music for a monday morning: amadou and mariam's "oh amadou"

Tonight Amadou and Mariam are performing here in Madison, and I can't wait for this show! Here's the duo's video for "Oh Amadou." Enjoy!

summer afternoon by lillian mathilde genth

I love this painting by Lillian Mathilde Genth, entitled "Summer Afternoon". The lighting is beautifully captured and it's as if you can feel a breeze floating through the scene. The light and air reminds me very much of today.

American painter, Genth studied under Whistler in Paris, and while she's not as famous as many of her male counterparts, I think her work is lovely. This painting dates from 1910. 

sending you a wish

What is it that you wish for? I hope that it comes true for you!

photo credit unknown

flowerful friday

Last weekend at the Dane County Farmers' Market, the flowers were stunning. Blooms of every color could be found, but here are just a few of the reddish hued ones I photographed. From deep garnet to bright ruby to soft pink - every shade of red created a feast for the eyes.

 Happy Friday!

color therapy: lavender

Lavender is one of the colors that I've returned to after awhile spent apart. I think every little girl goes through a phase of loving lavender. I know the sweeter the lavender, the more I liked it. Now I like to think that my appreciation for the lightest of purples is a little more refined and less saccharine than before - more greyish-blue than pink. Done right, I think lavender has the ability to be one of the most calming and cool colors.

dried lavender - blueish

light purple wisteria - a lavender haze

a lavender field in Provence -
can you imagine the glorious scent?

 I found all of these photos on Pinterest, photo credits unknown. 

explore embrace learn live



For those of you who are regular Inside the Pomegranate readers, you know that travel is one of my favorite activites. I've been told, appropriately so, that "travel is my healing balm."  There's nothing like getting away from it all, seeing new places and experiencing new cultures, and coming home with a fresh perspective. 

And, while I'm traveling this week for work and not "pleasure", I can't help but stop and look and learn. Tonight when I have a little more free time I am looking forward to connecting with a friend and embracing the local food scene here in Minneapolis.

(photo credit unknown)

the taste of summer

Freshly picked tomatoes, basil and arugula - what could be better?

There's nothing like home grown tomatoes! And when combined with the sweetness of basil and the peppery bite of arugula, it's the perfect taste of summer.



music for a monday morning: herman dune's "tell me something i don't know"

Here's another tune by the quirky French Duo, Herman Dune, accompanied with a video that always makes me smile. It's full of whimsy. Enjoy!

scenes from a farmers' market, part 2

Yesterday morning, my husband and I rode our bikes down to the capitol square for breakfast and to take in the Dane County Farmers' Market. The market was bustling - full of people, produce, and plants and flowers. What a treasure we have here in Madison with our many farmers' markets, though the Dane County Farmers' Market, to me, always takes the prize. Even back in my college days I remember heading up to the square for a little produce and flower shopping. It's great to see people of all ages enjoy the market. Here's some of the photos I snapped while out and about.

the vegetable and herb garden on the square

a cute reusable bag

brother and sister playing tag on the grass around the capitol

one of the many farmers' stalls

patty-pan squash, one of my favorites!

kids taking in a bee colony

a flower vendor, staying cool in the shade

our beautiful capitol dome, reflected in a nearby building

gardening: belief in tomorrow

I woke up early this Saturday morning and headed directly to my garden to pull weeds, dead head, and tidy things up. Everything is coming along nicely, especially since here in Madison we've had a good amount of rain in the past week. I don't think it will be as bountiful of a summer as years past simply because of the incredibly high temperatures and drought conditions we have been experiencing. I came across this quote (from none other than Audrey Hepburn) that I adore because it rings so very true. Planting a garden isn't about instant gratification, it's about the days, weeks, months and years to come. 

image credit unknown

flowerful friday

Over 3 years ago my husband gave me a potted hydrangea plant for my birthday. Once the weather warmed up, we planted it outside and then when we moved, we brought it with us. This year the blooms are particularly stunning - deep pinkish magenta with emerald leaves. I'm so glad we kept the plant and that we moved it with us to our then new home. It was a lovely gift and it makes a beautiful addition to our garden. Everytime I pass its bountiful blooms, I think of my husband.

Happy Friday!

look: a girl without freckles is like a night without stars

As a woman with freckles, I happen to feel like this saying rings true. I've always been told that my freckles are beautiful, so I never grew up wishing them away. To me, they add character, and tell all those who look upon them that I love to be outdoors enjoying lots of fresh air. I came across these stunning black and white photos of beautiful "freckled faced" women on Pinterest, photo credits unknown. 

Stars, the skies version of freckles...what a happy thought! I remember when I moved back to Madison some 3 1/2 years ago and the stars were visible on a nightly basis. After living in Chicago for several years I had grown accustomed to starless nights. I'm so happy to have star-filled nights back in my life!

photo credit: Ben Canales
(click onto the photo for a larger view)

shout out: Lumiè

I recently found an iPhone app that I think it so much fun. It's called Lumiè, and it allows you to add some nice effects to your photos. Here's a photo I snapped of a rose from my garden, then I added a Lumiè effect to give the photo some nice light flares. I think it gives the photo a little bit of a magical feel.

smiles: in black and white

Often it's said that smiles are contagious, and I happen to agree. Just looking at these photos of their smiling subjects makes me smile and feel instantly happy. I found all of these on Pinterest, photo credits unknown.

childhood smiles

who says animals can't smile?

no caption needed!  :-)