Flower Power

Flower Arranging Tips

“The earth laughs in flowers”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nothing beats having fresh flowers in your home. The bright colors and fragrant smells remind me of what such beauty there is in this world. Bringing fresh flowers into your home will no doubt brighten up your mood. While filling your home with fresh flowers can be costly, one trick I've learned is to buy bunches of inexpensive flowers, separate them all out, and then make my own small arrangements in pretty vases. So now you have the small arrangements chosen for each vase. Another trick I've learned is to take clear tape and make a grid pattern at the opening home of the vase. Think like a tic-tac-toe game. After creating the grid and cutting the stems to the appropriate length, place each flower within each little square until you can no longer see the clear tape. This way the flowers stay upright and do not fall over. Think outside of the box too with your vases. Why not try a bowl (cut the stems short for this), a teacup, or even a mason jar?

Roses are Red...

Just thought I's share a quick post with you showing how wonderful my husband is. He sent me a large bouquet of flowers a few days ago "for no special reason." Just a little reminder of love and affection.

Beauty All Around

One of the biggest complaints I hear when dealing with photography is there is nothing to shoot. Not so! Simply go outside into the backyard or nearby area to capture the scenery around you. The simpleness of a single flower can make a huge impact in a photo. People just walk by them everyday and do not realize the beauty they possess or how intriguing they can be. All of these photos were recently captured around my property. The photo of the lake at sunset was taken about 15 minutes from my house. An easier step to remember when shooting flowers is to try and get the background blurred out for that quality impact shot. Basically, you want to keep the aperture wide open and depending on your lens, that could be at a 1.8 to a 5.6. Then zoom in on the flower, pick a focus point, and voila, you're on your way to capturing all the beauty around you. On a side note, the rhododendron blooms were taken just after it had rained outside. The tiny water droplets really add depth to the image. Some people like to take a water spritzer with them to add water into the photograph and while I've never done this myself, it without question will give the photo that something extra special. All in all, open your eyes to see the world around you. Anything from a dandelion, flower, bird feeder, leaf, insect, bumblebee, bird, rocks, or a new perspective or angle can widen your horizons when photographing. 

Vintage Blue

Blue and blush, need I say more? I've always had a certain love affair with this combination of colors. My mom even decorated our house in shades of blue and rose. The navy background of the dress lets the subtle blue and blush tones of the roses stand out, yet blend in perfectly together. The shoes I have on even color coordinate to the dress with their navy background and pink polka dots. The icy blue of the purse makes a nice neutral shade to stand against the dress and the jewelry all blends together beautifully with shades of gold and pink in them. What I really love about the outfit is the vintage look and modern feel it has. It's a balancing act between how much skin is showing really. The dress allows for a flippy skirt because the arm length is three quarters long.

Dress LC Lauren Conrad, Heels Payless, Bag TJMaxx, Scarf Vintage.

A classic way to add polish to your handbag is to simply tie a scarf around the handles or chains. Voila! Instant sophistication.

I've always had a soft spot for this pair of shoes. The peep toe, ruffled bow, and pink polka dots against a navy background are reminiscent of the 1950s, yet have the heel height to bring them into the now. Simply adore them.

Happy May

May Day

May 1st brings the arrival of May Day, a springtime holiday celebrated with festivals to announce the sign of rebirth. The origin of the holiday dates back to 1886, when workers in Chicago walked off of the job, demanding an eight-hour work day, something that was not yet common during that period. This was a "rebirth" for many workers and a victory none the less. This signaled the International Worker's Day as being May 1st around the world, but the United States did not yet establish the holiday for fear of the Haymarket affair, which stood for revolution at the time. The Haymarket affair started out as a peaceful rally for the workers, but quickly grew out of control when someone threw a stick of dynamite into the crowd. The U.S. was afraid of riots starting out, something the Haymarket affair was known for, so instead changed the holiday to what we now know as Labor Day and moved the date to September. Another possible reason the U.S. tried to further itself from International Workers Day could stem from the Bolshevik Revolution happening on May 1st 1917.

Current day seems to celebrate the holiday more for the arrival and blossoming of Springtime. The festivals usually have dancing, singing, cake, and food to celebrate. On a personal note, my grandmother was named May Day Queen when she was in high school. Whatever the holiday means to you, be sure to get out and celebrate the warm weather and sunshine. Let the festivities begin!

Blooming Blossoms

The Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival 2014

The arrival of Spring brings a renewed hope in life from the warmer weather, bountiful sunshine, and life "springing" up from all around. The grass and trees start to get greener, the newborn animals play, and the flowers begin to bloom bringing splendid color and fragrances with them.  I look forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival, not only visit one of the greatest cities, but mainly to experience and capture the beauty of the blossoming trees as they bring forth a wondrous feeling of awe.

Weather wise, the sun shined at high capacity and the temperature reached a max of 80 degrees. Absolutely perfect for walking around and taking pictures of the beauteous blossoms. My friend Mike, who lives in Maryland, invited my husband and I down for the weekend so we could all visit D.C. Finding shaded areas with the blossoms proved to provide the best results picture wise. We all had a fabulous time and hope to get there next year! Without further ado, here are some photos from the trip!