Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for December 4th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of beauty and gratitude to the hashtag!

These images took my breath away, each for different reasons, just amazing, wouldn’t you agree?

Now for my moments of beauty and gratitude:

• A lovely day “in town” with friends to celebrate a birthday.
• I’m so thrilled the hubs put my Christmas music on my iPod and made a playlist despite my crabbiness and obvious frustration with the whole process (hugs to the hubs xo :)
• I cleaned the house yesterday. I stopped with the still life photography, put stuff away, and just generally tidied up. That led to feeling like a ton of bricks had fallen off my back, and that led to decorating the house for Christmas. Whew.
• Dinner at a nice restaurant with the hubs after a day of shopping and running errands.
• A quiet morning enjoying hot coffee and music, feeling cozy and safe in our warm house while temperatures stayed stuck in the -25C range.
• An invite to an impromptu dinner with friends … simple and uncomplicated. Goodness I had a lot of meals out this week :)
• The hubs cleaning snow off the lake in preparation for skating.
• Online classes to help keep me occupied during these dark winter nights.
• Modern antibiotics.

That was my week :)

Thank you for stopping by!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for December 4th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of beauty and gratitude to the hashtag! It’s curious … there seems to be a lot of kitties on Instagram lately :)

Today we have flowers, and pots, and reindeer and kitties … all so very gorgeous!

I’m quietly starting a new tag #stilllifeisreallife if you feel like sharing there as well (I’d love it!) and I’ll be featuring from both galleries. I hope to post a few extras this month … after all ’tis the season for sharing :)

I’m so happy the sun finally made an appearance in my little part of the world—I swear I haven’t seen it since we returned home from Phoenix. But now our temps are set to plummet into the -25C with a windchill close to -30C …oh my gah, time to get all the woollies lined up.

But as usual there’s a lot to celebrate around here!

• I’m absolutely thrilled I managed to post every single day in November for National Blog Post Month … I’m thrilled it’s over too ;)
• As a result of all the fog and dreary days, the hoar frost was spectacular! I have quite a few photos to share …
• A class I’d been eyeing up for ages went on sale for 90% off! one day only, and I grabbed it! I’ll be blogging about that real soon.
• The hubs and I are on the same page about Christmas decorating … as in: not much. We aren’t being scrooges, it just doesn’t make sense this year. Our children are hosting, YAY!! We’ll bring the wine ;)
• Sunday brunch at our friends home, complete with incredible food, and wonderful, inspiring conversations.

We’ll be having a fire in the fireplace later this afternoon, Christmas music will be playing softly, and I’ll be baking cookies. Sounds like a dream.

Have a wonderful day everyone, and thank you for your support as always.

I alone cannot change the world,
but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
Mother Teresa

xo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 27th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

Autumn is still making a lovely appearance in the gallery, but things they are a’changing … let’s celebrate the work of these four talented artists, and if you get a moment please visit these galleries and leave some love!

Oh my gosh, today has flown by. It started out with a few cups of hot rich black coffee, then continued on into a lovely breakfast cooked by the hubs.

I’d cleaned and organized the house on Saturday, so I spent a little time working on my blog, sending out a newsletter, then photo-taking and editing.

A beef bourguignon simmered in the crockpot, as nuts and bolts baked in the oven. To say our house smells yummy tonight would be a serious understatement ;)

So what am I celebrating from this past week?

• That time I went back to Star Lake to see if I could capture the Winter Whites better than the first time I tried ;)
• Finding gorgeous chrysanthemums at Safeway, and tulips at Costco.
• A walk with friends. Did you know that staying active, seeing friends, being conscientious and feeling a sense of purpose in life all appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? (David A Bennett, Scientific American Mind.)
• Attending an amazing craft sale and finding treasures.
• I have 3 more posts to conclude my challenge for National Blog Post Month. The countdown is on … 3 … 2 … 1 … 0. Thank God November only has 30 days!

Thank you for stopping by, I’ve loved having you!

xo

 

#NaBloPoMo

 

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 20th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag! My apologies to the guy with the hairy legs for not including that image ;)

There’s a definite shift going on in the gallery. Pumpkins are turning to winter greens and tiny handmade wreaths … and I’m getting a wee bit excited!

So what am I celebrating this week?

