Vowing to look Closer

Image 1: Flower, square cropping

I love going to botanical gardens, breathing in the fresh and mostly fragrant air, moving about in the outdoors, and seeing thousands of flowers in their moment of glory in a beautiful setting.  Some flowers bloom only once a year for less then a week, so I make an effort to catch the blossoms often and at the best times.  The camera comes along to document the day and allow me to review later any discoveries.  My camera also encourages me to pause and take a closer look.  The pause and closer look may well be my favorite aspect of photography.

Image 2: Flower petals, square cropping

Stopping to study a flower, I notice the center, sometimes hidden and sometimes revealed, like a jewel placed in a surround of silk or tissue.  A group of flowers might have only one or two with their centers visible, or perhaps an entire area might be full of flowers striving to be noticed.  (People are similar to flowers - many times their core is hidden, and there are short magical moments when the sun comes out and they reveal some beauty not normally seen, for those who pause to notice.) 

When I review my photos, sometimes days or months later, I occasionally find myself entranced by an photo I took, when at the time it seemed just another photo in my day.  Macro photography allows me to see more, to "look closer".  Viewed later, a photo that didn't seem special then now becomes a favorite.  (Here I define macro photography as seeing the image at larger than life size).

Image 4: Anemone Flower with dispersed pollen

The Anemone above is an example - amazing color and shape, and fully opened compared to the others around it.  A beautiful flower, in peak bloom, amazing color and condition, but darn, I wanted to blow off (didn't work) or wash off all the pollen making the flower look dusty, which wasn't an option.  At home on my screen, however, I was entranced.  The pollen forms like a galaxy of stars around the black hole of the center.  or maybe it's like people leaving a stadium concert.  Not the typical photo of an anemone, but for some reason it speaks to me.  (Click on the image to see it big!) 

Discoveries like this have made me vow to look closer, often.  I now have a new goal - this year I vow to look closer.  

Don't forget to enjoy the flowers of the season - some flowers last barely a week!

Click on the images to see them enlarged.


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I am linking up to these parties:
Create with Joy: Inspire me Sun-Mon (Entry 62 of 263.)   I was featured here!
My Random: Anything Goes 380 (Entry 26 of 42.)
Rachel Swirl: Sunday Snapshot (Entry 8 of 9.)
Good Random Fun: Good Fun Mon 4a (m Entry 27 of 28.)
BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry 27x of 29x.)
Uncommon Slice: Inspire Me 273 Mon 2-4p (m Entry 70 of 91.)
Common Ground: About Home 198 Mon 6p (l Entry 65 of 129.)
Loulougirls: Fabulous-party Mon 477 1p (l Entry 56 of 68.)
Mersad photography: Thru my Lens (Entry 18 of 19.)
Image-in-ing: Weekly link up (Entry 24 of 49.)
Nicholasjv: Travel Tuesday 392 (Entry 14 of 14.)
Pinch of Joy: Busy Mon 576 (Entry 26 of 124.)           I was featured here!
April Harris: Hearth and Soul (Entry 51 of 203.)
My world Thru My Lens: My Corner Wed (Entry 3 of 36.)
Stonecottageadventures: Tues with a twist 527 (l Entry 18 of 23.)
Karins Kottage: Karins Cottage (Entry 15 of 107.)
Flusterbuster: Creative Muster 539 Wed (l Entry 55x of 99x.)
Thrift Addiction: Vintage Charm 391 Wed (m Entry 26 of 44.)
Grandmas house: Grand House 350 Wed 4p (m Entry 59 of 133.)
Imparting grace: Grace at home 508 (Entry 51 of 117.)
Artsy mama: Artsy Party Wed 10p (Entry 61 of gone.)
My Slices of Life: Hearts+Home Handmade Th 4p (Entry 38 of 73.)
Pieced Pastimes.gr: Saturday Sparks 567 Fr 8a (L Entry 4 of 65.)
Eclectic Red Barn: Wonderful Tu 7p (Entry 104r of 111r.)
Also Pennys Passion: Wonderful Tu 7p (m Entry 104r of 111r.)
KatherinesCorner: Th Fav Things 10a (Entry 95 of 174.)
Also Follow the yellow brick: TFT 10a (Entry 95 of 174.)
Keeping it Real: Really Crafty 367 (m Entry 32 of 35.)
Pennys Passion: Fri Favorites (Entry 17 of 24.)
Natalie: Coffee Share Th (Entry 5 of 28.)
Simply Beautiful: Funtastic Thur 439 8p (i Entry 69 of 88.)
Grammys Grid: Unlimited Party 114 (Entry 36 of gone.)
Cottagemarket: A morning cup of Joe 142 (L Entry 14 of 59.)
Shabby art: Create-grow-gather 574 (L Entry 22x of 113x.)
Modern Monticello: Home matters 432 Fri (s Entry 37r of 123r.)
Pinch of Joy: Busy Mon 572/ (s Entry 85 of 122.)
The house on Silverado: Sun on Silverado 148 (Entry 110 of 131.)
Ducks n a Row: Happiness is Homemade Sun a (Entry 86 of 109.)
Life and Linda: Dishing it Digging it 204 Sun 3p (l Entry 97 of 127.)
Sew Can Do: Craftastic Mon (Entry 101 of 105.)
Found Chelsea blog, Cool floral site, Chelsea flicker,
Chelsea food, Flower Instagram, Blog, England

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Lily of the Valley Flower arrangement

Lilies of the Valley

 About 20 years ago I saw a stunningly beautiful arrangement of one of my favorite flowers at a restaurant.  Composed entirely of Lilies of the Valley, it was small and incredibly simple.  (And therefore, of course, impossible for me to duplicate.)  The waitress said one of her co-workers had created it from flowers in from her yard.

