Glass Pumpkins

October brings dwindling sunlight as nature gives final notice turning foilage and landscapes to vibrant reds, brilliant oranges and golds. These luminous glass pumpkins pose and sparkle like jewels in the autumn sun expressing their colors of changing seasons.

Mother's Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers and caregivers everywhere. Here are pieces of my day from the neighborhood and a nearby botanical garden. The pink sweetheart roses remind me of my Italian grand "momo" who loved these little flowers. In summer, she would place a few of the tiny bud stems in a glass jar on the kitchen window sill. I think the yellow roses blooming in my neighbor's yard fell from heaven!

Pieces of Easter and Tulips. . bottoms up!

My Easter guests arrived quite on time this year and in the frenzy of conversation and hugs, I forgot to take pictures of my lovely table decor. Here are the dessert place settings and the vintage "Royal Rose" Nobility flatware I inherited from my aunt. The plates are from "Anthropologie", the tulips were from my guests and the geranium is from my container garden. Enjoy!

Sicily

Spring is my favorite time of year to explore and discover interesting and intriguing places. Since joining the ranks of the unemployed, travel is not an option for now. So I took a mental journey and revisited this mysterious island, Sicilia. One of my favorite cities was Caltagirone, an ancient classic city known for its ceramics. (And the best canoli too.)

Sharing inspiration!

I love pretty sidewalks like this one in a San Francisco neighborhood, and I'm continually inspired by gardens filled with water cannas, succulents and doves in nearby Filoli, just a "few of my favorite things."

Spring . . . . not quite!

Spring has not yet sprung in the bay area and I've been reminiscing of my visit to Holland and Belgium in the Spring 2007. These lovely blooms in Keukenhof Gardens seemed to pose for this picture, while Bruges with its sleepy canals, old chuches and religious convents, conveyed a fairytale world.

Sweet Inspirations!

I love discovering inspirations that nurture my creative side. Apartment Forty Six is a hidden gem filled with eclectic art, small treasures and unique floral arrangements. I simply could not resist this petite spring bouquet in a vintage amber glass vase. There's even a tiny lime branch hiding behind the Star of Jerusalem.

February and Calla Lilies

I purchased these callas to brighten the long weekend and try my hand at sketching them.




These graceful beauties seem to breath, bend and reach for light.

Calla lilies have defined love and purity since ancient times. According to legend, it is believed that after being punished by God and banished from the Garden of Eden, Eve shed tears of repentance. Calla lilies then sprang from where her teardrops fell.

Back to School

Part two of my composition class begins today. I'm anxious to begin working with color pastels, prismacolors and expand my collage techniques. Below are two of charcoals from fall semester.