• First of all that we made it back home from Arizona … ghastly food poisoning and a late night flight notwithstanding … argh.
• A couple days at home to spend recuperating: sipping tea, nibbling toast, and sleeping before the new week starts.
• Witnessing the supermoon coming up over the Four Peaks. It was absolutely a magical moment (I have a post coming up about that.)
• Everything I mentioned in my last post.

Writing Sunday Sundries is truly a joy. I not only love to feature beautiful images, and to share my own moments of beauty and gratitude, but having committed to this series gets me to my blog at least once a week. It keeps me somewhat motivated and I highly recommend that every blogger establish at least one series.

So that’s it for me today. I’m heading for the sofa with a hot cup of herbal tea. Once again, dinner will be light.

Thank you for stopping by!

xo

#NaBloPoMo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 13th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

Let’s celebrate these amazing artists!

So what do my moments of beauty and gratitude look like this week?

• A pair of cardinals that visited our patio! what stunning birds, we’ve never seen them so close.
• I love our little Arizona getaway. It’s a real gem with lots of light, and a view to die for.
• Desert sunrises, and sunsets … truly breathtaking this week!
• So many fun parcels arriving in the mail. Parcels to play with, parcels to photograph :)
• And I’ll admit it right now … I do love Target. Oh Target, you are so much fun (and so tempting.)
• And I love Trader Joes. The flowers.
• A good bed, a good sleep, and good food.

So that’s it for me today. I’m off to cross a few more projects off my list! Have a wonderful day!

#NaBloPoMo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for November 6th! Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

The tones of autumn are still filling the gallery … and I simply can’t get enough! So let’s celebrate these amazing artists!

So what am I celebrating this week?

• A trip to our little Arizona getaway … November is great when  you can enjoy a little warm weather south of the border.
• Rain in the desert … I love the gift of rain no matter where I am.
• Finding teeny tiny baby succulents at Home Depot and buying them. I’ll enjoy them as much as cut flowers any day.
• Watching hummingbirds coming to the feeder and listening while hubby tries to identify them. Simple, quiet, unassuming daily moments. The moments that make me think of this quote by Kurt Vonnegut:

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”

#NaBloPoMo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for October 30th! The gallery is full to overflowing with autumny goodness!  Thank you everyone who tags their moments of gratitude and beauty to the hashtag!

The light … oh my, the light in these images is glorious, don’t you agree? So lets celebrate these four talented artists, and if you get a minute, hop on over to these accounts and leave some love!

So what am I celebrating today? For what am I grateful?

• I think I’m going to start with my old friend; my blog. It’s been with me since December of 2010, and although it suffers at times, it remains a constant in this ever-changing online world. I was reminded of this when I was organizing some magazines and came across the issue of Artful Blogging Winter 2016 where it was featured. The words I wrote for that article still ring true for me, and I’m grateful to Stampington for including it in their stunning publication!
• I’m grateful for YOU, my readers!
• The opportunity to collaborate with Inkifi, an online printing service that printed a selection of my photos. You can read all about that, and 5 reasons why I think you should be printing your still life images here.
• I’m grateful for Instagram … it keeps me motivated day after day after day … a 365 project with no real name …
• And last, but certainly not least … my youngest daughter who is celebrating a birthday today! xo

… all that and so much more!

Since Sunday Sundries took a little break during the summer, I’d like to add the grid I missed posting on my blog.

Sunday Sundries Feature October 2:

 

 

:)

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 21st! I am completely bowled over by the beauty in the gallery … if I had time, I could make 10 grids … sigh.

These images absolutely blew me away … the bokeh, the dahlias, the jewelry, and that cupcake … “I do” … I so do love that!

If you get a chance, pop over to these amazing galleries and leave these people some love!

Hope you’re having/had a wonderful weekend!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 14th! What gorgeousness in the gallery today!

I so adore big tropical leaves. I’m thinking it was my Mom’s influence … . she lived her whole life on the flat prairies of Saskatchewan but filled our farmhouse with exotic plants of all kinds. She’d buy a sprout at the Co-op, and within a couple of months she’d have a monstera … (ummm … that was a joke ;)

OK. Onward then ;)

Get a load of that bokeh in the top right … can you say “sawoooooning”??!! and that glorious teacup in the bottom left with what I’m thinking was a well-loved linen piece of some kind, and then there’s some more tropical plants and well, that bag!