Lilies of the Valley Desktop Background (free)

Lilies of the Valley remind me of my dad - he grew Lilies of the Valley at the house I grew up in.  I eventually planted some of his plants at my house, waited a couple of decades for it to spread, and now, years later, I am trying to recreate that memorable arrangement.  (You might call this the "long game" of flower arranging.)

Lily of the Valley flower arrangement

The arrangement, as I remember it, consisted of a mass of flower stems without any leaves, set in a small glass (not even a vase, really.)  

Lily of the Valley arrangement

My resulting bouquet lacks the artistry of the original in my memory, (I need a shorter glass!) but I enjoyed playing with (and smelling) the flowers.  Lilies of the valley have a beautiful and unique scent - I wish you could smell them over the internet!  They last less than two weeks, and are rarely in bouquets.

Lily of the Valley Closeup

Do you have certain flowers that remind you of specific people or places?  Feel free mention what and who in the comments below.  And don't forget to enjoy spring - some flowers last barely a week!

 

Lilies of the Valley

(Note: I made the mosaic table used in one of the photos, See it in this mosaic table post.)  
 

 

Click on the images to see them enlarged.


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Spring Tags

Needlework

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I am linking up to these parties:
My Random: Anything Goes 374 (Entry 46 of 62.)
Good Random Fun: Good Fun 742 Mon 4a (m Entry 30 of 36.)
BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry 19 of 26.)
Anitaojeda: Inspire Me Mon 147 4p (s Entry 18 of 27.)
Uncommon Slice: Inspire Me 267 Mon 2-4p (m Entry 25 of 99.)
* Stroll Life: Inspire Me 679 Mon 3p (l Entry 1 of 143.)
Common Ground: All About Home Mon 6p (l Entry 5 of 129.)
Loulougirls: Fabulous-party 472 Mon 1p (l Entry 36 of 85.)
Mersad photography: Thru my Lens (Entry 17 of 22.)
Image-in-ing: Weekly link up (Entry 26 of 60.)
Nicholasjv: Travel Tuesday 386 (Entry 11 of 12.)
Across the Blvd: Beautifully Made 259 Tue 8a (Entry 6 of 38.)
Lindas lunacy: Making-a-home 43 Tue 9a (m Entry 2 of 44.)
My world Thru My Lens: My Corner Wed (Entry 6 of 56.)
Peabea: Pictorial Tuesday (Entry 1 of 16.)
 My Wee Abode: Tuesday Turn About (s Entry 3r of 126r.)
Stonecottageadventures: Tues with a twist 521 (l Entry 27 of 33.)
Karins Kottage: Karins Kottage 315 (Entry 18 of 18.)
Flusterbuster: Creative Muster 524 Wed (l Entry 8x of 110x.)
My Thrift Addiction: Vintage Charm 385 Wed (m Entry 29 of 57.)
Grandmas house: Grandmas house 344 Wed 4p (m Entry 53 of 128.)
French Ethereal: Share Your Style 385 Wed 6p (Entry 16 of 43.)      I was featured here!
Imparting grace: Grace at home 507 (Entry 125 of **)
Artsy mama: Artsy Party Wed 10a (Entry 39 of gone..)
Nest in the Rocks: Hearts+Home Th 4p (Entry 51 of **)
Pieced Pastimes.gr: Saturday Sparks 561 Fr 8a (L Entry 44 of 54.)
Eclectic Red Barn: Wonderful Wed Tue  (Entry 190 of 194.)              I was featured here!
Also KatherinesCorner: Thurs Fav Things Th 10a (Entry 190 of 194.)
Also Follow the yellow brick: Th 10a (Entry 190 of 194.)
Try It-Like it: Creatively Crafty 376 Th 4p (Entry 3 of 16.)
Simply Beautiful: Funtastic Thur 438 8p (Entry50 of  **)
Pennys Passion: Wonderful Wed (Entry 18r of 133r.)
EclecticRedBarn: Wonderful Wed (m Entry 18r of 133r.)
LeCultivateur: Wonderful 91 Wed (m Entry 18r of 133r.)
My hubbard home: Fri with Friends 10 (Entry break)
Pams Party: Dare to share 456 Fri 11p (m Entry 27 of 72.)
Its a small town life: Thankful Th 24 (Entry 7 of **)
Natalie: Coffee Share Th (Entry 17 of 27.)
Coastal Bohemian: Funtastic 433 Thur 8p (i Entry 10 of 104.)
Cottagemarket: A morning cup of Joe 136 (L Entry 56 of 67.)
Shabby boutique: Create-bake-grow-gather 568 (L Entry 124x of 130x.)
Modern on Monticello: Home matters 426 Fri (s Entry 14r of 130r.)        I was featured here!
The house on Silverado: Sun on Silverado 142 (Entry 59 of 143.)
Life and Linda: Dishing it Digging it 198 Sun 3p (l Entry 22 of 138.)

