survivor::my quest...

...to outwit any and all four legged creatures and possibly a neighbor with tomato envy.
That's right, you heard me. Let me explain though so you won't think I've gone completely insane. As you know already, the deer had their fill in my garden. I've also found evidence in the form of muddy footprints that a raccoon or two helped themselves as well. However, the neighbor, half-joking, said he didn't realize I had so many tomatoes growing and he would just come and get some of mine since the deer were eating his. Hmmm. Okay, okay, so it probably wasn't my odd neighbor, I'm just saying it's a possibility. Anyway, upon closer inspection of my already-producing tomato plants (celebrity, better boy, roma, and jet star) there is not a single tomato to be seen. Not one! *sigh* Several branches of the cherry tomato and lemon pear have survived and are still producing and the smaller plants that just began flowering are in survival mode. So how do I plan to outwit the four-legged creatures? Well, here, see for yourself.

This lovely green garden fencing is my outwit plan. So far it's working against the deer. The raccoons, well, they could pull that fencing right off if they wanted more tomatoes. I hope they don't. Ah, yes, those orange 5 gallon buckets are my planters. They're only $2, and compared to the $15-$25 planters that were smaller, well, $2 wins. Plus, orange is my favorite color so I don't mind the brightness lining my driveway. My mature,already producing tomatoes are planted in the yard along the back porch. They stand unprotected. At this point I'm just trying to keep my younger plants in the survivor category.
Now, I've got a question for you. Do you know what this plant is? My girls had a packet of wildflower seeds that they planted beside the house. This quickly growing plant is the only survivor. Right now it's about 4 feet tall, but I have no idea what it is. It could be a crazy weed for all I know.

It just started getting some tiny buds so it should be flowering soon. I just thought I'd ask because I hate not knowing.

Happy Monday folks. We're off to swimming lessons. It's been blazing hot for a couple of weeks now and today...now that the girls have to get in the pool, it's only 70 degrees and it's cloudy. I sure hope it heats up soon so the water won't be so cold. xoANG

you capture::get down low

I was pretty excited when I saw the challenge for this week's You Capture...get down low. I am that crazy lady... in my yard, at the playground, on the beach, going for a walk in the neighborhood...that will get down on her knees or lay out like a complete nut job just to get a great shot of my kids or flowers or bees pollinating my garden. I love taking pictures down low with the sun shining brightly and the sky as blue as the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii...and if I can get both the sun and the sky in the shot with whatever subject I'm trying to capture then I love it all the more. Throw in an awesome, accidental bokeh and it just rocks! (you know, the hexagon shapes of light in the blurred area of the picture) Okay, for this week I captured my lilies. Nice, bright, orange lilies. I have a bunch of tiger lilies by the fence, but by the back porch one grew that had layers and layers of ruffled petals. I don't know where it came from or why it's different from the others, but oh my, it is beautiful.

(f/16, 1/3200, ISO 800)

Alright, I know this isn't the greatest shot with the porch railing and part the house in there, but the ruffled lily and the sun with the bokeh, I had to include it.

(f/7.1, 1/3200, ISO 800)

This is a better shot of my ruffled lily in all of her orange loveliness.

(f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 800)

This beauty is one of my regular tiger lilies. As you can see, there are many more buds just waiting to bloom. Because of where these flowers are growing in my yard it is difficult to get the sky or the sun in the shot. However, since the sun was shining through the tree in the background I captured a nice crisp shot of my lily and got a wonderful bokeh effect. (which makes me want to try creating my own bokeh in any shape I want...fun!)

To see more go visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Happy Thursday folks! xo ANG

bring it

Over the past couple of weeks the weather has been very summery. You know what that means? We're outside as much as possible.

While waiting for some friends one day we had to enjoy this gorgeous pink tree. I don't know what kind of tree it is but it looks like a tree full of carnations.

It was warm enough for swim suits and sprinklers, walks to a playground for some seriously high swinging, and playdates with friends.

The early warm weather also brought about lots and lots of blooming. Above is a variety of tulips. Some from our yard and some from our walk to the playground. Below is a couple of close-ups of the pink tree, a fabulous forsythia, some yellow irises, and my very own daffodils.