Thank you to everyone for tagging your photos to Sunday Sundries! It’s an honour for me to have the opportunity to feature you.

 

It’s a perfect, precious August day today, so I’m heading out to sit on the deck for the rest of the afternoon … hope you have a wonderful evening.

xo

A bit too busy to leave a comment? No problem! You can now “LIKE” it ;)

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Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for August 7th.

Hosting a tag on Instagram has been such an amazing learning experience for me. I jumped into it without really knowing what goes into it; which is a lot of hard work, and making hard decisions. It’s a big commitment.

And then there’s the part about feeling bad that you can’t feature every single image you love … but here are four that made me smile huge!

After much agonizing I finally chose these four images…

When I saw that chair … and then the doughnuts … I couldn’t get the smile off my face! And then there’s the beautiful stark simplicity of the papers, scissors, and two towels hanging on a bare wall. Two very diverse art forms and I love them both so much! It’s no wonder I can’t get a handle on my own style—I love everything!

So today, I’m turning off comments for this post as part of my experiment with the LIKE button. If you’re reading this and like it … please do ;) and many thanks to all who responded so beautifully to my post Blog Comment Pressures.

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Welcome to Sunday Sundries Features for July 24th and 31st! Although I did post on IG last week, I missed posting here to my blog, so I’m including last weeks feature today as well.

We’ve been having a wonderful summer with lots of family time … and last week we had the honour of having 3 of our 5 grandchildren staying with us. We were having such a blast out on the lake, swimming, tubing and water skiing that I plum ran out of steam! Yay for real life!!

So before I get to my gratitude list, please help me celebrate the work of these amazing artists who share their work to the gallery:

July 31:

July 24th:

So what have I been celebrating these past two weeks?

• Having grandchildren visit for a week. I tell ya, they bring a lot of positive energy to our lives.
• Spending time on the lake with them and watching their joy; hours and hours of non-stop water fun. They play hard, and they work hard (as in putting all the water toys away each day.)
• Eating dinner outside.
• Campfires. S’mores.
• A great haircut from a new stylist. It was a last minute appointment, and I was lucky to get her. My last stylist gave me such a bad cut … argh … it was embarrassing really, but now it’s fixed (and now I’ve found someone I believe really “gets” my hair!)
• Coming out of the salon to find the hubs waiting to take me out for dinner. Really, does it get any better?
• Another weekend with family, this time we were all together! Good company, good food, good times.
• Playing “Yardzee” on the lawn on a summers day.
• Visiting the farmer’s market and finding some perfect flowers for half price!
• Buying fresh carrots and dills (now I’m planning on making my famous dill carrots ;)

So that’s it for me this last day of July! Looking forward to August!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 17th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured when people share their images to my humble tag at #sunday_sundries!

That cake (so perfect!), sweet blooms of clover, an artfully arranged bouquet, and a delicious cup of coffee, all made my heart sing!

If you get a minute, please visit these lovely galleries and leave some love!

Last week brought so many terrible things, right here in my own province and world-wide, that I can hardly get my head around gratitudes.

I go about my days … working, running errands, hosting friends for dinner, taking photos, and on and on. But at night, when that sense of anger, sorrow, and hopelessness cannot be ignored I give in, and my mind whorls around asking why … why … why would someone do that? Of course there are no answers … it’s just all beyond my comprehension and a restless night ensues.

So this morning (as I’m late with my Sunday Sundries post anyway) I just can’t come up with a list. Instead I plan to head out for a country drive to soak in the beauty that surrounds me and just be thankful that I am able to do so.

Thanks for stopping by …

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 10th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured when people share their images to my humble tag. If you get a minute, please visit these lovely galleries and leave some love!

… such gorgeousness … I can’t even …

This past week was a bit of a tough one … my youngest daughter cut her hand and ended up in the ER … she’s OK (kitchen “mishap”) but it was a nasty cut. She’s seen the ER doctor twice now, and there is no infection or bone involvement: #1 thing to be grateful for.

So what am I celebrating this week?

