flowerful friday {shades of blue}

Blue flowers aren't that common, and they always add a nice element of surprise to a garden. In my garden, we can see purplish-blue pansies, baby blue morning glory, and sky blue borage.

these love the cooler temperatures

delicate blooms that last just 1 day

pretty little flowers and they're edible

Happy Friday!

plant your {victory} garden

As I've gotten to be a better gardener, my small garden has produced more than I ever thought it would! Learning to know what to plant, where to plant, and how often to plant to really start maximizing produce has been an incredibly interesting and rewarding process. Having a small garden is increasingly popular - whether gardens are grown for purposes of health, finances, or recreation - having a garden is a wonderful way to enjoy fresh home-grown vegetables. 

Here are some beautiful, colorful victory garden posters from WWII. Their imagery and messages still ring true.

our purchases of vegetables has significantly
dropped since we rely on our garden 

 a British WWII poster

plant your own!

me and my "victory garden"  :-)
photo credit: my mom

happy adoption day nino!

Today we celebrate 6 years of having Nino in our lives! Back then Nino was teeny 4lb kitty with a few health problems. Now Nino has a clean bill of health and fills his days running, jumping, watching the birds, chipmunks, and squirrels, and of course, sleeping! He's the most snuggly kitty I've ever known and he brings a smile to our faces each an everyday.

Nino, probably about 8 months old

"talking" on the phone with his gramama
(my mom)  :-)

quality time 

"Sawatdee krap"
yes, Nino "knows" Thai ;-)

enjoying the fire in the wintertime

on the lookout for chipmunks and birdies

I was thinking about all of my closest friends and how they all have pets that enrich their lives. Rooni, Kaia, Milly, and Ellie - you all are so great!  If you're on the fence about adopting a pet, I can't even express how much adopting an animal brings to one's life.

Happy adoption day Nino Clementino! You are so loved.

travel makes you richer

Regardless of where you prefer to travel to, travel allows us to see and experience people, places, and things that are outside of our everyday world. Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer...how very true! 

Everyone has their own idea of what makes for good travel - some like the peace and calm of camping in the wilderness, some prefer the bright lights and boldness of Las Vegas or Disney World, others are looking to get a feel for the reality of other people's everyday. What is it that you look for in an ideal travel experience? 

I came across a great interactive by Conde Nast Traveller, check it out for its cool graphics and interesting facts: 

http://cntrvlr.com/NFeLFp

music for a monday morning: yann tiersen's "le matin"

French musician's Yann Tiersen's creations never stops amazing me for its ability to make me feel so many emotions at once. "Le Matin" showcases his piano talent. Get ready for a wave of calm to wash over you...

Hope you enjoy!

inspired by matisse: creativity takes courage

Known for his brilliant use of color and fluidity, Henri Matisse is one of my favorite artists. His are the colors that make me happy. And, his creative use of line and perspective was so original. 

Here are a few of Matisse's pieces: "Interior with a Phonograph", "Basket with Oranges", "Decorative Figure on an Ornamental Background", and perhaps my favorite - "Goldfish". Enjoy!

Interior with Phonograph

Basket with Oranges

Decorative Figure on an Ornamental Background 

Goldfish

black and white photography: leap

I love the way these black and white photos capture the motion of their subjects mid-leap. Some are stunningly beautiful, some are full of whimsy, but all are great photos.

Don't these incredible shots make you want to jump?

~photo credits unknown~

flowerful friday

These beautiful anemones can be found growing in many of our neighbors' gardens. Aren't these late bloomers pretty?

Happy Friday!

words to live by...

How very true!

~image credit unknown~

from the kitchen: {gluten free} blt's

We enjoyed another simple dinner using key ingredients straight from the garden. With juicy sliced tomatoes, arugula and basil in lieu of plain lettuce, and gluten free toast for me, our BLTs were delicious! It's one of the tastiest, most simple dinners. 

from the kitchen: {gluten free} pizza

Tonight we enjoyed some home-made pizza: gluten free crust, fresh mozzarella, olive oil from our recent trip to Italy, and tomatoes and basil direct from our garden. 

I can't think of the last time I bought any vegetables from the grocery since our garden has been producing so much this summer. I hope we get at least another month of fresh, garden produce!

from the garden: tomatoes {bumper crop!}

There's nothing like home grown tomatoes. Their flavor just can't be beat.  Over the past few days, we've had a bumper crop of tomatoes, and we can't wait to dig into these beauties. I picked all of these this evening, and will pick about this same amount tomorrow! 

Aren't they beautiful?

inspired by judy garland

 Words to live by...

~image credit unknown~

saturday evening sunset

Who doesn't love a beautiful sunset? We caught this one from atop my brother's home in Milwaukee. A great way to cap off a day.