We all love being outside to soak up the heat and enjoy all of the color after such a long, cold, snowy winter. Okay, this week is going to be more spring like in temperature...cool and breezy. I prefer it hot...so come on sun...bring it! Happy weekend. xo ANG

macro love

Oh, how I love the macro mode on my camera!

The other day when we went outside to play this lovely little shell of a guy was clinging to our screen house in the back yard. Fascinating, no?!

This here is one of our sunflowers. Just look at the uniformity and symmetry. The whole design is truly amazing!

One of my favorite wild flowers...Queen Anne's Lace. On my grandparent's farm there was always an abundance of this beauty growing in the fields. Big, lacy flowers..so pretty and delicate. Never in all my years had I taken a close-up look. But wow! up close the tiny individual flowers are stunning!

Now, here is one of my all-time favorite macro shots! It's so crazy! Can you guess what it is?
Oh, come on, take a guess. I'll tell you the answer in my next post.

Have a great day...and while you're out and about stop and take a closer look at God's amazing creations. xo-ANG

P.S. Don't forget to enter my Ecostore USA giveaway!

what we've been doing

*a little sewing fun for a giveaway...coming soon! Our new furry friend got cozy while I was measuring.

*peeling, breaking, melting, creating...fun!

*continuing to be in awe of God's amazing creation...check out the amount of pollen on that bumble bee's legs!

*mastering the hula hoop...a must for summer fun

*discovering new flowers that are tiny and beautiful (crown vetch)

*fishin'...a.k.a. watching Daddy fish between playground fun and picking flowers

*spending time with friends and loving every second of it!

*realizing why lilies are my favorite flower and why orange is my favorite color.

* oh sure, we've been doing work, too...in the house, in the yard, in the garden but who wants to hear about that?! What have you been doing lately? Something fun, I hope. xo ANG

a rose is a rose is a rose

We went for a stroll in the Old City (Confederate) Cemetery last weekend. It's known for it's very, very old heirloom roses. I missed the peak bloom on some of them, but I did manage to capture these beauties.

"A rose is a rose is a rose." Gertrude Stein

"My love is like a rose divided into two, the leaves I give to others, but the rose I give to you." author unknown

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

"It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees ."

George Eliot

"Truths and roses have thorns about them." Henry David Thoreau

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." Abraham Lincoln

"True friendship is like a rose: we don't realize its beauty until it fades." Evelyn Loeb

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." Emma Goldman

"The world is a rose; smell it and pass it to your friends." Persian Proverb

day trips at the beach

While we were in South Carolina at Myrtle Beach we decided to take a drive to Brookgreen Gardens. Tim and I went there while on our honeymoon almost 15 years ago and we hadn't been back since. Let me just say, if you are ever near Brookgreen Gardens you need to go there, with your camera, and some lunch, and be prepared to spend all day. There is so much to see...with two small kids it made for a long day, but with free stroller usage and lots of shady places they did a great job. There were so many sculptures and flowers and fountains to see. There's an aviary to walk through and a small lowcountry zoo. There is also a children's sculpture garden and a children's discovery room, and so much more. Too much to even explain. So, to start off this series of Brookgreen Gardens posts, here is a sampling of the beautiful flowers and trees that were in bloom.

Can I just say, I love Spanish moss.

That fabulous purple flower is a passion fruit flower. They also grow in Virginia. Tim and I saw one for the first time while we were walking along the river a few years ago.

After seeing the pink water lilies and their reflections I could see why Monet chose to capture such a beautiful sight on canvas. If only I had that talent.

fun, family, flowers

...on the hunt at Grandma and Pop's house...

...cousins on the couch...

...beautifully blooming bulbs...

monkeys, mushrooms, and moths, oh my!

Monkeys:
As promised, here are some pictures of the monkey pajamas that were such a bargain.

Big sister with her June doll and a big smile!

Little sister, not so happy (still cute though), but better detail of pajamas.

Big sister putting a hand full of rubber snakes in Little sister's shirt could explain the expression in the previous picture! But seriously, those pjs are so cute I'd wear them if they came in my size. Hmmm...maybe I should attempt sewing knit material and make some!