• All the love I received on IG when I mentioned my daughter … caring, encouraging words are always welcome.
• When both grandsons catch a fish at the same time! They were pretty thrilled :)
• I’m not celebrating the hailstorm which nearly wiped out my hosta bed (and they were so perfect this year), but I am celebrating the buckets of rain we’ve been getting. Every drop helps our lovely little lake recover from the drought.
• Wildflowers … especially the lovely chamomile that’s blooming everywhere.
• Our new Vitamix … I’m having a blast concocting all sorts of smoothies, so..oh … yummy! and that kale leaf … where did it go? ;)
• Having TWO Sunday Sundries features today! My heart skipped a beat when I saw these beauties!

Once again, thank you for stopping by, I so appreciate it!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for July 3rd!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured that people share their images to my humble tag!

I adore this handheld offering of chives, this lovely stack of pancakes topped with exotic berries, the profusion of the prettiest poppies, and the pink zinnia taking centre stage! Thank you all for sharing your gorgeous images!

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

We’re celebrating Canada Day this weekend and I’m so very grateful to be able to call this beautiful country my home. I would not live anywhere else. On the news the other night we watched a new Canadian citizen from Syria (a young girl) trying to say thank you for “letting” her live here, but she could hardly talk for the tears (and sobbing.) We all just looked at each other with tears in our own eyes … it was very moving.

OK, and here’s the rest! I’m so grateful to have family with us! We’re having a blast and ticking off many items on the summer “to do” list :)

So here’s what I’m celebrating this week …

• Grandchildren that make you laugh … that make you get out and play.
• When grandchildren accidentally fall into the little paddling pool after supper (in their clothes) and don’t get in too much trouble ;)
• Early morning coffee tours on the lake, complete with puffed wheat squares (a personal favourite.)
• Gorgeous warm, sunny weather for the holiday weekend (with a few drenching rain showers at night.)
• Boating, swimming, and catching a bit of sun.
• An overabundance of good food.
• S’mores by the fire.
• 4 flavours of homemade ice-cream. Like seriously, who makes homemade ice cream? (ummm, my daughter ;) and I’m especially fond of the mint chocolate … .
• My new camera, and especially the new lens I just purchased (a review coming soon.)

So that’s it for me today. Thank you for stopping by and for sharing Sunday Sundries with me … I so appreciate your support.

xo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 26th!

Once again I’m thrilled and honoured that people share their images to my humble tag!

From a stunning and moody breakfast scene by Kim Klassen, to the white and minimalist visions by mauskewicz and mossyjojo (I have a thing for green urban jungle leaves), to the mysterious and atmospheric door by sweetshute, I can hardly contain myself! Thank you ALL for sharing!

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

So, what am I celebrating this week?

Peonies! Oh my! such abundance on the peony front … at first I felt so paralyzed with having so many blooms, I could only manage a few photos of single stems … but ummm … that lasted about 2 days! I’ll be posting some of my images this week. And if you can believe it they’re already almost done!

Also …

• I’ve been checking off moments from my Make June Magical list:
  • I’ve invested in a few new clothes … soft, summery, loose and flattering clothes (blog post coming soon!)
  • I’ve been taking drives around this beautiful county I live in, photographing daisies, grasses, and stopping in at a few garage sales.
  • I found myself sitting on the dock with a coffee (and the hubs), and going for a leisurely boat ride. So much gratitude.
• I’m celebrating rain (again.) SO grateful for all the rain we’ve been getting. My garden is exploding … and my hostas are spectacular!
• Finding the sweetest little wrought iron garden chair at our local town-wide garage sale. She’ll be making an appearance soon!
• So grateful for our covered deck, which has become my summertime office/studio … it’s a beautiful place to work with amazing light.
• Sharing lunch on the (other) deck with the hubs, under an umbrella to keep the beautiful hot summer sun off.
• Birdsong.

So that’s it for today. I seem to live a quiet and perhaps uneventful life … but that’s quite alright with me :) I celebrate that as well!

Thank you for stopping by and supporting Sunday Sundries!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 12th!

Let’s celebrate these talented photographers! I just love everything about these images … from picking flowers (in the rain), to ice cream cones and bowls full of petals, to one astonishingly gorgeous hand-held bouquet—together they sing a song of summer.

If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! ♥ and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

So what am I celebrating this week?

