Foxglove: When Gardeners Dream

Dream a little dream with me and look at this magnificent foxglove. If you'll allow me to guess, I think this is a "Sutton's Apricot" foxglove (http://www.michiganbulb.com/product/Suttons_Apricot_Foxglove)

I love photography because the pictures I take enhance my memory and help organize my wish list. I have come back to admire this photograph more times than I can count. When I was taking this picture at the garden center, I said that this particular foxglove looked like it was designed by Laura Ashley. Can you see what I mean? The print inside each blossom looks like its straight from the pages of her long lost bedding catalog. #iloveit

I will print this photo to display in my aqua and shell peach kitchen, but I will also return to this garden center next year to buy a foxglove. Hopefully they will have Sutton's Apricot, if not I'll choose another plant and then track down this variety elsewhere. I think it will make me happy for a long long time. 

Perspective: Flowers From Every Angle

I am so lucky.  I have a wonderful life and I'm so happy that I've found a way to bring delight to others through my photographs and story telling.

I've taken a break from daily blogging this last week to organize, think and plan my next 6 months.  I decided that a post showing the 3 different sides of the same floral arrangement could help me illustrate just how illuminating it can be to look at things from a different perspective.

Peonies, roses, dahlias and gerbera daisies in a Spring palate all worthy of our attention. Which side do you prefer?

 

Gingerbread Men On My Christmas Tree

I know it feels a bit early for Christmas posts, but frankly it is my job to inspire you and I think that part of having a successful holiday is preparation.  A late night baking session on December 19th can exhaust anyone, so I propose that you bake a few key items ahead of time in the quiet of November and then freeze them.  You and I will both be happy when we pull our homemade cookies out of the freezer, weeks from now, and all we have to do is decorate them.  

Today I am spotlighting my grandmother's gingerbread men.  Her men always looked just like this (a cookie from my tree last year) and hung all over her Christmas tree. We were allowed to take one off of the tree to eat every time we visited her house in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I loved it! She also made a ladder out of gingerbread that she leaned against the trunk.  It was to help the elves reach the branches!

Nama's tried and true recipe (one that I myself have used for 21 years) is Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cake & Cookie Mix.  Yes, a box mix.  Trust me, these cookies always come out perfectly. Specific instructions are on the side of the box - simply add a bit of water, flour and melted butter to the contents of the package and mix well with an electric mixer. Roll dough out on floured surface. I recommend baking on parchment paper for easy release. Allow the cookies to cool and then freeze in Ziploc freezer bags or Tupperware containers, with waxed paper or parchment paper arranged between each layer.  

If you aren't going to freeze them, then leave the gingerbread men uncovered for a few days to dry out before tying a ribbon around their necks.

When you are ready to decorate your gingerbread men (after they have defrosted or after a few days of drying out), make "glue" by mixing 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a few drops of hot water. Attach chocolate chip eyes and buttons with a dab of "glue"and then attach a "red hot" candy for his mouth.  Tie a ribbon around his neck and then slip an ornament hook into the ribbon and hang on the tree. Adorable!

My gingerbread men are quite popular (both eaten off the tree and on cookie platters) and to give myself a head start, I made 5 boxes worth of gingerbread men yesterday.  I burned an entire tray, so I was glad that I had made extras. They are already in my freezer and I feel great.  We will put up our Christmas tree on November 29 and by December 1st I should be having Gingerbread Men with my coffee in the morning.  Happy Holidays!

It's Tulip Time, One Way or Another

It's tulip time, the oh-so-important time frame in the Fall when you need to plant your tulip bulbs so that you are able enjoy them next Spring. 

I must be honest and admit that in my backyard, the squirrels have won.  Until there is some bulb-breakthrough, I can't plant tulips again only to find that they were eaten by my pesky neighbors.  I've sprinkled them with hot sauce, planted them under wire barriers, you name it and they are always gone by Spring. 

My message here is two-fold.  If you have luck with tulips, it's time to get out there and plant.  If you have my situation, it's time to promise yourself a trip to Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan.  There are 6 million tulip bulbs planted and ready for us to ooh and ahhh over the first week or so in May.  Next year the Holland Tulip Festival is May 3-10th, 2014 and I am going.  

