Merry Christmas!

From my house to yours!

Thank you, Azalea Floral Design, for the beautiful flowers!

Glass Garland

Found on Tiny White Daises.

Handprint Christmas Tree

Found on The Other White House.

Holiday Card Tree

Found here.

Still Hanging

Day 3.... West Mountain Road, between Nimrod Road and Sachem's Trail.  Lots of snow melt, but the Oak tree still stands, or ah, hangs.

October Snow Storm

The surprise snowstorm last Saturday left much of the state of Connecticut, including the town of Simsbury, in the dark.  We are fortunate to be "refugeeing" from the cold and darkness with family elsewhere in the state.  These photos were taken on Sunday, the morning after the storm.

Farms Village Road.

West Mountain Road, north of Tootin Hills Road.

West Mountain Road, between Nimrod Road and Sachem's Trail.

 West Mountain Road, between Nimrod Road and Sachem's Trail, slightly further south.

West Mountain Road, between Sachem's Trail and Quorn Hunt Road.

West Mountain Road between Quorn Hunt Road and Lostbrook Road.

 Bushy Hill Road, south of Canton Road.

Happy Halloween

One cold jack-o-lantern.  He looks a little angry about it too.

The Work of Local Artist, Catherine M. Elliot

You might have seen it displayed in various places around town.  If not, here's a small sample of the beautiful, Impressionistic style work of local artist, Catherine M. Elliott.  Her use of color and light is just amazing.  Her recent works and some limited addition prints are all available on her website, www.catherinemelliott.com.

Fresh Hay West Simsbury.  A beautiful rendition of a familiar sight.

 Peaceful Spring.  Ahhhhh.

Crafting with Kids: Sea Shell Windchimes

Has your family been collecting sea shells on your visits to the beach this summer?  As summer draws to a close, keep the beach memories close by having your kids create Sea Shell Wind Chimes.

You'll need:
A stick or small piece of driftwood
Some sea shells and/or sea glass
Some string (whatever you have will work, as long as it's not stiff)

1. Cut string into various lengths
2. Tie one end of a string piece around a shell or piece of sea glass and the other end to the stick
3. After all shells have been connected to the stick, tie a 24-inch string to the stick for hanging

Thank you, Martha, for the idea!

Rosa Rugosa, Saltspray Rose

Love all those beautiful beach roses and their hips.  A little more about Rosa Rugosa at wikipedia.org, and rose hips at www.moplants.com.

Soule in the Family

I'm so looking forward to reading Amanda Soule's new book, The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons.  This mother of 5 (wow!) makes peaceful, patient parenting seem almost attainable.  Also, check out the SouleMama blog if you are ready to be truly inspired.

Other great books by Amanda Soule:

The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures

From Around The Web: Al Fresco Dining

From Brown Dress With White Dots, via Pinterest:

From tinywhitedaisies, via Pinterest:

From That Kind of Woman, via Pinterest:

Dragonfly or Damselfly?

I think this one is a dragonfly, but please correct me if I'm wrong.  Aren't those eyes amazing?  And, of course, the beautiful gossamer wings.

Here's a little tid bit from The Dragonfly Woman that might help you identify one flitting around your yard or garden:

The easiest way to tell whether you’re looking at a dragonfly or a damselfly is to look at how it holds it’s wings while resting.  If the wings lie flat, parallel to the ground, it's a dragonfly.  If the wings are pressed together, held over the back, it's a damselfly.  What if it never stops flying?  Dragonflies are almost always fliers, and damselflies are almost always perchers.  If it doesn’t stop to rest every few minutes, it’s probably a dragonfly.

Queen Anne's Lace

So fragile and beautiful.  Also makes a perfect nosegay for little hands.

Let's Go Fly A Kite

When you send it flyin' up there

All at once you're lighter than air

You can dance on the breeze

Over houses and trees

With your fist holding tight 

To the string of your kite 

Mr. Banks was right.  Flying a kite is awesome, no matter your age.

White Hydrangea

For the first time since we moved in, this beautiful white hydrangea bloomed!  It was covered with vines and pachysandra when we arrived, so we pulled all of that out and cut it back to just above the ground in the Fall of 2009.  We've simply left it alone and given it an occasional watering since then.  So excited that it came back!

Sunset on the East River

More shots from our vacation at the shore last week.

The Ice-Cream Truck Came

Perfect ending to an already wonderfully sticky, messy day.

Ice cream sandwiches are for sharing, right?

A Pink Panther popsicle with gumdrop eyes.  Obviously very proud of her choice.

Had a slight mishap....

... but, that did not stop her from eating it right off the deck.

The Floor Sleeper Strikes Again

It first happened at home about a month ago.  We checked on the girls before we headed to bed, and found our 2 year old out of her bed and asleep on the wood floor.  Then, while we were on vacation she did it again!  Now, it's an almost nightly ritual:  We head to bed, but not before scooping her up from her cozy position on the floor right behind her bedroom door.... What does it mean??

After a long day of vacation fun, I like nothing better than to curl up for some rest on my nice comfy... floor?!

A cozy nap... on the floor?!  (Forgive the quality of the photo.  This is the best I could do without upsetting the subject)

Believe it or not, there are other floor sleepers out there!  Thank you, Ohdeedoh, for making me feel a little better about this, ah, uncomfortable situation.

Storm's Coming

One minute the sky was crystal clear, and the next, well see for yourself.  Fortunately, these beautiful, dark clouds only produced a little wind and beautiful photo opportunities.  And then, as quick as they came, they were gone.  Ahhh, Summer.

We're going to have some weather.

It's a comin'.

She's gonna blow.

Sound familiar?

If not, then you have to read one of our favorite Summer books, Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey: