life | memorial day

one meaning of the peony is compassion.

thank you to all the men & women who serve our country through military service past, present and future. recently, we saw the hbo mini-series the pacific about the ww2 battles along the asian pacific. the series was very graphic, but gave you a thorough sense about how the soldiers changed from innocent young men to shattered young men if they were lucky to survive. we don't know anyone who saw action there, but have a new understanding about what they all endured. we hope someday the military will only be used for peacekeeping or to respond to a natural disaster like they did in haiti. today, we'll appreciate our freedom a little bit more.

xo, cindy & scott

garden : late spring blooms

place : brooklyn botanic garden

hello, hello! there's a three-day weekend coming up to commemorate memorial day here in the us and we have no special plans. but, i do hope to convince scott to go to coney island one day. they're re-opening the amusement park and i'd love to see it and have a hot dog. have a great weekend. hope it's bee-u-tiful!

xo, cindy


dwarf alliums & water lilies require you to get real low.


tall alliums & foxgloves allow you to see eye to eye.


there are two artists in the top photo. do you see them both?

life : technically, it's difficult

place : brooklyn botanic garden

hello, hello! we've been experiencing some technical difficulties, so i've been offline the past couple days and it has been interesting. i've done a lot with the new program i started, but miss my online friends. we hope to resume our regularly scheduled programming very soon ;). happy wednesday!

xo, cindy

ps this photo from the brooklyn botanic garden is for scott who said 'please don't take one more photo' as i clicked on 258 with the bench. i stopped at 269 and was happy to do so.

life : fluttering roses

place : brooklyn botanic garden

hello, hello! the butterfly was just hovering over that flower in the brooklyn botanic garden for what seemed to be forever and i was hovering over those roses for what seemed to scott to be forever. happy monday!

xo, cindy

ps the butterfly is sent to joyce with good wishes because she loves them and is having surgery, tomorrow.

trip : beach flowers

tv : we LOVE the show 9 by design. have you seen it?

hello, hello! as promised, here are some flowers from the beach towns we recently visited and i think i'm going to write a book about flowers. no, i am going to write a book about flowers. i don't know the first thing about the process other than blurb, so i'll start there. it should be interesting, the editing is my biggest challenge. i have so many different layouts and approaches right now i'm just plain confused, but it's a good confusion, if that makes sense ;)? happy day!

xo, cindy

ps thank you for all the birthday wishes for scott. they made his day and mine, too!

trip : beach towns

concert : james maddock live on npr. i love the first song, chance.

hello, hello! last weekend we went to the beach to celebrate scott's birthday (yes, i'm mentioning it again because he loves when people wish him a happy birthday here and maybe everyone didn't see it friday ;). it was so cold and windy, but the sun did shine on and on. next up, flowers - you knew it. have a good week!

xo, cindy


i don't think our beverage choices or sneaker-styles indicate we're compatible. we do like khaki pants though, so that's one thing we have in common :).


this might be morbid, but the home sweet home museum is the place i'd like my ashes scattered when i die, if it's ok. if not, scott will have to be ninja-like even if he's old & gray and has to use a walker. can you imagine?


vintage clocks in madewell and sports gear in a shop in bridgehampton (unfortunately, i can't remember the name) mix with interesting modern sculptures.


the 'thing' car by volkswagen was so cool.


warning signs - no lifeguard and electrified fence, which is where the horses were the day before. if it's to keep people out i guess it's ok; if it's to keep the horses in then probably not.

life : slow down

song : broken horse by freelance whales

hello, hello! last weekend we went to the beach to celebrate scott's birthday and on the way to dinner passed this field. unfortunately, we were going too fast to stop and he kind of did the 'what field, what horses?' routine if you know what i mean ;). the setting sun was golden and the horses were grazing so close to the fence. it was cold and they had on special blankets. it's one of those images that got away and i'll always remember it. on the way back a couple of hours later there was still some light, but it wasn't the same. the golden glow was gone, the horses moved back, and i had no zoom lens. oh well, i'll take what i could get because that field of color was so pretty. have a nice weekend. slow down, y'all.

xo, cindy

garden : springtime blooms, deux

video : i am a girl by brooke white
{via lenorenevermore}

bring me the sunset in a cup
- emily dickinson

hello, hello! although the sun is shining today, it's been so cold and rainy, lately. did we skip spring & summer? i just hope these blooms from the new york botanical garden aren't the last we see this year ;). enjoy your day!

xo, cindy


lilacs and something else. i don't always stop to read the plant names, but might have to change that in the future.


this display for the incredible auriculas was designed by the dowager marchioness of salisbury (lady salisbury) of hatfield house fame. for some reason, i'm suddenly reminded of lady campanula tottington from the wonderful animated movie the curse of the were-rabbit.


