ambiance by anne carrozza

I came across this beautiful painting on Etsy at the shop, Anne Carrozza Fine Art. I absolutely adore these happy colors and of course, the floral subject. Carrozza is based in Massachusetts, and many of her painting reflect her New England surroundings.  

This piece is called "Ambiance"
Isn't it lovely?

Check out Carrozza's Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnneCarrozzaFineArt?ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=20&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fart%2Fpainting&page=2

a dose of greens

We're in middle of a late winter stretch where the little snow we did get is melting and the ground underneath isn't exactly a sight to relish. I thought we could all benefit from a dose of beautiful summery greens. I took this photo from a balcony in a gorgeous garden. With wisteria vines above me and green in every direction, I love the way these emerald hues seem to encompass everything in sight except for a small, narrow path below. And, the tall arborvitaes make this garden very secluded. Isn't it lovely? Who's ready for warmer weather days?   

the colors of sunshine

A quick drawing on my iPad brings about what I think of as the colors of sunshine. I hope these bright hues bring some warmth to your Monday.

words to live by

So many of us love Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" for the great characters and storyline. I came across this Alcott quote on Pinterest and love both the message and the visual.

Isn't that lovely?

inspired

I find myself drawn towards certain colors at different times. Recently, I was really feeling all things violet, from pale lavender to deep merlot, and I can't explain why, but those were the hues I was consistently enjoying. 

My color du jour is blush. Perhaps it's the perfect color for the month of February - I think this is the month we start feeling ready for winter to thaw and spring to appear. So the color blush is inspiring me to keep in mind that spring is just around the corner!

Blush is almost a neutral - not a sugary sweet pink that is delegated to the realm of little girls, but rather it's slightly nude, with a warm touch of apricot. I think this is one of the most flattering colors on everyone - regardless of age, gender, and skin color.

the glow of a chandelier - blush hues

blush colored roses - beautiful!

flowerful friday

It's hard to believe another week has flown by, and that we're nearing the end of February.

I purchased a few hyacinth bulbs recently to force indoors and did they ever grow fast! I'd say within 5 days those little bulbs were in full bloom. They grew so quickly and completely curvy, so I had to snip the stems and put them in vases. The fragrance of these blooms is so intensely spring-like, which is quite nice, and makes me eager for spring to arrive so we can have beautiful flowers outside once again.

Happy Friday!

a gorgeous garden space

I'm a bit under the weather, and this cold of mine has me longing for summer days. Here's a photo I snapped this past summer while standing in a gorgeous garden space. Isn't the clematis beautiful? I feel a little better just looking at this photo and remembering this lovely scene.

happiness...

I have seen this picture on several different sites, so I'm not sure who to give credit to for such a great visual. I love the simplicity of the logic, and its to-the-point message. Plus, isn't it just so true?

things i love: patterns & prints

Though I do appreciate the clean lines and simplicity of minimalism, my aesthetic towards the eclectic, incorporating traditional lines, cheerful colors, and many "ethnic" patterns. Here are a few patterns and designs that have recently captured my eye.

tile pattens incorporating a foliage motif

my new favorite scarf -
silver dots strewn across cream and taupe ombre

warm weather colors

honeycomb pattern -
always one of my favorites

a cheerful print

rothko's "blue, green, and brown"

There's something about Mark Rothko's paintings that I am always drawn to - perhaps it's the simplicity of shape, sometimes subtle and always intriguing use of colors. Here's one of Rothko's pieces, called "Blue, Green, and Brown". To me, this painting reminds me of looking out at the horizon in the evening. What do you see when you look at this Rothko? 

I captured this photo while on the beach in Miami. The sky was dark with clouds rolling in, creating dark shades of blue in every direction. As soon as I saw the little image I captured with my iPhone, I immediately thought of Rothko's painting. 

sky & ocean

shout out: versailles

While in Miami my husband and I made the pilgrimage to the famous Cuban restaurant, Versailles, located in the Little Havana neighborhood. We had heard great things about it from several different sources, and it didn't disappoint. It was wonderful watching Cuban Americans of all ages file in this neighborhood restaurant, sit down with their friends and families and enjoy a really great meal.

