light and reflections

It's the last day of 2011, and I'm ready to embrace 2012 and all that it will offer! I know 2011 was a challenging year for so many. My year was filled with many highs, great friends and family, travel and seeing new places, and a home I love and cherish, just to name a few, but there were lows too. I hope that when, down the road, I look back at 2011 I see myself as someone who grew despite challenges and set-backs.

Without a doubt the best day in 2011!
Stunning views, overlooking the
Aegean Sea, Turkey

The idea that what is to come is tabula rosa - or a blank slate - is very exciting to me. What will 2012 hold for you? Do you have a new year's resolution? 

Over glasses of wine last night my husband and I day-dreamed about the coming year, and because we're "list people" we of course wrote down what we hope to do, accomplish and see in 2012. 

Wishing you the VERY best in the new year!

flowerful friday

It's the last Friday of 2011, and it's hard to believe this year is quickly coming to a close. The end of a year is always a time for us to look back at the past 12 months and reflect, while at the same time look forward to what is to come - hopefully a new year filled with happiness, love, and peace. 

I thought a photo of stunningly simple and elegant calla lilies would be appropriate for this last flowerful Friday post of 2011, because as almost all flowers have a special meaning, calla lilies represent  magnificence and beauty. Aren't they lovely?

Wishing you a very happy Friday!

shout out: Janet Hill Studio

I stumbled across an Etsy shop the other day. This shop, "Janet Hill Studio" sells the most lovely prints and original paintings by the artist, (as the shop's name implies) Janet Hill. One of the marvelous aspects of Etsy is that it brings people from all over in touch with each other.

Janet is based in Ontario, Canada. Her art is feminine in color and design, and I happen to adore the whimsy she incorporates into her pieces. With her subject matter and choice of colors, I feel like Janet's art is very happy. 

Here's one of her pieces I'm particularly fond of. It's called, "Catherine Decides to Get Some Fresh Air and Exercise". 

Check out her Etsy shop at: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/janethillstudio?ref=seller_info. 

Her delightful blog can be found at: 

http://janethillstudio.com/blog/.  

what are you dreaming of?

On this grey winter day, I'm dreaming of walking through a lush green garden.

a walk through many shades
of deep greens in a beautiful garden

a beautiful blue backdrop

A cloudless, deep-blue sky makes the perfect visual backdrop for the many shapes and forms of a winter (yet snowless) winter landscape. With the sun shining brightly, all of the textures and lines are illuminated in a most beautiful way. What would you name the color of the sky in these photos?  

classic color combinations: blue & green

What better way to see perfect color combinations than in nature? I brought my camera and a new lens on a walk today in the nearby University of Wisconsin Arboretum and snapped a few photos of  evergreens and the most gorgeous blue sky. There's no snow on the ground here, and it feels unseasonally mild outdoors, but despite this unusual weather, it was still a beautiful winter day. 

merry christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - I know I did. It was a beautiful day spent at my parents' home. Here are a few of their gorgeous ornaments. Their tree looked stunning!

light and reflections

Christmas Eve - what else is there to say? Perfection!

candlelight

flowerful friday

With Christmas just 2 days away here are some beautiful flowers and foliage that bring so much beauty to this happy holiday! 

the winter solstice

In the northern hemisphere, today is the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - marking the beginning of longer days and shorter nights. Here's to days with more light!

Christmastime joys

Here's our little kitty, Nino, enjoying the lovely lights on our Christmas tree. I really do think he loves Christmastime - I mean, there's a real live tree in the living room - what cat wouldn't love Christmastime? It's so fun to watch him taking all of the ornaments and lights in while sniffing the freshly cut tree. This is one of my favorite Christmastime joys. 

It might take a few seconds for the video to load, but I think it's worth the wait. :-)

patterns perfected, part 3

Continuing with the theme of how the Ottomans and the Turks seem to have perfected the use of patterns, I've put together a handful of photos from my recent trip to Turkey. 

gilded beauty at the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

serenity encapsulated - the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

sun light on a Turkish rug, Alacati

gorgeous use of colors in tile work -
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

stunning floral motif -
 silk with pearls, gold, and gems
at the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

more tile - floral motif
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

even the ground below is decorated

amazing, isn't it?
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

mosaics, carvings, and amazing details
Aya Sofia, Istanbul

Minimalistic, they are not, but I think the photos show just how amazingly intricate and beautiful Turkish patterns and decor are. 

