Creative Summer Tips....

Take time to enjoy the gifts of the summer season...Some of things I enjoy to do to ease into to the summer season is to create gifted moments that refills one's soul...

A walk through a local park, meet a family member or friend at a 

museum for a cup of coffee and conversation.

 Extend your weekend by taking a half day off on a Friday or Monday...

the extended hours are a wonderful way to change the day-to-day routines. 

 Avoid the lines at the airports and plan a trip to a neighboring town or state 

that is an easy drive from your home.  The ease of the drive and change of scenery will be another great way to refresh to your spirit...

And one can always sit back read a good book, paint, draw or try a new recipe to allow the creative heart to be refilled... Take the moments to enjoy the simple gifts and treasures that are around you...

Summer Fashion Tips

Summer Fashion Tips...

Though summer fashions are not always at the top of my favorite wardrobe choices.  I do find I have fun with the seasonal choices by adding easy flowing fabrics in vibrant colors to my fashion menu...

With longer and warmer days I like to create outfits that carry me from work to evening or on a little weekend get-away....

This year the center of my summer wardrobe is a red silk/cotton dress that I love to accent with a blazer or cute jacket for daytime to stay warm in those air cooled rooms and for evening, I can throw on a wrap with pearls or a beaded necklace, heals and a cute purse to dash off to a concert in the park, dinner with friends or to slow down and watch the sunset...

                        

Summer Fashion Essentials:

Vibrant Dresses and Tops- to be used as the center pieces of your wardrobe.

Bright Scarves and Wraps will change the whole look of your outfit. 

Colorful Beaded Necklaces, Bangle Bracelets-can inspire the look of your outfit from day to evening.

Handbags and Purses in Various Shapes, Sizes and Colors-will take you any where.

Shoes colors and comfort-go a long way.

Have Fun this Season and Enjoy the Colors of the Seasons and Be Inspired....

Decorating Themes-Ladies Tea

I find that decorating tables for gatherings with a theme is a nice way to entice

 one's soul to enjoy the essence of the meal...

Decorating a table often lifts the imagination of your guests to explore the story being shared in the theme~while also creating conversational themes for the gathering...

At a recent Art Salon Luncheon for a group a women, I had fun creating a "Ladies Spring Inspired" theme with costume jewelry, pearl necklaces and beaded bracelets, spring hats placed on chairs with individual  miniature bouquets of scented flowers at each place setting, complimented by seasonal plants for the centerpiece...

The lightly and fresh Spring theme was a joyful inspiration 

for the Ladies throughout the day....

Morning Glory

Morning Glory...Gifted Scents from Morning Garden...

 The essence of the morning garden scents gives one's soul a peace to begin the day renewed and refresh....

The First Blush of a Spring Garden

Garden Notes:

After sending a bouquet of photos to my friend Marian, from my garden with captions such as the Spring's Surprise and Glory, Spring Secret Treasures, The Abundance of Spring... Spring's First Blush... Marian with curiosity asked me what is the First Blush of a Spring Garden... For a moment, I just melted in the glory of the garden's gifted surprises that I, like many other gardeners, welcome with almost childlike joy the rebirth or the new birth of the Spring Season... The easiest way I can describe the First Blush of the Spring Garden, is from a recent conversation I had with my  friend Carolyn, who I consider to be a Master Gardener and a purist  by maintaining an organic environment for her plants.  She and I spent our full conversation talking about  the joyous stories of the first blush of our Spring gardens...We talked about the joy of rediscovering our roses with their explosive blossoms, heightening the colorful essence of the new life sprouting from our other plants and trees... The First Blush of a Spring Garden is like receiving a big present wrapped up with a joyous surprise of beauty, color and life beyond one's imagination.

Though the First Blush of my Spring Garden is coming to a close, I find the wonderful beautiful memories will carry me into the summer season of warmer weather with longer hours of daylight bringing another level of mother nature's surprises of insects and other heat and water challenges. Yet like life, a garden goes through many seasons, always reminding me to enjoy the moments--

like the old cliché to stop and take time to smell the roses....

[The Everyday Gardener]

I often share stories about the joys the garden brings to me throughout the seasons of many years. Our garden was and still is created in a storybook fashion -- as  each plant, tree and bush has a story to why they are in our garden.  You see, I have always loved to garden… I started gardening as a young girl, nothing fancy. I really loved learning about the mysterious nature of the garden and how to appreciate the beauty of the flowers and trees.... like one would learn to appreciate the various periods of art....

I have found that there are three types of gardeners….

The Master Gardener -Is generally a specialist.  Who has studied horticulture. Who has strived to be a learned expert in keeping well-manicured gardens.

The Weekend Gardener -Is generally a person who enjoys dabbling in the garden, but does not have time to do so during the week, so they design a garden that is self maintained and they can work and enjoy during the weekend hours.

The Everyday Gardener – Are gardeners like myself, who enjoys dabbling in the garden throughout the week and seasons. The everyday gardener is also a type of person who enjoys learning first hand about the journey of the trials and joys of garden life.

Yes, I have found that gardening is a committed journey…. as the seasons and weather are never predictable, just as one’s life is always changing and growing, we must be willing to be dedicated to nurturing the garden as it does fill one’s heart and soul… Life is like a garden, filled with many seasons that grows the character of one's spirit...

[Spring Blush - part 1]

The Abundance of his Glory

The Glory of a Spring Garden

Sunburst

Bouquet of Spring Joy

As I walk through the garden enjoying  - the soft cool breeze, the richness of the early morning sunlight dancing through the trees, the birds are eagerly racing through the narrow passages between the trees to find their morning delights -  I find my soul being filled with the aromas of the garden.

At this time of the year, the first blush of the spring garden with  the air fragrant from the organic richness of the early morning dew on the ground is complimented by the sweet perfume scents of the roses. The first blush of  roses are especially full of sweetness and some spice, often reminding of scent of a Channel perfume…