a bucolic feel

Without a doubt, one of my favorite things is a nice garden space. I usually gravitate towards gardens filled with various types of colorful flowers. But, this spot at Olbrich Gardens here in Madison captured my heart for its bucolic feel. I adore the curved path, the canopy created by the trees, and a simple bench to take a rest. Isn't is lovely? And, doesn't it just feel like summer?

you can click onto the photo for a bigger view

music for a monday morning: andrew bird's anonanimal

I thought we could start off this week with another stunning Andrew Bird song and video that blends so many musical styles and techniques. I hope you enjoy Bird's "Anonanimal" as much as I do.

travel: a healing balm

Travel is an essential ingredient in my life. Someone recently described my love of travel as "a healing balm." I've been thinking of this description - because it's a phrase I've never linked to travel - and the words hold true. I love planning a trip, the experiences themselves, and then remembering moments, stories, and places months and years afterwards. 

Last October, my husband and I were in Turkey, where we took this photo using the timer setting on my camera, and I'm so happy the photo turned out. It was a perfect day, in every way, and I'm so grateful that we have this moment captured.

Cesme, Turkey

inspired - a night at the ballet

I adore ballet, and last night my husband and I had the pleasure of seeing the Milwaukee Ballet's Spring Series. The dancers were stunning, the choreography was gorgeous, and the music was fresh and original. I don't have any photos from the evening, but these beautiful black and whites remind me of some of the dances from last night. I found all of these photographs on Pinterest. 

flowerful friday

I hope you have a great weekend in store, with lots of laughter and smiles and plenty of relaxation. 

my birthday bouquet from my parents :-)

Happy Friday!

a beautiful sunset

I was traveling for work this week, and the sunset from my hotel room last night was gorgeous. From purplish-blue to golden orange all in one fell swoop.  

words to live by...

Remember that everyone

you meet is afraid of something,

loves something,

and has lost something.

-- J Jackson Brown

I can't think of a better quote to inspire us to live with kindness, compassion and empathy towards everyone we know and everyone we meet. 

words to live by...

Once in awhile I stumble across a quote that really resonates with me. This quote is one of those...

music for a monday: andrew bird's danse caribe

I was very lucky to cap off my birthday on Saturday with an incredible Andrew Bird concert in Milwaukee. Bird's innovative music is a delight for the ears and his live performance incorporates simple yet powerful visuals, so it's a delight for the eyes too. 

Click onto this link for a glimpse into what the world of Andrew Bird is all about... http://bit.ly/yMUVNJ. 

By the way, if there's a commercial before the Andrew Bird video, please ignore it - the Bird video is worth the wait and any annoyance.  ;-)

taste: spicy thai chicken and noodles

With the warm weather, we've been able to take advantage some early season grilling. We made spicy Thai chicken with sweet and spicy rice noodles and grilled pineapple. For the chicken, just throw together red curry paste, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, Sriracha sauce, a little brown sugar, soy sauce and a little Thai fish sauce. Then after a few hours of marinating the chicken, grill the chicken. With a side of sweet and spicy rice noodles and grilled pineapple, it makes for a delicious dinner.  

so long 33, hello 34!

Another year has flown by and today is my birthday! Birthdays are always fun, but I think the excitement of a birthday when you're a kid just can't be matched by birthdays in adulthood. My mom did such a great job of keeping my "baby book" full of photos and details. Just look at the page from my 3rd and 4th birthdays. Didn't she do an amazing job? 

30 years ago.
I still love puffy sleeves  :-)

A big thanks to my mom and dad - respectively our family's record-keeper and photographer.

flowerful friday: special edition - magnolias in bloom

As promised from yesterday's post, here are some of my photos from the amazingly stunning magnolia grove located not but a mile from my house. This grove is nestled in the University of Wisconsin Arborteum, and is breathtaking in its beauty. I think these photos do a good job of conveying the gorgeous scene, but honestly, to see these blooming beauties in person is a whole other experience. 

I hope you enjoy!

light pink saucer magnolia

looking up from below - heavenly!

I could lay under this tree for hours!

a pink star magnolia

some were still in bud form - so cute!

next to my hand, to show the large size of these
gorgeous blooms

one part of the magnolia grove

sublime!

this cream colored star magnolia had the
most lovely fragrance!

one pink, one cream colored -
side by side

Happy Friday!

dusk skies in spring

We've had some incredibly beautiful skies this spring, and dusk never disappoints. Last night I was able to capture the gorgeous sunset from within the UW-Arboretum. The sky was breath-taking and the setting couldn't have been more beautiful. Stay tuned for tomorrow's Flowerful Friday post to see  amazing magnolias in bloom.

springtime, officially

Yesterday was the Spring Equinox - the 1st official day of spring - and though it feels like it could be summertime, there's something nice about spring officially starting. 

I love the signs of spring - the greening of the grass, robins with their orangish-red vests hopping around with their skinny little legs, bulbs eagerly poking up from the ground growing everyday taller and taller, and early bloomers like forsythia is unabashed, full-on color. 

I came across this quote that I think sums up springtime perfectly:

Spring has returned.

The Earth is like a child that know poems.

-Rainer Maria Rilke 

a robin with his orange vest

hyacinths popping up from the ground

forsythia, in full bloom

I hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying the new season.