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Fantasy Spring Nest with Eggs

Fantasy Spring Nest

Locations south of me are seeing signs of spring, but here in Wisconsin we had snow this weekend. To get in the Easter and Spring mindset, I decided to share a fantasy spring bird nest with eggs. The nest is real, the eggs and flowers are real, but the photo is entirely "styled". The photos where taken on April 2 in a previous year.

Fantasy Spring Eggs in Nest

When I find abandoned bird nests around my house, I place them outside on my window ledges. For this 'vignette', I used one of those nests, store bought quail eggs (that my kids wouldn't eat), and placed the nest in a blooming patch of early spring flowers.

Fantasy Spring Nest

 

Enjoy!

Happy St Pat's Day, 

and Happy Easter!

Notes: I planted the flowers, Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) long ago. Glory of the Snow blooms very early in spring with upward facing blue flowers, making it a lovely and welcome sign of spring here. The flowers spread easily (with encouragement). What does 'spreads easily (with encouragement)' mean? You place the tiny bulbs in the lawn, and over years the flowers will spread slowly, within a couple of square feet. If you want to have it spread over multiple areas you have to place the bulbs there. It seems to grow better in the shade, and the bulbs don't seem harmed by lawn weed chemicals. 

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I am linking up to these parties:
Create with Joy: Inspire me Sun-Mon 568 (m Entry 39 of 297.)          I was featured here!
My Random: Anything Goes 369 (Entry 8 of 58.)
Bosworth Life: Garden Year April (s Entry 3 monthly)
Good Random Fun: Good Fun Mon 4a (m Entry 18 of 32.)
BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry 3x of 32x.)  Dentist
Anitaojeda: Inspire Me 142 Mon 4p (s Entry 23 of gone.)
Uncommon Slice: Inspire Me Mon 263 2-4p (m Entry 7 of 100.)
Common Ground: All About Home Mon 6p (l Entry 69 of 153.)
Loulougirls: Fabulous-party 467 Mon 1p (l Entry 30 of 98.)
Mersad photography: Thru my Lens (Entry 11 of 20.)
Image-in-ing: Weekly link up (Entry 7 of 60.)
Nicholasjv: Travel Tuesday 382 (Entry 2 of 13.)
Across the Blvd: Beautifully Made 254 Tue 8a (Entry 4 of 22 gone)
Lindas lunacy: Making-a-home 38 Tue 9a (m Entry 7 of gone.)
My world Thru My Lens: My Corner Wed (Entry 17r of 52r.)
Peabea: Pictorial Tuesday (Entry 3 of 14.)
Thistlekeylane: Tuesday Turn About 5p (s Entry 13r of 134r.)
Also My Wee Abode: Tuesday Turn About (s Entry 13r of 134r.)
Stonecottageadventures: Tues with a twist 516 (l Entry 5 of 33.)
Karins Kottage: Centerpiece Wed (Entry 27 of 133.)
Flusterbuster: Creative Muster 529 Wed (l Entry 10x of 104x.)
My Thrift Store Addiction: Vintage Charm 380Wed (m Entry 16 of 56.)
Grandmas house: Grandmas house 339 Wed 4p (m Entry 18 of 54.)
French Ethereal: Share Your Style 380 Wed 6p (Entry 12 of 57.)
Imparting grace: Grace at home 500! (Entry 66 of 166.)
Artsy mama: Artsy Party Wed 10p (Entry 82 of gone.)
My Slices of Life: Hearts+Home Handmade Th 4p (Entry 47 of 68.)
Eclectic Red Barn: Thurs Favorite Things 600 Th 10a (Entry 87 of 201.)
Also KatherinesCorner: 600 Th 10a (Entry 87 of 201.)
Also Follow the yellow brick: 600 Th 10a (Entry 87 of 201.)
Life beyond Kitchen: Creatively Crafty 371 Th 4p (Entry 51 of 91.)
Pennys Passion: Fri Favorites (Entry 34 of 42.)
Its a small town life: Thankful Th 24 (Entry 10 of 13.)
Coastal Bohemian: Funtastic 428 Thur 8p (i Entry 12 of 131.) Also
Two Chicks and a Mom: Funtastic Thur 8p (i Entry 12 of 131.)
Shabby art boutique: Create-bake-grow-gather 563 (L Entry 18x of 127x.)
Modern on Monticello: Home matters 421 Fri (s Entry 5r of 133r.)
The house on Silverado: Sun on Silverado 136 (Entry 56 of 157.)
Life and Linda: Dishing it Digging it Sun 192 (l Entry 8 of 146.)
April Harris: Hearth and Soul Sun 10p (Entry 137 of 200.)

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