• Backyard bouquets.
• Late-blooming lilacs.
• Finding chippy blue enamelware; perfect as vases.
• My darling granddaughter … this is her birthday month xoxoxo!
• Sunshowers. The way raindrops sparkle on the leaves afterwards, sending prisms of light into the dining room.
• Wrens returning to the little wren house in the trees. Their huge song (for such a tiny wee bird).
• Getting into a TV series that both the hubs and I like.
• On Saturday, as thunder rumbled for over an hour, and rain came down in buckets, I was sitting on our covered deck enjoying a private garden party at my lovely garden table.
• So thankful for the rain, and for our covered deck!

Here’s to another lovely week! Have a wonderful evening!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for June 5th!

Let’s celebrate these talented photographers! If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! ♥ and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

Sunday Sundries is a bit late … argh! the reason being that I had to take a nap this afternoon. A one and half hour nap.

As the weather has turned really warm here, we’ve started leaving our bedroom window open all night. So, at 3:30 the coyotes started … and they must have been close to our house! What a racket! When they start yipping and howling, it gets your attention even if you’re in a sound sleep. You can listen in here (but a warning … don’t listen if you think it might spook you).

Then at 4:00 the robins, white throated sparrows, and crows got together for the sole purpose of keeping me awake (I’m sure of it)!

And lastly, at 4:15, in case there was any shred of a chance of me getting back to sleep, a woodpecker began pounding on the eaves right by our bedroom.

Alrighty then.

;)

Now, for my weekly gratitudes and celebrations …

• I’m so grateful for afternoon naps!
• Sunny weekends.
• Catching up on housework and laundry (big huge sigh of relief here). I feel like I can finally breathe.
• Walks with friends.
• I so enjoyed my Instagram takeover at Bella Grace, I put my heart into it, and was richly rewarded with a ton of interaction from everyone. I managed 10 posts in 2 days – what a rush!
• Gardening.
• Photography.
• Instagram.
• Blogging.

And now I need to call it a day. I’m off to find some earplugs.

;)

xo

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for May 29th!

Oh my gosh! I had so much fun with this grid, and I must have needed a jolt of pink (ya think?)

Who could resist roses hanging from above? and I wonder what’s behind Door #8 and what would it be like to live in a home with a pink door? Wouldn’t it be exciting to open a yellow envelope and have a pink peony burst forth? and then to have it land on your table with some reading material and a rich black cup of coffee?! Fabulous Fuschia Fantasies people!

Let’s celebrate these talented photographers! If you get a minute, please visit their galleries and leave some love! ♥ and then pop on over to #sunday_sundries to see more beautiful images.

So what am I celebrating this week?

• Having had a full week at home to tackle my chores … I’m nowhere near caught up but I’d say I’m about halfway there … maybe by the end of this coming week I’ll be able to relax a bit.
• I managed to publish one blog post and 4 insta shots (yep. I’m grateful for that.)
• Getting my hair cut. I could hardly see through my bangs … .
• Running into friends at the mall and having an impromptu lunch.
• Gardening. Having the hubs rototill the along the edges of my flower beds.
• My gorgeous purple clematis made it through the winter, and already has buds!
• The peonies have buds too and are very close to popping (a month early!)
• The frost warning was a false alarm.
• Rain, and even more to come. We’ll take all we can.
• I think my funk is lifting.

So that’s it for me this lovely Sunday evening, but I have one more thing I’m celebrating … I’m taking over the Bella Grace Instagram account on June 1st and 2nd! I do hope you’ll pop by and join in the conversation.

xo

 

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for May 22nd. I’m a bit late publishing SS tonight … and that would be one of the things I’m celebrating this week!

We have family visiting for our May long weekend and an afternoon card game with the grandkids turned into a giggle-fest, which meant dinner was a tad late, and I’m totally off-kilter! ;)

But, I’m really thrilled with my four features today. I found such amazing photos in the gallery (which btw has over 10,000 images) and I had a terribly hard time choosing. If I had a couple more hours in the day I’d feature at least one more grid … sigh … .

If you get a chance, pop on over to Instagram and leave some love for these artists!

So, what else am I celebrating this week?

