Wordless Wednesday....ladybug love

This last month I've been pursuing my passion...Photography.
I am looking forward to sharing with you what I learn while bringing you more beautiful images from my garden...

Blogs & Bloggers I love to bits...Sunshine award!

Gratitude is totally consuming my every thought today, I'm deliriously giddy from the happiness I feel and I'm just bursting to share... (no I am not drinking or smoking anything I shouldn't! But warning, a wordy post coming...yes I like to talk, pretend we are having an iced-tea out on my patio, enjoying the cherry blossom!)

Its an amazing feeling, gratitude from the depth of your soul! I'm sure it's a combination of things...the glimpses of sunshine I am seeing out my window, the beautiful spring time blooms that are determined to keep blooming, the purples in my yard are just divine...lilacs, tulips, wisteria, phlox, heathers, azaleas, pansies, winter violets, lavender...ohhh it's a happy purple yard! Honestly I had no idea I was so drawn to purple blooms...addiction! This year they are coming out in force, serious addiction...oops, sidetracked. I'll save that for a later post!

But I have to say my giddiest delight and gratitude comes from my blog... The friendships found, the experiences shared, the talents realized and the mistakes to giggle at. It is such a rewarding and personal journey, where our lives connect through the tiniest of seeds or the largest of trees. Really I am not sure what I am now, I used to say I was a gardener who likes to blog, but really I think I am more a blogger who likes to garden!! For many of us it's where we come to share our garden stories but for most of us its where we come to catch up with friends and share life's journey. Garden Bloggers and bloggers in general really are some of the most beautiful, kind-hearted people I know, not to mention down to earth and often hilarious.

So this leads me to showing my heartfelt gratitude to those who fill my blogging bucket with so much joy! (My 6yr old son taught me all about "bucket dippers" and "bucket fillers" this week, so this is for my "bucket fillers")

Starting with Susan@ As long as you have a garden who has graciously awarded me with the Sunshine Blog Award. Susan blogs about her adventures in her beautiful garden, great book reviews and garden tours too! Thanks for sharing your ray of sunshine Susan.

The Sunshine Blog Award is a prize awarded to “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”. As an award winner, there are a few rules to follow:

• Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it.
• Answer the questions below.
• Pass on the award to 5 bloggers you like, link their blogs, and let them know you awarded them.

1. Favorite color - I love them all, but I think teal is my fave today!
2. Favorite Animal - Do birds count here? I love chickadees!
3. Favorite Number - 28 not sure why though
4. Favorite non-alcoholic drink - Sparkling water or iced tea with lemon wedges
5. Face-book or Twitter - Facebook, still figuring twitter out
6. My passion - Photography, learning all I can at the moment...love it!
7. Getting or Giving Presents - Giving, especially when it's for no reason! 
8. Favorite Pattern - Anything Polka Dot...hehe!
9. Favorite Day of the Week - Lazy sunshine filled Sundays
10. Favorite Flower - Peonies and Tulips

So in the spirit of Blog Awards I am going to send the love and gratitude on and nominate the following for the Sunshine Blog Award, each of these blogs and bloggers bring me so much joy...Thank you!!

Grace @ Gardening with Grace...love her! And wow what a garden, to die for! Grace blogs from Albany and her posts are always such a joy to read, with beautiful photos and a wonderful writing style.
Jenni @ Rainy Day Gardener Not only is Jenni a fellow Pacific Northwest garden blogger documenting her veg and ornamental garden, (now spread out over two different properties, busy girl!) but a fellow mom and a lover of crafts. Her blog has become a fave read of mine and her comments were some of the few that helped me not give up on my blog in the early days...Thank you Jenni for your friendship and support!
Beth @ Plant Postings - Another fave read, Beth is a wonderful blogger who provides a gorgeous plant feast for the eyes, full of great info on plants, I've learnt so much through her posts...thanks Beth =)
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams - Where do I start? I guess if you love gardens, beautiful quotes and stunning photography this is one of my all time faves! Jen blogs from British Columbia and is a recent transplant who is excited to explore her new stomping grounds. Her photos are sublime!!
Cherry @ Cherry's in the Garden & More - As far as sunshine goes this blog is beaming with it!! One of the cheeriest bloggers around, Cherry blogs from down south in Savannah. She offers a great mix of garden, house and life posts, her DIY home projects are so inspiring...Y'all head over there now =)


Also a shout out to Becky @ Fourth Generation Farm Wife for nominating me for a versatile blogger award, thank you!! thank you!!
Here is my link to my January Versatile Award post My first blogger award...beyond thrilled!