white tulips in two places.


the children's adventure garden is so cute and great for big kids, too. there are always group meetings from concerned parents when kids get in here - no running, no knocking people down, no yelling - oy!


ok, babies are cute even from the backside, so are orange tulips from any side.

garden : last of the cherries

song : stop for a minute by k'naan & keane

hello! although we seem to be experiencing a prolonged spring, it has come with some extreme weather. this weekend we went to the beach and it was really cold and windy leaving downed trees and branches strewn everywhere, plus power outages. but, it was nothing compared to the devastating tornadoes in oklahoma and flooding in tennessee. have you heard about tennessee? it hasn't been mentioned much in the media. these seem to be the last of the cherry blossoms this year and looked so pretty in the pool. see you later in the the week.

xo, cindy

garden : emily's floral poetry

fame is a bee,
it has a song -
it has a sting -
ah, too, it has a wing.
- emily dickinson

hello, hello! the emily dickinson garden at the new york botanical garden is such a delight. a few years ago they had a similar display for charles darwin and i think the two would have made a lovely couple. happy mother's day to the experienced moms, new moms, moms to be, and anyone who acts like one (nurturers).

enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps have you seen the new magazine from jeanette of fryd + design? it's gorgeous!


they recreated emily's house and had her poems displayed throughout the garden. i didn't realize she was such an avid gardener and was reminded of celia thaxter's wonderful book an island garden.


i'm trying to include people in my photos because, unlike martha stewart, i don't get private tours. plus, people make it more, well, human. usually i get their backsides, but sometimes i'm lucky.


sweet peas, fuchsia, pelargonium and hyacinth. my mom loved fuchsia plants, but had no luck with them. she would bring home the most lush plant and before you knew it all the buds would fall off.


these peonies and roses are yet to open, so we must go back ;)!


the vegetable garden was delightful and so thoughtfully designed. loved the corn.


doesn't that guy on the left look like woody allen?


pansies, columbines, poppies and delphiniums.


i love people in hats, so if you're wearing a hat, beware!

life : home & flowers

song : kandi by One eskimO - from michelle's tweet

hello, hello! you know what? my life is driven by flowers. shocking news, i know ;). if i don't have enough around me, we're going to public gardens & parks to see them. i don't know how i'm not doing something in my work that involves - flowers. bi-zarre. here are a few floral-delights from around our place these days -

home
i read about the wonderful crochet pillowcases from rose hip on fryd + design. after thinking about it, i had to have a pair and they are so pretty. now, her shop is empty, but if you covet a pair she'll create a special order for you.

flowers
scott got into trouble for buying me the peonies. can you imagine? we saw them the day before at the supermarket and i took a pass because they were fully-opened and wouldn't last. he brought them home the next day and i kind of got mad because he didn't listen to me. but, i think he likes it when i take photos of the flowers he buys and post them. so, ok, i'll do it ;).

more flowers
the peonies mixed in nicely with iris from our tiny garden. we worked on it on sunday and i don't believe how much pain a 8' x 12' piece of land can cause. i suppose when you squeeze in 4 weeks worth of work into one day that can happen. the thing is we didn't plant a thing! so much for spring doing the heavy lifting once the tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinth are spent. it was good while it lasted. on to the weeds and roses!

read
the letterpress cover of slow love, how i lost my job, put on my pajamas & found happiness by dominique browning caught my eye in the bookstore. she was the editor-in-chief of house & garden for 13 years before it closed and it's interesting to read about someone who reached the pinnacle of success only to deal with its dissent and then find her way back, again. i'm really enjoying this book - it's poignant, enlightening and funny, plus it supports my new mantra about it never being too late to make a living doing what you love. i haven't lost my job (yet), but i am exploring my calling and might initiate the change myself (scary). happy wednesday!

xo, cindy

ps the lilies of the valley are also from our garden and they are one of my favorite flowers. i realized after taking the photo that they represent 'return of happiness'. wow, i didn't set it up! somehow these things just come together. i love that!

life : sunnyside up, deux

song: you're gonna make me lonesome by shawn colvin.

hello, hello! springtime is the best time to me because nature does the heavy lifting. a lot of the work is done in the fall and everything starts a new as shown in this second set of pics from sunnyside gardens. we visited the emily dickinson-inspired garden at the new york botanical garden this weekend, so you know what that means - photos! but, my schedule is top heavy this week and that type of fun will have to wait a few days. see you later in the week. hope yours gets off to a great start and i do mean GREAT!

xo, cindy

ps thanks to willis carrier for inventing the air conditioner because this weekend was hot, hot. i'm glad ours started!


i could be very happy with that pint-sized patio.


or this patio.


i've never seen a curved fire escape.