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You are here: Home / Archives for garden

I Can’t Resist Red Shoes (and Flowers)

June 10, 2014 at 8:52 am by Claudia

Remember my red shoes? The shoes I found that were unbelievably comfortable? The shoes that were so popular that several other bloggers bought them?

Not long after that post, I sent an email to Spring Step Shoes. I raved about the shoes, thanking them for creating such comfortable, yet attractive footwear. I mentioned the fact that writing about them on my blog had resulted in some readers buying them, as well. And I sent a link to my post. I just thought it would a fun post to share with Spring Step.

Imagine my surprise when I received a response from Spring Step. They loved the post and graciously offered to send me another pair of shoes of my choosing. What?? I certainly wasn’t expecting that! I was so grateful and amazed by their generous offer. Narrowing down the options was the tough part, but I finally picked a pair. I’ve been wanting to share them with you, but held off until Spring arrived, as I consider this pair to be Spring and Summer shoes.

I chose this pair, which is named Martine:

redshoes2

You’re looking at the broken-in version of Martine. I wore them all day on Friday and Saturday at the Country Living Fair. Absolutely no problem and incredibly comfortable.

redshoes1

On the day of their arrival.

redshoes3

They’re so cute!

A big thank you to Spring Step! I know we’re all on a budget and shoes can be pricey. But I have problems with my feet and back and support is an absolute necessity. It’s a no brainer for me. When I buy cheap shoes, I suffer. When I buy well-made shoes, I don’t. It’s a simple as that. (And that may be why I don’t buy new shoes very often!)

These shoes are very well-made and I didn’t have to break them in. Perfect from the get-go. I’m taking them with me to Chautauqua.

They make me happy. They make me smile. And they’re red.

I’m a bit crazy at the moment, trying to get ready to leave for Chautauqua. It’s all lists: lists of things I need to pack, lists of things I need to show Don, lists of errands I need to run. I’ve had to write a couple of posts ahead of time, something I almost never do. I’m not a post scheduler. I write daily. But, travel time tomorrow coincides with a book review that is scheduled for the same day and I had to write a draft of another post for BlogHer. I won’t get in until late on Wednesday and I have no idea where I’m staying or what the next day’s schedule will be, so if I miss a post on Thursday, you’ll understand, right?

Flower update: The Climbing Hydrangea, which has never bloomed in the six years I’ve had it, has given me two blooms this year. Wonder of wonders! The flowers are fascinating, which you’ll see by observing this progression:

climbinghydrangea1

climbinghydrangea2

climbinghydrangea3

climbinghydrangea4

Wow. They look like little mid-century modern designs, don’t they? Sputnik-like.

Thank you, Climbing Hydrangea, for putting on such a great show! Please provide even more of these beauties next year.

I’m off to start doing laundry.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Tagged With: shoesFiled Under: flowers, garden 32 Comments

Poppy Study

June 1, 2014 at 8:45 am by Claudia

What can I say?

The Oriental Poppy is blooming.

From this:

oriental poppy bud

To this:

poppy 1

poppy 3

poppy 4

poppy 2

poppy 5

This plant has been in the garden for several years. For the past three years or so, the spring bloom has been spectacular. These flowers are short lived; they emerge in all their exotic beauty, with paper thin petals, and leave within a day or two.

Think you can’t use orange and purple together? Mother Nature begs to differ.

Simply stunning. Made for a painter to immortalize. Or for me to immortalize through the lens of my camera.

I love taking photographs of flowers. This time of year, when every day holds a new discovery, a new bloom? Heaven. I spend hours walking around the gardens, looking through my lens, trying new angles, new views, seeing the world through fresh eyes. This blog, this act of blogging, has opened up a whole new world to me. Yes, I loved taking pictures before I started blogging, but only with a small point-and-shoot. And pre-digital? I had to remember to take the film in to be developed. I wasn’t always successful on that front. Once I started blogging, which is such a visual medium, I started to observe the world around me with renewed and inspired eyes. I got a DSLR, which completely changed everything. Looking through a camera lens expands my horizons in the best possible way.

Speaking of photography, my other blog, which is called Through a Lens Daily, was started by me a few years back. My intention was to capture a single image every day and hone my photography skills and I did just that for a while. But I’ve been hit or miss the last year or so. I’m happy to say I’ve begun posting there again. The link is in my sidebar if you’re interested in stopping by. Just one image (more or less) every day. I also moved my blogroll over to Through a Lens Daily. It used to be in the navigation bar of MHC, but the plugin that I needed to use for that has been acting up. I keep up with other blogs in a variety of ways, one of which is my blogroll. So if you’ve ever used my blogroll to find new blogs, just hop on over to Through a Lens Daily. I do believe that it reflects my eclectic taste in blogs – there’s a lot of variety there.

Speaking of interesting blogs, if you dream of going to Paris as I do, you will love Paris in Four Months. Written by a Swedish photographer who moved to Paris for four months in 2012 and ended up staying, (and who can blame her?) it’s full of gorgeous images of that beautiful city.

I read her posts and I dream of going to Paris. With my husband, of course.

We will. Someday.

Today would have been my parents’ 68th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom.

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

 

 

Filed Under: blogging, flowers, garden, gardening, photography 30 Comments

Hello, Saturday

May 31, 2014 at 8:27 am by Claudia

How are you this fine Saturday morning? Other than my internet connection being sluggish (have to call the cable company) and returning a big old bug to his proper place outdoors, the morning has been fairly quiet. The sun is shining, the garden is thriving, my coffee tastes really good, and though I have more than a few worries at the moment, morning always brings the promise of a new day and that, my friends, is a little miracle.

bye bye lilacs

So long lilacs. You were especially beautiful this year.

clematis unfurling

Hello, Clematis. You’re awfully exotic looking.

peony with ants

Soon. Maybe in about 3 or 4 days? Which would take us to the first week of June. Like clockwork.

quince fruit

Remember the Weigela turned Flowering Quince?

Yep. That’s fruit. I guess that once the bush bloomed in the Spring every year, I didn’t really take the time to look at it closely again. This year I did, and darn it all if there isn’t fruit developing. Let’s see, I not only thought it was a Weigela, I insisted it was because there were no thorns or fruit.

This year I found thorns.

I found fruit.

I stand corrected.

rose bud and bug

The rose bushes are developing buds. Oh happy day!

For those of you who might have missed yesterday’s post, I’m giving away two passes to the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck. Just scroll down for all the information. Or click here. I want to clarify that there will be two winners, who will get one pass each. (I like to spread the love around.)

My friend Heidi, whose shop Hi Ho Home Market closed this year (sob), will have a booth there. She is also giving a presentation!

And, my dear blogging friend Elyse is also presenting on Saturday. She’ll be sharing some crafts from her new book, Seaside Tinkered Treasures.

To read about both Heidi and Elyse, visit this link. Elyse is #2, Heidi is #8.

And don’t forget the other giveaway that’s going on here at MHC. Visit my post, Gardening with Hydrangeas from the Endless Summer® Collection for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: Country Living, flowers, garden, gardening, giveaway 25 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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