Project 64: Purple Mountains Majesty

Shades of Autumn: White.

white.   i love white. 

white can take on many forms....

it can be mysterious as was the fog that lingered one recent morning.

white can be the frosty coating on the plants on a crisp, fall day. 

white can even elicit a feeling of whimsy.

i fell in love with the beauty of these milkweed pods

 and their white silky fibers.

i found an abundant number of synonyms for white. 

achromatic. frosted. milky. pearly. neutral. unspotted. fresh. new. 

unmarked. bright. elegant. snowy.

white can be described in an endless number of ways and take on
many forms. this week, i found that white IS truly a shade of autumn. 

just take a minute to observe a bit more closely, you might encounter
some beautiful fall whites that you might ordinarily have overlooked. 

Joining up once again with Kristi of Live and Love Outloud, Alicia of

 Project Alicia and Rebecca of Bumbles & Light for the Shades 

of Autumn Photo Challenge. The photos get better every week. 

Follow the link above to check them out or to enter for yourself! 

Shades of Autumn: Brown.

It's funny...brown is one of my favorite colors to wear, but I've disliked (very much) the brown drabness that follows the spectacular colors of Autumn. I must say, however, this photo challenge, in conjunction with a few others, 
has so heightened my awareness. I now am noticing colors, textures and minute details more than I ever have.

And guess what ... I found some gorgeous browns. 

I have a new appreciation for post-fall brown. 

I can't tell you that come December or January I will still be in love with it, but for now, I am grateful for the "push" this challenge has delivered. I am enjoying the season to a much greater extent than I would have a year ago. 

So, thank you Alicia, Kristi and Rebecca for hosting this 

challenge. I am enjoying it immensely.

Project 64: Dandelion.

This is one of my favorite fall photos I've taken. 

I captured these bittersweet berries just 

before they burst open. 

There is not too much color left here now. Most of the brilliance is gone. What was yellow, orange or red is now mostly brown. You can find a bit of color here and there. 

My girls and I went for a hike this weekend with my 

mom and sister and I was fortunate enough to spot
a few bold colors, such as these yellow tree 
branches. I couldn't get too close as they were 
fully engulfed in briars. 

And then there was this yellow leaf amidst 

all the brown, dried out leaves.

Lastly, my sister's coat was the most 

delicious shade of yellow, a perfect match for dandelion.

She was our fearless leader on our trek. She remained 

focused and kept us moving as 3/5 of us tended to 

lolligag (snapping photos and collecting pine cones, 

acorns, tree branches and other such treasures).  

More photos from our hike will be forthcoming. For now, 

click here to jump over to Project 64 and check out the other amazing dandelion captures.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shades of Autumn: Purple.

“Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”

William Cullen Bryant

Project 64: Turquoise.

When I saw this week's color, I knew exactly what I wanted to photograph, the turquoise necklace I found on Pinterest. If you haven't discovered Pinterest yet, you don't know what you are missing. Check it out here.
  

WARNING: It can be very addicting! 


One of my very first pins was of this 
turquoise necklace. I loved it immediately!  
After a brief internet search and a few clicks,
the necklace was mine!! 

Pinterest is an incredible resource for home decorating, 
wardrobe inspiration, recipes, crafts ... almost anything
you can think of. Its a virtual pinboard to keep your thoughts
and ideas organized and in one place. 


To get started, just go to the site, request an invite
and start pinning away!! You will love it!



You can follow my pins here.


Happy Pinning!! 

Shades of Autumn: Red.

A quick post before a busy weekend....

We can't get enough apple-y goodies around 

our house right now. Apple cider, homemade 

applesauce, apple dumplings, apple pie and 

just some good ol' macintosh apples sliced up for 

an after-school snack. 

The photos above and below are of a burning bush or 

Winged Euonymous. Its red leaves glow brightly in 

the Autumn sunshine.

Click on the link above to see more beautiful shades of Red.

Thanks for stopping in!  

Pieces of Autumn

 Well, it's been a busy week. I FINALLY had a chance 

to sit down and upload my photos. It's been crazy, 

full of projects and field trips, in addition to all the 

regular activities that constitute our normal week. We even had to cancel horseriding in order to accomplish all 

that was necessary.  

However, I was fortunate enough to chaperone

my daughter's field trip to a local camp for the day. What

an awesome day we had! It was loaded with team building exercises. The students had to work together toward a common goal. It was great to watch as they 
problem-solved together. 

After lunch, we took a hike up the "rigorous" trail. 

I have to admit, our breathing was a bit labored by the 

time we reached the top, but it couldn't have been more 

lovely. The sun was shining, the colors were brilliant

and the kids seemed exhilarated. Our guide had us 

stop to look for some "wildlife". One student found 

this tiny little tree frog. 

And we found several chameleons hiding under rocks. 

  

I learned that this is a Shagbark Hickory.The bark 

is so cool!

And...there are only a couple leaves left clinging to this tree.

I stopped by my favorite fruit stand this week. It's actually hard to resist stoppingthere everyday. I probably pass it at least 4, if not more, times a day. It's loaded with pumpkins and mums and all things fall. I picked up some apples and cider as well as a bagful of these little gourds. They are the perfect little Autumn treasures. 

Also, what a surprise I had when I checked out Project 64 

last weekend to see that I was the favorite for the weekly challenge!!! I am so honored and I wanted to thank 

all who voted this week. You're all great!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! 

We're heading to the pumpkin patch tomorrow!! 

Thanks again for stopping by!