Mothers Day 2012 & Plant Sales Galore....

This Mothers Day the Seattle area seems to be having Plant Sales on every corner! Oh I really do even just love typing those two words together...Plant + Sale, ahh happiness! 

Really what could make mom happier on Mothers Day? hint hint kids! A clean house, well behaved children, jewelry, a bottle of vino and a night off? Well when that bubble of crazy thinking bursts, the next best thing for me is to take a trip to a favorite nursery for a day of plant-lust, this really would've been my first choice anyway but I can always hold out for the clean house right! Here is my selection of what seem to be can't miss events....

Seattle, WA area Plant Sales Mothers day weekend 

May 12th/13th. (click links for more details)

Skagit County Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale - Perennials, veg starts, art vendors and plant clinic
Camas 15th Annual Mothers day plant sale & garden fair - Over 100 garden vendors, street festivities.
Tukwila Backyard Wildlife Fair - Native plants, demos, vendors, talks, CISCOE (need I say more!)
Seattle Tilth Eastside Edible plant sale - Veggie/herb starts, hand selected by Tilth to perform in PNW
Woodinville Garden Club Plant Sale - Held at the beautiful Chateau St Michelle winery...ah yum!
Lake Wilderness Arboretum Spring Plant Sale - Vendors, native plants and exotics from around the globe.
Friends of Volunteer Park Conservatory Plant Sale - Tropic plants and an one amazing greenhouse...wow!
Further East...
Jefferson County Master Gardeners Plant Sale - Great for veggie starts and known for their tomatoes!
Spokane Garden Expo - Over 250 garden related vendors, seminars, demos and plant sales.

• One of the things I really love about these type of plant sales are the gardeners who are volunteering, they really know the plants and local conditions, and more than likely are the ones that grew the plant you are buying. Great day for Q&A on plants you are buying and your existing garden too, they are always so happy to help and LOVE to talk garden!!  

I am so excited to check out some of these local Plant Sales. It's become our annual Mothers Day tradition, to pack my whinny boys (who are allergic to girlie flowers and who insist on reminding me of my mommy duties) in the car for a day at Flower World or some other favorite local nursery, but this year I'm looking forward to the Club based Plant Sales...Mothers day is best spent with loved ones and plants!!

Whether you have a mom, admire a mom or are a mom, How do you celebrate Mothers Day?
I am thinking this year we will be hitting the Tukwila Backyard Wildlife Festival and Plant Sale  May 12th - Great for natives, Craft Vendors, Entertainment and Ciscoe Morris! There seems to be a great selection of activities to keep the kids entertained, especially for my young bird loving boys. Also check out this great link for all listed Plant Sales in Eastern Washington - UW Botanic Gardens

What ever you do this Mothers Day I hope it is a special time for the amazing Moms in your life!!

Birds nest discoveries!

What a beautiful Seattle weekend for some outdoor discoveries and what greater place than your own backyard! For weeks now my little bird lover and I have been watching a chickadee family build a nest in one of our lopsided Cypresses, busily scurrying around with twigs, moss anything they can find to create a safe place for their soon to be chicks. Really, what screams springtime more than sweet singing birds happily nesting! Sorry no pic's unless you want a blur...lol!

It's amazing how these sweet little birds have become part of our every day routine. For weeks now we wake to their joyful little tweets and watch them flit around while we eat breakfast.

During our Sunday morning garden wander, we discovered with great sadness that their nest had been attacked. The nest had been pawed at and was found laying on the ground next to the Cypress. What happened? And are our two little feathered friends OK? With uncertainty of their safety and if they had yet even laid eggs (oh boy had we been waiting in anticipation for that day to come). My little bird lover, through tears, was able to salvage the nest and we placed it back in the tree just in case they were to return...fingers were crossed!

Today when we woke we noticed even more birds in our yard, giving us hope that this is still a safe place for our feathered friends. While on another quick garden wander before school, with great joy, we found an egg in the nest, happy days!! We could not believe it!! had it been there all along and we just never saw it? Did they really come back or is it another birds egg? Oh we are so so beyond happy, our neighbors must of thought we we were high from the giddy laughter that was coming from our yard! And on top of that we found a new nest hidden in the branches of another Cypress, we are crossing our fingers and hope to post photos soon of a happy little tweeter.

I am so happy they returned, check out my past post on  Tips for attracting birds to your backyard

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Wordless Wednesday... Springtime Foliage

Bursting neon green freshness the crisp new foliage of Spring!

Mercer Slough, Bellevue WA