• Having our daughter and grandsons visit us in Arizona. Oh my … what a busy few days! Memorable, full, lovely, love-filled, fun days! Bursting.
• Arriving home from Arizona in time to find my lilacs still blooming, and to see a hummingbird moth hovering around them. I would have been crushed to have missed this once-a-year event.
• Rain.
• Rain, rain, and more rain. We’ve been in dire need of moisture for a very long time and since Thursday evening we’ve received 121mm!! yes, you read that right, and there’s more to come. We are doing a jig around here!
• My rain barrels are full to overflowing … and since my flower pots and hanging baskets love rainwater, that makes me very, very happy.
• Sleeping in until 8:44 am! It’s unheard of for me since I’m usually up by 5:00 am. It was a result of a busy week, and a bit of yard work.
• Listening to the rain whilst sleeping in.
• Shopping for groceries and having endless choices … so grateful for that.
• Being with family for the May long weekend ♥
• My son-in-law for helping the hubs put in our dock. It was an incredibly hard task.
• All my family.
• Finding peonies at the grocery store … they were the most glorious shade of coral.
• Garden flowers and backyard bouquets.

So that’s it for me today. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening and thank you for stopping by!

xo

Hello, welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for May 8th, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Please help me celebrate the work of these 3 talented artists who tagged their amazing images to #sunday_sundries.

Today I took the liberty of choosing two images by wezyrnezycie … I hope you don’t mind ;)

I have so much to be grateful for, but because it’s Mother’s Day, and I’m looking forward to spending this evening with family I’ll combine this week’s “celebrations” with next week’s.

Thank you all for stopping by and for your continued support … I really appreciate having you here!

Hello, welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for May 1st, and Happy May Day everyone!

So what is May Day? After a quick Google search I found this on CNN …

Depending on where you are, it’s either a seasonal celebration or a day to celebrate workers’ rights, or maybe a little bit of both.

Think of the latter use as a Labor Day, if you will, for the rest of the world.

(CNN)

For me it’s simply a celebration of spring and all it has to offer. It’s a time when I start dreaming in earnest about my garden, flowers, greenhouses, light-filled days, and getting ready for a summer of fun at the lake. Simple pleasures. Celebrations.

But today I was drawn to these four dark and moody images … they’re all so stunningly gorgeous, is it any wonder?

Please help me celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their amazing images to #sunday_sundries.

I ask you, what are the chances of finding two apple pies in the gallery as beautiful as these two? Seriously, I’m about to dive in!

Oh, but first, I’m suddenly feeling the urge for something garlicky for dinner, and then perhaps I’ll type out a recipe or two (like my Dad used to), and of which I have very fond memories :) …

Thank you, dear ladies, for sharing your beautiful moments with Sunday Sundries!

What else am I celebrating this week?

First of all it’s been a busy one … whew! Last Sunday we flew back home to Canada, and now, less than a week later, we’re back here in Arizona. Can you say blur?

It’s all good though, and here’s what I’m celebrating:

• I’m so grateful for those few days at home. It was a gift, really—I was spurred into action, cleaning my garden, turning the soil (by hand!) splitting my rhubarb plant into three and moving the pieces to a sunnier, more fertile area. I accomplished more in those four days that I normally would have in a week … I guess I do work better under deadlines ;)
• Early mornings at the lake. Listening to geese, gulls, loons, red winged blackbirds, crows, ravens, woodpeckers … it was a regular cacophony!
• Spider webs glistening with dew.
• An early morning walk with friends.
• Setting up photography vignettes on my potting benches, once again using the deck as my studio.
• The light … oh my … the light.
• Then suddenly, a quick flight back to Arizona and all the goodness that it has to offer.
• My gardenia shrub has at least a dozen flowers … tiny, but oh goodness … the scent is intoxicating. So happy I didn’t miss them!

So that’s it for me today.

I’m planning on a quiet evening watching The Sopranos with the hubs. We never really got into the series when it was on TV, so when we found the (almost) complete set at a garage sale for $5.00 we snapped it up … it’s missing Part II of the last season, but we’ll worry about that in a year or so ;)

Thank you so much for stopping by today, I so appreciate your support for Sunday Sundries!

PS … I have an exciting new give-away on my blog for tomorrow! Hope to see you then!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for April 24! (on Monday)

Please help me celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their amazing images to #sunday_sundries.

I’m loving the spring flowers; pink ranunculus forever, coffee swimming in a sea of pink, purple hyacinth and tulips gracing vintage postcards, and bluebells scattered on a vintage botanical book all make my heart happy.

