd love them, but I enjoyed them so much for the two days I had them that I had to go get a pot for myself, too!


I love covered cake stands, and recently discovered that this cheese dome fits perfectly on my Jadeite stand. It takes up less space on my counter than my larger white ones, and holds just as many chocolate chip muffins.


I made two pound cakes for a birthday celebration, and was looking forward to having a slice (or two) with my morning coffee since there was a loaf leftover. Apparently Maddie wanted to enjoy some, too. That stinker! She hasn't eaten off the counter since she ate our wedding cake on our one-year anniversary.


Peeps the Cat doesn't get nearly enough time on this blog (probably because he doesn't eat pound cake off the counter). He loves to curl up in the sun on top of the chairs in the living room, and makes one cute little ball of cat.

Day 926's confession

We're eleven days into the New Year; how are you doing on your resolutions? I admit, I'm off to a rocky start already! One thing I wanted to do in 2010 -- not so much a resolution, per se -- was learn more about and use my camera more.


I planned to join this group on Flickr, until I read the rules and discovered that it is a self-portrait every day, not just a photo (I'm not-so-interested in self-portraits). I have been taking photos, though not quite every single day (battling what felt like the flu didn't help).


And now I have discovered this version of the project, so I'm trying to jump back on the bandwagon.


Eventually I'll get everything into Flickr and organized, but I'm also going to share my photos here on Mondays as sort of a week-in-review.


I'm sure there will be plenty of shots of boring things like old books on a shelf, and more than plenty of a certain mischievous Border Collie-mix. Hope you don't mind.