Hiking in the Poconos

We had a relaxing and adventurous weekend in the Poconos.

My Sweetheart & amazing Pup

Hickory Run State Park on the "Shades of Death" trail.

check out these Mushrooms!

I loved the colors of the moss growing on the ancient tree trunk.

Happy Monday.....Its feels like a fresh start and I am looking forward to a week full of creating.

xo, Laura

Feathers

For the last several weeks I have been finding feathers on my walks.
They just appear when I least expect them.
Have you been finding feathers too?

One of my Favorite Quotes

May's topic for the Blog-o-Sphere Think Tank Group....
What is your favorite quote?

"Maybe our favourite quotations say more about us
than about the stories and people we're quoting."
~ John Green
A few weeks ago I came across this quote in short blog post named Wisdom by Alison "TeenAngster" ..... it rang so true to me.
While most memorable quotes have a universal appeal,
we tend to find them just when we need them.
That day I decided to participate in this months
Blog-o-Sphere Think Tank,
so that I could share one of my favorite quotes by Anais Nin
and why I connect to it.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~Anais Nin

Nature has so many lessons to teach me when I pay attention......
Flowers are one of the natural wonders of the world I learn from and love to investigate & reflect upon.
When I read this quote by Anais Nin the first time, it made me think
that the blossoming of a flower is akin to becoming the best version of myself that I could possibly be.
Blossoming is a natural process, each petal revealing a part of my self.
While complex and layered, I would like to allow my blossoming to just happen freely.
No longer do I want to hold tight to old ways of being that keep me stuck. I do not want to be bound by the idea that I "should be" a certain way instead of revealing who I really am inside.
I want to continue to take the risk of blossoming.....a life long unfolding of all of my petals, that reveals my beauty.



When I add flowers to my jewelry designs, I often have this idea in mind and use flowers as a representation
of constant growth (or blossoming as a person).


:: Follow the links of my fellow Blog-o-Sphere Think Tankers
to enjoy inspiring Quotes & discussion.
:: May's participants in the Blog-o-sphere Think Tank ::

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com/
Brad Severtson: http://hammeringoutaliving.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Krucoff: http://mysticalmythicalmetalwork.wordpress.com/
Wendy Kelly: http://www.wendykianakelly.com/
Mary Spencer: http://www.wattoonline.com/news
Stephanie Clark: http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com/
Barbara Donovan: http://barbaradonovan.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
Thomasin Durgin: http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Shaun Young: http://shaunyoung.ca/
Kathryn Cole: http://www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com/
Natsuko Hanks: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/


more flower photos from my neighborhood....

Coming out of my Winter Hibernation (finally)...

I have joined the Blog-o-sphere Think Tank !!
A wonderful group of artists who are blogging each month on a specific topic. The leader of the pack is Andes Cruz: www.andescruz.wordpress.com This month's topic is "best childhood/ younger years memory".
I have been thinking and thinking all month
about growing up in Miami in the 70s,
my best friends, my neighborhood...
The ONE best memory is so difficult to come up with.
I have an overall feeling that keeps popping up, it is the feeling of freedom,
just being a kid.
I grew up in South Miami, Florida, part of a family of four. My childhood home was on a beautiful lake.
As a kid I was always outside.
Swimming, riding my bike, making hiding places under trees & lighting mini bon fires at the canal's edge.
I would pack my suit case and climb one of the trees in my yard and just hang out for the day.
Just the feeling of being outside in the sunshine, playing all day is my best childhood memory.

Here is the view from my childhood backyard in Florida....



Now I live in Philadelphia. When I was walking in the Wissahickon Valley Park this week with my dog I felt that feeling again.....the one of being free, in nature. That is when it occurred to me that I try to recreate that feeling
I had as a kid.
As a grown up, I get outside and walk.
I let all of my worries go and just enjoy being.

Photos of the Woods ::




:: Creatives writing this month ::

Andes Cruz: http://www.andescruz.wordpress.com
Kathleen Krucoff http://mysticalmythicalmetalwork.wordpress.com/
Wendy Kelly: http://www.wendykianakelly.com/
Stephanie Nocito Clark http://thethinkingsofacoldweathergirl.blogspot.com/
Brad Severtson: http://hammeringoutaliving.blogspot.com/
Andrea Bell: http://feathersfreesiasandfishingtackle.blogspot.com/
Natsuko Hanks: http://jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com/
Shaun Young: http://shaunyoung.ca/
Pal Gooz: http://pmgart.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/

Always looking for Treasures on my way to work...

here are a few.

one rainy morning a few weeks ago.


these i picked on the way home from the post office.


the last two are from my walk today with my new Puppy!!



i love to see buds and blooms together.
xo, Laura

the leaves are starting to change in Philadelphia

On my way home from the Co~Op yesterday afternoon I had to stop and capture the color of the leaves. The sun was just peeking out after a rainy night and morning. It was beautiful, I just wanted to stay outside all day and play hooky from work!

Haiku Thursday

Red Gerber daisy
Standing tall, ready to face the day
Confident and content.

Not too many words today (or lately...)

Last week I saw my first Poppy flower.....
I took my camera with me to the Co~op this afternoon to capture it and only the pod was left.
I will write soon and share what I have been thinking about these last few weeks on Art & Fear.

walking in Fairmount

Fairmount is a cool neighborhood just north of Center City. If you go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art be sure to head east a few blocks and check it out. Beautiful old row houses.....and giant mansions. It is also the home of Mugshots, where you can get a really good cappuccino.
Trees are blooming and daffodils are smiling!

Tulips

working and walking in silence,
the tulips inspire me
to blossom today.

Warmth!

It is so funny to me that a Sunny Day with 50 degree weather is WARM!
I headed out for a walk to the post office and here is what I found.


a bouquet of colorful wire

peace to you

looking back

tuft of fabric caught in the fence

sirens......emergency!!

waiting

tiny buds

heading back home under the bridge

bolt detail....beautiful patina

just look.....
the beauty is in the details.

Thank you for coming along with me, Laura