hydrangea

I think the hydrangea bush makes one of the most adorable flowers. This flower cluster was just about to bloom to its lavender shade but I thought the green shade was eye-catching.

Just thought I'd share.

Random April

just some photos from the last month or so.
... signs of spring
...favorite shade of blue + yellow
...cool boots for puddle splashing
...earth day poster contest
...Domo? little brown monster (go look it up on youtube. its hysterical)

Sharing a Fav Flower

The blooming dahlia {sounds like a band?}

You can't see it too good in this picture, but I wanted to show the progression of time from the first to the last flower. The days are marked in yellow chalk {well, digital chalk marks} the photos began on a Thursday, ending on a Sunday.

{scalloped edge paper is from a kit by amber clegg at the scrapartist site, the calender is downloaded from the internet, but not sure what site}

more flower people

in my garden...reading the post below will help clarify..... a baby flower ;) awwwww.
look, it looks like it has a bonnet?

a flower trio

there are always so many flowers that I want to take pictures of.

these are dahlias growing from pots in the backyard.

I had the bees a little mad cause I was right in there with the camera lens and they couldn't do their bee-pollinatin' thing.

this is also part of a little personal project I have been doing where I try to take a picture a day {sometimes more} of the same flower or flowers from first bud to full bloom. she's still in early bloom here, some of the petals are growing bigger on one side, some are still a little skinny and lopsided - it just gets prettier. kind of like people, as we "bloom" we go through phases. we have an early growing {or maybe an ugly duckling, awkward} stage, then suddenly we begin to bloom full and lovely. yep, I'm totally tying this in with how i see life right now. go forth and bloom.

I want to do something where the pictures are side-by-side so you can see all the pretty phases a flower goes through. Its very challenging, on some days, to remember. there have been mornings where I go out to the deck, look down at the yard and then remember - "I have to get out there" -- only to go back in the house to get the camera and while there a million things distract me. next thing I know its like 3 in the afternoon. so I have had to start the whole process over a few times. the late afternoon light is nice, dusk also, as is early morning {my yard is mostly shady at that time} but it does help if you're actually good at "remembering" - - I'm not that good at that sometimes, and so easily distracted :) this was taken today when I actually remembered so I had to do it right then and there. It was bright, sunny, middle of the afternoon sunlight. I used the setting on the camera for "flowers in bright sunlight" in the macro mode.

Rain+Rochester=Fab Lilacs

These are from the backyard...The Annual Rochester Lilac Festival is going on this week thru Sunday the 20th so I'd love to try making it there. Those are a sight to behold. And the Scent! ahhhhh so sweet.

Farm Market Flower

Outside at Outlook Farm, Westhampton, Massachusetts

An amazing shot just by co-inky-dinky. In other words, when I downloaded it off the digital camera I was like -- wow, I took that? I used an edge distresser by Heidi Swapp {from MemoryWorks} and sand paper to give the edges a "shabby" appearance. One of my scrappin buddies says, "I like how you cropped that" Yea. I have learned that it's better to crop while you are taking the shot. I have seen way nicer results on the photos. This will end up being a photo-note card or part of a set for summer notecards that I am working on.

side note about edge distressers -- I loved trying this out, always thought I'd mess up the photo. Monday night I learned that Stampin' Up is now offering a handy-sized 4-in-1 tool that includes an edge distressor, scoring tool, cutter blade, and a perforating tool. The thinks you can think with that little tool easily found by your side. Someone asked the demonstrator if you could travel with it --- Although she said yes, bec it's all enclosed, I would probably guess not- though I could be wrong. I wonder about the knife/blade part in there. But it's still a cool tool. I want one now.

Miles and Miles of Flowers

In The Garden

{well almost a mile}

impressive anyway

my mother's neighbor let me loose in his sunflower patch. With camera in hand I walked through what seemed like millions of sunflowers.....wonder how many seed packets he used? The one below is my new screen saver....perfect for summer.

Dang it!

Dang it - hate when I send people to my blog and then I remember that I have to fix typos and missing pictures????

Fixed them and trying the photos again....

:)

the pink peony study

Once in while I get the perfect flower, with the perfect lighting, at the perfect time {aka: junior napping} The peony is one of my favorites. This baby was on my widowsill this morning just waiting to be photographed. I love the pinks. So many different shades too take in. One of my favorite delicate colors. I took a tad too many pics, ahem, so I named it the "study." In any case, whatever angle this flower is photographed, whatever color, it is just beautiful.

I usually don't listen to any music while writing, today I happened to have a Chris Botti cd {when I fall in love} laying on the desk so I popped it in. My mom let me borrow it. The trumpet is her favorite. My dad played trumpet in a band when he was younger so I think she gets to relive those early years of falling in love with "her" musician. This is beautifully, relaxing music. It seems to match the quiet, unfurling of the petals just right. As I sift through 30+ images on my computer I try to pick "favorites" for easier sorting later. Next to impossible.