Happy Mother’s Day…

When the sun is shining (which it isn’t in this photo) – and the days turn warmer – who likes to head out to their favorite location to purchase flowers to plant? I think so many of us do. Flowers bring happiness and cheer (especially if you can snip a few to bring indoors!) – Our stunning orange violet is on its way out, sadly. It has been a bright pot of cheer all winter. (Not my garden pictured above 😉).

Light and shadows are two of my favorite things. I love to see morning or evening light hitting subject and creating a remarkable shadow. I especially love shadows on brick – the way our gas light has sharp outlines onto the brick certain times of day – and the way this lamp shows off it’s sleek design – all captured with shadows.

I just said to my husband the other day – I NEVER see dandelions here in Charleston. I miss them. I remember seeing them growing up (much to my dad’s chagrin). The bright, happy yellow flowers were so pretty. Then I heard some people made soup with them… hmmm, I’ll pass on that one. But when “it” gets to the stage pictured above, the white fluffy things (ok, seeds) were the best part – because that’s when you take it, make a wish and blow on it, watching all the “little fluffy white things” blow in the wind like snowflakes.

A portrait of Poison Ivy. It’s so vital and healthy looking. It seems to really thrive wherever you find it. It’s easily transferred onto you either by touching it directly, brushing against it and then touching clothing, or walking a dog who walked through it and then you pet the animal. Misery ensues. You’ll live through it, but it’s no party. If you happened to touch it by mistake and need to know what to do, follow these steps:

Out on a walk and saw this stunning specimen – not sure what it is, but it’s beautiful – especially looking up through the tree branches. #alwayslookup The sky is blue, the air is warm, but not hot. It’s a great time of year with so many people outside taking advantage of the low humidity. Charleston, South Carolina in the spring is perfection.

Spring in Charleston, South Carolina – nothing better! The sun is warm, the shade is cool. It’s a lovely time of year usually with less humidity. This particular day was very clear, the sky was the bluest blue and the buds on a tree were a lime green. From the street the buds looked like pom poms.

I love the orange/black color combination. This past fall we bought a beautiful orange pansies and planted it in a glossy black pot. It is gorgeous! It’s been gorgeous all winter long, all through the spring – and all I did was deadhead and water. It blooms unreal. One after another… It’s just starting to look tired from the few warmer days we’ve had. So I tried snipping a few flowers and putting them in a small jar of water on the window sill. STUNNING!