patterns perfected part 2

What better way to be reminded of a wonderful vacation to a far-off land than with a souvenir that embodies the destination of one's trip? Here's a close-up photo of a Turkish platter. This type of ceramic is so quintessentially Turkish - with tulips, their national flower, and carnations, their symbol of strength. I adore the use of bold colors and soft lines. And every time I look at the platter, prominently displayed in our dining room, I am instantly and happily reminded of a country far away that I was lucky enough to travel to!

a little bit of Turkey,
now at home

patterns perfected part 1

I enjoy photographing close-ups of details I find beautiful. When I was in Istanbul recently my husband and I visited Topkapi Palace. I snapped this photograph of just one example of the Ottoman's brilliant use of patterns. 

blues and whites with
black and golds

light and reflections

Simply colored tea-lights brighten up and add so much warmth to a dark winter evening.

flowerful friday

Lovely flowers from my wonderful husband brighten up our entry-way with both color and fragrance. When I unwrapped them, opening up the florist paper, it was like summertime wafted through the air! Such a nice wintertime diversion!

creamy whites, shades of blues,
bright pinks and of course, greens

a sweetly scented rose

frilly pink & beautiful

so very summery!

gorgeous petals and textures

Happy Friday!

10 days until Christmas!

With work trips and visiting with family and friends, this month has flown by so quickly, I really can't believe Christmas is just 10 days away. Yes, the tree is up, decorated, and I have to say, looking rather gorgeous. But, I've yet to address a single Christmas card. That's on my to-do list for the very immediate future! I remember as a kid loving to see and read all of the Christmas cards that were sent to my parents - this was back before email, certainly before blogging - when that once-a-year card meant so very much, each card with a nice handwritten note and maybe a few photos enclosed too. I hate to see this tradition wane, but it does seem that every year fewer and fewer cards get sent out. 

It's been another tradition of mine to buy cards that support the UNICEF organization. I always pick mine up at Pier1, but I've seen them at other shops like Barnes and Noble too. If you're not familiar with UNICEF or you'd like to learn a little bit more about their mission check out their website: http://www.unicefusa.org/work/.

Their shop website is: http://www.unicefusa.org/shop/. 

I think it's truly a wonderful cause to support.

nars - a turkish delight part 2

Keeping with a post theme from a few days ago, I wanted to share a few more shots of lovely pomegranates I photographed in Turkey. I adore the way each fruit dangles like a piece of jewelry and up close you can spot a few that are so ripe they spit open on the tree, showcasing their ruby-like pieces for all to see.

like hanging gems! 

so ripe!

all creatures great and small

Really nothing brings me and my husband more joy than our ginger tom Nino. He's sweet and cuddly and can be very naughty too. And lately, he's been such a happy little boy because he adores the Christmas tree so very much! 

snuggling with his mama (me)  :-)

admiring the Christmas tree

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

3 years ago & 100 years ago

3 years ago - December 12, 2008 - my then boyfriend, my now husband proposed to me. We were in Breckenridge, Colorado, and it was a perfectly clear night - the moon was glowing and making the snow on the ground and coating the trees twinkle like something magical was afoot. The stars were so bright, like little diamonds strewn across the sky - it couldn't have been a more stunningly gorgeous night. I don't have any photos that capture the beauty of the scenery, but I have the most crystal clear memories! What a happy day that was!

a Christmas ornament given to my
husband and me by my parents to
remember the very special
day of our engagement!

100 years ago today - December 12, 1911 - my paternal grandfather was born! My brother and I called him "Poppop", and I have so many wonderful memories of him. I loved the way he would hit the mute button on the tv remote as soon as any commercials would come on, the way he praised me for thinking that Wonder Bread was really not that wonderful and actually rather awful, and how in his own quiet demeanor he exuded warmth to all of his many, many grandkids. Happy 100th to Poppop!

Poppop and me (trying my
best to look very serious and grown-up!)

nars - a turkish delight

Given that my blog's name pays homage to the amazing pomegranate, you can understand why I was truly delighted to see so many ripe pomegranates on my trip to Turkey recently. Here's one I captured on a most gorgeous day. 

nars - the Turkish word
for pomegranate

light and reflections

I adore glass Christmas ornaments - the way they capture and reflect light is enchanting. Here are a few of my favorites from our tree this year. 

flowerful friday

Mr. Jack Frost came to visit us last night and did he ever coat the garden in a beautiful grey blanket. There are no flowers from the garden to photograph, but luckily for me I have lots of photos of flowers in full bloom from warmer days. Here are 3 I think are particularly nice for a cold winter day. Isn't green just the perfect background color for just about any floral hue?  

almost like jewels

a violety-blue

 canary yellow

Happy Friday!