Blooming Mondays: Unexpected Greenery (green mums & cattails, 10.24.11)

I simply couldn’t resist this surprising bit of greenery at the market this weekend.

Don’t you just love the unexpected?

Blooming Mondays: Old Is New Again (rose, 10.10.11)

Roses. They just never grow old, do they?

These are strange days in my life. I’m in a current of change – experiencing moments I never thought I’d have, appreciating anew qualities I used to find mundane and actually enjoying my time smelling the proverbial roses. It’s a very strange current but I’m loving being in it. I simply hope that if there are rapids ahead, I ride them well.

Take a minute to be in the moment… just a friendly suggestion.

Blooming Mondays: Ready For Fall (sunflowers & mini-pumpkins, 10.03.11)

This past weekend was a hot one – beautiful, but hot. And I suddenly found myself craving a change of season. I’m ready for an excuse to wear boots, for the feel of a steaming cup of coffee in my hands and its warmth seeping into my bones, for the scent of a wood-burning fire.

Since I’m not leaving Southern California any time soon, I’ll have to find an inventive way to satisfy my cravings while those in colder climes enjoy a true autumn.

In my case, flowers will have to do.

What are you craving today?

Well, I’ve found another alternative to the easily wilted and eventual decaying floral arrangement brides and first communion lambs must carry down the aisle…

camellia bouquet created by The Green Vase

Beautiful bouquets made from paper by Livia and Joanne at The Green Vase. Slightly less expensive than the afore-mentioned vintage bauble option, I find these creations tobe both delightfully delicate and reassuringly permanent.

pastel paper camellia bouquet by The Green Vase

And no, this does not mean I am planning any walk down the aisle.

What do you think? 

a thin air view

And then I love coming home.

sun + flowers = sunflowers aka perfection

How can one not have a fabulous day when these are in the world?

And, in one random moment, I looked up.

looking up to see a flowering tree

Pleasure is always there, waiting to be noticed and embraced.

Snail No. 1

I have a snail obsession, I confess.

They cover the tops of bushes early in the day, catching the night’s dew drops before the sun has its way.

Then, they defy their reputation for sluggishness by disappearing from sight by mid-morning.

Snail No. 2

I don’t know what I would do if one day they were gone…

Perhaps order escargot for lunch?

pink roses

Pink roses remind me of grandmothers. I’m not sure why. My own grandmothers each kept roses of many colors in their respective yards. The one great-grandmother I remember didn’t single out pink roses either; she tended every variety with equal care until she died at 96.

This particular batch of blooms surprised me on Monday as I made my daily caffeine trek. The bushes along my path had been resplendent with buds earlier in the summer but all those flowers had exploded in splendour, strewn their remnants onto the brickwork and been severely trimmed back weeks ago. I had no expectation of seeing them again preening in their beauty until next year.

I love these kinds of surprises! Don’t you?

one of many

Today’s version of one of many blossoms I encounter on my (almost) daily walk from the office to Starbucks for a caffeine boost at the beginning of my day.

Seeing it helps me extend the perpetual dream that refuses to relinquish its hold on my sleepy brain – you know the one, some version or another of Bali Hai. We’ll see how long it takes my inbox and black tea to clear away the last bits of sand from between my toes.

How does the start of your day look?