Mushrooms:
A few days ago when we went outside there were a few really big mushrooms growing in the side yard. I had every intention of taking some pictures of them because they looked so neat. The girls really enjoyed looking at them. But when we went out later that day they were gone....shredded by the neighbors lawn mower. I'm not complaining, I just missed the photo opportunity. Well, yesterday morning we found two small mushrooms in the back yard. They got some close up looks at them...and NO we can't put those on our pizza! I got my camera and got one good shot before they were accidentally stepped on by Miss E. It was still morning and there was dew on the grass but it was hot and the sun was shining brightly so when I stooped down to get a close up my lens fogged up a little. The effect, I think, is quite nice.

Moths:
The marigolds that I planted around the edge of our little garden have gotten huge. They really thrive in drought conditions. Until this summer I never really thought marigolds were pretty, I just knew they were useful in and around gardens for bug and animal control. Well, to our suprise and delight butterflies and moths love them. I have seen a few butterflies fluttering around, but the moths are all over the place. They seem to be a little more brave and can withstand the constant observations and squeals of delight from my girls. They are quite fascinating. I captured some great shots of them, with their bizarre, long tongues, sipping at the nectar in each little flower. Okay, okay, I know, that's enough talk. Here are some pictures.

Oh yeah, one more thing. We'll be leaving for the beach on Sunday. It looks as though we may be between hurricanes. Ike may put a damper on the end of the week, but hey, a vacation is still a vacation...rain or shine.

take two

Remember when I told you about the $1 Old Navy flip flops for the girls. Ya know, the ones that were too plain to wear so we added some cuteness. Well, leave it to Miss E to pull the cute sparkly pompoms off right away. Then Miss O was afraid to wear hers because she didn't want the pompoms to fall off. Well, I guess I forgot that hot glue doesn't work on everything! I had to come up with something else to make the flip flops cute again...hmmm, what to do, what to do? I thought about wrapping them in ribbon or tying strips of fabric on for the rag look, but neither idea was fancy enough for me the girls. They wanted the shoes to be fancy! Oh boy, did I find the perfect thing. I was in Walmart and was drawn to a clearance bin in the crafty section. Yeah, they got rid of all the fabric, now out goes the yarn, ribbon, and anything else that I would normally use. Anyway, I found a skein of fuchsia fancy fur with bits of other colors woven in...yeah baby, that's the ticket. So here are the $1 Old Navy flip flops...take two! Soft, fuzzy, firmly attached, and FANCY!
Remember I told you that our second sunflower had bloomed? Well, here is a picture of it...Sunflower Number Two...up close, of course. It did manage to grow about 7-8 feet tall in spite of the storm that nearly uprooted it. It's so beautiful. Next summer I'm going to plant lots and lots of sunflowers.
Okay, so I'm all fired up about sewing right now. I have been looking at the pattern that I want to use for my dress and a pattern for the next dress I want to make for the girls(Simplicity #5226). Miss E took it upon herself to choose what she wanted...the tank top. It went like this:
E: What's this?
me: The pattern for the next dress I want to make for you and O.
E: I want this tank top.
me: Okay, I can make one of those, too.
E: Okay, go ahead.
me: Well, not right now..and I don't have the fabric from the picture.
E: You should go look in your fabric box and get some then.
me: I don't have that color.
E: Just get some out and let me choose.
Later, after the fabric had been chosen and the tank top had been sewn...here you go E, it's done!
E: It doesn't have the ribbon like this picture. (as she points out on the envelope with her little chubby hand)
me: Okay, I'll add ribbon. (thank goodness I had some already...that matched)
After the ribbon was sewn on ....
E: Where's the bow? The picture has a bow to make it fancy.
So now the tank top is done. It's the first thing I whipped together quickly and loosely followed the pattern. Okay, so I'm a little freakish about following the pattern...but with my new found confidence I just dove right in without even flinching! I'm pleased with the result..and yes, I made TWO...one for E and one for Miss O, too. Yes, with the ribbon and bow. Every girl needs to be fancy sometimes :o)