Thank you everyone for playing along, I am so truly grateful for every image shared in the #sunday_sundries gallery.

Long story, but we’re back in Canada for a few days … and I’m so happy! I was missing spring at home … the sound of geese, watching the leaves coming out on the trees, and inspecting and dreaming about my garden.

What else am I celebrating?

• Early mornings in the desert; the cool air, the sound of birds waking up, the sun rising over the Four Peaks.
• Finding an amazing antique chair at a garage sale for $15.00 … the detail and character are beyond!
• Reading a good book. I must be the last person to have read “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. I simply couldn’t put it down. I feel like I’ll want to reread it immediately.
• I’m so grateful for my passion for still life photography. I truly don’t know what I’d do without it.
• A safe journey home.
• Freshly roasted, grocery store chickens … such a quick and handy meal when you’re just getting home after a long absence.
• Seeing my first robin of the year!
• A rental car … just for me … so I can go out. What more could a girl want!

Thank you for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

xo

 

 

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for April 17!

Please help me celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their amazing images to #sunday_sundries. Thank you everyone for playing along!

So what am I celebrating this week?

• Discovering a great, easy hike on the Fountain Hills Lake Overlook Trail.
• Beautiful blue skies with amazing cloud formations.
• Seeing an Argentine Giant in full bloom (stunning!)
• Happy Hour on the patio at Roaring Fork; a glass of red wine and the best fish tacos in Arizona (in my opinion.)
• The abundance of flowers here: wild chamomile, Desert Marigolds, ranunculus at Costco, roses outside my window, and gardenias that are almost ready to burst.
• Our cozy condo that shelters us from varied weather conditions, whether it’s intense sun, cold nights, fierce winds, or rain (betcha didn’t know that about the desert!)
• A lovely lunch at The All American Sports Grill in Fountain Hills – excellent service and excellent food (again.)

OK, that’s it for me today … thank you so much for dropping by and have a wonderful week!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for April 10th!

Today we have delicate ranunculus, textured string bags in a crate, rumpled hydrangeas, and weathered clay pots. Once again I’m fascinated at how a grid comes together … oh I love my job :)

Please help me celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their amazing images to #sunday_sundries.

Today in Arizona we are enjoying a cool, rainy Sunday. Last week the temps hit 36°C, or 96.8°F, which was quite lovely but a cool-down is always welcome (and I know the desert flora and fauna love it.) I’ll be happily out looking for wildflowers next week.

What else am I celebrating?

• Finding flowering spring branches at Costco (because I won’t be out clipping anyones trees.)
• Ranunculus. Oh … ranunculus … .
• Seeing one of my photos in “Mingle” magazine (taken at the Finding Stillness|2015 retreat last September.)
• I’ll be heading back to Manitoba this coming autumn for Finding Stillness|2016! Squee!

So that’s it for me today. I hope your weekend has been a good one and that you have a peaceful, relaxing evening.

xo

 

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for April 3rd!

I know I say it all the time but … arghh … the beautiful images in that gallery make for a terribly hard time choosing only four to feature, and adding to the dilemma is that I took last Sunday off. Where to even start? Well, that hair stopped me in my tracks and all I could think of was how exquisite! And then I saw the dress, and the flowers, and the vintage photo, and the pussywillows, and the tag, and I kept thinking how.very.very.very.exquisite!

So please help me celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their exquisite images to #sunday_sundries.

Thank you to everyone who tagged their images to the gallery, it’s such an honour to have you.

So, now, what am I celebrating?

• That we headed south for a few weeks. It’s a long drive, but one we look forward to since it’s packed full of some pretty spectacular scenery.
• Sunday we drove from Central Alberta through most of Montana, stopping for the night in Helena (6 1/2 hours.) There was a lot of snow most of the way, but thankfully, not on the roads. It was just plain beautiful: pure white sparkling fields against brilliant clear blue skies. I’ll share some photos of our trip in a post later this week.
• Monday we carried on through most of Utah, stopping for the night in Cedar City (11 hours.) The wind was blowing, and it was bone-chilling cold when we arrived, but we were grateful for a delicious meat at Chili’s, and a warm bed at a local hotel. I must add here that the beans, rice, chicken, and lettuce bowl at Chili’s was incredibly delicious! mmmm … must go back again sometime.
• Tuesday we arrived at our little AZ getaway, safe and sound after another long day (8 hours.)
• I celebrate the fact that we have a place to escape to when our winter/spring gets “draggy” … although this year the weather was pretty gorgeous.
• Picking wildflowers in April – sweet little Desert Marigolds (a fav.)
• Finding a few treasures at local garage sales.
• Enjoying some quiet time with the hubs; reading, or watching some of our favourite TV series. Last night we finished Season 3 of “House of Cards” and are dying for more … however we don’t have Netflix :/ boo … what to do?! Wait, I guess … Frank will have to wait ;)

