Lavender

"here’s your sweet lavender

sixteen sprigs a penny

that you’ll find my ladies

will smell as sweet as any"

Lavender Sellers’s Cry, London England CA 1900

"ladies fair, I bring to you

lavender with spikes of blue;

sweeter plant was never found

growing on our english ground."

Caryl Battersby

"And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom

shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound

to lurk admist the labours of her loom,

and crown her kerchiefs witl mickle rare perfume."

William Shenstone The School Mistress 1742

(Photos courtesy of: google image)

Lovely Bride Shop

I was just introduced to this beautiful bridal website. How fitting it is that it is called "Lovely"If you are a bride to be or just enjoy looking at beautiful dresses, I think you will find this to be a special find. http://www.lovelybride.com/lovelybride.html

A Unique Combination

Please let me preface this by saying "Please don't judge me" :) This past weekend I found a wonderful combination that I had heard about but never tried. Sitting on a back patio, candles lighting up the table, I tried a bottle of stout and a chocolate truffle. It was a taste I was not at all familiar with. I had tasted cheese & wine, espresso and chocolate mousse, and now stout and truffle...it was delicious.

1. stout - a strong very dark heavy-bodied ale made from pale malt and roasted unmalted barley and (often) caramel malt with hops.

2. truffle - Any of various chocolate confections, especially one made of a mixture including chopped nuts, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.

(Photos courtesy of: google image)

San Francisco

"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal. That is the whole truth."

~William Saroyan

I love the city of San Francisco and even though it has been a long time since I've been there I still dream about when I can go visit again.

1. San Francisco Public Library

~When I first walked through the doors of this library I was stunned at how beautiful the architecture was.

2. Alamo Square

~One of the most fun memories I have of this city took place late in the evening at Alamo Square when a group of friends and I took a walk, played 'Heads up 7 up', tried peeking in the window of the house where Full House was supposedly filmed and then went racing away giggling (yes giggling) into the night.

3. Palace of Fine Arts

~This is where you want to go on a Sunday afternoon with a book, and picnic basket. It is so peaceful, and beautiful.

(Photos courtesy of: google image)

Puppies

As silly as this might sound, one day I hope to get a puppy as a birthday or Christmas gift; yes just like in the movies. Right before I left home after I graduated, my Dad and Mom got a little, yellow, lab puppy and they say that in one month before I left I managed to spoil her...(I might have sneaked her into my bed:)

So...all this to say I have a soft spot for puppies.

(Photos courtesy of: weheartit)

You've Got Mail

Yesterday evening I walked into my room
and when I turned on my light I saw a package laying on my bed;
it was from my sister! I opened it and she had sent me a little surprise and a letter.
I love receiving mail. 
You know the one I'm speaking of; the handwritten, stamp in the corner, signed with love...
that kind of mail.
(Photos courtesy of:weheartit) 

Black and White

"It was 100 feet of 16 mm black-and-white film of a car coming to a stop sign, and driving off. I had to decide how to frame and light it. It was magic. There was a sense of mystery." 

~Conrad Hall 

"There's something strange and powerful about black-and-white imagery." 

~Stefan Kanfer 

"Watching television in those days was not the same experience as it is today. After years of listening to radio, we found

the black-and-white images mesmerizing." 

~Annette Funicello 

Objects of Beauty

One of the things I have learned to love about God is his ability to create beauty. Standing on top of a hill overlooking your city as the sun is shining on your face...that is beautiful. Seeing a child look at you with no pretension...that is beautiful. There are also little objects I find scattered throughout my day that serve a specific function AND are beautiful, and that combination is extra special. I hope this evening you find something small that you see as beautiful. 

(Photos courtesy of: weheartit.com) 

Hope

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all."  ~Emily Dickinson  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” ~Albert Einstein  "Hope is the dream of a soul awake"  ~French Proverb

Celebrating true love

Today, August 2, 2010

     is my beautiful sister, Susan 

and handsome brother-in-law, Adrian's 

    2nd year wedding anniversary! 

I wept like a baby at their wedding

(the best man took pity on me and handed me a tissue...

     probably a wad of them:) 

      Two years later, I have been so touched 

to see their marriage.

    Happy Anniversary, Susan & Adrian.

(Photos courtesy of: Natalie Garrett)