Enjoying an afternoon walk

Here are some pictures I took while taking a walk in the mid afternoon sun. I love watching the colors of the leaves change during fall. I was hoping the wind would pick up a little so I could get some shots of the leaves twirling in the wind. I am so happy I have a camera that can fit in my purse or even my pocket so I can snap a shot anytime.

I love to try to capture the sun light reflecting off of leaves and tree branches. It radiates such a great sense of warmth.

How to press your flower bouquet

I was honored to be my sister-in-law's matron of honor along with her sister on September 28th. The wedding was beautiful and I really liked the flowers she chose. I love the cozy warm colors of the fall. I wanted to preserve the flowers from my bouquet so I could eventually add them around a picture of us from the wedding day. I thought it would a nice gift to the new bride and a great memento for me as well.

To press flowers yourself is actually a very easy process. If you do not have time right away you can keep them fresh in your fridge for the time being. I had my bouquet in my fridge almost two weeks before I had time to press them!

To get started, first gather these materials:

1. Your flowers to press.
2. A couple of heavy books such as a phone book or dictionary.
3. Tissues

The first step will be to open up to a page closer to the back of your book. Next, peel away a singly ply from your tissue and lay it on one side of the book. Lay the other ply on the opposite side. This will help you move the delicate flowers off the book once they are pressed.

Now remove all stems from your flowers that have a depth such a the rose. You will need to flatten the flower as gently as possible so you do not break off the petals. Once this is done you can lay them on the tissue. If you have many to press just flip the pages a couple of times towards the front of the book and repeat the process.

When you have finished prepping your flowers to be pressed close the book to flatten them and get rid of the moisture. I have found that it helps to stack a couple of books on top as well. Leave them inside the book for at least three to four days to make sure they are free of moisture.

On the forth day you can open the book and see if they are flattened and totally moisture free. If not, you can leave them in for another day. I was happy with my results because the colors were still prominent. I can not wait to use them.

Beauty is Everywhere

I love the fact that you can walk outside you door and find beauty for free. These days everything seems to have a price. For me beauty isn't on tv. Beauty does not have have to be on billboard, not even in a magazine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me, beauty is the turning of the leaves in the fall or the blossoming of flowers in the spring. It is the sound of the river and the warmth of the sun.

Beauty is the colors of the sun rise and even more when it sets. It is when a moment that is exchanged where no words or photo can record. It is the sound of music. It is the rhyme of words. Beauty is the exchange of wisdom from the elders to the young. This is the kind of beauty I live for each day. The fact that I can find beauty no matter what will always make my day.