So that’s it for me. The sun is shining, it’s hotter than a firecracker outside, and the pool awaits!

I hope you are having (or had) a great weekend!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for March 20th and the first day of spring!

It’s almost surreal … are we really, truly, heading into this most exciting and exhilarating season?! Yes! Yes we are!!

So let’s celebrate the “springy” work of these four talented artists who tagged their images to #sunday_sundries.

Today we have buttery hot cross buns, creamy tea/coffee, silky pussywillows, flowering branches, and crispy salads. Seriously, I want to dive into these photos!

So what else am I celebrating this week?

• Picking pussywillows on a brisk, sunny, spring day.
• Making wreaths.
• Spending a day at a specialty greenhouse with a friend. Having lunch. Finding treasures.
• Wishing a grandson a happy birthday. Listening to him talk about his life and hearing his joy ♥
• Contractors who get the work done. Just like they said they would. And who do it right.
• Sunday evenings.

I was thrilled to take part in the Grace Notes blog hop this week.  I wrote about A Different Kind of Power and I’m loving the conversation around it! If you haven’t done so, check it out and perhaps leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Bella Grace Issue 7. Contest closes March 31st.

So that’s it for me for tonight.

Thank you for dropping by!

xo

 

 

 

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for March 13th!

Let’s celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their images to #sunday_sundries … we have a bouquet of peachy-orange tulips, a cup of coffee (or tea) with cream please, a basket of delicate pastel eggs and one spectacular wall of autumn-kissed ivy!  All stunning images, and certainly something to celebrate!

Thank you to all who share their work!

So what am I celebrating?

How about another simple, uneventful, ordinary week, for which I am extremely grateful.

• A week of quiet, peaceful moments. Moments spent soaking up early spring sunshine on the deck, listening to chickadees, and watching squirrels chasing each other around the yard ;)
• Picking pussywillows.
• Arranging flowers.
• Crafting paper flowers and remembering how much I love creating with my hands.
• Windows open. Bright sunlight streaming in. The sound of geese honking. The sweet smell of woodsmoke.
• Potluck breakfasts with friends. The delicious food, limitless coffee, and honest and easy camaraderie.

I have lots more to celebrate but I’m not quite ready to share … maybe next week!

Thank you so much for dropping by today!

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries Feature for March 6th! Let’s celebrate the work of these four talented artists who tagged their images to #sunday_sundries … we have teacups, coffee cups, pink flowers, purple flowers, moody shots, airy shots, shadows, light, swishy paint and grey granite. Swoon-worthy images!

I have such a hard time choosing just four to feature, but I have to tell you, it’s one of the things I truly look forward to on Sundays and when a grid starts to take shape, I’m positively giddy …

Thank you everyone for tagging your incredible images!

So what else am I celebrating this week?

1. It’s March! Hooray! Winter still has us in its grips, but will have to give in, there’s just no way around it.
2. Pink Tulips. Yellow Tulips. Pink and green ruffly tulips. Muscari. Daffodils. African Violets.
3. Talking to a friend on the phone and having a good laugh. Finding myself still smiling hours later.
4. The pussy willows are beginning to burst and I can’t wait to start gathering them. It’s a bit of a spring celebration for me. I love a sunny and bright, yet chilly March day, when I’m standing in a ditch clipping branches. The buds against the blue sky are so full of promise.
5. Dinner with friends.
6. Having a life partner who understands me. One who can talk me down when I’m upset, but lift me up at the same time.
7. Having a couple exciting projects underway … eek! now I gotta get to work!

I’d love to hear what you’re celebrating … leave a comment and share what moved you this past week.

Thank you for stopping by!

xo