Faux No

 I finally broke down and purchased a new camera.  My poor little Canon was so battered and grimy that I could barely see through the view finder.  It's also about time I took the time to use my camera properly and quit taking the easy route of shooting just about everything in Auto mode.

So here are a few shots of some faux flowers!!!!

 shhhhhh don't tell

using my new camera and experimenting with exposure and shutter speed

I found these flowers at Crate and Barrel

Shooting manually is actually really fun and gives you the opportunity to play around 

with exposure and depth of field

 Here are some close up shots of the little fake peonies

 The hydrangea are not nearly as realistic but still pretty I think

these last two shots are really washed out and over exposed but I like them anyway

Can you do fake flowers?  

 They are pretty darn easy and are still looking fresh after a month!!!

woo hoo

; )

A Few Snap Shots From Country Style Magazine

Hi to all....hope you are enjoying the beginning of Spring and can find some time get out in the fresh air and sunshine this weekend!  

Maybe even do some gardening...

I wanted to share a few photos taken by photographer Michael Garland for Country Style Magazine
(flowers above: coreopsis and lantana...just in case you were wondering)

These were in the Spring 2014 issue, out in March.

The styling was done by my friend, the oh so talented, witty and gorgeous stylist 

Sunday Hendrickson

If you can find the magazine it has a nice little article too, written by Cynthia Vessy

I love this shot, framed by the barn doors into the mud room

the dining area in the kitchen...more pretty lantana in the orchard basket

 The shot above is our guest room/the only other bed room in the house.  I don't think I have ever shown this room....mainly because it is a really awkward space and I use it as a "catch all" when I don't know where to put things!
I'm having wine...come on in.

 What is interesting about these photos compared with others you may have seen is that these are more "real" life shots. All of the things you see are actually ours and we use them every day.  I love that old French quilt and it is usually just a bit off kilter and not folded all that neatly on the bed,

just as it is here.  Sunday had a great time "shopping" for props in my cupboards and the garage!

 Hey...a bucket lamp!  I usually have flowers all around the house because I love them and there is always something in bloom.  Hey.... I'll put weeds in a vase, if that's all I can find!

this  is a interesting old metal lounger in our bedroom...it folds completely flat

 Sunday styled this old Hoosier cabinet using these interesting orange flowers from

a plant called Lions Tail (Leonotis leonurus)  

The flowers bloom in large whirls and hummers love them.  

I think they look like 4th of july sparklers

 Would you believe me if I told you that the living room looks completely different today?  Right after this shoot I went to the Remnants Of The Past show in San Luis Obispo
and sold a lot of things  in these photos.

 We had fun in the kitchen too.  Sunday styles with a very loose look...I think a little romantic and graceful.  I can spot her look in a magazine with out even checking to see if she was the stylist.

All of the apple trees were in season and I always have gobs of citrus, herbs and assorted veggies on hand so we never seem to run short of kitchen foodie props!

 I have my office in the mud room but now have a new modern desk and chair.  In case you are wondering about the black floor...yes I love it and it always looks pretty good 

even when it's covered with gravel, dog hair and oak leaves...which is most of the time

This was a really fun day and it's always a treat to work with professionals. 

 I always learn something new and enjoy hearing about the interesting locations

these guys get to work on each month!  

I gathered up this huge bucket of Plumbago which was growing out of control along our front planter.

Michael shot this against the plain white wall and this photo turned out to be a favorite of mine.

Hope you like the photos too!

Thanks for stopping by....have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to celebrate Spring!

Oldie

Writing about the stuff of life is sometimes hard...
reading it again later is always humbling
and sometimes it is just really funny...

here is an "oldie" from a few years ago and still true today

7.23.2010

You know you're living in the country when....


You have absolutely no problem sitting on your porch in your PJs at 6:00 AM waving to the neighbors as they walk their dogs

You take a shower and instead of putting on perfume you apply a vigorous dose of Deep Woods Off

Your clean socks and your dirty socks are all the same color

You choose your shoes for the day by deciding which pair has the least amount of muck on the bottom

You wear the same pair of shorts for two days and no one notices

Your dog is brown even though she has white fur

You almost always eat lunch standing up

An afternoon snack is a ripe tomato, warm and just picked off the vine

The neighbors goat doesn't bother you anymore....even if the pen never gets cleaned

You have a nick name for the rat that lives in your composter....."Harvey"

Your new BFF is the gopher guy, Roger

You rarely watch TV and only read the local paper

A good hair day is a new baseball cap

Make up is what you do with your husband not what you put on your face

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY

You might also like:

Vegetables As Art: Part 1

 As you may have guessed I'm a

 "little bit of a crazy" 

when it comes to flowers...

I love all varieties, shapes and sizes

I'm not picky 

and I'll try just about anything in

 an arrangement at least once

well, maybe not poison ivy!

 This year in the vegetable garden I planted leeks...

I wanted leeks to eat and sauté 

but I was secretly hoping they would blossom

 and they did!

 These are little globes of 

oniony smelling 

leek flowers

 The flowers are pretty large actually...around 3 to 4 inches across

 tinged with a bit of purple and lime green

 I picked these just before I harvested the leeks and they have already lasted about a week 

in this arrangement of old milk bottles

The flowers that had not opened when I cut these,  

are now fully in bloom... 

which was another surprise

 I have planted Allium bulbs in the past, in my perennial beds, which are ornamental and not edible,

 but honestly, these are just as pretty 

and you get the benefit of the edible leeks as well

Two for the price of one!!!

  now onto the  

"vegetables as art"

 part of this story

 About 10 years ago I purchased this cookbook (originally publish in 1996) 

and it changed the way I look at the beauty of vegetables

I am a HUGE fan of Alice Waters 

and her cooking style

Alice and her staff have been the innovative force behind the 

"farm to table" philosophy and style of cooking 

in her landmark Berkeley California restaurant 

Chez Panisse

since 1971 

Anyone who is interested in cooking, organic farming and home gardening 

has heard of Alice Waters

She embraces the art of French cooking and was a friend and peer 

of the legendary Julia Child

She has supported her local community of farmers and growers 

from San Diego to the Oregon Border and beyond in search of 

of interesting and beautiful fresh produce, 

poultry, fish and charcuterie  

"Alice Waters and her suppliers share the belief 

that optimal flavor and environmental harmony go hand in hand"

 When I purchased this book, primarily for the recipes, it was actually the art work

that left me so in love with this cookbook 

all of the art included in this book is the work of Patricia Curtan, print maker,

 designer and long time collaborator at Chez Panisse

Patricia works with linoleum blocks or Linotype on a very old printing press.  She studied the art of printmaking and letter press early on in her collaboration with Alice 

which resulted in a collection of amazing menus 

these are just some of the beautiful interpretations of garden vegetables

 throughout this wonderful book

she manages to take the humble butternut squash 

and make it a package of gold 

and here are the simple and beautiful leek blossoms that have found their way

 into my love of

 honest and simple flower arrangements

much more to come...vegetables are beautiful !

yes indeed