autumn gardens

Yesterday we took advantage of the beautiful California autumn weather (while the East was preparing for the storm, stay safe peoples!) and headed to Descanso Gardens for a stroll. There weren't too many flowers in bloom (we hope to go back again when the roses or camellias are in bloom) but it was so lovely just enjoying all the greenery, fresh air, the views and checking out the ranch house on the property.

These are some iPhone snaps, unedited, plus check out this one on Instagram.

summer inspiration

One of my favorite colors in summer is bright, eye-catching yellow! It's so happy.

Some inspiration from nature in these pictures of sea-side flowers.

garden wedding

Yesterday we attended a wedding at the Rose Garden at Exposition Park next to USC. Easy to get to on the train!

Fun wedding, beautiful location, stunning weather. And of course the bride and groom ended up in the fountain!

Photos taken on iPhone using Instagram.

spring snapshots

Some snapshots from the last couple of weeks. It's been really busy!

Back to normal scheduling this week.

TOP: Wall of Wine at Tierra Sur after our Ojai day. Gorgeous Spring blossoms.

MIDDLE: Picnic at Malibu Creek State Park with the family. Roses are in bloom. Preparing colourful cauliflower.

BOTTOM: Passover food. Quinoa salad with veggies, herbs and feta - very tasty and refreshing. Homemade chocolate, toasted almond and cranberry clusters with sea salt - easy to make!

All photos taken on my iPhone, some using Instagram - you can see my Instagram feed online here.

interesting tree

On our hike at Will Rogers SHP, more than one of us stopped at a particular tree to comment on the foliage. The exact words being "That's an interesting tree." I took some pictures of course! Bright yellow, twig-like flower-things interspersed on branches between the leaves - a beautiful layered look!

in the detail

The Getty Museum is one of my favourite places in Los Angeles because of the amazing architecture and the gardens. The attention to detail is impressive, in both the building and the landscaping, with shadows, reflections, shapes and colours changing with the light and seasons to add even more interest. I also like the contrast of nature (plants, flowers) against the grid and harder lines of the building and the curves in the structure that soften edges and nod to organic form.

These pictures are just a few from a visit last summer.

petals that pop

Couldn't resist the colourful zinnia's at the market the other week. The pop of colour in the house really brightens up the place. Tip: An inexpensive way to add colour to a room and easy to change it up regularly. (This bunch was around $3.00 and lasted for over a week.)

historical house

On our trip to DC, we went to Mt Vernon, George Washington's house, garden and estate. The property is huge and contains several farming areas. Washington used innovative farming techniques for the time. The property had been in his family and the house was added to over time to become quite a grand mansion with many outer buildings for staff and slaves as well as farm buildings for animals and storage. The extensive gardens are beautiful and contain areas for flowers and more exotic plants and another for seasonal fruit and vegetables. The large front lawn gives a wonderful view of the house and the back porch overlooks the Potomac.

The tree pictured is supposedly (according to our tour guide) the largest Pecan tree in the USA.

I enjoyed walking around the estate (despite the heat and humidity) and learning about American history and finally hearing how to pronounce "Potomac" as I'd only ever read the name in books and never heard it out loud. (It's amusing to my husband when I say it wrong! But to be fair, I'm still new to America.)

art & orchid [in my house]

despite the clouds

It's already June! The months go by quickly. But we can ignore the June gloom when there's beautiful color in the world, like these flowers that pop against the cloudy background of the sky.

raindrops on roses

Just one of a series of pictures I took last October when the weather was rainy - just like today. Stay tuned for more of these!

[hike] purple blooms

Purple blooms along the trail with an explosion of other colorful plants in the Santa Monica Mountains for a hike on Mother's Day. More of those images to come! 

by the lake

An outing with visiting family to Lake Balboa on a gorgeous Spring day.

roses [in my house]

A lovely Friday afternoon surprise of a bunch of two-tone red and white roses from my husband. It's always nice to have some extra greenery and color in the house. On my list of projects is to start a small herb garden on the balcony to: a) be able to cook with fresh herbs and b) improve the view!