Today I popped into my favorite flower shop in Lake Bluff, Twigs, for a dose of color therapy on this rainy, 38 degree day. I picked up some flowering cherry branches for my mantel, which reminded me of the pictures I took at The Chicago Botanic Garden last April. I can't wait for everything to … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: The Chicago Botanic Garden In Spring
Nature
Mid-Summer Green
This long, treacherous winter has me longing to skip spring altogether and jump into the warmth of a lazy mid-summer day. I've been dreaming of green - not scattered shoots of crocuses or the chartreuse of emerging leaves, but vibrant swaths of treetop and grass so lush that it begs for bare feet. Steinbeck wrote … Continue reading Mid-Summer Green
Telluride
A Surprise Trip to Tahoe
When I created this blog (my first post exactly two years ago), I never imagined it would bring a wonderful friend who lives 2,000 miles away in San Francisco. Domonique and I were introduced by our mutual friend Janet, my sorority pledge mom at DePauw. She knew that we held similar interests (Domonique pens the … Continue reading A Surprise Trip to Tahoe
Welcome, 2014! I’ve been waiting for you.
Our family closed 2013 skiing with close friends in Northern Michigan where subzero windchills kept all but diehard skiers off of the slopes. The cold may have prevented us from spending the entire day outside, but paired with a new-fallen blanket of snow, it brought the gift of quiet which was almost as beautiful as … Continue reading Welcome, 2014! I’ve been waiting for you.
First Snow
The first snowflakes of the season fell this afternoon, bringing with them a familiar mix of emotions. Like boarding the ferry after saying goodbye to a romance that was never meant to last, you know beautiful days lie ahead but you're still not quite ready to let go.
A Midwest Autumn
"Chicago is an October sort of city, even in Spring." - Nelson Algren Yesterday's blustery grey skies created a perfect backdrop for the Chicago Botanic Garden's jewel toned autumn landscape. Wind gusts scattered leaves along the winding gravel walking paths - a bittersweet reminder of the season's fleeting beauty.
Bagpipes and Bonfire
Each year when September comes to a close, Lake Forest families gather in celebration of autumn and our community's dedication to preserving open land. Set against the serene backdrop of Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve, this year's Bagpipes and Bonfire included Highland games, fiddling, fly casting, wagon rides and a delicious harvest dinner. As the sun … Continue reading Bagpipes and Bonfire
Splendid
Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, Give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard, Give me a field where the unmowed grass grows... - excerpt from Walt Whitman's Give Me the Splendid Silent SunOur family made its annual trip to the orchard in Wisconsin where we have … Continue reading Splendid
Summers to Remember
Another summer has come to a close. Looking back over the years, I am most nostalgic for the summers spent sailing with my grandparents in Canada. Our journeys always began in Penetanguishene, Ontario, where we would gather provisions and fish from the docks while our grandfather readied our boat, Mañana. Our grandmother would stow … Continue reading Summers to Remember
the aesthete and the dilettante 