My last visit was in 2007 and I miss it!  When the tulip fields are blooming, my heart swells.  

These "Angelique" tulips (above) look like peonies, don't they?

When something this lovely happens only once a year, it is worth it to get out your calendar and commit.  Before school picnics and soccer matches dictate your weekends, write "Tulip Time" on your calendar the first weekend in May (I just did!).  

That way, when you are scheduling your entire Spring, you can glance at your calendar and say, "Oh gosh, I'd love to, but I'll be at Tulip Time enjoying 6 million tulips that day.  Maybe the next weekend?"

Ha! But you know I'm serious.  If you don't put it on the calendar now, it gets very hard to find the time later.  Post some pictures from your trip on my Moments of Delight Facebook Page, ok?

A Brand New Year

Hello!  Happy New Year!  I hope that you are happy and healthy - that you've spent the last 30 days eating pie, hugging your family and getting glitter on your clothes.  I personally feel wonderful.  But my blog has had some real gaps in the last few weeks and I'm sorry.

This was the first year that I couldn't "live the life" and document it in real time.  Those of you that follow my on Facebook and Twitter knew that my holidays were packed with fun.

So today I am actually going to go backwards a bit.  I have photos from the holidays that you must see.  Pictures of how projects turned out and decorations that I made and want to show you.  So, I have retro-blogging to do to make this holiday season make sense.  Come back tomorrow and scroll through December.  You'll see a much better picture of a glorious holiday season.

Happy New Year! xo Anne

This post says it all, so I am republishing it, in case you missed it last year.  The only difference, is that I've traveled so much this January-April, I'm questioning if I've gotten enough done in my planning/writing phase...

I've been living a creative life long enough to recognize some patterns. My year is divided distinctly into three phases. I'm not sure if it is really right brain vs left, but it definitely uses different strengths at different times.

January - April: Analysis, Planning, Writing, Organizing

May-September: Creating, Designing, Photography

October-December: Tradition, Memories, Baking

I spend so much of Jan/Feb/March/April writing articles, blog posts, planning promotions and generally thinking. I brainstorm book ideas and talk a lot about the future, while I organize everything.

When the first blooms of May open, I am "shocked" into my creation phase, where everything is time sensitive. Each blossom (tulips, weeping cherry, marsh marigold, lilac, iris) will only be at peak for a few days (and if the sun is out, you'd better grab it!), the sunset is right now, the festival is this weekend only. So you see what I mean? I have to be camera-ready all the time to capture the ever-changing world of delight. I feel most creative during this time of year and bounce between making jewelry, taking pictures and sewing/taping/knitting/serging/threading/painting etc. It is so much fun.

And then by the Fall, I end up putting aside all business design ideas in lieu of the "what I can make for the house" ideas. I like to revive memories with a certain recipe. I like to fill the house with beautiful Christmas vignettes. I want to attend (and host!) the holiday parties and events that bring people together. I love it all.

And then it is suddenly after New Years, I'm exhausted and I settle down to think, write and reflect.

Does your year have a distinct pattern? As I look out the window, the roses are telling me that I am about to embark on my creative phase. Wish me luck!

Terra Cotta Pots

I kid you not, I was drawn to this display of pots like it was a bouquet of flowers or plate of cookies.  I was at a country fair and these matching Terra cotta pots were for sale in rows in an open basket.  I didn't buy any, not for lack of ideas of what to do with them, but mostly because the weight of these pots was not conducive to a day of shopping.

That didn't stop me from day dreaming about them, though.  I imagined them in a kitchen window, with a different herb in every pot.  I thought they would look darling at Christmastime, 3 tiny boxwood "Christmas" trees displayed on the mantle of a fireplace.  I'd tie a red and white check ribbon around each rim. 

Enjoying the beauty of every day things doesn't mean you always have to buy everything you love.  Sometimes giving yourself permission to imagine the possibilities is enough.  What would you put in these beautiful pots?

