~ blossom time ~

 

The winter chill bites at this time of year.
Frosty mornings, piercing winds.
We tread warily in the mornings for the ground is icy.
We are bundled in layers of puff, wool, scarves and gloves.
I leave an extra five minutes to melt the frost from my windscreen before we leave for school.
We light the fire early in the evening, we gather around it.

But....spring is coming.
Ridiculously pretty blossoms garland the skies.
Singles, doubles, pink, white - speaking the language of hope, anticipation and joy.

~ our joyful moments - week 21~

I'm a bit late this week because we've been staying in a castle in Spain and there's no internet because the walls are too thick!!

My moment was a coffee and a muffin alone...a very precious commodity during our trip. 

Karin made this beautiful bouquet for her mother for Mothers Day 

Xx

~ our joyful moments - week 19 ~

Flowers from both of us again this week - and why not -  spring flowers are so very joyful. 

I received these beautiful foraged daisies from my children for Mothers Day (and then I learned on IG today that their  Danish name, Tusindfryd, means 1000 joys. How perfect). 

Karin is revelling in her beautiful peonies. They sit on one of the prettiest shelves on Sweden (her series of shots of this shelf on IG is delightful).

#ourjoyfulmoments is a 52 week project in which Karin and I are sharing the small joys in our lives each week. 

~ our joyful moments - week 18 ~

                                 

It's spring in Sweden and France (where I'm currently enjoying Paris).  The joy on my girls' faces when they saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time this week was a moment I want to remember for ever.

Karin has found more gorgeous spring blooms in the gardens near where she lives - magnolias are so pretty.

#ourjoyfulmoments is a photography collaboration between Karin and I.  We met on Flickr years ago and are hopefully going to meet up for real in the south of France next month.

~ our joyful moments - week 17 ~

Spring time is full of joys. Unexpected avenues of pink loveliness (I'm still thinking it's autumn!) in Bath for me, while Karin seemingly always has pretty and delicious food. These buckwheat waffles are making me so hungry!!

#ourjoyfulmoments is a photography project for Karin (in Sweden) and Ally (from Tasmania but currently travelling in Europe). 

~ garden mood board September/October 2013 ~

I had to race into the garden between squally showers to rescue a few precious flowers for the vases - spring storms are lashing our city and gardens... I feel lucky that there's anything left to show.

Once again, this didn't turn out quite how I had it planned in my mind (I'm not sure why I'm surprised - my photos rarely live up to how my mind thinks they will look).  Does anyone else have that problem?

In the end the floral chaos is a fairly accurate representation of my spring garden though - lots of pinks and blues  - and not much that is very ordered.  Here's last years from the same time of year

How does your garden grow?
I share a garden mood board every month with Asa and Karin 


♥

~ that was September ~

September always means spring, flowers and birthday celebrations.
This year there were vignettes, a mini holiday in WA, mail exchanges and purple fever as well.

This is how it all looked on instagram.

What does October bring ...more flowers, school holidays, my baby turning 5...who knows what else?I'm looking forward to it.

♥

~ garden mood board Aug/Sept 2013 ~

Spring is my favourite time of the year.  The sheer pink exuberance of the blossom trees and magnolias lining the streets, the first hint of warmth in the air, the scent of jasmine and daphne as I break a piece off to bring inside each time I pass.

The garden is a beautiful chaotic rainbow - pinks, reds, yellows, blues and purples interspersed with bare patches and naked branches.

I love the prettiness, the sense of expectation, the promise of more.

How does your garden grow?  See other mood boards here and link up your own - I'd love to see it.

♥

~ floral friday ...blossoms ~

 

I admit to being completely obsessed with blossoms
Especially the first ones that appear now - in the midst of cold, grey days.
Their flounciness*, pinkness and hopefulness just gets me every time.

Happy weekend!

♥

* if that's not a real word it really should be

~ on gaining perspective in a cloud of marshmallow pink ~

First day back at school today and I was feeling out of sorts;

• impatient with the the youngest who was still at home and being all kinds of demanding.
• resentful of the mess that lay all around - what looked like fun holiday games yesterday, today just mocked at me and my inadequate domestic goddess skills.
• scratchy, irritated eyes from a niggling viral conjunctivitis.
• swirling, chaotic plans in my head when what I seek is clarity of thought.

Then the afternoon sunlight hit the blossom tree over the road.
I think I may have gasped out loud.

Five minutes of time alone, snapping away, marvelling at the pinkness of the coming spring was all it took to turn my day around.

If only it was always that easy.


♥