I'm back and it was an absolutely WONDERFUL trip! I'm back in time for the
Hooked on Houses Blog Party. I'm hooked on San Diego, perfect weather, beautiful flowers and fantastic trees!
I really meant to do some posts ahead and have them automatically launch but I am not as organized as
Struggler! There were too many last minute things to do. I had to leave the house tidy for hubby who was not coming on the trip. There was a detailed list of plants to water that I had to print and put on the refrigerator. And of course there were wardrobe decisions to be made. Then it all had to be squished into a carry on bag. (Who trusts the airlines to get your bag on the right plane when you have to change in Houston?)
Thank goodness my daughter (J) and her husband (T) knew all the rules about packing tiny amounts of liquids and what size plastic bag is required to hold those 3 ounce bottles. The morning of departure had us at the stores looking for plastic bags and trial sizes of toothpaste, etc. for me. The flights were the pits because in my opinion it is cruel to put humans into seats with that little space. You feel that the person in front of you is sitting in your lap!
I LOVED San Diego! Who wouldn't love a place with flowers like this everywhere? I wish
bougainvillea would grow in Virginia!
It was so exciting to see my son, Kevin, onstage in three plays at the
Lowell Davies Theatre in Balboa Park. J & T and I met some of his fellow actors/students who are earning their Masters Degrees in Fine Arts at the Old Globe/University of San Diego (as is Kevin). All three plays (
"Twelfth Night", "Coriolanus" & "Cyrano De Bergerac") were well done and very entertaining. The actors were talented and the costumes were a treat to see. The proud mother says check out
Kevin's website.
The weather was perfect with temperatures in the seventies every day and dipping into the sixties at night. And there was always a gentle breeze. We especially enjoyed seeing the different kinds of trees and flowers. Balboa Park was amazing! It is 1,200 acres of gardens, museums, restaurants, and fabulous architecture. We did enjoy one of the art museums and the Photograpy Museum which had a display of Ansel Adams photos. The San Diego Zoo is also in the park but I'll save that for another post.
This is one of the many gardens in Balboa Park and one of the arches leading into the garden. Notice the fantastic tree.
These trees are in the zoo. J, T & I together took nearly 1,000 pictures. Many of them are of trees, flowers and each other taking pictures!
The architecture in Balboa Park is Spanish and there are lots of arches. Do you love arches as much as I do!
This is the same garden as the second picture. The flowers are cosmos and lavender. With such lovely weather there were outdoor weddings in the Park on Sunday so two of the gardens were closed to the public. There seemed to be wedding groups everywhere having pictures taken. What a lovely backdrop!
Do you think anyone who actually creates in a craft room has it looking this picture perfect?
My rocking recliner in the living room (next to hubby B's chair) is where I like to sit and sew! I can watch the news or be with B while he watches ball games. One cat sits on the back of my recliner, another at my feet and one in the chair beside me. The gas log stove is a few feet away, a glass wall is in front of me and the kitchen is only steps away so B can bring me snacks and coffee! My mother always had so much around her favorite chair we called it her nest. So now, following tradition, I have a nest!
This is my sewing "basket." Pin cushion, lace, ribbons, buttons and thread are close at hand.
This is the tray I hold in my lap to be my work surface. Scissors, beads, wire, an antique ice pick and more are there.
This is what I have to show on my latest project. On the right are the gift bags I showed you last week when I told you where I was working. On the left are the brooches I'm sewing.
This is a close up of my brooches. Each one is made of fabric, buttons, lace and other odds and ends. The materials are vintage, recycled and new.
Yes, this is a tree stump. See the colors, texture and pattern. Amazing, isn't it? This is in the woods on the other side of our back lane.
This is a really close up of a portion of the stump. Isn't it lovely? See the sunlight on the top? Great colors! I wish I could do a painting that looks like this.
These are small gift bags. Perfect for presenting a piece of jewelry, money or a gift card. Each one is lined. This patchwork bag has a casing for a ribbon drawstring that is operated by a wooden bead. The stars are buttons. Size is 3 inches by 4.
Since I like to sew by hand, the patchwork is hand stitched and quilted. These are 3 x 3 inches.
These bags are made in one piece, turned and then half is tucked in to become the lining. A casing is sewn in the top. The leaves on the bag on the left are buttons. The gold leaves on the top of the bag on the right I purchased in the jewelry section at Michael's.
I LOVED San Diego! Who wouldn't love a place with flowers like this everywhere? I wish bougainvillea would grow in Virginia!
This is one of the many gardens in Balboa Park and one of the arches leading into the garden. Notice the fantastic tree.
These trees are in the zoo. J, T & I together took nearly 1,000 pictures. Many of them are of trees, flowers and each other taking pictures!
The architecture in Balboa Park is Spanish and there are lots of arches. Do you love arches as much as I do!
This is the same garden as the second picture. The flowers are cosmos and lavender. With such lovely weather there were outdoor weddings in the Park on Sunday so two of the gardens were closed to the public. There seemed to be wedding groups everywhere having pictures taken. What a lovely backdrop!
After studying the lovely photographs that you all put on your blogs I have decided to add a new camera to my Christmas list. I want my photos to be as luscious as Claudia's of the Dippity Road.
They also sell cut flowers. Beautiful, aren't they?
I bought both colors of tomatoes. Haven't had the yellow one yet. Will it taste the same?
With the breeze from the ceiling fan keeping me comfortable, I swing, read, and doze. Hubby comes out to see if I need a refill and bring me a snack. Across the street I can see the creek as it empties into the lake.
This is the view of the porch from the living room. With the main living area being above a daylight basement, we look right out into the trees. It is like being in a tree house. It is very quiet here at the lake. Just this afternoon as we headed to Charlottesville we stopped to move a box turtle out of the road. Then we stopped to admire a doe and her two fawns (still with white spots on their backs) who were not very concerned about us watching them! On the way home we saw yet another doe and her fawn.
Twelfth 6: (L-R) Kevin Hoffmann as “Sebastian,” Katie MacNichol as “Olivia” and Dana Green as “Olivia/Cesario” in The Old Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, directed by Paul Mullins, playing in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre June 13 – September 27 in nightly rotation with Cyrano de Bergerac and Coriolanus; photo by Craig Schwartz.
This is a begonia in a basket. Easy to move wherever you need a touch of color.
Downtown Mercersburg, PA is the location of this planter. This coleus is perfect for this shady spot.
My former neighbor Joan is a genius with containers. This is a picture of her back porch.
This planter is sitting on the path in my garden in Pennsylvania. Marigolds and star zinnias combine for a great look in an old coal bucket.
My cat Paws asleep on the back of my recliner. He curls around my head, puts his paws on my shoulders and wraps his tail around my neck. He loves it when I rock and doesn't even mind when I recline. He just hangs on and purrs!
With black dots on white, you wouldn't loose these easily.
This is how they are described in the catalog -