Queen Bee

I love honey and when I had the chance to photograph an active hive (in a narrow glass box) this is the result!

Can you see the honey glistening in the honeycomb? So natural and so gorgeous - love it!

I think of September as a time when all of my friends are "busy bees" buzzing about their hives and gathering the information they need from the fields.

I love when Fall activities are finally on the calendar, field trips are planned, committee meetings start up. I was surprised last week when I had to buy a 2011 calendar to keep up with all the dates coming in.

So think of yourself as a "Queen Bee" this week, managing the house, planning the fun and making things happen. Buzz...buzz.

Rose Catalogs

This time of year, gardeners are biding their time by pouring over rose catalogs. I seriously want something from every page of the David Austin Rose catalog.

As I look back at my photographs, I am trying to decide which color and shape blooms I should add this year.

I loved making bouquets with "Honey Dijon."
And am thinking about adding another rose in the lavender family, like my "Royal Amethyst." Space is limited, so I have to choose wisely.

I am looking forward to Spring mornings when everything in my busy schedule is put on hold because "the roses are blooming."

As I pour over the possibilities, do you have any suggestions for me?

Calendar Girl

It's the first Monday of the year and I am getting organized. Today is the day that I look at my calendar with a "bird's eye view."

I make notes in the margin of each month of the things I would like to attend. For example, I have never been to Chicago's Christkindlmarket (an outdoor holiday market filled with handcrafted German ornaments, food and holiday cheer) that is open from Thanksgiving to Christmas. If I note it on the calendar now, I am much more likely to plan for it in my schedule.

Another big deal is the Blue Angels! Every other year they fly in the air show at the National Cherry Festival over the 4th of July. This the year and I have to make sure that I am there!

After the big events are noted, I fill in birthdays (candle stickers) and anniversaries (wedding cakes) by month. This moment of quiet planning makes my year go more smoothly. I love my Blackberry, but I really am a calendar girl.

Tunnel Vision

I am working on my tunnel vision.

I have chosen my photo of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge to represent that today.

The cross-bars are all of the different aspects of my brand: ANA purses, writing, book composition, photography, jewelry design, Delight totes and blogging.

The good news is that I don't want to get to the end of the tunnel. I love what I am doing...I just have to give each bar the attention it deserves!

Oh, and look, there are blue skies ahead!

The 12 Days of Valentine's Day

I am telling you now so you'll have a chance to plan...The 12 Days of Valentine's Day starts in 2 weeks.

What does this mean?
It means it's time to get out your red placemats, buy pink sprinkles at the grocery store and start thinking of ways to express your love to those around you. Friends, family, neighbors - everyone can celebrate with you.

I absolutely love Valentine's Day and could not possibly fit all the heart-shaped food, flowers and decorations I desire into just one day.

Want to see how I celebrated last year? Take a peek at my blog posts from February 3 -14, 2008.
Come celebrate The Twelve Days of Valentine's Day with me...you know you want to.

See, Hear, Do

I just turned to July 2009 on my calendar and wrote "Lavender Farm" in an open space at the top. I also wrote "Sheep Festival" on the May page and "Black Raspberries" at the top of August.

Time goes so quickly and the day-to-day bustle can make it easy to miss the really special events that only happen once a year. What do you want to see, hear, do this year? Figure out when it happens and jot a note to yourself on the calendar. You'll be glad you did.

Winter Break

Are you getting a well-deserved rest after the big build-up to Christmas, or are you still meeting and greeting with family and friends? I am usually in Texas the week between Christmas and New Year's, spending time with my husband's wonderful family and navigating the whirl of delicious restaurants and cute shops. But this year, we will see his family at a reunion in the Spring (Washington, DC!), so we are home for a few quiet days after the holiday. I am reading books, drinking tea and thinking about all the lovely photos I want to take in 2009.

Friends & Pastries

Have you met a friend for coffee & a pastry lately? Get out your calendar, call her and make it happen. Then put a sticker on the day to denote the upcoming fun. I load my calender with stickers for everything from book club to the farmers market. It makes the paper month look so much prettier and lets the special occasions "pop." Organizing your life is so more than just writing things down.