happy halloween!

I love the cute side of Halloween - kiddos dressed up in their costumes - but admittedly the scary and ghoulish side just isn't for me. 

Wishing you all a happy, safe, and fun Halloween!

our cream colored pumpkin picked at
the farmers market here in Madison -
it reminds me of a full moon

words to live by {a greek proverb}

These are some of the wisest words I've heard in a long time.

~image credit unknown~

music for a monday morning: peter, paul, and mary's "if i had a hammer"

Peter, Paul and Mary's songs are not the songs of my generation; however, they are the songs of my childhood as my parents would play their records, and I remember how much I loved this trio back then. And, I still do. This recording of "If I Had a Hammer", to me, exemplifies timeless music. What a beautiful message. Plus, how can you not want to sing along?

from the garden {fall bulb planting}

Today was the day I decided to finally get out in my garden to do the necessary fall clean-up. I cut back what needed to be cut back, cleaned up some overgrown areas, and then dug so many holes for spring bulbs. Fall garden clean-up, to be honest, isn't my favorite. It makes me feel a bit sad to think of how quickly the warm weather months once again flew by. However, there is so much to be said about planting bulbs in the fall for springtime delight. I planted an enormous amount of tulips, a more sane amount of daffodils and grape hyacinths, and a few globe allium since a little of those go a long way. Unlike buying annuals at the garden nursery, there is no instant gratification with bulbs. But the end result, after a usually long winter, is so worth it. Come springtime, seeing the little tips of green peak out from the earth makes this gardener's heart fill with happiness.  

stunningly beautiful tulips
~photo credit unknown~

my favorite things {tea}

Without a doubt, I am a huge lover of tea. Camellia Sinensis, the binomial name for tea, is the most widely consumed beverage world-wide. To me, there is nothing quite like a really good cup of tea. Whether its malty Assam, floral Darjeeling, highly fragrant Jasmine Green, or the wide-ranging tastes of Oolong, I love them all.  

loose leaf teas 

beautiful!

a tea plantation in Kerala, India
gorgeous!

~image credits unknown~

flowerful friday

As a thoughtful get-well gift, I received these beautiful roses with a lovely fragrance from my in-laws. Aren't they gorgeous? It's been so grey around here lately, that their bright and cheery colors have been most welcome. 

Happy Friday!

thankfulness {always}

How very important for us all to keep in mind!

~image credit unknown~

our feline friends, part 2 {black and white}

Of course kiddos aren't the only ones who have feline friends. Here's our part 2 in the "Our Feline Friends" series - a little selection of fun black and white photos of some older cat lovers.  

Steve Martin and one fat cat!

Hemingway - the ultimate cat lover

the Dalai Lama and one beautiful feline
sentient being

I love this photo for the
pure humanity it captures, and the cat's expression is priceless...
maybe something like, "Squeeze nice, but so tight!"

~photo credits unknown~

our feline friends, part 1 {in black and white}

Cats and kids...what a wonderful combination both in life and in the art of photography. These black and white photos capture so much emotion - just look at these children's faces - you'll see a range of calm, comfort, and joy. 

one shoe missing and he's holding
onto his kitty quite tightly...
I wonder what this boy's story is 

someone looks awfully happy!

so sweet

so funny!  what do you think these
two characters see?

this one is my favorite - volumes are spoken in this photo
"Pure Laughter" by Amith Nag

music for a monday morning: "autumn" from vivaldi's the four seasons

I'm convinced that autumn is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The Baroque master Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is well known, but "Autumn" perhaps doesn't get quite as much air play as it's not as flashy as some of the other season's representations. So here, we'll listen to "Autumn" by Vivaldi and give it some much deserved attention. Together with paintings of the season, "Autumn" is quite beautiful. Enjoy!

the importance of rest {cat naps}

I've had a bit of a rough weekend - a few days that have required extra sleep at night and lots of rest  and recuperation during the day. With all of this extra sleep, I think I might be nearing in on our cat Nino as "champion napper of the house". 

Without a doubt, cats excel at that fine art of napping; where they can turn off the rest of the world,  sleep, then wake up seemingly quite refreshed and not one bit groggy. I still need to work on the latter part of that formula. Here are a few photos of the real pros for inspiration.  ;-)

~photo credit unknown~

aspen leaves {magical}

A week ago I was kicking back and relaxing in Vail, taking in some of the last of the glorious golden aspens of the year. Aspen leaves catch light like nothing else and then when a nice gust of wind comes through, the little golden leaves dance most magically. I love fall, and it doesn't get much more beautiful than autumn amongst the aspens of Colorado. 

click onto the photo for a larger view

like little golden coins

flowerful friday

I wish I could take credit for this stunning arrangement and photograph of these beautiful fall hued flowers! Isn't it gorgeous? To me, it could pass for an oil painting by one of the old masters.

Happy Friday!

~photo credit unknown~

inspired by shakespeare {quote}

Some days you just need a quote to keep you motivated and inspired. This one from Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" will be with me all day.