Big Meadows

I could write about this place all day.  But I don't have enough free time.  So I will only tell you that this is truly one of my favorite places I've EVER been.  It's so magical.  

  

Okay, just a little bit.

Oh, the fawns.  The fawns.  I'm going next summer just to see the fawns again.  You could look into the forest while you were driving on the road and see them (like the third picture from the top). I told Alain that we have to go back when I can go to the meadow at dawn and at dusk.  Mainly for better photo lighting but also because the animals might be around.  The girls and I saw plenty of deer beds (15th photo down is an example ~ I showed Sophie & Clara the first one and then they found plenty on their own) but the actual deer weren't around in the middle of the day. While we didn't see any bears, we spoke to a park ranger who said he's seen eight so far this season. Sophie wants to camp there so maybe that's a possibility when Clara gets a little older (at the moment, she still doesn't sleep when she's away from home!).  I am also now obsessed with wildflowers ~ I'm sure you didn't notice. I'm researching books (thinking about this one) and considering attending Wildflower Weekend next year. To say that I was inspired by my visit to Big Meadows would be a drastic understatement. The natural beauty was overwhelming in a very good way!

I hope you can go one day too!

Pinteresting

I've made no secret of my addiction to Pinterest. If someone were to ask me what my greatest source of inspiration is I'd have to say Pinterest. Ben, the guy who invented the site, is genius. I recently checked my boards to see what was up and WHAT? I had to check several times. Yes, my Party Inspiration board has over 2,200 followers. Several of my boards do. I get about 10-15 new followers each day. The last time I checked the number was around 200 or so. Every once in a while I look around to see which pins o' mine are capturing other people's interests. On my boards, hands down, it's this image.....

At this moment in time, it's been repinned 262 times and has 24 likes. I pinned this over a year ago from Amy Atlas' blog. She originally found the project in Family Fun. Almost all of the repins have occurred in the last month or so. Makes me wonder what suddenly happened to make others take notice of this particular pin. Aaahhh, the wonders of social media!

The second most popular pin is this one....

A very pink and pretty baby shower that I originally found on Style Me Pretty. Currently it's been repinned 164 times and has 14 likes. It's also over a year old but has been repinned pretty consistently over that time period.

When it comes to Pinterest, I know exactly which of my friends and family use the site. It's often the topic of conversation when we're together. I love to pin something specifically for one of my followers. And I love when someone repins and thanks me for the idea (Hi Mariel!). Actually, it's thanks to a pin from Mariel a few days ago that I discovered Clara's Valentine's Day present (via Uncommon Goods)....

I also found Sophie's Valentine's Day present via Pinterest....

Believe me, as precious as this print is in this copied image, it's many times more so in person. I am now a devoted follower of Lori's at Fresh Picked Whimsy. This won't be the last time I make a purchase from her adorable, delicious little shop. Her blog is great too.

My mother-in-law started using Pinterest about five months ago. When we were on the phone one day I asked her about it and she said, "Pinterest has changed my life". It made me laugh at first. I guess because it tickled my soul. Amen, Cristina. Amen. You and me both!

*** smile ***

PS ~ If you're so inclined, you can follow my Pinterest boards here.

Farm Inspiration

NYC Flower District

Last summer I read this article in the Travel section of The New York Times. I'd never been to the Flower District before....honestly, I didn't even know there was one. So I added the Flower District to my "NYC TO DO LIST". Finally, on this trip, I made it there....

As Cara recommended, I started my trip at Guy & Gallard. Yes, good move. I had a Chai that was just belly warming and delicious. It was a delight and a good find. The place was booming...

Then I walked over to West 28th Street. My first sight were these Van Gogh sunflowers. Swoon. They gave me a flashback. I had two of the most beautiful dinners ever at La Grenouille a couple of years ago. These sunflowers will always remind me of those particular dinners & that restaurant. When we organized the dinners, the restaurant allowed us to pay additional money for more flowers. We did and I'd recommend that to anyone planning a private party there. The flowers were so magnificent and the bouquets included tons of the Van Gogh sunflowers. I was so pleased to turn the corner and run into them.....

Cara Buckley described the sidewalk here as "a lush hallway" and she was right. I tried to capture this in a photo. I love the juxtaposition of so many plants, all this nature, set right up against the cement, street signs, manmade structures, etc.

You expect to find a lot of things on a New York City street but maybe not these.

I walked into a few different stores here to browse around. Wow. I LOVED the store above....thought I'd walked right into ribbon heaven. I helped a total stranger pick out ribbons for her mother's 80th birthday party. I'm always tickled at the encounters I have with random folks when I'm visiting New York. People often incorrectly assume that people are rude in the city. I would strongly disagree with that.

I love anything to do with presents, gift wrap, ribbon, presentation, etc. so I enjoyed this display of stacked presents hanging from the ceiling.

I'm really glad I visited The Flower District. It's so tiny....not even making up an entire city block. I don't agree with Cara that this will take you half a day. I was there about an hour and a half. But it was worth the trip. My guess is that, over time, this "district" will get smaller or disappear all together. I hope I'm wrong.

Inspiration in The City

When I'm in New York, I feel constantly inspired. By everything.

The colors (how about these rainbow file folders?).

The advertising.

The architecture (ah, the architecture!.....).

The little touches of nature. Sometimes you have to intentionally look for it.

The randomness.

Even the mundane (Knuffle Bunny, anyone?).

Scenes from The City

I am back from New York.

I had a wonderful trip. Six full days.

But even six days is not nearly enough.

I am already longing for my next trip there.

I can't get enough.