Here are a few shots from our wonderful lunch...

a fabulous mojito

me, digging in to my lunch

flan for dessert!

and an espresso to finish with

Check out Versailles if you're in Miami - you'll love it.

inspired

What inspires you the most? For me, I find inspiration in many things, but I think travel has to be up there near the top of the list. Seeing sites, tasting foods, experiencing cities, and understanding cultures - that are new to me, is something I hope I never tire of.  Even if it's a place I've been before, there's always more to see.  There are just so many places I want to see and so many countries I want to visit! 

me, taking it all in while in Turkey

flowerful friday

These pink and ivory roses smell divine - I wish you could breath in their intoxicating scent.

aren't they beautiful?

a pink rose's delicate petals

 Happy Friday!

miami's art deco district

Here are a few of my favorite shots I snapped while in Miami's Art Deco District. The buildings and paint colors fit so perfectly in with their surroundings. 

rose garden - an abstract

Here's one fun drawing I drew using my iPad and the app, Color Glowing. I'm calling this one, "Rose Garden" -it's my abstract impression of being surrounded by beautiful roses in full bloom. 

"Rose Garden"

happy valentine's day!

Seems like this might be the perfect way to spend today, Valentine's Day! I hope you get to share today with someone you love.

candid in miami

One of my favorite things about photography is capturing candid shots, especially in cities where I can play tourist. My recent visit to Miami didn't disappointment - hope you enjoy these two as much as I do.  

sitting, waiting, watching...

an old man and the sea

words to live by

Let the beauty of what you love 

be what you do.

--Rumi

inspired

After spending a few days in Miami, right on the beach, I think it's impossible not to be a little inspired by the pastel hues and Art Deco of the architecture. I was going through my photos - shots of the beach & ocean and photos of lots of buildings - and one thing jumped out to me that I didn't realize when I was in Miami Beach: the use of pastel blues that perfectly echo the colors of the ocean. How brilliant! The ocean clearly was the inspiration for so many of Miami's building colors. 

the view from our balcony - so many shades of blue!

a pastel blue

all colors of the ocean

 a turquoise blue

I'll post more shots of some of Miami's really great Art Deco architecture soon. 

flowerful friday

As promised in last week's flowerful Friday post, I have more photos of my amaryllis that is blooming most gorgeously. I love watching bulbs grow from a nubby brown onion-like orb to incredibly vibrant blooms. Isn't forcing bulbs a great way to bring some flowers indoors during this winter months?

just starting to open

I think these blooms are stunning

with its long stem and voluminous blooms,
an amaryllis is so striking

Happy Friday!

points of view - clouds

While laying on the beach just a few days ago, I snapped this first photo of the sky - the clouds were moving so quickly, causing the weather to change just as fast. The second photo I captured yesterday evening, while flying home -- this time I caught the photo as the plane passed over the clouds. The clouds seemed to stand still, as we in the plane were moving so quickly. 

clouds from below

clouds from above

so long miami...

Later today I'll be travelling back home and after spending several days in Miami, and though I'm ready to get back home, I will miss the warm weather, the palm trees, and most of all - the constant sound of the ocean's waves. It's been a joy to be able to sleep with the balcony door open every night and be sung to sleep by the ocean.

look up

I know I get in the habit of being so busy, so focused that I sometimes am not paying attention to my surroundings. I always try to look, to observe, but let's face it, we all get bogged down in our daily routines that sometimes we just miss the beauty around us. Looking up can be especially surprising - finding details that we might otherwise miss. 

the angles of an arbor contrasted
with the softness of wisteria vines

goldfinches - perfectly camouflaged for the fall

looking up I photographed a huge leaf - look
how big it is next to my hand!