celebration of color: red

i believe months have colors that define them, for december it would absolutely be red. starting at the end of thanksgiving and lasting until the new year, red seems to dominate the season. from the big blow up santa's in the front yard to the stripes on the candy canes to the massive quantities of poinsettias at ever turn. and even without these images, the color alone brings me a sense of the holiday season.

i hope you all had a fabulous december!

holly berriesfurry little friend

color themed crafts...

the scent of the season...

red blooms

remnants of holiday cookie making...
christmas tree bulbs
iconic holiday plant: poinsettia
holiday day trips: macaw @ jungle gardens

round and round...

you know how sometimes you notice something, like a shape or color, and then the next thing you know it just keeps popping out at you? for me, the last few days have been filled with circles, mentally and physically. the craziness of the holidays twirled together with circular shapes of things all around. so i thought i'd share a few that caught my eye.

for the birds...

soaring up in the sky, hanging down by the beach, or by the bird feeder in your back yard ~ birds, from majestic cranes to stalking sea gulls, are all around us.

so here is my small tribute to:
FLORIDA BIRDS

"a bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
(Maya Angelou)

ornamentals and holiday cheer...

santa ornamenthouse decor

lights on the water

classic ornamentsmy gingerbread houseoh the joy of candy canes...gumdropsstreet lights...
gingerbread men dinnerware...

just wanted to share a few tidings of joy... ornaments, lights, and other holiday fun.

happy holidays!

a joyous card...

my detail shot of a veitchia palm was used by michael a. gilkey, inc. (landscape architects / contractors) for their holiday greeting card designed by jason riley. it creates a unique touch by making the card a bit more personable, as well as, display a native palm that has been used in many of their designs.

mmm... cookies

nothing brings kids and adults together at the holidays like the baking and decorating of christmas cookies... this year we made a real party out of it with several types of dough, massive amounts toppings, a variety of cutters, and fun advent activities. it is also a prime photo op for fun shots...

the spoils of cookie cutting madness

some of the kids finished works of art

creative fun: a cookie pizza

serving up the slices

for the love of sprinkles

for photos of the kids and more of the fun go to Must Be Tuesday!

Happy Holidays!

what's in a winter wonderland?

growing up in florida, the land of sunshine and beaches, i never get to fully experience what seems to be on most holiday cards: a snowy winter wonderland or, more importantly, snowmen. i have, in the past, taken part in some fun snow pastimes... snow angels, skiing, sledding, snowball fights... but, alas, i have never built a snowman.

no carrot nose. no coal eyes. no scarf. no black silk hat.

to some it is a sad state of affairs, to me it is just part of the florida experience. i have no fear of getting blocked in my home due to a blizzard (though i have experienced more than my share of hurricanes), nor fear of not being able to find my little bug in a snow drift (though snowbirds make parking like an extreme game of chess - up 2 and to the right...), or even irritation about having to grab a shovel before i head out the door.

all that said, i still hope to make a snowman one day. until then, i will have to make do with my beautiful non-snow filled florida winters.

FLORIDA'S WINTER BONUSES:

the grapefruit trees are loaded
florida finally gets fall leaves flowers are still bloomingand, as always, our sunsets are amazing

inspiration: a flash of red

as i was leaving work last week, a flash of red caught my eye... and inspiration struck in the form of a radiant red vine on a barbed wire fence. the sunset in the distance was making it practically glow red. and as i was taking the photos the neighbors horses came over to investigate. all in all, quite a lovely moment captured. enjoy.

black and white: textures

black and white photographs can take away the object of a photograph leaving only the texture on display.

depth :: surface :: consistency :: feel